Page 10 of Conquest (The Four Horsemen #1)

9

Raziel closed his eyes, holding tight to Conquest’s shoulders as Conquest pulled him from Victory and set him gently on the moss-covered ground in a dense forest.

Raziel would normally have preferred to get down himself, if only just to prove he wasn’t completely useless, but he understood why Conquest hadn’t allowed him to this time. The moss and uneven terrain would have been far too easy to slip on when he jumped from Victory’s back. Good hand-eye coordination was not a skill that Raziel possessed.

He didn’t understand what they were doing here, though. He had woken to Conquest standing over him in his full Horseman armor, with a casual outfit consisting of a plain blue t-shirt and black cargo pants hanging from his arm. He had thrown it on top of Raziel’s prone form, stating, “We’re going out. Put these on. You have five minutes.”

The forest they were in was dark, the thick trees that bracketed them blocking out the sun from above. An unsettling mist blanketed the moss-covered earth. The roots of the trees were eerie and sprawling, reaching out of their soil and beyond the mist. There wasn’t a lot of foliage, mostly decomposing brush and large fallen logs. The stillness in the air was suffocating.

What were they doing here?

Victory bent and nibbled at the moss. Her face wrinkled and she snorted, spitting it out. Raziel scratched the side of her head and she leaned into his touch.

“Leave us,” Conquest said.

Victory stamped a foot and Conquest crossed his arms.

“Please.”

Raziel’s eyebrows shot up. Had Conquest just said please?

Victory turned her back on Conquest and flicked her tail across his face. He didn’t move.

She let out a huff as she summoned the fog and daintily trotted through it.

Raziel wished he could go with her. There was something unnerving about the forest surrounding them. The tightly clustered trees made Raziel feel like he was being boxed in.

He could hear the trickling of a nearby river but he couldn’t see it through the dense trees.

There was something else about this place. Something he couldn’t quite put his finger on. It was almost as if… “We aren’t in the Mortal Dimension anymore, are we?”

“No.”

“Where are we?”

“Somewhere safe,” Conquest said, which wasn’t cryptic at all.

He circled Raziel and Raziel resisted the urge to wrap his arms around himself and shrink in. What was Conquest looking for?

Conquest stopped in front of Raziel. He lifted a hand palm up and wisps of his purple energy twisted around it, shining and beautiful. “What are you?”

Was that a trick question? “I’ve-I’ve told you?”

“Something is after you, Raziel. If you were what you say you are, then you would be of no interest to anyone. It almost took you; I was almost too late.” Raziel couldn’t figure out what the strange note to the Horseman’s voice was, but it was gone in the space between one word and the next. “There isn’t a lot in existence that can creep under my radar. It wasn’t the Heavens, and it wasn’t the Hells. Which leads me to ask once more, what are you?”

“Can you let me know when you find out?” Raziel said snidely.

Conquest clenched his hand into a fist and Raziel flinched, but the energy only disappeared.

“Wrong answer. I’ve been rather lenient on you, but I won’t tolerate insolence. Do you remember how we play this game?”

Raziel took an unsteady step back. “I’m telling the truth!”

“Are you? Lying to me isn’t good for your health, Raziel.”

“I’m not lying! I have no idea why anyone would want to be hunting me.”

Conquest clearly didn’t believe him, if the look he shot Raziel was any indication. “Which Archangel are you connected to?”

“None,” Raziel said glumly.

“Bullshit.”

“It’s true! I’m so weak I don’t even have wings! I don’t have a Gift, I can’t do anything. ”

Conquest took a step forward. Raziel cried out, clenching his eyes shut tight as he flung out a hand, as if that could help ward the Horseman away.

“Open your eyes,” Conquest said.

Raziel didn’t want to. Was Conquest going to hurt him again? He was telling the truth. He didn’t have any other answers for him.

“Raziel, open your eyes, now.”

Raziel slowly did as he was told. Conquest’s expression was hard, but he couldn’t see cruelty, and he relaxed somewhat.

“Despite the fact that you have no wings, you are an Angel. That means your power is in there somewhere. Every Angel is connected to an Archangel; therefore, so are you. You understand?”

Raziel ignored the flutter of hope deep in his heart. He couldn’t hold onto the belief that maybe he wasn’t as damaged as he appeared, because he knew he was. Every Angel that had ever tried to train him had known it, and made sure Raziel had known it too.

Conquest yanked Raziel against him, turning him so his back was flat against Conquest’s chest. Conquest slid an arm around Raziel’s waist. His free hand twined with Raziel’s and he placed them over Raziel’s heart.

“It’s in there. Just listen.”

Raziel shook his head and blinked back tears. It wasn’t there. It wasn’t. Despite the gentleness of his touch and their twined fingers, this was the cruelest thing Conquest had done to him so far.

Conquest’s grip around him tightened, and then his hot breath was against Raziel’s ear. Raziel couldn’t help the full body shiver that the simple touch evoked. He remembered the soft caresses, the bites, the way his tongue felt and his body instantly responded.

“Almost every Immortal being has a Focus, an object that is the key to unlocking their full power. It’s their most prized possession, the chink in their armor that can be exploited. Every Immortal will fight to the death to keep theirs, no exception.” Conquest licked the shell of Raziel’s ear. “Angels are the only Immortals that don’t possess that weakness; their Focus isn’t an object, it’s a state of being. It’s a part of you that you can’t ever escape from, that can’t ever be taken from you.”

