God Of Mayhem (Fate's Warriors Book 2)

by J. C. Diem

  “You’re not Carmen,” the man said stupidly. “Who the hell are you?”

  “He’s Loki, the new lord and master of the human race,” Bianca said and brushed past him to enter the penthouse. “I suggest you start running before he chops you to pieces with his sword.”

  Spluttering in outrage, the wealthy man tugged his robe shut. “I don’t know who you really are, but I demand you leave immediately.” Either he wasn’t aware of what had happened in New York, or he was in denial.

  Loki grabbed the man by his jowly throat and allowed the illusion of his black suit to disappear. Clad in leather and his golden helmet, he lifted the man up until they were eye to eye. “Bianca gave you some very good advice. I suggest you heed it before I run out of what little patience I possess.”

  Staring into the cold, deadly blue eyes of his attacker, the man nodded as best as he could while in the grip of the god. “I need my clothes,” he said in a strangled whisper.

  Loki dropped him to the floor just as Bianca reappeared with an armful of clothing. She shoved the bundle into the man’s arms. Staggering to catch his balance, he fled before the Asgardian could change his mind and slice his head off.

  “Thank you for not killing him,” Bianca said.

  Loki lifted a sardonic brow and pointed downwards. “We’d never have gotten the bloodstains out of the carpet,” he said drolly.

  While the carpet was deep, cream and plush, she didn’t believe for an instant that he cared about its state. She suspected he hadn’t killed the man because he didn’t want her to start crying. He grew uncomfortable the few times she’d turned on the waterworks. Bianca didn’t kid herself that he cared about her. He’d made it very plain that she was just a servant to him. She suspected he just didn’t like the noise she made when she was distressed.

  Loki picked up her suitcase and stepped inside, then used his magic to lock the door. He’d caught glimpses of a Viltaran droid and one of Rho’s soldiers following them. His allies were keeping him under watch, which meant they trusted him about as much as he trusted them. It cost him to use his magic, but no one could penetrate the barrier he’d set over the door. Then again, Fate didn’t seem to have any problems popping in and out whenever she pleased.

  Bianca took her suitcase from Loki and went in search of somewhere to stash it. Their last base of operations had been luxurious and this one was almost as extravagant. The carpet flowed from the entrance to the living and dining rooms. She performed a quick tour through the penthouse to see black marble covering the floors and counters in the kitchen and bathrooms.

  There were three bedrooms this time. Somehow, she doubted Loki would trust her enough to let her sleep alone. He’d insisted on her sharing his bed each night so he could keep an eye on her. It was depressing to realize she probably wouldn’t run even if she thought she might be able to get away from him. The Viltarans and Grimgorg were relentless in their pursuit of captives. If she attempted to hide somewhere in the city, they would find her with their scanners. Then she would suffer the same fate as the rest of the population.

  Leaving her suitcase in the master bedroom, Bianca worked her way back to the living room to see Loki sitting on the couch. His helmet was gone, but he was still wearing his black, green and gold leather outfit. He was fascinated with watching the invasion being portrayed on TV. Instead of participating in the hunt with his allies, he seemed to prefer to watch the action.

  Spying a balcony through a set of doors just beyond the dining room, she stepped outside to watch the roundup that was going on below. The alien invaders were becoming more efficient with practice. They were learning how humans typically reacted to being hunted. Loki planned to concentrate on large cities first. He was in no particular rush, since there was little resistance being made by the government. They’d learned that it was futile to defy him after he’d disabled their jets.

  From the constant sounds of gunfire, the civilians were putting up a decent fight this time. Every now and then, violet light would flare from the weapons the Viltarans used to destroy metal objects. Bianca was glad the sight of her fellow humans being cloned or shackled was lost in darkness. Come morning, the view would return again.

  This struggle would go on for months. When the US was eventually devoid of people, they would move on to other countries. Loki didn’t need to keep any of the collared humans for himself just yet. Once two billion humans had been captured as per his agreement with his allies, King Rho and Uldar would then assist him to enslave the remaining population of Earth. The Grimgorg shamans had stripped Manhattan of the metal they needed to forge tens of millions more necklaces. They would continue to scavenge for materials until they had enough for their purposes.

