Chapter Twenty Two; Find Me In The Future

The sound of the chamber doors being flung open with excessive force jolted Sif abruptly from her sleep.

Confused and startled, it took her a moment to register what was happening.

Karnilla had burst into the room, accompanied by her minion hag, who loitered in the doorway whilst Karnilla marched over towards the bed, her expression gravely serious.

"wake up Loki!"

She shrieked, sounding remarkably like a banshee.

Loki stirred, he was lying on his front in the bed beside Sif, and his skin still bore a noticeably blue hue.

This was a stark reminder of the previous nights shenanigans, and her face coloured slightly as she recalled the way in which he had succumbed to her brazen advances, in his frost giant form.

"Karnilla, are you deliberately trying to perforate my eardrums?"

He mumbled, his voice filled with indignation,

"And what is the meaning of such an intrusion?"

"I might well ask you, sinister one, what is the meaning of THIS?!"

Karnilla shot back at him, gesturing to the pair of them,

"I'm no innocent, I was expecting the pair of you to be making the two-backed beast last night, so I'm not entirely shocked..."

She ranted, barely pausing for breath, before continuing her tirade,

"But what HAS shocked me, is to see you in your native form sly one...Please tell me you didn't engage in coitus like THAT?"

To both Karnilla and Sif's astonishment, Loki began to laugh.

For a brief moment Sif found herself wishing she had powers of her own, in order to make herself invisible.

"So what of it?"

Loki was demanding now, his trademark impish grin firmly in place,

"You really ought not to pry into other people's personal affairs Karnilla."

Karnilla sighed with exasperation,

"What in the name of Valhalla possessed thee to do such a thing? What a peculiar kink your shield maiden must have, lusting to mate with a son of Jotunheim..."

"I beg you, please, no more!"

Sif broke in, her embarrassment soaring to new heights.

The fact was, as much as it disturbed her to admit it, she had found Loki's frost giant form inexplicably attractive. She'd been driven on by wanting to prove to him that she did not find him repulsive, and the fact that he'd never been intimate with another this way, had somehow made her feel privileged. She'd finally felt completely close to him, on more than just a physical level. He had allowed his guard to come down, he'd exposed a side of him that he'd never have dared show before, and this had strengthened the bond between them even further.

She wouldn't allow Karnilla to make a mockery of their actions.

"You may taunt all you like, your highness...but we shared a deep connection-"

"Indeed, and I find that deeply alarming!"

Karnilla cut in.

Listen, what exactly are you implying devil woman?"

Loki suddenly piped up gruffly, his dark brows beetling together in bewilderment.

"Is it so incredulous that the lady Sif should find me desirable in the form that nature intended?!"

"Be quiet you fool!" Karnilla retorted sharply,

"This goes far beyond that, your careless actions could have disastrous consequences, of which you may have sealed your fate!"

"What consequences? Enough with the riddles Karnilla!"

Snapped Sif, she was growing weary of cryptic prophecies.

Raising her arm, Karnilla pointed a bony finger at Loki,

"Whilst in your native form, your seed becomes far more potent!"

She blurted out, her blunt proclamation rendering both Loki and Sif immediately silent.

"There's a strong possibility you could've impregnated your warrior princess, which could put her life at risk, being as her body temperature won't be able to sustain a normal level due to carrying Jotnar offspring."

Sif could hear the words Karnilla spoke, yet her proclamation rendered her utterly speechless. Shocked, she turned to look at Loki, and could tell from his expression that he was absolutely horrified. .

All colour, had drained from his complexion, and he now looked ghastly pale.

She reached out and touched his hand, but he was unresponsive.

"Do not fret Loki, you weren't to know." She spoke hurriedly,

"There's no certainty to it-"

"The prophecy..." Loki mumbled, his eyes staring blankly ahead,

"...it was prophesied that I would be your undoing."

"It can be undone..."

Karnilla interjected smoothly,

"I should be able to concoct a suitable remedy."

Loki's eyes snapped to Karnilla, his expression unreadable.

"It is the only way to avoid potential disaster." She assured him.

Sif heard Loki's response, but suddenly couldn't bring herself to look at him, and his blank expression.

"So be it."

(LATER)

Outside, the sky had darkened, an indication that a storm was gathering. As Sif stared out through the window of the great hall, watching the clouds gather, she felt a sense of foreboding hanging in the air.

"What are you not telling me Loki?"

She ventured, and when he failed to reply, she turned to look at him.

Visibly agitated, yet trying to conceal it, he forced a smile.

"Sif, please...you must trust me-"

"If I were of sound mind, and thinking rationally, I would struggle to trust you, but as I am enamoured of you, my judgement has been somewhat impaired of late..."

She retorted,

"...however, as you've since sworn to be true to me, and not hurt me, I will and do trust you Loki...I have faith in your feelings for me.

But that is why you need to tell me everything you know, because I can sense that you're keeping something from me!"

As if to confirm her suspicions, Loki pulled out a chair and proceeded to sit down heavily, his shoulders sagging.

"I'm just trying to protect you Sif."

He spoke quietly, hiding behind his large hands, as he rubbed at his temples.

"I don't need your protection Loki, I want your respect and honesty! Stop trying to be my guardian!"

"That's hypocritical of you Sif, being as you've been acting as my saviour since I returned to Asgard..."

He fired back at her,

"...and seeing as how it's woven in our destiny for me to be your destructor, forgive me for trying to keep you from harm's way, in order to reverse this damn prophecy!"

