The Last Shifter (a Loki romance)

Chapter 140

I crouched down to help Loki up.

"Are you alright?" His eyes were scanning up and down my body.

"Yes, I'm fine. I think he might actually be an ally we can count on." Loki scoffed.

"He's a prick." He did have a small point there. While he dusted himself off, I looked around to get my bearings. The field we were in was huge, with hills in the distance to one side and a sheer cliff on the other. Beyond that, the ocean went unbroken to the horizon. But that's not when kept my gaze. There was a lone figure, standing at the cliff's edge. Even at this distance, I recognized it to be Odin. Thor was already on his way over, so Loki and I followed.

I wasn't sure what to expect from Odin. The last time Loki and I had seen him, we'd stripped him of his powers and memories and banished him here. So much had changed since then, but the anger and disdain I still felt towards him was still there. He had always sought to undermine me, to imprison me, use me for his own purposes. Not to mention how he treated Loki. I wanted to be just about anywhere else right now, he deserved to never return to Asgard. But that wasn't my call to make.

Thor reached him before we did.

"Father?" Odin didn't reply for a moment, but continued to look out at the water. He was wearing plain clothes, and his eyepatch was no longer metal, but leather.

"Look at this place." He said at last, "It's beautiful." As much as I wanted to disagree, he was right. There was a certain peace to be found here.

"Father, it's us." Loki and I came up on the other side on him.

"My sons. And daughter-by-law." I bristled at the thought of being related to him, but I got a very different flow of emotions from Loki, "I've been waiting for you."

"I know. We've come to take you home."

"Home, yes. Your mother. She calls me. From the other side. Do you hear it?" Loki looked out to the water, and I stretched out with my senses. But there was nothing that I could perceive.

"Loki, lift your magic." Thor hissed. Odin chuckled.

"It took me quite awhile to break free from your spells. Frigga would have been proud." I could feel the pain Loki felt as my own, as I knew he felt mine. I wasn't sure who reached for whom, but our hands found one another and squeezed.

"Come sit with me, I don't have much time." Odin turned and sat on some rocks not far from the edge. I still felt my resentment towards him bubbling under my skin, but for Thor and Loki's sakes, I did not protest.

"I know we failed you, but we can make this right." Thor said.

"I failed you. Both of you, as a father." He turned to address me, "And I failed you most especially."

"That's for damn sure." I felt Thor's glare, but refused to back down.

"It is upon us. Ragnarok."

"No, I stopped Ragnarok. I put an end to Surtur." But Odin shook his head.

"No. It has already begun; she is coming. My life was all that held her back, but my time has come." I felt Thor and Loki look at each other, and then me. I was busy scouring my memory of Asgard, before their time. But even I couldn't think of who Odin was talking about.

"I cannot keep her away any longer." Odin looked to the sky.

"Father, who are you talking about?"

"The goddess of Death. Hela. My firstborn." A cold horror washed over me at that, "Your sister." I could tell the news was having a similar affect on Thor, and I could feel Loki's reaction. He said it so nonchalantly! He had locked his child away with his lifeforce and never told anyone?!