The Witch and the Sorcerer

That night, I took a walk after dinner to clear my head. No one gave me more than a quick glance as I walked down the pathways of the marketplace just outside of the palace. I was still my Midgardian clothes, which was against the rules here in Asgard. It was custom that visitors be fitted with an Asgardian wardrobe, and it was a must for residents. However, I was not ready to be thrown into gowns and such. I had even requested that I be fitted with pants instead of a skirt for my armor. Loki did not argue, but this was a place where women did not mix with men. They all had their own rights, but men were still superior. To wear pants was unheard of. And to wear jeans like I was? That was a huge no-no. However, they knew I was friends with Loki. They dare say a word, and they would be in serious trouble.
Another custom, more so around the palace than anywhere, was for a lady to be escorted by a man, or perhaps a friend or mother. Whatever the case may be, a maiden of Asgard was not to be walking alone. It wasn’t that there was anything to be scared of. It was just custom. I could summon Loki, or anyone if I needed them, but I just felt like roaming on my own for a little while. Discussing the best type of spells to use for battle with Loki and improbable outcomes with Sif, the two of the Warrior’s Three, and Thor muddled my mind, and I needed to get out and think.
I walked down to a park where a large statue stood in the middle, odd and beautiful plants grew for everyone to admire, and statues of the Gods and Goddesses of the Nine Realms stood. Odin’s was in the process of being moved next to his father’s to make room for Loki’s new statue. I remembered both he and Thor had one at one time, but now Loki’s was missing. I’m sure Asgardians were…pleased about it. Looking up at a giant statue of Loki, knowing his past. I could overlook it, and the family could overlook it, but wickedness could never been forgotten. I knew this.
I walked to a bench and sat down with a groan. The title of “Wicked” was something I had strived to overcome for years. It was an insult to magical people everywhere. During my time, it was just as bad as calling someone a “bitch” or “whore” or anything else. It was a derogatory term back in the 1600s. I still felt like it was bad. I was a good witch, as far as I was concerned. I practiced white magic. I harmed none…unless of course it was deemed necessary. I tried to keep myself on the good side, but a few years into living in Asgard, I had started to turn.
It was not necessarily influenced by anything bad. Not Loki, nor anyone else had a hand in my turning. It was my own curiosity, fueling my dark side. Everyone has one. I, by nature, was a dark person. I liked the night, my moon source of magical restoration being lunar energy. I was not afraid of the dark. I loved violent storms. I liked dark colors versus lighter colors. Samhain was my favorite sabbat next to Yule. I enjoyed getting scared on Halloween when I visited Earth. I just preferred the dark. There was beauty in it overlooked by many for its wicked nature, and if you don’t take caution, you could end up in the same boat I was.
It started with Creatures of the Night. I studied them. Then, I moved on to ghosts. Researching their energy. Practicing locating them and even summoning them to my circles. When I realized I could communicate with the dead with little difficulty, I let loose with the workings of the dead. Creatures of death. Ghosts. It even went as far as dead bodies. My powers grew to an amazing height as I continued to meddle in the world of the dead. I discovered powers I didn’t know I could perform. Fire. Super strength. Causing things to explode with only a thought and flourish of my hand. It got scary when I decided to possess people. It scared the shit out of Thor when I grabbed one of his enemies during battle. I plunged my fist into its chest and wrapped my hands around its heart before tapping into its soul. I got all of the answers we were looking for, but I regretted it later. This was dark, dark magic. Something I should have never touched. I could manipulate people. Use their bodies as my own personal puppets. I could send them flying with a motion of my arm. I could go up in a blaze of fire and red smoke and hide, only to come soaring down and killing whatever I was fighting. Loki loved seeing my perform those powers, but it ended violently.
I had opened a circle with the body of one of our enemies in it. He had pissed me off during battle, nearly killing Loki. I wanted to summon his soul back and show him what I would have done to him, had he hurt Loki again. I underestimated the power of a soul when multiple spirits came flying into the circle, each one of them a demon. It started with a scratch. Four claw marks down my back. I bled like no other, and it burned like almighty hell. Next, it was possession. I demon entered me—toyed with my mind. I went on a rampage as it tried to kill me from the inside out. I went after Loki, who recognized what had happened and took my straight to Frigga. She exercised it out of me, and as soon as it was banished and the circle was closed, which in the time it was open had turned into a portal to Hell, I collapsed and was sent straight to the Healer’s, where I was cleansed and later received a strict lecture from Frigga about dark magic. I promised I would never do it again, and I never have.
Loki wanted it back. I knew the powers were extremely useful, but their sheer power could easily over take my mind. I would not be able to stop it, for I wouldn’t want to. I hoped Loki knew what Frigga did to stop me the first time. However, Loki was right about controlling it. Maybe all it took was willpower. Nevertheless, I was not too keen on the idea.
I leaned back in the bench and looked up at the darkening sky. The stars were so different here than they were on Midgard. There seemed to be trillions more, and of more sizes and colors than the Midgardian constellations provided. Tiny stars. Fat stars. Distant planets. Other realms. Blues, yellows, pinks, and purples among the white (or what looked like why from this distance). It was beautiful set above the golden city of Asgard. I closed my eyes, the image of the stars burned into my retinas and I could see flashes of it behind my eyelids. It was so peaceful.
I relaxed into the bench as a cold breeze swept around me. It was ice cold, but I thought nothing of it until my ears started ringing and my skin erupted in goosebumps. My eyes snapped open and I involuntarily looked to my right. Standing near the fountain, dressed in a royal gown, was a blueish-white figure resembling a woman. My eyes widened, as I realized I recognized the woman—a woman I knew to be dead.

