Free Gods of Chaos (Red Magic) by Jen McConnel Page A

cave-in or after, when I used magic, the girls were still dead because of me. Just like Rochelle.
    Hecate must be laughing somewhere. No matter what I do, I can’t seem to stop killing people.
    I collapsed into bed even though it was only late afternoon. Guilt threatened to overwhelm me, and my brain couldn’t let go of the image of the girls’ mangled bodies. Gods, how many more people would I kill? I told myself that if I slept, I’d be able to forget about what had happened in the vaults, but my sleep that night was plagued by even worse nightmares. Once more, I dreamed of Loki.
    He was still bound in the same cavern, and his wife stood over him with her bowl. I wanted to pull myself out of the vision, but Loki crooked his finger at me and I felt myself moving forward against my will.
    “So, Darlena. You have come back to hear my proposal.”
    “I can’t do what you want.”
    His twisted face smiled. “I believe differently. You are quite the powerful Witch. Why limit yourself?”
    I tried to step back, but my feet were welded to the floor. “I work against chaos. I don’t want to cause more.”
    His laugh was raspy. “But it would be such a simple thing, child! No need to really cause chaos. The seeming is more powerful than the reality.”
    “What do you want?”
    “A small boon. Make it seem as if the world is ending, and I will teach you how to bind Hecate.”
    I hesitated, stunned. “There is no way to bind a god.”
    The chains that held him rattled. “I of all people know that is not true. If you free me, you will have my bonds at your disposal. It is a simple matter, binding a god, once you have the right tool.”
    I stared at him. “Why would you work against the gods?”
    He snarled. “What has any of them ever done to help me? I owe them nothing. But,” he smiled, showing his sharp teeth, “I would owe the person who sets me free.”
    “But how would I free you?”
    He jumped eagerly at my words. “We have a pact, then?”
    I shook my head. “I never said that. I just want to know how you think it could be done.”
    “But you’re considering it. Oh, yes, child, I can hear your thoughts turning. Trust me. It can be done, with my help.”
    The dream started to fade, but I called out, “I have not made any promises!”
    “Not yet, child,” he cackled. “But you will.”
    After that, disturbing visions of blood and broken bodies filled my dreams, and I woke up feeling worse than I had in a long time, which was saying something, considering how awful things had been lately. The dormitory was silent, and I felt a lump in my throat when I looked at the two empty beds that had belonged to Sandra and Joan.
    I was only too happy to get up, pack my bag, and leave in search of another hotel. I did a finding spell before I left the hostel, and within ten minutes, I found myself standing in a marble and brass hotel lobby, checking in. The place looked expensive, but because I was alone, the woman behind the desk gave me the senior discount. After I forked over half my cash to guarantee that I’d have a bed for at least another week, I headed up to my new room.
    There was a small balcony overlooking a back alley, but I was too tired to be charmed. Shutting the curtains, I unpacked my bag and plugged in my computer. Maybe a distraction would help me forget what I’d done in the vaults.
    Nibbling on a battered-looking snack mix that I’d found in the bottom of my backpack, I scrolled through my inbox. There were four messages from my mom, and I realized with a start that I’d barely contacted her since arriving in Scotland. The emails didn’t sound panicked, but they felt like someone had just flashed the Bat Signal; Mom wanted to hear from me, and soon.
    As I composed an email, I thought about how to avoid anything that would get me in trouble at home. I told her I’d found another Red, and that I was “working on” forming a relationship. I would never tell my good, Green mother that I was