Wretched, foul wench! And, Loki! How dare he not finish what he started. Karnilla had a very specific plan and nothing was going accordingly. She did not care for things that did not go her way. Loki was never supposed to grow feelings for the Midgardian bitch.

Karnilla stormed through the corridors, each candle that was lit was extinguished as she passed by. Those who dared to look her way were shoved into a wall without so much as a blink of an eye. It was she alone who had the power to give Loki his back. Why would he forsake that for a human girl?

She found Loki in his chambers, lounging casually on a velvet, green chair as though he had been expecting her. He smiled slyly and rose to greet her. With the wave of her hand he flew back into the chair, its wooden legs scratched across the marble floor, slamming into the wall.

Rubble fell around Loki's shoulders and feet, crashing hard onto the ground. Vines sprouted through the cracks of broken marble, wrapping around Loki's legs and arms, strapping him to the chair.

Karnilla came to him, digging her fingers into the sleeve of his silk robe. She leaned in so close that their lips almost touched. "Oh, Loki," she groaned, "what am I ever to do with you?"

"I am not particular to being tied down," his lips twitched into a half-smile, his voice thick like tree sap. It rolled over his tongue and oozed from behind his teeth as he continued, "but I could make the exception for you."

Karnilla rolled her eyes. She was not in the mood for his games. "I know you left after you fucked that Midgardian."

"Is that envy I detect?" He pursed his lips together. "Green is not your color."

"I would hardly call it envy," she scoffed, pulling away from him. "I just want to make sure you haven't forgotten our deal. After all, you are supposed to make her fall in love with you. Not abandon her after."

"Karnilla, it is rather hard to forget when you are constantly berating me."

She inhaled deeply and a vine produced from the wall. It broke free from the bricks, sending them scattered across the room as it lashed against the milky skin of Loki's cheek. Blood welled from within the wound. Karnilla watched with sickening pleasure as it trickled down and dripped off his chin.

To her dismay Loki didn't even flinch. He regarded her calmly with his deep green eyes and smirked. "I am afraid to say that I cannot remedy this situation being tied to a chair."

Karnilla stared at him. "Do not test me, Loki. I could kill you with ease," she sighed watching in delightful glee as the vines tightened their grip around Loki. "You are powerless right now save what little tricks might be left."

"There is more to power than magic, Karnilla. I would watch your threats," he breathed, trying to keep still as the vines continued to constrict around his thin body.

Karnilla sneered. "You are so daft. If you had finished this long ago you would have had your powers back by now. I didn't have that Midgardian's father killed so that you could play at wooing her."

Loki's eyes flashed but he remained quiet. Karnilla felt herself start to smile. "Do not even pretend that you did not know. His death was meant to send the Midgardian home for more important matters than his trivial end to his life. She was supposed to have gotten us the stone by now."

Karnilla leaned forward and placed a small kiss against Loki's wound. The blood ceased to spill and the cut healed upon contact. "Let us finish what we started and when we are through you can do with the Midgardian as you wish."

She moved swiftly, the vines turning to ash and falling around Loki as she left. The door closed loudly behind her and she turned to see a few guards running through the halls. A grin slipped onto her face. Everything was about to fall into place. Nothing could wrong now.

"Ah, my fair Lady Hayden," greeted Fandral with a wide smile under his ridiculous goatee.

I returned to the gesture with a simple nod. "What is all this?" I asked, waving my hand at the soldiers in full battle armor tending to their horses.

"We ride for battle," answered Sif striding from behind me. She stood next to Fandral, grinning wide. "The ogre's have sent one of our men back dead. War has ensued.

I swallowed and felt the color leave my face. "Fear not," chided Fandral, wrapping his arm around my shoulder. "We have fought many a battle. This is nothing to fret over."

"Hayden!" I turned at the sound of my name.

Thor walked through the crowd of gathering warriors dressed in a polished silver breastplate and a bright red cape that clothed over his shoulder. Attached at his hip was mjolnir, sparkling in the three suns. He greeted me with a wide smile and gestured toward the Asgardians around us.

"I apologize about not being able to attend our walk but as you can see-"

"I think fighting a war is a little more important than a talk in the garden with me," I smiled, folding my arms against my chest. "It isn't like we can't talk when you get back. Fandral ensures me that this will be easy."

Thor threw back his head and barked a laugh. "Easy is an understatement my friend."

"Just come back in one piece." I looked at Fandral and Sif who were soon joined by Hogun and Volstaag. "All of you."

