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A Preview of Lethal Rider
Also by Larissa Ione
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The Introduction
One of the most common questions I hear is, “How did you come up with the idea to write about the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse?”
Well, put simply and vaguely, it just popped into my head. No, really. I can’t remember any kind of trigger, like an article or a TV show or even the sight of four horses standing in a field. I just remember that several years ago, before I’d even sold the Demonica series, I wanted to do something with the Horsemen.
I just didn’t know what.
It wasn’t until I was writing Ecstasy Unveiled that I had the glimmer of an idea of what to do with them. I could create a brand-new series with a brand-new world… or I could incorporate them into the Demonica world.
But how?
The answer came during revisions to Sin Undone.
See, I wanted to stay in the Demonica world, but Underworld General needed some time to recover from five books of mayhem. I also needed a little space, but at the same time, I didn’t want to stray too far from my beloved hospital and characters.
Enter the Horsemen. On horses. With deadly weapons and nerves of steel and bodies of solid muscle. These boys were meant to fight. Except, oops, one of them was female. Limos tossed a wrench into my plan. She’s mischievous that way.
So the Horsemen were born, and oh, the possibilities for their stories! Right away I envisioned some of the big events, while others came during the course of writing and revising. But all the while, I had a specific arc in mind, one that would keep our Demonica characters front and center and then take us right back to Underworld General.
As the Demonica/Lords of Deliverance world expanded, so did the need for another compendium. There are more characters, more species, and more supernatural abilities to keep track of. And, of course, there’s a short story to give you more background into how it all began. “Eternal Damnation” will take you back to the Horsemen’s very roots, when they were but a twinkle in Lilith’s evil eye.
Read on, Riders, and enjoy!
The Key Players
Born of a match between good and evil, four siblings stand between hell’s minions and everything they want to destroy. They are the Lords of Deliverance, and they must live their lives walking a line between two prophecies, one set forth by the Bible, and one penned by the prophets of the demon holy book, the Daemonica. Two prophecies, both ushering in Doomsday, but whether the Horsemen fight on the side of good or evil is yet to be determined…
First Horseman of the Apocalypse: Reseph aka Pestilence—Born to the evil succubus Lilith and the angel Yenrieth and given up as an infant to an Akkadian princess who believed herself to be a goddess. Reseph was spoiled, given everything, anything, and anyone he wanted. Though he had a rude awakening when he learned the truth about his origins and was cursed to be a Horseman, he never truly lost his carefree attitude or playboy lifestyle. He lives to have fun. His favorite things include country music, margaritas, women, and vacationing anywhere it’s warm.
Height: 6'8"
Hair: Very light blond
Eye color: Ice blue
Location of home: Caves in the Himalayans Mountains
Personal weapon/symbol: Bow
Tattoos/identifying marks: Stallion glyph on right forearm
Horse’s name and description: White warhorse named Conquest
Agimortus (trigger for breaking Seal): An event defined in prophecy
Weakness: Drawn to scenes of great disaster and disease
Armor: Plate metal armor that must be fed blood in order to stay strong
Most memorable historical event: The Black Death
Daemonica Prophecy: She of mixed blood who should not exist, carries with her the power to spread plague and pestilence. When battle breaks, conquest is seal’d.
Second Horseman of the Apocalypse: Ares aka War—Raised to be a warrior from the moment he was switched at birth with a human child, Ares lives to fight. The curse brought down upon him and his siblings that turned them into Horsemen made him even better at warmongering… and it also causes humans to become agitated and violent when in his presence. Because of this, he has lived apart from humans and keeps his distance when forced to deal with them. He is a fan of classical music, Greek food, and ouzo.
Height: 6'9"
Hair: Brown with reddish highlights
Eye color: Black
Location of home: Private island in Greece
Personal weapon/symbol: Sword
Tattoos/identifying marks: Stallion glyph on right forearm
Horse’s name and description: Blood bay stallion named Battle
Agimortus (trigger for breaking Seal): Death of person as defined in prophecy
Weakness: Drawn to scenes of large scale battles; close proximity to his agimortus-bearer dulls senses, strength, and weapons, softens armor
Armor: Leather made of Gerunti demon hide
Most memorable historical event: The Battle of Hastings
Daemonica prophecy: An angel’s mistake shall bring about War, and her death shall break his sword. But be wary, a hound’s heart may yet defeat.
Third Horseman of the Apocalypse: Limos aka Famine—Limos, the only female Horseman, is also the only one of the four to be raised by the mother that gave birth to them. Brought up by Lilith and betrothed to Satan, Limos became an expert at deception and lies. When she left Sheoul, the demon realm known as hell to humans, she found and united her brothers. She is a girly-girl to the core, preferring to dress in ultrafeminine, bright-colored clothes. Her favorite color is pink, she loves fruity drinks and flowers, and painting her nails is practically an obsession.
