Beauty and the Trickster

Chapter 22

I found myself struggling to breathe, fighting against a force unknown.

Help.

I could not cry out; I knew I was screaming but I could hear nothing. I could hear his laugh, growing closer and closer...

"You're mine now." He growled, ice-cold fingers touching my face.

Jolting out of bed, I found my breath again. Covered in sweat, I looked out of the window seeing that it was dark outside. Panting, I scanned my room. I was alone, with a groan I flopped back onto the pillows closing my eyes.

"Darling." Loki whispered beside me; my heart stopped. Slowly turning my head over to a dark-eyed Loki lying beside me, for a moment I was frozen. "I found you." Loki slowly smiled, before quickly lifting his hand with a blade plunging it into my chest.

The scream flew from my lips as I jolted upright, clutching my chest. Once again, I was in my bedroom alone. Hot tears flowed from my eyes, my bedroom door bursting open with Steve and Bucky fighting over entering the room.

"What's wrong?" Bucky's face was dark, while Steve flipped on the bedroom light. Frost covered my bedroom window, and an icy fog set across the floor.

"He knows where we are." I whimpered, Steve walking over to check the window and look me over.

"No, it's just freezing up here in the mountains Casenovia. You are safe I promise." He tried to comfort me, I shot out of the bed in a panic.

"No Steve, he knows. I felt him, he- he..." I clutched my chest where he had so vividly plunged his blade just moments ago, heavily breathing. Bucky walked over silently, taking me in for a tight hug.

Rachel came bounding into the room, holding a table lamp over her head with a very drowsy expression.

"What the fuck, what's wrong?" She grumbled, Steve clearing his throat and averting his eyes. Rachel had run in without putting her pants back on, a true friend. Rushing in with just a t-shirt and her panties, she did not seem to care either.

"She had a nightmare, everything is fine." Steve tried to comfort me, while I was more comforted by Bucky's silence.

"Just give her a moment, okay?" Bucky snapped, I pushed away from him. Stepping into the bathroom and closing the door, I could hear them all whispering amongst themselves. Shaking my head, I pulled off my shirt, looking at the spot he had stabbed me in my dream.

My fingers grazing over the growing blackened mark on my chest, my breath quickening. Closing my eyes, I jumped into the shower scorching my body with as hot as water I could get. Scrubbing my chest, crying as I cleaned.

I knew what I saw, I knew what I felt. Loki was coming, and I knew that he would not be able to stop himself. Sighing to myself, I was left alone with my thoughts. Jumping out of the shower, I threw on a pair of dark jeans with a white sweatshirt.

Covering myself from the spreading black mark, exhaustion creeping over me, as well as an uneasy dark feeling. Opening the bathroom door, Bucky and Rachel had left the bedroom. Steve was still waiting just by the door, once his eyes had met mine, he reached over grabbing ahold of me right before I fell over.

"What is wrong?" Steve scooped me into his arms, my mind going blank. Steve rushed down the stairs to Bucky and Rachel who were dressed in the Kitchen. He sat me down on the couch, Rachel running to grab a glass of water.

"Oh my god- "Rachel's eyes wide peering into the kitchen. The refrigerator full of food had rotted, and panic set in the room.

"Do you believe her now? Bucky looked to Steve, who was trying to calm my panicked state. Steve's eyes shot over with a dark glare, before he dragged his fingers through his hair.