Mischief's Wings (Sequel to "By Name Only")

Chapter 7)

    "I wanna be the slip, slip
    Word upon your lip, lip..."

    (Tenshi's POV)

    Loki and I wait quietly in his chambers until we hear the echoing, melodic tones of a ringing bell. He stands from the couch, extending a hand to me, which I take. I rise from my seat and let him position me next to him, in our usual escort. He leads me easily through the labyrinthine halls to the dining area. He lifts my hand into the air, resting on his, in the formal escort position and the Einherjar open the doors.

    The hall goes silent as Loki and I walk in, before whispers burst forth from the people's lips like the hissing of a thousand vipers. As we walk by, I can hear snippets of conversations...

    "... a mortal. With the Prince..."

    "Was he that desperate for a dinner date?"

    "She's wearing his colors. Are they courting?"

    I will my face not to turn red as we approach the High Table. Loki and I stand behind our chairs as Thor, Sif and the Morons Three do the same. Two thronelike chairs occupy the middle of the table. Thor is seated to the right of the biggest chair and Loki to the left of the smaller chair which is to the left of the bigger one. Loki's chair is smaller and less grand than Thor's, which is slightly smaller than the Queen's. My chair is a regular chair seated to the left of Loki.

    Odin formally escorts Frigga to the High Table, the people in the hall standing in a show of respect. I curtsey in greeting to Odin, keeping my disdain for him from my features. His one cold blue eye seems to pierce my very being as he nods in acknowledgement. He pulls out Frigga's chair for her and pushes it to the table before sitting down himself. Once he sits down, everyone else does as well.

    Loki pulls my chair out for me, mimicking Odin's action for Frigga. I sit down and let him push me in, quietly thanking him when he gets himself situated. He smirks at me, seeing the dusting of pink across my cheeks from his gesture. We begin to help ourselves to the food spread along the table, Loki recommending dishes for me to try and explaining what they are. I store away the information for later, so I can eventually find my own food.

    Everyone tucks into the food, and I have to suppress a groan of pleasure as the flavors of Asgard burst across my taste buds. Loki chuckles at my reaction to the food.

    "Are you enjoying your dinner, Darling?" I look at him, nodding enthusiastically.

    "It's amazing! So many different tastes!" Loki grins.

    "I'm glad you're enjoying it, love. I can't wait for the day you eat these dishes bound to my side forever." My face turns bright red at his words.

    He sits back, laughing at my reaction. Odin looks at me from around Frigga and Loki.

    "I'm rather... curious... as to how you managed to knock me unconscious upon our first meeting. No regular mortal should be capable of such a feat, let alone a slight thing like yourself." I look over at him.

    "I'm not mortal, your Majesty. I'm an angel, the Christian equivalent to your Valkyrie. I cannot die, so the blast you aimed at me in your anger bounced off and hit you. Your unconsciousness wasn't my doing, your Majesty, it was yours." Odin's face reddens, his blue eye gleaming with offense. He looks ready to explode.

    Thankfully, he remembers where he is at the last possible moment and calms himself. "*Hm.* Yes, well. Have you always been an angel?" My face falls as I consider my answer.

    "I wasn't always an angel. I started out as a demon created by a group of scientists who wanted to use me as a weapon. Over the time I spent with the Avengers, the protectors of Midgard, I slowly redeemed myself and became an angel when I saved a couple of civilians from a vehicle that was going to hit them." Odin nods.

    "I remember you. The monster created by that organization to take over Midgard. My son was to be your first target." Loki looks at me in shock, as does everyone else in the room, conversations ceasing and a deafening silence ringing in the hall. Loki's voice is full of hurt when he speaks.

    "Is this true?" I remain silent. Loki speaks louder.

    "Is. It. True? Was my brother really your first target? Was he the one you were going to have to kill first?!" My head bows.

    "Yes," I say quietly. Loki shakes his head. "I didn't hear you. Say it again. Is. It. True?" I sigh, saying it for the entire room to hear.

    "Yes." Odin sneers.

    "How do we know you aren't still a monster at heart? How do we know that you aren't dangerous, hm? That you won't kill someone in their sleep tonight? Once a monster, always a monster. You disgust me."

    I try not to show my pain on my face, but I can't prevent my eyes from filling with tears upon seeing the closed-off expression on Loki's countenance. His hard eyes pierce my heart, a look I hadn't seen since we met. His emerald irises reflect a glimmer of betrayal as I gaze into them.

    I turn and run from the table, down the aisle at the center of the room, and out of the double doors of the banquet hall. I kick off my sandals so I can move more quickly, my bare feet slapping the harsh, cold marble floor as I sprint through the halls. A huge window provides the perfect exit as I summon my wings and fly to the roof of the tallest tower in the palace.

    I sit near the edge of the flat surface, my skirt spread around me and my knees hugged to my chest. My tears fall freely from my face as I sob out my heartbreak and land on the soft material of my skirt, making the dark green even darker. My wings are wrapped around me, embracing me and shielding my agony from the rest of Asgard.

    Why? Why am I never good enough? Why, when I finally get a little light in my life, does it have to vanish so quickly? Why do I allow myself to connect with people, knowing that pain will always be the end result?

    I remain on the roof, my thoughts my only company.