Chapter 9

Hey, everyone. I am so, so, so sorry this is really late—I've been sort of busy with school and a novel I'm writing. You know how it is. :) Anyway, besides my excuses, I know this is short, but I'm working on it. Thanks to everyone who favorited this story and major thanks to everyone who reviewed. Keep coming back, 'cause I'll have more for you to chew on!

"Well, what are we supposed to do with her?" Damien questioned franticly as his mother drove at reckless speeds away from the hotel. "We can't take her to the hospital."

"Why not?" Mom asked.

"Because she isn't fully human! Doctors would find that out immediately!"

His mom's shoulders drooped, and she slowed down. "That is true. But I don't know what else to do."

Damien considered the situation for a few minutes, watching silent tears leak down his mom's face. Mom rarely cried—she was usually too busy. Or maybe Damien just wasn't around her enough to notice tears. All of a sudden he felt bad for being so nonchalant before Miett showed up. For all he knew, his mom could've been traumatized or something and he wouldn't have known, just because he was too busy with his stupid music. Even Simon, the guitarist in Damien's makeshift band, must have noticed stuff wrong more than he did.

Glancing back toward the car's backseat, Damien checked on Miett. She was still unconscious, but she didn't seem to be getting worse. Maybe she just needed rest and would wake up soon.

"Mom, let's keep going to Granddad's place in Alaska. If Loki doesn't know it, then he won't be able to track us, right?"

"Yes." Mom's voice cracked in that one syllable.

"Mom, are you okay?" Damien asked hesitantly. He abruptly wished that he could be better at talking about feelings. All he and his band members ever talked about were band names and the Avengers. Wouldn't they freak if they knew that his half-sister was the adopted daughter of Thor?

"I just…this is all so much…" Mom whispered, turning onto the highway. "My daughter is here, fighting for our lives, and my first husband's back, and for all we know, the whole world could be coming to an end here because of one girl. My daughter."

Damien didn't know what to reply to that. He shut up, and for the next few hours, they were silent, listening to the thrum of the car and Miett's deep steady breathing.

When it grew dark, they turned off onto a smaller street to find a hotel. Just as they did so, a red and silver flash landed in front of them, causing the road to crack. Mom slammed her foot on the brake pedal, and Damien's head shot forward as they halted too suddenly. Miett was thrown forward against the front seats, and Damien had to twist around to right her.

"Um…Damien?" Mom's voice quivered and she put a hand on his shoulder. He turned to see what had caused the incident and froze.

Thor, Avenger and god of thunder, stalked toward their car on the empty street. His mighty hammer was grasped tightly in his hand.

Without thinking, Damien slid out of the car. "Thor…sir!" he called, wincing at how weak his voice sounded. "Your daughter is here."

"I know," Thor said darkly, storming up to him. "What have you done to her?" he demanded.

"We didn't do anything! It was Loki!" Damien defended himself and his mom. "C'mere."

Damien opened one of the car's back doors and pulled Miett out. Surprisingly, she was still out of it. She must be really hurt, Damien thought as Thor lifted Miett into his arms.

"Miett?" Thor asked, his voice turning tender. "Wake up, Miett."

Miett stirred but didn't wake.

"I must take her to Asgard for healing," Thor told Damien and Mom.

"But…" Mom started to say, but Thor was already gone, flying up into the sky, back to wherever his portal to Asgard was.

Despair settled over mother and son as they watched the retreating figure, holding in his arms their only hope.