God Of Mayhem (Fate's Warriors Book 2)

by J. C. Diem

  Footsteps clomped towards his hut, rousing him from his daydream of ruling supreme. As always, a trio of shamans approached. He rose, grabbed his sword and exited from the shack before they could seek admittance. “Is it time?” he asked the lead magician.

  “It is, Lord Loki,” the creature confirmed. “Our troops and the Frost Giants are poised to invade Earth. We will begin the attack as soon as you are ready.”

  By mutual agreement, Loki would be the first one through the portals. King Rho and General Kretu would each send a contingent of fifty thousand troops after him. Rho and his sorcerers would create a magical dome. It would apparently keep any outside forces from entering the city he’d chosen to subdue first.

  Loki was aware that they had more than just the US military to contend with. There were all sorts of monsters and dangerous creatures on his version of Earth. That included faeries, which were the worst of all to deal with. With luck, they would remain in their realm and wouldn’t become involved in the battles ahead.

  He’d been to Earth a long time ago and had left his mark behind in the form of rampaging shapeshifters. Their descendants should still carry the magic he’d infused them with. It was possible he would be able to bend them to his will. If he could, they would become his own private army that neither of his allies knew about.

  Smirking inwardly, Loki followed the shuffling Grimgorg magicians to King Rho’s hut. The portal had been tuned to the city on Earth that he had selected. Rho and Kretu would be seeing the same image on their portals on Asgard and Jötunheim. Once they saw him land on the arid ground near the glittering metropolis, they would begin their invasion. Shamans would bring portals through to act as doorways for their captives. Half would be aimed at Asgard and the rest would be tuned to the Frost Giant’s icy world.

  Examining the city that was brightly lit even during the day, Loki mentally crossed his fingers that his allies weren’t planning to betray him. The portals only went one way and he couldn’t exactly tuck a spare one into his pocket. Heimdall had been imprisoned on the barren planet along with Odin and his army. There was no one left on Asgard to operate the bifrost to bring him home again. Once he leaped through the doorway, he had no way of leaving Earth. By going first, he was displaying his trust in his allies.

  Buckling on his sword, he let the illusion of a simple tunic and trousers disappear. His clothes changed to his black, gold and green leather suit. His long green cape flared out behind him as he leaped into the portal. As he landed safely on the ground, he called on his golden helmet. It molded itself to his cheeks and jaw and twin horns curved up and back. In times long past, it would have been enough to send the peasants fleeing in terror. Earth had changed and humans were more sophisticated and a lot harder to scare now. He was confident that they would soon understand the threat that he represented.

  Knowing his allies were watching him, he smoothed his cape into place behind him, then casually sauntered towards the city. This was known as a place where high stakes were played. He was taking the gamble of a lifetime by allying himself with Rho and Kretu. Time would tell whether he’d made a colossal mistake, or whether it would pay off.

  His back and shoulders were tense, but he let out a silent sigh of relief when he heard the light thud of feet landing behind him. He flicked a glance over his shoulder to see Grimgorg soldiers blinking at the bright sunlight. Their planet was perpetually cloudy and dim. They weren’t used to the dry ground, or lack of water and plants.

  Frost Giants landed next. Moisture immediately began to drip from their bodies beneath the burning sunlight. General Kretu snarled at Loki when he smirked. Something told him the trickster had deliberately chosen this hot place just to irk him. Jötunheim was a planet of ice. He and his kind wouldn’t be able to last long here and they would soon have to return to their own world. This meant he would have to rely on the Grimgorg king’s portals for survival.

  Seeing the impotent fury in Kretu’s frosty face, Loki’s smirk widened. It probably wasn’t wise of him to antagonize his ally, but it was in his nature to do so. King Rho approached, using his gnarled staff to assist him. “Shall we?” Loki said politely and gestured at the nearby city.

  Thousands of Grimgorg and Frost Giant soldiers appeared next. Dozens of shamans carried portals with glowing blue edges. Loki would have to keep his eye on where the magical gateways were taken. It was always a good idea to have an escape route handy, just in case something went drastically wrong with their invasion.

