by J. C. Diem
“What world will they be going to?” She didn’t ask what would happen to the prisoners who weren’t destined to become clones. She had a feeling she wouldn’t want to hear the answer.
“One of Uldar’s choosing.” It would take far too long to fly to the doomed planet. Instead, the Viltarans would use some of King Rho’s portals to get their troops there. The magical doorways hadn’t yet been tuned to the chosen world. For now, the captives would be kept in cells.
“Is Uldar the leader of the Viltarans?” At his nod, the look she sent him was almost pitying. “Are the Grimgorg going to take over Asgard?”
He nodded again and slumped back against the couch. “That was the bargain I struck with King Rho.”
Bianca shook her head in bewilderment. “I can’t imagine beings as ugly and awful as the Grimgorg living on your home world.”
He couldn’t either, but it was too late to stop the inevitable now. Odin, Thor and the rest of the fabled warriors of Asgard were gone and the civilians had been collared by magic. He had no use for Asgard when there were so many other worlds out there that were ripe for the plucking.
Wishing she could query Loki about his motives for needing to conquer, Bianca held her questions inside. The demi-god had withdrawn into himself and she sensed it would be unwise to badger him. If she displeased him, he might hand her over to either the Grimgorg, or the Viltarans.
His gaze sharpened when he saw something different appear on the screen. It seemed that the US military hadn’t given up on defending their country. They’d just sent another contingent of jets to combat the Viltaran ships.
Bianca clutched her forgotten mug of coffee as the jets flashed towards Manhattan. Keeping their distance this time, they began firing at the small black space crafts that were ferrying captives to the invisible mothership.
Loki cursed and plonked his mug down on the coffee table. Apart from a lone Viltaran droid, the transport vessels were packed full of humans. The fools were shooting their own people out of the sky and Uldar was making no attempt to destroy the jets this time. Since it was daytime, he was probably asleep. Even the Viltarans couldn’t stay awake indefinitely. “Wait here and do not attempt to leave the building,” he ordered Bianca. “You will not enjoy the consequences if I am forced to search for you.”
Nodding, Bianca cringed away from the intensity in his eyes. Loki surged to his feet, snatched up his sword again and left.
~~~
Chapter Five
~~~ Lexi’s World ~~~
It took Lexi a couple of hours to tell her team what had transpired on Natalie’s world. Their expressions ranged from being amused, to stunned. They were concerned by the end of her tale. Hearing that her inner necromancer had been so hard to control had worried them the most. They’d seen the damage zombies could wreak. If she hadn’t managed to send the animated corpses back into the ground, they would have gone on a never-ending rampage and eaten anything that moved.
“So,” Kala said when the silence drew out, “Loki will be returning to cause more mayhem on our world.” Her lips thinned in anger. The Asgardian was the one who had created shifters so long ago. Now he was going to return to take over the entire world and enslave humanity.
Mark and Philip exchanged glances that spoke volumes. Neither of them wanted to say what was on their minds.
“What?” Lexi asked. It almost came out as a demand. “You obviously know something the rest of us don’t.”
Flynn assessed their worried faces and sighed. “You might as well tell us. Keeping us in the dark isn’t going to help.”
“We’re concerned about the possible impact it will have among shifters when Loki returns,” Mark said.
Philip was far more direct. “He created us, so it’s possible he might be able to control us.”
Shocked noises sounded at that possibility. Reece’s hand tightened on Lexi’s shoulder protectively. “Lexi and I aren’t just shifters,” he pointed out. “We’re also part vampire. There’s a chance he won’t be able to control us.”
“Yeah, but that doesn’t apply to the rest of our kind,” Kala said unhappily. She’d been beneath the control of a more powerful being before. She didn’t relish the idea of her mind being taken over again.
“We’re the supreme alphas of all were-species,” Reece pointed out. “Maybe that will be stronger than whatever power Loki might have over you.” He didn’t sound very confident about that.
Lexi leaned against him and tried to control her fear. They had no way of knowing how powerful their version of Loki would be until after he showed up. Long ago, he’d shown his disregard for human life by changing some Vikings into ravenous animals. After they’d served their purpose, he hadn’t reversed his spell before leaving Earth. “The Asgardians wiped out the Viltarans when they were here a couple of thousand years or so ago,” she mused. “I wonder what allies he’ll have this time?”
Lifting a hand to cover a yawn, Nat was suddenly feeling very sleepy. “Be glad the Viltarans aren’t going to show up here,” she said. “Believe me, you don’t want to face them, their droids, or their clones anytime soon.”
“What’s wrong with you?” Violet asked. The vampire was struggling to keep her eyes open.
“Dawn is almost here,” Mark said. “It seems Natalie isn’t impervious to the sun now that she’s in our dimension.”
Feeling dawn drawing closer, Nat tried to force herself to stay awake, but she knew it was a losing battle. “Ah, crap,” she had time to utter before the first rays of sun touched the building and she became an inert corpse.
Violet caught Natalie before she could fall off the couch. “Great,” she said in resignation. “One of our best fighters is going to be useless during the day.”
