A/N: This chapter is dedicated to Invader Griss - thanks for kicking my butt into gear to get this chapter up! You rock!
The feasting hall was bright and filled with drunken laughter; such was normal in the royal palace. Loki approached the long table and observed its occupants: Volstagg, Hogun, Fandral, Bragi, and a few other courtiers that he didn't care to remember the names of. Of course, his illustrious older brother Thor was at the center of it all, standing on the tabletop, regaling his companions with a tale of his heroism and great bravery. Loki watched, amused, as Thor nearly stumbled over a platter.
It wasn't until a few minutes later, after Thor had finished his story by smashing his goblet, that Loki had been spotted.
"Brother!" Thor slurred. His companions turned their attention to the trickster god and greeted him unintelligibly, beckoning him to join them. He smirked and sauntered over to the table.
"Where in all the Nine Realms have you been?"
"No doubt causing mischief," Bragi interjected with a knowing smile. The corners of Loki's mouth turned up at the remark.
"I can neither confirm nor deny your accusation, Bragi," Loki replied nonchalantly.
"Where were you?" Thor asked. When Loki did not answer, the blonde god pushed the question again. "Where were you that was so important pull you away from a feast such as this?"
"If you must know, I was visiting Midgard."
"You were visiting some poor maiden's bedchambers, you mean! It will be a night she will not easily forget, I'm sure," Bragi said with a wink.
"I still cannot see how making a Midgardian village sick with fever is still entertaining to you year after year," Volstagg remarked before throwing back a pint of mead.
Loki shrugged. "It has its benefits, Volstagg."
Fandral laughed. "Benefits? How is this beneficial to you, other than feeding your insatiable desire for mayhem?" An unfamiliar courtier pawed at him, vying for the handsome god's attention, but to no avail.
"You would be interested to know that I visited the Midgardians' poor excuse for a temple dedicated to me, and found myself some…interesting company."
"Was it a thief or a murderer?" Volstagg asked with a grin. Loki smirked.
"Neither. It was a woman."
Volstagg choked on his drink. "A woman? These Midgardian maidens are more wanton than I thought!"
At that, the entire party laughed; Loki smiled, reveling in the attention. "She came to me seeking solace, of all things," he said. He picked up a pint of mead and took a long drink. "She must not know me very well," he finished drily. Thor laughed heartily, the rich sound filling the hall.
"Did you give her what she wanted?" Bragi asked slyly. Loki smirked.
"We shall see, Bragi. I offered my assistance in exchange for something innocent, but only time will tell if I cannot persuade her further."
"Shall we take bets, lads?" Volstagg asked loudly. The gods and other courtiers cheered in reply. "If Loki cannot take this Midgardian to bed in less than a month, then we will avenge the Lady Sif and colour his hair against his will!"
"And if I win?" Loki challenged.
"If you should win, you can have your pick of any one of these ladies," Volstagg slurred, gesturing to the giggling courtiers. Loki raised an eyebrow.
"Who is to say I have not already had them?" he replied offhandedly. The courtiers gasped and blushed, seemingly outraged at his remark. Thor laughed once again and clapped his brother on the shoulder.
"If you win, brother, we will travel to the realm of the Frost Giants and slay Laufey, which names you their rightful ruler."
Loki seemed to weigh the option, and then shook his head. "Too primal. We shall go to the realm of the Light Elves and conduct our business there."
"So be it."
Loki laughed and took another long drink of mead. Once it was finished, he set the empty mug on the edge of the table and circled around his friends. "Ladies, I do hope you were not offended by my remark; it was simply in jest," he said with a mock kindness. He stopped behind a blonde courtier and rested his hands on her shoulders. His fingers lightly drummed on her bare collarbone, and she shivered.
"I am loathe to leave this little soirée, but my visit to Midgard has drained me of my energy. I trust I will see you all here in the morning where I leave you now," he added with a grin. The others laughed, and he bid them goodnight, leaving the feasting hall without another word.
The blonde courtier, seemingly flustered, got up to leave the hall. The gods hardly noticed; they were laughing too hard at one of Bragi's remarks. She made her way out of the hall and down a corridor.
"Be careful," came a smooth voice from behind her. "You never know what could be lurking in the shadows."
She turned to find Loki and before she could say anything, he captured her mouth with his.
oOoOo
Jane felt queasy, to say the least. The taste of him lingered on her lips, bitter and cold as the winter winds that accompanied her on her journey home. It was just a kiss, but there was something that felt so…wrong about it. Her thoughts returned to her exchange with the trickster god and every time the kiss replayed in her mind, the hair on the back of her neck stood up.
What have I done? She thought to herself despairingly. Jane tried to rationalize everything that had transpired—from the moment she stepped into the temple to the moment she nearly ran out—every action was in question.
