God Of Mayhem (Fate's Warriors Book 2)

by J. C. Diem

  The warlock raised his hands defensively, but she wasn’t trying to attack him. Her arms went around him and she squeezed him hard enough to almost make him yelp. “How do you know my name?” he said shakily. She’d set off his wards, which meant she wasn’t human, but he had no idea what she was.

  Stepping back, an embarrassed blush rose on her face when she realized her gaffe. “Sorry. I forgot that you wouldn’t know me. We’re friends in my dimension.”

  “Your dimension?” he said in bewilderment. Murmurs of surprise came from the Board members. Mark hadn’t told them about his guest, or her origins.

  “It’s a long story,” Violet said with a sigh. “Mark can probably tell it better than I can.”

  Elijah’s gaze kept creeping back to the teen while Agent Steel dutifully filled them in. It was obvious she held a lot of affection for his twin from her world. He had many questions for her, but so did the Board.

  “What are you?” Cromby asked Violet pointblank when Mark was done with his tale. Hearing that Loki was going to make a reappearance had shaken the entire Board to the core. Not knowing what sort of allies he would bring with him had them all worried. It didn’t exactly ease their anxiety that Mark had brought a new kind of monster directly to their headquarters.

  “On this world, I can assume my angelic form,” Violet replied. From their skeptical expressions, yet another demonstration was in order. She moved to stand beneath the spotlight to give herself room to spread her wings before she transformed herself.

  Gasps of wonder rang out from the monitors. Elijah stared at her sudden increased beauty in awe. Clasping his hands to his chest, he tentatively moved closer. This time when Violet embraced him, she wrapped her wings around him. A sense of wellbeing came over him and tears trickled down his face. He’d been able to sense the future ever since he’d been a child. He’d always suspected that humanity was doomed. The Shifter Squad had averted Armageddon the last time. He now had hope that they would prevail again.

  Releasing the man who was a priest and holy warrior on her world, Violet placed her hand against his cheek. “Can we count on you to help us, Elijah?”

  “You can,” he said and gulped in fear. He wasn’t sure what one warlock would be able to do, but he couldn’t stand the thought of letting this angelic stranger down.

  Lexi felt a chill run down her spine at the expression on Violet’s face. In her angel form, she had a terrible beauty that rivalled even Natalie’s. She was ruthless and would use anyone she needed to in order to attain her goals. In that respect, all three of Fate’s champions were exactly the same.

  ~~~

  Chapter Fifteen

  ~~~ Lexi’s World ~~~

  Sweat dripped down Loki’s back and pooled at the base of his spine as he strolled towards Las Vegas. Heads turned and electronic devices were pointed at him to take photos, or to capture him on video. He smirked when he realized he wouldn’t need to trumpet his intentions to the world leaders. His actions would speak more loudly than mere words ever could.

  Striding down the street, he caught the notice of a group of teens. They sneered at his leather armor. “Awesome Loki costume, dude,” one of the boys said sarcastically. “I didn’t know there was a comic-con on today.”

  Loki had no idea what a comic-con was, but he didn’t appreciate the kid’s snide attitude. “I assure you, this is not a costume,” he informed the boy.

  “Uh huh,” one of the other kids said and rolled his eyes. “I guess that means your sword is real?”

  “You mean Lævateinn?” Loki said and drew the weapon. “Of course she’s real.” Running a hand down the flat of the blade, it began to glow silver as it pulsed with his magic. “Perhaps you would care for a demonstration?” he said with a sly grin.

  Curious despite themselves, the teens nodded in unison. He sent a blast of electricity towards a nearby vehicle. The windows shattered, the tires burst and the engine caught on fire. It exploded a few seconds later, making the kids flinch and cover their ears with their hands.

  “Are they shooting a new movie?” one of the boys asked in awe. Dropping his hands to his sides, he looked around, but he didn’t see any movie cameras. A few people were filming on their phones, though.

