My Sweet Flame

Chapter 57. In Which Begins a Very Bad Day

Y/N P.o.V.

I pulled the book from the shelf, not bothering to read the title or the back cover, and opened it. As my eyes shifted through the words on the pages, I heard footsteps coming into the library. Heavy ones, that could only be one person.

"Lady Y/N!" Thor boomed, "Y/N are you in here?"

I sighed and closed the book, making a note of the title as I returned it to the shelf. Walking over to the railing, I leaned over it slightly and rested my palms on the gold-embedded wood.

"Aren't I always?" I called down to him.

A woman stood beside him, dressed in Midgardian clothing.

Jane.

"Will you come down?" He asked, smiling. "We need your help with something."

I moved over to the staircase as Jane marveled at the library. I stepped lightly down the spiral staircase, then down another, until I reached the ground.

"How can I help?" I asked, walking towards them.

"Have I seen you before?" Jane asked.

"When Thor was banished, Yes." I held my hand out to her, "I don't think we've formerly met, though. Y/N Y/L/N. Goddess of Music, Dance, and Intelligence."

"More like Goddess of Libraries." Thor smirked under his breath.

She shook my hand warily, "Jane, Jane Foster. How do you two know each other, again?"

"Y/N and I have been close friends since we were children. She has stood by my brother and I for many years. She is like a sister to me." Thor explained.

"So," I began, "You're the girl from Midgard he won't stop rambling about." I paused, "You were quite right, Thor." I glanced at him, "She is outstandingly beautiful," I paused as Jane glanced at him in disbelief. "and very intelligent from what I've heard." I smiled politely at her, Thor knowing that I was teasing yet being entirely truthful, "and those eyes-" I gasped softly.

"That is enough, Y/N." Thor smiled, "There's...Well, I'm afraid that we must trouble you to find something for us."

"Naturally, Why else would you be here?" I smirked. "What is it I'm looking for?"

"Well," Jane began quickly, "We already talked to the king, um-Odin, and there's something inside me, something powerful that I'm pretty sure I don't want to keep. Some elves are after it or something, I'm not really sure."

I held my hand out for her arm, "May I?"

She held her arm up as my hand hovered over her wrist, reaching out to the Force.

"The Aether?" I asked Thor, removing my hand. "But I thought-"

"Yes, we all did. I can explain later, but we need anything you have on it." Thor said quickly.

"Like how to get it out of me." Jane chimed in.

I nodded and glanced around the library. I thought for a moment before turning to a nearby staircase and starting towards it.

"Follow me."

I climbed staircase after staircase, passed shelves after shelves, until I finally came to a sudden halt. I turned towards the shelf beside me where I had unintentionally stopped. An older book in the center stood out to me, seemingly pulling me to it. I reached out and grabbed it, pulling it onto the countertop-like area in front of it. Flipping it open, I scanned the pages for anything of use. I came to a page with a red jewel encrusted in the center, with pictures of dark elves surrounding it along with Asgardian writing. Jane came to stand beside me and glanced down at the page in confusion.

"I still don't understand how you people read that." She paused, "I get that it's a language, but....." She trailed off.

"A sort of dead language, I suppose." I told her when I was sure that she was finished, "We still use it, but we don't normally speak it. They still teach it in the schools." I added as I skimmed through the pages.

I shut the book in disappointment and shoved it back onto the shelf.

"Nothing?" Thor asked. "Surely there's something else?"

"There is, I can feel it. I just....I'm not sure that.....Come on," I motioned for him to follow me.

"Oh, Have faith Y/N. You know this library even better than Mother does."

I wandered purposefully through the shelves for a few minutes before stopping abruptly and turning to look up at a shelf over my head. I reached towards it, then pulled my hand down in defeat.

"Thor, would you mind?" I asked.

"Of course." He smiled and reached up. "This one?" He tapped the spine of the book I needed.

"Yes. Be careful, that one's probably older than the three of us combined."

He handed it down to me. I took it graciously with a nod of my head and set it down on the countertop.

"I hate being short." I grumbled lowly.

"I assumed the heels might give you some leverage." He smirked.

"Shut up." I laughed as I flipped through the time-eaten pages. "Here." I said triumphantly, pointing at the words on the page. "Malekith will need to pull it out of you personally. He has to absorb it into himself." I pushed the book towards him slightly, "See for yourself."

"And while he's transmitting it, we can destroy it." Thor added.

"Dangerous and very risky. If he succeeds, she may die." I said solemnly, glancing at Jane, who was fingering through another book not far away. "I don't want to risk that for you. You work too hard, you deserve a life away from all of this." I smiled, "Live it out," I paused, "with her."

"You and I both know that you deserve the same. My brother is a slightly different story, but you Y/N, you need a break. A long one at that."

"Thor, thank you, but this isn't about me. Our next task is to find out how to safely destroy the Aether, dispose of the elves, and get you and your lady love to safety. As I assume they shall make their way towards Asgard soon, we must ensure that she is safe until the proper time."

"Of course, General." He smiled. "Do we know when the proper time might be, by chance?"

"That is the next task." I paused, "Show her around a bit, introduce her to people perhaps? Make good use of your time together. Trust me, it's not how much time you have together that matters, but how you choose to spend it." I smiled at him, "Now go on." I pushed him playfully and shooed him away from me. "Go! I've got things to do." I paused, "And Gather our troops."

"You've spent far too much time training soldiers." He laughed over his shoulder.

"You have no idea," I mumbled, "and I long to return to it."