Jane's mind drifted from the bargain struck to the man—no, god—who had created it. Why should he, the patron god of all things cunning and deceitful, take such an interest in her plight? After all, he was the one who had created a deadly winter with a touch of plague. Why her?
Jane shivered involuntarily at the thought of having to see Loki anytime soon. Trudging through the snow, she tried to train her thoughts away from the exchange in the temple; she knew that if she spent anymore time thinking about it, there was a strong possibility that she would become violently ill.
Upon reaching her home, she paused and waited in front of the entrance. It was likely that Erik wasn't home, and Jane didn't like the prospect of spending the night alone. With a sharp inhale, Jane set off in the direction of Edrun's cottage, never once turning to look back. When she reached her destination, exhaustion crashed over her like a wave. Her movements became sluggish, and the amount of effort it took for her to prepare herself for sleep was almost doubled. Eventually, as she lay her head on her pillow, she fell asleep, but not without one reluctant thought crossing her mind.
I wonder if he will honor his promise.
oOoOo
Jane awoke to Edrun shaking her gently.
"Get up, lazy girl," the elderly healer said with a small smile. "Just because you had a terrible day yesterday doesn't mean you are allowed to shirk your duties. Come on, now." With a sleepy nod, Jane sat upright on the cot and rubbed her eyes, willing her lingering exhaustion to dissipate. Edrun stood expectantly at the entrance to the back room.
"When you're fully awake, I've a task for you to complete. I'll be in the kitchen." With that, the healer left Jane alone to prepare for the day. The latter sluggishly chose a plain blue frock and black stockings before slipping her boots over her cold feet. She then trudged out of the back room and into the kitchen, where Edrun waited patiently. Her eyes fell to a cloth-wrapped bundle placed on the center of the table.
Edrun nodded toward the bundle. "I need you to take that to one of the villagers today. A little girl has begun to enter the early stages of the fever, and if given this medicine quickly enough, she may be able to keep it at bay. The young girl is the daughter of Lehren; can you do this for me?" Jane nodded, reaching for the bundle. She met her mentor's gaze and stopped.
"I need this done by this afternoon, Jane. Time is of the essence, so no dallying around. Understood?" she asked, not unkindly. Jane nodded once more and set off for the village.
Her thoughts drifted to her destination: a small stone cottage with a dark door and—
Flash.
Jane fell forward, nearly landing face first into the snow. She slowly stood up, unsteady on her feet, to find she was standing in front of Lehren's home. Jane stumbled backward in sheer shock: how was this possible? Not a moment ago, she was just leaving Edrun's cottage, and now she stood at the complete opposite end of the village.
Trembling in fear, Jane observed her surroundings to be sure she wasn't still asleep. Her first instinct was to pick up a handful of the snow at her feet: when she scooped it up, the slight burn of the cold mingled with the bare warmth of her palm. With a gulp, Jane forced her thoughts away from her sudden jump in reality and focused on the task at hand. She sluggishly dragged her feet through the snow until she reached the front door of Lehren's cottage. Raising her hand, she knocked three times on the hard wood and waited for a response. Within moments, the door swung open to reveal Lehren himself. The poor fellow looked as haggard as ever.
"Edrun sent me to give you this," Jane said, getting straight to the point. Lehren nodded eagerly, eyes trailing to the cloth bundle Jane held in her arms. She gave him instruction to administer the medicine and reminded him that should he need anything else, he should send for her. The man nodded gratefully and shut the door when Jane turned to leave.
As Jane made her way back to Edrun's cottage, she was wary of every step she took. She began to tremble, afraid that it would happen again. What could have caused this? she wondered with a frown. Shaking her head, Jane refused to put stock into it. Perhaps Loki is playing tricks, she thought with a sigh. Trudging through the snowfall, the wind chill made her think of her warm cot and—
Flash.
This time, Jane fell onto her back; the snow seeped through her clothing, and when she was finally able to prop herself up, she gasped in horror: there she was, sitting just in front of Edrun's cottage. At that moment, only one thought, one word, one name, dared cross her mind.
Loki.
oOoOo
The god of mischief awoke, limbs tangled between bed sheets and the limbs of another. He turned his head to face the sleeping (and utterly unclothed) form next to him. Furrowing his brow, Loki recalled the events of the night before. The courtier from the feasting hall. Another night, another conquest. With a smirk, he untangled himself from the bed and the girl beside him, heading for the balcony. He spent a good ten minutes standing in the early morning Asgardian sunlight before returning to his bedchamber. He found the courtier sitting up, gazing at him with longing.
"Are you coming back to bed, my lord?" she asked suggestively.
"Not as long as you're still in it. Out."
The courtier tilted her head in confusion and Loki raised his eyebrows impatiently. "Do you not comprehend what I've just said? Leave." The courtier, after giving the prince the most withering glare she could muster, slipped on her dress and left.
