Deidre's Death (#2, Rhyn Eternal) (19 page)

“Now you’ll convince me you care.”

“I do care,” Fate replied. “I cared about
you and the humans enough to interfere and give you a second
chance. I cared enough to make sure Darkyn’s little fruit bat is
okay. I cared enough to let Darkyn strip the powers of a goddess
when every other deity in the worlds wanted her dead-dead.”

Gabriel hated it when one of the deities
made sense. Fate’s plan was as flawed as Gabriel’s. He saw the
logic, even though he didn’t want to. What he didn’t understand:
why. Or what exactly his mate had done.

“We’ll have this talk again when you’ve got
a mate,” Gabriel said. He was calming, though it had nothing to do
with Fate’s presence. “Can you see your own future?”

“Parts of it. Nothing impressive. Many more
years of … this,” Fate said, glancing around. “Mentoring other
deities, manipulating the destinies of innocent humans, reminding
you how not to destroy the universes.”

“You said things will get easier. Does that
mean the opposite?” Gabriel asked.

“I mean, you’re about to find a way into the
underworld. When you do, you’ll make things right.”

Except for Deidre.
No matter who assured him the woman he fell for
was okay, he couldn’t help but blame himself for all that happened
to her. Or might have happened, if things broke bad. He couldn’t
help feeling angry with the goddess who set this all up or escape
the emotion he felt knowing his mate was the woman he’d loved for
thousands of years.

And hated for just as long for pulling shit
like this stunt.

But she was human now, capable of being what
she wasn’t before. Capable of loving him the way he’d craved for
the entirety of their existence together. Capable of happiness and
sorrow and compassion. She demonstrated that last night.

He had always wanted this. Not at all costs,
however. He was nothing like the deities who didn’t mind
sacrificing a few humans to get what they wanted.

“She didn’t deserve any of this,” Gabriel
said, frustrated. “Why is she even in the picture?”

“That question is for your mate.”

Gabriel looked at Fate. “I don’t like the
sound of that.”

“You saw the human. You know she is
well.”

“I don’t know how you can be so optimistic.
She’s in Hell.”

Fate shrugged. Gabriel guessed the deity
considered his work done and was no longer concerned. He prayed to
all the deities he never, ever grew aloof and callous towards the
humans. He had to remain a compassionate Death, one who understood
what it was to live.

Where the fuck did this leave him with his
mate?

“Landon,” he called. “Get lost, Fate.”

“A few more days, and I can go on vacay,”
Fate said with a wink.

Gabriel ignored him. The death-dealer he
summoned appeared.

“Time for a mind check,” Gabriel directed
him. “Afterwards, go get the death dealer Darkyn has and apply some
pressure. It’s time we figured out what the fuck is going on in the
underworld.”

His second-in-command nodded and trotted
into a portal. Fate was gone, and Gabriel couldn’t help thinking
the cheerful warning he received was a bad omen. His thoughts went
to human-Deidre.

Fate’s mention of him gaining access to the
underworld made Gabriel wonder if the deity was referring to
Darkyn’s mate. Darkyn would slaughter Gabriel in a deal, but
human-Deidre … would she do it, if he asked? For the sake of his
soul, if nothing else?

Gabriel pulled on his clothes and weapons
again, pensive. He tried hard not to think about his soul being
kicked around in the underworld. He hadn’t been sent to Hell yet,
indicating no one had found his soul, but the thought lingered in
the back of his mind.

It wasn’t exactly hidden. He’d left it in a
jewelry box in the bedroom he’d shared with past-Death. He needed
to get home. Soon. Before it was too late.

“Gabriel, can I talk to you?”

His pulse quickened. His mate didn’t know he
knew about the human yet, but he didn’t think he could pretend
everything was okay.

“I’ve gotta do a mind check,” he said,
trying to keep his voice even. “Is it quick?”

He faced her.

His mate had been crying. She nodded and
swallowed then motioned him away from the lake, towards the trees.
Uncertain he could handle more bad news, Gabriel trailed.
Thankfully, Deidre was too upset to notice his tension. He watched
her pace, wondering how she could do what she’d done.

“You want the truth,” she said and drew a
deep breath. “I owe you that, Gabriel. Even if you reject me or
hate me or …” She cleared her throat.

He didn’t expect her to confess. Gabriel
crossed his arms, surprised.

“I swear to you, Gabriel, I never meant to
hurt anyone. All I wanted was a chance with you.” She rushed on.
“But I can’t … it’s killing me not to tell you.” For a moment, she
appeared to be lost to her emotions.

“What is this about?” he made himself
ask.

She shook her head and focused on him.

“I lied to you about the deal with Darkyn,”
she whispered.

Gabriel listened to her tell him what she
did, the mind check and traitor forgotten. He suspected there was
much more to past-Death’s story but never expected to discover the
human was alive and well in Hell. If he hadn’t seen her, he
wouldn’t believe it possible.

Hearing the lengths his mate went through to
condemn the human rendered him speechless. He gazed at Deidre as
she admitted to abandoning human-Deidre in Hell. She was crying. He
wanted to hold her. The buzzing in his ears was too loud. Had he
ever been this angry?

Just when he thought things were going well
and they spent the night making love and talking, he woke up in a
new nightmare.

It took him a long moment to realize that
she was finished talking. She gazed at him fearfully, terrified he
was leaving her.

He couldn’t. But he couldn’t stay right now
either. Gabriel reached out to her, wiping away the tears on one
cheek with his thumb.

“I’ll be back,” he promised.

“Where are you going?”

“I need a minute to cool down.”

She looked away.

Gabriel left the forest. Dusk had caused
shadows to darken the forest. He went to the lake and the souls,
the only place that seemed to calm him. Landon was waiting with the
dealers for their mind checks. He barely registered they were
there. Landon approached then paused.

