He can speak
915 Words
*Emily*
I stand in the bathroom, staring into the mirror, my brown eyes gazing back at me. But all I can see are Loki's green eyes, wide with surprise. My skin looks unnaturally pale, and I know I need to pull myself together quickly.I do not want anyone saying that I can’t handle the job.
I turn on the cold water and splash it on my face, trying to shake off the strange feeling in my stomach. What just happened?
Sighing, I pull my dark curls back into a ponytail and exit the bathroom, heading back to the guard room. As I step through the door, both guards watching the cameras turn and look at me quizzically. "What the hell just happened down there?"
I shrug, unsure myself. "I must have surprised him. Maybe he didn't hear me enter the cell."
"So the evil and terrifying Loki almost pissed his pants over a little girl?" Both guards laugh at the idea, but I bite my tongue, resenting them for calling me a little girl, I am not. I can't help but feel there is more to his reaction than they realize.
I settle down in a corner with a book, waiting for the hours to pass until dinner time when I will need to bring him another tray of food. At least my job allows me to read a lot of books during my 12-hour shift, as all I really do is bring him his three daily meals.
Night watch is even more tedious, with nothing to do but wait. He hasn't called for me once, nor has he asked for anything from anyone at all. But something about him feels off, and I can't shake the feeling that there is more to him than meets the eye.
As dinner time approaches, I stand up, retrieve the tray, and walk to the elevator, nodding at the guards like I always do when heading down to Loki's cell. But as I wait in the elevator, a strange feeling hits me. I want to turn back and go home, yet I know that is quite foolish. Loki has never given me any reason to fear him. I shake off the feeling and continue my descent.
Entering the cell, I stop in my tracks. Loki sits on a chair in the middle of the room, legs wide apart, hands folded in front of him. His forefingers rest on his lips, his eyes burning into mine. My stomach does a backflip, like plunging down the steep hill of a rollercoaster. What does he want? Why is he looking at me like that?
Without thinking, I blurt out, "What the hell are you looking at?"
Bewildered, he raises an eyebrow, and a pang of fear hits me. Did I take it too far? But then his face erupts in an amused grin, and his eyes sparkle mischievously. "You, my lady. Isn't it obvious?"
I don't know what to say. The fact that he is actually speaking to me surprises me so much that I just stand there, mouth half-open, gaping at him. He rises slowly to his full height and places the chair back at the table, never breaking eye contact. He looks quite amused with himself. "Something wrong, my lady? And do close thy mouth; it's not a becoming look."
"Emily. Just call me Emily." I hurry over and put the tray down on the table.
"Lady Emily," he seems to taste my name, placing his hands on the back of the chair, leaning forward, his green eyes locked on mine.
Just Emily, I think, but I hold back from correcting him. However I can't tear myself away from his gaze.
"What does a pretty young thing like you do in a place like this?" He makes a grand gesture with his arms, barely containing a mischievous smile, the corner of his mouth twitching.
Unsure how much to tell him, I decide this information can't be harmful. "I was tired of being stuck behind a desk. I saw an opportunity and seized it. I want to be promoted."
His face turns serious, his gaze intensifying. "I bet they have a habit of underestimating you, those fools. They will learn in time. I suspect there's a lot more to you, my lady, even more than you know yourself."
I feel heat rising to my face as I smile shyly. "Uh, thanks, I think. And yes, they might, but I will just have to turn that to my advantage."
"Aren't we a clever little wench?" Loki smiles genuinely, making his eyes twinkle, and I forget to scold him for calling me a wench.
Taking a deep breath, I ask, "Why are you talking to me all of a sudden?"
He laughs, a melodious, happy sound. Standing at his full height, he walks slowly around the table. "Maybe I'm just starting to get bored out of my mind, all alone here in my cage."
He doesn't stop until he is right in front of me, a little too close for comfort. "Or maybe I'm trying to ensnare you and use you to escape."
My heart races, his physical presence both flustering and frightening me. Up close, he doesn't seem ordinary at all; he exudes pure power. He raises his hand, and his long fingers caress my cheek, leaving a burning trail.
"I have to go now." I back away quickly, nearly running out of the cell, Loki's mischievous laughter echoing behind me.
- Writer
