When Loki's consort and soulmate marries his rival to save their son from a curse, a prophecy leads to consequences even the God of Chaos couldn't predict.
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The Unseelie Goddess of War's revenge against Asgard's Dark Prince puts him in a no-win s...
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Elatha disappeared into the waves, and the tension in my neck and shoulders had me blowing out a slow breath and attempting to stretch. Damn it. I hated that he was going on his own with these fucking dragon gods hunting us. Yet Loki was in no shape to move anywhere. He groaned as he shifted his head in my lap, and my gaze was drawn back down to him, my hand stroking his cheek.
"Do you want to take us down to the water? I'm happy to float with you, darling," Loki said as his eyes met mine.
Holding his gaze, I slowly nodded. It made sense for at least one of us to be recharging enough to defend if we needed to.
Gritting my teeth at the heavy exhaustion dragging at my body, I lifted us carefully into the air a few centimetres without changing our positions. I didn't want to jar Loki's head more than necessary. We shifted to the water's edge, and I lowered us into its cool embrace, putting my back to the waves to protect Loki's head from any impact.
Unlike winter's harsh touch already impacting the Wei River Valley, the sea moderated the climate, warming the coast of China. Even so, I heated the water around Loki. He needed his energy for healing, not staying warm. The shallow waves splashed against my back in a welcome caress as the tiredness in my body eased.
"You scared me, Loki," I confessed in a quiet voice.
His left hand gripped mine and squeezed. "I know. I'm sorry, but I will be okay. You got me through the worst of it, Shannon, and I'm very proud of the way you managed to initiate the healing of my fractures. It's getting better every minute."
Raising his hand to my lips, I kissed his fingers. "Experimenting on you isn't the way I want to learn the range of my powers. I'm relieved it worked, although I'm sorry I couldn't do more."
"You did amazing. With sufficient energy, I'll be able to heal the rest. We need to fully recharge before we attempt the door to Helheim again." His fingers traced over my lips and cheek in a gentle caress.
"Yes, but let's start with food, Loki, and I'll tell you a story while you eat." Digging into a sealed pouch, I handed him a travel bar filled with nuts and seeds. "I'm unwilling to risk raising your blood pressure until you've completely healed those arteries in your head. Having you potentially die of a brain aneurysm isn't exactly stirring lascivious thoughts."
For the first time since he'd woken, his eyes glinted and a little smile appeared at the corners of his lips. "That's an acceptable compromise... for now," he said as he took a bite and chewed.
Taking a bite of my own travel bar, I considered what story I could invent. Or maybe a story from my childhood. "When I was ten, I had a best friend who lived partway up a nearby mountain. He and his older brother rode dirt bikes. They decided they were going to teach me how to ride."
As I continued my story, I fed Loki a second, then a third bar, and finally saw colour return to his pale cheeks. He chuckled when I described my panic at tumbling off the dirt cliff, completely out of control of the motorbike, but managing to come out of it unscathed. The sound of his joy eased the tightness in my chest.
