Chapter Four #2
He sneers at me and forcibly calls his shadows back to him. They reluctantly go, and I’m a bit sad they’ve left if I’m honest. He stomps into his room.
“Food’s here!” Loki calls out into the silence as someone knocks on the door.
Poca growls deeply next to me, and I tense, all signs of the previous light-heartedness disappearing in an instant.
“I’ll get it,” I say, making my way to the door before anyone else can get up.
“What’s going on?” Rival asks.
I open the door and duck as a sword swings at me. As I call my sword through the Void, I hear the guys exclaim behind me and curse their lack of weapons.
“What the fuck is going on!?” Storm exclaims.
The masked guy comes for me again, ignoring the others and focusing on me.
I’m still slow from that bloody potion. I’m damn lucky my Void powers worked well enough that I could call my sword through it.
Unfortunately, because of that, I miss a swing, and he impales me straight through the stomach.
At the same time as I swing and manage to behead him in a swift motion, he crumbles to the floor, thankfully letting go of his sword that’s still impaled through me.
“Fuck, fuck!” Rival exclaims, rushing to one side of me as Reaper rushes to the other, Loki appearing in front of me, Mayhem and Storm appearing behind them, their eyes wild.
I glance down at the sword in my stomach .
“I fucking hate being stabbed in the stomach.” I sigh, grasping hold of the pommel and preparing to pull it out.
“What do you mean you hate it!?” Loki yells. “This has happened before?”
“A few times,” I reply, forgetting my filter for a minute.
“You just beheaded him. No fucking hesitation.” Storm growls. “What the fuck are you doing?”
“Pulling out the sword,” I answer like he’s stupid. “It can’t stay where it is.”
“We need to get you to the infirmary,” Reaper says urgently.
“Nah, it’s not that serious,” I reply, pulling the sword out before anyone can protest. I grit my teeth, breathing harshly.
“Fuck!” I curse, grabbing someone's t-shirt off the back of the couch and pressing it against the wound on my stomach.
“I do not understand what is happening right now,” Loki says. His voice seems off, and I glance over at him.
“None of us fucking do.” Mayhem retorts, all of their eyes are on me, so they don’t see that Loki’s about to lose his shit.
“Hey!” I snap, shocking the others as I grab Loki’s shirt and pull him closer to me. “Look at me.” I wait until his eyes, black as night, drop to mine. The pain in them guts me, and I don’t know why. “You’re not there. Remember? You’re at the academy with your brothers. You are safe.”
“That’s not going to work. He needs to know you’re safe.” Rival says.
“Me?”
“Yes, seeing you hurt has triggered him,” Storm says through clenched teeth. “Reaper, go and get Magnus.”
“Oh fuck, I’m so sorry,” I apologise, genuinely upset. This is my fucking fault.
They look at me confused, my reaction seeming to have taken them aback.
“Loki, look, I’m okay. I promise I’ve been through a lot worse. This is nothing.” I try.
“That’s not helping,” Mayhem mutters as an inhuman growl bursts from Loki’s chest.
“I’m not used to fucking comforting people,” I growl back.
“Of course you’re not.” Storm mutters, rolling his eyes. “Just say what people normally say to you.”
“I did!” I reply, slightly panicking. “He’s the first person that gave me any comfort!
Okay, I’m going to just talk. I really am okay.
I wouldn’t be able to talk to you if I wasn’t right?
” I say, trying to use logic. His fangs retract.
“I get it, I do. Memories are pulling you under, but they’re not real, look.
” I say, grabbing his hand and placing it over my heart, his eyes clear more.
“See still beating. Let’s try some distracting facts.
Did you know that spaghetti freaks me out? ” I ask, and he cracks a smile.
“Why?” He asks roughly.
“Because it looks like worms,” I smile, and he laughs. “You laugh, but Father made me eat nothing but worms for an entire month once.”
A growl not from Loki comes from somewhere in the room.
“He what?” Storm growls.
“It was nothing. Better than not eating.” I say, which was apparently the wrong answer.
I turn back to Loki to see his eyes darkening again .
“Fuck, I’m going to regret this.” I start, as questions get thrown at me and yelling increases. “I’ve got a familiar!” I yell.
Everyone freezes as Loki’s eyes clear completely.
“What?” He asks, shock evident in his tone.
“I have a familiar,” I repeat, already regretting telling them.
“No one has had a familiar for decades.” Storm scoffs, clearly on edge.
“Poca, I swear to god if you stay invisible right now, no belly rubs for a month!” I say to the grinning hellhound.
He stares at me defiantly before a slight shimmer overtakes him.
“Fucking hell. That’s not a familiar, that’s a fucking hellhound.” Rival exclaims, staring wide-eyed at the glowing with embers, horse-sized hellhound they can now all see.
“Tone it down, Poca,” I say tiredly, as he growls playfully before putting out his embers and turning into a great Dane sized hellhound instead.
“You’ve got some fucking explaining to do,” Storm growls.
“I’d like to sit down now,” I say, swaying on my feet slightly.
“Fuck,” Loki growls as he carefully leads me over to the sofa, and I sit down.
“What’s happened?” Magnus exclaims as he bursts through the door, Reaper hot on his heels. “Is that a hellhound?”
“I told you he was real,” I grin.
“Fuck, look at you. Is it still in your system?”
“Yep.”
“Is what still in her system?” Reaper asks.
“I knew it! I can’t have someone on my team who does drugs,” Storm sneers.
“It’s not drugs. It’s a potion that stops my healing and blocks some of my gifts. It’s starting to wear off now, hence why I could call my sword to me.” I say, stopping his rant in its tracks.
My eyes drift closed.
“Why the fuck would you take that?”
“I didn’t take it willingly,” I argue.
“What?” He growls before demanding, “Who?”
I don’t reply as my eyes drift shut again.
“Farren. Stay awake.” Loki says gently.
“Who, Farren?” Storm demands.
“Her father, now get out of the way!” Magnus demands, and everyone falls silent.
Thanks for that, Magnus.
“Sweetheart, I know you don’t want to, but you’re going to have to do it. You’re too close to the edge.”
“Nope.”
“Farren, be reasonable. You’ve lost too much blood.”
“Do what?” Reaper asks.
“No, if I do that, I could hurt someone. You know what I will be like after.”
“The guys and I will spar with you. There’s enough of us, and we can take turns. They aren’t weak.”
“I can’t,” I mutter as I feel myself fading.
“You’ve got no choice!” He yells as he picks me up. “I’m moving you down to the gym. Just hold on a little bit longer.”
“What’s happening?” Loki asks.
“I’ll explain. Just follow me, all of you, please. She’s going to need every one of you.” He declares as he jogs down the hallway. We finally reach the gym, “lock the doors.” He orders.
“I can’t believe I’m going to do this. Warn them!” I demand, opening my eyes and finding them all towering above me with various levels of panic on their faces.
“What is she going to do?” Storm demands.
“She’s going into the Void. It’s the only thing that will save her now with that fucking potion still in her system.
The problem is that once she comes out, she will have an abundance of power and not enough control.
She is going to need to spar with each of us to get some of it out.
She will beat all of you.” He warns them. “Now, Sweetheart, go.”