Tantrics Of Old Read Online Free Page A

his tongue.
    ‘Four,’ Aurcoe said, grim. ‘Four Horsemen. War, Death, Famine, and Pestilence.’
    ‘What else?’
    ‘Not much. The usual rumours of their connection to the Apocalypse. Their functions are unknown, most information being old wives’ tales. But contrary to a lot of ghost stories, they are for real.’
    ‘Tell me about it,’ Adri sighed. ‘Death paid me a visit this morning.’
    ‘The Horseman came to your apartment?’
    Adri nodded.
    ‘What did it want?’
    ‘My fucking soul. It has given me twenty-four hours to make my arrangements.’ Adri hated being straightforward with Aurcoe, and more than anything, being honest. His kind would never reciprocate. They had no honour. Information was like a weapon for his breed, and Adri was handing Aurcoe an arsenal. There was no way of knowing if this creature was lying about the limits of his knowledge about the Horsemen, but one thing was certain—his mention of the Horsemen had caught Aurcoe’s attention. This was not a routine affair. Irritatingly, however, Adri could not help but notice that Aurcoe’s annoying smile was back.
    ‘You
have
a soul, then?’ Aurcoe smirked.
    ‘The clock is ticking, damn it,’ Adri replied, irritated.
    ‘I knew this would be about you. Self-preservation, yet again. Tantrics, you know one, you known them all.’
    ‘Are you going to help me or not?’
    ‘Twenty-four hours? By now it’s what, twenty-one left? You honestly
think
I can help you?’
    ‘So I’m wasting my time?’
    ‘If the Horseman wants your soul, the Horseman will have it. Who am I to hold him back? And to tell you the truth, Sen,’ Aurcoe shuffled closer, ‘I think you fully well deserve it. The things that you have done—’
    ‘Have no place in this conversation,’ Adri finished, unmoved. ‘And look who’s talking.’
    ‘Ouch! That hurt, Sen!’ Aurcoe pretended to wince.
    ‘I haven’t even started yet, Aurcoe.’ Adri put his leather sling bag on the table with a soft thud. He knew Aurcoe would sense the magical energy emanating from within and easily identify the shooter in the bag.
    Aurcoe glanced down at the bag, and then up again at Adri. ‘Like father, like son. Surprising how quickly even Victor would resort to cheap threats.’
    Aurcoe had hit something, and Adri recoiled. ‘Look,’ he said, barely controlling himself, ‘I don’t have either the time or the patience for your little games. I hate your kind and I hate how you twist words and facts and everything else. In fact, Aurcoe, I hate you. I hate your guts. And nothing would give me more pleasure than to see the things you want the most, denied to you. But that has nothing to do with this. My life is in question and you’re the only one I trust to have enough knowledge to pull me out of this mess.’
    ‘You been practicing that?’ Aurcoe chuckled. ‘In front of a mirror? Doesn’t change anything, you know. I told you—’
    ‘What you told me has no place here either. You think I don’t know you, Fallen? It’s not a question of what
I
want.’ Adri looked at Aurcoe, gravely. ‘The question here is what do
you
want?’
    Aurcoe burst into laughter, clapping his hands ecstatically like a child. ‘Oh very good, very good indeed, Sen! I love your hate. I
feed
off it, in fact.’ His eyes twinkled. ‘Well, now you need to tell me more. Why shouldn’t Death have come for you?’
    ‘Because Death does not come for everyone. People die every day.’
    ‘So it’s come for you. Maybe it decides to be random.’
    ‘Nothing is random. You know that.’
    ‘What are your leads?’
    ‘Something the Horseman said. Something
s
, actually.’
    ‘Elucidate.’
    Adri took a moment to recollect. ‘Death said it had been
searching
for me. And that’s not all. It used the words “as per the rules” while telling me that I had twenty-four hours to settle my affairs.’
    ‘So there are rules,’ Aurcoe pondered.
    ‘Exactly,’ Adri remarked. ‘There are rules, and he was