VAIN | Inside the Universe

Chapter Twenty Five • Profound Doubt

"Isn't there supposed to be halo over my head by now?"

She beared thirty seconds of silence this time. That's a new record.

I sighed, probably a bit too roughly. "You must be doing it wrong."

"You don't have one."

"Your eyes are supposed to be closed."

"One eye is."

"Oh, excuse me," I sneered, not daring to slip and meet the eyes that were probably wide open across from me.

Sif and I found Asta about three days ago while we were sparring. Well, more accurately, she found us. We were watched for only a few minutes before she took it upon herself to pick up a sword to challenge us herself.

She can't be more than ten years old.

Kahlil and Sif have basically claimed the spitfire as their own, so when she asked us to teach her despite her parents clear desire to keep her away from combat, of course we brought her right into the middle of it.

Her voluminous, acorn hair and soft blue eyes are perhaps the most deceptive features I've ever encountered in my many years of espionage and terrorist execution. She's fiery, much too sarcastic for someone her age, but I digress. Her ambition alone made it nearly impossible for us to deny her, despite how annoying she may be.

We've been hiding her out on the ground floor of a rather secluded, two story observatory for a few hours a day, taking all her blows, whether it be physical or the more painfully verbal ones. Today, if she'd shut up soon, we're going to be meditating.

It didn't seem likely. She sighed, much too dramatically. "Shouldn't there be some kind of background noise?"

"I don't know. I've never done this before."

She gasped, utterly offended. "Then why are we doing it now?"

I don't think she has the ability to be quiet.

"Because I'm just sobering up and I'm not running the risk of driving a sword through your chest."

"That would be more fun than this," she pushed straightly.

I couldn't help the grin that caught my mouth despite my strong consideration in doing so. "Don't tempt me."

She must really be giving up because she pulled the pillow out from under her and launched it right into my face.

"Ow, fuck! Don't be a bitch."

"I'm nine!" She gaped.

"You can't be a bitch when you're nine?"

"In all fairness, you're both intolerable." Kahlil's sweet, sweet echoed voice rains down on us from the balcony level. Casually, he lays his forearms on the railing, looking down at us softly as Asta flips him off for both of us.

"Positively charming over anything else," he adds before his smile reaches its full offense. "Asta, my greatest apologies, but I'm going to have to steal Safiya from you for now. The Allfather requires her presence."

In other words, my temporary release from prison is officially over.

Loki had been gone for four days because of his trip to Alfheim. Apparently he presumed as much, because in that time he directed all his community council meetings to me. It was a funny joke, truly, until I was actually expected to make decisions on his behalf. I don't know why anyone thought I knew anything about throwing extravagant feasts or how to accommodate visiting royal families, but they all agreed to every outrageous demand I made with thrilling excitement, exceptionally ignorant to the fact that I was quite definitely draining the wealth of the realm just to spite him.