mythandriel

[mythandriel]

Loki’s Muse: A Fanfiction; I do not own the rights to any of the Marvel Characters.

Loki has come to earth seeking the teseract, but he runs into an alluring midgardian woman. This is rated M for mature, and has rape / non con themes throughout.

He had never noticed a midgardian woman before, at least not as someone beautiful or desirable. She was leading a group of young adults into the next exhibit, giving instructions on what they should be looking at and what they should be writing in their notebooks. She was tall and blonde which wasn’t necessarily out of the ordinary, considering they were in Denver Colorado, but that wasn’t what he noticed. She walked joyfully, and with purpose. Her long graceful legs seemed to float on the grey carpet of the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. Her eyes were full of wonderment and delight as she directed her students into the room. It seemed a luminosity was radiating from her, as if she were protected somehow from this mortal world. She had the most graceful hands and she was using them to illustrate her point. Loki had never seen such perfectly long and elegant fingers.

As she released the teens to discover the mummies of ancient Egypt she smiled. He was disturbed that her smile ensnared him so, her whole face transformed into something angelic. She did not hesitate or arrange her smile to flatter her face. Instead she allowed the mysterious delight from within her out into the open through a flash of her teeth and a stretch of her lips. Those lips, they were perfectly shaped, and they looked smooth and pink although she wore no lipstick. As he studied her more carefully he noticed that she wasn’t beautiful per se, her nose was almost too long, and she had a bit of a weak chin. It was her spirit and soul that made her noticeable. She let everyone see the pureness and the enjoyment of her inner most self, and she wasn’t embarrassed or ashamed. Most midgardian women were self-conscious or thought too much of their own ephemeral beauty, but this woman was different. She was enchanting him like some sort of woodland fairy, her smile and her movements were very sprite like.

As she walked into the room Lillia couldn’t help but smile at what a wonderful day it had been so far. She was taking a group of her high school students to the museum, and most of them had never been there before. They were walking into one of her favorite exhibits when she noticed a tall man looking at the embalming tools. He had dark hair, a stoic jaw line and icy blue eyes. Those eyes bore into her and she almost forgot what she was saying as she spoke to her students. After finally finishing her sentence she walked around to see that everyone was on task. All of her students were viewing the exhibit and behaving so well that she decided to glance over and see if the man was still staring at her. Thankfully he wasn’t, now she could peek at him more closely without looking like a creeper. He was very tall and very masculine even though his body moved with the grace of a trained dancer. He had fair skin, and he walked as if he owned the entire museum and every artifact in it. He looked as though he were reading the hieroglyphics, she wondered if he could. Suddenly he turned his head and his eyes locked with hers. She felt like someone knocked the breath out of her, even though he didn’t smile at her she couldn’t help herself, and she smiled back. He simply cocked his head slightly to the side and politely nodded in her direction. Her legs became wobbly and she blushed because this stranger made her feel so flustered. The blood was painting her cheeks a deep crimson color so she gave him a wave of her hand to return his greeting. She turned quickly to find one of her students so she could look like she was doing something other than staring at him.

Her students were learning the impractical yet fascinating way the Ancient Egyptians mummified their dead. She gathered them together to talk about how religion impacts the way we handle our deceased. After a brief but productive conversation with her students wherein she described how the Egyptians got the brains out through the noses during the process of mummification she heard the man chuckling softly to himself. She released her students to finish taking their notes, and turned to find the man standing just behind her, once again piercing her with his perfect eyes. “I wish to compliment you on your ability to turn something as banal as death into a topic of interest and entertainment.” He said in a velvety smooth and cultured voice.

“Thank you, I find burial practices very interesting…I’m an anthropologist turned teacher.” She surprised herself at how intelligent she was able to speak even though her heart was fluttering and she was imagining his smooth voice whispering poetry into her ear. “A most noble profession, a gifted mentor is difficult to find. I myself only had one instructor worthy of my time; but I’m sure you would have surpassed even his passion for teaching; Miss…?”

“Oh my name is Lillia; I’m pleased to meet you.” She held out her hand so he could shake hers, but instead he took it, turned her palm downward and kissed the back of her hand like someone from the 18th century. It should have been odd, but it seemed to come naturally to him. As his smooth lips graced her hand his brows raised and those penetrating eyes were gazing into her face once more. His hand was warm and smooth, but it gripped hers almost too hard. “My name is Loki…the pleasure is all mine.” He squeezed even harder, and she felt almost worried. She noticed some of her students were watching this exchange and she decided to keep things professional and move on to another exhibit.

“I’m very flattered at your compliment, but I should get back to my students, we have a lot to see.” As she stepped away from him she imagined him asking her to tour the museum with him. She would give her students the day off, and this stranger would spend all afternoon with her. They would share a magical kiss during the sunset, and then her pumpkin carriage would show up to take her home. What a terribly syrupy imagination she had.

“Be well,” said Loki as he straightened up and turned towards the hieroglyphics. She noticed that he carefully looked her up and down as if she were a sculpture he was admiring. Then he stepped back to continue reading the ancient scripts. His name sounded familiar, where did she know that name from?

“Mrs. Middleston, the worksheet asks about the book of the dead, but I can’t find the translation; it’s only in hieroglyphics in the diorama. Can you help me?” asked Yesenia, one of her more stressed out students. “Of course, let me have a look.”

Lillia was told by the program description that the museum would have the entire book of the dead translated, but she saw only the hieroglyphics. “Oh Yesenia, no wonder you couldn’t find it, they didn’t translate this part of the book.” Lillia was slightly irritated at the mistake of the museum, but she liked showing off for her students. She could read and understand hieroglyphics; it looked like she’d just have to translate for them. “Class, gather around; if you look at your worksheets on question 11, I’ll have to translate the inscription for you so please listen carefully.” She proceeded to translate the hieroglyphics, occasionally taking the time to explain some of the symbolism, as her students seemed genuinely interested in the writings. The man named Loki was once again staring at her; she wasn’t sure whether to be flattered or frightened. He stared at her so brazenly. She glanced at her watch to discover that it was almost time for lunch. She gave her class the 5 minute warning and took the opportunity to sit down for a moment.

“I hate to interrupt you once again, but I overheard you reading those complex hieroglyphics.” Loki was suddenly sitting next her, and she had no idea how she had failed to notice his presence. He was sitting close enough that she could smell his scent. He didn’t smell of cologne, but he smelled clean and musky. It was like the smell of the first snowfall, where everything is fresh but freezing. There was also something warm to his smell, like hickory embers from a stone fireplace. She was feeling intoxicated with his scent, and noticed his eyes boring into her.

“Yes, my specialty was Egyptology. I love learning languages anyways, and I have always had a passion for Ancient Egypt.” Her cheeks were blushing again, but that paled in comparison to the growling that emanated from her stomach.  Loki blinked, and his gaze shifted to her midsection for a brief second. She couldn’t help but laugh. “I’m sorry; I guess its lunch time. I really haven’t eaten too much today, all the excitement of the museum you know.” She hoped she wasn’t behaving too silly.

“Of course; will you be leaving after lunch?” He inquired in such a way that she wanted to reassure him that she would be staying, even though it was almost inappropriate for a stranger to be asking that.

“Of course Mrs. Middleston will be here after lunch, we’ll be at the 1:25 IMAX showing of Prehistoric Seas if you want to sit with her” said Yesenia with a knowing smile. Lillia gave Yesenia an exasperated glance, this stranger might be a psychopath and now her student had just invited him to sit with them in a darkened theater.

“I wouldn’t impose on a class outing, just hoping Mrs. Middleston would be able to continue savoring one of her favorite places.” Loki turned to Lillia and gave her a slow smile. “Enjoy the rest of your afternoon.” He slid off the bench with grace, stood up and gave a little bow to both of them. “Ladies.” With that he walked out of the exhibit. How did he know this was one of her favorite places?

“Yesenia! Don’t do that with strangers, he could be dangerous!” Lillia scolded Yesenia and was embarrassed that her student recognized that she was distracted by this Loki character. Was it that obvious? She scolded herself for letting a strange man kiss her hand in front of her students.

“You let him kiss your hand Miss! I thought you looked interested, besides he’s pretty cute for a gringo.” She giggled, and gave her teacher a nudge. “No tienes un novio, correcto maestro?” Yesenia was enjoying this too much.

“Cuidado Yesenia, let’s just get everyone and go to lunch.” Great, even her students knew she was hopelessly single, but she wasn’t about to let this incident ruin her day. She hoped she hadn’t endangered her students in any way; but Loki didn’t seem to notice anyone else in the museum, let alone her students.

The sun was shining and the sky was perfectly azure. Fall had set in, but today was warm and they were able to eat their lunches outside on the park benches. Some of the students were running around, and others were lying on the grass enjoying what was sure to be one of the last nice days of the year. Lillia reflected on her meeting with the stranger. He was so handsome, but she couldn’t understand how he could affect her so deeply. Maybe she was just spending too much time with high school students, and that made him seem so cultured. It suddenly came to her; Loki was the name of the Norse god of mischief. Did his parents name him that on purpose? Was he perhaps Norwegian, where that’s a common name? She couldn’t get him out of her head. He was so mysterious, and was borderline scary by holding onto her hand when he kissed it. Come to think of it Ted Bundy was also a mysterious, good looking person, and he delighted in killing women. Lillia decided to text her best friend Katy about what happened. She needed another perspective.

 They were sitting at the top of the IMAX Theater waiting for the show to start, the students buzzed with excitement as many of them had never seen an IMAX special. Lillia was sitting at the end of the row near the steps, this way she could monitor any students who felt like ditching. Everyone was getting settled in, the lights began to dim and Lillia felt a breeze of cool air brush her arm. This in and of itself was not strange as theaters are often drafty, but she caught a whiff of fire and ice. The same scent she smelled on the man Loki had just wafted past her nose at the same time the air grazed her arm. She shivered involuntarily, looked around and saw nothing; she decided that her mind was just playing tricks on her. She put on her sweater and settled in to enjoy the show.

Loki waited until almost everyone was admitted into the theater; then he used his magic and walked towards the entrance. He was invisible of course, and was able to stroll right passed the usher without even a hint of suspicion. Midgardians are not really very perceptive, and it was easy to waltz in and look around. He didn’t know whether or not he’d be able to find her - but her blonde hair was so striking. She just happened to be sitting under one of the canned lights and he spotted her within moments. There was an empty seat just behind her, so he headed up the stairs. Taking a risk he walked so close by her that he almost touched her, he wanted to see how sensitive she was. Indeed, she sat up straight, looked around and seemed to shiver. She looked right at him as a matter of fact, but of course she couldn’t see him.

Although Loki was sitting behind her he was able to study her quite carefully. She would occasionally whisper to one of her students, and she was obviously very engaged in the film. She was taking some notes in the dark, so Loki stood up and peered over her shoulder. She was writing in hieroglyphics. It was a grocery list, and a to-do list. How odd for someone to use hieroglyphics, did she need the practice? Was she bored? He was entirely intrigued and he became impatient to know whether or not she was knowledgeable enough to help him on his mission. He was burdened with a glorious purpose, and was stuck. It was possible this midgardian woman could help. Loki didn’t wait for the end of the film, he left the auditorium early. He wanted to start formulating his plan, a grin forming on his chiseled face as he left the museum.

Chapter 2

Lillia was the first one in to work as usual. It was a chilly November day, but Thanksgiving break was fast approaching and she was ready for a little time off. At least the frosty morning was helping to her wake up; at just past 6:30 in the morning Lillia wasn’t entirely awake. After organizing everything for the day ahead she stepped into the empty hallways and walked down to the teachers’ lounge to check her mailbox. There was a crisp manila envelope addressed to her with a hand written label and no return address. She had time before classes started so she decided to open it in the lounge.

It was an invitation from Denver University to come and help a team of archaeologists and Egyptologists decipher some hieroglyphics discovered outside of present day Alexandria. They were believed to be the oldest hieroglyphics ever discovered and so far no one had been able to accurately translate them. They were carved onto four tablets. Lillia could not believe that she would be invited, she wasn’t known to be an expert; she didn’t even have a PhD. She had taken some Egyptology classes in her undergraduate studies, but no one knew how well she could translate hieroglyphics, except for some of her professors. Maybe all the students from her classes received the same invitation. What could she possibly contribute? She didn’t have time for this anyways. It was too bad, because this is something she would actually like to participate in. She found an RSVP card with a pre-paid envelope inside. She would send them her regretful decision, and ask to be considered for future offers.

After placing the RSVP card in the mail she walked back to her classroom wishing it was Thanksgiving break already. She loved her students, but since August she had been putting in 11-12 hours a day and she was becoming exhausted. The voicemail light was blinking on her phone. How odd, someone had called her at 6:45 in the morning, maybe it was a helicopter parent. She pressed “one” to hear the message; and a male voice cleared his throat before speaking.

“Good morning Mrs. Middleston, this is Dr. Selvig over at Denver University, we’re hoping you’ve received our invitation. We hope you will be available to assist us as these hieroglyphics appear to be of Sumerian origin. I know that you have translated Sumerian symbols for Professor Morales in the past. I understand that you are a very busy person, but we are willing to compensate you for your time. Please give me a call back at 303-422-6100. Again this is Dr. Selvig, Thank you.”

Lillia had to listen to the message twice to fully understand what she had just heard. Apparently Professor Morales had passed her name along to this doctor who was in possession of the tablets. It would be rude not to call him back; if they could work around her school schedule she could use the extra money. It better be good money for her to drive down to Denver on a regular basis, which was an hour away.

Her hands were shaking as she dialed Dr. Selvig’s number. It had hardly rang at all when she heard the same voice clearing his throat before saying, “This is Dr. Selvig.”

“Dr. Selvig this is Lillia Middleston, I just received both your invitation and your voice message.”

“Miss Middleston, how wonderful of you to call me back so quickly, I hope it wasn’t too early?”

“Not at all, I wanted to call because I sent back a reply in the mail saying that I wouldn’t be able to help, but I have to admit my curiosity is piqued.”

“Basically you would come in to work with copies of the tablets as often as you were able; we would supply all the research material for you, as well as an office and an hourly wage. Our hope is that these tablets get translated correctly…we believe they may be of great importance in solving some mysteries that occurred during the first dynasty.”

“That sounds fascinating! I don’t know if I could be of help to you, but I am familiar with the Sumerian influences during that time period. May I ask what the hourly wage would be? Not that I’m all about the money, but gas is rather pricey these days.” She felt stupid even using that as an excuse; it was just that her time was very limited. Her paycheck was limited too, and she was hoping this would help.

“Certainly, you would be paid $32.00 an hour, not to exceed 8 hours in a day.”

Lillia almost choked, that was way more than she was making as a teacher.

“Would I be able to work weekends?”

“Of course, the lab would be empty; I hope you don’t mind working alone. It would be you and the security guards.”

“I don’t mind working alone, sometimes I prefer it. Have any other experts responded to your invitations?”

“Miss Middleston, we sent out two invitations. One to you, and one to Professor Morales, unfortunately his mother passed away and he’ll be on sabbatical for the rest of the year to take care of family matters.”

“So basically you and I are working on translating the oldest, and possibly the most valuable hieroglyphics to come out of the first dynasty?” This seemed strange, there were at least 70 other scientists in the world who could help.

There was a pause before Dr. Selvig responded.

“If I invite the other professional archaeologists they will be taking partial credit and almost my entire budget for the whole year. I was hoping I could manage with just the help of those less experienced and less expensive.”

“Ah, you want to try it out with the amateurs first. As long as you know that I am probably not the best person for this job. I have a BA in anthropology, but my master’s degree is in education, in no way do I have the necessary qualifications to back up my work. I do promise to try my best to translate the hieroglyphics however.”

“Mrs. Middleston, you were highly recommended by Dr. Morales; he says you have been studying Sumerian and early Egyptian hieroglyphics on your own for years; but that you have amazing accuracy. We’re willing to take the risk, we hope our motives in using a layman aren’t too offensive for you?”

“Your motives are giving me a chance to break into a field that I am most interested in. Plus you are paying me more than I make teaching. I think this is a win-win situation.”

She heard Dr. Selvig laughing, “Indeed, well I’m glad we can help each other out. Would there be any way that you could come down today, I need to get your paperwork done and set you up with a security badge.”

“The earliest I can come down is 4:30.”

“I will still be here, let me give you the address.”

Lillia copied down the address and said goodbye to Dr. Selvig who actually seemed pretty nice. This all sounded too good to be true, but as long as he knew she was an amateur…and as long as she got paid.

