by Tara Brown
The Four Horsemen
The Light Trilogy
A Novel by Tara Brown
Copyright 2013 Tara Brown
http://TaraBrown22.blogspot.com
Amazon Edition
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be resold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author. No alteration of content is permitted. This book is a work of fiction, any similarities are coincidental. All characters in this fictional story are based entirely on the crazed mind of the author and are not based on any human. Any similarities are by chance and not intentional.
This book is dedicated to my fans—thank you so much. The interest and support has been amazing. I also must thank my husband and children. You supported me, even when I was in my writer’s frenzy.
Cover Art by Once Upon a Time Covers
Edited by Andrea Burns
Thank you Nick (sexiest proofreader ever).
A special thanks to Mani, Katy, and my friends The Nators. Thank you all.
To the girls at Triple M, I love you ladies.
Other Books by Tara Brown
The Devil’s Roses
Cursed
Bane
Witch
Hyde
Death
The Born Trilogy
Born
Born to Fight
Reborn
The Light Series
The Light of the World
The Four Horsemen
Imaginations
Imaginations
The Blood Trail Chronicles
Vengeance
Blackwater Witches
Blackwater
The Single Lady Spy Series
The End of Me
The End of Games
My Side
The Long Way Home
The Lonely
LOST BOY
The White Horse
“I watched as the Lamb opened the first of the seven seals. Then I heard one of the four living creatures say in a voice like thunder, "Come and see!" I looked, and there before me was a white horse! Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest."
Revelations
One
The sound of hooves beating against the ground startles me. I look around the room but no one moves, they don’t hear it. A small, old woman with red eyes gives me an odd smile. Her face moves in a jerky motion, almost like a bird. She puts a gnarled old finger up to her lips. The finger rested upon her lips doesn’t stop the smile that is satisfaction in its purest form. She winks slowly, as if she is being slowed down by something, and then she is gone and the beat of the hooves surrounds me again. In the darkness, I see the horses’ feet but the dust they stir up in the room prevents me from seeing anything else.
A voice speaks out of the dust and finds me, “Free us, child. Free us so we may free them.”
I sit up abruptly, crying out from the ripping as my wings shoot from my back and spread the dust farther. I spin and shoot up into the sky. The room is gone and I am alone with the night’s sky, but there riding the cool breeze, I can hear the same whisper, “You will free us.”
I glance about, trying to see the man who whispers to me, but there is nothing beyond the darkness of the night and the stars in the sky. I look up at the stars, swearing I hear them whisper too. They sound like the fire witch when they whisper one word.
“RUNNNNNN!”
I open one eye to see a white ceiling. I don’t recall where I am for a second, and then as if my brain turns on or switches back from wherever the hell it went, I know I’m safe. I'm on the jet. We are flying from Rio. I have killed two devils and I am only five away from being free of the entire thing. It doesn’t help that the last two are my parents, my real parents. There are places in my heart where I love them. Old places that sit in the dark and wait to be loved back. I’m afraid I’ll die waiting.
I blink and lift my head to see the grin of a man that makes my heart skip a beat. He hands me a cup of tea, “How was your sleep, love?”
I sit up and clear my throat, “I don’t know. I never do.”
“How are the dead?”
I smile at him, “I guess they’re dead and waiting for me to do something, angel-ish... Is that a word?”
“No.” His dark eyes sparkle, “I wonder what magical thing they expect of you?”
I shake my head, taking the tea and sipping softly, “I don’t know.” Part of me wants to jump him and start something I have very naughty memories of, regardless of never doing it with him. The feelings of every one of my five lives living inside of me have become something of an issue. Sometimes we argue, sometimes we plot ways to get Constantine naked, and sometimes I just wish they would all shut the hell up.
I feel someone next to me move and look over to see Wyatt. My heart skips a beat for him, but then a wave of nausea hits and I smile. Feeling sick around him has become a bit of a trademark. The snarky comments in my brain make me smile. The five of us have a different opinion on the whisper of love residing in my heart. I try to block the other voices out. Personally, I want that Van Helsing, bad. The others want him too, but they don’t want sex; they want to peel his skin off. I actually got a visual from Ellie, it was bad.
Wyatt gives me an odd look, “You okay?”
I nod and sip my tea. He takes the cup from my hands and drinks from it. When his fingers brush mine I get a jolt of pain and sickness. He sees me wince, “Wanna handfast again?”
I am about to nod when Constantine makes a noise in his throat. I glance back at him, “Where are we going?”
Mona walks from the back of the jet with a huge grin, “The Alps." She says it like we have discussed it a thousand times; we probably have. She looks giddy, "I have never spent a Christmas away from my mother before. I think this is going to be very interesting.”
Michelle rolls her eyes, “Your mother is probably enjoying her first Christmas without Dick. If I were her, I’d be sleeping with everything that moved and getting drunk. I wish that’s where I was right now. Except maybe not with your mom, Mona. No offense.” She laughs from the seat behind Constantine as she sits up, fixing her blonde hair.