Kala sniggered, then attempted to look chastened at the withering look Mark shot her. “She doesn’t exactly look all that badass when she’s a lifeless cadaver,” she said defensively. Deep down, she was feeling insecure about the warrior’s beauty and status of being one of Fate’s champions. It was a relief to see the vampire wasn’t an ultimate weapon in their dimension. On this world, she was just a normal vampire with a couple of extra perks.
Zeus approached the unmoving woman and sniffed her hands that were lying lax in her lap. He cocked an ear and looked at his mistress.
Lexi picked up on his thought. “Yeah, she’s undead,” she said into his mind and out loud. He made an inquisitive whine in the back of his throat. “She’s a vampire,” she added and sent him a picture of herself when she let her vamp come forward. Zeus bared his teeth a little. He hated the undead almost as much as shifters did. His love for Lexi overruled his loathing of that aspect of her. At least he now understood why he didn’t like Natalie very much. He’d seen vampires before, but this one was different from the others. She was undead, but she wasn’t filled with evil.
“Reece, can you carry Natalie up to one of the spare bedrooms?” Mark asked.
Leaving his seat, Reece picked Nat up while Violet grabbed her swords. “I might as well show you to one of the rooms as well,” he said. The teen nodded and followed him over to the spiral staircase.
Violet kept a few feet between herself and the shifter as he carried Nat upstairs. It was dizzying climbing the tight spiral stairs. She paused to look around when she reached the top. Dark blue carpet covered the floor and flowed into a hallway across from the stairs. A table to the left caught her eye. She wasn’t an electronics expert, but she was pretty sure the entire thing was a computer. Several monitors hung on the walls. There was enough equipment here to run a small country. To the right was a black L shaped leather couch and coffee table, as well as more electronic equipment.
Reece continued down the hallway, stopping at the third door on the left. He waited for Violet to open it before stepping inside. He placed Natalie on the queen-size bed while Violet leaned the swords in a corner of the room. They would be in Nat’s line of sight when she woke up after darkness fell.
“You can u
se the room next door,” Reece offered and escorted her to the fourth room along.
Violet took a quick look inside to see another queen-size bed and modern looking dresser. She was glad to see she had her own bathroom. If she was going to be spending at least a few days here, it would be nice to have a place she could retreat to where she could be alone.
~~~
Chapter Six
~~~ Lexi’s World ~~~
Returning to the living room, they took their seats again. A fresh cup of tea waited for Violet. She took a sip and noted there was no sugar and that the right amount of cream had been added to it. Catching Kala’s inquisitive look, she nodded in thanks. From the self-satisfied grin on the cougar, she’d made the beverage for her.
Mark looked at Violet speculatively. As one of Fate’s chosen, the young woman was highly gifted on her world. She’d only been here for a short time and hadn’t had the chance to test her limits yet. “I’m curious, Violet,” he began delicately. Her gaze shifted to him and she knew what he wanted even before he continued. “Can you call on your weapon in this dimension?”
Violet had been putting off testing the rest of her powers, but she already knew this one still worked. She’d been fairly weak in Nat’s world and she was pretty sure the same applied here. Putting her tea down, she held out her hand and concentrated. Her dagger appeared on cue. The glow was much brighter now, indicating that every being in this room was dangerous.
“Neat,” Kala declared. “Can you turn it into something else?” She clapped in approval when it changed shape and became a double-bladed axe. “That’s awesome,” she said wistfully, wishing she had a magical weapon of her own.
Smiling slightly, Violet willed the weapon away. “It comes in handy,” she agreed. Like Geordie from Nat’s world, Kala reminded her of her two best friends, Sam and Leo. She might be in her twenties, but the shifter was just as mischievous as they were.
“Can you change into another form?” Mark asked. His hand twitched towards the tablet he kept in an inner pocket of his jacket. It was automatic for him to record any new creatures that his team encountered. Formerly known as the Track and Kill Squad, they’d officially been renamed the Shifter Squad. There was no use in hiding their identities now that the entire world was aware shifters, vampires and all sorts of other monsters were real.
Drawing on her inner strength, Violet tried to call on her demonic form. Instead of turning into a hulking twelve-foot horror, pure white wings burst from her back. One of them bumped into Ava and Mark had to catch his girlfriend before she was knocked off the couch.
“Holy crap!” Kala exclaimed in amazed disbelief. “You’re an angel!” The girl’s face and body had undergone subtle changes, making her almost ethereal in her beauty.
“I’m only half angel,” Violet corrected her. If she’d been a full angel, she would have appeared in a white robe, golden belt and sandals and a halo.
Ava cautiously stroked her hand down the soft feathers of Violet’s wing. A sense of peace and calmness poured into her at the contact, but beneath it she could sense rage and pain. “You have conflicting personalities,” she said. “You are in a constant struggle to rein in your other half and to not allow it to take control.”
“I’m used to it by now,” Violet said with a shrug. It wasn’t that much of a struggle for her anymore. She had her two halves firmly in hand and they balanced each other perfectly.
“May I?” Mark asked, pointing at her wings.
