Right to the Night

Chapter Forty

Once Ugo had left, Elisabete just watched as Eir went to work on Loki. Eir handed her a cloth and bowl filled with water and she furrowed her brow as Eir rolled up her sleeves.

"Clean off his body while I go get bandages. I'll be back shortly and don't miss a spot." Eir instructed her before exiting the room.

Once she was gone, Elisabete slowly turned back around to face Loki and she felt her heart ache seeing him suffer. No matter how much she hated him for his actions, she could not change who she was and how she felt. His body was trembling slightly as his chest heaved. He lay on the bed, naked and in pain, with his hands clutching the sheets as tightly as he could. She willed herself to hold back her tears but it was no use. She allowed herself to cry seeing him in such misery she knew, deep down, he did not deserve. She knew he was one to make mistakes and it was in his nature. She knew he had been seen as a liar but she wanted to see it for herself, yet her love blinded her from the truth and she hated herself for that. Nonetheless, she wet the cloth and carefully wiped away the ash from his face. He winced as she touched him and scrunched his face together as he did his best not to scream from the pain. His memory and thoughts were coming back to him, remembering what had just taken place. He could feel someone wiping off his face and when he heard the water being rung out of the cloth into the basin, he slowly opened his eyes. As his eyes adjusted to the light of the room, he fought back against the urge to remain where he was and peeked down at himself. His eyes widened as he saw his body covered in scars and burns and once the pain registered in his head, he finally screamed and tried to get off the bed, only for soft, delicate hands to push down on him and keep him steady. He heard the person shush him as he quieted down and registered where he was.

"You're safe here. No one will get you." Elisabete spoke calmly.

Loki glanced up at the person and saw their back to him.

"What happened?" He asked hoarsely.

"You were in a fire. Ugo and I saved you." She replied.

"You should have left me." Loki lied.

He knew deep down he did not want to stay there and die, and Elisabete also knew this to be a lie as well.

"No more lies." She whispered.

"What?" He inquired.

"I said," Elisabete told him. "No more lies."
She turned around to face him and his eyes widened as he gasped. He shook his head and cried as he put his head down on the pillows. She quickly seated herself next to him and cocked her head to the side.

"You and I both know you do not want to die." She stated.

"Why? Why did you do it?" He managed to speak through his sobs.

"You're hurt and I have to clean you off. Eir will be returning with the bandages." Elisabete told him.

Loki groaned and bit his lip as the cold water touched his burns. Whenever a tear escaped his eye, Elisabete smiled weakly, wiping it away with her thumb. After a few minutes, Eir returned and went to work on him.

"It is frightening out there. They truly have destroyed the palace. But, we should be safe here." Eir told them.

"It's all my fault." Loki spoke.

"Finally, you speak the truth." Elisabete scoffed.

Loki looked up at her and wanted to say something to her, but knew there was nothing to say. He had hurt and betrayed her in so many ways, he had to allow her to take out her frustrations on him. He wanted her to be angry with him. He wanted her to scream and hit him, yet all she did was take care of him. He cried because he knew Elisabete should be spiteful towards him and hurt him back but she just helped him.