Destroyed Beauty {Pure Illusion Series: Book 3}

Prologue

“Silly girl, did you truly think I pulled you from that cell because I loved you?” The man’s grin spread as he backed her into a corner, his shadow blocking every inch light that she could barely see it peeking over his shoulder.

Sigyn’s heart beat wildly, her chest rising and falling as the figure loomed over her and grew closer. Tears were falling from her blue eyes as she prayed that someone would save her. Her eyes closed and she could feel the breath of the advancing party on her face, her entire body shook as if she was having convulsions; no words came from her mouth.

“Look at me you putrid woman!” 

A silent scream came from her mouth as her hair was yanked back; she swore there was blood. Her eyes were forced to look into his, the sheer sight made her begin to sob wildly and, at last, words poured from her mouth.

“Theoric, please… don’t.”

The scar over his left eye crinkled and he chuckled at her pitiful cries. His free hand began to stroke the side of her cheek, her words falling on deaf ears. The man stared at her; this was not her Theoric. Something was wrong; the Crimson Hawk looked like her Theoric and yet, he did not. Trying to control her sobs, she was about to say something when a sickening sound came from below. 

Theoric’s menacing face changed, the color instantly draining from his face and his hands fell away. Looking down, she saw blood rushing from his torso and emptying onto the floor. His gaze caught hers and she saw her Theoric before he crumpled to the floor, dead.

Looking up at the figure that had taken his life, her eyes met Loki’s, his hair in disarray and a blade covered in red in his hand. He was breathing hard as well when he met her eyes. Her vision blurred as more salty tears spilled down her cheeks; she was surprised she had any left. Stepping over the slain Theoric, she flung her arms around Loki who had dropped his sword and had opened his arms wide for her.

“Oh Loki, I was so scared.” She clung to him, digging her face into his chest.

“You had a reason to be.” He replied and she felt a sharp pain in her side. 

Pulling away, she suddenly felt faint and stared down at her own abdomen. Embedded in her flesh and quickly being covered in red was a dagger she knew all too well; it was Loki’s.

Stumbling back, she fell over Theoric’s body, which was unrecognizable, and backed away from Loki who was walking closer to her. Leaning down, he yanked the handle from her side and she yelped in pain, but it was cut off when he put his hand on her throat, lifting her up against the wall.

“Oh my darling, did you truly think that I killed Theoric to save you? At last I have you to myself…” 

Holding her loosely by her neck; he pressed his lips to hers to which she shoved him away, even with his entire body was pressed against hers. Letting go of her neck, he snagged her hands and put them over her head as he kissed her lips and down her skin.

“Hmm, I will miss this.” He murmured when he pulled away and allowed her for the first time to see his face. 

It wasn’t her Loki just as Theoric had not been her Theoric. Taking her chance she slipped a hand out of his grasp and slapped him as hard as she could across the face. The god was shocked and stared at her as if she dared to smack him. His hands flew to her neck, abandoning their grip on her other hand and he began to squeeze tightly around her petite neck.

“I…thought… you… loved mm-ee.” She managed to squeak out before his grip tightened. 

“Don’t make me laugh wench, I could never love a common peasant girl.”

Sigyn stared into his eyes, hoping he would stop as her supply of air was running out. Her head began to pound and the world around her grew dark on the edges as she focused intensely on his eyes. Her hands clamored to free herself from his hold and her feet kicked wildly at him, but that too began to slow as she tried to choke out her words.

“L-ll-okiii…” 

“Shhhhh.” He whispered, his grip at last cutting off her air supply.

In her last few seconds of consciousness, she reached out to touch his face. As her eyes drooped closed and body slumped, the last image she saw was a pair of bright blue eyes… a pair of eyes that did not belong to Loki or Theoric. 

--- 

“LOKI!”

Her body was drenched in sweat as she sat straight up in bed. Her hair clung to her face and her dress stuck to her body. Sigyn felt as if her body was on fire and she felt sick. Rushing to the bathroom, she emptied her stomach into the toilet. Curling up on the floor, she began to cry, tears racing down her face as she called out in broken sobs the name she feared but the name she trusted; Loki. 

“Loki? Loki… please.” Her voice broke as she lay on the floor of the bathroom, curling her arms around her.

She thought she would lie like that till Eméra came to help her change in the morning, as she knew it was scarcely midnight. By Odin’s rule, she and Loki were confined to separate sleeping quarters: she in Theoric’s old chamber, now hers, and Loki to his. That did not mean the god did not come in and help send her off to sleep many times, but usually he was there to wake her she was having a nightmare.

“Sigyn? Sigyn where are you?!”

Loki’s voice called from in Theoric’s room, his voice a bit frantic when he did not see her in her bed.

“Loki?” Her voice was hoarse from crying, and frankly she wasn’t sure if she wanted to see him but it was too late to tell him no.

“Sigyn.” His voice sounding relieved when he had found her.

Opening the door completely, she saw he was only wearing his night pants. His eyebrows were up and lines arched across his forehead as he came to sit on the floor next to her. Opening his arms, he beckoned her to come to him, but she hesitated. The goddess looked up into his eyes; green, not blue. Loki saw her hesitation and a flash of pain crossed his face as she finally came to sit in his lap.

His cool skin felt nice against hers as heat radiated off of her. Turning her face into his bare chest, she began to cry again. Tucking her knees to her chest as his arms encircled her she felt his lips kiss the top of her sweat soaked hair. He didn’t say anything, but instead just held her, as he knew she didn’t want to speak, at least not yet. 

“You know that I love you, no matter what right?” She whispered. 

Loki pulled away a little so he could look at her. Her face was covered with tears as she tried to wipe them away with her sweaty sleeves. With his own fingers, he began to wipe away the tears that were still falling down her cheeks.

“Of course my love. What brought this on?”

Sigyn buried her face back against his chest, there was no more energy for tears but still it felt good to lean against the god, his fingers massaging bits of her back. His fingers began to work through her hair, rebraiding it away from her face and down her back. 

“Nothing.” She lied and not for the last time.

Theoric and Loki would haunt her dreams for many nights to come, their glowing blue eyes waking her with terror.