Page 55 of Right Hand Of The Reaper
I watched in horror as shock spread across his face and his knees buckled before he fell to the ground.
The sound of Roux’s screams would haunt me forever.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Atticus
Painsearedthroughmychest, ripping through me as if agony had taken up residency in my veins. It crippled me.
I fell to the ground, tumbling backwards, unable to break my fall because my limbs had stopped working. I stared up at the canopy above me and wondered why I was so cold.
“He needs Thane.”
“He’s not here.”
“Thane! You bastard!”
They were all scrambling around me, but it was too late. Even I knew I wasn’t going to come back from an arrow to the chest without some sort of miraculous intervention.
Roux’s face appeared above me. She was so beautiful. Even covered in the blood of her enemies. Like a warrior goddess sent to exact revenge.
Her mouth was moving but I couldn’t hear anything. The world was fading fast. No. That wasn’t right. It was me that was fading from the world.
My head lolled to the side, and I saw the figure in the woods. The one with the simple crossbow who’d managed to catch me by surprise. He crouched between the trees and watched patiently while the life left my body. It was strange, watching him watch me. There was something peaceful about the connection between the two of us. I didn’t know who he was, or why he’d want me dead, but he held my gaze with an unrelenting fascination.
I could feel my heart spasming around the arrow. It must be coated with something made with verum mors. It was a poison nicknamed ‘true death’ and was a surefire way to kill any prey. Even an immortal or ancient. That’s why I felt so cold. Why I could feel my life fading. The poison seeped through my veins and turned the world fuzzy.
Strong hands gripped my chin, and my eyes were drawn to two pools of bright blue.
“Rafe…”
“No. Don’t try to speak,” he said with panic blazing in his eyes. “I need you to invoke the Death Rights.” Confusion must have shown in my eyes because he continued to explain. “Call Thanatos. Please.”
“He’d better be fucking listening,” Rayne growled.
“Shut up.”
“Roux,” Rafe snapped. “That’s not helping.”
“He can’t do that!” Roux cried. “He’ll be tied to him forever.”
“He needs to. It’s his only hope.”
I tried to speak but all I could manage to do was gurgle blood. This was it. The moment I died.
Hands wrapped around my face and Roux was there, tear tracks down her cheeks and sorrow in her eyes. “Please call him. If it’s the last thing you do. Call Death.”
I swallowed, the coppery taste of my own blood sinking into my stomach, and with the last bit of breath I could muster, I said one word.
“Thanatos…”
White light exploded all around me, blinding me. I felt weightless and free, and the pain had gone.
Was I dead?
The face of an angel materialised above me. He was so beautiful. Eyes as blue as the sky and hair like spun golden threads. I didn’t think Death would be beautiful, but he was.
“Forgive me for this,” he said, his voice melodic and pure.
