Hi, everyone! I'm so sorry for the long wait. I literally had to fight tooth and nail for this chapter to get written. I don't know but most of the minor points of my plot are falling apart and I've been having to improvise on the last couple of chapters. So, I'm sorry if this chapter seems a little bipolar (it goes from somber to humor to dark). Anyway, we're so close to the murderer being unveiled, though fairly far from the end, that I'm far too anxious to write the scene. And, for any of you reading "Drums & Helfire" (the prequel companion to this trilogy), I'm thinking about writing another chapter for it today or tomorrow. So I hope you all enjoy. Thanks to all for sticking with me this far.

Chapter 13

Dark Paradise

"Death is not the greatest loss in life. The greatest loss is what dies inside of us while we live on."

-Norman Cousins

Freyr walked into his sister's chambers to find her leaning her head back against her chair, a small silver object balanced on her knee with small white wires leading to her ears. Her fingers tapped against the arm of the chair in an unfamiliar beat and her eyes were closed.

"Freyja?" he called, closing the door behind him.

She didn't so much as move in acknowledgement, causing him to wonder what the silver rectangle in her lap was. He continued forward until he could reach out to her. Her fingers stilled as she opened her eyes, pulling out the white wires as she did.

"What is that?" he asked.

"The humans call it an IPod," she answered. "It holds music and songs."

He furrowed his brow, "How did you come by it?"

"It was a Christmas present from Tony Stark. I cannot explain it but it is perfect at clearing one's mind."

He didn't bother asking her why she needed to clear her mind. It had been almost a week since Jane's funeral and he had been watching Freyja slowly fall apart. Loki had informed him that she couldn't sleep, too haunted by frequent memories that acted as night terrors, and the proof was in the dark circles under her eyes. She hadn't been eating as she should have been, either. He was beginning to go past the borderline between concerned and frightened.

"Is there anything you wished to tell me?"

Her words shook him from his thoughts, "Not particularly."

"Not even to do with a fainting spell?"

He grimaced, "How did you hear of that?"

"Do I not have the right to know when my brother is affected by what Thanos did to him?"

"I have the same right to know when something troubles you."

She sighed, "What does not trouble me these days?"

"Why don't you speak to me of your wedding to Loki?"

"It has not occurred yet," she said, leaning her head back once more.

"I still want to hear of what to expect of my sister's wedding."

"Loki and I intend to wait until this mess is gone before we wed. Celebration is not needed in this darkness."

"Perhaps this is when we need a sliver of happiness."

"I believe it unwise to gather so many people with a murderer on the loose."

"Please, Freyja," he breathed, placing his hand over hers. "You say you worry for me but I fear for you. This is unhealthy. It is not your burden to bear alone and you should not recede into yourself simply because you wish to protect us."

"What would you have me do?"

"Allow us to protect you, as well. You are not invulnerable, so do not pretend to be so."

"What did you think of me when Thanos had you in his grasp?"

His eyes widened in shock, "Why do you ask this of me?"

"Answer me truthfully, please, and do not twist any words."

"I mourned for what would occur if Thanos continued to scour the worlds for you and prayed that you would never find the same fate I had," he replied. "I had hoped, in some part of me, that you had forsaken us and remained happy in Asgard."

She exhaled slowly, "You should have known better."

"I did, but I still hoped."

"How strange that you wished I would be selfish," she murmured. "Tell me, have you looked into the future of late?"

He shook his head, "I fear what I will see."

"As do I. Do you believe there may be some glimmer of hope in the future?"

"Perhaps you should take a glance to find out."

"And what if I see nothing but darkness? I cannot live out a life if I see all that will occur."

"Why must you think of such things?"

"What have I left?" she asked, turning her head to face him. "A shattered family and the memories of a thousand inflictions is all I hold."

"Shattered we may be, but we will always stand for you."

"You should not."

"And why do you believe that?"

"It will only cause you all to become targets. With every kill he takes away someone closer to me. Stay away and you will remain safe."

"You would be left alone," he pointed out.

"Alone will protect both you and me. It will protect all of us."

"Please do not speak this way."

"Why ever not? Are you uncomfortable with the demons that lie beneath the truth?"

"Freyja…"

"I need a moment," she breathed as she stood up and walked out the door.

Freyr watched sadly as she left, feeling helpless in the mess that had become their lives. He sunk into the chair she had been sitting in and stared at the ceiling.

