Spaces Between

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•Chapter Forty-Five•
Caught
(ASGARD)

The room went near silent before Lorien and all she wanted was to curl up into a tiny ball and disappear.  Loki just stared at her—his emerald gaze completely unreadable.  Void of emotion.  But Lorien knew a thousand thoughts were rushing through his head even if he didn't show it.

And she wasn't sure if it not knowing was comforting.

"You are certain?" Her brother's voice was dry when he finally spoke.

Both Lorien and Alrekr nodded at the same time.

Alrekr squeezed her hand tighter as he admitted, "I was with her when Nydri made the claim.  He made quite the show of it."

"He struck you."

Finally—finally emotion flooded his eyes. Rage. That's what it was. His body trembled and his hands clenched.

"He is no father. A father does not strike his child. I wil—" his words cut off with a bitter snarl. His gaze fell on Alrekr and he was on his feet in seconds, a finger jutting out at him.

"Why did you not stop him? How dare you stand in front of me with your hand in my sister's? Do mock me?"

Anger blinded him. Alrekr looked as if he had been struck himself.

Both Dena and Malki started forward to guard Alrekr, but it was Lorien's voice that froze her brother in his tracks.

"Loki, stop."

His deep, calculating emerald eyes shifted back to her's. Tears trickled down her cheeks as she pulled her hand from Alrekr's and took a hesitate step forward.

"It's not his fault," she whimpered, shuddered. In that moment, the bull headed, quick witted girl with a fiery temper was no where to be found in her form—her gaze. That girl had been gone for a while.

"He couldn't do anything, Loki. Nydri would have kil-" her voice faltered, "he would have killed him. And I thought, I thought you were dead, I thought were Thor and Frigga dead. If, if Alrekr had gone too, I—"

Her voice broke, "he did everything he could, and I'm the reason we were in the woods where we were taken. I was the one that put both of us in danger. Please don't take it out on him. Please don't take him too."

Loki's face fell, guilt blooming across his features as he realized what he had done. His shoulders slumped. "I'm—I'm sorry."

Lorien stumbled, shaking, and Loki surged forward to catch her. She didn't sob, or make a noise, but fat tears rolled down her cheeks and her fingers dug into Loki's robes as if he would disappear from her grasp.

Loki looked at Alrekr over his sister's head. He would not apologize more; his pride held his tongue—but he knew his action was not acceptable. Alrekr was just a boy, a child, like Lorien, and neither of them should be where they were now. And somehow, amongst the midst of it all, they had found each other, and stood for each other.

He nodded at him, and then found Malki's wary gaze. While they were allies, Loki knew the Lord would sooner strike him down then allow Loki to harm his son. He also knew that Malki saw the regret in Loki's eyes.