A horn blared to my right and I brought my hands to cover my ears. The crowd began to shout with each blow, a drum joined shortly after. I felt my heart beat against my chest as I watched the warriors gather round. Thor gave me one last smile and headed for the front of the crowd.

He stood tall above them all, staring down at his people with wild blue eyes. "Today we ride to protect our people. Our family. Our friends. We do not take kindly to the threats of others. Our loyalty to Asgard burns deep. Let us go out as brothers and sister, not comrades and lovers. We fight for our blood, and the blood of those we wish to keep safe."

The crowd roared as Thor continued, "we cannot idly stand by while these ogre's lay waste to our lands. They have been a puddle of piss in our waters for far too long." He threw his arm up, Mjolnir in his tight grasp sang in the air. The crowd raised their weapons, an assortment of swords and bows and melee weapons I had never seen before rose high above my head. "We fight as Asgardians."

"A very pretty speech for such a simple battle," cooed Karnilla from my left. I looked up at her sharply, surprised to see her. She winked at me and continued, "the ogre's are nothing more than moving boulders. The ride to their lands will take longer than the battle will."

I turned away from her, to see Thor was no longer at the head of the crowd. The soldiers set out, the Warriors Three and Lady Sif among them. We said our goodbyes and I wished them luck. I watched them leave with the remaining stragglers, mostly children who were too young to fight.

When the streets had emptied, I felt alone despite Karnilla at my side. We walked through the city speaking very little. She asked how I liked the book and I admitted it was hard to understand. I kept quiet about the stone figuring it would be best to speak to Loki about it.

The day was nearing early afternoon and it was beginning to grow warm. I thought of New York and how spring would just be wiggling to life through the cracks of busy sidewalks. It always seemed to be warm in Asgard and I missed that faint breeze of spring air.

"Are you all right, Hayden?" asked Karnilla, her voice concerned. "You appear ill."

I waved her worry away and smiled just enough that my lips turned up. "I suppose I'm just feeling homesick," I answered truthfully surprised that I would even consider New York home. I hadn't been living there for very long.

Or maybe it's just that you are coming up with excuses to leave Asgard, peeped a nagging voice at the back of my head. You knew the repercussions of what would happen if you kept going down that road, the voice continued. You made your bed after fucking a god, now lay in it.

I bit back on my tongue to keep from letting the tears that threatened to spill escape. Great, I belittle myself and made myself start crying. That is exactly what I needed.

Karnilla reached out and gently patted my shoulder. Her touch was stiff and her fingers barely brushed the fabric of my cotton button-down. "You'll be home before you know it," she winked.

"Thank you, Kar-"

"Hayden," soothed Loki's voice from behind us. I spun around at the sound of my name, frowning deeply at the well-groomed god before me. Well, I'm glad to know he didn't lose any sleep. "Might we speak?" His eyebrows flinched toward Karnilla and he added, "alone, if you can spare a moment."

I looked to Karnilla, not sure who I would rather be around. They both sucked the life out of me. At least Loki was just going after my heart, Karnilla felt as though she wanted to leech onto my soul. In the end I was left drained after talking with either of them.

However, Karnilla answered for me. "I was just about to find Lady Frigga." She bowed out, whispering goodbye to us both.

"Bye," I quietly echoed, waving as she disappeared into the shopping crowd. I turned to look at Loki, his hands folded neatly behind his back. "If you don't have an apology behind your back then I have nothing to say to you."

Loki spread out his arms in front of him, holding his hands up with fingers stretched wide. "No tricks," he solemnly promised and I sighed, hating myself as any defense I had toward Loki was tackled hard, pummeled into a bloody mess on the ground. "I only wish to speak with you."

"About what?" I asked looking at the spectators that were curiously staring mine and Loki's way.

He grit his teeth together, his jaw clenched tight. "Perhaps we can speak elsewhere?"

We sat in silence for a long time, my gaze rested on the bubbling spring beneath my bare feet. Despite my anger towards Loki I felt safer being in the woods with him than when I was there with Fandral. All I could hope for was that no giant wolves would attack us when we least expected it.

I slowly lifted my gaze from the water and set it on Loki. He sat on the ground beside the gray boulder I was perched upon. His long legs were pulled up and he leaned slightly on the palms of his hands. Rarely I glimpsed moments where Loki was unguarded and relaxed. This was one of those moments and as I studied him the realization of what I had told him dawned on me. Stupid or not, had unavoidably fallen in with the god of mischief.

