"Loki?" I said as my eyes opened. "Where are you?" I looked around. I was surrounded by a circle of trees. A large pond sat in the center. I walked towards the bank. I realized my feet were bare when I felt the dirt beneath me. "Hello?"

"Welcome," the deep, all too familiar voice said.

"What do you want with me? Who are you?"

"Who am I? You've heard of me, but not by name."

"You hurt Loki."

"Yes."

"Why? What did he do to deserve that?"

"Nothing. He just had the potential to do what I needed. Yet, he failed."

"Failed? He killed innocent people because of you!" I found myself walking into the water as I spoke. I stopped when it came up to my knees.

"He's about to kill another."

"What?" I turned to see Loki standing behind him, streams of tears falling from his face. "Loki?"

"Lilith," he said wearily. "Please, go. Get as far away from me as possible."

"No, I can't. Loki, let me help you."

"You couldn't possibly help the likes of me. I'm too far gone."

"Go on, child," the voice said. Loki's eyes turned bright blue. He slowly walked towards me, obviously trying to fight whatever this was.

"Forgive me." He grabbed my neck. My hands shot up to his, weakly trying to beat them away. He slammed me into the water. I saw his head hovering above, his tears falling into the water above me.

The air escaped my lungs, and bubbles floated upwards. I fought to the best of my ability but to no prevail. The water seeped into my lungs. I felt heavy, like the water was pulling me down further.

Loki cried out in pain as he held on. I was becoming weak. I reached my hand up to his face, but it was too far away.

I gave up on fighting and let the water in. Fighting was useless. He was too strong.

I watched Loki as my vision went in and out. All of a sudden, he disappeared. I tried to push myself up but the water held me down. I was about to die, and I couldn't stop it.

******

"Lilith, please! Wake up!" Loki voice jerked me out of my sleep. My body was spazzing out, much like it was in my dream. I couldn't make it stop, though. It felt like I was still drowning, but there was no water to kill me. I still felt like I was choking. "Breathe, Lilith. Please, breathe."

I found his hand and squeezed it. I looked at Loki. I focused on his eyes in an attempt to ground myself. Green. They were very green.

I barely managed to catch my breath, and I took multiple deep breaths in as I began to calm down. Moments later, I was breathing almost normally, but I still felt light headed. "Are you alright?" he asked. I was about to answer when I buried my face in his chest and began to sob. "Lilith?" I felt his hand on my back as his other one ran through my hair. "It's okay, you're safe now."

He kept running his hand through my hair as I slowly stopped crying. "Loki?"

"Yes?"

"I keep having these horrible dreams." I felt him stiffen. "And every night, the same voice speaks to me. He always makes you... He makes you..." I was on the verge of tears again.

"Lilith, you don't—"

"He makes you kill me." His hand stopped. "You drowned me this time. I couldn't breathe. I know it's not your fault, but it scares me, Loki."

"I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"For not stopping him. For not stopping myself."

"It was just a dream, Loki. You couldn't have—"

"It wasn't just a dream. It was our dream. I had it, too. I have no doubt that he's using our mental connection against us. I'm sorry."

"Loki..."

"We're almost there. Be ready." I sat up and looked at him. He was obviously avoiding eye contact. He summoned his blades to his hands, so I pulled mine from their sheaths and sat in a ready position.

Loki peered his head over the wall we'd been leaning on. I did the same, curious as to what our kidnapper looked like. I saw two horses pulling the cart. A man sat behind them, his hands on their reins.

We both sat back down and readied ourselves to jump off. Once we got in an area with far less trees, Loki began to scoot towards the end of the cart.

"On my mark," he said. "Almost... Now!" We hopped off the back. Loki gracefully rolled onto the grass. I... Well, I rolled. "Beautifully done."

"Oh shut up. I've never jumped out of a moving cart before, so I'd say I did pretty well." He laughed, and I smiled. "So, where to?"

"That way," he said as he pointed towards the castle. I dusted myself off as I stood.

"Alrighty then. Let's get going."

We still had at least an hour ahead of us before we got there. The first few minutes were filled with silence. I decided to break it.

"Loki, I'm sorry." He looked at me with a puzzled face.

"What for?"

"Being a nervous wreck. And a gross sob blob."

"Sob blob?"

"I don't know. First phrase to come to mind. But that's not the point."

"I'm still very confused as to what the point actually is."

"You didn't have to comfort me, but you did. So I guess I'm saying thanks. For everything."

"I don't deserve your thanks." He looked down at his feet. "Not after what I did to your home."

"But that wasn't you. Why should I blame you for that?"

"Everyone else does. So why shouldn't you?"

"Loki, look at me," I said as I put my hands on his face. We stopped walking and stared into each other's eyes. "Don't ever think like that. You didn't do that. I know that now. I do not blame you. Do you understand?"

"Yes. Lilith?"

"Hmm?"

"I should be the one thanking you." He placed his hands on my face, exactly like mine were on his. He pulled my face in and kissed me. My eyes widened, but they closed as I gave in. My arms fell around his neck. Our lips danced together until he pulled away. "I... I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that."

"If that's what you think, then you're more wrong than you realize." I kissed him again. "I can honestly say I didn't see that coming."

"Neither did I." He pulled my hands away from his neck. He took one and brought our fingers together. I smiled as we continued to walk, hand in hand.

"I've got to say, I didn't take you for a romantic, Loki," I said.

"No? Then you're in for a world of surprises." I squealed as he lifted me into his arms.

"What are you doing?" I said with a giggle.

"Just having a little fun before we get there." He took off into a run, so I gripped his shirt.

I looked up to see him smiling. It was genuine. I stared at it until the curve of his lips was ingrained in my memory. I wanted to hold onto it for as long as I could.

I couldn't resist a smile of my own as Loki carried me. I held on tight as we grew closer and closer to a place that despised us.