He traveled alone, ignoring any offers from the Shirpas to guide him or carry any gear he might have. He didn't have any gear, nor did he need any. He didn't want to do this, but knew he'd left this alone for far too long. Only three people had anything near the expertise necessary to create the goblins, and he could almost guarantee that neither Loki or Athena had done it.
That left Hades—once his best friend and most trusted officer.
He reached the gate after several hours of climbing, his body nearly numb from the biting cold, his chest aching from the scarcity of oxygen this high in the atmosphere.
He had the funny feeling other gates existed now, but, since he didn't know where they were, this was simply the most expedient way to get where he was going.
He stood before the gate, the shimmering, mirror-like expanse of rock inviting and repulsive at the same time. His fists clenched as he stepped through.
The guardian leaped out of the darkness, three heads barking and snapping before the center head tried to take a bite. Shea kicked it under the chin with all his strength and it flipped end over end to crash against the back wall of the cave. It slid down the jagged expanse of stone with a tiny, mewling whine and lay still in a puddle of its own blood. It wasn't dead, he knew, but at least now it would leave him alone.
I always hated that thing. He strode past it to a small cleft in one of the rear walls, sliding his body through the twenty feet or so until it opened out into a large, rough-hewn tunnel. He'd expected it to be dark, but a strange, omni-directional illumination, like a thin, light-bearing fog, seemed to fill the place.
This tunnel seemed to stretch on forever. Shea followed it until it branched, then, after a moment of reflection, took the left-hand path.
It wasn't long before he reached the first door, a large stone portal on the right hand side covered with elaborate scrollwork and writing in some language he didn't recognize. He considered for a few minutes, then continued on. He wasn't here to explore, but to find Hades and beat the truth out of him, if necessary.
* * * *
He reached a second branch and nearly ran straight into the sentinel stationed there before he realized it. With the sound of grinding stone, the great gray creature, seemingly formed out of the stone itself, disengaged itself from the wall and planted itself firmly in his path. “You may not pass,” it said, in a thick and dusty voice.
"Oh?” Shea licked his lips and swept his gaze over its huge bulk. Tremendously strong, he was certain, but probably not all that fast. Shea didn't want to smash his fists into it for any length of time, and he knew it would take time to destroy it. Time he simply couldn't spare. “Any way we can negotiate that?"
It shook its head. Shea sighed deeply, consciously relaxing his muscles in preparation for a fight. “That's just too bad,” he said. “For you."
* * * *
The first major autumn storm arrived on schedule, hurling lightning across the heavens, soaking the city with a heavy downpour. Loki stood in the den, staring out over the deck toward the Sound. Every slash of lightning, every rumble of distant thunder, brought a dim smile to his face.
"You're pensive,” Renee said from behind him. “What's wrong?"
He spared a glance over his shoulder. “You mean you can't just read it out of my head?"
She frowned prettily, shaking her head. “You know I don't like doing that. It ruins your chance to choose to communicate with me, rather than trapping yourself inside your own head. Or trying to trap yourself, at least."
"I'm just thinking about things. The goblins, our houseguest..."
"We can't just kill him, Loki."
They'd had this argument previously. “He's a killer, Renee. That's why we chose him, so we could kill him once we had the answers we needed."
"That's why you chose him,” she reminded him. “I didn't want to take the risk in the first place."
He voiced a muted groan and leaned his forehead against the coolness of the sliding glass door. “Well, we can't leave him down there and feed him pig's blood for the rest of eternity,” he muttered. “And we sure as hell can't let him go."
"You should tell the others, maybe they can come up with an idea."
"Tell Shea?” He snorted. “Absolutely not. I don't think even Athena understands why we—I—did it. I'll bet they assume he's already dead. They haven't asked me about him, at least.
"But he's safe for the time being. I'm more worried about the goblins. I can't imagine where they came from. Something about the way it was done reminds me of something, but I can't put my finger on it. I do know this, though. Whoever it is didn't just use science. There's magic wrapped up in it, too."
