Lethal Rider

Thirty-seven

Thanatos couldn’t have run faster if he’d been a cheetah. He burst into the bedroom where Eidolon was waiting, and lay Regan on the bed. “The baby’s coming.”

Of course the doctor knew that, but Thanatos was freaked out of his gourd. At least it looked like the bleeding had stopped, so that had to be good news.

Regan screamed like she was being ripped apart, and his heart was right there with her. Although he could scarcely spare the time, he kissed her sweat-drenched forehead. Her eyes were wild, fevered, and she clutched his arm with such desperation that his eyes stung.

“There’s his head.” Eidolon’s gloved hands cupped the baby’s head as he tried to deliver the child while not coming into contact with the mother. “Take a breath, and then give me another push, Regan.”

Than tore his eyes away from the amazing sight of his son being born to Regan, whose gaze clung to him as firmly as her hand was doing to his. “We have Pestilence,” he rasped. “Everything will be all right.”

She gave him a weak nod and released him. “Go. Save our son.”

Save our son. Not, “Save the world.”

Please, please God, let Regan and the baby come through this, because I need this woman like I need to breathe.

As Lore came in with Idess, Than rushed to his dresser, grabbed Deliverance, and in a mad dash ran to the great room. Ares and Limos were holding Pestilence down, although at the moment he didn’t seem to be moving.

Thanatos’s heart was pounding, his pulse thundering in his ears as he threw himself on top of his brother and straddled his thighs. This was it. This was what it had all come down to.

Limos’s eyes caught his. “His finger twitched. It’s wearing off.”

“I see it, too,” Ares said. “His foot’s moving.”

Thanatos swallowed dryly, his mind whirling with a thousand thoughts. How was Regan? How was the baby? Were they scared? Was he really going to kill his brother?

That last question was a no-brainer, a fleeting thought that popped into his head maybe because it should. But he had never been more prepared to do anything. He’d kill anyone to save his wife and child.

Wife? Yes, because once they were through this, he was going to marry her.

Please, please let them get through this.

“Fuck.”

Ares’s whisper jerked Than out of his thoughts. He looked down into Pestilence’s eyes … eyes that were aware. Mocking. Even his mouth had turned up into a smile. Between Than’s thighs, Pestilence’s legs began to move.

And then, ringing out in the hushed castle air, came the pure, healthy sound of a baby’s cry.

In a smooth, fast arc, Thanatos brought down Deliverance and buried it in Pestilence’s heart. The baby’s cry cut off. Pestilence gasped. Blood sprayed from his lips. His eyes, which had gleamed with so much evil, clouded over, and in that instant Thanatos knew Pestilence was gone. In his place, Reseph stared back at Than.

“Th-thank… you.” Reseph’s voice was little more than a whisper, but what was there was thick with relief.

And then he was gone.

Beneath Than, Reseph’s body disintegrated, caving in on itself until only clothing remained. Even Deliverance had disappeared.

I killed my brother. Than’s throat seized. He hadn’t expected that. He’d been prepared—eager, really—to kill Pestilence. But not Reseph. Jesus, not Reseph.

There was silence. So much silence. Should it be so quiet when you’d just killed the brother you’d loved for thousands of years? And how could he be feeling both shock and relief? Pain and numbness. Impossible combinations.

“Thanatos.” The voice was coming from some-where…“Thanatos.” He blinked, cranked his head around to Cara. The tears in her eyes weren’t ones of joy. “You need to hurry.”

No. Oh, God, please no …Than sprinted into the bedroom, his heart racing. He stumbled to a halt at the threshold, his heart jamming right against his ribcage.

The nurse, Vladlena, held Than’s squirming son—clearly the boy was fine, and as much as Than wanted to go to him, it was the baby’s mother who held his concern.

Regan lay on the floor in a pool of blood as Shade and E worked frantically over her, their dermoires glowing.

She was pale—much too pale.

“What’s going on?” Than rushed to her side and knelt next to her. “Why is she on the floor?”

“We needed more room to work,” Shade said.

“Regan?”

Her eyes opened. The fierce, defiant gleam he was used to had been replaced by a hazy veil of pain and exhaustion. Death lurked within that cloud as well, mocking Thanatos.

“Did … we … do … it?”

“Yes,” Than croaked. “Pestilence is gone.” He took her hand. So cold. “You’re going to be okay. But I need you to fight.”

“Will you…hold my hand?”

He didn’t tell her he was already squeezing it so hard she should be in pain. He glanced up at E, whose somber gaze said it all.

Tears burned in Than’s eyes. “I wish we’d had more time. I would have liked to pamper you for those nine months. I would have taken care of you.”

“I know,” she whispered. “I love… you.” She closed her eyes and in his palm, her hand went limp.

“No,” he croaked. “No, no no!” He reached over and grabbed Eidolon by the collar. “Do something!”

“I’m sorry. She lost too much blood before the baby was born. The internal damage is too much for even me if there’s no blood left in her.”

Desperate, Than released the doctor. Regan still had a pulse, but barely. Ten heartbeats left, maybe. There was only one thing left to do, and he hoped to hell it worked. And that she’d forgive him.

With a hiss, he tugged her head to the side and bit into her jugular. Her pulse was too weak, the vein too collapsed to pump blood into his mouth. Urgency drove him to suck deeply, hoping her circulatory system would move the blood still left in her veins to deliver the vampire-turning agent in his saliva.

Her heart stopped.

So did his. Anguish turned the air in his lungs to cement. A familiar chill of awareness flickered in the back of his mind, and he dragged in a sudden, panicked breath. He looked up, trembling, knowing what he’d see.

Regan’s soul.

He leaped off the bed and stared at her shadowy form. She was confused, her eyes wet with unshed tears as her gaze met his with what he swore was accusation. Or maybe that was just his guilt talking. But it didn’t matter. He’d killed her, and now she was going to become part of his armor, tormented to the point of insanity by the captivity and by the other souls until she finally escaped and made a kill.

Which would then send her straight to Sheoul-gra.

Instead of giving her eternal life, he’d given her eternal death and damned the woman he loved to hell.