Chapter 12
Loki really didn't like this. Despite Fey's assurances that Heimdall would not betray them he could not help but recall the numerous times the guardian had gone out of his way to be an inconvenience for the Asgardian prince. The more he thought about it, the more he became convinced that the man would have come up with something to make his life difficult upon his return via the Bifrost. There was obviously some deal between the sleeping girl beside him and the man who watched over the nine realms, but he didn't doubt the man would find a way to bend the words of such a deal if it meant he could reveal Loki as alive.
The obvious solution was to send Fey back on her own, while he stayed here and revisited his research on the method of shadow-travelling and the creatures that lurked within. Vanaheim was as good a place to start as any; it held extensive libraries not unlike those of Asgard. It also had a few very ancient areas with long-forgotten passages and secret rooms still being discovered.
It actually irked him how perfectly convenient it all was. What were the chances he would end up in the best possible location for what he needed to do? The coincidence gave him a very strong and deep-seated sense of unease, but he wasn't going to turn down such an opportunity when it came and presented itself so openly to him.
Now he just had to trick Fey into heading back to Asgard without him.
It was a surprisingly easy task to accomplish. He almost told himself off for putting so much thought into it, but he had enjoyed the challenge of outsmarting this girl who could somehow make his life so interesting when she decided to try.
He would make a cynic out of her yet. Though it was quite endearing how trusting she still was despite the fact that he was the reason for the thick bandage wrapped about her shoulder. He could have healed it for her, but she would heal on her own fast enough and he was hoping the pain might take the edge off her sharp wits.
So it was that the two of them came to be standing out in the open, a short distance from the shelter of the trees that had been their home for the past three days. Fey fussed over his appearance, changing it ever so slightly here and there to make sure he would pass for, perhaps, a rescued traveller returning home, or a prisoner brought back to face justice, or whatever other story she could think of that Heimdall could have told on her behalf.
When she was satisfied, she turned to him and breathed "Okay." Then she made a gesture and said "reveal us to him."
Loki nodded when he was done. And she looked up to the sky and called out clearly, "Heimdall, open the bridge!"
He was glad for her trust, for she had not been paying attention enough to notice he had unshrouded only her. To her, his presence was always there, so it was easy to overlook. However when the rainbow bridge came down to claim her, he couldn't help but feel a slight pang of guilt as she turned to see him step back out of reach and disappear on the other side of the wall of light. The image of her face – confused and uncomprehending – stayed burned into his eyes for a few seconds after the light had vanished.
