Immortal Rider

Ten

Limos stood outside the bedroom door, her heart pounding, her entire body shaking. She’d thought Arik was making progress, but now it was clear that he still didn’t believe he was free of his prison, and she had no idea how to help him. She’d even tried summoning Reaver for help earlier, and when that failed, she’d called out to Harvester. Neither angel came.

Closing her eyes, she let her head fall back against the wall, remembering how disoriented she’d been after Reseph rescued her from Aegis hell. He’d taken her to Ares’s island, and when she couldn’t stand, couldn’t speak or even understand where she was, he’d walked out into the surf and sat down, fully clothed, in the waves. The shock had brought her around, and the whole time, he’d just held her. Reseph had been her anchor, the fven undersbrother who loved her more than anything.

Maybe Arik’s anchor was his sister.

She made a quick call, and within minutes, the doorbell rang.

“Thanks for coming.” Limos ushered Shade and Runa inside, mentally comparing Arik and his sister, but the only resemblance Limos could see was in their muscular builds, which wasn’t a surprise. Kynan had said the caramel-haired woman was a werewolf, and Limos had never met a warg that didn’t look like it could win body-building contests.

Shade’s arm came protectively around Runa’s shoulders, and though Limos had never needed anyone’s protection, she experienced the oddest twinge of envy that Runa had a mate who kept her safe.

“How’s he doing?” Runa’s hands clenched together until Shade gently took them in his.

“Physically he’s fine,” Limos assured them. “But I’m having a hard time getting him to eat.”

Shade scowled. “Why’s that?”

“I think the demons tormented him with food.” She hesitated, because this wasn’t the kind of thing you wanted to know had been done to a loved one. “I’m assuming they put it out and then punished him when he tried to eat it.”

Horror flashed in Runa’s stunning champagne eyes. “Can I see him now?”

With a nod, Limos led them to the bedroom, but before she opened the door, she voiced her concerns. “I said that physically he’s fine. But mentally… he’s confused. He still believes he’s in Sheoul. He thinks demons are in his head and controlling what he’s seeing and who he’s talking to. I’m hoping you can convince him he’s free.”

They entered, and Arik, who had been standing at the patio door and gazing out at the ocean, swung around. He’d changed into a pair of black BDU pants and a black T-shirt that probably fit a little looser than it used to, but still emphasized his broad shoulders and thickly muscled arms. A neutral mask slipped over his expression, but his eyes sparked with anger when he saw his sister.

“Arik.” Runa started toward him, but Shade grabbed her arm and pulled her back.

“Don’t.” Tension rolled off the big demon in waves that scorched Limos’s skin. “I don’t trust him.”

“You’ve never trusted him.” Runa shook off her mate’s hold and moved toward her brother, who stiffened as she got closer. “Arik? It’s okay.”

“Yeah? Why don’t you tell me who the fuck you are? Okay?”

Her step faltered, but she kept moving forward. “It’s me,” she said softly. “Runa.”

“You do not get to say her name.” His mask of calm shattered into a million pieces, and in an instant, his face contorted with fury, and he let out a murderous, animal growl. “You are not my sister.”

k" woutHe struck, slamming his fist into Runa’s cheek and then driving a spin-kick into her gut. She flew across the room and landed in a heap on the floor.

And then the shit hit the fan.

As Limos darted toward Runa, Shade morphed into a massive black werewolf, his roar of rage joining Arik’s as they came together in a storm of fists, claws, and teeth.

“No!” Limos entered the fray, desperate to separate them before Shade killed Arik, and then there was another furry blur, as Runa, now a toffee-colored werewolf, took Shade to the ground, her mouth around his throat. What the hell? Werewolves were bound by the moon, unable to change at will. Mature Seminus demons could shapeshift, but what in God’s name was Runa?

It was a question for later. Right now, she had to subdue Arik, who was diving for Shade and Runa, his intentions as clear as a neon sign that flashed KILL.

Limos caught him around the waist and wrestled him onto the bed. A fist caught her in the side of the head, and his knee drove so viciously into her stomach that she grunted, but she managed to pin him. He was strong, much stronger than she would have guessed, and when he bucked, she had to put effort into staying on top of him and avoid being thrown. Maybe the blood exchange with Pestilence had given him an injection of Superman.

A big, tattooed hand came down on Arik’s shoulder, and Shade’s dermoire lit up with a bright glow. Almost instantly, Arik calmed, his eyelids drooping and his expression going slack. Within seconds, he was out like a light.

“What the fuck happened?” Shade snapped, as he stepped back. Runa was dabbing blood from her mouth with the back of one hand and holding her ribs with the other.

“I told you,” Limos said. “He thinks he’s in hell.”

Shade swung around to his mate and enveloped her in his arms. “I’m sorry, baby,” he murmured. “He was hurting you—”

“I know.” Runa’s gaze met Limos’s as she pushed off of Arik. “Can we go outside?”