  Soon, five billion humans would become members of Loki’s private army. Many would become soldiers and they would assist him with his quest to rule the universe. The rest would remain here to become breeders to make new soldiers. It would take a long time to quell all the worlds that were occupied with intelligent lifeforms. She wondered if he would take her with him when he shifted his attention to another planet. Somehow, she doubted it. Her destiny lay on her home planet, not on alien soil.

  Bianca stared out at the lights of the city for a long time. Bright violet beams continued to flare intermittently from Viltaran weapons. Then a different type of light blazed from somewhere inside the city. She realized the bright orange and yellow streak of light was a missile a moment before it hit one of the alien transport ships.

  Whoever had fired the missile didn’t care that the ship was carrying human cargo. It hit the craft dead on and she put her hands over her ears to block the noise when it exploded. Fire, metal and body parts fell from the sky, hitting the ground where more of the captured were placidly waiting to be carried away. Her scream of horror was drowned out by the sound of the ship crashing back down to Earth.

  Loki appeared beside her with his sword in his hand. His expression was livid as he glared downward. Another missile was fired and he targeted the area where it had originated from. Taking Bianca by the arm, he escorted her back to the elevator.

  When they exited the building, Bianca had to run to keep up with Loki. Tripping over a discarded handbag, she went down to her knees. He hauled her to her feet again without missing a step. His teeth were clenched in rage and she was terrified to make a sound in case he took his anger out on her.

  They spied armored trucks ahead and Loki detoured into an alley rather than striding down the main street. Soldiers in camouflage gear were loading up a missile launcher to target another ship. They were using the darkness to hide their activities, but they hadn’t been stealthy enough. It was only a matter of time before the Viltarans found them, but Loki had discovered them first.

  Bianca winced when another rocket was fired from somewhere else in Dallas. Moments later, another ship went down in a fiery crash. Their defense was pitiful, but at least the soldiers were making a stand, even if it wouldn’t be enough to save the populace from enslavement. The ships were convenient to ferry Uldar’s captives to his mothership, but they weren’t necessary. Rho’s portals worked just as effectively at short range as they did at long range.

  Motioning for Bianca to remain quiet and to stay out of sight, Loki left her standing in the shadows of the alley and strode over to the small group of soldiers. “Would you mind terribly not shooting down my allies and their human cargo?” he said politely.

  One of the soldiers swore and pulled his handgun. He fired a shot, but the demi-god had already moved to safety. His bullet hit his commanding officer in the chest instead and he fell with a pained gurgle. A short, but nasty battle ensued. Loki used his sword to strike his foes down until he was left standing in the midst of carnage. Bodies lay at his feet and he was surrounded by a spreading pool of blood. He’d conserved his magic and had used skill and brute strength to prevail.

  Sensing someone watching him, he looked up to see Bianca had moved closer. Her expression was oddly blank as she too
k in the blood and body parts. Then she turned and sprinted back towards the alley. At first, he thought she was trying to run from him. As he ran after her, he heard her heaving up her last meal. He decided it would be best to keep his distance until she was finished.

  Trembling and struggling not to vomit again, Bianca’s head swam and she was on the verge of fainting. Loki could be so charming at times that she could almost forget what he really was. Seeing him laying waste to the soldiers so viciously and efficiently had brought her back to her senses. It had reminded her that he was ruthless and cared for only one thing; conquest and domination. He’d slaughtered the men without a shred of remorse, but he’d been so graceful while doing so that she’d almost admired his skill with a blade.

  “Are you alright?” he asked in a neutral tone when she finally pushed herself to her feet again.

  “Sure. I’m just peachy,” she said in a hoarse voice. “Who wouldn’t be alright after seeing people reduced to small chunks of meat like that?” As soon as she said it, she regretted it and immediately bent over to heave again. Loki reached for her arm and she blanched. “Don’t touch me!” she said harshly. She wasn’t sure she could stand to have him touch her without screaming. “I don’t need your help.”

