𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕄𝕠𝕣𝕒𝕝𝕚𝕥𝕪 𝕠𝕗 𝕄𝕠𝕣𝕥𝕒𝕝𝕚𝕥𝕪

33: Vulnerable Truth

It's only human, you know that it's real

So why would you fight or try to deny the way that you feel?

Oh, babe, you can't fool me

Only Human - Jonas Brothers

Liz stirred from her deep slumber, surprisingly replenished from her night's sleep. As she breathed deeply, her senses awakening within her, she realized that she wasn't alone. A small wave of panic washed over her as she attempted moving her legs, but discovered they were tangled with someone else's. Her grey eyes popped open and she found herself face to face with Loki. To her surprise, he was already watching her with solemn eyes, arms still wrapped around her waist. Liz blinked several times before glancing around, almost to make sure that this moment was real. She'd forgotten than she agreed to stay the night with Loki.

Liz plopped her head back onto the pillow and returned Loki's admirable gaze.

"Good morning," He spoke first, his voice rough and scratchy with the lingering of the morning. It sent a shiver along her spine.

"Good morning," She greeted back. Liz traced the skin of his shoulder quietly. "Did you sleep well?"

He only grunted in response. She assumed it meant yes, but wasn't quite sure. They stayed laying there with each other for quite a while longer before telling her to get dressed for the day. After retreating back to her room and finding her duffel bag, she pulled out a pair of leggings and off-the-shoulder sweater, deciding that today was a day she wanted to complete her look with the usual toothpick.

Liz looked up at him as she caught up to him, falling in step next to the prince.

"Where are we going?" Loki continued looking ahead of his path. He was wearing a grey blazer and black pants today. It was odd not seeing him in some sort of green hue.

"I thought we would experiment with your abilities today. We know nothing of what you can do, or if you can even manipulate any sort of terrestrial power," Loki told her. Liz clasped her hands behind her back and cocked her head to the side. He took her to a small library at the end of a smaller corridor. She knew instantly that it had to be his own personal library, as the decorations and aura of the room matched his sleeping chambers. Her eyes roamed over the details of the room, noticing the classy furniture that was displayed throughout the space. Bookshelves covered the walls and there seemed to even be a small desk or writing area near the corner. Loki searched for his desired book as Liz wandered to her own chosen bookshelf. She feathered the spines of the books that sparked her interest. As her eyes skimmed over the different categories, she realized that Loki had books of all sorts: fantasy, romance, autobiography, scientific.

Liz removed a specific book from the shelf. Its cover was much more worn and tattered than the rest. Her fingers ran over it carefully. Magic and Witchcraft.

"You found it," She heard from her right. Loki beckoned her to sit with him on a loveseat. She handed him the book when he silently reached for it, flipping to the page he wanted. They worked on it together for hours, trying different techniques and genres of spellwork. And some of them she was able to perform, like the disappearing and reappearing of objects, as well as what Loki referred to as Silver Tongue, otherwise described as very persuasive manipulation of words. Or in other words, compulsion.

After deciding that she'd done enough for one day, Loki sat back and began reading his own book. Liz watched him curiously from her spot on the loveseat. She sat upside down her legs draped over the back of the chair and shoulders pressing against the seat cushion. Her flowing hair spilled over and onto the floor. Liz raised her finger and poked at his book. He glanced up at her without a readable expression.