Heart of a Mortal (Loki Romance)

Chapter 13

Ebony's POV

Deciding to forego lunch for now, I opened up the laptop and looked up a few restaurants within a twenty minute drive. I checked out maybe four or five but one of them seemed especially nice. Paoletti, an Italian restaurant about ten minutes away. Everything was a good drive away from here so this was pretty close in comparison. I called and made reservations for about eight and then went back to the bedroom. Loki was lying with his hands behind his head, his eyes closed.

I laid next to him and placed my head on his chest, sighing. He moved and I felt his arms wrap around me. He kissed the top of my head and shifted a little under me. "Ready?" he asked. I nodded and he stood up suddenly, sweeping me up in his arms and spinning me around. "Here we go!" I gripped his shirt tightly and giggled as he danced outside. He chuckled and set me down, pressing a quick kiss to my cheek. "Where to?"

I pulled the directions from the glove compartment to check which one was farthest away. "Let's start with Glen Falls. The other two are a bit of a hike. How's that?" He shrugged.

"I leave it up to you. I'll go where you lead me." I smiled and pulled the truck out onto the main road. We drove along the highway for a bit before passing a small waterfall, hidden beside the road. It was barely anything but secluded as it was it was very beautiful. We pulled into a parking lot and got out. I grabbed the camera and took a quick picture of Loki. He looked at me, startled but I only smiled and walked on. Following the signs, we found a trail that led into the woods, towards the much larger falls. We couldn't hear them just yet.

I led the way, climbing a little uphill through the trees. Loki stayed close behind me, keeping a cool hand on my back whenever I stumbled. He seemed content now, happy while surrounded by the peace of the forest. I looked back at him and he noticed, smiling up at me. I grinned and hurried on, excited to see the falls. We walked for a little while more before we heard the first of the water crashing against the rocks. I held my head up high and listened, not paying attention to where I was going.

"Ebony!"

I turned my head to look for Loki, feeling my foot loose its place. I willed myself to stand still, feeling the moist soil shift under my remaining foot. "I'm alright!" I said. My pulse beat in a frightened staccato and my chest rose and fell in short, tight gasps. I could feel the ledge just under me. Looking down slowly, I saw the river rushing below me, coming from the falls ahead of us.

"Don't move." Loki murmured. A shiver ran through me and I felt myself grow cold. I looked out the corner of my eyes, seeing Loki's hands outstretched towards me. He stepped back and met my eyes. "I'm holding you up but the ground will give way in a moment. Do you feel something like electricity running through you?"

"Yeah." My voice had dropped to a whisper.

"Focus on it. Let it run through you. Relax." He nodded as I did so. "Just like that. I've got control of your body, don't panic." My raised leg lowered to the ground and I turned slowly on my heel. I walked away from the ledge - heel toe, heel toe - until I was standing in front of Loki. He lowered his hands and the energy in my blood faded as the heat came back. He pulled me into his arms with a quiet groan. Laughing suddenly, he buried his face in my hair. "Don't scare me like that." I smiled against his shoulder and looked up to see a sign warning of the steep drop. I looked back at Loki and found his green eyes watching me closely. "Alright?" He asked. I could feel his heart beating close to mine but mine was still thundering madly. It was calming now, steady in the knowledge that I was safe. I nodded and turned to keep going up the hill. Loki kept me close and gripped my hand tightly for the rest of the way.

We reached the crest of the hill that looked over the falls. Pulling the camera from around my neck, I brushed it off and raised it, snapping a few pictures from different angles. I smiled and grabbed Loki's hand, pulling him along. He didn't seem to really notice the falls. I was snapping pictures non-stop, completely in love with it all. It was the first waterfall I'd ever seen. I kept turning to find Loki leaning back on a rock or something, watching me with this strange little smile.