Chapter Ten
The clash of striking metal echoed through the great hall as Zander and Devlin finally called a halt to the fighting. For a moment, they simply grinned at one another, then they made their swords disappear as they shared a brief one-armed hug.
“Welcome back, brother.”
“It’s good to see you, brother,” Zander said in return. “You look…like a businessman.”
Devlin clasped him on the shoulder. “Why do you have to make that sound like an insult?”
“It is.”
Devlin laughed, then nodded toward the table. “So, you told her who you really are?”
“Of course, I did,” Zander retorted. “Kami is my mate.”
“What about me?”
Zander shot him a frown. “What about you?”
Devlin snorted out a laugh, then he smiled at the stunned group as they walked closer to the table.
“Let me formally introduce myself. You know me as Devlin Excess, but my real name is Conquest, the rider of the white horse. Of course, I don’t really do that anymore.
Now, I have a driver and a white Rolls Royce. ”
“What?” Kellen stuttered out. “You are the Horsemen of the freaking apocalypse? Does that mean we’re all going to die now?”
Devlin waved a hand in the air. “We don’t really do that anymore either. The whole end of the world thing has completely been exaggerated.” He shot a glance at Zander. “Well, we did get close once, but thankfully, you survived. Speaking of, I have something for you.”
Zander thought about it for a moment, then asked, “Which one?”
“Amon.”
Zander’s lips curved into a fierce grin. “You always did have a talent for giving the perfect gifts.”
“I try. Shall we go?”
“Wait!” Kami called out as she hurried over to him.
Striding forward, he cut the distance and met her halfway. He automatically reached for her, pulling her close. “What is it, beloved?”
“You’re going after your enemies now, right? I know you were planning something earlier,” she said through their bond.
“Kami, I—”
“I’m not mad. Everyone is entitled to a little privacy, even between mates,” she told him, cutting him off.
Zander didn’t know how he felt about that. Actually, he didn’t like the idea of her keeping secrets from him. Just the thought of it made him feel downright murderous.
She smiled. “Well, since you feel that way, I feel better confessing that I caught a glimpse of your plan in your head. Don’t worry, I’m not planning to stop you or anything.
I’m guessing part of the reason you wanted to come here was to make sure I would be safe with my family if you had to leave. ”
“You know me well, mate. I was planning on going after my enemies as soon as I found them, but I would not have left before discussing it with you.”
“Before you go, I just wanted to ask you how much I can tell my sister and the others. They are bound to have questions about everything.”
Zander smiled and stroked a hand down her hair. “Share anything you like with them. After all, we are family now.”
Leaning down, he brushed his lips against hers.
As much as he wanted to hunt down his enemies, he didn’t want to leave her side.
This was the first time they would be separated since they met, and he wasn’t sure how he felt about that.
He had become dependent on being in her presence, and even the thought of being apart from her was deeply unsettling to him.
He realized just how much her comfort, her warmth, and the silent understanding between them had become an essential part of his existence. Yet, he knew that this was something he had to do. Not just for himself, but for the reapers who had been cursed along with him.
They deserved retribution.
Still, he hated leaving her side. There was another option, though. “Would you like to join us?”
“And what? Go kill people? I’ll pass.” She patted his chest. “You go have fun. I’ll wait for you here.”
Amused by her cheeky sendoff, he kissed her again before stepping back. He supposed that was for the best. “I will be back soon.”
“Be careful.”
With a nod, he allowed Devlin to teleport him away from his mate and the Fae Realm.
When they arrived at their destination, Zander saw that Devlin had brought him to a modern mansion.
They were standing in a white marble foyer in front of a grand double staircase that swept upward in elegant curves.
There was a large vase of white flowers on a tall pedestal between the stairs, and a large crystal chandelier hung down from the ceiling, casting soft, ambient lighting throughout the space.
The décor might have been minimalist, but the entire entryway had an air of opulence and sophistication. The luxurious surroundings didn’t interest him much. What did catch his attention was the familiar pulsing energy he could sense somewhere close by.
“You built your home over the seal.”
“I did,” Devlin declared. “Although I own several properties around the world, I spend most of my time here at the mansion in Mystic, Colorado since this is where the seal is. Come on. Your gift is in the dungeon. We have to take the scenic route down to that level.”
“Not a problem.”
They walked to the left curved staircase and paused as Devlin opened a hidden door. Torches burst to life on the wall as the door automatically closed behind them. As they started down the steps, Zander caught a faint metallic scent in the air.
“You have other guests?”
“A few. There are a couple of unfortunate souls who thought they could make deals with me and get away without paying the fee.”
“Foolish of them.”
“Very. Back when I originally agreed to watch over the seal after the witch coven in charge of guarding it destroyed themselves by infighting, it was supposed to be a temporary deal until a new keeper was chosen. But that changed once you and the others disappeared. The source selected me, so I had to remain here in the Human Realm.”
“It made sense to build your home over the seal in order to protect it. That’s why I wanted to move the seal in the Realm of Souls to the In Between.”
“That’s actually where I got the idea to build here,” Devlin admitted.
“How about the other seals?”
“The Fairy Queen still has hers lockdown tight, so we don’t have to worry about that one.
The seal in the Shifter Realm went dormant after they lost their magic, but now that their magic has been returned to them, a new keeper will have to be selected.
Oh, and Keo is still guarding the seal in the Celestial Realm, where they use it for their Merit of Godhood Trials. ”
“Hiding it in plain sight is both genius and reckless.”
“Well, that describes Keo pretty accurately.”
They both chuckled, then Zander asked, “Has the seal in the Fae Realm remained hidden?”
