As a vampire, Loki didn't care much for humans.
He'd spent the last thousand years or so using them as food and the occasional liaison for important work that couldn't be done at night. Beyond that he really had no reason to be around mortals.
He did, however, love their literature.
Books provided a way for the immortal to connect to the world without actually stepping into it. From Shakespeare to Dostoevsky, he'd read just about anything and everything he could get his hands on. He loved the smell of the pages and the feeling of the spines cracking as he opened them up. He lived for the different adventures that the pages took him on with every word.
With books, Loki could almost feel like he was in the sun.
It had become too cumbersome to keep buying and storing them, so instead he'd frequent the local library down the street. It was one of the few places in the town that was open all night, and the quaint, Gothic architecture gave him a sense of nostalgia for his youth.
It was the perfect place to hunt down a snack or two as well.
On this particular night, he entered the establishment in a rather agitated state. There'd been no humans out due to the rain, so he wasn't able to feed yet. Plus he really hated water, not because of that whole 'vampires can be killed by running water' myth, but because he didn't like walking around in soaked loafers.
Once Loki made it through the doorway, he quickly put his umbrella in the stand and headed towards the front desk.
"Mobius, do you have those new volumes I requested? I.....wait a minute, you're not Mobius."
Instead of the usual librarian, a young woman was seated behind the counter. She had shoulder length blonde hair that curled artfully above the shoulders, and the most vivid blue eyes he'd come across in centuries. He was so busy staring that it took him several minutes to realize that she'd been trying to talk to him.
"I'm terribly sorry, could you repeat that?"
"I said, Mr. Mobius retired as of last week. I'm his replacement."
"Oh...well that is unfortunate, I rather liked him."
She gave him a soft smile before opening up a program on her computer.
"Mobius left a few notes about some last minute book requests, I'm sure yours is here somewhere Mr....."
"Óðinsson, Loki Óðinsson."
"God of Mischief, it suits you," she said before typing something on the keyboard,"Aha! There it is, give me just a moment."
She got up and walked towards a shelf behind her and pulled out several large volumes.
"Here we are, this should be all the books on your reserve list."
He grabbed the bundle from her, and when their hands briefly touched, he felt a jolt so electric that he could've sworn his dead heart had started beating again.
Evidently, she'd felt it as well.
"Oops! Bit of a static shock there, are you alright Mr. Óðinsson?"
"Uhm...yes, yes quite...and please, call me Loki."
"Only if you call me Sylvie."
"Very well," He said once his wits had been collected, "Good night Miss Sylvie."
He floated out the door, leaving Sylvie to wonder if all the nighttime patrons were this interesting.
***********
Loki returned home in a bit of a daze. He dropped the books on the table by the door and slumped into a nearby armchair. He could still feel the tingling sensation where his skin had touched hers.
And those eyes....he didn't think he could ever tire of looking at them, and Loki was a creature that got tired of things easily. The gurgling of his stomach shocked him out of his reverie. He groaned as he realized he'd forgotten to eat at the library.
"Guess it's a good thing I've got some O Negative stashed in the fridge."
He got up and went to the kitchen to heat up one of blood bags stashed in his refrigerator. Despite being an expert hunter, his mother still insisted on shipping him extra blood, claiming that you never know when an emergency can come up.
As usual, Frigga's foresight had been eerily astute.
He thought about calling her, but he could never quite get the hang of the time difference between them, not to mention that it would inevitably lead to another argument with Óðin about coming back to the Ásgarð coven.
Before he could brood further, the microwave dinged. He grabbed the blood out of it and poured it into a wine glass. Then he took it and one of his new books into the windowless bedroom he used during the day. He downed the liquid and got into bed to read. As he relaxed against the cushions, he found his thoughts straying from the pages and back to the librarian with the pretty blue eyes.
***************
Sylvie was exhausted.
She'd just got done with her first night shift. Even though the work wasn't laborious, it was a lot of walking to put away all the books people scattered, and her feet were killing her. As soon as she came through the front door, she kicked off her shoes and flopped onto the couch. She was just about to nod off when her cell phone buzzed in her pocket.