  Chapter 3

Lillia walked up to a 3 story building and through a pair of large glass doors. There was a security guard who made her sign in on the guest list. He also escorted her into the elevators, and all the way to Dr. Selvig’s office. When he knocked on the door Dr. Selvig walked out. He was a tall man with white hair, but he didn’t look older than 55. He had a very kind face, and bright blue eyes. His eyes were so bright; they almost seemed to be glowing. He shook her hand and invited her into the office. It was filled with what looked like 20 years of books and papers. There were bookshelves covering all the wall space, and one small window behind his desk. Despite the cluttered bookshelves his desk was very clean and organized. It had all her paperwork laid out and ready. They had an amicable conversation about the weather, and were soon chatting like old colleagues over the new finds. Lillia couldn’t help herself she really wanted to see the tablets.

“Dr. Selvig, before I leave, would it be possible to see the tablets, maybe take a few notes about the reference guides that I’ll need?”

“Of course! We’ll take a look at them after we get your photo taken for your security badge.”

It was the best picture she had ever taken; she actually liked the way she looked on her security badge. Dr. Selvig was leading her down the hall to the lab where the tablets and all the research books were kept. He opened the door showing Lillia how to use her badge and led her into the room. The tablets were being kept in a glass case on one of the 4 tables in the room. They were propped up so they could be easily read. One side of the lab contained a floor to ceiling bookshelf with what she assumed were translation guides and other relevant books. There was also a man sitting at the only desk in the room, his back was to them, and it appeared he was writing something down. When he turned around Lillia’s breath caught in her throat. It was the man Loki from the museum. Today he looked even more imposing because he wore a fashionable grey suit, and he was smiling at her.

“Miss Middleston, I’ve been expecting you.”

Loki turned his attention to Dr. Selvig, “Thank you Eric, you may go now.” Dr. Selvig simply nodded his head and closed the door behind him; leaving Lillia alone with Loki.

Loki rose from the desk and was walking towards her. He had a faint smile on his lips.

“It’s lovely to see you again.”

“Oh, hello! You’re Loki right? I’m sorry but I don’t think we discussed your last name Dr..?”

“You may call me Loki.” At that he took her hand in his and kissed it.

“Ok.” Said Lillia smiling, “and you can just call me Lillia as well, especially since I’m not a Doctor.”

Loki stood up straight and studied her face carefully. Lillia felt herself blushing again, and she wondered if meeting him here was a coincidence or if Loki chose her after hearing her translate in the museum. What was his last name? Was he head of this research facility? Was he an administrator? Some kind of Dean of antiquities perhaps?

“I just wanted to take a look at the tablets, see what I’m up against. I’m not really an expert; I’m actually not sure why I’m here. I’m certainly not the best person for this job. I’m not really qualified and I certainly don’t have the necessary degree.” She wasn’t sure what made her be so honest with Loki, but his stare changed as she admitted her hesitation.

“I selected you because I can trust you to do the job without getting in the way of the big picture.” Of course he could always use his scepter to control her mind; with Dr. Selvig it had been extremely easy.

“Okay, what is the big picture, and how can I avoid getting in the way of it?” She said it almost like a joke to try and lighten the mood. This Loki character was always so serious.

“Let me show you the tablets, and your workspace.” Loki avoided her question, but he was very polite in showing her around the lab, and she discovered the lab was stocked with the best research articles and translation materials available.

Lillia spotted a book that she heard about many times, but had never seen, “Is this Dr. Ghali’s book on Egypt’s first dynasty?” Loki turned to where her finger was pointing. “Yes, it is.”

“I thought there was only one copy of this book. Isn’t it stored in the library at Alexandria?”

“Well done. You know your history; it was at the library in Alexandria. They’ve loaned it to us for the time being.”

Lillia was even more excited than before. How could this be happening to her, it was like a dream come true!

“Well this a treat for me, I’d never thought I would be able use this book; not in a million years.” She knew she had a big grin on her face, but she couldn’t help it.

Loki began smiling back, “I’m glad you find our resources to your liking.”

“Of course, I feel so lucky to be a part of this project. I don’t know why you are letting me attempt to crack the code, but I’m so thankful that you did. I can’t wait to get started this Saturday.”

Lillia made a mental note to study that book carefully once she was alone in the lab. She may never have an opportunity to see it again. She still hadn’t made her way to the tablets; Loki was blocking them with his body…his beautiful body.

“I wanted to talk to you about working down here on weekends. We’d like to offer you a hotel room to use on Friday and Saturday nights, if you were planning to work the duration of the weekend. There is a Marriot right across the street; it might be easier for you. The room would be paid for, that way you wouldn’t have to drive back and forth.”

Okay, Lillia had to be dreaming now. Why were they treating her so well? She hadn’t even begun work, what if she couldn’t do it? Well they would just fire her, and she could say goodbye to the hotel room and the $32.00 an hour.

“Wow that is very generous of you, thank you! I think I’ll probably just be staying Friday night. I’d really only like to work on this on Saturdays if possible? You see I have another job that requires me to grade papers and plan on Sunday.”

“Certainly, that is fine. I hope this second job still leaves you with enough time off?”

“It should be alright, this second job isn’t permanent. Dr. Selvig told me that the translation should take 6 months maybe?”

“That depends on what you find in the inscriptions Miss Middleston. While accuracy is of utmost importance it would be nice to finish the translation by the spring.” As Loki said that he stepped towards the tablets waving his hand for her to join him.

Lillia saw four stone tablets filled with inscriptions. As she looked at the symbols she began to panic. Only one in five symbols was at all familiar to her; although the patterns were definitely Sumerian in origin. This was going to absolutely take a few months to translate. She pulled out her notebook and began taking notes. She would need to determine if the four tablets were meant to be read in a certain order, or if each one was separate.

“You really are very enchanting while you scribble feverishly in your notebook.”

Loki regretted saying it as soon as it was out of his mouth. In Asgard he never wanted for women. They threw themselves at his feet. He was a very skilled lover, but he would have never considered taking a midgardian woman into his bed. Certainly he was just feeling desperate; it had been over 2 years.

Lillia blushed again, and didn’t know whether she should close her notebook or not.

“I always thought I must look like a crazy person when I’m writing like that.” She had almost forgotten Loki was there, the tablets were just so interesting.

Loki noticed that every time he complimented her she blushed; and this excited him.

“You looked just fine.” Loki let his eyes wander to her breasts, before meeting her eyes again.

Lillia hiccupped, “T-thank you.” She didn’t know how to respond to him for two reasons. One, she didn’t know what his position was at the university. She didn’t know if she would be working with him often. Two, how should she respond to his compliments? It was best to be a lady, “You are too kind to compliment me, a boost to the self-confidence… Well it’s getting late; I should probably head back home. But thank you for letting me see the tablets, and for giving me this opportunity to work on such an important piece of history.”

“Of course, we are expecting great things from you Miss Middleston. I’ll walk you out.”

Loki led her into the elevators, and to her surprise he stepped in with her.

“Are you going to walk me all the way out?”

“Yes, it’s late and I want to make sure you arrive safely to your vehicle.” He had turned those beautiful eyes towards her. She could once again smell his perfect scent, a mix of flame and frost.

Lillia decided to take a risk and give him a compliment back.

“You have been so kind, but I find it hard to concentrate let alone walk when you look at me that way.” The elevator doors opened to the ground floor. She then stepped out of the elevator and walked towards the outside door.  She gave Loki a wave as she waltzed towards the outer door. She left Loki staring after her as the elevator closed once again. Loki had underestimated her, she was gutsy after all. He was pleased that she was attracted to him; he might be able to use it to his advantage later.

           Lillia wasn’t going to be intimidated by Loki anymore; she only hoped it wouldn’t affect this new opportunity. She was usually very outgoing and flirty. Why had it been so difficult to flirt back with this stranger? It was very chilly out and even though it was only 5:30 the sun had gone down. She wasn’t parked far away, and it was nice of him to offer to walk her to the car but he didn’t even have a coat on. It was cold and besides she wanted to enjoy walking in the brisk air alone.

           What Lillia didn’t know was that she wasn’t walking alone. He was invisible and was walking 15 feet away from her. She was walking quickly, but she was smiling. Her whole face just went for it. Her smile was truly bewitching. She was also sniffing the air, and then she started skipping a bit; like a child. Usually Loki found behavior like this distasteful of adults, but she was different. She walked to a red Mazda 6 and unlocked the doors. She stopped just before getting into the car, and turned to look right where Loki was walking. He stopped quickly. Had she heard him? He was usually flawless at moving silently. Almost as soon as she paused, she shrugged her shoulders and got into her vehicle.

           He watched her drive away, and was almost disgusted at himself. He had never before entertained the idea of being attracted to a midgardian before. They were so far beneath him; he was a God after all. Lillia Middleston behaved so differently, so unlike most midgardians. She was beautiful, exotic, intelligent, and quick witted. Maybe he could make one exception.

Chapter 4

Lillia took one last look in the mirror before she left her home. She was packed and ready to spend a few hours with the tablets. She wondered if she’d see Loki there on a Friday night; probably not. He would be off work by then, and all the effort she put into dolling herself up would go to waste. She was wearing her favorite black turtle neck. It was very form fitting and hugged her curves just right. She was rocking her favorite pair of skinny jeans; and knee high boots. She wore long sea shell earrings and had curled her hair just perfectly. Luckily there was no snow on the road and she planned to arrive into the lab in T-minus 55 minutes. She hit the “send” button on her e-mail after triple checking it for grammar and spelling mistakes. She had sent a “thank you” e-mail to Professor Morales for recommending her for the position and to let him know that was now working with DU. It was so nice of her old teacher to help her with this opportunity.

-

The drive into Denver was easy and relatively traffic free, most people were leaving the city rather than trying to get into it. She pulled into a parking spot near the front doors. As she walked into the building (using her fancy new security badge) she thought about what a nice room the university had gotten her. It was a suite with a kitchen, king sized bed and came with complimentary wine. It was obvious that this wasn’t the average hotel room. She wondered if Loki had anything to do with the room being so nice. It even smelled better than the average hotel room. It smelled like fresh linens, not bleached ones. There was also a small hint of spiced pumpkin in the air, but it smelled natural; not like an air freshener.

The university building was darkened with only the evening lights on. She sighed; she knew that Loki wouldn’t be here, why was she feeling disappointed? She wasn’t here to flirt, she was here to work. She shrugged her shoulders and walked towards the lab.

She flicked on the lights, and walked over to the desk to put her things down and noticed a note on the keyboard. It read Good luck with your research; I hope your accommodations are adequate. It was signed by Loki. That made her heart flutter a little. This was definitely flirting, and she wondered if she’d see him at all during her weekend research. Instead of letting her mind wander about what it would be like to kiss Loki she decided to get to work. She sat down with her notebook in front of the tablets and made a list of things she could decipher, things she couldn’t, and the books she would need.

           Lillia had been working for a while, so she looked towards the clock and saw that it was 8:30. No wonder she was hungry she hadn’t had supper yet, and had been working for almost three hours. Even after all this time the only things that she could tell was that the tablets were related. She knew some of the symbols, but couldn’t figure out the rest. She located about half of the books that she needed, and had composed a list of the others. She was googling a restaurant near her hotel when she saw a flicker of movement out of the corner of her eye. She turned her head to see Loki coming into the lab. She was instantly happy to see him, especially considering how he looked. Tonight he was wearing a black suit with a shiny blue tie. The tie was the color of his eyes. As usual he looked like a model. She was sure she was dreaming until she heard him speak.

“Good evening Miss Middleston, working rather late aren’t we?” He smiled when he said it, though she could tell he was pleased to see her.

“I wanted to get started, and was too excited to wait until tomorrow. What are you doing here so late? I didn’t know where your office was or I would have come in to say hello.”

“I was working on something else, but I had a feeling you might be here.”

At that moment Lillia’s stomach began rumbling in protest at not being fed. Not again! Every time she was around Loki she was making gastrointestinal noises.

“I came to invite you to supper. It sounds as though you haven’t eaten yet.”

Lillia was blushing again, but she was excited. He was looking at her so deeply and sincerely. She hoped her gurgling stomach hadn’t thrown him off too much.

“I’d love to! I’m afraid I don’t know Denver that well, where should we go? Should we take my car or yours?” She smiled brightly at him and began to gather her things.

Luckily Loki had already picked out a restaurant, because her smile was once again enchanting him and he found  it hard to concentrate. He felt his pulse quicken, and he had the sudden desire to throw her onto the desk. He could imagine her soft pink lips on his mouth; he would peel those tight jeans off and make her beg him to stop.

“I have a driver, we’ll take my limousine. There is already a reservation made at Marlowe’s.”

Lilli was impressed, he must be high up at this university to be able to afford a driver. Was this reservation just for him, or did he anticipate seeing her tonight?

“Is there a dress code at this restaurant? If so I have something more appropriate back at the hotel.” Lillia secretly hoped there was a dress code; she packed the perfect dress just in case! “We’ll stop by your hotel so you can change.” Loki was astonished at how this midgardian woman was making him feel so accommodating. She was just so beautiful, and watching her work had aroused him greatly. Of course he had been spying on her. Most midgardians looked stupid when they were working hard, like watching an ape trying to figure out a puzzle. Lillia just looked intense. She was very quick and brilliant, nothing like an ape. She had already deciphered more than Dr. Selvig was able to in two weeks. She had a magnificent mind. Loki should just use his scepter on her; his tablets would get translated much faster. For some reason he couldn’t bring himself to do it. He wanted to get to know her better; after all he could always use the scepter if things became too difficult. He enjoyed the back and forth with her, and he never could resist the chase.

Loki and Lillia walked out of the building and as promised a limo awaited them. It was black, new, shiny and came with a driver who was holding the door open for her. The driver was smiling, but he seemed odd. He also had very blue eyes like Dr. Selvig, they seemed almost too bright.

“I’ve never been in a limousine before” Said Lillia, shooting Loki with another flashy smile.

“I assure you it is nothing special, but I do hope you like it.” Loki slid in next to her and gave the driver the address. The limo pulled away towards the main road. If only Lillia knew the transportation accommodations on Asgard. Snow white stallions drawing a gilded carriage replete with fresh fruit and wine; there was nothing like it.

What Lillia didn’t know was that the entire building that she was working in was in fact an old storage unit for the university. It was practically condemned, but Loki’s magic was making it appear to be a legitimate lab. All of the people in the building were illusions, except for Dr. Selvig, the security and Loki. Everyone else was Loki’s alteration magic that convinced her she was seeing other scientists and administrative personnel.

“May I ask what your position is at the university?” Lillia hoped she wasn’t being rude, but she still had no idea how Loki was related to this project.

“I sit on the board of directors, I always oversee the department of antiquities; it’s a hobby of mine.”

“I see, and what is a board member doing working at 8:30 on a Friday night?”

“That would be part of the bigger picture, and you haven’t high enough security clearance for me to be sharing that with you.” His tone was almost icy, and his eyes gave her a warning to change the conversation.

“I didn’t mean to pry, I’m sorry.” Lillia decided to change the subject. “ Ummm how did you know that I was working in the lab this late?” She was trying to find out if he had met up with her by accident or whether he had stopped into the lab on purpose.

His stare melted immediately and Loki felt sorry for making her feel as though she’d done something wrong. His ego chided him, why should he feel sorry? She was a simple midgardian who had no business interfering with his glorious purpose. He would be her King very soon, and she would be kneeling before him recognizing his superiority and grateful at having her life spared.

           He couldn’t afford to chase her away either, so he’d better try and repair the conversation. He needed her to finish the translations. After that was complete, he could treat her however he wished.

“Forgive my tone; I have a lot on my mind.” He sighed at this, he had been patient for so long and now he was so close. He wished Lillia would work on the tablets every day; they were the last roadblock to his imminent victory.

“I always check on the tablets before I leave for the evening, it was only a pleasant surprise to run in to you.” He was lying to her, but he couldn’t very well let her know the truth. Was he supposed to tell her he really was the Norse God Loki? That he was invisible and watching her the entire time? That he could enter and exit rooms without midgardians noticing? Not likely.

“I hope I’m not imposing on your dinner plans?”

“Of course not, there should be room for us at the restaurant; it is almost 9:00 after all.”

They pulled up to her hotel, and Loki instructed her to wait in the car while he walked around and opened the door for her. As he guided her to the elevators he told her he would be waiting in the hotel lounge.

