by J. C. Diem
Loki stiffened when the necklace snapped shut, then sagged in relief when nothing happened. “I am afraid my will and magic are strong enough to withstand the Grimgorgs’ spell,” he said smugly.
“I’m pretty sure I can do something about that,” Violet said. Following her instincts, she sent a pulse of her own special brand of magic into the device. It changed from silver to gold and Loki made a sound of dismay. Turning him around to face her, his expression had become almost blank. Only the rage in his blue eyes indicated he was fighting the spell. “Have fun being one of Rho’s minions,” she said, then shoved him backwards. He didn’t even attempt to stop himself from falling through the portal.
She watched him land in Odin’s throne room where the ruler of the Grimgorg army had just appeared. With a sneer of delight, Rho motioned for his former ally to be taken away.
From past experience, Violet figured this was now the only portal left on her world. Rho would have destroyed the other devices to prevent anyone from following them to Asgard. She tucked it beneath her arm, then teleported back to her friends. Nat and Lexi hadn’t improved while she’d been gone. To her surprise, Fate was still there. Putting the portal down, she addressed the mysterious entity. “Can you tune this thing to the next dimension we’re supposed to go to?”
“I cannot,” Fate said in her hollow voice. “A lone shaman yet lives. Find him and he will alter it.” She hesitated for a moment as she seemed to listen to a voice none of them could hear. “Events are escalating far faster than I had anticipated. The next dimension will be the Alpha World. Locate Loki and find a way to change the course of history, or the universe will surely be doomed.” She didn’t warn them again not to let Loki see them. They already knew it would be somehow catastrophic if he discovered he was being manipulated.
She faded away and Violet turned to the angels. They had the best chance of success at searching for the single remaining Grimgorg magician. “Can you help us find the shaman?” she asked.
“Of course,” Gabriel replied with a courtly bow. At his gesture, the host of angels spread out and began to search.
It wasn’t easy finding anyone alive in the carnage. Finally, an angel discovered a green alien that was still breathing. Scooping him up, she teleported back to Violet. “I have found him,” she said and put him down next to the portal.
Violet and Lexi stared at the sorcerer in dismay. His head had been bashed in and his brains were leaking out through a narrow crack. It was a miracle he was still alive. “Can someone heal him?” Violet asked. That was an ability she didn’t possess. While the Grimgorg were aliens, they weren’t pure evil like demons. With luck, one of the angels could fix him without frying him with holy fire in the process.
“Allow me,” a male angel said and pushed his way through the crowd.
“Raziel,” Violet said in recognition and smiled. He was the best healer the angels had and he’d saved her life more than once.
Handsome, as were all of his kind, to her he had brown hair and eyes. He gracefully knelt beside the lone shaman and placed a hand on his forehead. After a few moments, the creature gasped and the horrible wounds on his head healed. Opening his yellow eyes, he looked around fearfully and found himself surrounded by enemies.
“We need you to tune the portal to another version of Earth,” Violet said to him.
Despite his fear, he sneered in defiance. “I will never help you!” he spat in English. His magic enabled him to understand and speak alien languages.
Still in her golden form, Violet called on her axe, but even that wasn’t enough to cow him into submission.
“Bring him to me,” Nat said in a weak voice. Her eyes were closed, but she was conscious and she was listening in. Violet’s demonic blood had given her a healing boost, but her recovery was going to be very slow.
Leo stepped forward and escorted the shaman over to her. He forced the creature to his knees beside the vampire. She opened her eyes and it only took a few moments for the alien to fall beneath her spell. “Do whatever the golden angel tells you to,” she ordered, then closed her eyes again. Even that small amount of effort had exhausted her.
The shaman stood and dutifully trotted over to Violet. “What do you wish of me?” he asked.
“Tune the portal to another version of this world,” she ordered him. He dropped to his knees, placed his hands on the device and concentrated. The image shimmered and changed from Odin’s throne room to Shale Falls. From the broken store windows and goods that had been looted, the city had seen some trouble. “When we’ve gone through, gather up the components you need to make another portal,” Violet ordered him next. “Link it to this one so it becomes active. Take it to the world Odin and his warriors were sent to. Help him return to Asgard to free his people.”
If she and her fellow warriors failed to save the universe, she was hoping Odin and his army might at least be able to save their versions of Asgard. They would know that Fate’s warriors had attempted to win against Chaos. Perhaps they would eventually be able to restore order one day.
After issuing her orders, she reverted back to her human form. It was time to say her goodbyes and to head to the fourth and apparently final world.
Chapter Forty
~~~ Alpha World ~~~
RETURNING TO THE NEW apartment after spending the day avoiding Bianca, Loki took a long soak in the tub. Still feeling unaccountably tired and tense, he eventually climbed out. Calling on his dark green shirt and brown trousers, he entered the living room and sank down onto a chair that was rather aptly called a recliner. It was surprisingly comfortable and he could lean back and stretch his legs out. His feet hung over the edge, but there wasn’t much he could do about that.
Bianca was well aware that her time with Loki was running out. It was time for her to take things to a different level and she was terrified. Not of getting naked with him, but of being rejected. This was her chance to obey Fate’s directive and to show Loki that he had the capacity to feel more than mere tolerance for her.