They all filed out the door, and as soon as it closed, Limos slumped against it. “Shit,” she breathed, more shaken than she’d cared to admit. “I hoped seeing you would snap him into reality.”

“This is going to kill him.” Runa’s voice was shattered, her expression just as cracked. “When it dawns on him what he’s done…” Runa licked the blood from her lips. Shade reached for her, but she pushed his hand away. “He swore he would never hurt me. Or any woman. Not after what our father did.” Shade kissed the top of her head and stroked her hair, but instead of soothing her, it seemed to have the opposite effect, and she flinched. “I’m going to just… get some air.” She took off like the house was on fire, leaving Limos with Shade.

“What’s going on, demon?” Limos crossed her arms over her chest. “What does she mean about their father?”

“He was an abusive monster.” The expression on Shade’s fac

Limos’s jaw tightened. “Arik and Runa?”

“Yeah. I don’t know much about what happened to Arik, but Runa said he tried to protect her and their mother. So either he’s turned out like his old man, in which case I’ll kill him for hitting Runa—” Shade slammed a frustrated fist against the door, as if sending a warning to Arik “—or he’s not going to like himself much when he comes around, and I’ll let him live.”

“You won’t touch him. My brother tethered his soul. Arik can’t be allowed to die.” She wouldn’t let it happen anyway, and she’d kill Shade if he tried, simple as that.

“Your brother is an asshole.”

She stiffened. Yes, Pestilence was an asshole, but he was her brother, and this demon didn’t know what kind of man he’d once been.

“Watch your tongue, Sem.”

Shade glanced in the direction Runa had gone before turning back to Limos. “Look, I had a brother like that once. He lived to torment us, and we had to destroy him.” He eyed her speculatively. “Are you and your brothers close? You’ll need to bond yourselves together stronger than ever to stop Pestilence. Don’t hesitate, and don’t let sentiments get in your way of what needs to be done. We made that mistake, and a lot of people died because of it.”

“It won’t be easy. Reseph was the most decent of all of us. He wasn’t always evil.” She didn’t know why she was defending Pestilence, except that no matter how much she hated him now, she’d loved Reseph for thousands of years, and she just couldn’t let go of that.

“Then what is your guilt about?”

She blinked. “What?”

Shade moved closer. “I can sense darkness… guilt… in females. You, Horseman, are drowning in it.”

She felt a tremor of unease that went all the way to her soul. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“I know I’ve never encountered anything as intense as what you’re giving off. I know I would have had to go through hell in order to coax it out of you.” His voice was a disturbing, dark rumble, and what did he mean by coax it out of her? “But, thank gods, it’s not my problem.” He started off after Runa. “Keep us updated.”

Shade’s order should have raised her hackles, but what he’d said about both her and Arik shook her to her marrow. What did Shade know about her guilt? Could he read minds? Okay, she could seriously go into a panic about this, but now wasn’t the time. She had to focus on Arik, because yes, she was being crushed under the weight of her guilt, but right now, the human was her first concern.

If he realized what he’d done to Runa, how would that affect his recovery? Her brothers had never once struck her in anger—even though she deserved it… more than they knew. But she could only imagine how they’d punish themselves kh t inif they ever hurt her.

And the idea that Arik had been abused as a child… God, she’d always been numb to such horrors, or, more accurately, she’d never allowed herself to become sensitized to it. But picturing Arik bruised and bleeding under the fists of his own father tweaked a nerve somewhere deep inside her.

She’d been raised like a princess, encouraged to be petty and cruel, while at the same time, never knowing how it felt to be beaten or betrayed. She’d always thought she’d been treated like royalty because her mother loved her and other demons revered her… but what if her treatment had been about making sure she’d never feel empathy, since she hadn’t experienced pain?

The very idea made her ill, but again, this wasn’t about her. She’d never suffered, especially not at the hands of her own father. Hell, she’d never even met her father.

For a moment she wondered if Arik’s father was alive, and then realized that Shade would never have allowed the man to live, and yet another stirring of jealousy went through her at what Runa had that Limos never would.

Shaking off the useless self-pity, she entered Arik’s room again. He was still out cold, sprawled on the bed as if he were sleeping off a wild bender. Right now, it didn’t seem as if he’d ever come out of the hell that he was living with inside his skull.

She sank down on the bed beside him and offered what little comfort she could, smoothing his shirt and brushing his hair off his forehead. She’d done the same for her brothers when they’d been injured in battle, hoping they’d find peace in her touch. Sure, they regenerated quickly, but if the injuries were bad enough, they suffered in misery for hours, even days while they waited.

This sucked. She felt so helpless. No matter what she did, things continued to get worse for Arik. Though… wait… maybe she could help. If he never remembered hurting Runa…

Yes. Smiling, because she could finally do something for him, she thumbed open his eyelids and stared into his glassy eyes. Very carefully, she reached into Arik’s mind with hers and snipped the pesky memory of striking his sister away. Unlike Ares, she couldn’t restore the missing memory, but she wouldn’t need to.

Runa’s visit was something he was better off never remembering.