"Magic? I thought you didn't know anything about magic."
"Not much. I know a little, but I don't really trust it, so I never played with it. There are magical fingerprints all over the goblins—what was done couldn't have been accomplished with science alone. I'd stake my life on it."
She came up behind him, wrapped her arms around him, and pulled him away from the window. He turned into her arms and buried his face in her shoulder. “I wish, somehow, I could reverse what was done. But I don't think it's even possible—not for anyone. The magic part could probably be reversed, though I'd have to ask Thorne to be certain, but the alterations to their DNA? Not a chance."
She stroked his hair. “You feel for them, don't you?"
"How couldn't I? They're children, Renee. Just kids, and pretty damn young ones at that. I stare at what was done and can only think one thing—this is proof of evil like I've never imagined. If I ever find out who's behind it, I'll rip them to shreds myself."
"The great Loki, the Trickster, the Father of Monsters, reduced to this.” Renee laughed softly. “It hurts you terribly that you immortals can't have children, doesn't it?"
He lifted his head and met her gaze squarely. “Sometimes I think it's a good thing. We are all so self-involved we'd probably make really crappy parents. At other times, when I look at the way mortals treat their kids, as if they don't really want them at all, I want to scream at them."
"Whatever I can do, Loki, you know I'm there."
"That means more than I can say,” he told her. His head jerked up at the sound of his cell phone ringing in the other room. “Ah, crap."
Only one person had that number. Athena. In the mood he was in, he wasn't sure he wanted to talk to her at all. But he couldn't very well ignore her. Of all the immortals she was one of those he respected the most.
* * * *
He got to the phone just before the messaging system got it. “Hello?"
"Loki.” He'd been wrong. It wasn't Athena. It wasn't even a voice he recognized right off. All he could tell was that it belonged to a male.
"Who is this?"
"How do you like that. A couple of hundred years and your best friend forgets who you are."
Best friend? A chill walked up his spine. “Thoth. It's been more than a couple hundred years. It's been seventeen centuries."
"Time flies,” the other replied. “So what kind of trouble have you been getting yourself into lately?"
"I could ask the same of you. Hell, I should ask the same of you. You know you're considered one of the Lost Ones now, right?"
"What—the ones who didn't want the rest of the immortals meddling in everything we did? Yeah, I figured as much."
"What do you want, Thoth?"
"I need to see you. I have information."
"And what makes you think it would be of any interest to me?"
"Don't be a fool, Loki. I know you're practically in Shea's hip pocket these days. I have some data he'd be interested in."
"Shea's hip pocket? What kind of crap is that? Buddy, you've been talking to the wrong goddam people if you think that. I've never been in anyone's ‘hip pocket’ and you should know that."
"Hey, just going by what I hear."
"Fine. So you want to meet. Name the time and place and I'll be there."
"Th
e Vashon Island ferry dock, on Vashon, in two hours. Come alone."
My ass. “I'll be there. Thoth—this better not be some kind of trick. If it is, I'll kill you."
The voice on the other end went silent. “Damn, Loki. That's not like you."
"You might be surprised what's like me these days, Thoth. I mean it. Do not fuck with me.” He cut the connection and looked over his shoulder at Renee, who stood in the doorway. “You hear that?"
She nodded. “I did. You want me along?"
"If he thinks I'm coming alone, he's a loon. I don't know where he's been or what he's been doing. He could be working for the Enemy for all I know. Or be involved in this whole goblin debacle. Or both."
"Taking the boat?"
"Yep."
"I'll race you."
He just gave her a look. “I'll meet you there. I want to grab a few things first."
She came up and kissed him tenderly. “Meet you there."
* * * *
Johnny Gitano hated goblins, but he had to admit they were now a power. They took what they wanted and no one seemed to be able to stop them. He loathed the necessity of dealing with them, but had run out of options. The night he'd been dragged out of his bed into a waiting car, driven by a couple of ridiculously inept goblin drivers, he'd been taken to the leader of their local ... tribe?