"You were never there when needed most," he muttered. "And where are you now while we slowly fade away?"

Loki watched impassively as Kenna worked away at stabilizing her astral projection. She had learned fairly quickly how to change her form, which most likely stemmed from her heritage, and was showing exceptional skill. Though shape-shifting had been a natural talent, she still kept to her Jotun form. But she did not look exceptionally like the rest. Her long, black hair had iridescence that he had learned was common among the Vanir, the blue of her skin was darker, and she was much thinner and more angular than Jotuns. And she was not truly as spiteful as she seemed to be around Freyja.

At the thought of Freyja, his hand instinctively twitched towards the pocket of the trench coat he wore. It had taken him long enough to forge the ring, though he had been forced to remake it after a rather unfortunate incident caused indirectly by Thor, but he had finally finished. She had stated she wanted to postpone the wedding, but there was no reason to keep the ring from her.

"If you have something of import on your mind," Kenna announced, successfully shaking him from his reverie, "we can continue my training at another time."

He shook his head, "Forgive me. I am preoccupied, but you should continue with what you are doing.

"You're thinking of Freyja, are you not?" she asked, voice sharp as she spoke her half-sister's name.

"She is my fiancée," he pointed out.

She wrinkled her nose slightly, "To each their own, I suppose."

"What is it you find loathsome about Freyja?" he asked, genuinely curious.

"Do you truly not sense it?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

"What are you speaking of?"

"I do not know what it is exactly but something within her feels…dark. I have never felt such negative energy within a single being, besides Thanos himself."

"Are you certain?"

She gave him a hard look, "I spent over a millennium within Thanos's grasp. I would recognize it anywhere."

"I can assure you, Freyja is one of the most compassionate and kind people. She is as far from dark as you can become."

"From what Freyr tells me, I do not doubt her kindness. But I cannot find it in myself to trust a woman who harbors such an evil. Besides, you have seen the hostility she directs to me."

He sighed, "She does not intend to be cruel to you. Under different circumstances, I'm certain she would treat you as she does everyone else."

"And what circumstances would those be?" Kenna scoffed. "I am both a Jotun and a halfling, two things the Vanir have always despised."

Loki shook his head, "Vanaheim harbors no prejudice towards Jotuns. They believe darkness manifests within a single being, not an entire race. Were that not true, Freyja and I would not be together. And, since Freyja's return, the Vanir have become more open towards halflings. They see her as no less than a hero."

"And what do they think of me?"

"I'm unsure. But the Vanir are fairly forgiving people."

"Are they forgiving towards you?"

Loki stiffened, no longer comfortable with the conversation, "I have given them no reason to bear a grudge."

"You've whisked away their favorite princess," Kenna pointed out.

"Freyja's allegiance remains first and foremost to her people. And I would never force her to choose between her race and me."

"Is that why you allowed her to leave so easily when Thanos attacked Vanaheim?"

"It was ridi-" Loki stopped as he thought of what she had just said. "How did you know I allowed her to leave?"

She blinked, "Freyr told me."

"Freyr had left for Vanaheim long before Freyja attempted to," he replied, narrowing his eyes. "How could he have told you?"

"I have told you my answer. You may choose to believe me, or you may not. I cannot justify his knowledge."

Loki watched her carefully for a minute. He was fairly adept at telling when someone was lying to him, but the Jotun gave off no signals that her words were false. She was either telling the truth or an exceptional liar. Neither option was logical in any sense. Was it possible for the Vanir's inability to lie to be lost when mixed with the blood of another race?

"Loki!"

He snapped from his thoughts as Freyr came running, an odd limp greatly pronounced. Though he couldn't say what, he knew something was slowly killing the Prince from the inside out. Eir was unable to find anything physically or mentally wrong with him and yet Freyr seemed to be deteriorating with each passing day.

"Yes?"

Freyr stopped for a breath as soon as he was within four feet of Loki, "May I ask a favor of you?"

"Of course," he answered quickly.

"Freyja is in low spirits and is unwilling to speak to me of what ails her. I fear you are the only one she will listen to. I ask that you go to her. Attempt to persuade her that silence and isolation is not the answer."

"You should leave her be, Freyr," Kenna said, drawing both of their attention.

Loki blinked in confusion, "And why would that help matters?"

"If she is unwilling to speak with her own brother, then she is not likely to speak with you. Allow her to sort her thoughts first."