Lillia did not want to keep him waiting, plus she was very hungry. She rushed down the plush carpeted hallway to her room. Luckily her hair was still perfect and her make up only needed minor touch ups. She wore her hair curled, with half of it swept up in romantic tendrils. She clipped a small fake plum colored flower onto the side of her hair. She slipped into a sexy pink lace thong with a matching bra. She slid her dress on; it was satin and was the color of a sugared plum. It shimmered and hung with narrowing straps from the shoulder. It had a cowl neckline with gold glitter on it. It hugged her hips and buttocks tight, and stopped at her upper thighs. There was ruching on the backside giving her behind a beautiful heart shape. She wore a simple gold and plum colored choker, and slipped into her fabulous gold high heels. Since it was winter she was wearing pantyhose, but it only helped to make her look like she was glowing. Her legs were always her strongest feature and this dress definitely showed them off. She sprayed on her favorite perfume, “Flora” by Gucci, and headed down to meet Loki.

           Loki was waiting in the lounge pondering his relationship with this midgardian woman when he saw her enter the lounge. She looked like a queen. She was wearing heels and it made her taller than every other woman in the room. The dress hung from her elegant shoulders, and was loose on the top. The bottom half of the dress was tight on her hips and thighs. Her hair was magnificent; thick golden curls were swept up to the side with wispy curls falling on her long graceful neck. She moved with such elegance despite the height of the heels. Most midgardian women clunked and walked awkwardly in heels that high. Lillia walked as if she were floating, as if the heels were only an extension of her lusciously long legs. Asgardian women tended to be more voluptuous, while Lillia was quite thin. She looked more like the carvings of the old faery princesses that his father kept in his glass cabinet. Tall thin, wispy but very sensual and Lillia was the spitting image.

She was searching for him in the room, and he let her look for a little while longer so he could admire her. He let her walk by him so he could see the dress in it’s entirety. The curve of her backside was displayed so perfectly that Loki had visions of leading her back upstairs and taking her from behind. Before she got too far away he brushed her shoulder with his hand and she turned to show him the brilliance of her smile.

“Miss Middleston,” said Loki kissing her hand once again “You look entirely mesmerizing.”

Lillia’s heart was pounding, and she finally felt that she matched his level of sophistication. Once again she smelled his perfect scent, ice cubes in hot tea.

“Thank you Loki, might I say that you always look mesmerizing.”

Loki gave her a small smile and said, “Tonight all eyes will be on you, everything about you is exquisite.”

At that he took her arm and led her back to the limo.

-

           Marlowe’s was located in the heart of Downtown Denver; it was lit by candles and soft lamps. It was a fancy restaurant and Lillia was glad that she had changed into her dress. Nat King Cole was playing in the background as they were escorted to a private room with a fireplace. Loki ordered a $300.00 bottle of Silver Oak wine and turned his penetrating stare towards her. “Lillia, tell me about the tablets, is everything going well so far?”

“So far I think things are going fine. I have established that the tablets are to be read together, each one connects to the other somehow. I have written it all in my official lab notes, if you ever want to read the details. They are Sumerian, but I am lacking in a few books that could help.”

“You can give the list to Dr. Selvig; there is a box outside his office door. Leave it there and he will take care of all necessary materials. Do you have any idea how long it will take to finish the translations?”

Lillia was very excited to talk about her work, but she hoped her honest answers weren’t disappointing to him. “I can’t say for sure, but I’m thinking it might be 3 or 4 months.”

The closest estimate Dr. Selvig could promise was 6-8 months, if this mortal could decipher the code before spring Loki would be back on schedule. He felt elated at the news; let’s hope she was able to deliver.

“Tell me about your life outside of translating hieroglyphics.” Loki was staring intently at her again. It was strange but when he looked at her like that she felt entranced. She felt like he could command her to do anything and she would obey. His gaze was mesmerizing, and Lillia felt a bit dizzy with excitement.

“Well I’m a high school teacher as you know; I very much enjoy my job. It is a lot of work, but it’s worth it. I love to run and spend most weekends hiking or snowshoeing in the mountains.” Her answer sounded like a scripted line from a dating show…I suppose she also likes long walks on the beach.

“You enjoy the outdoors then?”

“Yes, very much. If I could spend three or four days a week outside I’d be a happy camper. I’m also very dichotomous because I love going to the opera, the ballet or any good theater really. I love reading, especially fantasy or science fiction books, In that sense I’m a total in-door nerdy type of girl.”

“You do not strike me as a “nerd” at all. In fact quite the opposite, I hate that intelligence is always coupled with social awkwardness.” On this planet anyways, Asgardians knew to value both traditional and Machiavellian intelligence.

“Tell me about your life Loki, how did you get to be on the board?”

“I was a professor myself once, but not of hieroglyphics. I found folk religions, legends and diety worship much more fascinating. Over the years I took on more and more administrative responsibility and now I’ve been elected in.” He was such a convincing liar. What he had done was steal the tablets from Oxford University and bring them to Colorado, the location where his plan could be fully carried out. He had used his scepter to control the mind of Dr. Selvig and a few dozen others. What he hadn’t been able to do was find anyone who could decipher the tablets. He needed them to tell him the location of the teseract, and to tell him how to use it in this world. He expected to find at least one mortal who could figure it out, but he did not expect to meet someone like Lillia.

They spent the rest of supper enjoying friendly conversation, Loki was careful to keep Lillia’s wine glass full and keep her talking about herself. She had been both a cheerleader and a drum major for the marching band. She spoke several languages and had been an outdoor Shakespearean actress. She looked like an actress, not so much like a school teacher. In her short amount of time on this planet she had managed to do so much. Loki was impressed and captivated at the things Lillia liked to do. Turns out she was quite a sword fighter, and had been to several competitions. The conversation flowed easily, and they left the restaurant cozily arm in arm.

The limousine pulled up to her hotel, and Lillia despite being tipsy felt nervous. Should she invite him up, would they kiss, he was technically her boss, was this unethical? Was this a date?

Luckily Loki broke the silence for her.

“Lillia you are an incredible woman, thank you for joining me this evening.”

“Thank you for taking me in a limo to such a wonderful restaurant, I’m spoiled rotten now.” She laughed jokingly at the last part. She was still smiling when Loki leaned in close to her face.

“I’m really not supposed to be initiating a romantic relationship, as I’m your superior.” His words contradicted his behavior. He had his arm stretched out behind her head, resting on the seat, and his free hand was stroking her cheek. All Lillia managed to say was, “I was wondering if we were being…unethical.”

Loki laughed at this, “Damn ethics.” his fingers slid under her jaw and he moved her face towards his. His breathe smelled fresh and warm as his lips gently caressed hers. His tongue parted her lips and it danced lightly around the inside of her mouth. She put her hands on his shoulders; they were broad and felt very strong. She kissed him back, and before long they were making out like seasoned lovers. Loki let his hand slide down Lillia’s neck, caressing her soft skin. His hand was just above her breasts and moving further down.

Lillia had a split second to decide how far she wanted this to go. He was her boss; she was trying to make a name for herself. She wasn’t going to be the girl who sucked and fucked her way to the top.

She grabbed his hand before he made it to her breast, and she expected Loki to stop kissing her.

Loki had never been denied by any woman before; it was utterly humiliating that a midgardian female would spurn his advances. He could easily have his way with her. Unfortunately he needed her, and rape might not be the best way to ensure that she finish translating his tablets.

Lillia was momentarily frightened; as she grabbed Loki’s hand to stop him he kissed her harder. He also ignored her hand and placed his on her sternum pushing her hard against the seat of the limo. It seemed as though he wasn’t going to let her decide how far to take it. Just before she could panic he stopped and removed his mouth form hers.

“I apologize…I admit, I’m not used to being rejected.” Lillia noticed that his beautiful jaw line was clenched, like he was angry.

“It’s not that I don’t want to, I very badly do. I just don’t want you to think I’m a slut, nor have other people at the lab speaking poorly of me.”

Loki looked exasperated. “This damn puritanical country, who cares if we fornicate? I would think nothing less of you. In fact you’ve charmed me with your mind already. That is why I’ve become attracted to you in the first place.” Loki was shocked at his own admission. He would have never thought in a million years that he would be interested in a midgardian. He still wanted her desperately, and he would have her one way or another when the time was right. Perhaps he should use his scepter on her now, things were becoming complicated.

“I hope I didn’t ruin everything…but you should respect my decision nonetheless.” She didn’t sound angry, just very calm and collected. She looked at him waiting for a response.

Complicated midgardian women, damn them all. “No you didn’t ruin a thing. I hope you will still allow me to escort you inside the hotel?” He wouldn’t admit it to himself, but he didn’t want to use his scepter on her.

“Of course Loki.” Lillia would have liked to thank the driver, but the window separating them was closed and tinted. As Loki led her towards the elevators he asked if she would be willing to join him for dinner tomorrow night. Feeling relieved that she hadn’t ruined her chances with Loki Lillia agreed on the condition that they go somewhere less fancy; she was out of dresses. Loki kissed her cheek before leaving and whispered in her ear. “Pleasant dreams faery princess.”

That night Lillia dreamed of Loki. He was fucking her hard, and his hands were holding her wrists above her head. She was thoroughly enjoying the feeling of his stiff cock ramming inside her over and over again, but she was screaming to him. She was begging him to stop, but he kept on as if she were silent. She tried to move her hands, but he was too strong. She saw the tablets above the bed on the ceiling, they were falling towards them. She knew she was going to die if she couldn’t get Loki to move. Just before the tablets crushed them both she woke up.

Chapter 5

Lillia was thinking of Loki, and how she didn’t give a damn if she would be considered a whore. She wanted him badly. They had agreed that Loki would pick her up at the hotel at 5:30. This meant she had to work for another hour before being able to see him again. She was wearing a lavender sweater, pearls and a nice pair of trouser pants. She hoped this was dressy enough for Loki; she didn’t have any more clothes. She would be heading back home tomorrow morning, and while she always enjoyed seeing her students she didn’t want this weekend to end.

When she went back to her room to freshen up, she saw that there was a delivery hanging on the closet door. It was a dress bag. The dress inside was emerald green. It was a full length gown, but had two high slits on each side. It was strapless and had a low back. She didn’t have a bra to wear with this dress. Oh well, it might be more comfortable that way. She was self-conscious about her breasts. They were smaller than most women’s. They were incredibly perky and beautifully shaped; but they were still small. In a culture that valued super-sized plastic surgery Lillia always felt more like a teenager than a woman.

She put the dress on and was surprised that there was enough lift and lining that her breasts swelled over the sweetheart cut. Her back was completely exposed so she decided to wear her hair in an up-do. She had a sleek straight back, why not show it off? She was able to pair the same gold shoes from the night before with the emerald gown, but she hadn’t any jewelry to match. She was pondering what to wear when she heard a knock on the door.

           She opened the door to see Loki standing with a dozen white calla lilies in his arms. He was wearing a black suit with a green tie that matched her gown. He had a long black wool coat on, and a leering look on his face.

“Miss Middelston, you are utterly breath taking.” He kissed her hand and stepped into her hotel room. He gave her the lilies; did she tell him those were her favorite flowers?

He took in her appearance as one would take in the flavor of a fine wine. Lillia could tell that he thought she looked hot in the dress.

“Thank you Loki, for the dress and the flowers, now you really are spoiling me. I assume we are not going to a casual restaurant?”

“Keen observation,” said Loki jokingly. He was smiling at her, the dress was perfect.

“How did you know what size of dress to get?” Lillia asked.

“I didn’t know your size, but the boutique only had a size 2 left. I took a gamble that it would fit.” Loki had actually sent one of his mind controlled servants to find out Lillia’s dress size and report back to him.

“The dress fits perfectly, thank you again.” Lillia was about to get her purse so they could leave.

“Before we leave, I have one last gift for you.” Loki pulled out a rectangular shaped velvet box. Lillia recognized it instantly as a jewelry box. It had to be a necklace or a bracelet.

“Loki, you are being too generous. I feel like you are spending way too much money on me. After all we just started seeing each other.” Lillia was trying to sound grateful, but this was almost too much.

Loki cocked his head to the side as he opened the box.

“I do not mean to embarrass you, but I was clearing my head with a walk this afternoon when I saw this in the window of a fine jeweler named Cartier. I knew instantly that it had to be worn with that gown. Remember dear one, I do not want for money. These gifts are my chocolates and flowers.”

Lillia was shocked, he bought her something from Cartier? Money certainly wasn’t an object if he was able to spend that kind of money on a new dating partner. Loki opened the box but she couldn’t see what was inside, she was hesitant, but delighted that he was so interested in her. He was looking at her with those crystal eyes again. She felt like time stopped, and she had to force herself to speak.

“You already brought me flowers, but I will accept your gift. I don’t want to sound unappreciative, I really am happy to be treated like a princess. I’ve just never dated anyone who had the means to purchase things like this.”

Loki flashed her a smile and turned the box so she could see what it contained. It was a silver necklace with emerald gems. It had three interspersed silver threads each ending with a brilliant emerald. There were 5 total, and it looked like a piece of jewelry out of the Lord of the Rings.

“Turn around,” said Loki indicating the mirror.

Lillia obeyed and watched Loki walk up behind her. She could feel his body brushing her shoulders and her bottom. She could smell his scent, and she loved it. He never wore cologne, but his natural smell was a combination of all her favorite aromas. He smelled vaguely like crisp amber, or muted sandalwood; in any case it was intoxicating. He gently placed the necklace around her neck and fastened the clasp. It was the most impressive piece of jewelry she had ever worn! He stayed behind her and left his hands on her shoulders. Even in heels Loki was four inches taller than her, and being this close to him made Lillia’s heart skip a beat.

“You truly look like a queen Lillia.” Loki knew his mother would approve, she was always more sympathetic towards midgardians.

“I feel like one! Loki, you have been so wonderful to me. I feel so lucky to be…are we officially dating? If so than I feel so lucky to be dating you.” Damnit, Lillia could never say a full sentence without sounding like an idiot. He’s comparing her to a queen and she’s checking in on their relationship status.

“You are a beautiful woman” Loki purred into her ear.

Lillia smiled back at Loki. He was always so gracious with her weirdness. Loki let his hands slide down her arms to her waist. He began kissing her neck, sending shivers up her spine. Lillia was instantly aroused, and she felt herself getting wet between her legs. She tilted her head to the side giving Loki more skin to kiss. She placed her hands on his, and gave a moan of satisfaction.

Loki whispered in her ear, “If you make sounds like that for kissing, I wonder what sounds you’d make if I were inside you.”

Lillia could feel his member growing hard and pressing into her backside. The thought of him inside her excited her to the point that she moaned again. “I wonder what sounds you could get out of me.” Lillia hoped her sexy talk was alright. She was becoming so aroused that her inner voice was being drowned out by her slutty sex-happy voice.

Loki pulled her against him and soon they were kissing. He let his hands roam up her dress to cup her breasts. Her nipples hardened, and Loki pulled the dress down to free them with a springy pop.

Lillia wanted to turn towards Loki, but he pulled her even tighter to his body. He began to unzip the dress that she had put on minutes ago.

As he pulled the zipper to the end of it’s length the dress fell to the floor in a pool of shimmery green at her feet. She was standing in front of a full length mirror wearing heels, a thong and the Elvish necklace. Loki used one hand to knead her breast and let the other wander down to her moist sex. He parted her, and began using his middle finger to rub her clitoris. This made Lillia even wetter, he knew exactly what to do.

He slid one finger inside her, and Lillia moaned even louder. He found her g-spot instantly and began stroking his finger in and out. As Lillia was preparing to climax Loki stopped, “Not yet sexy vixen.” He slid her underwear off, and turned Lillia around to face him. While Lillia undid his tie and shirt Loki took off his shoes and pants. He had a chiseled chest, broad shoulders and a very large cock. Lillia was taken aback; she had never been with a man this size before.

Loki pulled her arms around his neck and lifted her off of her feet. He carried her to the bed and laid her down as if she weighed no more than a child.

Lillia wanted to have sex with Loki very badly, but she didn’t have any condoms. She was on birth control but, seeing as neither of them were virgins she would like some protection. How could she be thinking this? Damn her responsible mind.

“Loki, do you have a condom with you?” Lillia asked him as he laid her down.

“I sincerely hope you believe me when I say that I am clean” Loki didn’t think he could handle rejection at this late juncture. He was willing her with his eyes to believe that he was safe. Of course Asgardians can get diseases, but Loki had been inoculated against all of them. Midgardian diseases couldn’t touch him; not that he’d ever bedded a Midgardian before.

Lillia was willing to take the risk; she smiled at him and nodded her head. Suddenly she was shy; and she was worried that she had somehow spoiled the mood.

Loki sensing her apprehension stroked her cheek and kissed her softly. Within moments Lillia was ready. How could this man arouse her so quickly? She usually had multiple orgasms, and she wondered how many this man Loki could give her tonight.

Loki lay between her legs carrying his weight on his arms. He placed his cock at her entrance and slowly slid inside. Lillia felt pleasantly stretched, he was thicker than most men. As soon as his head was inside Loki gave a small sigh.

