Book One: Worlds Apart (Loki)

Epilogue

Katri nurses a drink as she sits at a bar, Klaus is off behind her talking to some warlock about their curse, Katri is sure he knows what he is doing but she no longer likes magic. She cannot bear to be around it. Of course, Loki is to blame for that. Once she found pleasure in it now she can barely think about it without that ache returning to her chest. A hand finds her shoulder and she looks up, Arkin gives her a small smile and sits at her side, Jack taking a seat on her other.

"What are you doing here?" she asks them reaching out to touch Arkin's arm. "I thought you wanted to travel"

"Not as fun without you" Arkin offers warmly, his fingers lacing with hers. "Plus, missed my mother" he admits, she stares at him softly.

"Scotch, neat" Jack orders on her other side, Katri raises hers and Arkin's hands to her lips and kisses the back of his. He knows how grateful she is that he returned to her. He knows how much them coming back means to her. Jack threads his fingers with her free hand and takes his drink in his other. Katri relaxes for the first time in months, in years, since they left her. Arkin can see the difference in her, the tiredness, the pain in her face and her eyes. He's never leaving her again. Ever.

...............

Katri sleeps now, curled up on the bed behind where Arkin stands, monkey Jack on his shoulder. Jack is curled up in an armchair, bottle of something strong in his arms, a straw hat over his eyes. Arkin touches the cover of the book on Norse mythology, he sighs and traces the symbol on the front before he throws it into the fire. Crossing his arms over his chest he watches his chance at seeing his father, at seeing the woman he loves again burn. That book could have led him to them. To Asgard. He glances over his shoulder back at Katri. Some things are more important. His mother needs him. And he'll stay with her, for as long as she needs him.

................

Loki sits with his legs hanging off the edge of the balcony of his chambers, the night sky above him, he loves this view, usually, used to, not a lot of things bring him any pleasure anymore, like a part of him died with Katri and their child, something inside of him is dead and black because of it. Fingers find his cheek and he sighs, breath stuttering as Katri crouches beside him. He knows she's not real. He knows because he made her. But he still feels her. She sits at his side, resting against him. His eyes moving to look at her, the illusion of her, a green glow around her. He sighs and smiles sadly at her.

"My love" he whispers, she smiles back and threads her fingers with his on his thigh. "I love you more then you will ever know" he admits, she just smiles back at him. The illusion nothing more than that. An illusion. He closes his eyes and waves his hand through it, it dissipates leaving him alone. He sighs and closes his eyes resting his head against the balcony rail beside him. "I miss you"