London?
Ash sighed in relief as she finally stood up. That was the last of the labels stuck down to the magazines her newspaper company produced – the ones saying “Free Copy, Not for Retail Purposes.” Being an administrative assistant wasn’t easy in such a big place and she found she often ended up taking work home with her. It didn’t pay that well either; well, she made enough to keep herself fed and clean and to cover the rent and other things the flat needed, but if she ever wanted anything beyond that it took months of careful saving. It was also very hard work, especially since she was currently holding down the fort on her own, following her co-worker Michelle’s sacking. Well, Michelle hadn’t really done that much work when she was there anyway, but it had been nice to have some kind of company in their shared office. Well, it wasn’t even an office, just a room with a desk and two chairs and the sign “Admin Department” on the door, but Ash liked to think of it as an office.
At any rate, tonight’s lot was done and she stood and stretched with a yawn, realising that she’d skipped dinner. Not that it mattered, she wasn’t even hungry and all she wanted to do was crash into bed and sleep until six in the morning, when she had to get up and do the whole routine over again. If the city of London would let her sleep, that was. Proud as she was of being British, sometimes Ash found herself wishing that her fellow subjects would be a bit quieter at night when some people had early mornings and late nights to snatch sleep in-between.
Then again, she reminded herself, it had been her own choice to move to London, to study, hoping to be a journalist and instead becoming so caught up in an admin job and a small but comfortable flat with a pleasant enough landlord that she hadn’t thought about moving back to Dorset. Added to that, she had had a recent falling out with her family and simply drifted apart from them, so there was really nothing keeping her there, she felt, and London had so much more to offer than a sleepy little costal area she had been born in.
Pulling on her pyjamas, Ash glanced out of the window. From her bedroom she had a good view of the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey and Big Ben. The whole city, to her, was beautiful; the only thing she didn’t like were the crowded streets, when people walked along in rows, herded like cattle or sheep and being somewhat claustrophobic, Ash hated getting caught up in crowds like that. But other than that she could cope living there just fine.
Yawning, she finally allowed sleep to drag her down onto the bed and curled up in her usual ball position as her eyes drifted shut. Her nights these days were often dreamless and she lost track of time so easily in her sleep, so it was what felt like only a few seconds, when in reality it had actually been at least four hours, when she was woken with a jolt by a sudden bang from outside the flat and the sound of a car alarm sounding. Blinking, she staggered out of bed with a mutter of “What the hell?” and then realised that it was her own car alarm that was going off. Snatching up a coat and her car keys, as well as the flat key, she shoved her boots on over her pyjama legs and darted out of the flat, almost colliding with her neighbour, Mr Lewis on the landing.
“Is that your bloody car making all that racket, Miss Gray?” he all but barked at her with a wave of his stick.
“I am so sorry, Mr Lewis; I promise I’ll sort it right now,” Ash apologised, wondering what the hell could have hit her car with such a force.
“You’d better,” he replied, shortly, before turning and going back into his own flat. With a roll of her eyes, Ash darted down the stairs and yanked open the front door. The first thing she did was press the button on her keys to unlock and then relock it, silencing the alarm and drowning the street in silence again. The second thing she did was look around for the source of the commotion.
What she saw was not what she had been expecting.
Lying in front of her car, pushing himself to his feet, inch by inch, was a man, dressed, as far as she could see by the light of the streetlamps, in what she could only describe as fantasy-medieval clothing. His hair was black, and smooth, and though she couldn’t see his face, she could tell by his movements that he was probably in a lot of pain.
“Hey, are you ok?” she asked, going up to him. As she touched his elbow, he jerked about to face her and she was surprised, momentarily, by his classically handsome features and startlingly green eyes, as well as his sharpness. “It’s alright,” she said, dropping her hand. “I wasn’t trying to hurt you, or anything. I’m just assuming that you hit my car with a bit of a bang just now.” Automatically she glanced at the car, which, thankfully, didn’t seem to have suffered any lasting damage in spite of the ruckus it had created afterwards.
The man breathed out heavily and straightened up, looking around. Then he glanced sharply back at her, and with a quiet fierceness in his voice, hissed “What realm is this?”
“Realm?” Ash repeated, confused.
“Yes! Realm! Didn’t you hear me?”
“Well...this is Westminster.” Then, seeing his confusion, Ash elaborated. “You know, London? In England? Capital City of the United Kingdom? Any of this sinking in?”
“London?” the man repeated, although it sounded more like he was questioning himself than her.
Ash glanced over him again, wondering if his fall – if that was what had happened – had done more damage to him than she had originally thought. “You sound English,” she realised.
He looked at her again. “Or perhaps it’s just you that sounds Asgardian.”
“Sorry?” Then, noticing that quite a few people passing were now turning to stare at them, she decided that this was probably something best left for indoors. “Look, do you want to come inside?” she asked, indicating the still open front door. “Have a cup of tea or something?”
“Tea?”
“Well, it’s all I’ve got, apart from water, I’m afraid.”
