Loki's Mark

Chapter Five

Six months. It's been six months since the God of Mischief appeared on my window seat, and I still had no idea what my life even was, or why he was here. Why I had been chosen. What he wanted from me. What I wanted from him. Where my life had taken such a hard left turn at Albuquerque that I had an actual relationship with a god, even if it was no more than just a friends with cuddle buddy benefits kind of thing. How much of that relationship was based entirely on some cosmic mark we'd been stuck with, and how much of that would disappear if that bond ever ended up being broken. Why I craved him so badly. Was I falling for someone I knew so little about?

The nightmare was my own fault, really. Even though he had stayed the night before, I knew better than to stay up too late studying the journals, especially when my mood was already down and I was questioning things too much. Yet, I did it anyway, and when I finally passed out I could feel the nightmare sucking me under even as I closed my eyes.

At first, the dream was nothing more than the same, murky, historical muddiness I usually experienced. Fighting, rage, a sense of dread, immense pain, betrayal. Just over and over on repeat. But then, the dream changed, and suddenly I was face to face with my mother, and my grandmother. My grandmother just stood in the background, grinning viciously, as my mother snatched me by the throat and yanked me towards her, baring her teeth in my face.

"How dare you run away from me like that, you ungrateful, heartless little cunt!" she snarled, as she wrapped both of her hands around my neck and squeezed until I felt something snap. As my vision blurred and faded, I shuddered, trying to wake myself up. The dream only snapped to another scene though, and this time she was holding my head underwater until I started to drown. Another snap, and this time I was helpless in a bed as she smothered me with a pillow. Another snap, and this time she threw me out of a window.

I don't know how many times she killed me before I managed to finally rip myself screaming from the dream, but I scrambled up on the bed, back against the wall and arms wrapped around my knees, face buried in my knees while I rocked back and forth, sobbing uncontrollably. I knew it was him before the weight settled on the bed beside me, before he wordlessly pulled me into his arms and held me against his chest.

I flung my arms around him and sobbed, great, wracking, shuddering things that sounded like the wails of the damned as I clung to him for dear life. I could hear him whispering soft words as he stroked my hair, but it took a long time for the words to actually sink through the horror overwhelming my brain.

"Shhhhh... shhh Cassie it's okay. I'm here Cassie. I'm here. Whatever it was can't hurt you anymore, love. Let me help you. I can help you but you have to tell me what's wrong. Please, tell me what's wrong, wildflower." He kept muttering over and over, and finally I understood what he was saying. Gulping, shuddering, hiccuping, I looked up at him.

"Please, please just make it go away. I can't, I, I can't, please just make it go away, please make it stop..." I sobbed, as the visions kept playing over and over in my head even though I was out of the dream and no longer asleep. Wordlessly, he scooped me up, changing both of our positions, to where his back was against the wall and I was straddling his lap, facing him. He grabbed my face in both of his hands, and forced my face to where we could stare each other in the eyes. After a few seconds he let out a growl and snapped his fingers, the small lamp by the bed popping on softly, allowing my tear-clouded eyes to be held mesmerized by his vibrant green ones in the sudden light.

"Cass. Cassie. Cassandra. Look at me. Do you see me?" He asked, and I nodded slowly. He gave me a brief smile, and wiped his fingers across both sides of my tear-stained face. I could feel the puffiness, irritation, and pain fade away as he did so, and the pounding in my head faded to little more than a dull roar. He tapped his lips, and I tilted my head in confusion. My brain still wasn't quite up to speed.