Conquest kissed up Raziel’s neck, giving it a hard nip with his teeth, drawing blood. Raziel let slip a moan, the pain mixed with an intense pleasure that only Conquest had ever brought forth in him. He never knew what to do with it, but he craved it.

“You have that Raziel, I can smell it.” Conquest inhaled deeply, rubbing his nose against the savaged skin. “I want to see it; show me.”

Raziel’s hand sunk into Conquest’s arm, his fingernails biting into the cold flesh of the Horseman. He could feel every word in every inch of his body, every part of his soul. It warmed him, sending flushes spreading through him like wildfire.

“Let it out.”

“No!” Raziel wrenched himself away from Conquest so violently that when Conquest unexpectedly released him, he slipped and fell onto his hands and knees on the wet rocks, moss and dirt below. His hair fell against his face and he clenched his hands into the earth. His eyes stung with unshed tears. “No,” he whispered, his voice cracking. “I can’t. I’m not like them. I’m broken, I’m weak. Stop acting like you care, like you think I’m better than that. I’m not.”

“Get up.”

Raziel refused to move, shaking his head.

“I won’t ask again.”

Raziel stayed still, uncaring if he was punished for it or not. He was so goddamn sick of the Horseman playing with him. Touching him, holding him, kissing him, being a steady presence for him as he faltered at every turn. What did he want with Raziel? Why wouldn’t he just kill him, get it over with? Anything would be better than this torment. Blatant cruelty didn’t hurt this much.

Raziel was hauled to his feet and slammed against the trunk of a nearby tree, Conquest’s large hand around his throat like a vice. “Don’t let being afraid stop you from trying,” he hissed. “Fear can break you, if you allow it to. Don’t think about what you haven’t done, don’t think about what they tell you that you can’t do. What they think about you doesn’t matter; every Angel in the Heavens is a self-righteous prick. Strip away all that bullshit ; don’t let it define you.”

Raziel couldn’t break away from Conquest’s intense gaze even if he’d wanted to. His grey eyes were a sea of heat and Raziel wasn’t sure he’d ever seen a more enchanting sight.

“Let go of the fear, Raziel.” Conquest growled deep in his throat. He bent and claimed Raziel’s lips in a hard kiss.

Raziel made a desperate sound as he clung to Conquest. He opened his mouth to the onslaught, letting Conquest in. Letting him into his body, letting him into his soul. They were entwined so closely, connected everywhere so deeply that Raziel didn’t know where he began and Conquest ended.

Something deep inside his body surged forward, spreading through him in bursts of hot and cold. Raziel pressed himself against Conquest’s solid frame, giving him everything, unable to hold back. Conquest slipped his hands under Raziel’s shirt, pressing his fingers into Raziel’s warm skin, holding him tight.

A strange sensation was growing inside Raziel, steadily rising within him. It frightened and excited him in equal parts. He was lost in the taste of Conquest, in the way every stroke of his tongue stroked other parts deep inside him, tasting, touching and consuming him.

Raziel wrapped his arms around Conquest’s neck, rising onto his toes to get closer. He dug his fingers into Conquest’s shoulders, the cold that was within Conquest’s flesh soothing the flames trying to reduce him to ash.

The dam inside Raziel broke beneath the weight of the kiss, and tears streamed down his face as Conquest gave him everything he had never known he’d needed. The arms surrounding him held him steady as Raziel’s emotions poured from him like a waterfall.

Conquest cried out in pain, pulling away as he fell onto one knee, a fist pressed into the ground.

Breathing heavily, Raziel placed his hands on Conquest’s shoulders and stared in horror at the landscape around him.

The forest that had been full of life, was… dead, as far as the eye could see .

With the sun shining through and the mist having evaporated, the lifeless surroundings were thrown into sharp relief.

The trees had turned a sickening white, withered and naked branches reaching towards the sky. The green leaves that had once graced the branches were now brown and shriveled on the forest floor. The moss had turned a pale grey, dried and decaying. A large crack sounded nearby, and Raziel watched in disbelief as a giant tree fell in a cloud of dust.

Raziel could see where the river had once been, where the sound of the water had been coming from. It was dry now, the banks and floor dotted with rotting fish, their bodies corroding already. A strong odor in the air was overpowering, and nauseating.

Conquest stood and pulled Raziel to him, shielding him.

“What did you do?” Raziel whispered.

Conquest tipped Raziel’s head back with a thumb under his chin. There was something soft and curious in his eyes that made Raziel’s insides twist. “I think the better question is, what did you do?”

“Me?” His fingers curled into the grooves of Conquest’s armor. “I couldn’t-I can’t-”

“That wasn’t me; my powers don’t create this kind of destruction. I’m impressed,” Conquest said, chuckling.

Dismay washed over Raziel as he glanced around at the death that surrounded them.

Had he done that?

“That’s not-it’s not an Angel’s power. We don’t-we can’t-”

“We can worry about it later,” Conquest said. He let out a shrill whistle and a moment later Victory came galloping out of the fog. Conquest pulled both of them up onto her back. “We have to go. That kind of power flare will attract uninvited guests.”

Raziel turned his head and buried it in Conquest’s chest and hung on as Victory took them home.

* * *

Raziel stumbled when Conquest pulled him from Victory. Conquest’s touch didn’t linger once he steadied him.

“Watch him,” he said tersely to Victory, before heading inside without another word.

Raziel wandered slowly around the side of the large house, Victory trailing behind him.

