Gods of Chaos (Red Magic)

by Jen McConnel

  Quickly, I connected to the hotel’s wireless and opened a search engine. A few clicks later, I was reading about Loki. What I found horrified me.

  According to one site, Loki always liked to prank the other gods, but he went too far one day and caused the murder of the god Baldur. The gods punished him by binding him and sending a serpent to drip poison into his eyes. The woman I had seen in the dream could only be his wife, who stayed by his side in his torture and caught as much of the venom as she could to spare him the pain.

  But, just like in my dream, sometimes the bowl would fill. When it was being emptied, the website said, Loki would thrash in pain and fury. His movements were thought to cause earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. I swallowed even though my mouth was dry.

  Loki had been right about one thing: nothing short of the end of the world would release him from his prison. And I didn’t like Ragnarok, the Norse version of the end of days: mass chaos, unmanageable natural disasters, and the deaths of many gods.

  I had reason to believe that mythology was a lot closer to reality than most people knew, and I didn’t want to be around when the world flooded and Loki escaped from his cave. And yet that seemed to be exactly what he wanted: he’d asked me to free him.

  I drummed my fingers against the desk, frowning. Why would I free such a dangerous god? The Internet referred to him as “the power of fire bound,” and that wasn’t something the world needed. I had good cause to know and fear the power of unbound fire; she’d been in my room a few hours ago. Did I really want to be responsible for turning another crazy god loose on the world?

  On the other hand, Loki had offered to help me. And from my brief Internet research, it seemed like he might be powerful enough to do what he had offered. At least, he might be that powerful if he were free. I just had to make it seem like the world was ending.

  I buried my head in my hands. I’d been a Witch all my life, but I hadn’t realized just how complicated magic could get until this year. All the gods and goddesses of chaos were starting to get on my nerves; first, they had courted me, trying to get me to choose one of them to be my patron, but now they were just out to get me.

  I’d tried the whole patron thing with Aphrodite; it hadn’t exactly worked out.

  I’d unbound myself without meaning to, but since I’d been given the chance to turn back that decision, I was hesitant to vow myself to any other gods. I knew Mom had a patron; she made no secret of her relationship with Demeter. Dad never talked about having one, and most of the other people I knew seemed to think taking a patron was old-fashioned. I’d pledged myself in desperation, but now that I was free again, I wasn’t too keen on working with another Red god, particularly one like Loki.

  I sighed, thinking about Aphrodite. She had saved me from Hecate, not to mention a trucker who wanted to get in my pants, and I hadn’t even talked to her since I broke my vow. I had tried to explain, but I still didn’t understand how I broke that vow. She hadn’t killed me yet in some freak perfume accident, so I didn’t think she was mad, but I had no way to really know.

  Suddenly lonely, I crossed to my bag and dug out the little copper mirror that Aphrodite had given to me when I first dedicated to serve her. I’d tried to give it back when our bond was broken, but she had implied I might need it. I didn’t know what good the mirror would do, but it occurred to me that it might be a way to contact my former patron. If she wasn’t mad at me, maybe she could help.

  Concentrating hard, I stared into the shiny glass. My eyes began to cross and it was like I was seeing through the mirror. At that moment, I whispered a prayer to Aphrodite to reveal herself to me. I closed my eyes for an instant, and I heard the rustle of fabric behind me. Cautiously, I turned and opened my eyes.

  Instead of the beautiful blond goddess I’d been expecting, I was facing a tall woman who looked like a warrior queen. Her brilliant red hair cascaded over her shoulders, and her torso was swathed in a shining breastplate of gold. Her green eyes reminded me of my cat, Xerxes. I gulped at their fierceness and clutched the mirror to my chest.

  “Who are you?” I took a cautious step back, trying to put some distance between me and this new goddess.

  “You summoned the goddess of love, did you not?”

  I started to shake my head, then stopped, confused. “I was looking for Aphrodite.”

  The goddess waved her hand dismissively. “What makes you think you can call to one of the Greeks? You are across the world from their land.”