"M' ello?"
"Hey Sylvie."
"Oh hey there Mobius, how's Florida?"
"Not bad," He drawled, "just got done taking Betty for a spin."
"And how is your precious jet ski?"
"Rides like a dream...hey listen I just wanted to call and see how your first night went. I know people think that being a librarian is easy peasy but it's actually a lot of work."
"I had to do a lot of organizing from the morning shift but it wasn't too bad," Sylvie replied as she rolled over onto her back, " In fact I dealt with the most interesting patron last night."
"Interesting huh? You must have met Loki then. I felt kind of bad for not telling him I retired, guy's been coming in every other night for the last twenty years after all, but I figured he'd be more concerned about his rare volumes than me."
"Well he did ask about you so...wait a minute.....did you say twenty years?!"
"Yep, he was coming in even before I started out."
"He must have been a small child then..."
"Nope, guys been an adult the whole time I've known him," Mobius said thoughtfully, and Sylvie could just imagine he was scratching his chin like he usually does when he's thinking, " I've always wondered how Loki never seems to age...I'm guessing he knows a real good plastic surgeon."
"Or he's a vampire."
The older man let out a snort at her hypothesis.
"Oh yeah, that totally makes sense, a book nerd bloodsucker...hahaha...oh Syl that's a good one."
"Yeah....hilarious."
"Well, I gotta go, Betty's probably feeling a little neglected by now...Later kid."
"Yeah....later."
Sylvie hung up the phone and let it fall to the floor. Her mind immediately transported her to a childhood memory she'd love to forget...one of blood, fire......and vivid green eyes.
********************
" The fire raged like a madman, illuminating the pale faces standing in the yard. The house that stood there was pretty much cinders at this point,with the owners dead inside.
Too bad it wasn't the fire that killed them.
"You've gone too far this time, Hela, this has to stop!"
Loki looked at his sister pleadingly, begging her to see reason. But there was only madness in her eyes.
"We are predators Loki! Humans are nothing more than food for us, even you agree with that!"
"That doesn't mean we have to needlessly torture and kill them! Especially not an innocent child!"
He cradled the small girl closer, the only survivor of the carnage that Hela had wrecked upon the area. She wanted to dismember and drain the poor child like she'd just got done doing with the parents.
He wouldn't let her.
"Father taught us to live respectfully with the humans, to take what we need without causing death."
"Really? Like he did with you?"
Loki looked at her confused.
"What are you talking about sister?"
Hela's laughter echoed throughout the area.
"Isn't it obvious, BROTHER....the old man couldn't follow his own advice. A little over a millenia ago, he and the rest of the Ásgarð coven slaughtered the village of Jötunheim. The only survivor was a baby that had been hidden by his mother. Óðin let his guilt cause him to take the boy home and raise him before giving him our sacred blood at eighteen. That baby was you Loki. We were born Vampires, but you were made into one by Father. You were never truly one of us."
Loki was stunned by the revelation. He'd always been told that the tasting of the blood was a ritual to mark adulthood. It never occurred to him that he wasn't like rest....
Before he could process this knowledge, Hela flew at him. He quickly dodged away from her and sat the bundle in his arms down by a pile of wood that the humans had most likely used for heating. He turned around and tried one last time to beg the woman he'd known as his sister to see reason.
"Hela please..."
"No! I'm tired of following the rules of an old man that couldn't even adhere to them himself. Now get out of the way so I can rip that little brat to pieces."
She launched herself at them, the murder in her eyes brightened by the flames. Without thinking, Loki grabbed a piece of wood from the pile and held it out just as she went to tackle him, impaling her directly in the heart.
Hela looked down at the stick piercing her chest, before looking up at her brother. For one brief moment, she looked like the sister Loki had always loved and admired.
"Loki?"
His name was the last thing she said before her body crumbled into ash, taking the life he'd always known along with it.
