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I saw their faces in a blur. Thor, Odin, Frigga, Bodil, Bersi, Sigrid. And Loki. All I remember from the days following the accident was pain, cold, and their faces, each looming over me with varying degrees of concern.

There were some unfamiliar faces as well. Healers, I assumed.

As I began to come to, slowly, the pain became a dull throb. In my head, my ribs, and my arm. Slowly, my vision grew less blurry, and my mind less clouded. But I could still only manage to stay awake in waves, before again falling unconscious for a number of hours.

Finally, when some number of days had passed, I awoke with most of my brain in working order. My eyes felt swollen and puffy, and my throat impossibly dry, but I felt the closest to normal that I had been in days.

I groaned, lifting a hand to my throbbing head. I noticed my other arm was wrapped in a sling. Bandages covered my aching forehead.

"A grade three concussion, a broken radius, a fractured collarbone, and two cracked ribs," a voice came from my right, "Not to mention serious lacerations across your arms and back."

I turned my head slowly, the motion causing pain to assault my apparently fractured collarbone. I was reminded of my first day in Asgard, waking up in pain, and meeting Loki's eyes across from me. I couldn't help but wish that he was across from me now, but instead, I met the stern gaze of Thor.

"Was anyone else hurt?" I asked.

He looked down at his hands, then back up at me. "A few. Nothing as severe as you, though. As far as the people know, it was an accidental fire that spread from the hearth of a nearby study."

"Is my hair okay?" I asked gruffly.

"Yes, Alivia, your hair is just fine." Thor looked down at me, his mouth a thin line, "Our healers did what they could but... I'm afraid they couldn't mend all of the scarring on your arms."

I didn't want to see them, so I didn't look, instead focusing on Thor, across from me.

"Has Loki... Has he come to see me?"

"No, not that I'm aware. But Bersi, Bodil, and Sigrid have. So have my mother and father. Even some of you friends from in town, Toke, Tolve, and Bjorn."

"Really? They came?" I tried to mask the heavy disappointment that filled my chest at learning that Loki had not been to see me once. I must have imagined him.

"They did, several times. Now, I'm afraid I have to go. My father asked that I alert him as soon as you—"

"Alivia!" A piercing wail pulled both of our eyes to the door, where Sigrid and Bodil stormed in.

"We were so worried, we thought you'd died!" Sigrid said, lowering herself beside me and clasping my hand.

"We should have been with you when you read that note. It must have been so hard doing it alone," Bodil added, kneeling on my opposite side.

"All that would have done was gotten you two in the medical wing as well," I responded, smiling, "But I appreciate the sentiment."

"Watch her for me," Thor said, standing and making for the door, "I must summon for my father."

Bodil nodded as he left.

"Was Loki not with you when you read it? I thought I'd left the two of you with the letter?" Bodil asked.

"No, we fought. Because what else is new?" I sighed, closing my eyes, "I really keep thinking things might turn out with us. If I just ignore one thing. And overlook another thing. And try not to care about another thing. But as much as I try to ignore, it always comes back to the same thing. He got angry at me for wanting to eventually return home. And it isn't as if I was planning on leaving Asgard forever. Of course I'd come back. I'd visit all the time. But Asgard isn't my home."

"That is perfectly reasonable," Sigrid assured me, "Your life is in Midgard."

I nodded stiffly. "He told me that my life there meant nothing. That my people and I were weak and insignificant, so I should take my chance to abandon them to live among Asgardians as one of them."

"You are one of us, Alivia, I'm sorry to tell you," Bodil joked, "But you are also a Midgardian. You don't need to choose one or the other, despite what Loki tells you."

"Well, hopefully I wont have to worry about him and his antics much longer. I need Odin's research to lead somewhere, and I need to get home."

"Did the letter offer any important information?" Sigrid asked slowly.

"Not really. Only confirming what we knew already. He knew of Asgard because my mother was Asgardian. But he knows nothing important. Nothing about my powers."

They both sighed audibly on either side of me.

"I'm sorry, Alivia," Sigrid said, looking down.

"You have nothing to be sorry for," I assured her, "The two of you have been the greatest friends to me, when I needed friends the most. You've made being in a completely foreign realm a hell of a lot easier on me. I don't know where I would be without the two of you."

"And what am I then, chopper liver?" Thor asked, standing in the doorframe. I hadn't noticed him return.

I smiled, "Of course I was talking about you, too, Thor."

"I know you were," he smiled, before beckoning Bodil and Sigrid, "Come, let my father speak with Alivia privately."

The three of them left as Odin entered. I swallowed hard.

"I'm so sorry, you've got to know I have no control over these powers. I couldn't help what happened, I didn't mean for it to. I didn't mean to hurt anyone," I said all at once, trying to push myself to sit up.

He placed a hand on my shoulder, pushing me back down. "It's alright. I know you didn't intend the destruction your power reaped. What I am here for is to ask what your father wrote to you."

"Nothing we didn't already know. He confirmed my mother was from Asgard, and that he'd known about it the entire time. But there's no new information regarding her identity. All I know is that she was called Kára and she died giving birth to me. As for my powers, my dad said that he and my mother both didn't know where they came from."

Odin sighed. "My research has led me nowhere, Alivia. I've exhausted all of my resources, and nothing has turned up that bears any resemblance to the powers you possess. I fear I do not know what else I can do."

"I-I can write my father again? We can bring him here, ask him everything he knows. Maybe he knew more about my mother. Maybe there are people here who knew her. There is still more we can do."

"None of that will lead us to the source of your powers, I'm afraid," Odin said as he stood. "Rest. When you are well enough we will discuss this again. Perhaps there is more still that we can do, but as it stands, we're out of options."

With that, he turned and left, leaving me to myself. And it wasn't long before exhaustion took me under.

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I felt something brushing the side of my face. Gently, almost imperceptibly. But I felt it, and stirred, opening my eyes to meet a pair of ice blue ones. His hand was against the side of my face, his thumb stroking my cheek as he watched me. When he saw me open my eyes, he startled, stumbling back.

"Loki?" I asked roughly, my throat hoarse.

"You are by far the most reckless woman I've ever met," he said, taking a cautious step closer.

"You say that like I have any control over my powers."

"And your father's note said nothing of their source? Of how to control them?" he asked me, seating himself in the chair next to my bed.

"Nothing. He knows nothing," I answered, looking at the ceiling, "I'm royally screwed."

"I'm sure there's still something that can be done," he said.

"Even your father is completely hopeless. They're better off putting me in shackles, throwing me in a cage, and leaving me there. Where I can't hurt anyone else."

"You know he wouldn't do that. Besides, I wouldn't let it happen," he said, gently turning my head to face him, "If anyone's going to be tying you up, it will be me, dear."

"Don't think you're going to get yourself forgiven for what you said by being lewd."

"You love it when I'm lewd."

I glared at him.

"Alright, perhaps it was uncalled for. I suppose I can't have expected you never to return home. But—"

"Quit while you're ahead, Loki."

He stopped speaking, looking down at my arms. My arms, which I still hadn't bothered to look at for fear of the horrible scars that marred them.

"How bad are they? The scars?"

"They're certainly noticeable," he said, tilting his head, "But nothing to cover up or be ashamed of. They make you look like a warrior."

"Ah, yes, a fearsome warrior who can't even hold her own for three seconds in a duel."

"You'll be a great warrior one day," Loki said, "Just not when you're pit against me."

"I'll beat you eventually," I smiled, closing my eyes.

He took my hand. "You wish."

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