He pressed a hand against her side, stroking absently. What would have happened to her if she had been in that forest? Conquest hadn’t been hurt but he had been brought to his knees. Raziel was already horrified by what he had done, if he’d hurt her as well…

Raziel closed his eyes briefly. He didn’t know what to think, how to feel. He’d done something powerful, more powerful than he’d ever imagined possible, but it had also been terrifying.

He should have been more careful about what he wished for.

Raziel found a patch of grass and flowers. A place full of life and colour and beauty. He took off his shoes and socks.

He bent and touched the grass with a single finger, scared that he would kill it, and everything else. When nothing happened, he slowly lowered his whole body until he was sitting cross-legged.

Victory flopped down onto the grass a few feet from him and rolled in it, making happy horse noises.

Raziel plucked a yellow daisy and twirled it between his fingers. He squinted at it, trying to bring out whatever it was that was inside him. Could he do it again?

Did he even want to?

Angels were protectors, they were Guardians, they were the essence of purity and all that was good in the universe. They weren’t death and horror and darkness.

Raziel dropped the flower with an aggravated sigh. Whatever he had done, he didn’t know how he had done it.

He ripped up a handful of grass and lay his palm flat, letting the soft strands tickle him. He glared at it, willing it to die.

“What are you doing?”

Raziel yelped and shook the grass from his hand.

Conquest pressed the toe of his boot against the flower Raziel had picked. “Gardening?”

“No,” Raziel said weakly. Conquest was wearing his suit again. Both the shirt and black jacket sleeves were rolled to show off his forearms and Raziel couldn’t help but stare. Everything about this Horseman appealed to Raziel in a way he wished it wouldn’t. All of that raw power had been focused solely on him and, even now, the thought made him feel heady.

Conquest crooked a finger at him and Raziel stood as though on a string. When he was in reach Conquest took hold of his nape and tilted his head. “Trying out your new power, baby Angel?” His other hand curled into Raziel’s hair, pulling just tight enough that it was borderline painful.

“I don’t have a new power,” Raziel said. “I don’t know what I did. It wasn’t-”

“It’s not an Angel power,” Conquest said. “But you are an Angel, and it came from you. It was powerful, Raziel, which means that the Heavens were wrong when they believed you to be weak.”

“But-” That couldn’t be right. Even God didn’t believe he had power, and God was never wrong.

Conquest kissed him, slow and languid, making Raziel’s toes curl as he surrendered to the sensations that rolled through him.

“We’ll talk about it later,” Conquest murmured against his lips. “We have an appointment to keep.”

But instead of moving away, Conquest kissed him again. He was rougher this time, pulling Raziel close. Raziel moaned, his eyes closing in ecstasy. He tugged at Conquest’s shirt, pulling it from his pants so he could get his hands underneath, splaying them over Conquest’s sculpted chest, the fine hairs caressing his palms.

Conquest nipped his bottom lip and ran his tongue over it before pulling away. “You know the drill; outfit is on your bed.” He glanced at the ground and smirked before he walked away.

Raziel’s stomach sank when he noticed that the small patch of grass around him was now brown and lifeless.

* * *

Conquest thanked the four-star General he was speaking to and left to join his wayward charge. Raziel had slunk away from him halfway through his conversation, not even being subtle about it. If the Angel thought Conquest didn’t know where he was at all times, he was a fool. There was nothing in this room, in this city, that Conquest couldn't feel.

They were attending a celebratory party for the General he had been speaking to. It was a quiet, intimate affair, according to the invite. The hundred plus people in attendance seemed to refute that claim. Mortals were idiots. But it was the perfect opportunity for Conquest to sink his teeth into the American military. Tensions between powerful countries were already high, and had been long before Conquest had gotten here. It was a powder keg that would need barely even a nudge to implode. Conquest could almost taste the Sulphur in the air, just waiting for a spark.

When he and his brethren had walked the Earth so many years ago, the mortals had been a bloodthirsty breed. Despite the fact that there was less open warfare these days, the same greed and depravity were still just as present. The rivers still ran red with blood, just in a different way. In some ways it was worse; it was less direct, with less honour. Mortals embodied sin in ways that even they didn’t realise.

It was sickening, and Conquest would enjoy watching it all burn.

The sound of crashing across the room shifted Conquest’s attention instantly. Raziel was apologizing profusely to a server, both of them kneeling on the floor and picking up food that was spread around them.

He used the opportunity to study Raziel. The Angel had made it his mission that night to eat as many different things as possible. He was wearing a dark blue suit, but he had discarded his jacket early on in the night and Conquest had no idea where it currently was. His shirt was half hanging out from his pants, and the tie was askew. His unkempt appearance would have been comical if it weren’t for the simmering level of want that bubbled just below the surface.

Conquest wanted to rip the rest of the clothing off him, he wanted to throw him to the ground right here in the middle of the floor and taste every inch of that smooth flesh. There was something heavy in the air, something that ignited the nerves beneath the Demon skin Conquest wore, and he didn't know whether he wanted to fight or fuck more.

It was absurd. The Angel lacked finesse, lacked any of the experience Conquest preferred in a partner, lacked basically every quality that Conquest found attractive, period.

And yet, here they were.

Conquest would take his fill, bury himself inside that lithe body, taste the Angel’s essence, that intoxicating deathly power that was hidden deep inside him. And then he would throw Raziel back to the Angels, a used-up husk.

