Lethal Rider

A sudden suspicion coiled in Than’s belly. “It was you, wasn’t it?”

Limos gaped at Harvester. “Oh my God, you’re the one who healed us in Finland after Pestilence kicked our asses.”

“Don’t be silly.” Harvester folded her arms across her chest and flared her wings. “Your pain amuses me.”

Ares looked up from coating his sword with a thin film of qeres. “Why are you here, Harvester?”

“I came to tell you all good news.”

“Good news?” Reaver snorted. “From you?”

Harvester actually looked hurt, but only for a second. “If you’d checked your heavenly inbox, you’d have the same news, a**hole.” She turned to Than. “Word from the powers that be is that if Pestilence is destroyed, your agimortuses will be released.” She frowned. “Agimorti? Anyway, if you stop the Daemonica Apocalypse, you’ll never have to worry about your Seals being broken again. At least, not because of your agimortuses. You’ll still be dealing with the Biblical one eventually, but you and Ares won’t have to worry about Cara or your son being killed, and Limos need not fear anyone drinking from her cup.” She shot Reaver a glare. “See? Good news. Confirm it yourself. And bite me.” With that, she flashed out of there.

Ares cursed. “Damn, she’s annoying. But if what she said is true, that’s the best news we’ve had in… well, ever.”

No shit. Than’s knees actually felt weak with relief, but only for a second. They had to stop Pestilence before any of what Harvester promised could happen.

“What now?” Decker asked. “Do we just sit around and wait for Pestilence to show up?”

“No, we don’t just sit around,” Lore broke in. “You Horsemen must have some idea where that bastard is.”

Than gave Lore a taut nod, understanding Lore’s distress in a way he wouldn’t have related to just a week ago. “We’ll find him. Limos, Ares, you found his shrines, right?”

“Yep,” Ares said. “And three of them are huge. Like, St. Peter’s Basilica huge.”

“Is one of them off the southern tip of the River Acheron? On the island of Steara?”

Ares’s eyes widened. “Yeah. How did you know?”

You’ll be desperate to rid yourself of your past and of anything that made you humiliatingly soft. Than glanced back at the bedroom, where Regan was laboring to deliver their son. “Because Reseph buried his baby sister there.”

Limos made a small sound of distress. “He used to go every year. I found him there once. It was the only time I’ve ever seen him cry.”

Than nodded. “He’ll want that gone. My son’s blood will wash away that memory.”

“We’ll grab some qeres-weapons and go.” Limos moved toward the pile of blades they’d prepared.

“I’m coming with you.” Lore looked down at his gloved fist, flexing it as a cold smile curved his lips. “I’ve been saving some juice, just for your brother.” Thanatos had no idea what Lore was talking about, but he was definitely starting to rip a new respect for these Sem brothers. They didn’t flinch away from any fight.

Reaver contemplated the discussion for a second. “I’ll be right back. I need to check on something in the Hall of Records. Don’t go anywhere until I get back.” He disappeared before Than could ask what Reaver was onto.

He hated when they did that, but he didn’t dwell on angels with bad manners as he glanced around the room. “Let’s get ready for a battle.”

Battle, maybe. Death, yes. Because one thing Thanatos had honed to perfection over the years was his sixth sense when it came to death.

And he knew, without a doubt, that someone was going to die today. He just prayed that someone wouldn’t be Regan or his son.

Labor sucked.

Regan decided that she was never giving birth again. The pony was it. The first and last.

“Regan,” Eidolon said, from the end of the bed. “You’re still bleeding. I need you to lay back.”

She’d started bleeding fifteen minutes ago. She’d thought she’d die from the pain, but in the last couple of minutes, the pain had diminished, and she’d thought the bleeding had, too.

“That’s bad, isn’t it?”

“No,” Eidolon said. “Not always. Some species bleed profusely during birth.”

“But not humans, right?”

Eidolon exchanged glances with Shade, which couldn’t be good. “Not like this. But you’re giving birth to a child that’s part demon and part angel, so I wouldn’t expect anything about this birth to be routine.”

His voice was so soothing. Too bad she didn’t believe a word he said. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust his skill. She just figured he’d feed her bullshit to keep her calm.

The plastic sheet crinkled under her as she sank back onto the mattress. “Do any of you have kids?”

She didn’t know why she was asking, except that maybe she needed to not think about how many things could go wrong.

