by J. C. Diem
~~~
Chapter Forty-One
~~~ Lexi’s World ~~~
Loki sensed something bad was about to happen even before his alpha leopard went on full alert. She warned him that she smelled thousands of armed humans approaching. Someone shouted an order and bullets were suddenly zipping through the air. They were aimed at the Grimgorg rather than him and his pets. Hundreds of hunchbacked warriors were wiped out before they could retaliate. Their magic was powerful, but they couldn’t stop the deadly projectiles from cutting them down.
Thanks to his wereleopard’s warning that zombies were near, Loki had been able to convince King Rho to bring more troops to Earth. Despite their momentary surprise, they were prepared for the attack. They quickly pinpointed where the gunfire was coming from and turned their magic against the humans. Loki’s cold smile didn’t reach his eyes as a human soldier went up in flames from a fireball.
His smile froze a moment later when zombies burst out of the sidewalk and the road all around him. One appeared almost directly in front of him and he staggered backwards in surprise. Ignoring him completely, it grabbed hold of his alpha leopard before sinking back into the ground.
Loki stared at the ground in astonishment. Although the asphalt had been shattered, the soil beneath it was strangely undisturbed. It had to be linked to the death magic that powered them. All around him, his pets were being kidnapped. Rage swelled when the zombies returned for the rest of his furry guardians. In mere moments, his personal guards had all simply disappeared. “No!” he screamed and drew his sword. He blasted a zombie with electricity, but the undead horror barely felt it. He sank into the ground with a final wererat, leaving Loki undefended.
Seething, he turned in a circle to see that every single creature he’d subjugated was gone. He threw his head back and screamed in futile fury that his plans had just fallen apart. His allies were being decimated and he could see his only chance to rule slipping through his fingers.
King Rho saw Loki’s guardians being kidnapped by zombies and he knew he and his kin were in trouble. He had a choice to either bring more of his warriors to the battle, or to flee. Debating about his options, his instincts were screaming at him to escape while he still could. Greed won in the end and he scurried over to the portal that was aimed at his hut back on his world. His head magician waited for orders. “Send more shamans to Earth,” Rho commanded him.
“How many more, your majesty?” his minion asked deferentially.
“Send all of them,” the ruler replied. His minion looked surprised, then bowed in obeisance. Several hundred thousand magic users would make short work of the pitifully small band of humans who were attempting to destroy them. Once they were gone, it was doubtful they would send any more of their soldiers. The zombies wouldn’t be as easy to defeat, but he was confident he would prevail.
Loki noticed Rho hurrying towards the portals and was surprised when he didn’t leap through one to safety. It seemed the Grimgorg monarch had grown a backbone. Instead of fleeing, he called for more troops. Thousands more shamans wearing tattered black cloaks appeared. He smiled grimly when he realized his dream of becoming an absolute ruler might still be within his grasp after all.
His smile faltered again when two women appeared in front of him almost like magic. He’d caught a flicker of movement, which meant they were even faster than he was when he used magic to speed himself up. He glanced around to see other raggedly dressed humans appear as if out of nowhere. Their speed and strength were astonishing as they tore into the Grimgorg with their bare hands.
Turning his attention back to the two women, one was a brunette and the other was blond. They were both beautiful, but he also sensed they were dangerous. Clad in black leather, the brunette assessed him with a twinkle of appreciation in her black eyes. The blond was younger, barely more than a child. She didn’t seem to be impressed with him at all. “Well, well,” he said. Resting the tip of his sword on the ground, he leaned on it and smiled charmingly. “Who might you be?”
“I’m Nat and this is V,” the brunette said in a strange accent that he hadn’t heard before. The blond shot her a look as if ‘V’ wasn’t really her name. “We’re going to give you one chance to leave Earth.”
Narrowing his eyes, he sensed something strange about them both. His gaze went to her chest and he noticed she wasn’t breathing. “You are a vampire?” he asked in a deceptively friendly tone. It would explain her speed and agility.