I nod, “Sounds about right.”
Constantine gives me and then her a disturbed look, “Says the nun and the angel. Whatever is this world coming to?”
Michelle giggles, twirling her hair and smiling wickedly. She would jump his bones, dead or not, in a heartbeat. He doesn’t notice the way she stares at him. It makes me smile. She hasn’t stopped wanting him since the moment she met him. She probably never will.
My back feels funny, itchy. I reach behind and notice the new tear in my shirt. My back is scratching on the houndstooth seat. Wyatt slips his hand inside of it and starts to massage the spot where the great white wings shot from.
I look back, ignoring the twitching of Constantine’s lip and the searing of my skin where Wyatt makes contact, “Does it feel different? Is the skin bumpy or hard?”
Wyatt shakes his head and looks inside of my shirt, “There are two marks though.” He lifts my shirt, earning a growl from Constantine. I sigh and shoot him a look. His jaw is clenched and his eyes are dangerous.
Wyatt chuckles, “Easy Fangs, I’m just looking.”
Mona sits next to Wyatt, “Oh my God, it’s a flower. You have two tattoos, one on either si
de. A flower that has petals made from inverted hearts and a pyramid in the middle. The All-Seeing Eye is there in the pyramid, you know like in that Tom Hanks movie, The Da Vinci Code? I think you just joined the Illuminati, seriously.” She looks at Constantine but it is Wyatt who speaks, “The harmony flower. It is a symbol of love, peace, and balance. A Buddhist symbol, if I am not mistaken.”
Constantine stands and comes to inspect also, “This is the first time I have seen this. You never had this before, Ellie.”
I glance at him, “Rayne.” His lips toy with one of his grins. I sigh, “No, I don’t recall tats before.”
Michelle gets up and I feel like I am on display as they all see it.
“That is wicked. You have wings and insta-tats? Dang dude. I should have sold my soul for some of that shit.”
I laugh bitterly but the other three look disgusted at her flippancy with the betrayal.
She blushes, “I just mean, well you know. This is awesome. Way awesome, compared to boobs.”
“You love your vagina,” I sigh and get up, “But instant tats is annoying. All of it is. I just want this to be over so I can start the term fresh and clean of it all.”
When I get to the bathroom, I look in the mirror at the beautiful tattoos and nod, “At least they’re pretty.” They are. The flower petals are light purple and the pyramid is yellow. They are delicate, and if anything, they improve my back.
I look back out at the four of them and laugh, “You guys look weird.” They do. Constantine looks like he might eat Wyatt, which would be a disaster for all of us. Wyatt looks like he might try to make out with me at any moment and Mona looks scared. Michelle looks jealous. She sort of always looks that way now. Everything is always about me and it drives her insane. Little does she know, I would trade with her in a second. I hate being the spotlight girl.
Mona gives everyone a glance, “I seriously can’t help but wonder about this all. How did Lillith get pregnant, and how did the virgin end up with you, and then how did you end up in an orphanage? None of this makes sense, Rayne. It doesn’t add up. You are an angel this time, and it feels like the first time to you? Why is that? Why didn’t you have wings when Lillith and Lucifer were your parents the first time?”
I sit at the back of the plane and watch them, “I don’t know. I guess because I never fought before. My father surprised me the first time. The second time he told me I had to die to save my mother. It was the only way. I believed him, but still I didn’t want to die. The third and forth time, I was born of a virgin when the world got so sick that nothing else could help it. Both times I died before I could fight back. The fourth time was especially…" I meet Constantine's eyes, "Awful." He nods slowly. I look down, "This time it would seem that I am theirs, but why did my mother give me up? Why didn’t she keep me in the garden and keep me safe?”
Constantine cocked a dark eyebrow, “Could it be that the elusive virgin who left you at the orphanage was your mother, and she never kept you in the garden because you have no soul? You couldn’t stay there; only the pure may enter.”
I open my mouth to answer, but it is impossible for me to know that. I close my eyes and try to remember her face. Dark hair and dark-grey eyes like mine. Her face was creamy and beautiful. She was a sight, delicate and stunning. It was no wonder my father loved her so. I nod, “She was young the last time I saw her, no more than twenty in looks.”
When I open my eyes, Michelle looks confused, “Your father too. He was handsome and young. I didn’t believe he was your dad. He was so beautiful.”
I nod, remembering his face all to well. “They don’t age then?”
Constantine snorts, “Do any of us?”
Wyatt snorts, “You look a little weathered.” Constantine fights something, maybe the urge to murder.
I laugh, "He's right. I think you are a little older."
Constantine's eyes flash hatred at Wyatt, but when they land on me, his lips toy with the grin that makes me squeeze my thighs together. “Well, I have only you to thank for my wrinkles and gray hair. Stress ages even the strongest of immortals.”
I laugh at him. He doesn’t look a day over thirty. He is handsome in a way that makes me want to undress. Michelle too. I can tell when she looks at him. Mona gets a little overly excited sometimes too, even she can't fight what he is.
