by J. C. Diem
“They are the evil equivalent to the angels,” Loki explained. Speculation crossed the faery lord’s handsome face. “They are treacherous, volatile and dealing with them would be more trouble than it is worth,” he said in warning. “They would turn on us in a heartbeat and they cannot be trusted.”
“That is a pity,” Nifirial said idly. “But I suppose we will not need their assistance if my warriors and I can bind the angels inside their realm.”
Now that he’d been reminded of the demons, Loki added a clause. “You should also bind the gates of hell to ensure the demons don’t take the opportunity to invade once the angels are incapacitated.”
Nifirial’s eyes pulsed from pale silver to dark gray for a moment before the color faded away again. It was the only sign of displeasure he gave at his potential ally’s intelligence. Loki was sly and he would be tricky to deal with. Once a faery gave their word, they were bound by their agreement. The thought of being able to return to his home world made the decision easy. “I agree to your terms, Loki Laufeyson and King Rho of the Grimgorg race,” he said formally.
“Excellent,” Loki said with a beaming grin. “One of King Rho’s shamans will bring a portal to you. It will take you to Earth and we will join you there momentarily.”
He was confident that these dark faeries would be able to bind the gates to both heaven and hell. What happened after that would no doubt be very interesting and potentially disastrous. He only hoped the deal he’d made with them would prevent them from turning on him after the humans had been subdued.
Chapter Seven
~~~ Alpha World ~~~
ULDAR RETURNED TO DALLAS after speaking with Loki and continued his hunt for slaves. While he was annoyed that his task had been interrupted, it seemed the visit had been necessary. Humans were even more fragile than he’d realized. It irked him that he would have to provide them with better living conditions. As the Asgardian had said, they wouldn’t serve much use if they died even before leaving this planet.
Shrugging off his annoyance, he ran his scanner over a building. Several yellow dots appeared on the screen, indicating that a group of humans was huddled deep within the depths of the rundown old warehouse. Dawn would be upon him soon and he didn’t have the time to search for a door.
Taking a dull silver weapon that looked like a remote control for a TV out of his pocket, he adjusted the setting and fired it at the bricks. His disintegrator weapon could destroy most substances. Its only flaw was that he had to pause to switch between settings to deal with different types of barriers, like flesh, metal or stone. A single blast made a hole large enough for him to duck through.
It was dark inside, but his night vision was excellent. He and his kind were the ultimate predators. They’d honed their technology and their fighting skills to the point where few beings could defeat them. He mused about his allies as he hunted his prey. King Rho and his people were skilled in magic, but they were unsophisticated and simple. While Rho was ambitious, he and his minions would be easy enough to convert into clones once their assistance was no longer required. Loki was a different beast. He was sly, intelligent and unpredictable. He was capable of subterfuge and treachery and he couldn’t be trusted.
Uldar was aware that Loki had banished his female assistant, Bianca Caldwell, to the mothership in a fit of pique. His ire hadn’t lasted long and he’d rescued her several days later. The Asgardian was unaware that each cell was being monitored constantly. His skill at creating illusions was impressive, but he hadn’t realized he’d been recorded. Clearly, the human woman meant more to Loki than he’d initially pretended. His expression as he’d rescued her had been disgustingly tender. Viltarans could barely understand the concept of affection. Emotions were for the weak. Rage and the need to conquer was all they knew.
Knowing his ally’s only weakness, Uldar would use it against Loki when the time came to destroy him. He would take great pleasure in torturing his woman before tearing her apart.
Grinning fiercely, he blasted a hole in the wall to reveal the humans cowering within. Bright light flared for a moment as a shot rang out. Pain burned in his chest and he looked down to see bright yellow blood spurting out of a small hole in his black jacket. With a roar of fury, he leaped at the offending man. A swipe of his claws raked the gun out of his hands. Another swipe tore his throat open. Screams of panic sounded and Uldar’s bloodlust took over. Rending and tearing, he was covered in gore by the time the final human expired. His injury had healed almost instantly, but he was still enraged that he’d been wounded by such a pathetic being.