“No,” I whispered.

The woman looked over at me and smiled. I ripped myself from the bench and moved to hide behind it—as hidden as one could be, anyway.
She began to approach me, floating as she walked.

“No! No, no, no!” I said, holding a hand out.

The woman stopped a few yards from me and smiled as she clasped her hands together.

“I’m glad to see you didn’t lose all of those powers,” she said.

“Do not step any closer to me. That is, if you’re real. Are you real? Please tell me I’m not hallucinating,” I rambled.

The woman laughed softly.

“You can see me, correct?” she asked.

I swallowed hard and nodded. She stepped closer to me, this time in a more human manner.

“Yeah,” I replied meekly.

She smiled wider.

“Then this is real, darling Avery,” she said.

The voice. The hair. The face. The clothes. It was all Frigga. I could feel her energy. Her emotions of relief and sadness, mixed with happiness and gentleness. I didn’t want to believe this was her. I thought I had destroyed my ability to see the dead.

“Frigga, don’t toy with me. I really, really didn’t want to see you this way,” I said, pleading.

“My dear, I do not mean to deceive you. I am here in full spirit,” she said softly.

I bit my lip and shook my head.

“Just as I think about the dead, they come walking in. Please! I’m trying to forget those powers, Frigga. They cause nothing but trouble,” I begged.

“Avery, you were born this way. Death is in your blood. You relished the wicked so much because it is part of you,” she said.

I felt my jaw fall.

“What?” I whispered.

She walked up to me and cupped my cheek, turning my skin ice cold. I wanted to rip myself away from her as my aura became tainted with spiritual energy, but it was still Frigga, and I missed her touch.

“It does not mean that you are evil, my dear. Everyone has a wicked side, and the only way to cope with the magic of the dead is to be wicked. You must embrace it. Have you felt the same since your last circle?” she asked.

I thought about it for a moment.

“Not r-r-really,” I stuttered, “I kind of felt like a piece of me was missing, but I thought that was from missing Asgard.”

Frigga smiled.

“Sweetheart, the world beyond life is your talent. Witchcraft and death, as morbid as that sounds. However, I assure you that it is for a purpose. You just have to use your powers to discover it,” she said.

I stared at her in disbelief.

“Frigga, I don’t want this,” I said, my voice weak.

I slowly backed away from her. She floated closer to me.

“Do not be scared of your powers. They are your greatest gift. They are undeniably strong, and once you harness their true potential, you can win any battle,” she said.

I let out a shaky breath. Something clicked inside of me. My hatred for my dark side was slowly fading.

“If it overpowers you, Loki knows how to bring you back. However, I doubt he will need to. He can teach you how to control your powers. He won’t let you hurt yourself, nor anyone else. He will protect you. You were his closest friend. He never forgot that,” she said.

I stared at her wide-eyed.

“My Queen,” I said, “Does he tell the truth? Has he taken the thrown for the good of Asgard? Thor believes him, and I believe Sif and the Warrior’s Three are starting to believe him, but—“

“Hush, my dear,” Frigga said, telling me to shut up in the nicest way possible, “My son has his secrets, but he is working for the good of Asgard, as well as you, Thor, and the rest of his warriors. He will not fail you. Loki loves you, and he will cherish and remain devoted to you. Even in death. Trust in him, Avery. Trust in him, and trust in yourself.”

I nodded, then watched her for a moment.

“We miss you, Frigga,” I said quietly.

She smiled warmly and stroked my cheek.

“I will always be with you. Remember that,” she said, “And I love you.”

I felt my eyes sting.

“I love you, too,” I whispered.

Frigga smiled and turned away from me, vanishing as if she had never been there and I had been talking to myself. Gods, I hope I hadn’t just hallucinated!
I looked around to see the park still void of life. With the coast clear, I ran back to the palace. I knew I couldn’t tell Loki what had just happened. He was still distraught from losing Frigga, and I didn’t dare bring her up. He would ask why I didn’t summon him, or even better, send her to him. Spirits don’t work like that. They show up when they want. They do what they want…
Loki is going to be a menace in spirit form!

