Tabula Rasa (Unlike Loki: Book Two)

Chapter 44

(Loki)

"Take him up to the infirmiry." I said to the fake Asgardians, motioning to Thor. "If one hair on his head is damaged, you'll pay with your heads." I warned. 

"Yes, Master." One man said. They worked together to pick a moaning Thor up. He looked better, but he was still heavily wounded. 

I waited until they were gone before I turned my attention back to Anna. 

"Talia took Leolin." She shivered. Her eyes were wide, filled with more tears, ready to fall. 

"I know, darling. We will find our son. We will." She looked up at me. 

"What happened down here?" She asked, trying to fit a puzzle together inside her head. 

I sighed, brushing her hair out of her face. "Those are spirits." I said, referring to the men and women who had left the room with Thor. 

Anna's hand slammed over her mouth in horrified disbelief. She knew that if those were spirits, then the souls that had been born in those bodies were now dead. The tears that had been waiting at the edges of her eyes spilled over and on to her cheeks. 

"They made a deal with me." I told her. 

Her eyes shot wide and she searched my face. "What kind of deal?" She asked, terrified of the answer I might give. 

I held her face. "They want me to let them live. And, for some insane reason, they will fight by my side if I let them." I shook my head, still baffled and confused by the whole ordeal. 

She looked at me, confused and worried. "Be careful, Loki." She said, thousands of warnings in her voice. I knew what she meant and I nodded my head in understanding. I still should not trust these beings. It would be a dangerous move, and for all I knew, they had something else in mind. But my number one priority at the moment was finding my son. 

"Your majesties!" I heard a voice yell. Anna and I turned towards the stairs to see whose footsteps were coming towards us. 

It was By. 

He looked worse than he had earlier. And he looked sad and scared. I looked at him, trying to decide what to say. 

"By." Anna said, beating me. 

He looked at her with too much fondness for comfort. "I want to help find Leolin. I want to help in any way I can." He said nervously. 

I watched as Anna gave him a surprised and confused look. "I was hoping you would." She said, as if it should have been a given that he would help. 

"Oh, yes. Yes, obviously." He stammered. 

I got to my feet, pulling Anna up with me. When I was sure she was standing, I walked slowly over to By. 

"What's wrong with you? Why are you acting so odd?" I asked, quietly spitting out the words. 

He slowly backed away from me, and I slowly walked towards him, keeping the distance between us the same. "I-I-uh, nothing. Nothing. I'm just shocked at exhausted is all. A lot has happened in the last day. A lot to handle." He said, swallowing. 

"Indeed it has." I said, my eyes low. "But I am still convinced there is something you are not telling me." I said, growling. 

"By, what's going on?" Anna asked from behind me, from the spot where I had left her. 

By looked nervously between Anna and I, trying to come up with the words, or more probable, a lie. 

"The Frost-Giant Prince. The one that has disappeared off the map? He's been spotted heading this way. The King wants to speak with you. Or both of you really." He said, his eyes constantly moving. 

"The Frost-Giant King wants to talk? Have nice cup of tea, right? That's bullshit, By, and you know it." Anna said, pissed off. 

"He doesn't like his younger brother, not in the least." He said, calming slightly. "He will want to illiminate him. He might offer you a deal." By said. 

"You seem to know an awful lot about the situation." I said, glaring at him, closing the distance between us. 

"Because I've been keeping tabs on these things!" He said, backing away from me again. 

"Oh, really? I find that hard to believe. For all we know, you're working for someone who is our enemy." I said as I quickly grabbed the front of his shirt and slammed him against the wall, pinning him there. 

He grunted. "I sware. I am not working against you!" He tried to wiggle his way out of my grasp. 

"Proof. I need proof. Spoken word does nothing." I said. By looked at me, his left eye slightly twitching. 

By shook his head vigorously. "I don't know! Have I ever given you a reason not to trust me? I may have made you mad, but have I ever done anything to give you reason to think that I am a traitor?" His eyes were wide, focusing on mine. They looked familiar, like someone else's eyes I knew, but I couldn't pinpoint who it was. 

"Loki." Anna said quietly. Moments later, I felt her hand on my shoulder. "Let him go." 

After a moment, I did, heeding to Anna's words. 

By sighed a breath of relief and brushed himself off. "Shall I get us ready for our journey?" 

"If you please." Anna said. 

By nodded his head and began walking up the stairs. He turned back, "I want you both to trust me, but I warn you, do not have faith in me." 

And he walked away, leaving us to wonder what the difference was.