Giftless

Chapter 17

It felt like an eternity later when Loki finally appeared before you. He materialized in a shimmer of green magic, holding his hands up in surrender. At least he had come expecting that you would be angry with him. Despite that he was clearly apologetic, you still chucked one of his pillows at him as you jumped to your feet, chains jangling. It wasn't the best weapon, but would express your displeasure with him clearly. Even though you were mad at him, you weren't going to throw his gift at him, or actually hurt him. He was also carefully standing just out of your reach.

You realized that it wasn't really Loki, but an illusion instead, as the pillow you threw at him, flew right through him. His illusions couldn't be touched.

"Why have you been training me to fight if the second there is a hint of danger, you lock me up like some helpless princess?" you demanded, tears of anger falling down your cheeks. Stupid tears, they weren't helping your cause.

"There were simply too many of them, love. There were over twenty of them, just to start, and only two of us. More of them came once they caught a glimpse of you, and even more came directly here to the compound. You were their target tonight, love. Not me, not stealing objects, or whatever other petty things they are usually after. Tonight, they only wanted you. Even with all of my tricks and all of my magic and powers, I was not going to risk your safety, when I am your only guard tonight. Especially, when you were the one they were after. Even I had to call backup to take them all on, and even I did not get away from all of them unscathed. I was not leaving you in that kind of danger. I am sorry, so very sorry, for this," he gestured toward the chains, "but I could not risk you returning before it was safe."

"You should have let me help," you protested, still angry, though the emotion was fading under the force of his logic. Part of that was his silver tongue, but he was making valid points. Even if you hated all of them.

He shook his head. "My first duty is to protect you. I accomplished that the only way I could. They would have taken you. Please, love, please, understand that. They would have kidnapped you before backup came. There were too many. Some of them even broke into the compound before help arrived. I could not have kept them from you had I not brought you here. So I did the only thing I could. I know you are upset, and I accept that. I am not sorry for protecting you. I am sorry for the way it had to be done." You heard the heartbreak in his words and the terror that he had felt. You knew then that he hadn't been lying or exaggerating. There really had been that many of the clowns for him to have been that scared for your safety.

He hesitated before he opened his mouth again to speak. You saw the hesitation and knew that his next words were the most important part of his speech. He took a breath before he spoke. You could see how hard these words were for him to say, so you waited patiently and didn't pressure him. "You are aware that I can see glimpses of the future?" you nodded. He had just told you that yesterday morning. It seemed so long ago, but it was just yesterday morning that you were up on the roof watching the meteor shower. "For the last fortnight I have had the same vision. It was of you, my darling, dying in my arms during an attack on the compound. And every time I see it, I have to watch you die and know that there is absolutely nothing I can do to stop it or save you,"

His words eased your hurt and anger. You would have done the same thing in his shoes. Especially had you seen his death in visions of the future. "I understand," you finally admitted. You paused, gathering your words before you continued. "I'm sorry you keep seeing that. Hopefully the visions will go away now that the attack is over," you told him. It wasn't enough, but it was all that you could say. You still wished he had told you, or had come up with a better plan to protect you.

It was then that some of his first words hit you. "You said you didn't get out of this unscathed. You're hurt? Where are you? Let me help!" You begged him, desperate to help him.