Free Blood of the Ancient Gods: The Beginning by Shakuita Johnson Page B

this matter," Oberon promised.
    "Can we get that in writing?" Eris asked.
    "Don't you trust us?" Fenrir asked.
    "Not even a little bit," Eris said sweetly.
    "Fine, we will negotiate a contract but for now we need to discuss what we’re looking for," Hecate said.
    "I'm all ears and while I'm out looking for the perfect vessels, the three of you can draft a contract. I'll look over it as will Eris and then I will tell you whom I've found. Sound fair?" Loki asked.
    Hecate huddled in a small circle with Fenrir and Oberon and they discussed Loki and Eris's terms. They seemed reasonable for now so they were in agreement.
    "We agree. Now can we get on with it? We are running out of time," Hecate said.
    "I'm ready when you are. I need to know what you're looking for in each of your vessels so I can procure the right ones," Loki said.
    "Yes, of course. I will start with my vessel. She must be slim and slight but also strong of will. Exceptionally beautiful and full of light and have features that could be confused with either elves or fairies. She must have an airy feel about her. I don't know how else to explain it. The vessels must inspire loyalty and cunning," Hecate said.
    "I think that is enough information for me to go by. Who's next?" Loki asked.
    "My vessel must also be a female and one that has a darkness in her that most of the world would never know just by looking at her. She must be mysterious, quick, and lithe in build. The air around her must be charged and dangerous. Pretty much the opposite of what Hecate wants in a vessel," Fenrir said.
    "Okay, Oberon it's your turn and then I'll be off."
    "My vessel must have the art of seduction down but also the eyes of a predator. She will be thick-skinned and vibrant but also capable of great violence when pushed. She needs to be a natural-born leader or as Fenrir says an alpha of the pack. She needs to be able to relinquish control and follow another best suited for the task when needed," Oberon said.
    Loki thought over all the descriptions he was given and decided the best place to narrow down the search was to go to one of the human libraries and look into older news articles. A teen or young college student would be the best choice as they were more likely to survive the transformation to an entirely new being. He would have to tread carefully in his search so he wouldn't draw too much attention to himself. He didn't want girls who were surrounded by the masses.
    The more they blended in instead of stood out would be a plus. There were a lot of pretty girls that didn't have a harem of people following their every moves. If he was being honest with himself, he was surprised the older gods trusted him with this task instead of going out and finding these vessels themselves. They did, after all, have enough power to teleport to earth and glamour their appearances. However, he wasn't that sure about Oberon who was more beast than man. No point in questioning it, he was picked and he'd do the job to the best of his abilities.
    "I will return as soon as possible. No less than a day or two. I know the perfect place to start," Loki said.
    He teleported out as soon as the words left his mouth to what the humans referred to as The United States of America in the center of the state of Maryland. Now to find a proper library and begin what could possibly be a longer search then he expected.

Chapter 1
     
    FRIDAY
    Tala Reynolds, recent high school graduate, had been dreaming of this day since she'd been placed in foster care. Freedom. It was only a few more hours away. Soon Veronica Lacey, Lilia Evans, and herself would be freshmen at Minerva University. Those two were the sisters of her heart and had helped her endure the loss of her parents and living in the system. They'd been drawn together like magnets when they were placed in the same home their freshman year of high school. The bond between them was instantaneous. They had saved every spare penny they’d earned between them for