He shook his head, "I'm going to speak with her. Forgive me for believing I know her far better than you, no matter how much Freyr has told you."

Before he could walk away, a gentle hand grasped his upper arm. He turned to see Freyr watching him with saddened silver eyes.

"Might I ask something else of you?" he asked, reverting to the language of his people.

"I have no qualms with aiding you, Freyr. You know that," he answered, following the suit.

"Despite what everyone hopes, I know I will not heal. I feel myself draining away with each breath. And though it may not affect me, Freyja will grieve. I ask that you watch over her when I cannot. That you take care of her for me when I am gone."

"Why do you trust me so?"

Freyr gave a weary smile, "Because she loves you and I trust her judgment as well as my own. Though we share no blood relation, I have considered you family since the day I saw how happy you make her. And you are one of the few outsiders to be considered one of us. Ask any Vanir."

"Thank you."

"I should be the one thanking you. Now go to her. She needs you."

Loki spared the broken prince one last glance before he left. It still shocked him how much had changed since he had first met the brother and sister. He had always thought they seemed oddly fragile as if they would shatter with a touch. Yet they were the strongest gods he knew, going through much more than anyone else could claim. But this was not the only contradiction to the two. There greatest strength, their love for those they considered family, was also their greatest weakness. This was what was breaking them down as a murderer ran amok through Asgard.

Not in the mood for physically searching the palace for Freyja, he mentally scanned the entirety of the castle for her presence. Surprised at her current whereabouts, he wasted no time in making his way towards the one place he had not gone in several centuries.

Freyja lay among the grass within her personal garden, eyes closed as she tried to relax. Loki glanced around, making a mental note to thank Thor and Ottar for keeping the place in a relatively good condition, before laying down beside her and resting his head on his hands.

"My brother sent you," she breathed, though it was not a question.

"Is it a crime for a man to seek out his beloved?"

She just barely opened one eye to glance at him, "No, it is not."

"Freyr says you're troubled."

"I highly doubt it is the only thing Freyr says."

"It is the only thing that matters at this moment."

"Is it?"

He turned on his side to see her more easily, "Love, grief is no reason to isolate yourself."

She reached into the light coat she wore, pulling out three very familiar cards, "I drew the cards again. They turned out differently."

"Does that mean your future has changed?"

"In a way. It means something has changed and altered our course."

"What have you drawn this time?"

"The widow's sorrow, the eagle's flight at sunrise, and the angel's rising. A darkness shall cause me great pain before I find happiness and, in the end, death."

"Why do you continue to chase the macabre?"

"I don't. I simply needed a reassurance of the future. Perhaps I was hoping to see something comforting."

He couldn't suppress the grin that crept across his face, "Oh, I think I have just the remedy for that."

Her eyes flew open as she turned her head to face him, suspicion clear on her face, "Please tell me this has nothing to do with shears, apples, horses, dresses, or corsets."

He laughed, throwing his head back as he did, "The corset incident was not my fault."

"As I recall, it most definitely was."

"It was your corset!"

"You put it on Fandral!"

He sat up, "Alright, you win. That may have been my fault. But the shears incident was provoked, the dress fiasco was necessary and the apples were hardly my fault."

She gave him what he had come to regard as 'the look', which could not be described as anything more than a you-know-what-you're-doing-and-it's-not-working expression. He had received it a number of times and even Thor had picked it up, though he rarely used it. Instead of replying, Loki simply pulled the ring out of his pocket, being careful not to let her see.

"I have something for you."

"Oh, Wise One, let it not be an eight-legged horse," she muttered, remembering Tony's words.

"Eight-legged-? What on Asgard does Sleipnir have to do with anything?"

"Well, apparently, the whole of Midgard believes you sired him," she replied.

"Sired him?"

"With a stallion named Svadilfari."

A disgusted look came over his features as he realized all of what she was implying, "Now, you know that's genetically impossible, magic or not."

She grinned, "I'm just teasing you, Loki. I thought you might find it amusing. I thought after the whole Thrim incident that such things would not bother you so."

"The whole of Midgard believe I mothered a horse?" he exclaimed with a shake of his head. "No wonder they refused to submit."

"Loki!"

"I was joking," he cried indignantly. "Mostly. Now are you going to allow me to give you your gift or not?"

"Sorry. Go on."

"I know it has been quite some time since we breached this subject, and I have my reasons. Complications arose and I had to start from scratch more than once but-"

"Loki."