Conquest slowly made his way towards the Angel in question. It was still unclear where the power had come from, and why it was so difficult to bring forth. It seemed to come out when Raziel allowed himself to relax properly. Except Angels never had issues with power distribution, and Conquest had never seen it buried like that, let alone have the Angel themselves not know it was there.

The burst of power reminded him of when he and War had felt Raziel come to earth. Whatever it was, it was at least on par with an Archangel’s power. In an Angel? It was unheard of. And absolutely glorious.

The flare of intense energy had brought Conquest to a knee and it had been exquisite. If he'd had less control of himself, he might have shivered at the memory of it.

Raziel stood and began to peruse the buffet once more. Conquest paused, tilting his head. Was Raziel…putting pieces of food into a napkin?

A small smile played across Conquest’s face as he watched the Angel bounce across the room, glancing around as though he were being in any way inconspicuous. He stopped at the glass doors that led into the gardens outside and stuck his hand out of the door.

The napkin and its contents disappeared.

The little chit was feeding Victory.

Chuckling, Conquest continued on his quest to reach the Angel. He greeted each soldier that spoke to him, but made sure to wind his influence around them quickly before moving on. He had an Angel to catch; the heaviness of the air wasn't dissipating and Conquest wanted Raziel by his side, just in case.

“Well, well,” a deep, dark voice drawled.

Conquest cursed in five different languages before turning to greet the familiar voice.

The tall, toned man who had spoken to him was wearing a deep red suit that would have looked utterly ridiculous on anyone else. His black hair was mid-length and had either been styled so that it looked like he’d just rolled out of bed, or he had . Either option was a possibility. Black eye-liner made the bright, acid blue eyes stand out even more than normal; they had an unnatural look to them that couldn’t ever be mistaken for ordinary. It was a good thing the mortals were so easy to manipulate. Deep red scaled horns protruded from the top of his head, curled intricately together. They weren’t always twined like that, the Devil just liked to show off. The fact that none of the mortals could see the horns wouldn’t deter him.

“Hello, Diablo,” Conquest said. He didn’t bother to hide his sneer. They may have been on the same side of the drawn line in the last Holy War, but there was no love lost between them, for a myriad of reasons.

“Connie, dear, how are you? Haven’t seen you here for a while.” Diablo slid a black handkerchief into his front pocket and swiped a champagne flute as a server passed by them. He sniffed the air and gave Conquest a sly grin, revealing sharp fangs. “I had wondered what had happened to that Demon. I had so many fun things planned for it.”

Conquest snorted. Yeah, he bet. “Finders keepers,” he said lightly.

“Finders keepers indeed. Where have you been hiding that ?”

Conquest didn’t turn, didn’t give Diablo the satisfaction of thinking he had surprised Conquest. Raziel was still by the buffet, shoveling small morsels into his mouth. He was talking animatedly to a server who looked torn between morbid fascination and wanting to get the hell out of dodge. “What are you doing here, Diablo?”

“Just stretching my legs. Demon blood can get so dull, you know? Variety is the spice of life, as they say.”

“Right.”

“I didn’t know you went for the winged type, Connie. I know you like to break them, I didn’t think you liked to fuck them. You should have told me; I have some delightful Fallen Angels that would just love to be sexually broken by you.”

Conquest gave him an unimpressed look. “Pain isn’t any fun if the recipient likes it.”

“Pain is pleasure,” Diablo said, shrugging. He took a sip of his champagne, his eyes dancing with delight. “I see your Angel isn’t bleeding or broken. Do color me curious.” He lifted his nose into the air and sniffed, his mouth curling into a wicked grin. “No wings? Did you cut them off during sex? Sounds delightful. I’m tickled pink.”

“He’s my captive,” was all Conquest said. It was always best not to give the Devil more fuel than necessary. He was adept at burning those around him without any additional help.

“I’d love to know what you’re doing here. Are we readying for another war? I do so love when God gets on his high horse and smites the mortals. It’s been so long, and finding stray Angels to torture is such a bore.”

“You can ask him yourself,” Conquest said mildly. It suited his purpose for each side to think the other side was responsible. If he and his brothers could get through this without inciting another Holy War, it was all the better. Killing mortals was all well and good, but Immortals changed the playing field and Conquest wasn’t in the mood to play on that scale.

Raziel chose that moment to return to Conquest’s side with a plate full of food, his mouth full of whatever delicacy he had picked. He froze at the sight of Diablo, and shifted so that he was slightly hidden by Conquest’s large frame.

“Don’t be shy, little thing. We’re all friends here,” Diablo said. He narrowed his eyes at Raziel, his lips turning down into a frown for a fraction of a section before his gleeful expression returned.

Conquest felt Raziel’s hand curling into the back of his jacket, holding on tightly. Conquest didn’t move to comfort him; a show of weakness in front of this particular Immortal was detrimental to one’s health.

“Be careful,” Conquest warned. “We know what happened last time you touched something that was mine.”

It had taken Diablo an excruciatingly long time to grow that wing back. Conquest had kept it, slowly burning it over a thousand years, knowing that the owner could still feel the agony of it. Just because the wing wasn’t attached, didn’t mean it wasn’t still a part of its owner. Being as powerful as Diablo was wasn’t always a boon. The King of Demons had been forced to wait until Conquest had been done playing with it before he could begin the process of regrowing it.

“I’m not the only one that covets that beautiful crown of yours.”