  I looked at her in puzzlement. “But I’ve never had trouble before.”

  “Before in America, you mean?”

  I couldn’t answer, and she laughed.

  “I know who you are. You cannot think to travel in anonymity, not when you have made enemies of the most powerful goddess.”

  “Hecate.” I whispered her name, truly frightened. If this strange goddess wanted to, she could hand me over to Hecate. I was sure I couldn’t beat the redhead in a fight; power radiated off her in waves.

  She nodded. “The Queen is not pleased with you.” Eyeing my messy hair and sweats she added, “Although I do not see why.”

  I shook my head. “I’m still confused. Why didn’t Aphrodite come?”

  “Silly girl. The gods are bound to the lands that know them. In Iceland and all Norse lands, I am the Goddess of Love. I am also the Goddess of War.”

  A name stirred in my memory. “Freya.”

  She nodded her approval. “Much like my Greek sister, and then again, much like myself.”

  “But why could Aphrodite come to me when I was at home?”

  Freya laughed. “Even I could come to you there. There is not a god that cannot enter America; your people are such a mottled mass of immigrant blood that all gods feel at home there.”

  I paused, thinking about what she said. I’d never heard anything like this before, but Freya’s words made a lot of sense. “So Hecate can’t find me here?”

  She tsked in exasperation. “Some gods transcend boundaries. Hecate has been worshiped in many places. Do not believe you will escape her if she truly hunts you.” She snapped her fingers, and a huge cat crept out of the shadows.

  I backed away, staring at the thing. It looked more like a mountain lion than a house cat, and it snarled at me, showing its sharp teeth.

  “I do not think this Witch smells like prey, Bygul. At least, not yet.”

  I felt myself growing angry. “Why are you here?”

  She feigned innocence. “You summoned a goddess of love, and I heard your call.”

  I shook my head. “There’s more to it than that. I may be mortal, but I’m not stupid.”

  “That remains to be seen.” Her tone was hard, and the cat growled and stared at me.

  “What do you want?”

  “A promise.”

  Startled, I paused. Bygul growled again. “What kind of promise?”

  “That you will avoid dealings with the Red One.”

  I rolled my eyes. “A name like that doesn’t really narrow it down, you know.”

  Freya didn’t laugh.

  I tried again. “Could you be more specific, please?”

  “Loki.” She spat his name as if it was poison, and Bygul hissed.

  I stared at her, amazed. “How did you know about my dream?”

  She showed her teeth. “I didn’t until you spoke, you fool.”

  Bygul took a step toward me, and I stepped back cautiously.

  “Why would I promise you not to help Loki?”

  Freya’s eyes blazed with hatred. “A thousand lifetimes will never be enough for him to pay back his crime. He cannot go free.”

  I paused, weighing my options. It occurred to me that I should try to bargain with Freya, but I rejected that idea almost immediately. She didn’t seem like the type to make a deal. Still, I didn’t want to promise any god anything until I found the second Red Witch and formed an alliance with her.

  Drawing a deep breath, I kept my face calm. “Loki won’t be relea
sed until the end of the world. I don’t think I have any say when that will be.”

  Her eyes bored into me, but I didn’t flinch. Bygul growled again, this time low and throaty.

  “Very well. I see that mortals have not gained much intelligence over the centuries. You would do wise not to cross me, Witch Darlena.”

  “I’m not trying to cross you. I’m trying to stay out of this.”

  “When do you leave my land?”

  I looked at the clock over her shoulder. “Later today.”

  She pursed her lips. “And when do you return?”

  “Never, if I have anything to say about it.”

  She smiled. “Mortals rarely have a say, Darlena.”

  Despite my disturbing encounters with the local gods, I made it to the airport later that morning in one piece. When I was going through security, I caught a glimpse of an ice-covered volcano spewing lava on the local news station, and I shuddered, remembering Pele’s warning.

