The story so far: Loki and Cephera have finally met and after a rocky start they are finally speaking to one another in a more respectful manner. All 10 girls listed by the angel have been found and Cephera is the only one to retain her mark but no one knows why. They have decided to go to the holy mountains and in hopes of answers.

Loki's dreamer: I love sexy time and I love to sneak it in where I can. :p

Poodle warriors: my big bag mystery is not going to be as blow away as my last fic but I hope it's still good.

Sorceress of the trees: thanks. I thought it was a good place to end it.

Doctor Loki love: a few steps forward... :) I think not only Loki but also Cephera has a bit of an obsessions with her humanity. Though technically the only thing tying her to earth was her parents.

Shinogirl93: great mind do think alike. :p not trying to crush your dreams I just won't be the one instigating them. Lol

As for length I have up to chapter 13 written and still going. I'm gonna say I dunno, my last fic was suppose to be like 40 sigh chapter and turned into 100. But I don't intend for this to be too long. Maybe 20-30 chapters depending on how well my brain keeps pumping out the ideas.

Chapter 9

After dinner Cephera was quick to follow Loki out of the dining hall leaving everyone else behind. "Loki wait!" She said. He turned to give her a quizzical look. "If we fail to find a solution to this mystery what happens to you?" She asked standing only a few feet from him.

"Concerned for my well being." The grin he gave her made a chill run up her spin in excitement but she tried her best to ignore it.

"Curious." She replied. He gave her a new thoughtful look before answering.

"As I was only released from my prison to help solve this mystery I would assume I would end back under lock and key until a fitting punishment is found to suit my past misdeeds." She frowned. To some degree she felt bad for him. Bargain or not he was actually trying to help.

"And if we do solve it will your sentence be reduced or perhaps even considered paid." She didn't mean to sound hopeful. Hell she wasn't sure why she even felt hopeful. Loki chuckled and began to walk away. She followed persistently.

"And here I thought you didn't care about me." He teased still walking.

"I don't. I mean I do but not in that way, you know I still don't plan to find myself in your bed or anything..." She was babbling and she knew it. His comment had taken her off guard.

"And yet had we not been rudely interrupted the other day you just might have found yourself in that very spot." She swallowed thickly. She knew he was right and was afraid anything she would say at this point would betray that thought. While she remained following him in her curious and now embarrassed state she had failed to realize his room is exactly where they now stood in front of. He stopped and turned to look down at her. He was grinning that grin again. "Now you may either join me while I dress in something more travel worthy or we could skip the dressing all together." Her face flushed and she stepped back.

"That's quite alright. I'll decline your offer." She told him. He said nothing more and she watched his room door close behind him. Cephera stood there biting her lip. She liked it better when he was being nasty to her. At least then she was less of a babbling fool. It was odd, when her dreams had first started she had been just as confused as she felt now. Loki sometimes became the man she had pined for all these years but then there were times she just wanted to strangle him. She wanted to ask him how he felt but deep down she was afraid.

She was afraid of rejection. The one man she had wanted most of her life wouldn't want her. She had felt that way when she first met him but recently he'd been seemingly going out of his way to woe her, so to speak. But the mystery still remained as to weather she was worth being seen with in his eyes. What was the point of being with him if he was ashamed of her. Why would she want to give her heart to a man like that?

They flew to the holy mountains upon the backs of wings stallions. The large beasts were nothing short of beautiful. Cephera hung on tight to its silky white mane. She dismounted and hadn't realized how shaky her legs would be and she fell over onto the ground and she wasn't the only one. Seraphina helped her up and Thor was kind enough to assist with helping the others while Loki watched in amusement.

"Welcome to the holy lands." Brunhilda greeted as they all found their feet. "I'm afraid that is all the pleasantries I have to extend at the moment. We are taxed with our task at hand. Come." She gestured for everyone to follow. They entered the large round room where they now had 9 angels laying like sleeping stone statues on the pillows. Cephera might have been in awe of her surroundings but her eyes feel directly upon Vicerial, the angel who had given her and Seraphina their marks. She broke free of the group and ran to her side drowning out the other shocked sounds made from the others.

"Vice." She said putting a hand to the angels cheek. The etherial being did not stir. "Seraphina!" She cried feeling slightly panicked. When her sister didn't reply she looked up at last and saw her sister looking around. The other girls now stood one beside a different angel and realization dawned on her. She looked to Brunhilda. "Are these the only angels to have fallen?" She asked.

"Yes. We have had no more occurrences since the fall of the last one."

