Spaces Between

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So I am posting this extremely early because there is a chance that I will not have WiFi or internet for the next week...hope you enjoy the chapter and posting will go back to normal about next Sunday-ish.

•Chapter Twenty-Six||
Don't Tick Off Loki
(ASGARDIAN PALACE, DUNGEONS)

Loki could not conceal the grin that formed on his lips.  He moved back farther into his cell, away from the view of the guard and opened his hand again.  Setting flush against his palm was a small, silver byänte—a magician's pen.  A shudder coursed through Loki as he remembered that a similar stylus had been used to curse Lorien. 

He didn't let himself think about whether Koa had gotten the letter to her.  He couldn't.  Loki shook the thoughts from his mind.

"Your lover's quite the little spy," Lord Malki chuckled.  He coughed violently afterwards, still cradling his stomach with his hand.

Loki turned towards him, "you knew she had something.  That's why you convinced the guard to let her in.  How?"

"My gift doesn't just allow me to persuade others," Malki mused, "it allows me to know if another is lying to me or have other intentions than what they are leading on."

Malki shifted, clenching his teeth in pain.  "You know, we knew Alder was up to something—but I never expected him to go this far.  The Allfather, now public killings?  By the Gods he's lost it."

"He won't be after my dagger's through his heart." Loki growled, focusing back on his cuffs.  He flicked the blyänte and watched as the top began to flicker and glow.  His face was lit with the ethereal light blue light of the pen.

Carefully, Loki ran the pen along the length of the cuff on his left wrist.  A low humming noise filled the cell and Loki gritted his teeth at the heat that the blyänte caused.  He repeated the movement a second time before removing the pen.  He waited—then the cuff clicked.

Loki sighed in relief as he pulled the first cuff off.  His magic flowed like water back into his fingers—the weight on his chest was lifted.

But it wasn't all back.

Loki moved onto the second cuff, watching the guard on the other side of the shield warily.  If he was caught....he didn't want to think of what they would do to Sigyn or what Alder would do to Frigga.  Loki clenched his teeth.

Suddenly the second cuff clicked.  A surge of energy rushed his body and Loki jerked as the familiar static like feeling returned. He stumbled, the second cuff slipping off his wrist towards the ground.

Loki shot at it, grabbing it before it could clatter to the floor.

Malki sucked in a breath.

"That was close," he whispered as he watched a wicked smile grow across Loki's face. Lord Malki huffed, amused, "you are absolutely insane."

"So I've been told." Loki chuckled, slipping the blyänte into his ropes. He then waved his hand over the two silver cuffs and watched them disappear into green mist.

"Now that you've," Malki began but he paused to grimace out of pain," have your magic back. If it wouldn't be to much to ask?" Malki slowly raised a blood stained hand.