  With his troops following in his wake, he sauntered towards the sign that welcomed him to Las Vegas.

  ~~~

  Chapter Twelve

  ~~~ Lexi’s World ~~~

  Mark had been busy while Lexi, Reece and Violet had met with the werebears. He sent Reece a text advising him that Cole was expecting them. Lexi had half expected Zeus to tag along with them during their travels. Apparently, not even her guardian wanted to spend any more time with the werecats than was absolutely necessary.

  Violet hadn’t even met Cole and his crew yet and she already knew they were going to be a pain in the butt. She was perversely looking forward to seeing just how difficult they would be to deal with. With her snarky attitude and unwillingness to trust others, they were bound to clash. It was petty, but it gave her a certain amount of pleasure to annoy others. It was a trait she hadn’t outgrown yet and one she probably never would. “Where are we heading this time?” she asked.

  “To a town called Lilydale in Oklahoma,” Lexi replied. “Cole owns a property about ten miles away from town, but they spend most of their time in a nightclub in the city.”

  Too young to drink, Violet hadn’t been to a nightclub before. Since it was the middle of the day, it would probably be fairly empty right now.

  “Come on,” Reece said reluctantly. “We’d better get this over with.”

  Lexi caved in to her duty and they sank into the ground once more. They popped up in a backyard of a suburban home a moment later. She led the way out of the yard and across the street to an alley. They rounded the corner of a three-story building and came to a halt at the door. A sign above the door proclaimed it to be the “Nightstalker Club’. Lexi rolled her eyes at the sign, which made Violet grin even while she was still shuddering from using the zombie highway.

  Reece knocked on the door and it was opened immediately. A tall, well-built blond guy stood on the other side. He wore jeans and a black t-shirt that was two sizes too small. Mason’s upper lip curled automatically at having werewolf visitors. Mastering his prejudices, he nodded his head respectfully, then stepped aside to let them in.

  Violet’s eyes almost watered at the smell of stale alcohol that wafted through a large open doorway down the hall and to the right. If this was what all nightclubs smelled like, she had no plans to visit one again. They walked down the hall and she glanced into the bar. As she’d expected, the place was devoid of customers. A few male shifters sat on stools at the long bar that lined the back wall. They stared at the visitors with languorous interest.

  “Where’s Cole?” Lexi asked. Mason pointed at the staircase just as a pair of bare feet appeared. With a sigh, she waited for the rex to make his grand entrance.

  Taking his time to descend the stairs, Cole’s pleased grin faltered and disappeared when he saw who had come to call. “I’d hoped Kala was coming to pay me a visit,” he said with a pout.

  As tall as the bouncer, he was leaner, but far more handsome. Violet’s eyes dropped to his naked, muscular chest and she studied him like he was an art exhibit. If it wasn’t for his petulant expression, he would have been one of the most beautiful men she’d ever seen. Of course, he didn’t even come close to matching Nathan’s beauty. Not even a shifter could compete with an angel.

  “Why would Kala want to visit you?” Lexi said flatly. “She’s bonded to my father, remember?”

  Wincing, Cole looked away as if that news pained him. “That doesn’t mean my feelings for her have changed.”

  Reec
e shook his head when his mate opened her mouth to unleash a tirade on the werecat. It isn’t worth it, he said directly into her mind. We need to stay focused.

  Taking a deep breath, Lexi realized how useless it would be to argue with Cole about this topic. The werelions had changed their ways since they’d discovered that other shifters didn’t bamboozle their females into lifelong bondage. “What did Mark tell you over the phone?” she asked.

  Cole shrugged one shoulder as his pride gathered around him. The few females he had left remained upstairs, but he knew they were listening in. “Not much,” he replied. “Mark said something vague about a new threat.” He wasn’t particularly concerned. Surely, nothing could be worse than the last ordeal their world had suffered through.