****************
Loki woke up with a gasp. It had been a long time since he thought about that fateful night, or the way it tore his family apart. Once he'd taken the girl to a local hospital, he flew back to the place the coven was nesting at to inform his parents about Hela and what she had said. Óðin didn't blame him for her death, he'd suspected she'd gone into the berzerker state for awhile.
But he couldn't deny the truth of what she'd revealed either.
" Why didn't you tell me?!"
"Loki, we didn't want you to feel any different.."
"But I am different! Why wasn't I told the truth before I underwent the blood ritual?"
Óðin looked at him then,eyes full of a weary sadness.
"Would it have made any difference? Would you have honestly chosen to stay human?"
"I don't know what I would have done, because my choice was taken away from me!"
He'd stormed out after that, and he never bothered returning. His mother managed to track him down, and they maintained a warm relationship over the years, but he hadn't spoken to his father or his brother, Thor, since he'd left. Óðin had written letters, and Thor occasionally sent a poorly typed text, but beyond that there was no interaction.
"I don't even know why I'm thinking about this," He muttered before rolling out of bed and padding silently into the living room.
He thought maybe it was the change in his routine that stirred up those unpleasant memories. Loki was a creature of habit, and he had been rudely shaken by being unable to hunt the night before along with that new librarian with the pretty blue.....
"Wait...."
He stopped mid-stride as visions once more assaulted his mind....of the fire, his sister dying.....
And a mortal girl with bright blue eyes staring up at him.
"She had the same eyes that Sylvie does....but they couldn't possibly be the same person...could they?"
He considered the possibility for a moment before shaking it off. The likelihood of running into the same human after two decades was nearly impossible. He was clearly overthinking things.
"I think the bagged blood is getting to me, I need to find someone fresh for tonight."
He quickly dressed and walked out into the night to search for prey, putting all thoughts of the past out of his mind.
******************
Sylvie was tense as she typed reports into the computer. It had been a few days since she'd seen Loki, and it had given her brain time to analyze every detail of the night her parents died. There had been no evidence of the woman that attacked them, save for a mysterious pile of ash that police were never able to identify, but she did manage to locate a grainy security photo from the hospital she'd been dropped off at. As Sylvie examined the details in the picture, she came to two conclusions in her mind:
It was Loki that had saved her from that horrible creature that night....and he was also one of them.
But how on earth was she supposed to be able to prove it?
"Bloody hell, it's not like I can go right up and ask him that."
"Ask who what?"
Sylvie shrieked and nearly fell out of her chair when she saw standing in the space that had just been empty a few seconds prior.
"Sylvie, are you alright?"
"Oh yes...uhm...just a bit of a shock, didn't hear you come in."
"People usually don't," Loki said as he extended a hand towards her," would you like some help?"
She grabbed his hand, and once again sparks ran along the connection. He pulled her up against him, and she stared up into his large eyes.
His large, GREEN eyes.
"Oh my God...."
"Not exactly."
"OH MY GOD!"
"Sylvie? Are you alright?" Loki asked with a tinge of concern," you keep repeating yourself."
"It's you....you were there, the night of the fire....you....you..."
She turned and ran through the library, knees buckling the moment she made it through the emergency exit. She felt more than seen when Loki sat down next to her.
"Sylvie?"
"So it's true then, you're a...a..."
"A vampire, yes..I am."
"And that woman that attacked me and killed my parents, she was one too?"
"Yes, she was my sister," Loki said before tentatively placing a hand on her back," Sylvie, I am so sorry for what happened that night."
"Why? Isn't killing and eating humans the whole point of being a vampire?"
"No, far from it, what Hela did that night was unsanctioned and unforgivable to our kind."
"Then why did she do it?"
"My sister was...ill, I guess you could stay. Sometimes a vampire will enter a blood rage called the Berzerker state, and when they do it's impossible to reach them, they just kill and kill until all that's left is madness and blood."
Sylvie turned to look at him, eyes shining with a familiar sadness.
"You must have loved her very much."
"I did, but given the chance I would do it all over again."
