Page 45 of Frosty and the Reaper
But they weren’t the only ones in the cavern.
A dark figure had been chained to the center of the mosaic, shackles encircling his wrists and ankles. His large form was sprawled out on the floor, motionless except for the subtle rise and fall of his chest indicating he was still alive…barely alive by the looks of it.
Dark, tangled hair obscured his face, but it was clear from the cuts and bruises marking every inch of his skin that he had not been placed there willingly. The mosaic underneath him shimmered with unnatural energy, its symbols pulsing in time with the flickering shadows that danced across his battered body. The oppressive atmosphere seemed to center around him, as though the very room was feeding off his presence, waiting for something to happen.
Suddenly, the male’s head rolled to the side, and Kami and Lia both gasped when they saw glowing eyes of pale silver staring back at them.
They were looking into the eyes of Death himself.
Chapter Fifteen
“Welcome, lovely ladies,” a male’s cheerful voice boomed as he strolled out of the shadows. “The portal was only supposed to bring Kami to me, but I got two for the price of one. What a bonus!”
Kami recognized him from a specific memory Zander had shared with her. Fear made it difficult to think, but she tried to recall everything her mate had told her about the Horseman known as Famine.
Rider of the black horse, he was a figure who evoked dread and despair. Famine represented scarcity, hunger, and the devastating consequences of imbalance and greed. He was known for his cunning and relentless pursuit of power, always seeking ways to manipulate the seals that held the realms together. While he preferred not to use brute force, Famine’s methods were far more insidious. He used deprivation, starvation, and the slow erosion of hope.
And without hope, all was lost.
Famine didn’t limit his cruelty to abstract manipulation, though. He was responsible for the devastation of entire kingdoms and cities, leaving behind countless victims. Apart from his magic, his real power came from his ability to sow discord and suffering.
A striking male with black void eyes, artfully styled short black hair, and a charming smile, Famine’s pleasant features hid the monster that lived beneath. Dressed in a white dress shirt, blue pants with a matching vest, and a black tie, he looked like a young executive rather than a psychopathic god with a superiority complex.
He made a tsking sound as he strolled closer. “Now, now, little beauty. There is no need for name-calling.”
Damn it, Kami forgot all four of the Horsemen could read minds at will. She was really going to have to watch what she was thinking around Famine.
“You’re right. You probably should.” He grinned at her. “But call me Silva. Famine is such a sinister name, don’t you think?”
She agreed but didn’t bother saying so out loud.
With the wave of his hand, a pair of magical shackles appeared on Kami and Lia’s wrists. Then, he created two black lounge chairs that were facing each other. “Go ahead and take a seat. We might as well be comfortable while we chat.”
As he settled in his chair, she slowly stood up and walked over to take a seat.
“I don’t normally get a chance to speak with good company, so this is a treat for me. Obviously, Death isn’t much of a conversationalist.” He pointed to the chained male on the floor and chuckled.
“You said the portal was meant for me. So, why did you bring her here?” Kami asked.
“Since I knew you were mated to War, the spell I cast on the portal was meant to bring anyone with Horsemen magic to me. But I didn’t expect for your friend to be wearing an amulet created by Death. It’s her fault for getting involved in this.”
He waved his hand, and Lia let out a yelp of surprise as she was dragged across the floor until the shackles on her wrists secured themselves to a thick chain attached to the wall of the cavern. As Kami watched her friend, she did her best to keep her mind completely blank. She didn’t want to draw any further attention to Lia, for obvious reasons.
“It might sound strange, but I’m glad that War got to meet you. It makes me happy that he didn’t die all those years ago. All things considered, I really do consider him and Death brothers.”
“Then, why are you trying to kill them?” Kami blurted out, trying to sound more curious than angry.
He sighed. “Death caught me experimenting, so I’ve had to keep him with me all these years. He has been very useful in testing the limits of our magic. And War had a tendency to get in the way of my plans. He has always taken our task of maintaining the balance very seriously. Too seriously. Now, we have what can only be described as unresolvable ideological differences. The Four Horsemen have always been meant to rule, not serve.”
“But you know what will happen if the seal is opened.”
Leaning back in his seat, he spread his arms out expansively, as if embracing the entire room, or perhaps the entire world.
“But what if supernaturals were meant to outlive everyone else? People will die if the seal is opened, but so what? People die every day for less worthy causes. Who is to say that this is not part of the grand design? Magic is meant to be released out into the world. You know what a joy having magic is. There is nothing else like it. Why deprive people their chance to experience the wonder and exhilaration of magic just because it might not be fair to someone else who isn’t as lucky? It wouldn’t even be an option if it wasn’t one of the fated possible outcomes.”
He leaned forward, voice low and persuasive, as if sharing a secret.
“Think about it, Kami. The realms have always been in flux, always evolving. What if this is the evolution we need? What if it is what is destined to happen? The suffering, the losses, they’re tragic, but sometimes necessary. Without risk, there’s no reward. What is a little chaos if it means the possibility of something greater emerging?”