by J. C. Diem
Mark slipped his arm around Ava’s waist and kissed her on the temple. She was nearly the same height as him and he didn’t have to bend down far. “You were outstanding, my love,” he said.
“I just played a small part,” she demurred. “I wouldn’t have been able to get close enough to use my magic if Violet hadn’t changed our appearance.”
Lexi shook her head in amazement. She’d seen their transformation through Nat’s camera and she still couldn’t believe it. “I thought you could only do that when you were in hell,” she said.
“That was just when I was on Nat’s world,” Violet replied. “When I’m on my world, I can change whenever I want to. I can’t hold the illusion forever, though.”
Mark’s curiosity had him reaching for his tablet to take notes. “How long can you hold onto an illusion?”
“Three minutes or so, unless I stay in contact with the person or item that I’m copying. If I stay in contact with it, I can hold the illusion indefinitely.”
“I bet that comes in handy,” Flynn mused. He could imagine a lot of instances where it would be beneficial to take on another appearance.
“It has,” Violet confirmed. “It’s saved my life too many times to count.” It was a gift that had been passed on to her by a friend and it had turned out to be invaluable.
Sharing Lexi’s frustration at missing out on being in the thick of battle, Reece pointed at the monitors. “What’s the plan now that we only have the Grimgorg left to fight?”
“Their king has already brought tens of thousands more of them here,” Mark replied. “We need to take them out before they become too numerous for us to deal with.”
“If we could bring down the dome, we could get the Army involved,” Philip said.
Usually so quiet that he was almost forgotten, Elijah spoke. “I might be able to help with that.”
Violet felt a surge of excitement. Her instincts had told her to keep the warlock close. It seemed she was about to find out why. “How?” she asked.
“I’m something of a master when it comes to wards and forcefields,” he replied modestly. “I might be able to create small breaches in their defenses that they hopefully won’t notice. Loki must have done something similar to get his shifters into the city. If he can do it, I probably can, too.”
Major Levine exchanged a look with Mark. “Do you still have contacts in the Army?” Mark asked. He strongly suspected the answer would be in the affirmative and he wasn’t disappointed.
“Of course,” Philip replied. He might have retired from active service, but he hadn’t left his former life behind completely. “I’ll reach out and recommend they send more troops to Vegas asap.”
“You need to test whether you can breach the dome first,” Mark said to Elijah. He didn’t want to leave anything to chance.
“I’ll take him to Vegas,” Lexi offered, then scowled when her boss shook his head.
“It’s too dangerous for you to get close to Loki. One of your zombies can take him.”
Linked to her, the undead looked up from their stations down below. As their leader, Kendricks stepped forward to volunteer again. Like the rest of his men, he’d changed into tactical gear and was armed with an assault rifle.
Elijah gulped in fear that he would be at the mercy of a walking corpse. “Don’t worry,” Violet said to calm him. “You can trust Lexi’s zombies.”
He gave her a nervous smile. “I certainly hope so, because I don’t have much choice about it.”
“I’ll go with you, if you like.”
He grasped at the offer in profound gratitude. “Would you?”
“Sure. I’d like to see this for myself anyway.”
“So would I,” Mark added. This time, he wasn’t going to be persuaded to stay behind. He wanted to make very sure his plan would be foolproof before they embarked on it.
~~~
Chapter Thirty-Two
~~~ Lexi’s World ~~~
Ava and Violet headed to their rooms to shower off the stench of the sewers. Feeling refreshed and smelling of vanilla scented soap, Violet pulled on a fresh change of clothes that Lexi had given her. She was tired, but she still had a job to do. Elijah needed her moral support and she wasn’t going to let him down, even if he was just a replica of her friend.
When she headed downstairs, Flynn waved her over to the dining table. He pointed at a bowl of cereal and a plate of bacon, eggs and toast that he’d just finished preparing for her. Taking a seat, she shook her head in amazement. “I can’t eat all that,” she protested.
Kala was sitting beside her in the blink of an eye. “Let me help you out,” the cougar said and pulled the plate of bacon and eggs over to herself.
Flynn grinned at the sight of his adopted sister hunched around the plate protectively as she began to feed. “I forgot you aren’t a shifter,” he said to their guest.
Violet ate her cereal and watched in fascination as the gorgeous agent scoffed her food down. “I guess you guys have pretty big appetites.”
Sitting back with a contented sigh and pushing her empty plate away, Kala winked lazily. “You could say all of our appetites are larger than normal.” Her gaze went to her mate and she leered at him suggestively.
Violet held her hand up. “Please, spare me the details.” She sniggered and Kala joined her a second later. She had a feeling they would have been friends if they’d lived in the same dimension.
Behind their banter, Violet sensed Kala’s tension. Her friends and allies had been taken over by Loki. Only Natalie’s intervention had spared the Shifter Squad from the same fate. So far, it didn’t look like the shifters had attacked any humans. But they weren’t sure how powerful Loki was, or whether he could change their directives to suit himself.
After a cup of tea to fortify her, Violet was ready to go. Mark was stoic about what they were about to do, but Elijah was pasty-faced and nervous.