"Just to protect me?"
"Just to protect you."
"Why?" She asked as she tilted her head curiously," you said it's against vampire rules to kill, but I can't imagine that any of you care that deeply about humanity."
"We don't usually....however I couldn't stand there and let an innocent child be hurt. Plus, there was something about you...something that I didn't quite understand."
"And is there still something about me that you don't quite understand?"
"Possibly....but if you'll permit me an evening of your company, I could try and figure it out."
Sylvie laughed and shook her head.
"I think this is the first time I've been propositioned by Count Dracula."
"Oh please, I am much more interesting than anything that Stoker gent came up with."
"Somehow I don't doubt it," she said before standing back up, "Alright, I'm free on Saturday, you can pick me up at eight. I would like to request one thing though."
"What's that?"
"If I throw a Vampire myth at you, you tell me honestly if it's true or not."
Loki agreed and gave an exaggerated bow.
"I'm at your service, my lady."
Sylvie rolled her eyes at that, but was smiling as she walked back into the building. Loki decided to go find blood somewhere else for the night, feeling like he'd traumatized the little librarian enough for one evening.
Now that they were aware of each other, something had monumentally shifted between them. He wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not...
But he was definitely looking forward to Saturday night.
****************
At exactly 7:58pm, Sylvie was waiting on the library steps. She wasn't exactly sure what one wore on a date with the undead, so she picked out a nice lacy green dress with strappy gold heels. She didn't own much jewelry, save for a little gold crucifix that had been her mother's, so she decided that would have to do. Besides, it would give her a chance to test her first theory.
"My what a lovely little vision you are."
Sylvie spun around at the voice to see Loki emerging from the shadows. He was wearing a black on black suit, the color contrasting perfectly with his pale skin. His long dark hair wasn't slicked back for once, instead framing his face in large, silky ringlets.
Sylvie could feel her face heating up, and it had nothing to do with the warm weather.
He walked up to her and reached out to gently grab the crucifix and examine it.
"Interesting jewelry choice."
"Thank you, it was my mother's. I'm going to assume then that religious items don't affect vampires?"
"Hard to be weakened by something that most vampires are older than. My father alone is nearly 5,000 years old."
Sylvie's eyes widened at that.
"Then how old are you?!"
"A little over a millenia....now, to get where we're going, I need you to trust me. Can you do that Sylvie?"
"Probably against my better judgement, but yes, I do trust you."
Loki gave a short nod before lowering the cross back onto her chest. He let his hand trail up to curl around the back of her neck, while putting his other arm firmly around her waist. He could feel the hot tendrils of her breathing against his neck as she leaned up and wrapped her arms around his shoulders.
"Close your eyes."
As soon as she did, Sylvie felt herself lifting off of the ground. When the wind began to hit, her eyes fluttered back open, and her grip tightened when she saw that they were several hundred feet in the air and moving.
"You can fly?!"
"Among other things....hang on."
Loki did a sharp nosedive towards the ground, causing her to shriek. The screaming soon turned to laughter as he shot back up and did a barrel roll in between buildings. At one point during the flight, she ended up upside-down, and had a perfect view of the stars....
And the gorgeous man beneath them.
***********
They landed outside of what appeared to be an old observatory. Sylvie was practically giddy with excitement when Loki set hér down.
"That was amazing! You can see everything from up there, and the freedom! I've never felt so alive...is that what it always feels like?"
"Well, I've never really given it much thought outside of getting from point A to point B, but I think your perspective is rather lovely."
Sylvie blushed at the compliment and took a look at their surroundings.
"So where did you find this place?"
"I own it. The observatory was abandoned back in the sixties, and since I own land nearby I went ahead and acquired it."
"But you've never wanted to fix it up?"
"Oh it's definitely been renovated," He said with a smirk, " just not on the outside."
He opened the door and when she stepped inside her jaw dropped.
The inside had been beautifully restored to its original condition. The floors gave off a golden sheen, and books covered every single wall.
