Chapter 23

"Odin has removed the curse and cast a spell of protection against another. He's no longer of any use to you," Boda informed the red headed chambermaid at the side of Vanar's bed as she stood inside the doorway to his bedchambers, "You wanted to talk…so let's talk."

"If it isn't Blondie…" Dario said, remaining in the chambermaid's guise as he turned to face her, the idol in his hand.

"Blondie is the name of the band."

"Anne…"

"My name is Angrboda Vanargandottir."

"You must have difficulty finding personalized souvenirs in gift shops. Where's Ziggy Stardust? You are aware he's…a double agent?" Dario asked, Boda rolling her eyes and sighing in exasperation.

"For some time now."

"Mommy?" Vanar said groggily, sitting up, "Where's father?" he asked, not recognizing Dario in his female guise.

"He's taking a little nap. It's ok. Everything's all right," Boda reassured him as he looked in confusion at the strange woman at his bedside.

"You said you'd kill me," Dario sneered.

"Not yet. You must realize by now what he is. What is it he's offered you?"

"My freedom. My life back. My wife…my son…we had just learned he was a boy…we hadn't decided on a name…I liked Damien but she said it reminded her of the boy in that movie…I'd bought the villa a few months before. I was told there had once been an oracle on the site. I went in search of it. I had almost given up, supposing it was only a story. In Greece many claim a site of historical significance on their property. Then I stumbled upon it...into it actually…an underground chamber. There was likely once a temple above but as with many such places, the stone had been carted away ages ago. I told no one. The government would have taken possession of it. I had contacts who sold antiquities on the black market. When I returned to excavate it I found little of value at first, a few fragments of pottery, I thought perhaps it had already been looted, but then…the stone casket held an idol. I had never seen anything like it, as well as an amphora containing a substance resembling salt."

"Eitr."

"Thankfully before I tested its properties, having been a careful student with a knack for languages, I recognized the word 'pharmakon'...evil, poison or madness," Dario explained.

"In this case all three."

"I left it intending to return the next day. My parents were visiting to join us for dinner. Months before I had made a rare bad deal, I owed money…I'd been putting them off…I had just purchased property, I was soon to be a father…it was quite a large sum but I never imagined…they executed them right in front of me...then they turned their guns on me…I ran...I hid in the oracle but they tracked me…my blood…I hadn't even realized I was wounded. I'd never believed in gods but I begged any deity that might actually exist to help me. I'd do anything. That's all I remember until I found myself standing over their corpses…what was left of them," Dario recited his tale, Boda remaining silent for a moment.

"If I could get you into the vault, would he bring someone back for me?"

"Why would you–" Dario began, skeptical, before his body, still in the form of the chambermaid, suddenly stiffened. Dropping the idol to the floor, Dario raised his hands to his head, gripping it, his mouth opening in a silent scream before his eyes rolled up into his head as a black shadow stepped out of his body from behind him as he collapsed face down, unconscious or dead, Boda wasn't certain, onto the stone floor.

Vanar, gasping, wide eyed in fright, slid quickly to the far side of the bed, cowering and trembling at the sight of Erebus as terror stole his ability to cry out.

"Whatever you wissshhh…" Erebus hissed, "But firsssst…I must have assssurancesss…" Erebus continued in his reptilian voice.

"What sort of assurances?" asked Boda.

Erebus turned to face Vanar, the boy anxiously clutching a blanket, shrinking back. Erebus's form glided toward him, reaching out, vanishing as he merged with Vanar, as if he had been absorbed into the child's body.

Vanar's countenance changed, his fear fading, scooting across the bed and standing from it, stepping over to the idol lying on the floor beside Dario's body that had now returned to its original male form, the chambermaid's dress busted at the seams. Picking up the idol, Vanar approached a disconcerted Boda, reaching out and taking her hand, Boda leading him from the bedchamber.

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The violet sky was darkening to a deeper purple as daylight began to fade. Loki, in full battle dress, obviously fatigued from the fight in which he had just engaged, weaved his way around the slain, both friend and foe, who littered the grassy plain, large rock formations jutting up from the ground in places. Loki peered grimly down at their still forms as Asgardian warriors tended to their wounded comrades. At the foot of a rock that resembled a monument roughly in the shape of a large tablet Loki stopped, his eyes resting on the corpse of a warrior sporting a golden beard streaked with gray who vaguely resembled his father, the man's lifeless eyes staring up at the darkening sky.