“No, you’re just the only one stupid enough to try and take it.”

“Stupid or smart?” Diablo tapped a finger against his lips and then licked the tip. “Both, either, neither? The possibilities are endless.”

“Always a good sanity check talking to you,” Conquest said. He shifted and wrapped an arm around Raziel’s waist. “Enjoy your night.”

“Now, now, don’t leave yet. We’re still talking. Why don’t we have a toast?”

Conquest knew he was going to regret this, but, “A toast to what?”

“Why, mutual friendships, of course.” Lucifer pulled a dagger from the inside of the front of his pants. It was already tipped in blood and Conquest shuddered to think where it had come from. Lucifer turned and buried it in the neck of a server passing by.

Raziel gasped and plastered himself against Conquest.

The server clutched at the hilt, eyes wide as he choked on his own blood, wrapped tightly in Diablo’s power to stop him from falling to the ground. No-one seemed to notice anything out of the ordinary, the rest of the room still moving fluidly around the dying man.

Diablo swapped his empty champagne flute for a new one and pressed the rim of it just under the man’s wound. The blood ran in, mixing with the alcohol. He took a sip, humming appreciatively. “Deliciously warm.” He held the glass up. “To mutual friendships.”

“We’re leaving,” Conquest said.

“I didn’t say you could leave,” Diablo said, his eyes turning hard. “We’re having a toast. Don’t be rude.”

“If you want a fight, Diablo, just say so.” If he thought he could order Conquest around like he owned him, he could think again. Those years were long gone.

“I don’t want a fight, Connie, dearest. Though, I do want to borrow your pet. That skin, so soft . Even just a slice of it to take home.” He twirled the stem of his glass between his fingers. “Perhaps some blood? He smells divine , I’d love to know what his insides taste like.”

Raziel squeaked and dug his fingers into Conquest’s side.

A growl rose from deep within Conquest. “Lay a hand on him and you’ll have more than just your wings to worry about.”

“Ooh, touchy, touchy.” Diablo brushed an imaginary piece of lint from Conquest’s broad shoulder.

The opposite shoulder from where Raziel was standing, Conquest noted.

“Never seen you so…” Diablo gave an exaggerated shiver. “Giving me chills.” He winked at Raziel. “Always a pleasure, Conquest. Don’t be a stranger.”

Conquest didn’t take his eyes off Diablo until he had flung his hand in the air and disappeared into the fog. Even then, Conquest didn’t relax. Diablo had backed down too quickly. This wasn’t over.

“Was that…was that really Lucifer ?” Raziel asked, whispering as if he were afraid if he said it too loud Diablo would return. It wasn’t a stupid thought, all things considered. Diablo was a nosey bastard.

“We’re leaving,” Conquest said tersely. He needed to speak to his brothers. Diablo was up to something and Conquest knew that was never a good sign for anyone involved.

“But I haven’t finished…”

“Bring it with you. Now.”

Raziel cried out in surprise and hugged the plate of food close to his chest as Conquest pulled them through the fog, Victory following shortly after.

* * *

Conquest knew the moment they landed on solid ground in the driveway of his estate that something was wrong. There was a distinct and familiar scent in the air, acrid smoke and death. Very few Beings could get through the protections Famine had put up; even less were stupid enough to do it.

The higher Demons had come out to play.

“Stay close to me.”

“Why? What’s wrong?” Raziel asked, hurrying to keep up with Conquest’s long strides.

Conquest snapped his fingers and from one step to the next he was back in his own form, and wearing his Horseman armor. He sent a signal through to his brothers.

A moment later hoof beats sounded as fog rose from the ground.

War came charging through, streaks of flame following him. He drew up short beside Conquest. Flames snorted from his mare’s nostrils. “I’m here. What’s going on?”

“Diablo is showing his hand,” Conquest said. “He wants something.”

“Famine said he wasn’t the one who summoned us, so what the fuck does he want?”

Conquest glanced at Raziel. “It could be a case of simply wanting what we have, but I sense there’s something more to it.” He just wished he knew what. Diablo wasn’t usually quite so subtle; the thought that he could be made Conquest uneasy.

War dismounted and patted Feud on the rump. She pushed her flank against him before trotting back through the fog. “How many?” He closed his eyes briefly. “I sense…two. And some playthings.” His grin was wicked. “I think they’ve brought a serpent out; my favorite.”

Raziel gripped a handful of Conquest’s cape.

Conquest turned his head. “No matter what happens, don’t run. Stay behind me.” If Raziel ran, they would catch him, and that outcome wasn’t acceptable. Conquest didn’t know what Diablo’s game plan was, but he knew in his gut it had something to do with his Angel. And Conquest wasn’t done playing with him.

They entered the large foyer of the house to find two of Diablo’s Fallen Angel Warriors, Azael and Lerajie. Azael was wearing dark baggy jeans and an oversized black t-shirt that made him look like a teenage punk. In reality, he was a handsome, blue-eyed and blonde-haired nasty son of a bitch. He was leaning against the stair banister, playing with a dagger in his hand. He smirked at them, raising a single brow. “Nice of you to join us, guys.”

Raziel stayed hidden behind Conquest, but he knew the Fallen Angels knew he was there. Conquest leaned a hand back, and gave Raziel’s arm a quick squeeze.

“Party doesn’t start until we get here,” War drawled. His long, dark brown braid, hanging low over his left shoulder, burst into bright red flames. “Hope we didn’t keep you waiting long.”

