God Of Mischief (Fate's Warriors Bk 1) Page 2

  He watched on as the mightiest of Asgardian warriors swung his beloved hammer, scattering Grimgorg soldiers in every direction. Tall, blond and wearing a gaudy red cape and magical silver armor, Thor towered over his enemies. Powerful in stature, he was terrible with purpose. Thor loved nothing more than combat and he was in his element. Raising his weapon, he called lightning from the swiftly gathering storm clouds and sent more of his adversaries to their deaths.

  Sneering at the flashy display of power, Loki inadvertently let his cloak of shadow slip. One of the alien soldiers spotted him and charged. The common foot soldiers didn’t yet know who he was, or what his role in this battle was. They just saw an enemy and reacted to his presence. Pulling two daggers from his belt, Loki parried both swords, narrowly avoiding the whirling blades.

  As he slid his dagger between the ribs of his enemy, his gaze was drawn to a motionless figure standing on a rise across the field. Dressed in a black robe, her face was hidden in the darkness of her hood. Shadows seemed to gather around her menacingly. Tendrils of her hair moved in directions that were contrary to the wind.

  He thought his eyes were playing tricks on him when her clothing began to transform, but it had to be magic at play. Her robe turned into a formfitting black leather suit with a cape that fell around knee height. The hood remained, but the shadows receded from her face to reveal a mask that covered her eyes. Her body was slender, but had enticing curves. As he watched, she drew silver daggers from sheaths on her hips and started directly towards him.

  One of the goblin-like aliens leaped at her and she deftly sidestepped his attack. Her daggers flashed out rapidly and came away stained with purple blood. The creature fell with multiple stab wounds to his chest. With her upper face covered by a mask, he couldn’t read her expression, yet he sensed she was coming for him.

  Several more of the monsters made the mistake of getting in her way on her journey. She dispatched them just as easily as she’d killed the first one. Quick and graceful, she used one blade to block and the other to slice, cutting off limbs and puncturing vital organs. After each death that she meted out, her eyes returned to him.

  A sliver of alarm ran down Loki’s spine when he realized that he might very well be in danger. These clumsy and primitive warriors were no match for his skills, yet the unknown female was altogether different. He noted that she only killed the aliens and avoided his brethren, yet she wasn’t an Asgardian. It was unclear what she was.

  Distracted by an approaching group of aliens, he turned his attention back to staying alive, not that these soldiers had the ability to kill one such as him. His powers were still untapped and his full potential hadn’t yet been realized. Throwing a quick glance over his shoulder as he dodged inept swings from the trio of monsters, he saw the female closing in on him.

  A blade sliced through his cape, drawing him back into battle. While his armor had been infused with magic to keep him from harm, his cape was vulnerable. “Spawn of a spavined goat,” he muttered and his blade pierced the creature’s yellow eye. Before he could finish off the last one, a small hand clamped down on his shoulder and a foot connected with the back of his knee. Pulled off balance, he went down.

  Being on his knees wasn’t a position he was fond of. He tried to stand, but she somehow managed to hold him down. With a flash of movement, the unknown woman gripped his collar and swung her body off the ground. She kicked the surviving Grimgorg in the face hard enough to crush his skull. He fell with a quiet gurgle.

  Landing lightly in front of Loki, the woman pressed her blade against his throat and flipped his helmet off. Taking a handful of his hair at the base of his skull, she tilted his head backwards and held him still. He swallowed and a thin trickle of blood welled when the tip of her dagger pricked his skin. He didn’t know how, but she’d circumvented the spells he’d cast to protect himself. Staring up into her eyes, he couldn’t determine their color.

  She looked down at him dispassionately, then stunned him by leaning down and pressing her mouth firmly against his. For the space of a few moments, he was frozen in shock. His body reacted before his brain could engage. His daggers dropped from his hands and fell to the ground. Grasping her legs, his hands slid slowly up to her waist. He pulled her closer, deepening their kiss.