He considered a moment and then a grin spread over his face. “Very well, then.”
Suppressing the urge to shiver, Ash led the way back into the flat, reminding herself once again that this was the difference between Great Britain and the rest of the world. When something strange happened, or a major crisis like a war broke out, the rest of the world acted in the rational way and began to make plans, but what did the British do? Stick the kettle on and hope for the best. She bit back a laugh at the thought as she led the way up the stairs.
“I’m Ash, by the way,” she added, turning to him with an extended hand. “Ash Gray.”
Ignoring the proffered handshake, her guest fixed her with an odd glance. “That’s your name?”
“Well, what’s wrong with it?” When he didn’t reply, merely smirked, she sighed. “Alright, what’s your name, then? I doubt it can be any better than mine.”
Her bite took him aback so much that he forgot to be angry at her as he replied “Loki, Prince and Former Ruler of Asgard.”
Ash glanced at him, having read a bit about Norse mythology in her childhood. There was a lot she had since forgotten, of course, but she knew quite a bit about the God of Mischief. “Ok, that fall did you more damage than I thought, mate. Maybe after this, I should send you to hospital.”
Unlocking the door, she allowed him to go first before locking it firmly behind her. “What?” Loki asked, turning to face her, a dark and mischievous glint in his eyes. “You don’t believe in Gods?”
Trying not to show how terrified she was actually becoming in his presence, Ash shrugged. “Not really, and I’m afraid I’m finding it very hard to believe that one them’s standing in my flat right now.” She quickly stepped past him into the kitchen. Suddenly Loki materialised in front of her, and she stopped dead, whipping her head back to find the hall he had just been standing in empty.
Loki smirked at her startled face. “Well, Lady Gray? Do you believe now?”
“How did-?”
“Magic,” whispered a voice in her ear, and she turned to find Loki behind her. With a confused frown, she turned back as the image that had previously in front of her vanished.
By now feeling thoroughly shaken, Ash stumbled back against the kitchen table. “Alright, seriously, you’re starting to scare me now.”
“Well, that was the general idea,” Loki smirked, stepping up to her.
Ash breathed out, running a hand across her forehead. “Bloody hell, I have a Norse God in my flat.” ‘Tea,’ the voice inside her head, and heart, told her, ‘Tea will make everything better.’ Taking a deep breath, she indicated the sofa in the open sitting room. “Take a seat. I’ll stick the kettle on.”
With a soft chuckle at how easy it was to frighten this girl, Loki did as she offered, reclining along her sofa. “You didn’t answer my question properly, my lady.”
“What question?” Ash asked, still trying to make sense of it all as she popped the kettle on. Just the act of doing so calmed her a little.
“I asked what Realm this was? Is it Midgard?”
“What in the name of Gordon Bennet is Midgard?”
With an impatient sigh, Loki decided that he had better put in lay terms or they would be here all night. “I believe it’s residents call it Earth.”
“Earth? Well, of course we’re on Earth; where did you think London was?” It was a mark of how brave she was suddenly feeling that she was allowing herself to be flippant in his presence.
“I’m afraid I haven’t yet had the pleasure,” Loki said the last word in sarcasm, “of visiting your world until now; unlike my dear brother.”
Noting the tightness in his tone, Ash decided to stop being so bold as she poured the water into two cups, disposed of the tea bags, added a little milk and then carried both cups into the living room. “Here,” she said, in as polite a tone as she could manage. “If it’s a bit bitter, I can add some sugar.”
The way in which he looked at the brew as he took it from her indicated that he had never had it before and she held her breath as he took a tentative sip. “Interesting,” he said, finally, addressing the cup rather than her. Taking it as a sign that no sugar was needed, Ash sank onto the footstool facing the sofa with her own cup and took a sip herself.
“So, what happened to you?” she asked, finally, curiosity getting the better of her. “I mean, you hit my car with a bang, like I just said-”
“I fell from the Bifrost,” Loki cut in, bluntly.
“Bifrost? What’s that?”
“The bridge between worlds in the Nine Realms.”
“And, what, it brought you here to Earth?”
“Obviously.”
“Can you get back? To your home world, I mean?”
Loki glanced at her. “You ask a lot of questions, don’t you?” Blushing, Ash glanced down at her knees. “The only way I can get back is if Odin,” he said the name with contempt, “allows Heimdall to open the Bifrost for me, which I doubt he’ll do, since he didn’t stop me from falling in the first place.”
Ash raised her head. “Well, that sucks. What are you going to do?”
“The question is,” Loki replied, sitting up vigorously, suddenly with a new sense of purpose, “what are you going to do?”
Ash frowned. “Sorry?”
Setting down the now empty cup, Loki got to his feet. Ash suddenly realised how much taller than her he was, and she got to her own feet. The look of hunger in his eyes suddenly frightened her. “What are you going to do, Lady Gray? To serve your King?”
“What do you mean?” Ash stammered.
