Eternal Rider - Larissa Ione [78]
“If you’ll come with me…” The Ramreels headed down the hall, hooves clacking.
“Dammit.” Ares pointed to Limos. “Grab Cara. Join me in the great room.”
“But—”
“Do it!”
Limos stuck her tongue out at him, but she moved to the bedroom door. Ares caught up to the two Ramreels at the back door. As Ares stepped out into the rear courtyard, his gut did a somersault, and his stomach threw in a double twist. The organ gymnastics were a perfect 10 of oh, fuck.
In the middle of the courtyard, next to the barbecue pit, was a giant wooden cross. And nailed to it were two headless bodies. Their intestines had been yanked up through their ruined necks and wrapped around their torsos like Christmas tree garlands. Their lungs had been arranged behind them to look like wings, and they each held a bloody heart in their hands.
Lying on the ground in front of what Ares suspected were fallen angels was a human. A Guardian, if Ares went by the Aegis shield that had been carved into his stomach.
Vulgrim handed Ares a note. Reseph’s scribbles confirmed Ares’s suspicions. I’m sure you’re looking for Unfallens, so I thought I’d deliver. Enjoy.
Fifteen
“That angel is an asshole.”
Kynan laughed, and Arik wanted to deck him. Would have, too, if he hadn’t been freezing to death in the middle of God-knows-where. Reaver had flashed them to some featureless expanse of ice and then disappeared without so much as a “Good luck,” or a “Hope the Horsemen don’t kill you.”
“You should have seen Reaver when he was still fallen,” Ky said.
“He was even more of an asshole?”
“Nah. He was just grumpier.”
“I don’t think I like angels,” Arik muttered.
Kynan shot him a sideways glance. “You don’t like anybody.”
“True.” Arik tugged his jacket tighter. He supposed he should be grateful that the angel had been able to flash them here instead of Kynan’s using the Harrowgate. Humans couldn’t use them while conscious—they came out on the other side dead. But Kynan, thanks to his invincibility charm, could travel through them, and unfortunately, Ky would have to knock Arik out in order for them to leave here. The idea was not appealing in the least.
Arik squinted his eyes against the bright sunlight glinting off the snow. “You know we could be walking into a slaughter.”
Kynan shrugged. “I’ll be fine.”
“That’s comforting.”
A blast of icy wind took the sting out of Kynan’s chuckle, mainly because it numbed every part of Arik’s body. “The Aegis and Horsemen have a long history of working together. You know, before we betrayed them. We should be able to talk it out.”
“Should. Great.” They tromped through the snow. Ahead, there was only vast wasteland on top of more vast wasteland. “Are you sure we’re in the right place?”
“Yeah, human, you are.” The deep, rumbling voice came out of nowhere, and both Arik and Kynan instinctively drew weapons—Kynan palmed an Aegis stang, and Arik pulled his pistol.
“Show yourself,” Arik called out.
Suddenly, a giant dun stallion was rearing up, and Jesus, Arik damn near got his head smashed in by one flailing hoof. The beast came down, and his rider, a big male with sandy hair wearing some sort of ivory plate armor, raised a gauntleted hand in greeting.
“I looked and there before me was a pale horse,” Arik murmured. “Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him.” He stared in awe at the huge male described in Revelation. “You’re Death.”
The dude rolled his yellow eyes. “Thanatos. I don’t become Death unless my Seal breaks.” He wheeled the horse around and muttered, “Fucking humans always fucking up prophecies.”
What a douche. Arik was totally over his awe. He glanced at Ky. “I guess we’re just supposed to follow?”
Kynan shrugged, but Thanatos snorted. “I’d keep to one side of my stallion. You don’t want to be behind him when he passes gas.”
Yep, a douche. They trudged