"Right. I know I've already asked but I would prefer to ask again, now that I have, well…Freyja, love, marry me?"

He held up the ring with a smile, "And, might I remind you, you've already said yes so you cannot decline this time."

Freyja fought the urge to roll her eyes at Loki's need to toss aside all sense of ceremony. But it wouldn't be like himself if he kept to tradition and she rather enjoyed it. As he slipped it onto her finger, she couldn't help but marvel at the craftsmanship. It was a rather simple ring, a silver band with inlaid emerald glyphs.

"Semper Amemus," she read, looking up in surprise. "From the wedding vows we use in Vanaheim."

"Haud res os enim iudicia, te adiuro ut semper amemus," he recited with a smile. "No matter the tribulations we face, I vow to love you always."

"You researched our ceremonies?"

"Of course," he answered, smiling. "Why would I not? Would it not be spectacular to have a Vaniric wedding?"

"And here I thought it was the bride who is supposed to be overly excited."

"It's the prospect of a magic that predates time which you use in the ceremonies. The amount of ritual and the technique your people have perfected to harness such primal sorcery exceeds the boundaries of imagination to any who have not been raised to learn it. Of course I would be delighted to have a chance to learn and understand what so few outsiders ever see. The greatest aspect of this is that, in doing so, I will gain the one thing in these Realms that I cannot live without."

"And what would that be?" she whispered, leaning in closer to him.

"It doesn't need saying," he breathed, meeting her lips halfway.

"About time!"

Freyja and Loki leapt apart as the light hitting one of the oaks flickered until Jormungand was visible, grinning ear to ear. He was sitting at its roots, apple in hand as he watched the two.

"I thought you two would never make it official," he continued. "Father's been ridiculously nervous about the whole affair, Freyja. Though I suppose I should start calling you 'Mother'…"

"Call me what you feel most comfortable with," she replied with a smile as Loki closed his eyes and silently counted backwards.

"Jormungand, what have I told you about time and place?" he asked, sounding more exasperated then anything. "I let it slide when you were caught in Sif's bath-"

"Sif's bath?" Freyja repeated, trying desperately not to laugh.

"Yes, with an invisibility charm," the boy answered. "Father taught me."

"To spy on others in baths?"

"Don't be ridiculous," Loki scoffed.

"He's right," Jormungand said with a nod. "Not others in general, just women. He gave me quite a bit of sound advice."

"And how much experience would you say you have, Loki?"

"Do you- I've got- You…I refuse to dignify that question with an answer."

"We should have given him a minute to remove the foot from his mouth," the boy said with a smirk. "I believe I should leave you two alone. Take care, Freyja."

"And you, as well."

She watched as Jormungand walked out the doors before turning back to Loki, "You taught him an advanced invisibility spell so that he might watch women in the bath?"

"Well, yes and no," Loki answered. "I taught him the spell but Thor gave him the idea."

"And the advice?"

"I was joking when I told him, love. I didn't imagine that he would take my words to heart."

She shook her head with a laugh, "As with the father, it is with the sons. Honestly, it does not greatly surprise me. Now, where was it we left off?"

"I believe it was here," he whispered, leaning in to kiss her.

The two jumped apart once more as the doors slammed open. Loki leaned his head back and groaned.

"Oh, for Valhalla's sake! Does no one understand the meaning of privacy?" he demanded as he turned to look at the Einherjar.

"Forgive me, my Prince, Lady Princess. It is regarding the man you asked us to watch, Princess."

Freyja's eyes widened with worry, "What have you to report? Is Ottar well?"

"I do not know," the guard admitted. "He returned to his bakery but then disappeared. There is no sign as to where he has gone."

"What?"

"It is as if he simply turned into shadow."

Loki turned to her, "Why were you having Ottar watched?"

"I have guards keeping eyes on all of those I hold dear," she admitted. "We should go to his bakery, see if there is anything to be found." –she turned to face the Einherjar again- "Thank you. Have your men search the city. If you find any sign of him, alert me immediately."

"Do you think he is alright?" Loki asked as Freyja pulled him to his feet.

"I cannot say," she replied, walking quickly out of the room. "I can do nothing besides pray that he is perfectly fine."

There was more to her worry than Ottar's safety, though she could not bring herself to voice it. Her greatest fear was that perhaps he was safe with the murderer. She prayed that he was not the killer's informant.