  I had arrived way too early for my flight and was quickly bored. Sitting there on the hard vinyl chair, my backpack under my feet, I pulled out my cell phone. Before I could think too much, I sent a text to Justin. I hadn’t told him I was leaving, and I wondered if he knew how much his texts had helped pull me out of the dark hole I’d dug for myself in the past few months. I hated the idea of being dependent on him, but that seemed to be something I couldn’t escape.

  We’d dated and split up long before I became a Red Witch, but that hadn’t been the end of us. My emotions always went into overdrive when he was around, and even though I’d told him I loved him last fall, I didn’t think we had any future together. Hecate would have no problem using him to hurt me, and I couldn’t bear the thought of putting Justin in danger, so I had kept him at arm’s length ever since I killed Rochelle.

  Still, I felt an odd sense of comfort when my phone buzzed an instant later. “Miss u” was all his text said, but I grinned at the phone like an idiot. I was texting him back when I heard a disgusted snort behind me.

  I glanced around and was startled when I locked eyes with Freya.

  “Haven’t you mortals learned a better way to speak to your lovers?”

  I flushed. “He’s not my lover.”

  “But you wish he were, do you not?”

  I refused to answer, but I felt my face growing hot. The first time we’d broken up, it had been because I wanted to take our relationship all the way, but for some reason, Justin refused. Freya smiled slowly at something in my eyes.

  “I could help you win his heart. It is one of the things I do.”

  “No, thanks. No more love spells for me.” I shuddered at the memory of Justin’s face when he realized I’d used a spell to bend his will.

  Freya looked surprised. “But they are so fun, so simple!”

  I shook my head. “Look, why are you here? I’m leaving, just like I told you.”

  She nodded. “I came to see for myself that you will get on that plane.”

  I studied her, confused. “Why don’t you trust me? You don’t even know me.”

  Her expression darkened. “I learned long ago to never trust Red Witches.”

  Eagerly, I leaned forward. “What other Reds have you met?”

  “Enough to know that you are all lying, dangerous creatures.”

  I ignored her insult. “But aren’t you a Red goddess? I mean, I bet you don’t think Red magic is awful.”

  “Red magic and the mortals who wield it are two very different things.”

  “What do you mean?”

  Freya glared at me. “You are a tricky Red, trying to coax wisdom from me. But I know enough of your kind. You will never learn the secrets of Red magic, Darlena. It is foolish to try.”

  I crossed my arms over my chest. “I have to try, because otherwise I’ll never defeat Hecate.”

  The silence was tense. Freya’s hand went to her waist as if she was reaching for a weapon, but nothing appeared. Finally, Freya said, “Why would a mortal dare to take on the Queen of Witches?”

  “She tried to kill me!” I snapped. An airline employee looked over at me in concern, and the mother sitting across from me grabbed her toddler by the hand and stood up. I lowered my voice. “She wants to control me, and when she found out that she couldn’t, she tried to have me killed.”

  “Death is a part of life. Besides, Reds never live very long.”

  I felt cold at her words, but I persisted. “But I want to use my magic to create balance! If Hecate kills me, the next Red Witch isn’t likely to care about balance.”

  Freya eyed me with interest. “Why is this so important to you, this balance within chaos?”

  I struggled to put my thoughts into words. I still wasn’t sure why I was driven to find balance, but anything was better than becoming a monster. “Chaos is powerful and destructive, but I’ve learned that chaos isn’t the same thing as destruction. I used Red magic to change things, and … ” I trailed off feebly, realizing how naïve I sounded.

  But Freya’s eyes lingered on me. They were still wary, but there was a spark of something that might have been respect buried in their depths. “Many gods do not learn the lessons you have learned in your short life.” She sighed and looked down at her long, elegant hands. “It is true, I am a goddess of Red magic. But unlike some, I do not thirst for blood. I seek justice, which sometimes brings chaos, but I also bless the marriage beds of the young ones. I have spent eternity striving for balance, and never have I met a mortal who could speak the words I keep close in my heart.”

