The Infernal Moon's Embrace

Posted originally on the Archive of Our Own at http://archiveofourown.org/works/52001146.

Rating: Explicit
Archive Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Categories: F/M, M/M
Fandoms: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Marvel, Original Work
Relationships: Loki/OC, Loki/Reader, Loki/Female Reader, Loki/Female OC,
Loki/male OC - Relationship, James "Bucky" Barnes/Reader
Characters: Loki (Marvel), Loki, James "Bucky" Barnes, Wanda Maximoff, Original
Male Character(s), Original Characters, Original Female Character(s),
Original Non-Human Character(s)
Additional Tags: Fantasy, Romance, Loki Needs a Hug (Marvel), Protective Loki
(Marvel), Hurt Loki (Marvel), Dark Loki, Demons, Infernals, celestials,
Rape/Non-con Elements, Dubious Consent, Oral Sex, Rough Sex,
Mating Bond, Breeding, magic sex, demon loki, Vaginal Sex, Love
Triangle, Blood and Violence, Gun Violence, Magical Violence, Demon
King Loki, Sorcerer Loki, Smut, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, Dom Loki, King
Loki, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Fantasy,
Infidelity, Lust, Arranged Marriage, Vaginal Fingering, Eventual Smut,
Loki is Not Amused (Marvel), Jealousy, BDSM, sub Reader, Obsession,
Size Kink, Possessive Loki, Reader-Insert, Forced Orgasm
Language: English
Stats: Published: 2023-12-03 Updated: 2024-01-17 Words: 17,258 Chapters:
4/?
 The Infernal Moon's Embrace
by My_Lady_Vixen

Summary

I'm going to put this out in advance: This is a reader insert but your reader persona does have
a name, and it is Wynter. You are an archeologist as well 😉

It all started with a letter. Something I stumbled upon at a dig site long ago; there was nothing
strange or unique about the tattered paper, but the language was strangely familiar and
foreign. And, as crazy as it sounds, I managed to translate it and it solidified my belief in
magic, and made me confident that magical beings once walked the earth and maybe still do.
I was underhanded, but I secured funding from the museum that employs me to start an
expedition after immersing myself into the world this small, seemingly insignificant letter
painted for me. It lured me to strange ruins, like a moth to a flame, and I... I woke up
something... someone. Someone powerful. Someone bad. Now he invades my every breath;
we are connected. I can't escape him, but even more frightening is that I don't want to. His
call is akin to a siren's, beckoning me to him. His power terrifies me but his knowledge
intrigues me. His arms draw me close, and his touch makes me want to surrender when I
know I should run.

But running was pointless.

He would find me; he always had.

Notes

I'm such a glutton for punishment, lol. So, I've had this story partly written for YEARS as an
original work. I stepped away from it for a long time because I wasn't happy with how it was
going. Well, it randomly popped into my head a few days ago, and my mind said: "Why don't
you convert it to a fan fic with Loki? He's perfect for this role!" And fuck yeah, he is, lol.
Now, there is one thing that will be a tad different in this story. It is a reader-insert, but your
name in this tale is Wynter, or Wyn for short. I battled with myself over what POV to write
this in as I prefer writing from an all-knowing POV, but I'm having a lot of fun delving into
1st person POVs, so here we are! All this being said, if you see any possible POV mistakes,
let me know so I can fix it, lol. It's currently almost 3am where I live so I'm sure I missed
something 😆

And I'm sure everyone is wondering about my other fics too, so, check out my end notes for
updates on those.

Thanks for reading 😘😘

See the end of the work for more notes
 It All Started With a Letter...

“The dark is where he belonged; only he could shine where shadows die. He was the moon.
Untouchable. And only a fool would dare to dream of dancing with the Moon, to tempt him to
play amongst the stars…

Know you, what happens when the Moon leaves his throne?

Darkness reigns.

And he made sure of it.

Now he lies in enteral slumber, buried beneath the rubble that was once his sky… his throne.
Encased within his icy fortress, he must wait for his Sun to return—to release him from the
vile threads with which he had become intertwined… but she would never come.

What had he done?

And why?

The Moon and Sun now slumber, forever apart… as they should be.

The Moon kept balance while the Sun consumed all she touched; so intense was her burn,
that she took my Moon with her. Foolish, foolish Moon, you should have known that the Sun’s
radiance was merely a façade.

The light and dark cannot coexist; ravenous chaos is born of their union…

And though I have tried, I cannot awaken you; it seems that only the blistering caress of your
malignant Sun can break your spell. I must… I must come to accept that the Sun’s touch
cannot be mirrored, and so, all hope is lost because of your foolish desire to possess the Sun’s
flames…”

“Well, that was depressing; thanks for bringing me down, Wyn.”

I passed Wanda a droll look over my shoulder as I looked up from the tattered, blood-stained
letter in my hands, “Call me crazy, but I don’t think this Alimar character wrote this passage
to be uplifting. According to the letter itself, he wrote this sometime after his king’s death.”

Wanda paused and looked up from her sonar equipment, “Wait, he died? Can gods die?”

I sighed and shook my head, “Yes, Wanda! If they were truly immortal, don’t you think you’d
see them walking around?”

A loud, boisterous laugh filled the air surrounding the makeshift tent, “You mean if they were
real—which they aren’t.”
I scowled at Bucky, who strode into our conversation as if he owned it. He made his way
over to an empty foldable chair next to Wanda as he attempted to hide from the sweltering
sun underneath the tarp doubling as a tent. He nonchalantly removed the AR-15 from his
shoulders, propping it up against a small table. As he took his seat, he grabbed his water
cantina from his holster and took a long gulp, “Trust me, ladies, this trip is a waste of time.”

I rolled my eyes, “If this were a waste of time, then how did I get the funding for the
expedition smart guy?”

“Because you know how to conveniently keep out necessary information from your
employers without them raising an eyebrow,” Bucky smirked. “You know, like
your ridiculous belief that Infernals and Celestials ever existed. You conveniently left that out
and told them that you only wanted to excavate the ruins we’re currently squatting in to
further your current research, but in reality, you think there’s some secret underground world
beneath our feet. Oh, and let’s not forget that you also went behind their backs
to my employer who knows the whole truth and is just as nutty as you, so he also gave you
funding and my team for protection.”

I narrowed my eyes at him, “Yes, well, if you want your employer to keep paying you to be
here, you’ll shut your fucking trap.”

Bucky raised his hands and laughed, “Yes, my queen. Do pardon your loyal guard’s
impudence!”

I couldn’t hold back my laugh at his expression, “Why did I agree to bring you?”

A deep chuckle resounded from behind her as a thick Russian accent followed, “Because if
you hire him, you get me detka.”

We all turned to find Luca entering their makeshift shelter.

I shook my head, “Alright, alright enough with all the charm. We’re here to do a job you
know.”

“But a little business mixed with pleasure can be fun, yes?”

Wanda smirked, “Depends on who the guy is.”

Luca leaned over her shoulder, “Always me, baby. Bucky is too set in his downer ways to
have fun like that even in this lush environment. Look at it; it is the perfect setting: humid air
during the day and cool air in the evening, lush green foliage, waterfalls, and the rarest
flowers. An air of romantic magic permeates this place, and the ruins make it all the more
alluring as they add an air of mystery… and yet Bucky still lacks the pull for romance.”

Bucky shook his head with a confident smirk, “Tell that to our fearless leader. She certainly
had fun with me last night… again.”

My head jerked up and Wanda and Luca attempted to contain their laughter.

I glared at Bucky, “That’s it, I’m going back out to the ruins to dig. I’ve had it with you all.”
Bucky chuckled as he watched her leave the shelter, “I do love the fire in her.”

Wanda shook her head, “You know if you aren’t careful, she’s going to roast your ass.”

He laughed, “Oh, that little dragon can try, but I’m a knight, and I’ll easily slay her with my
charm.”

I stabbed the dirt with her trowel as I recalled Bucky’s less-than-subtle words, “Ugh, what an
ass—a very attractive ass—but an ass, nonetheless. This is why no one should mix business
with pleasure. He’s going to be impossible to work with now that everyone knows.”

“Well, at least I’m still sexy.”

I rolled my eyes and ignored him, continuing to dig in the small section of the earth I had
squared off.

I paused to take another look around the ruins.

It appeared to have been either an indoor garden or courtyard as there were large sections of
exposed dirt and grass surrounded by what was left of stone structures. And the centerpiece?
A large, beautiful tree in the center of it all. Well, perhaps when it was in season it was
beautiful. Right now, it was as bare as a newborn baby.

What it would look like in full bloom, and what season could it possibly thrive in if not right
now?

Sighing forlornly, I carefully went back to digging only to pause again when I hit something
solid. I carefully set down my trowel and grabbed my brushes to start delicately clearing the
surrounding dirt.

“Why are you so bothered by the fact that those two know what we’ve been doing?”

“I’m not bothered that they know, stupid. It’s just not their business, and you just blurted it all
out without my permission.”

Bucky shrugged, “So, does this mean you’ll still be leaving your tent unzipped for me
tonight?”

I turned to look back at him and smirked, “Oh, for God’s sake, no. I told you that was only a
ten-time thing.”

Bucky released a deep, loud laugh, “Has it been that many times already?”

I thought for a moment, “Well, we have been out here for almost three weeks now. We’ve had
some time to get distantly close.”

“I suppose we have. Although, I wouldn’t mind getting even closer, Wyn.”

I froze, “I’m sorry… what?”

Bucky chuckled, “I mean after our business is completed, I’d like to keep seeing you. Outside
of work.”

I inhaled sharply, “I don’t know, Buck. I’m not really looking to commit any time soon.”

Bucky cocked his head, “Why not? You’re successful in your career, financially stable, and
happy. Why not let yourself explore a new chapter?”

I put down my tools and stood to face him.

I put my hands together as if praying and took a deep breath, “Look, I’m gonna be one
hundred percent honest with you; I do not desire that white-picket-fence lifestyle.
I love exploring new chapters, but the chapters I explore, are different time periods.” I
gestured around us to the entire excavation site, “This is my current chapter, and I am
determined to delve deep into the secrets I know are here.”

Bucky gave her a droll stare, “Fine, but why can’t you accept that maybe someone might
want to keep doing that with you?”

I paused; honestly, I hadn’t expected that response.

I took another deep breath, “Look, maybe there is a part of me that would like to believe such
a person exists, but I’ve been down that road before, and eventually, everyone wants to slow
down and rest. But not me. You wanna prove you can keep up and not get tired of the pace or
me, fine. We’ll see, but I’m not an easy nut to crack.”

Bucky clapped his hands together, “You won’t regret it. Now, show me how this archeology
stuff actually works.”

Hmm, maybe he could be that guy… but only time would tell.

“Wynter!”

Bucky and I turned to see Wanda and Luca running towards us.

