Revenant(112)

Still… “Vyrm persecution has to stop,” he said. “I saw the hell Blaspheme went through. All vyrm will be welcome in Sheoul.”

“Then we’ll honor that,” Metatron swore. “From this day forth, no vyrm will be hunted. But if any show signs of angelicidal tendencies, we will act.”

That was fair. “Agreed.” Revenant stuck out his hand, but Metatron merely stared. And then, in a move that shocked the shit out of Revenant, Metatron engulfed him in an embrace.

“My nephew,” he murmured. “How I’ve longed for this day. I saw it coming since the day the heavens were formed, but there were times when my vision grew so murky I feared the prophecies had changed.” He drew back, and Rev reeled at the emotion flashing in his uncle’s eyes. “Welcome home, Revenant. Welcome home.”





It was nothing less than an ambush.

Revenant and Reaver, working as a team, flanked Reseph as the Horseman reined his white stallion, Conquest, to a halt on the Oregon beach. The steed snorted and snapped at both Rev and Reaver, who stood just out of the beast’s reach.

“’Sup?” Reseph swung down from the saddle, clad in only a pair of swim trunks. The guy wore as few clothes as possible, and Rev swore he was naked more often than not. “I was just exercising the big guy before the barbecue.”

The barbecue at Reseph and Jillian’s Colorado hideaway was already in full swing, but Reseph knew that. According to Reaver, sometimes when the entire family was together, the Horseman needed to get away for a little while, to try to outrun the memories of what he’d done to his siblings when his Seal had broken and he’d become the evil demon known as Pestilence.

“I have something for you,” Revenant said.

“For me?” The blond Horseman eyed Revenant suspiciously. “What would that be?”

“Open a gate to your sister’s grave.”

Reseph’s eyes flared before narrowing. “Ariya? Why?”

“Trust me.” It was a bold thing to ask, given their history, but Revenant had always been a risk taker.

Reseph hesitated, the tense silence broken only by the sound of crashing waves and a few seagulls calling out from overhead. Finally, he looked to Reaver, who nodded. “Okay, but if this is a trick, I swear I’ll find a way to destroy you.”

“Noted.”

The Horseman called out to his stallion. “Conquest, to me.”

The beast whinnied before dissolving into a spiral of smoke. The tendril of vapor writhed as it fused with Reseph’s forearm until it settled into his skin as a tattoo-like glyph in the shape of a horse. No doubt not wanting to take any chances, Reseph armored up with a flick of his finger over the crescent scar on his throat. Instantly, shiny metal plates folded over him from out of nowhere like a damned Transformer.

Revenant had always thought that the Horsemen had been given some really cool gifts.

When the Horseman was fully outfitted, he opened a personal Harrowgate, and one by one, he, Reaver, and Revenant stepped through, coming out on the small island of Steara in Sheoul. The little piece of land was an oasis of greens, reds, and purples, a rare gem in the typical dark ugliness of hell.

Near the beach, in a protected alcove, was a small grave, its hand-carved marble headstone eclipsing the tiny mound that lay in its shadow.

“What’s this about, Uncle?” Reseph’s voice was rough, edged with more suspicion.

Rev stepped up next to his nephew. “Your baby sister was human. Her soul has been trapped here for thousands of years.”

“Thanks for the recap.”

Closing his eyes, Revenant opened his mind to his wishes, and a moment later, a blond child, her hair and eyes so similar to Reseph’s, was standing before her brother, as tangible as the headstone.

“Say good-bye, Reseph,” Revenant said softly. “I’ve released her soul from Sheoul. In a moment, she’ll be carried away to Heaven.”

The Horseman fell to his knees in front of her, and both Revenant and Reaver turned away.

“You surprise me, brother.” The emotional hitch in Reaver’s voice resonated deep inside Revenant. To care so much for someone else was a curse. And a gift.

“Surprised that I’m capable of being nice?”

“No.” Reaver’s blue eyes sparked. “Surprised that you’re aware of Reseph’s pain.”

“A few weeks ago, I’d have used his pain against him,” Rev admitted gruffly. “But since getting my memory back, I know how it feels to know a loved one is suffering.” He smirked. “Some people deserve all the suffering they get, and I’m happy to dish it out. But it seems that I’ve inherited some sort of protective gene from our parents, and I won’t let anyone in our family get hurt.” His smirk deepened. “Unless I’m the one doing it.”