Rogue Rider

Forty-one

Reaver beat everyone to Reseph, who was lying dazed on the floor behind Jillian’s couch. “Reseph? Can you hear me?” As Jillian kneeled at Reseph’s side Reaver channeled healing power into the Horseman, and within seconds, Reseph’s bones knitted back together.

“Got my immortal ass kicked,” he muttered. He looked up and snarled. “What’s Revenant doing here?”

Reaver glared at his evil counterpart. “He showed up a minute ago.”

“I’m here to keep Reaver in line,” Revenant said. “Can’t have any broken rules now, can we?”

Outside, the chanting started again. Rising up above the chants were thunderous footsteps. Coming close. Too close, too fast.

Reaver moved from Reseph to Kynan in the blink of a human eye. Being an angel was awesome sometimes. “I need you to do something that’s going to rebel against your every instinct.”

Ky narrowed his eyes. “What?”

“Do you trust me?”

“Yeah.” Kynan inclined his head in a slow, serious nod. “There’s no one I trust more.”

Reaver prepared himself for something he never thought he’d say. Something that could put Heaven in the worst kind of danger. Something that would go down as either a brilliant strategy��or the most disastrous move in history. “Give Heofon to Reseph.”

“What?” Kynan backed up so fast he bumped into Revenant, who hissed like the bad-tempered ass he was. “Heofon won’t give him the charmed protection I have. Why would you want him to have it?”

“Heofon,” Ares rumbled. “It’s a piece of Heaven, isn’t it?”

Reaver nodded. “A couple of years ago, a fallen angel used it to try to open a gate between Sheoul and Heaven. We stopped him before that could happen, and Ky was given Heofon to guard. With it, Reseph can draw on the powers of Heaven.”

Reseph linked one hand with Jillian’s and toyed with the chain around his neck with the other. “And combined with the powers of Sheoul I’m drawing with this amulet, I’d be all but invincible.” His voice vibrated with self-loathing. “And so would Pestilence. I can’t risk it. I’m already fighting him. If he overpowers me… fuck. He’d be able to open that gate…”

“And lead a demonic invasion into Heaven,” Kynan finished.

Revenant grinned like a vampire in a blood bank.

“No.” Shaking his head, Reseph stood, backing away from Jillian and continuing his momentum until his spine cracked against the wall. “I’m not strong enough for this.”

“Yes, you are.” Jillian approached him cautiously, as if he were a flighty foal she didn’t want to startle. “I’ve seen how strong you are. I know you can do this.”

Reseph’s eyes were wild. “Can’t.”

Jillian took his hand. “I promise you, you can.”

“Reaver.” Thanatos moved forward. “What are our options if Pestilence opens a gate? Can we stop him?”

“He won’t be as strong as he was when his Seal was broken, but he’ll have a demon army behind him.”

“With no prophecy to help you pathetic losers along with this,” Revenant chimed in, “you’re kind of screwed.”

“That’s so helpful,” Limos muttered.

Reseph turned to Reaver. “What about Wormwood?”

Everyone got quiet… except Jillian. “What’s Wormwood?”

“It’s the only weapon that can kill Pestilence,” Reaver said.

“But… won’t that kill Reseph, too?” Jillian plastered herself to Reseph’s side. “No. You can’t do that.”

Turning, Reseph drove his fingers into Jillian’s hair on either side of her head and drew her close enough that their foreheads almost touched. The intimacy left Reaver touched with an odd sense of longing. Why, he wasn’t sure. He’d long ago decided bachelorhood was the best fit for him.

Then again, so had Reseph. “It might be the only way,” Reseph murmured to Jillian. “I can’t live as Pestilence again.”

“But you’ll die.”

“Pestilence will die. I’m just collateral damage.”

Kynan closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, they drilled into Reaver. “You sure about this?”

“I am.” Reaver looked over at Reseph. “My son is stronger than he thinks. I’ve always known that. And I suspect his brothers and sister know that, too.”

Taking his time and with the greatest of care, Kynan handed the necklace to Jillian. Reaver didn’t miss the way Revenant’s eyes glittered. No doubt the evil bastard would give his very soul to gain possession of such a powerful object.

“This is a real piece of Heaven, huh?” Jillian’s voice was barely a whisper. She turned to Reseph. “You can do this. It’s up to you now. You’ll save us. I know you will.”

He swallowed. “No pressure, right?”

“No pressure,” Jillian answered.

Reseph tugged her hard against him and kissed her. Out of respect, Reaver turned away, giving them a moment of privacy.

When Reaver had first taken the job of Watcher, Harvester had told him about Reseph’s past. Given the flighty playboy Horseman’s history, Reaver hadn’t expected to see him ever fall for any one person. But clearly, he’d found his match in Jillian. They’d healed each other.

Hopefully, Jillian would be enough of an anchor for him to fight his evil half.

He turned back to the couple as they pulled apart. Reseph ducked his head, and Jillian slipped the necklace over it.

And then all hell broke loose.