The Blood Of A God || Loki Laufeyson

XV - Honesty

Chapter Fifteen

He did not think he would ever see her again.

He had tried to find her. Of course he tried. He did not think anyone could hide from him, but she had somehow managed it. Even Odin didn't know where she was, and Heimdall refused to tell him.

When Odin asked him to check on the guards at the wall that night, he did not think they would go running after hearing a very loud fight from a little over half a mile away.

He did not think that he would follow them.

And he certainly did not think he would find her there.

She did not look at him when he called her name. He knew why, seeing how many bodies were there. Even some of the best warriors could be shocked at the destruction they cause.

He looked at the bodies, cringing slightly when he saw the three that were decapitated. He saw two catchers laying on the ground beside each other, and he saw that she was looking directly at them.

The scene in front of him was enough to unsettle him at the very least. And after all of the things he had done, all of the sins he had committed, that was rather odd for him. Maybe it was the sight of her that made him that way.

She stood there, the moonlight reflecting off of her pale skin and silver armor. The way she stood alone in the grass, and the relief he felt when he first saw he made him wonder for a moment if she was an angel in disguise. However, the sight around them and the sight of her changed his mind. The skin that was usually as white as snow was coated in dried blood, and just from seeing her, he could assume that almost all of it was not hers. Her hands trembled and shook, and she clenched them into fists before releasing them, then repeated the action. Her eyes were almost half closed, as if she were trying to decide between blinking tears away and falling faint.

"Seline, are you alright?" He asked, while the other guards looked at the bodies around them in horror. He could only focus on her. "Did they hurt you?'

She stayed quiet for a moment. "Felman," she said, then finally moved.

She took small and shaky steps at first, then ran towards a cart. It was only then that he had noticed the horses with animal pelts and large woven baskets hung over their backs. There was a singular horse, then there were two others that were pulling a cart behind them.

They had been taking supplies back to the castle, and unfortunately, they were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. But it seemed that, in a way, so were the thieves. None of them had gotten out alive.

He followed behind her, ignoring the other guards who were currently a mixture between shocked and grief-stricken. He didn't know either of their names, but he had seen the hunters many times before. Perhaps they were well known among the staff of the palace.

She jumped into the cart and put the arm of a man around her shoulder, causing Loki to raise a brow at her. Why in Hel's name did they have an unconscious man with them?

She lifted him up, and it wasn't until he got a good look at the man that he realized their reasoning for bringing him. He was a hunter as well, and he seemed to be very ill. He was covered in sweat and looked deathly pale, and was groaning with every movement that he was forced to make.

"We need to get him to the healers," she stated.

He wanted to ask her if she was alright, seeing how she had just killed people, and had watched her friends die. However, he decided against it, and simply nodded to her.

He jumped up onto the cart with them, laid a hand on the shoulder of both the man and Seline, and shut his eyes. A flash of green light and mere moments later, they were in the infirmary of the palace. Her eyes went wide with surprise for a second, but she didn't question him, especially not when she saw the healers all looking at them with shock.

Loki took the man from her and led him over to one of the beds, the man's feet dragging on the floor. He laid him down, and it wasn't long before the healers all ran up behind them and to the man. He turned back to Seline, who still seemed incredibly worried. At that point, he didn't really care.

"Outside," he growled, his hands clenching into fists. "Now."

She narrowed her eyes at him, but listened. She turned and walked out of the infirmary, and Loki shut the doors behind them. He tried not to be angry with her, but he couldn't help it. He had a short temper, and the fact that she had quite literally ran away from him was bringing it out.

She stayed with her back to him, pacing in the hallway. She didn't even attempt to look at him.

"Seline," he called out.

She continued the movement, rubbing her shaking hands together and walking back and forth.

"Seline!" He said a little louder.

She continued to walk, until he moved in front of her and grabbed her elbows.

"Look at me!" he growled out.

She finally stopped shaking and looked him in the eyes. He expected to see shock or fear in her expression, but instead, he only saw anger.

He wanted to ask why she left. He wanted to scream at her and say that she belonged to him and no one else, and that she couldn't just run like that. But for some unexplainable reason, he didn't.

He calmed a little, then swallowed, and the anger faded.

"How are you feeling?" he asked her.

She stayed quiet for a moment, then looked at him incredulously. "What kind of a question is that?" She ripped her arms out of his grip, and walked away from him. She stopped for a moment, running a hand through her hair and taking a deep breath. Then she turned to him, speaking calmly. "My Prince, do you wish for me to be honest with you, or say what you wish to hear?"

"You must answer me honestly," he stated.

She nodded. She licked her lips once, then closed her eyes and took another breath. She didn't open her eyes again.

"My lord, in the past twenty-four hours, I have felt nothing but stress at the fact that one of my friends is likely dying, anger that I could not do anything about it, fear at what might happen on the way, and regret that my actions and what I could have but did not do resulted in the death of two of the only friends I have on this world," she took a deep and shaky breath, then opened her eyes. It was only then that he saw the tears quickly forming in them. "I want to lie and tell you that I am fine, my lord, but the truth is I'm not. I'm not fine."

He looked at her and nearly felt his heart shatter. She was in so much pain. What happened that night was causing her pain, the kind that had the ability to take away every bit of sanity and stability she had ever felt. He had seen that pain before, he KNEW that pain. He had felt it many times in his long life time.

He remembered feeling it when he had found out what he truly was, and that his mother and father weren't even related to him in any way.

He remembered feeling it the night that Thor destroyed the bifrost and Loki had seen the look of disappointment and pity in Odin's eyes.

He even vaguely remembered feeling it the day that he tried to take over Midgard in the city they called New York. Thor tried to stop him, and for a few moments, he saw what he had done and he saw the anguish he had caused for so many people. He felt the pain when he knew it was too late.

He looked at her and he didn't see a slave or a servant, he saw a woman that he cared for who was breaking inside.

She suddenly turned and left him, walking quickly down the hallway. He stepped forwards, ready to follow after her, but decided against it. Instead, he made a silent vow while he watched her disappear around the corner.

When he felt that pain, he had no one. He knew what it felt like, and he would make sure she would never feel that way again.