I walked inside the palace, said hello to people as I walked by, and made my way up to my chambers. As I walked down the corridor, Thor appeared around a corner and jogged over to me.

“Avery! I was wondering where you were,” he said, smiling.

I glanced over my shoulder.

“I was out for a walk. Why? Is there something wrong?” I asked worriedly.

Thor laughed.

“No, not at all. In fact, Loki and I have been preparing something for you,” he replied.

I tilted my head to the side in confusion. Thor just smiled.

“Come. It’s a surprise we’ve been hiding all afternoon.”

I followed Thor to my chambers. He opened the door for me and we walked in. Inside, my television was glowing with a blue screen. Loki was holding a device with the cords to everything stemming from it.

“Brother, if you hold that any longer, it’s energy will seep into you. Set it down,” Thor ordered.

Loki moved it to the TV stand sitting under the mounted flatscreen and set it down behind it, blue light glowing up the red wall.

“We have power running to all of your devices, Avery,” Thor said, “But we were unsure how to hook them together.”

I smiled.

“I can take care of it. It can get confusing. What is that blue thing?” I asked.

Loki timidly looked up to Thor. Thor just sighed.

“The orb out of the spear Loki used. It contains the power of the Tesseract,” he explained.

I stared at Thor in horror.

“Thor!” I said scoldingly, “Isn’t that dangerous? No part of that thing should be where any could touch it!”

Thor just laughed.

“It has been cursed,” he said, all too happily.

My face fell.

“Thor, that doesn’t sound any better,” I said.

“No, but the container it is in is cursed so no one can pry it open, except me, without being electrocuted,” he explained.

Thor cast a knowing glance at Loki.

“You can’t even fathom what that thing did to me. I don’t want to touch it!” Loki said sassily.

I smiled and shook my head.

“But, we can spare some of it for Avery. Make her feel more at home, and never have to worry about losing power,” Thor said.

I smiled up at the mighty blonde man in front of me.

“Thank-you. Both of you,” I said, “You didn’t have to do this. I just didn’t want to sacrifice this stuff and leave it behind.”

Thor smiled.

“Well, Loki had an idea,” he said.

I raised an eyebrow and turned to Loki. He was holding up a DVD of The Wizard of Oz in one hand, smiling sheepishly. I burst out laughing.

“Oh, Loki!”

“What?” he asked, “I wanted to see what it was about. You said you’d show me.”

I smiled at him.

“Do you want to watch it? It’s a corny movie. Two women fighting over a pair of shoes,” I warned him.

Thor laughed. Being around Jane as much as he was, I’m sure he got the joke. Loki was confused.

“Why?” he asked.

I smiled. He had a lot to learn.

“It’s also a musical,” I said.

Loki shrugged.

“I like musicals. Many theatre productions here in Asgard are often musicals. They’re beautiful,” he said.

“Ah! But none like this, brother,” Thor joked.

Loki seemed thoroughly confused, as was I.

“Where did you see it, Thor?” I asked.

Thor’s cheeks tinged pink.

“Darcy showed me. Jane’s friend,” he said.

Loki rolled his eyes.

“I was going to ask you if you wanted to watch it with us, but since you’ve already seen it…”

“Oh, no. I wouldn't want to intrude are your time with Loki. I have to be returning to Midgard,” he said.

I felt my heart sink. I had barely had any time to get caught up with him.

“Tonight?” I asked.

Thor frowned and nodded.

“I will see you again soon, though,” he assured me.

“Well, okay then. Safe travels,” I said.

Thor bowed his head.

“You stay safe as well, Avery. And,” Thor leaned down to whisper in my ear, “Keep him in line, would you?”

I laughed.

“I heard that!” Loki snapped.

Thor smiled at his brother.

“We’ll be fine. Thank-you for doing this for me,” I said.

“You’re very welcome. Loki, I will return if something changes,” he said.

Loki nodded. Thor said goodbye to us before leaving us alone with our movie. I took the DVD from Loki and hooked up the DVD player so we could watch it. By the time the Witch appeared, Loki was giving me knowing glances.

“I see where you picked up the fire thing. And the smoke,” he teased.

I rolled my eyes.

“I personally like the red smoke. The fire is just for scare effect,” I said.

Loki smiled at me.

“So are you good witch, or a bad witch?” he asked huskily.

I glared at him.

“Depends, my dear Loki. Are you a good King, or a bad one?” I asked.

Loki moved of to me and pinned me down to the couch.

“Neither,” he said, “I am a great king!”

I burst out laughing.

“Whatever you say,” I said teasingly.

Loki growled and roughly assaulted my mouth. I just grabbed his collar and yanked him to me. I could feel magic flooding my veins as Loki transferred his energy to me, trying to get my mind to snap of to the dark side.

