I focus, ignoring the surrounding chaos, the screams, the blood and the death upon his face. He is no longer Loki. He is death. He is destruction. He has claimed Cora as his own, but I don’t think the others understand. It is his fear of losing her that has released this monster. Thousand of years, Loki has beaten this power back, unwilling to let it control him. In doing so, he has created an animal that is starving. Its hunger beats at me at the same time Loki screams in denial.

The red of his eyes are locked on Kai, my love drawing his attention, willing to sacrifice himself to keep me safe while I try to save us all. Make no mistake, if I fail, we will all die here beneath this tree. This is my chance, so I gather my power, a small smile curving the corners of my lips as I feel the power of Yggdrasil and Gaia flow up through my feet, merging with mine. I picture a long bow in my mind and pulling the string back and drawing in a deep breath, I release.

I see the surprise flare in his eyes and Nestor moving in right behind him. I want to warn him away but I don’t. I sense the crack, sense Loki lost inside trying to help me. I send another stream into him, filled with calm, with love, and with peace. The red flickers.

“If you’re going to do something, do it now!” Raven screams at Nestor, and Loki’s head slowly begins to turn. I push everything I can, giving us precious seconds.

Nestor’s golden hands grasp his head and he closes his eyes. I feel his power slide in through the crack I created a moment before Loki collapses to the ground, pulling Powaqu’s arm with him. Her screams have died, and Mimi rushes to her side, her voice low as she chants, her magic pulling Powaqu’s own healing power from her to use on her arm.

The silence is deafening. We all stand shocked at what we just witnessed. Crumpling to the ground, I sit staring at her arm still locked in his hand, swallowing the saliva pouring into my mouth.

“It will not last long,” Nestor states as he stands over Loki. His words spur the others into action. I remain by his side, my power flowing into him, trying to calm not only Loki but the monster bent on killing not just us but the world.

‘You see his mistake. By starving it, he has made it stronger. The ancients didn’t just give them the magic. A small kernel of their very essence was hidden inside. They didn’t understand the ramifications, couldn’t have known the outcome. They only wanted to live on. The people of Loki’s clan were the strongest of those on that world but even they were not strong enough, couldn’t withstand the invasion. The ancients meant for it to be symbiotic, but instead, it is parasitic in nature. It festers, infecting until the host is taken over. Loki is the strongest of his line, as for a millennium, he has held the insanity at bay, controlling the power, ignoring the voice whispering destruction in his mind.’ She shows me images of those that fell to power, killing, slaughtering friends and family until finally they themselves were killed. Then the power waited, tethered to the family, until a baby was conceived. The whispers start before they are even born. Tears stream down my face.

“How do we stop it?” Emma starts my way when she hears me speak. Kneeling, she watches me closely.

‘Since his very birth, I have seen her. Before he came here, before you even started to evolve into the wonderful creatures you are today, she was for him. I do not know how or when, but she is the key to saving not just him but us all.’

I look at where Cora was and realize Danu and Morrigan have begun moving her. I grimace, unsure if that is best. Michael follows my eyes and then looks back at me, nodding before jogging to catch up with them. Kai’s hands smooth over my shoulders, while Jason moves behind Emma. Nestor stays where he was, but his focus has shifted to the women that arrived with him. I avoid looking at the arm as Raven works with Sean to pry Loki’s fingers open.

Powaqu begins to push up with her remaining hand, waving off Mimi’s attempt to help her. The mangled stump where her left arm had been hangs at her side, the bleeding stopped and skin closed. Wiping the sweat that is beading on her lip and brow, she stands.

“I should have been more careful. I knew he didn’t trust me. It was stupid. So goddamn stupid.” Her head shakes as she looks at what remains of her arm before her eyes slide to the rest laying on the ground. Tears shimmer when she raises her head, jaw clenched, sucking in a deep breath.

“This was not your fault,” I whisper. “Not in any way. We were not prepared, had no idea of what was hidden within him.” I let Kai help me up before I continue. “We need to get far from here, although there might be no place safe for us.”

We are grim as we make our way to our highland home.