Deidre's Death (#2, Rhyn Eternal) (4 page)

Cora placed an omelet before her with a
fork. Deidre glanced at her.

“Gabriel wants one of us with you at all
times,” Cora said. “Did you plan on leaving today?”

“Leaving.”

“I think you like going to the farmer’s
market in the morning.”

“Yes.” She thought she vaguely remembered
seeing the farmer’s market before.

“I’ll let him know. He’s supposed to come by
this afternoon.”

Deidre dropped her fork, not expecting the
news. Cora was walking away already, leaving Deidre to her internal
war. She wanted to see Gabriel; it was the reason she’d done
everything she’d done. But she didn’t feel quite ready yet. As
someone accustomed to being in control of her world, she needed a
little more time before she was ready to face him. The purpose of
this apartment was to give her a place to practice being human.

She didn’t need to practice. She really was
a human.

Her thoughts went to the deal she’d made
human-Deidre. She wasn’t going to have much time to prepare
herself, either. Darkyn was never going to let his newest treasure
go, but Deidre didn’t intend to lose her deal.

Wynn’s warning weighed heavier on her
thoughts. To win Gabriel, Deidre planned on lying to him,
convincing him she was human-Deidre. As much as she distrusted
Wynn, she’d seen the caution in his features, the haunted wisdom of
his gaze. He wasn’t the arrogant, ruthless Immortal she
remembered.

Broken.
The word fit him. The human world that fascinated
her had broken him. She didn’t understand how, when there was so
much beauty around her.

Deidre couldn’t learn to become the human
she created in half a day. She considered. Wynn said to tell
Gabriel the truth. Telling him that she’d mated off human-Deidre to
the Dark One would make Gabriel hate her. She wasn’t willing to
lose him already, not after all she’d gone through to keep him.

Thoughtful, she began to put together
another plan and rehearse what she’d say. She ate, her attention
soon captured by the sensations of the airy omelet and melted
cheese in her mouth. She finished everything and returned to her
bedroom, going through the rest of human-Deidre’s morning routine.
When she was satisfied, she rejoined Cora on the main level of the
penthouse.

“You might want … shoes,” Cora said
awkwardly. “There’s no carpet in the street.”

“Ah, of course.” Deidre ran back up to her
room and looked over the assortment of shoes. The ones she chose
were beautiful, but human-Deidre never touched them. She’d worn
either sandals or tennis shoes.

Deidre borrowed her sandals and trotted down
the stairs. Cora handed her a purse and sunglasses. Deidre took
them, excited at her first venture into the mortal world as a
human.

Her eagerness lasted until she stepped from
the apartment building to the sidewalk lining a busy street. Deidre
froze. In her penthouse, she was able to take in things at her own
pace. Here, the world was shoved in her face. The sidewalks were
jammed with people and smells, the traffic thick and loud. The
buildings blocked the sun, and the barrage of sensations
overwhelmed her.

“It’s rush hour,” Cora explained. “The
market is only two blocks away. Are you ready?”

Deidre nodded. Cora began weaving through
the crowd. Deidre followed, surprised then angry when people
jostled her instead of moving from her path. She was about to
summon a spell to clear the sidewalk completely when she recalled
she wasn’t able to use her power anymore.

Deidre stopped in the middle of the
sidewalk, feeling very exposed to the blaring world. Another of the
newfound feelings crept into her. This one was worry.

“Deidre,” Cora called from a few feet in
front of her.

She shook off the strange feeling and
followed once more. They walked to a corner and turned away from
the busy main street onto a quieter side one. Deidre struggled to
take in everything around her, bombarded by the noise, smells and
activity. They soon reached an area where the street was sectioned
off, and a line of white-topped tents lined the street. People
milled through the farmer’s market.

She joined them, trying to recall the reason
human-Deidre came to these. The displays of fruit and vegetables,
homemade food, crafts, and other items soon enthralled her. She
stopped to admire the colors of a fruit pyramid and the textures of
textiles. They reached the food section, and Deidre’s attention
shifted to the source of the scents. She followed her nose until
she found the one she wanted.

“My gods,” she breathed, stopping in front
of one stand. She read the sign. “Funnel cake.”

She spent a minute thinking over how she’d
seen human-Deidre buy things. Deidre looked through her purse and
pulled out the wallet. She had a ten dollar bill. She looked at the
sign again and stepped forward.