  “Check out the costumes on those guys!” another teen said and pointed at the short, ugly green aliens and gigantic creatures that seemed to be covered in ice. Steam drifted from them and they looked like they were melting. It was the best special effects they’d ever seen in real life.

  They watched in fascination as several of the hunchbacked creatures scuttled towards them. Thinking it was a promotion for a movie, they made no effort to resist as silver collars were placed around their necks. The instant the ends of the necklaces clicked together, all expression left their faces and they became docile.

  Loki watched the group of boys being captured. It had happened so quickly and easily that it had been almost laughable. “Welcome to your new lives of servitude,” he said with a smirk at their blank faces.

  At King Rho’s order, dozens of his shamans began to chant. A huge translucent silver dome flickered into being, trapping the inhabitants and tourists inside the city. It would keep the soldiers out once the authorities realized the city was under attack.

  Seeing puddles rapidly forming around the Frost Giants, Loki spoke. “Oh, dear. Your army appears to be melting, General Kretu.” He turned to Rho to offer a suggestion. “Perhaps you should find somewhere to place your portals soon. It seems the indomitable Frost Giants will need to return to Jötunheim much earlier than I’d expected. We wouldn’t want them to fade away before we even embark on our invasion of Earth.” His tone was sly and very nearly insulting.

  Snarling in fury, Kretu couldn’t take his rage out on the Asgardian. Instead, he turned to the burning car and sent a blast of magic at it. In the blink of an eye, ice coated the vehicle and turned it into a fantastical sculpture.

  Hearing cheers and applause, Loki turned to see a group of humans had gathered to watch the show. Choosing to conquer Las Vegas first had benefits he hadn’t anticipated. It appeared that the citizens thought they were putting on a performance. “This is going to be almost too easy,” he muttered. At his gesture, more Grimgorg shamans and warriors hurried over to collar the audience.

  At first, they didn’t realize they were in danger and willingly allowed themselves to be shackled. Most were laughing in excitement at being part of the entertainment. Soon enough, they began to realize this wasn’t a performance at all.

  A woman waved her hand in front of her daughter’s blank face to try to get her attention. The girl didn’t even blink and ignored her mother completely. “What did you do to her?” she said and turned on the horrible green monster who had put the jewelry on the girl. Its huge yellow eyes stared up at her as it tried to place a silver necklace around her neck.

  Up this close, she could see it wasn’t a costume at all. This thing was real and it had captured her child. With a scream of rage and terror, she hit the alien with her purse, knocking it back a few steps. She tugged on the collar that encircled her daughter’s throat, but it wouldn’t come off. A quick-thinking alien crept up behind her and snapped a collar around her neck, instantly rendering her placid.

  “I don’t think this is a promo for a movie,” someone said shrilly from the back of the crowd. Disturbed murmurs swept through the throng. They stared up at the dome that had appeared a short while ago and at the blank faces of the people who had been collared, then they broke and ran. With screeches and bellows of glee, the Grimgorg and Frost Giants took off after them.

  Too dignified to run, Loki continued to saunter towards the heart of Vegas where word hadn’t yet spread about the attack. A large crowd had gathered on the streets to stare up at the dome in wonder and confusion. He strode into their midst and they gasped in surprise when they saw his outfit. There was no wind to make his cape flare behind him dramatically, but he knew he was having the effect he desired when they drew back
from him in alarm.

  “I am Loki, of Asgard!” he said loudly, using magic to project his voice so they could all hear him. “My Grimgorg and Frost Giant allies are flooding into your city as I speak. You will not be harmed as long as you do not offer any resistance.”

  “Are you for real?” a brave man sneered. “What happens if we do offer resistance?”

  This group also thought he was putting on a performance. He would be glad to persuade them that this was very real. “Then you will pay the price,” Loki responded. His sword was still in his hand, so he swung the blade around and decapitated the man. His head fell, followed a moment later by his body. “Let that be a warning to the rest of you!” he shouted and turned in a circle. Their gazes were riveted on the blood that dripped from his weapon. “If you dare to defy me, this will be your fate.” He pointed at the crumpled body of the decapitated man. His head lay a few feet away. He stared unseeingly at the sky, eyes already filming over in death.