His wrist unit beeped in warning, reminding him that the sun would soon rise. He had to return to the mothership before the killing rays could incinerate him. Cursing beneath his breath, he flicked blood from his hands and left the carcasses sprawled on the ground. They had searched almost every building now and they would be leaving this place later today. Loki had chosen another city nearby where they would begin the hunt again. This time, Rho would be using a magical silver dome to pen the humans in. The gas had apparently killed too many earthlings in Dallas. Neither of his allies wanted him to use it again, unless it became absolutely necessary.
Retracing his steps, Uldar left the warehouse and sprinted towards his transport vessel. He’d given his personal ship to Rho to seal their secret deal. When the time came, they planned to band together to take Loki down. It would be even easier now that he knew of a way to distract the Asgardian. With Bianca Caldwell’s death, Loki would be at his most vulnerable. Once he was gone, Uldar would then strike Rho down and reclaim his vessel.
He wished he could destroy them both now, then annihilate the rest of the Grimgorg army, but he would have to be patient for a while longer. Loki still hadn’t imbued the mothership with his magic. Until he took that final step, he would have to remain alive. It would take months, if not longer, to subdue the entire planet. Uldar wasn’t sure his patience would last that long.
His wrist unit beeped more urgently and he realized he wasn’t going to reach the vessel in time. Darting into a building, he stepped into the shadows as the first rays of dawn light appeared. Lifting a hand to shield his eyes from the blinding brightness, he used his unit to call the ship to him. It locked onto the small computer embedded in his wrist unit. Arriving a few moments later, it settled down a few yards away from the door.
Judging the size of the gap, Uldar winced in anticipation of pain. While he could heal most injuries easily, sunlight was different. His kind had a severe allergy to natural light. Death was the inevitable result if they were exposed to it for too long. The few moments he would be in direct contact with it wouldn’t be long, but it would definitely be painful.
Running for the doorway, he leaped onto the ramp and lunged into the dimness of the ship. Searing pain tore through his face and hands where the sunlight had touched him. Steam rose from him and his flesh bubbled unpleasantly. It would take hours for him to heal and he would be in agony the entire time.
Entering the cockpit, he took a seat. The shutters had automatically risen to cover the windows with sunrise, so he was safe in here. At the press of a button, the ramp slid shut. He used his wrist computer to order the vessel to return to the mothership. It was a short journey and he wasn’t pleased to see he had company when the ramp slid open again. His entourage had been notified by their personal droids that he had been on the surface of the planet when the sun had risen. They were waiting for him like cowardly predators hunkering over a wounded animal, willing it to die so they could feed.
Their eyes widened when they saw his injuries. Speculative glances were exchanged. If he showed any signs of weakness, they would turn on him. Allowing himself to be burned had been foolish, but perhaps he could turn it to his advantage.
“How did you manage to allow yourself to be caught out in sunlight?” one of his rivals asked in a tone that bordered on being insolent.
“It was a deliberate act,” Uldar replied curtly. Disturbed murmurs sounde
d at his explanation.
“You allowed the sunlight to touch you?” the only pregnant female said incredulously. “Why?”
“To test how harmful it is to our kind,” he replied with a nonchalant shrug. He showed no signs that his skin felt like acid was melting its way through him.
Just as he’d thought they would, his entourage believed his lie. He’d already proven himself to be the most fearsome warrior among their kind. They now knew he was also the most courageous. None of them matched his intelligence, or his ambition. He was their leader for more reasons than just his sheer might. He would restore them to their rightful place as the most feared species in existence. Thanks to Loki’s endless supply of magical fuel for his ships and Rho’s portals, the Viltarans could now achieve their objective. They would conquer and destroy every inhabited planet in the universe.