“That’s right,” Nat replied.
“What are you?” Loki asked the blond.
“Something I doubt you’ve ever seen before,” she responded in a surly tone. “Are you going to leave, or are we going to have to kill you?”
Chuckling that she believed she had a chance of defeating him, his response was to lift his sword. They went on the move even before he could send a blast of electricity at them. The brunette pulled twin swords from the sheaths on her back. Her young friend conjured up a glowing golden axe from thin air.
“I was hoping I’d get a chance to kick your butt again,” the one called Nat said in satisfaction. She swung a sword at him so quickly that he almost didn’t manage to block it in time. He had to concentrate to avoid her attacks, but he’d spent the past couple of eons honing his skills. He didn’t have time to contemplate what she’d meant by kicking his butt again. To his recollection, they’d never met before.
Once he had his balance, he changed from being defensive to offensive. Her black eyes widened when he unleashed a series of lunges and slices at her. Using his magic, he moved too fast for her to avoid him and skewered her heart with his blade. “You made a valiant effort, but you are no match for me,” he said as he pulled his sword free. She staggered, but she didn’t go down. Her young friend put a supportive hand beneath her elbow. A moment later, she straightened up again and appeared to be unharmed. “I thought stabbing vampires through the heart meant death for your kind,” he said in confusion.
“I’m not a normal vampire,” Nat replied. “On my world, I’m called Mortis.”
“On my world, I’m called Hellscourge,” the blond added. Hefting her axe, she grinned fiercely. “Now it’s my turn to play.” Her axe looked far too large and heavy for her to lift, but she wielded it as if it was made of air. It whooshed towards his face and he darted back to avoid it. His blade lunged at her, but Nat was there to block it.
Loki was reluctantly impressed with the two women as they worked together to drive him backwards. The vampire scored a cut along his ribs. He cursed when it broke through his magical defenses and blood sheeted down his side. Breaking away from them, he knew he would quickly weaken if he didn’t heal himself. That would take concentration, but he had a few tricks up his sleeve.
Plucking two daggers from his belt, he sent them spinning towards their faces with a flick of his wrist. Both women dodged the attack and he took their momentary distraction to create a copy of himself. Pouring magic into the illusion, he cloaked his true form in shadow and concentrated on healing his wound.
Leaving his doppelganger to fight his battle, he was skilled enough to make them believe they were fighting the real him. Chuckling on the inside, he felt someone standing right behind him. When he turned, he thought one of his shifters had been overlooked when he saw a large black dog staring up at him. Then the dog began to grow and he realized it wasn’t a shapeshifter at all. Whatever this thing was, it was supernatural and it was growling low in its throat. It had seen through his illusion of shadow and it was intent on killing him.
~~~
Chapter Forty-Two
~~~ Lexi’s World ~~~
Working with Violet to fight Loki, Nat was getting frustrated. He was wounded and bleeding, but neither of them had managed to touch him again. It didn’t even occur to her that they were fighting an illusion until she saw a second Loki backing towards them. Zeus stalked after him, but the Rottweiler was barely recognizable now. He was the size of a small horse and was growing by the second.
His eyes glowed scarlet and he almost appeared to be made of shadow. His teeth had lengthened and multiplied into a veritable forest of fangs.
Letting Loki’s sword pierce her stomach, she wasn’t surprised when it had no effect on her. Violet’s gasp of alarm died almost before it began when her fellow warrior wasn’t harmed. Nat pointed and Violet turned to see the real Loki being stalked by what looked like a hellhound. Realizing it was Zeus, she ignored the illusion of the Asgardian in favor of watching the real one.
Loki glanced behind him and saw the female warriors had figured out his ruse. He let the illusion of himself fade and focused on the beast that was watching him so intently. He’d seen many strange and horrible things during his lengthy existence, but this creature was something new. “What is this beast?” he asked the two women he’d tried his best to kill.
“That’s Zeus,” Nat replied in an offhand tone. “He’s Lexi’s pet Rottweiler.”
