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Chapter Forty Four

~Thea's POV~

We break camp as soon Loki and Kyle are healed. Jack had found it hilarious that Loki and Kyle, the most steadfast and stubbornly resolute of us, are the most injured and we are now waiting on them. Kyle heals first, because although his ankle is torn, Bruce splints it up nicely. "Besides," says Kyle, "My ankle has been through worse."

Loki, in the meanwhile, grows more and more snappish due to pain and frustration (and Jack's inconspicuous taunts probably have something to do with it). I, in the meanwhile, grow more and more snappish due to impatience and annoyance at Loki's snappiness. Mostly because the only person he targets his bad mood at is, of course, me.

Finally, at one point, when I'm in the hospital tent getting more antiseptic for my legs from Bruce, I stumble over some of the blankets and barely run into Loki's shoulder.

"Thea!" he barks, "Watch where you walk, you moronic child!"

Because this is like the tenth time he's gone off on me, and because the previous nine times I have been an angel and not snapped back, I finally break.

"STOP BEING A DICK!" I scream before walking out of the tent. Behind me, I vaguely hear Bruce chuckling.

Jack comes running over, his eyes gleaming, "Did you just call Loki a-"

"Yes," I say grumpily, "He's being annoying."

"It's Loki," points out Jack, "Of course he's being annoying."

Evidently, Loki hasn't learned from his experience, because the next time we meet, as we begin taking down the tents and preparing to high-tail it from the lake's vicinity as soon as possible, he just brushes me, snarling, "Move."

I break again and yell at his retreating back, "No. Do not walk away from me like that!"

Sighing and rolling his eyes, he turns partially around to face me, arms swinging lazily, "What is it, Thea?" He is using that annoying tone that adults use to children, when they're being condescending.

"Why do you always do this?!" I demand.

"Do what?"

"Whenever you get annoyed at me, you're so mean. And you're not being mean to anyone else. Well, just normal mean anyway, not like over the top like you are with-"

"Perhaps it's because I'm annoyed at you the most. You're a disobedient child, Thea, and whenever I try to prevent you from being mauled or from perhaps killing someone else, you disregard me. It looks as though you're going to learn the hard way."

"You provoke me!"

"'You, you, you, you, you," says Loki, his eyes flashing, "Always so quick to put the blame on someone else. Perhaps instead of all of the you, you should be saying I."

I am growing angry, "Don't blame me! You're the one who hit me, I should be the one being a bully to you."

He smirks, "I apologize kitten, but I suppose I just like being the bully."

He turns and stalks away, leaving me to glare at him and clench and unclench my fists repeatedly.

Evidently, he's still angry that I compared him to Videl and called him a monster.

*

~Nobody's POV~

Videl hurries down the mountain side. After his parabai meal, he is stronger, but no less hungry for his ambition. His amber eyes flash, glowing in the dull day like cats' eyes. If he knew precisely where he had wanted to go, he could be there in an instant. But now he can only rely on his hawk-like eyesight and his strong sense of smell.

He scares off a flock of birds that rise, shrieking, into the air, not even stopping to kill two with a nearby stone. He is too busy pursuing his prey.

*

~Thea's POV~

We walk along a small mountain creek as we head up the peak. Jack is teasing me for having a stiletto sleeve, plus two daggers, "Are you actually going to use them?" he demands, looking at the silver dagger that is currently in my hand. The emerald one is in Jack's hand.

"I don't know," I say, "If you keep it up, I will."

Evidently noticing that I'm just teasing, Jack rolls his eyes, "So much sass, Thea."

"Get used to it," I say, "I'm always sassy."

Kyle, who is behind us, snorts, but when we turn around to give him annoyed looks, he gives us a very innocent expression.

Rolling his eyes, Jack turns back to me, "Do you know where, exactly, we're going?"

"Nobody tells us anything," I remind him.

Somebody takes my hand, and looking down, I see Leah. She doesn't look as tired as she has been, which I take to be a good thing, "What are we doing?" she asks, skipping along between Jack and me.

"We're walking," I say with a smile.

"Where?"

"I just asked that question," Jack teases with a smile.

She puts her tiny fists on her hips, "Jaaaack."

"Leaaaah."

I swing her up on my hip and she giggles as I say, "We're going on another adventure, Leah."

Her face is close to mine, and I can't help but reflect on the innocence of my baby sister. She doesn't even know half of what is happening, "I like adventures!"

"Indeed you do." This is from Thor, who is walking beside Kyle. The hourglass necklace is swinging from his neck; the sand from the top has nearly sifted all the way to the bottom, and he is smiling, "Leah is always ready for an adventure."

Leah smiles at him gaily from where she's holding onto my shoulders tightly, "Remember the waterfall?"

"Indeed," Thor says, still smiling, "We shall have to take Thea there after we return to Asgard."

"I love Asgard," says Leah dreamily, "I want to always live there."

"What about me?" I pout, pretending to be hurt, "I live on earth, with Kyle."

Leah glances at Kyle, who wiggles his eyebrows at her, "You can come, but Kyle can't."

"Oh really?" asks Kyle, reaching forward to tickle her. She squeals and hides behind my shoulders again, "And why not?"

"Because you're bossy!" she says gaily.

Jack laughs, "Kyle, Leah's smarter than I thought. She really understands you more than I thought she would."

Kyle rolls his eyes.

The last thing I remember is watching Thor's necklace swing from his neck, sparkling in the sunlight, and Kyle smiling at me, his teeth bright. 

*

"I'm going hunting," Loki tells me as I lounge on the shack's bed, "Stay here, or so help me..."

"Okay," I say blandly, tracing designs on my journal with a darkened pencil.

Loki raises his eyebrows before vanishing from the shack, closing the wooden door tightly behind him.

It seems like forever since I've sat in here. The shack has two main rooms, one dark and dull where one bed lies against the wall, where Loki sleeps. I sleep in the main room, where a small fire glows and a table with food and such stands. There's a small cot against the wall there. It's either really hot in here or really cold, but thick blankets cover my bed, made of fur and something else I can't quite get.

The shack is tiny, but outside, it is situated in something like an upside down bowl of granite rock. Water pours from the sides, sixty feet up, and a small lake is about a dozen or so yards from the shack.

 I don't even really remember how we got here. I don't remember anything, except that Loki and I are staying here until everyone else is ready for us to join them. Whenever I ask Loki where everyone else is, he frowns and snaps at me not to ask questions. Earlier today, I looked out the window and caught him blasting a small tree with his scepter, then howling in anger.

But what's Loki so angry about? And why can't I remember where I am? 

Fate now favors those in need

But only when its soul is greed 

Remember time is of't the prize

Can't be bought back, don't even try.

If you're really confused, then that's perfectly fine. You should be. :D 

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So I have a personality chart (PWEASE LOOK AT IT haha) and a contest ( *Jack's puppy dog face*) in the Q&A section. That would be fantastic :)  And I have a new post on my Instagram page, sierra_writes_books

Have a great day! Have to run to AP lang and tennis!