Chapter Eight
~~~ Hell ~~~
CONCENTRATING, VIOLET aimed for the palace in the second realm of hell. In the blink of an eye, they left the master gate and reached their destination. She was pleased to see she was in the correct room. Morax used this room to host guests from the other realms. The seven princes and one princess took turns holding meetings. It wasn’t usual for the leaders of the outer realms to be so cooperative, but a lot had changed since she’d become Hellscourge.
She could have teleported them straight to the throne room, but it wasn’t wise to startle demons. They tended to stab first and ask questions later. She and her two companions were theoretically immortal no matter which reality they were in, but she didn’t want to put that to the test.
Nat and Lexi glanced around, but there wasn’t much to see. Black curtains hung next to the glassless windows. The walls, ceiling and floor were all made of slick black volcanic rock. A long table could seat up to twenty demons. A few other pieces of furniture were scattered here and there. They were all made of stone or petrified wood. Demons didn’t care about art, so there were no paintings or decorations of any kind.
“I love what they’ve done with the place,” Nat said dryly. This palace looked pretty much the same as the one they’d visited in her dimension. The smell of sulfur was much stronger here than it had been in the ninth realm.
“Demons aren’t known for their décor,” Violet agreed.
Lexi cocked her head to the side as she heard voices coming from the lower floor. She couldn’t understand what they were saying, but they sounded urgent. “I think they know we’re here,” she said as she heard footsteps hastening up a set of stairs.
“Morax sent one of his lords to investigate,” Violet said. Her hearing had improved vastly now that she was back home and she was in full possession of her powers again. Lexi’s hearing was still far better than hers, it seemed.
The door opened and a Demon Lord stepped inside. Brandishing a sword that glowed as scarlet as his eyes, he took in the three human females in surprise. At ten feet tall, he towered over them. His skin was inky black and he wore black leather armor that had metal braces to protect his wrists. Focusing on Violet, he recognized her and inclined his head. “Prince Morax thought he recognized your voice, Hellscourge,” he said. Nat translated for Lexi, glad she could understand alien languages in this dimension as well.
“I need to speak to your Prince,” Violet said.
“Of course,” he replied with a short bow. Even when she was in her human form, demons treated her with the same respect that they gave their rulers. As Hellscourge, she was the only being who could end their existence. Normally, being struck down in battle ended with them being sent to the first realm of hell. Whatever rank they’d attained would be stripped away and they would become lowly servants again. If Violet defeated them, they simply died. Nothing terrified hell spawn more than the possibility of death.
Following in the lord’s wake, they trooped downstairs. He took a shortcut through several narrow corridors and they entered the throne room from a side entrance. A pack of six hellhounds silently bounded forward to surround them. Nat almost went for her swords when she saw their shadowy bodies, glowing red eyes and virtual forest of teeth, but she controlled herself. Lexi didn’t even flinch. Zeus was similar enough to these beasts that she didn’t hesitate to ruffle the ears of the alpha. The hellhound instantly became entranced with her and gazed up at her adoringly. He leaned his solid weight against her legs, proving they weren’t made of shadows.
“I see yet another female has managed to steal the loyalty of my hounds away from me,” Prince Morax said dourly. He lounged on his throne and eyed the two strange women who had accompanied Violet to his palace.
“Don’t worry, Morax, they still love you,” Violet said with a wry grin. The pack crowded around them as they made their way over to the leader of the second realm. Even when he was seated, he was taller than they were.
“He looks exactly like the Morax from my dimension,” Nat observed. Twelve feet tall, he was undeniably hideous. Ivory colored fangs jutted from his mouth and twin horns rose from his forehead to sweep all the way to the back of his head. His black metal armor exposed his muscular chest, but he didn’t have the intricate patterns on his skin that the previous princes had possessed.
Morax’s gaze sharpened and he lifted a brow. He could speak and understand English and used it now. “Are you going to introduce me to your companions?” he said to Violet.
“Prince Morax, this is Natalie Pierce and Alexis Levine,” she replied. “They’re Fate’s champions from their dimensions.”
