~ Loki's Sin ~

by

Saje Williams

"Well, boss, I’m not sure you’re going to like this." Athena said without preamble as she strolled into Shea’s office. Renee followed her, a pale, silent shadow with dark eyes that seemed to take in everything.

Shea peered at her suspiciously. "What now?"

"Loki’s missing, maybe captured," she told him. "This is Renee, his... lady friend."

Shea didn’t blink. "Loki’s notoriously fickle and impetuous," he said, dismissing the suggestion he’d been kidnapped without a moment’s hesitation. "You’re better off without him," he told the woman briskly. His eyes flicked back to his computer monitor.

Athena opened her mouth to object but never got the chance. Renee brushed past her and slammed her hands down on Shea’s desk. "That might have been true in the past," she said through gritted teeth, just loud enough for him to hear, "but that’s not true now."

He shook his head, obviously unconvinced. "I’m sure other women thought the same thing about him."

"Believe me. I’m not like other women."

"Small, dark, pretty, in a plain sort of way. A little pale and underfed, but, yeah, you’re a lot like other women." His tone and smile both bordered on insulting.

"Deryk. Don’t be an ass. Do you really think I would’ve brought her here if I didn’t think this was different?" Athena gave him a pointed look over Renee’s shoulder. Or do you think I’m that stupid?

He considered this for a moment. "Okay. Suppose for a moment I do accept that he’s been somehow snatched right off the street. I seriously doubt it, but I’ll give you at least that much. What do you propose we do about it?"

"We track him down and kick his captor’s butt," Renee answered firmly. "What else is there to do?"

"Who is this woman?" he asked Athena blankly.

"She’s the secret Loki’s been keeping," she growled in response. "And on hell of a big one at that. Deryk, she knows all about us. I doubt there’s anything he hasn’t told her."

"What? He knows the rules. He can’t just--"

"--I think you’ll agree he was well within his rights to do so in this case. Renee, if you please?"

Obviously deciding a display of her fangs wouldn’t be enough, she did a disappearing act, transforming into mist in a swirl of moist wind. He stared at the space she had been with a slack expression. "She’s not one of us," he stated firmly.

He would know. He had the image of every immortal who’d traveled here on the Mythrender locked up in that amazing brain of his.

Athena shook her head. "No, she’s not one of us. She’s one of Loki’s experiments."