  As Lexi broke into her spiel, one of the lions sidled closer and stared at Violet intently. Unlike the others, he wasn’t blond. His hair was dark brown and his skin was several shades darker as well. His eyes were a clear, light blue. He circled around her until he was standing at her back. Leaning down to sniff her hair, he made the grave mistake of putting a hand on her shoulder.

  Lexi saw the danger too late to stop it. An expression of rage came over Violet when the werecat touched her. Spinning around, she grabbed him by the throat with one hand and lifted him off his feet. Slamming him into the wall hard enough to dent it, she called on her axe and put the blazing gold blade to his neck. “Don’t ever put your hands on me again,” she said in a low, dangerous voice that made everyone’s hackles rise. “No one has the right to touch me without my permission.”

  Sick excitement flared in the werelion’s eyes. He raised his chin, giving her better access to his throat. “You may punish me if you like,” he invited her breathlessly. He had no idea who, or what the girl was, but she was obviously very powerful.

  Cole shook his head in disgust at his cousin’s behavior. “Please forgive Felix. I’m afraid there’s something very wrong with him.”

  “His name is Felix?” Violet said and flicked a look at Lexi.

  “Yep. Felix the werelion,” her fellow warrior confirmed, then smirked.

  Dropping the shifter, Violet transformed her axe to a dagger and pointed it at him. “Bad kitty,” she admonished him, then sniggered. Far too many men had attempted to take advantage of her deceptively small size and fragility for her to let his behavior slide. She’d warned him not to touch her. If he did it again, she would take more drastic steps next time, such as chopping off his favorite body part.

  “Who are you?” Cole asked. Lexi and Reece hadn’t introduced the girl yet. He knew she wasn’t a shifter, but she clearly wasn’t a puny human as she appeared to be.

  “I’m Violet Harper. I’m Lexi’s equivalent from another dimension.”

  Disturbed looks were exchanged as Cole took this in. He hadn’t really believed Lexi’s story about an Asgardian demi-god coming to invade their world. He was now wondering if it might be true after all. “What sort of being are you?”

  Figuring it would be easier to show him, she called on her wings. Gasps of awe rang out when they appeared. The hallway was too narrow for her to spread them out, so she kept them tucked behind her back. “Does that answer your question?” she said dryly.

  Wonder shone from Cole’s eyes as he stared at the pure white feathers and her now inhuman beauty. “I had no idea angels really existed.” If that was possible, then perhaps this crazy story about Loki creating their kind was real. “I don’t want to endanger my pride again, but we’ll stand with you if Loki invades our world,” he said to the werewolves.

  “Great,” Lexi said in relief as Violet made her wings disappear again. “Mark will keep you updated.”

  “Give Kala my love,” Cole said as they headed for the door. Lexi sent him a sardonic look over her shoulder. Love wasn’t even close to what the rex felt for her friend. Possession was far closer to the mark.

  Once they were outside, they returned to the yard behind the nightclub. “Thanks for showing your angelic form to the werelions,” Lexi said to Violet. “I didn’t think I was going to be able to convince them to help us this time.” As their supreme alphas, she and Reece could force them into it, but she preferred to have their cooperation rather than mindless subservience.

  “They seem like a bunch of vain, useless pretty-boys,” Violet said with a frown. “Will they be any help in a fight?”

  “They seem flighty and frivolous on the surface, but they can fight just as well as any other shifters,” Reece reassured her.

  Violet waited until they’d returned to the base in Denver before asking a question. “How many shifters are there in the US?”

  “Around five thousand,” Mark said. He and Ava were sitting at the dining table.

  Violet frowned at the answer. “That’s not exactly a huge army. But, I guess that could be a good thing if Loki can take control of shifters.”

  Mark nodded grimly. “I had that same thought.”

  Kala and Philip were busy in the kitchen, making tea and coffee. From her hunched shoulders, Kala didn’t want to hear the message that Cole had wanted them to pass on to her. Philip stepped over and drew her into his arms. She relaxed into him and they seemed to share a silent conversation. Clearly, Cole had hurt her in some way. Major Levine didn’t seem like the forgiving type. The werelion was probably extremely lucky to be alive.

