Ares was going to say more, but that was when his phone rang. He went to a less noisy corner to answer it, leaving Poseidon with the Sun God.
Chapter Fourteen
“Can’t you just track him? Don’t you all have some kind of built-in homing device that allows you to find each other?” Athena complained as she reluctantly followed Thor down Thirty Eighth Street.
Thor tossed his head back and laughed. “I wish. That would be much easier. However, that is not the case so we must do this the hard way.”
“I need a computer,” she insisted. “Take me to the library.”
“I have been there,” Thor nodded. “It is a wondrous place, indeed, but I do not see how books will be of any help to us.”
“Spoken like a true male warrior,” Athena said sweetly. “Trust me.”
Thor looked at his goddess. Did he trust her? Yes, he decided, he did. She had spent more time on this new Midgard than he, and she was well versed in the ways of these humans. Much like Loki was. “We shall go,” he said before ghosting himself away.
Athena stood there staring at the spot where Thor had just been. She knew that he thought she would ghost with him, except that she couldn’t. She had tried ghosting that morning and nothing happened. Nothing. Not even a flicker. Just as she knew would happen, her powers were waning quickly. Now, she was going to have to admit it.
She began walking in the direction of the library. Thor would wait there for her, she knew. Then he would harass her about how long it took for her to arrive. How was she going to explain it? Her heels clacked loudly against the pavement, reminding her with each step that she could not ghost. What kind of goddess couldn’t ghost?
One that was turning human, that’s the kind.
Realizing that the library was too far to walk, Athena stepped to the curb to hail a cab. Just as one pulled over and stopped, Thor appeared.
“Woman. Why did you not follow me?” he demanded.
“I’d rather take a cab,” she said, getting into the backseat. Thor watched her glide into the cab gracefully, her body folding perfectly to fit inside. “Are you coming?”
Thor looked at the metal death box. Could he ride in this thing again? Why would Athena want to ride in it? She was a goddess. She could ghost anywhere she wanted. He leaned down so that he could see her inside the cab. She was sitting on the far side of the seat, her back straight and her head forward. She was holding herself with all the pride and dignity of a goddess, but something was different. Her skin seemed… dull. Her eyes looked almost sad.
The longer a god stays on this earth without breaking the curse, the more power they lose until eventually they turn into a human.
The words rattled around in his head. Perhaps Athena didn’t ghost was because she couldn’t. She would never admit it out loud, though. She was far too proud to admit defeat. Thor looked up at the busy street and then back at Athena. Pressing his lips together tight, he folded himself into the seat beside her.
“New York Public Library,” Thor told the driver.
This driver was less insane than the first one, he decided. Or maybe he was less afraid. Either way, Thor felt more at ease this time around. He kept his head forward, but from the corner of his eye, he watched Athena. Her expression never wavered, but he could feel her sadness. It was almost as if it were his own.
“It took much longer last time,” she said without looking at him.
“What did?” he asked, turning slightly in his seat to face her. The car moved through the traffic, but Thor didn’t notice. His attention was solely on Athena.
“For my power to drain,” she admitted. She held out her hand on the seat and a small spark lit her palm then fizzled out. “This time it’s different. I can’t feel it anymore.”
Thor listened, waiting for her to say more. When she didn’t, he asked, “Has it gone? All of it?”
Athena nodded and a single tear ran down her cheek. She brushed it away quickly.
“How do you get it back?” Thor asked. “I will help you.”
Athena shook her head. “I won’t go back,” she said definitively. “I would rather die on this rotting planet as a mere human than to be a prisoner again.”
“But your powers,” Thor said.
Athena shook her head. “No. I don’t care.”
Thor took her hand into his own and used his other hand to turn her face to his. He knew she was lying but there was no sense in arguing with her. “Powers or no, you are still a goddess in my eyes. I, Thor, God of Thunder, shall protect you,” he vowed.
Athena looked at him for a moment with a sheen of unshed tears in her eyes. Then she yanked her hand back. “I don’t need protecting. Right now, I need to find your brother so that my brother can kick his sorry ass.”
She opened her door and got out of the cab. Thor hadn’t noticed when they stopped. He conjured some money and handed it to the driver before following her up the steps to the building. Athena maneuvered through the isles single-mindedly, knowing exactly where she was going. Thor kept himself a few steps behind her, letting her lead the way. He wanted her to have as much control over their search as possible.
When had he started caring, anyway?
Athena stopped at a table that was home to several computers, like Cody had done before. She sat down at one of them and began typing away at the keyboard. Thor watched over her shoulder as one screen after another popped up on the computer. Then a black screen with green words appeared. None of the words made sense, though. It was a language that he had never seen.
“What is this?” he asked, leaning over her shoulder. “I’ve never seen this before.”
“It’s called code,” Athena told him without stopping her fingers from moving. “I’m hacking into the city’s security camera database.”
“What is hacking?” Thor asked her. Her scent filled his senses and he found that he wanted to touch her. He did so, placing his hand on her shoulder.
“I can’t explain it right now,” she answered just as several small boxes appeared on the screen. Each box showed a different part of the city.
