Tabula Rasa (Unlike Loki: Book Two)

Chapter 71

(Anna)

I hear distant shouting, though I can't make out any words.

My wrists ache.

My head aches.

My whole body aches.

I feel like I've been trampled, set upright, and then trampled again.

I will my heavy eyelids to open and am nearly blinded by the array of lights and colors and sound.

I groan.

"Sleeping Beauty is awake."

My eyes snap open and I search for the source of the voice. THAT voice.

I ignore the brain-killing headache that rages through me and swivel my head to find her.

HER.

"Morning, Mother. So nice of you to join us." Talia.

I hiss. Actually hiss. And then I begin kicking and screaming, cursing colorfully at the girl who is part of the reason the past two weeks have gone to shit.

But then I stop and watch as the smile spreads on her lips that match mine.

She watches as the gears turn in my head and as the lights click on.

My wrists ache because I am tied to a tall stone pillar. Loki and By are also tied up across the courtyard from me, yelling.

I wish they'd shut the hell up. I have a migraine.

And Talia. She is no longer a girl. She's a full-fledged woman. Her hair dark and smooth, her eyes flickering between blue-green and full-on demon black.

I cock my head at her, opening my mouth slightly. "Long time, no see." She smiles, her teeth sharpening.

"Sister." Another voice calls. Female. I follow the sound and find the woman who brought us here. She still wears the cloak she had on, but her good is back, revealing her face. Her skin is a startling blue, and half of her face is covered in metal, as if it is apart of her.

Talia turns to glare at the woman. "What? Sister." She spits.

The woman swallows. "Father would like to see you."

"Nevermind, Nebula." a deep voice responds. Deep, dark, and threatening. A huge being comes out of the shadows to join our little party and looks around, before finally settling on me. He smiles, his white teeth barely showing. "Now that our honored guest is awake, we can get started."

He takes his gaze off me and slowly walks to the other side of the courtyard, if that's even what you could call it.

His steps make the whole rock shake and it settles as he takes a seat in a throne that looks as if it is made of gold and bones. I shiver.

I steal a glance at Loki and By.

By looks terrified, but not shocked.

Loki, on the other hand, looks at this massive being with such rage, he looks like he could explode. And not rage over what has been done to my children, no his rage is the kind I looked at the scientists back on Earth with, Hydra. It's the kind of rage you point at someone who has personally hurt you, tortured you, and ruined you.

My eyes widen in shock.

I snap my head back to the man on the throne, and feel my stomach tighten as I find his eyes on me.

"Shit." I slip.

Talia laughs. And the man on the throne smiles horribly. "Oh. Already feeling doomed? We haven't even gotten started yet!" He chuckles.

He looks towards By, bowing his head. "Tisk, tisk." He says to my dear friend. "A little birdie told my you made quite the deal." He motions with his hand.

From behind the throne steps out Amora.

"REALLY?!" I let out. I sag against my bonds. Of course. No. No we couldn't just hire someone who wasn't working for the man we were trying to- GOD. Just one break. That would be great. Fantastic. Anytime now.

"You little bitch." By gasps.

"Sorry, Sweetie." Amora shrugs her shoulders. "He said if I got you to free me, he'd make me the Queen of all Witches. Kind of hard to pass up."

I slowly turn my head to glare at By, and notice Loki do the same.

"You did what?" Loki snarls.

By keeps his eyes on the ground.

"Oh! And you! My old friend!" The being has now moved on to Loki, who was turning blue.

"Oh, I see you have embraced your inner Frost Giant." The man chides.

Loki growls, low and vicious.

"I thought we came here to do business." I let fly out.

I didn't care that Amora had betrayed us. I tried killing her. I didn't like her anyway, it wasn't much of a shocker. Just irritating. And useless. And she hadn't truly betrayed us, but just took hold of By's stupidity and weakness for beautiful women. I came here to give up the Infinity Stone that had attached itself to me in exchange for my son. That's it.

Why did everything have to be so hard?

The man turned to me, a dark shadow falling over his terrible deep red face. The look in his eyes had changed from amusement to hate.

" You dare speak to me that way? Do you have any idea who I am?" He spat, standing up.

"Yea. Nice to meet you, Thanos. Officially, that is."

He glared at me, his lip snarling.

"Didn't anyone ever teach you not to fool with a protective mother?" I grinned, flicking my wrist.

My rope bonds erupted in flames and instantly fell away. I landed on the ground and lunged for the son of a bitch who took my baby, my hands a-light and in motion with any element I could grab hold of.

If I was about to leave here powerless and mortal, might as well go out with a bang, right?