"What are you thinking?" he finally asked me.

I blinked noticing that he had been watching me watch him. Blushing wildly I turned my attention back to the water. "Nothing," I muttered pulling my legs up to my chest and resting my chin on my bony knees.

"Nothing," he mused and I could hear the smile in his voice.

I dared a glance at him, his eyes were closed, his face turned to the sun. It enveloped around him, glittering gold like he had been touched by Midas. His jet-black hair was slicked back behind his pale ears, fashioned as though he had barely done anything but combed it back. I really had no chance, I told myself looking back to the ripples created by jumping fish.

"Why did you bring me here? We both know my last visit didn't end so well." If you considered a wolf nearly ripping Fandral's arm out of its socket and a tree trying to devour me as not so well. It definitely made for a bad day.

"You cannot be afraid of things come to past," Loki quietly replied. I almost couldn't hear him over the chirping birds. "The beauty of this place far exceeds the fear."

"I'm not afraid," I rebutted, chewing on the inside of my cheek. Not of the woods, or what crept in the shadows of the trees anyways. There were far more dangerous things to be afraid of.

The wind rustled the trees above and I could feel a slight drop in temperature. We had been sitting at the spring for a while, very little discussed. Perhaps there was nothing to talk about. We were both adults, we understood the implications of what had happened. There was no reason to make a big deal out of it.

Then why did it hurt to breath whenever I looked at him? Subconsciously I wrapped my hands around my arms and sighed. "Are you cold?" asked Loki, his brows furrowed together.

"Not really," I admitted. "Just a sudden chill." I wasn't ready to leave. I couldn't bare the awkward run-ins and trying to avoid one another. Not yet.

"What do you know about the spring, Hayden?"

I looked up at him, surprised by the change of subject. "Fandral had said the water comes from some land that belongs to a sorceress. He also said one sip would show you your deepest hearts desire but that all knowledge comes with a price."

Loki raised a prominent brow. "For once the fool is not wrong." He stood up, standing tall that his shadow flooded where I sat. "It is strange how even gods and warriors of Asgard believe in Fairytales."

I unfolded my arms and stretched my legs forward so that my feet hung above the water. "Sometimes it is nice to believe in a happily ever after."

Loki gave me a wary look. "It takes far more than a sip of water to bring one a happily ever after."

I grimaced. My gaze turned back to the swirling red leaves that fell from the branches of trees that dangled in the water. It was immaculately beautiful though.

Slowly, I slipped off the side of the rock and knelt on the mossy ground. I leaned over the water, staring at the blurry reflection that rippled above it. My face was distorted, pale and vacant like a lost ghost. The green of my eyes faded into blue, smearing together as a leaf glided onto the mirrors edge.

I reached out, brushing my fingertips along the soft corners of the leaf. "A poison apple is just a poisoned apple in the end," I told him cupping my hands and dipping them into the cool water.

"Be careful Miss Waltham, lest you fall and nearly drown again."

I scowled and brought my hands to my face, drinking heavily from my palms. The water was cold and refreshing against my dry lips. I drank heartily, slightly disappointed that nothing happened after. Then again, what did I expect? For Loki to fall to his knees and confess his love to me? Get real, Hayden.

I stood up, turning toward Loki when he came forward in one swift motion. His hands wrapped in my hair, pulling the locks free from the tight bun at the top of my head. His lips claimed mine as my hair pooled around my shoulders, falling like the leaves around us. They fell faster, the ground covered in red leaves until the trees were bare. Loki's tongue ran along my cheek, his teeth gently nipping at the tender skin of my lips.

He pulled away, a smile planted firmly on his face. I tried to exhale but felt frozen, unable to respond to the panic that surged through me. I brought my gaze to Loki whose green eyes vibrantly stared at me, his lip curled in disgust.

"My, my, my what a nasty little thorn you've been," cooed Karnilla's voice from behind me. Her fingers trailed along my jawline, her breath sticky and hot against my neck. "I honestly was not sure if this would work," she continued, circling around me like a cat ready to pounce, "and I admit there were times when I worried Loki would betray me for you but," she flashed him a devious smile, "I see where his loyalty truly is."

I felt my throat tighten as a tear slipped down my cheek. Unable to wipe it away I let it fall, watching Loki as he wrapped his arm around Karnilla's waist. My stomach lurched and I thought I was going to throw up.

