Page 92 of Into the Abyss
The horseman may not be infecting me yet, heneeded me for something, but he would have no qualms about takingdown my father.
“You are going to take us to where Kobal’sfollowers are hiding,” Pride said.
“No, I’m not,” I replied.
“Yes, you are, because if you don’t, I’mgoing to take you to Corson’s Chosen and I’m going to make youwatch as I cut off her hair. Then I’m going use her hair to tie apretty blonde bow around the ears, lips, and nose I’ll also cutfrom her. I’m going to make sure youpersonallyhand thepackage to Corson when you do agree to take us to him.”
My belly clenched at the possibility, andwhen Pride smirked, I knew my eyes had shifted colors to give awayat least something of my emotions.
“You don’t like that,” he purred as herubbed my chin. “And you don’t know his Chosen, do you?”
“We’ve… ah… we’ve never spoken,” Iadmitted.
“Yet the idea of her suffering in such a wayupsets you, how sweet. You truly do have the loveliest eyes, child;I knew some fae before we were locked away. Exquisite creatures,spineless, but exquisite.” Lifting his head, he focused onsomething over my head. His expression became distant as if he wereremembering something, and a smile curved his mouth. “One time, Itore the spine from a fae for fun; her screams were as enchantingas she was.”
Where his finger dug into my skin, aspreading sickness seeped into my system. I could feel his rotseeping into me, and it took all I had not to knock his hand away,but he’d make me pay if I did.
“Now,” Pride said, and his attentionreturned to me, “I’ll tell you what I’m going to do toyourChosen. First, I’ll cut off his cock, and while he’s stillscreaming from that”—he seized my hand before I saw him move andlifted it before me, gripping my index finger—“I’m going to cut offhis fingers, but not all at once. Oh no, I’m going take them apartknuckle by knuckle before starting on his toes and doing the same.Then, I’m going to slice him from groin to gullet and dissect himone piece at a time until—”
“Stop,” I moaned.
He leaned so close to me that our nosesnearly touched, and the neon lavender of his eyes deepened to apurple, the same color as the calamut leaves. The sexual arousalemanating from him caused my sick, tainted feeling to grow. Ididn’t want to give him the satisfaction of looking away, but Icouldn’t hold his gaze anymore.
His breath tickled my nose and lips when hespoke again. “Everyone thinks Death is the worst horseman, butthey’re wrong. It’sme. And do you knowwhyit’sme?”
I shook my head no, and his finger scratchedagainst my chin bone. I barely registered pain, but I cringed atthe sound it made.
“Speak up, child. I can’t hear you,” Pridepurred
“No,” I whispered.
“No,what?”
“No, I don’t know why you are the worst ofthe horsemen,” I said.
Releasing my chin, he rose to his fullheight again. “Then, let me educate you!” he cried with a zealbordering on insanity. “The humans dubbed me the deadliest of thesins, but as you know, the dimwitted humans separated the sins fromthe horsemen when we are all one in the same. I suspect this isbecause, as mortals, humans believe nothing can be worse thandeath. We both know that’s wrong though, don’t we?”
“Yes,” I said when he paused long enoughthat I realized he expected an answer from me.
“Ah, yes, so the humans fear death themost,” he sighed. “But my fellow rider, Death, simply kills you,but there is no fun in that. The fun is in theplay. I amthe horseman who takes greatpridein making suffering anexquisite, eternal thing.Iam the horseman many humanscalled the boogeyman and hid under their beds from; I am the onedemonscowerfrom.
“I am the horsemannoone can avoid.Not everyone falls victim to gluttony or sloth. Not everyone givesin to their lusts and greed. Not everyone goes to war orexperiences famine; there are even those rare beings who never knowenvy. Many know rage, but there are some whoneverexperience true wrath. And, if immortals play their cards right,they may never experience death. I mean, look at how old some ofthe angels are. Look at how oldweare.”
I had no idea how old the horsemen were; Iwasn’t sure anyone knew. They’d been sealed away after the jinn,but that was only because the horsemen had probably been harder totrap.
“But everyone, and I do mean everyone,experiences at least one second of pride in their lives.Childrentake pride in things before they can name theemotion they’re experiencing. All the other horsemen can beavoided, but no one avoidsme.”
He was so smug he didn’t realize hisarrogance would be his ultimate demise. If that time ever came.
“And I am far more twisted than my fellowriders,” he said.
I couldn’t help but glance at Lust when Ifelt the smallest trickle of apprehension from her.She’s afraidof him.
I gulped before meeting Pride’s beautifuleyes again.
“You’re going to take us to the others now,”he said to me.
I opened my mouth to say no, but the wordfroze in my throat. I’d rather die than give into these creatures,and I could say no if this were as simple as my death. I wouldsacrifice myself to help stop the spread of the horsemen’s evil,but what Pride intended to do to the three of us was a fate farworse than death.