I frowned, “What’s the matter?”

Wanda shrugged, “Oh, nothing too important; just the fact that you were fucking right!”

I raised a brow at Wanda, and Luca rolled his eyes, “Oh for the love of—the
ruins beneath the ruins! Wanda saw something on her radar. You were right!”

My breath caught, “Oh. My. God. We… we have to start digging. Like now.”

I paced along the dirt, my mind racing, and hands fidgeting excitedly, “Who knows what
could be down there after all this time! Everything could be completely destroyed or
completely intact!”
Wanda nodded enthusiastically, “I’ve already informed our heavy machinery techs. They’re
preparing the equipment now.”

“Good, good. Now we just have to take a look at your sonar and map out a good spot to make
our first incision—”

My voice was abruptly cut off when a weak spot in the ground gave way, and I fell through
the crater that was subsequently created.

“Wynter! Are you alright?” Bucky called down into the darkness

“I’m fine! It wasn’t that long of a fall. It seems like the ruins up there were literally built right
on top of these. It’s practically a basement.”

Wanda breathed a sigh of relief, “Oh, thank goodness.”

“However, now that I’m down here,” I shouted, “I could use some equipment if you wouldn’t
mind tossing some down to me!”

Bucky answered my call.

“Just wait right there, and I’ll be down with the goods in a sec!”

I waited in the dark for only a few moments before Bucky returned and, with Luca’s help,
they set up a spike and rope so he could climb down to me. When he reached the floor of the
underground structure, he handed me a bag filled with tools, provisions, flashlights, and rope.

I took the backpack and secured it over my shoulders, “So, you’re coming with?”

Bucky raised a brow, looking at me as if I were the dumbest person alive, “If I wasn’t coming
with you, why would I climb all the way down here?”

I shrugged, “Cause you’re a showoff?”

He rolled his eyes as he turned on his flashlight and gently pushed me forward, “Get moving,
woman, and show me around.”

“I’m not gonna be much of a tour guide since I have no idea what this place even is just yet,”
I laughed.

“You’ll figure it out, Wyn.”

I smiled, “Well, all right then. Into the unknown, we go!”

 The Gift

Over the next several days my team and I finally broke ground, literally. But the radar
imaging paled in comparison to what was actually beneath our feet. I studied the map I had
started drafting as we unearthed more and more.

The size of the structure—and what little I’d been able to analyze of it—made me believe
that this had to have been a palace or a temple, but what had caused it to sink into the earth?

It was a massive structure with grandiose hallways, too many rooms to count, and murals on
the walls that had once been richly painted. Some of those works of art had all but faded, lost
to time, but the ones that survived were magnificent.

I looked up from the map and made my way toward one section of surviving murals I had
found just today. With help, I set up a workspace around it, brightly illuminated with wide
LED lights on tripods so I could see the entire section in all its glory; even worn by
unforgiving time, they were stunning.

But there was one wall that held a particularly well-preserved scene that I had already come
to adore. With the portable lighting set up, I could see it all so clearly now. The vibrancy of
the paint had diminished, but the scene and the wall itself were mostly unharmed; no chunks
were missing, and no sections were cracked.

It was an amazing discovery.

I smiled unconsciously, gently biting my bottom lip as I admired the scene. The art style was
so different than anything I had ever seen before and even more astonishing, all of the scenes
we had uncovered within the vast structure depicted stories involving beings that
were clearly more than mere humans. Granted, if this were a temple, murals of gods should
be expected, but… they just didn’t feel like they were simple mortal interpretations.

They felt real.

Especially this one; this one mural called to me.

It showed a large wedding celebration and the wedded couple, a man and woman, were
standing beneath an arch of flowers with bright red, yellow, and orange petals raining down
upon them. They wore crowns atop their heads—most likely signifying royalty, or divinity, of
some kind. The tips of their pointed ears peeked through their long hair, but that was the only
attribute that they physically shared.

The woman had lilac eyes that were so soft they could have been made from velvet and this
feature was highlighted by her smooth mocha skin and long white hair. She was exotically
beautiful, but while her lovely face held a small smile, there was an unexplainable air of
distrust around her as well as a golden glow encompassing her entire form…

My eyes slowly drifted over to the king.

The air surrounding him was vastly different from his queen; regal, confident, dangerous…
and yet welcoming? His mesmerizing green eyes shone brightly even in the faded paint; it
was almost like the artist had used real emeralds instead of paint and his hair was so black I’d
think it was carved from jet. But the very top of his hair appeared strange, almost as if the
wind had caught it, sweeping it up into a beautiful arc, and the artist just… went with it. I
cocked my head as I noticed what looked like a pale blue glow around the king, specifically
where his skin was showing.

Both the king and queen were gleaming brightly, but not in the same way. The queen’s golden
glow was eye-catching and devastatingly powerful; even in the dark, the paint on the wall
seemed to shine. The king's glow, in contrast, was pale, almost unnoticeable, but it was no
less stunning to behold…

I bit my lip, glancing around to make sure I was completely alone before I attempted to use
what my family called my… ‘gift.’

I closed my eyes and placed my hand flat against the couple’s depiction. I focused on the
smooth texture of the stone against my palm, and the grit of the distressed paint roughening
the surface. I pictured the couple in the mural, and smiled when I felt the thrum of energy
pulse against the wall…

But it quickly became overwhelming.

My heart pounded, fear threatening to choke me as my eyes snapped open. The breath
forcibly left my lungs as the ancient power within the stone met my meager life force.

My hand shook as I glanced up at the divine couple; their image beginning to distort, and it
became a struggle to focus on the mural. The energy was too strong and draining me too
quickly; I was too weak to move my hand away from the wall—

Without warning, I was forcibly thrown away from the wall and collapsed on the hard dirt
with a loud, echoing thud. It took a few moments for my vision to refocus but when it did, I
was no longer in the underground ruins…

I stood on wobbly legs, taking in my new surroundings; the landscape looked remarkably
similar to the above-ground ruins where we had made camp only it was… whole?

I cocked my head as I glanced down at the ground; this spot resembled the courtyard space
that I had fallen through a few days before. I spied the same flowerbeds in the same sections
as the ruins, only they weren’t barren and broken. The walls encasing the courtyard had been
rebuilt, and to top off my theory, right behind me was that giant tree… only it wasn’t bare or
neglected; it was lush and green, ripe with beautiful sunset blossoms that rained upon the
courtyard—

The thundering roar of cheers echoed through the courtyard, drawing my attention back to the
center, behind the tree, where a large throng of people materialized before me.

The crowd slowly parted and my eyes as the couple from the mural appeared within the sea
of people. They walked through the swarm, heading in my general direction, but just like in
all my visions, they failed to actually notice me; it was kind of like getting a private show for
a new film that no one else had ever seen.

My breath caught in my throat as the couple came close enough that I could clearly make out
their features. The artist had been immaculately precise in their attention to detail. I could
see everything I’d seen in the painting, even the smallest golden embellishments on the
queen’s red skirt. And this queen… oh, she outshined everything else around her, and I
couldn’t help but study her for a moment.

Her scarlet red dress flowed around her, light as air, as she moved. Her creamy mocha
complexion was accented by the chosen shade of red and it made her white hair gleam like
snow in the sun. Her features were delicate, her body lithe and tall like a willow tree; she
moved with the grace expected of a goddess and perfectly embodied the aspect of sunlight.
Appropriately, the golden embellishments on her dress caught the sunrays just right, making
it appear as if she were actually shimmering. Her amethyst eyes shone with what still
appeared to be happiness, but it still seemed like she was waiting for the rain to come and
spoil her wedding day…

The king on the other hand…

Oh, I would bless every god in existence for allowing me to see him in motion. Handsome
just didn’t convey enough beauty to accurately describe him. His features were both sharp
and delicate and I’d even go so far as to say that he looked regal; he could definitely be a king
based on his physical appearance alone. His jawline, in particular, was smooth and refined,
just like the angle of his nose, and those lips…

I followed his every move, and as he turned, I was granted the vision of his long, ebony black
hair flowing like silk behind him. But when I saw his side profile, my eyes widened;
originally, I had thought the painting was showing his hair blowing in the breeze… but I was
wrong—very wrong…

No, those elegant arcs of obsidian were horns; real horns that were protruding from just
behind his hairline, blending into his raven locks….

I felt an overwhelming urge to touch his horns and that beautiful hair that was styled down—
the length falling just above his waist. It was partially braided down his back in an intricate
style: a series of braids that formed an inverted triangular pattern with one very long braid
that flowed straight down the middle of the design and continued down his back. Each
section was held together on that center braid, marked by three cylindrical silver pendants
with the last one woven near the end of the central braid.

He brought a golden goblet to his lips, and my eyes were immediately drawn to large,
beautiful hands. But my eyes widened when I noticed that his pale skin actually had a faint
blue glow to it! Much like how his bride shimmered, he really glowed…

He turned in my direction.

Those intense emerald eyes and high cheekbones made the air rush from my lungs. Our eyes
seemingly met, but that was impossible…
Wasn’t it?

He smirked, arching his elegant brow as if intrigued… but just as quickly as our eyes locked,
he turned away and focused on the scene around him.

I shook my head; there was no way he actually saw me. This was a vision of the past, way
before I’d even existed… so there was no way…

But what if there was?

Unsure, but willing to take the risk, I decided to test my theory.

I moved closer to the ceremony, carefully, and when I stood mere inches from him, he
seemed to pause, as if he sensed something. For a brief moment, our eyes locked again, and
up close… those eyes seemed… familiar?

“Wynter! Wynter, wake up!”

The vision began to crumble around me, and I scrambled to grab his long sleeve in an attempt
to preserve the memory… but it was too late.

He was gone.

I awoke for real this time, my eyes fluttering open to find Wanda hovering beside me with a
first-aid kit, and I felt the distinct sensation of someone’s arms around me…

Glancing up, I saw Bucky, and I could vaguely hear Luca’s voice speaking in the background
as he spoke in his native tongue to someone.

I lightly touched my head and when I pulled my hand back there was a faint trace of blood
staining my fingertips. How did I get blood on my head?

Oh, the wall! The energy pushed me away… I must have hit my head…

“Are you alright?”

I looked up at Bucky, “Yeah, I’m fine. Just being my clumsy self is all.”

He raised his brow, “I know I’ve only known you for a few weeks, but I’ve never seen you
have a clumsy day. Not counting when the ground gave way, but that wasn’t your fault.”

I pushed myself up and away from him, “Yeah, well, Clumsy Wynter doesn’t strike very
often but when she does, look out!”

Wanda smirked from the sidelines, “I say we call it a day and get you topside to the medical
tent for a quick eval. You might have a concussion.”

