Page 27 of Loki

Thor transformed from beaming bridegroom to god of thunder in an instant. "Don't worry, we'll go find it," he growled, dragging Sibyl after him.

Jorunn wanted to follow, but Lara wrapped an arm around her waist, pressing a cup of something alcoholic into her hand, insisting she drink a toast to the happy couple.

Everyone cheered and drank, while Jorunn muttered something about this being madness, as she drained her cup.

Oh, fuck, that was potent. Unlike the aquavit, though, sweetness coated the burn all the way down the back of her throat.

Maybe she should have one more cup...

TWENTY-EIGHT

Finally, Jorunn managed to get out of the mess tent and back to hers. Loki was standing outside, still holding the satphone.

"Can I have that?" she asked. "If I show that to Karl, it'll be proof that Nik's the thief, not me."

"Sure," he said, handing it over. "I'll wait for you inside, so we can celebrate." He winked and disappeared into her tent.

Weren't Thor and Sibyl in there? Newlyweds, doing...the sort of stuff just married people did?

She waited for a moment, half expecting to see Loki come flying back out, but nothing happened. Actually, it was pretty quiet, like the tent was empty.

She shook herself. She was just delaying the inevitable. She had to go catch Karl before he went to bed, prove her innocence, once and for all, and then she could go to bed, too.

Jorunn stepped inside the mess tent, phone held out in front of her, only to find the tent was empty.

"So you're thief who went through my tent and stole my phone." Nik stepped into the tent behind her, blocking her exit.

"I'm not a thief – you are, and I have proof!" she said, brandishing the phone.

"You mean a phone full of pictures that could belong to anyone? Right now, it looks like it belongs to you, seeing as you stole it," Nik said.

"I did not! I'm going to give it to Karl and..."

"I'll say it's not mine. That it's yours. Who will he believe? The thief, or the colleague he's known for years?"

Jorunn swallowed. No one ever believed her. No one. Except Loki, and he wasn't here.

Nik held out his hand. "Give me the phone."

Jorunn shook her head. "It's all the proof I have, until someone pays a visit to the lab and looks in the waste containers."

"Proof that incriminates you, not me, as long as you're the one holding the phone. Now, if you give the phone to me, things might go easier for you. Especially if you haven't made any calls yet."

Fuck. She should have tried to call someone. Because all he had to do was make a call, and those waste containers would vanish before anyone could reach them.

Now it was too late.

"Karl will be back in a moment. What'll it be, Aussie girl? Do you want to be deported as a thief, stripped of your medal, and never work in academia again? Or give me back my phone, keep your mouth shut, and come to my tent tonight to compensate me for the mess you've made?"

Fuck fuck fuck. If they'd found even one artefact. One stolen thing...where had he hidden them all?

Without any proof, it was her word against his, and she knew who Karl believed.

Fuck.

Wordlessly, she handed over the phone.

Just a moment before Karl walked in.

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