How could I have been so stupid? Why did I let myself believe that he actually cared? Of course he didn't care. He never would have shown emotion for a Midgardian and I was stupid to think otherwise. I wasn't the girl meant to tame the beast. I never was.

"Oh, do not cry Hayden," pouted Loki releasing his hold on Karnilla's thin waist. He took a few steps toward me, his touch hot against the scar on my cheek. He rubbed at it a few times with his knuckles, gentle not to brush too hard. Loki wiped away the tears, smiling to the side as he did so. "Tears are unbecoming of you. I've never met a Midgardian who cries as much as you do. It's rather tiresome."

I felt my heart clench. "Now, now Loki let us not be cruel," laughed Karnilla moving him slightly to take his place. She stared at me for a moment, her red hair curled around her small face as she contemplated what she wanted to say next. She pulled her pretty features into a frown and continued, "we have a rather large favor to ask of you.

"You see, many...well," she chuckled to herself, "let's just say very long ago I was banned from Midgard. Something that belongs to me resides there and I need you to retrieve it." She let her smile widen. "Now your purpose on Asgard will finally be of some use."

I left Asgard without so much as a goodbye. Not that there was really anyone to say goodbye to. Karnilla made sure of that when she sent everyone I knew off to a war she claimed she started. With Thor and the Warriors gone who was left to stop her?

Karnilla kept her villainous speech short though I admittedly didn't hear most of it. My focus was on Loki and the way he would stare at Karnilla. His eyes glittered with approval and a hunger that I had never seen before. A look that said I would never be like Karnilla to him. I was nothing more than a Midgardian rat.

The moment the three of us left the woods Karnilla went her separate way. I thought I would be free from her spell the moment we parted but my legs continued forward until Loki and I reached Heimdall. With his hands roughly on my shoulders, Loki ordered Heimdall to open the Bifrost to allow me passage home until Thor's return.

I pleaded with my eyes that Heimdall help. His golden gaze was glazed over and he opened the portal without saying a word. With a not-so-gentle shove, Loki pushed me onto the platform where I was pulled through to Midgard.

Bruised and cut on the skin of my knees I walked through the busy streets of New York. I pushed through the crowd earning shouts and looks of contempt but I said nothing and kept moving. My feet carried me onto the road, walking past cars that quickly turned to avoid hitting me. Horns blared as a sudden crash sounded behind me. I did not turn to see the damage that was done, I only continued forward with one place in mind.

For two hours I walked through the chilly spring afternoon with no shoes and dirt stained on my white blouse and dark blue skirt. No one stopped to ask if I needed help and those who looked concern were instantly distracted and walked away. I was helpless surrounded by hundreds of people.

My heart raced and every fiber of my being screamed as I walked through the revolving doors. My toes did not curl against the freezing linoleum tile as I padded toward the front desk. The receptionist looked up from her desk to greet me but I flashed my badge and kept walking. I swallowed hard, yelling to myself that I needed to stop as I stepped inside the elevators and hit a button to a floor I'd never been on before.

"Hold the elevator!" My body didn't respond and just as the doors closed I saw a glimpse of who had called out to me.

Average build, dashingly handsome with dark hair styled to the latest fashion and a charming smile that made women cry...of course it was none other than Tony Stark. Not only was I inside the S.H.I.E.L.D headquarters for reasons Karnilla made rather vague but I also slammed the door on Iron Man. Whatever Karnilla was planning I had a feeling I wasn't meant to make it out alive.

Ding.

The elevator doors slid open and I stepped into a long, empty corridor. I followed down the cold tiles until I came to a door with no handle. Without thinking I brought my fingers to the touch pad and entered a security code. A blue light shot out from the top of the door and scanned me from head to toe.

"Welcome Agent Waltham," a computerized woman's voice greeted.

The door exhaled as it slid into the wall and I entered a dark room. It was slightly warmer than the rest of the building and the floor was carpeted. The lights snapped on the moment my feet stepped inside. I blinked away several spots from my vision focusing on the only object that sat in the middle of the white room.

On a podium with a glass case as its only protection was a stone. It was small, no bigger than my palm. I stepped closer, uncertain if it was pulsating or if that was my imagination. Black goo oozed from the tiny holes pooling into a thick tar-like substance at the bottom. This is what Karnilla wanted?

"Agent Waltham?" I tinted around. Coulson stepped inside, frowning. "What are you doing here?"