Height: 5'8"
Hair: Black
Eye color: Violet
Location of home: Secluded island in Hawaii
Personal weapon/symbol: Set of weight scales
Tattoos/identifying marks: Horse glyph on right forearm; set of scales on shoulder; navel piercing
Horse’s name and description: Black hell stallion named Bones
Agimortus (trigger for breaking Seal): Tiny cup
Weakness: Drawn to scenes of any mass shortage, usually food; unable to give herself to any man
Armor: Croix viper–skin, Samurai-style tunic and breeches
Most memorable historical event: Irish potato famine
Daemonica prophecy: A Horseman, should he drink from the Cup of Deception and Lies, will loose Famine to ravage the Earth.
Fourth Horseman of the Apocalypse: Thanatos aka Death—Of all the Horsemen, Thanatos was the most changed after he was cursed. Raised in a peaceful pre-Druidic clan, he grew up happy and well adjusted. When cursed as the Horseman who is fated to become Death upon the breaking of his Seal, he sank into an abyss of misery and pain. With the help of his siblings, he adjusted, but his inability to control his anger leads to death and destruction, requiring him to live a solitary life. The things he has done torture him, and the only escape is to have his emotions “transferred” to his skin in the form of tattoos. A serious bookworm, he has an extensive library and spends his spare
time hunting for rare, ancient tomes to satisfy his thirst for knowledge—and his father. He loves classic rock, Mountain Dew, and pineapple upside-down cake.
Height: 6'8"
Hair: Shoulder-length blond, usually braided at the temples
Eye color: Pale yellow
Location of home: Castle in Greenland
Tattoos/identifying marks: Entire body is covered in tattoos, layered on top of each other, but each distinct; most prominent tattoos are stallion on right forearm, scorpion on neck; both nipples are pierced
Horse’s name and description: Pale dun stallion named Styx
Agimortus (trigger for breaking Seal): Believed to be his virginity
Weakness: Drawn to scenes of mass causalities; armor loses strength as it loses souls
Armor: Bone plate armor that collects the souls of those he kills
Most memorable historical event: Construction of the Notre Dame cathedral
Daemonica prophecy: Behold! Innocence is Death’s curse, his hunger his burden, a blade his Deliverance. The Doom Star cometh if the cry fails.
Arik Wagner—Soldier in the U.S. Army’s Ranger-X Regiment, which is responsible for dealing with supernatural phenomenon and demonic activity. Also brought into The Aegis as a middleman, allowing for exchange of information and cooperation between the two agencies. Brother to Runa.
Height: 6'2"
Hair: Short, dark brown
Eye color: Dark brown
Profession: Soldier
Species: Human
Cara Thornhart—Formerly a veterinary assistant with a supernatural ability to both communicate with, and heal, animals, Cara is now married to Ares. She bears Ares’s agimortus, meaning that if she dies, his Seal will break. Fortunately for her, she is bonded to nearly all hellhounds in existence, and their life forces have given her immortality.
Hair: Sandy blond
Eye color: Blue-green
Species: Human
Conall Dearghul—Vampire paramedic at Underworld General Hospital. Mated to Sin.
Height: 6'5"
Hair: Blond
Eye color: Silver
Species: Vampire
Decker Cready—Like Arik, Decker is a soldier in the U.S. Army’s Ranger-X Regiment and a member of The Aegis.
Height: 6'1"
Hair: Short, blond
Eye color: Gray-blue
Profession: Soldier
Species: Human
Eidolon (EYE-duh-lawn)—Head of Underworld General Hospital, a medical center he built with brothers Shade and Wraith. All Seminus demons possess gifts meant to aid them in seduction and reproduction, but these gifts can also be used to heal. Eidolon’s gift allows him to heal most physical injuries with little more than a touch.
Height: 6'4"
Hair: Short, dark brown-black
Eye color: Dark brown
Profession: Physician
Species: Incubus
Breed: Seminus demon
Tattoos/identifying marks: Tattoolike symbols extending from tips of right fingers to shoulder
Personal Seminus symbol: Set of scales on throat
Gemella (Gem) Endri—Half-demon doctor at Underworld General Hospital. Sister to Tayla. Married to Kynan Morgan.
Hair: Length and color changes frequently; usually shoulder-length and black with streaks of blue, red, or pink
Eye color: Green
Profession: Physician
Species: Half-human, half-Soulshredder
Tattoos/identifying marks: Pierced tongue, eyebrow, ears, navel; long-stemmed rose tattoo running the length of her left leg; dragon tattoo on her abdomen; tattooed Celtic bands around ankles, wrists, and neck
Gethel—Formerly assigned as the Horsemen’s Heavenly Watcher. She is now assigned as an Apocalypse angel… a small group of angels whose duties include investigating apocalyptic signs.
Hair: Blond
Eye color: Green
Species: Angel
Harvester—Assigned as the Horsemen’s evil Watcher. Before her fall from grace, she was an angel of justice.
Hair: Black
Eye color: Black
Species: Fallen angel
Idess—Ex-angel of the Memitim class, falsely believed by many—including by Memitim—to be the only class of angel that is born, not made by the hand of God. Mated to Lore. Father is Azagoth, the Grim Reaper. Her ability to speak with the dead has made her invaluable as a staff member at Underworld General, where she helps guide trapped souls to their final destination.
