Page 20 of Loki's Enemy Mate

They were blind.

Obviously, the fish had spent most of their lives in total darkness. However, the fact that they could live there at all must mean there was a way to the outside world downstream. How else would they get food or leave to spawn? Fish didn’t just spontaneously burst out of the rocks. There had to be a way for them to get in there in the first place.

“Find anything?” Heimdall called, pulling me from my thoughts. His voice echoed through the small passage and I was surprised how far away it sounded. “You’re making me a little nervous.”

“There’s a river here,” I called back, crouching down by the hole. “And fish. It must lead to the outside.”

“Fish? In a cave?”

“Uh-huh,” I said, rolling my eyes. “There must be an exit somewhere this way. We just have to follow the water. So come on through.”

There was a long pause.

“You… You want me to crawl throughthat?”

I couldn’t see Heimdall, but I knew he meant the passage.

“Yes,” I sighed, clearly exasperated. “It’s plenty big enough. Just come on.”

“But… it’s such a tiny hole… I don’t think I’m gonna fit.”

I don’t know if it was the hunger or the stress of the situation, but I suddenly burst out laughing at that. It took a good thirty seconds before I could calm down enough to actually answer Heimdall.

“Buddy,” I called back, wiping the tears from my eyes, “I guarantee you’re not as big as you think you are.”

Even through the tunnel, I could hear his huff of frustration. “That’s whatyouthink,” he grumbled.

I ignored him. “Come on! It’s just a tiny tunnel! What’s the big deal?”

“I’m fucking freaked out about it, okay?” he shot back. “I don’t like small spaces! Or crawling! Or being underground for that matter!”

Taking a deep breath, I crouched down and looked back down the tunnel. I could see Heimdall’s terrified expression in the dim light. And, if my eyes weren’t deceiving me, he might have actually beenshaking. Somehow, the entire thing was kind of adorable. Annoying, but adorable.

“Look,” I said, forcing myself not to laugh or make fun of him. “We can’t get out that way. But this river leads to the outside. I know it’s freaky, but you gotta do it. There’s no other way out and I’m pretty sure starving to death down here is worse than crawling through a tunnel.”

His expression told me he agreed but was still apprehensive. “What if I get stuck?”

“Then I’ll get you out. We’re in a truce, remember?”

“The truce isnotto kill one another. Not to save each other.”

“Well, I already saved you once,” I replied, tilting my head to the side. “Can’t you trust me to do it again?”

He took a few seconds before he nodded slowly, his gaze fixed on mine. “I… I trust you.”

A rush of warmth filled my chest as butterflies filled my stomach. I liked those words on his lips.A lot.

“Come on,” I said, holding a hand out. “I’m right here.”

I wasn’t sure why I added that last part. Heimdall probably still hated me. He’d kissed me of course, but I figured that was just the adrenaline of the moment after I’d saved his life. Sure, there was the wholematething happening in my head, which I was doing everything I could to ignore. Besides, I had no guarantee he felt the same. And I wasn’t gonna bring it up either. It was all just too much and too confusing to worry about right now when our lives were on the line.

But I was sure that I wanted to help him escape this cavern. I wanted usbothto walk into the sunshine once more and breathe the fresh mountain air. Once we did that, we could figure out the rest of it. But I just didn’t have time to dwell on all those overwhelming feelings at that moment. There was too much at stake.

“You promise you’ll pull me out if I get stuck?” he asked one more time just to be sure.

“Yes,” I nodded. “I promise.”

He let out a long, defeated sigh. “Alright. But just stay right there, okay? I need something to focus on that’s not this tiny ass tunnel.”

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