Immortal Rider

“An Aegis chamber Limos took me to.”

“Ah.” Reaver looked out at the sea surrounding the Greek island, his expression troubled, and Arik swore the guy was shaking a little. “Interesting, isn’t it, that while I was being held outside of summoning range, Limos took you to a scroll that instructed you to do something everyone thought would break the Horseman’s Seal.”

“We didn’t have any reason not to trust Limos. She said she found the chamber while looking for her agimortus. We didn’t take action lightly or without researching the items we found in the chamber.”

A lump of suspicion the size of a Gargantua demon sank into Arik’s gut. Limos hadn’t mentioned this chamber, hadn’t brought up doing anything to help The Aegis recently. Was this yet another secret? Another attempt to start the Apocalypse?

No. He couldn’t think that way. She’d told a lot of lies, but he believed she regretted them all, and if she’d done something to lead The Aegis astray, it hadn’t been because she wanted to.

A breeze kicked up, ruffling Reaver’s robe, and he tightened the sash before returning his attention to Kynan and Arik. “Since Than’s Seal didn’t break, no harm done, but the situation leaves a lot of questions.”

“Like what will break Than’s Seal.” Arik blew out a frustrated breath. “Even he thought sex would do it.”

Kynan’s face took on an oddly green cast. “Ah… there’s more.”

Oh, Jesus. Hoping Kynan wasn’t going to say what Arik thought he was going to say, he ground out, “What else is there?”

“It’s Regan,” Kynan blurted. “She’s pregnant.”

Absolute silence fell. And then Reaver stumbled backward, eyes burning blue fire. He let out an angry roar, and then he was gone.

Fuming, feeling like a damned fool, Limos followed Ares and Cara to the rear of the mansion. How could Arik have kept something so huge from her? This wasn’t a, “Honey, no, that dress doesn’t make your ass look fat,” kind of thing. He’d known The Aegis had sent someone to betray them all, and he hadn’t warned them. How long had he known? Had he been part of the decision?

Maybe, during their wedding ceremony, instead of admitting to how many other women he’d kissed he could have said, “Oh, hey, by the way, Regan is here to f**k your brother and I knew about it.”

Yeah, that would have been good. How many people had died in Greenland because of his treachery? And what kind of consequences were yet to come?

And now, because of The Aegis, Thanatos was incapacitated, trapped inside his own head with only his rage as company.

He lay where they’d left him, on a king-sized bed in one of the smaller guest rooms. Someone had put sweat bottoms on him, and a blanket covered his upper body. A hellhound lay on the bed beside him, and judging by the look Cara gave the hound, Limos figured he was supposed to be on the floor. But really, one didn’t tell a two-thousand pound, man-eating monster where to sleep.

“If we have to keep Than here long, he’ll need an IV to keep him hydrated,” Limos said, her voice betraying her anger so clearly that the hellhound bared its teeth as if she were a threat.

“We’ll also take shifts to keep him company.” Ares wrapped his arm around Carais aoune wers waist, and Limos swallowed, wondering if she and Arik would ever find that intimacy again. “What is it you’re worried about?”

Cara gestured to Thanatos. “See for yourself.”

This couldn’t be good. They all eased close to their brother, who looked as peaceful as if he was sleeping. Except his eyes were open. They stared upward, unmoving but aware. Limos tensed, knowing exactly what he was experiencing and how he felt. At least he was with family, and he knew no one would hurt him. He’d be kept comfortable and safe.

Cara tapped Than’s foot. “Watch.”

Instantly, Than reacted. Not his body… just his upper lip. And… holy hell… his teeth. His canines elongated into fangs a tiger would be proud of.

Ares stepped back, nearly knocking Limos over. “What the hell is that?” He turned to Limos. “Do you know?”

She couldn’t tear her gaze away, even when Than’s mouth went back to normal. “I have no idea. Is his Seal intact? Reseph… Pestilence… he grew fangs when his broke.”

Ares peeled the blanket away to reveal Than’s Seal, which, thankfully, was whole. But that didn’t explain the carnivore hardware. Was Thanatos as confused as they were?

“These past few days have been interesting as hell,” Ares muttered. “And by interesting, I mean f**ked up.”

“Yeah, and I’m part of that.” Limos took a deep breath, knowing she had to do this and bracing herself for Ares’s fury. “I’m so sorry for what I’ve done and all the lies I’ve told. I don’t expect you to forgive me, and I understand if you hate me—” She choked up at that, because while she might understand it, she couldn’t bear it.

