Loki's Daughter Book 3

After the funeral

A few hours later I look up as the guard opens my bedroom door, allowing my father to come in. Over my glass of wine, I study him. His skin is paler than normal making his black hair look darker and his green eyes greener. He collapses onto the chair opposite him and sits with his arms dangling over either side of the chair but back and head up right so he can watch me.

'You ran off early.'

I lift the glass cup at him. He nods and snaps his fingers. A glass appears in his own hand and slowly starts drinking it himself. Outside my bedroom I hear a shriek of a maid who's realized that a glass of wine has gone missing. Sure, enough a plain maid comes in carrying an empty tray. I watch her as she comes towards my father, her whole body shaking.

'S...sorry...sorry...your...your highness,' she starts. I groan.

'In case you can't see, Madeline but his drink is in his hand. Get going. I'm sure Betty has another job for you,' I snap at her, reading her mind to work out what her name and her boss's name is. She starts at her name and shakes even harder at her boss's name. But she nods, bows and all but runs out of the room.

'And you interrupted a funeral,' my father continues once the door shuts again.

'I do what I want,' I reply dully. I scull the rest of the drink and make the cup refill again.

'Daughter,' my father calls out to me. I ignore him and continue to scull another four drinks. After the fifth drink, I stand up and glare down at my father who's nursing his second drink.

'Getting yourself drunk isn't going to stop anything,' he says harshly.

'No. That's where you're wrong,' I struggle to stand up, beads of sweat trickle down my face but I stay up right.

He only lifts an eyebrow in response; waiting for me to continue.

'It stops the pain. It stops the thoughts. It stops everything,' I snap back but it comes out less harsh than what I intended because of the damn alcohol. His cup disappears and just as I process that, he suddenly appears in front of me, holding me tightly as I sink to my knees. Tears roll quietly down my face. I close my eyes and bury my head into his shoulder.

As bile fills my mouth, I go to kick off the covers but decide to teleport straight in front of the toilet. I end up lying down in front of the toilet. I quickly get up and face the toilet just in time. The teleporting only made the sickness worse. The bathroom door opens and I lift my head up a little to see my father coming in looking rather cheerful. I groan and wait a moment before deciding I feel alright enough for me to get up and wash my face.

'Why are you so cheerful?' I splash my face.

'Nothing cheers me up more than finding out that my niece is more like me,' Loki replies.

My head snaps up. His smile disappears.

'No...that's not what-'

'What? Not what you meant? You didn't mean to say that you are proud that your niece is more like you than I apparently am? Or was it that you didn't mean to tell me that she faked her death like you normally do?' I sneer.

'I didn't mean either of them.'

'Well what did you mean?' I growl, even as I take a few cautionary steps away from him.

'Raven, you make things so hard,' he sighs.

My head pounds and I wrap my arms tightly around my chest hugging myself. 'Well I've been taught to not trust anyone.'

His head drops for a moment, then he glances up at me his eyes full of emotions too hard for me to identify. I teleport back to my bed and fall on it. Loki appears next to me with his hands outstretched for me, to take the glass of water and two small pills. I take the water but refuse to take the pills. He groans and sits on my bed next to me, still holding out the drugs.

I sip slowly at the water despite desperately wanting to scull it.

'Raven, please just take the drugs. It's only pain relief.'

I flinch at a memory and before I can do anything about it, Loki is in my mind.

'I promise you Raven; I am telling the truth.'

'Says the God of Lies,' I mutter. I feel his arm tense up and his breathing comes out harsher. I jump off the bed and walk into the bathroom, shutting and locking the door behind me. I slump down onto the ground, tears running down my face as the memories swarm through me head and I struggle to regain control but it's too late. I cry out once before I fall into the storm of memories, I spent years hiding away from.