Page 52 of Loki

“Several times.”

“And no one sees you?”

“They’ve never said anything. Not that I’ve met my neighbors. That’s the thing about living up here. People do it for the natural feel, but they also do it because they want to be left alone to mind their own business and expect everyone else to do the same.”

“So, I can fly up here?” Her eyes held a gleam he’d not seen in them before— something between childlike happiness and utter hope.

“Of course. It’s one of the reasons I brought you. If you think you’re well enough to fly. You took quite a beating.”

Val downed her ale and began to strip off her restrictive layers. “As long as my wings work, every other bone in my body could be broken, and I would still want to fly.”

Loki stripped down to his pants. “Let’s go.”

They took to the sky,and it was like a century vanished from Val’s demeanor. It took her a few minutes to warm up her wings and find the rhythm of flying, but once she had, there was no stopping her. She flew higher and faster than Loki imagined she could. He followed close but still allowed her the room she needed to maneuver and not feel crowded by him.

Loki had seen thousands of creatures fly in his lifetime, but watching Val brought him happiness and a sense of peace which radiated through him. She glided gracefully high above the cloud, dipping down and turning suddenly into a death spiral only to stop immediately and fly straight up again, bursting through the clouds like a rocket.

They flew for close to half an hour when he noticed her begin to fatigue. He raced to where she lazily drifted in and out of view.

“You should rest,” he called.

She looked back at him. “I could fly like this forever.”

“I’m sure in your heart you can, but what about your wings? They aren’t used to working so much. We don’t want them to get sore or pull something. Let’s go back, and I’ll massage them for you.”

She dipped into the clouds and waited a moment for her to reemerge, but she didn’t. In a slight panic, he spun in a circle, and she came up behind him and jumped on his back, wrapping her arms around his neck.

“You’ll massage my wings?” She nipped his neck, making him shiver.

“I’ll massage any part you want me to.”

She licked up the side of his throat, and he reached back and cupped her rear.

“Signe—”

“Loki.”

Her warm breath tickled his bare skin, and he wanted nothing more than to take her.

“Do you think we could make love up here?” she asked.

Damn, that was tempting. “Maybe. Until we both climax, get lost in each other and plummet to our deaths.”

“Mmmmm... but it would be an amazing death.”

He sighed. “Glorious.”

She nipped his shoulder and then let go of him. He spun as she flew backward, grabbed her hand, and pulled her back to him. Her wings enveloped him as he kissed her.

“Thank you,” she said.

Whoa!“For what?”

“Everything. Helping me get revenge on Odin. Finding out who is hunting us. For this.”

“You are most welcome, love.”

“I only ask you one thing.”

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