Home | Loki [Book Two]

Chapter Five

"Worth it," I said as I looked at the news on my computer.

"Zeke knows you're alive. You think telling him is an equal trade for punching him?" Loki said from the windowsill.

"Exactly."

"At least we haven't been reported to the police."

"If only." I turned the computer so he could see. "A street monitor recording was posted with the police report."

Loki sighed. "You shouldn't have punched him."

"He's the reason I was gone for nine months."

"No, Delta!" He slammed his book shut. "You are the reason you were gone for nine months! You could have come back at any time, but you searched for information that most likely doesn't even exist. You didn't even bother to try and send a message. I thought you were dead!"

"Loki--"

"You don't have to lock yourself away every time you don't know something! I would have been there for you, but you couldn't even have the decency to tell me that you were alive."

"Loki, I didn't know how to handle it. It hurt me, too. Do you think it was fun for me to spend days on end searching?" I angrily swiped at the tears streaming down my face. "I missed you like crazy, but I didn't know what to do."

"What did you think would happen, Delta?"

"I don't know!" I screamed. "I didn't know, and that scared me. I didn't know if I would hurt you; I didn't know that I would end up hurting you anyway." I disappeared from the room and reappeared in Jotunheim. My tears froze as they hit the frozen ground, creating little snowflakes. I felt helpless. I didn't know that leaving would create this much of a mess. 

You should have just stayed dead, a voice in the back of my head said. 

"No," I whispered. "I did the right thing."

Did you? The voice wasn't speaking meanly, just practically. Maybe coming back hurt him more than you could have predicted. 

When I returned to my room in the tower, Loki was gone, a piece of paper stuck to the window. 

Leaving for Asgard. Helipad, midafternoon. Come if you want. 

When in the "midafternoon"? It was already past lunchtime, so it could be at any moment. 

After hiding away my computer in a pocket of my mattress, I walked to the Helipad and sat down by the edge. Even after more than nine months, blood still stained the surface where I had fallen after being shot. I never figured out who did that, I thought idly as I added it to my mental list. 

As the hours ticked by, I began to think that I had misjudged the time. The sun was about to set by the time Thor and Loki finally showed. 

"I don't know what you think midafternoon is," I said, "But this isn't it."

"How long have you been out here?" Thor asked. 

"Four and a half hours, give or take." I stood up and brushed myself off. 

"I'm sorry about earlier," Loki said quietly.

"It's perfectly fine. You were right, you know." I slipped my hand into his as Thor called for the Bifrost. 

The journey to the palace was shorter than I had remembered but just as beautiful. I didn't know why we were here, but Thor looked worried. 

A woman was waiting for us when we reached the doors of the throne room. She smiled when she noticed us.

"Is everything all right?" Thor asked quickly.

"Not as right as I wish," she said grimly, then turned to Loki. "How have you been?"

"Better," he said. "Have you been introduced to Delta?"

Her brow furrowed as she glanced at me, but she quickly regained her composure. "I don't believe so. I'm Frigga, Loki and Thor's mother."

I smiled and nodded, but stayed silent. 

"I'll meet you at the library after," Loki said to me before he and Thor stepped through the double doors of the throne room. 

"I feel as if I've met you before," I said to Frigga. "Have you been to Midgard in the last couple of decades?"

"Come with me," she said, walking down a hallway. 

"Is something wrong?"

"That depends on your definition of wrong." She stopped and turned around to look at me. "I'm almost completely sure that you are Asgardian."

I laughed. "I already knew that."

"You did?" she asked incredulously. 

"Definitely. Not to mention I kind of rule the entire realm of Niflheim."

"Hela rules Niflheim."

I shook my head. "Not anymore. I killed her."

"How did you come across Hela?"

"I died." I told Frigga all that had happened in the last ten months. 

"Come with me," she said again when I had finished. We walked to a familiar library, where she started sifting through the shelves with hurried precision. 

"What are you looking for?" I asked. 

"A spell."

Within a few more seconds, she had a book in her hand. Frigga muttered a series of words.

The world flashed to white as images swam in front of my eyes. Asgard, Jotunheim, all nine realms along with those undiscovered by any Asgardian. The memories of wars I'd started and ended awakened in my mind like an army of sleeping warriors ready for a new battle. 

My memory settled on a reflection in a crystal clear lake. Prismatic eyes stared up at me, filled with rage, revenge, and victory. 

My mind returned to the palace library as quickly as it had left. I was collapsed on the ground, now aware of long, black hair half obscuring my vision. I glanced at the shining window to my right and saw the same changing eyes from my memory reflected on its surface. 

I looked at Frigga, now aware of the small dagger in her left hand. 

"What am I?" I asked, dreading the answer that I already knew. 

The single word she said was barely above a whisper. 

"Mayhem."