Page 34 of Loki's Enemy Mate

“Can you lift it?” I asked, a thought occurring to me. “Over the edge I mean?”

A heavy rock would mean a lot more power behind every strike. And now that Loki had made the hole so much bigger, the wall was even weaker than before. It might only take a few hits to bring it down.

“I… I’ll try.”

There was a symphony of grunts and odd noises as Loki worked. I could hear him dragging the rock through the gravel, trying to get it closer before he hefted it up over the edge. I made sure to get out of the way, not wanting to impede his progress. He paused for only a moment, taking a few deep breaths. Then, with a cry, he lifted the stone, and I heard the grinding as it appeared at the edge of the pit and slid onto the floor.

“Good job!” I called, reaching down and grabbing his outstretched hand. Without waiting for his help, I pulled him up and out of the hole easily, placing him back on solid ground. “I’ll take it from here. You rest.”

“That thing isfuckingheavy,” he panted. “Are you sure you don’t want help?”

I placed a hand on his shoulder, giving him a confident smile. “I got this.”

“Show off.”

“Big dumb jock, remember? This is what I’m good at.”

“Go wild,” he huffed, hands on his knees as he continued to breathe. “Just don’t hurt yourself.”

I leaned down, my fingers searching for a good place to hold the stone. Once I found it, I hefted it up, muscles straining as I got it to eye level. Then, waddling like a duck under the weight, I carried it out into the freezing cold river and took a few steps back from the wall. Taking a few deep breaths, I cried out as I hurled the stone with all the strength I had, pushing it up and away from my body. A second later it collided with the wall, a deafening crack filling the air. I took a quick step back, not wanting it to somehow land on my toes. But when I looked up again, I realized I could see far more of the night sky than I had before.

My chest filled with pride and I smiled wider than I thought possible. It was working. The wall was crumbling. Already the hole was big enough to get my head and a single shoulder through. I stepped over to it, running my fingers over the surface. There were several large cracks heading in all directions. If I was right, it wouldn’t take much more to punch through.

Before my renewed strength left me, I fished the stone out of the water and took a few steps back. This time I took one big breath before I threw the rock like a shotput, putting all my bodyweight behind it. There was another resounding crack followed by the crumbling of stone as it fell into the water. Dust filled the air as rocks fell all around me, both from the walls and ceiling. For a moment I began to panic, thinking I’d somehow managed to bring the entire cave down on top of us.

But just as quick as it began, it stopped. I coughed and sputtered, dust filling my eyes and nostrils.

“Loki?” I hacked. “Loki! Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” he called back, coughing as well. “A couple little ones hit me, but I’m fine.”

It wasn’t until that moment I realized that the water around my ankles was suddenly flowing faster that it had before. I looked up, trying to blink and squint my way through the dust. I took a couple of steps forward, feeling all the gravel now filling the smooth stone bottom of the river. Reaching out, I placed my hand on the wall to steady myself. In the darkness I thought I could see tiny pinpricks of light. I wasn’t sure if it was the dust sparkling in the moonlight or something else. But as it finally began to settle, I realized they were stars.

I was staring out at the night sky through a hole in the wall nearly twice my size.

Loki splashed through the water, placing his hand on my shoulder as he came up beside me. He coughed a few times, his eyelashes fluttering as he tried to wipe the dust away. Then his breath stilled with a gasp as he saw what I was seeing at last.

We were free.

Chapter Nineteen: Loki

Istepped out of the river and up onto a rocky bank covered in fallen leaves. A light dusting of snow blanketed the world around me, clinging to the golden leaves that had yet to give up their branchy perches. Cold bit at my naked skin, making me break out in goosebumps. A quick glance showed me we were on the southeastern side of the mountain. In the distance I could see the clump of glowing electric lights of Fenris tucked between the hills. Then I turned my head toward the sky, staring up at the moonlit clouds as snowflakes danced around my face. Closing my eyes, I breathed in the sweet fresh air, letting it fill me to the brim.

Freedom had never tasted so sweet.

“We made it,” Heimdall sighed beside me, all the relief I felt evident in his voice. “I can’t believe we made it…”

I turned to him, throwing my arms around him before I could overthink it.

“I don’t want to go back yet,” I said, my face buried in his neck. “I don’t want to be your enemy again… not yet.”

He stiffened for a split second before scooping me up into his embrace. “You’ll never be my enemy again. I can promise you that.”

“How?” I asked, already on the verge of tears. “How will we make that work?”

“I don’t know.” At least he was honest. “But we’ll figure it out.”

I wasn’t sure I believed him. I wanted to, but I just didn’t think it was possible.

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