  It had been a very long time since he’d bothered to indulge in the pleasures of the flesh. While his base instincts held a certain appeal, he usually took more interest in plotting chaos and mayhem than in courting women. After two marriages and several children, he’d had his fill of family life. One wife had died and the other ended up hating him. As for his children, they scorned him as much as everyone else in this realm did. After two centuries of being alone, he’d become used to the solitude.

  A faint tugging sensation in his mind almost intruded on his enjoyment of the moment. The female touched her tongue to his and his hormones took over. She pulled away just as he was truly starting to enjoy himself. “Who are you?” he asked when she stood up straight again. A wave of dizziness swept through him and he swayed slightly. His hands tightened on her waist for balance.

  “My name is not important.” Her tone was offhand and almost disinterested, which didn’t boost his ego much. His heart was still thumping from their brief, yet intimate encounter.

  “What do you want?” he asked acerbically as he retrieved his daggers and helmet. He assumed there was a reason why she’d cut her way through the battle to him. He suspected it wasn’t due to any passion for him on her part.

  “I want many things,” she said with a brief twist of her lips that spoke of wry amusement. “Know this, Loki Laufeyson, your future now hangs in the balance.” He wasn’t surprised that she knew his name. He was the scourge of Asgard after all. He’d been banished for his misdeeds several times, but the last one had made him infamous. “The decisions you make will have consequences that you cannot possibly imagine,” she told him ominously.

  “You do me a great disservice,” he replied with a smirk. “I have never suffered from a lack of imagination.” Her head tilted back as he rose unsteadily until he was looming over her. She was barely five and a half feet tall and so slight of frame that he could crush her with one hand. How could someone so small have held him down so easily?

  “You have been warned,” she said. “I will see you again soon, God of Mischief.”

  He opened his mouth to retaliate to her mocking tone, but his wits failed him for once and he had nothing to say. She turned and encountered a Grimgorg as he was swinging both blades towards her. Almost too fast to follow, she pulled her second dagger and parried his swings. She kicked the alien in the stomach, air whooshed out of his lungs and he staggered back a step. Her daggers were already in motion as he pin-wheeled his arms for balance. They plunged into his stomach in six rapid stabs, then she crossed her hands and simultaneously drew them across his throat. Purple blood spurted as his head was almost severed from his body.

  Touching the small nick on his neck, Loki met the mysterious woman’s eyes when she glanced back over her shoulder. “I can hardly wait for our next encounter,” he said with thick sarcasm, glad he’d regained his wits enough to have the last word. Another group of invaders came between them and when he’d dispatched them, she was gone.

  Settling his helmet back on his head, Loki paused as another wave of dizziness hit him. When it passed, he sheathed his daggers and pulled the shadows around him again so he was hidden from view. It was almost time for his plan to reach fruition. Slowly and carefully so no one would see him, he moved around the edge of the field and approached a small group of Grimgorg soldiers. When he dropped his illusion and revealed himself, they went on the alert and hissed menacingly, readying their swords to attack.

  “Halt,” a deep, gurgling voice said even as they recognized him to be an ally and lowered their weapons. “Allow the Asgardian to approach.” These guards were some of the few who knew what his part in this battle had been.

  They parted to reveal a bron
ze throne that was set low to the ground. Their king perched on the ungainly seat and regarded Loki with his disturbing eyes. He allowed the sorcerer to come within touching distance, but his guards remained on full alert. Loki had a reputation for trickery and they couldn’t be certain that he wouldn’t turn on them at any moment. While they were allied with him, none of them would ever fully trust him.

  Teetering on the edge of a lifechanging moment, Loki spared a glance at his kin. Mighty and noble, they’d banded together to fight these new enemies, unknowing that he was responsible for the attack on Asgard. He was tired of being evicted every time he did something that Odin and his cronies didn’t like. It was time to return the favor for once. While he always managed to find his way back home, he highly doubted his brethren would manage it.

