Eternal Rider - Larissa Ione [56]
“Naturally.” Didn’t matter if it was hundreds of years ago or just last week, humans were always blaming someone, whether it was a Horseman, the devil, or God, for natural and man-made disasters.
“The Aegis performed a ceremony to call Famine,” Kynan continued. “When she arrived, they nailed her with an arrow coated in hellhound saliva, and it totally incapacitated her.”
Arik developed a severe case of the uh-ohs. “What did they do with her?”
Kynan winced. “Let’s just say that things were bad between The Aegis and them already, and after that? It’s a wonder the Horsemen haven’t wiped out every one of us.” Ky’s voice grew troubled. “One of the passages also indicates that they took something from her, but it’s not clear what.”
“Okay, so hellhound spit is our magic weapon against them? Don’t suppose The Aegis has a kennel full of them.”
Kynan cocked a dark eyebrow. “Hardly. But about thirty seconds before you got here, an Aegis cell in York, England, procured one.”
Arik sucked in a sharp breath. “No shit? How?”
“People in a suburban neighborhood complained of howling, and police entered, found a strange black dog in a cage in the basement. The containment symbols on the cage and floor freaked them out, and when they made calls about it, The Aegis got wind, and we went in and got the hellhound pup.”
“You said it’s a puppy?”
“Yeah. Stroke of luck. I don’t know how we’d have pulled off the transport of a full-grown one.”
Abruptly, a sparkly flash of light appeared behind Kynan. Arik instinctively leaped to his feet and reached for his sidearm, but when Kynan merely sighed, Arik relaxed.
A little.
“Reaver, do you not know how to knock?”
“Angels don’t knock.”
“Do angels explain why they haven’t been available for six months?” Kynan asked. “I’ve been trying to summon you.”
Reaver shrugged. “Shit happens.” He cast a glance at Arik. “Heard you signed on with The Aegis. Good move—they can use you.”
Arik didn’t bother to ask how the angel knew he’d joined. Even if he’d wanted to ask, he couldn’t. He was standing in a room with a freaking angel and utterly speechless.
“Have the Horsemen agreed to meet with us?” Kynan asked, and Reaver nodded.
“They’ll see up to three Aegi, but I only want you two.”
Arik finally found his voice. “Why me? There are more senior members of The Aegis, and I’m not really a Guardian.”
“You’re sworn in,” Reaver replied. “And you’re a member of the R-XR. The military needs to be kept up on everything. And the fact that your sister is a werewolf and your in-laws are demons might help convince them that you’re not a fanatical Aegi who is out to kill them.”
“Is that why you want me, too?” Kynan asked.
Reaver’s sapphire eyes darkened. “I want you because you’re charmed. If the Horsemen decide that killing Aegi instead of working with them is preferable, you should survive.”
Eleven
The hot shower—in the white marble bathroom with six shower heads and heated benches—did not help Cara feel normal at all. The reality of her situation had sunk in, but now she wasn’t sure how she fit into this new actuality that was full of demons, legends, and gates of light that could take you anywhere in an instant.
Then there was the… whatever it was… happening between her and Ares. She’d kissed him. He’d kissed her back. He definitely couldn’t hide his attraction to her, not when she’d felt it jabbing into her belly when he held her pinned to the wall.
So yes, there was something physical making the air between them crackle. But at times it seemed like there was more. He could be hard, a total jerk, but he’d also feather a soft touch over her skin, or allow her to cling to him when she was