"This is practically it's own library! How many books are here?"
"Not sure, I lost track after the first few thousand."
Loki watched in amusement as Sylvie ran around looking at everything and seeing what was in his collection. This place had always been his special haven from the world, and up until now he'd never let another soul enter.
He was glad she was his first.
Sylvie found the spiral staircase and followed it to the top of the observatory. The windows had been replaced with light tight panels, but the original telescope was still there poking out of the ceiling. There were more books on these walls too, along with a large king size bed covered in red satin sheets.
"Guess that strikes the sleeping in coffins idea."
"For some of us anyway."
"Loki!" She screeched when he popped up behind her, "you have got to stop doing that!"
"But it's oh so much fun watching you jump."
"Ugh, you really are the Góð of Mischief."
"Well mortals have based some of their deities on our kind."
She hummed thoughtfully while flipping through an ancient manuscript.
"So does that mean you're all the same then, when it comes to powers and whatnot?"
"Oh no, vampires vary in terms of powers, physical abilities.....even method of creation."
Sylvie noticed he got a sour look on his face over that last part, so she walked over, grabbed his hand, and led him over to sit on the bed.
"Loki, what is it?"
He sighed, and ran his thumb across her fingers for several minutes before speaking.
"Vampires aren't made like the movies describe. Most of the upper ranks are nastere naturala , or naturally born. They age like humans until they undergo the blood ceremony at 18, after that they are truly immortal."
"And are you one of these....natural born?"
"I thought I was, and for centuries my parents never told me anything different. But, the night I saved you, my sister told me the truth...that I was made into a vampire by my father,out of the guilt he felt for slaughtering my human family."
Sylvie squeezed his hand tightly.
"But surely that can't have been his only reason? Immortality seems like a gift that isn't handed out to just anybody."
"Maybe he did have other reasons, I don't know. I just...feel as though I should have had a choice in the matter, to decide for myself if I wanted to become a vampire or just stay human."
"Well, whatever the motive was, I am glad that you are what you are, otherwise Noone would've saved me that night."
"I'm glad I did," Loki murmured as he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, " you're worth saving, Sylvie."
"So are you, Loki, so are you."
Before she had a chance to second guess herself, Sylvie leaned over and pressed her lips to his.
It felt like an electric current had exploded between them. Loki immediately deepened the kiss, limbs tangling together as he pulled her tightly against him. They leaned back on the bed, and he began leaving kisses along her jaw and down her throat. When he reached the juncture between her neck and collarbone, he could feel his fangs trying to descend, and tried to turn away, but Sylvie put a hand on his face and turned it back
"You can do it if you want to."
"Are you sure about this?"
"Yes Loki, I trust you not to go too far."
That was all the invitation he needed before his fangs emerged and he bit into her.
Her blood was the most amazing thing he had ever tasted. It was like sunlight and cinnamon, and every good feeling that existed in the world. Everything he'd drank prior paled in comparison to the wonder that was Sylvie.
He pulled back, lest he get so enraptured that he drank her dry. For a moment, he was afraid he did just that, with how glassy her eyes were.
"Sylvie?"
Without warning she surged up and kissed him, bloody fangs and all, before rolling them over so she was on top. He stared at her with wonder as she began to unzip her dress.
"Are you alright, Sylvie?"
"Oh yes, more than. In fact, I plan to show you just how alright I am."
And she did just that, for the next several hours.
**************
Sylvie woke up with a yawn, stretching muscles that were deliciously achy from the previous night's activities. She looked over to see Loki was fast asleep, which wasn't a surprise considering the time on her watch read 9:30am.
"Guess the sleep during the day thing isn't wrong," she whispered to herself before kissing the top of his forehead," Now to see if he stocked any human food in this place."
She got up out of the bed, and bent down to pick up her dress from the floor. She decided to throw Loki's suit jacket over it since it was a bit chilly, and proceeded down the staircase. There was a door to the right of the steps she hadn't noticed last time, and when she opened it, it led to a small, modern kitchen. There on the counter were several bottles of water and juice, along with some wrapped sandwiches, each labeled with her name in Loki's careful, elegant scrawl.
