Darcy didn’t know what to do, so she stayed in their room until Mike came to fetch them. She made the bed, hiding the stained sheets, and sat toward the foot to read her book while Loki kept a constant watch out the window. She didn’t know what he was looking at, and didn’t particularly care as long as it kept his attention off of her. There was something different about him now; something terrifying and powerful that she didn’t want to test. As if whatever he had done to her, whatever he had taken from her, had fed into him somehow.

By the time Mike finally knocked on their door, morning had crept closer to day, with the sun high behind the clouds above. He paused at the door, staring at Darcy in a way that made her skin crawl, but she didn’t have to guess at why. She hadn’t seen for herself, but she had no doubt that Loki had left bruises. But before Mike could say anything, Loki stepped closer to pick up their bag and sling it over his shoulder. Darcy watched quietly as Mike’s attention shifted to Loki. Anything he might have wanted to say evaporated, and even from where she sat, she could tell that Mike was afraid of making any wrong steps around his terrifying houseguest. Whatever had changed in Loki, Mike could see it too.

"Train leaves in about an hour," he said instead. "We should get going."

Darcy nodded and got up, slipping her book into the front pocket of her hoodie. She thought she might trail behind, but Loki clearly wasn’t moving until she got up and left first.

"I have to pee first," she said, getting up.

She wasn’t going to ask Loki’s permission to pee. If he thought he could control that, then he’d have to deal with what came next. Luckily, he didn’t object. He only sighed and trailed close behind her on the way to the bathroom, obviously waiting outside the door. Darcy quickly closed and locked it behind her, and for the first time in entirely too long, felt like she could breathe. She didn’t have much time though, and she knew it. While she sat on the toilet, Darcy looked around for anything that might be able to help her, but aside from a toothbrush and a razor, Mike’s bathroom was woefully unequipped. She used toilet paper to try to clean herself out, but he’d got in there too deep, and she knew that it had been too long, and the potential damage was already done. Still she tried, feeling like she’d never be clean again.

The sound of a fist pounding against the other side of the door—just once, but sharp enough for the intent to be clear—startled her so badly she nearly fell over. She was out of time.

"Yep, hang on!" Darcy shouted, pulling up her pants.

She flushed and turned on the sink to scrub her hands, trying not to think about the lunacy she had found herself involved with. Taking a moment to make sure she wasn’t about to cry, Darcy caught herself in the mirror. The marks on her jaw weren’t as dark as she’d expected them to be. More red than proper bruises, but it was still clear that she had been grabbed and held down by her face. Sighing and wishing she hadn’t seen it, Darcy turned to open the door and face her demise.

"Let’s go," she said, avoiding looking up at Loki as she walked past him where he’d stood guard outside.

Mike led them back out to his car, and even though he unlocked the front passenger door, Loki herded Darcy into the back with him. She moved over to the other side, sitting against the far door with as much space between them as possible, and was glad when Loki didn’t chase her across the seat. Instead, he kept a sharp watch out the windows, wide awake and alert like she’d never seen him. And in her gut, she knew he wouldn’t have been miserable the entire trip if she had let him have his way sooner. She kept fighting him off, and for the entire trip he seemed to get worse and worse with each passing day. It wasn’t fair. Her resentment mixed with an uncomfortable guilt she didn’t know what to do with, however much she knew it might have been true. Their situation would not be what it was if she hadn’t kept rejecting him. She might not have even been in Canada at all if she’d not rejected him that first night.

She tried not to think about it as they drove in a tense silence. Mike didn’t seem to have much to say, and Loki was apparently on his own lookout mission. Darcy ignored both of them as she watched the city glide by out the window as they made their way to the train station.

They got to the giant grey stone building and parked next to a black pickup truck. Mike got out first and walked over to the truck, leaning into the driver’s window. Darcy couldn’t hear them speaking as she watched from the back seat, unsure what to expect. Finally, Mike opened the driver’s door of the car and got back in.

"Tickets," he said, handing them both back.

Darcy reached for them, but Loki snatched them out of Mike’s hand first, studying them with a critical gaze. Mike watched him for a moment, but didn’t argue.

"You’ll want to go inside. The platform and all your information should be written down." He gestured vaguely toward the tickets in Loki’s hand. "They put you in a sleeper. Less chance of being seen that way."

Darcy nodded, already dreading it. Mike was right. It was safer. But it was also a disaster waiting to happen. She’d much rather have spent the trip in coach.

But if they were in a sleeper, she wondered how long the train ride was going to be. At least overnight. She could sleep in coach for a night. But Canada was huge, and she had no idea where they were actually going from the station.

"Thanks," she said instead. "For everything."

She took a deep breath and opened her door. As she stepped out into the parking lot, Darcy looked around the city around them, all tall buildings and bare, leafless trees. They had to keep going. There was no stopping, but Darcy could not make her feet move. She knew what came next; more time in a tiny room with only Loki to keep her company.

She finally started moving when he took her by the wrist and pulled her along into the building. His stride was fast and deliberate, forcing her to move quickly to keep up.

"You’re hurting me," she said, trying to pull free of his grasp.

He didn’t let go, but he did loosen his grip. Darcy hated that she was grateful for it.

"What is this now?" he asked as they stepped inside the station.

"Another train. Like the one we took before," Darcy said. "We have a private cabin this time, so it’s probably going to be a long trip."

Loki nodded as he looked around the station. A moment later, he handed the tickets over so Darcy could figure out where they were supposed to be.

"Over…here," she said, spotting a desk with a person who might have been able to tell them where to go.

She started to walk toward the desk, but was surprised when Loki held her back. Thinking he wasn’t paying attention, she looked up at him and tried to pull him along, but something was wrong. A benefit of him feeling better was that he seemed to have more expressions on his face beyond exhausted and ill. Now, he seemed almost angry.

"We’re being followed," he said suddenly.

Darcy froze, trying to look around without seeming like she was looking around. She wondered if Loki just seemed taller because he was able to stand under his own weight, or if she was imagining it, but she realised he very much stood out in the crowd.

She also realised they hadn’t taken the time to hide themselves before they left. There wasn’t any time now, and somehow she thought Loki was hardly in the mood to start cutting himself open again.

"What do we do?" she asked.

Loki looked around, making it seem perfectly casual, like he was trying to figure out where he was meant to be.

"We need to hide," he said.

Darcy expected him to start running. Instead, he leaned toward her and pulled her into a kiss. Darcy tried to pull away, both from the shock and the taste of sulphur in her mouth, but he held her tight, not letting her move so much as an inch away. Then, he was done. He stepped back again and looked around while Darcy wiped her mouth and glared up at him. She hated everything about him in that moment, and turned to find who was following them, half tempted to give them away. But Loki pulled on her again, making tracks toward the counter.

She knew there was no escaping. Loki was in charge, and would not let her leave his side until he finished his goal. Whatever that was.

When they got to the counter, Darcy tried to put on a happy smile for the clerk.

"Hi. We’re a bit lost. Where do we go?" she asked, handing over the tickets.

The clerk glanced up at her, either not noticing the marks on her face, or being entirely too professional to give away that he had. He looked over the tickets, and then pointed toward a door at the other end of the building.

"Just over there. They’re about to call boarding pretty soon. Show the conductor your tickets, and he’ll tell you where to go," he said, handing them back.

Darcy kept her cheery smile as she took the tickets. "Thank you," she said.

She turned back to Loki and sighed as he led her toward the doors. If there was still a way out, she was running out of time to find it.