Roots of Eternity

Chapter 36 - A Risky Alliance

The throne room felt unusually cold as I stood beside Thor, my arms crossed tightly over my chest. The weight of Frigga's loss still clung to us like a heavy fog, and every corner of the palace seemed darker in her absence. I watched as Thor paced, his jaw clenched in frustration, while Loki stood off to the side, leaning against a pillar with that infuriatingly calm expression on his face.

The silence between the three of us was thick, and I could feel the tension building with every passing moment.

"We can't just sit here and do nothing," Thor said suddenly, breaking the quiet as his frustration finally bubbled over. "Malekith has the Aether. He grows stronger every moment we delay."

I nodded, though my heart was still heavy with grief. "But how do we stop him? We don't even know where he'll strike next."

Thor's fists tightened around the handle of Mjolnir. "We'll find him. We have to."

Loki, who had been silent up until now, let out a soft, mocking laugh. "Oh, how noble of you, brother. Charging into battle with no plan. As usual."

Thor shot Loki a withering look. "If you have something useful to say, Loki, now would be the time."

Loki smirked, pushing off from the pillar and sauntering over to us. "As it happens, I do. You want to stop Malekith? Then you'll need someone who knows the secret ways out of Asgard. Someone who can lead you right to him."

Thor stiffened, and I could feel the anger radiating off him. "And you expect us to trust you? After everything you've done?"

Loki shrugged, the smirk never leaving his face. "Trust me or don't, it makes no difference to me. But you won't find Malekith without my help."

I felt the tension between them like a storm ready to break, and I stepped forward, placing a hand on Thor's arm. "Thor, we need him. He knows more about the hidden paths in and out of Asgard than anyone."

Thor's eyes flicked to mine, and for a moment, I saw the deep conflict within him. He wanted to protect me, to keep me far from the danger, but he knew I was right. We didn't have time for mistrust, not with Malekith growing stronger by the minute.

"I don't like this," Thor muttered, his voice low. "But you're right. We don't have another choice."

Loki's smirk widened, clearly enjoying his victory. "Finally, some sense."

I glanced at Loki, my heart still unsure. Even now, after everything, I wanted to believe that there was still something good left in him, something that Frigga had seen. But trusting him felt like walking on thin ice, and I wasn't sure how much more I could take.

"Are you really going to help us?" I asked quietly, searching his face for any sign of sincerity.

Loki turned his gaze to me, his expression softening slightly. "I'm not doing this for you, Helena. Or for Thor. I have my own reasons for wanting Malekith dead."

I frowned. "So, this is just another one of your schemes?"

Loki's eyes flashed, and for a brief moment, I saw something raw, something unguarded. "You think me incapable of grief, little sister? That I feel nothing for what happened to Frigga?"

I hesitated, unsure how to respond. I had seen Loki mask his emotions time and again, hiding behind sarcasm and manipulation. But in this moment, I wasn't so sure.

"Loki..." I started, my voice softer now, but Thor cut me off.

"It doesn't matter why he's helping," Thor said, his voice hardening again. "We need to move quickly before Malekith strikes again."

Loki rolled his eyes, his usual aloofness returning. "As you wish, mighty Thor. Lead on, and I'll do my best to keep us from getting killed."

Thor ignored the jibe, turning to me with a firm expression. "Helena, I want you to stay close to me. This will be dangerous."

I bristled at his tone, feeling once again like the youngest sibling in the room. "I can handle myself, Thor."

"I know," he said, his eyes softening slightly. "But Malekith is not like the enemies we've faced before. This is different. I need you to be careful."

I sighed, knowing that no matter how many times I proved myself, Thor would always see me as the little sister he needed to protect. "I will."

Loki watched our exchange with an amused glint in his eyes. "Oh, how touching. Brotherly concern. How quaint."

"Loki," Thor growled, his patience clearly wearing thin.

Loki raised his hands in mock surrender. "Fine, fine. I'll behave. For now."

Despite the tension, I couldn't help but feel the weight of the situation pressing down on me. We were about to embark on a mission to stop a force we barely understood, and we were relying on the most unreliable of allies-Loki.

As we left the throne room and made our way toward the hidden passages that Loki had promised would lead us out of Asgard undetected, I couldn't shake the feeling that everything was about to change. The air around us felt thick with anticipation, and even the ground beneath my feet seemed to tremble with the weight of what was coming.

Thor walked ahead, his broad shoulders tense with the burden of leadership, while Loki strolled casually beside us, his usual smirk never far from his lips. But I could see the way he glanced at me from the corner of his eye, as though he were measuring my resolve.

"Are you frightened, Helena?" Loki asked after a long silence, his voice soft but laced with mockery.

I met his gaze, my blue eyes steady. "No."

Loki raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued. "No hesitation at all? You're braver than I thought."

"I'm not brave, Loki. I'm determined," I replied, my voice firmer than I felt.

He tilted his head, his smirk fading slightly. "Determination can be a dangerous thing, especially in one so... young."

I clenched my fists at my sides, biting back the retort that was on the tip of my tongue. "I'm not a child anymore. You and Thor need to stop treating me like one."

Loki chuckled, though there was something darker behind the sound. "Ah, but that's the problem, isn't it? You'll always be the little sister-no matter how hard you try to grow up."

I glared at him, my frustration boiling over. "Maybe if you both stopped underestimating me, you'd see what I'm capable of."

Loki's eyes flashed with something unreadable, and for a moment, I thought he might say something more, but Thor interrupted, his voice cutting through the tension.

"We're here," Thor announced, his tone all business as we approached a hidden entrance in the side of the palace wall.

I felt my heart quicken as we stepped into the dark passage, the weight of the journey ahead settling on my shoulders. This was it. We were going after Malekith.

And as I followed Thor and Loki into the shadows, I couldn't shake the feeling that this was only the beginning. The realms were at stake, and my place in all of it-my role in protecting those I loved-was far from certain.

"Loki," I called softly, as we descended deeper into the passageway. He turned to look at me, his eyes glinting in the dim light.

"Yes, sister?" he asked, his voice lilting, but there was a seriousness there that I hadn't heard in years.

"Don't betray us," I said, my voice firm. "Whatever your reasons, just... don't."

Loki stared at me for a long moment before he replied, his voice quieter than I expected. "I won't. Not this time."

I wanted to believe him. But as the darkness closed in around us, I knew better than to put my trust in promises.

The fight for the realms was just beginning.