God of Malice: Fate's Warriors, #3

Chapter One

~~~ Violet’s World ~~~

DESCENDING IN A DIZZYING rush, Violet’s powers came flooding back as she returned to her own dimension. The spell kicked in to stop her fall and she landed on the sidewalk next to her friends.

Seeing Violet’s wide grin, Nat knew there could only be one reason why she was so happy. They were on her turf now and she would finally get a chance to shine. Go on, she said indulgently. Show us the real you, V.

Violet didn’t want to draw attention to herself yet, so she stepped into a nearby alley. She made sure no one was watching before she assumed her true form. In an instant, she grew to a full twelve feet in height. Feathery gold wings burst into being and she stretched them out as far as she could in the cramped alley. Twin horns that resembled the ones on Loki’s helmet rose from her forehead. They curled up and backwards until they nearly met at the tips. From head to toe, every inch of her skin and most of her armor was gold. The brass skull buckles on her jacket had become a breastplate and a silver key nestled between them. Only her hair had retained its usual blond color.

Holy crap, Lexi said in awe. Why do I have the sudden urge to bow before you? She was only half-joking. When she was in her angelic form, Violet possessed a terrible beauty. That was nothing compared to her current golden magnificence.

You’re awesome, Nat said with complete sincerity. I’ve never seen anything so beautiful in my entire life. Violet made both her and Lexi pale in comparison. She looked like an ancient Greek goddess come to life.

Privately reveling in the return of her powers, Violet only allowed herself to indulge in her true form for a few moments. She didn’t like towering over her friends and usually just stayed in her human form. Willing away her golden skin and armor, she returned to her normal size and clothing again. It’s good to be home, she said, but worry ate at her. Feeling her link with Nathan deep inside her heart, she knew he was in Sophia’s store in New York. Now that she had her powers back, she could take them there in an instant.

They were still close enough to the Glitter Strip in Vegas to see the various ads displayed on the electronic billboards. They studied them for a few seconds and saw nothing alarming. If their foes had arrived during Violet’s absence, the ads would have been replaced by news feeds of the invasion.

I don’t think Loki is here yet Lexi said. But he’ll probably be here soon. We should head to your base.

I can’t wait to meet your hot boyfriend, Nat said with a lecherous wink.

Violet rolled her eyes, then teleported all three of them to New York. She wasn’t sure how the spells that guarded Sophia’s store would affect her fellow warriors. Zapping them directly inside might not be such a great idea. She took them to the door at the back of the building instead. If they had an adverse reaction to the wards, she wanted them to be out of sight of the public.

Glancing around the dark and narrow passage, Nat’s brows rose. I have to say, I expected your base to be somewhere a little less shabby than this. It looked like a place drug addicts would hang out as they waited for their next fix. From Lexi’s expression, she was having similar thoughts.

It looks more reputable from the front, Violet said defensively. She didn’t have her keys on her, but she wouldn’t need them. Instead of knocking and waiting for someone to come and let them in, she reached out and touched the door. Her companions heard the lock click and exchanged a glance. They wondered what other talents they would get to see as the coming disaster unfolded.

Pushing the door open, Violet stepped into the kitchen just as Nathan appeared in the doorway that led to the front room. Their eyes locked and he strode towards her. Sweeping her into his arms, he kissed her and all thoughts of the coming war fled from her mind.

