Void—the realm where all the Elder Gods lived. It was completely sealed off from anyone entering or escaping it, mainly to protect all the other realms from the powerful beings inside it.
"How would we do that?" I asked.
"Lucifer had a key to Void long ago," Oberon said. "Given to him by his father. Perhaps he still has it hidden away somewhere?”
"I don't remember anything about the location of a key." I turned to the others who'd come with me. "Do any of you?"
All of them murmured no or shook their heads. Damn. Another dead end. Even if I wanted to send Lucifer to Void, which I would only do as a last resort, the places he might have concealed a key were too numerous to count. It would take far longer to search for it than it would take Pestilence and War to destroy the realms between them.
I drew in a breath as the path ahead became clear. "Then we have no choice but to release Famine."
"Do you have someone willing to make the sacrifice?" Oberon asked.
Azazel stepped forward. "I'll do it."
"I also volunteer," Belial said.
"As do I," Damien chimed in.
Oberon drummed his fingers on the throne. "Perhaps one of you is strong enough to control Famine. Perhaps not. I'll be sending some of my own people with you to be certain it's handled correctly."
"I wouldn't expect anything less." In truth, I'd worried he might come with us. After all, he was one of the people who had trapped the Four Horsemen originally, and I thought he might want to be there when the one in his realm was released. I supposed Oberon didn't like getting his hands dirty anymore. He'd been different back when I was Eve. Not such an asshole. A real leader to his people.
The High King raised his chin. "I can't have a Horseman of the Apocalypse traipsing about my realm. We've kept Famine contained so long due to our strong ties with nature, but once that tomb is open, there's no telling what will happen to our realm."
"You know I will not allow Famine to harm Faerie," Damien said, with a small bow to his uncle. "If I must be the one to make the sacrifice, I would do it to protect our people."
"I know you would. That's the only reason I'm allowing this endeavor at all." Oberon's eyes hardened and his voice turned sharp. "And if all else fails—make sure to open a portal to Earth so Famine can destroy that world instead of ours."
Yep. Still an asshole.
9
Lucifer
Las Vegas was sprawled out below me, all the lights, all the power, all the greed. I breathed it in, using it like fuel before turning my attention to The Celestial and my penthouse at the top. It wouldn’t take me long to amass my demon warriors and lead them forth into battle. As soon as the angels arrived, we’d wreak havoc and destruction upon them, and on the unsuspecting mortals residing in the area. None would be spared my wrath.
My wings beat against the night as I soared over the city, concealed by darkness. Something about flying by the Stratosphere tickled my mind, like a memory I couldn't retrieve, but then War's presence crushed the feeling. He was always there, entwined with my own self, and soon I forgot anything except overwhelming rage.
I dropped down in front of The Celestial, sheathed my wings, and adjusted my suit. This time I planned to enter my kingdom properly, and I would announce myself to my people so they knew who they truly served. As for the woman? I planned to lock her away, keeping her caged like a songbird until she gave birth to my child. Then I would decide what to do with her.
But as I stepped inside my casino I noticed it was disturbingly empty, and heard shouts and screams up ahead by the bar. I walked quickly, passing human bodies on the ground around the blackjack tables and in front of the slot machines, each one an unnatural color and covered in putrid boils. A few were still alive, groaning and clutching their heads or chests, their features set in grim masks as they writhed on the carpet.
Pestilence. The name slithered through me, my whole body reacting to the slimy feel of it. Yes, he was here. Another Horseman. A brother of sorts, though not one welcome at my door. But why was he here? What did he seek? Did he plan to ally with me—or challenge me?
I found him at the Styx Bar, surrounded by gargoyles in stone form, who were managing to hold him off and resist his attacks, though I suspected that wouldn't last for long. They paused when they saw me, some of them opening their mouths in shock and fear, though some turned hopeful eyes upon me, as if I might save them from their fate. Save them I would, but only because they belonged to me. I wrapped my power around them, bending them to my will, taking away all their thoughts except those of combat and violence.
