God of Malice

by J. C. Diem

  Grumbling to herself, Nat pushed the door open. The smell instantly became much worse. Leo and Sam sniggered when she waved a hand in front of her face. She glowered at them over her shoulder before stepping inside and closing the door.

  Following the stench, she found the corpse lying halfway along the hallway. He was dressed in boxer shorts and socks. His skin and lips were blue, which meant he’d asphyxiated, or so it seemed. A greenish substance had dribbled from the corner of his mouth. She took photos of his prone body, then zoomed in to take some shots of his horrified face, bulging eyes and the weird fluid that had oozed out of him with death.

  A quick search didn’t find any other clues, so she headed outside again. She shut the door and the entire group backed away when she moved towards them.

  “Eww, you stink,” Sam said, holding his nose shut. Leo giggled at the vampire’s affronted look.

  “Allow me to rid you of that horrible odor,” Brie said. She used her celestial power to clean Natalie from head to toe. “Now you should no longer be contagious,” she said in satisfaction.

  Examining her now pristine leather suit, Nat noted that even the holes had been repaired. “That is so cool,” she said with a grin. Her boots were also back to their usual clean and tidy appearance. It was as though the trip she and Violet had taken to the sewers of Vegas and the fight she’d had with Loki had never happened.

  Violet belatedly realized her clothes were still stained with the traces of sewage. She used her holy power to clean them. It was the first time she’d used this particular trick and she was pleased that it had worked.

  “What did you find?” Reynolds asked and reached for his phone.

  “One extremely dead guy,” Nat reported and handed it over. “He was definitely poisoned by something.”

  They crowded around to examine the photos and Elijah couldn’t contain his pity for the fallen citizen. “Poor soul,” he murmured. “May you rest in peace.”

  “At least he’s not resting in pieces,” Violet said almost beneath her breath. Nat heard her and sniggered quietly.

  “I don’t think any of us are going to be finding peace anytime soon,” Lexi said, ignoring the comment. “Your entire world is in peril. This is a warning of what we can expect if we defy the invaders.”

  “I think it was one of the Grimgorg who did this,” Nat said.

  “Why?” Brie asked. It almost came out as a demand.

  Narrowing her eyes at Brie’s harsh tone, Nat had to remind herself that she was addressing an ancient being rather than an angst-ridden teen. “Because I didn’t feel the same kind of evil that we felt at the last town,” she replied. “I’m betting it was King Rho’s staff that killed the civilian.” She pointed at the ground where they could see some of the not quite human footprints. Round indentations could be seen next to one set of prints.

  After a moment of thought, Violet nodded. “This is the first time we’ve seen evidence of him using poison, but he doesn’t carry that staff around for decoration. It wouldn’t surprise me if he could use it to shoot toxin.”

  Reynolds sent the photos of the body to his partner so she could let their captain and colleagues know about the new danger. “We’ll have to try to stay away from the alien who carries the staff,” he said. The three warriors had already described Loki, King Rho and the Grimgorg in detail. They all knew what the leader of the green invaders looked like.

  Several hours later, they finished searching the other towns that had been emptied of humans. They hadn’t found any other clues, but Leo had noticed something. “The invaders seem to be stealing metal,” he said.

  “They use it to make the collars,” Violet explained. “They’re going to need a lot of them if they want to enslave the entire planet.”

  “Why has no one raised the alarm yet?” Nathan asked in frustration. He was itching to call on his holy sword and smite the invaders down.

  “They’re using stealth rather than busting the doors down now,” Reynolds said. “They must be aware that humans have cell phones and that they use them for communication.”

  Sophia put a hand on Nathan’s arm to calm him. She knew he was desperate to save humanity again. They all shared his concern. “If they keep up these late-night attacks, we are not going to be able to stop them easily,” she said.

  “They won’t stay hidden for long,” Lexi predicted. “Loki has a well-developed ego. Now that he’s performed his tests, he’ll want everyone to know that he’s here and that he’s in charge.”