Nat’s mouth dropped open when she saw Violet’s guardian angel crossing to her with a determined expression. He was breathtakingly gorgeous, with chin-length black hair, high cheekbones and the darkest blue eyes she’d ever seen. He was the same height and build as Luc, but the angel moved with even more grace than Nat’s husband possessed. Lexi elbowed her in the side and she managed to close her mouth. After you, Nat said and motioned towards the doorway.

Lexi could sense magic even in this dimension and this place reeked of it. A faint shimmer in the kitchen gave away that the building was heavily warded. Instead of stepping inside, she tentatively reached out. The moment her fingertip touched the wards, bright white light flared. Pain shot through her finger and raced down her arm, aiming for her heart.

Violet and Nathan broke apart when they heard a small sound of agony. They turned to see Lexi caught fast by the angelic spells that were designed to trap evil. Thinking fast, Nat yanked her backwards. The white light disappeared, but Lexi was clutching her wrist and was staring at her blackened finger. I’m kind of glad you went first, Nat muttered. That must have hurt like hell.

Sniggers came from the front room as two teenage boys stepped into view. One was short and slender, with blue eyes and short, curly blond hair. He looked about fourteen. The other was African-American and was maybe seventeen. He was a few inches taller than his friend and had a more muscular build.

Demons cannot trespass within this place, the blond kid said solemnly, but with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes.

We’re not demons, Nat informed him. I’m a vampire and my friend is a werewolf.

Lexi spared a glance at the small crowd that had gathered in the kitchen. She was relieved to see her finger was repairing itself, although at a much slower pace than usual. Technically, I’m not just a werewolf, she said.

What else are you? a blond girl asked as she entered the kitchen. She was clearly the fraternal twin of the curly headed blond boy. They were almost identical in appearance. All three teens wore t-shirts and jeans.

I’m also part vampire and part necromancer, Lexi replied.

I am glad that you have returned safely, Nathan said to Violet. But why did you bring these creatures here?

Nat noted that he even dressed similarly to Luc. He wore a dark blue cashmere sweater and black dress pants. She brought us here to help you save your world, she said before Violet could answer him. We’re Fate’s warriors from our dimensions.

Two more people stepped into view. One was a tall, slim woman in a yellow dress with long brown hair that was turning gray. The other was a man in his sixties. He had a paunch and white hair. Elijah? Lexi said with a pleased smile. You look exactly the same as you did on my world. He wore a rumpled white shirt with the sleeves rolled up and wrinkled brown pants.

I exist in another dimension? he said in surprise. Am I a priest there, too?

Nope, Nat replied. On her world, you’re a warlock.

I have a feeling this is going to be a very interesting story, the blond boy said.

We’re going to have to take down the wards to let them in, Violet pointed out.

Allow me, the blond girl responded. She chanted in a musical language and the shimmering faded.

Can you enter now? Violet asked.

This time, Nat did the honors. She poked her finger through the doorway, then yanked it back when burning pain speared through her. Holding up the wounded appendage, she saw that her flesh had melted away to leave the white bone exposed. I don’t think it’s safe yet, she said with a wince of pain.

My blessing is still active, Elijah said. It would seem it works just as well against vampires as it does demons. Closing his eyes, he concentrated and withdrew the consecration that he’d laid in place during their war against evil. Their battles with demonkind were still fresh in his mind. He hadn’t thought to withdraw God’s protection from their base. It should be safe for you to enter now, he said.

Nat extended her hand again and this time she didn’t feel any pain. Her finger was taking its sweet time to heal, which just showed how weak she was in this reality. Come on, she said to Lexi. Let’s meet Violet’s team.

With a backwards glance at the dingy alley, Lexi followed her inside.

Chapter Two