Wyatt sighs, “Not that I am against spending our time on Constantine’s wrinkles, but maybe we should spend a little more on the possibility that your mother might be the same as mine.”
I scowl, “What?” Oh God, what does that even mean? Could we be related? No, I know his mother is Gretel.
Mona nods, “Yeah, that’s probably true. That actually makes sense.”
I scowl, “No, it doesn’t. I know his mother is Gretel and I know mine is not.”
Mona sighs, “Your mom might be bad like his mom, Rayne. She might have let Lucifer impregnate her. She might have a plan.”
Their words burn a little, making me scowl, “She was tricked by my father. The nixie trust her, so I do too. She wrote me the letter telling me to kill the devils and then come and kill her. She is willing to die for me.”
Wyatt gives me his smirk, “The sea witches are not the pillars of goodness you are assuming they are.”
Constantine points at him, “I can't believe I am going to say this, but the young whippersnapper has a point. I think we should tread lightly where both of your parents are concerned, my love.”
I sigh, “You said you know my mom. You are the one who said that she was good.”
He nods, “Was, and I am a terrible judge of character. I have no soul. Your mother is a beautiful woman, that’s about all it takes for me to believe her. And I don’t know her currently. I knew her, past tense. I’ve not seen her in a long time. The communication I have with her now is through the fae only.”
Wyatt folds his arms, “She isn’t seeking you out either, Rayne. She is as much to blame for it all as your father is. I bet that’s why she hides with the fae—protection from God.”
Michelle frowns, “Why doesn’t God just smite them both?”
Wyatt shakes his head, “He can’t. He is impotent on this Earth. Why do you think he lets children starve and die? Why do think he lets sin happen? He is not almighty on this Earth, except in belief.”
Michelle shakes her head, “And you say you’re a Christian.”
Wyatt laughs, “I’m not a Christian, my faith is much older than that. Much older than Christ or man-made churches where tithes pay for worship and forgiveness. A building does not hold my beliefs and my power is from God directly. He can help us or hinder us through his angels. He may not reign over our physical bodies, but he has absolute power over our immortal souls.” Wyatt’s tone drops off, like he is heeding a warning.
Michelle cocks a perfectly-plucked and penciled brow, “Hmph, that sounds alarming, like blasphemy, for reals.”
Mona puts her hand up between them, “No, my God, stop. We don’t want to talk about church. Have you never heard the expression, Jesus save me from your followers? Like damn. No one wants to be churched to death on a jet. Let’s focus on the important stuff, like Rayne’s mom being evil.”
I feel injured by the mother I do not know, but I can't help the want to love her; she sent me to Willow. Willow was good. I clear my throat, “She tried to stop my father. She isn’t to blame for this. She got tricked, the same way Michelle did. That is all. The nixie love her and trust her—they wouldn’t help her if she was evil. She let Willow raise me. Willow was all goodness.”
Mona opens her mouth but the captain speaks over her words, “Fasten your seat belts. We are about to land in Switzerland.”
Constantine comes to me and sits next to me, placing his hand over mine. The feel of his skin against mine sparks memories. I think that is his goal, “I can't wait for you to see the chalet.”
Something about the sentence is familiar. I look towards the window and close my eyes. His touch sends chills up and down
my spine. His body writhing against mine as his lips press into my throat, grazing my skin. His hot breath and strong body cover me, every inch of me.
I exhale roughly and look at him with desire taking over my face. He smiles sweetly, “Bit of a daydream, love?”
I laugh, headily, “You are cheating, sir.”
He growls, “I do like it when you call me sir.”
I wink at him, “I remember.”
He looks like he might ravish me any second but I shake my head, “We still have three devils and both my parents to kill. Don’t go getting any funny ideas about you and me. I don’t need the distraction.”
He leans in, brushing his lips against my cheek, “All I’m asking for is one night.” I see his eyes lower to the armrests and a slow smile creeps across his face, "You scared?"
I swallow hard, "Just stop, okay?" I shudder and prepare to land. As odd as it sounds, I don’t like flying. Even though I have wings and a serious suspicion I can fly, I don’t like it.
As we land, I have the strangest sensation, like I have something brewing inside of me.
We walk as a group, a herd, a family. A broken and strange family, and all I have left in the whole world, besides a father who would let me die horribly and a mother who neglected me. Regardless of being her champion, I cannot forget that she left me. She always does.
The airport we land at is small and private. Being with Constantine has perks, avoiding customs is one of them. As we cross the small building, a woman in a stunning red dress meets us at the exit. She gives Constantine a smile that makes me nearly gag.
"Brother, you brought more guests than I anticipated."
He laughs, "Stella, this is Rayne. You, of course, recall her as my Ellie."
My jaw drops. Of course. She had black hair, not white-blonde, and she is tanned, not stark white, but the face is the same. The slim, strong body is identical. She beams at me, "Ellie, my precious sister. At last we have you back."