  “He’s a diva,” Nat agreed. “He likes to see his face splashed all over the news. I’d be willing to bet that he’ll convince his allies to attack a larger city soon.”

  “They’re right,” Violet said to back them up. “Loki won’t be content to stay hidden in the shadows for long. The next time they attack, we’ll hear about it pretty quickly.”

  Lexi turned to her with a grim expression. “Rho and his minions will no doubt use their silver dome to surround whatever city they’ll be targeting. I’m wondering if it will restrict your powers of teleportation like it did to Nat on her world.”

  Violet’s lips thinned at that prospect. If she and her angelic friends couldn’t use their magic to get inside the dome, they would have a very difficult time taking down their foes. Even if they could get inside, they didn’t have any help to back them up, since the angels and demons were trapped in their own realms. They were a tiny army against a force that would number in the tens of thousands, if not more.

  “We could be well and truly screwed,” Nat said. For once, no one sniggered in amusement.

  Chapter Sixteen

  ~~~ Alpha World ~~~

  HEARING HEAVY, METALLIC footsteps approaching the door, Loki nudged Bianca away from his side and stood. The droid knocked and he strode over and unlocked the door with magic and opened it. “This city has been emptied of humans,” the robot informed him. “It is time to leave.”

  Bianca was already on her feet and was hurrying towards the bedroom before Loki turned to her. She appeared a few moments later with her suitcase. She stopped at the couch where he’d left his sword and reached for it.

  “Don’t touch that!” he said harshly. She snatched her hand back with a fearful look at him. “I have warded it so that only I can wield it,” he explained in a gentler tone when he crossed to her.

  “Oh,” she said in a croak. “Thanks for the warning.”

  She would have received a fatal shock if she’d laid her hands on Lævateinn. He buckled the weapon around his waist, then motioned for her to follow the droid. Their escort clanked his way to the elevator and they rode down to the ground floor in silence.

  The streets were eerily still and quiet as they made their way to the transport ship that awaited them. A group of Grimgorg warriors and shamans were waiting impatiently inside. They’d left two seats vacant for the Asgardian and his servant.

  Loki lifted Bianca up onto one of the seats and handed her the suitcase. She took it with a small smile of thanks and sat docilely while he buckled her in. His eyes drifted to her cleavage of their own will. A faint blush stained her cheeks when she saw where he was looking. He winked lecherously, which brought a more genuine smile to her lovely mouth. She gave him a mock scowl and pulled her neckline higher.

  Bianca felt a small tug of emotion deep inside when Loki chuckled. He boosted himself up onto his seat with his usual grace as the ramp slid shut. It was clear to her that he was trying to raise her morale. He must have still felt bad for the ordeal she’d suffered.

  After a few short minutes of flight, they landed on the mothership. This time, Loki opted to remain in their transport vessel. From Bianca’s white face and trembling hands, this was the last place she wanted to be. He would have preferred to use a portal to get to their next destination, but he was expected to travel with his allies.

  He’d already relayed the name of the city he wished to invade next to the Viltarans. His knowledge of this world was far more extensive than thei
rs. For now, they were trusting his judgement. He’d decided not to travel far this time and to stay in Texas.

  When Loki felt the mothership slow down and come to a stop, he leaped down from his seat and motioned for Bianca to stay where she was. He forged a path through his green allies and stepped into the cockpit to speak to the droid. “Open the ramp and let the Grimgorg out, then head down to the surface. Land somewhere close to Reaverton where this vessel won’t be seen.”

  Turning scarlet eyes on the Asgardian, the robot silently relayed the information to Uldar’s personal droid. He received an order to do as he was told, but to keep his superior informed of any variation in the orders. “As you wish, Lord Loki,” he said.

  Noting the mechanical man’s short pause, Loki knew he was in contact with Uldar’s pet robot. Every move he made was being monitored. Keeping his expression serene, he returned to Bianca. The Grimgorg had made no move to exit the ship. “Leave,” he said to them. His tone was pleasant enough, but they exchanged uneasy glances. They scurried down the ramp and it closed behind them.

  At Bianca’s inquisitive look, Loki leaped back up to his seat. He buckled himself in this time. He didn’t trust the Viltarans and he wouldn’t put it past them to destroy their own ship to get rid of him. Since he hadn’t infused the mothership with his magic, he didn’t think it was very likely to turn on him just yet. He was going to take every precaution he could anyway. “I’ve decided we should find a suitable location to stay before the mayhem begins,” he told her.

  Remembering how close they’d come to being attacked by some newly converted clones in Dallas, she nodded in understanding. He wasn’t seeking her approval, so she kept her comments to herself.

  As instructed, the droid left the mothership and took a circuitous route down to the surface. The city Loki had chosen was surrounded by a desert. There were only a few hundred thousand souls living here. Compared to the other cities they’d attacked, Reaverton was much smaller. In the distance, machinery for drilling oil had been abandoned. The oil rigs looked like the silhouettes of prehistoric dinosaurs.

  Landing behind a small hill near the highway, the droid let his passengers out, then returned to the mothership that was hidden from view high overhead. Loki heard a car approaching and hurried Bianca over to the side of the highway. The driver slowed down and stopped when he caught sight of them. Seeing a man wearing a black suit and a frightened woman in a white dress, he wound his window down. “Are you folks in trouble?” he asked.