  Taking a dagger from its sheath, Loki drew it across his palm. “In blood, our bargain is forged,” he said and held his hand out towards the creature sitting on the throne.

  King and head shaman of the Grimgorg, Rho produced a dagger of his own. Purple blood flowed when he sliced his four fingered hand open. “In blood, our bargain is forged,” he echoed and they clasped hands. Making a blood oath had bound them by magic. They were now linked and were past the point of no return.

  With a nod, King Rho motioned his magicians to initiate their spell with a staff he always carried. Blinding light flashed up from the ground where they’d laid their trap. Hidden just beneath the soil were tens of thousands of portals. They’d been painstakingly joined together by dozens of Grimgorg shamans. It hadn’t been easy to keep their presence hidden, but Loki’s magic had been strong enough to accomplish it. His brethren deserved their banishment and Odin would rue his treatment of Loki. He’d been branded a trickster for his entire life. Now it was time for him to live up to the hype.

  When the light faded, the Asgardian warriors were gone and only the Grimgorg warriors remained. They might be hideous, but they were skilled in magic. Their shamans could work mighty spells, yet Loki had improved this particular one himself.

  “Farewell, oh mighty warriors of Asgard,” Loki said softly with a self-satisfied smirk. He was willing to pay any price to rid himself of his kin forever. Even if that price was his home planet. After all, there were many other worlds out there for him to conquer.

