Reaper

by Larissa_Ion

  “So, someone was trying to kill the baby.” Shade whistled. “Someone tried to kill the fucking Grim Reaper’s unborn child.”

  “Who would do that?” Sin asked. “And why?”

  Eidolon had no idea, but he did know that whoever was responsible was going to be very, very sorry.

  Chapter 5

  Groggy, her head pounding, Lilliana sat up in the strange bed. It only took a second to figure out where she was, given the medical equipment and supplies.

  Journey and Maddox sat at a small table next to the bed, playing what appeared to be Uno. Journey saw her first.

  “Lilliana!” He grinned and, as always, she saw Azagoth in him. Journey was as free with his smiles as Azagoth was stingy with them, but their genuine grin was the same.

  Her hand flew to her belly, and both boys were at her side before she could let out a relieved breath that she was still pregnant under the hospital gown and sheet. As if the baby heard her thoughts, it gave her a couple of sassy kicks, and her eyes watered with gratitude.

  “Emerico can’t sit still for more than five minutes, so I took over for him.” Maddox reached over and pressed the call button. “And Eidolon said to let him know when you woke up.”

  “Am I okay?” She wiggled her toes and fingers as if doing so meant that everything was cool. “Is the baby okay?”

  Journey nodded, the black plugs in his lobes bouncing with every motion. “We don’t know specifics. They won’t tell us anything. But the doctor assured us that you and my little brother or sister will be fine.”

  Oh, thank the Maker.

  “What about Azagoth?”

  “He’s been told,” Maddox said as he handed her his phone. “But I’m sure he’s going to want to hear it from you.” He pointed to a duffel near the bathroom. “Cat sent clothes and stuff, too.”

  “Thank you.” She smiled, so grateful to have such wonderful friends and family to support her. “Thank you both for everything.” She also gave silent thanks to Cat for making sure she didn’t have to wear a hospital gown home.

  A tap at the door interrupted her as she started to dial Azagoth, and she looked up from the phone.

  “It’s Eidolon,” the doctor called out. After she’d given permission, he entered, a warm smile curving his made-to-please-females lips. He strode toward her, his tan, muscular physique making the black scrubs he wore surprisingly sexy. A rare breed of incubus, he was literally designed to tempt and please, and she totally got why so many angels had lost their wings for a night with a sex demon.

  “How are you feeling?”

  “The boys tell me the baby and I are healthy, but until I hear it from you, I’m going to be a wreck.”

  “I get it.” He grabbed the chart from the end of the bed and carried it over to her bedside. The black glyphs extending from his fingers to his neck danced as his right arm flexed. “They’re right. Your vitals seem normal for an angel, and so are the baby’s.” He paused. “Do you know its gender?”

  She had her suspicions, but she’d kept them to herself. “Not for sure.”

  “Do you want to know?”

  She hesitated for a heartbeat, but the decision wasn’t that difficult. “I don’t think so. I want Azagoth and I to find out at the same time.”

  “You could FaceTime him,” Journey suggested.

  “It’s okay. I think we can wait another week or two for the big reveal.” She turned back to Eidolon. “That’s right, isn’t it? We’re still on track for an October fifteenth delivery date, right?”

  “We are,” he said, a little too solemnly. “But this has stressed your system.” He glanced over at Journey and Maddox. “Could I have a minute with Lilliana alone?”

  “It’s okay, Doctor.” She smiled at the boys with genuine affection. It had taken some time and tears to build relationships with Azagoth’s kids, but she was very glad that they were in her and Azagoth’s lives. Her mate had been alone for far too long. “They’re family.”

  “Of course,” he said. “But I really think I should speak with you alone.” At his tone, her hair stood on end.

  She nodded at Mad and Journey, and although it was clear they were reluctant to leave, they did.

  “Wraith said he was coming by the hospital to say hi,” Eidolon called after them. “You might find him in the break room.”

  She knew the boys wouldn’t venture more than ten feet from her room, but she hoped they got to see Eidolon’s brother before they left with her. Apparently, the demon had helped them a few months back when their sister, Suzanne, got into a dangerous situation with her Primori—now her husband—Declan. They’d been friends ever since.