~~~ Alpha World ~~~

CAUGHT IN A NIGHTMARE, Bianca dreamt that the Earth had been invaded by hideous aliens. Humans were being kidnapped and were being taken away to fight in a war for a mad deity. She was surrounded by people who were encrusted in their own filth. The man next to her turned and offered her some food. Her stomach was cramped with hunger, so she took it and bit into the meat. Looking down, she saw it was a human arm and began to scream.

Loki came awake instantly when Bianca screamed. He rolled over and put his arms around her and she began to thrash in terror.

In her mind, Bianca was being held down by her fellow captives and they were trying to force-feed her. Their teeth had been sharpened to points and their eyes were flat and emotionless. They were becoming as alien as the Viltarans themselves.

Rolling her onto her back, Loki caught her wrists and held her down easily. Be still, Bianca, he said soothingly. You are safe.

The familiar voice filtered through Bianca’s terror. She opened her eyes to see a shadowy figure half lying on top of her. Enough light filtered through a partially open door to show her a pale face, shoulder length black hair and bright blue eyes. Loki? she croaked.

His heart gave a small lurch at her hopeful tone. Yes. It is I.

You saved me? Bianca asked. He’d been so angry at her betrayal that she didn’t think he could ever forgive her.

I couldn’t leave you to that fate, he said, all too aware of her body lying beneath his. She struggled weakly and he understood that she wanted him to free her hands. When he did, she wrapped her arms around him and began to weep. Rolling onto his back, he held her against his chest as she sobbed out her relief at being rescued.

Knowing how much Loki despised it when she cried, Bianca eventually choked off her sobs. She’d learned her lesson and she wasn’t going to do anything else to displease him. She would be the well-behaved servant he expected and she wasn’t going to turn on him again. Now that she’d seen first-hand the fate that was destined for her kind, she gave up all hope that they could be saved.

Bianca eventually fell asleep again, but her slumber was restless. Loki stroked her back, noting again how much weight she’d lost. He grimaced at the thought of the diet her fellow captives had been forced to consume. While she’d abstained from eating, she would have eventually caved in and become a cannibal like them.

Giving up on attempting to sleep, Loki dressed and stepped out onto the balcony that overlooked Dallas. Few humans were left now. Almost all of them had been collared, or had been turned into clones.

Having saved Bianca from her fate, Loki lost some of his enthusiasm at the thought of having his own private army of mindless beings. If he didn’t collar them, the humans would undoubtedly turn on him. If he did use magic to quell them, they would be all-but useless unless they were following strict orders. They would require constant supervision and he was only one man. He didn’t trust anyone enough to leave his slaves in their charge.

His thoughts returned to the captives who were crammed into the cells on the mothership. The Viltarans were neglecting their slaves terribly. From what he’d seen, it was doubtful they would survive long enough to become breeders for Uldar’s armies.

Checking that Bianca was still asleep, he decided to pay Uldar a visit. It would be easy enough to locate one of the transport ships. They were parked all over the city, waiting to carry their human cargo up to the vessel that hovered high above the city. Although it was invisible, the mothership still somehow cast a pall over Dallas.

He descended to the ground in the elevator and stepped onto the street. Catching a faint whiff of the gaseous cloud that still ringed the city, he wrinkled his nose. While his Grimgorg allies didn’t seem to be affected by the smell, they stayed well clear of the danger zone. The mist was toxic to all life-forms. It had never failed to kill the Viltarans’ enemies before and it had served them well again this time.

Striding through the dark streets, Loki found a transport ship a couple of blocks away. He trudged up the ramp and entered the cockpit to speak to the droid that was piloting the vessel. Take me to the mothership, he ordered the metal man. The Viltarans would cease their nightly hunt in two hours or so. They would then return to the safety of their floating base. He wanted to speak to Uldar before he retired for the day.

Turning its head to regard him, the droid stared at him through crimson eyes. While it resembled its masters superficially, its dull silver body and face were almost devoid of details. He knew it wanted to defy him, but the droids had been ordered to obey his commands, to a certain extent. As you wish, the robot said reluctantly.

Loki retreated from the cockpit and leaped up onto one of the oversized seats. It took longer than usual for the vessel to reach the gigantic hangar on the mothership. He saw why when the ramp slid open. Uldar must have been notified that he was about to receive an unscheduled guest and had cut his nightly hunt short to meet with him. He was waiting for Loki with his entourage of twenty warriors grouped behind him.

This meeting is unexpected, Uldar said in his guttural, unpleasant language. His tone wasn’t exactly welcoming.

Loki didn’t need the alien’s personal droid to translate, but he waited until the robot had finished repeating the words in Asgardian before he spoke. I wish to speak to you about the state of your human slaves.

Uldar’s eyes flared a brighter shade of crimson when his droid translated his words. What business is their condition to you? As per our bargain, you relinquished all rights to them once they left Earth.

Loki took in the unwelcoming glares and general hostility of his ally’s tall and menacing entourage. Their expressions went beyond mere mistrust and entered the realms of hatred. He understood with crystal clarity that they believed he was unworthy of them.

Despite his powerful magic, they considered him to be a lesser being. They thought their technology would allow them to get the upper hand against him eventually. He instinctively knew they meant for him to die. The insight alarmed him, but he hid it well. If you expect the humans to last long enough to assist you to dominate other worlds, you might want to make several changes, he said in an off-hand tone. If he made any attempt to give Uldar orders, it wouldn’t go down well.

My droids informed me that humans live for several decades before they die from old age, Uldar said with an audible sneer. His kind lived a lot longer than that, but nowhere near as long as Asgardians apparently did.