“How about a little fire, Scarecrow?”

Loki and I turned to see the Wicked Witch of the West stick the end of her broom into a torch and set the Scarecrow’s arm on fire. Loki chuckled.

“I like her,” he said.

I laughed at him.

“Especially the green. Not as a skin color. Just the shade,” he went on.

I looked to his chest and straightened his v-neck tunic.

“I’ve always liked green,” I thought out loud.

Loki gazed down at me with this smoldering stare.

“Maybe we could incorporate the color into your armor?”

I smiled and shook my head.

“Green is yours. I’ll find my color,” I said.

Loki seemed satisfied by that, and he laid down on my chest to watch the rest of the movie. I brushed my fingers through his hair as I thought back to my encounter with Frigga, all the while my wicked side coming more alive. By morning, I would realize it had never truly vanished.

***

The next morning, as promised, I was to meet with the family tailor to be fitted for armor. Loki met with me briefly and told me he requested that the tailors listen to my every word. No request should go denied, and if they were to argue with me, I should report them to him. I told Loki it seemed a little harsh. They were only doing their jobs. I wasn’t going to make them do anything too outrageous anyway, but Loki had already made up his mind. He was being ridiculous, but he wanted everything to be perfect for me. I suppose, in his mind, if it was perfect, that lessened the chance of me getting hurt.
I was to be escorted by Sif, as per request by Loki, to the tailor. His excuse was “Sif knows the best fit for a female warrior, and I want her to supervise.” Basically, he did not want the tailor to bullshit me, and Loki knew Sif would enforce that. I told Loki I could go on my own, and if the tailor gave me any grief, I would burn his or her hand off. I wondered why his amount of trust in the tailor was so little.
As I walked alongside Sif to be fitted, I felt highly out of place. I had chosen to wear a simple t-shirt and soft shorts to make changing clothes easy incase I needed to try something on. I looked like a bum compared to Sif, who was wearing her light armor, boots, and her hair up in a classy ponytail. She looked so regal and, well, badass. I was really starting to feel like an ungrateful brat. Refusing to accept the customs of my new home. However, I had only just arrived. While I was at the tailors, I would ask to measure me for dress gowns, dress armor, and anything else custom to Asgard that I would need. I would, however, ask for certain colors, as well as a sort of Midgardian flare. I didn’t want to feel too uncomfortable.

“Have you been well, Avery?” Sif asked, breaking the silence.

I glanced up at her.

“Other than a stab wound by a Frost Giant, I’ve been fine,” I replied.

Sif look embarrassed.

“Oh, Avery, I apologize. Your injury slipped my mind. Is it healing well?”

I nodded.

“It fully healed now,” I replied.

She gave me a small smile.

“Good. I’ve seen many Frost Giant related injuries. All of which can be pretty nasty,” she said.

I nodded.

“I bet. Have you been well, Sif?” I asked.

She nodded.

“I have,” she replied.

She looked down at me with a strange look on her face. I wasn’t sure what to make if it, but it looked like she was sneering. I looked away and furrowed my eyebrows. What was that about?

“I’m sorry, but I must ask you this,” she said, her voice now snappy, “Do you fully trust our King?”

I snapped up to look at her.

“Excuse me?” I asked.

“You must pardon me if my question is a little intrusive, but I must know. Do you trust Lo—ehem, King Loki?” she asked again.

I narrowed my eyes at her. I knew what she was getting at. In her mind, I was either on his evil side, or to see if he wasn’t controlling me.

“Sif, Loki has been my best friend for years. Never once has he lied to me or tried to manipulate me for more than a harmless joke. I can see through him, and I would know if he tried to pull a fast one on me. I have always trusted him, and he’s always put his trust in me. I would never betray him.”

“Yet, he betrayed you by attacking Midgard,” she said.

“He didn’t do it to spite me, Sif. I will admit it, I wanted his head on a platter when I woke up and saw him. I fought with him. Screamed at him. Said things I probably shouldn’t have said to the man who had saved my life. I didn’t trust him at first, but he regained my trust. And after hearing what he did for Thor and his mortal woman, I had to forgive him. No heartless being could have done something so selfless. Furthermore, we don’t have all the facts on what happened to Loki when he encountered the Chitauri. For all we know, he could have been under some form of possession. Maybe by the Chitauri and the Tesseract both. We don’t know for sure, so we shouldn’t judge him based solely upon what we’ve seen or heard. There’s always another side. If you feel it’s full of lies, then I’m sorry, but you’re wrong.”

Sif took a deep breath.

“I know you know of the things I’ve done, Sif, and you may think I’m siding with a dark force, but Loki has changed. I’ve changed. If Loki betrays Asgard for any other reason than ones deemed absolutely necessary, I will most likely side opposite of him and see to it that he receives the proper punishment. I highly doubt it, though,” I finished.

Sif nodded.

