Horrible Terrible Things

Chapter Eight

I tried to keep my pace somewhat normal as I left the pier and ventured to the palace, my head kept down as whispers and confused looks followed me. Though I was in no mood to stop and explain that what looked to be blood on my dress was not mine, or anyone else's .

Even the ever silent guards gave me suspicious glances as I passed through the palace gardens and gates. I put Fisherman Kit's identical name to that of Warrior Kit's down to coincidence. I knew when and if I ever saw Warrior Kit again I would ask him, that and turn down his marriage proposal. So, sooner than later.

I was thankful the palace was quiet as usual and headed down the hall to my rooms but as I turned a corner I smacked into something and groaned loudly.

'For fuck sake,' I mumbled and took a step back to look up to see Loki looking down at me, the scowl on his face morphing into a look of disgust and then quickly concern as he moved toward me swiftly and his hands pressed softly against my waist.

'Eva, what has happened?' he breathed.

I looked down at my chest, 'Oh, it was just a fisherman at the pier.' I rattled on about meeting another Kit Nielsson but Loki didn't hear the rest of my words as one of his palms pressed flat against my chest and moved downward to cover the distance of the stain.

I remained frozen at his touch and his other hand tightening on my waist.

'Who did this?' he asked but I could only watch his face, the deepening lines on his forehead and the twitching muscle in his jaw as he moved his hand over my chest and I tried to pull back from him as my nipples hardened and I was hoping that the stain covered enough of my so that they wouldn't show through my dress. I didn't dare look down.

'Eva, who did this to you?' Loki's eyes met mine and it was noticeable how his eyes began to shift from baby blue to red like they were slowly being bled of their colour to crimson.

'Kit Nielsson. But another one. It's not my blood.' I answered, my voice barely above a whisper. I had to keep from breathing properly in fear that my entire body would shake while he held me.

Loki's hands didn't move from me, one hand pressed flat against my chest, the other around my waist. Surely he could feel my pounding heart, how hot I was becoming in his touch? I tried to retain my thoughts, he was only concerned that I had hurt myself, that was reasonable, I wasn't yet full Asgardian, Loki was my charge. Really he was covering his own ass.

Loki sharply inhaled through his nose and finally put some distance between us and his nose scrunched up from the smell of fish.

'What do you mean another one?' his hands were no longer on me and he stood right back, arms crossed over his chest.

'I-' I began but he continued to talk,

'Whose blood is it, and why do you stink of fish?'

'Listen,' I refrained from stomping my foot at him like a child as he began to look at me like one, only waiting to scold me and send me on my way.

'I went for a walk on the pier and I bumped into someone and he sloshed fish guts all over me. He told me his name was Kit Nielsson. I thought that was ridiculous so I got confused but he assured me that's really his name.'

'Cute little story.' Loki uncrossed his arms to glance at his hands and screwed up his face at the smears of fish guts on them.

Knowing that this conversation would go no further I began to head back toward my room and heard Loki's footsteps echo behind my own. I stopped before I ascended the staircase.

'Where is my dad?' I asked.

'Dad?' he feigned naivety and it took everything in me not to sigh or roll my eyes or throw my hands up.