Chapter Six
Kami was having trouble processing everything Zander had told her.
Of course, she’d heard the myths about the Four Horsemen.
They were scary as hell, but she assumed that most of the stories were about as accurate as the rumors concerning Lucifer were.
Since she’d sat at the same dinner table with the King of Hell countless times, she knew that most of the tales about him were total bullshit.
She’d never heard of a Keeper of the Seal before.
Hellfire, she hadn’t even known there were magical seals located in each of the realms. Now that she did, she realized it made sense.
Being a Horseman and a Keeper of the Seal seemed like a lot of responsibility for one person.
Then again, Zander Cosmos wasn’t a normal supernatural.
He wasn’t even a normal god.
It somehow seemed fitting that he held the fate of the six realms in his hands.
“Unlike you, I never had a mother or father,” he explained. “The closest thing to family I’ve ever had was the other Horsemen. We were created for a purpose and tasked with maintaining the balance between good and evil throughout the realms.”
Pure shock surged through her. “So, when you said you were a Source God, you mean you were actually born from the magical source?”
“That’s correct.”
No wonder he was so powerful. He was literally made of magic.
“As one of the Horsemen, I am one of the most powerful supernaturals in the six realms. However, since I was also chosen as the Keeper of the Seal for the Realm of Souls, I have been imbued with even more magic. As a keeper, my duty is to guard the magical source and maintain the seal. The only time a seal is opened is when supernaturals are granted new powers. Each realm has its own process of how those individuals are carefully selected.”
Kami knew that new gods were created in the Celestial Realm by going through the Merit of Godhood Trials. The Hell Realm supposedly had a similar process. While a new god’s powers came directly from the magical source, she hadn’t considered that the other realms might have similar setups.
She wasn’t sure she wanted to hear the answer to her next question, but she had to ask. “You said magic will flood out into the world if a seal is broken. Does that mean everyone will become gods?”
“No, not everyone is meant to have magic. It isn’t simply a gift.
Magic is a powerful force, wild and unpredictably destructive in the wrong hands.
Most souls aren’t prepared to bear its weight.
If the seal were to break and magic were unleashed, it wouldn’t just give everyone powers.
It would overwhelm minds, twist intentions, and shatter any hope of order.
People would lose themselves. They would be overwhelmed by uncontrollable urges and violent impulses, lashing out without reason or restraint. ”
He paused, letting the gravity of his words sink in.
His words didn’t echo through the silent chamber. Instead, the steam rising from the water seemed to keep the sound contained. Every syllable hung suspended in the dense mist, absorbed and softened by the warm vapor swirling around them, making it the perfect place to share secrets.
“The chaos would be impossible to contain. Entire cities could be consumed by madness as neighbors, friends, and even families turned on one another. The very fabric of civilization would unravel. Those with the strongest wills would survive and adapt, but everyone else would be doomed. The realms would be reduced to desolate ruins, and we would be left with the remnants of what once was.”
She shuddered as she considered the ramifications of that scenario.
That wasn’t just bad. That would be the end of all things.
Every story she’d ever heard about magical disasters suddenly seemed trivial compared to the reality of what would happen if the seal was broken.
True destruction wasn’t simply the loss of life, but the loss of hope, of sanity, of everything that made the realms worth saving.
The seals had to be protected, or everything would be lost.
“If the group of supernaturals who attacked you and the other reapers were trying to open the seal, did they know what would happen?”
“They believed they could absorb all the source magic themselves, making them even stronger than the gods. For some, power isn’t enough. Only absolute supremacy will do. They wanted to rule the six realms and make everyone else bow down to them.”
Realization struck.
It had taken a member of each of the races to perform the curse that had forced Zander into a magical slumber for centuries, but even working together, they couldn’t have overpowered all of those reapers and the God of War. Especially if they had known he was one of the Four Horsemen.
Unless he was betrayed.
“It was Famine,” he said softly, answering her unspoken question. “No longer content to just be one of the Horsemen, he wanted more power in order to declare himself the Emperor of the Six Realms.”
