BOOK 3. Trapped in Asgard after Odin's apparent death, Anna chooses an unlikely ally in her attempt to find Loki. While the realm is sealed from the rest of the Nine Worlds, her strange dreams lead her to the one place she'd never expect.
To him...
A knock at the door pulls Anna out of her thoughts, and she tucks a scrap of paper between the pages of her book before standing. The navy blue dress Ilva picked out for her this morning cascades to the floor, silky fabric pooling around her feet, and she tugs at the empire waistline nervously. Over the last few months, she's grown accustomed to Asgardian fashion - even fond of it - as the dresses managed to be not only stunningly beautiful but sturdy and comfortable as well. Still, there are times - like today - that she would gladly trade a whole wardrobe of the gorgeous dresses for yoga pants and a comfortable sweater.
The heavy door swings open just enough for Sigyn to slip through, the tall blonde smiling sweetly when she sees Anna on the other side of the room. Beautiful and graceful, Sigyn enters the room with a slight glow around her. It's almost difficult to comprehend how such a woman would've married Loki, everything about them screams contrast, but it's still obvious that she loves him in her own way. Once Anna learned the truth about their past relationship, she hesitated to bring it up, but it was Sigyn who eventually did so. She wanted to reassure Anna that, while she would always be fond of Loki, there was no romantic tenderness there. They'd parted ways friends and only friends, and Anna believed her.
"Anna," Sigyn says softly, closing the door behind her and dropping the large canvas bag she always carries on the floor. "How are you?"
Anna crosses the room to her, accepting the friendly hug Sigyn offers, before smiling sadly.
"Same as always," she admits. "Unfortunately."
Sigyn frowns, "More dreams?"
"I'm not sure they will ever stop," Anna says with a shrug. "Would you like some tea?"
Sigyn nods, following Anna to the balcony where two chairs are set up along with a small table between them. Ilva delivered tea less than five minutes before Sigyn's arrival, setting the table along with an assortment of Asgardian pastries, meaning all Anna needed to do was pour the tea. Shaking slightly, she lifted the full cup to place it in front of Sigyn but the other woman grabbed it out of her hands.
"You don't need to do that," Sigyn says softly. "You need rest."
Anna sighs, "I can barely even lift a damn cup of tea without shaking like a leaf, Sigyn. I know I need rest, but I can't. Nothing works. When I sleep, I wake up somewhere else. Medicines do nothing. Sleeping draughts paralyze me in the dreams, and who knows if the voice will return. I don't want to be immobile if or when it does."
"I take it Eir has learned nothing new," the blonde replies, taking a sip of tea whilst Anna stares at the pastry on her plate.
"No," Anna confirms. "The most she can do is help with the soreness. I tried to explain coffee to her and Ilva, but neither of them seems to know anything about it."
Sigyn smiles, "I have only heard of this drink, but I know Thor is quite fond of it."
"It's the closest thing we have to magic on Midgard," Anna jokes before falling silent, noticing that she referred to Earth by its Asgardian term.
Three months is a long time to be away from home. Even her voice is changing, according to Ilva, as she learns more of the Asgardian vernacular. By the time she gets home - if she gets to go home - she'll be unrecognizable.
Then again, she doesn't even have a home to return to on Earth. Not anymore. After discovering the truth about her parentage, Anna had distanced herself from the two scientists who had stolen her away from the Red Room. She's grateful to them, of course, grateful that she didn't have to suffer the same training and torture as her older sister Natasha, but it's hard not to be resentful.
She hasn't worked in ages, meaning she wouldn't have any money to pay for a flat. After her lease ran out on her last one, Natasha organized for someone to pack up her belongings and put them into storage - a blessing that she greatly appreciated - but Anna dreaded going back there. Rebuilding her life sounds more like torture than an opportunity, especially since it means starting over without him.
Without Loki.
"Anna," Sigyn says softly, drawing her out of her thoughts. "I have an idea."
Anna wrinkles her brow, "What? What do you mean?"
The blonde woman hesitates, taking a few moments to weigh her next words carefully. She'd spent the last several weeks scouring the libraries of Asgard, searching through the histories and the magic books for a solution. Finally, she realized the truth.
"I believe you," Sigyn replies, the words sending a shiver of anticipation through Anna. "I believe that Loki is still alive."
Sucking in a deep breath, Anna stares at Sigyn in shock. They'd talked about the possibility once or twice, but never in detail. Most of Asgard believed him dead on Svartalfheim, dead at the hands of Kurse, especially after Odin held a funeral for the fallen prince. Apparently, Sigyn had been there, watching from a distance. She admitted to Anna that it was possible. Loki always had the most amazing ability to get out of tough spots - he was the God of Mischief, after all - but even Thor believed his brother dead. He watched him die.
Anna did too, but she also saw him again. She knows he is alive.
She touched him, held him, loved him.
He has to be alive.
"And?" Anna asks. "Why now? What d--"
Sigyn grabs Anna's hand, holding it gently, "I think I know how to find him."
Now Playing: "The Way I Do" by Bishop Briggs.
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Three things:
1. Sorry for the delay! I am (still) sick.
2. I now have an Ask.fm account! Want to ask me questions about Anna, Loki, or my other books? Got weird questions about my life? Other random things? Ask away! The link is in my profile, or you can go to Ask.fm/jandralee
3. I wrote a new short story for a contest called "Together" that is available + completed on my profile now. I'd love it if you gave it a read!