Shade lowered a cup so she could dig out an ice cube. “I have three boys. Triplets. They’re two.”

“Three?” Dear God, giving birth to just one was bad enough. Three? Being run over by a freight train would be less painful. She popped the ice into her mouth and practically groaned at the luxury as it soothed her parched mouth. “Vladlena? You?”

Vladlena shook her head. “I’m a newlywed. It’ll be a while before my mate and I consider adopting. My mate is a vampire,” she explained.

Right… vampires couldn’t procreate. At least, not by getting someone pregnant. She raised an eyebrow at Eidolon. “Doctor?”

“Tayla gave birth to a healthy baby boy six months ago.” His smile was bittersweet. “I just hope he has a decent world to grow up in.”

“I hope so, too,” she murmured.

Eidolon reached into his medical bag. “Regan, I’m going to try to listen to your womb again. Last time it didn’t go so well, but I’m hoping to get just a little of the baby’s heartbeat before I’m thrown across the room.”

She started to tell him to go ahead when agony tore through her midsection. She jackknifed up with a scream, sure someone was cutting into her with a chainsaw. Her pulse drummed viciously in her throat, clogging it, cutting off the rest of her screams. She’d been stabbed, clawed, bitten, nearly eviscerated, and nothing, dear God, nothing, had ever hurt like this.

Gulping air like a dying fish, she fell back onto the bed again, clutching the sheets in her fists and digging her heels into the mattress as she tried to get away from the pain.

Eidolon and Shade were asking her questions, but she couldn’t answer them. Right now she couldn’t even understand them.

Thanatos burst through the doorway. “What’s wrong?” He was at her side in a heartbeat, taking her hand and cupping her cheek.

She wasn’t sure if anyone answered Thanatos. The pain knifed through her again, accompanied by a warm gush between her legs. She heard curses and big medical words, felt towels sopping up blood.

Dizziness swamped her. And cold. She was so cold. Thanatos’s voice drifted to her, calling out her name, but she couldn’t answer. Her mouth was too dry. Or maybe she just couldn’t open it.

Another blade of agony turned her world inside out, this time lasting longer than she could scream. And then, merciful darkness.

Thirty-six

Thanatos had never been so afraid in his life. “Eidolon? What’s happening? She’s unconscious.” And there was blood. So much blood.

“Thanatos—check her pulse.”

Than pressed two fingers against Regan’s throat, his own pulse pounding as hard as Regan’s. “It’s strong. Crazy strong. That’s good, right?”

“Fuck!” Eidolon’s inability to do anything but change out soaked towels for dry ones had released his temper. His eyes, once brown, now glowed gold. “Not good. Her body is trying to compensate for the loss of blood. I think she’s had a uterine rupture.”

The word rupture was never good. “What’s that mean?”

“It means she’s bleeding out, and I can’t do a damned thing about it.” Eidolon cursed again. “The baby is protecting her, and ironically, giving birth to it is going to kill her.”

“No.” Thanatos shoved to his feet. “You have to do something. Regan said The Aegis bastards were going to deliver him. They found a way—”

“If they found a way, it was with evil magic,” Eidolon interrupted. “Too dangerous to attempt even if we had time to figure out what they planned.”

“Then let me do something. Please.”

“You can monitor her pulse and breathing.” Eidolon tossed a soaked towel to the floor and glanced up, his dark eyes grave. “And if worse comes to worst …”

Than’s stomach bottomed out. “Don’t say it, Doc. Don’t.”

Eidolon said it anyway, the bastard. “You might have to perform a C-section and hope to hell she doesn’t wake up.”

Thanatos’s mind raced. Someone had to be able to help. “You have a daywalker at UG. Get him.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Bullfuckingshit! I saw him. I recognize a daywalking vampire when I see one.”

Eidolon grabbed more towels. “I swear to you, Horseman, I do not have a daywalker on my staff.”

Fuck. Okay, wait… Reaver had been a doctor at UG before he regained his wings. He’d come back from the Hall of Records a split second before Regan screamed.

Than didn’t waste time. Hit the great room at a run. “Reaver, hurry.”

They charged back to the bedroom, the stench of blood slapping him in the face. He’d grown scent-blind to the smell of blood over the centuries, but this was different. This was Regan’s, and it might as well be spilling from him, too. As soon as they were inside, it became clear Reaver wasn’t going to do anything.