“You truly believe Loki is working for the good of Asgard?” she asked.

I looked up at her.

“You don’t?” I asked.

She cleared her throat.

“What I mean to say is, I want to believe him. Loki was a good friend to all of us as children, but after his fight with Thor…”

“It was nothing more than an overdramatized fight between two siblings and I minor freakout on Loki’s part. How would you feel if in one day, you learned that not only were you not of your family, but not even of your own species? Then, send your brother away to live alone on Midgard not long after disposing of your best friend?”

Sif thought about it for a minute.

“I suppose I would crack. Perhaps not as brutally as Loki, but…that’s a difficult question to answer,” she said.

I gave her a small smile.

“Have faith in Loki, Sif.”

She nodded.

“I will try,” she said.

Sif and I walked into a room where the tailors were impatiently waiting, where they yanked me in and drowned me in measuring tape and straight pins.
Later, while Sif was smiling at my distressed state of getting my chest measured, a guard knocked at the door.

“The King requested Lady Sif at once to the throne room. He also requests Lady Avery as soon as she is finished.”

“Thank-you,” Sif said to the guard, then turned to me, “How much progress have we made?”

The tailor wrote my measurements down.

“Almost finished, my lady,” she replied.

Sif looked up to me.

“Do you think you can find your way back?” she asked me.

“You forget I used to regularly visit Asgard, Sif,” I said.

I knew this place like the back of my hand.

“Ah, yes. Sorry, but it has been quite a few years,” she apologized.

I gave her a smile.

“It’s okay. Go see what the King needs. I will be along shortly,” I said.

Sif returned the smile and nodded before turning on her heal and leaving. Once she was gone, I breathed a sigh of relief. Sif and I had had our differences, most of which involving Loki and his rights and wrongs, but I was thankful that my first encounter with her alone since my exile had been relatively painless. I needed to make amends with her. She had never liked me, and I had been particularly hateful to her during my worst moments before Frigga saved me from demonic possession. Sif could have killed me in the corridors of the palace and make it look like an accident, so I needed to reestablish a relationship with her, as well as reconnecting with the Warrior’s Three and Thor. Before long, I may be fighting alongside them.

“Okay, suck it in, dear,” the tailor said.

Before I could even obey the command, the tailor was choking me with another corset. I gasped and held my stomach with one hand. This was going to be a long day.

After finally being measured for everything I would need, and after a long, unnecessary argument about corsets, I made my way back through the palace in search of Loki. As I walked, trying to magic away the soreness in my sides from being crushed by corset after corset, a guard approached me and bowed before speaking to me.

“My Lady, the King is in the warriors’ sitting room with the others,” he said.

I nodded.

“Thank-you,” I replied.

“Would you like an escort?” he asked.

I stared at him for a moment. I know custom is custom, manners are manners, and rules are rules, but could a maiden not walk unattended to be with her thoughts? I felt as if it was one thing for Loki to escort me, another for Thor, or even one of the Warrior’s Three, but a royal guard? I know it was probably Loki’s request, but I felt like this was one of those rules that needed to be changed. Even Sif and Frigga were allowed to walk on their own. Perhaps I was a little headstrong, and a bit proud, but I felt like I had a right to roam freely.

“No, but thank-you,” I said politely.

The guard bowed his helmeted head and backed away before turning to resume whatever duties he had. I continued my walk, tackling a flight of stairs and turning to head to the sitting room. My mind could not shake my encounter with Frigga. It had been years since I had seen a manifestation of a spirit. I knew she showed herself to me at this time for a reason. Something was on the horizon. Something possibly terrible. What I failed to understand was why a lifestyle that I had hated, that I fought to break myself from, was now being encouraged. I had made a name for myself in Asgard, influenced by dark magic and spending my time with the black sheep of the royal family. People knew not to trust Loki, and when I showed signs of wickedness, pulling not so harmless pranks with my magic and battling dirty, not to mention being stubborn and completely unladylike, they did not trust me either. I brought a lot of grief, and the worst part was, I had no clue about it until I was exorcised. I felt terrible for it, and still do. Yet, I found myself yearning for that life again.

“You should never have come back.”

I stopped and turned to see a servant mopping the floor. She was a plump, middle-aged woman, her face well-wrinkled and pieces of gray peeking out in her hairline. I thought that perhaps she was talking to another servant, but she was looking right at me. In addition, there was no one else around. I glared darkly at her. Servants were not allowed to speak to those in higher rank unless addressed first.

“Excuse me?” I asked, a little snappy.

She smiled at me and continued her mopping.

“You should have been left to rot in Midgard. Your stay here won’t be long,” she said.

I rushed her and shoved her against the wall, my anger boiling.

“Was that a threat?” I hissed.

She just laughed.

“You listen to me! You are nothing more but the help. You do NOT talk to me that way! I am under the protection of the King. Would you like to lose your job and go to prison, because I could summon him here right now,” I threatened.