“What magic is this?” he asked, watching with rapt attention.
“It’s not magic,” Athena told him. “I’m searching for your brother.”
“He likes that place called Head Quarters,” Thor told her.
Athena did something that caused one of the boxes to move to the center of the screen and move very quickly in reverse. Then she paused it. “There.” She said.
On the screen was a likeness of his brother. Loki wasn’t looking at the camera, but it was him. “That is Loki.”
“Time stamp says he was there for one hour and then he left again. Both times alone.”
“There is a woman there named Bella who gives him dances,” Thor said.
“That’s where we should start,” Athena said, closing out all the windows she had opened. She looked at him for a moment. Thor was a huge man to begin with, and standing there, dressed in his Armani jeans and fitting button-down shirt, he was delicious. And the way he smelled! She shook her head. Damn human senses. “I need you to take me there,” she said.
“Do you want to take another cab?” Thor asked, secretly hoping that she said no.
Athena shook her head and Thor let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. “We need to ghost there.”
Thor nodded and when Athena stood, he held out his hand. “Not here,” she whispered. She walked to an empty isle and then held out her hand. Thor took it and pulled her close to him. He wrapped his arms around her slim waist before ghosting them both out of the library.
They appeared in the alley near the club with Thor’s arms still around her waist. Athena knew that she should move as quickly as possible, but she found that she couldn’t. If she were honest with herself, which she wasn’t, she liked the feel of his strong arms holding her. It made her feel safe.
“We should go in,” he said, his face mere inches from hers.
“Yes,�
� Athena answered. No one moved. Thor leaned his head down further, his lips a whisper away from her. “We have to find Loki,” she reminded him.
“I know,” he said, moving closer.
Athena cleared her throat and pushed at his massive chest and Thor let her go. She immediately missed the warmth he had provided, but she wasn’t about to let him know that. She walked briskly around the corner to the front of the establishment, waving at the doorman as she entered. Thor followed quickly behind her.
“Where is this, Bella?” she asked, leaning her head toward him and shouting over the music.
Thor scanned the room until he found her at a table talking to an older man. “There,” he said, pointing at her.
Athena stomped, as well as anyone could in heels, to the woman that Thor indicated. She went right up to the table and asked, “Where is Loki?”
The woman looked up at the goddess, her eyes widening and then narrowing. “I don’t know who that is,” she lied.
“Liar!” Athena shouted. The older man at the table got up and slunk away, unwilling to be part of this situation. “Where is he? You will tell me or I’ll crush you.”
“Look lady,” Bella said, “I don’t know who this Loki is. But if you’re looking for your husband or boyfriend, let me just say, it ain’t my fault they come here.”
Athena thought she might throw up. “He is not my boyfriend,” she growled.
“I’m sorry ma’am,” Thor said, taking control of the situation. “My woman can be very direct and even brash at times, but I assure you, she is a goddess. Loki is my brother and we need to find him. I have seen him here before.”
“So where is he?” Athena added. Did Thor just call her his woman? And was she going to let him get away with it? For now, she decided.
Bella shrugged.
“He is in great danger,” Thor lied.
“Does this have anything to do with that box?” Bella asked them. “Because he said it was very important that it stayed safe. Is it stolen?”
Thor and Athena looked at each other and then back at the dancer. “Yes,” they said together. “It is stolen and the owner is looking for it. If it isn’t returned, I fear they may kill Loki,” Athena told her. She didn’t know what box Bella was talking about, but if Loki hid it with a human, then it was definitely important.
“He said to tell no one I had it, but if he’s in danger,” Bella said, trailing off.
“Give it me so that I can return it to its rightful owner and possibly save my brother’s life,” Thor told her.
Bella thought it over for a moment and then nodded. “He looks like you,” she said. “Tell him I’m sorry, but I don’t want him hurt.” She walked behind the counter and then returned with a small box. “Please don’t let anyone hurt him.”
Thor took the box and nodded. It felt heavy in his hand and he could feel the magic surrounding it. Yes, this was definitely something of great importance. He found it amusing that the human woman cared so much about his brother’s fate. “I will ensure that no harm comes to him,” Thor said. And he meant it. Loki would be locked up for all eternity, but he would not be harmed. At least not in any terminal way.
“What is that thing?” Athena asked as they left the bar. “Why is a box so damned important?”
Thor handed it to her. “Do you feel the magic held within it?” he asked her.
Athena shook her head. “No, it feels like a box.”
“I assure you, there is magic in it,” Thor told her, taking it back. “Loki has done something very bad, I’m afraid.”
“Why did you promise not to hurt him?” she asked after they were outside. “He needs his ass kicked.”
“I promised not to harm,” Thor told her. “And I won’t harm my brother. I will ensure that he is locked away for all eternity, just as his son, Fenrir is.” Light began to emerge from the box and when Thor held it out, the top popped open.
“How did you open it?” Athena asked, looking to see what was in it. What she saw made her jump back. “Gross! Who keeps an eye in a magic box! Throw that shit away!”
