Between one moment and the next, Loki slumped in front of me, boneless as his hand fell from where he'd pressed it against his head. Reacting with reflexes still hyperalert, I caught him before he slid sideways.

The extent of his injuries had the breath freezing in my lungs.

I'd only gotten the briefest glimpse during the chaos of battle. Blood matting the right side of his face, temple, and above his ear was a black cancer on his pale skin. The bone moved under my fingers and alarm spiked my veins. Blowing out a shaky exhale, I traced fingertips over the deep gash running across his right eyebrow, down onto his cheek. Blood still seeped over the swollen, bruised flesh.

Shells, could he even see out of that eye?

The pit in my stomach deepened as my fingers lightly catalogued his other injuries. Twisted at an unnatural angle, his right wrist was broken and swelling. Although not broken, his right shoulder was dislocated, pushed down and forward of the socket.

Blasted barnacles. How had he managed to raise his hand to his head earlier? He had to be in agony. No wonder he'd passed out.

"Shannon, where's the white dragon taking us? Loki is badly hurt, and I can't access my first aid supplies and keep him from falling while we're in the air."

Turning to look behind her, Shannon gasped. "Oh my god!" She dove into her pack and pulled out supplies as she flipped around to sit backwards. The air that had been flowing over us became still as the dragon continued to fly.

Light flared, encasing us in a warm glow and illuminating the true horror of Loki's injuries.

"His shoulder is dislocated, and he's got a broken wrist. I can help with those, but he also has a skull fracture. Do you have anything for that?" I asked, trying to swallow against the choking sensation that had me by the throat. Seeing him so broken... it was unsettling. He seemed so invincible.

She bit her lip, blinking rapidly. "We've discussed using my earth ability to shapeshift. In theory, that means I can restructure and heal living matter... but I've never done it. My earth abilities are weak. What if I do something wrong? What if I make his injuries worse?" As she talked—words coming out too fast, one on top of the other—she cleaned the gash on his face, then applied a yellow cream that sealed the edges when she held the sides together for a few minutes.

Her eyes sought mine, wide and glistening with unshed tears.

"Just do what you can. We need to stabilize him." I took a few careful breaths in through my nose and out through my mouth, trying to calm my racing pulse. "Brace his body so I can pop his shoulder back in place. It's better to do it while he's unconscious."

With her hands holding his torso, I manipulated his arm, then jerked it back into the socket. Although the pain had to be excruciating—having dislocated my shoulder sparring with Elada—Loki didn't so much as flinch. Pressing my fingers to his pulse, it was strong and reassuring, despite his continued unconscious state.

Shannon's worried eyes met mine again. "Ao Run, where are you taking us?"

"Where can you get the medical attention you need for Prince Loki?" the white dragon asked.

"We could treat him at the Fomorian outpost," I suggested.

Shannon shook her head. "Not with a head injury. The pressure of taking him down, the difference in pressure between whatever bubble I put around him and the outpost... it could kill him."

I considered her concern. It wasn't without merit. Not knowing the full extent of the head injury made it tricky. "What about Asgard? Do you want to take him through the bifrost?"

I unpackaged a seaweed binding strip from Shannon's kit and winced at the feel of the broken wrist bones under my fingers as I manipulated them into place. Working quickly, I bound Loki's wrist and let the strip infuse its healing into the joint. Between Loki's immortal healing, which had to be similar to my own, and the seaweed strip, the wrist should be usable by this time tomorrow, if not sooner.

"I don't know if that is safe for him, either. Damn it. I just don't know enough yet!" Her eyes closed tightly, lips pressed together as she clenched her fist around the cleaning pad she was using to wipe away the blood. "Please take us to the closest private beach to Lianyungang, Ao Run."

"Are you sure, Princess Shannon? I can take you much farther than that," the dragon offered.

"No, we still need to travel through the gate to Diyu," she said.

"Ah. I understand. In that case, I will ensure no one comes upon you while you are treating Prince Loki's injuries."

"Your assistance is gratefully accepted," she said.

Changing the angle of his flight, the white dragon reached the ocean before Shannon finished cleaning the blood from Loki's head.

Using a cushion of air, she lifted Loki down from Ao Run's white scaled shoulders. The dragon launched himself upward and disappeared from our sight. Sitting cross-legged on the pale cream-coloured sand, Shannon laid Loki's head in her lap and cupped the fractured side of his head, carefully pressing a healing patch to it.

Head bowed, wet trails of tears streaked her cheeks. She worried her lower lip.

"You can do this, Shannon. I know you can," I told her from my standing position farther up the beach where I kept watch. No way was I leaving my two consorts vulnerable.

Gaze rising to meet mine, she blew out a shaky breath, then nodded and closed her eyes. A frown of concentration appeared, wrinkling her nose and creating lines on her forehead.

I paced, checking on them every other minute, before scanning the area for any dangers. Loki's chest rose and fell with each breath, but he remained unconscious.

An hour passed.

And then a second hour. 

I tugged my hair and bounced on my toes as I continued my pacing.

When almost three hours had gone by, Shannon's shoulders drooped and her eyes opened. Exhaustion was in every line of her body.

"I've done what I can, coaxing the bone to start knitting together, sealed the rips in the blood vessels, and stopped blood from pooling or putting pressure on his brain. There is a small pool that I don't know what to do with. I dare not try more," she murmured. "Now we just have to wait for him to wake."

Her words had me exhaling a long, slow breath. "Loki will wake, Shannon. He's too tough to be taken out by a dragon's tail swatting him," I teased, getting a weak upturn at the edges of her lips.

"You try being the swatted next time," Loki rasped, then groaned.