“It would seem this animal is far more than a normal dog,” Loki mused, trying desperately to pretend he wasn’t alarmed. The animal’s growl deepened and the beast lunged forward. He swept his sword in an arc, but it passed through the dog’s neck rather than severing his head. Zeus retaliated by swiping his opponent with a gigantic paw. Long claws bit into his side and he was sent flying.
Hitting the wall, Loki winced in pain as fresh blood sheeted down his body. If he’d known creatures like this existed, he never would have attacked Earth. Frankly, this pitiful planet wasn’t worth losing his life over.
Natalie’s grin faded when Loki used his favorite trick of conjuring up multiple copies of himself. She had no idea which one was real when they fled in all directions. Zeus didn’t have any trouble identifying their foe. His sense of smell was infallible and he picked up on the scent of fresh blood. He bounded silently after the real Loki and the two warriors followed in his wake. The trail of red droplets was a dead giveaway that they were on the correct trail.
Their quarry ran into the lobby of a casino and darted into the elevator. The doors slid shut before they could reach it. “I bet you a million bucks he’s headed for the penthouse,” Nat said.
“I don’t even have one dollar, let alone a million,” Violet replied. “I’ll wait here to make sure he doesn’t double back. You two go after him.”
Zeus and Nat exchanged a look, then they scrambled for the stairs. Using her vampire speed, Nat raced up the staircase so fast she almost made herself dizzy. Zeus was waiting for her at the top, tongue lolling in triumph. He’d used his strange ability to materialize anywhere he wished so he could beat her.
“Cheater,” she muttered. It was disconcerting that she had to look up at him now. He was so huge he could barely fit in the hallway. “Find Loki, Zeus,” she urged him.
Turning away from the vampire that wasn’t like any other he’d ever seen, he followed his nose to the end of the hallway. They stepped out into a foyer just in time to see Loki enter a set of double doors. Seeing them from the corner of his eye, he smirked before slamming the doors shut.
Nat raced over and put her hand on the doorknob. She pulled back when a sizzle of electricity shot through her. “Damn it!” she shouted and kicked the door. It didn’t even budge from the blow that should have broken it in half. Loki must have infused it with magic.
Zeus looked at her with his head cocked to the side. He could easily materialize inside the penthouse, but he didn’t want her to miss out on the fun. Taking a few steps back, he lowered his head and ran at the wall beside the door. Just as he’d figured, it was flimsily made. He crashed through it and entered a large living room.
Whirling around at the noise, Loki saw the monstrous beast and began to back away. The vampire stepped inside and waved dust away from her face. She smirked at his surprise. “I bet you didn’t see that coming,” she taunted him.
Unused to being outwitted, Loki hid his dread. He hadn’t healed his wounds yet and the blood loss was making him lightheaded. “It was an oversight that I will not make again,” he said and attempted to disarm her with his most winning smile.
Piercing screams came from multiple throats as a group of women came to investigate the ruckus. They were staring at Zeus in horror. Realizing Loki had gathered a harem together, Nat gave him a scornful look. “Gee, are you sure fifteen concubines are enough?” she said with heavy sarcasm.
Assessing the petrified women, Loki darted over and grabbed the small brunette. He picked her up and held her in front of him like a shield. She quaked in terror when he rested the blade of his sword against her throat. “I suggest you leave, or I will slaughter these women.” He sent a meaningful look at the vampire when they screamed in fresh terror. “I’m sure you don’t want their blood on your hands.” He backed away as he spoke, putting more distance between himself and the two intruders.
The window behind Loki caught Nat’s attention. It was cracked and it looked like it would shatter easily. “It won’t be,” she said with utter certainty. “Grab the girl,” she muttered to Zeus, then she went on the move.
Zeus disappeared and materialized right in front of the Asgardian. Nat moved in a blur to cross the room and grabbed hold of Loki’s sword arm. He dropped the prisoner to the ground to defend himself and Zeus grabbed her by the shirt and pulled her to safety. He turned to see the vampire spin in a circle and toss Loki at the window. It gave way and he fell through the opening.
