Chapter XXII︱Rock and hard place.

"This is not the reaction I've expected," Loki said jokingly, but sounding uncertain.

Thalia quickly dropped the spear on the mattress and climbed off the bed. For a moment, she could only stare at her hands, the black energy dancing on her skin, demanding to be released.

"No," she growled, shaking her head to clear it. This is why she hated her father's gift. This magic was untamable and had a mind of its own that kept invading her own to feed it its destructive appetites.

"Thalia." Loki's tone was careful as he magically dressed himself and made to move toward her direction.

"Don't," she warned. "Leave." She didn't trust herself to say more words, nor to meet his gaze. The darkness that was surely reflected in her own eyes would show him all the parts of herself she'd spent so long suppressing.

The idiot didn't heed her warning, taking a testing step towards her. "Thalia, I need you to tell me what's going on."

Even in that violent red haze, Thalia was terrified of accidentally hurting him. "Please," she pleaded, "leave. I-I don't know how m-much longer I … I c-can hold it." She never managed to learn how to pull the energy back once it began to take over, so her only viable option was to release it and pray that this room could withstand the blast.

Loki considered her for a moment and seemed to take in the way her body struggled to contain the energy, limbs slightly shaking and eyes involuntarily shutting tight against the urge to give in to the dark nudging of her magic. His eyes flickered with realisation. "That seems like a hell of a lot of energy you are holding there, Thalia," he began calmly. "I'm not sure if this chamber's shield is strong enough to take it, but the mountain around it certainly isn't. Let's go outside."

She inwardly cursed when she came to the same conclusion; even if the shield stood, the tremors from the blast would cause chunks of rock around it to come tumbling down. No one else lived on this side of the mountain, though, so it wasn't like she was going to be hurting anybody. She'd take angry humans over going outside and possibly sending a beacon to Ares anyhow. Since producing enough words to explain all that seemed impossible at that moment, Thalia simply told Loki, "No. Leave."

He gave her an exasperated look. "The humans won't miss it. Who do you think they are going to be blaming for it?"

She was tempted to just let the energy loose right then. "Can't. Release. Outside," she said weakly. Her mind had begun to fuzz. The magic wasn't exactly whispering to her, not with words at least, but it still felt as if it was communicating its intention to cause distraction. The suggestion was becoming more compelling by the second. Why wouldn't he just leave?

Loki cursed. "I forgot they can track you through your magic." She saw panic vaguely flash in his eyes before being replaced by determination. "There is another way," he declared. "But I need you to hold it together for a little longer." He had voiced it more like a command than a suggestion.

Thalia let her weariness show in her expression. "D-don't know if–" That's all she managed before a spike of sudden dizziness almost made her tumble over. Her body was going overload holding onto all that magic. She steadied herself by putting a hand on the wall. She had no idea what Loki had in mind but he had to, "Hurry."

She vaguely caught the sound of the door opening and closing but her senses were beginning to give. Her eyesight became foggy, her ears ringing, breaths coming in and out hard. Having completely lost track of time, she didn't know if it was a minute or an hour before she heard the door open again, then voices seeming as if they were coming from a mile away.

Thalia realised then that she had somehow sat down by the wall, legs pulled up against her chest, just as she often did as a child when trying not to give into this part of her magic. She also realised that someone had thrown one of the bedsheets over her–likely Loki to hide her nakedness from whoever else was there. She struggled to focus her eyes and take in her surroundings. Loki was crouched by her but was looking up at his brother who stood over her, gaze focused on the energy leaking from her fingers. Loki was telling him something, then she glimpsed Thor's lips move as he replied but the ringing in her ears had gotten too loud for her to make the words. She could almost hear the magic speak by that point, though. "Let me out," it seemed to say. "Let us show them what we can do–what we've done before."

She blinked rapidly against the sensation and, luckily, that also seemed to give back some more of her awareness. Loki was still talking with his brother but her hearing still wasn't good enough to understand them. They weren't the only ones in the room, however. Val was there too, she noticed, as well as a man she'd never seen before. He had an Asgardian look about him. Dark skin and vivid gold eyes that were jumping from Thor to Loki as they looked to argue about something. She tried to focus past the ringing in her ears.

". . . similar to my lightning. It's better if I do it," someone was saying. Thor, she realised.

"D-do what?" Her voice was weak and whispery but Loki must've heard her because his head instantly turned back to her at the question, relief written all over his face.

"Oh, you understand us now. Good," it sounded like he wanted the words to be humorous but somehow couldn't pull it off. "Thor is going to absorb the energy from your body, then release it somewhere safe."

Thalia shook her head. "M-my signature will sti–"

"The energy will still carry your signature, I know. No drop of your magic is going to be released into this realm, I promise you that. But I don't trust moving you right now. You are barely holding it in as it is, I can sense it. Someone has to carry it where it needs to go for you. Thor is the best candidate for the task."

Where it needs to go? She didn't have the energy to ask what he meant. He was right, though, she would lose it any second now. Or she would pass out. Both would have the same distractive outcome and Loki was still in the room with her. Fear threatened to overwhelm her suddenly. Fear that she would hurt him like she hurt . . . No, she wouldn't go down that train of thought now.

"Give me your hand," Thor said, lowering himself to her side.

"Very d-dark magic," she felt obliged to warn when he offered his own hand.

"If an Olympian infant can hold it, so can I."

She would've rolled her eyes if the action didn't threaten to steal the little control she had left. Instead, she lifted her left hand and interlocked her fingers with those of the God in front of her.

Her first instinct when she felt him pull on her magic was to break the connection but she fought against it, giving him access to take. It only took a few seconds for Thor to absorb the energy and that was all for the better, since a moment after Thalia felt the last drop of magic leave her body, everything went black.