He studied the pair thoughtfully before he spoke. “I assume the threat you warned me of is about to arrive?”
“Yeah. We’ve battled Loki on two worlds already. He should be turning up here any day now.”
“I take it you met my likeness in one of these other dimensions?”
Violet smirked at the memory. “He was your exact duplicate. I made a deal with him to help us get rid of the invading aliens. In return for his aid, I helped him defeat his Prince.”
He blinked at that and seemed offended. “I highly doubt that I would have required assistance to battle my former ruler.”
“He was a cheater,” Nat told him. “He used magic fog to hide his battle, then called on a pack of hounds to attack your twin.”
Morax looked at Violet for confirmation and sneered when she nodded. “I wish I had not missed out on defeating my Prince,” he said. “It would have been very satisfying to cut him down for his treachery.” Violet had snatched that opportunity away from him when she’d killed his prince herself. Being delegated the ruler of the second realm almost made up for missing out on the battle. “I take it my doppelganger was successful at ousting the invaders?” he asked.
“He was,” Violet confirmed. “After I escorted the demons back to hell, he made me an interesting proposal.” His brows rose in intrigue. “He wanted me to become his partner so we could rule hell and Earth together.”
Eyes widening, he screwed his face up in apparent disgust. “When you say ‘partner’, are you inferring what I think you are inferring?”
“He wanted Violet to be the Empress to his Emperor,” Nat said. She and Violet sniggered when his upper lip lifted in horror at the idea. Lexi rolled her eyes at their inability to remain serious even when another disaster was about to descend on them.
“I am sure Nathanael’s reaction to that proposal was memorable,” Morax grumbled.
“He looked like he’d swallowed a lemon,” Lexi said, which made her companions laugh even harder. Violet’s guardian angel had been less than happy to hear a demon had propositioned his girlfriend.
“Since you are here, I assume this means you require my assistance once again?” Morax said to get them back on track. Things had been boring in the months since he had helped save Earth from his own kind. Becoming embroiled in another war would break the monotony.
Violet turned serious again. “I think we’re going to need all the help we can get. Loki has allies who call themselves the Grimgorg. They can use elemental magi
c and they have portals that allow them to travel across the universe instantly. In Nat’s and Lexi’s realities, he had Fire Giants and Frost Giants for allies, as well as the Grimgorg. We won’t know who he’s teamed up with this time until after they’ve begun their invasion.”
“If I am to assist you again, we will need to talk terms,” Morax said. Demons never gave their help for free. A bargain always had to be made.
Unhappy at the prospect of owing the prince a favor, the air shimmered before Violet could respond. A stone gargoyle appeared from out of nowhere and flew over to Morax. Tied to the master gate, it sent him a telepathic message before disappearing just as suddenly.
“Where the hell did that come from?” Lexi asked. She’d pulled her gun, but had resisted the urge to shoot the creature. While she’d left her sniper rifle behind, her Berretta went almost everywhere with her.
“It was sent here by the master gate,” Morax said. His tone was disturbed as he stood. “It used the nowhere lands as a shortcut to bring me a message. Something strange is happening and its master bids us to travel to him immediately.”
A demon wearing a black robe with the hood thrown back strode into the room just as he finished speaking. “Master,” he said and bowed towards Violet. “I was hoping you would visit us again. I have a gift for you.”
Wincing at the title that the hellscribe still hadn’t managed to stop himself from using, Violet didn’t have time to address him properly. “Hi, Sy. Sorry, but it will have to wait. Something has come up.” She swept him up into the group and teleported them all to the master gate.
Chapter Nine
~~~ Asgard ~~~
AT RHO’S ORDER, ONE of his shamans leaped through the portal to take an activated device to the faeries. Nifirial chose the same five warriors who had investigated the breach of the wards around their village to accompany him to Earth. As promised, Loki and the Grimgorg ruler met their new allies in an empty field. To the faeries, the air smelled bad and the health of the planet was poor.