As one. Always. (A Loki fan fiction)

Chapter 13

Loki’s P.O.V

I watched her walk away. And I was not offended by her sudden departure or how she refused my offer to escort her. If I was confused of my behaviour, no doubt she is too.

I looked back out onto the balcony, trying to decipher what had happened moments ago. I had come close, so close to admitting something I was not even sure of: my adoration for her. I shook my head, as if to clear it. Adoration?

To be honest with myself, I had to admit it. I adored Noelle. Every waking moment, she flitted into my mind. Her warm smiles and laughter were infectious. She was intelligent, she was good company. She was brave, honourable. And she was lovely.

‘You do not want her.’ A whispered raspy voice echoed in my head. It brought on a terrible head ache with it. I put my head in my hands, cringing. This had been happening for days now. At every thought of Noelle, there was the same creeping, haunting voice that entered my mind, bothering me, pushing into my thoughts. It was the strangest thing I had ever experienced.

I do want her. I will pursue her, I thought back and I was wondering if I had gone mad. Were my wits leaving my mind already?

‘She is a human. A weak mortal girl. She is naïve. She knows nothing of the world, nor of intelligence to be had.’ The voice echoed through my mind again. It was not sane to argue with the ‘voice’ in my head, but I found myself doing so anyway. It was as if I could feel a presence around me, commanding me.

She is Asgardian, I thought fervently, still wondering why I insisted on arguing.

‘Only half her blood is mixed with Asgard.’

But she has proved herself more Asgardian than many who were born in this realm. She is different than the mortals. I thought of how she beat Callum, how she had let me confide in her, though I did not speak much of my troubles. How she confided in me, trusting me.

‘So you think. She will be your downfall.’ The voice was harsh, cold with hate. ‘When she is trapped, who shall she call? You. When she is hungry, to the brink of death, who shall she attack and devour? Her companions. When she is weary of life, who shall she lash out at with words more painful than death? Her loved ones. She will live and die. She is no different from any human. How can you let your heart become entangled in another woman’s trap?’ My thoughts were pulled back to the past, memories I had buried and tried to forget for years.

A child with dark eyes, wailing up at him. No, I must not think of this.

Sigyn, performing her complicated magic, dabbling in the darker arts. She had wanted another child.

“Our marriage is broken!” Sigyn spat at him, lashing out, books flying. She had little control over her dark magic. One emotion could lay waste to any who stood too close. “We need a child to fix it!”

“Sigyn, another child will not fix our marriage.” I had been trying to reason with her.

“Yes it will!” She sobbed. “We were so happy when Nari was a babe. He will soon become a little boy, then a man, and we will be bitter together without the joy we once had!”

“Sigyn-” I had wanted to convince her to have Father annul the marriage. Nari may live in the court with Sigyn, and I would be able to see him.

“NO LOKI! I WILL BE WITH CHILD WITHIN DAYS!” She calmed at the thought. “We will be happy again. I will repair our damaged marriage.” He willed the memories to stop. He could not go through them again. No after living them day and night for years.