It was clear that he cared deeply for her, she didn't doubt that for a moment. Karnilla's revelations had unnerved him, and he was clearly tormented by the notion of inadvertently causing her demise.

She made her way over to him, and drew up a chair.

"I am master of my own destiny Loki, no one decides my fate for me.

I am not accepting any remedies, if by some chance I have conceived, then so be it-"

"What kind of father would I make though Sif?.."

He hissed, a hint of malice in his voice,

"..how can you learn what's never been shown? I could never be what a good father should be..."

His words trailed off, his luscious eyes glazing over with sadness.

"You shouldn't doubt your capabilities Loki, you could be the father you'd always wanted for yourself."

She said gently.

At that, he rose abruptly and strode over to the table behind her.

She heard him pouring from a flagon, as he continued to argue his case against the prospect of becoming a parent.

"How could we bring an innocent child into such uncertainty, it's unfair. An infant needs stability, as well as love."

She turned to look at him, as he returned with two goblets of wine.

He proffered one to her, and added ominously,

"No doubt you'll be needing a cask full of liquor, when I reveal what I've been trying to shield you from."

He took a long swig, then eyed her cautiously for a moment.

Inwardly, she was trying to remain calm, but as she raised the drink to her lips, she felt her hands trembling slightly, and the dryness of her mouth. She was nervous.

She noted the way he suddenly hung his head, as though ashamed.

Without realising, she drained the entire contents of her goblet, and taking a deep breath, she leant back against the chair, and apprehensively asked the unavoidable question...

"What have you been keeping from me?"

And oh, how she almost wished that she hadn't asked!

Ignorance was bliss, and knowledge, in this instance, was utter misery.

She sat in silence, listening and growing increasingly concerned, as he confessed that Karnilla had summoned him the previous night, in order to discuss a matter of upmost urgency.

Apparently word had reached her, that news of the disgraced Prince's actions in Vanaheim had broke, throwing several of the nine realms into a state of turmoil and panic.

As a result, Odin had once again mustered up as much dark energy as he could manage, in order to transport his Einherjar to various realms, in order to apprehend the 'fugitive'

As he finished, he awaited her response with bated breath.

A million thoughts and feelings whirled within her, causing her to feel almost woozy.

"You should have told me this before Loki, hiding the truth isn't protecting me."

She managed, with great effort.

It was as if her thoughts were suddenly becoming hazy and hampered, and she was struggling to string a sentence together.

She heard his voice, as though in the distance, apologising, but found it almost impossible to concentrate on his words.

"Some-something's not right.."

She mumbled, and made to stand, but her legs were like lead.

The sensation momentarily reminded her of trying to wade through a fast flowing river, as your clothing becomes increasingly heavy due to the weight of the water.

She staggered forwards, and was caught by Loki just before she toppled over.

She heard him calling out to Karnilla for assistance, who arrived promptly.

"WHAT DID THAT REMEDY CONTAIN?"

He bellowed, his expression and voice frantic.

"Lo-Loki...w-what have you done?"

Sif stammered, desperately trying to remain coherent.

"Forgive me my love, I just wanted to protect you.."

He admitted, his voice breaking,

"..I laced your wine with the remedy, I only meant to protect you, please understand."

He begged, as a silent tear escaped and streaked it's way down his guilt-laden face.

"Remedy for what?"

She unwittingly found herself asking, her expression one of unmistakable confusion.

At that, a realisation dawned on Loki, and his eyes snapped up to look at the suspiciously silent Karnilla.

"Why can't she remember?"

He growled,

"I won't ask you again, what did that potion contain?"

"The vial I gave you, merely contained water from the Vimur."

She replied flatly,

"You deliberately gave me...the WRONG potion?!"

He roared accusingly,

"Quickly, give me some of that which contains water from the river Gjoll...it should restore any memories she loses!"

Karnilla's response was just barely audible to Sif, but despite her dazed state, it still caused panic, and fear to grip her.

"It will not work my dark Prince, those waters only restore what's lost if it was rightfully theirs to begin with...and your shield maiden isn't your intended...she's the Thunderer's remember? Not yours."

As Sif tried to take in this further blow, she was startled by Loki suddenly yelling 'no' with heart-wrenching ferocity.

His voice, and the word, reverberated around the room, bouncing off the walls, resounding in her ears, and simultaneously breaking her heart.

With all the strength she could muster, and with great difficulty, she managed to focus on his tear-streaked face, unable to comprehend why she wasn't in floods of tears herself, being as she felt as though her heart had been wrenched from her chest.

"Loki..."

She whimpered helplessly,

"...find me in the future."

Those were the last words she uttered, before falling into a catatonic state.

She didn't see Karnilla toss the Gjoll potion towards her wretched lover, advising him to take it, in order to restore his powers.

She didn't see the bottle roll along the floor, as Loki sat weeping over her.

She wasn't aware of the Einherjar, when at last they stormed Nornkeep, and clamped Loki in chains once more.

She didn't feel the burly guard, lift her, and carry her from the room.

And she didn't hear Loki's distraught cries, as he beat his fists against the stone floor in anguish, until they bled.

"This must not be where it ends Sif...my life, my love..."

*****(TO BE CONTINUED IN THE NEXT BOOK ~

COMING SOON, "FEAR, MADNESS and MEMORIES")

A/N

Thank you so much for reading to the end, I'm eternally grateful for your patience and support. I sincerely hope you enjoyed it.

Any comments, feedback, suggestions, constructive criticism, is much appreciated.

Please stick with the story, by reading the next book, in the follow-on story, which I'm currently working on.

They'll be much more worth sticking around for, I promise ❤️