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Shame sifted through her, but she couldn’t afford to give in to it. Whatever Pestilence was up to was bigger than Arik’s agony, and she couldn’t let on that she felt anything for him.

“Do what you have to do to Arik,” she said, her voice strong and sure, even if she didn’t mean what she said, even if inside she was aching. “I won’t help you.”

ight="0em" width="27">“Then I hope you’re prepared to face Ares and Thanatos after I tell them of all your deceptions.” He bared his fangs. “And yes, I know. Our mother told me everything.”

Limos’s heart shot into her throat, but she still managed to stay outwardly calm. “Telling them won’t benefit your cause.” She stroked the words engraved into the dogtags, taking comfort in the feel of Arik’s name under her thumb. “If anything, it’ll hurt it. Any remaining feelings they have for you will turn to hate.” She hoped. She was damned sure they’d hate her, anyway.

“I’m willing to take that risk. So, what will it be, sister? Tell the Guardians about this vault, or do I go to our brothers and tell them how you, and you alone, are responsible for the curse that turned us into Horsemen?”

Go, daughter. Go into the human realm and find your brothers. Let the rivers of blood flow. Their mother, Lilith, had spoken those words as Limos left Sheoul… freely. There’d been no battle, despite what Limos had claimed to her brothers. Limos had not escaped—she’d left with great pomp and circumstance, and with every intention of returning to take her place at her husband’s side after she’d accomplished her task.

If Thanatos and Ares knew, they’d plunge Deliverance into her heart right after they did the same to Pestilence. Maybe before.

“Damn you,” she growled. “I’ll do it. But in return, you’ll get Arik out of Sheoul.”

“You’re in no position to bargain.” Pestilence smiled. “And if The Aegis even suspects that this might be a setup, I’ll kill Arik and tell our brothers your secret.”

She wished she could strangle him. He was right; she had no leverage. “You know what this lie is going to do to me.”

Pestilence licked his lips, as if savoring the finest brandy. “That’s the best part of this, sis. With every lie you tell, your addiction to it will strengthen, and with every lie, evil will grow within you, until you want to go to your husband.”

“He’s not my husband.”

“Yet, Limos,” he said. “Yet.”

Five

Pestilence was in the most pissed-off, rip-heads-off-for-the-hell-of-it mood he’d ever been in by the time he arrived in the basement of the New Zealand mansion he’d commandeered after his locusts had eaten the inhabitants.

The meeting with Limos had not gone well. Yeah, he’d gotten her to do what he wanted. But he’d also fallen victim to weakness. The male he’d been before his Seal broke, Reseph, had somehow reared his idiot head, begging for help. Pestilence had played it well, had acted like he’d intentionally suckered Limos and played her for a fool.

But in truth… he’d fucking begged her to cure or kill him.s m

Roaring in fury, he shed his armor, palmed the dagger strapped to his chest, and plunged it into his own belly. Pain seared him, intense, fiery, and he crashed to his knees. His minions came running, but he waved them off. This was a reminder. A reminder that if he’d gone just twelve inches higher, sunk Deliverance into his heart, he’d be dead. Dead. He was holding the one weapon that could end him, and he had to keep it away from his siblings.

Reseph could not weaken him.

“What the fuck are you doing?”

Pestilence gnashed his teeth at the female’s voice. Harvester. One of the Horsemen’s two Watchers—one evil, one good, both angels. Harvester happened to be of the evil fallen angel variety.

“I’m playing with myself,” he snapped. “What do you think I’m doing?”

She blinked, all mock innocence. “If you needed to be reminded how Deliverance can hurt you, I’d have been happy to offer a hand.”

No doubt she would. She hated him as much as he hated her. “Why are you here?”

Harvester watched with amusement as he yanked