Immortal Rider (LD2) by Larissa Ione Page B

were in Heaven together.” Probably , because he didn’t remember. His memory, as well as all evidence of his very existence, had been wiped for some reason, and he couldn’t recall anything that had taken place before the event that caused his fall a quarter-century ago. Even when he’d been given his wings back, his memory hadn’t returned, and no angel he knew of, fallen or otherwise, could remember him either.
    Harvester shrugged, a slow roll of one curvy bare shoulder. Geez, she was dressed like a stripper in a black leather bustier and miniskirt, fishnet nylons, and six-inchstilettos. Reaver might be all holy and good now, but one of the dangers of being on Earth—especially now that evil was permeating everything—was that angels felt everything humans did, including lust, and Reaver had always had a thing for scantily dressed, naughty girls.
    He narrowed his eyes. Was Harvester aware of his dirty little secret?
    “I wasn’t always untrustworthy,” she said, sounding a little stung despite her casual attitude. “I did enjoy serving.” Her smile flashed fangtips. “But I enjoy ruling more.”
    “Are you here to chat, or are you here about something important?”
    “It’s definitely important.”
    “About the Horsemen?” That would be the only reason she’d seek him out. It was the only thing they had in common.
    “In a way. You know the human, Arik, escaped from Sheoul.”
    No, he didn’t know that. Must have been what Thanatos was summoning him about. “I’d heard.”
    She bent over to pick up what looked like a ring on the ground, exposing a thin scrap of black underwear that didn’t cover nearly enough, and Reaver bit down on the inside of his cheek as he averted his gaze.
    “How pretty,” Harvester murmured, as she straightened.
    “I’m sure it’s a priceless treasure. Now, what about Arik?”
    “He’s with Limos.” She handed Reaver the silver ring, and he was too distracted by the fallen angel’s breasts, which had nearly popped out of the bustier while she’d been bent over, to wonder why she’d hand him anything. “Pestilence has claimed his soul.”
    Reaver drew a quick, sharp breath. “He what?”
    “Yep. Pestilence made sure that when Arik dies, his soul is sent straight to him. He’s developing talents like that faster than any of us could have foreseen.”
    Damn, but the evil Horseman was growing powerful. Before Reseph’s Seal broke, only Thanatos had any control over souls. Now Pestilence could not only absorb them from humans while they were still alive, turning them into obedient minions and adding to his own strength, but he was capable of claiming souls in a way only a handful of the most powerful demons could.
    “This isn’t good,” Reaver muttered.
    “It’s not good for you ,” she corrected. “It’s very good for my team.” Smiling, she sauntered up to him and placed her hand on his chest. Her voice went low and husky. “You know what else is good for my team? You. In my custody.”
    An alarm clanked inside his head, an impending sense of doom coming down on him like a shroud, but before he could identify the source, his body went rigid, so solid he might have been encased in ice.
    Harvester had trapped him. Somehow, she’d immobilized him. His heart couldn’t even beat in panic, but he felt her finger jam into his chest, felt his body tip over so he was on his back, staring up at the gray afternoon sky. A minute later, his vision blurred, but he made out faces above him. Voices around him. He felt hands grab him roughly, and then there was a flash, and suddenly, the massive pain spreading through his chest told him where he was.
    Sheoul.
    Harvester had flashed him into hell. This was a huge violation of the Watcher covenant. Clearly, Harvester didn’t care.
    “Take him into the guest room.”
    He wanted to fight, to scream, anything at all, but he couldn’t move a muscle. He could only feel. Sucked that all his other senses had dulled, but that