The God's Awakening

Chapter 26

  Slowly Carly opened her eyes, blinking a couple of times to clear her vision.  Realising that she was sprawled across the sofa her mind still slightly foggy, she glanced up.  The library? I must have fallen asleep.  With a slight stretch she carefully sat up, swinging her legs so her feet touched the floor, belatedly remembering that she had been reading when she fell asleep.  Thinking she must have dropped it she glanced to her side but when she didn't see it she checked the floor near her feet.

  "Damn!" she muttered quietly, her eyes roaming up to the table only for her face to scrunch up in confusion.  There, sat on top of the small pile of books sat the one she had been looking through last, Celtic Mythology.  How did it get there?

  "Sleep well?" a smooth cultured voice asked from the chairs across from her.

  Looking up she found Loki lounging on one of the armchairs,  a book held casually in his long elegant fingers, emerald eyes watching her over the top.

  "I...ummm.  I didn't really sleep well last night." she admitted,  lowering her eyes.  "I guess I was more tired than I thought".

  Loki nodded, placing his book down.  "Did you enjoy your research?  Find anything useful?"

  "Oh, I was trying to find more information on who Thor thinks I am but I got sucked into..... well, all of it." 

Indicating the books strewn across the table she noticed one of the ones on Viking Mythology was in front of Loki and looked as though it had been tossed haphazardly onto the table.  Laughing a little she could feel her face flush with embarrassment. 

  "I would not believe all that you read in these books." he said with a wrinkle of disgust.  "They seem to be filled with foolish nonesense and wild stories".

  "So you didn't give birth to a giant snake or wolf either?  And Thor didn't dress as a woman to get his hammer back?" Carly asked with a dramatic sigh.  "Such a shame".

  "The first two, absolutely not but the third?  Let's just say they did get some of those details right".  A mischievous look entered his eyes.

  Getting her giggling under control she found her voice.  "Can I ask you something?"

  "You just did." the Trickster said, an amused and mischievous grin forming on his face.  "Though you may ask another".

  Giggling a little she leant forward, playing with her fingers, eyes lowered.  "The way you and Thor spoke of......  Ummmm, well." She bit her lower lip nervously.  "Did you know the Cailleach?"

  "We did."  Loki answered, sighing heavily as he leant back, eyes becoming unfocused as he lost himself to memory.  "She was a dear friend.  We often trained and studied together.  The pranks we would often play on my brother and his friends or others were....." he trailed off a small smile on his face. 

  Looking up Carly couldn't help but be drawn in by the genuine joy on the raven haired man's handsome face.  They had been in the Avengers Compound for almost a week yet Loki already looked in a lot better health.  She couldn't help but take in the sharp features of his face which made him look refined but not severe.  The way his long hair fell in soft curls at his shoulders made her fingers twitch, wondering what it would feel like to run them through it.  Blushing deeply she realised that she had been openly ogling him.  Damn, I've only known him less than a week. Stop.  She was thankful that he hadn't noticed her staring and gathering her wits she prepared herself to ask the question that had been playing on her mind since Thor had suggested it. 

  "Loki," she said quietly, pulling him from his thoughts.  As his eyes focused on her and the warmth and joy dimmed she almost didn't ask but she needed to know.  "Do you...... Umm.....  Do think I'm...... her?"  The uncertainty in her voice was clear but she refused to look away.  She needed to know.

  "I do not know." he admitted softly, sadness replacing the warmth.  "I truly do not know.  It does not seem possible yet...." he trailed off, closing his eyes.

  The sorrow in his voice and the pained look that crossed his features made Carly realise something.  "You were there! When she died, you were there!"  Compassion and understanding flooded through her as, surprised by her whispered statement , his eyes shot open.

  "How did....?"

  Before they could continue their conversation Pietro appeared at the door, a bag of sweets in hand.  "Hey, Stark ordered Chinese." he said before speeding off.

  "I do not understand why Stark would order Oriental people around or why the fast child thought we needed to be made aware of it."  Loki said, confusion furrowing his brow.

  Laughing at the misunderstanding of the casual language Carly turned to the raven haired man.  "What he meant was that Tony has ordered Chinese food in case we were hungry".

  "I see.  Why can't mortals speak plainly?"

  "Honestly, with how quickly languages change here I'm amazed anyone understands each other anymore".

  "Yet if everyone spoke the same language life would be boring".

  Sharing a laugh, the atmosphere felt relaxed.  Carly had to admit that she enjoyed spending the time with the God of Mischief.

  "Lady Carly, we should join the others to eat.  I do believe that neither of us have eaten for quite some time and with the way the fast child eats there may not be much left if we wait too long." Loki said as he rounded the table and offered her his arm to escort her to the kitchen.

  Feeling a light blush rise in her cheeks once again she took his arm.  Come on Carly, you're over 400 years old, not some hormonal teenager.  Get it together. she chided herself.  He's just being a gentleman, after all he was raised a Prince.

  "We should be glad Thor is not with us or there would be no food left." he said with a chuckle as they left the room.