Eternal Rider

Twenty-five

Cara’s legs gave out. She’d tried to stay on her feet as the battle raged around them, but as Ares’s muscles began to twitch as though thawing, hers turned to mush. She hit the floor hard, and instantly, Vulgrim lifted her into his furry arms.

“Cara,” Ares rasped.

Vulgrim shifted her close to Ares, and she reached out to cup his cheek. He quieted, though his eyes gleamed with pain.

Thanatos, who had remained in the great room to defend them, cursed when Limos returned, her expression troubled.

“Reseph has the dagger.”

“Dammit,” Thanatos snarled. “Ares, you were supposed to—” He cut himself off when he looked over at Cara, and she finished the sentence for him.

“Kill me. We’re both well aware of that. And it isn’t easy on either one of us, so I’d appreciate it if you kept your damned mouth shut.”

Limos’s violet eyes shot wide, and she casually sidled up to Thanatos as if thinking she’d need to restrain him. Several tense heartbeats passed. A rumble came up from deep in Ares’s chest, and dark shadows passed over Thanatos’s face. Finally, Thanatos’s lips quirked into a half-smile.

“You are either brave or foolish.”

“Neither,” she said. “I figure I’m going to die anyway, so I have nothing to lose by telling you what a jerk you’re being.”

“Thank God,” Limos sighed. “Someone else besides us who is willing to tell Than when to shove it. You’re a keeper, Cara.” Well, that made the room fall silent again, and Limos turned bright red. “Um, I, ah—”

“It’s okay.” Cara wriggled as best as she could in Vulgrim’s arms. “Ares?”

Ares’s head fell forward. His hand opened, and the little ball fell out.

Thanatos crouched and nudged it with the back of his gauntlet. “Son of a bitch. Handy little hellhound spit delivery device. Reseph always was inventive.”

“We have his minion in the basement,” Vulgrim said. “Maybe he can offer up some intel?”

“Oh, he’ll offer it up,” Thanatos said, as he strode away. “Give me five.”

Vulgrim placed Cara on the couch, and then he dragged Ares over and sank him next to her. Gradually, Ares regained the use of his body, and the first thing he did was take her in his arms.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I am so sorry.”

She nearly laughed. “What is there to be sorry for? Not killing me?”

“I hesitated. And because of that…”

“You could turn evil. The world could end. I know. I get it.”

His hand came up and turned her face to him. “No. I failed to make sure you went quickly. Even if you were to suffer, at least you wouldn’t suffer in the afterlife, knowing that because of your death, Armageddon broke the world.”

Her eyes stung. They were on the verge of the end of the world, and he was worried about her soul. “You’re amazing, you know that?”

“I’m a fool. For so many reasons.”

The pound of footsteps coming up the stairs drew their attention, and they all turned to the stairwell. Thanatos emerged, wiping his bloody hands on a towel. “That Guardian is toast.”

“He’s dead?”

“No. I pulped him, but I meant that he’s no longer human. Pestilence did something to him. Not sure what, but he’s not… right.”

“What did you get from him?” Ares asked.

“Obviously, he lied about Reaver bringing him here. And he gave up the location where they’re keeping Hal.”

Ares narrowed his eyes. “You think he’s telling the truth?”

“Even if I wasn’t sure of my methods, what he said matches up with what I got from Orelia. We need to head to Sithbludd.”

Cara perked up as much as she could. “We can save him before they kill him.” They all exchanged looks. “What? What is it?”

“Probably a trap,” Ares said. “If Pestilence knows we have his boy, he’ll know we’ll get information out of him. Which means he knows we’ll go after the dog in order to buy you some time. He’s well aware that we need to keep you alive as long as possible while we try to retrieve the dagger.”

“Of course we go after Hal,” Cara said.

“You’re not going anywhere.”

“Yes, I am. I’m dying, Ares. Whether it happens here or there makes no difference. So if there’s any way I can help—”

“How can you help?” Thanatos interrupted. His words were soft, not meant to be rude, and she didn’t take offense. “You’re weakened, barely able to stand. You’ll only get in our way if we have to worry about you.”

“Than…” Ares’s dangerous growl filled the room.

Cara squeezed his hand. “He’s right.” She arched an eyebrow at Than. “But not entirely. If my dream was any indication, Hal is crazed right now. He won’t allow any of you to help him. I can get close. Free him so he can flash away or call to his family to help fight. If you can’t get the dagger, saving Hal will buy us a few hours if he’s not being torn up in the pit. If you do retrieve the dagger, I’ll be right there.” In which case, saving Hal would be pointless, because he was going to die anyway. “We might not have even seconds to lose. You know I’m right.”

Yeah, they did. She could see it in their eyes.

“If I get the dagger,” Ares said, “I’m using it on Pestilence.”

The tension in the room quadrupled, but when Than inclined his head in a slow nod, the house breathed a slow sigh of relief.

But Cara wasn’t holding out for hope. If Ares got the dagger, Pestilence wasn’t going to stand still while his brother shoved a blade into his chest. No, Deliverance had her name on it, and she knew it. This mission was a one-way ticket for her.

Ares stood, all commander and military bearing. “Than, get as many of your vamps to fight as you can. I’ll send my Ramreels. Limos, call in every favor you’ve got in the underworld—”

“No.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “I’m not sending anyone in my place. I’m going with you.”

“Li, you can’t,” Ares said.

Cara looked between them, confused. “Why can’t she?”

“As long as she’s in the human realm, she’s relatively safe from Satan. He can’t enter the human realm to get her, and thanks to an agreement our mother made long ago, he can’t send his minions to get her unless she gets cozy with a male—”

“Hey!” Limos jammed her fists on her hips. “Private much? Yes, I’m a proud member of the hymen club. So what?” She turned to Cara. “What he’s saying, in that doltish way of his, is that I’m safe up here. But all bets are off if I enter Sheoul. Some parts are safer than others for me, which is why I can go to the Horsemen every once in a while, even if I can’t stay for long.”

Ares scowled. “And only if all three of us are there with you.” He cursed. “Two of us. Doesn’t matter. You’re not going, Limos.”

“I have to. You need all the help you can get,” she argued. “And let’s face it… if we fail, I’ll end up there anyway.”

The foul words that fell from Ares’s and Thanatos’s mouths made Cara blush all the way to her hair follicles. Limos just crossed her arms over her chest, tapped her foot, and waited for the tirades to end.

“No amount of planning is going to make this battle go any better, Ares.” Thanatos’s yellow gaze was somber, and the shadows that seemed to perpetually follow him had gone still. “Reseph knows every trick up your sleeve, every play in your book.”

“We can’t rely on chaos and luck to defeat him,” Ares said.

“But that’s how Pestilence operates,” Limos said quietly. “It’ll be an even playing field.”

“Hardly. He has the high ground and a lot larger army.”

“Then,” came Reaver’s deep, ringing voice from the doorway, “we bring the element of surprise.”