Snapping my gaze to his, the knot of anxiety loosened in my chest when our eyes connected. He winced and shifted in Shannon's lap.

"You're awake!" Shannon exclaimed, her eyes filling with tears again. Leaning down, she kissed him on the forehead, away from the bruises and gashes.

His hand rose to cup her cheek, a small smile on his face. "Indeed I am, and I sense the touch of your seidhr within me. Thank you."

"You scared us, Loki," I told him quietly as Shannon's tears bathed his face in a salty rain. And if my own eyes blinked more rapidly as well, watering slightly, he didn't call me on it.

Loki inclined his head marginally, then winced again. "You said something about an Atlantean power source. Do you have a portable energy source of sufficient size as the nuclear warhead we lost?"

"Yes, we have renewable fusion power packs that use hydrogen atoms. It's the technology that powers our energy shields," I told him.

Loki sighed. "If only we'd known that before we tangled with the damn dragons." His eyes closed, raising a hand to rub at his forehead. "Why didn't you mention the power packs earlier?"

I frowned. "I didn't know we needed a power source. Not until you mentioned the warhead at our meeting with the Eight Immortals."

Shannon kissed him on the forehead again, then turned to look at me. "It's my fault. I knew we needed something to bribe Hela that would be equivalent to a soul, but I forgot to tell you."

Loki snorted. "No, this is on me. I knew what was needed and assumed the only difficulty would be getting the Shen's permission. We didn't have anything portable of sufficient magnitude that was safe to transport through the bifrost. I should have asked if you had anything, Elatha." His mouth twisted up on one side and he waved his uninjured arm over himself. "This is the result of my own arrogance."

"It's only an hour's swim for me to get to the outpost and return. Do you want to stay, rest, and continue to heal or attempt to come with me?" I asked, looking from Shannon to Loki. I knew what my preference was. Loki needed to heal and both he and Shannon were energy depleted. Actually... that gave me an idea. "Perhaps you should both stay, with Shannon holding you in the water so she can gain energy from the sea. When I get back, we can see about recharging you two before we attempt the gate again."

Both Shannon and Loki looked like they were about to protest, and I crouched down to place fingers over their mouths. "Loki, you're a mess. Please rest. I'll be faster on my own."

Glancing over his body, he was in much better condition than just a few hours ago, but still, his one wrist was held to his chest, and I noticed he hadn't moved that shoulder yet. Face paler than normal for him, the gash over his eye was a thin line now, and the swelling had receded into a purple bruise. Yet, those green eyes were dull, lacking their usual brilliance, and it was clear he was still in pain.

That was only what I could see. It didn't include the bruising on his brain and half-healed skull fractures Shannon mentioned. The last thing I wanted was for him to exert himself right now.

With his left hand, he caught my finger, shifting it to kiss my palm and sending a shiver down my spine. Heat stirred in my groin as his eyes held mine. Shells, half dead and he can arouse with the simplest touch.

"Be careful, Elatha. Ao Guang and his brothers will not have given up on trying to find us. I don't like the idea of you being on your own," Loki said.

His tone was fierce, and I couldn't help my smile.

"I'm faster than both of you in the water. Even if they try, they won't catch me," I reassured him.

Shannon caught my other hand and squeezed. "We'll be waiting. Don't take chances."

Their concern created a glow within my chest, and I smiled at both of them. "I'll be back before you know it," I said as I stood, then strode down the beach. Diving into the water, I sped off with the force of a squid's water cannon.

As the water deepened, I dove with it, staying barely above the sea floor. Although dark, my other senses provided a detailed image of the topography, allowing me to swerve around obstacles and adapt to sudden changes in the sea floor. Fomorians never needed light to see in the water, even though we encouraged the growth of bioluminescent algae on Tír na nÓg.

The light of the outpost grew brighter as I approached. Once through the barrier, I nodded to the guards and set out for the maintenance tower where we stocked the power modules. The small white spiral structure was a twenty-minute walk, next to the central hub, the location of our operations control.

Placing my palm on the scanner, it hummed, then beeped blue. The door rose with a quiet swish. I walked into the central core stairwell and took the third door on the left, opening it with a scan of my palm. White shelves held power modules, their sea urchin-like shape and size no bigger than my fist. Scooping a seaweed gel case from the cabinet, I opened it and gently placed the power module inside. The spines were fragile when not activated, and if I broke too many off, the module wouldn't work. I closed the case, and it sealed, protecting the power module inside.

Maybe I should bring two?

They weren't that large, nor heavy, and it would be better to have a back-up, just in case. Enough had already gone wrong. Unwillingly, my mind flashed on Loki's battered body and face. Tension stiffened my neck and back. I needed to get back in case the dragon gods found them again.

Anxiety firing my veins, I packed a second module, then hurried out of the tower.

A voice called out as I strode down the white path towards the water gate. Turning, I spotted Manannan, and he jogged to reach me.

"Elatha. Wait up. Where are Loki and Shannon?"

"Waiting for me on a beach in China. We needed something before we head to the door to Annwn."

"You got permission from the Shen to travel through their territory, then? Or are you trying to get through, regardless?" Manannan asked as he walked with me towards the water gate.

"We got permission, but Ao Guang and his brothers showed up. Loki's hurt. I need to get back to him," I said, increasing my speed.

"Is there anything I can do? Let me at least guard your back as you return," he offered. "Once you are safely with them, I'll retreat into deeper waters, but you know how to get in touch with me if you need me, right?"

"Appreciated. Yes, I have one of your shells," I agreed. After cycling through the gate, we sped off, and I detailed the fight between us and the dragon gods.