Immortal Rider_ Lords of Deliverance Series_ - Larissa Ione [134]
After they’d settled Thanatos in one of the spare bedrooms with a hellhound guard to nip him if he stirred, they all came back into Ares’s great room and stared at each other. No one seemed to know where to start. Not a shock, given that there was the matter of Limos’s betrayals, The Aegis’s hijinks with Regan, Thanatos’s meltdown, and Reaver’s… hangover.
For Limos’s part, she still hadn’t met Arik’s gaze as she paced by the cold fireplace.
Ares, who stood next to the chair where Cara sat with Hal at her feet, crossed his arms over his chest and drilled a scowl into Reaver. “So. You going to tell us where you’ve been and why you haven’t responded to any of our summons?”
“It’s not your place to question my activities.” The angel might look like hell on legs, but his lethal power wasn’t diminished, and he still managed to become the centerpiece in an already grand room.
Limos stopped pacing. “Is it my place to question why you didn’t come to the most important event of my life?”
Reaver jerked like his holy ass had been goosed. “You found your agimortus?”
“Yes, but that’s not what I’m talking about.”
“Then what?”
Her chin came up. “My wedding.”
Reaver’s sapphire eyes darkened like a stormy sea. “To Satan?”
“No,” Arik said. “To me.” He finally caught Limos’s gaze and he hoped she got his silent message loud and clear. We’re married, and we’ll stay that way, no matter what bullshit you pull.
Him, bitter? Nah.
“I don’t understand.” Reaver’s dull, limp hair brushed his robe as he turned back to Limos. “Marrying Arik won’t negate your contract.”
“It most certainly did.” Limos gave a haughty sniff, as if offended that Reaver would dare question her. “When Arik removed my chastity belt and put his—”
“Okay.” Arik cut her off before she could go into detail neither her brother nor an angel should hear. “He gets the picture.”
Reaver grimaced. “Too clearly.”
Limos looked down at her feet and then back up at Reaver. “I get that you’re busy, and you have all those stupid rules to follow, but you know… there aren’t many people I care about, and I don’t have many friends… and I wanted you to be there.”
“I’m sorry, Limos.” The regret in Reaver’s voice turned it to gravel. “Those responsible for keeping me away will pay. I promise you that.”
Arik’s phone buzzed in his BDU’s leg pocket, and when he palmed it, Kynan’s text flashed on the screen: Will be at Ares’s place in two minutes.
Oh, this ought to be good.
He excused himself, leaving Limos and Ares to question Reaver on his whereabouts, but Arik wished them a silent good luck with that, because the angel didn’t seem inclined to answer.
Arik met Kynan in the courtyard, cutting Ky off before the guy could get “hello” out of his mouth. “Do you know what you idiots almost did?”
The other man’s expression remained passive, even though Arik had just jumped his shit. “I have no idea, but I’m guessing you’re going to fill me in?”
“I’m talking about Than’s Seal. Sound familiar? Do you know what was supposed to break it? Sex. His Seal was supposed to be broken by sex, so he’s been celibate his entire life.”
Kynan paled. “Wait… what? Regan said he was a virgin, but we didn’t know why… oh, fuck.”
“Yeah. Morons. You told me Regan was going to seduce Thanatos, but—” Arik broke off at the behind you gesture from Kynan, and sickly, Arik turned around to see Limos standing in the doorway, flanked by Reaver and Ares, her eyes sparking purple fire.
“You knew? All this time you knew why Regan was at Than’s place, and you didn’t tell me? Your lie could have caused the freaking Apocalypse!” She advanced, glaring at him with savage contempt that speared him right through the heart. “After all your bullshit about hating liars, you did it to me. You did it to me!”
Arik had no defense. Not even a lame, “You’re one to talk,” because while it