Kneeling down beside the body, Loki removed his helmet, his dark hair damp with sweat, setting it on the ground beside him before slowly reaching out, gently closing the eyes of the deceased before placing his palm on the dead Asgardian's cold forehead.

"Vanargand, son of Einar, I bid you to take your place in the halls of Valhalla, where the brave–" Loki said breaking off, his face expressing his grief and guilt, taking a moment to gather himself before continuing, "where the brave live forever. Nor shall we mourn but rejoice for those who have died the glorious death," Loki finished the blessing, removing his hand from Vanargand, "I owe you my life. I will see to–" Loki spoke to the deceased Asgardian general, swallowing the rest of what he had intended to say as the corpse raised his arm, his clammy hand gripping Loki's wrist like a vice, his head lolling to the side to lock eyes with the God of Mischief, Loki in fright attempting to wrench his arm free from the dead man's grasp.

"You won't tell her the truth," Vanargand said in an otherworldly raspy voice.

"I'll tell her...I'll tell her everything! I swear it!" Loki replied in terror.

"Your hubris will be the death of you. You will be the death of her. She has already borne more than her share of sorrow…stay away!"

Vanargand, taking hold of the hilt of the sword lying beside him, rolled onto his side, thrusting the blade through Loki's abdomen before returning to his previous position, his body lifeless once again, Loki collapsing onto his back as well, both men's glassy eyes staring unblinkingly up at the purple sky.

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Loki's eyes flew open, gasping as if he had just surfaced from under water in desperate need of air. He moved his hand quickly to his abdomen, looking down, examining himself for wounds. Relieved to find none, his body relaxing for a moment before he recalled how he came to be in the common room of the palace, realizing he was alone.

"Boda…" he breathed, rushing to the door, throwing it open and racing through it…only to find himself not in the corridor as he expected but the club where Boda had once worked in Midgard, the lighting dim, a large disco ball hanging from the ceiling over the crowded dance floor throwing fragmented reflections of silvery light on those dancing below.

"Ooh, how do you like your love?..." Andrea True's voice sang the question as Loki visually searched the room, confused, as patrons walked past him to exit, a familiar waitress in gold carrying a tray almost colliding with him as he stepped forward.

"Pardon me," Loki said to Lisa.

"No harm, no foul, sugar," Lisa said with a smile before appearing to recognize him, "Richie? No…John, like Travolta. You never called."

"I had a prior engagement."

"But if you want to know how I really feel, get the cameras rolling, get the action going, baby you know my love for you is real. Take me where you want to, me and my heart you steal…" True continued singing.

"I'll find you a seat. What can I get you?" Lisa asked.

"Where's Bo–Anne?" asked Loki, turning his head to look past Lisa at the bar, Anthony alone behind it mixing a drink.

"More, more, more. How do you like it? How do you like it? More, more, more. How do you like it? How do you like your love?" the song continued, its rhythmic beat like a pulse.

Lisa turned her head to look over her shoulder at the bar as well.

"I dunno. Maybe she's in the back. Probably ran out of something. It's Saturday. We have a full house. Nevermind her. I have a break coming up in a few minutes. We can pick up where we--"

"I need to find her," Loki said, walking around a disgruntled Lisa toward the bar.

Reaching the bar, Loki walked behind it making his way to the door leading to the back room, Anthony spotting him out of the corner of his eye, looking up from the drink he was pouring.

"Hey! Where do you think you're going?" Anthony called out, setting the bottle on the bar and stepping towards Loki, Loki ignoring him as he passed through the door.

"Boda!" Loki called out as he spotted her on the other side of the room, opening the door of the employee exit, a heavy hand falling on his shoulder, gripping it tightly.

"Employees only! Get the hell out–" Anthony commanded before Loki threw him over his shoulder, stepping over the stunned bartender as he raced to the back door, reaching it just as it closed, pushing it open and running through it.

"Boda wait!" Loki cried out.

Instead of finding himself outside at the back of the club facing the parking lot, Loki discovered himself running in the dark of night down the sidewalk of a familiar street on the outskirts of Boston lit by streetlights, a couple burnt out or flickering in need of being replaced. Old, somewhat run down brick two story commercial buildings lined both sides of the street, a few vacant, for sale signs with realtor logos and phone numbers in the dirty windows.

