Mist and I made good time to the treaty plains between the Summer and Winter Realms. With short breaks on sparse islands we found along the way, and not sparing any time to sleep for more than an hour, we travelled the distance in two and a half days.

Fog swirled at the edges of the plains, obscuring sight into either of the bright Summer or gloomy Winter Realms. The centre was clear, but only two people awaited us.

Circling to land, I was disappointed to not see Shannon. Only Kara and Roskva were there. Shifting back from the raven to myself, I reached them just as Mist touched down.

"You didn't find Shannon?" I asked, unable to understand how we could have beaten her here.

"No, but we haven't been able to look far," Kara answered.

"Why? Haven't you been here for days?" asked Mist.

"Aren't Thor and Thjalfi looking for her?" I asked, almost on top of Mist's question.

"They had to return to Asgard. Crom and Llew escaped the dungeons," Roskva said, scowling.

"What? How the hell did that happen?" I asked. The dungeons utilized highly advanced magic and numerous protections. And they were well guarded. No one escaped our dungeons.

"I don't—" Kara started, but stopped as the swirling light of the bifrost appeared. When it dissipated, Thor and Thjalfi were standing there.

Thor radiated fury. Rarely was his temper this close to being unleashed. Not only was lightning flashing in his eyes, but it snapped on his fingertips, with the occasional bolt coursing over his body to hit the nearby ground.

"What's happened, Brother?" I asked.

"Llew's wife, Badb, and Nemain got into Asgard somehow without Heimdall seeing them. Badb is a shapeshifter. We believe she killed a guard and imitated him to get inside the dungeons, then the pair of them slaughtered the rest of the guard shift once they were in without a single guard managing to raise the alarm." Thor's voice thundered with the sound of the sky being ripped apart.

He smashed Mjolnir on the ground, creating a crater and venting some of his fury before continuing. "They broke Llew and Crom Cruach out of the dungeon and somehow got out of Asgard. Ambassador Ogma is claiming complete ignorance, but we think they are back here on Alfheim."

"Fucking politicians!" Kara snarled.

Thor snorted. "There are no living witnesses, but we got the two names from one guard who lived long enough to tell us. He died before we could get the memory as proof."

This was bad. Epically, colossally bad.

That they'd gotten in and out of Asgard was unacceptable. That they'd done it and Heimdall hadn't seen them was even worse. We had a serious security problem.

"They killed the entire shift without an alarm being raised?" Mist's tone was incredulous.

Thjalfi scowled. "Badb and Nemain are Goddesses of War, Fear, Panic, and Death." 

Damn. That was a decidedly lethal combination of abilities. No wonder they'd easily taken out all thirty guards. As highly trained as our guards were, they were no match for war goddesses, let alone fear, panic, and death.

Once they had Crom Cruach and Llew free, Crom could easily cloak them in mists that Heimdall couldn't see through. Although it didn't explain how they'd gotten into Asgard.

Thor turned, his gaze searching. "We still haven't located Shannon?" His voice rumbled low across the plain.

"With Manannan leading the way, we met with the Atlanteans. According to Queen Ethniu, Prince Elatha, her son, found Shannon in the Sea of Lantia and was escorting her here. They were supposed to be four days ahead of us," I explained.

"Actually, we figured she'd be here with you when we arrived," Mist added. 

"We flew directly here across the water from the Tunnels of Glass, the nearest passageway between the underground seas and the surface ocean. Manannan is taking the land route along the closest shore in the Winter Realm in case they went that way. It's longer, so he's at least four days behind us," I said.

"Well, if the two of you didn't see them on the water, then they've got to be coming along the shore, right?" Kara asked.

"Yes," I agreed.

"So then, let's work our way back along that route from here to find her. I don't want my pregnant sister travelling through the Winter Realm with just one protector when Crom and Llew are back on the loose!" Thor boomed.

"Agreed, but someone still needs to stay here in case they took a slightly different route through the water, or under the water, or something," I mused. As the God of Chaos, I knew how even the best laid plans went awry. Unpredictable, chaotic things happened that could change outcomes. I wanted to cover all bases and not miss her this time.

"Oh, fine. Kara and I can stay, since no one should be on their own in this cursed realm," Roskva volunteered. "Plus, someone needs to be here to let the other search parties know."

Kara nodded. "You can travel faster and search more ground that way."

Mist flew up into the air. "We'll head that way." 

We needed to go to the shoreline. The landmass curved not far from here, and the shortest direction back to the ocean from here was to travel into the Winter Realm.

Thjalfi set off running, while Thor, Mist, and I took to the air. I shifted to a raven, and we spread out. With the cloaking fog, we had to stay in sight of one another.

It was several hours before we reached the ocean. Turning to follow it, we headed deeper into the Winter Realm. Flying slower, closer together, and lower to the ground in the poor visibility of the gloom, we couldn't go as fast.

After six hours, we stopped to take a break and eat.

"I hope I encounter Llew or Crom out here," Thor rumbled. "No prisoners this time."

I nodded. "That's what I want to hear. Not just for the guards, but it didn't sit right with me that captivity in the dungeons was the only penalty after what they did to Shannon."

"Father agrees, Loki. He's ordered their deaths. We tried the diplomatic route," Thor said.

Surprised but pleased, I knew Odin used lethal force when necessary. "But I don't want them out here before we've found Shannon, Thor. She's my priority right now, and then I'll help you squash those cockroaches."

"As it should be. I don't like how long she's been out here on her own. She's in her third trimester and I saw how difficult that was for Elise. Even as an immortal goddess, I can't imagine how Shannon is dealing with it. I'm scared for her and my nephew, Brother. I don't know how you aren't losing your mind." Thor shook his head, frowning.

"Well, for the last week, I'd hoped she was already with you, my big brother, and well protected. Now that I know she isn't, yes, it's scaring me. Both Queen Ethniu and Manannan assure me that Prince Elatha would protect her with his life, so at least she isn't on her own out here, but damn, Thor. I'm really trying to keep it together and not freak out."

The churning panic in my gut continually tried to bubble up, and I stuffed it back down, walling it off. If I thought too much about what could have gone wrong for her not to be here already, it started to overwhelm me.

My fists clenched and unclenched as I worked to calm my breathing so I could still think clearly.

I stood up. I couldn't sit anymore.

"Ready to press on?" I asked.

Thjalfi stuffed his last bite into his mouth and nodded, starting to run.

Thor swung Mjolnir until he was aloft, Mist springing up into the air with him. I shifted to a raven and launched myself, joining them.

Sweeping back and forth from the coast in as far as we could see without losing sight of the shore, then back out over the water, we continued to work our way deeper into the Winter Realm. We were talking about taking another break when Mist shouted.

The closest to her, I swooped over to join her as she peered into the gloom in front of her. There. Was that someone sitting in the shallow water by the shore? I sped up, pulling ahead of Mist.

It was. It was two people.

Diving, I shifted to myself and landed a short distance from them.

Shock stopped me in my tracks.

I couldn't breathe.

I couldn't breathe.

My mind wouldn't process what I was seeing.

No.

It couldn't be.

No!

"Loki?" she said.

NO!

My heart breaking, I fled.