Darkness Revealed (A Loki Love Story) Book 2 in Darkness Series

Out of Options

(His point of view)

"I fail to see how this will give us the element of surprise, Merek," Link states after eyeing over a sketch of a drawn out plan. We have been sitting in this damned council room for nearly four whole hours and STILL have not reached a course of action.

"It will work. I assure you," Merek replies, attempting to sound more confident.

"Perhaps we should try looking at it from a different angle," the King suggests.

"There is no other angle, Father. We have gone over every single plan imaginable. The only thing we have down for certain is that Loki must remain hidden so that he can successfully locate Christine. The problem is not our fighting plan as a whole. It is how to go about entering the battle itself. We have to take them by surprise, catch them completely off guard. We have to come up with something that will allow them to be so distracted, that they will not even think to focus on Loki."

"But, Link. We have gone over this time and time again. They know that he will be coming for her. Surely Helblindi will have her under heavy guard. He is going to be spotted one way or another," Thor states. "It does not matter how much of a distraction we offer, I can promise you that there will be Jotun soldiers assigned to just the one task of keeping Loki from getting to her."

The King nods, sighing in frustration. He looks almost as tired as I feel. His face has lost its color. Even the brown of his eyes seems to have turned to a lifeless gray.

A tremor runs through my body as that godforsaken image of her being forced to stand at Helblindi's side resurfaces. It has remained with me these past nine days, refusing to leave. I have tried everything to distract myself. Training harder, drinking more, sleeping less. Nothing works. I am damned no matter what I do. I have had nothing but my submerging pain to keep me company, especially in my nightmares. It is always the same one. I am standing at the door with the golden lock and cannot break through. I am forced to stand at its entrance, rendered useless as her screams of misery rip straight through my soul.

I chance taking a glance about the room. The soldiers, Medinian and Asgardian alike, all look disheartened and restive. At least I can tell that they are finally beginning to understand why I am so upset all of the time. This is so maddening! How can we not come up with a sufficient plan?!

Out of all of the great war lords present, not one has come up with anything that will work. It has to be as close to perfect as possible. While the Jotuns can come across as a rather dumb race at times, they are actually quite the opposite. They are sneaky and manipulating. And of all people, I should know this better than anyone. Adrielle....I am hanging by a thread here. What am I to do?

"Link, surely you can come up with SOMETHING," I say, not caring that I sound as though I am beseeching in desperation. In all honesty, I am. I am even tempted to get down on my knees in front of him. He turns to look at me; his eyes are worn and languid.

"You are the most brilliant strategist that I have ever known. Surely you have come up with SOME course of action. At least somewhere to start," I go on, leaning onto the table. His eyes move from my face down to the table in front of him. He sits like this for a few moments, seemingly deep in thought. The room falls silent as we all watch him pondering. I am growing more anxious as the quiet becomes almost too taciturn for me to bare.

I avert my eyes over to Thor whom I find is eyeing me, once again, with deep sentiment. I know that he means well, but he has positively driven me insane this past week. He is constantly on my back, asking if I am alright. I have finally gotten to where I do not even answer him. He should already know the answer to his stupid question. Of course I am not alright. I am nowhere near alright. I am dying a little more every day. Her absence has created a crater within my chest that only grows larger and larger each and every morning that I wake up in an empty bed. Its enormous mass is smothering and loathsome, leaving me feeling more hollow than ever. I have no idea how I have managed to hold myself somewhat together for this amount of time. It has been nine days. The nine longest days of my entire existence. Nine long days that I have become more and more despondent. Nine days that I have done nothing but borrow in my own personal, inescapable Hel. No doubt, I have had some help from Adrielle. Some silent source of strength that she has bestowed upon me without my knowledge. There is no other way that I could have made it this long without going completely mad.

I lean my head into my hands, shoving my fingers through my hair. I sit like this for I don't know how long before finally chancing another look towards Link. He has not shifted a single inch as he continues to brainstorm. Then, out of nowhere, he startles the entire room as he flies forward in his chair. Suddenly, I see a new light shining forth from his eyes as he whips his head up in my direction. I swear that his eyeballs might pop clean out of their sockets.

"What is it?" The King asks in urgency, beating me to the punch.

"What is it, Link?" he repeats. Link offers his father a glance, smirking as he stands and begins walking around the table towards my seat. As he comes closer, I see that his expression is strangely off putting, somehow distant and wary. I study his face as hard as I can through my tired eyes, but can not come up with a reasonable cause for his actions.

"I agree with you, Loki. I am a great strategist. No doubt," he chuckles arrogantly, jutting his chest forward.

"But I am not the best that we have." I furrow my brow in complete confusion. What in the hel is he talking about? Of course he is the best!

I am about to argue with his response as I ponder his statement. I allow my eyes to sink into his for a moment longer. He is grinning from ear to ear. It catches me off guard as I suddenly see HER there in his knavish smile. The inscrutable gleam in his eyes. Not the best that we have...who in the hel else could be better at battle planning than Link? Who is he.....

And just like that, the light goes off in my head.

"NO!" I shout, immediately standing to my feet. "ABSOLUTELY NOT!"

He holds out his hands in self defense, imploring me with his eyes.

"Please, Brother. Hear me out."

"NO, LINK! NO!" I roar back. He takes a few steps closer until he is grabbing both of my shoulders with his enormous hands.

"Loki! Listen to me! You have to admit that we are out of options! If you really want to save Christine, then you will listen to what I have to say!" His words stab me in the heart. Of course I want to fucking save Christine! What kind of statement was that?!

I take in a deep breath, attempting to relax my tensed muscles.

"There is a reason that he was made to be the general of our army at such a young age. His mind is brilliant when it comes to the art of war. If you think I am skilled, you should see what he came come up with. If anyone can do it, he can." He releases my shoulders but remains just as close to me whilst continuing to speak.

"We need him on our side, Loki. Please, trust me."

I cannot help but scowl at him.

"It is not you that I do not trust, Link," I reply in an honest but dour tone. He scoffs at my hateful reply.

"At least come with me to speak with him," he bribes.

"And what exactly are we going to speak with him about? What can we possibly have to say that he will be willing to listen to?" I ask, straightening my shoulders. He chuckles, allowing his riling grin to spread all the more.

"We will bargain with him, give him a sort of ultimatum, if you will. Something that he will not even consider refusing."

"Um, pardons, my son, but would you mind explaining to me just what in the hel you are talking about?" The King orders from across the table in a forte of a voice.

"Who is this man that you are referring to?"

I actually have to stifle a chortle at the perturbed and glowering expression that Link shoots at his father. He takes in a quick breath before turning to completely face the King, keeping his posture perfectly straight and sure.

"Daegan, of course."