Loki's Daughter Book 2

Memories

I wake up some time later, my throat dry and sore and my eyes sticking together. I roll onto my back and something pounces onto my belly. I groan lifting my head a little seeing the cat curled up on a ball.

'Good kitty,' I whisper stroking it's head. I laugh a little. My father has turned himself into a cat. I lower my head back down onto the pillow, gazing up at the ceiling while patting the cat. The fur is so soft and fluffy. Sighing I pull my phone out and check the time. My gaze flickers from the numbers, that lets me know I've been asleep for an hour, to the photo. It's a picture of Valarie wearing her armour. I made her pose for it. Fresh tears run down my face, making me groan from stinging pain. The cat comes up knocks the phone out of my weak grip and I see a green flash out of the corner of my eyes.

Talk about it, Loki speaks in my mind.

'I'm scared. What if she never recovers?'

You still care about her? The cat yawns and stretches out.

'Of course, I do. I...' I don't have to care about her. I was only made her body guard so I could live. Even she still doesn't know that. 'I have to explain things to her but she needs to be recovered.'

Valarie only has to wake. She is fine apart from the smoke inhalation.

'Valarie has lost her powers. All of them. She may get some back but she's only a daughter of a Valkyrie and a God. That's all she is at the moment.'

What?

'The fire. The was a chemical in there that if it is over-heated and too much is around, it's known to remove powers. It's what they use when making those handcuffs that dampen the powers.'

Why was that chemical in there in the first place?

'It also is a major ingredient for the antidote for the stuff I was poisoned with. If I hadn't been poisoned she wouldn't have needed to make an antidote...It's all my fault,' sobs rack my chest scaring the cat off. I roll back onto my stomach, head and hands buried amongst the pillows and cushions.

'It's not your fault daughter. You were doing your job.'

I shake my head. Leave me alone. Just leave me alone. I cry out in my mind. I chant the words loudly in my mind. I hear him growl. I dare to peek out. He is nursing his head, his black hair everywhere as his fingers dig into his scalp. His eyes flicker up and hold mine. Fear and echoing sadness and anger fills his green eyes. I close my eyes as he leaves shutting the door. I stop the chant and turn to face the ceiling. My eyes close and I slip into a memory.

I lie on a dirt floor, arms wrapped around my ribs as I gaze out at the blank wall. Green mist swirls in front of me and a tall gentle blonde woman appears kneeling in front of me.

'It's alright darling. Everything is going to be okay.'

I wrench myself out of the memory as anger fills me. I scream into the pillow. Cold fingers gently run through my hair.

'It's alright Raven,' he whispers. 'I'm here.'

It's all I need to sit up and curl up on his lap. He holds me tightly as I hold onto his shirt.

He moves and I lie down on the bed. He pulls the covers over me and lies on top of them next to me. My head next to his chest, tilting inwards as he wraps his arm protectively around me.