  “Fine,” he said tightly, inexplicably injured by her rejection. “Then if you’ll be so kind as to keep up with me, it seems I have more soldiers to chastise.” Two more ships had been shot down by missiles while she’d been throwing up.

  “I can’t watch that again,” Bianca said and put her hands over her face in distress. “I don’t care if you kill me, I can’t watch you murdering more people right in front of me.”

  She sounded so defeated that he felt a twinge of remorse. Humans weren’t as warlike as his kind tended to be. She wasn’t used to seeing her kin die and she’d reached her limit. Now he was in a quandary. Fate had warned him to watch Bianca and to keep her safe, but he couldn’t allow the soldiers to continue shooting down his allies. “If I return you to the apartment, will you stay there and wait for me to return?”

  Surprised that he was giving her a choice, Bianca dropped her hands. Loki was watching her warily, clearly unwilling to trust her. “I promise I’ll be there when you return,” she said and she meant it. She was too tired and heartsick to run.

  Nodding, he escorted her back to the penthouse. He left her standing in the living room and went to tend to his business. He locked the door with magic so she couldn’t have fled even if she’d wanted to. She may have promised not to leave, but his trust didn’t stretch far enough to believe her.

  ~~~

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  ~~~ Lexi’s World ~~~

  Raising zombies was much easier to do at night. Lexi knew that raising a large number of undead wouldn’t be a chore for her now that the sun had set. She found some clothes that fit her well enough, then she and her team returned to the nearby cemetery where the fallen PIA agents had been buried. She’d used them during the last apocalypse and they were now going to come in handy again. There were only a thousand or so in total, but they were well-trained and had been shown how to use modern weapons. With her friends’ help, she sprinkled blood on their graves. Cromby had sent some of his guards along to help speed up the process. She could raise the dead without blood, but it took more of her strength than she could afford to lose right now.

  Nat stood with her arms crossed, watching the shifters and humans spread out to visit every grave. She and Violet stood just outside the gates of the boneyard. Thanks to Nat’s vampirism, she couldn’t enter consecrated ground. She’d tried and her entire body had begun to sting like it was on fire.

  “Do you think we should help them?” Violet asked.

  Nat turned to her in horror at that suggestion. “Hell no! Don’t you remember the things that happened on my world when my blood was used in scientific experiments?” It had all been in the chronicles that Danton had written. Besides, if she attempted to step onto the holy ground again, she would probably burst into flames.

  Reminded of the horde of monsters that had been created, Violet nodded. “Oh, yeah. Scrap that thought. I have no idea what would happen if I used my blood to animate a zombie either.”

  Overhearing them, Mark’s hand twitched towards his tablet in his jacket. He was sorely tempted to see what would happen if either of the warriors used their blood to call up the dead. Unfortunately, now wasn’t the time for experimenting. Besides, if he ever resorted to those measures, he would be no better than their rival agency, EERI.

  “Who is eerie?” Nat asked, plucking that thought from his head.

  He sent her a reproachful look for reading his mind and she shrugged in apology. “EERI stands for Extraordinary Entities Research Institute,” he explained. “They were involved in performing experiments on supernatural creatures. They’ve been shut down now.”

  “There’s a lot we don’t know about this world,” Violet mused. “I wish we had the time to learn more.” Sadly, they weren’t here for a friendly visit. They were here to perform a mission. Zeus stood beside her, leaning against her leg and nudging her hand every now and then to remind her to pat him. She’d grown used to the fact that he didn’t breathe or make any noise when he walked. He watched Lexi as she repeatedly sliced her hand open to sprinkle her blood on the graves. Like all shifters, she healed quickly.

  “How can the Rottweiler still drool if he isn’t alive anymore?” Nat asked. She watched as saliva dripped from Zeus’ lolling tongue onto the grass.

  Mark smiled slightly and gave a half shrug. “It’s one of life’s great mysteries.”