  Lilliana could hardly wait until the door closed behind them before blurting, “What’s going on?”

  Eidolon propped himself against the counter and set aside her chart, his expression grim. “Is there any reason you would have taken something that would allow you to enter parts of Sheoul forbidden to angels?”

  “No.” She blinked in confusion. What a bizarre question. “Why?”

  “Because you have something in your system that does exactly that, and if you didn’t take it, then someone gave it to you.”

  Now she was even more confused. “Why would anyone do that?”

  Eidolon gripped the counter with white-knuckled force as if to brace himself for what he was about to say. “Because it causes fetal death, leading to spontaneous abortion.”

  “What?” She felt the blood drain from her face. “You said my baby—”

  “The baby is fine. You were lucky. I was able to repair the damage to your womb, but your body still needs to heal. We couldn’t remove the toxin, but we cast a containment spell to keep it concentrated in your wings, where it can’t affect the baby.”

  This new information, along with her brush with death, had sapped her strength. She hugged herself as she leaned back into the soothing softness of the pillow. “How long will the spell last?”

  “It’ll last the entirety of your pregnancy, so you don’t need to worry.”

  You don’t need to worry. She knew Eidolon had intended his words to be comforting, but right now, she was scared out of her mind.

  “Someone tried to kill my child.” She hugged herself harder. “I think worry is justified.”

  “I know,” he said softly. “I’m sorry.”

  Feeling bad for being snippy, she closed her eyes and composed herself. “So am I. I’m just shaken. And I wish Azagoth could be here.” She looked up at him. “Does he know?”

  “Idess informed him that you and the baby were both out of danger and told him that I’d call with details later.” He paused. “I wanted to wait until you were awake.”

  Maddox’s phone felt cold and heavy in her hand. She and the baby were healthy, but things could have turned out much differently. Someone had tried to kill her unborn child. Someone Azagoth trusted. Most likely someone living in Sheoul-gra, right under their noses.

  Fear for her child and anger at the betrayal shook her to her marrow. “How was whatever it is given to me?”

  “Most likely in an oral form. It was probably concealed in something you ate or drank.”

  Although that narrowed the suspect list down a little, she’d eaten a lot of food given to her by almost everyone she knew. Although…there was a chance that the food brought in from the outside could have been tainted by anyone who knew that she was the intended recipient. So, there was hope that no one she and Azagoth trusted was involved.

  Please let that be the case.

  “Will you please tell the boys to come back inside?”

  Eidolon called Journey and Maddox back and then hovered protectively close, his sharp, speculative gaze shifting between the two of them.

  “What’s going on?” Maddox stopped next to the bed rail and stared across the mattress at Eidolon, returning the suspicious stare.

  There was no point in keeping the information from them, not when she would need their help. “Someone slipped me a toxi
n that was meant to kill the baby,” she said bluntly, a little amazed that her voice hadn’t wavered.

  There were several heartbeats of stunned silence, and then a lot of cursing. Journey looked as if he wanted to hit the wall. Maddox took her hand and gave it a comforting squeeze. It struck her that he’d never touched her before. He was definitely his father’s son, his grip firm, his skin icy, the way Azagoth’s used to be when she first arrived in Sheoul-gra.

  “I swear we’ll find who did it, Lilliana.” Journey wheeled away from the wall, anger scorching his cheeks. “Doctor, how soon can she go back to Sheoul-gra?”

  “As soon as she’s ready,” Eidolon said before shooting her a meaningful look. “But there’s no hurry. Stay as long as you want to.”

  She wanted to go home. She wanted to go so badly it hurt, and she rested a protective hand over her belly. “I…I’m afraid I can’t.”

  “Can’t what?” Journey asked. “Go home?”

  “Someone is trying to harm my baby.” Saying the words made it real, and made her decision easier. “Possibly someone inside Sheoul-gra. If they got to me once, they could do it again. I can’t go back until I know it’s safe.”

  Maddox cringed. “Father won’t like that.”

  “He’ll understand.”

  “He’s going to freak out.”