Pestilence turned toward me and snarled, his eyes glowing white and filled with madness. The body he'd claimed had not fared well under his control, and his skin was yellow and blistered, his hair white and thin, and his body reeked of decay and disease. Just being this close to him made me feel contaminated, though my powers protected me from much of his sickness.
“Why are you here?” I asked in a way that stiffened Pestilence’s shoulders. "This is my domain."
"You know why." He cocked his head with a manic grin. "Or perhaps you don't. Have you forgotten our ancient feud as well?"
His words stirred something inside me, but once again it was just out of reach. The body he'd taken had belonged to Gadreel, a Fallen who had once served me, who turned out to be the reincarnation of Adam. I remembered all of that, though not why he'd betrayed me, nor why I carried such immense hatred for Adam.
I clenched my hands into fists and allowed my anger to seep out of me in a red glow. "What do you want? Answer me!"
His own putrid yellow power emanated from him too, clashing against my own. "I'm here for Eve."
"Eve?" I knew no one by that name.
He let out a sharp laugh. "You really don't remember. Good. That will make this much easier. Step aside and I'll get her out of your hair so you can continue with your plans of war. You can have this place. All I want is Eve."
My eyes narrowed as his words stirred up a fresh wave of wrath inside me, and my heart beat like Strife’s hooves were thundering over my ribs. "You speak of the woman living in my penthouse."
Pestilence stepped forward with a challenge in his eyes. "She belongs to me, and I'm here to claim her."
"No." The worst burst out of me so vehemently it made the liquor bottles and the mirrors in the bar shake. It even made Pestilence step back, toward the gargoyle warriors under my control, who patiently waited to unleash their frenzy, though they snapped their teeth at him and tried to scratch him with their talons.
Pestilence lifted an eyebrow. "Are we back to this age-old fight then?"
I didn’t know what he was saying, but I knew, deep in my bones, down in my very soul, that the woman—Hannah or Eve or whatever she was called—wasn’t his. The life inside her wasn’t his. They were mine. All mine.
“Get out of my hotel." I spat the words.
"It doesn't need to be like this," he said. "Not anymore. We're the same now. Two Horsemen of the Apocalypse, with the same goals of spreading chaos upon the land. We can forget the past—hell, you've already done that—and move forward as brothers. Once we release Famine and Death we'll be even stronger. We'll rule all the realms—even Void itself."
I stepped closer to him, forcing him back against the wall, my hands balled into fists. "I'm already the king here, and I'm not good at sharing. Get the fuck out of here before I destroy you."
He met my gaze, one corner of his lips lifting. "You can try, but you both know we can't be killed."
"Pestilence can't—but that body can."
I brought one of my fists up and landed it on his face, bursting one of the throbbing pustules there. The fluid inside it burned like acid as it ran over my skin, but I shook it off. I wasn’t done. I summoned my sword and prepared to strike him down, but he slithered away like the slippery beast he was.
When I turned to face him, he stood on the other side of the bar wielding a bow and arrows. Each tip pulsed with y
ellow and black power, a combination of his Pestilence sickness and his Fallen darkness. He unleashed arrows faster than humanly possible, but I threw up a shield of darkness to stop him, then blasted him with blue hellfire laced with red rage. He launched over it with sickly gray wings that had lost a lot of feathers, and he was surprisingly spry for someone who looked so ill. I released my gargoyle guards and they leaped in front of him, blocking his path. He turned back to me and fired off more arrows, but he wasn't fast enough against me, a being created for one purpose: to fight.
I launched myself forward and sliced into him with my sword. He let out a horrifying screech, then managed to stab me with one of his arrows. Weakness and disease coursed through me, trying to slow me down, but I struggled against his powers, refusing to let him stop me. I couldn't let him get to that woman or my child. I'd burn this whole place down before I let that happen.