“You are very tight, have you been touched before?”

Lillia could barely speak, she was enjoying the sensation of being stretched and parted. “Yes, you are just larger than my previous partners.”

“Am I hurting you?”

“A little pain can be pleasurable.”

Loki gave a mischievous smile, “Indeed.”

At that he grabbed her wrists and pulled them over her head. She could no longer move her arms, and she liked it. He slid the full length of himself inside her and she gave a little yelp, which turned to a moan. No man had ever been so deep in her. She was fully stretched and fully penetrated. It was wreaking havoc on her pleasure sensors.

Loki held her wrists together with one hand and with the other he cupped her bottom. He moved slowly at first, until her moans were quickening. She wanted to cum, but he was teasing her. He finally began moving his hips faster and faster. Lillia’s heart was racing and her moans were becoming screams.

“Oh God, Loki! I’m going to cum!”

Loki’s eyes were fierce as he pounded her harder and harder.

Lillia couldn’t tell whether it was pain, pleasure or both; she had never been rogered like this before. She was practically yelling now, the sensation was building. Loki slammed into her one last time and she felt her release. It was like the breaking of a large wave on solid rock. Her orgasm seemed to last an eternity, and she quivered in Loki’s strong arms. As she surfaced from her little death she caught Loki’s eyes.

“I’m not finished with you yet, faery princess.”

Loki slid out of her and released her wrists. She hadn’t noticed, but her hands were a bit numb. He flipped her over onto her stomach, and pulled her hips up with his strong hands. Then they were on her shoulders as he entered her from behind, Lillia gasped as she was brought to orgasm again. Loki wrapped his fist in her hair, although he never pulled hard; just enough so that Lillia could arch her back and bring her neck up. Loki was kissing her neck again as he was sliding in and out of her. She was panting, and wasn’t sure if she wanted to beg him for more or beg him to stop. As she finished her third orgasm Loki paused and whispered in her ear, “I want to see that pretty face when I give you my release.” As he slowly exited her he lay down on the bed. He pulled Lillia to him so she straddled his beautifully shaped body.

Lillia sank onto his perfect shaft and once again felt herself stretched to capacity. She gave a sigh and started riding Loki slowly and seductively. She ran her hands up his chest and leaned in slowly to kiss the neck of the man she had met only a month ago. He smelled so perfect, everything about him was so perfect.

Loki was cupping her backside and rocking his hips in motion with hers. The sensation was building again, it seemed as though Loki’s cock was positioned just right to hit her g-spot over and over again. She was rocking her hips harder and harder, and she could feel her breasts bouncing wildly. Loki grabbed Lillia’s hands, and pulled her closer to him. He began bucking his own hips so that he was fully sheathed, and very deep inside her.

“Loki, I’m going to cum again! Yes, yes; that feels so good!.” The words were spilling out of Lillia’s mouth, she hadn’t planned on saying that. Loki was silent, but his eyes answered her cries. He gave her a pirate’s smile and quickened his tempo. She felt her cervix tighten in anticipation; and then she was cumming again. She came so hard that she thought she was going to push him out of her.

She was panting at this point, “Loki, I don’t think I’ve ever cum like that. I…don’t know if I can take anymore, but I don’t want to stop.”

“I wasn’t planning on stopping just yet.” Loki said this with a smile in his eyes, but his face was serious and intense. He rolled her over so she was on her back again. He wrapped his arms underneath her thighs and lifted her hips up to meet his. This time he was sliding his cock in and out slowly, and he wasn’t penetrating her fully. He did like to tease her. What Loki succeeded in doing was arousing Lillia to the point that she felt desperate to orgasm again; but he wasn’t going hard or fast enough.

“Loki, please.” She was pleading with him to give her another orgasm.

He lowered his chin, and gave her a mischievous grin. “I like hearing you moan, but you’re right. It’s better when you scream.” He leaned down and wrapped his arms around her back. She felt herself being lifted off the bed, but Loki was still inside her. He was carrying her over to the mirror. He pressed her against the mirror and started moving his hips quicker and quicker. Loki grabbed her wrists with one hand and held them above her head. With his other hand he was cupping her bottom. His rhythm became quicker and quicker. Lillia’s heart raced and she realized that she had never been so wet, or more aroused while making love. Her vagina was wrapped tight around his penis, and she let herself go. She was panting, and screaming. She wasn’t even sure if she said anything, but she knew whatever it was it must be quite loud. He was fucking her so hard she felt like she couldn’t hold on, and worried they might shatter the mirror.

“Lillia, look at me.” Loki commanded.

“Lillia opened her eyes, and saw just how blue his own were. Like an ancient glacier with ocean water trapped inside.

Loki brought his face close to hers, and he never broke eye contact.

This, along with his strong hips caused Lillia to have the best orgasm of her life. Time stopped, and Lillia could count the seconds between the beats of her heart. Her whole body shivered, and at the moment of her release she realized that she felt the orgasm tremor through her whole nervous system. Every cell in her body had been pleasured, exhausted and pleasured again. This time, it was like a Tsunami breaking against the Himalayas; each drop of water filled with pure decadent satisfaction. So this was why the French referred to it as, “little death.” She had been blown out to sea, washed up and been taken into a tornado. She had never felt better.

Lillia noticed something else in her moment of timelessness. Loki was coming as well. She felt the final thrust of his cock as his head hit the back of her. She felt herself fill with his warm semen. As she was eroding the Himalayas Loki was spilling his seed. She hadn’t realized that she had closed her eyes, but when she opened them she saw that Loki was still looking at her. As his own orgasm subsided he lowered his gaze and closed his eyes. He relaxed his grip on her wrists, and Lillia brought her hand down to stroke his face. He gave a soft moan, and she knew the tension had gone out of his body as well.

Lillia wanted to say something, but all she could do was stare into his carefully carved face.

With the utmost care and gentleness Loki slid out of her, and carried her back to the bed. He lay down beside her and pulled her close to him. She lay her head on his chest, and felt like everything was perfect in the world. Loki was stroking her back with his free hand.

Lillia had to break the silence, how could she share something so physically passionate with this man and then shy away from expressing herself verbally.

“I didn’t know it could be like that.” She blushed anyway.

“Neither did I.” He kissed the top of her head.

After a few more minutes of holding each other Lillia lifted her head to look into his eyes.

“Did you know this was going to happen tonight?”

Loki nodded his head in affirmation, “I hoped that it would. I’ve been lusting after you since the day I saw your smile at the museum.”

“That was only a month ago! I admit I’ve been thinking about you as well.” Lillia smiled at him.

“I’m not used to waiting that long for what I want, but you were well worth the wait.” Loki had no idea Midgardian women could be like this. Maybe that was why Thor was so interested in that Jane woman.

Lillia leaned up to give him a quick kiss, and once again her stomach began rumbling. Of course! They had skipped their dinner plans to have sex and now she was ravenous.

“Hungry again are we?” Loki asked with a smile to his voice.

“How humiliating! I promise my stomach doesn’t usually make noises this often!”

Loki couldn’t help but chuckle. He realized that it had been over two years since he had laughed. His ego cautioned him against getting distracted by this woman.

“It hasn’t escaped my notice that I often keep you from eating regular meals.” He glanced at the clock, “I think the restaurant I was planning to take you to is now closed. Shall we order room service?”

Chapter 6

They sat in bed under the covers eating chicken sandwiches, fries and a fruit platter from the room service menu. Lillia finally felt comfortable enough to ask whether she had been invited to work with the tablets by accident or if Loki had selected her on purpose.

“Both really. I already had your name from professor Morales before I saw you at the museum. After meeting you I realized you were the same person that he recommended. Lucky coincidence I guess.” Dr. Morales wasn’t on sabbatical, he was a missing person. Loki had used his scepter on professor Morales and sent him to New York for more research materials and to help get a team arranged for the dig in Egypt; once the tablets were translated.

He smiled at her, “How did your work go today? I didn’t have an opportunity to ask.”

Lillia smiled back because she had some good news for Loki.

“Well I’ve had a bit of a break through. I was skimming through Dr. Ghali’s book on the first dynasty when I read a chapter on Early Egyptian stories. There was a Sumerian poem that told the story of the apocalypse. The Egyptians translated the poem using their hieroglyphics but changed some of the words to make it more understandable in their language. The poem is inscribed on one of the tablets, and I think that is the tablet that we are supposed to read first. The poem only takes up half of the tablet, but I went ahead and wrote down the English translation in my notes.”

“That is brilliant! Can you tell me roughly what the poem says?” Loki was once again staring intently at her. She only wished she could remember the poem word for word, but she couldn’t.

“I’ll have to paraphrase, but the poem talked about the future. When people of all races mix into one, and when all the lands are filled with multiplying people a dark force will come to earth. This man will bring a drought and then curse the world. It is said that he will freeze the earth, the water, the land, the sun…everything. It says the world can only be saved by one, but it doesn’t say who. It’s interesting because the poem clearly states that the world will brought to its knees by a man but the one who can save the world is a woman. Both the Sumerians and the Egyptians worshipped female Gods but to have the fate of the world rest upon the shoulders of a woman? I don’t think I’ve ever seen that in any religion.”

Lillia noticed that Loki’s brows were drawn together and he looked deep in thought.

“Are you alright?” She had expected him to be pleased, but he seemed disappointed.

“Hmm? Yes, I was just wondering how this poem could be related to the other tablets. We thought the tablets would lead us to a burial, or perhaps an undiscovered city. To have a poem written with such care on such important stone seems quite trivial to me.” Loki smiled, trying to reassure Lillia. He knew what the poem was talking about. It was foretelling his arrival to this world. Again this was not helpful information for his plan, but at least Lillia was making progress. It did worry him that the Sumerians thought he could be stopped by a female. So far all of the Sumerian prophecies had come true; he hoped this was a mistake. What woman could stand up to him? He was more powerful than anyone on this planet. He noticed that Lillia’s smile was fading. She was obviously very proud of her accomplishment and he didn’t want to invalidate her work.

“What a magnificent feat to translate half a tablet in one day! Dr. Selvig spent two weeks with those tablets and the only thing he could tell me was that they were Sumerian.” He kissed her forehead, got out of bed and headed towards the kitchenette. He pulled down two wine glasses and found the complimentary bottle in the gift basket. “We should have a toast to celebrate!” He poured the wine and brought it back to Lillia in bed.

“You are right though, the stone that the tablets are made of is alabaster and that’s very rare in Egypt. They must have believed the poem. To them it must have been real. I wonder then, if these tablets are just about their most precious religious beliefs?”

She realized that she was speculating and babbling. Loki was holding his wine glass up waiting for her to finish so he could make his toast.

“Sorry! I’ll shut up now!” She blushed and held her glass up.

“I love hearing your voice, but I did want to toast you. To a wonderful lady, with the most beautiful mind I’ve ever seen.” They toasted and drank.

The wine was deep and smoky. It had the after taste of chocolate and blackberries, but it was smooth. She loved drinking good wine. She closed her eyes to enjoy the moment. So far she was successfully translating the tablets, she was making extra money, was falling in love with the most mysterious man and now she was drinking fine wine after having had the best sex in her life. Life wasn’t just good, it was fabulous.

“Mmmm, Loki this wine is absolutely delectable. The flavor is so strong yet subtle at the same time.”

She glanced at Loki for his opinion.

“It’s well done, the vintner obviously knows his trade.” Loki wasn’t sure if it was the wine going to his head or what was happening, but he was having very strong feelings for this woman. Suddenly he knew he was making a mistake. He could not allow this to happen. Having feelings and a relationship with this midgardian would completely divert him from his original purpose. She would only get in the way. What was he supposed to say when it was time to enslave her planet? Certainly she has a family and friends who would be killed. He can’t allow himself to have feelings for her, she was going to be a peasant under his rule, and she was completely beneath him.  He felt disgusted with himself, how foolish! To let a mortal woman lead him away from his destiny like this. He felt almost angry. He knew he must leave at once, but he still needed her until the tablets were translated.

He would have to cool things off without her being scared off of the project. The only problem was that he was feeling the pressure of the leader of the Chitauri, the pressure on himself to rule earth, and the pressure to find the tesseract. This midgardian mortal was his best chance at getting the tesseract, and ultimately his best chance at ruling the planet. Unfortunately Loki wasn’t used to tempering his feelings, and he felt the pain in his head signaling the Chitauri lord wanting to communicate with Loki. It was becoming too much, it was already too complicated and here he was playing around with a mortal who he may one day have to kill.

“Are you feeling alright Loki?” Lillia was looking concerned and began stroking his arm.

Loki pulled away from her touch. “No I’m not, I don’t feel so well all of a sudden. I must leave.” He was out of bed and putting on his clothes.

“Can I get you anything, maybe some water? Are you alright to travel? You do look pale all of a sudden.” She leapt up and was heading to the kitchenette to get him some water.

Loki was almost annoyed at how sweet she was; just let me go he thought.

“No, no I’m fine. I just need to get out of here.” With that Loki threw his coat over his arm and left Lillia’s hotel room with a soft click as the door slid into the latch.

Lillia was standing naked in the kitchen holding an empty glass, and the silence was deafening. What had she done wrong? Was it something she said? Everything seemed fine, more than fine. She had been so happy, and now she didn’t know what was happening.

She felt hollow all of a sudden, and it seemed the best thing to do was clean up for bed. She put down the glass and walked towards her luggage. She pulled on her oversized t-shirt, and slid her underwear back on. She turned around and saw the green dress in a pool of shimmering emerald by the mirror. She looked at herself in the mirror and only then noticed she was still wearing the necklace.

What Loki saw from the balcony window was Lillia clutching the necklace in her hand while she sat on her knees and wept. She was shaking from crying, and her tears fell onto the green ball gown. She looked like a child, and her face was filled with such pain that Loki had to turn away. He felt himself choking up, and decided that this was a test of his worth. Ruling a world meant that tough decisions had to be made, and Loki wasn’t going to be side-tracked by a simple Midgardian.

Chapter 7

After having a good cry Lillia was able to finish picking up the hotel room. The dress was back in its bag, and she had no intention of taking it with her. The necklace was placed in the box on top of the dresser. She finished getting her bags ready for the morning drive home. She thought about leaving immediately but she was too tired, and she had finished off the bottle of wine while tidying up. In her rather drunken state Lillia thought about Loki’s behavior in a different way.

That fucking bastard. Who did he think he was, he chased her; and now he’s left her like she was the overly aggressive one?! She remembered him saying that he had never had to wait so long for a woman, but they had only known one another for a month. He just wanted to get laid, and basically paid for her with dinners, wine, dresses and that beautiful fucking necklace. She felt cheap and used…and pissed off. Fuck that man, his fancy gifts, and fuck those tablets. Well, she shouldn’t blame the tablets, she still wanted to be the one to translate them. Why shouldn’t she? She was hired by Dr. Selvig, not Loki. She would continue working on those tablets, and she would completely ignore Loki. She fell asleep with her fists balled around the sheets and an angry look on her face.

When she woke in the morning her jaw hurt from clenching it all night and she had a stomach ache. As she climbed out of bed she realized that she still smelled like Loki, and it still smelled good. She took her time in the shower, scrubbing away any trace of the man. Her vagina was sore and there were bruises on her wrists, but those would be gone soon enough. As she was shampooing her hair she felt guilty for reminiscing about the sex. It had been the best sex she’d ever had, why should she feel used? She scrubbed her scalp harder as she worked her hair into a lather. She decided that she wasn’t going to feel bad about last night. What was done was done, and at least she had gotten off…several times. Just then some bubbles ran into her eyes. Shit, that burned! She hastily rinsed her eyes out, and decided she’d had just about enough of this shower too. It was time to get home.

He just should have been honest with her if he’d only wanted a fling. She probably wouldn’t have gone for it, but still. As she packed the last of her things into the bag she was scolding herself for still thinking about it. It was over. She rolled her luggage to the door and did one last sweep of the hotel room to make sure she didn’t leave anything behind. While she was checking the bathroom she heard a knock on her door.

Loki had spent the night in his usual room on the top floor of the laboratory. He was incredibly angry with himself because he didn’t think Lillia would agree to finish her work after what he had done to her. He was supposed to have cooled things off gently. He just wasn’t used to it; in his world he could be direct. He was the prince and sparing others feelings wasn’t his strength nor was it necessary or expected. He had a brilliant mind for manipulation and strategy, why had it failed him? He would simply have to bring her back without leading her on. He could always use his scepter to enslave her mind if she wouldn’t cooperate. It was decided; he would go to her in the morning. If she refused to continue working on the tablets he would use his scepter. It was more than irritating that he dreaded using it on her.