She sat there, happily munching her food and thinking of repeating certain activities once the sun set, when a large scraping sound happened in the next room. Sylvie carefully put down her food and picked up one of the knives out of the drawer before quietly heading over to the doorway.
She peeked around the corner and saw a large figure closing the door. They were wearing a hooded robe and gloves, which prevented her from seeing their face, but they had the same unusual aura about them that Loki did...which could only mean one thing.
Another vampire.
With a courage that she definitely didn't feel, Sylvie brandished the knife in front of her and walked out into the open.
"This is private property! What are you doing here?"
The figure turned around, and seemed even larger than before. They started walking towards her, causing Sylvie to back up into one of the walls and knocking several books to the floor.
"Stay back! I'm warning you.....LOKI!!"
Just as the figure lurched forward, a blur flew from the top of the observatory and crashed into it. Loki pinned the intruder to the floor by the throat. His eyes were blazing red and his fangs looked much longer than they had the night before.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE, THOR?!"
'Thor? Does every vampire have a Viking name?" Sylvie thought as she looked at the man on the ground.
"Brother please, I needed to speak with you."
"I'm not your brother! I never was...."
Loki let go of his hold on Thor, and went over to where Sylvie was still against the wall.
"Are you alright, darling?"
"I'm okay, your brother over there just surprised me."
"He's not really my....."
"Loki," Thor said with an exasperated sigh," you know I consider you my brother regardless of your origins."
"I never said the feeling was mutual."
Loki, be civil," Sylvie scolded before turning to the other man," if he's your brother, why were you skulking about like a thief? And in the daytime no less?"
"Yes Thor, tell us what was so important that you nearly fried yourself just to tell it to me."
"Father wants to see you."
"No."
"But Loki, it's been twenty years...."
"And it will be twenty more before I even think of going back!" Loki shouted angrily," Word of my origins had to have reached the rest of the coven by now, and we both know what they think of Vampires that aren't natural borns. Tell him to ask again in another century, I might be amenable to playing a fool by then."
Loki made to walk away when his brother's next words stopped him cold.
"Father doesn't have another century."
"What do you mean by that?"
"He has chosen to undergo the sol mortem . It is to be carried out in two night's time."
The remaining color that was in Loki's face drained out. Sylvie noticed that the hand he'd gripped hers with was shaking uncontrollably.
"Thor, what exactly is sol mortem ?"
"Death by sunlight. When the oldest of our kind become tired and refuse to drink, they can choose to wait for the coming dawn to...end things on their own terms."
She was horrified that vampires considered what was essentially an act of suicide normal. But then again, for creatures who typically live forever, normal isn't exactly a common theme.
There was uneasy silence for several minutes before Loki spoke again.
"How long has it been since Father's had blood?"
"Since the day you left, brother."
"I see," He said while staring at the floor, still holding tightly to Sylvie's hand, "is that the reason he wants to see me now?"
"I suspect so, but I'm never quite certain where Father's mind is. He also requested that the mortal child who survived Hela's rampage also be present....mother said that you would most likely be together."
"What?! Humans have never been allowed near a sol mortem ! There is absolutely no way that I'll subject her to...."
"I'll go."
"Sylvie no," Loki looked absolutely frightened as he grabbed her other hand and held it against his chest," the Ásgarð coven has never had much regard for mortals, you have no idea what you're in for."
"Loki, I can't deny a dying man's last wish. This might be the only way to get some closure....for the both of us."
He wanted to argue some more, but the set of her jaw told him that it would be a lost cause.
"Very well, but the minute I think there's trouble we are leaving....as for you," Loki turned towards Thor who was standing there twirling his hair nervously," There's a light tight room underneath the floor, get in there until tonight....I won't have a crispy Thor on my conscience."
"Thank you brother, truly."
Thor gave a bow to Sylvie before opening the trap door in the floor and jumping down into it. Once it was closed, Loki hid his face in her neck as the enormity of the situation began to weigh on him.
