Unlike Loki

Chapter 55

(Loki)

At first, I thought it must have been my imagination.

She was dead, and had been for at least an entire day.

But then the boat rocked again, even more violently than the last time.

Nothing could have possibly rocked the boat except for the person residing in it.

I ran to the edge of the dock, trying to see through the flames. I looked back at the physician and Borin, to make sure that I wasn't seeing things, wasn't imagining it. The looks on their faces told me that I wasn't.

Then I heard a splash.

"She's alive!" One of the guards yelled.

I could see her, thrashing in the water, her head surfacing and then being drug back down again. This water wasn't like Midgardian waters. It was cold and dense. It was a death trap to anyone who went swimming in it. The waters were meant to claim souls, and they weren't going to let one go that easily.

I could faintly hear her screaming, choking on the water. The boat had been tipped over, the flames extinguished.

I took off my gloves and my jacket, leaving me in a thin shirt, my trousers, and boots.

I dove into the water before anyone could stop me.

I swam as fast as I could, the water trying to drag me down. I could hear yelling behind me, telling me to come back. They knew just as well as I did that the further you went out, the harder it was to come back.

But I swam anyway.

It was my fault she died the first time, I wouldn't let it happen a second.

I was almost there, I could still see her thrashing in the water, but she was spending less time on the surface. I swam faster. I wasn't thinking about anything else but saving her.

I finally was within an arms length of her. Her head popped out of the water, just long enough for her to see me, the whites of her eyes filled with panic and pleading.

And then she sunk under.

I shot my hand out to grab her, to grab any part of her that I could. I felt her hair, and pulled. She resurfaced, gasping for air. I lunged forward and wrapped my arm around her waist, trying to keep her aloft.

But we were sinking.

And then I decided to do something I had never done before.

My skin began to turn blue, and became tougher, colder.

Soon the whole lake was ice.

And were walking across it, me in my Frost-giant form, her, dripping wet.

When we reached the dock, everyone crowded around us, most of them looking at me in fear and confusion, the thought of Anna coming back from the dead far from their minds. She was still coughing up water and shivering right down to her bones.

But she was alive.

When she finally looked up at me, astonishment washed over her face. I had almost forgotten that I was an unnatural blue color, with deep red eyes, and marks covering my skin. I opened my mouth to say something when she shoved me harshly away, a look of horror on her face.

I looked at her with a pained expression, when she said, "Why the hell was I on fire?!"

I stood there speechless for a moment, then I couldn't help but to burst out laughing, picking up the jacket I had taken off and wrapping it around her shoulders. I looked at her; she was still waiting for my answer. But I just embraced her, held her close to me, never wanting to let go of her, as I changed back into my Asgardian form.