Tabula Rasa (Unlike Loki: Book Two)

Chapter 32

(Anna)

"Someone pissed him off." By said coldly.

"Oh, would you rather me be dead at the moment? Because if Loki hadn't killed Mangog, I sure as hell wouldn't be here right now." I spat, holding Leolin's head against my shoulder.

"If he hadn't killed Mangog, none of this would be happening right now!" He yelled.

If looks could kill, the look on mine would have done him in ten times over. "Well, sorry! It's a whole new idea, the dead being able to come back from being dead!" I yelled back.

"Will you two quit this! There is a riot going on outside and inside this very castle. Fight about your love triangle later!" Thor yelled at us as he ran past, his hammer in hand.

I watched him go for a moment before turning back to By, as cooly as I could. "You had no right to speak to Loki like that this morning."

He laughed, wincing."No right? He comes back here, and he immediately gets his life back. He gets YOU back! How is that fair? He left you." By's eyes were dark, and I guaranteed mine were probably darker.

"He didn't leave me." I said, my voice staining to stay low and to keep control. "It would do you well to learn all of the facts before you went accusing others." My voice was shaking.

By rolled his eyes.

I back handed him, not caring that Leolin was in my other arm. His hund swung back, and then he grabbed his cheek, looking at me in astonishment.

"I don't know what it is with you. We slept together! That's all our relationship was! Did you ever think you ever had a chance with me? My heart belongs to Loki, dead or alive."

He pinched his lips together, furious but silent.

I continued, "I had to kill him, you know. It was by my hand that he died in the first place. So don't you dare say that he left me, because that's the furthest thing from the truth." I turned around, leaving By in my wake. I stopped at the end of the hall, which was covered in debris. I turned and yelled,"And don't bring it up again! It's a very sore subject, asshole!" And I rounded the corner, not looking back.

*************

I eventually found Loki, trying to barricade the doors.

"He's back!" He yelled when he saw me, putting the large bar down on the door.

"I know. Someone's helping him. He's a puppet." I had come to this conclusion when I had found out that he was back.

Loki froze. His face turned green and he fell to his knees. I ran to him, setting Leolin down on his feet beside me.

"Loki?" My worried voice echoed in the large room.

He held his palm out to me. "No, no, I'm fine." He swayed as he stood back up, I held on to his arm regardless. "Just a little trip down memory lane."

I looked at him, confused.

"No one likes being a puppet." Oh. He was referring to what had happened to us. The times both of us had been used as puppets to do others' dirty work. It's a trip I tried to avoid.

He still looked green, and he felt weak. "What's going on with you?" I asked softly, worry still in my voice.

He shook his head slightly, "I do not know." his knees buckled again, but he remained standing.

"My king." said a heavily sarcastic voice. It was By.

Loki rolled his eyes towards By, not in the mood. "Get out." He said flatly.

"What do you want, By?" I asked, frustrated that he just couldn't learn his lesson.

"Lady Maleah is asking incessentely to speak with you. She says that it is a matter of life or death." He paused. "And not hers." He added. His voice was hard, and his eyes were unmoving. He was a mess.

Loki lightly clutched his stomach. "Who blew up our doorway?" He asked randomly. "Who blew up things inside the castle?" By tilted his head, angry and confused.

"Who?!" Loki yelled, losing more of his strength. "Has no one found out?" He tried spinning to look at the guards around the room.

And then I understood. Whoever had set off the explosions in the castle, they were still here.

Locked in with us.