I lifted the sword and slashed at him, cutting into his shoulder and down his chest. He let out a horrifying screech as the hellfire stung him, and then he barreled through the gargoyles as he flew out of the casino. I rushed after him, my own wings giving me speed, but once I made it outside I saw him jump on his horse and ride away, slipping into the crowd of tourists and gamblers. Screams followed in his wake, but his horse was so fast, many had barely any time to react as he passed by them.
"Follow him," I commanded my gargoyles. They weren't as fast as his horse was, but since he was injured, they might have a chance of catching up. I could have gone after him, but I had more pressing business here, and I was satisfied that the fucker wouldn't return to challenge me anytime soon.
Besides, I had to check on the woman before I did anything else. Though I felt only hatred and rage toward her, I needed to be sure my child was protected.
I flew up to the penthouse, but it was dark. There was no one inside.
The woman was gone.
10
Hannah
Huge white columns soared into the air, gleaming under the soft moonlight at the temple where Famine's tomb was located. Our griffins circled over it, allowing us to take in the entire structure. It clearly hadn't been touched in many years, and nature had nearly swallowed it up entirely. All except for the massive statue of Oberon at the front of it. It had to be at least forty feet tall and depicted him seated on a throne decorated with gold and precious stones, while wearing a crown and holding a scepter in one hand. The entrance to the temple was underneath the throne, so you had to pass under Oberon's watchful eyes to enter.
There had once been a similar statue on Earth in Greece, depicting Oberon in his guise as Zeus. For many years he'd been worshiped on Earth under that name, but the statue had been destroyed long ago. Only its counterpart here in Faerie remained.
The day had passed from the awakening of spring, though the heat of midsummer, and now we were relaxing in a temperate fall that was rapidly cooling to winter. The light had changed, growing softer, falling in pale strips between the columns as our griffins sat down in front of the statue. I dismounted, taking in the untouched surroundings. I hadn't been here since I was Eve, when we first sealed Pestilence away. Belial had only been a child then. There was nothing else for miles except for this temple and the thick, dark forest surrounding it.
"Of course the entrance to the tomb would be under his feet," Belial muttered, as we took in the stone doors in front of us. They were covered in vines and other plants that had grown wild, but I flicked a hand and they released their hold on the stone and retreated back into the earth.
Damien cast his eyes up at the statue with distaste. "Yes. Oberon would trust no one else to guard a thing as dangerous as Famine.”
I turned back to take in the large group of people who had come with me on this mission. My sons, all three of them eager and determined to save their father, despite any issues they had with him. My nephew Callan, hovering near me protectively, and Azazel, who stood with a grim set to her mouth. Theo was organizing his gargoyle guards into a formation around the tomb, while the fae warriors sent by High King Oberon stood impassively to the side, as if they could only be bothered to get involved should something go wrong. Our messenger Mirabella, who I'd learned had a father in the Autumn Court, stood apart from them, ready to open a portal for us back to Earth whenever we wished.
"We're all ready," Kassiel said. "The fae are opening the temple doors now."
I nodded, before turning to Zel. "Do you still want to do this?"
She scowled. "Want to? Not exactly. But it needs to be done, and I'm the best person for the job."
I took her face in my hands and stared into her dark eyes. "Promise me you'll fight Famine and will somehow remain yourself. I can't lose you too, Zel."
She put her hands over mine and gazed back at me with determination and love. "I promise. Long ago I swore to protect you and to fight by your side, and I'm not stopping now."
I nodded and stepped back, blinking away tears in my eyes. "I love you."
"Don't get all mushy on me, little angel," Zel said with a grin, her face softening. Then she brought me in for a tight squeeze and whispered, "I love you too, but don't you dare tell anyone."
The temple door opened with a loud rumble and a plume of dust, and Zel and I stepped back to watch. I couldn't see anything inside except darkness, but Callan and I could fix that with some angelic light.
"Let's move," I told my team, gesturing toward the entrance. So far there was no sign of Nemesis or Fenrir, but I didn't want to stick around and wait for them to show up either.