As he was thinking about how to correct his mistake with Lillia the familiar pain in his head came ringing in with greater severity. When Loki opened his eyes he was sitting on a rocky chair on the asteroid where he met with the Chitauri lord.

“ What progress have you made Asgardian?” The Chitauri lord hissed at Loki, making the young prince instantly irritated.

“I have found a mortal who can decipher the tablets, she is almost done with the first one. She will not be a threat to our mission. I anticipate digging to begin in the spring.”

“That is a better report than last time. Have you sent the other mortal to New York for your preparations there?”

“Of course, we will be ready to dig as soon as Lillia finishes the tablet.” Instantly Loki recognized his mistake. He shouldn’t have used her name. He gave the Chitauri lord a cold stare daring him to comment on Loki’s familiarity with a mortal.

“The mortal who can translate the tablets is familiar with you? Is that a wise decision? Why did you not use the scepter on her? We gave you the gift of the Chitauri to speed the process along, not so you could form relationships.” The Chitauri lord seemed to know more about Loki’s relationship with Lillia than he would have liked. He was sure that the lord was not able to see on life on earth. Perhaps he was able to read feelings, and recent memories. It was known that the Chitauri had acquired such technology from other races that they had conquered.

“I will use the scepter on her if I deem it necessary. At the moment the progress she is making is more than adequate. Are you questioning my methods? I will lead your army into battle, I will secure the tesseract and it will be me who delivers it to you. I think it would be wise to leave me to my methods. After all, I have kept all my promises thus far.” Loki hoped his silver tongue coupled with a hint of warning was enough to turn the Chitari lord’s mind towards raising and preparing his army.

“Just be sure the tesseract is delivered or there will be no place we cannot find you, not rock to hide under where we will not abscond with you; where you will know pain. A pain without death.” Loki’s head filled with flames as the Chitauri lord spat his last remarks to Loki.

Lillia would have to agree to keep working on the tablets no matter what. In the end he may have to use his scepter on her; but he would visit her in the morning to see if she could be convinced to stay on the project.

He made preparations for the morning and tried to drive Lillia out of his mind.  He finally fell asleep after he made a clear plan. He absolutely could not fail now.

Bright and early he went to the flower shop, and got the most beautiful bouquet of white roses. He bought some coffee at Dazbog and made sure the letters were in his pocket. After checking with the concierge that Lillia had not checked out yet he took the elevator to her room. He was usually calm in situations like this, but today his heart was pounding. He was excited to see her. He knocked on the door of her hotel room, and counted the seconds until he heard her footsteps on the other side.

When Lillia opened the door she found Loki looking splendid in black pants and a black sweater. He had roses, and a sad yet expectant look on his face.

“What the hell are you doing here?” Lillia just couldn’t filter her feelings at the moment. She kept the door from swinging open to make it clear that Loki was not invited.

Of course she would be angry, Loki was prepared for this. “I have no right to ask you to forgive my behavior, but I came to apologize anyway. I shouldn’t have left you like that, I wish I could explain what came over me, but it hardly seems worth it when I know that I have hurt you so much.” Loki didn’t plan to say that last part, but it had slipped out of him. He lifted the roses towards her.

“I wanted you to ha-“

“I’m not interested in your roses, or your apology. I don’t want anything more to do with you, but I am glad that you came by. I want you to know that I work for Dr. Selvig, and I will still be translating those tablets. You should also know that outside of the translations I will have nothing to say to you.” With that she slammed the door in his face.

She was shaking even though it felt good to tell Loki exactly what she thought. She saw through the peephole that Loki left something by the door and walked away. What did he leave? She knew she shouldn’t care, but maybe she’d pick it up on the way out. Perhaps she was going to get fired and she could forget this whole ordeal. Her heart sunk at the thought. The truth was that she was more hurt by Loki’s behavior than by having been had by the oldest trick in the book. She could usually tell the one night stand kind of guy from a mile away. Loki seemed genuine towards her, and she let herself get excited for him. None of it made sense, and she wished she knew what had set him off. But she couldn’t dwell on this any longer, she had hours of grading and planning ahead of her. She waited a few more minutes just to make sure that she wouldn’t run into Loki, and then she left the room with the same soft click of the door latching closed.

Chapter 8

           She made it until the Longmont exit before she had to pull over and read the note that Loki left by her door. The white roses did not make it into her car and were in a dumpster outside near the far end of the hotel parking lot. The letter was written in beautiful calligraphy; of course Loki would have perfect handwriting. She stopped in the parking lot of the McDonalds right off of the highway. With shaking hands she opened the letter.

Lillia,

I wrote dozens of letters last night trying to explain myself, to apologize and to beg you to continue working on the tablets. Since you have already decided to keep working on the project I have written this letter to explain my actions last night.

I cannot allow myself to be in a relationship with anyone. I will not be living in this country once the tablets are translated, and I will be promoted to another position.  A relationship is impossible, and I don’t want to lead you on when I know that we will soon be separated.

On a more personal note, I’m no good for you. I have ruined every relationship that I have ever been in. I have been accused of a having a huge ego, being neglectful, demanding and often I’m accused of being insensitive. A woman like you surely can do better than me. I hope this offers at least some explanation for my behavior, though telling you this last night would have been much better than just leaving. I apologize for the way I ended things.

I have no reason to write this, but I wanted you to know. You have given me the most beautiful and pleasurable memories. Taking you in my arms last night while you gave me everything; I’ll never forget the look on your face, the smell of your hair or your smile as we engaged in the most passionate love making that I have ever experienced. Your shy grin as you looked up at me when we finished; it is etched forever in my brain.  I am in conflict with myself even as I write this.  I remember the feel of your skin; but it is better that I do this now than in a few months. I imagine that I would be deeply in love with you, and unable to fulfill my goal. A goal that I have been working on for years. I hope you can understand. You will still have to see me in the lab on occasion, but I won’t speak to you or expect you to socialize with me.

Take care fairy princess.

~Loki

Lillia didn’t know how to feel about what she just read. It made sense that Loki couldn’t get involved with someone if he was planning on leaving; but he was still an ass. He shouldn’t have chased after Lillia at all. Maybe this was all a lie, a way to let her down easy. Feeling that she was still just another notch in Loki’s bed post Lillia drove home and tried to focus on her teaching job.

Chapter 9

As Lillia walked into the lab for the first time since her incident with Loki her heart raced and she felt her hands tremble. She hadn’t seen Loki in 6 days, and while she felt better about what happened she was still nervous to see him. Part of her wanted to see him so she could start getting used to treating him like a colleague, and part of her hoped she would never see him again. She took a deep breath before she opened the door to the lab, but when she walked inside she found the lab empty and dark. She was relieved and settled in to work. She wanted to finish translating the other half of the first tablet this weekend. She found an official looking envelope on her keyboard. After opening it she was pleasantly surprised to find that it was her first paycheck. It was most welcome, and she put on some of her happy work music and sat down in front of her research books.

           She was really starting to get the hang of translating these tablets, and Dr. Selvig had gotten the missing books that she needed. By Sunday afternoon she had finished the last half of that first tablet. Loki’s prediction was right; the tablet spoke of an unknown treasure that the Egyptians located outside of the Valley of the Kings. It was said that this treasure was brought to earth by the God Ra, but Ra was unable to speak with the Egyptians and instead lived in the palace of the pharaoh until he was ready to communicate his message. This first tablet was definitely a cliff hanger. It didn’t specify what Ra’s message was, it’s last words were translated as, “And when Ra was ready to speak to the Pharaohs he gathered them to the city of the dead.” So much for getting closer to the treasure. What the tablet did do was describe Ra in great detail, and the days leading up to his announcement. In this tablet Ra was said to be larger than most men, be fair of skin with the head of a hawk. He had with him a staff and carried the treasure with him. Proceeding Ra’s appearance the sky was full of light, and flame even at night. Lillia supposed this meant there was a series of meteor showers perhaps? In any case she was going to have to keep translating to find out why Ra was gathering people and what he did with the treasure.

Lillia looked at the clock, and it was two in the afternoon. Time to head home again, and she was supposed to meet up with her girlfriends for an early supper. She had waited in anticipation of seeing Loki at some point this weekend, but she had been alone the whole time. She put away her books and packed up the replicas of the tablets. It would be good to see her friends; she was finally going to tell them the whole Loki saga.

She stepped out of the lab and looked out the office window. There was about eight inches of snow on the ground and the campus was deserted. There wasn’t a window in the lab so she didn’t even see the snow begin to fall. The weather forecast hadn’t called for snow at all, and it had been sunny out when she started work. She had been staying at the Marriot across the road, but she refused to stay in the same room as last time. She had already checked out, but maybe she could check back in. There was no way she could drive back home today; her car looked halfway buried. She pulled out her cell phone and noticed that she had three missed text messages. Her girlfriends had canceled the supper due to the snow. The second text was from her school; classes were already canceled for tomorrow, as the weather forecasters declared that a blizzard was on the way. The final text was from her automatic weather messaging system alerting her to a blizzard in her area. Great, she was stuck in Denver in a lab all by herself. She decided to try and get back in at the Marriott. Maybe she could just walk over, it was after all just across the street.

She waited in front of the elevators and when she heard the familiar ding she stepped forward to get into the compartment. She was brought up short when she found herself inches away from walking right into Loki. She was totally unprepared for this and stood there staring at him. She could smell his musk, and it still smelled good. Loki broke the silence.

“Good afternoon Lillia, I didn’t expect to see you here or I wouldn’t have come. I thought you would have left already due to the snow.” He was cautiously talking to her, but his eyes looked concerned. He knew she would not be making the drive home. The university was hosting an alternative energy convention and he knew that rooms at the Marriott were probably booked solid.

“I was in the lab, and I had no idea that it was snowing.” She was trying hard to not be friendly to him, although he had been trying to respect her wishes. “School is canceled tomorrow anyways, so I’m just going to go back to the Marriot. It’s not a problem.” She smiled politely, but was careful to keep her tone cool.

“You might call them first, there is a convention here on campus and the rooms might be booked.” He was trying to save her a cold walk in the heavy snow. She looked so beautiful to him, and he wished that things were different. Her blonde hair was straight today and he could smell her perfume. She was wearing blue jeans that hugged her hips, and she looked completely delectable. He reminded himself of the situation, his mission came first. He wasn’t used to making mistakes; well he corrected this one the best way he knew how.

“With all this snow the convention might be cancelled, but I will call them…thanks for the tip.” With that Lillia turned away to call the Marriot, she left Loki standing in the elevators. She decided she was going to use the stairs.

 She was disappointed to find out that the convention started two days ago, so most of the people were already here; all of whom were staying at the Marriot. They were booked solid and she didn’t know where to go. Apparently the room she was staying in was now being occupied by a professor who refused to sleep another night with their colleague. The hotel could find no available rooms for her. She would have to find another hotel in walking distance and stay there, if they weren’t booked for the convention. Using her phone she got the number for three other university hotels; all of whom were booked for the convention. Where was she supposed to go? She couldn’t drive, or walk anywhere. As she was trying to decide what to do she stepped off the last step and into the front lobby. She heard the elevator ding and when the doors opened out walked Loki. Wonderful, another meeting and conversation with Loki.

“Were there rooms available?” Loki’s question was innocent enough, but it made Lillia wonder how he had gotten to the building. She didn’t see tire tracks in the snow, or even foot prints out front.

“No, there aren’t any rooms anywhere on campus. I was wondering though, how did you get here in this storm?” What did he have a secret tunnel system?

“I actually have a room upstairs that I stay in when work becomes too oppressive. I’ve been there all weekend, careful to avoid the lab during daylight hours. I didn’t want to bother you, but I had work of my own to do.” He was conscientious to look away, so Lillia knew that he wasn’t trying to run into her. “Have you found a place to stay for the night?” He asked the question with a very neutral almost bored tone, ensuring that Lillia would not get the wrong idea.

“No, I thought about sleeping in my car, or in the lab in one of the chairs. I’m still weighing my options.” Lillia didn’t want to sound incompetent, but really how could she not notice that it was snowing. She just got so involved in her work as usual.

“There is another room adjacent to the one that I sleep in. It was meant for Dr. Selvig but he has never used it. There is a cot with clean sheets and blankets; it has a sink in the room. The bathrooms I’m afraid are down the hall, we’d have to share but it is much better than sleeping in a freezing car or in a chair.” How awkward, why couldn’t she have left already and not be tempting him with another night.

Lillia hesitated, separate rooms sure, but still it would be strange knowing that she and Loki were the only people in the building; yet they would be pretending that the other person wasn’t there. What other choice did she have? The snow was only getting worse, and she could see her car getting buried in the heavy wet storm.

“Ok, I guess that will have to work, is it on the same floor as the lab?”

“I’ll escort you up there, give me your keys and I’ll get your luggage out of your car.” He held out his hand to her.

Fine, after what he did to her the least he could do is offer her a room and get her luggage for her. She handed him her keys.

           The rooms were on the top floor of the building, Loki opened one of the doors on the south side. He led her into a medium sized room. It had a small bed, a dresser, a sink and mirror, a mini fridge and a small window. It was very plain, but it was adequate. Loki set her luggage down by the dresser and turned towards her.

“My room is right next door if you need anything. There is water and food in the mini-fridge so please help yourself.” He paused and then smiled a little. “I’ll also be eating a mini-fridge dinner this evening.” He was trying to lighten the mood, but Lillia barely smiled at him. “It is good to see you, maybe we can talk about the tablets tomorrow?”

“I finished the first tablet, and yes we can talk about it tomorrow.” With that she turned her back on him to start opening her suitcase. Loki took the hint and closed the door behind him.

Lillia changed into more comfortable clothes, and she felt very tired from working for two weeks without a day off. She decided to take a nap, and planned to work on her lessons tomorrow. She loved having snow days, they were the perfect time to catch up on planning and grading. Luckily she had brought her school work with her. She got into the cot and fell into a deep sleep, she loved having naps when she knew she didn’t have to work the next day.

           Loki left Lillia’s room feeling angry. How dare this midgardian strumpet interfere with his emotions, and turn her back on him? Had this been Asgard she would have been severely punished. He would have seen her strung up in his bedroom begging for mercy as he had his way with her. He had half a mind to burst into her room and force himself on her before using his scepter to conquer her mind; but something held him back. He didn’t like what this woman was doing to him. Still, he felt like the predator who had been temporarily outdone by his prey. Her time would come, and Loki would remain patient. He had some work to do before he could rest anyways, but he couldn’t stop thinking about her. Could she not become his queen when he ruled the planet? Why would she want to; she probably wasn’t going to be overjoyed with him as he enslaved her fellow human beings. A relationship with her was out of the question. He could have her if he wanted once those tablets were finished; willing or not. He might just have to wait until then before he could ravish her body again. How could a mortal woman have so much power over him? The more he thought about it the angrier he became. He could still be in a relationship with her, and when it was time to enslave her planet he would keep her as his personal slave. She would serve him whether she wanted to or not. He was a God after all, she should be so lucky to have his attention.

           After working on his plans for a few more hours he went into the staff lounge to see if he could find some better food than what his mini-fridge offered. He found some Campbell’s soup and some goldfish crackers. This would just have to do. Maybe Lillia would like some, and he could re-kindle friendly conversation with her. Despite his frustration he still needed her to finish those tablets; he must play nice…for the time being.

           Lillia seriously considered ignoring the knock she heard on the door, but seeing as it was only half past four she couldn’t really claim to have been asleep. She opened the door to find Loki holding a tray with Campbell’s soup and a bowl full of goldfish crackers. “I thought maybe this would suit you better than whatever is in the mini-fridge.” He gave her a sweet smile, and his eyes were looking intently at her again.

           “Err, that is very kind of you Loki, thank you.” She took the tray from him, and felt bad not inviting him in. She just didn’t want him getting the wrong idea. She wasn’t ready to make nice with him.

“I made some for myself as well, if you don’t want to eat alone I can bring my tray in here?” His eyes were willing her to say yes, and she felt once again that she would say yes to anything he asked of her. Just then she remembered how she felt the day after their last date. She couldn’t let Loki take advantage of her again.

“Loki, I’m trying really hard to be civil here, but I really don’t care to be anything more than colleagues. I’d rather that you didn’t eat supper in here.” She had to look away from him when she spoke, his face was too handsome.

“I understand, I was just trying to mend what I broke.” He backed away into the hallway.

“I don’t think I want you to mend anything.” Once again Lillia closed the door in his face.

Relish it you mortal harlot, for soon you will be bowing to my every whim, and eating supper together will be the easiest of your tasks. Still, he felt a tenderness for her, and this angered him. As a King he couldn’t have such weaknesses, especially towards those he ruled over. He stepped into his room to eat the miserable canned dinner alone.