The sight of the creature dressed in a child's tuxedo almost made him burst out laughing on the spot. He probably would have if not for the warning looks he'd been getting from the five or six other goblins standing nearby.
They'd taken over an old warehouse, one he would bet was abandoned almost immediately after the meeting. Their leader, who called himself Shock, had been very clear on what he wanted. Gitano would use his connections to fence various items and, in exchange, his business would remain undisturbed. He'd agreed instantly, recognizing a win-win situation he could definitely live with.
He didn't ask why they'd approached him, but it became clear almost immediately that his competitors weren't offered any such deal. Before too long he was on the top of the heap, ruling Tacoma's underworld without any competition whatsoever. Those who tried to muscle in soon found themselves dealing with entirely too many goblin warriors for comfort. They weren't particularly smart, but they were tough. And mean.
Just let that shadowy bitch come mess with him now. He'd teach her a thing or three, then he'd activate the bracelet on his arm.
* * * *
"This his place?” Breed asked.
Athena, sitting in the seat beside her, answered with a brief nod. “I just can't believe you know him."
"Oh, I know him. You sure he's been working with the goblins? That's low, even for him."
"I'm not sure he had a choice. There isn't a dealer, fence, or thief in town that doesn't owe them some percentage of their take."
"But Gitano's the top dog."
"Yeah. More like top jackal."
"Let's go have a chat with him, then."
They got out of the car and walked into the restaurant, where Gitano kept a table in the back. Breed's uniform kept his muscle from growing too bold, though they eyed them with open hostility as they approached his table.
Gitano looked up from his plate of pasta and grimaced, a noodle hanging forgotten from one side of his mouth. “Well, if it isn't a Deputy Dawg, come to pay us a visit."
His companion, a squeaky-voiced blond with over-inflated, obviously unnatural breasts, giggled. Breed gave her a threatening look. “Get lost,” she said. The blond hesitated, just a heartbeat then fled.
Gitano leaned back, throwing both of his arms up over the top of the seat, and stared at them. He looked completely at ease. “So what brings the County's Finest here into town to talk to little ol’ me?"
Breed smiled. It wasn't a friendly look at all. More like the grin of something getting ready to sink its teeth into something meaty. “If I had any sense, I'd just shoot you where you sit, Johnny. It's no more than you deserve."
He cocked his head and swept his eyes across her body. “Do I know you?” Then it seemed to strike him and he grinned. “I'll be damned."
"Most likely. I'd call you a weasel, Johnny, but the comparison wouldn't be complimentary to weasels."
"I see you've sharpened your wits over the years,” he replied. “So who's your hot friend?"
"We've met before, Johnny Gitano,” Athena told him, straight out. “I see you've gotten better muscle since then."
He nearly surged out of his seat, but seemed to restrain himself at the last minute. “I was wondering what you looked like. I never imagined you'd be so fuckable."
Athena sneered at him. “In your dreams and my nightmares, Gitano."
"Fuck you. What do you want, little sis?"
"Don't call me that,” Breed said blandly. “I just wanted to let you know that we know you've been treating with the goblins."
"So what? What are you going to do about it?"
"Nothing, yet. It's not really illegal. But it will be. And when it is ... ” She let the sentence hang, turning and walking out.
Back in the car, Athena gave her an odd look. “He's your brother?"
"Foster brother. He was a pig back then. He hasn't gotten any better. How do you know him?"
"I was trying to scare him out of town late last year. Didn't work too well."
"It wouldn't. He's stubborn, and not smart enough to know when to cash it in."
"Don't underestimate him,” Athena warned. “He didn't get where he is by being stupid. Maybe not book smart, but definitely street smart."
"He always had a lot of cunning,” Breed agreed, almost hesitantly. “Great at ferreting out secrets and manipulating others with those secrets."
"So does he have some secrets on you?"
Breed's response was a cold stare. Answer enough. “I just hope it doesn't come back to haunt you."