“You are not welcome here, witch. The Allfather banished you for a reason. He knew you were truly wicked, and if he were still king, he would have you killed. You and your precious Loki!”

In a split second, everything I had been holding back unleashed. Blazing anger exploded within me, my magical core flipped, and the magic I had been keeping myself out of for so long came to a head.

“You want wicked?” I asked, “I’ll show you WICKED!”

I raised my hand, and the woman’s face fell. Oh, sweet wickedness.
***

Loki sat on the throne, sitting sideways as he picked at his well-manicured nails. He was bored. The needs of the Asgardians and their requests for help or otherwise only entertained him for a minute or so. Within in the past hour, his attention had been on his fingernails, his armor, or the ceiling, admiring the beauty the crystal had restored to the room. No one had come to speak with him, so he took the time to relax and gaze up at the ceiling in deep thought. His mind was on the portals and the claimed alien life form found on Midgard. He wished they had provided him more evidence. A crashed ship, perhaps. Something to give a clue as to where they came from, and could they have any connection to the portals. It was driving him to the point of insanity. He knew, whether it be tomorrow or in a week’s time, he would have to travel down to Midgard and get to the bottom of things. He wondered what kind of welcome he would receive.
The doors opened and in stepped Fandral and Voltagg, as requested. As they made their way to the throne, Sif entered and walked quickly to catch up with them. Loki looked up to see them and swung his legs around to face front. The three requested warriors bowed to Loki. Loki smirked. Out of everything he liked about ruling, people kneeling to him was his favorite.
Loki stood and walked down to the three warriors, two of his guards following at a close distance.

“You all arrived sooner than I expected,” he observed.

Fandral and Volstagg exchanged nervous glances.

“We were in the area,” Fandral said.

Loki nodded and turned to Sif.

“Were the tailors nearly finished with Avery when you left?” he asked.

“I know not. They said they were, but they were giving her a rough time,” she replied.

Loki snorted.

“I’m not surprised. I’ll send after her if she has not arrived by the time we’re finished,” he said, casting a glance at the late morning sky outside.

“What did you need of us, my Lord?” Volstagg asked.

Loki looked back to the towering, bearded man before him.

“Your help,” he replied.

The three warriors exchanged nervous and fearful glances.

“I trust the three of you, and Hogun, the most with the task I have for you. Are you willing to help?” Loki asked.

The had no choice but to nod.

“Good. Follow me,” he said.

Loki led the three out of the throne room and up to a sitting room where they, as well as Thor, used chat and rest after a battle. It was the room they concealed themselves in as they tried to make sense of Thor’s banishment several years ago.
The four strolled in, Loki allowing them entrance first. He then followed them into the warmly lit room while his guards closed the door and guarded the outside. Loki turned to see his warrior’s standing around nervously.

“Please, sit. The news will be easier to take off of your feet,” he said.

That did not help ease the tension, but they obeyed anyway. Loki went to sit across from them. He sat down heavily and clasped his hands together.

“I would not ask this of you if Thor were available, but I do not have much of a choice at the moment. The issue with the portals and the capture of strange lifeforms on Midgard may force me to go and inspect the situation. I will need Thor with me, and I will most likely take Avery, since she knows about these kinds of creatures, but I need someone to watch the throne.”

Loki watched as Sif, Fandral, and Volstagg’s eyes widened.

“Loki, we—“

Loki held a hand up, cutting Fandral off.

“There is no doubt in my mind you three can handle it. Hogun too, should he return before I do,” he said.

“Loki, we can’t just take the throne! We’re not royalty!” Sif exclaimed.

Loki pointed to himself.

“I am not, nor have I ever been an Odinson, yet here I am!” he hissed.

Sif did not argue.

“It will only be temporary. All three of you are close to Thor. The Asgardians know that and they will trust you. I would not be surprised if they trusted you more than me,” he said.

“Forgive me,” Volstagg said, “but I must ask. This isn’t part of some elaborate plan to, you know, cause chaos or something?”

“Volstagg!” Sif scolded.

Volstagg cowered.

“I know! I just couldn’t help but think—“

“I do not blame you for thinking this way,” Loki interrupted, “But I cannot leave Asgard unattended, nor can I risk losing three of Asgard’s best warriors in Midgard. I need your help. Are you all willing to take the role of power until Thor or myself return?”

Fandral rubbed his hands against his thighs and puffed out his cheeks. Sif bit her lip and looked to him and Volstagg.

“This is a huge responsibility,” she said to them.

Fandral shrugged.

“It is, but between the three of us, and if Hogun returns, we could do it,” he said.

“May be a lot of fun. A new challenge for us,” Volstagg said.

Loki snorted and smiled.

“So you will do it?” he asked.

They looked to him and nodded. Loki gave them a genuine smile and stood.

