Midnight in the garden of mischief & mayhem

Chapter 10

Loki's offer had been the light at the end of a very long, dark tunnel. As I packed my bags, I was almost breathless in anticipation. There wasn't much to pack, really. A few articles of clothing, most of my books, and several sentimental possessions. Loki had charmed my bag so that everything fit easily. 

"Ready?" Loki asked. He stood by the window, hand outstretched toward me. I sent one final look around my room, which had been my safe haven for my entire life, took a deep breath, and placed my hand in his. 

Immediately, we were surrounded by the pulsing green light that always accompanied Loki's magic. I lost all sense of time and place. All I could feel was my hand in his. Time was infinite, stretching on forever, but also shorter in some places, as if someone had spliced the pieces into a rapid succession. And then it was gone. 

My feet hit solid ground and I gulped in the air, my lungs starved. "Allyra, are you alright?"

"What....was....that?" I panted. My brain was having trouble determining the length of time I spent in the strange sensory deprivation. It seemed to have been mere moments and long hours at the same time. 

"We teleported. Sorry, I just thought it would be quicker than walking. It's highly dangerous though, I probably shouldn't have done it. You can get lost in the world between places. Time loses meaning. People have drowned in it before."

 "Can we please not do that again?" I asked.

Loki merely chuckled and led me down the hall. It was then that I noticed he had transported us to the entryway of the palace. It was just as it had been the first time I had come, huge, golden walls stretching into a ceiling so far up that it was engulfed in shadows, torches flickering in sconces on the walls and stands on the floor. 

There was one difference though, something that took me a minute to figure out. There was an indescribable feeling about the place, it was...off. After a few moments of trying to figure out what it was, it hit me. We were alone. 

The night before, there were people roaming these halls, servants and the like. But tonight it was deserted. "Come on," whispered Loki, turning down a corridor. I recoognized it as the one leading to his room. 

When we rounded the corner, Loki took me to one of several doors along the far wall. When he opened the door, I expected the same room as the previous night, with dark trousers in the wardrobe and battle gear in the corner. Instead, this room was immaculate. "This isn't your room...." I said, turning to Loki in confusion.

"No, I thought you might like a room of your own now that your stay has become a bit more permanent." 

A smile broke across my face and I leaned up to kiss him quickly. We both grinned at each other before closing the door. 

Loki sat on the bed while I busied myself unpacking my things from the enchanted bag. What had seemed like a few things back home now seemed horribly scarce. Even after I had finished, the room looked bare and impersonal. Like a hotel room; no matter how much you tried to make it seem like home, it always felt a bit temporary. I stood, looking at my few dresses hung in the wardrobe, concerned that I didn't belong here. What am I doing? I asked myself.

"Oh!" shouted Loki from across the room, "I almost forgot the best part." He shoved himself off the bed and walked over to the wall next to the bathroom. I followed. When we arrived, I hadn't noticed a small groove carved into the golden walls. Loki placed his hand inside, pulled, and a door emerged out of the wall. Through the opening, I could see a bit of Loki's room. "Some of the rooms are connected. I'll always be just through here if you need me."

"Okay," I said. He turned to go. "And Loki," he whirled around, surprised, "Thanks." 

"You're welcome my love, goodnight." His arms came around me in a tight embrace. Here, with him holding me, I was okay. I could face anything with Loki by my side, because in his arms I was safe.