Page 22 of Loki

Loki nodded. “Daily. I have clients up in Midgard, but I also have clients here.”

“Then why do you live up there?”

Loki let out a long breath. “I think it’s because my family, varied and strange as they are, and I do better with some distance between us. Plus, Fenrir lives topside, and I like to keep an eye on him. He... struggles.”

“Why did he leave Valhalla?”

“Oh, he didn’t go to Valhalla. He went to live with his sister Hel. That wasn’t good for him. I love Hel, but she is a handful, and Fenrir can’t handle all her drama and tantrums.”

“Hel always has been one for a fight,” said Val. “Valhalla knows I’ve fought against her too many times when she got the hankering for some chaos.”

“She is an expert at stirring up chaos.”

“Like her father?” Val smirked.

“Funny. But... probably true, unfortunately. But again—”

“You aren’t like that anymore? Yeah, you’ve mentioned it a few times. So tell me, if you can change, why didn’t Hel? Some say she controls her realm tighter than Lucifer himself.”

“She’s not bad. She’s just... who she was born to be.”

He couldn’t blame Val for her feelings. Hel may have been Loki’s daughter, but there was no denying that she was a total troublemaker. But being the Goddess of Death wasn’t her fault. She hadn’t chosen the path. It had been thrust upon her. Death was her thing which meant chaos and war were her things as well, and for the longest time, she got immense satisfaction from her chosen job. But she’d been content ever since Lucifer had allowed her to take up residence in the underworld and given her her little corner to govern on his behalf. Lucifer was all about luxury and the good things in life, so Hel had the dominion she’d always dreamed of. Not that her subjects were content.

They walked up to Valhalla’s Throne, and Val stopped short. She blinked up at the glowing Edison bulbs outside the brick building.

Loki followed her gaze. “What?”

She stared at him incredulously. “You have to be kidding, right?”

Loki looked at the building and back at her. “This is the place with the best steak.”

“Odin’s place? You want me to eat at Odin’s place?” The anger which rose in her voice and cheeks made Loki pause.

Loki shook his head. “I... don’t understand.”

She exploded with anger he’d not seen in her. “He’s the reason all my sisters are dead. He forced us to slaughter everyone, even in Ragnarök. Though he knew what was coming. Knew what had been foretold, but he sent us in any way. And every single one of my sisters were slaughtered. Every one of them. I was the only one who remained, and the only reason I did was because I was kidnapped and put into a life of slavery.”

He was losing her. “Val, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize...”

She began to shake like she was less than a minute from cracking. In an uncharacteristic gesture, he reached out and stroked her cheek. Her eyes snapped to his.

“We don’t have to go here. I didn’t think. I’m sorry. For me, Ragnarök was a lifetime ago, but you have lived with the consequences of it this whole time. I didn’t realize it till now. I apologize.”

She stared at him, the fire in her eyes fading somewhat.

“Let me take you somewhere else. Butternut bakery makes the most amazing carrot cake.”

She shook her head. “I don’t want to eat anymore.”

Loki nodded. He didn’t want it to end like this. Things had begun to open up for them, and he didn’t want to lose her to things in their past they couldn’t control.

Loki touched her shoulder. “What do you want to do?”

She paused. “I want to punch something.”

Loki smiled. “Really?”

She nodded. “I want to punch something until I have no punches left.”

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