by J. C. Diem
Brie rolled her eyes. She and her friends might look young, but angels were far, far more ancient than any other being on this world.
“Are you sure imps are going to be our best allies?” Lexi asked doubtfully.
“They are a lot stronger than they look and they are practically immortal until they gain redemption,” Sam explained. “Some of them have developed talents and abilities that may assist us to win this war.”
Reynolds’ eyes were gleaming with hope as he refined his plan. “We don’t need them to kill all of the invaders. We just need them to target Rho. Once he breaks and runs, the rest of his people will follow.” It was a sound strategy. Now they just needed to work out the best way to enact it. “Taking down Nifirial is going to be the key,” he went on. “With the faery leader dead, chaos should break out. The imps can swarm out of hiding and go after Rho. With luck, he’ll order a retreat after he sees of his main allies die and with the imps attacking him.”
“It could work,” Lexi agreed. She was no slouch at planning battles herself. Something could go horribly wrong, but Fate was on their side. They had to trust that she would help them out as much as she could.
“When do we want to do this?” Nathan asked.
“At midnight,” the detective replied. “That gives us a few hours to round up the imps and move them into position.” Violet would have to paint a lot of runes to give them all access to Shale Falls. She would have to use her own blood at some point, but she healed so rapidly that she didn’t think it would weaken her too much.
Chapter Thirty-Three
~~~ Violet’s World ~~~
HOPING HIS TROUBLES with Nifirial might soon come to an end, Loki deftly avoided the faeries as they searched Shale Falls. The leader of the fae was apparently linked to all of his kin. He’d known immediately when one of them had died.
Returning to his lodgings, Loki sank down onto the couch with a glass of whisky in hand. He knew he wasn’t alone even before Nifirial stepped out of the shadows. The faery lord’s eyes were far darker than usual and the irises spun in slow circles. “Is something amiss?” Loki asked innocently.
“One of my warriors was slain,” Nifirial replied in a dangerously soft tone. “It is highly unlikely that a lowly human killed one of our kind. Consequently, someone else is responsible for his death.”
Swirling the amber liquid around in the glass, Loki frowned. “I don’t believe I like your insinuation.”
“I insinuate nothing!” Nifirial hissed and crossed to his ally so quickly that he didn’t have time to react. He grasped the Asgardian by his leather jacket and hauled him forward until they were eye to eye. The whisky almost sloshed over the rim of the glass, but Loki managed not to spill it. “I will know the truth,” Nifirial said and called on the magic that he’d stolen from the shamans.
Loki tried to look away from the faerie’s eyes, but they were so close that it was impossible to avoid them. Turning black, Nifirial’s irises spun faster and faster. Helplessly hypnotized, Loki’s will seeped away.
When Loki went limp, Nifirial allowed him to slump against the couch and released him. “Did you kill my warrior?” he asked. His ally was completely beneath his power and he had no choice but to answer him truthfully.
“No,” Loki replied tonelessly.
“Did you have anything to do with his death?” he pressed.
“I did not.”
“Then who was responsible?” he asked in a near shout.
“Angels.”
The emotionless reply brought Nifirial up short. “I thought they were all locked in heaven.”
“Some of them must have already been on Earth when you barred the gates.”
Nifirial should have come to this conclusion himself, but rage had blinded him. Seeing Loki so deeply beneath his spell, he smiled that he’d brought such a proud and powerful being so low. Right now, he could do anything he wanted to his handsome ally. Leaning down, he attempted to press his mouth against his captive’s. Even while deeply enthralled, the Asgardian jerked away.
Scowling at being rejected once again, Nifirial placed his palm against Loki’s chest with the intention of immolating him. For a few tense moments, he almost gave into his fury. Watching Loki burn would give him momentary joy, but breaking him down and conquering him would be so much more satisfying. Removing his hand, he clicked his fingers and released the Asgardian from his thrall. He stepped into the shadows and appeared in another part of the city. His lust would have to wait until after he’d hunted down the angel responsible for killing one of his people.