Loki tutted at her. “And here I thought I was making myself perfectly clear. This place may not be a palace, but it will suffice, as will you, even in spite of your rather slow nature.”
Ash was about to bristle at that when his words sank in and she realised what he meant. “You’re planning on staying here? Here? In my flat?”
“I would have thought that was obvious.”
“Ah, no. No!” Ash shook her head, firmly. “Sorry, but you can’t. I mean, I’ve got enough on my plate as it is, and nice as my landlord is, he probably won’t take kindly to me taking on a lodger without his permission, so if you’re done with your tea, then I think you should just-”
She was cut off suddenly as, with a strength she didn’t know he even possessed, Loki had her pinned up against the wall. “You know, your chatter is really beginning to annoy me,” he sighed in a bored tone.
Ash struggled but his grip was like iron. “Get off me!”
“Don’t attempt to give me orders!” He was pressed against her so firmly that she could barely move at all, and Ash was tempted to scream but her throat was too dry with fear. Loki pressed his face close to hers. “I can do such unspeakable things to you. I could have you screaming with fear in a single movement. I could break all your bones just by pushing you to the ground, although I have to admit it would be a pity to scar that pretty face of yours.”
Ash felt her eyes widen. “I’m not going to be your sex slave!” she hissed.
Loki laughed, cruelly. “What makes you think that I’d want you in that way?” He released her with such a force that Ash stumbled forwards and landed hard on her hands and knees. “Honestly, you humans are so fragile it’s pathetic.”
Ash glanced at him. “Then why do you want me?”
He smirked at her. “I’ve heard you make good servants.”
“Forget it,” Ash replied, pushing herself upright to her knees. “I’d rather die.”
“Would you?” In a flash he had a sword at her throat. Ash swallowed hard. ‘Courage, girl’ she thought, ‘you’re British, stiff upper lip and all that.’ Loki fixed her with a look that told her he was serious. “Shall we put that statement to the test?”
Panic filled her. “I can’t be your servant, Loki. I have too much to do as it is, anyway. If I run around after you all the time, I won’t be able to work, and then if I can’t work, I won’t be able to keep this place and then we’ll both be out on the streets.”
Loki considered her statement. “I suppose it wouldn’t do me any good to have a servant who complained all the time.”
Significantly, however, he still hadn’t lowered the sword. Ash took a deep, shuddering breath. “Alright, you win. You can stay.”
“I thank you, my lady. You’re so generous.” Smirking, Loki caused the sword to vanish. Pushing herself to her feet, Ash tried to pull herself together, even though she was still shaking. “Um, if you’d like to follow me, then. I have a spare room you can have.”
“That won’t be necessary,” Loki replied, smoothly.
“Why, are you planning on sleeping on the sofa?” she joked, feebly.
“I was planning on taking your room. With you.”
Ash jerked her head up. “Forget it,” she said, bravely.
In one swift movement, he had her pinned to the wall again. “You forget yourself, my lady,” he hissed. “You are a Midgard peasant; I am a Prince of royal blood. You will show me a little more respect or feel my wrath; which is it to be?”
Ash winced and then looked at her feet. “Alright.”
No sooner had he released her then Ash sprang away from him, out of his reach and into her own room, slamming the door behind her as she went. Leaning against the door, she ran both hands over her face. How had this suddenly happened? How had one small act of human kindness, trying to help someone in need, suddenly gone so wrong? How had it all led to a Norse God suddenly commandeering her flat and ordering her about?
“You really think doors can keep me out?”
Ash jumped and stared at the sight of Loki lying on her bed. He glanced at her and rolled over onto his side, propping himself up on one elbow as he took in her frightened expression. “It’s really quite comfortable here; won’t you join me?”
Ash spun around, her instinct being to run somewhere else. However Loki flicked his hand at her bedroom door, locking it. Wondering how she hadn’t seen that one coming, Ash pressed against the door and sighed. “What do you want, Loki?”
“I’m not sure yet. Would you care to find out?”
Begging inwardly for this to all be just a bad dream, Ash allowed her feet to drag her over to the bed, switching off the lamp as she went, and she sat on it to pull off her boots before curling up again, facing away from him.
“Look at me.”
It was a fierce order and she obeyed automatically, rolling over to face him, but still cuddling into herself. Her eyes met his for a second, and suddenly, behind the coldness and the mischief, she saw curiosity there. With a sudden gentleness that surprised her, he brushed a few stray strands of her dark brown hair off her face, and she felt a shiver run down her spine, in spite of herself.
“You certainly are a curiosity, my pet,” he mused.
“I’m not your pet, Loki,” Ash muttered, looking away from him.
Suddenly his lips were at her ear. “Yes, you are. Because I say you are.” There was a seductive edge to his voice and if Ash hadn’t been so frightened of him at that point she might have responded with some flirtatious comment. At any rate, she decided against arguing, and simply squeezed her eyes shut, hoping for morning to come and wash away this terrifying dream.
To her dismay, however, when morning came, Loki was still on her bed.