I stood, much to Bucky’s dismay, and dusted off my pants, “I can guarantee you that I don’t
have a concussion; I’ve taken worse hits than this.”
 ***

“Wynter, I am not exaggerating; you have a concussion.”

“And I’m telling you, Dr. Kessta, that I’m fine. I cannot restrict my activities right now!
You do realize what we just found, right?”

The doctor rolled her eyes, “I am aware that you just uncovered some secret underground
ruins, yes, but that does not change my recommendations. You need to rest for a few days and
that means no venturing underground and wracking your brain over the mysteries that the
ruins hold.” She turned her hardened gaze toward Bucky, “It also means to limit
your… socialization.”

Bucky scoffed, offended, “That is the last thing on my mind, doc; her health comes first to
me, despite what you seem to think.”

I narrowed my eyes playfully, “You’re only saying that cause without me you don’t get paid.”

Bucky rolled his eyes and moved to help me stand, “I’ll get her to her tent, doc.”

***

A few hours later, well after the sun had set and the moon had risen high, Wanda and I sat in
our now-conjoined tents. Apparently, I was not to be trusted alone…

Damn it.

Wanda eyed me curiously as I slowly sipped on my water with a childish, aggravated

expression, “Okay, this has been bothering me for hours now… what really happened down
there? I know you’re hiding something.”

I turned to her, my frown turning into a mischievous grin, “I thought you’d never ask!”

Wanda laughed, “Well, I had a feeling that whole clumsy thing was a rouse. I mean, we’re all
clumsy at times, but on a dig you’re super careful and the farthest thing from clumsy.” Wanda
stood abruptly, taking on a superhero stance as she saluted the empty air, “Wynter Kouris,
archeological explorer and scholar of the unknown. She who delves deep into the
underground to unearth long-forgotten mysteries, and her arch nemesis… is the very dirt she
rolls around in for fun!”

I cackled, almost spitting out my water, and abruptly stopped as my head began to pound. I
pressed against my right temple, my hair falling around my face, “Ow… yeah… okay, no
more laughing. It hurts. I think Dr. Kessta was actually right.”

Wanda chuckled as she sat back down and began to braid her gorgeous auburn hair as she did
every night, “Well duh! You hit your head bad enough to cause external bleeding… not to
mention the hematoma on your forehead.”

I pouted as I felt the slight bump on the right side of my head, “Gee, I hadn’t noticed.
Anyway, as for what really happened… I had a vision.”
Wanda’s eyes widened excitedly, “What did you see this time?”

I huffed, “Not too much, unfortunately. Mostly just confirmed what I already knew; non-
human beings existed and the couple in the mural I found were real, like accurately real.”

Wanda whistled low, “Damn… so that means King Hottie was real? Like flesh and blood
real?”

I giggled, “Oh, yes, and let me tell you, that painting, while accurate, does not do him
justice.” I paused as I recalled my strange vision, “But it was really weird… there was
something about him that seemed—I don’t know—familiar, somehow.”

Wanda snorted, “Oh I can relate; I’m fairly certain I’ve seen him in my dreams.”

I pushed her shoulder and knocked her back onto her sleeping bag, “Not like that, but yes,
like that too. Seriously though, his eyes seemed familiar. Weirdly familiar. I was attempting
to get a closer look at him when Bucky’s incessant shouting broke my vision.”

Wanda groaned, “Damn that Bucky… but you haven’t told him about your visions yet, I
assume?”

I shook my head carefully, “Oh, hell no; it’s not something I go around shouting proudly to
the outside world.”

“Right, right… but doesn’t your family think it’s a gift?”

I nodded, “Yes, but a weird one. Now, my grandfather was convinced that it was a divine gift
from Apollo, a god of prophecies. The bulk of the family is Orthodox, but my grandfather
wasn’t, and he was adamant that I had been touched by the ancient gods at my birth.”

“Why do you think your family is weird about it? I mean, plenty of people claim to have
visions after all, and then there’s psychics…”

“Truth be told, I have no clue. But my grandfather was the loveable black sheep of the family,
and I was adopted, so, I like to think that I was a baby black sheep, right along with him. I’ve
always seen things, but it was attributed to a childish imagination… until I had my very first,
very real vision when I was six.”

Wanda eagerly scooted closer to me, and I chuckled at her enthusiasm as I began my walk
down memory lane…

I had sprinted through the Dadia forest, attempting to hide from the other kids I was playing
hide-and-seek with, and I would not be found without maximum effort!

I slowed down to catch my breath; breathing deep and reveling in the scent of the earth
around me. I took a quick glance around to pinpoint where I had run to; I was overly familiar
with this forest but didn’t recognize this spot and my heart pounded in excitement…

It was a heavily wooded area with large emerald trees and heavy foliage that covered my
tracks. I pushed forward, only stopping when I stumbled upon a secluded grove, hidden by
various flora and fauna. Toward the center of the lonely grove was a hollow, fallen log
partially obscured by a thick covering of moss. I approached the log carefully, but when I
heard shouting and laughter in the distance my heart leapt into my throat; the others were
close.

Wasting no time, I dove headfirst into the log and hid behind the curtain of moss. I held my
breath, listening to the excited voices of the others as they looked for me and anyone else still
hiding. I shifted slowly, inching deeper into the log to hide in the shadows, and moved to sit
on my bottom, bringing my knees up to my chest to make myself smaller.

I waited for what felt like several heavy eternities before the other children’s voices finally
began to fade. When it remained silent for several moments, I deemed it safe and started
giggling triumphantly… until I turned my head and came face-to-face with another pair of
eyes.

I squeaked in surprise, the sound echoing through the hollow log and making the boy across
from me scramble backward as if I’d scared him too.

We stared at each other for several seconds, uncertainty mirroring in our gazes.

Swallowing hard, I studied him. The sunlight behind him lit up the interior of the log making
it difficult to see, but when I squinted, I could make out his dark hair and… did he have
pointed ears? Yes, his ears were pointed! The small tips were just barely peeking through his
black locks…

Biting my lip, I hesitantly spoke, “Who… who are you?”

The boy opened his mouth to respond but then stopped short as if something had cut him off.
He looked away for a brief second and then turned back to me. “I-I have to go,” he rasped in
an accent that I couldn’t place, but I didn’t have time to contemplate it as the boy rushed out
of the log before I could say another word.

I sat for a moment in shock, my head swimming at the strange encounter. Shaking myself out
of the fog, I quickly followed after him, but upon exiting the log, a golden twinkle on the
ground caught my eye.

I glanced down and saw a small golden pendant lying in the moss.

That boy must have dropped it!

I snatched up the pendant, not wasting a moment to examine it, and hurried to rush after him.
But when I emerged from the log, I froze; the grove looked the same as it had a moment ago,
but it looked more… alive. Vibrant. The emerald green of the trees seemed deeper, and the
forest itself felt intensely serene, yet it teemed with wildlife. Even the scent of the air was
different; cleaner.

I was mesmerized… until I heard people speaking in the distance.

I followed their voices, and when I spotted them, I covered my lips to muffle my gasp; it was
him—the strange boy—and he was talking with an older woman. She also had pointed ears,
though hers were much longer than his. She had stunning white-blonde hair—a stark
contrast from the boy's black hair, but there was a resemblance between them in their faces;
maybe she was his mother?

I moved closer, trying to remain quiet as I listened to them. Unfortunately, they were speaking
in a language I had never heard before, and yet, it was so familiar…

“Dii heart, losei pruzah?”

“Monah, fah wo dreh fin jul volaan mu?”

The woman’s eyes widened, and she leaned down to embrace the boy tightly, “Oh, dii sweet
kul… Fin jul los… sizaan.”

“Sizaan?”

She nodded sadly as she picked him up, “Geh, nust los sizaan ko niin miiraadde, nuz ni pah
se niin los vokul.” She hugged him tight, smiling softly, as she pressed their foreheads
together, “Nuz mama fen mahfaeraak laan hi, Loki…”

With that last phrase, everything began to fade away, and I watched as the woman walked
away with the boy cuddled in her arms. They disappeared into the forest, and slowly, the
brighter world around me faded back into the world I knew.

I remained frozen, glancing around fearfully… until I squeezed my hand and realized that the
golden pendant was somehow still there…

I sighed nostalgically at the memory and reached into my shirt pocket to pull out that same
golden pendant.

Wanda’s eyes widened as she admired the round object, "What do you think it’s for?”

I shrugged as I admired the circular piece, “I’ve never been able to figure that out.” I cradled
it in my hand, gently stroking my fingertips over the precious gold pendant encrusted with
tiny sapphires surrounding a circular white opal that sat in the center. “But that wasn’t the
only time I saw that little boy. I suppose you could say I grew up with him in a way.
Whenever I would wander the forests, he would sometimes appear, but as we both grew
older, the farther away he would appear. Eventually, my visions of him stopped altogether…
but I’m not sure why. Whoever he was, he’s the reason I believe in these otherworldly beings,
and thanks to all the visions of him I saw, I picked up the language he was speaking. I don’t
know what it is, but I can speak it. In some visions, I even managed to see the language
written out. When I found that letter, I recognized the symbols, and I knew it had to be
connected to my visions. I took several linguistic classes just to help me hone my skills, and
eventually, I was able to translate it and eventually my visions and the letter led me here.”

Wanda whistled low, “Wow… that’s incredible! Also, while we’re on the subject… do you
remember what the woman and little boy were saying in that vision you just told me about?”
I nodded sadly, “Yeah, the woman was his mother, and the boy was asking her why the
humans hated their kind.”

Wanda’s eyes fell, “Oh, wow; that’s… terrible, but it checks out sadly if you look through
humanity's history.”

“Yes, but that’s when his mother hugged him and said that the humans were just lost and
misguided in their ways, but that he was always safe with her. Given his question to her, I
think that he was afraid of me because I was human.”

“Did you ever speak to him again?”

I shook my head, saddened at the reminder, “No; I simply watched from the sidelines and as I
grew older and my abilities developed, I learned that I could see past events everywhere if I
tried hard enough. It’s the reason I went into archeology, I want to see the past and piece it
back together for everyone else so that they can see what I see in their own way.

Wanda smiled softly, “You make it sound so… giving.”

I returned her smile, “It is giving.

You said earlier that I discover secrets that have been forgotten, but history is never truly
forgotten. It’s merely misplaced.”

Wanda looked at me with a dreamy gaze, “This is why I wanted to work with you; ever since
I saw you give that lecture on the truth behind myths… I just knew I had to be a part of your
next adventure.”

I smiled brightly and took her hands into mine, “And I’m so glad you approached me after
that lecture. We’ve become so close since then and, outside my family, you are
the only person who knows about my gift. I am thankful that you can call me friend despite
all my freakiness.”

Wanda pulled me into a loving hug, “How could I not believe it? We’ve been on so many
adventures since that first lecture and every time you have a vision, we find proof of what
you saw.”

