Lethal Rider

Thirty-five

Than ran out into the great room, and skidded to a halt as people stopped preparing qeres-tipped weapons to rush toward him. Ares, Limos, Reaver, and Kynan reached him first.

Reaver’s sapphire eyes shone with worry. “How is she?”

“I don’t know. And I don’t know how Eidolon is going to help her if he can’t touch her.”

Reaver lay a comforting hand on his shoulder. “If anyone can help, he can.”

“I hope you’re right.” Than’s scalp prickled and Harvester materialized, her black wings as shiny as a raven’s as she tucked them away.

“You.” Kynan got up in Harvester’s face with a snarl. “You helped The Aegis ward against me, and you were going to help them deliver and sacrifice Regan’s baby.”

“You’re delusional, human.” She flipped her black hair over her shoulder in that snooty way of hers. “I did no such thing.”

Reaver’s eyes flashed blue fire. “If you assisted them in trying to kill the child, you’ll be destroyed. You know that.”

“Duh. Of course I know that. Talk about a broken Watcher rule. Which is why I didn’t do it. Why would I take a risk like that?”

“Because if it had worked, and Thanatos’s Seal had broken, the Apocalypse would have started and there would be no more rules. You were gambling that you’d succeed.”

Harvester looked around the room in desperation, as if seeking an ally, but when each gaze she met reflected only hatred, she snarled. “Has it occurred to any of you that maybe, just maybe, I play by the rules?” For some reason, she shot a superior glance in Reaver’s direction.

“Were you playing by the rules when you wrote up Limos’s contract with Satan?”

She made a dismissive gesture with her hand. “You’re speaking gibberish. Begone.”

“I know you helped The Aegis,” Kynan said. “No one at headquarters denied it, and I saw the evidence with my own eyes.”

“What evidence?”

“Your skull pendant.”

Her hand flew up to her throat, and Than didn’t miss how her fingers trembled. “I—I lost it.” She pivoted to Reaver, an odd breathlessness in her voice. “In that warehouse. Gethel must have taken it.”

Reaver’s expression was utterly flat. “I’m sure she wanted your costume jewelry so badly that she resorted to thievery.”

“So if you’ve been supporting Pestilence, does that mean you were also responsible for trying to kill Arik with the khnives last year?” Limos tested the edge of her sword with one finger, and Than had a feeling that in a moment, the blade was going to be buried in Harvester’s throat. Two blades, because his was joining his sister’s. They couldn’t kill her, but they could visit a world of pain on her. “Because we knew we had a traitor in our midst, and I swore I’d behead anyone who tries to kill my husband.”

“Why would I use those horrid beasts for anything?” Harvester’s gaze flickered to Limos, Ares, and Than. “And if I wanted to help Pestilence, then why did I heal—” She pursed her lips so fiercely that the skin around her mouth turned white.

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, asshole.” 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.