Larissa Ione - Eternal Rider

Fuck!

He flicked his hand to hurl it to the floor, but it burst open, shooting tiny needles into his skin. The familiar burning sensation of being bitten by a hellhound shot up his arm and into his body. Every muscle and joint locked up, but his mind spun, and he tried to warn Cara, to tell her to run, but the poison was already affecting his mouth and tongue.

“Ares!” Her panic rang loud in her voice, and then the sounds of battle rang out even louder.

The two Ramreels pounded the human, knocking him to the ground as Vulgrim made a shield of himself in front of Ares and Cara. “Take the human to the dungeon,” Vulgrim snarled. “Find out what’s happening outside!”

But Ares knew. Pestilence was out there, and the only thing he could do now was pray that Than and Limos had arrived.

Cara’s hand closed around his, warm and comforting.

He should have killed her when he had the chance. God help him, he should have. Now she was going to suffer at Pestilence’s hand, and all because he was too weak to let go of the woman he loved. Everything he’d always believed, that loving someone made you weak, was true.

Limos and Than ran toward the house, the sound of Vulgrim’s shout hitting them as they’d stepped out of their individual portals.

“We’re too late,” Than barked.

Dammit! Limos had wanted to give Ares and Cara some time together, so they’d followed up on Thanatos’s lead regarding Pestilence’s whereabouts. They hadn’t found him, but they’d found one of his minions who had been all too gleeful about some plan Pestilence had to retrieve Deliverance from Ares.

She and Than had come straight here, but by the sound of things, they hadn’t been fast enough.

They burst through the front door and ran into the great room, where Ares was frozen in front of the fireplace, Vulgrim standing protectively in front of him, and Cara looking fierce despite the fact that she was pale, gaunt, and probably on the verge of collapse.

“He’s been poisoned with hellhound venom,” Vulgrim grunted. “My boys took the male responsible downstairs.”

“I heard a horse,” Cara said. “But I don’t know where. Outside, I think.” A crash of broken glass had Limos wheeling toward the hallway. “The dagger!” Cara started after Li, but Thanatos grabbed her.

Limos sprinted to the bedroom, drew short when she saw Pestilence standing there in his armor, Deliverance in his fist.

“Ah, Limos. So good to see you.” He frowned. “Sort of. Your presence ruins my plan to kill Cara, but hey, she’s near death anyway.”

Disgust bubbled up, completely destroying all the leftover happy-happy-joy-joy sentiments about him she’d held on to. Like Thanatos, she wanted to believe that there was some good left in the creature standing before her, but unlike Than, she knew they couldn’t bank on it. “Just so you know, I fully support the idea of ramming that dagger into your black heart.”

“Really?” Pestilence hefted the dagger in his palm, feeling its weight. “I saw the Dark Lord the other day. He asked about you.”

Limos snorted. “Did you tell him to go fuck himself?”

“I told him how you can’t wait to spread your legs for him.”

“Never.”

“You can’t fight him, sister. And once your Seal is broken, you won’t want to. But either way, he’ll take you. He’s getting impatient. He wants children.”

She shuddered, unable to imagine carrying Satan’s spawn in her belly. “You always swore you’d protect me from that fate. How a little thing like a broken Seal has changed you.”

His laughter grated on every nerve. “It isn’t the Seal. I’d have left you to your fate even if my Seal hadn’t broken once I learned what a lying, scheming bitch you were.” She stiffened as he leaned in, brushed his lips across her ear. “I know your secret.”

“You’ve always known that The Aegis didn’t lose Deliverance. You helped me cover the whole thing up.” After he’d rescued her from The Aegis’s grip, she’d fessed up, and he’d helped her do some creative rearranging of Aegi memories and promised to keep her secret from their brothers.

Thing was, she’d lied to Reseph, too. Even he hadn’t known the true reason she’d stolen the dagger.

“But now I know why you stole it,” he said, and her gut knotted. “But that’s not the secret I’m talking about. I’m talking about the other one. The big one.”

Her breath left her, her muscles went rubbery, and her blood congealed in her veins. When Pestilence stepped into his Harrowgate and disappeared, she nearly crumpled on legs that wouldn’t work anymore.

He knew. Dear God, he knew .

And if he spilled her secret to Thanatos and Ares, she’d lose everything.

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.”