Believe in Magic [a Loki fanfic]

Trust

The crack in the wall opened up wide enough to let him slip inside. The God of mischief had clearly underestimated how well this tower was built and how thick the walls were as he wedged his body through the solid rock. He wondered if he would ever reach the end, when he finally felt the wall opening and stepped into a damp, dimly lit room. His footsteps echoed with the cold stone floor and naked rock walls that stretched upward into darkness. 

Letting his eyes adapt to the darkness, Loki took a closer look at his surroundings and found the place empty except from a small human shape huddling against one of the far walls. The God took a step forward and the child pressed itself further into the wall, shivering with fear. Not intending to scare her, Loki squatted down, a safe distance away. His face paled as he beheld the child's appearance. A bloodstained nightdress covered the thin bruised body and the long knotted hair that fell unkempt over her shoulders, gave her a wild, untamed look. 

What happened to you? 

The words never left his lips, yet, as if she had heard him, the little girl slowly lifted her eyes to meet his. It was the familiar gaze that Loki knew all too well, but it was unsure, fearful. 

"Ella," he breathed and she lifted her head a little more. 

"You know my name?" her voice had the sweet touch of a child, yet it was heavy with fear. 

Loki simply nodded. The girl just stared at him. Loki rose slowly to move closer, realising too late that his movement and tall figure would frighten her, when she scrambled backwards and a soft whimper escaped her throat. The God quickly squatted down again, pained by the idea that she thought he could harm her. 

"I will not hurt you", he said softly, "I would like to take you away from here." 

She eyed him up cautiously and when he did not move, the girl relaxed a little. 

"Take me away?" 

"Out of this place." 

"Why?" 

"Because you do not belong here." Her little fingers nervously dug into the fabric of her dress. 

"But - I live here." He sighed. 

"What are you afraid of?" 

"The monsters. They hurt me." Loki closed his eyes, Monsters,he thought bitterly. Was he not one of them? 

"I will protect you." Really? From yourself? The child shook her head, 

"I cannot leave. They will punish me." 

"I will take you somewhere safe." Her eyes went wide with fear. 

"They will find me. They will." 

The God felt her withdrawing and his chest contracted, as she slipped into the darkness. 

He had to take her away from here, but he could not do so, if she did not allow it. 

The prison she kept herself in was of her own doing, her protection. A protection from something that was too painful for her to bear. If he forced her to leave it or destroyed it before she was ready, it was likely she would loose her mind as a consequence. She needed to be willing to come with him. She needed to trust him. 

"I will protect you", he repeated, but she shook her head. 

"They will hurt you too, when they find you. You have to leave before they come back." Sinking further into the shadow her voice was faint, "You have to leave, Loki." 

A sparkle flickered in the God's eyes. Good. She recognised him.

He heard the rock rumble as the crack in the wall behind him narrowed. She tried to force him to leave, but he had come this far, he was not going to give up now. 

"Please", the God breathed, "Please, Ella. Trust me." Was he pleading? Damn it! By the Norns, Loki, you claim to be a God. Yet here you are - pleading like a mortal? 

Loki took in the child's disheveled appearance and pushed his pride aside. She deserved better than this. And who was he that he thought he knew what she deserved? He surely had nothing to offer her. Loki swallowed and focused. 

Now was not the time for self-doubt. 

"Please, trust me, Ella." 

The pair of hazel eyes held his gaze as the girl finally moved, her arms unwrapping slowly from around her legs. She cautiously crept towards him. Loki dropped to his knees and carefully extended his arms out towards her, the palms of his hands facing upwards. 

"Trust me", he repeated, a smile spread on his face when the child rose to her feet and took a few uncertain steps in his direction, closing the distance between them. 

Then her little hands touched his. He studied her eyes. Warm, soft and full of trust. Loki closed his eyes enveloping her with his magic to comfort her. Small arms wrapped tightly around his neck the God of Mischief was flooded with the now familiar feeling of peace. Uttering a sigh of relief, he placed his arms around the child's bruised body and held her, 

"You are safe with me. I will protect you." he said, "I promise."

The next moment a burning pain shot through him and flames exploded around them. The girl cried out but Loki held her tightly in his arms as he hunched over her, using his body to shield hers from the heat. He felt the flames burning through his leather armor, scorching his skin.

Loki's eyes snapped open and he jolted upright, staring into the darkness. It took a moment to orient himself. His eyes darted around. A tall tree towered above him, the ground underneath him felt warm and alive, Thor was sleeping peacefully next to him – Thor - Vanaheim. He was in Vanaheim. With Thor. He relaxed. A boyish smirk crept on Loki's face as he watched the God of Thunder sleeping soundly. Thor had come a long way, to trust Loki enough to actually be able to sleep beside to him. 

Loki's thougths wandered back to his dream. What was this mysterious connection he had with the mortal? Had it just been a dream or had he visited Ella in her inner worlds again? Loki frowned and reclined on the soft grass. He winced in pain when his back touched the ground. The God cursed and slipped his fingers underneath the leather of his armor to inspect the skin on the back of his shoulders. He sucked the air through his teeth as he touched burnt flesh. 

"What in Hel's name?" he hissed. 

This had not been an ordinary dream, the girl was either cursed or well protected. The dark prince focused his magic, healing the burns on his back, before he finally lay back, his gaze lingering in the branches of the tree that gave them shelter. 

Protected. Maybe the Fire Giant that attacked him twice did not mean her harm after all. Maybe it was protecting her. But - a Fire Giant? Protecting a human? 

And Niflheim was a long way from Muspelheim. Yet what he encountered had without doubt been a fire demon. Next to the Frost thurses they were the oldest race in the Nine Realms, and obviously not on good terms with each other. 

Fire and Ice. The primordial forces of creation. Of course, if there was anything to protect you from the cold of Niflheim – it was fire. This being must have protected her from the cold, maybe even kept her alive. Or could she have created it? Created a force that protected her? Such a feat was only possible when one possessed powerful magic. Ancient magic. The primordial magic of Ice or Fire. How would a human have access to this kind of magic? Impossible. Or was it? Loki moaned in frustration. Too many questions ... the most crucial one - what had she done to enchant him in such a way that she could even make him plead?