“Cut the shit,” Lerajie said, her stilted Spanish accent making the words harsher, sharper. She was a black-haired beauty, fine-boned with sleek muscle tone. She had donned a green pair of shorts and a green jacket for the occasion and was already wielding her bow, poised in a stance that told Conquest she was ready to use it. He made a mental note to be aware of where she was firing and to keep the fuck out of the way of those arrows. The only bow in existence that could do more damage than them was Uriel’s, and that was only because of the ice Uriel infused his with. These ones didn’t need fancy tricks to hurt.

At Lerajie’s feet lounged two Hellhounds, their spiky tails lazily scraping across the floor. Conquest knew from experience that those spikes could slice through bone with ease, and that they were merely toys in comparison to the razor-sharp teeth.

“You didn’t come here for a friendly chat? Frankly, I am shocked and offended,” War said, placing a hand against his heart mockingly. “No-one has any manners anymore.”

Conquest eyed the fire serpent. It was a hideous creature that spanned a good twenty feet, every scale on fire. It had black holes where its eyes should have been, and its fangs hung out of the sides of its mouth, the venom dripping with a hiss every time it hit the tiled floor. Conquest dismissed it; War would take care of it.

The Hell spawn he was most concerned about was the winged abomination. It didn’t have a name, and was rarely seen out of the Hells. In fact, Conquest hadn’t been sure there were any left. It looked like it was merely a large mucus covered eyeball, with six wings surrounding its giant yellow pupil. That eye opened into a gaping maw of a mouth with three rows of teeth that could cut through anything, including the metal that the Horsemen got from Amii to protect themselves. It could emit a piercing sound that immobilized its prey, before using those teeth to devour them whole. Even with his Focus, Conquest tried to avoid fighting them on his own.

Fucking hell, this was going to be a clusterfuck of epic proportions. Why the hell was Diablo sending some of his best after them? For an Angel? It didn’t add up.

“Hand it over, and we’ll be on our way,” Azael said, giving him a toothy grin.

“Fuck off,” was Conquest’s only response.

“You need to learn manners,” Lerajie told him.

“From you?” War scoffed. “How about you and your boy toy fuck off back to the wasteland where you belong, and I won’t be forced to hurt you.”

“Hurt me?” Lerajie let out a melodic laugh.

“You always were too arrogant for your own good, War,” Azael said. He flipped the dagger in his hand and gripped the hilt. “I should carve my name in your chest. Maybe you’ll remember next time who your betters are.”

Of all the Fallen Angels under Diablo’s command, Conquest and his brothers despised these two the most. They were of the mind that summoning the Horsemen meant controlling them. He and War had been forced to show them the error of their ways, multiple times. Even allies didn’t always play nice in times of war.

War summoned his flaming sword. It engulfed his hand and up his arm, setting his armor on fire. “Oh yeah? Try it.”

“With pleasure.”

War advanced on Azael. He shot a burst of flame at the Hellhounds and kicked the serpent in the face as he went, taking their attention from Conquest.

That left Conquest with Lerajie and the winged abomination.

He only just managed to get out of the way as Lerajie fired an arrow at him. She shot two more as she flung herself up and through the air, coming straight for him.

Conquest flicked his hands out as energy laced around his palms; he didn’t need a weapon to fuck someone’s day up, not just yet. He let loose two streaks, one forcing Lerajie to change her trajectory, the other disintegrating her arrows.

Using energy he couldn’t afford to, he created a protective bubble around Raziel, who was too vulnerable out in the open like this, and kicked him towards the wall. “Stay,” he growled.

He grit his teeth against the pain as the winged eye screeched. His knees threatened to buckle, but he managed to stay standing.

“Fucking shut that up!” War yelled.

“Working on it!” Conquest didn’t look at his brother, confident he was doing just fine. He couldn’t risk looking away for even a fraction of a second.

Conquest grabbed Lerajie’s arm as she reached for him, making sure to snap it at a nasty angle before he flung her away, kicking her to speed up the momentum. The impact of his boot against her back made a sickening crunching sound.

“You hijo de puta!” she screeched at him.

He grabbed two of the eye’s wings with his energy and pulled straight down, ripping them out.

Its mouth opened in a silent scream. Its horrific teeth began to lengthen in anticipation of a meal. Conquest jumped forward, rolling under the eye, slashing underneath it with a concentrated whip of energy. He barely got out of the way before blood gushed from the wounds.

When he leaped to his feet, it was pure instinct that had Conquest pulling back as a dagger flew past his head, burying itself in the wall. He turned his head to War who was grinning at him, far too amused at Conquest’s expense. “Watch it!” Conquest warned him.

A Hellhound jumped at War and a side-kick to its face sent it flying through the air next, barely missing hitting Conquest with the bulk of its body. Conquest was forced to duck as the tail whipped around in a frenzy. The hound landed against the protruding dagger handle in the wall, and it yelped as it struggled to get off the weapon.

“Coming through!” War yelled, laughing.

Conquest flipped him off, but War had already gone back to his fight, streaks of fire flying around in every direction. The flames that he was throwing around like candy were creating a vortex type of field of heat around them, and Conquest was glad he was wearing his armor; it regulated his body temperature so that he barely felt the heat.

He dodged another attack from the eye and, using his bare hands, he ripped another wing off. He incinerated it with a blast of energy and relished the sounds of the eye screeching in pain. It was far more preferable than the debilitating shriek it gave off.