Realizing this was most likely the only time they’d ever get to see an angel in person, Violet stood and stretched her wings out. They spanned thirty feet in length. “Go ahead,” she invited them all. “Just don’t pull any of my feathers out.” She smirked to show she was joking. Her feathers didn’t come out easily.
Mark took photos of her from all angles with his tablet, then everyone crowded around to examine her in awe. This was a vastly different reaction to the one she would have received if she’d appeared in her demonic form. Normal humans would have run screaming in terror. This group would have at least been startled and horrified.
“Your wings have somehow appeared without tearing your jacket and shirt apart,” Mark noted. “I assume this is due to celestial magic?”
Violet shrugged and Flynn staggered back when she bumped him with her wing. She sent him an apologetic look. “Sorry, I’m still not used to having wings yet.”
“That’s okay,” he replied with a grin. “It was like being hit with a gigantic pillow.”
Glad he wasn’t angry, she folded her wings back to keep them out of the way and turned to Mark. “You’re right about it being magic, but I’m not sure I could classify it as being celestial. I have leathery black wings when I’m in my demonic form.”
“Demons are fallen angels,” Philip pointed out. “Their wings might be different, but they’re still made from the same genetic material.”
Kala looked at her mate proudly. “That’s why I love you,” she said. “You’re not just a pretty face and a hot body.”
Lexi grimaced slightly and looked away when the pair kissed. She was glad her father had found love again, but their public displays of affection still had the power to make her feel uncomfortable.
“Get a room,” Flynn said and rolled his eyes. Philip broke off the kiss and sent him a steady look that didn’t intimidate the shifter at all. They might not be the same species, but they were all part of the same pack. It would take divine intervention to make them turn on each other.
Now that they’d sated their curiosity, Violet made her wings disappear. She didn’t need to check to know her clothes would be whole again. It was one of the mysteries of being who and what she was that her clothes weren’t shredded when she took on her other forms.
Everyone took their seats again and they returned to the reason why they’d gathered together. “Loki and his allies targeted Denver on Natalie’s world,” Mark said. “I wonder if he’ll strike there in our reality as well?”
Denver had seen its fair share of weirdness during Lexi’s first mission with the squad. But being invaded by aliens would be a whole different ball game.
“We won’t know until they appear and begin capturing, or converting the civilians,” Philip said. “For now, we’re just going to have to wait.”
“We should let our shifter allies know that trouble is coming,” Lexi said. Everyone turned to her expectantly. “I guess I’m going to have to be the one to tell them,” she added wryly when no one volunteered for the job.
“You and Reece are our alphas,” her dad reminded her, not that she needed it. “It makes sense that you should tell them.”
Reece didn’t look happy about it, but he nodded in acceptance that he would have to accompany his mate. While he got along with most of the shifters, there was one particular group that he wasn’t looking forward to visiting.
“I’m sure Cole will be ecstatic to see you guys,” Kala said with a smirk that seemed forced.
Violet sensed there was a lot she didn’t know about the shifter community. She was also sure she was going to learn far more about them during her time in this dimension.
~~~
Chapter Seven
~~~ Grimgorg World ~~~
Sitting on a reed mat on the spongy wooden floor of his squalid hut, Loki hunched over the fire in an attempt to keep warm. His magic kept the fire from burning his dwelling to the ground. The Grimgorg planet was one humongous swamp, which meant the air was perpetually damp. Solid ground was hard to find, so most of their villages were built on stilts with rope and plank bridges spanning the buildings.
Hearing the throaty, grating voices of his alien allies approaching, he grimaced. With a wave of his hand, he put the fire out and stood. The ceiling was far too low for him to stand upright, which meant he had to crouch a little. Knowing his allies were a proud race, he tended to wear a plain green tunic and brown trousers when he was in their presence. While diplomacy didn’t come to him naturally, he knew it was n
ecessary if he wanted to remain in King Rho’s good graces. He’d learned that much from his doppelgangers in other realities. The portals were his only way off this dank and unpleasant world, so he had to keep the peace.
The Grimgorg portals were truly works of wonder. Not only windows to other versions of their own world, they could also be used to spy on other planets. As one of Loki’s counterparts had discovered, his magic could transform them from mere windows into doorways. It was thanks to this skill that he had forged an agreement with King Rho to join forces with him.
After his hideous little allies had helped Loki to evict Odin and his warriors from Asgard, he’d agreed to return to the Grimgorg planet to wait. Meanwhile, King Rho had been attempting to negotiate terms with another race who they hoped would become their allies.
Unfortunately, their options for gathering allies were rather limited. Loki had been involved in hunting down the Viltarans when they had sent a ship to Midgard long ago. It wouldn’t have been wise to approach them considering he and his people had wiped the entire contingent of invaders out. They had long memories and held a grudge against Loki and his kind.
Besides, from what he had seen while spying on Viltar through a portal, there were very few of the aliens left now. Over the eons, their planet had become a ruined wasteland. The survivors had apparently fled to cities that had been built beneath the ground. They were so bloodthirsty that they’d almost killed off their own species through infighting. It was probably best to leave them to their fate rather than attempt to embroil them in his quest.