Shuddering that his mind had been held captive for even a short space of time, Loki downed the whisky in one gulp. Heaving himself off the couch, he spun around and hurled the glass at the spot where the faery lord had disappeared. It hit the wall and shattered, sending shards of glass flying everywhere.
Pacing the floor, he clenched his hands into tight fists. He’d never felt so helpless in all of his long existence. He’d faced down creatures that would have made lesser men weep. He’d beguiled foes who would have torn him limb from limb if he’d showed any sign of weakness. Yet, he’d been bamboozled by the faery as if he was just a weak-minded human. Nifirial must have siphoned essence from many shamans for him to possess so much power.
Crossing to the balcony, he leaned against the railing and stared unseeingly at the chaos that raged below. He was very tempted to steal one of Rho’s portals and flee, but he wasn’t ready to abandon his dreams of ultimate rule just yet. The three angels he’d stumbled across had seemed like capable warriors. He had no doubt that they would find a way to leave this city. He only hoped that they would be able to locate the vampire. One of their kind was already aware of the undead creature’s existence. The young male angel hadn’t seemed to be her enemy. He should be able to advise his colleagues where the undead monster was now.
Remembering the sorry condition the vampire had been in, he wondered if she would be up to the task of killing Nifirial. Whoever had burned her had almost killed her. She’d been a hairless, blackened lump of melted flesh.
Looking down, he saw a group of captives being herded towards a cluster of linked portals that had been tuned to Asgard. A stack that he hadn’t yet infused with his magic lay to one side. Nifirial hadn’t yet chosen a world where his share of the prisoners would be sent to. He was apparently still mulling over his choices.
Loki privately thought the faery lord was having too much fun defiling the most attractive teens he could find. Eventually, he would tire of his shenanigans. Then he would turn his attention to building his own army of slaves. Until then, he hoped the hapless boys and girls would be enough to keep his ally’s attentions away from him.
Eyeing the stack of plain silver mirrors, he decided to devise an escape route just in case things went sour. He wasn’t about to leave his fate in the hands of the three celestial beings and one badly burned vampire.
Leaving the apartment, he made his way towards the cluster of portals. It was child’s play to cloak himself in an illusion of a Grimgorg shaman. While the little green aliens were busy herding the humans through the portals, he walked over to the stack. By default, they were all tuned to Rho’s hut on his swampy world.
Grabbing one of the silver devices, he was careful to walk in the head-bobbing shuffle the Grimgorg used as he trotted away. His illusion was so perfect that no one gave him a second glance.
He now had the means to escape, but he needed to tune it somewhere that would be safe for him. To do that, he needed the assistance of a real shaman. That would be easy enough for him to accomplish. In his experience, the Grimgorg weren’t particularly intelligent. Tricking one of them into helping him wouldn’t take much effort.
He stepped into a side street and set the portal down. Catching the eye of a passing warrior, he gestured for his supposed colleague to approach. He was well aware that the vast majority of Grimgorg were magic users. With luck, this one would be as well.
“What?” the
warrior said tersely when he was within earshot.
“I think there’s something wrong with this portal,” Loki replied in his ally’s language. “It won’t tune to anywhere except our planet.”
“Let me have a look at it,” the fake warrior grumbled. He squatted next to the device and ran a hand over it. “It seems fine to me. Where are you trying to tune it to?”
“Asgard,” Loki replied. There were many worlds he could have chosen, but it seemed best to flee to his own planet if he was forced to run. He knew it well and there were many places where he could hide from the Grimgorg. He had a vague idea of freeing his people from their enslavement and becoming a hero.
Concentrating, the shaman tuned the portal to Odin’s former throne room. “It is working properly,” he said in satisfaction. When he looked up, a dagger was coming for his throat.
With one slice of his blade, Loki severed the Grimgorg’s vocal cords. He imbued the portal with magic and the edges flared blue. With a shove, he sent the shaman tumbling through the surface. Several sorcerers crowded around the body when it appeared in the throne room. They stared upwards uselessly and murmured uneasily to each other.