Once he was dressed for the day, Loki thought about where he wanted to be. He thought to check on his brother, but then laughed quietly to himself. The oaf is probably unconscious. A second, unbidden (but not without merit) thought came to mind: Midgard. He grinned and set off. As he entered the hallway, he picked up his pace and prepared to teleport himself to the Bifrost chamber, but as he continued down the corridor, he found that nothing was happening. Loki slowed down until he came to a stop. With a frown, he turned. Shaking his head, he began again, walking faster to gain momentum. When the same process yielded the same failed results, he briefly panicked.
What is happening?
oOoOo
Once Edrun was asleep and the hour had grown late, Jane set off for Loki's temple. She quickened her step once she was outside, determined to get to the temple as quickly as possible. She refused to use her newfound ability, as it frightened her to know she possessed something she didn't understand. Jane kept her thoughts focused on the crunch of snow beneath her boots and the bitter cold that seeped through the seams of her clothes. She tried her best to keep her thoughts as present as possible; she didn't want to think about anything that might trigger a sudden jump in location.
Her journey took no more than fifteen minutes. Jane quickly took one glance around to make sure no one would see her enter the dark temple. As an added measure, she pulled the large wooden doors shut behind her and ensured that they were locked. She turned to face the large altar at the back of the space.
She stopped in her tracks. How am I supposed to summon him here? Mind racing, Jane thought of how best to gain Loki's attention. Think Jane, think!
"Loki," she blurted out. "Loki, I know you can hear me…somehow. I need to speak with you—it's important."
Jane waited momentarily, and then repeated the statement once more. Deciding to wait, the young woman took to pacing the atrium. She nervously tapped her fingers against her knuckles as she waited. One minute turned to five, five to ten, and ten to fifteen. She had nearly given up had it not been for the mysterious beginnings of a windstorm forming in the center of the atrium. Jane jumped back, holding her arm up to shield her face. The light that was cast in the room was no longer dim, for the wind tunnel before her was growing brighter with each passing second. At one point, the winds had become so powerful that Jane had dropped to her knees and bent forward, protecting herself from anything that was being thrown around.
Just as suddenly as it had begun, the windstorm ceased. When Jane finally looked up, a familiar face stood in the center of the atrium where the windstorm had just been. He turned, seemingly looking for something—or someone. Standing up quickly, Jane emerged from the shadows and stepped into the now dim light of the temple. Once he saw her, it only took Loki three strides to meet her.
"I don't take kindly to being summoned like a mongrel dog," he said coolly. Jane narrowed her eyes.
"You would not have come had you known something wasn't wrong," Jane replied sharply. "You being here is confirmation enough that you know as well as I do that something is not right."
Loki regarded Jane carefully, annoyed expression becoming slightly mischievous. "Or it could be that you changed your mind about warming my bed?"
Jane clenched her fists. "Just because you are a god does not mean I won't strike you. Watch what you say." She waited to see if Loki would respond. When he did not, she continued. "Is there a good reason why I can suddenly appear in places that I think about when I had not before striking this bargain with you?"
Her blunt question caught Loki off guard. Yes, he'd had trouble teleporting earlier in the day, but he hadn't expected…
"It can't be," he said in disbelief. Jane furrowed her brows.
"Loki, tell me what's going on. Help me to understand."
The god turned away from her, pacing a few steps before turning on his heel to face her once again. "When did you first teleport?"
"This morning. I had been on my way to the inner village and I suddenly appeared at my destination. Hardly a second had passed when I transported from the healer's cottage to the inner village," Jane explained. Something flashed in Loki's eyes, and he pressed his lips together in a tight line.
Jane's expression hardened. "You had better explain to me what's happening or so help me, god of mischief or not, I will strike you."
Loki's gaze met hers, full of clarity and understanding. "Yesterday, when I made the deal with you, the magic exchange was not fulfilled. To fulfill the exchange, one party must be willing to give up something precious to hold the other party accountable for his or her actions and vice versa."
Jane nodded quickly. "Yes, yes, you said that. You took my mother's pendant from me and said you sealed my fate with a kiss. So?" she said impatiently. Loki shook his head.
"No Jane, you misunderstand me. The exchange is akin to a two-way path: both parties must give up something, magical or not, in order for the bargain to be struck. For you, the pendant was most precious to you. For me, one of my most valuable assets is teleportation."
Jane regarded him incredulously. "You didn't know this beforehand? Loki!"
"Don't think this isn't as inconvenient for you as it is me!"
"I don't want this! How am I to explain if I suddenly disappear and reappear somewhere far away to other villagers? They'll think I'm some sort of witch! Take it back!"
Loki inhaled sharply and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Jane, this cannot be undone. Once the bargain was struck, the magic it was sealed with will see it to its end, whether that be the fulfillment of the deal itself or one of our deaths."
She blanched. Loki watched her carefully, gauging for her reaction. Her shoulders fell, and she held her head in her hands.
"What have we done?"