Dances With The Daffodils

I've done it. All the travelling, fighting and sneaking around and now she's right here, in front of me, and I don't know what to say.

As soon as our eyes met, a kaleidoscope of colours set off inside my head, like ten fireworks going off at once. Danger, maybe, or something else.

I can tell I'm not what she was expecting, and, to be honest, she's not how I imagined her either. Even in this heat, she wears a thick black dress with a jacket. Black eyeliner sits over her dark eyelids and she wears a plain silver bracelet over one wrist. I realise I'm staring so I glance back to the church, waiting for an answer while people funnel outside.

'I thought that was the whole point of this thing — the fight.' She keeps glancing at the woman I think is her Mum. We haven't got long.

'I know, but I was thinking if we work together, we can come up with something. Maybe stop it completely, or just... something.'  I'm beginning to think I should have planned this better—or at all. 'It's better than dying, right?'

Her eyes are wide. 'What is this? Some trick? We can't get anything past them—' she glances around to check the coast is clear— 'they're gods. You do realise that?'

'I got here, didn't I? They haven't found me yet.'

She's still unsure and I find myself grabbing her hand. 'We at least have to try, don't we?'

She looks into my eyes, but I can't read her. Is she changing her mind? 

I didn't think it would go like this. I believed I would simply arrive, tell her there was no need to fight and then we'd find a plan together.

Someone shouts from across the car park. 'Kiah! We've got to go!' Her mother waves frantically.

She brushes my hand off. 'Sorry.' 

'Wait,' I say, fishing some paper and a pen from my bag and scribbling down my number. 'If you change your mind.'

I push the paper into her palm and she takes it. Kiah gives me a last glance and then walks away. All I can do is pray she keeps it and adds the number to her phone. 

I take a few steps back and watch as her family climb into a car. I wonder if she's in there, watching me from the back window.

As soon as they're gone, I walk back up the path. It might not have gone perfectly, but at least I planted the idea in her head, and, if she wants, we can find each other.

As I track down the path, I stare up at the beating sun and all of a sudden begin to feel lost, like a piece of driftwood in the sea, no direction to head in and no way to get there.

 I could go back to Norway, I guess, lie about where I went and spend the next year training and fending off Britt. Or I could stay here, wait for her. But if Loki is California, he'll find me soon — and he won't be happy.

Then, right on cue, I see a figure by the church gate and my stomach flips. 

I knew it wouldn't take him long, but I hoped I'd at least get a day to decide on my next move. He watches me from afar and I sigh, accepting my fate and wander over.

Except he doesn't seem angry. He may be standing with his arms crossed but he shifts his weight between his feet. Something's bugging him, and as I get closer I spot the worry in his eyes.

Before I can even get to the gate, he leaps over it and grabs me by the arm.

'We need to go,' he says, dragging me behind him.

'What? Why are you here? How—'

Loki pauses and turns to me. 'Did you really think you got here without help? Now shut up, because something more important than your little life is going on right now.'

He resumes dragging me across the field and I glance back to the church, struggling to stay on my feet.

'Stop!' I yell and push him off, forcing him to pause. He's surprised, probably thinking I was too much of a coward to stand up to him. 'Tell me what's going on.'

A cold feeling spreads through my veins as Loki looks me dead in the eye. 

'I need your help.'