Chapter 10

Lillia finished her supper and was feeling a bit bored. It had gone completely dark outside and she spent a few minutes looking out the window to see the city lights break through the blizzard. It was very beautiful, the lights seemed almost pink in the white of the storm, and everything swirled in a silvery mist. She was contemplating working on some lesson plans when suddenly the lights went out. Half of the lights outside her window went out as well. She could hardly see a thing; she stumbled to her purse and pulled out her cell phone for the light.  Did this place have any candles? Lillia was wondering if Loki knew where the emergency flash lights were. She waited for a bit to see if any help was on the way. What was she a damsel in distress? Certainly she could figure out where the emergency supplies were; she had her cell phone after all. She decided to try and make it to the staff lounge to look for the emergency flashlights. The problem was she didn’t know where the break room was.

The hallway was completely black, it had no windows to cast even indirect light. She stumbled a little bit, and decided it was safer to keep her hand on the wall to guide her. She approached a corner and decided to take the turn, as she wasn’t exactly sure where the staff lounge was. As she stepped forward she collided into something, and it groaned. She lost her balance, dropped her cell phone and started falling over backwards. She felt Loki’s arm around her back and she groped her hands forward. She succeeded in hitting Loki in the face, while trying to steady herself she tripped him. They both fell to the ground; Lillia landed on her back and Loki landed above her; holding himself up so as not to crush her.

“Shit! Loki, I’m so sorry. I didn’t see you…and then I lost my balance. Are you ok?” Lillia was such an idiot.

“You careless woman, if you’d only stayed put I was coming to help you. I was in the shower when the lights went out.” He did smell like fresh soap, mingled with his usual fire and ice scent.

He stood up and grabbed her hands to help her to her feet. She could sense movement, but could see nothing.

“I’ve lost my towel somewhere on the floor – here it is.” She heard more movement and assumed he was putting it back on.

“You were out here in just a bath towel?” Lillia was almost laughing. Refined, cultured Loki walking around the office in nothing but a towel; it was rather funny.

“I wasn’t anticipating having the power go out, haven’t you midgua- err people got another source of light on this campus?” Lillia could tell he was angry. What was he going to say when he corrected himself?

“Well, it doesn’t look like it, and before we move I’ve dropped my cell phone and I’d rather we didn’t step on it.” Lillia had no idea where her phone could be.

“I will try to avoid stepping on the phone, but we can’t just stand here all night. Where were you going anyways?”

“I was trying to find the staff lounge for the emergency flashlights. I’ve never been to the break room though.”

“Well, you were going the wrong way; here give me your hand and I’ll lead you. Maybe we can find something useful in there.” With that he took her hand.

Lillia was upset with herself for feeling a shiver when Loki’s hand grabbed her own. He was very matter of fact, he held her hand like a parent would hold a child’s hand. It wasn’t even romantic, and yet Lillia felt her heart skip a beat.

When they entered the staff lounge Loki instructed her to wait by the door. “I know this area better than you, no sense in you bumping into a table or falling over again.”

Lillia could hear Loki opening and closing drawers. “I believe I’ve found an emergency candle, let me see if there are matches.” In a few seconds Lillia heard the sound of a match strike and saw the candle light up Loki’s face.

“Is there only the one candle, or are there more?” Lillia thought it strange that there was only one emergency candle; seemed rather irresponsible.

“Unfortunately I think this is it, I’ll check the storage closet to be sure.” She could see Loki move away to the back of the room. He was wearing the bath towel around his waist, leaving his upper half bare. She could barely make out his back, but she remembered his perfectly chiseled chest. He had a long straight spine that was lined with muscles; Lillia couldn’t believe that she had had sex with someone so beautiful. That someone had used her; her inner voice reminded her of what happened only a week ago. Well; she corrected herself, he hadn’t really used her. He was going to be leaving soon; but she still couldn’t forgive him for his behavior.

“It looks like there is just one candle.” Loki didn’t seem too disappointed at this news.

“Well, unless we want to sleep, I guess we’re stuck together with the one candle.” Lillia supposed that now was as good time as any to talk to Loki about what happened last weekend.

“Would you mind walking with me back to my room?” Loki’s eyes were penetrating hers and he had a slight smile on his face. Lillia couldn’t believe he would ask her back to his room!

“I’d like to change into something warmer than this towel.” He gestured to his waist and Lillia was embarrassed that she thought he was hitting on her again. Of course he wasn’t going to stay in a bath towel all night.

“Unless you want to wait here in the dark?” He was being so polite it was ridiculous.

“No, I’ll walk with you, it’s fine.” Lillia followed Loki back to his room.

She waited outside his door until he was finished changing, and then he came to the doorway.

“Would you like to come into my room, or should we go back to the break room? There is a small couch in here, it might be more comfortable.” Loki was behaving coolly towards her and Lillia hated sitting in stiff plastic chairs.

“I guess we can sit in your room, it might be more comfortable.” Lillia stepped in and made her way to the couch.

Loki was dressed in dark pants and a grey long sleeved shirt; finally he was looking just as casual as Lillia. Loki sat on the edge of the bed, they were facing each other. As Lillia glanced around she noticed that his room was exactly the same as hers. There was a small coffee table in between the couch and the bed, there was little else in the room besides a small dresser under the window; and of course the bed. Lillia could feel the tension in the room and decided that she’d better say something.

“Loki, I wanted to talk to you about what happened last weekend. I was very angry with you, but after reading your note I understand. I still think it was wrong of you to just leave me like that; right after sex. It made me feel used, and I was starting to fall for you. But, I understand that you can’t get involved with anyone right now, so I wanted you to know that I’m still angry, but I’ll be fine.” Lillia tried smiling as she said this last sentence, but she could feel that she was disappointed anyways.

Loki could tell that she was just putting a good face to it. “It was a despicable thing that I did to you, and I wish I had handled things better. You have every right to be disgusted with me.” At that Loki stood up and went to the dresser.

Lillia gave a little sigh, “I just let myself get too attached too quickly; I also slept with you too quickly.” It was weird but Lillia was still comfortable being brutally honest with Loki.

“That is one part of the evening that I do not regret, I also let myself fall for you. I think that is why I got so… scared. I’ve never met anyone like you, and it’s very unfortunate that I’ll be gone soon. I do believe that we could have been great.” Loki was looking down at Lillia, and she could see a tender smile in his eyes. Maybe it was just the candle light but he looked truly regretful at their situation.

“Se le vi, life goes on I guess. At least we stopped before things got too serious; I just didn’t want us being awkward around each other anymore.”

“I’m glad we can talk about it; it would be nice to be on friendly terms with you again.” Loki opened the drawer and started rummaging through its contents.

“We’ll just start over as friends then. Have you by chance been reading my lab reports, I’ve finished with one of the tablets.” Lillia wanted to change the subject, she wasn’t much interested in prolonging the emotional peace process.

“I have read your reports; I knew you were gifted but I had no idea that you could translate so quickly.” Loki turned to give her a smile even though he was still searching in the drawer. “Ah here it is, I knew there was an old chessboard in here. Would you care to play?” Loki held up a medium sized chess board.

“I haven’t played chess in a couple of years, but I used to be pretty good. We have nothing else to do, might as well give it a try.”

Lillia helped Loki set up the board; he tried to just give her the white pieces, but she didn’t want any unfair advantages. She put a black and white pawn in each hand and put her hands behind her back. Loki chose black, and Lillia was secretly happy to be playing white; she knew some strategies that only worked if she could set up her defense before he finished setting up his. She decided to go with the Réti Opening, and she wasn’t sure if Loki raised his brows because he had seen it before or because she wasn’t as aggressive as he predicted.

As they played the game they talked more about the tablets, and it dawned on Lillia that she had heard nothing from Dr. Selvig.

“Loki, I haven’t seen Dr. Selvig in a long time. Does he still work here?” Lillia took one of Loki’s pawns and set herself up nicely to take his rook, and possibly his queen.

“Yes he does, he’s just been working on another project for me and it’s required him to travel to New York.” Loki saw her plan and moved his horse to ruin her whole strategy. Apparently Loki knew all of the basic offensive tactics. She tried a different approach and succeeded in chasing off his rook.

“I see you are going to be harder to beat than I thought.” Lillia laughed while she said this, but she really was competitive.

“What makes you so sure that you will win?” Loki cocked a playful eyebrow at her and smiled back. He took one of her pawns putting her queen in danger. While this was a clever move; it left Lillia’s bishop open to threaten his own queen.

“Because you are making rooky mistakes like this.” She moved her bishop, and knew that he could take her queen; but he’d loose his queen as well.

“How old are you Lillia?” Loki was smiling as he asked this.

“I’m 29 why does that matter?” Lillia wasn’t sure where he was going with this.

“You know too much for someone so young.” At that he moved his queen out of the way ending their first round of chess.

Half an hour later Lillia was checking Loki’s king once again, but he didn’t seem to mind, and they had started talking about the tablets again.

“It is rather frustrating that they only describe the God Ra in the first tablet, but he doesn’t really do anything. There is very little information being communicated. Why waste the valuable stone on descriptors?” Loki was asking a very good question.

“I don’t know, it does seem odd that they would write a poem about the end of the world, and then start the second half with a tale about a God returning to earth to bring them great power, only to leave out all the relevant parts.” Lillia was anxious to start on the second tablet and see if it could answer any of these questions. “Check…again.” Lillia had finally gotten Loki’s queen, both bishops, one horse, one castle and all his pawns.

“I believe we are at a stalemate. I just keep running and you just keep chasing with no end in sight.” Loki looked a little angry that he was losing.

“Well, I was planning on taking out your last castle here, thus forcing you into a checkmate.” Lillia moved the pieces and was about to tip his king over when he reached out to do it and their hands touched.

“Sorry.” Lillia quickly pulled her hand away.

“Touching your hand sent a tremble of excitement through my whole body. Is that strange?” Loki wasn’t looking at her, he was staring at his hand.

“It’s not strange, it’s just that if we can’t have a relationship we shouldn’t have any electricity, excitement, jitters, or trembles.” Lillia gave a little sigh. “I had the same thing happen when you took my hand to lead me to the break room.”

Loki stood up and walked over to the couch, where he sat down and turned his perfect eyes towards her.

“Where did you learn to play chess so well?” Loki was secretly livid; to lose to a mortal was inexcusable. At least he had respect for this woman; it made his loss a little more bearable.

“My father taught me when I was very young. It used to be our thing on cold or rainy days. Are you upset that I beat you?” She gave a small grin, she was proud that she was still brilliant at her favorite game. She had no idea that she had just beat the God of mischief at chess.

“Yes.” Loki turned his gaze away from her and stared at the candle. They sat in amicable silence for a few minutes. Lillia was admiring the sparkle of the snowflakes out of the window when she felt Loki’s hand on her shoulder.

“I can’t keep away from you Lillia, I constantly feel like I’m under some sort of spell. I won’t be denied by you” Loki’s eyes were focusing intently on her face, but Lillia couldn’t smile back.

“Loki, you scare me, because when you look at me like that I don’t feel in control of myself. You could get me to do anything. I’m pretty sure that’s not healthy, and I think it’s best if we stay friends. You’re leaving anyways, and I don’t want to deal with a long distance relationship.”

Loki was obviously displeased, but Lillia wasn’t going to give in on this one. Raw animal attraction wasn’t enough to keep her interested, not after what he did. She understood his excuse, but she didn’t want to be with someone who was capable of hurting her so much. She also wanted someone who had their shit together, and Loki seemed to be in his thirties or perhaps forties. Old enough to know better.

“I see. Had I known…I would have handled things differently.” Loki seemed to read Lillia’s thoughts, and was responding not to what she said, but to what she was thinking.

“I am sorry, but I’m glad to be here with you anyways.” Lillia gave him a timid smile. “Tomorrow I’ll have all day to work on those tablets since school was cancelled. Maybe we can get something definitive on the second tablet.”

“Yes, the sooner we get those translated the better; you see once we finish translating the tablets I’ll be off to Egypt for some more work. I’d rather like to get there before the spring, it gets too hot to dig there in the summer.” Loki was polite but obviously disappointed; although, he did talk about going to Egypt with subdued excitement.

“It’s late, I think I’m going to head off to bed; it’ll be nice to get an early start on the tablets.” Lillia stood up and headed for the door. Loki stood and grabbed Lillia by the wrist.

“Wait! I’m glad to have spent the evening with you; don’t feel as though you have to run off so quickly.”

Lillia turned to Loki, and for a moment as she gazed into his eyes she imagined wrapping her arms around him and giving in to her physical desires. Instead she looked away from him and said, “I really am tired, but please feel free to hang out in the lab tomorrow or stop by and visit. I have a feeling we’ll be the only ones here anyways.” She casually released her wrist from his grasp and opened the door. “Good night Loki.”

The last thing Loki heard was the soft click as the door closed behind her. “Good night Lillia.” He whispered to the empty room.

Chapter 11

Christmas was right around the corner, and Lillia was finishing up her last week of school. It was finals week and she was up to date on all the grading, and had her classroom ready for second semester. As the students in her favorite second period class were taking their final Lillia snuck a peek at her cell phone. She had a missed call from the lab, it was from Dr. Selivg’s number. He had finally returned about a week earlier looking worn out and exhausted. He seemed happy to be back in the lab working on the tablets despite the dark circles under his eyes. Between the two of them Lillia and Dr. Selvig had finished translating the second tablet and were halfway through translating the third one. With any luck they would finish the whole job by the end of January. As she was putting her phone down she felt it vibrate and noticed that Dr. Selvig had sent her a text message.

“Call immediately; new developments. Not sure if my translation is right; need you to confirm ASAP.”

Lillia was slightly irritated, because Eric knew she was working at her other job, her permanent one. She didn’t have plan time for another hour so he would just have to wait.

Lillia quickly texted Dr. Selvig back that she would call him at 10:00am and for him to sit tight. Lillia smiled though, she actually worked quite well with Eric. They both knew how to divide up the task of translating so that neither one of them was getting in the others way, or translating the same section of the tablet. He was certainly passionate about translating, but he was friendly with her. He had an unexplained respect for Loki, and made suggestions that Lillia should give him another chance. Lillia still couldn’t stop thinking about Loki romantically; every time she was around him she caught herself daydreaming about their one night together. It was very difficult to work with him; just when she thought she was over him she would catch a whiff of his scent as he walked by. Or he would send her a flash of his smile, or she caught him staring at her intently. Sometimes when he was reading her lab notes his jaw would clench, and his eyes would narrow; there was something so dastardly about the way he looked. Lillia shook herself out of this daydream as a student raised their hand.

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“Eric, it’s Lillia. What is the emergency?” Lillia was calling Eric back, and could tell by his breathing that he was more than excited.

“Lillia, I finished the third tablet! I know the general location of the burial, and it hints that whatever the God Ra brought to earth is an item of great power. This item is located in the city of the dead, well the city of the dead from the 1st dynasty.” Eric sputtered this news out as quickly as his mouth could form the words.

“You’re telling me the burial is in Saqqara, in the Memphite necropolis?” Lillia was getting excited as well.

“That’s what I’m thinking; listen we need to get the last tablet translated! Loki is hoping to organize a dig in Saqqara to find evidence to corroborate what we’ve found in the tablets! I knew this day would come soon, he’s such a great man!”

Lillia didn’t know what Eric’s obsession with Loki was, some kind of weird bromance.

“Alright Eric, I’ll drive down as soon as school is over.”

“What time will you get here?” Eric sounded disappointed, as if he expected her to leave her real job without a substitute at a moment’s notice.

“I’ll be there around 5:00pm which is the soonest that I can promise.”

“That’s very late; but I’ll make do. See you at 5 then.”

With that Dr. Selvig hung up the phone leaving Lillia brimming with excitement.

She felt her phone vibrate and it was another text from Eric, it read, “I forgot to tell you, third tablet speaks of a key that we need to unlock the tomb – apparently the item of great power is hidden in a tomb. Some curses are on said tomb – standard – we’ll talk more later.”

Egyptians were fond of hiding things in cursed tombs presumably to keep grave robbers out, they also used a type of pressurized acid to keep looters away. While Hollywood liked everyone to think Egyptians used keys to hide everything this simply wasn’t true. Keys were too easy to lose, and if the Egyptians had wanted something buried and hidden, they dug, set traps, made underground mazes, but almost never used keys. She would have to double check Eric’s work, because that didn’t sound right.

