Dark Heart

Loki sits on the edge of his bed, pain lacing through his arm as he feels the darkness writhing within him, furious that it was extracted from its other host. The dark magic was taking its toll on the god. With a shaky hand, he brings the sharpened blade of the knife across the sensitive skin on the bottom of his arm, just deep enough to elicit a small trickle of blood, the substance now black with the poison. Performing the same incantation as on Jess, he whispers the graceful words, magic flowing from his left hand, trying to entice the darkness out. Sweat glistens on his brow as the color drains away from his face.

Darkness fights against light until Loki could no longer hold his own. With a frustrated sigh, he runs his hand over his face before standing shakily to his feet and making his way to the balcony to lean on the railing, completely exhausted. The poison was depleting his magic, and fast. It had only been a little over a day and he was already too weak to extract the dark magic without having to put it back in the first host, where it belonged. There was no way in hell he was returning it to Jess.

His long pale fingers delicately trace the black veins running up his arm before wrapping a silk bandage around it and hiding the poisoned skin from view. With a sigh he waves his hand, his face set as the room morphs to a pristine white hospital quarter. A projection of him pulls away and begins walking down the ward, no one casting a glance at him for he could not be seen by the Midgardian eye. The projections walks through a doctor, the man halting and shuddering as the cold presence passes through him, leaving him with an empty sensation. The projected god stops in front of the target door and walks through the wood, passing through with no trouble.

On the sterilized hospital bed lay Jess, her skin pale, dark circles under her eyes. The young man from earlier that had attempted to keep him away from Jess sits asleep in the chair in the corner of the room. Loki's projection walks to the bed, solidifying slightly so that it could perch upon the corner of the bed. Loki's hands wrap through Air, the projection mimicking the movement, fingers intertwining through Jess', it's voice soft as it stoops and whispers in her ear.

"I am here love. Do not be frightened." Jess' eyes flutter open as they slowly focus on the raven haired god. Before she can utter a word, his lips are on hers, an unknown urgency behind the kiss spurring her to wrap her arms around his neck and pull him closer. "Y-You were there? In the hospital? I heard you call to me." He nods, his thumb tracing the delicate curve of her bottom lip. "I did. I could feel your pain, feel the darkness inside you. I knew what was happening. "How did you get rid of it?" With a shake of his head, he stands, hands clasping behind his back as he gives a small formal bow. "These questions shall be answer tomorrow. For now rest." His hand slides over and clicks the small button in the side of the drip, morphine running through the drip and into Jess' veins, her eyes already growing heavy at she looks at him in slight anger. "L-Loki, what was that for? That's not even fair, I'm...I'm not even...tired." With the last word. Her head lulls back unto the pillows as her eyes close and her breathing becomes deep and slow.

Turning to the dark haired hero in the corner, he snaps his fingers lifting the sleeping draft he had put him and roughly claps his hand over his mouth and holding his own finger to his lips as he glances at Jess. "If you wake her, I will be sure to end you, slow and painfully." Peter's eyes narrow at the pale face but gives a slow nod, his voice coming out in a harsh whisper as Loki's hand lifts. "What the hell do you think you're doing here!? You're asking to get your ass kicked, aren't you!?" Loki merely glances at the man, his eyes rolling as he takes a step back.

"Do calm yourself. Do I look to be wrecking havoc on the city, or on anything for the matter?" Peter stands eye to eye with the god, strategically placing himself between the god and the woman. "We'll you did just threaten my life. Now answer my damn question. Why are you here." Loki's fingers pick at a small tear on his tunic as he casually answers. "I came to make sure the Midgardian woman was healing. I have found a liking to her. I do not like my toys being played with by someone else is all." He forces down a grimace as he talks about Jess in such a demeaning manor, as just another object to him, but he could not let the hero know of the true bond he had with the woman. Disgust is written over Peter's face as he turns away. "She isn't your property! She is a living, breathing human being. She is my friend and I will not allow you to treat her as anything less than you would your most prized possession." A small ping of anger strikes at Loki as Peter speaks of Jess so fondly. "Enough. I am here for another reason as well. I wish to protect her from danger for my own reasons as you have yours, so why do we not work together on this little...'project'." Peter's eyebrow cocks up in interest but he remains quiet waiting for him to continue. "I cannot be here to watch over her because of the ignorant authorities of the realms whom seek to find and incarcerate me, but you can. I see that you are fond of her. She is your friend, is she not?" Peter gives a short nod as crosses his arms. "Therefore you can watch over her. This force is not one to be reckoned with. It will come for her once more and I can not watch over her. If you just merely keep a watchful eye on her, I will come at the call if she is in danger. This way Lady Jessica comes to no harm."

Peter turns his back in the tall god and gazes thoughtfully out the window. "Very well. I'll take up that deal, but only for Jess. She did nothing to deserve to be harassed by some mythological exile." Rubbing a hand tiredly over his face he turns back and extends his hand to Loki with a set expression. "I don't like working with murderous villains you know. So I watch her and if she's in danger. I call. Got it." Ignoring the hand extended to him, he gives a slight nod and walks toward the door, casting a glance at Jess' sleeping form. "Goodbye Peter. All my best..wishes to you." His face grimaces slightly as if the words left a bad taste in his mouth.

As the projection closes the door, it vanishes all together and the room reforms to the golden bed chamber. Sweat beads over his brow once more as his knees give out beneath him. He could barely even make projections anymore which made him furious. Ripping the bandage off he looks down at the black that now laces almost all the way up his arm. Using magic had speed up the darkness. With a shuddering gasp, he pushes to his hands and knees, pain wracking through his arm and black spotting his vision. Struggling to his feet, he leans heavily against the wall, slowing making his way to the bed as the spots grow larger. By the time he makes it to the bed, he collapses unto the bed as his vision grows completely black, passing out on the bed from fatigue.

Notes