Flightless (LokixReader)

Chapter Twenty

(Loki's Pov)

Why her? Why now?

Loki supposed it made sense, with all her magic and power, let alone with her presence in their search that there must be some connection. Y/N and a dragon... He wanted to think otherwise.

To the detriment of the spiral his thoughts had become, the sorceress had taken to avoiding him that evening and through the day after. Not to say he found himself without any duties during that time: Thor was more than willing to discuss a new course of action for their quest. The oaf obsessed over this idea that one of the humans could really be this dragon.

Loki escaped the endless theories and 'what if's to hide away in the library, quickly deciding to put away the books he had pulled the days prior. Since his trap proved futile, what other reason to keep them was there?

"Hello?" A meek voice called from the door, ripping the prince's attention from his chosen task.

Finally.

"Y/N?" Loki glanced toward the door, spotting the witch. She peeked her head through the doors, entering fully when he spoke. "I'm surprised to see you here."

She flashed him a small smile, making her way through the aisles to him so they could hear each other easily. "I need my magic back."

"What?" He couldn't hold back a small chuckle at her sudden, and rather ignorant, request. "You've had one lesson." What was this sudden change? Last time Y/N did agree—perhaps reluctantly—that learning magic before being able to access it would be the best path on her journey.

She stepped up beside him, her insistence radiating from every ounce of her being. "I learned a lot." When Loki started walking to place back what few books were left, Y/N matched his pace. "So?"

"No." He needn't see her expression to know that Y/N didn't agree. But before she could continue, the trickster interjected with his own question. "Why have you been avoiding me?" She had cancelled their next meeting of the magical minds and made sure to never even enter the same room as he. After such lonesome days, the prince found himself concerningly curious why she would appear as if nothing happened, willingly at that.

"I haven't been avoiding you." The words came sharply, dragging along a lie to sweep beneath his nose. He glanced back to meet her eyes, daring her to explain. "It's complicated," Loki chuckled.

"So is magic." Just when the prince thought he could understand her, just when he thought there was some common ground, she had the urge to change their dynamic again. Why? Loki couldn't help but think the mortal was attempting to cut him away from herself: cutting the time they spent together and what few things demanded that they converse. If Loki freed her magic, there would be no need for him in her life anymore.

She huffed, pulling on the sleeves of her sweatshirt. "Please?"

Loki turned after placing the last book in its home. He sighed, steeling himself as he watched how her emotions contorted her expression.

She was desperate.

"Then answer me this," Loki started, giving in to the thing within him that shriveled in pain at the mere notion he was the one taunting the mortal with her own freedom. "How are you going to control your magic? How are you going to handle it if something happens? If you start to lose your hold on it?" She pursed her lips, struggling to find the words to prove herself ready. "Why are you avoiding me? But please," Loki took note of her own tactic, catching her smile of recognition. "don't lie this time. I know it has something to do with the dragon."

Y/N rubbed the bridge of her nose. What was she so stressed about? Loki tried to scrape together some form of an answer, falling short of anything plausible time and time again. Even if the dragon had taken on a human form—a long shot, despite how Thor pleaded over the matter—what would the witchling have to do with it? She was quite magical, yes. But she had barely even heard of Asgard. She knew nothing of the realms in the battle stories that Thor spewed, nor even had batted an eye at the hoard Loki concocted. Let alone, for such a magical beast, she knew very little about handling such power.

She took a seat in the library chair. "I don't...." Y/N started, fumbling for the proper words. "I just don't see why you have to kill it. What's the point? I wasn't planning to take part in the actual slaying from the beginning, but now with the dragon being human... It doesn't sit right with me."

Loki hummed, taking the other chair just as before. "I understand. Truth be told, I much rather study such a creature." A smile pulled at her lips and relief flooded her eyes. "But it is going to destroy Asgard. That isn't something I, nor Thor, can simply turn a blind eye to."

"Even if it hasn't done anything yet? Are you even sure it even wants to destroy Asgard?" Loki could see her point, but as he tried to explain, it was beyond his control. He hated to act as just another pawn in Odin's schemes, yet the prince tried to justify himself that this matter was beyond even that. The decree may have come from Odin, but when given the choice between one life and the multitudes? Between all of Asgard? All of those innocents?

The realm had done nothing wrong. It was the dragons who decided to attack them.

"It's the worst decision anyone has to make." Y/N spoke quietly, still shaking her head after Loki's silence. "But shouldn't there be another option besides death?"

She looked away, still frustrated by Loki's position in the circumstances. He couldn't help but feel the same: if it were any other way, he would give anything to learn from the creature alive. "Can I have a chance?" The prince looked back, "With my magic? Just one chance?"

Loki hesitated. This is not what they had agreed upon, nothing close to it. She should be studying for another few weeks before taking back the reins. "One chance." If she knew what was at stake, perhaps she would be more cautious. "Only one. And not without a back up."

Y/N perked up as he summoned his spellbook, flipping to the page he needed. "This is a spell that is normally used in defense against another sorcerer, and something I know I am going to regret teaching you. But I want you to learn how to use it on yourself, and make sure that you learn it well before you do."

Loki summoned a stream of green light from his palm to demonstrate. "What it is going to do is block your magic. However, instead of my barriers, it will simply take all the outward strands and loop them to feed back into your reserves." The thread tied itself in a circle, the flow of magic unable to escape.

Her face contorted in confusion. "Why would I want to learn that?"

"As a fail safe." Loki surmised, "If your magic starts to grow out of control, before anything disastrous happens, you can contain it. But you will not be able to undo this spell without magic, either."

Y/N nodded, fighting and failing to hide the grin as Loki removed his spell and magic returned to warm herself. "Let's try it."