  Stunned, I gaped at her. That was almost exactly what Persephone had told me when we first talked, and she’d proved to be a valuable ally. “So you’ll help me?”

  She laughed. “I never said that. No, mortal, I won’t interfere. But your words make me question what I have always believed about your kind.”

  “We’re not all bloodthirsty.”

  “You are not, I’ll grant you that. But how can you know what the other two Reds are like?”

  I took a deep breath. “I can’t. That’s why I’m going to Scotland: to find another Red Witch.”

  Freya stared at me for a long minute. “Why Scotland?”

  I hesitated, not sure I wanted to tell her about my dream. Finally, I said, “It’s a gut feeling.”

  “Did that gut feeling happen to come from a vision while you slept?”

  I glanced at her, surprised, and nodded.

  “Be wary of dreams, Darlena. They are not always as they seem.”

  Trying not to shiver, I looked her square in the eye. “So far, mine have been pretty accurate.”

  She shrugged. “Then I wish you well. But remember that this quest of yours may not follow the path you intend.” She brushed her fingers across my forehead in a gesture of blessing before sweeping off into the crowd. When I blinked, she was gone.

  “Now boarding flight 1183 with service to Edinburgh. All passengers, all rows.”

  I grabbed my backpack and joined the line queued up at the gate. When the ticket attendant scanned my boarding pass, the computer beeped insistently at her.

  “Look at that! You’ve just been upgraded to first class. How lucky.”

  I thanked her, grinning. Luck had nothing to do with it; Carl had certainly fallen under my spell.

  As I stretched out in the luxurious seat, I thought about Freya. I wasn’t used to seeing goddesses that frequently, but I’d seen her twice this morning. What was it she had said about gods and their homelands? I glanced out the window as the plane took off, watching as the white landscape receded beneath me. I saw a brief flash of orange against the ice, and my muscles tensed at the thought of the volcano erupting on the ground. I pressed my face to the glass, watching plumes of black smoke and molten fire bubble beneath me. Scanning the hillside, I sighed in relief. It didn’t look like the volcano was close enough to any homes to do damage, but I was still on edge. Seeing it reminded me that Pele could cross some boundaries, but even she was governed by her element.
I didn’t think there were any volcanoes in Scotland.

  With a shock, it hit me that I wouldn’t have the help of any of the goddesses I’d met so far: Aphrodite and Persephone weren’t native to the land I was traveling to, and Freya seemed to indicate that in Europe the gods were more tightly constrained by things like location. I leaned my head back against the seat, realizing that I was going to be completely without celestial support. I hadn’t really planned on getting help while I was in Scotland, but now that I knew I’d be on my own, I felt an icy prick of fear between my shoulder blades.

  I breezed through customs, but I wasn’t prepared for the chaos of the Edinburgh airport. It was packed with travelers, and none of them seemed too happy.

  “But I’ve got a meeting in Stockholm tomorrow morning!” I heard one exasperated man yelling at the harried clerk behind the counter.

  “I’m sorry, sir, but due to the situation in Iceland, all flights have been grounded until further notice.” She pointed to the large television screen on the wall, which was showing footage of black smoke. With a shiver, I realized that the volcano I’d spotted before I left was still going.

  I passed by the crowded counter, clutching my backpack and thankful that my flight had landed; it wouldn’t have been safe for me to spend another night in Iceland, not after Freya’s warning and Pele’s visit. I ducked into a restroom and splashed cold water on my neck, trying to revive my sluggish, jetlagged mind.

  I hadn’t booked a hotel ahead of time because I didn’t want to run the risk of alerting Hecate to my plans, but now that seemed stupid. It was clear after last night that Hecate knew what I was up to. The only thing I didn’t know was when she would strike next. In the meantime, I was surrounded by stranded travelers, and I didn’t have a place to stay.

  Taking a chance, I crossed to one of the airport pay phones and dialed the number for a youth hostel I’d marked in my travel guide. When the thick-accented receptionist answered, I crossed my fingers.