Kami didn’t know much about that particular Horseman.
All she could remember was that Famine was traditionally seen riding a black horse.
He represented the devastating consequences of scarcity, hunger, and economic collapse.
Unlike the more overt violence of War or the finality of Death, Famine brought on slow, creeping suffering, like failing crops, food scarcity, and entire populations weakened by malnutrition.
“It was more than that. Famine controlled the balance between abundance and deprivation. Perhaps it was the constant reminder of inequality and desperation that made him want more for himself. He was also angry that he had not been chosen as the Keeper of the Seal for the Realm of Souls, and that resentment had caused him to lash out.”
“Lash out?”
Bitterness almost made her choke on the words. That son of a bitch had tried to murder her mate. She hoped he met a very painful end. No, she hoped that bastard was still alive, hiding in some hole somewhere. That way, she could have the pleasure of dealing with him herself.
“You may get your wish,” Zander said. “I believe he survived. The last I saw of him, he was badly wounded, but I did not sense his death.” He sighed. “Now that I am free again, I will have to track him down and finish him off for good.”
“If he survived, isn’t it strange that he hasn’t tried to make a move while you were gone?”
“Who says he hasn’t? If he is still alive, I am sure he has tried to access one of the seals. Perhaps some of the calamities that have occurred might even be traced back to him.”
That was a scary thought. Then, she perked up. Since the apocalypse hadn’t happened, that meant that he had failed.
“What’s his name?”
“Why?”
“I want to know who to curse in my head. Saying Famine over and over again is just weird.”
He chuckled. “His name is Silva. Death is Raziel, and Conquest is Devlin.”
“No last names? I thought yours was Cosmos.”
“I do not have a last name. It is simply what I use when attempting to fit in with the lesser beings.”
That made her snort out a laugh.
Everyone was a lesser being compared to him.
“That’s funny. I know a reaper named Devlin…” Her voice trailed off, then she gasped. “Are you fucking kidding me? Devlin Excess, billionaire owner of the social media empire in the Human Realm, is a Horseman?” She had to laugh. “Actually, that makes so much sense.”
Devlin Excess developed the Excess App, a social media platform offering instant messaging, mobile payments, and an independent seller shopping forum.
But that wasn’t all he was known for. Within the supernatural community, he was also known as a broker of sorts, making deals and trading favors for the right price.
His ruthless enforcement of those deals had earned him the nickname The Devil, which suited him if he was the Horseman called Conquest.
While some stories depicted the first of the Four Horsemen as Pestilence, most of the stories Kami had heard referred to him as Conquest. A rider of a white horse, he symbolized victory, dominance, and the pursuit of power.
He set the stage for the destruction his fellow Horsemen wrought, though his role in everything was a little more ambiguous.
The social media app Devlin had created allowed him to spread his influence without him having to lift a finger. It was a genius move, as were the deals he made on the side.
Kami yelped as Zander’s arms tightened around her, squeezing the breath right out of her. At first, she thought he was jealous. A jealous Horseman would be dangerous for…well, literally everyone. Thankfully, she was able to relax again once she realized he was grinning at her.
“Forgive me, mate. I was just excited to hear that you know Conquest.”
“I didn’t know he was Conquest, though. I just thought Devlin was an ancient reaper.”
“He would not advertise his status. Not with Death missing, and me trapped by the curse.”
“Are you sure he wasn’t part of the whole conspiracy to break the seal? I hate to think that of him, but it could be possible, right? I mean, he’s the only one of you that seems to be out there chilling and enjoying life.”
“It is highly unlikely. Despite being Conquest, Devlin has always been lazy. He has never wanted more power or more responsibilities. It doesn’t surprise me that he has chosen to live amongst the humans.
He was always fond of their simpler existence.
It is also telling that in all this time, he has never tried to rule over them.
At least, not overtly. That would just annoy him.
Even those deals you mentioned are more for fun than for personal gain.
I believe we will not have to kill him.”
“I’m relieved to hear that. It would suck to have to start hating him now.”