Shattered Reflection

Chapter Eighteen

Aura's POV

"I thought we had a deal, your majesty!" The dark-haired man cried; walking out, bow in hand.

The crowd hushes with whispers rippling through the stadium. I turn to my mother and grab her, "What did you do?"

"Oh Reuka! My darling! You just had to interfere! I suppose you did it to spite your mother, to which I say, I can't blame you. But this wasn't the deal, I'm sorry to do this to you dear."

I shake my mother, "WHAT DID YOU DO?!"

Her face pales and she stutters, "I-I didn't. This w-wasn't."

I drop her to the ground and climb up on the railing of the royal box. A warm feeling crawls over my skin as my magic takes over. My skin turns gold and I look to the man in the arena, "I will give you one warning. Place down the weapon and leave peacefully."

"Ah! You see, my dear. I just can't do that. Your mother promised me something and I intend to collect. So until I get what I want, I'm afraid I have to take you as collateral."

He snaps his fingers and I suddenly turn dizzy. I feel a chill crawl over my skin and I sway. I soon feel weightless and I realize I'm falling.

Loki. Wait for me.

Loki's POV

I watched in stunned horror as Reuka  falls to the ground. The man snaps his fingers again and she stops before she hits the ground. She hovers right over to his side and he bows mockingly. I feel my anger grow and I ready myself for a fight.

Before I can do anything, an arrow flies by my head and sinks itself into the shoulder of Reuka's kidnapper. His smirk falls and he rips the arrow out. I feel a rush of magic and the arrow comes flying back into the box, seemingly towards me. I summon my magic, but it never struck. Instead, the body of Reuka's father falls in front of my face. Almost like time has slowed.

The king hits the ground and a collective gasp rips through the stadium just before all Hel breaks loose. The people panic and flee the stadium. I quickly turn to the man to find him gone. Damn. He must've teleported.

I quickly see to the King's wounds. I rip away the bloodied fabric to find the arrow lodged deep in his chest.  I know from experience that you cannot survive this wound. I go to say something but the king grabs me by the tunic.

"S-save her. Save my l-little girl." I look deep into his eyes.

"I will. I will bring Reuka back safely, you have my word." I say with deep conviction.

His breathing shallows further, "N-no. Save her. Save Natalia..."

Her name is the last word on his lips. A pang runs through my heart. I look up to the queen, "What does he mean, save Natalia?"

By now, the stadium is empty but the two of us. I grab the queen forcefully, "WHAT DOES HE MEAN, SAVE NATALIA?!"

"T-This wasn't how this was suppose to go. I-I never meant-" She stutters, not even reacting to me.

I shake her violently, "Answer me. Immediately."

She finally turns her head and looks at me, "She- Natalia. She's not dead."

The world spins and I stumble back, letting the queen fall. I sit in on of the plush chairs and the queen cradles her husband's body.

"What do you mean by she's not dead? I saw her body, I buried her. Where is she?" I feel myself become desperate.

"You never buried her. You buried a magically disguised body. In your sorrow, you never noticed. The God of Lies was lied to. As to where she is, you just saw her taken." She says and rocks back and forth, holding the king's body close to her.

It hits me like Thor's hammer. She's been so close to me all this time. Right there, within reach. All those feelings for who I thought was Reuka, were actually for my love. And I pushed her away. I hurt her, so many times. I was so blind. So stupid. I feel myself begin to cry, "W-Why didn't she say something? Anything?!"

Her mother never meets never eyes, "She was cursed not to. Even if she found a way, your life was under threat as well. She stayed quiet for you."

I feel my anger grow, "By who?"

The queen shuts her eyes, "By me."

That sends me over the edge. I fly from my chair and wrap my fingers around the woman's throat, lifting her off the ground. She starts to choke and I only see red, "You! You did this!? To your own daughter?! To the only woman I ever loved?!"

She struggles, "Please..."

Her eyes remind me of hers, when I broke her heart. Pitiful, sad, broken. I drop her and glare, "You are lucky I am changed, for if I was who I once was, you would be gutted like a beast. Now tell me how we are going to get her back."

She gasps and looks up at me, "We can't. He's much too powerful."

I turn away, "Power is of no issue. Just tell me how we get her back and end the curse."

The queen pulls a necklace from her neck and holds it up to me, "This is what holds my end of the curse. It allowed me to control her magic and appearance. I could also monitor her."

I grab it from her, "Show me Natalia."

I see the face of Reuka laying in a dark cell somewhere. She's sleeping, for now. But knowing that my love is under that shell, that mask, I feel something I haven't since she was first taken from me.

Hope.

--------------------------------------------------------------

Yeah, yeah.

I know

I suck.

Thanks for putting up with me and my SUPER crappy update "schedule"