I pulled back, flushing softly at her compliment, “Yeah… but I mean, you actually believed
me when I told you. You didn’t even question me.”

Wanda held her hands up, “Hey, I’m no stranger to the paranormal. Trust me, I’ve seen some
freaky shit, and usually it’s terrifying, but this? This is amazing.”

I laughed as we relaxed against our cots, “Point taken.”

We both sighed contentedly, our conversation slowly fading… until Wanda rolled onto her
side. She propped her elbow up to support her head as she stared at me, “I do have a question,
though; something I’ve always wanted to ask.”

I cocked my head, “Oh?”

She nodded, “Since you’re adopted, have you ever thought, or tried, to look into your birth
family? Maybe this sort of ability runs in your bloodline.”

“Honestly… no,” I chuckled. “I didn’t learn that I was adopted until I was a teenager and as
far as I’m concerned, my adopted family is my real family. They’re a bit… stiff on believing
in the paranormal aspect of my gift, but they recognize it as something special, and thanks to
my grandfather’s praise, everyone started to lovingly refer to me as: 'the modern Oracle of
Delphi,'” I giggled.

Wanda laughed, “I wish I could have gotten to meet him; he sounds like he was quite the
character.”

“Oh, he was,” I said with a sad smile. “I miss him terribly. I owe my love for history to him,
and he’s the only one that really encouraged me to embrace my gift, but he also warned me to
be careful. He said abilities like mine are granted by the higher powers that be, and that they
can be a gift or a curse. All it takes is one mistake or misuse of it.”

Wanda cocked her head, “What did he mean by that?”

I scrunched my face up as I contemplated how to explain, “Well, I can’t be completely sure

of what he meant, but in order to access a vision that is not freely given, I have to offer my
own energy to the source I seek. So, I let the energies, or memories, feed off of me in a way.”

Wanda’s eyes widened, “So… some visions just happen, but others you have to tap into.” She
gasped and abruptly sat up, “Is that why you passed out underground? You were asking for a
vision?”

I nodded, “The power down there is… incredible. It completely drained me, but at least it had
the decency to break away before it took too much from me. That’s how I fell and hurt my
head; the energy, literally, pushed me away, and when I ‘woke up’ my vision began.”

“Wow,” she sighed, enthralled. “I can see why you put up such a fight with Dr. Kessta about
resting; If I was you, I’d want to go back down there ASAP!”

I smiled impishly and leapt to my feet, “Good, then we understand each other!”

Wanda’s smile fell, “Wait, what? Wyn! You can’t go back down there right now! It’s too dark
and you’ll be completely alone!”

I paused, turning to look back at her, “I assumed you were coming, dork.”

“Oh, well, in that case, let’s go feed some creepy energy!”

 Beyond the Mirror

Wanda and I slowly crept through the camp using the flashlights on our phones to light the
way. We made it to the tunnel entrance our team had dug and carefully climbed down, one at
a time. Once we were on the ground again, we switched to our larger flashlights and lanterns,
rushing back to the mural of the king and queen.

We reached our destination with no issues and began to set up and turn on our equipment,
including the tunnel lighting I had set up earlier. While Wanda focused on the lights, I
rummaged around in my bag for the map I drafted, the journal entry, and, of course, some
yummy snacks to keep us going.

“So, that vision you had… you said the king really looked just like this?” Wanda asked as she
eyed the mural up and down.

I nodded as I rolled out the map on a large stone slab that had fallen from the ceiling at some
point in time, “Yep, but you know, with a more realistic, fleshy look.”

Wanda groaned low in her throat, “God, why don’t men look like this anymore?”

“Because they’re human and not whatever the king was,” I laughed. “If you look closely at
the mural, it looks like his hair is blowing in the wind, but in my vision… those were horns.
Like legit horns.”

Wanda held in a snort, “So, you’re saying he was horny?”

I hummed appreciatively as I recalled my vision, “Well, it would have been a catastrophe

of epic proportions if he never offered himself up to the pleasures of the flesh and gene pool.”

Wanda chuckled impishly as she admired the mural.

“But on the bright side,” I sighed. “There are still plenty of attractive human men on this
planet.”

“Oh, you mean like Luca and maybe Bucky?”

I rolled my eyes and snorted, “Unfortunately.”

“While we’re on that subject,” Wanda mused, “when did this thing with Bucky even start?”

I sighed, rubbing the back of my neck in aggravation as I recalled Bucky’s less-than-

subtle announcement regarding our fling, “Uh… probably our fourth night together.”

“Well, that escalated quickly,” Wanda snorted.

“Not if you’re only looking for fun.”

“But are you? And is he?”

I rolled my eyes again, “You know my stance; I do not need, or want, to be tied down unless
it’s to my work. If Bucky can keep up with that then maybe he’ll be able to tame me, but it’s
way too soon to be contemplating that scenario.”

Wanda held up her hands, “Fair enough. So, back to the topic at hand, what are we looking
for tonight?”

“Anything,” I sighed with anticipation. “There’s still so much we don’t know about this place.
What was it, and what was the purpose of this massive structure? Why is it underground, or,
was it always underground? Was there a massive earthquake that made it sink?”

Wanda nodded, “So, what kind of things should I look for? I mean, you’re the resident expert
on whatever this culture was.”

I hummed thoughtfully, “Well, I wouldn’t call me an expert. Somehow, this culture managed
to avoid being recorded throughout history, and all I have to go on is my visions. I do have a
theory about how their records may have been lost, but we’d never be able to prove it.”

“Oh?”

“Mhm, my theory is that we had records of this culture, but that they were destroyed. Perhaps
there might have been something in the Great Library of Alexandria, but the fires consumed
it… we lost so much in that fire,” I sighed.

Wanda nodded, “The possibilities of what could have been in there are astronomical… but at
least some things survived.”

“Yeah… but to have seen that library at the height of its time would be,” I shook my head.
“I’m sorry, we’re getting off topic.” I motioned Wanda over and directed her to specific spots
on the map, “We still haven’t fully mapped out all of the halls. Why don’t you start in that
side room and then I’ll take the one across from it. Any object could be a clue in figuring out
what this particular structure was used for. It might have even just been a portion of a palace
and hold no particular use other than living quarters, but that’s part of the job; figuring
out every aspect of a past life, including the bland parts.”

Wanda nodded and gathered her supplies before heading off to the room I had suggested to
set up a workspace. I did the same across the hall and started by setting up my additional
lighting. Once that was done, I set about examining the room itself.

I took a long, studious glance across the room, noting the broken furniture and various curios
that adorned the space. To my left, there appeared to be a window on the back wall.

Well, that was a dead giveaway that this place did in fact sink.

Glass crunched beneath my boots as I approached the window and placed my hand against
the stiff earth that was visible through the empty panes. I hummed thoughtfully as I stroked
the earthen wall, mumbling to myself, “How did a place this large end up underground and
buried so perfectly that the damage was fairly minimal?”
Turning away from the window, I found myself drawn to the dusty and elaborate wooden bed
frame towards the back of the room. The bed, unlike some other pieces of furniture, was not
broken and sat between two built-in bookcases along the wall. I gingerly touched the wooden
posters of the bed, marveling at the details carved into the wood. A steady and talented hand
had carved what appeared to be vines climbing up the posts and were littered with intricate
flower blossoms that had been painted white, though the paint was dull and chipped. My eyes
followed an upward path along the posts to a wooden canopy that encompassed the length of
the bed. It resembled tree branches crossing over each other to form a beautifully pointed
roof.

I ran my hands over the beautiful but dusty fabric covering the mattress; it was still so soft
despite a lack of care and the sapphire dye was still quite vibrant. I pressed hard into the
mattress and noted that it must be filled with feathers of some kind—

“Wyn, I think I got something.”

I jumped at the sound of Wanda’s voice coming through the two-way radio on my belt in the
otherwise quiet room. As my heart calmed, I grabbed the receiver, “What did you find?”

“Well, I think this room was just a bedroom, and I don’t see anything of particular interest
except maybe one thing.”

“Same here actually,” I chuckled. “Although the furniture is incredibly detailed, and I’m
definitely going to be studying it more. So, what did you find that might be of interest?”

“A journal… think you can translate?”

“Possibly. Bring it over to me.”

“Got it.”

A few moments later Wanda rejoined me and handed over the worn leather journal, “So what
do you think?”

I thumbed through the pages and stopped when I came upon a small section that looked like a
page had been torn out…

I bit my lip as I reached for my bag.

I rummaged around until I pulled out a folder that held the tattered letter that I had found long
ago. My heart pounded as I placed the letter against the torn section… and it lined up
perfectly.

I exhaled in amazement, “Wanda, I think you found Alimar’s journal!”

Wanda’s eyes widened, “Wow, that’s amazing! Who’s Alimar?”

“Well, as of right now, I’m not completely sure, but Alimar is the one who wrote this letter
about the king. And the letter is so… devastating and emotional. It’s quite likely that they had
a deep relationship, maybe they were even lovers.”
“You mean the hottie king?”

“Yes, the same king. But, Wanda, this is an entire tome; imagine the things we could learn
from it!”

“Like maybe the hottie king’s name?”

I chuckled, “Maybe, but in the letter, Alimar always refers to the king as ‘The Moon.’ So, his
name might be hard to pinpoint.”

Wanda narrowed her eyes in thought, “Maybe the king preferred it that way?”

I pondered for a moment, “Or maybe the king ceased being a person to his people and just
became a god-like figure, like the moon.”

Wanda frowned, “Well that’s depressing; what a horrible and lonely life to live.”

“Unless he wanted to be a god to others. Remember, we don’t know a lot about this culture or
the king himself; we barely know anything. In fact, up until I had that vision today, I was
actually starting to doubt my gut. The murals sort of solidified it for me, but until I had my
vision I wasn’t completely convinced.”

Wanda’s eyes widened at my confession, “Really? So that’s why you kept your real reasoning
behind this dig a secret from the museum then?”

“Partially. I mean, can you imagine if I had told them the truth? They would have laughed
me out of the museum. I mean, even the letter from Alimar means nothing; Alimar’s only
concern in this entry is that the Moon has left, and they blame the Sun for it,” I sighed as I
slowly thumbed through the journal before stopping on a page, “Oh! Listen to this.”

Wanda leaned in close as I began to slowly translate the entry, “I dare not enter my Moon’s
study… no matter how tempting it might be. The… secrets he wields are too great for one
such as me. And yet… he trusts me completely. I am his personal guard but instead of
protecting his physical form… he has ordered me to watch over the doors to his study, but…
what could need more protection than the Moon himself?”

“Oooooo, mysterious.”

Wynter closed the journal, “Wanda… do you understand the magnitude of that entry? If
Alimar was the guardian of the king’s secrets, then the study could be nearby.”