Slowing to a walk, looking around discombobulated, he realized he held something in his hand. Looking down he saw a candy bar in his grip as he came to a halt staring down at it for a moment before turning his attention ahead of him, spying the entrance to an alley only a few yards away, the light from the neon signs in the tavern windows coloring the sidewalk a block away in the distance. Slipping the candy bar into the pocket of the coat he found himself wearing, one he recognized from the earlier replay of Boda's memories, he unsuccessfully attempted to produce his daggers. Finding that he no longer possessed weapons or his magic, he steeled himself for the confrontation he knew was to come, continuing on his way, whistling the chorus of the tune Boda had informed him had been Will's favorite.

Reaching the entrance to the alley, two figures stepped from it to stand side by side, blocking Loki's path, one man holding a baseball bat, the other a heavy rusted pipe.

"Good evening, gentleman. Is there something I can I do for you?" Loki asked amiably.

"We've had our eyes on you for a while now," the burly man on the right said with a sneer.

"I'm flattered...truly...but I'm afraid I'm spoken for," Loki replied facetiously.

"Listen to him…thinks he's Bonnie Prince Charlie or something," the lankier man on the left chuckled at Loki's accent.

"I met the man once, actually. The only thing he was fit to be king of was a privy. He was a drunkard and a fool who didn't have a brain in his head," Loki responded, though he doubted that either of the men actually knew anything about the historic prince.

"Neither will you when we're done with you. At least the fairies know which side of the fence they're on," the burly man said menacingly as he and his companion stepped to Loki, each grabbing one of his arms, forcing him towards the dark alley.

Once in the alley, Loki suddenly stomped hard with his heel on the lanky man's foot, the man releasing him, Loki sweeping both of the man's legs out from under him with one of his own before using his now free arm to punch the burly man still gripping his other, blood spurting from the man's nose as he released Loki, reflexively moving his hands to his face, Loki grabbing hold of the man's head with both hands, twisting it, snapping his neck, the larger man collapsing to the ground as the lanky man rose to his feet, the baseball bat in his hands, swinging it at Loki who had commandeered the rusty pipe the burly man had wielded, blocking the blow, the sound of the pipe and aluminum bat colliding echoing through the alley followed by the clanging of the bat as Loki used the pipe to knock it from the lanky man's grip, sending it flying to fall to the concrete out of the man's reach.

Loki dropped the pipe, taking the man by the throat and squeezing until he heard a snap, the lanky man's body going limp, Loki tossing his corpse to the ground. Spying a large dumpster, Loki grabbed one of each of the men's legs dragging the deceased assailants to it, releasing them and opening it, hefting them up one at a time and dumping them in, replacing the cover, pretending to dust off his hands in a gesture of good riddance as he walked away back towards the alley's entrance and the street, whistling the same tune as previously, continuing on his way to the tavern.

Reaching the tavern, Loki opened the door, stepping inside, closing it behind him, once again Olivia Newton John's voice greeting him in song.

"Guess mine is not the first heart broken, my eyes are not the first to cry. I'm not the first to know there's just no getting over you…"

Looking towards the bar expecting to see Boda behind it, Loki instead viewed another familiar face drying a mug before he sat it on the bar.

"I know I'm just a fool who's willing to sit around and wait for you, but baby, can't you see there's nothing else for me to do? I'm hopelessly devoted to you…" the song continued.

"Loki! How are you? I've been expecting you," Will said, greeting the Asgardian who had just entered with a friendly smile, in a voice similar to Loki's if he were to feign an American accent.

"But now there's nowhere to hide since you pushed my love aside. I'm out of my head, hopelessly devoted to you…" Newton-John's emotionally charged voice sang the chorus.

"Where's Boda?" Loki asked, looking around the tavern.

"Boda?" Will asked curiously.

"Anne…"

"Oh…she stepped out. You're welcome to hang out here until she comes back. Have a drink...that's enough of that," Will said, turning to the stereo and switching it off.

"I have to find her," Loki said, turning and opening the door, stepping back outside…only to find himself standing in the middle of the dark, dreary, frozen wasteland of Jotunheim, the icy wind cutting through Will's coat he still wore.

Stunned and confused for a moment, Loki took in the scene, realizing where he was. In terror, Loki turned quickly around, relieved to see that the door remained behind him. He threw it open, stepping hastily back into the tavern.

"What can I get you?" Will asked as Loki walked slowly to the bar, taking a seat on the stool across from him, studying him.

"Ale, please…"

"Coming right up," Will said, pouring beer from the tap into a mug, setting it in front of Loki, "On the house."

"You know who I am?" Loki asked.

"Of course I do, but do you?"