“According to my sources, yes.”
Since the four fae kingdoms were always fluctuating between war and peace, they didn’t trust each other enough to share guardianship over the seal.
Because of that, they decided to let one of the other keepers hide it somewhere within the realm.
As long as the source magic still flowed into all four kingdoms, they claimed they didn’t need a specific keeper.
Since Zander had been the one to move it, he knew exactly where the seal was located.
But that didn’t mean it was still safe.
When they arrived on the lower level, Devlin led the way down a dark stone hallway, passing by several cell doors.
Zander heard stirring in a few of the rooms but ignored them when he sensed the supernaturals inside were relatively low-level beings.
If they had made a deal with Devlin and tried to cheat their way out, they deserved to serve time in his prison.
The last room at the end of the hallway was a large space Zander considered Devlin’s workroom.
Torture devices of every kind were displayed on the walls and covered the long tables on each side of the room.
Gleaming blades, rusted chains, spiked cuffs, and delicate instruments designed for pain lined every inch of the stone walls, reflecting the flickering torchlight in chilling patterns.
Some of the implements looked ancient, their designs hinting at cruel ingenuity from centuries past, while others were unmistakably modern instruments. It was not just a place for punishment.
It was a chamber devoted to inflicting suffering.
Two males were strapped to crosses at the far end of the room.
Both of their bodies were covered with lashes from a whip, though the one on the right had fresh marks delineating him as the most recent victim.
The air was thick with the metallic scent of blood and antiseptics, but a soft breeze cleared the room of the cloying smell.
A female and male demon wearing glasses and simple uniforms were busy cleaning a few of their props. Zander thought they looked more like secretaries working in an office rather than torturers.
Devlin leaned in and whispered, “The glasses keep the blood from getting in the eyes. I really hate that.”
Zander had to agree.
With a wave of his hand, Devlin dismissed the demons. Both of them bowed low before leaving the room.
“What did he do?” Zander asked curiously.
Amon’s head snapped up at the sound of his voice, and his dark eyes went wide with recognition and fear. Zander ignored him for the moment, keeping his focus on the latest victim.
“I made a deal with a witch who needed money to pay for his child’s surgery.
Occasionally, I take a charity case if I’m bored enough,” Devlin said, downplaying his benevolence.
“This piece of shit is that man’s brother.
He killed his brother and stole the money before the child could have her surgery.
She ended up dying as well as a result of his greed.
He’s only had a few days of torture, but he’s already broken. Pathetic.”
Devlin lifted one of the knives from the table and threw it at the male, burying it deep in his chest. He gasped for breath a few times, then slumped over in his bonds before disappearing into a cloud of ash that scattered in the air.
“Amon has been my guest for a few weeks now. It was fortuitous that I found him just in time for your return. Since the ritual they did ended up draining most of his magic, he’s been hiding out here in the Human Realm.”
Zander clasped his hands behind his back and strolled forward, standing in front of Amon. The male’s fear was palpable, but it wasn’t nearly enough to satisfy him.
“Betrayer.”
“Forgive me, War. I didn’t mean it. I’m sorry,” Amon sobbed. “I’m so fucking sorry.”
Ignoring his pleas, Zander said, “You didn’t just betray me. You betrayed dozens of your fellow reapers. And for what? The promise of more power? Glory? What exactly were you lacking that you chose to commit such a sin?”
“Famine told us you were hoarding the source magic for yourselves. Why not release it into the world so everyone could benefit?”
“Lies,” Devlin growled. “You wanted more magic, and you thought killing War would help you get it.”
“I never tried to kill you. I didn’t know that was part of the plan. We were just stopping you from moving the seal and keeping it to yourself.”
Zander leaned forward. “And the souls you consumed before that?” he asked softly. “Do you really think I didn’t know that you were using the souls of other supernaturals to feed your hunger for power?”
In a panic, Amon struggled against the bonds holding him in place.
Zander slowly held up a hand, making sure the bastard in front of him was tracking his movements and saw his end coming.
Not wanting to drag it out, he ripped the bastard’s soul right out of his body and crushed it in his fist. Destroying his soul ensured he would never have a chance for redemption.
Magic lingered in the air like glowing gold dust, barely visible to even his enhanced eyesight.
As he called it to him, an iridescent mark appeared on his palm as he absorbed the magic, returning it to the source.
Being able to recall magic straight to the source was a trait specific to the Horsemen.
Satisfied with the results, Zander smiled. “Thanks for the gift. It was exactly what I wanted.”
“I’m glad. Most people don’t understand that we can read their thoughts,” Devlin pointed out. “Or they wouldn’t waste their time lying so damn much.”
“At least he was helpful. He knows where Somni has been hiding. Are you coming with me?”
“Are you kidding? I wouldn’t miss this for worlds.” Devlin grinned. “It’s been ages since I’ve been to Miami. I’ve had people looking for Somni for years, but I never suspected that lazy asshole would actually lower himself to get plastic surgery to change his face.”
That was a serious transgression, especially for more powerful supernaturals.
Sure, some people used glamour charms or other spells to temporarily alter their appearance, blending in when necessary or just for fun.
But no one would permanently change their face unless they were hiding from something truly terrible.
It was one thing to rely on magical illusions, but quite another for a celestial to let humans permanently cut and reshape his features. That kind of desperation spoke volumes about the gravity of the situation.
The God of Slumber couldn’t risk people finding out why his magic had been drained, nor could he adequately protect himself without it. So, his best chance of survival was to hide in the Human Realm, just like Amon had. That was a clear indication that he was scared shitless of being found.
Too bad for him, his time had run out.