Lexi hated being left behind, but she didn’t waste time complaining about it. She led the way outside with Kendricks, Cortez, and another zombie following in her wake. “These men will take you to the outskirts of Vegas,” she said to Mark, Violet and Elijah.
Kendricks moved to stand next to Elijah, Cortez took up a position beside Violet and the third undead agent stepped up to Mark. Their duty was to transport their charges to Vegas and to keep watch over them until they’d fulfilled their mission. All three saluted Lexi, then they sank into the ground, taking their charges with them.
They popped up just outside the dome that surrounded Las Vegas almost before Violet could shudder at being enclosed in dirt once again. They were shielded from sight by a bus that had been sheared in half. An unlucky passenger had shared the vehicle’s demise. The lower half of her body lay outside the dome. Her upper half was on the inside.
Trying to ignore the stench of the corpse and the flies it had drawn, Elijah moved closer to the transparent silver barrier. Placing a hand on it, his face was a study of concentration as he delved into the magic that had created it. Dozens of the Grimgorg shamans had banded together to construct the dome. While it looked impressive and kept anyone from entering or exiting, it was flawed. If only one being had created the barrier, it would have been utterly impenetrable. Instead, it was made up of thousands of overlapping sections that sank roughly twenty feet beneath the ground. It would be possible to dig beneath it, but that would take time. Digging would also draw the Grimgorgs’ attention, as Nat had seen earlier.
“Can you break through it?” Mark asked.
“I think so,” the warlock replied. The trick would be to avoid being detected by the sorcerers who had created it.
Mark, Violet and the zombies kept watch for anyone approaching from within the doomed city. They could hear people screaming as they were hunted down and silver collars were placed around their necks. Once they were caught, their screams cut off and their panic was replaced by docile acceptance.
As they watched, a section of the dome flickered, then disappeare
d. Mark noted it was large enough to drive a vehicle through. “Good job, Elijah,” he said and clapped the warlock on the shoulder.
“Can you make more than one hole in the dome?” Violet asked.
Elijah nodded. “I can, but I’m not sure how many.”
“The more areas we can infiltrate the city, the better chance we’ll have of surprising the Grimgorg,” she said.
Mark wasn’t surprised to hear the young warrior knew something about strategy. Clearly, she was just as accomplished as Lexi and Natalie when it came to warfare.
Huffing out a quiet sigh, Elijah knew he had to step up in order to help save their planet. It was time for him to stop hiding away and to use the talents he’d been gifted with. Striding further along the dome, he repeated his tactic of shorting out a section large enough to allow army vehicles to enter the city. He managed to make twelve doorways before he started to tremble from the strain of holding them all open.
“That will have to be enough,” Mark decided. Sweat was pouring down the warlock’s face and it was only partially due to the heat. It was still fairly early, but the sun was already baking down on them.
“Major Levine and his soldiers will know the best places to infiltrate Vegas,” Violet said. “You’ll need to stay close to whoever is going to oversee the assault and work with them.”
Elijah almost panicked to hear that. “You won’t be staying with me?”
She smiled and put a hand on his shoulder. “Natalie and I will be facing Loki. That’s the part we’ll be playing in this battle.” He nodded in acceptance, but he couldn’t hide his disappointment.
“I’m sure Lexi won’t mind if one of her zombies stays with you,” Mark said. “He can watch your back and carry you to safety if things become too dangerous.”
Relieved that the head of the Shifter Squad had a contingency plan, Elijah gave Mark a weak smile, then released his magic. The twelve doorways he’d created disappeared, leaving the dome impenetrable once more. None of the Grimgorg magicians had come to investigate, which meant they weren’t aware of the breaches.
“I could use a nap before we start this war,” Violet said and covered a yawn with a hand. She’d been awake for far too long and she needed to rest for a while.
“Let’s head back to the base,” Mark said.
Kendricks and his two men ferried them back along the zombie highway to Colorado. It was markedly cooler at the base of the Rocky Mountains. The sweat stopped running down Violet’s spine and Elijah’s face. Mark hadn’t seemed to be affected by the heat even though he was dressed in a dark suit.
Philip was waiting for them when they stepped inside. “How did it go?” he asked.
“Elijah was able to create twelve doorways into the city,” Mark replied. “They’re large enough to allow a small truck to enter.”
The retired major’s mouth turned upwards in a slight smile. “That’s better news than I’d hoped for. I’ve contacted my former CO and filled him in on the situation. He’s in talks right now to get as many troops as possible to Vegas.”
“I’ll contact Cromby and advise him of our plans,” Mark replied. “He should be able to add his clout to get things rolling.”
Lexi saw Violet blinking slowly as if she was trying hard to stay awake. “Why don’t you try to get some sleep?” she suggested. Her fellow warrior would need to be at the top of her game when she and Nat faced Loki.
“Okay,” Violet agreed. “Wake me up if anything important happens.” She headed for the spiral staircase and wearily began to climb.
Elijah trotted after her. He would also need to get some rest. It was going to drain him to sustain twelve breaches in the dome and he needed to recharge first. He took the room next to Violet’s, feeling comforted by the angel’s nearness.
