Always Mine (An MCU Fanfiction)

29. The Sparrow's Curse

It took me a few seconds to open my eyes. Once my vision cleared, I saw that everything was gold and bronze, with hints of green. It definitely wasn't my bedroom. The bed beneath me was enormous, draped with emerald-colored sheets. The room itself looked less like a bedroom and more like some grand royal chamber from a fantasy novel.

Slowly, I sat up and looked toward what appeared to be a massive window. My legs shook as I crossed the room. Outside stretched a city of gleaming towers, golden bridges, and shining waterfalls cascading in the endless sky.

"No way," I gaped.

I pinched my forearms, trying to determine if I was dreaming. 

Pain. Nope, not dreaming at all!

It hit me like a truck.

I wasn't at the safehouse, though I couldn't help but feel a sense of wonder akin to Dorothy's when she found herself in Oz.

Despite my panic, there was no denying the scenery was beautiful. But one question overtook everything else. Who brought me here?

A shimmer appeared behind me. I turned around and was stunned to see the one I didn't expect to see again.

"Hello, Casey." Loki smiled at me.

"Where the hell am I?" I asked, trying to hold myself together and not freak out.

"Asgard. Our home." 

I blinked. "So that's what it looks like, compared to what I've read about. Oh, wait, home? My home's back on Earth."

"For now."

I folded my arms. "What does that mean?"

"Merely that circumstances change."

My thoughts started racing like it was the Daytona 500. The situation's urgency was not lost on me, and I knew I had to make sense of this bizarre turn of events. Plus, I could imagine Brett and Gunner waking up and finding me gone. My adoptive dad and brother would probably end up searching the whole valley and state for me, and possibly contact SHIELD and the other Avengers.

I couldn't exactly blame them.

"Don't fret, my little sparrow." Loki gently placed a hand under my chin, making me look up at him. 

My eyes widened. Little sparrow. I was reminded of when I snuck into the detention sector on the Helicarrier, trying to get answers from Loki, and he called me by that nickname, which I thought was a form of mockery. Hearing it again made my stomach twist.

"How did I get here?" I asked.

"I brought you," Loki answered.

"Through the Bifrost?"

"No."

A smug look appeared on his face. "There are passages older and far more hidden than the Bifrost."

I narrowed my eyes. "Hold on. How did you know where I was?" 

Loki leaned into my ear with a mischievous grin and nuzzled his face into my neck. "I was Shadow," he purred seductively.

I shuddered, and my mouth dropped open in shock. Shadow. The clingy cat who liked riding on my shoulders around the safehouse, and slept with me.

"Oh my God," I gaped. "That was extremely creepy."

"I found it charming," Loki smiled. "You know I possess a remarkable gift for transformation."

I groaned. Before I could protest, his expression became serious.