Chapter 12

The day had gone by painfully slow, and Lillia managed to leave school at a decent time, so she arrived in the lab around 4:45 pm. She desperately wanted to see the tablets and Eric’s translation so she left her luggage in the car; she could check in to her hotel later. She rushed upstairs and expected to open the lab door to find Eric working frantically over the tablets; but what she found was rather shocking. She found the lab empty. Everything was gone, the books, the desks, chairs, shelves, the tablets. Oh dear lord, the tablets were missing! Lillia walked around the lab in disbelief, none of the security officers acted like anything had changed. Had they been robbed? Lillia spun on her heel towards the door when it opened and Loki stepped in looking…well looking rather angry. His face smiled when he saw her but she could tell he was trying to compose himself.

“Loki, what happened here?!” Lillia was anxious to know where everything was.

“Dr. Selvig finished the translation, and we simply could not wait for you any longer.” Loki’s tone was subdued, but he gave half a smile as he finished his sentence.

“What do you mean? He finished the whole thing? Where are the tablets?” Lillia was irritated that Loki wanted to speak in riddles. She wasn’t in the mood to play 50 questions.

“Everything has been carefully packed, and shipped to Cairo; when I arrive we will transport everything to the dig site. The fourth tablet is not complete, but we can start digging while we wait for you and Dr. Selvig to finish the translation.” Loki’s eyes were shinning and that mischievous grin reappeared on his perfectly chiseled face.

“How am I supposed to finish translating the tablet if it’s in Egypt?! I guess detailed photos and skype will work, I can send you my translation via e-mail. Should I just log my hours and send it in to the lab?”

Loki just shook his head. “You are coming with me.”

“Oh, I see. You think I’ll drop everything here on a moment’s notice and travel with you to Egypt?! Is that what you think?!” Lillia was half laughing half shaking with anger. How dare he do this without consulting her, or asking her? Was this how her contract with DU would end?

“You will come with me to Egypt with me tonight. We need you Lillia, I need you. We need to start digging as soon as possible, and you can work on translating while we finish phase one. Besides, you’ve always wanted to see the pyramids, the Bedouins and the Nile.” Loki had walked towards her and was giving her his best puppy dog look.

Lillia sighed, she couldn’t just leave the country, it was almost Christmas and she only had two weeks off from work. “I’m sorry Loki, I can’t go to Egypt. My real job, the one that pays my bills won’t let me take months off for an archaeology holiday to Egypt; my dreams of seeing the Nile will just have to wait. If you still want me to help you can send me detailed photographs, and the research books. We’ll have to correspond via e-mail or skype.”

Lillia crossed her arms in finality of her decision. She needed to be rational here, but she would love nothing more than to run off to Egypt with this man. In reality she had student loans, a mortgage, a steady career, family and friends who she could not abandon like this.

“Is there nothing I can do to change your mind? I can give you more money, we will be staying in very comfortable accommodations, and you can fly home as soon as the job is done.” Loki was gazing at her intently, as if his eyes alone could make her change her mind. While she was gazing into his eyes Lillia imagined negotiating a huge salary, staying in luxurious hotels and helping run a large archaeological dig. Lillia sighed and thought about how she would miss her job, her students and most of all her family and friends. Even if he did pay her considerably more, it wasn’t worth losing her permanent job. Lillia pulled her eyes away from Loki’s gaze. She also doubted that Loki would pay her enough to merit losing a steady paying job.

“That is very generous, but it’s not something I can manage right now. I can’t just up and leave tonight; it’s Christmas, and I have my long term job to think about.” Lillia wished he wouldn’t press her like this.

Just then the lab doors swung open and three of the security guards came in, but they were dressed in black and two of them had her luggage in hand. How did they get her luggage from her car? She always kept it locked. The third man had another large suitcase that Lillia didn’t recognize. She noticed that all three men were armed to the teeth, the hairs on the back of her neck stood up.

“Loki, what is going on? Why do they have my luggage?” Lillia was becoming furious and more than a little nervous at what was happening.

“I tried to plead with you, reason with you and even offer you more money. I am sorry that it has come to this, but I must insist on you accompanying me to Cairo.” Loki locked eyes with Lillia, he was walking towards her slowly while the three men circled around her.

“This is ridiculous, if you forcibly take me to Egypt that’s kidnapping! That’s illegal, totally wrong and fucked up for you to put me in this situation!” Lillia tried to back away from Loki without getting too close to the three men. She noticed that all three men had bright blue eyes like Dr. Selvig. Lillia panicked and she tried to find a gap between the four men so she could get to the only exit in the room.

One of the men in black spoke to Loki, “Sir, the helicopter will be landing in five.”

“Perfect;” Loki glanced from the man back to Lillia, “Now Lillia; I want you to calm down and look into my eyes. We have your luggage, and Thompson  was kind enough to go to your house and retrieve more suitable clothing and supplies for an Egyptian… excursion. You will be safe, I have made arrangements with your other job. They have agreed to give you second semester off, and you can call your family as soon as we land. If you struggle it will only be worse for you. Be smart now, take my hand and we’ll meet the helicopter on the roof.” At this Loki extended his hand and gave Lillia the most seductive look, with a hint of danger in it.

Lillia was flabbergasted, and she kept backing away from Loki and his men, but they were closing in on her. Her heart was beating fast as she realized that Loki meant to kidnap her and take her across international borders. She was shaking with fear for a few seconds before her terror turned to anger. Her eyes narrowed at Loki, “Who do you think you are? Just because you have the means and apparently a lot of power (she gestured to the men in black) doesn’t mean you can bully people into doing whatever you want. I’m NOT going anywhere with you; I will fight, scream, try to escape anything to stay away from you!”

Lillia bolted to Loki’s left and cut straight for the door. She wasn’t quick enough for the god of mischief, and Loki grabbed her around the waist, and lifted her off of the ground. He began walking as he shifted her into both his arms mid stride. Lillia couldn’t believe how strong Loki was and how tight his grip was.

“Loki, put me down right now; I’m calling the police!” She was almost screaming but knew that if her voice got high enough it would only send her into hysterics. How was she going to call the police? Lillia knew that she was going to have to get out of this alone. Her purse was sitting on one of the empty tables on the other side of the lab, conveniently her phone was in said purse.

Loki ignored her and kept walking. As they reached the exit to the lab Lillia reached out and took ahold of the door jam. Loki stopped, his jaw tightening and he let Lillia’s legs fall with a smack on the ground. Lillia paused for half a second, then she attempted to bolt away from Loki. Before she could take off Loki grabbed Lillia’s wrists, and flung her body around so she faced him. Lillia pulled back against Loki and tried to loosen his painful grip on her slender wrists. Loki slammed her wrists into the door and pushed his body up against hers pinning her back against glass door. Having had the wind knocked out of her Lillia made a high pitched cry as her back hit the door.

Loki leaned in so close that Lillia could see the absolute anger and fierceness in his eyes.

“Listen to me now you mewling quim! I do not have to put up with requests, preferences or ultimatums from you. It’s time you knew who you are working for, and who you ultimately belong to. I am Loki, prince of Asgard; I am a God, and I will be king of this uncivilized little planet. It was entertaining bedding you; a simple Midgardian, and I did my best to keep you in my good graces, but I cannot afford to play those games anymore. You will come to Egypt with me, and you will finish the translation.” Loki spoke aggressively, and Lillia felt her wrists go numb from his grip.

“You are a sick and demented person Loki, you need help. Please let me go, you’re hurting me.” Lillia wasn’t surprised to hear her voice shake. Did this man just announce that he was a God? How did this deranged psychopath have so much money and what were the men in black and Dr. Selvig doing following his every order?

“You have two choices Lillia; stop struggling and come with me willingly or-“ Loki knew he should use the scepter on her, but he still couldn’t bring himself to do it. “Or I will inject you with a sleeping serum.” At that moment one of the men in black came forward with a small medical kit which he opened and did indeed contain a needle. Lillia was terrified of needles and her body shook violently at the thought of being injected with anything; let alone whatever was in that needle.  Lillia was desperate, but she knew that she could not allow this mentally ill man a chance to inject her with whatever was in that needle.

Lillia figured that the best thing to do was to feign compliance with Loki and escape at the first chance. She had to be careful to choose her moment carefully, she couldn’t risk Loki getting a hold of her like this again.

“Ok! I’ll go with you, just don’t use that needle on me!” Lillia had to keep her eyes open for any chance of escape, her body was tight and rigid as a piano wire and she imagined that this was the exact feeling that rabbits have when they are chased by foxes.

Loki looked carefully at Lillia and cocked his head to one side. “I’m going to release your wrists now, and you will follow me to the roof. If you try to escape again, I will use the serum on you; and when you wake you won’t like what comes next.” Loki ran his eyes over her body before he slowly let go of her now aching wrists.

Lillia brought them down quickly and began rubbing the circulation back into her hands. She stepped aside so that Loki could open the door; and with a backward glance he stepped through it and set a fast pace down the hallway.

The men in black gestured for Lillia to follow, and seeing no alternatives she stepped out of the lab for what was to be the last time, and set off behind Loki frantically trying to think of some way to escape before she got in the helicopter. The man called Thompson made sure to grab her purse before he followed Lillia out of the lab.

The whirring of the helicopter blades made Lillia’s head spin so she looked straight ahead. She could feel the craft lift off from the ground and she had no idea how she was going to get out of this nightmare.

Chapter 13

The helicopter had flown them a short distance to DIA, but they landed just west of the large airport. Lillia saw an impressive private jet on a runway not far from where the helicopter was landing. She also noticed that they were half a mile from the terminals of DIA. the airport was outside of Denver at the beginning of the great plains; treeless, no buildings; just an international airport right in the middle of nowhere. There was no way she could escape here either. The transfer to the jet was quick, Loki grabbed Lillia’s arm and led her directly on board where they were greeted by a middle aged woman with the same glowing blue eyes as Dr. Selvig and the men in black. She ushered them into the large sitting area. Loki sat next to Lillia in one of the tan leather swivel chairs. “If you are hungry or thirsty Sherri can get you whatever you need. I would also suggest getting changed into something meant for warmer weather; it’s currently 70 degrees in Cairo.”

“What happens once we arrive in Cairo?” Lillia knew that Cairo was a large city, and that perhaps she might find a way to escape once they land.

“You will find out faery princess. In the mean time I suggest you make yourself comfortable, get something to eat and get some rest.”

Lillia was wearing her heavy coat, boots, sweater and jeans; she was getting rather warm. She took off her coat and looked around for a place to hang it up. Loki was watching her intently with every move she made. As Lillia made to rise and walk over to where she found some hooks by the door Loki pushed her back in her chair.

“Ah ah Lillia. We haven’t taken off yet and I don’t want you making a break for it.” At that he took her coat from her and went to hang it up himself.

“Yes, I have a buffalo waiting to take me far away into the prairie lands.” Lillia’s sarcasm earned her a stern look from Loki. Loki gestured Sherri over and asked for champagne, and some hors d’hourves. He offered Lillia a glass, but she declined, she also declined to eat any of the finger foods brought in by Sherri.

“It’ll be a long flight to Egypt if you don’t eat anything.” At that moment a man in black came up carrying Lillia’s luggage. Loki told him to put it in bedroom.

“Bedroom? There is a bedroom on this plane?” Lillia had never been in a private jet before and this one looked like it belonged to John Travolta.

“Yes, if you want to lay down or get anything from your luggage it will be behind that curtain.” Loki was sipping the champagne as the jet engines powered on. The fasten seatbelt lights came on, and a man’s mechanical voice came over the intercom asking that we be seated until the lights were turned off. Lillia was surprised that such announcements would be made to accommodate the few passengers aboard the aircraft. The three men in black and Sherri sat in chairs across from Loki and Lillia. As the plane took off Lillia felt her anxiety spike because she knew she was being taken to a third world country by a very powerful and very sick man.

Chapter 14

It must have been getting late because Lillia’s eyelids were drooping as she sat in silence on what would otherwise be a very pleasant flight.

“If you don’t go and lie down on the bed, I’m going to carry you in there myself.” Loki, looking awake and majestic gave her a narrow look that challenged her to disobey him.

“Maybe you’re right, but before I go where is the bathroom?” Lillia knew she needed to sleep before they land. It wouldn’t do at all to plan an escape attempt after being awake for over 36 hours.

Loki rose and said, “It’s near the bed behind the curtain. There is also a sink and small shower if you wish to freshen up. I will show you how everything works.”

“I think I can figure it out, I don’t need you to come with me.” Lillia’s tone was icy, but Loki followed her back through the curtain anyways.

He flicked on the light attached to the wall, and turned towards Lillia.

“I hope you don’t mind, but I will have to share the bed with you.” Loki was staring at her curiously.

“In that case I will sleep in one of the chairs, they recline fairly well.” Lillia made to leave when Loki grabbed her arm and in one motion threw her onto the bed. Before she could sit up or move Loki was straddling her hips and holding her hands above her head.

“You don’t get to deny me anymore faery princess.” He growled as he started pulling Lillia’s sweater off over her head. Lillia struggled and cried out, but he was too strong and she could not get away. Her wriggling allowed him to pull the sweater off faster which caused him to smile as he undid her bra.

“You have the loveliest breasts I have ever seen my dear.” Then he put his lips to her nipples and began sucking on them.

“Stop it now! Loki! You are already going to go down for kidnapping and human trafficking, do you want to add rape to that list?!” Lillia was hoping fear of legal recourse would at least cause him to pause long enough for her to fight him off. Then what? They were in the air and she had no hope to escape him entirely.

“Soon you will see that your laws do not govern my actions nor am I subject to them.” Loki leaned in close to Lillia’s ear and said, “Fight it all you want princess, but you belong to me now. It is more fun for me if you put up a fight.”

He ripped the button off of her jeans and violently pulled them down. He had let go of her wrists to pull her boots off, and peel her jeans passed her feet. Lillia kicked him in the face as hard as she could, and then she flew off the bed. She raced passed the curtain into the main sitting area where a man in black stood. Lillia stopped and brought her hands up to cover her nearly naked body. She could feel a blush rising in her cheeks, and stiffened when she felt Loki wrap his arms around her from behind.  

Loki slowly forced her hands down, and he pulled her wrists behind her back; exposing her to the man in black.

“Would you prefer that I bring Johnson in to watch? I can always give him a turn when I’m done with you? Perhaps I should call the others?” Loki was whispering in her ear, but she could hear the smile in his voice.

“Anderson, Bixley! Come out here please.” Loki called to the other two men. It took only seconds for both of them to appear and stand slightly behind Johnson who couldn’t take his eyes off of Lillia.

“Loki! Stop it! Please, don’t do this to me!” Lillia didn’t know what else to say, and those words flew out of her mouth at the notion that she would be raped by Loki and three of his cronies.

Loki responded by motioning the men forward. “Johnson, come and put your hands on Lillia. Feel her all over and ignore anything she says to you.”

Lillia pulled against Loki, but she couldn’t move. Johnson a blonde man who looked to be in his mid- thirties with a broad frame and muscular build stepped closer to her. She tried to knee him between the legs, but he grabbed her knee and stepped between her legs. He kept holding her leg up and wrapped it round his waist. He used the back of his other hand to trace her face and brush her collar bone with his fingers. Lillia pulled her face away, but Johnson was moving his hands down to cup her breasts. Her nipples hardened at being touched, and Johnson took them between his fingers and kneaded them harder than would normally be pleasurable.

“Loki, make him stop. This isn’t right and you know it.” Lillia had realized that the people with the glowing eyes were somehow under Loki’s control and she would have to convince her former lover to end this terrifying ordeal.

“Johnson, take her knickers off and do what you will afterwards.” Loki’s tone was icy and Lillia’s blood froze when she heard what Loki was allowing Johnson to do to her.

Johnson dropped her leg abruptly like a robot, causing Lillia to lose her balance and rock backward towards Loki. Johnson then pulled her underwear down and reached behind her back to take her wrists from Loki. Lillia bucked as hard as she could, but Johnson slung her over his shoulder as if she were a doll. He took her into the bedroom and for the second time she was thrown onto the bed.

Lillia cried out and struggled, but Johnson easily secured her wrists again and held them by her hips. He positioned himself between her legs and cupped her labia with his mouth. Lillia couldn’t believe this was happening and she tried to kick her legs, but Johnson was using his forearms to keep her thighs down. He was so strong that she barely moved at all.

Johnson looked up at her and said, “Be still.” Then he went back to licking her clitoris. He slid two fingers roughly inside her as he continued to cup her sex with his mouth. Lillia was holding back the sobbing, but her tears rolled down her cheeks and into her blonde hair.

Loki chose that moment to walk into the room and watch with a blank expression on his face.

“Johnson, that’s enough. Please go back to the galley and get yourself something to eat.” As soon as the words were spoken Johnson pulled his fingers out of Lillia, he stood up and walked right out of the room.

