Chapter 18

Kagome had thought there was nothing left of her heart for Thor to shatter, until now. As she heard his scream her blood froze in her veins and her face paled. With a sad smile and dulling eyes she readied herself, she would not go down without a fight.

Jane could only tremble in fear as the pale man dressed in black stopped mere inches away from Kagome, who stood proud and defiant. How the other woman could not even flinch as the man raised a hand and placed it tenderly on her cheek she would never know.

Dark blue eyes flared to life once again as she bared her teeth at their enemy, jerking her face away from his touch. It was cold and clammy and sent shivers of disgust down her spine.

He merely gave a dark chuckle and let his hand fall to his waist. "Such power resides in you, so raw and pure. Yet there is more, there is a darkness in you that is just begging to come out and you fight it so...such a pity." He chuckled darkly as he fluidly moved to the side, avoiding a death blow from Loki's staff.

"Ah the fallen prince of Asgard, your darkness cries out to me, it has such a sweet song. A shame they have you on such a tight leash. A byproduct of your failure to take this you, I Malekith the Accursed, will rule the nine wo-" He hissed, his monologue cut short as Thor finally reached them and lashed out at him, his powers raging.

With a dark glare in the God of Thunder's direction he allowed himself to melt into the shadows around them, his army following suit. He needed to regroup and rethink this strategy. He had counted on the two princes of Asgard, even the whole army of it, yet the priestess was an unknown factor. While her arrow appeared to do little, it had indeed done some grave damage, her powers were strong. They also boosted Thor's own powers, while he was sure they had yet to notice it when Thor had attacked him, his powers pulled on those of the Miko.

He did not know their bond, how strong or weak it was, but he knew it was there.

As was the darkness that tainted her soul, it was there. The seed had been planted, by whom he knew not, and all he had to do was help it grow. With her powers added to his campaign the nine worlds would fall at his feet.

The world would be consumed by the darkness it so very much condemned.

The air was tense, still charged with power, as the three warriors stood still on guard, ready to attack or defend at the drop of a hat. Kagome was the first to realize that their enemy had retreated and let out a low bone shuddering sigh, her body slumping to show her fatigue.

"They're gone." Thor, still upset for various reasons, didn't even look at her as he gazed around not trusting her word. "You did not sense their approach, so how can you be so sure this is not but a ruse to get us to lower our guards."

Loki narrowed his eyes as he let his staff disappear once again into the small pocket of time and space he stored it when it was not in use. "She speaks the truth, I can not sense them, they have retreated for the time being." He would have kept speaking if not for the loud blaring 'rock' music that suddenly filled the air. Biting back the urge to roll his eyes he watched as the man of Iron and a few others of S.H.I.E.L.D. appeared and approached his brother and his wife to get a breakdown of what happened.

Moving to stand next to Kagome he ignored the suspicious glare of the man of Iron, offering a bit of comfort to his brother's wife. It wasn't every day your husband called out the name of another woman when both you and his mistress were in mortal danger, the least he could do was offer her his silent support. She had more than earned it.