Page 55 of Loki

Her fingers twitched the longer she stared at the box, flipped the lid off it, and leapt back as if something might bite her.

Her eyes widened, and she couldn’t help but move forward again. She ran her fingers over the champagne-colored silk, gently lifted it out of the box, and held it up.

The dress fell to her knee, and she took in the whole of it. The halter dress had a jeweled collar and jeweled chains that draped down over the shoulders like shoulder pauldrons— but utterly useless in battle, obviously. She turned it around to find the back cut out of the dress, but surprisingly it was neither low cut in the front nor so short her lady bits would show, unlike many dresses women wore. It surprised her how classy the dress was. It shouldn’t have, though. The clothes Loki wore were top-of-the-line.

The jeweled collar and chains sparkled so bright she worried they were real diamonds.

She laid the dress on the table. She wanted to try it on more than anything but didn’t want the stench of beer and sweat on it. Instead, she grabbed her phone and texted one word. Okay.

At five-thirty, Val walked up to her apartment and showered. She pulled on her only pair of sexy underwear and skipped the bra. She slipped into the dress, and it fit amazingly. The fabric slid over her like a second skin, only softer and smoother. She clasped the jeweled collar, and for a moment, a shiver of panic raced through her as it reminded her of the collar Surtr had put on her when she’d first gotten to Muspelheim. She swallowed down the memory and reminded herself she was safe in Midgard.

She swallowed hard and took a deep breath before turning to the mirror. She stared at herself, unable to breathe for several seconds. She was... a woman.Yes.Of course she was a woman, but in that dress, she felt like a woman. A real woman. Not a soldier. Not a protector. Just... a woman. She’d never been just a woman before. Every second of her adult life had been spent in service to someone else, but for once, she would go out and do something she wanted to do. Wearing something she wanted to wear. With no restriction. No rules. No one telling her what to do. The idea thrilled and scared her.

She picked up her brush and ran through her long hair, getting ready to put it up in a ponytail but decided to shake her hair out and let it fall down her back. Between her golden curls and the champagne and diamond dress, she looked like an angel she’d seen in a book once. She smiled at herself and quickly covered her mouth. She’d never smiled in the mirror before. She removed her hand and smiled again. The expression felt strange on her face, but she had to admit she liked it.

A knock sounded on the door, and she glanced at the time. It was only six-fifteen. Loki was punctual, but he wouldn’t be early— unless he was checking to make sure she was getting ready.

She walked to the door and pulled it open, ready to give Loki an earful, when she stopped. It wasn’t Loki. It was Heimdall.

“Evening, Valkyrie.”

“Heimdall.” She scanned the hallway to see if anyone else was around. “Can I help you with something?”

He held out a box. “Frigg said you wouldn’t have shoes, and if you didn’t, you wouldn’t go to family dinner. So, she bought you some.”

Val took the box. “Uh... thank you.” She hadn’t thought about shoes. All she owned were boots and sneakers.

Heimdall nodded and turned to go but stopped and turned back. He looked her up and down before meeting her eyes again.

“You look stunning,” he said before continuing down the hallway.

“Uh... thank you?” A demigod had just brought her a pair of shoes and told her she looked stunning. Was that all she could think to say? “Have a good night, Heimdall.”

He waved over his shoulder but didn’t turn back.

Val noticed music coming from Elle’s room. Her door stood open a crack, and Val walked to it.

Inside, Elle sang along to a popular song they played in the bar. She listened for a minute and smiled. She took a moment to enjoy Elle’s beautiful voice before the music shut off, and Elle opened the door and screamed.

“Sorry,” said Val. “You know I’ve always loved your singing.”

Elle smiled so brightly that Val thought she might crack her face. She took in Elle’s fancy green dress. She couldn’t have bought that for herself.

“Are you going out?”

Elle nodded. “I was invited to a party at Odin’s house.”

Val’s stomach plummeted.Of course she had been. “It’s not a party. It’s a family dinner. Thor’s family will be there. All of them.”

Elle’s eyebrows scrunched together. “So?”

“So...” Val pushed into Elle’s apartment, closing the door most of the way. “You know what, so.”

“I don’t understand—”

“Yes. You do. You are choosing not to listen to me. I understand you have feelings for Thor, and that’s something I am coming to terms with, but his whole family? Someone is going to figure out who you are.”

“I don’t care anymore.” She crossed her arms over her chest.

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