Loki's Apprentice: A Tale Retold

Chapter 23: Trust

"I know you despise me; allow me to say, it is because you don't understand me."
-Elizabeth Gaskell, North and South

Chapter 23: Trust

The world seemed to slow as the snake pounced, his silver fangs elongating as he sprang toward them in midair. The Beast pushed Evelyn out of the way before she could protest and all she could do was watch the snake buried it's fangs into his shoulder.

"NO!" Evelyn screamed out as she felt the magic build within in her and she pushed her hand out to the snake causing it to fly  across the room. Once it's large body hit the wall with an audible thud, it suddenly disappeared in a flash of light and the original silver goblet fell to the floor.

Evelyn quickly made her way to the Beast, her heart pounding in her ears as she look down at him in distraught.

His usual mask of calm had shattered as the pain slowly began to surface upon his features.

Evelyn quickly knelt beside him and reached to unbutton his shirt to inspect his wound but he quickly tried to move away, grimacing in pain.

"Stop! Don't touch me." He tried to cry out.

Evelyn was taken aback for a moment and her heart sank.

Why did he not want to be touched?

Did she disgust him?

Evelyn had no idea why she was perturbed by this thought, and she tried to shake the strange thoughts from her mind.

"Tolerate me for just a moment!" She exclaimed, hurt escaping through her tone but she withheld tenderness in her touch as she began to unbutton his shirt.

The Beast was prepared to hear her cry out in pain when his skin froze her flesh, but no such cry came. Instead her fingertips grazed his skin and he stared at her in bewilderment before the pain distracted him once again.

Evelyn was able to expose his shoulder and her brow drew in concern. Blood oozed from the two large holes in his shoulder, but sprouting from his wound underneath his skin was a black veined pattern.

"Poison." The Beast groaned and Evelyn ran her hands through her hair frantically before tearing a part of her dress and placing it down hard on the wound.

"That won't take the poison out." The Beast murmured.

"I know!" Evelyn's vision was blurred with tears.

"You shouldn't have jumped in front of me!" Evelyn exclaimed.

"You shouldn't have lied." The Beast gritted his teeth from the pain.

"I know." Evelyn's voice shook as tears spilled from her eyes and she shook her head and wiped them away forcefully.

The Beast watched her as she drew in a deep breath. He could see her mentally prepare herself as she raised her chin and started to chant the levitation spell.

"What are you doing?"

Evelyn paused in her song-like chant to reply. "If I can move something up, then what's stopping me from moving it to the side?"

Not pausing to listen for any words of approval, her lips began to move as she murmured the spell.

The Beast could feel the poison stop suddenly and then slowly move to her will, back up his arm to the wound. It left a fiery trial as it traveled up his arm and panted, feeling like he was drowning from the pain.

Sensing his discomfort, Evelyn grabbed his other fist which was clenched in pain. Felling her touch he relaxed and allowed his hand to envelope her small one, all the while falling into a daze while listening to her voice and wondering how they were able to touch.

------

The dull ache in his shoulder woke him up first, but what made him open was the cold cloth against his forehead. Evelyn stared down at him with a certain tiredness in her eyes. The candles lit in the room were halfway spent, telling him that he had slept through most of the night.

The both just stared at each other, neither knowing what to say. One feeling a great gratitude while the other a great guilt.

"I'm sorry." Evelyn finally spoke. "I know it does not make up for the pain I have caused you."

When he didn't reply she continued, "I've realized that trust when dealing with grave matters is imperative and an apprentice should never doubt his master."

"Apprentice? Have you been organizing this apology the whole night?" The Beast said in a surprising light tone.

"I thought it was only right since a goblet attacked you." Evelyn said with a small smile before she took the warm towel from his forehead and stared at her hands.

"Why did you save me?"

Evelyn looked up surprised.

"Why wouldn't I?"

"You could have left."

"But I didn't." Evelyn didn't understand how he could believe for a moment she would leave him to die. "I wouldn't leave you for dead."

Instinctively she grabbed his hand and he stared down at it with a certain perplexity. Evelyn seeing this as annoyance quickly withdrew her hand.

"Sorry." She mumbled.

"That's not suppose to happen." He said softly.

"What?"

He licked his dry lips.

"My skin burns anyone who touches me." The Beast confessed softly, his gaze on the library ceiling.

Time seemed to pass slowly as he met her gaze and waited for her to respond.

Evelyn looked down from his searching gaze before she answered, "Maybe you choose who you hurt."

She didn't know how true those words were for him.

Short update because I'm in Kraków right now for World Youth Day