An Imperceptible Ruse Indeed (The Gods' Executioner Series) by A.L. Bridges Page A

Demi replies.
    “Don’t worry about it; you didn’t have any choice in the matter.” Reyna responds as she grabs my hand after picking Alice up.
    “ Goodbye.” I say and focus on the four of us being in Jason and Reyna’s house.
    We appear in the house and I realize that it’s so much easier to just touch my Haglaz rune or triskele when I have a free hand.
    “Alright, I’m going to make my report to Maria.” I announce.
    “I want to go see grandma…” Alice quietly mentions.
    “Do you want to come with me to visit Grandma Maria, sweetie?” I ask and Alice nods. I look to Reyna and Jason for confirmation.
    “Okay… but I want her home by ten… And no drinking! And Honey, if you’re going to pu t out, make sure to use protection.” Jason says and I stifle my laughter as Alice looks at her father with a confused expression.
    Reyna lightly smacks Jason and says, “It’s fine if you take Alice to visit my mother, Cole.”
    “Alright, we’ll be back soon.” I reply while picking up Alice and Dynamite.
    I touch my Haglaz rune and port us to the front door of Maria’s Tuscan-styled mansion in Mictlan, where I ring the doorbell.
    “ Hello Cole and Princess Alice.” Babette greets.
    “ Hello Babette. I have some information for Maria and Alice wants to see her grandmother.” I reply.
    “I assumed that was why you a re here. This way.” Babette says and walks into the house.
    I carry Alice down the hall, following Babette as she walks past the sitting room and exits out into the central courtyard with its garden/ pool. She continues around the right side of the patio to the rear wing of the house. Babette takes a right and knocks on the double doors that lead to the room where Cheza and I rescued Maria from an assassination attempt four years ago.
    “Come in.” Maria answers to the knock and Babette opens the door. Maria is sitting at a desk that is covered in documents and has two servants assisting her.
    “Grandma!” Alice exclaims and squirms as I set her down. She runs over to Maria as I follow behind her.
    “Hello nieta. Did you have fun on your trip, even if it was shorter than expected?” Maria asks.
    “I got to play in the ocean with Uncle Cole for a little while and that was fun, but I didn’t like all the people…” Alice quietly replies.
    “She was a little shy.” I add.
    “Why was the trip cut so short?” Maria inquires.
    “ There was an attack and I discovered a traitor that was in the embassy so I took care of that. It seemed their original plan was a stealth attack by boat, but the plan changed to a kidnapping of Reyna and/ or Alice to ransom you into submitting. I wasn’t able to get much from the two guys I scanned so I left them with Lady Demi at the embassy. I was able to discern that Loki is involved in all of this; one of the guys that I scanned had a bronze aura. They only seemed to be given information that was absolutely necessary to their part of the operation so the only thing I learned, past the information about the plot I’d already thwarted, was that the traitor’s vampire contact has a superior who is running the Australian campaign.” I inform Maria.
    “Hmm… ” Maria says while mulling the information over, then she looks at me and smiles.
    “No.” I answer before she asks.
    “I need you to go there, Cole.” Maria replies.
    “No, I’m not going to Australia!” I reiterate.
    “You’re the best person for the job.” Maria says.
    “No one is ever get ting me to go to Australia!” I exclaim.
    “Cole, I was just reassigned. Apparently the vampire rebellion has affected Australia and the Australian United Supernatural Special Investigations and Enforcement, or AUSSIE, has requested help from The Agency so Carla is sending me and Natasha.” Cheza informs me through our connection.
    My expression must be giving something away because Maria just smiles satisfactorily at me.
    Damm it…
     

 
     
    Chapter 6: The Place of Nightmares
    “AHH H!”