  Yes, he would, but not because she refused to go back to Sheoul-gra. He’d agree with her reasoning as long as he believed that she was safe. But he was going to go next-level Reaper when he learned that what had happened to her had been intentional.

  “Epic freak-out,” Journey muttered, and then he looked over at her, his gaze as hard and cold as she’d ever seen it. “And I don’t blame him. Someone we live with, someone we trust, murdered at least one of his children and tried to kill another. Death at our father’s hands won’t be enough of a punishment, no matter who it is.”

  She shivered, recognizing the danger in her stepson’s tone. It belonged to Azagoth, and it was the first time she’d ever seen this side of Journey. Gone was the laid-back goof who liked to surf and play Dungeons & Dragons with Cipher. In his place was a warrior. He’d grown up a lot in the months she’d been gone.

  “So, where are you going to stay?” Maddox asked. “Here? In a fucking demon hospital?”

  “This fucking demon hospital is protected by an anti-violence ward,” Eidolon said calmly. “And the fucking demons who work here are trained professionals who—”

  “Sorry, Doctor.” Journey jumped in and tagged Maddox hard on the shoulder. “Mad here is a dick of epic proportions, and he’s sorry he insulted your hospital. We appreciate everything you’ve done. What he meant to say was ‘Lilliana, where would you feel safe?’”

  Journey’s rare attempt at diplomacy made her smile. He was usually the type to crack a beer and settle in to watch a tense exchange like it was a sport. No wonder he’d been entrusted with more Primori to watch over recently, including Suzanne’s husband.

  “If Cara and Ares are okay with it, I’ll stay with them again,” she said. “I can’t think of anywhere safer than a secret, highly defended island belonging to the Horseman of the Apocalypse known as War.”

  Clearly still stung by Journey’s rebuke, Maddox rolled a shoulder in a sullen shrug. “I dunno. The secret castle in Greenland that belongs to the Horseman known as Death is a safe bet, too.”

  He had a point, but she didn’t know Thanatos and his mate well. And besides, she’d take a warm, lush Greek isle over a frozen tundra any day.

  “Father is not going to take this well,” Journey repeated.

  Maddox snorted. “Yeah, well, imagine how much worse he’d take it if she died inside Sheoul-gra.”

  A tense silence engulfed the room at the cold reality of the situation. She and the baby could die if she went home. And even if she went to stay with Cara and Ares, someone still wanted her and/or her baby dead. Making matters worse, Azagoth would be furious, and when the Grim Reaper got angry, no one was spared his wrath. Not even himself. He had a tendency toward self-destructive behavior that terrified her.

  Cramps twisted her fingers, and she realized that she’d been holding Maddox’s phone so hard, it threatened to crack. This call would not be fun.

  Stomach churning, she took a deep breath and dialed.

  Chapter 6

  Fury flowed in Azagoth’s veins like molten lava, bubbling just beneath the surface, held in check by a thin, fragile shell of ice. Somehow, he hadn’t exploded. Somehow, his beast hadn’t broken free.

  Somehow, someone had poisoned his mate and tried to kill his child.

  In his own home.

  “Azagoth?” Lilliana spoke in soothing tones, no doubt attempting to ease his pain and keep his inner demon at bay. “I can’t come home. You know that, right? I can go to Ares’ island. Just until Sheoul-gra is safe.”

  “I can have it safe in five minutes,” he swore. “I’ll get rid of everyone, and I won’t let anyone inside ever again.”

  “Oh, darling,” she breathed softly. “That’s not the answer. It can’t be just the three of us trapped there forever.”

  Yes, it can. On some level, he knew that thought was irrational. On a much higher level, he understood that his tendency toward extreme action was why he trusted Lilliana to make this decision.

  “A?” she prompted, using the nickname that usually made him smile. “Are you there?” At his grunt of assent, she continued. “I’ll call you when I get settled, and we can talk about it.”

  Talk about it? He didn’t want to talk. He wanted to kill. He wanted to own the soul of whoever had dared to betray him. He wanted to rip the bastard to shreds with his bare hands, wait for him or her to regenerate, and then repeat the process over and over. Like squeezing one of those little stress balls, except with more begging and screaming.