  A girl screamed, then the crowd surged away from him. They faltered when the Grimgorg and Frost Giants came into view. The giants sent blasts of ice to block their escape and the green aliens made short work of collaring them.

  Bending to wipe his blade clean on the dead man’s shirt, Loki realized he was happier than he’d been in a very long time. This was just the beginning of his endeavor to enslave Earth. Soon, the shapeshifters that he’d created so long ago would make an appearance. Once they arrived, things were bound to become even more interesting.

  ~~~

  Chapter Sixteen

  ~~~ Lexi’s World ~~~

  After Violet willed her wings to disappear, Elijah got a hold of himself and wiped his cheeks dry. He was mildly embarrassed that he’d wept like a child. Glancing around, he saw everyone had been affected by the girl’s angelic appearance. The Board members were still gaping at her. Out of all the supernatural creatures they’d ever seen, she was a new one. If angels existed in this dimension, they hadn’t had contact with humans in eons.

  “Let’s head to the cemetery and yank some poor unsuspecting corpses from their peaceful rest,” Kala said to break the silence. As a shapeshifter, she instinctively feared and hated zombies. Loki had created her kind to defeat walking corpses. That instinct had been passed down through her genes. At least Lexi’s zombies were different from the norm. They would obey her every command and they wouldn’t go on an uncontrollable feeding frenzy.

  Glad to escape from the Boardroom, Violet herded Elijah after the rest of the team. She had no idea what role he would play in their battles, but her gut was telling her to keep him close. While she was now aware that most people existed in many different dimensions, she was stunned to meet an exact copy of her friend. He was a warlock instead of a priest, but he was still very similar to the man she knew.

  Ava led them back to the exit and they filed outside. Lexi opted to walk the short distance to the cemetery at the back of the PIA grounds. She wasn’t sure how the warlock would react if they took the zombie highway. He was already frazzled and she didn’t want to upset him further just yet. Glancing at his maroon velvet slippers, she had to hold in a sigh. Elijah was about as far from a soldier as a man could get. He wasn’t prepared for the trials ahead.

  Reece sent her a thought. How do you think I would look in a velvet robe and slippers?

  She wrinkled her nose at the mental image. I prefer you naked, she replied honestly.

  Naked is always best, he agreed. They shared a look and heat quickly flared inside her. The other shifters sensed their rising desire and Kala sniggered out loud. Knowing her father was aware of her arousal as much as the other shifters was like a dash of cold water to Lexi. Now wasn’t the time to become distracted by lust. The most important mission she’d ever been given was imminent and she would have to focus on that.

  Elijah kicked his slippers off long before they reached the cemetery. A guard had come with them and he took a set of keys out of his pocket to unlock the gate. All PIA agents without families ended up here when they died. While the Shifter Squad dealt with the worst monsters, other agents were called on to deal with lesser threats. Sometimes, those threats escalated and deaths were inevitable.

  Even though it was daytime, the dead called to Lexi. Most were just bones and some had reverted to dust. No matter how degraded the corpses were, they sensed her and were eager to be called into service. It was more difficult to raise corpses during the day, but there had never been a necromancer as strong as her before.

  The bodies she was going to raise were at the far end of the graveyard. They’d died a couple of years ago now. Her death magic was strong enough that they wouldn’t be gooey, rotting horrors when she raised them.

  When they reached their destination, her friends spread out and sliced their hands open to sprinkle their blood on forty graves. Violet sensed magic gathering. She rubbed her arms when goosebumps formed as green fog began to rise from the ground.

  A look of deep concentration came over Lexi. She held her hands out so her fingers were splayed apart. “Rise!” she said in a commanding voice. Conjured up by her death magic, the fog instantly became thick and cloying as forty bodies flowed up through the soil. Their black funeral suits were stained and torn in places from their last round of battles two years ago, but their flesh was intact.