  “Our vehicle was stolen,” Loki said with a charming smile. “We would be grateful if you could drive us to Reaverton.” It was only a few miles away, but he didn’t relish walking even that distance in the rapidly increasing heat.

  “Climb on in,” the driver said and unlocked the doors. It wasn’t wise to pick up hitchhikers these days. This pair didn’t look like aliens, though, so he figured he would be safe enough.

  Bianca climbed into the back and Loki took the front seat. He exchanged conversation with their chauffeur about their fictitious stolen car. He was an excellent liar and he had no trouble concocting a story about stopping for a lone female. Bianca listened in as he fibbed about some men appearing from behind the hill to steal their car. They’d allowed her to keep her suitcase, but had taken their valuables.

  Loki caught Bianca rolling her eyes in the rearview mirror. He was glad to see she’d recovered some of her spark. He didn’t like to see her so beaten down. While her silence was refreshing, he actually preferred it when she was being sarcastic and was arguing with him.

  Their driver stopped in front of the local police station and dropped them off. Loki waved and waited until he was gone before turning in a circle. Spotting the most expensive looking residential high rise building, he headed towards it. Bianca’s suitcase rolled along noisily as she stayed two steps behind him.

  While the streets weren’t deserted, the city was far too quiet. People were hunkered inside their homes, waiting for the apocalypse to arrive. There were signs that things were beginning to break down. Stores had been looted and had been emptied of food and water. Supplies were no longer being delivered and they were already running scarce.

  Bianca couldn’t shake the feeling that she’d been here before, even though she knew this was the first time she’d seen Reaverton. It seemed familiar, yet strange. For a moment, she saw ruined buildings and streets filled with rubble and rusty skeletal hunks of metal that had once been cars. Then the image was gone.

  Reaching the building, they found the foyer empty. As was Loki’s habit, they took the elevator to the top floor. He sensed someone inside and nudged Bianca out of the way. At his knock, he heard a gun being cocked, then an explosion rang out. He erected a shield that caught the spray of pellets that shredded the door. Kicking his way inside, he used his magic to speed over to the grizzled Texan before he could pull the trigger again and clamped a hand around his throat. “That was not a very polite welcome,” he said frostily.

  Peering through the shattered door, Bianca made a small sound of dismay when she saw the old man dangling from Loki’s grasp. His face was turning blue from lack of oxygen. “Please don’t kill him,” she pleaded.

  With a glance over his shoulder, Loki set the man down rather than simply dropping him like he wanted to. Breathing in harsh gasps, the Texan coughed hoarsely. “Leave,” Loki ordered him. “Do not return here.”

  Bianca sent the elderly man an apologetic look as he stumbled past them with his shotgun still clutched in one hand. The door to the stairwell slammed open and he descended rapidly. Taking stock of the ruined door, she mustered up a wan grin. “That’s what you get for choosing to attack cities in Texas.”

  “Texans are even more trigger happy than I’d anticipated,” Loki said with a rueful smile. It would cost him, but he couldn’t leave the door in its current condition. He mustered his magic and used it to repair the wood until it was unblemished. Bianca gasped in wonder and ran her hand over the surface. He was glad he’d had a chance to show her that he could do more than just create illusions and destroy his enemies. It took a lot more out of him to do so, which was why he rarely bothered.

  “Are you hungry?” she asked. Her stomach was rumbling, which meant it was probably lunchtime by now.

  “A sandwich and coffee would be good,” Loki replied. Locking the door with magic, he hid how much it had wearied him and took a look around. The condo was spacious and had been decorated in earthy tones. A bedroom was to the right and a bathroom and kitchen were to the left. The living and dining area were in the middle. This time, he didn’t have a balcony where he could watch the proceedings that would soon be going on below.

  Taking a seat on the couch, he put his feet up on the coffee table and flicked the television on. As always, videos of himself, the Viltarans and the Grimgorg were predominant. Occasional photos of Bianca were also thrown in every now and then. The soldiers who had used her for bait in an attempt to kill him had been cloned or collared, so she was largely a mystery to the humans. They had no idea who she was, or what part she was playing in the invasion. Some thought she was a victim, others thought she was his willing mistress.

  He glanced at her and his gaze slid from her shoulder-length auburn hair down to her slender, yet enticing body. Warmth spread through him at the thought of bedding her, but he squashed his desires down. While Fate hadn’t forbidden him from sleeping with Bianca, she’d made it clear that it would be a bad idea.

  Turning her head, Bianca saw Loki staring at her with a look of such longing and hunger that her breath caught in her throat. Usually, he was guarded and rarely let his emotions show. Her hunch that he felt more for her than his role of her guardian seemed to be accurate. If he’d just been a normal man, things might have been very different between them. Unfortunately, he was about as far from normal as he could get. He was a god and she was his servant. The only use she could be to him was to bring him food and drink. Thinking there could be more between them would be setting he
rself up for pain and disappointment.

  Chapter Seventeen