Wearing the black silk robe she’d found in the closet, she stared at her reflection, noting the heightened color in her cheeks. “Are you really going to do this?” she asked herself quietly. Her reflection remained silent, but she read the intent in her own eyes.
Loki laced his hands behind his head and stared up at the ceiling. Feeling Bianca watching him, he turned to see her standing in the doorway. “Did you require something?” he asked almost harshly. She’d become increasingly affectionate lately, despite his attempts to keep her at a distance. He’d walked around Reaverton for hours and his thoughts had turned to her over and over. He couldn’t explain why he was so drawn to her. It was more than just her beauty. Maybe it was her innate courage that he found so attractive. She might be small and fragile, but she was a survivor. He had to admire her for being able to keep her mind intact after the ordeals she’d suffered through.
Taking hold of her courage with both hands, Bianca crossed the room. Loki’s astonishment when she straddled his lap would have been comical if she hadn’t been so frightened. “There is something I need from you,” she said and leaned forward.
His hands went to her shoulders and halted her when her mouth was a hairsbreadth away from his. “What are you doing?” he asked in a shocked tone. He’d done his best to show Bianca that he was evil and now she was trying to seduce him. Human women were a puzzle he would never be able to solve.
“I don’t know what Asgardians call it, but we call it ‘sex’,” she said with a cheeky smile.
“You think that coupling with me will sway my mind and that humanity will somehow be saved?”
She shook her head. “No. I know we’re doomed.”
“Then why would you give yourself to me?”
“Because I want to,” she replied. “I want you, Loki.”
Her answer stunned him. He’d invaded her planet and had guaranteed that her species would be enslaved forever, yet she was offering herself to him. Her eyes
showed a hint of green, which meant she was feeling scared. “Why?”
“Because I’m attracted to you,” she said simply.
“How could you possibly be attracted to a creature as devoid of emotion as I am?” he asked in true bewilderment.
“You’re capable of emotion,” she argued. “You just guard your heart so tightly that it’s almost impossible to reach it.”
With that, she closed the distance between them and pressed her lips against his. He shifted his grip on her shoulders and drew her to him. She slid her hands beneath his shirt and ran her palms from his chest down to his abdomen, pulling a soft groan from him. Her hands slid back up and fisted in his hair, holding him still so she could deepen their kiss.
Lost in a daze of passion, Bianca shuddered when Loki untied her robe. She was naked beneath it. His hands cupped her breasts and she pressed herself against him. She didn’t just want him to make love to her, she wanted him to consume her, to reduce her to ruin if that was what it took to satisfy him. She expected him to be rough, but he was surprisingly gentle as he settled her over him. He’d used his magic to make his clothes disappear and he was magnificent in his nakedness.
Her head fell back as he pierced her body, giving him access to her neck. He leaned forward and nuzzled her throat, then brought her against his chest until her breasts were pressed against him.
Encased in Bianca’s soft, willing flesh, Loki was as close to heaven as he’d ever felt. Her hands went to his shoulders and she began to move, sliding up and down as she continued to kiss him. His hands slid beneath her robe and roamed down to her derriere. He guided her movement, reveling in the slick sensation of flesh on flesh. Hectic red spots of desire rose in her cheeks and her body clenched. She was already near her climax. It was far too soon for him and he stilled their movement.
Disappointed that he’d stopped, Bianca pulled back to see Loki smiling at her wickedly. She bit her bottom lip when she realized she might be in over her head. She’d never made love to a god before. This might not be the quick conclusion that she’d expected.
“This is going to take a while,” he said silkily, noting that her eyes had changed color. They were now pale blue. It was a color he hadn’t seen before and he believed it reflected her desire. “Why don’t we take this to a more comfortable location?” he said and stood.
Carrying her to the bedroom, he set her on the bed. Pinning her beneath him, he took her wrists in his hands and raised her arms over her head, holding her prisoner. A moan burst from her when he thrust into her. With a few strokes, she was near the edge again. “Humans,” Loki complained as he stilled his hips and trailed kisses down her throat. “You are so easy to please.”
“You have no idea,” Bianca gasped as his mouth closed over her breast. She was already desperate for release and it wouldn’t take much for her to climax.
When he judged her to be settled enough for him to begin again, Loki resumed his thrusts. Her legs came around him and she writhed in pleasure. Her core began to tighten and he realized she couldn’t cope with a prolonged assault on her senses. “I can see that I’m going to have to allow you to reach your release,” he said.
“Please,” she begged. “You can do whatever you want to me, just don’t stop.”
“Oh, I shall, love,” he promised then thrust into her deeply. “I will do things to you that you will never want to forget.”
Bianca gave a strangled groan that quickly escalated into moans as he gave her what she needed. Her back bowed and she constricted around him as pleasure burst over her and left her panting for air.
Loki waited for her eyes to open and raised a brow. “Well? How did I measure up?”
“You’ve just ruined me for mortal men,” she confessed. How could she ever stand to have anyone as mundane as a human touch her after being with a god? He was showing no signs that he was anywhere near his end yet.