Gabriel stood for a long moment, numb, and
then flung a knife into the forest with a roar.

What the fuck did he do
now? His mate admitted to basically killing the woman he’d fallen
for last week. But what did that
mean
? He loved them both? Did it
matter, since Darkyn had double-bound the human?

Gabriel wiped his mouth.

“Boss?” Landon called.

“Reassemble them later,” Gabriel barked.

Even the lake wasn’t calming him. He flung
his head back, trying to remember the last time he’d felt some
semblance of peace. It was the night he sat with human-Deidre on
the beach. The night he slept with her and condemned her to walk
the path that led her to Hell.

Grief made him angrier. He’d played a hand
in sentencing the sweet human to Hell.

He opened a portal and returned to the beach
where they met. The soothing sounds of the ocean greeted him. It
was nighttime on this side of the world, and the sky was clear. The
moon was non-existent, and the waves sparkled in starlight.

Being here was probably a mistake. He shook
out his tension but felt an even heavier sense of guilt.

Gabriel sat on the beach. He’d seen Darkyn’s
mate yesterday and knew she was at least alive. She’d seemed
uncertain and scared, though. He didn’t know if it was because of
Darkyn or because of being attacked by death dealers that
defected.

Also potentially his fault.

What was worse: he suddenly realized he
might have the means to get into his underworld. Darkyn would never
let him through Hell, but Deidre …

He felt like shit just thinking about it yet
recognized the danger he was in. If he didn’t find his soul and
quell the rebellion, more than his fate was fucked.

Gabriel sat in silent thought, comforted by
the ebb and flow of the waves. The other night, he sat on a beach
with one Deidre and watched the moon cross the sky. Tonight, he was
alone, but he needed to be for a while. His soul, the underworld,
rebellion … everything that mattered didn’t when he considered how
the mighty Death hadn’t been able to save one innocent human from a
dark fate.

Only when the moon was
halfway across the sky did he rouse himself. He saw Darkyn’s mate
yesterday. She’d been shaken, and he wanted …
needed
to verify that she was
okay.

“Deidre,” he summoned the demon lord’s
mate.

A moment passed. Gabriel suspected the Dark
One wasn’t going to let his little human out of Hell, especially
not to see her former mate. His fury grew.

“Hi, Gabriel.”

He twisted, staring. He’d been too shocked
yesterday to notice how much she changed. Deidre glowed darkly with
the Dark One’s power and something else, an aura that drew his gaze
and left him feeling slightly addled. He looked her up and
down.

Dressed in the seductive clothing of Hell,
her body’s gentle shape appeared voluptuous, her narrow shoulders
exposed, her round hips and breasts enhanced. The black dress she
wore fit her like a second skin, outlining every curve, dip and
nook of her body. Sexy little fangs rested on her full lower lip.
They were the kind of fangs a man fantasized about, not too large
to cause damage but sharp enough to offer an exquisite combination
of pleasure and pain if she nipped him. The perfect bow of her
mouth appeared red, roughened and plump from kisses. Her large eyes
were steady, her porcelain skin clear and smooth. He noticed her
eyelashes, long and thick. She oozed fragile innocence and sultry
sex appeal, her allure capable of ensnaring even a deity.

Struck by the change, Gabriel laughed in
bewilderment.

“He turned you into a sex demon!” he said.
He saw her blush in the dim starlight.

The ocean breeze made her dress move as if
it was alive, and her pink hair swept across her features. She
pushed it away and crossed her arms, shivering.

“I like it,” he added. He patted the sand
beside him.

“Of course you do. You’re male. Me? Not so
much!” she retorted in a silky voice. She hesitated then sat beside
him. “This is where we met.”

The sadness in her voice chased away his
mirth.

“I’m surprised he let you come,” he said,
eyes returning to the sea.

“He says the mate of the Dark One can do
whatever she wants. Apparently, evil is equal opportunity.”

“Not sure seeing an ex-mate is
included.”

Deidre glanced at him. Gabriel kept his eyes
on the ocean.

“Are you really okay?” he asked.

“I think so.”

As hard as it was to
believe, she
looked
great. Gabriel took in her body and face again. He saw the
massive scarring that could come from no other than the Dark One,
probably when he turned her. Otherwise, she appeared healthy. Not
at all like Darkyn was bleeding her dry or torturing
her.

“He, um, has been very assertive and
direct,” she added.

“You mean violent and aggressive.”

“Not violent. Not with me, at least. He
leaves no room for failure or my hope that certain things will
change,” she said.

“You don’t think you’ll ever leave
Hell.”

“I can come and go. But he will always be my
… mate.” She said the word in a hushed voice that sounded husky and
sexy with her newfound status as a seductress.

Gabriel didn’t know what to think. The
immortal mating rules from the time-before-time couldn’t be broken.
Yet, his mate had found a way to reset them. He didn’t think it was
possible for that to happen twice, but if it were …

Would it matter? Human-Deidre was now a
demon, blood-bound to the Dark One. Nothing – not even Darkyn –
could change that, even if the Immortal mating script changed
again. She was effectively trapped in Hell with the devil for
eternity.

“I’m serious about taking you to the
underworld, if he hurts you,” he reasserted. “Immortal Laws be
damned. If I’d had the balls to …” he stopped.

She rested her temple on one knee, eyes on
him. Her smile was gentle.

“It’s scary to be with him,” she admitted.
“But … he doesn’t mistreat me and there’s potential for me to do
good from Hell. I helped Rhyn already. We stopped Darkyn’s demons
from massacring the kids.”

“He told me it was over,” Gabriel said,
surprised. “How did you convince Darkyn to stop?”