Wanda’s lips formed an ‘O’ shape as she understood, “So, the real question is where would it
be?”

I nodded, “Exactly, and you found this across the hall… but you said it looked like a
bedroom?”

Wanda nodded, “Yep, it was definitely not a study.”

I hummed, pacing around the room in heavy contemplation, “Hmm, there’s still so many
rooms and spaces we’ve yet to explore but if we’ve found Alimar’s journal in that room it
had to be his, and if he was the guardian of the Moon’s study, then the study, logically, would
to be nearby so he could be near his duty.”

Wanda nodded along with me as I muttered my thoughts out loud. She too began to pace, but
when she reached the center of the room she tripped, falling onto her face with an ‘oof.’

I whipped around and hurried to help her stand, “Are you okay?”

She rubbed her arm, “Yeah, I’m fine; this place does make the clumsy come out in all of us.”

I snickered as I knelt down and felt along the floor where Wanda had tripped… and I grinned
excitedly, “Either that or you, my dear, just found another clue.”

“I did? Man, I’m good!”

I pulled out my pocket knife and eased it between some stones on the floor that were slightly
loose and out of place. Wanda knelt down to help me as I fiddled with the flooring, removing
the stones as I loosened them. In total, we removed around five stones and that’s when we
uncovered a small dark hole…

“Oh, hell no,” Wanda groaned. “I’ve seen way too many movies about this very thing. We’re
gonna reach in there and chomp! Something takes a bite out of us.”

I made a face, rolling my eyes as I boldly slipped my hand into the hole; it wasn’t very deep
but there was something in it. The object felt smooth to the touch, but it had jagged, rough
ridges along its length.

I slowly withdrew my hand…

“Oh, wow,” Wanda breathed. “It’s beautiful.”

I nodded as if in a trance as I admired the chunk of raw emerald in my hand, “But why was it
hidden?” I glanced back out towards the hallway and into what we believed to be Alimar’s
room, “Let’s search that other room together; maybe there’s another clue in there.”

Wanda nodded in agreement, and we made our way back across the hall to begin
examining every inch of Alimar’s chambers. Wanda started back at the wooden desk she had
found the journal stashed in, while I took a quick glance around the room to decide where I
wanted to start…

Along the back wall, and almost hidden in a dark corner, I caught a rather dull gleam of gold
near the ceiling with my flashlight. Curiously, I took my flashlight and one of the larger lights
to the corner and my eyes widened with amazement.

It was an enormous intact mirror.

The outline of the whimsical piece was forged from tarnished gold and stretched upwards
from the floor to the ceiling. The very top of the golden edges met at a pointed arc and
crossed each other, resembling golden vines…

The design made my heart pound just a little faster because, upon closer inspection, I could
see that the entire golden frame had purposefully been shaped into vines and was decorated
with those same flower petals as in the other room.

I ran my hand over the reflective glass and bit my lip, fascinated by the discovery. The first
known mirror wasn’t invented until the 1800s and yet there was one right here. The people
who inhabited this place must have been advanced for their time; more advanced than I
anticipated, at least. Granted, if they really were magical or divine in nature, perhaps
something as simple as a mirror was just that. Simple.

But what if that potentially vast knowledge led to their downfall?

I hummed curiously as my thoughts wandered, but as I stepped back, I felt the slightest dip in
the floor…

Turning my attention away from the mirror, I knelt down to feel along the floor for the weak
spot. I found it with minimal effort, but it was beneath a large rug weighed down by several
pieces of furniture…

I winced as I reached for my pocketknife, “Forgive me, Alimar, but I have to find out what
you were trying to hide.”

I carefully worked the blade in between the fibers of the rug. Luckily, the passage of time had
weakened the threads, allowing me to easily pierce through the fabric. Dragging the blade
downward, I carefully cut out a large section, and when I saw another hole in the floor my
breath quickened.

“Wanda! Get over here!”

She rushed to my side and her eyes widened excitedly, “Do you think that piece of raw
emerald will fit?”

“Only one way to find out,” I smirked.

We held our breath as I gingerly inserted the gem into the slot in the floor—

A blinding light illuminated the room, taking us by surprise and we fell back on our asses.
But just as quickly as it appeared, it was gone, leaving behind a soft, lonely glow…
emanating from the mirror.

I jumped to my feet and approached the mirror, barely reigning in my excitement. But when I
approached the mirror, I realized that it wasn’t a simple mirror any longer. Instead of my own
reflection in the glass, I saw a narrow passageway, leading even deeper into the earth…

Before I could think twice, my hand reached out… and went through the glass. It rippled like
water at my touch but even stranger was the air on the other side; it was incredibly cold. As I
looked closer, I could see that small icicles had formed along the winding stone walls of the
passage.
I grinned and my entire body tensed with exhilaration as I pulled my hand back. A thin cloud
of steam rose from my hand as the intensely warmer air enveloped it once more. I huffed
with amazement at the incredible temperature contrast; it was like an entirely different realm
on the other side—

“Wyn, what are you doing?”

Wanda’s voice snapped me out of my hypnotic haze, and she grabbed the hem of my tank top
to stop me from moving. I raised a brow at her, “I’m investigating… we have to see where
this leads.”

“Look, I’m all for adventure, but this is… I don’t know what it is, but it doesn’t seem safe. I
mean look at your hand; it’s steaming.”

“The air on the other side is cold, Wanda, very cold.”

“And that doesn’t strike you as completely insane?” She asked incredulously. “We’re
basically in a jungle; the air outside is humid and the landscape lush and green… how is the
temperature on the other side of a door that different?”

“That’s what I’m trying to find out!”

Wanda grabbed me again before I could push through the doorway.

“Wait! You don’t know what’s down there, Wyn! We should go get the boys; they can help.”

I rolled my eyes, a disgusted groan escaping me, “Didn’t you just say back at the tent that
you love the freakiness that follows me?”

Wanda sighed, “I do, but this is… extra freaky; we shouldn’t mess with it alone.”

My eyes narrowed, “Wanda, we came down here to uncover secrets; we found one and for all
we know, this could be the entrance to the king’s study Alimar was trying to hide. I’m not
leaving now… I can’t,” I whispered.

Wanda sighed and dropped her hand, “Okay, fine, but I’m going to get the boys; we might
need some muscle and protection.”

I didn’t have time to protest as Wanda sprinted away from me and disappeared into the
hallway.

Grumbling to myself, I looked back at the stairway, then at the doorway, and back at the
stairs. I felt an almost unnatural pull, beckoning me down; it felt similar to the energy that
had pushed me away, but now it was trying to pull me closer. I could feel its call so deep
within that if I listened closely I could almost hear it.

I looked through the magical glass and down the passageway; it was dark, lit only by the
glow of the mirror. But the darkness only intrigued me more, and the desire to explore was
too strong to resist.
I glanced back at the doorway Wanda had left through and then released a slow, calming
breath before I stepped through the mirror.

I paused as the frigid air met me in full force, knocking the air out of me for a brief moment. I
was otherwise unharmed, so I turned on my lantern and carefully made my way down the
steps. I focused on my footing and held onto the wall as I descended the stairs, keeping my
eyes peeled for traps, loose stones, and ice.

I tried to move slowly, but a part of me wanted to rush and arrive before the others. Luckily,
the logical side of my brain was able to keep that steady pace, and after what felt like endless
eternities, I reached the bottom of the stairs and sighed with relief, “No traps; good to know.”

I stopped at the carved stone archway at the bottom of the stairs and brought my lantern up to
eye level. The light illuminated the doorway, drawing my eyes to the strange runes carved
into the stones, but even more intriguing was the room behind the arch…

I continued forward.

The room was unnaturally dark but virtually undamaged from what the lantern’s light
allowed me to see. The wall directly before me had a built-in floor-to-ceiling bookshelf that
followed the apparent curve of the wall, and it was filled to the brim with books! There was
an enormous wooden desk near the shelf and behind it there appeared to be a small
workstation of sorts.

I giggled with excitement, “Oh, this is definitely a study.”

I moved to place the lantern on the desk and grabbed my flashlight to keep studying the
room. Thick dust covered every inch of the room, but other than that it appeared completely
untouched. It was an archeologist’s dream come true! Centuries of history and lore were
completely preserved and all at my fingertips!

There was so much to examine down here, but I chose to start with the walls. The entire room
was round, reminding me of a medieval tower, and the walls were bathed in a deep,
beautifully dark blue. My fingertips reached out to caress the wall and as I tilted my
flashlight, I saw the gleam of metal accents trailing upward and I breathed a sigh of awe; they
looked like stars…

A fitting décor for a king that was called, ‘The Moon.’

I turned to my left, glancing at the bookcase, and with my flashlight, I saw that there was an
open center between the shelves that housed a large bookstand. It was built right into the
structure, like a display, and was covered with dust, but it was strangely empty; there wasn’t
even a thinner layer of filth to show that something had been there.

I reached down to dig through the small belt around my waist to grab one of my brushes. I
gently dusted away the century's worth of dirt and cobwebs to reveal the bookstand in all its
glory. Like most of the décor I’d found it was engraved with golden accents, but the size of it
still mystified me, and the base was thick and strong; it was made to support something
massive.
“What kind of book did you hold? Did you even hold a book?”

I sighed heavily, a mixture of exhaustion and anticipation; there was so much to sift and sort
through. I was on cloud nine as I bounced around the room, ignoring time itself and anything
else that might distract me. Eventually, I found myself at the workstation behind the desk.

Curiously, this spot was the only area in the room that was in disarray. There were scattered
and degraded pieces of parchment that would need extra love and care to examine. Various
glass containers akin to test tubes and beakers were scattered across the table, some broken or
cracked. Dried plants and herbs were strung up on the wall, though they were unusable and
brittle to the touch. A mortar and pestle made from black marble housed a minuscule amount
of fine powder from whatever it had last ground up.

My gut instinct gave me the impression that someone cleared this table in a rush. What were
they searching for? Or what were they trying to conceal?

Endless questions ran through my mind as I braced my hand against the wall for balance. It
was hard to breathe through my excitement, so I knew I needed to take a moment to calm
myself. I had never felt such a rush of adrenaline; this was a huge discovery, and seemingly
exactly what I’d been searching for, but if I died from excitement, I’d never find out for sure.
But my attempt to breathe was abruptly disrupted when I felt a gentle gust of air against my
face.

The breeze caressed my skin like a lover’s fingertips trailing down my cheek and guiding my
attention to the opposite wall…

I had never felt something like this; weird visions were normal for me, but I had never felt
anything touch me.

I shone my flashlight toward the wall the strange sensation had drawn me to. The wall didn’t
appear any different from the rest, but it did house a golden emblem in the center that
resembled the moon. Like the stars along the walls, it was made from gold but as I got closer,
I noticed a faint line dividing the center of the moon.

I ran my fingertip along the slit and that breeze greeted me once again.