Only if they are fed appropriate food and are given fresh water to drink and to wash with daily, Loki countered. They are prone to catching diseases. Standing around in their own filth and consuming the flesh of their own kind will surely kill them.

Uldar turned to his droid for confirmation. The robot consulted the information it had gleaned from Earth’s information systems and nodded reluctantly. Lord Loki speaks the truth, master.

A group of freshly collared humans disembarked from a recently arrived transport ship and Uldar flashed them a look of contempt. I will take your suggestions under consideration, he conceded grudgingly. Unfortunately, he would have to listen to Loki’s council. He needed his captives to breed more troops, or to become food for his clones if necessary.

Reasonably certain that his advice wouldn’t be ignored, Loki returned to the transport ship. The droid barely waited for him to be seated before it took off and headed back to Dallas. He felt a slight weight lift off his shoulders and was irritated to find he’d been feeling guilty about the plight of the captives. They would still be mindless slaves, but at least their living conditions should now improve to some extent.

When the vessel dropped him back in Dallas, a thought occurred to him. Uldar hadn’t asked how he’d known about the poor state of his captives. A cold finger traced its way down his spine. His allies must have been aware of him when he’d rescued Bianca from her cell and he hadn’t even known he was being watched.

Chapter Three

~~~ Violet’s World ~~~

VIOLET LED THE WAY through the kitchen to the room at the front of the store. Her two new friends glanced around to see the kitchen was clean and modern and sported stainless-steel appliances. The walls were white and matching tiles covered the floor. Most of the appliances had barely been used when Violet had first arrived. Angels didn’t need to eat, after all. There were several humans, or almost humans, on their team now, which meant the appliances were used far more frequently. Luckily, Sophia’s human vessel was a good cook.

Nat and Lexi examined the front room next when they followed the others inside. The floor was covered in thick gray carpet and the walls had been painted a soothing shade of cream. Shelves lined three of the walls. Jars, books and strange ornaments were arranged on them. A long counter ran along the back of the room. A cash register sat near the door that led to the kitchen. A large round table with six chairs took up the center of the room. Made of dark wood, the legs were sturdy and it looked heavy. Sophia had given up her job of telling fortunes, but she hadn’t made any changes to the store yet. The sign that advised her as being a psychic was still on the front door.

We’ll need more chairs, Violet said to Nathan. He concentrated and four more seats appeared. They were cheap white plastic ones, but they would do. He’d borrowed them from the basement beneath Elijah’s church where he knew there were spares.

Neat, Nat said in appreciation. She’d used telekinesis many times herself, but this was the first time she’d seen anyone else use it.

Who is the extra chair for? Lexi asked. There were only nine people present at the moment.

Right on cue, a knock sounded at the door. Sam crossed to unlock it and an African-American man in his mid-thirties stepped inside. His bearing and assessing eyes told the two warriors that he was a cop, even though he wore a dark blue suit rather than a uniform. I didn’t realize you were back, the man said to Violet and gave her a quick hug.

I only returned a few minutes ago, she informed him.

Who are they? he asked as he examined the newcomers.

Violet wasn’t at all surprised to see the detective turn up at such a late hour. He tended to work strange shifts. Fate had probably prompted him to visit the store now. She was an expert manipulator and was well practiced at placing her minions where she wanted them. They’re Fate’s warriors from their dimensions, she told him. Natalie Pierce is a vampire and Alexis Levine is part werewolf, part vampire and part necromancer.

Call me Nat, Natalie said.

Lexi added her preference next. My friends call me Lexi.

This is Detective Calvin Reynolds, Violet said.

He stepped forward to shake their hands. Compared to demons, these two women didn’t seem so bad, even if they were apparently supernatural beings. It’s a pleasure to meet you, he said.

Next is Sophia, Violet went on. This is her store. The plain woman with the long hair greeted them with a gentle smile. To Violet, Sophia had long white hair and was beautiful. As far as she knew, she was the only one who could see the true faces of angels and demons. The twins are Leo and Briathos, but we call her Brie, she went on. The blond teens nodded in unison. The boy smiled, but his sister was scowling slightly. You already kind of know Elijah, she said with a grin, then turned to the third teen. "This is