After making our way over the Second Narrows bridge into Vancouver, our first stop was at Smith Rare Books on Cambie. Loki spotted the special edition Nineteen-Forty-Two 'The Gods Are A-Thirst' by Anatole France. Although he said it was the title that attracted him, leafing through the pages, it was about the French revolution. Perfect for my brother. The clerk kindly gift-wrapped the book for us, and we set off for Chinatown. Since it was so close to the bookstore, only half a kilometre away, we walked.

At the Pacific Village Mall, we found a colourful silk scarf I knew would be to my sister's taste. I picked up a gift bag and tissue in another shop to complete the purchase. On our way to the Tea Leaf Emporium, we stopped at a tiny little store with various odds and ends. Buried on a back shelf, I found an old Hong Kong Style cookbook, with a blend of English and Cantonese recipes. It was exactly the kind of thing my sister-in-law would love. The elderly shopkeeper wrapped it in tissue with ribbon, and I added it to our purchases.

Exiting the store, Loki shifted me away from the street side, moving me to his right as he glanced behind him.

"What's wrong?"

"We may have someone following us. Just make sure you keep your hand on my arm in case we need to teleport," he said.

"A fan of yours, looking for a photo or autograph?"

"No, this feels different."

It was only half a block until we reached the tea shop. Opening the door for me, Loki again glanced behind us down the street. I didn't see anyone that looked like they were paying particular attention to us, but I trusted his instincts.

I picked out a gift box with the teas I knew my mom preferred, and added it to our other purchases. The hair on the back of my neck was prickling. But whether I was picking it up myself, or if I was getting it from Loki, I wasn't sure.

When we left the store, instead of opening the door and letting me go through, Loki opened the door, then held my hand as he went out first. Abruptly halting in the entrance, he tucked me behind him as the door closed on my back.

"Tezcatlipoca, you ugly fucking bastard. What brings you to my part of town?" a deep rumbling voice asked.

"Quetzalcoatl, it's been a long time," Loki said carefully.

"Please, it's Ao Guang now. We must keep up with the times, yes? And you haven't yet answered my question," the deep rumbling voice demanded.

Loki inclined his head. "Just shopping for Christmas presents, actually."

"Really? You? Celebrating a holiday dedicated to another god? Now why does that sound unlikely? I see no purchases," the voice sneered.

I pushed the bags into Loki's hand, and he brought them out in front of him.

"It's as I said, just shopping. I'm keeping up appearances with the local Midgardian traditions."

"Well I learned the lesson to not believe your lying tongue, trickster! The mortals revered me as a hero until you showed up with your insidious mischief! Who is there behind you?" the voice snarled.

"Slowly," Loki warned. "Stay behind me as much as possible and do not let go of me. Don't believe what I'm about to say, either."

"I trust you."

"My latest conquest. A bit of fun," Loki said, as he drew me around to his side.

I got my first look at the speaker. A massive Asian man, he was taller and broader across than Thor. His dark eyes glared, and a sneer twisted his face. Two men flanked him, almost as large as he was. They shared features in the roundness of their cheeks, shapes of their noses, and thin lips. Probably related.

"Shen?" 

"Yes, three brothers. Dragons. Resistant to my magic. Affinities for the natural elements like you, but particularly fire and water."

"Huh. No accounting for taste if she's with you," the god said in a disgusted tone. His eyes narrowed. "I still owe you for getting me drunk and causing an orgy with my priests and priestesses. You got me banished! While I was gone, they destroyed my temples, replacing them with edifices to you!"

"Fuck. Get ready, I'm going to teleport us out. There is no room to manoeuver in this cramped entryway."

Faster than I could blink and before I could reply, the god lunged for Loki, grabbing his shoulder. One brother seized my arm, his fingers biting into me like rigid bands of iron. With a sharp tug, he yanked me right out of Loki's grip.

Between the two of them, they forced us down the street to the nearby Chinese gardens. Pulling us through the entrance and into the inner garden courtyard, we found ourselves out of sight from the public.

Loki was shoved down onto a bench. Ao Guang held him in place from behind, with a firm grasp on his shoulders, until his brother switched places with him, coming to stand in front and to the side of Loki. The other brother, the one holding me, dragged me in front of the bench.

"Maybe she's just a bit of fun. Maybe she isn't. Either way, you are going to watch as my brothers and I take her in front of you." Ao Guang laughed in a sinister rumble. "Since I know how much you really like to share."

Nausea churned at his threat. There was no way I'd let that happen.

In my mind, I heard Loki strategizing. Our bond was wide open, and it was clear this wasn't his first run-in with these particular brothers. His conjured blades wouldn't pierce their thick hides, and he couldn't teleport with them holding him. They weren't susceptible to either the frost or fire he could summon. His telekinesis bounced off them.

His worry for me was eroding his ability to think as he fought his panic.

"If you can get out, you need to leave me," Loki pleaded. "Please, Shannon. I couldn't bear it if something happened to you. Please!"

Despite the inner turmoil our connection allowed me to hear, his face was impassive, not giving them a visible reaction.

"Not going to happen, Loki. I'm not leaving you with these overgrown lizards!" I snapped. Loki's fear for me and my disgust at their threat were combining into an anger I had to fight to keep from showing on my face.