Thor shook his head and his brow etched with concern. “This is no ordinary eye,” he told her, closing the box and tucking it into his front pocket. “This is the eye of my father, Odin. It contains great magic and allows our goddess, Freya to have the gift of sight. Her visions are centered around this eye.”
Athena wrinkled her nose. “It’s still disgusting.”
Thor shrugged. “I must return this to Asgard at once. You should go back to Ares’ house with Sharalyn. She can protect you.”
Athena bristled. “I’ll do no such thing,” she argued. “I’m going with you.”
“No,” Thor told her. “You must listen to me on this, woman.”
“Don’t call me woman,” she growled.
“Go back where it is safe,” he said.
“Bite me,” she argued.
“If that is what you like,” Thor said. “But bed play will have to wait until later. I have to go.”
“Bed play?” she laughed. “Why would I ever sleep with you?”
“Woman!”
“Fuck you, Thor,” she snarled.
“I must return Odin’s eye!” he pulled Mjolnir from his belt, ready to defend the precious eye from anyone who would try to take it.
“You and that damned hammer!” she shouted, grabbing it and holding it up. She shook it in his face. “I should beat you with this damn thing! I’m not running away and hiding!”
Thor watched her rant, wide-eyed, as she held his hammer as if it were nothing. “How are you—what are you doing?”
Athena stomped away, still holding Mjolnir.
“Woman! Give me back Mjolnir!”
Athena huffed and tossed the hammer carelessly in his direction. It hit the pavement with a resounding boom, shaking the earth on which they stood. Thor picked it up quickly, but when he turned, Athena was gone.
Athena stomped around the corner of the building muttering under her breath. Bed play her ass! She wouldn’t sleep with Thor if he was the last man in the universe! Something knocked over a trash can in the shadows and Athena snapped her head in that direction.
Centuries of battle had honed her skills and instincts to a fine point. Someone or something was hiding from her. Even though she couldn’t see it, she knew it was there. Good, she thought. Maybe it would kill her and put her out of her perpetual misery. That wasn’t happening, though. Athena scanned the alley and found a lead pipe. She picked it up and armed her other hand with the metal lid from a trash can. It wasn’t her sword and shield, but it was something.
The cry of a large bird split the evening air, sending chills down her spine. It came from directly in front of her. Athena trained her eyes on the spot the sound had come from. Nothing. She watched in horror as the water on the pavement splashed as if someone were walking through it.
This wasn’t the first time Athena had fought a foe she couldn’t see. Spreading her feet apart and holding her lid and pipe at the ready, she braced for attack. Maniacal laughter filled the alley accompanied by the most horrifying sound she had ever heard. It was like metal razors sliding over one another, thousands all at once. She had to know. Had to. Athena focused her mind and channeled the last of her remaining power to see what was coming for her.
At first it was blurry, but then it cleared up for her. A man, six feet tall, slender and dressed in black was coming her way. That wasn’t the bad part. On his back were shiny silver wings that moved. Each feather moved independently of the others, making that metal grinding sound. When he stepped past the dumpster, his wings sliced through it like it was butter. His eye glowed a sadistic red and his snarl spoke volumes. He intended to kill her.
He moved freely toward her, unencumbered by the obstacles in the alley and raised his hand. A long, slender blade glinted in the light of the street lamp just before Athena’s power was drained and she could no longer see her attacker. She screamed as she raised her trash can lid to pro
tect her from the coming blow.
The sound of metal hitting metal clanged loudly in her ears as she used every instinct she had ever possessed to fend off the attacking beast. What the hell was that? Using her senses, Athena struck out with her pipe. She knew she hit something by the way it reverberated all the way up her arm. “Fuck that hurt!”
She backed further and further toward the street, hoping that Thor had not abandoned her. She raised her pipe again, this time it was cut off only a few inches from her fist by those invisible wings. The thing shrieked again and Athena felt pain explode from the back of her head. She tried to hold the lid up, but it was no use for her now-human body. She succumbed to the pain and felt the world spinning out of control as she fell to the ground.
Thor heard Athena scream and turned. He ran to the opposite corner, rounding it without slowing down. What he saw had his heart pounding in his chest and his feet abruptly coming to a stop. He saw Athena striking out against Rankor, one of the fiercest of Asgardian warriors. The beast hit her over the head and Thor watched in panic as Athena fell to the ground in slow motion. His feet felt as if they were glued to the ground, unable to move. Rankor picked Athena up and slung her limp, but alive body over his shoulder. Fury grew in Thor’s belly, but he knew that if he attacked Rankor now, Loki would still be free and would just send another for her.
Athena was human. That was a great big ball of ‘what the fuck’ in and of itself.
Thor followed the beast at a safe distance. He knew that so long as Athena lived, he could follow in the shadows back to Asgard. That was where he would find Loki. That was where he would avenge his goddess and that was where Loki would find the reckoning he so deserved.
Chapter Fifteen
Lor watched the house from the tree line half a mile away. There were only two women in the house: the woman he sought, and a goddess. He just needed to hide out a little longer until the human was left alone, then he would make his move. The more he watched, he realized that the human woman was round with child. This bit of news would have been helpful before he had made his plan. However, it still changed nothing. Lor would wait.
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