“I will make the announcement to Asgard tonight,” he said, “And, I will reward the three of you greatly for your assistance.”

“Loki, we’re glad to help. We understand that you’re shorthanded and you need to take care of the current issues. There’s no need to reward us,” Fandral said.

Loki smirked. He admired Fandral’s humbleness.

“It is the kingly thing to do. I have to make a right somewhere,” he said.

Fandral just nodded. Loki spoke his thanks once more to the warriors before excusing them until he required their presence again.

Once the door was closed, an explosion from outside that made Loki jump. He spun around and looked to see a cloud of red and gray smoke down on a lower level of the palace. Then, a noise that sounded like a chair squeaking across the floor pierced his ears, and fire blew up from the smoke. A black plume of smoke shot skyward from the aftermath of the explosion. Loki smiled.

“Well, well,” he said to himself.

The plume of black smoke curved in the air and hurtled straight for the balcony. Loki’s face fell and he quickly ducked back inside. The marble floor began to smoke, and Loki could feel the heat. As the plume met the balcony, a blaze of fire engulfed it and vanished, revealing a livid Avery and a sobbing servant woman. Loki stared in shock as Avery slung the servant to the ground, sending the plump woman sliding to Loki’s feet.

***

“My lady,” the servant woman cried, pushing herself up to all fours.

She turned to face me.

“I am sorry. Please, I’ll be on my way and you’ll never have any trouble from me again. I swear,” she begged.

“Why don’t you tell your King what you told me?” I asked venomously.

Loki looked up from the woman.

“What did she say to you, my dear?” he asked me.

The servant looked up to Loki, then back to me.

“Tell him,” I said to her, “Tell him right now.”

The woman cried.

“No, please, I’ll—“

I flew down to her, grabbed her collar, then held my free hand up and a ball of fire manifested from my palm.

“Tell him or I will show you no mercy,” I threatened her.

“Okay!” she cried.

I extinguished the fire and let go, climbed back to my feet. She tried to stand too, but Loki held a palm up.

“I’d rather you kneel, servant. If you have angered Lady Avery to this point, you have no right to stand before me,” he said darkly.

The servant woman whimpered.

“Speak!” I shouted.

“I threatened her,” she cried, “I told her she should have never come back, and you shouldn’t have! Odin was right about you all this time. You’re not a good witch, and neither are you a good king. Avery should be left to rot in Midgard, and you should be dead in the ground!”

Loki growled, but before he hand a chance to do anything, my temper exploded. With both of my palms up, my fingers curled like the talons of an eagle reaching for a rabbit, I lifted the woman up and sent her flying across the room. She crashed against the fall wall with a sickening thud. I flew over to her, grabbed her by the hair on the back of her head, and yanked her face up to look at me.

“Don’t think you will ever speak to your King, or me, like that ever again, you ungrateful shrew!” I snarled.

With that, I violently smashed my knee into her face, breaking her nose.

“Witch,” she whispered before falling unconscious.

I straightened up as I looked down at her, a feeling of satisfaction and invigorating power washing over me, restoring me to my original state—what Frigga said I was meant to be.

“Guards!” Loki barked.

Two of Loki’s guards burst through the doors and marched in.

“Shackle this woman and take her to the healers. See she remains handcuffed until she is in a prison cell. I will arrange a trial for her in the coming weeks. Is that clear?”

The guards bowed their heads in understanding before carefully picking up the injured woman and carrying her off. I watched until the doors were closed. Behind me, Loki chuckled. I turned to see him smiling at me, and I couldn't keep my heart from jumping into my throat. Loki’s eyes were bright and mischievous, as was his grin, but it held nothing but warmth.

“There it is,” he said.

I sighed and began to approach him, hanging my head in a mixture of shame and embarrassment.

“What triggered it?” he asked, referring to my restored powers.

I sheepishly looked up at him.

“Rage. Pure, uncontrollable rage,” I said, my anger starting to bubble up again, “Loki, this is against the rules. It’s in the Rede. ‘An’ ye harm none, do what ye will.’ Everything comes back three times, Loki. It’s called Karma. What I just did, is going to come and bite my ass! This is why I wanted to stop my wickedness in first place.”

I didn’t notice it, but my magic beginning to take a mind of its own. Spurts of fire and sparks of electricity were shooting out of my fingertips. Loki grabbed my hands, folding them gently into his.

“Shh. Easy, Ave, easy,” he said calmly.

I looked at my hands, sparks being extinguished by his magic, resulting in little whips of smoke twirling up from our hands.

“Deep breaths, my darling. Calm yourself,” he said.

I took a few deep breaths. Loki locked his eyes with mine and mumbled something. I felt a surge of icy cold energy rush through me, negative energy washing away until I was left exhausted on my feet.
Loki let go of my hands and stroked my cheek with the crook of his index finger as he watched me, a loving and borderline seductive look in his eyes.

