The Sweetest Rose-LokixOC

Chapter 22

Loki banged his fist against the door of the Sanctum, rattling the rows of arched windows at the first level of the building. The heavy oak door was sturdier than the one he destroyed during his last visit and refused to bow beneath his knuckles. "Strange, open up!"

Cassandra leaned against the stair railing watching him expressionlessly. "Keep that up and you'll get thrown into the street again."

"Oh, I have not forgotten what that charlatan did to me." Loki said over his shoulder, his teeth bared in a vicious grin that gleamed with deadly promise. "He'll pay for it eventually-"

The door swung inward, and Loki skidded across the polished marble floor on his face, his illusory disguise undone. Cassandra chased after him, collapsing to her knees. "Loki are you alright?"

The god barely noticed the bleeding scrape on his cheek. He was too busy glowering at the wizard serenely floating down the stairs.

Cassandra sighed, noticing her own illusion had vanished too. "Do you always have to provoke him, Dr. Strange?"

"He is the one who always comes to the Sanctum with ill intentions, Dr. Pierce." The wizard replied in a deep voice.

Right. It was always Loki's fault. Strange never did anything to escalate the situation.

The floor squeaked as Loki's polished dress shoes found traction. Sweeping hair out of his face, he stood, a few veins protruding from his forehead, his blue eyes watery with rage. "I came seeking answers, wizard. Answers you seek to hide from us."

Strange landed on the bottom stair tread and crossed his arms. "This is about the Merlin."

"Why else would we enter this hovel?" Loki sneered.

If Loki equated this multi-million-dollar piece of real estate to a hovel it made Cassandra wonder how amazing Asgard had been before its destruction. She filed that bit of information away for later. Her immediate concern was ringing some answers from Strange.

Real answers.

Cassandra decided to appeal to the serious wizard's logic. "I know you don't trust me, but I can't continue stumbling in the dark. Someone tried to murder me again."

Strange assessed her shoulder injury in a single glance. "A gunshot wound. They are moving quicker than I anticipated."

The world shifted and they were now in the same study from her last visit to the Sanctum. Refreshments popped into existence. A beer stein hovered inches from Loki's nose, filled to the brim with frothy ale.

The god arched a dark brow and snagged the stein's handle with long elegant fingers. "Charming."

Cassandra noticed he did not hesitate to take a long draught of the ale. She rolled her eyes. Asgardians and their booze.

A third chair appeared across from the two wing backs beside the fireplace forming a lopsided triangle. Once they were seated with their refreshments Strange flicked his fingers and a fire sprang to life. "The Cadre are a coven of sorcerers ruled by an evil woman. She is a serious danger to the multi-verse." Strange's eyes flicked to Loki. "An even greater threat than you."

Loki sneered at that.

"Her name is Morgan le Fey." Strange's lips curved in a humorless smile. "I assume you've heard of her."

A chill danced down Cassandra's spine. "Morgan le Fey?" She said softly. "Arthur Pendragon's sister."

"Yes. Though the tales are not entirely accurate. Since the fall of Camelot Morgan has been in the Dark Dimension, banished there by the Ancient One and the Merlin. She works through her agents to insure her return. However, there is one obstacle that concerns her." Strange explained.