The Last Shifter (a Loki romance)

Chapter 18

Horror and dread filled my heart. I couldn't die! Not until He had been defeated!

"Tell me about these rings." Eir demanded.

"I don't know anything about them. Mother wouldn't tell me anything."

"I don't know anything, Loki. Arista never entrusted their secret to me. All I know is that they are the Ten Rings that appear in the Legend of Arda."

"But that happened more than fifteen thousand years ago!"

"I know. She inherited them one by one. She made it sound like it wasn't supposed to be that way but there was no other choice."

"Why would that have been?"

"She wouldn't tell me."

"We have to get her back to Vanaheim."

"She is too weak to travel through the Bifrost." Eir protested.

"We don't have a choice. The other half of her soul was lost there. We have to try and get it back."

"Fine. But don't come to me when she doesn't make it." Her threat hung heavily in the air.

"Well I intend to prove you wrong." Loki swept me into his arms. I was still unable to open my eyes but I could feel us moving quickly throughout the palace. After some time, we got to the stables. The only reason I knew that was because Loki's chest vibrated as he called for horse and the musk of hay filled my nose. Moments later, I was lifted into a saddle and two foreign hands held me in place for a bit while Loki swung up behind me and pulled my body against his once more. As soon as he could, Loki spurred the horse into a gallop. I could hear the horse's hooves collide with the Rainbow bridge with every stride and I could tell we were getting close to the Bifrost when the sound of a waterfall joined them. Not long after that, Loki dismounted and pulled me off with him and back into his arms.

"My Prince–"

"Don't start now, Heimdal. I need you to transport us to the same type two village Arista went to."

"The Allfather will not be pleased."

"Perhaps not at first but after he learns that this was the only chance we had to save her he will thank me." Heimdal did not reply but I heard the sword being slid into place and the Bifrost hum to life.

Before I knew it, we were back on Vanaheim. I knew it because the air smelled of soil and the wind ruffled my hair. I felt Loki kneel down and lay me partially on the ground and partially on his lap.

"Arista, can you hear me?" I wanted so badly to reply but I was still immobilized. "Arista, please!" I felt him prod at my mind but I couldn't react, I could only lay there while he tried in vain to get a response. The next thing I felt were his fingertips against my neck, searching for a pulse. His sigh of relief told me that he had found it. Loki stood up once more and began walking at a much slower pace than before.

Loki's POV

Which one was it? This was definitely the village that Sleipnir had shown me but I couldn't tell which of the posts she had almost touched. I knew it one near the village but it also wasn't the last one. I had a one in three chance of getting her soul back. The other two would strip her of it completely. Where was my good memory when I needed it? Wait. I had gotten Kurt from here and to do so, I had untied his rope and left it hanging on the fence! It would have to be the pole closest to that. However, upon closer examination, I found that the rope was gone. Not possible. I knew I had left it here. Someone must've taken it, but who? No one from Asgard had been here and no one from any of the villages in the area would've come anywhere near here, let alone taken a lone rope. I gulped as I scanned the trees behind me for any sign of life. Whoever it was couldn't be far. I decided it would be best to walk her by each pole slowly and keep an eye on her special ring. There was something about it that I just couldn't place. When I reached the fourth pole, I saw the ring start to glow a bit. When I reached the third, it got stronger. I was about to head to the second when several dozen creatures burst out of the forest and made a beeline for us. I had to get this right. If I went to the second one and found that it was the wrong one, I would not have time to get back. That was going to be a risk I had to take. I quickened my pace and got to the second pole with ease only to find that the glow of her ring diminished. Dread overcame me when I realized that I had failed her. The purplish-gray skinned creatures were getting closer by the second and some of them were holding weapons. I wouldn't give up. I couldn't. I had to save her even if it meant risking my own life.