"Looking for you, Agent." The words were not my own but Karnilla's, her voice tasted bitter in my mouth.

Before Coulson-or even I-saw it coming my fist flew toward him, knocking at the side of his head. He slammed hard against the wall, cracking the paint to reveal metal beneath it. Coulson groaned but was quick to his feet, dodging the kick meant for his neck.

His short fingers grasped around my ankle, pulling me forward with a jolt. I felt my body respond, my other leg free to twist and slam into his chest. Coulson let go of my ankle, deflecting the blow to his chest with both arms and pushing back so that I stumbled into the glass case.

My elbow broke through the container, glass shattered around me, spilling at my bare feet. The pain registered but my body refused to respond to the shards that cut through the sleeves of my alarms sounded, shrill and wailing, as I grabbed the stone with my bloodstained hands.

"Hayden," warned Coulson, pulling out his gun. "You really do not want to do this," his voice was uneven but the barrel pointed at my head was steady. "That stone is more powerful than you realize."

I slowly looked to the stone, the black goo and blood dripped from between my fingers and onto the floor. Karnilla's laughter was clear in my head as her voice spoke, "and do tell me, Agent Coulson what exactly does this stone do?"

"Hayden, we know you and Loki have had some..." he paused and titled his head slightly, "but you don't have to do this. This is more dangerous than love."

"Love? You think this is for love?" Karnilla laughed in delight, my fingers gripped onto the stone. "I am not some lovesick child resorting to something I do not understand. This was never about love. This was about what is rightfully mine."

Coulson had no chance to respond. I dashed past him, slamming the bottom of my palm into his face. Blood squirted from his nose and onto my blouse, arching like a crescent moon. The stone vibrated in my grasp. I swallowed hard, unable to apologize as I reached out and snatched Couldn't gun from his hands. The butt cracked hard against the side of his head, knocking him unconscious.

The moment I stepped outside Tony Stark nearly ran into me. If I was in control of my body I would have jumped in surprise. Instead, I moved around him rushing toward the open elevator.

"Excuse me," he called after, jogging to catch up. "You're that agent whose studying Asgard, aren't you?" I nodded, casting a glare his way. "Not much for conversation are you?"

"Is there something I can help you with?" I snapped stopping just before the elevator in front of a window that overlooked the New York skyline. "I have places to be."

Tony's dark, thick eyebrows flung up. "Nothing in particular. I just thought I would introduce myself considering we will be working close to one another soon."

Karnilla was just as curious as I was. "How so?"

"That agent you knocked out back there, well he's my friend." Tony took a step forward but I remained still, my chin nudged slightly upward. "And that stone you just stole...well I don't like it when people take my stuff."

My fist made contact with Tony's cheek. While he took a second to reassess the situation it was a second much too long. I reached forward, grabbing his wrist to pull off his heavy platinum watch. Tony staggered back. The elevator door dinged. In the blink of an eye I tossed the watch at the window, watching as several armed guards poured out of the elevator.

"No, wait!" cried out Tony as they turned their guns to me but it was too late.

The glass shattered all around me, tearing at my blouse and skin. A bullet grazed at my arm, slicing the tender flesh with ease. Glass cut at my face, my arms, and even my legs as I fell backwards. Tony ran forward, his arms outstretched from the broken window gripping onto my sleeve. His fingers clasped onto the thin material, ripping the entire sleeve off.

My eyes refused to close as the ground and spectators below grew closer. Loki appeared, floating beside me. He held out his hand, tearing the stone from my grasp.

A smirk claimed his lips. "You are done here."

A tear slipped from the corner of my closed eyes. At least in my final moments I was myself again. I did not scream though. I wrapped my arms around my chest, ignoring the pains that would soon be gone.

People say that before you die your life flashes before your eyes. Mine didn't. Instead I thought of my parents. I hoped my mother would be okay once she found out what happened to me. And, at least now I could see my father and finally tell him I loved him.

Then I thought of Loki. I thought of when we were in the pool at my parent's house. His face had been so carefree. I thought of when we went ice skating and the delight he had with every trick he landed. My mind wandered to after the bar fight and in that moment of weakness where he turned to me in a crowdful of frightened people and rested his forehead against mine.

In the few seconds I had left I thought of his lips and how soft they had been. The way they craved to be touched in the library...I felt betrayed and angry and...and stupid. At least I wouldn't have to live with that feeling much longer. The screams of the crowd below me grew closer and then there was nothing.