Curiosity Killed the Cat

Chapter 26: Once Upon a Dream

Loki paced the waiting chambers outside of the healing rooms, picking at his hands and chewing on his bottom lip as he did so. Peter and Eris sat on the side as they watched their friend pace back and forth along the length of the waiting room.

As Eir came through the doors to the healing room and looked at the three friends. Immediately as she entered Loki said in a cracking voice, "What happened? Is she going to be alright?"

"She is stable now that the magic is out of her. It did however spread to her lungs by the time we had fully gotten it out. She's on a breathing tube right now, but she should be fine in a few days."

Loki sighed in relief and closed his eyes. Peter and Eris stood up and walked over to Loki's side. Loki blinked at Eir before asking if he could see her. Eir said tomorrow he could, but she didn't want her body to latch onto his magic because of how vulnerable her own was at the moment.

Loki nodded as he watched Eir exit the waiting room to attend to her patients. Peter put a hand on his shoulder and asked if he wanted to talk about it. He shook his head. "I think I just need some time alone right now." With that he turned and exited the room.

Eris looked at Peter. "I'm going to go ask for someons to clean up Frigga's room. I'll see you at dinner?"

Peter nodded and Eris followed Loki out of the room. He stood alone in the room as he tried to figure out what to do. He walked out of the room and decided to head back to Loki's room to try and see if any of the books in Loki's room had something about the purple magic that was in Frigga. He stopped by the kitchens on the way to pick up some more lefse because 1) that stuff was delicious, and 2) He was gonna need all the energy he could get.

When he got to Loki's room he realized the doors were open, which was odd, because unless someone else opened them, Peter could have sworn that the doors had closed behind them all as they had rushed to Frigga's side.

Peter tiptoed into the room and realized that the door to the study was also open. He glanced inside to see Eris. She was going through all of Loki's books with a desperate look on her face, like she needed to find something. She kept pulling them all out until she found the hidden latch. She pulled on it and Loki's magic room revealed itself. She rushed inside and scanned the books. Peter could hear her muttering something to herself, but he couldn't quite make it out.

"Finally!" She exclaimed as she pulled out an old black book with a worn cover. Peter stepped in to take a closer look at what she had found.

"Looking for something?"

"AAAGH!" Peter shouted as he turned around and saw Eris standing behind him. His eyes widened when he saw her smirk. Why didn't my spider-sense work? I should have been able to sense her? Wait... "You're just an illusion."

Eris' grin widened. "I am. But she isn't."

Peter felt something behind him and dodged out of the way of a purple blast of magic headed towards him. He tried to catch her in some webs but she shot them back at him with his magic. He tried to dodge, but they followed his movement and wrapped itself around him. Peter fell to the ground like a deadweight as Eris loomed over him.

"What are you doing? I thought we were all friends!" He screeched at her.

"I am your friend! That is why I am doing this." Peter furrowed his brow so she continued. "With Odin dead, it was so easy to misdirect Thor's anger in a way that would make him seem crazy. It is a shame about Frigga though... she is a wonderful person... but she would never let Loki have the throne. I wish it could be different."

"Loki doesn't want the throne! He just wants to be accepted!" Peter said as he struggled to free himself from his own webs.

"If he has a throne, he will be accepted! We can finally rule like we were always meant to! Don't you want him to be happy?"

Peter finally was able to at least sit up a bit as he looked at her. "That sounds like your dream, not his."

"It's OUR dream and I will not have him miss out on it because of a family that doesn't even care about him."

"Frigga-"

"Hush," She said as she spelled a piece of scrap fabric to gag him. "You will understand when you see it. So will he. It will all be worth it. But for now..."

She leaned over him and put her hand on his forehead.

"Sleep."

And unwillingly, he did.