Broken

Magic and Anger

I woke up in the night, feeling frightened.

A week had passed since Loki had cried in front of me, a week in which he closed himself up so fully I could barely read him. I spent the week doing nice things for him, like taking him to town to get a cup of tea, and making nice meals. We'd barely exchanged words and it was frustrating me. Tony contacted me three days in and asked I take him for a little longer until I figure out his plan. I agreed.

But tonight, something felt off. I could feel excitement and nerves but it wasn't my own and it wasn't Loki's either. Someone was in the house.

I silently crept out of bed and grabbed the remote for the controls, which would set off the emergency triggers, but it wasn't there. I froze as I heard movement behind me.

"Hey, little lady," chuckled a voice. "Looking for this?"

I turned to see a young man wearing red and black clothing, holding the remote. I blinked.

"Who are you?"

"Forseti," he said, smiling almost kindly. "You might know me as God of Justice, Balderson."

I gaped and then realized everything. I needed to get Loki out, now. "You're here to give Loki the justice he deserves, aren't you?" I asked, mentally figuring out all the Norse Law. "He dictated the events that killed your father, that's why."

I could feel sadness now, and rage. Forseti stepped forward, dagger in hand.

"I will deal him justice. He will feel the pain I felt when I lost my father. I will avenge his death!" Forset howled the words, spittle flying from his mouth like a madman. "I will kill you, slowly, painfully, while he watches, and then when you're almost gone, I'll take him to the mountains and deal him the punishment he should have had. And you'll be too weak to hold that bowl over his face!"

Most people would have seen this as incoherent babble, but thankfully I knew Norse Mythology. Loki ends up getting his lips sewn shut and chained to a rock in the mountains, while a venomous viper hangs above his face and drips its venom onto his skin. His wife, Sigyn, was to hold the bowl under the venom to keep it off his skin. I'd always been horrified by that story. No one deserves that punishment, not even someone who murders. 

Loki had killed Balder because Frigga had gone to everything in the world and made it promise not to hurt Balder. Everything had promised, except the mistletoe, which seemed too weak to hurt him. Loki had made an arrow made of mistletoe and tricked the blind god, Hod, to shoot at Balder. It had killed him. I understood that what Loki had done was not right, but Forseti was taking it too far.

'I'm not Sigyn," I said calmly. Forseti laughed a cold, murderous laugh.

"Oh, I know, my dear." he licked his lips. "You're the closest thing to it."

He moved so quickly I hardly had time to blink; my hands were behind my back and his dagger pressed to my throat in seconds. I gulped and pressed my head back against his chest, trying to get the sharp edge out of my skin, feeling the skin break and a small line of beaded blood appeared.

"Now scream, or I'll cut your throat," snarled Forseti.

I screamed a real scream as the knife cut in further, hating myself for giving in, hating that I had to be the damsel in distress, and twisted and wriggled. Loki burst into the room and stopped, horrified.

"Who are you? Why are you handling the lady?" he asked, unable to draw a weapon or use his magic because of his ankle cuff. Forseti smiled at him and pressed the knife deeper into my skin, making me whimper.

"Do you not remember me, brother? How sad. But I'm sure you remember my father." Loki looked confused. "Balder."

The expression on Loki's face went from horror to surprise, anger, and then settled on fear. He shook his head and backed up. "I was not myself, Forseti," he said, and his voice was confident as ever. "Emilie had nothing to do with it. Release her, and we can talk civilly."

"Oh, I am far past civil."

Forseti tugged on my hair, throwing my head back against his chest, and forced me to kneel in front of him, the knife still at my throat. My eyes locked on Loki and I mentally pleaded for him to do something. Forseti's hand left my hair and returned holding another dagger. He pulled up my shirt and ran the blade along my waist, cutting the skin. I screamed and then broke into quiet sobs as the pain burned along my waist.

"Stop, stop!" Loki yelled, moving forward and trying to push Forseti away. Forseti's dagger dropped from his hand and I grabbed it, focusing on Loki's ankle, and swiped up. The cuff broke and fell off the skin, leaving a horrible white scar. Loki gasped in pain but his hands glowed green as his power returned. Forseti dropped me behind him and drew both daggers as he faced a very angry Loki. 

"Fight me fairly, if you will!" Loki challenged, unsheathing his daggers. Forseti laughed and grabbed my wrist.

"Not today," he said, and light overtook us, teleporting us away from my house and from Loki.

"No!" he screamed as we disappeared. I closed my eyes against the light, and all I could think was "Oh, F**k."