Loki tucked the portal beneath his arm and trotted away, still wearing his disguise. He couldn’t hide the device in his apartment. Nifirial would be highly suspicious if he paid him another visit and saw it. Instead, he took it to a building that had been evacuated near his lair. He stashed it in an empty apartment behind a couch where it wouldn’t be seen.
Secure in the knowledge that he had an escape route, he released his illusion and sauntered back outside. Pretending he wasn’t contemplating fleeing from this war, he joined a unit of Grimgorg warriors and continued with the hunt for slaves.
Chapter Thirty-Four
~~~ Violet’s World ~~~
ELIJAH HAD BEEN PLACED in charge of reintegrating the imps into society. Most of them had been imprisoned in the underworld for at least several hundred years. They had all been taken to hell by demons to become slaves. Over time, their humanity had become lost. Their flesh and souls had become black and entwined until they resembled the human souls that were sent to hell to be tortured for their evil deeds.
When Violet had been called away to another world, Elijah had brought in a replacement to take over his duties. He’d left his church in his colleague’s capable hands once before. He trusted him to look after the imps now that he was embroiled in saving the world again.
Most humans didn’t trust the hideously deformed imps, so finding them jobs hadn’t been easy. His fellow priests in Manhattan had stepped up and had cajoled their parishioners into giving the escapees a chance. Many had even adopted the poor souls into their homes. Consequently, they were scattered all over the city.
Two of the imps who had redeemed themselves when they’d last saved the Earth were now Elijah’s assistants. Rashida and Max kept track of each new imp that arrived. They had a register of where they lived and worked.
“Who would like to teleport me to my church?” Elijah asked. If they were going to ask the imps for their help, he wanted to be the one to do it. Sam lifted his hand, volunteering for the job.
“I’ll go with you,” Violet said, which automatically guaranteed the rest of her friends would join her. “Someone needs to stay with Nat and Lexi,” she added. “Just in case something happens and they need to be teleported somewhere.” They hadn’t checked to see if Lexi could step onto holy ground. It seemed safer for her fellow warriors to remain behind, given Lexi’s reaction to the wards that had been placed over the store.
“I will stay with them,” Brie said stiffly when no one else volunteered.
Nat made a sour face, but Lexi elbowed her in the side and smiled at the young blond angel. “We’d appreciate your company,” she said. She was by far the most diplomatic of Fate’s three champions.
“I need to update my Captain,” Reynolds said. “I’d like to try to sneak some soldiers in with us when we infiltrate the city.” The magical doorways wouldn’t stay open for long, but he hoped to get at least a few thousand men inside before they dissipated.
“I will take you to him,” Leo said. He sent his twin a warning look to behave herself, then the pair disappeared.
“We should go,” Violet said. “Try not to kill each other while we’re gone,” she said to Brie and the two champions. Nathan whisked them away before any of the three could respond with a snarky comment.
Elijah’s replacement was absent when they appeared in his church. Rashida and Max saw that they had visitors and hurried over. The window where Nat had been ejected had been boarded up. They would worry about replacing it after they’d survived the latest apocalypse.
“It is so good to see you, Violet,” Rashida said and hugged her tightly. She’d been kidnapped from her village in India when she was fifteen. She’d suffered horribly at the hands of the demon who had stolen her, but she was tough and she’d survived his abuse. After leaving hell and redeeming herself, she’d reverted back into a beautiful young woman with long black hair and stunning brown eyes.
“It’s good to see you, too,” Violet replied. Max wasn’t as affectionate and simply nodded in greeting. A thief before he’d been taken to hell, he’d also gained redemption from his assistance in saving the world. In his twenties, he was cute and had light brown hair and hazel eyes. It was clear from the way he kept glancing at Rashida that he adored her.