  ~~~ Asgard ~~~

  LOKI AND HIS ALLIES returned to Odin’s palace with the arrival of dawn. The faeries dispersed to get some rest. Some had chosen bed partners from among the collared Asgardians. They apparently didn’t care if they had to order their slaves to have sex with them. Loki felt nothing but distaste at the prospect himself. A small part of him felt pity for his kin, but he ruthlessly squashed the emotion. They deserved their fate after their ongoing mistreatment of him. If they’d shown even a shred of respect for him, they wouldn’t have ended up in this predicament in the first place.

  Sitting on a comfortable chair that he’d had carried into the throne room, his musings were interrupted as a shaman scurried towards his king. Rho was slumped forward, snoring loudly as he napped. His minion cleared his throat several times, before resorting to poking his ruler in the arm.

  Rho snapped awake and brought his staff up defensively. He came close to dousing his shaman with poison. It wouldn’t have killed him, since they could assimilate most toxins, but it would have given away that the staff was far more than just a tool to help him walk. “What is it?” he said gruffly as his magician cringed.

  “Some of our people have gone missing, sire,” the shaman reported quietly.

  Staring into the distance, Loki had used a small amount of magic to amplify their conversation. He took a sip of wine and pretended he wasn’t listening in.

  “What do you mean?” Rho asked. “How can they be missing?”

  “We think the faeries are responsible,” his lackey said. “We believe they are harvesting magic as they did to the shamans they killed on Earth.”

  Sucking in a breath, Rho looked over at Loki to find him studiously ignoring them. “I know you can hear us,” he snarled. The Asgardian couldn’t fool him. His posture was far too tense. “Did you know about this?” he demanded.