25 Chapter Twenty-four

I got about four steps into the storm when it truly hit me. Like I was in pain, and I knew what pain felt like, but this pain, it was stingy numb pain. 

I gasped, I couldn't see anything only white, frost bit at my skin, and my nostrils burned with ice.

"Loki!" I screamed into the endless white.

But no reply came, only the gushing sound of snow in the powerful breeze. Frost started to build up at my feet pinning me in place.

I screamed again, "Loki!"

"What do you want from me now Laufey? You've taken everything I cared about from me! You're the reason for my banishment, now I'm separated from my family. But no that wasn't enough for you was? You had to keep taking from me! Now, now you will pay!" Loki's voice rung through white abyss. 

"Loki!" I screamed out again.

I tried to move towards the sound of his voice but the frost around my feet held me in place. The ice crept up by legs, up under the thin white medical gown that I still wore from the frost giants. My legs numbed and I fell to the ground, the ice burning at my hands. My whole body shivering and shaking from the pain from falling.

"You cannot fool me with her voice! You will pay for what you have done to me, what you have made me!" His voice broke through the wind.

"Loki, please. Where are you?" I called out.

"Like I would show myself to you! You who took everything from me!"

The ice crept up to my stomach flattening me to the ground, my face pressed into the snow. I rolled over so that I faced the sky, it was the lightest blue I'd ever seen. 

Footsteps approached me, slowly. But as they got nearer their pace increased in speed.

"Ingrid!" 

Their face appeared above mine, it was Ashton.

My lips trembled as I tried to say his name, but no sound came out. He picked me up like a baby, and forced his way out of the storm.

"What the hell were you thinking?!" 

"I wasn't." I whispered.

"Ashleigh has gone back to your apartment, so direct me to it please.''

"Not demanding at all," I mumbled, "okay head straight ahead, and could you please put me down?"

"No.''

I sighed and kept directing him to my apartment. Suddenly he stopped.

"What is it?"

"I don't know, I can't move, like my feet are stuck.''

"Don't put me down, no matter what.''

"So just before you  asked to be put down and now you want to stay up. Make up your mind.''

I lifted my head and looked behind Ashton.

"Oh shugar.''

Ashton peered down at me and frowned. "Shugar?"

"Like in a bowl?"

"Who the fuck combines shit and sugar in a bowl?" 

"True, so what's so bad that it's shugar?"

"The snow storm heading towards us.''

The white flurry of snowflakes were slowly making their way over to us. As if it wanted to savour the moment it would devour us. And from the whiteness a voice boomed out.

"You took her from me! I will destroy everything that you have devoted your entire kingdom into building, I will be the end of Joutenheim!"

Ashton looked down at me, "Is that the mysterious Loki dude?''

"Yes, that's Loki.''

"I thought he was a good guy.''

"He is, its just I think he thinks that the frost giants killed me.''

"Whaaaaaaaaat? That makes no sense.''

"I know.'' I whispered.

"You filth that plague the realms will be vanquished!" His voice grew closer

"Ingrid,'' Ashton whispered, ''the ice is creeping up my body.'' 

I felt something tugging at my head, calling me to sleep, as if someone wanted to talk to me. I knew what to do.

"No matter what don't let go of me.'' I told him.

"What are you going to do?" He asked me.

"Find someone who can knock sense into Loki.''

"What? Who?"

"His brother.''