An arrow buried itself into the back of Conquest’s shoulder. He grunted, stumbling forward. Motherfucker. He gripped the head and pulled it through, grimacing as the fletching ripped its way through his flesh.

Damn, but Lerajie healed fast.

She didn’t look anywhere near as pleased with herself when Conquest summoned Uriel’s bow and notched an arrow. “Catch.” He aimed at the ceiling and let go. The glass chandelier shattered about them, raining down pieces of sharp glass.

The moment of distraction was all Conquest needed to put an arrow in her upper thigh, and another through her chest. It would only slow her down, but it would keep her still long enough for him to deal with the winged abomination. It had been trying to gnaw its way through the barrier that was protecting Raziel and, while it was holding, Conquest knew he couldn’t keep it up forever.

Raziel was huddled on the floor against the wall, his hands covering his head. His fingers were gripping so tightly they had gone white, and he was rocking slightly. If something got through that barrier it would be over for him; Raziel had no means of defending himself. He may have a powerful hidden Gift, but it wasn’t reliable and neither of them knew how to bring it out properly.

Conquest wasn’t even sure that Raziel would come back; his immortality was hanging by a thread, more than he’d ever seen in any being before. If his life was severed, would he have enough power in him to resurrect? Conquest wasn’t willing to put it to the test, or to examine why he was risking himself and his brother for the Angel’s sake.

He sent an arrow into one of the eye’s remaining three wings. It didn’t even flinch. Conquest switched Uriel’s bow for his glaive. He pressed two fingers against his crown and pushed his energy out. Large swirls of grey and purple twined around each other as they reached like tentacles towards the eye. The energy wrapped itself around the wings and the eye like vines. Conquest held it there, and plunged his glaive right into the pupil. At the same time he clenched his hand into a fist and the energy tightened around the eye until it exploded, coating him and the protective barrier in blood, guts and feathers.

The exertion from the use of the mass energy hit Conquest like a tidal wave and, coupled with the wound in his shoulder that was still bleeding steadily, the barrier around Raziel fell.

Raziel’s head flew up, terror stark in his eyes.

“Stay there,” Conquest ordered again as he pushed himself to his feet. He swayed before he mustered his energy. He didn’t have time to go to the Angel; he was breathing and that was all that mattered right then.

Lerajie had managed to remove the arrows and was getting to her feet, an arrow already waiting in her bow. Conquest was not in the mood to be shot again. The existing wound was aching, and he knew he’d need to stitch it up to slow the bleeding. Whatever she laced the fuckers with stopped him from healing it properly. He fucking hated Lerajie’s arrows. He was going to break that bow and shove it up her ass, piece by piece until it burst from her throat.

When she lifted the bow to aim once more, Conquest released his glaive and used his energy like a vortex shield around himself, to rush forward. He grabbed the bow and yanked it out of her hands. He stabbed the sharp edge of it into her chest, burying it deep until blood sprayed from the wound. He took hold of her now-healed arm and broke it again, headbutting her for good measure. She kicked out at his knee and wrenched herself away from him. Her kick to his head had him staggering sideways. Her strength was still formidable, considering the fact her bow was still protruding from her breast.

He flung a burst of energy at her ankle, breaking it with a loud crack. She went down like a dead weight.

Conquest glanced at War, who was doing just fine. The serpent was laying in pieces around where War was straddling Azael, a flaming hand pressed to the Fallen Angel’s face as he wailed in pain. “Go back to Hell!” War yelled, as the flames spread, consuming Azael. The sounds of agony abruptly cut off as he burned to ash.

Only to have Raziel’s screams fill the air.

Conquest’s heart stopped. He punched Lerajie in the face when she tried to get in his way. He flung her away, uncaring, as he turned and started towards his Angel.

He froze, stopping short.

Raziel was still cowering against the wall, but his hands were now outstretched in front of him, as if warding something away.

In front of him was one of the Hellhounds, but it was dead. Its flesh was melting away from the bone, sizzling. A gaping hole was opening as the flesh hit the floor, the smell almost unbearable. Worse than burning flesh, worse than anything Conquest had ever encountered before.

“What the fuck?” Lerajie breathed.

Conquest had to admit he felt the same. He’d seen only one person with that kind of power before, and they had been gone for a long time. Conquest knew, because he’d been the one to kill him, but he didn’t have time to think about it. He tightened his hold on his glaive and raised his free arm to the side, towards Lerajie. He wrapped a thick stream of energy around her throat, choking her.

“Give your Master a message.”

“Fuck you,” Lerajie choked out.

Conquest curled his fingers, tightening the hold. She tried to grab the energy to pull it off. The hiss of her flesh burning was deeply satisfying.

“Tell him,” Conquest growled, “that if he wants to try again, he better bring something worth our attention.” He twirled his glaive in one hand, and the fog opened. He used the energy around her throat to throw her through it. She didn’t fight it as it closed around her.

Raziel tried to scramble backwards, despite the fact that his tear-stained cheek was already pressed against the wall, when Conquest dropped his glaive and advanced on him.

“No, Con, wait, he could be dangerous,” War said, surging forward.

Conquest shouldered past him. He pulled Raziel to his feet and crowded him against the wall. “Why were they here for you? Who are you?”

“I-what? I’m just me, just an Angel-just-”

“No,” Conquest interrupted, shaking his head. Raziel was more than just anything. Nothing was adding up. “Diablo doesn’t bother with easy prey, and these creatures weren’t after us,” he snarled. “Who were you before you ascended?”

