When Darkness Falls - LOKI - Book One (Editing)

15. Fallen ✓

     Athelia held the book tightly in her hand, still unsure if it had been wise to listen to the scribbles of a mad man. She knew she should never have engaged with him outside of the dungeons, as even a few short sentences in an enchanted book could be seen as treason, but she couldn't help it. Even if he had been locked away - titled a traitor, murderer, and a liar - she still couldn't help but believe him when he told her that he could help her find what she had been looking for.

     With a wave of her hand, the torches lit around Athelia, casting soft glows throughout Loki's room. She was in awe. From the emerald drapes that hung above the golden postered bed to the dark watercolored paintings that covered his walls - she had never expected his room to be anything more than a place he dreamt of ruling the world, but it was more than that. It was the perfect piece of him, the piece she needed to understand him. Everything in the room was a part of him, from the golden candlesticks to the fur rugs that lined the otherwise cold floors - and it said more about him than she knew he ever would. 

     Her fingers hovered above the pieces of his life that lined the long hand-carved cupboard, afraid to leave her mark in the dust that settled. Golden hairbrushes. Combs. Bowls of rings and trinkets that she couldn't possibly envision him wearing. This was the setting of a vain man, a man who believed he was worth more than he had been led to think, a king even, and the broken mirror adorned with dried blood only made her question how and why he snapped even more. 

     Athelia pulled her hand back to her chest as the chill surrounded her. 

     Something was telling her she shouldn't be here, but it wasn't the guards, the King, or the thought of her future husband thinking she was up to something ill. No, there was a darkness in the room, one that she felt like she could bask in for days, and a small smile played across her lips as she stood there, soaking it in - until she was forced to dim the lights as the guards came close. 

     Standing still, Athelia reminded herself that she had no time to dwell on the mad man and was running out of time. 

     So, she shook each cupboard that she passed, hoping one would slosh with the liquid that she craved now more than ever. She needed to clear her mind. On Dorian, a nice bottle of djen would have settled the pit in her stomach,  but there was nothing on this planet that could come close to the mind-numbing chill she desired - nothing except the bottle that Loki claimed was hidden somewhere within these four walls. 

     A small chuckle escaped her as she stood in front of the cupboard by the bed, playing with the lock neither her magic nor her strength could unlock. It had to be there, and if it wasn't, then perhaps it was something that would help her in her quest for answers. Either way, she was determined to open the cupboard and even went as far as digging around for a quill so she could ask him herself, but after waiting several minutes with no answer, she slammed the book shut and tossed it onto the bed. 

     The only way to find it was the key, and she quickly set out to find it. 

     It felt like hours passed, and Athelia had almost given up. She had found nearly every dagger and weapon hidden in the room and had patted the pockets of every leather suit and cloak the man had in his cupboards. She had dumped every boot, turned all the blankets, and even turned to old-world magic in an attempt to find what hadn't wanted to be seen. 

     If there had ever been a low in her life, this had been it. 

     Tears of frustration had nearly fallen down her cheeks, over a bottle of spirits, and in a brief moment of frustration, she shouted loudly but quickly regretted it as the door swung open and Thor met her with a furious gaze.