  “Who else can we call on for help against Loki’s army?” Violet queried.

  “Zombies,” Flynn said with a grin. He sat on one of the couches with Sabine nestled beside him. “Lexi can call up a huge number of them. Some are former PIA agents and have special training that most humans don’t have.”

  “What does PIA stand for?”

  Mark looked at Lexi reprovingly. “Haven’t you told Violet anything about us?”

  Shrugging, Lexi took a mug of coffee from the tray Kala carried over to her. “I figured I’d fill the girls in when we got to my world.” She nodded her thanks for the coffee and received a tiny smile from the werecougar in return.

  “I’m here now,” Violet said. Kala and Philip carried the trays into the living room, stopping long enough to hand beverages over to Mark and Ava. Taking her tea, Violet settled onto a couch. Zeus materialized and ambled over to her. Putting his head on her knee, he stared up at her soulfully while she stroked his ears. She wished her hellhounds could visit her on Earth. Unfortunately, hell spawn couldn’t survive for long outside their fiery realm.

  “PIA stands for the Paranormal Investigation Agency,” Mark said. “We were founded over four hundred years ago by a priest called Thomas. The agency is run by nine members of a Board. Each member resides in a different country.”

  Natalie was still dead to the world, but she probably knew all this already, thanks to her ability to read minds. “What’s the purpose of your agency?” Violet asked.

  “To hunt down monsters and either kill them, or neutralize them.”

  “How do you determine which creatures are monsters?”

  It was a good question and Mark was glad to see Violet was more than just a pretty face. Like Lexi and Natalie, she was shrewd. “Any beings who harm, or kill humans are considered to be a threat.”

  Violet nodded thoughtfully. That was how she and Natalie both operated as well. Keeping humanity safe from harm was a common theme among their teams. “I guess the zombies in this dimension are a bit easier to control than they were on Nat’s world?” she said to Lexi.

  “Yes, thankfully,” Lexi said dryly. “The zombies that I raise here are completely beneath my power. Not even another necromancer would be able to steal them away from me.”

  “Can I watch you raise one?” Violet stamped down on the trickle of unease even as she asked the question. While she trusted Lexi, she had to see a resurrection for herself before she would be willing to believe zombies would be beneficial to their fight this time.

  “We’ll have to use the zombie highway again,” Lexi warned her.

  “That’s okay. I think I’m g
etting used to it.” Her claustrophobia was beginning to abate each time they sank into the ground. Their method of travel happened so quickly that the ordeal was over almost before it began.

  ~~~

  Chapter Thirteen

  ~~~ Alpha World ~~~

  It took two weeks to round up the citizens of New York. The once bustling city was now empty of people. Uldar’s ship now contained over a million humans and many more would soon be joining them. The collared humans were too docile to attempt to escape, so he didn’t have to worry about an uprising. He had a far greater number of new clones, most of which had been sent to Viltar through portals. Thanks to the portals he had stored on his ship, Uldar could communicate with the droids and clones on his home world. He could easily call them back to battle through more portals once they reached their next destination.

  King Rho had sent his share of the captured humans to Asgard. He now had six million or so slaves. They were just a fraction of the force he would eventually have. Asgard was a relatively small planet and it couldn’t sustain a billion human and Asgardian lives. He would have to choose a planet to invade and begin preparing his troops soon. It wasn’t ideal to split his concentration between two wars, but he was confident he had the magic and manpower to achieve his goals.

  Unaware of just how dire the fate of humanity really was, Bianca stood on the balcony and stared down at the empty streets. It was daytime, so the Viltarans and their clones had retreated to the mothership. Robots and Grimgorg soldiers were the only beings out and about. They were performing a final sweep to search for any survivors. Uldar had given spare scanners to King Rho to assist with the search. Each building was scanned by the green aliens, while droids checked the subways.