“I don’t-I don’t know.”

“Bullshit!” Conquest roared. He slammed his palm against the wall beside Raziel’s head. “Tell me. Now.” Conquest refused to acknowledge the terror rising in his heart. If Raziel was that important to Diablo, for whatever fucked up reason - though he suspected Raziel’s hidden power was part of it - then they would be coming back. Diablo was like a dog with a bone when he sunk his teeth into something. Conquest was loathe to bring Famine into this, but he would if he had to. Diablo was coming for what was his. Conquest didn’t know how, or why, but he knew that Raziel was his.

Raziel remained mute, his lower lip trembling.

“Are you hurt?” Conquest asked. He cupped the Angel’s cheek and used the grip to turn his face, checking it. He seemed to be unscathed. If the Hellhound had even gotten one bite in, it would have been impossible to hide.

“No,” Raziel said.

Relief almost staggered Conquest. He pulled Raziel closer, wrapping an arm around him. The twinge in his shoulder reminded him that he was still injured.

“When did you rise?” War asked from where he stood, his arms folded across his chest. He was keeping his distance, but watched the pair with narrowed eyes.

“A-about a hundred years ago.”

Conquest curled his upper lip while he tried to think. He and his brother had nothing to do with that time period, and he didn’t know of any uprisings, Heavenly or Demonic, around that time either. “Why can’t you remember?”

“I don’t-I don’t remember my mortal life.”

“That can’t be right,” War said. “The memories fade, and the feelings that accompany the memories are taken from you. Love, sadness, rage, all the things that connect you emotionally to your mortal life are taken. But the memories remain.”

“They-no.” Raziel glanced between them, his beautiful bright blue eyes wide and glistening with tears. “They said-they said it was just another way that I was broken. They remembered, but I couldn’t and it was just proof that I didn’t belong there.”

“Your memories aren’t about you being an Angel, it’s about your soul. The only way you could not have them was if they were taken. And they don’t take memories. Why did they take yours?” Conquest asked.

“I don’t know!” Raziel cried out, trying to push away from Conquest’s hold.

Conquest relinquished, allowing Raziel to put distance between them.

“They told me it was just my failing!” Raziel gasped, and then he swayed back towards Conquest. “You’re bleeding!”

“What?” War pushed past Raziel to see the wound. “Fucking hell, Con. Why didn’t you say anything?”

Conquest didn’t bother responding to that.

War pressed a hand against the wound, his eyes closing. Red hot pain shot through Conquest and he hissed under his breath. When War pulled away the open wound was just an ugly gnarled scar, one that would heal over completely in a few hours.

Conquest rolled his shoulder a few times, stretching it.

“Now, why don’t we talk about what the fuck that was,” War said, gesturing to the disgusting remains of the Hellhound that had gone for Raziel.

“Why don’t we talk about how you let it get away from you?” Conquest grit his teeth, anger flashing through him. If Raziel hadn’t protected himself, however he had managed to do it, the Hellhound would have ripped him apart.

“Sit on a dick, Con,” War spat. “What the fuck was it? You weren’t that surprised; I thought you said he didn’t have any Gifts.”

“I don’t…” Raziel said, trailing off, an uncertain expression on his face.

“Yeah? Because the dog didn’t melt itself,” War snapped.

“Lay off,” Conquest said, his voice quiet and menacing. He trailed his hand down Raziel’s neck, across his shoulder and down his back to rest his palm at the bottom of his spine. “We don’t know what it is. It decimated a forest earlier today, and that was the first time it ever manifested.”

“The fuck?” War asked, eyes narrowing at Raziel. “Not so helpless, are you? Is he some kind of plant, from the Angels? Cloak him so it looks like he’s weak when he’s not? Wait for us to let our guards down and then attack?”

“No!” Raziel said earnestly. “That isn’t-”

The thought had occurred to Conquest more than once, but he had dismissed it earlier. He was good at reading people and Raziel didn’t have a dishonest bone in his body. He couldn’t have faked his reaction in the forest.

“Whatever it was, it killed everything within a two-hundred-mile radius.” It had been magnificent. Conquest couldn’t remember the last time he’d been so turned on.

“That’s not an Angel Gift.”

The only Immortal Conquest had ever seen that could wield a Power like that had been a High Demon. Something like it manifesting in an Angel was unheard of.

“Report back to Death, let him know what’s going on,” Conquest said. “It looks like we’re going to have to keep an eye out for our Satanic friend.”

“Fuckin’ Diablo, man. One day we’re going to have to do something about him.”

“Perhaps.” It wasn’t their call. Diablo had a part to play, same as all of them. If anyone were going to make a decision on what to do with the King of the Underworld, it was Famine. No-one else had that right.

But if he continued to come for Raziel, then Conquest would be inclined to change his mind. Diablo could go fuck himself. Raziel belonged to him, he wasn’t going anywhere.

War clasped Conquest’s shoulder. “Call us when you’ve settled; we’ll make plans.”

Conquest nodded.

Once War was gone, Conquest looked around the destroyed room. Between the acid hole in the floor, the scorch marks that were fucking everywhere - War was such a pain in his ass - and the remains of the serpent and the other hellhound, it was like a goddamn warzone.

Normally Conquest would use his energy to clean it up but he honestly wasn’t sure he had enough in reserve. “I need a fucking shower,” he muttered.