"Alright listen up!" Seraphina yelled in her superiority voice she used at home. "I want everyone to come here..." No one moved. "NOW!" Seraphina shouted making a few jump. Abandoning the angels they all now stood in the middle of the room. Seraphina looked to Brunhilda. "Which of these fell first?" She pointed to the dark haired angel to Cephera's left. "Who was marked by her?" Maria indicated herself. Again Seraphina turned to Brunhilda. "How many days ago did she fall?"

"A month and two weeks." She replied.

"I lost my mark about that time." Maria confirmed as Cephera figured she would. They continued going through the girls and all angels and times frames matched up. The only two not making sense was of course the twins. Seraphina lost her mark when Vicerial fell but Cephera had not. Everyone was now looking at her and she shifted uncomfortably.

Loki sat down behind his desk. He had been right, their trip to the holy mountains had been fruitless. It only caused more questions. He had left the throne room as the girls explained the strangeness of everything and an argument broke out between half of the females and Cephera had been pinned in the center. Some blamed her for the problems, others had picked up for her. Some decided to even leave and no matter how much Thor had tried to keep them calm four had left and one of those four was not Alleria as Loki hoped it would be.

They all now looked to Cephera for answers when she clearly had none. Loki had left before the argument had reached such a point where Odin had stepped in. He was going over his notes that now including the new questions brought to life. What did Cephera have that no one else did? What made her different? The only thing he could think was that she was human and her powers were tied to those marks but that didn't explain anything. Loki groaned and got up leaving his room. He needed to speak to her.

He knocked on the door and got no response. He knew she was in there. He had heard her door close only ten minutes prior. He knocked again. When he got no reply he let himself in. He half expected her to be sleeping but her bed lay untouched which only left the bathroom. Loki couldn't help but smile before he headed that way. When he entered she was stretched out and leaned back far enough all but her face was submerged. The bubbles had mostly faded away and her body was easily seen in patches. Loki had to close his eyes a moment to remind himself he was not here for that.

But he couldn't deny that if she offered that he wouldn't say no. Loki saw the robe that hung on the wooden hook on the wall and grabbed it. He knelt down and tapped her on the forehead causing her to jump and the water to slop over the edge. "What are you doing in here!" She cried covering herself with her arms the best she could. Loki made a scene of rolling his eyes.

"I've seen your body every night for the passed 200 years, hiding yourself doesn't make me forget it." He told her. She glowered at him. He held up the robe as a gesture for her to get out and also to show her he had no provocative intentions. "We need to talk." He told her while she eyed him.

Sighing she stood with her back to him and quickly wiped the water off her the best she could. When she stepped out Loki helped her into the robe. He was containing himself nicely. She tied the robe and moved back into her room and sat in a small armchair. He sat across from her. "What do we need to discuss that's so important?"

"We need to discuss you." She gave him an odd look.

"I think I've had enough talk about me back in the throne room." She replied somewhat irritated.

"Nevertheless there is something about you that makes you different. Are you sure that you and your sister were blessed by the same angel." He could see she was trying not to be irritated with him but she looked to be failing.

"Yes I'm sure. We were standing side by side when it was done." She sat back crossing her arms over her chest. The fight that had occurred earlier seemed to be weighing heavily on her mind. "I don't know what your trying to find out but I promise you I don't have a clue why it's only me." Loki wasn't arguing that she didn't know but he was sure they could figure it out.

"What makes you different from your sister?" He was trying to ask her as softly as possible. He wouldn't get anywhere if he only served to piss her off.

"I don't know. Two human parents, my ability."

"Your ability to use magic?"

"Uhhh yeah. Sorta. I don't use magic perse I sort of copy the skills from others by touching them. After that I just need to learn the proper way of casting." Loki thought about it. "I learned to heal by copying Vicerial's ability to do so." Loki palmed himself in the forehead.

"You copied an angels powers."

"To heal yeah." Cephera was now leaned on one elbow her face resting on the heel of her palm.

"You can choose what to copy?" Loki pressed.

"Well no..."

"You've no idea where I'm going with this do you." She shook her head at a loss at his meaning. "I think you copied the magic that retains your mark. You haven't lost it because the power still resides inside you." Her mouth formed and oh and then a bigger oh as her eyes widened.

"I didn't mean too." She said looking guilty. "I just was trying it out. I never knew about my magic until Vicerial told me what I could do."

"This is not a bad thing." Loki was on his feet. He felt proud to have possibly figured out something. He felt one step closer to possible freedom. "If we could find out how to utilize this new power you could return the marks to the other girls."

"So we can open the passage." Cephera said finishing his thoughts. She looked a little less drab and a lot more excited then she had before.

"We will inform everyone in the morning and begin working in testing this theory." He told her. She nodded.

"Good because I'm tired. I can't wait to sleep." Cephera said making Loki grin.

"Can't wait to be with me?" He teased.

"Out!" She demanded rolling her eyes. He chuckled and left.