“I suspected as much,” he smirked then bent his head to kiss her. The thought of another male putting their hands, or other body parts, on or in her was not at all appealing.
Several hours later, Bianca subsided into a deep sleep that was close to unconsciousness. Loki used her body to satiate his desires, leaving her exhausted, but happy judging by her smile.
Leaving the bed, he willed a pair of pants into existence and ambled into the living room. While his body was relaxed, his mind was awhirl. Guilt tainted his feelings of happiness. He shouldn’t have allowed himself to be seduced by Bianca, but it was far too late now. The deed had been done, many times over, and it couldn’t be undone.
He wasn’t at all surprised when Fate spoke from somewhere in the shadows. “I told you to watch over Bianca, not to bed her,” she said dryly.
“She willingly offered herself to me,” he said defensively. “What was I supposed to do?”
“You could have said no.” Fate circled Loki, noting the guilt that he was trying to deny to himself. “You have just put yourself in even more peril. I gave you a simple instruction and you are willfully ignoring it.”
Pushed to the breaking point, Loki strode over and took her by the shoulders. Lifting her off her feet, he slammed her into the wall. She wrapped her legs around his waist to take the pressure off the hand he wrapped around her throat. “I am tired of your games!” he snarled. “Either kill me, or give me back my magic!” Pressing her against the wall with his body, he kissed her hard, trying to retrieve what belonged to him.
Fate allowed the kiss to continue until it changed from being brutal, to seductive. She tightened her legs around his waist until his spine almost cracked. He groaned in pain and pushed his upper body away so he could see her face. “I would have thought you’d had enough sex after your marathon session with Bianca,” she said dryly.
“Can any man ever have enough sex?” he said with a smirk. He rested his hands on the wall to either side of her head and stared into her strange eyes. “If you’re going to kill me, then get it over with. If not, I have plans to make.”
Unwrapping her legs from his waist, she dropped to the ground and took a few steps away to distance herself from him. She was so tiny she didn’t need to duck under his arm. It occurred to him that she and Bianca would be the same height if she took her four inch heels off.
“Ah yes,” she said mockingly, ruining his train of thought. “World domination must be keeping you very busy.”
“I plan on dominating far more than just one measly world,” he told her.
Fate put her hands on her hips and the look she gave him was very close to pitying. “Your plans will come to naught if you fail in your duty.”
“I have kept Bianca Caldwell safe,” he said petulantly. “She is alive and unharmed, as you can see for yourself.” He gestured towards the open bedroom door where the slumbering female could be seen. She lay on her stomach with the sheet pooled around her waist, smiling contentedly. The sight warmed him even as he told himself he was a fool for allowing himself to feel anything for the mortal.
“She may be well physically, but what of her mental state?” He was silent, which said it all.
“What is the girl to you anyway?” he asked. “How can one lone human possibly even matter to a being like you?”
“It is not your place to question me,” she replied archly. He scowled at that. He didn’t like being on the receiving end of the type of arrogance that he usually dealt out to others. “Your time is running out, God of Mischief.” With that caution, she disappeared.
Chapter Forty-One
~~~ Violet’s World ~~~
VIOLET KNEW SHE HAD to leave, but she took a few moments to thank the imps for their help. Rashida stood arm-in-arm with Max and Elijah. She was beaming with pride, like a mother who had just seen her children excel at a difficult task. Violet also thanked the angels for their assistance. She then took her friends aside so she could say her farewells in private.
Nat and Lexi had been through this themselves and waited patiently as the teen hugged her friends one
by one. They were distraught that she had to leave, but they knew it was necessary. Nathan swept her into his arms and his wings manifested. He wrapped them around them both and he kissed her deeply and passionately.
“He’s so hot,” Nat croaked as she watched the pair from her prone position. Lexi had settled down onto the ground next to her. She slid her eyes sideways to see Nat grinning. They both began to snigger as Violet finally broke away from her guardian angel.
Knowing they were laughing at her, Violet straightened her long blond hair unnecessarily and scowled. “Are you ready?” she asked them.
“Yeah,” Nat replied. “Can someone roll me through the portal?” She didn’t have the energy to stand up.
“Gladly,” Brie replied before anyone else could volunteer. Striding over to the vampire, she put her foot on Nat’s side and gave her a shove. Nat had time to roll her eyes, then she tumbled across the ground and fell through the doorway. Trust Brie to take her request so literally.
Brie cocked her eyebrow at Lexi, but the warrior held up her hand to forestall her. “I’m fine,” Lexi said. Hoisting her backpack over her shoulder, she managed to stand up without assistance. She took two wobbly steps, then fell through the device and disappeared.
“I’ll be back as soon as I can,” Violet said to her friends. “Make sure this portal is destroyed after the shaman uses it,” she added. Nathan’s dark blue eyes held hers for a long moment, then she tore her gaze away from his perfect face and leaped through the portal. When she landed, she waved up at her friends who she could no longer see, then turned to Nat and Lexi. They were holding each other up and looked like they would fall down at any moment. “You two look like crap,” she announced.
“Tell us something we don’t know,” Lexi said in a wry tone.