~Epilogue~

The dark room surrounded Anja, enveloping her as she made her way to the small crib that sat at the far end by the window. As she reached the bed, she looked down into it, and a head of dark curls emerged. Her baby, Loki's son, slept peacefully through the hot night.

Anja gave herself a small smile, something that always happened when she looked at the child. He was the most precious thing Loki had given her. Yes, it had been hard these past months dealing with having a child out of wedlock, but all of that had not mattered when a baby with eyes as green as his father's had looked up at her with a smile for the first time. His name was Aric.

He was still young and was living with her in Selena's home. Selena and Fandral had been very supportive throughout the days and sleepless nights. Prince Thor had even come to visit the child. She knew Aric would be taken care of should anything happen to her.

Which was why, though a small bit of guilt crossed her mind as she laid a piece of paper in the crib next to her sleeping child, her heart was at ease. It was merely a precaution in the case that something went wrong with what she was about to do. "I am going to find Father, little one," she whispered as she took the child's hand and his fingers curled instinctively around her finger. "We will be happy when he's back. You'll see." She was still trying to convince herself that what she was about to do was the right thing. She kissed the child's forehead lightly before turning on her heel to walk back to her own quarters.

On the bed, Loki's book of dark magic bade her welcome. She had retrieved it from his quarters long ago during her pregnancy. She had been too scared for the child to try anything while she was still pregnant, but now she knew that this was the time to bring Loki back home. She had researched the right enchantments over and over throughout the past months, always coming back to one in particular: The spell that Loki had used to cloak his comings and goings in the Bifrost from Heimdall.

She was under the impression that she could change the spell to her liking with the altercation of just a few of the runes. If all went well, Loki would appear right back with her, good as new. If he was really dead, however, she would not be able to retrieve him. She had grappled with this idea over the last months. What if Loki really was dead and her heart was giving her false hope? It had been a terribly long way to fall… But even if the spell only halfway worked, she would be able to locate him…

Anja had decided that the pros outweighed the cons. Her child needed his father. No one knew of her delve into this side of her magic. This was something she had kept to herself, reading in the darkest hours of the night. She knew she could be tried for treason for practicing such magic. It was tricky and often volatile and evil. Even Loki could have gotten in trouble if he had been discovered with a book such as this. With a wave of her hand, she had stuffed the book and a few ingredients into a bag, heading out to the gardens.

*o*O*o*

The river beckoned her, an inky stretch in the pale moonlight. She laid the materials from her satchel out on the white pebbles. She did not need a candle. The moon was enough. She fingered the arrowhead pendent and feather that had not left her neck since Loki had fallen.

She closed her eyes briefly, whispering the incantation that would help in her focus on what she was about to do. To her right, her silver bow and ivory arrows sat in case what she brought forth was not Loki. She did not trust what she was doing at all. An owl hooted in the distance, breaking her concentration only slightly, but she was soon back into the spell as she sat criss-cross in the cool pebbles.

The dark words felt like chunks of lead on her tongue as she spoke them. They held a completely different way of speaking than the elemental healing and fighting spells she was used to. This reminded her yet again that she was dealing with something unnatural.

It felt like an eternity as she sat there, repeating the spell and focusing on maintain her balance on the realm of Asgard. She felt parts of herself begin to tug away a bit as she continued in her meditation and she focused even harder on maintain her grasp on where she was. This was something she had to be a complete master of. Where her water required her to flow with it, this required total dominance because it was not natural.

The spell picked up and she felt again something tugging on her mind. She squeezed her eyes shut, repeating the words in her head.

Wind tugged at her hair and she felt it rip at her dress as she felt something hum through her body. She was pleased to find that it was very similar to what she felt before the bifrost closed. She was getting close!

She kept speaking the strange language she now knew like the back of her hand. She doubted she would ever forget it now.

But then, her words were cut off as a streak of energy shot through her body. She felt her muscles spaz involuntarily as she fell backwards… only where she should have hit pebbles, nothing caught her fall. Then her world turned to darkness as she fell unconscious.

The shore was deserted once more as an owl hooted off in the distance save for a single circle with Bifrost symbols branded into the rocks where Anja had just been.

*o*O*o*

Dearest sister,

I have found a way to retrieve Loki. Yes, the Bifrost has been destroyed and all have proclaimed him to be dead but I feel in my heart that he is alive somewhere. I have found a spell that will bring him back to me. If the time ever comes that it is needed and I am not here, show it to Odin and he will know what to do.

Sister, forgive me. I realize the caution that must be exercised with dark magic and that is why I leave you with this note. I do not wish for my son to grow up in question of what happened to his mother. You once told me I needed to find love and never let it go. I know now that I have to find him. I trust you to care for my son should something happen to me. Should I fail in returning tomorrow morning and you do in fact find this letter, tell him that I love him and that mother and father will see him soon, one way or another.

Much love,

Anja

Selena looked over the smooth script of her sister's hand. She felt tears prick in her blue eyes as she set the letter down. Little Aric sat in his crib, looking up at her with the same emerald eyes of Prince Loki. She took his hand and kissed it. She had come into his room this morning when he had woken her with his cries. Anja typically got to him in a short amount of time and when his cries had gone unanswered, Selena had begun to worry.

The piece of parchment the boy had been playing with in his crib was what she was reading now and she wiped away a tear as she picked Aric up from the crib. "Shhh," she said as she soothed the child. "It is alright."

She knew there was no use in looking for Anja in Asgard. Selena knew enough about Dark Magic that it never went the way people meant it to. She simply could not believe that Anja would go to such lengths…

Her own son, Andrew, came in and Selena put Aric down to allow the child to crawl to her son. Andrew gave her a big smile as he bent down to play with the little boy. Selena could only pray that Anja would return somehow. She cursed that selfish bastard of a prince for all that he had done to her younger sister.

But, of course, it was no use. Anja was gone.

OK, new story time! I am going to get right on the first chapter to make for a quick ending of this cliff hanger for you lovely people, so keep a look out! :D

In the meantime, I would still love to hear any ideas you all have for me involving next story. I am planning on following the plotline of the movie, but… there may be a bit of my own spin on it… ;)

Thanks for being such amazing readers! I know I say that almost all the time, but it's true! I don't think I would have gotten nearly as far with this if I hadn't had all the support you all never failed to give. :D THANK YOU!

~Sirius