Lexi had no intention of waking her allies if anything happened while they slept. She and her team would handle everything else, leaving the vampire and angel free to fight their nemesis. Defeating the Grimgorg was only one part of their mission. Killing, or banishing Loki was equally as important. She didn’t want to leave him behind on her world before they headed to the next dimension in their quest to find the mysterious Alpha World.
~~~
Chapter Thirty-Three
~~~ Lexi’s World ~~~
Loki decided to keep his eye on King Rho to make sure nothing else untoward happened. Frankly, he didn’t trust the diminutive ruler. Losing the Frost Giants so soon during their takeover of Earth hadn’t been in his plans. He wanted to make sure the Grimgorg weren’t planning to betray him.
When Rho and his entourage left the penthouse, he waited for a short while before following them. His shifters were bored with guarding the casino that he’d chosen to make his temporary home. They usually spent their time hunting at night when they were in their bestial forms. With the restriction against harming humans instilled in them, the only things they could kill and eat were animals, or the Grimgorg. Small bands of his shifters had taken turns hunting down house pets in the nearby area, but they were mere snacks. Loki’s tight control over them was the only thing saving his allies from being torn apart. His minions were hungry and he would have to find something more substantial to feed them soon.
Staying close to Rho, Loki sent his furry minions out to gather up humans and to bring them to him. He had a specific reason why he’d given them this task, but he kept it to himself. While the escorts were very skilled in bed, it had occurred to him that there were plenty of less well-used women to choose from.
Grimgorg shamans scuttled over when the first group of terrified civilians were herded to Loki. He held up his hand to stop his allies from collaring the civilians. He perused the females and chose two beauties. One was a tall blond and the other was a much shorter brunette.
“What are you going to do with us?” the blond asked in trepidation. The brunette clutched her hand tightly as tears trickled down her face.
“What do you think I’m going to do with you?” he said teasingly and with his most charming grin.
Instead of being flattered that she’d been singled out, the blond turned on the werelion that guarded her. “I thought shifters were supposed to protect us! Don’t you realize he’s going to keep us locked up somewhere and rape us both?”
Every shapeshifter turned to Loki with suspicious expressions. The werelion roared angrily and pranced over to stand directly in front of him. Locked in a staring match, Loki scanned the lion’s mind. The beast had first-hand experience at holding females against their will. He’d apparently been convinced that doing so was wrong and he was now strenuously opposed to the idea.
“I have no intention of raping anyone,” Loki said coldly. “I have never had to force a woman into my bed.” Turning away from the alpha lion, he swept his gaze across the females. “You have a choice. You can either agree to share my bed, or you can join them.” He waved his hand at the docile captives that were being led over to the glowing portals.
“I’d rather become a mindless puppet than sleep with you,” the blond declared.
Losing his temper, Loki snatched a collar from the closest shaman. “So be it,” he hissed and closed it around her lovely throat. Her fierceness drained out of her and her face became blank. The thought of bedding someone while they were collared didn’t appeal to him at all. It would be like having sex with a lifelike doll. Turning back to the women, he waited in silence.
The brunette sniffed back tears and tentatively moved to stand near him. Several more young women joined her. He didn’t protest, since he was less likely to grow bored with them if he had a harem.
Growling in disapproval, the werelion wasn’t alone in his unhappiness at the women’s predicament. A male werewolf and gigantic werebear ambled over. All three knew each other, at least superficially. Delving into their minds, he saw they knew Lexi and Reece, their supreme alphas. All three would attempt to defy him if they thought he meant harm to the humans. They would soon learn their place, as would every creature on
this planet.
He could have exerted his will over them, but chose a different tactic. “If these women remain with me, they will retain their ability to think for themselves, unlike the rest of their kin.” He sent a significant glance at the collared prisoners.
Exchanging looks, the shifters reluctantly saw the logic in his words. This was their new reality now and they were too ensnared by Loki to truly defy him. He was their creator and they didn’t have the power to cause him harm. The worst they could do was to let him know when they weren’t happy with his decisions.
Fury simmered inside Loki even after his minions stood down. Nothing was going to plan so far. The Frost Giants had been destroyed due to the machinations of a vampire and two unknown beings. He’d been notified by his wereleopards that a zombie was somewhere within the city, spying on them most likely. He had a feeling the undead would be like cockroaches and would pop up when he least expected it. He could only hope he could capture one again and link himself to Lexi. Once he had her beneath his control, he would make sure she wouldn’t get away again.
Signaling his alpha leopard to come forward, Loki wondered why she hadn’t stepped up to defy him when he’d picked the women out. A sweep of her mind told him she’d had a hard life. What he intended to do to his harem was nothing compared to some of the things that had happened to her. “Escort these young ladies to my suite,” he instructed her. “I will no longer require the presence of the other two women,” he added. King Rho could have the prostitutes. They’d served their purpose and could now be put to use elsewhere.
His attention was drawn from his internal musings when a panicked human managed to break away from a group waiting to be collared. He didn’t get far before a Grimgorg soldier tripped him over with one of his swords. Sprawling on his face, the man screamed in terror when the alien lifted his weapon to skewer him.