  “I’ll find whoever is responsible, Lilli,” he swore. “I want our child to be born here, not on Ares’ island.”

  “Me, too,” she murmured. “Please hurry.” She paused. “I love you.”

  “I love you, too.” Azagoth set down the phone, his body numb, his brain buzzing with rage.

  “Azagoth.”

  He shifted his gaze to the speaker. He’d forgotten that the angel, code-named Jim Bob, was still standing in the library, his hand wrapped around a highball glass of Azagoth’s best rum.

  Azagoth hadn’t even poured his own glass before Lilliana called. He reached across his desk for the bottle. “What?”

  “What happened?”

  He didn’t bother with a glass. He wasn’t feeling that fucking civilized. “Someone,” he growled, “attempted to kill my mate and child.”

  Jim Bob slowly lowered the glass from his mouth. “Where?”

  “Right here.” He took a long pull from the bottle, reveling in the burn of the alcohol pouring down his throat. When his insides were sufficiently on fire, he slammed the vessel down on the desk so hard the shelves rattled. “They’re okay, but they can’t come back.”

  “Someone got to her inside Sheoul-gra?” Jim Bob let out an oh-shit whistle. “Where is Lilliana now?”

  Azagoth shot his spy a look. His circle of trust was small, and Jim Bob wasn’t included, no matter how long he’d known him or how much information Jim Bob brought him.

  “She’s safe,” Azagoth said, leaving it at that. Jim Bob was probably well-connected enough to find out if he really wanted to, but Azagoth wasn’t going to make it easy for him. Instead, he changed the subject to the reason Jim Bob had come in the first place: the rise of the fallen angel Moloc, and the massive surge in his powers after his soul was fused with his dead twin’s. “You said you’re here about Moloc. Why? Is Heaven up in arms because I sent a few souls after Bael?”

  “Obviously. What you did was in breach of your agreement with Heaven, and it resulted in an already powerful enemy becoming even more powerful.” Jim Bob’s voice rumbled with irritation. Clearly, he agreed with his Heavenly brethren. “It was the last straw for your
detractors. They claim you’re reckless, unpredictable, and your reach is too great. They want you either brought to heel or put down.”

  “Fools.” Azagoth reached out and idly stroked the petals of the living crystal rose Lilliana had given him as a gift mere days ago. “All of them.”

  Jim Bob peered into his glass as he swirled the rum around. “Those who want to see you castrated—figuratively, although I wouldn’t rule out a few who are thinking in more literal terms—is a small percentage, but the movement is growing.”

  “I don’t fear them.” When Jim Bob cut him a look of dismay, he snorted. “What? You think I should?”

  “No.” Jim Bob paused as if rethinking that. “But you might want to stop flexing your muscles. You aren’t invincible, Reaper. Remember that.”

  Few things annoyed Azagoth more than being threatened, and he surged to his feet. “I’m not afraid of Heaven’s wrath.”

  Jim Bob nodded, almost as if he approved. “You’ve never been afraid of anything, have you, Azagoth?”

  “He who hasn’t known fear hasn’t faced his demons,” he mused, quoting a line from Grim Reapings: The Making of Sheoul-gra, by Zachariel, First Angel of the Apocalypse. It had been a good read, maybe a little too accurate when accounting Azagoth’s time as Asrael, but hey, it had entertained him for a couple of hours.

  “And have you?” Jim Bob asked. “Faced your demons?”

  Azagoth laughed. “I am a demon, and Heaven had better remember that.”

  “You’re an angel tasked with storing evil souls until they can be reincarnated,” Jim Bob said as if Azagoth were unaware of his own fucking job description. “You were chosen by Heaven for a reason, but if you start breaking the terms of the agreement in order to go after Moloc, they’ll terminate it. And you.”

  Yeah, well, if Moloc was behind the attack on Lilliana, there was going to be a lot of terminating going on.

  Heaven could suck it.

  And why the hell hadn’t Lilliana called from Ares’ place yet? He glanced at his watch. Son of a bitch. It had only been ten minutes since he’d spoken with her. She probably wasn’t even dressed yet.