Lillia struggled and pulled herself backward on the bed as Loki advanced towards her.

“I admire the feisty nature of your spirit Lillia, but bear in mind that if you are too difficult for me I will have all three of them fucking every hole in your supple body.”

Lillia was shivering, but she managed to say, “You’re a monster, and a self-aggrandizing asshole.” She spit in his face.

Loki paused before using her sweater to wipe the spit off his face. The back of her head hit the wall before Lillia realized that Loki had slapped her across the face.

Loki was using her sweater and his shirt to tie her wrists to the bed; Lillia was trying to kick at him, but he was straddling her hips. She was trying in vain to buck him off of her, when Loki unzipped his pants. He deftly climbed between her legs and placed himself at her entrance. His eyes were wild and he was grinning through a stiff jaw. “You will regret spitting in my face darling, I guess taming you will be more of a challenge than I thought.” As the last word was spoken Loki thrust himself inside Lillia; he rammed into her to the hilt. Lillia felt the shooting pain deep in her cervix. She wanted to scream and cry, but she bit her lip and closed her eyes. Leaning in towards her Loki caught her scent; rosemary and lavender. “You smell absolutely perfect, what a shame because we’re going to get dirty.”

Lillia’s heart was racing and were she able to see her hands she knew they’d be trembling. She still didn’t want Loki knowing that she was terrified. She kept her mouth as still as possible and made up her mind that she wouldn’t cry.

Loki slammed into her a few more times, Lillia’s only response was to grit her jaw and try to remain silent. Loki was so big and she wasn’t ready at all; it felt like she would be split in half.

He didn’t know why, but it aggravated him that Lillia was still able to control herself; she didn’t cry or make a sound as he fucked her as hard as he could. Loki took a hold of Lillia’s hair and tugged her head to one side. He nestled his face into her neck. Then he chuckled softly, “You know that I can make you scream Lillia; I’d quite like to hear you whimper as well.” He bit her neck, sucked on the delicate flesh and moved his face so that his eyes were level with hers. Lillia was close to panicking now, she had caught a glimpse of what he was capable of, and she now wished she had just let him take her earlier. He kept his eyes locked on hers as he untied the restraints from her wrists. Sliding out of her as Lillia tried to get away again he said,  “How cute; as if you could over power me. Now, if you’d be so kind as to turn over…” He flipped Lillia onto her stomach and pulled her hips upwards. She felt him slam deep inside her again. She gave an involuntary grunt, when Loki grabbed her hair in one hand and her shoulder in the other. “That’s better, I can maneuver so much easier when you aren’t tied down.” He used his grip on her head and shoulder to pull her body in rhythm with his. Lillia couldn’t take it anymore and she began crying, the hot tears streaming down her face.

Loki felt the tears on one hand, and could see Lillia’s face contorted in pain. This would teach her to treat him with respect, now that she knew who was in control. Loki was taking tremendous pleasure in the feeling of her; warm, tight and so petite as she bounced in front of him. He leaned closer to her ear and purred, “that’s it my dear, let it out, I won’t stop until I get a scream out of you!” He let go of her shoulder, instead pulling her arm behind her back and forcing her face first into the mattress.

Lillia thought he was going to break her arm, but when he yanked her head back fist full of her hair she was more worried about her neck.

“Loki,” she gasped, “stop, please; you are really hurting me.” She couldn’t help that the words came out like a sob.

He traced her back with his finger before putting his whole weight on her. “No cheating love, I want to hear that scream!” He began fucking her even harder, while pulling her head back. Suddenly he pulled her up and slammed her face first into the wall. He was still inside her, and didn’t miss a beat. Lillia couldn’t keep it in any longer, she just wanted this to be over. She tasted blood in her mouth and knew that Loki had torn her down below. Every thrust stung, and she felt raw. Loki began speeding up, slamming into her harder and faster. When Loki slammed inside her for what seemed like the hundredth time he pulled her hair harder, and thrust so deep that Lillia felt it in her stomach. She was screaming now; finally she cried out, “Enough! Please, Loki stop I can’t take anymore.” The last part came out as a pant because Loki hadn’t stopped.

“That’s it faery princess.” Loki bucked a few more times before he spilled his seed deep inside her. He loosened his grip on her enough that she could lean back from the wall. They were both breathing heavily.

Loki was overcome with remorse as soon he finished; he felt disgusted with himself for having taken pleasure in harming her. She was so nasty to him, she refused to recognize him as her rightful king. He chided himself, he was used to hurting others, why should she be any different? A king cannot allow his subjects to refuse, insult and disobey him. The conflicting emotions inside him made him angry; but he could no longer find anger for her.

He slid out of her, and without a word he went into the tiny bathroom for a hot shower.

Lillia collapsed on the bed. She felt numb all over sans the throbbing between her legs. When she sat up she noticed the blood on the bed, looking down she saw some on her thighs. She put her fingers to her nose to find dried blood, and all she could do was sit there naked with blood flowing down her legs. After a few minutes she felt like she was returning to her body, and her fear turned to anger. She wasn’t going to let this man break her; she was more determined than ever to find a way to escape. She would keep her eyes open for the U.S. embassy, any embassy or any police officer. She was going to do whatever it took to get away from Loki.

Just then Loki stepped out of the bathroom in a towel. He gave her a cold look and said, “I suggest you clean up and get some rest before we land. You will need your strength, the final tablet isn’t finished, and I’m not finished with you either.” He kept his eyes trained on hers as he changed into his clothes. She barely found the strength to stare back, but she returned his steely gaze. He walked around the bed closer to her. “Stare all you like faery princess, I am your king, and you belong to me.” He stroked her cheek tenderly, gave her a dastardly smile and left the room.

Chapter 15

Lillia awoke to find Sherri the motherly looking woman shaking her awake.

“Wake up dear, we’re going to land in about an hour.” She smiled gently at Lillia, “There is a full breakfast waiting for you in the main cabin. I have laid out clothes for you; and I see you found your hygiene bag in the bathroom. Let me know if you require anything else.” She pulled the curtain closed behind her and Lillia rolled out of the bed.

Lillia saw that Sherri had laid out a white button down linen shirt and olive drab cargo pants for her to wear. She found new Merrill’s and light socks to go with them. After changing into her new clothes Lillia went to the bathroom to run a brush through her hair and freshen up. Lillia had a light bruise on her left cheek, and dark ones on her wrists. There was a cut on her lip, and while her nose looked fine it was sore. She felt sore all over, and she wasn’t up to seeing Loki at all. Hot tears rolled down her cheeks and for a moment Lillia succumbed to hopelessness.

When she’d had a good cry Lillia pulled her hair into a ponytail and made up her mind that she was going to survive this. She mentally prepared herself for facing Loki and the men in black. She took a quick shower, careful not to get her hair wet. When the hot water touched her nether regions she felt the familiar sting down below and memories of the night before flooded her eyes. Her first instinct was to feel ashamed, couldn’t she have escaped sooner, fought harder, not fought at all perhaps? Shaking the thoughts away she finished cleaning herself and stepped out of the shower. Looking at her reflection in the mirror she saw more bruises on her neck, shoulder and her nipples. She dried off, and began to dress. The simple act of putting herself together for the day made her feel a little better. She refused to feel humiliated, she applied her deodorant and perfume as usual. She decided to put on make-up just to show them that she wasn’t affected by last night at all; which was a terrible lie, but she had to get through this somehow.

She walked into the main cabin to find that a small table had been brought in with eggs, bacon, pancakes, fresh fruit, yogurt and toast all laid out in perfection. There was no one in the main cabin, so Lillia helped herself to a plate of food. She sat down to eat when Loki came in from the front of the plane. Her stomach gave a loud rumble, and she was reminded of how hungry and terrified she was.

“Good morning Lillia.” Loki cooed at her and gave her a knowing smile.

Lillia ignored him and began eating the strawberries and blueberries on her plate.

“Now, that’s no way to respond to your King. I. said. Good. Morning.” Loki spoke each word with an underlying harshness; Lillia didn’t want to be mistreated again, last night was horrendous.

“Morning.” She nodded in his direction and went back to eating her food. She was keeping her face still, but her heart was beating and she had a hard time keeping her fork from shaking.

Loki walked near her chair, stood a foot away and held out his hand with the palm facing downwards.

“What are you doing?” Lillia asked in a much more skeptical voice than she had intended.

“I’m waiting for you to kneel and kiss my hand.” Loki’s smile dared her to refuse. Lillia knew she should obey, but she couldn’t bring herself to kneel down and kiss the hand of a man who had violently raped her.

She rose and took a step towards Loki. With a meaningful stare she turned and headed back towards the bedroom.

Loki moved so fast that Lillia wasn’t sure how he had gotten to her so quickly. He grabbed her ponytail in his hand and pulled her back towards him. His eyes were angry again, and Lillia instantly regretted turning from him.

“I will give you one more chance mortal, I said kneel and kiss my hand.” He threw her to the ground, and Lillia took a moment to decide what to do. She just needed to escape, her goal was survival. She didn’t want to be beaten, raped or threatened again. If she could get off this fucking airplane she might have a chance at getting out alive. Lillia had her pride, but she didn’t need broken bones. She raised her head towards Loki hand. She felt utterly sick to her stomach as she quickly and lightly kissed the back of Loki’s hand.

“You’re learning Lillia; now finish your breakfast. It will be awhile before you’ll have a chance to eat again.” Loki took Lillia’s hands and brought her to her feet. She was lovely, even with the bruises and cuts on her face and the hatred in her eyes.

She pulled her hands out of his and sat down to finish her plate. Loki studied her as she pretended he wasn’t there.

“You have to understand Lillia, I am destined to rule this planet. I am a prince of Asgard, and you are now one of my subjects. I cannot let you treat me with disrespect and vitriol. You must treat me like a king now.” Loki turned to leave and he heard her say under breath.

“You will never be my king.”

He should go back and punish her, but there would be time enough for that once they were in Egypt.

Lillia was grateful that Loki didn’t punish her for the comment that she knew he heard. She was ravenously hungry despite the situation, and began to eat.

Chapter 16

They landed in Cairo at one of the smaller airports, but Lillia could see the city gleaming in the distance. Loki kept Lillia, Johnson and Bixley on the plane until everything was unloaded and packed into large SUV’s. Finally Lillia was escorted to an SUV and made to sit between Johnson and Bixley; they acted like they hadn’t just seen her naked and abused. Loki sat up front, and an Egyptian looking man got into the driver’s seat. Though he had tanned browned skin his eyes were a vivid blue just like everyone else around Loki. Lillia knew that something wasn’t right, but she couldn’t bring herself to believe that Loki was indeed a Norse God.

           As they drove past the outskirts of Cairo Loki was reflecting on what had transpired with Lillia in the plane. He should just use the scepter on her and be done with it. He enjoyed having her challenge him; she elicited emotions in him that he had never experienced before. His mother had described her relations with Odin in a similar way. Loki was sure that this wasn’t love; he lusted after her. He liked using her body to satisfy his baser needs. He liked forcing her to submit to him, and every time she struggled he enjoyed it anew. He also cared whether she lived or not; he couldn’t use the scepter on her, and he craved to see her smile. How could he have such conflicting feelings over a simple human? He did not fully regret the night before; after all she needed to recognize his authority, but he knew she had a gentle nature and had never been treated that way. He thought to ask how she was recovering this morning, but stopped himself. Of course she wasn’t doing well, and the last thing she’d want is to discuss it with the other men in the car.

           Asenath the driver was now pulling onto Ring road towards Saqqara, it would be 30 minutes until they got to the dig site. “Asenath, how much progress has been made since Dr. Selvig arrived last week?” Loki wanted Lillia to start translating the fourth tablet immediately; if they could find the tesseract before the summer heat set in they would be in good shape.

“Dr. Selvig compiled a team of 3 archeologists and 50 diggers, got the permits and set up the grid. Everyone’s living quarters and all of the equipment are lined up. They started digging yesterday, and so far they haven’t found a single artifact.” Asenath spoke with a thick accent, but his English was quite good.

“Well done; Lillia, when we arrive I’ll give you an hour to settle in, and then I’ll need you to start working on the fourth tablet.” Loki spoke to Lillia like a friend; so unlike his behavior this morning.

Lillia had originally wanted to check Dr. Selvig’s translation on the third tablet before she started working on the fourth, but she was no longer interested in doing a thorough job. Lillia wondered how many of her family and friends were noticing she was gone. “I don’t suppose there would be a way for me to let my family know that I’m alive?”

“Don’t be naïve Lillia; did you really think I’d let you call anyone?”

Lillia only hoped that somehow the police would be able to track her down, she wondered just how worried her parents would be. Loki had told her that her principal had agreed to give her second semester off, but that had obviously been a lie to get her on the helicopter.  How will she let her parents know that she’s still alive? How will she ever make it out of this?

Lillia sighed heavily and watched as Cairo vanished into the distance, she was losing all hope of locating an embassy or any kind of help. What would happen to her if she refused to translate the tablets? Maybe she could leverage her knowledge into a bargain with Loki. Maybe she could convince him to let her go once she’d finished the translations. At the very least she could demand to be left alone by him, she would translate the tablets as long as Loki stayed away from her.

The SUV pulled into a spot where a line of other SUV’s were parked. This part of Saqqara was away from the old pyramids, but it was the same landscape, nothing but sand and desert. There were at least 30 tents set up, a dozen camels and donkeys penned near what looked like an oasis. Beside the tents were containers filled with archaeological equipment and Lillia saw thirty workers digging in the partitioned off sites.

Loki slid out of the car and walked into one of the larger tents, Johnson pulled Lillia out of the car and pushed her towards the same tent. Bixley filed in behind them and Lillia wondered if their only task was to watch her.

Inside the tent Lillia saw expensive looking Persian rugs on the floor over the tarps, large pillows sitting on top of the rugs and tapestries over the canvas walls. There was another flap in the back that clearly led to another room in the tent, and Lillia couldn’t believe there were tables, chairs and what looked like a basin and mirror in the corner. It was very civilized for being in the middle of the desert in a third world country.

“Lillia, you will have one hour to refresh yourself and rest. The tent next door is where we are keeping the tablets. Dr. Selvig is there waiting to debrief you on all the findings since we’ve been traveling.”

Lillia couldn’t believe that Loki had been able to get away with smuggling her into Egypt, and now there was very little hope of escape. Before she could respond to Loki he strode out of the tent with the men behind them. She saw that Johnson and Bixley were both stationed outside the tent. She was at an utter loss with what to do with herself. She walked into the room with the basin, and washed her face, looking in the mirror she couldn’t look herself in the eyes. This had to be some kind of nightmare, it was unbelievable. She couldn’t give up hope now, she had to try and find a way to communicate with the outside world. She looked toward the back of the tent to see if there was an exit in the back, but no such luck. She turned around to find Johnson coming into her room with the bags that had been packed for her. He opened up the luggage and Lillia found that someone had gone to her house and gotten all her bathroom toiletries. Johnson pulled them out and placed them on the small bench by the ewer and mirror. Lillia was practically pushed out of the way as what appeared to be Egyptian workers came in with a clothing rack and hangers. Johnson hung up each item of clothing in her luggage, and stowed the empty suitcases under the bed. Well, what service; Lillia proceeded to sit on the cot as the men left her tent, none of them spoke to her.

           Lillia decided that she would speak to Loki before the hour was up, and see if she could strike a deal with him. She would ask to be left alone, and once the final table was translated she would demand to be taken to the Cairo airport. She felt a sinking feeling in her stomach, if she had just kidnapped someone across international borders the last thing she’d do is release them. She was worried that Loki would kill her when she was done translating the tablet. She had to get out of this on her own. Bargaining with him wouldn’t work, it finally dawned on her that in this third world country it would be far too easy to get rid of a body than in the U.S. What if she refused to translate the tablet for him? Again, he could just kill her and have Dr. Selvig finish the translations.

           She wondered how far around the camp they’d let her walk and there was only one way to test it. She stood up straight, threw her shoulders back and walked out of the tent. She made sure to step in front of Bixley and Johnson, she looked to her left and saw a row of other tents with Egyptian workers milling around. In front of her were camping tables, tools and crates. To her right was a metal fence and a line of SUV’s and Jeeps; and what looked like endless desert. It really was beautiful and under any other circumstances she would have a great appreciation for the golden sands and the way the sun seemed to pierce every inch of the landscape. Further in front of her she could see the workers setting up the dig site. As Lillia was wondering what they were setting up in what seemed like the middle of nowhere she turned behind her. Towering above the tents was the ancient pyramid of Saqqara. This was supposed to be the burial place of Pharaoh Djoser from the second dynasty.