“How I missed this,” he said, “Your beautiful wickedness. Once we get a handle on it, we can use it for greater good.”

I tried not to, but I cracked and smiled.

“I’m going to get in trouble for this, Loki. I’m going to have to beg the Gods and Goddesses for forgiveness.”

Loki’s eyes widened and a smirk played upon his lips.

“You worship from mythology, correct? Norse, Greek, Roman?”

I nodded. Loki put his fingertips to his chest plate.

“Am I not a God?” he asked.

I closed my eyes and groaned.

“Don’t tell me you worship Thor,” he teased.

“Loki, you don’t have the best reputation in the Wiccan community.”

“Have I ever had a decent reputation? I’m trying to remedy that,” he said, being difficult and trying to get a rise out of me.

“Loki, this is different. Certain facts about you are lost through translation and time. This is real. The Loki in the Eddas is based off of you, and that’s what they worship. Until a little over a year ago, no one knew you existed.”

Loki did not seem angered or disappointed, as I thought he would be.

“This is different. I breathe. I live. I have a beating heart. I have a soul, though most choose to believe otherwise. Strip me of immortality and power and what am I, Ave? If I renounce my lineage of Frost Giant, what am I?” he asked.

I sighed.

“Human,” I said quietly.

“As you once were, my dear. Now, we are immortal. We are magical beings. We are the same, Avery. But as a God, I can grant you forgiveness for today. Especially since you acted in my defense, as you always have. You just did it in a glorious, wicked way.”

“That you seem to get too much of a kick from,” I popped off.

Loki laughed. I smiled at his amusement. His expressions soon died down, but his smile never faded from his lips.

“I, Loki, grant you forgiveness for your acts of wickedness,” he said.

I felt shocked as a feeling of burden lifted from me. An uneasiness vanished. Loki took my hands.

“You seemed surprised,” he observed.

I took a deep breath and looked up at him. I then smiled at him. Loki took my chin in his fingertips, tilting my head up.

“Now, let’s have a kiss,” he said cheekily.

I giggled and he pressed his lips tenderly to mine. I held his neck, savoring the feeling of his lips, warm from the spell that kept him Aesir, versus the fatal chill one would feel from kissing a Frost Giant.

“Ding-dong, the witch is back,” he sang softly.

I burst out laughing and smacked his chest. Loki laughed and yanked me into a hug, embracing me so I couldn’t fight him.

“Are you glad? Does it feel right?” he asked, slipping his arms around my waist.

I put my arms inside his jacked and wound them around his waist as I thought about it. I had this pleasure flood me as I see the fear in the servant woman’s eyes as I attacked her. I loved the power it gave me, the feeling of my magic coming forth, and the sweet vengeance for Loki.

“It’s starting to. Loki?” I asked.

Loki looked down at me.

“Yes, love?”

“Promise me you won’t let me lose my control,” I said.

Loki let go of me, cupped my face in his large hands, and kissed my forehead.

“Never will I let you lose control, my sweet Avery. I can’t bear to see it overtake you again. We will harness it, okay? Worry not, love,” he said.

I reached up on tip-toe and pecked his lips.

“Thank-you. I promise I won’t let harm come to you or anything take hold of you either,” I said.

Loki smiled and hugged me, whispering a thank-you in my ear. He kissed the side of my head before pulling away.

“I’m sure Mother would forgive you, too,” he said quietly.

I gave Loki a sad smile. I couldn’t tell him what happened in the garden, even though I desperately wanted to.

“I think so, too,” I whispered.

Loki took my hand.

“Come. We have to meet with Heimdall. Would you like to fly there, or ride Rune again?” he asked.

I smiled.

“Rune. A black arc of smoke in broad daylight will surely cause alarm among the Asgardians,” I said.

Loki grinned and led me to the door.

“It is a scary sight, hurtling towards you,” he teased as he opened the door for me.

“Well, move, you idiot,” I joked.

A guard standing outside the door stared at me in fear. Loki noticed the look on the man’s face and smirked. I often forgot that he was the King, and not just the prince I could goof around with. Though, I still was never allowed to call him an idiot then, either.

“Avery,” he scolded, “Mind your language.”

I snorted.

“I apologize, my Lord,” I said.

Loki closed the door and eyed me accusingly. I couldn’t contain the smile on my face. Loki swiftly grabbed me. I squealed as he escorted me down the corridor.

“Guards, please alert the stablehands to prepare my steed and Rune, please,” he said over his shoulder.

“Of course, your Majesty,” they said, then bowed and turned to walk in the opposite direction.

I snorted.

“That still sounds so weird to me,” I said, “‘Your majesty.’”

Loki smiled down at me.

“I’m enjoying it. Why don’t you tell me about your time at the tailors?” he asked.

I groaned.

“Where shall I begin?”