"You okay?"
"I....don't know. I was angry at my father, but I never wanted this for him. He's always been so strong and immovable and just.....there. I'm not sure how to deal with all of this."
"Well, for starters, why don't we get you back to bed, and think about all of this later. For now, you need to rest."
Loki nodded and started to head back up the stairs before turning and holding out his hand.
"Come stay with me?"
"Always."
***************
The coven was nesting in Norway for the time being. It was the place that Óðin had been born in, and it was also where he wanted to die. Arrangements had already been made for Thor to take over as leader once his father passed, preventing usurpers from taking advantage of any power vacuums.
Loki landed outside of a small fishing village, hoping that he and Sylvie wouldn't be immediately detected. However, that was proven to be a folly when a beautiful woman with a kind smile stepped out to greet them.
"Welcome home my darling."
"Hello mother."
He rushed forward and gathered his mother into a tight embrace, relishing the familiar scent that had comforted him since childhood.
"I'm so glad you're here, son."
"It's good to see you again, how are you faring with all of this?"
"I've made my peace with it," Frigga said with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes, " I always knew this was a possibility, especially since Óðin was far older than me when we met."
"Where is father now?"
"Up there on the cliffside, Thor's with him currently. The rest of Ásgarð has been sent away so as not to interfere."
Frigga then turned to address the human sticking closely to Loki's side.
"You must be Sylvie, it's a pleasure to meet you."
"Thank you, your highness, I only wish it was under more pleasant circumstances."
"As do I, but fate often leaves us with no say in how our paths cross...only in the actions we take when they do."
She embraced Sylvie and whispered quietly in her ear.
"Please take care of him, he's going to need you now more than ever, whether he realizes it or not."
Sylvie gave a nod and Frigga released her. She then followed Loki up to the cliffs where his father was waiting.
**************
Óðin was sitting on a rock overlooking the sea when Loki came and sat next to him. He was shocked at his father's appearance. Once the most powerful Vampire in existence, now he was nothing more than a fragile old man, spirit dwindling almost faster than his body.
"Hello, son."
"Father."
"Have you been well these last few years?"
"I've been...alright, I suppose," Loki said as he looked over at Óðin, "I know you didn't ask me here to make small talk, what are you after."
"I wanted to tell you that you were right. It was guilt that drove me to take you in as an infant. But that was not the reason I turned you."
"Then why did you?"
"Love, Loki. Your mother and siblings were so fond of you, that they would have been devastated if you'd stayed human. I would have been devastated."
Óðin paused for a moment and patted his son on the knee before he continued.
"I love you, my son, so much so that I selfishly hid the option to remain mortal from you because I couldn't let you go. It pains me that the truth hurts you so, but I would still make the same choice if it meant having you with us."
"Even though I murdered my own sister?"
"What happened to Hela was not your fault. I should have realized she was slipping away from us sooner, but I just couldn't bring myself to see it. I didn't blame you then, and I don't blame you now."
Loki closed his eyes against the stinging sensation threatening to overrun them. He was feeling far too many emotions at once, and for all the reading he'd done and knowledge he'd gained throughout the centuries, his mouth failed to form the words he wanted to get out.
Óðin seemed to understand, and smiled sadly as he embraced his son for the last time.
"Sun's coming up soon, best get underground with your mother and brother."
"You shouldn't have to face this alone."
"And I won't, my companion is coming up the hill now."
Loki turned around to see Sylvie standing behind them. He gave his father one more hug before getting up and walking over to her.
"Go on Loki, I'll stay with him."
He looked back towards the cliff, where his father sat so serenely, then turned to Sylvie and nodded before disappearing down the hill.
"Ah Sylvie, care to indulge an old man in his final moments?"
She positioned herself on the ledge next to him, and waited in awkward silence for him to begin speaking.
"Have you ever seen the sunrise, Sylvie?"
"Once or twice, when I was a child."
"I never have, but I'm told it's quite lovely."