Hair: Brown
Eye color: Honey
Kynan Morgan—One of twelve Aegis Elders who lead the demon-slaying organization. Joined The Aegis after being injured by a demon while on a mission as a United States Army medic in Afghanistan. Married to Gemella Endri. Keeper of Heofon, a necklace bearing a piece of Heaven. As the Keeper of Heofon, he was charmed as a Marked Sentinel by angels, giving him immunity to harm from anything except an angel.
Height: 6'2"
Hair: Short, spiky, dark brown
Eye color: Navy blue
Profession: Aegis Guardian
Species: Human
Tattoos/identifying marks: Gravelly voice from vocal-cord damage; scarred throat
Lore—Half-brother to Eidolon, Shade, and Wraith. Twin to sister Sin. Half-breed Seminus demon and former assassin who now works in the Underworld General Hospital’s morgue. As a cambion, a human-demon half-breed, his Seminus gift went awry, leaving him without the ability to heal, but to instead kill everything he touches with his right hand.
Height: 6'6"
Hair: Short, black
Eye color: Dark brown
Species: Half-human, half-Seminus demon
Tattoos/identifying marks: Tattoolike symbols extending from tips of right fingers to shoulder
Personal Seminus symbol: None
Reaver—Heavenly Watcher to the Horsemen. A former fallen angel, he has no memory of anything prior to the event that caused his fall thirty years ago. His angel status was restored following a battle in which he helped save Heaven from being invaded by demon masses.
Height: 6'6"
Hair: Shoulder-length, pale blond
Eye color: Blue
Profession: Watcher
Species: Angel (of the Battle Order)
Regan Cooper—Aegis Elder. Born to a human mother and a father who was possessed by a demon at the time she was conceived, Regan possesses special abilities that make her both valuable and dangerous to The Aegis. With limited psychometry, she can read emotions and sometimes see visions by touching ink on skin, including parchment. She also possesses the ability to wrest the soul from any living thing. Unfortunately, she cannot control the soul once it is free of its body, and it will seek the nearest body to possess. The results are deadly. Her abilities have made a normal life impossible, and she was passed around by several Aegis families as she grew up, until she finally went to Aegis headquarters to live and complete her training.
Hair: Brown
Eye color: Hazel
Species: Human
Runa (RUE-nuh)—Mated to Shade. Brother to Arik Wagner.
Hair: Shoulder-length, caramel brown
Eye color: Pale champagne
Species: Werewolf who, because of military experimentation, can change at will instead of only during the full moon phase
Serena Kelley—Mated to Wraith.
Hair: Long, blond
Eye color: Brown
Profession: Treasure hunter
Species: Vampire
Shade—Paramedic at Underworld General Hospital. Brother to Eidolon and Wraith, half-brother to Lore and Sin. Mated to Runa. His Seminus gift allows him to control a patient’s organ functions.
Height: 6'3½"
Hair: Shoulder-length, dark brown-black
Eye color: Dark brown-black
Profession: Paramedic
Species: Incubus
Breed: Seminus demon
Tattoos/identifying marks: Tat
toolike symbols extending from tips of right fingers to shoulder; pierced left ear
Personal Seminus symbol: Eye on throat
Sin—Only known female Seminus demon. Half-sister to Eidolon, Shade, and Wraith. Twin to brother Lore. Mated to Conall Dearghul. Like her brother Lore, she’s a cambion, so her Seminus gift was mutated into something different than what her purebred brothers possess. Instead of healing, she causes disease. In fact, by causing a werewolf plague, Sin inadvertently caused Reseph’s Seal to break, turning him into Pestilence.
Hair: Black
Eye color: Dark brown
Species: Half-human, half-Seminus demon
Tattoos/identifying marks: Tattoolike symbols extending from tips of right fingers to shoulder; tattoo on the back of her neck
Personal Seminus symbol: None
Tayla Mancuso—Regent of a New York Aegis cell. Mated to Eidolon, sister to Gemella.
Hair: Red
Eye color: Green
Profession: Aegis Guardian
Species: Half-human, half-Soulshredder
Wraith—A freak combination of Seminus demon and vampire. Works with brothers Eidolon, Shade, and Lore at Underworld General as an acquisitions specialist. Mated to Serena. A charm bestowed upon him by Serena has left him impervious to harm except at the hand of a fallen angel. His Seminus gift differs from his brothers’ in that he can access the mind instead of the body, controlling thoughts and projecting images.
Height: 6'5"
Hair: Kept between chin and shoulder length, bleached blond
Eye color: Blue
Profession: In charge of acquisitions for UGH
Species: Incubus
Breed: Seminus demon
Tattoos/identifying marks: Tattoolike symbols extending from tips of right fingers to shoulder
Personal Seminus symbol: Hourglass on throat
The Four Horses of the Apocalypse
The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are intimidating all by themselves. But with their massive stallions, they gain not only a big boost in height, but powerful weapons between their thighs. (Oh, come on… you knew I had to go there.)
The horses are also vital for transportation. Yes, the Horsemen can use portable Harrowgates to move around, but there are some places where gates can’t be opened. Also, you don’t want to summon a gate anyplace where you might accidentally slice someone in half when it opens. The stallions allow for the Horsemen to gate themselves into a remote area and then ride where they need to go without risk of killing people.