"You really don't care?" the dragon god asked, as he ran his hand down my body, trying to get Loki to react. "These mortals are so fragile. I'm not sure she'll survive our attentions. We might break her beyond repair."

Loki shrugged. "There are always more. They live such a short time, after all. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry, Shannon! Please! You've got to escape! I'll try to distract them so you can get away."

Unable to hide my loathing, I wrinkled my nose. "Get your fucking paws off me!" With desperation, I tightened control of my abilities as they surged alongside my emotions. "We are both getting away, Loki!"

Ao Guang's eyebrows flew up as he looked at me, and his brother tightened his grip on my arm. Lack of circulation was turning my limb numb.

"The little mouse speaks! What a filthy mouth it has! I'm sure I can find a better use for it," he threatened with a leer.

Fury raged within me, even as the sick bubbling in my stomach had me wanting to heave. I wanted to obliterate these fuckers.

"Let go of her, Brother. I'm going to bring her to heel and teach her a woman's place." Ao Guang gestured to the one holding me, who released me at the same time as the air suddenly become dense, like a weight pressing down on me. He was trying to push me to my knees in front of him.

"Get out! Now Shannon! They can fly like you. Be fast! Go! Leave me!" Loki screamed in my head.

"Not... Going... To... Happen... Assholes!" Temper flaring to a white hot inferno, I shoved the air back in a sudden explosive wave, lightning crackling out from my body to strike them. The dragon gods staggered, the brother losing his grip on Loki.

I dove at Loki.

He lunged for me.

Our hands met.

In an instant, he'd teleported us to my car, blocks away from the garden.

"We need to go. Right now. It won't take them long to find us again," Loki urged as I unlocked the vehicle.

"That was more excitement than I was expecting!" Understatement of the century. Holy fuck. My heart was pounding, chest heaving, as my breath sawed in and out of my lungs with the churning fear and anger surging through my nervous system. Every instinct urged me to flee. Somehow, I'd hung onto the bags. I tossed them into the backseat as we jumped into the car.

"You were brilliant. They weren't expecting it, since they know it's not in my powers to manipulate air or lightning. That was really smart, Shannon." His tone was both admiring and relieved when I turned the key to start the engine.

"They pissed me off. I didn't plan it. Don't give me too much credit, I just reacted." I laughed with nervous energy, my hands shaking as I clung to the steering wheel and drove us away from Chinatown.

"Still, it worked. That's what counts." Loki grabbed my trembling hand and squeezed reassuringly.

It took over an hour to get out of the downtown core and over the Port Mann bridge, but when we reached Langley, I finally deemed us far enough away to pull over for a few minutes. We'd seen no sign of pursuit, and Loki said he didn't sense anything.

He came around to my side and opened the door to pull my shaking body into his arms. I had to peel my white-knuckled grip from the steering wheel before I could sink into his hold.

"We're okay. You were amazing. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," Loki murmured, while he held me tight, one hand stroking over my hair from my head down my back, soothing both of us. With slow breaths, I closed my eyes, head tucked into his neck, arms around his waist, inhaling in the woodsy orange leather scent that was so uniquely him.

Despite the training Isis had given me, I hadn't been prepared.

The dragon gods had scared me.

We'd only escaped because they didn't know about my abilities. That wouldn't happen a second time. The element of surprise was lost. I'd finally gotten a taste of why Isis was teaching me to defend myself.

Fear still churned in my belly and a chill ran down my spine. Luck would only last so long. I needed to do better, to learn to defend not just myself, but also our child. Oh gods. A child. Our child. I am so not ready to defend a child! Another chill shivered over my skin and I shuddered, taking comfort when Loki held me tighter.

"I'm so sorry, Shannon. That was all my fault. I'm sorry I put you in that position. You were endangered because of me." Choked with emotion, Loki's regret poured through the bond.

His scent sank into my pores, settling my nerves. "I've been warned, Loki, that the immortal world is dangerous. It was bound to happen. At least I was with you. It took both of us to get away." I nuzzled his neck, taking comfort in his tight hold, his scent, and the strong beat of his heart.

How long we stood there, holding each other, I wasn't sure, but we both seemed to need the contact. When my heart no longer beat its rapid, panicked rhythm, my limbs no longer trembled, and no more adrenaline surged through my system, I pulled back to look up into Loki's eyes.

"I need training to learn to better defend myself. Next time, my luck might run out."

He nodded. "Yes. Not that you didn't do awesome, because you did." He kissed me before continuing, "But I agree. After we spend Christmas with your family, we need to go to Asgard and get you enrolled in offensive and defensive training with your abilities and weapons. I won't have you unable to defend yourself."

Loki's quick agreement and support had me sighing in relief. "Sounds like a plan to me." I leaned in for a kiss, and he cupped my cheeks, deepening our kiss before pulling back.

"Okay, back into the car. Let's do this." He opened my door, helping me into the seat. Taking the seat belt, he buckled me in, kissing me again before closing the door.

I smiled, remembering how he'd buckled me in during our flight the night we met.

Loki got in on his side, and I started the car. Merging back onto the highway, we headed to my brother's house.