"He can't prove anything,” Breed snarled. “And that's enough for me."
Athena left it alone at that point. Clearly the topic aggravated Breed—maybe more than aggravated. She stifled her curiosity and looked out the window as Breed started up the car and pulled into the street.
"Sorry,” she said finally. “You're the last person I should be talking to like that."
Athena shrugged. “You feel what you feel. I was snooping, I guess. I should be the one apologizing."
"Shit, Athena, you're just about my best friend, but you're awful strange for an immortal."
"Nice of you to notice,” she muttered in response. “Your best friend? Are you kidding me?"
Breed sadly shook her head. “I wish I was."
Athena laughed softly, not wanting Breed to feel mocked. “Talk about a generation gap."
* * * *
Bruised, battered, but otherwise uninjured, Shea loped up a slight incline toward a wide over-hanging archway. He ground to a halt just before reaching it, ears tuned for the slightest sound from the other side.
A slow and gentle rasping froze him in place. He sniffed at the air, detecting a slight metallic tang he pegged as vaguely reptilian. No more dragons, I hope.
He waited, crouched in the darkness, listening as the rasping sound drew gradually closer. It paused, just on the other side of the arch. Shea could picture a serpent's forked tongue questing out, tasting the air.
"Who isss there?"
Shea didn't answer. He squatted there in the inky blackness, feeling his pupils dilate to their utmost, taking in every last strand of light. Something approached the arch, a bulky, vaguely humanoid silhouette. Something about its lower extremities didn't work. It took him a moment to recognize what he was seeing. The upper half was humanoid, the lower half the rear end of a snake.
Digging through his memories, he managed to dredge up a name for the creature. A naga!
"You can't hide from me,” it said. “I can sssmell you."
"Yeah, yeah,” Shea said, standing. “So what?"
It drew back a pace, hissing. “Human."
&nbs
p; "Not quite,” Shea responded. “You a guard?"
"That isss my function."
"Great. So what's your story? You spit venom, cast spells, or do you just flail around like a raging maniac?"
"Maybe all of the above,” it hissed, slithering forward.
"Ah, crap."
* * * *
Loki cut a sharp turn as Renee launched herself off the side of the boat, not into the water, but through the air. She seemed to float the thirty or so feet to shore as Loki continued on toward the ferry dock.
He cut the engine and allowed the boat to drift in to about fifteen feet from the bank beside the dock. He dropped anchor, vaulted the twenty feet up the embankment, and strode toward the solitary figure standing at the end of the dock.
The rain had soaked him to the skin, despite his oilskin trench. He ignored the discomfort as he brushed his hair out of his eyes with a stroke of his fingers. “So what's this about, Thoth?"
The figure turned, drawing back its hood. Blue cobalt eyes glowed in the middle of a stark, expressionless face. The centuries had not been kind to Thoth. He looked more austere than Loki remembered, more walled away from everything around him, showing little emotion but for a mild disapproval of everything. “You're wet."
"No shit."
Thoth threw on a look of disgust at Loki's use of profanity. Loki snorted, unimpressed. “I just gotta ask—who shoved that stick up your ass, Thoth? And does it hurt much?"
Thoth's lip twitched slightly. “You haven't changed that much after all, have you?"
"Here and there,” Loki responded. “So what's this about?"
Thoth dry-washed his hands, a nervous gesture Loki had never seen him use. “I have a few things for you."
"Yeah, you pretty much said as much. You want to zero in on what you mean by that?"
Thoth hesitated, then sighed. “Okay. I've been gone."
"Okay. Gone where?"
He let slip a mysterious smile. “Oh, just about everywhere."
"That's helpful. If you want to dance, Thoth, I know a nightclub or two."
"Nightclub?” He looked puzzled for a second, then actually smiled again. “Oh—a joke. Sorry, Loki, it's been a long time since I've been around regular people."
"So you've been spending time with irregular people?"
Loki's Sin Page 15