“What do you want me to do?” I whispered.

The alluring air flowed around me, and I followed its path which drew my focus up to the
green candles perched upon golden sconces on either side of the moon. I bit my lip as I
reached up to touch the candle on the left—

“Hide. We are no longer alone.”

The deep masculine voice invading my head startled me, but before I could try to explain it, I
heard footsteps approaching.

“Damn, fun’s over,” I sighed.

Moments later Bucky came barreling through the archway and narrowed his eyes, “Are you
nuts? Why the hell would you come down here alone?”

I rolled my eyes, “It’s my job, you asshat.”

Bucky’s glare did little to scare me as he stalked toward me.

“I get that, but when you have a team with you, you should let them help!”

A disgusted noise forced its way out of my throat, “You all seem to forget that before any of
you came along, I did all of this by myself. I was exploring the wilderness when I was a child
—alone. I get you’re all concerned, especially given my recent injury, but if I do not follow
my instincts, I will lose valuable information.”

Wanda crossed her arms over her chest, “And maybe even your life one day if you just go
charging recklessly through unknown ruins. You said yourself this might be the king’s study.
What if it had been boobytrapped?”

“Do you think I’m an amateur?” I huffed. “This is not my first dig; I checked for traps, thank
you very much. And by the by, a king’s study that’s hidden underground, behind a locked
mirror for a door that can only be opened by placing a hidden crystal into a concealed lock in
the floor is probably not going to have traps. It’s protected fairly well as evidenced by the
room itself. Look around; it’s virtually untouched.”

Luca pinched the bridge of his nose as he finally spoke up, “See, I told you all she would be
fine.” His kind gaze turned toward me, “But now that we are here, where do you want us?
You made a fascinating discovery after all; we should explore it more.”

I scoffed and held my hand up, “Honestly, I would have loved for you guys to help out, but
when you come at me with all this negative energy… I just think we should all leave and
come back in the morning.”

Wanda frowned, “Are you sure you didn’t hit your head again? You want to leave after what
you just found?”

I nodded curtly, “I do. If I say anymore, I will regret opening my mouth so we should all just
go to bed. We’ll resume in the morning and now that you all know it’s not dangerous down
here, I expect you to leave me to my investigation tomorrow. Alone.”

Wanda’s frown deepened, “You… you want to excavate this room alone?”

“Yes. Now let’s go. Move it.”

I ushered everyone out of the room and followed behind them at a slower pace. But before
ascending the stairway, I turned back to look at the wall depicting the moon, “I’m sorry, I’ll
come back in the morning. I promise.”

As I spoke, I felt another tender caress underneath my chin as if whatever was

communicating with me accepted my apology. I didn’t know why, but I knew, deep within
my soul, that I needed to explore this room alone. But whether it was because I was worried
about the others getting hurt or because this room was meant for my eyes alone, I couldn’t be
sure.

But I would find out.

That was inevitable… and so was what I would find.

 The Moon Rises
Chapter Summary

Are we ready to see, and bow, to our king?

Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes

The next morning, I rose at the break of dawn and headed back down to Alimar’s room
before anyone could stop me. And the first thing I did was block off the room; I didn’t want
to risk any interruptions this time. Whether it was out of pettiness, or fear for my team’s
safety, I still couldn’t say. The feeling I had had in the dark of night still hadn’t left me.
Whatever was down there was for me and me alone.

Once the caution barriers were in place I headed back down the icy stairway. This time,
however, I brought better lighting so I could see the entirety of the king’s study. Fully
illuminated, the room was breathtaking even with faded colors and dust covering every
square inch.

But nothing was more beautiful than the wall of moonlight that called to me like a forbidden
fruit.

I approached the wall and ran my index finger down the slit in the moon emblem. I felt no
breeze or puffs of air as I had the night before, and I felt saddened by the loss…

“I’m back,” I whispered as if someone would answer… and they did.

“I know you are. Do not make me wait one moment more. Come to me, dear one.”

My breath caught as velvety words fluttered through my head in that seductive voice once
again. I yanked my hand away from the moon; my abilities had never allowed me to hear
voices in my head. My visions sometimes had sound, but hearing just a voice—a sentient
voice—that intelligently responded to me was new…

Had I finally lost my mind?

“What… or who, are you?”

“Patience,” the voice commanded, firm but teasing. “You must find me first.”

I frowned at the voice’s answer.

“Find you? I don’t—”

My eyes flicked toward the green candles above me; last night, I had felt compelled to touch
them…

I hesitantly reached for the left one—

The wick sparked to life and ignited when my fingers touched the wax!

I jumped back with a surprised yelp and stared at the now-lit candle. The flame, much like
this entire scenario, was unexpected and odd. The flame dancing before my eyes was blue.

Was it an incredibly hot flame, or a magic one?

My heart pounded with excitement, and I tried to control my heavy, shallow breaths as I
reached for the second candle. And just like the first, it ignited at my touch.

The icy hue of the flames cradled the golden moon emblem… and it began to glow as if
warmed by the candles. I watched as the slit down the middle of the symbol widened with a
loud, mechanical groan. The sound startled me, and I took a step back, bracing myself on the
nearest surface as the entire wall began to split down the middle!

It shuddered as it parted, causing a flood of dirt to spill down over the front of the wall like a
waterfall. I covered my mouth and turned my face away as centuries of stale dust blew
around me as the wall, or doorway, opened with a menacing hiss. Coughing, I waved my
hand around to clear away the cloud of filth surrounding me, and when it had dissipated
enough, my eyes widened with intrigue and fear.

Staring back at me was a dark passageway, dimly lit by the powerful lighting I had set up in
the back of the study. I could see nothing within the thick darkness as if this secret passage
demanded to be hidden even within the light. Light should swallow the shadows… shouldn’t
it?

“Well… mama didn’t raise a quitter, so ready or not, here I come,” I said with such false
bravado, I almost believed myself.

My trembling hand searched blindly for my lantern as my eyes remained focused on the dark.
It had me under a spell, too afraid to look away lest something emerge from the black abyss
and grab me.

“Leave your bottled sunlight, you will not need it.”

My hand hesitantly fell away from the handle of the lantern.

I was wary of the voice’s advice, but a voice couldn’t hurt me… right? But my feet weren’t
as scared; they moved forward of their own accord, offering me to the dark.

I crossed the threshold.

Hidden sconces along the marble walls filled with that icy blue light as if it were pure oil,
coating the passage with a faint blue glow that was bright enough, somehow, to chase away
the shadows…
My eyes danced around the strange corridor, marveling at the black marble columns veined
with gold that lined the walls. Looking down, I saw that the floor was also made of marble,
but it was green and gold; it was a beautiful contrast to the black walls and columns. The
corridor was otherwise empty, but it was long and seemed as endless as it was narrow; no
more than two people walking side-by-side could fit within the walls.

And it was cold.

Colder than the stairway leading to the study…

Pressing forward with sheer determination and curiosity, I soon came to the end of the hall.
Along the entire back wall, hidden within the dark, was another mural. This one was perhaps
the most detailed and untouched I’d found so far…

This mural appeared to be carved into the wall and then painted over. It was stunning and I
found a soft smile tugging on my lips as my hand reached up to touch the depiction of the
Moon King on the left.

He was standing tall, clothed in elegant armor but his eyes were closed with a serene
expression despite appearing ready for battle. In his right hand, he held what looked to be
some species of lily and appeared to be savoring its scent. The flower itself was blue and
tinged with glittering specks of silver. His left arm was stretched outward towards the center
of the mural, palm flat and facing away. My gaze followed the path of his arm to the right
side of the wall… and I frowned.

There was a woman on the other side… but she looked nothing like the sunlight queen in my
vision or in the other mural I’d found. She was no less beautiful, perhaps even more so as she
sparkled like the cerulean lily in the king’s grasp. Her gown was pure starlight in a midnight
sky; it draped over her voluptuous form, hugging her tight and tenderly. Even more curious,
her visage perfectly mirrored the king’s, even down to the flower in her left hand. Her smaller
right hand pressed directly against the king’s left, an intimate gesture, but the flower in her
other hand was different than his.

The king’s flower mimicked nightfall, but hers looked to be made of pure ice…

“You are testing my patience, aren’t you?”

I scoffed at the voice, somehow no longer bothered by its intrusion, “You’re the one making
me find you before telling me anything. If anything, you’re the tease.”

The voice chuckled, “Hmm, the flames upon your sharp tongue are white-hot indeed.”

I shivered and shook my head to clear out the silky caress of the words.

I needed to focus and figure out where to go from here…

My hands practically ached as I touched the mural. My fingers coasted along the carved
image, memorizing its form as if it were a lover… and I felt the slightest dip between the
hands of the king and the unknown woman.
“Another hidden door?”

I pushed against the wall, straining as I fought to open the possible doorway. It was heavy, as
I suspected it would be, but it moved, and slowly their hands parted. Seeing them apart
saddened me, but I couldn’t stop now.

I leaned my entire weight into the wall as I grunted, struggling to open the door, until finally,
it parted enough to slip in between. Just like the passageway, light sprung to life as I entered
the next room.

A breath of exhaustion rushed from my lungs, and I bent forward, bracing my hands on my
knees to try and draw air back into my body. But when I stood back up, my breath fled once
more as I found myself standing inside a thriving, underground garden that was teeming with
life despite the bone-chilling air and ice that hung along the walls. Various flowers were
blooming on almost every inch of the lush, green foliage within my line of sight. Vines crept
along the walls and my eyes softened when I noticed the small white buds on them; they
were the same flowers carved into the various pieces of furniture on the upper floors.

There was no natural sunlight within the freezing hidden room, so how all of this survived
was a mystery to me, but that only made it more incredible.

I stepped further inside.

Directly before me sat enormous roots that spiraled down to the floor, and I recalled the large,
baren tree in the courtyard. It was possible that this entire structure circled around the
courtyard and this room had been built directly underneath and around the tree…

I carefully approached the roots, but as I moved closer, something gleamed in the magic
lighting. I peered in between the massive roots, wiping away the dirt that had fallen atop
whatever the roots were hiding, but I hissed when my fingertips were pieced with what felt
like icy daggers.

I jerked my hand back, frowning when I saw how red my fingers were. I had never felt ice, or
anything so cold, before. Something so cold it feels like your skin is burning would have
been a welcome sensation compared to the jagged, icy thorns that had all but stopped my
breath.

I lifted my forearm, letting it rest atop my head as my eyes narrowed in confusion. This area
was definitely cold enough to house a giant block of ice, but how it became encased within
tree roots was beyond me…

And I was even more confused on how to get through it… if there even was a way beyond
the ice.

“Touch the ice.”

I laughed out loud at the voice’s command, “Oh, no, I’m not touching that again. It burned
me!”
“What is life without a little danger?”