"Óðin," Sylvie began cautiously, "do you really need to do this? It's going to hurt your family very badly."
"It'll hurt for a while, yes, but in time they will move on. That's all a vampire has really, time, and I've been a vampire for longer than most. No, this world is moving too fast for me to keep up with anymore, it's time to let someone else lead the way. Plus I'm looking forward to reuniting with my daughter. She was a wonderful girl, my Hela, nothing like the creature that ended your family."
"I hope you have a lovely reunion then."
"Indeed I shall," Óðin said before excitedly pointing at the sun peaking over the horizon," look Sylvie, there it is! It's even better than I dreamed it would be."
As the sun rose higher, Óðin's body began to crumble away into dust. He gave Sylvie one last smile as tears of joy rolled down his face.
"Look after my son for me."
"I will."
With those final words, he turned towards the light of day and collapsed into ashes that were carried away in the wind, taking Sylvie's sobs along with them.
She sat there for a few moments, trying and failing to compose herself. Only after the sun was high in the sky did she get up and walk downhill towards where the others were shielded from the light. Loki was just by the door when she came inside. He took one look at her face and collapsed to his knees. She immediately fell to her own and took the sobbing vampire into her arms.
"He's gone.....he's really gone."
"He is....I'm so sorry my love."
Loki looked up at her, shock evident on his tear-stained face.
"Am I hallucinating or did you just admit you're in love with me?"
"It's no hallucination. Pretty sure I've been in love with you since the moment I first looked into your eyes the night you rescued me."
"Funny that," he said with a watery laugh,"I'm pretty sure I've been in love with you for just as long."
She bent down and kissed him, uncaring of the trails of salt mixing on their tongues. Both of them had had their hearts broken in different ways, but they could patch them up together.
And that was enough.
**************
Six Months Later
Sylvie yawned as she entered the last book into the checkout system. She really thought she'd be used to the night shift by now, especially with a nocturnal boyfriend, but it still managed to kick her in the tail.
Speaking of Loki....
She wondered if she'd hear from him tonight. After Thor had taken over as coven leader, he asked Loki to come back in a consulting position until he could handle things on his own. He accepted on the basis of "not letting that oaf undo centuries of diplomacy" and had been gone for several weeks now, but kept in touch via text and facetime.
"You know if you fall asleep on that keyboard it will leave an awful mark."
She looked up to see Loki grinning at her. She practically squealed as she jumped out of her chair and ran around the desk to jump into his arms.
"Loki, you're back! How did things go with Thor?"
"Tolerable, he's not as much of an idiot as I'd feared but still hopeless without me."
"I'm sure he is. Are you home for a while?"
"I am," He said as he tightened his arms around her, "Are you finished up for the night? I have something I'd like to show you."
"Yeah, just let me leave a note for the dayshift and clock out."
He let her go long enough to finish up, then the minute she came back, he picked her up and flew off to the observatory that had become their permanent home.
He sat her down and then walked over to the shelf and pulled out two books and brought them over. Sylvie was confused when he sat them both in her lap.
"Loki? What are these for?"
"You'll see, just open them up."
She opened the first book, which was cut out in the middle. Inside the compartment was a ring with a large sapphire at the center, surrounded by small emeralds. The second book also had a cutout, and it contained a small vial of blood.
Loki's blood.
"The ring is yours regardless of what you decide to do with the vial, because as badly as I want you to spend the rest of my life with me, I'd be just as happy to spend the rest of yours together."
"Oh Loki...."
"So, Sylvie, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife, and stay by my side until the end of time when we face the sunrise together?"
Sylvie felt the tears well up as she shakily nodded her head. First, she slipped the ring onto her finger.
Then she opened the bottle, and drank it in one gulp.
"I'll stay with you always, my Góð of Mischief."
"I wouldn't have it any other way, my enchantress."
They pressed their lips together in a soft kiss, before snuggling down into the sheets. By the dawn, Sylvie would become a full vampire, and they would begin a new journey...
Together.