Soul Fire (Darkling Mage 8)

He winked in a way that made my stomach perform a tiny somersault. How the hell did he do that? I should have been taking notes. “You know well enough by now that you can’t believe all the old stories.”

“Fine. So we both know things. But why do this? Why did you want to see me?”

“One question at a time. I did this purely out of boredom, Mr. Graves. Immortality can be so dull.”

“I heard the same thing about Odin. It’s why he put up the Twilight Tavern in the first place. His beloved bed and breakfast.”

“Correct. You live long enough, you start thinking of diversions, you know? And this isn’t a world where gods can go around razing the countryside for fun anymore.” He cocked his hip and chuckled. “Well, unless you count Odin and his Wild Hunt.”

I grimaced. “Tell me about it. Wait. Is that why I’m here? Is this about the corgi?”

Loki waved his hand. “Not at all. The All-Father’s misadventures are none of my concern. The time he spends reveling and drinking is time he doesn’t spend building more power – or, for that matter, a more financially stable small business. No, this has nothing to do with your little dog. Banjo is quite safe.”

“You even know the corgi’s name. Actually, you seem to know a lot for someone who should be paying attention to running his own business. And a pretty big operation it is, I might add.”

“I like to keep my ear to the ground, to take stock of what happens around me. I stay on my toes, Mr. Graves. I don’t have to get ready if I stay ready. That’s why I started Happy, Inc. Gone are the days of worship, of men singing the names of gods as they charge into battle, of temples and altars filled with zealots and sacrifices.” He folded his hands together and nodded at me. “Sorry. I know you’re sensitive about that.”

“Don’t mention it. So that’s your point behind all this? You have no worshippers, so instead you’re building wealth?”

Loki tapped the side of his nose. “Close. See, this is the world we live in now. Humanity is so wrapped up in acquiring more and more, in consuming. The gods are extinct, trampled to death by smartphones and celebrities and trendy food. These are your new gods. And wouldn’t you believe it, the importance humanity places in these objects and symbols, the psychic essence they invest? It all streams back to me. I siphon that energy, feed on it, and grow stronger. Why, it’s nearly as good as being worshipped again.”

A cloud passed over the sun just then, casting a shadow over Loki’s face. In just the sliver of his grin, the twinkling of his eyes, I saw him for what he truly was: a trickster god, a rogue, exactly as he said. We really could have been friends.

“That’s actually pretty clever.”

“Indeed. The moon turns, and time marches on, and those who don’t bend with the tides of progress will s

imply break. Take the All-Father, as an example. This is a world that I control, where I am the most powerful of the Norse gods, and that chaps Odin’s ass like you wouldn’t believe. Therein lies the second benefit of running a powerful corporation that dwarfs his struggling bed and breakfast by several orders of magnitude.”

“To annoy him. To revel in his torment. To play the role of the trickster.”

“Precisely. Schadenfreude. I enjoy a little bit of discord, a touch of chaos. It’s in my nature. Some things change, Mr. Graves. But some stay the same. That includes my unique relationship with the All-Father. I cannot deny who I am, as much as you cannot deny who and what you are.”

I raised my chin. “Oh? And who am I, exactly?”

“Dustin Graves, the darkling mage, one whose bond with the shadows deepens with every passing day. Kin and keeper of the Dark Room, you are. And both killer and catalyst of those mad greater entities, the gods who dwell outside of space and time. The Old Ones.”

“That’s – that’s pretty accurate so far.”

“Conqueror of gods, demons, and angels,” Loki continued. “Slayer of the White Mother Yelzebereth, and of Shtuttasht, the Overthroat. The bane of the Eldest.”

I scratched the back of my neck, restraining a chuckle. “Flattery will get you everywhere.”

“And indeed it has,” Loki said, grinning. “But this isn’t about buttering you up. Now that we’re friends, I feel more at ease discussing more delicate matters with you. I know full well of your struggles. Agatha Black is a dangerous opponent, and I believe you will need all the help you can get to defeat her.”

I felt my muscles tighten. “I’m not going to turn down any help that’s willingly given, especially when it comes to dealing with an agent of the Eldest. She’s a threat to the world. But I need to know something. Why would you want to help us? How could you possibly benefit?”

Loki’s eyes widened with some surprise. He turned his hands up, spreading his fingers, showing his palms. “Why, to preserve the status quo, of course. In this era, I am more powerful than the All-Father himself. You’re a clever man, Graves, don’t make me repeat myself. And I don’t need to remind you that you’ve fallen on Odin’s bad side as well. Who better to offer you advice on how to deal with his wrath?”

Both excellent points, I had to admit. What could it hurt to talk? If Loki could give us an edge over Odin and Agatha, I was happy to spend the afternoon with him up on that rooftop.

“Fine,” I said. “I’ll listen.”

“Excellent.” Loki steepled his fingers, his smile now brighter than the sun far above us. “Now tell me, Mr. Graves. What do you know of the Great Beasts?”

Chapter 7

“The Great Beasts,” Mason said. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard of them referred to that way.” He brought his shield up to his face, anticipating my blow.