Nat’s triumph was short lived. Loki reached out a hand and ensnared her with his magic and she was pulled through the window after him. She didn’t scream as she fell towards the ground far below. She couldn’t die, but it was going to hurt like hell when she splattered all over the road. Loki laughed maniacally as he fell. Either he was crazy, or he had a plan that she didn’t know about yet.
~~~
Chapter Forty-Three
~~~ Lexi’s World ~~~
Figuring Nat and Zeus would have shown up by now if Loki had managed to escape from them, Violet went in search of action. Leaving the casino, she didn’t go far, just in case their foe gave the pair the slip.
Using her axe to chop down the Grimgorg shamans and warriors, their magical attacks were easy enough to evade. She wasn’t as fast as Nat, or Lexi, but she was still far more agile than a mere human. Nat had grabbed her when they’d spotted Loki and she’d moved them both with blinding speed to confront him. His surprise when they’d appeared had been worth the indignity of being carried along like a sack of potatoes.
Hearing a faint crash from above, she looked up to see Natalie and Loki falling from a window. Her wings burst from her back with a thought, then she willed her axe away and launched herself upwards. She caught Nat around the waist and they both looked down to watch Loki become the Asgardian equivalent of a pancake.
A gigantic bird swooped down and grabbed him by the arm just in time to save him from what would have been a very painful landing. Seeing the shapeshifter was missing its eyes, Violet realized it was the Oracle. She must have been perched up high when the zombies had snatched up the rest of the shifters. A much smaller eagle flew alongside her and she figured the Oracle was using the bird to see through its eyes.
“Don’t let Loki get away,” Nat said to Violet.
“I won’t,” she replied grimly.
Drawing her wings in, they plummeted towards the ground. Her wings flared to halt their fall and she set Natalie down. With the eyes of nearly everyone on her, she propelled herself after the fleeing werebird. The silver dome hemmed them in and they couldn’t go far.
Loki looked back to see the blond girl had miraculously sprouted wings and was currently pursuing him. She’d told him she was something he’d never seen before and he now believed her. Determination filled her face that had become nearly terrible with celestial beauty.
The Oracle realized they were trapped inside the dome. She banked and doubled back towards the battle. She knew they couldn’t escape and that Loki would be safer near his Grimgorg allies. Every other shifter had been squirrel
led away by the zombies. She was certain her fellow werebirds would already be on their way back to the battle, but she sensed it would be over long before they would arrive.
Enraged that his plan was falling apart, Loki sent a blast of raw magic at the avenging angel who was doggedly following them. She deftly avoided it by spinning in a tight spiral. When she flared her wings for balance, she couldn’t avoid his next barrage.
Violet gasped as agony ripped through her left wing. It had almost been torn off and it was now useless. She made them both disappear and shouts of alarm rang out as she hurtled towards the ground.
Seeing the angel freefalling, Elijah held up his hands and called on his magic. He sent a blast of wind at her that propelled her high into the air again.
Calling her wings back into being, Violet was relieved to see they were whole again. It had been a quicker way to heal than relying on her body’s ability to repair itself. With a nod of thanks at the warlock for his quick thinking, she went on the hunt again.
Loki cursed viciously when the angel didn’t die. She was far more resilient than he’d realized. It was going to take a lot more magic than that to end her. He gathered himself to send a greater blast of power, trusting the gigantic eagle to keep him safe.
Seeing through one of her zombie’s eyes, Lexi knew Violet was in danger after Loki blasted her with magic. She didn’t see Elijah save her, she was already sinking into the ground. Realizing her intentions, Reece put a hand on her shoulder. They both appeared inside the heart of Vegas a moment later. Moving with freakish speed, Lexi took her sniper rifle out of her backpack and assembled it. She peered through the scope just as Loki took aim at Violet a second time. Hoping she wasn’t too late, she pulled the trigger.