Theo went in first with some of his guards, along with Callan, who lit the way with a bright ball of hovering light. I went in next with Azazel, Damien, and Kassiel, using my own light to illuminate a dusty stone corridor with stale air, barely large enough for two of us to pass through side by side. More of my gargoyle guards trailed behind me, along with a few fae warriors at the back. The rest stayed outside, in case any threat should arise there.
The hallway became more of a tunnel, slanting down, down, down. No one had been inside this temple in thousands of years, and as we went deeper into the Earth, the space became more and more oppressive. I couldn't wait to get back outside.
Eventually the downward slope of the tunnel led us to another large door, this one covered in magical runes just like Pestilence's and War's tombs had been. The air here was especially stifling, and my stomach turned at the horrible power emanating from within the tomb. The baby kicked too, and I rested my hand over her, trying to silently reassure her.
"This is it," Callan said. "Famine's tomb."
Kassiel examined it closely. "It's built right into the temple itself."
Belial gestured at Damien to go forward. "You're up. Make us proud."
Damien grimaced, but stepped close to the door and pulled out a small knife. Only a few people could open Famine's tomb, including Oberon himself, or one of his daughters—and my son Damien. To do so, you had to be born in this realm, with the blood of one of the people who had sealed the tomb originally.
Damien looked over at me and I nodded, though inside I was trembling. We had to do this, but that didn't mean I was ready for what was about to happen. Were we really going to release the third Horseman upon the world? Would this plan work, or were we only bring doom upon ourselves?
Damien drew the blade across his palm in a neat slice. I winced, but he didn’t so much as flinch, and then he pressed his bloody hand against the tomb's door. The runes began to glow, casting all of us in an eerie green haze. Then the door flew open with a burst of power so strong it knocked all of us back. I slammed against the nearest wall, and only my newly-remembered air magic cushioned my blow and protected the baby.
"I'm free," a horrible, croaking voice sounded from inside the dark depths of the tomb, and then a cloud of sickly green seeped out of the tomb with the smell of decaying plants and rotten food. As we all recovered from the blast and got back on our feet, the green fog coalesced into the vague shape of a woman, though her fe
atures were blurred and kept shifting like smoke. "I am Famine...and I must feed. Who will make the sacrifice and gain my powers?"
"The third Horseman is a woman?" Callan asked beside me.
Zel rose to her feet and dusted herself off. "I will make the sacrifice."
As soon as the words had left her mouth, one of the fae guards moved behind her and stabbed a sword through her chest. I screamed as Zel was impaled, then saw through the fae guard's magical disguise—revealing a gorgeous woman with fiery red hair. Nemesis.
I blasted her back with a gust of air, while Callan jumped forward to catch Zel as she fell. Blood gushed from her chest, and I cursed myself for not allowing Marcus to come with us, and for not seeing through Nemesis's illusions sooner. I'd barely paid the fae guards who'd followed us inside any attention, and now Zel was dying. What could I do?
"Take her body and heal her," I yelled at Famine, as I desperately tried to cover Zel's wounds and stop the bleeding. Zel was barely conscious, her body shutting down as it tried to heal itself.
"No," the rasping, feminine voice boomed. "She is too weak. She would not survive."
Two gargoyle guards I recognized suddenly rushed into the area, and one of them yelled, "My queen, shifters attack outside the temple! We're surrounded!"
I swore under my breath, and turned to the others with me. "Defend the perimeter and get Zel to a healer! I can stop Nemesis myself." When my sons all looked like they would argue with me, I held up a hand and yelled, "Go!"
Callan carried Zel outside, and I prayed it wasn't the last time I would see her alive. Damien and Kassiel followed, along with some of the guards, though Theo and Belial stayed with me.
Famine's form began moving toward the exit too. "I hunger...who will feed me?"
"I will," Belial said, moving in front of Famine, shielding the rest of us with his body. My heart lurched into my throat at the thought of my son becoming a Horseman—but he was also probably the best option here, I was sad to admit.
Infernal God (Claimed By Lucifer Book 3) Page 5