Misshapen and hideous, imps crowded around them, all eager to greet Hellscourge. Violet wished she had the time to meet them all and hear their stories, but they only had a few hours left before midnight would arrive.
Elijah held his hands up for silence and the hubbub died down. “My friends, you have all suffered greatly during your lengthy imprisonments in hell.” They shuffled their feet and bowed their heads in acknowledgement of his words. “By leaving the underworld, you hope to save your souls and become human once more.”
Violet watched their disfigured faces to see most of them were weeping. Elijah held them spellbound and she saw why his congregation returned to hear him speak every week.
“As you know, our world is in peril once more,” the priest continued. “We have been invaded by aliens and humanity is again at risk.”
“We saw the dome that has appeared around Shale Falls on the news,” Rashida said. She knew Elijah and the others weren’t just here for a chat. “How can we help?” she asked.
Elijah gave her a proud smile for asking. “Violet has been to two other worlds that have suffered the same fate that ours is currently undergoing,” he told them. “They managed to thwart the leaders of the alien armies. I believe, with your help, we can also save our planet.” They crowded around and he quickly explained Detective Reynolds’ plan to them.
“You want us to attack the green aliens?” a nervous imp asked. He was so scared at that prospect that he began to fade.
“Are you turning invisible?” Violet asked.
With a frightened giggle, the see-through creature nodded. “This always happens when I am terrified.”
“I wish my talent had been as good as yours,” Sam said with a hint of envy. He could no longer use his ability to camouflage himself.
“There are only a few of us here,” Max pointed out. “How many of us will you need?”
“We will require all of you to assist us,” Nathan said gravely. “We need the imps who have not yet returned to their human forms. We are hoping they will frighten the Grimgorg into fleeing.”
“Are we going to have to fight the faeries as well?” the now completely invisible imp asked. He was so scared that his voice was shaking.
“No,” Violet said. “One of my friends is going to kill their leader. Once he’s dead, his warriors will hopefully become demoralized and will run as well. Detective Reynolds is going to arrange for some soldiers to come with us. They’ll help drive the Grimgorg and faeries to the portals.”
Their plans hinged on Natalie taking Nifirial down. If she failed
, their scheme could fall apart. Then they would be stuck inside the dome with tens of thousands of Grimgorg magic users and five hundred pissed off faeries.
Chapter Thirty-Five
~~~ Violet’s World ~~~
LEXI QUICKLY GREW TIRED of the tension between Nat and Brie and retreated to the kitchen to make coffee. She put the old-fashioned kettle on the stove to boil and had a few quiet minutes to herself. When she returned to the front room with her beverage, the pair were engaged in a staring match. It was one that Natalie would surely win simply because she didn’t need to blink and only did so out of habit.
Stubborn to the end, Brie’s eyes were beginning to tear up when a knock sounded at the door. Using it as an excuse to look away, she stood and crossed to the door. She pulled the curtain away and saw a reflection of Lexi shaking her head at the petty rivalry between herself and the vampire. Nat’s expression was smug that she’d won.
A human stood on the other side of the door. He was in his forties and his brow was furrowed with worry. “What do you want?” Brie asked him coldly. She didn’t despise humans, but she didn’t have much time for them, either.
“Um, I want to have my fortune told,” he said humbly.
Before she could tell him to go away, Natalie was standing beside her. Violet’s spells allowed everyone in the group to open the door and she turned the handle to let him in. “Of course,” Nat said solicitously. “Come right in.”
Groaning inwardly, Lexi kept her protest to herself. She had a feeling this was going to be memorable.
“Have a seat,” Nat said and ushered the man over to Brie’s chair. The angel gave her a sour look and headed for the kitchen. She clearly wanted no part of this farce. “I’m Natalie and this is my assistant, Lexi,” she said with a nod at her fellow warrior.
“I’m George,” the client replied. “How much is this going to cost?”
“That depends on what sort of reading you’re after,” Nat replied. “Do you want me to read your palm, some tealeaves, or Tarot cards?”