And then she didn’t have to. Ares hauled her up against him so hard her breath was knocked from her lungs.

“I don’t hate you,” he said, sounding a little choked himself. “I hate what you did, and I hate that you lied for so long, but I meant it when I said I loved you no matter what. I was wrong to have taken that away from you and said you were as bad as Pestilence. Can you forgive me?”

Oh, God. He was asking for forgiveness? How stupid she’d been for ever doubting him. She’d been raised to believe that everyone was only a single word or a single act from hating and betraying you, and it had never occurred to her that love could truly be unconditional.

But then, no matter how angry she’d been at her brothers, she’d loved them. No matter how angry she was with Arik right now, he still held her heart. Why had she not figured all of this out before? Like, a couple of thousand years before?

“There’s nothing to forgive, Ares,” she whispered.

He squeezed her tight, and then gently set her aside. Relief made her legs a little wobbly until she looked over at Thanatos. He had so much to deal with on top of her lies.

She sawn on the mattress and took Thanatos’s hand. “Hey. I know you can hear me. Everything is going to be okay. We can get Kynan to explain about Regan—” She broke off as Than’s lip peeled back again, and there went the teeth.

This time, though, crimson spokes flashed in his yellow irises, and a scorching burst of heat came off his body. His tattoos writhed, the scythe on his neck slashing at the scorpion.

Taking a deep breath, she eased off the bed and backed away, but the banked rage in him continued to burn.

Looked like they not only had the mystery of why he was fangy, but it was also apparent that he was still a very, very angry Horseman, and that was never a good thing.

Thirty-six

Reaver stood atop Mount Megiddo and cursed. Cursed until clouds swirled above him in an angry black vortex, and then he cursed some more. He couldn’t get to Heaven, not until his wings grew back. This was like being an Unfallen again, stuck between realms and practically powerless.

At least here he could call to his Heavenly brethren… assuming they’d answer. His body was full of marrow wine—but not enough. He craved it so bad he was shaking, and he either needed to score some more or get clean, and right now his brain was too pickled to consider the clean thing.

His scalp grew tight, and he turned as a strike of lightning torched the earth a few yards away. When it was gone, Harvester stood there with a burlap bag in her hand, her eyes glowing, her lips as blood red as the wine she’d forced down his throat.

“Someone’s a little pissed.”

Pissed didn’t cover it, and it took every ounce of restraint Reaver had not to launch himself at her. “What have you done?”

Cocking her head, Harvester smiled at him. “You just found out why I kept you prisoner, I see.” Thunder cracked, and rain pelted them with big, stinging drops. With a wave, she cast an invisible umbrella that shielded them both. “We couldn’t very well have you telling The Aegis not to send anyone to f**k Thanatos, now could we?”

Some of his fury evaporated, replaced by a sudden suspicion. She didn’t seem at all upset that Than’s Seal hadn’t broken, which told him she’d known it wouldn’t. Ending the Horseman’s celibacy hadn’t been the goal, had it?

“How did you know that his Seal wouldn’t break?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. Of course I thought it would break.”

She was lying. But why? He looked up at the churning clouds and then back down at the evil fallen angel and realization dawned. “You know what Thanatos’s agimortus is, don’t you?”

“No idea.”

“You lie.” He lunged ,for her, but without his wings, she was faster, and his hand closed on empty air.

She stood three yards away, smirking. “I would never lie. I’m outraged that you would think that of me.”

“Outraged, my holy ass.” He ground his teeth. “How is it that you know about Thanatos’s agimortus and I don’t?”

“I’m special. You’re an angel with no memory of his past and with especially dirty wings. Oh, wait, you don’t have any wings at all, do you?” She reached into the bag she was holding. “Brought you something. Enjoy.” She tossed a bottle at him, and he caught it one-handed before realizing he should have let it break apart on the rocks.

Marrow wine. The flask burned his skin, almost as if it were sinking roots into his palm. Rain began to pelt him. Harvester was gone.

The wine… he watched in horror as his body disconnected from his mind, watched as he uncorked the flask and lifted it to his lips.

Stronger than this. I’m stronger than this.

The words penetrated his brain, but not because they were true. It was because he’d said them before, and he’d been wrong. But when? Why? The hazy memory was about as substantial as a phantom and harder to pin down. But the fact that he had any recollection, no matter how fuzzy, was a miracle.