“I’d rather keep my hand and not lose it to frostbite. Thank you very much.”

“Did you think this would be easy? That you wouldn’t face uncomfortable trials?”

I flinched at the harsh tone within my head; whatever was guiding me was getting
impatient…

“You know, I don’t have to stay here. I can leave any time.”

“Then why haven’t you?”

I pursed my lips, refusing to answer; I knew why. I didn’t leave because I couldn’t. If I
walked away now, I could be risking more than a hand in the long run. The unnatural pull of
this place had tethered me to its sacred ground, and I was at its mercy now…

I held my breath as I reached out to the ice once more.

My fingers twitched as the cold breath of the ice greeted them. I closed my eyes, feeling my
skin prickle as the ice bit at my fingertips. I gritted my teeth, pushed through the pain, and
pressed my palm flat against the surface of the ice and…

The pain vanished.

My eyes peeked open.

A deep frown replaced my grimace of pain as I watched, amazed, as the ice began to melt
around my hand. Droplets of chill water dripped down to the ground, faster and faster as I
kept my hand on the ice. It soaked into the earth as if the dirt was greedy for nourishment,
even the tree began to hum with life as the water slid along the roots…

The roots began to shift, growing, as they responded to the melting ice. They gripped tight to
the ice like a python squeezing the life out of its prey. I tried to yank my hand back before the
roots closed around me too, but I was too slow. They wound around my arm, trapping me as
they all but swallowed the ice… and I felt it shatter against my palm.

But it didn’t hurt.

It almost felt like… a puff of snow?

A calmness settled over the air, embracing me in its warmth. The roots relaxed and fell away,
releasing my hand. I cuddled my hand to my chest, noting that it wasn’t even cold. When I
glanced back at the roots, I saw that the block of ice was gone, broken, and ground into
snow.

In its place was a throne.

An occupied throne.
My eyes widened as I rushed forward, the roots seemingly parting on their own to welcome
me within its curtain safety. The body on the throne was male and completely intact, frozen
in its prime, but it was the curled black horns on the top of his head that took my breath away.

It was him.

The Moon.

He was even more beautiful than he had been in my visions.

He sat upon his throne of moonstone, regal and frozen in time. Ebony hair hung loosely
around his shoulders in rambunctious curls. His eyes were closed, and he appeared peaceful
as if he were sleeping. He was dressed in regal and almost god-like robes that clung to his
body as if it were made just for him. Much like the unknown woman on the mural door, his
robes looked like the cosmos. Shimmering black and blues highlighted his golden armbands,
but my gaze was drawn to his chest, visible through the robe as it parted in a deep, alluring
‘V.’ His muscles, like his features, were defined and too perfect to be real. The angles of his
face were harp and dignified—strong, and yet somehow both beautiful and handsome.

MoonKingLoki

He was divine.

My hand shook as I reached out to touch him.

I lightly traced his cheek with my fingertips; his body was cold as I expected. My fingers
threaded through his silky hair that was somehow unharmed by the ice, and I caught a
glimpse of his dainty pointed ears, “Oh, my god… it’s you. It’s really you—”

Two fingers tilted my chin.

My entire body froze as my eyes met the intense emerald gaze of the king himself. He
smirked, seemingly peering into my soul, before that now familiar velvety voice crept from
his elegant lips, “You found me.”

I flung myself backward, away from his grasp, and fell to the ground with an oomph. I
couldn’t help but stare, wide-eyed, at the man before me. My heart was pounding so hard I
feared it would burst through my chest and present itself as an offering to him…

He smirked as he held my gaze, resting his upon his knuckles. His eyes were alive with
mischief and amusement at my startled form. After a few seconds, he stood and cocked his
head, “Why do you sit upon the ground?”

He held out his hand.

I hesitantly took his outstretched hand and allowed him to pull me up. I swallowed hard as I
took in his intimidating height. He towered high above me, not so different from the moon in
the sky, and my fear intensified at the revelation.

Instinctively, I backed away from him and he frowned, his eyes narrowing.

“You are afraid of me. Why?” He questioned as if offended.

I scoffed, my voice higher than usual as I managed to speak—or rather, squeak, “Afraid? I-
I’m not afraid. It’s not like I’ve been hearing a strange voice in my head and following it
blindly only to be led to the body of an otherworldly being trapped in ice that is, somehow,
still alive!”

He simply blinked at my outburst, as if he were unsure of how to respond.

He was silent.

Contemplative.

Suspicious.

Emerald eyes narrowed seconds before his hand shot out and wound around my throat. Those
vibrant eyes were suddenly clear as if a fog had been lifted. His grip was tight, though not
constricting; I could breathe… if I could remember how…

“You… you are unexpected…”

I clawed at his grasp, “I’m unexpected? Was it not your voice leading me here?”

He nodded, seemingly just as confused as I was.

“Yes, I led you here, but you are not who I hoped for… but you must be.”

“That makes no sense,” I rasped.

He released me, allowing me to regain some sanity as we studied each other. He was quick to
close the distance once more, but this time with a smile on his face as he attempted to touch
me.

I jerked away as his hand brushed my hair, “Hey! Hands off the merchandise.”

His fingers elegantly curled into a fist as his face fell, “Apologies, my lady. I am merely…
mystified, and you seem utterly confused by my very presence.”

I attempted to hold back an amused scoff, “Well, yeah… I-I’ve never seen anyone like you
before. What are you?”

His eyes narrowed angrily, “What does my race have to do with anything?”

I held my hands up, “Nothing! I’ve just never seen someone like you before. Y-You have
horns…”

He frowned, “Yes, and?”

“And… they’re real?”

His posture became increasingly agitated as he glared at me.

I swallowed hard, thinking of how to choose my next words carefully, “Um, h-how long do
you think you were trapped in that ice?”

“I care not how long it has been, but I assume you have a point to make?”

“Well, were your people a rare sight before you were frozen?”

He hummed thoughtfully, “It is hard to say… In certain realms, we were all there was, and in
others there were none.”

“Certain realms?”

He nodded, “Yes.”

“Care to elaborate on that a bit more?”

“No,” he growled.

“Okay then… well, you might find this hard to believe, but in this time, or realm, people that
look like you are thought to be myths and fantasy.”

His emerald eyes widened, showing a hint of fear though he recovered quickly, “You jest.
You must be jesting.”
I frowned as he turned away, quietly muttering to himself.

“I’m sorry, but I’m not… jesting. I’m not sure when you were trapped in that ice, or even
how I freed you for that matter, but my people, the humans, are the only humanoid race in
this world.”

He turned back to me with disgust and disbelief marring his handsome face, “Humans? Of all
the races to become the dominant,” he cut himself off, “Something—someone—must have
disrupted my spell…”

I cleared my throat, “Excuse me, but um, I’m still very confused over here—"

“Quiet, mortal,” he snapped. “You just informed me that my entire race has been lost, and
you demand answers from me so suddenly?”

I bit my lip sheepishly, “Well… only because I want to help. I’m an archeologist; it’s my job
to explore places and piece together history and the secrets places like this hold.”

“Then… perhaps you can be of use to me. Very well, little human, you may ask your
questions, but first, there is something I wish you to do for me. A test if you will.”

My brow twitched at his words; red flags and alarms ringing in my head, “What kind of
test?”

He held out his right hand and with his left traced an intricate pattern in the air. His
movements were precise and held me enthralled as water began flowing into his grasp out of
thin air. It flowed inward towards his palm before taking the shape of a lily and hardening to
pure ice just like the one on the mural…

“Take the flower… please.”

My heart ached at the pain in his plea, and I found myself unable to ignore his request. I
reached for the frozen flower, but when I touched the stem the ice shattered, and a real blue
lily that sparkled with silver specks took its place…

Before I could react, he tossed the flower aside and pulled me into his arms. My hands
pushed against his chest, bracing myself against his sudden movements. He leaned in close,
so close I could feel his breath mingling with mine.

“Leiðarstjarna… you have come back to me,” he whispered in disbelief.

Panic flooded my pores as I tried to pull away from him, “I… I’m sorry, but I think you have
me confused with someone else.”

His eyes fell for a brief second before hardening with sharp anger. He pulled me tighter
against him, almost crushing me, “You don’t remember me? Is your own existence so
superficial in this life that you could forget me so easily?”

“I… I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I insisted. “I look nothing like your sun
queen!”
“Of that, I am aware, human,” he hissed. “And it is of no importance; I will adapt to this new
world with you at my side, where you belong. Where you have always belonged.”

With a firm push, I managed to free myself from his grip and unsheathed the small knife I
kept in my pocket, and pointed it at him, “I belong to no one.”

He narrowed his gaze and then grinned.

A challenge accompanied his demeaning smirk and he chuckled, “Your denial does not
matter, dear one. Only one person should have been able to free me from that spell… and
here I am—free from the shackles of an icy prison with the very one who broke the seals.”

I took a deep breath to channel my frustration and fear, “Look buster, maybe I did free you,
but I don’t know who you are. And I don’t know who you think I am, but I demand to know
what I’ve unleashed.”

He paused as he considered my words and then sneered down at me, “If those answers elude
you, then you will not be able to comprehend anything about me, human.”

“I have a name,” I snapped. “It’s Wynter.”

“If you are not who I seek, why should I care to learn your name?”

I could feel white-hot fury rising up within me. Oh, he was infuriating! I openly glared at him
and stomped my foot in irritation, “Once again, I’m the one that freed you; I deserve some
answers.”

He tapped his chin again as he smirked down at me as a parent would a small child, “Fine, I
shall entertain your whims. What answers do you seek?”

I stuttered as I tried to collect my thoughts; I hadn’t expected him to give in so easily, but
since he did…

“Umm, okay l-let me think for a second,” I mumbled as I paced around the room. “Oh my
God. Duh… okay, so you were frozen on what appears to be a throne, so I am guessing you
are a king. Are you the king that was equated to the moon?”

He inclined his head, “The one and only.”

I barely repressed a squeal as he unequivocally confirmed his identity, “Um… okay, I’ve
been scouring every source I could find for any information about you. I-I even found this
letter or-or journal entry that mentions you after you were frozen, but I've never
found anything that mentioned your real name. Everything just refers to you as ‘The Moon,’
but… who are you, really?”

“You truly have no memory of me at all?” He asked softly.

I shook my head and his eyes fell dark.

“I am—was—called, Loki.”
My eyes widened.

Loki was the name of the little boy in my very first vision…

“Loki,” I whispered. “Do you… do you recall meeting a human child when you were little?
Possibly inside a hollow log in a grove?”

He stiffened noticeably.

“I… I recall the memory, but it was not a human I met that day.”

My brow raised curiously, “What do you mean?”

“The girl I met in that grove—that I ran from—she was… she was so many things, but a
human, she was not. To equate her with a mere mortal is an insult to her memory.”

