Fractures of Eternity

The warmth Loki had left behind in my core radiated while I fixed myself, too. Though I strategically used his body to block her view of me. Cowardly of me, but I couldn’t face her like this. Luckily, he didn’t mind my clinginess, as I was a mess. After fixing our clothes, he faced the interloper, while I didn’t know how much longer I would be able to play the part of a servant. Tania had drained me of any niceness, and the looming danger of Rem was driving me insane, too.

Tomorrow will be a tipping point for me. Gerta calling me out will be the cherry on top. Argh… Damn it.

“There, are you happy? I stopped,” Loki growled at the old maid.

She hummed, shaking her head. “Shameless. You’re a crown prince, Loki.”

Fortunately, her attention was on him, who more than willingly had become the primary target, yet I could feel her eyes scanning for me.

“I never wanted it.” He huffed.

Eli turned smaller before floating towards me and nuzzling into my hair, before caressing my cheek with his snout. If it was to comfort me, it wasn’t working, as I wanted this to end, yet I knew it was far from over.

“Too bad it follows you everywhere you go, your highness.” Gerta rolled her eyes, triggering him to click his tongue, yet before he could refute, she carried on.

“You were lucky it was me, but being so absorbed in what you were doing can be a deadly mistake for a royal, remember that.” The head maid warned the prince.

Even though I refused to gaze at her, the tone in her voice was condescending, and worst yet, she was right. Her tone made me shudder as I tugged on Loki’s shirt, wishing to run from there. It was the first time I ever felt like this after we had sex.

I can’t help but feel like we’ve done something wrong, and it is! Argh! This… should’ve never happened! But… I can’t stop it anymore.

There was no doubt that Loki knew this was wrong, and it wasn’t just because I was his maid. Our ranking in this world didn’t matter, but it was another factor we couldn’t ignore.

A mortal and a god. We’ll never work out in the end. It doesn’t matter how much we push and pull… There is a chance I could become like the god who destroyed the cycle of rebirth. Hah… Will I end up destroying this world? Everything is a mess, isn’t it?

“Gerta, Eli loves to mess with me; it’s the only reason he didn’t warn me.” Loki scoffed.

However, this was untrue as the snake was too concentrated on the other intruder to notice the old woman—something we couldn’t say without placing the entire town on alert, which would only cause our enemies to hide.

“Hm, I’m not sure about that. He seemed pretty into it, too. I mean, don’t familiars feel everything you do?” Gerta countered.

My prince tensed up, triggering Eli to snicker. Everything the old woman said was accurate, yet for these two, it was more intense as they were more merged than the others.

“Urgh… Can’t you mind your own business for once?!” Loki snapped.

Their relationship appeared different from a normal servant and master, though. Gerta just chuckled before stepping aside and picking up a bag filled with ingredients.

“Very well. Have a good day, your highness, and Vivian, be more careful.” She bid farewell, walking into the passing crowd.

Damn it! When did you even see me? Was it when I ran here? Hah… My timing’s great. This is all my fault.

“Fucking Gerta.” My vampire hissed, prompting me to tug on his shirt, causing him to turn to me this time.

“Let’s go, please,” I mumbled.

I didn’t know what tone I used, but Loki instantly kissed me deeply, which almost caused me to stumble back. Luckily, he was gripping me before tugging away from my lips.

“I didn’t like the interruption, but at least I made you…” He tailed off being playful.

My vampire was trying to cheer me up by making me get annoyed with him, which, fortunately for him, worked. My cheeks flushed redder than blood itself.

You are truly shameless!

“You’re so vulgar.” I yelped, slapping my hands lightly onto his chest.

Hey… Is this really something that shouldn’t be allowed?

I knew it wasn’t, yet I hoped it would be. Instead of letting my mood affect him, he kissed me again before leading me back into his room. Surprisingly, we didn’t meet anyone else on the way there, since Tania had gone to see Alistair. Not once did Loki ask me about what was wrong with me, either when we got back; instead, he pushed me onto the bed and fucked me silly. We were supposed to watch a film tonight, but we ended up doing something else, as he bit me and filled my senses in such a way that I didn’t realize when I dozed off.

The only thing that woke me up was a loud knock coming from the door, which caused me to almost jump out of bed, but I stopped when I saw my vampire lean toward me. His blueish-purple eyes caused me to sink into the sheets.

“Hide under the covers, Vivi,” Loki murmured into my ear.

He had been watching me sleep, dressed in clothes that were loose and unlike my bare body. Eli stuck by me while I did just that. There was only one person who would knock on our door at this time, and she wasn’t happy that Loki had stood her up. When he opened the door, a bicker quickly ensued between the two.

“Oi, what plans are more important than meeting your mom?! I haven’t seen you for almost 2 months!” Rem growled at Loki, who stood by the door before leaning against it.

The moment her voice filled the air, it resonated within me just like that day. I had stamped everything about her into my brain. Eli handed me the brooch from the floor, while I held it close to my chest. The necklace would have to be enough to hide me from her gaze.

“Ma, I have my own life, you know, and it doesn’t stop for you.” Loki huffed, as I didn’t know if this was to keep us apart or how he truly felt.

It probably didn’t help that I was lying bare in his bed, bearing the mark for everyone to see on my back, which would stay for thirty minutes after any direct contact with Loki, Oswald, or their familiars. That was just an excuse, since I wouldn’t have said a damned thing to that hybrid even if I were fully clothed. Before I passed out, he was holding me so tightly and caring, that I had lost myself in it, leaving me to feel as if he was telling me everything would be okay—that no one would hurt me.

“I know that! Still… You can’t spare a couple of hours for me? It’s been more than a month since you last saw me.” Rem sighed.

Even though they weren’t entirely related, she was the woman who raised him, and it probably stung to get rejected like that by her boy.

I’m sorry… I still can’t let him go. Not yet... Once his safe… and only then will I let him go. I promise!

“It isn’t… You wouldn’t understand, just let me be for now, Ma.” Loki shook his head, prompting me to realize the only reason he was objecting to this was because of me.

Ah… I’m ruining this, too.

Unable to help it, I grabbed onto Eli, who was quick to comfort me.

It was better when I didn’t care! Loki should’ve left me like the cold-hearted bitch that I once was! Crap… I’m so sorry. I might be the cause of more destruction for your family, but I… can’t let you go right now. I… crap... You should’ve run from me when you learned who I was!

Rem was right to call me a monster, as I was on the verge of causing a rift between her and her precious son, which was something I never wanted. Yet, without stopping the prophecy, there was nothing I could do about it. If I wanted to stay near Loki, I needed to remain hidden from her, and that meant keeping my vampire with me.