  ₪₪₪

  Chapter Three

  ~~~ Fate’s Dream ~~~

  Stunned to see tens of thousands of warriors disappear in the blink of an eye, Lexi frowned as the scene faded. “Where did they go?” she asked.

  “They have been sent to a distant, barren world,” Fate replied. “They have no capacity to return to Asgard, or to leave the wretched planet where they were banished.”

  “Isn’t there some kind of sentinel who can zap them back home?” Violet asked. Fate had warned her of what was coming. She’d read up on Norse mythology in preparation for their next mission. “Heimdall, or something like that?”

  “Heimdall has also been banished,” Fate replied. “The Grimgorg are now in control of Asgard, and of the remaining citizens. Their shamans have spells that strip their enemies of the ability to resist them. A once proud race will become slaves. Taking ownership of Asgard is part of the Grimgorg’s reward for assisting Loki to betray his people.”

  “How soon will they head here?” Natalie asked.

  “The battle I just showed you happened some months ago. The various Lokis in each dimension have been negotiating terms with their allies. Most are already on their way to their version of Earth. Others will travel via portals like the ones the Asgardians were banished through.”

  Natalie forced out a sigh, which wasn’t easy to do since she didn’t need to breathe. “Okay, so we three girls need to get our bands back together and take down the Lokis in our worlds. Will that be enough to end the invasion?”

  Fate’s reply was wry. “It is not that simple. This war will be fought across several dimensions, including each of your worlds. But I require far more than just the rescue of your own realms. You will need to save them all.” She went silent while they stared at her in shock.

  Lexi was the first to regain her speech. “How can we possibly accomplish that? From what you’ve told us, there are an infinite number of dimensions.”

  “You three are special and share a trait that most of my warriors do not.”

  “What trait would that be?” Violet asked sourly. “I’m guessing it isn’t our long hair and overall hotness.” Natalie smirked at the younger woman’s wit. All three of them were undeniably attractive.

  “You exist in one dimension only. You do not have counterparts on other versions of Earth.”

  “Does this mean what I think it means?” Lexi asked.

  Fate inclined her head. “This means you will be able to travel to different dimensions of this planet.”

  “Why do we need to do that?” Violet queried.

  Fate indicated the now blank doorway. “The Loki I showed you is the one you will need to focus on in order to prevent Chaos from winning. You will need to travel to the world that he is about to invade. You must find a way to undo the deal that he forged with the Grimgorg king.”

  All three women blinked in astonishment. “You mean we aren’t going to kill him?” Natalie asked with a hint of disappointment.

  Fate’s response sent a chill up their spines. “That would end in catastrophe for the entire universe. Loki must not know that you are there. You must find a way to alter his destiny without him being aware that you even exist.”

  Silence fell as they contemplated their task. “How the hell are we supposed to pull that off?” Lexi said at last. She’d wracked her brain for a solution and none had presented itself. Neither of her companions had come up with anything either.

  “You have all shown a talent for accomplishing missions that would have been impossible for anyone else,” Fate responded. Her faith in them shone through in her hollow tone. “If you work together, I believe you will be able to save your worlds again, as well as every other world that is in peril.”

  Violet blew out a sigh and shoved her hands in the pockets of her worn jeans. “You said we’d have to travel to the dimension he’s in. How are we going to know which one it is? Can’t you just send us straight there?”

  To their disappointment, Fate shook her head. “I can send only one warrior to the Alpha World. You will have to rely on your intuition to make your way to the correct dimension.” When they shared disturbed looks, she spoke again. “Have I ever let you down?”

  “No,” Nat said morosely. “You’re an expert on making sure we end up in the right place at the right time. Usually at great cost to us.”

  “Continue to trust in me and you will prevail,” the hooded figure said. “You will begin your quest on Natalie’s world. I will check in with you to make sure you are on track. Be warned, you will have access to your full powers only when you are in your own dimensions. When you are on other worlds, you will not be able to use all of your talents.” Her warriors were understandably tense to hear that, but it was useless for them to protest. This wasn’t something that she had any control over.

  “I have a question,” Lexi said before they could be banished from the dream. “Why did you kiss Loki?”

  Hesitating as if embarrassed, Fate was slow to answer. “The kiss was not what it seemed. I was merely setting events in place that will hopefully aid you in your quest.”

  “It sure looked like a real kiss to me,” Violet said with a sly grin. “Loki looked like he was getting into it.”

  “Was it hot?” Nat asked in the same suggestive tone. “It looked hot to me. He’s a pretty good kisser, heh, heh.”

  Slightly flustered, Fate’s back went stiff. “We do not have time to rate the hotness, or lack thereof, of the kiss,” she said tightly. “The time has come for you to begin your quest. Try to keep your minds on the task at hand.”

  Seeing her companions’ amused grins, Lexi sighed. “I’ll keep them in line,” she vowed. It w
as already obvious to her that she was going to be the sensible one of their strange trio. She’d had a feeling destiny would be calling soon and had warned her father and friends about an upcoming disaster. It hadn’t occurred to her that she would be leaving her world. She sent a mental kiss to Reece as she felt herself fading from his side. He frowned and reached for her in his sleep, but she was already gone.

  Violet was alarmed when she felt herself being drawn away from Nathan. She didn’t need to sleep as often now. She should have known something was going to happen when she felt the urge to rest. Half waking, she reached to Nathan, who was awake as always. Angels never needed to sleep. He took her hand and brushed his lips across the back of it. “I love you,” he said softly. “Come back to me safely.”

  “I will,” she promised, then darkness overwhelmed her.

  When they opened their eyes, they were standing in a living room. The room was large and there were enough dark brown leather couches and armchairs for a dozen people. A large TV took up one wall. Movies and computer games stood in racks next to a sleek black entertainment unit. The floor was polished wood and the walls were cream, with light gray trim. Thick gray curtains hung beside the windows. A few pictures hung on the walls for decoration. Lexi’s highly attuned sense of smell told her the building had been constructed fairly recently.

  A man entered the room through a door to their right, but a glance dispelled the thought that he was human. No mere mortal moved with that much grace. His skin was as pale as Natalie’s and his face was as handsome as a model’s. He was six feet tall and had a lean, nicely muscled build. High cheekbones and full lips almost drew their attention away from his pure black eyes. His hair was short, black and looked like it cost a small fortune in barber bills. He wore a cashmere sweater, pricy trousers and custom made leather shoes. His entire outfit was black. It would have been too much on most people, but it suited him.