All Hail The King // Loki - Book 2 ✓

Chapter 3

"GIVE ME your shoe," Darcy tells Ian with an ornery smirk.

Anna watches while they play around with the anomaly - this portal or whatever - laughing along with the kids as it continues to astound them. She can't help but stare at the whole situation with a look of wonder painted on her face. It's not every day you get to witness something disappear and reappear, over and over again, going to...who knows where.

Then again, she'd experienced something very similar with Loki's magic. It hurt to remember him, but she's glad to have the pain because it reminds her that she once had something worth having. Something worth losing.

"Were those the car keys?" Darcy's voice pulls her out of her thoughts before she goes too deep into sadness, and she shakes her head at the two of them.

Of course, they threw the car keys into a portal that no one knows or understands. Who wouldn't?

Rolling her eyes, Anna chuckles as she skirts around them and heads in the direction Jane ran off. The slight gust of wind brushes past her, and she turns to discover that all of the windows around her are shut. It speeds up, whipping her wavy brown hair around her face, and she picks up her pace. A soft beeping echoes through the corridor ahead of her, so she takes off in a sprint toward the sound. Running with the gust of wind, she hears Jane's gasp only to round the corner and discover it's...empty.

There's no sight of her friend anywhere.

"Darcy?" Anna calls as she slowly walks down the corridor. The right wall is covered with large industrial windows, while several doorways open up on the left. Ducking her head into each one, she's met with nothing but dirt, debri, and shadow. Jane is nowhere to be found. "Darcy!"

"What?" Darcy replies lazily, walking around the corner toward her. "Do you really have to yell?"

Anna narrows her eye at the intern, "We need to find Jane."

"We don't need to do anything," she says, motioning between herself and Anna. "We," she points to Ian, "are playing with the anomaly. Jane will be fine. She's a big girl. She probably just went to the car to get some equipment."

Sighing, Anna points out the obvious, "With what keys?"

"Ermm..." Ian begins to apologize, but Darcy lifts a hand to stop him.

She sighs dramatically, turning on her heels and beckoning him to follow her, "Come on, intern. Let's go find the boss."

Checking over her shoulder one last time, Anna studies the shadows carefully before hurrying after the two of them. Something doesn't seem right here, and she doesn't particularly want to spend any time alone in this building. They hurry outside, followed by the three children, and Anna slows to a halt in the parking lot when she realizes that Jane isn't anywhere to be found.

"You were saying?" She asks Darcy, exasperated.

Whirling around, Anna begins to inspect the building carefully. One hand rests on her forehead, the coolness of her skin helping to fend off the mounting headache, and she squints at the various buildings.

"It's not my job to look after her," Darcy replies, pulling out her phone and dialing Jane's number.

Anna sighs, mumbling, "That's exactly your job."

"Jane!" Darcy says into the phone. "Jane, pick up. Your friend is having a panic attack, and you don't pay me enough to handle this stuff."

"Wait...you get paid?" Ian asks, earning a glare and a wave of the hand from Darcy.

"I'm gonna go back inside and play with the magic wormhole thingie now, so just...call me when you get this, or come find me when you're done," she continues before hanging up. Anna gives her a dirty look. "What?" Darcy asks. "It's not like she doesn't know where we'll be."

Groaning, Anna storms off toward the building once more without checking to see if Darcy and Ian are behind her. They follow her slowly, talking amongst themselves, but they head the direction of the stairwell while Anna heads back toward the open chamber with the floating truck. Unfortunately, it is still just as empty as they left it.

She stares at it for a moment. Part of her wants to approach the vehicle and touch it, see if it responds to her the same way it did to the little boy, so she inches forward slowly. Maybe it's her journalistic curiosity - or the fact that this place seems to have something to do with Asgard - that makes her reach out and brush her fingertips across the bottom of the front fender, but she can't help but smile inwardly when it groans in response. The truck floats upward ever-so-slightly, and Anna steps back to watch the movement she set into motion.

Loki would love this.

Then again, he'd probably be bored by it. Rather than relying on Jane to decipher what exactly is going on, Anna knows that Loki would likely be able to tell her precisely what's happening. He'd smirk at her, his emerald green eyes glinting with mischief, and probably tease her for being a stupid mortal who knows nothing about the universe. Then he'd explain it to her, in his own way, probably with a flash of magic just to show off.

At least, that's how she imagines he'd do it. She wouldn't know, really. The two of them never had a chance to enjoy themselves, to spend time together without their lives being at risk, to experience their quirks, habits, and personalities. All she has to cling to is glimpses of Loki - of the man he is - from their time spent together in Restitution's prison. They talked here and there, and he told her stories about his youth. Occasionally, he'd mention his family, but usually he shied away from the topic. One night, while she was drifting in and out of nightmares, Loki even told her about his Jotunn heritage.

Her smile slips away at the memories, and she massages the back of her neck before turning away from the truck. Her heart can't take the pain of losing him. Even though it's been a month, it feels like yesterday she told him she loved him.

A sigh slips from her lips as she exits the large room, heading back toward the corridor where Jane disappeared. Anna forces thoughts of Loki from her head, and she chides herself for letting her mind wander. Now is not the time to reminisce, not when her friend is nowhere to be found. 

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