  Shuddering when the beast turned to look at her, Nat tried to pretend she wasn’t creeped out by him. He wasn’t a zombie, but was apparently something else. Lexi had hinted that they hadn’t seen the dog’s full capabilities yet. She wasn’t sure she even wanted to know what the animal could do.

  Sensing the vampire’s unease, Zeus grinned. She should fear him. Ever since he’d taken on his new form, he’d changed in ways that none of them had expected. He couldn’t wait for the battle that he knew was coming. Being linked to Lexi had given him more intelligence than he’d possessed previously. He knew who the greatest threat was and that it was dangerous for his pack to get close to him. He was pretty sure the aliens who had invaded their world had never seen anything like him before. It was going to be fun when he transformed in front of them for the first time.

  Too full of excitement to stand there any longer, he trotted over to a fallen branch and bit it in half to make it more manageable to play with. Carrying it back to Violet, he stared up at her entreatingly.

  Zeus might be a supernatural creature, but he obviously hadn’t lost all of his former habits. “What’s that?” Violet teased him as he tried to shove the stick into her hand. “Is that a present for me? Aw, you shouldn’t have.” He growled in mock anger and it sounded hollow and strange. “Do you want me to throw it for you?” she asked. His back half immediately began to wag in joy. He released the stick and she obliged him by throwing it for him. Instead of cheating and using his ability to teleport after it, he raced off through the grave markers.

  Violet laughed to see the usually frightening Rottweiler acting like a puppy. Even Nat smiled at the sight. Zeus snatched up the stick, then disappeared. He materialized in front of Violet again and shoved the now slimy wood into her hand.

  “You’ve done it now,” Flynn called out gravely and both girls looked over at him. “Once Zeus starts this game, he won’t stop for hours.”

  Kala sniggered in agreement. “He’s relentless,” she added. “Your arm could fall off and he wouldn’t care. He’d just keep pestering you to throw the damn stick for him.” Zeus sent them both a glower. To his joy, Violet continued to throw the branch for him.

  “You throw like a girl,” Nat said after she’d watched them play for a while. Clicking her fingers when the dog materialized, she tried to get him to come to her. His ears perked up as he studied her with the s
tick stuck firmly between his teeth. “I can throw it a lot further than the kid can,” she said coaxingly.

  Taking his tablet out, Mark surreptitiously began to film her. Natalie was a vampire, which meant she was fast and strong. This would be his chance to see just how much stronger she was than the vamps from his reality.

  Zeus looked at Violet and she nodded. “Go ahead,” she told him. It wouldn’t bother her if Nat could throw the stick further than she could. Once they were on her world, things were bound to be very different. She couldn’t wait to have all of her powers restored to her. She was tired of being so weak and pathetic.

  Lexi gave Zeus a mental nudge, urging him to give the vampire a chance to prove she was one of the good guys. Nothing could earn her guardian’s loyalty faster than playing fetch with him would.

  Giving in, he trotted over to the undead creature and gingerly offered her the stick. She took it gently rather than tearing it from his mouth as he’d half expected her to. She drew her arm back and he went on point, trying to anticipate where it would land. When she threw it, the rush of wind that came with the movement of her arm almost hurt his ears. The piece of wood exploded away from her like it had been shot from a gun. He instantly went on the move, using his nose to track it rather than his eyes. It had moved too quickly for even him to be able to see it.

  Mark’s mouth dropped open, but he wasn’t the only one who was astonished by her display of power. Nat bent over in laughter at their surprise. “You should see your faces!” she sniggered. “Aren’t vampires strong on this world?”

  “Yeah,” Lexi replied dryly. “But they’re not that strong.”

  Zeus took far longer than usual to return. When he trotted into sight, the stick was in fragments. He spat out what was left of it at Nat’s feet and grinned up at her. “Did I do good?” she asked. He woofed in agreement, then loped soundlessly away to find the other half of the branch.