“But that’s… that’s not possible. I saw you… it was me, and I’m human.”

A sly smirk slithered onto his lips, “Hmm, so the one who claims she recalls nothing of me…
has a memory of meeting me as a child?”

“W-Well, memory is a strong word… I have visions, but it looked like you really saw me.”

His eyes softened as he reached out to tilt my chin up to meet his gaze, “I did, and now I see
—”

A gunshot echoed through the air.

We turned and I hissed when I saw my team bursting through the door with Bucky leading
the charge. “What the hell are you guys doing?”

“Trusting my gut when I felt something was off. Who the hell is this?” Bucky snapped.

Wanda shoved herself between Bucky and Luca, letting out a dramatic gasp, “The hottie
king!”

Loki’s eyes narrowed in confusion at her outburst, turning to me with an unspoken question
in his gaze.

I shrugged and chuckled nervously, “I have no idea what she’s talking about—”

Wanda pushed passed Luca and Bucky, ignoring their protests, and immediately approached
us, though her attention was focused on Loki.

“Wow,” she breathed, glancing toward me. “You weren’t kidding, Wyn; his portraits
do not do him justice.” She turned back to Loki, her eyes squinting excitedly, “So, this is
going to sound really weird but, can I… touch you?”

Loki cocked his head, attempting and failing to suppress a chuckle, “Du may.”

Wanda’s eyes flicked to me, and I sighed, “He said yes.”

Wanda squealed and immediately began running her hands over Loki starting with his hair.
He seemed rather amused, or intrigued, by her reaction to him…

But I didn’t have a chance to watch the display as Bucky grabbed me by the arm and dragged
me toward a corner, “What the fuck is going on? What is that?”

“Okay, first off, he is not an ‘it,’ he’s a person. But honestly, I am just as confused as you are.
I found him frozen in a block of ice, that I somehow melted and boom, we have an ancient
king.”

Bucky scowled, “Do you honestly expect me to believe that?”

I crossed my arms over my chest, “Considering it’s the fucking truth? Yes. How else would
you explain his unexpected and otherworldly presence?”

“How about an actor in costume?” He sneered.

My mind blanked for a split second, blindsided by his insinuation.

Then rage set it.

“Oh, you have some nerve! Do you really believe that I’m so incompetent, and stupid
enough, to endanger my career by doing something like that?”

Bucky grabbed my shoulders, slightly shaking me, “At this point? That shoe seems to fit
pretty well. You’ve been acting erratically, and I think you hit your head way too fucking
hard—"

I smacked him across the face.

Across the room, Luca’s eyes bulged, his entire body tensing.

Wanda’s hands fell from Loki’s robes, moving to cover her mouth.

Loki remained silent, a small smirk on his lips.

Bucky rubbed his cheek, staring at me in disbelief.

“If you ever… say anything like that to me again,” I all but growled at him, my breath
coming out in sharp huffs as I attempted to tear him a new one. But before I could, Loki
appeared behind me and gently guided me behind him.

Bucky’s lip curled at the overly familiar gesture, “Oh, is he your boyfriend now?”

Loki's eyes narrowed with challenge, “Touch her again, and I will show you who I really
am.”

“Is that supposed to be a threat, pretty boy?”

“It is a promise,” Loki snarled.

“Yeah? We’ll see about that,” Bucky mused as he pointed his gun at Loki and fired one round
into his chest.

I screamed as the gun went off, the powerful shot echoing through the cavern, making seem
even louder. My mind blanked as did the world around me as I rushed to help Loki… who
remained standing and unfazed…

My eyes were wide with fear and confusion as I looked at the wound in Loki’s chest. Blood
was trailing down his chest at an alarming rate… and he laughed.

It was a dark laugh, one full of amused malice as he looked down at his chest and then back
up at Bucky, “I see humanity’s weapons have improved, but your intelligence has not.” Loki
hummed as he raised his left hand and flicked his wrist with a firm jerk and the bullet slowly
retreated from his chest.

The breath rushed from my lungs.

Loki sighed as if bored as he rolled his shoulders and cracked his neck, side to side, while his
body and robes repaired themselves before our eyes.

I couldn’t stop myself from placing my hand on his chest where the wound had once been,
not caring about the blood that remained, “You… you’re alright?”

Loki smiled softly, “You needn’t fear for me, Leiðarstjarna. I was the most powerful sorcerer
of my time, and while I may not be at full strength now, I will be. Then, I can show
you truly amazing things—”

His words stilled when the telltale sound of a larger weapon cocking echoed through the
hidden chamber. My attention jerked toward Bucky, my eyes bulging in terror when I saw his
AR-15, “Bucky, no! Drop the gun!”

“Wynter, I’m trying to protect you!”

“From what?” I shrieked as I rushed toward him. “Another man who seems to have a thing
for me? Another man that might be trying mark his territory where he has no right to?”

Bucky’s eyes were slitted with anger as he abruptly shoved me behind him and pointed the
assault rifle at Loki, “He’s dangerous, Wynter; you saw what he did. But let’s see if he can do
that about thirty more times when I empty this magazine into him.”

Loki smirked at the challenge and Bucky fired.

Rapid shots pieced the air, and the toxic smell of sulfur and gas filled my nostrils as the
bullets discharged. I quickly ducked down behind Bucky, my heart racing with horrified
panic, but I couldn’t look away.

Loki threw out his hand, his fingers flexed and spread stiffly like claws, and stopped the
bullets mid-air before they even touched him.

Bucky frowned but never stopped firing.

And Loki stopped each one in its tracks.

It all happened so fast—mere seconds—and then silence hung over us like heavy, suffocating
drapes, wrapping us in a torrent of terrified awe. All thirty rounds had been spent and the
bullets were magically floating in the space between Loki and Bucky. And Loki, ever the
showman, grinned as he curled his fingers into a fist, and the bullets crumbled into a fine
powder before our eyes.

Bucky stepped back, his body tensing in disbelief as he took a cautious step back.

“You are welcome to try again, human?” Loki challenged. “Though, I would suggest a
different tactic as these weapons have proven ineffective against me.”

Bucky’s jaw tensed and he gritted his teeth, “I could get the flamethrower; we’ll see if you
can survive fire.”

I rushed to stand, throwing myself between them and holding my arms out to keep that
distance between them. “Both of you need to stop this ridiculous testosterone contest. Now.
Especially you, Bucky,” I barked.

“Me?” He shouted. “I was just—”

“Trying to protect me,” I mocked. “If you hadn’t noticed, I was fine. You came in here, guns
blazing, and started firing. You tried to kill him!”

Bucky’s lips pursed before he sighed and threw up his hands in frustration, “Fine, you wanna
take your chances with whatever that is, be my guest. I’m leaving.”

I huffed through my nostrils, not unlike an angry bull as I shrugged, “I think that’s for the
best.”

“I meant I’m leaving this entire dig, Wynter. I’m done.”

“I know what you meant, Bucky. I’m fine with that.”

“You’re unbelievable,” he mumbled.

“Oh, you mean like my discoveries?” I said as I pointed my thumb in Loki’s direction. “Yeah,
totally unreal. He must be an amazing actor and really good at parlor tricks, hm? Not to
mention his uncanny ability to find a remote dig site and sneak himself into a hidden
chamber I didn’t even know existed before today.”

Bucky scoffed at me and left the chamber without another word, or look, in my direction. I
crossed my arms over my chest, shaking my head at Bucky’s behavior. I understood it was
his job to protect us, but Loki wasn’t a threat.

Yet.

He hadn’t really tried to hurt me, or any of us, and after his impressive display, I knew it
would be easy for him to crush us all like ants under his boots…
“Wynter?”

I glanced over my shoulder to see Wanda and Luka in the corner standing behind a large slab
of stone they had taken cover behind. I sighed heavily, “Luka, I understand if you need to
leave with Bucky—”

He held up his hand, “Bucky is obligated to see out this dig; he’ll be breaking his contract
otherwise. Besides, he does actually care about your safety, so I doubt he’ll actually leave.
His is just angry… and possibly emasculated.”

I smirked, “I think he can stand to be knocked down a few pegs.”

Wanda stepped around the stonework and approached me cautiously, “Even so… what do we
do now? I mean… what do we do with him?” She pointed at Loki who had remained silent
and still during my entire argument with Bucky.

I sighed again as my eyes met Loki’s, “I have no idea.”

He smiled, soft but mischievous, as he approached Wanda and me.

“If you are looking for a starting point, my ladies, perhaps leaving this decaying antechamber
could be it? I am eager to see what has become of my home and figure out how long I was
indisposed.”

I nodded, “All right, let’s get to the surface and we’ll go from there.”

Loki inclined his head and the four of us headed for the mural doors. But as we crossed the
threshold and stepped into the narrow corridor, Loki paused.

He lingered at the door as if mesmerized.

I bit my lip as Wanda and Luke continued forward, seemingly eager to leave, but I stayed
with Loki. I couldn’t help but observe him as he admired and studied the mural of himself
and the unknown woman. He touched her image lovingly, but there was something haunted
in his gaze as he looked at her.

“This woman doesn’t look anything like the woman in the murals above ground… who was
she?”

Loki stiffened.

“She was—is important to me.”

I nodded softly, sensing he wasn’t ready to talk about her, and that was fine.

I stayed with him until he pulled away and we continued down the hallway and into the
untouched, dusty study. Once more he stopped, glancing around with a passive expression,
but there was a darkness brewing within the cauldron of his powerful eyes.

Loki’s gaze drifted around the room until he found the bookshelves.
 He rushed towards the center that housed the large stand and scowled, “Where is it?”

“Where is what?”

“My Grimoire. It is gone.”

I hummed thoughtfully, “Well… according to the entry and journal that Wanda and I found,
you knew someone named Alimar? Do you think they took it?”

His shoulders deflated, “It is possible… wait, did you say you found a journal? One of his?”

I nodded, “Yes, it’s back in my tent. Would you like to see it?”

“I would… but I wish to return here to look around.”

“Oh, trust me, you’re going to give me a grand tour,” I said playfully.

Loki smiled, “As you wish, Leiðarstjarna.”

Chapter End Notes

I hope everyone enjoyed the chapter, and especially Loki's entrance. I also hope you all
enjoyed the surprise visual I sneaked in there. It is AI art, courtesy of Bing AI. I know
many people are torn about AI art or even hate it, but this was done all in fun and as a
surprise for you all. So, on that note, if the photo isn't showing up, I did provide a link as
well, but if neither of those work for you and you want to see it, let me know and I'll
look into why it's not showing up.

Thank you all for supporting me!

End Notes

A quick note: Detka, is a Russian term of endearment that translates, in this case, to a
flirtatious context where Luca calls Wyn, 'baby.'

Please drop by the Archive and comment to let the creator know if you enjoyed their work!