  “Master,” a tall, blond guy said. It was hard to tell from his toneless voice, but he almost sounded pleased to have been torn from his rest.

  “Kendricks,” Lexi said, then nodded at the shorter, swarthy man next to him. “Cortez.” The dead sniper had once had a crush on her, but any feelings he’d held for her had died along with his body. These two squads had been trouble when they’d been alive. Now, they were her willing servants.

  “Do you have need of us again?” Kendricks asked.

  Violet shivered at how aware and intelligent these zombies seemed to be. They weren’t staring blankly like the walking dead in movies. Instead, they were glancing around, assessing everyone to see if they were a threat to their mistress. Even in death, they were trained soldiers.

  “A new threat will be coming soon,” Lexi replied. “We could use your help.” She didn’t need to request his assistance, but it was the polite thing to do. Thanks to her particular talents when it came to necromancy, her zombies were far more self-aware than usual.

  “We will be glad to assist you,” the leader of the O Squad replied. The head of the Containment Squad also nodded. All forty men were looking forward to leaving their graves to face more action. Apparently, being dead was boring.

  Lexi had more talents than just raising the dead. She could sense the souls of the fallen hovering near their graves. With a small mental adjustment, she could see and speak to the spirits. Doing so tended to drain her power, so she would only use the phantoms to fight her battles as a last resort.

  “I think we should get Kendricks and his men outfitted properly this time,” Mark said.

  “There are spare uniforms and weapons in the armory,” Ava advised him. There would be more than enough for the group Lexi had just raised.

  “I guess I should probably put some real clothes on,” Elijah said almost mournfully. It was dawning on him that he wasn’t going to be able to hide away during this war. Somehow, dressing in normal clothes made it all seem real.

  “That would be best,” Mark replied diplomatically. Kala’s lips twitched and Philip elbowed her before she could make an inappropriate remark. She glowered at him for his silent rebuke, then snuggled against him when he put his arm around her shoulder. Mark never thought his adopted daughter would settle down with one man, but here she was, happily bonded to his friend anyway.

  By the time they trudged back to their headquarters, the sun was edging towards the horizon. Soon, it would fall and darkness would hold sway. Then Natalie would awaken and they could fill her in on everything she’d missed. Lexi knew the vampire wouldn’t be happy that she would only be able to operate at nighttime. There was nothing Nat c
ould do to change it, so she would just have to do what she could to help within her allotted time.

  Their escort’s radio squawked, then Cromby spoke through it. “Tell Agent Steel and his team they need to return to the mansion asap,” he ordered.

  “We’re just about to enter the building, sir,” the guard replied. He opened the door and stood back to let the Shifter Squad and their undead guardians file inside. He managed to hold in a shudder as Kendricks’ cold blue eyes passed over him. Only the coolness of his flesh and his unmoving chest betrayed the fact that he wasn’t alive.

  Waiting for the last zombie to enter, the guard shut the door and hurried away. He had a burning urge to take a shower. Being around the living dead had left him feeling unclean.

  Mark hurried down the hall and opened the door to the Boardroom. Cromby motioned at another monitor that had descended from the ceiling. Everyone crowded around and watched as a news report unfolded. A tall, lean man with shoulder length black hair strode along a street in Las Vegas. His black, green and gold leather armor, golden helmet and long green cape were a dead giveaway as to who he was.

  “I take it that’s Loki?” Cromby said. His voice was shaking slightly. The things they’d dealt with in the past had been challenging, but this guy was a demi-god. There was no telling what sort of chaos he would cause.

  “That’s him alright,” Lexi replied. He was an exact replica of the God of Mischief they’d encountered on Nat’s world. He wore a smug, self-satisfied expression as he surveyed a crowd of people. They listened as he named himself and told them to submit to his will. Not surprisingly, a man openly defied him and was summarily decapitated for his efforts.