“One of those,” she said, pointing. They
smelled too good to eat just one. “No. Three of those.”

Ten minutes later, she sat at a picnic
table, devouring the crispy-sweet treats. She made it through two
and a half of the dinner-plate sized confections before she
grimaced. Her stomach was too full to finish. Her gaze lingered on
the remaining half a funnel cake. It was the most incredible food
in the world, much better than omelets. Why did human-Deidre not
eat these every day?

Deidre delicately wiped her face and stood,
stuffed but beyond pleased with her first day as a human. Cora said
nothing, her features emotionless and eyes roving for threats.

They continued, and Deidre’s attention went
to a small shop behind the tents, from which incense drifted. She
entered the darkened store while Cora remained outside. There were
a few people in the store. She went to the back, where the jars of
essence were kept. Intrigued by the new scents, she began opening
bottles to smell them. Light flared suddenly behind her, and she
turned curiously. The clerk darted around the counter towards the
corner, where someone had accidently tipped over a lit candelabra
that was now burning the curtains. The other customers crowded the
back with Deidre. The clerk was holding an extinguisher, shaking
and cursing it.

“Go out the back!” he shouted to them as the
fire grew.

Deidre let the group jostle her down a small
hallway that emptied out into an alley behind the row of buildings.
The group lingered, peering into the store to watch the fire and
the clerk.

Deidre stayed for a moment then decided to
leave, more interested in exploring the world than waiting long
enough to see what happened. She walked down the alley, nose
wrinkling at the scents of trash and stagnant water. She paused at
the intersection with another narrow alley, not liking the smelly
alleys at all.

With a look around, she started down a new
direction, hoping it emptied out somewhere that didn’t creep her
out so much. At the far end, she saw what looked like a busy
street.

“You here for me?” The voice was
mocking.

Startled, Deidre turned. She hadn’t heard
the demon drop from the top of the building to land a few feet
behind her. Without her power, she wasn’t able to sense him or the
danger he posed. His pointed teeth, soulless eyes and rumbling
growl gave away the otherwise human-looking creature as a
demon.

“Definitely not,” she snapped.

“How about me?”

She whipped around at the voice of the
second demon.

“You have no business with me,” she told
them coolly. “Leave, before I take matters into my own hands.”

One laughed.

“Word on the street is that Darkyn took your
power,” the other said with a toothy grin. “Making you … mortal. A
sweet treat for a demon.”

Uneasiness drifted through her. “Did he send
you to harass me?” she demanded, mind on the demon lord’s parting
words about ensuring his mate won their deal.

“No. We’re just hungry.”

“Immortal Law states that the mate of an
immortal or deity is beyond –“

“Immortal Law!” the first
one laughed again. “Demon Law offers
you
no protection, Death’s mate or
not.”

Deidre shifted. She found herself reaching
for her power again, only to find it gone. The reminder made her
feel something colder than worry.

“Gabriel will kill you if you touch me,” she
said quietly.

“If he can find us. He can’t find souls, let
alone demons.”

She frowned. She’d left him the soul compass
and his soul in her jewelry box, along with the ring he gave her,
so he knew they were intended for him. Before she could warn them
off again, one grabbed her. The grip around her arm was tight
enough to cause a new sensation: pain.

Deidre tried to pull away but was unable to
move. She was too weak.

Like a human.

His fangs lengthened, and she stared at
them, the reality of her situation beginning to sink in. The other
demon snatched the back of her neck, and she gasped.

“Don’t worry. We won’t kill you,” the demon
in front of her said. “I don’t need Death tracking me down. But I
want to be the first demon to taste a deity.” With the second demon
holding her, he closed the distance.

“Don’t –“ she shouted, bracing her hands
against his chest. He gripped her wrists and pushed her hands down
with little effort while the second demon pushed her head to the
side to expose her neck.

Deidre panicked. The intense fear broke
within her, and she struggled.

“I love my breakfast fighting,” the demon
before her whispered a moment before his fangs sank into her
neck.

She screamed, not expecting the level of
sharp pain.

“Deidre!” Cora shouted.

Deidre was flung aside. One demon fell
beneath Cora’s flashing swords while the other bound away and
disappeared.

Stunned, Deidre placed a hand to her neck
and lifted it away. It was covered in blood. Her blood. Hot,
throbbing pain was in her neck, and she felt woozy. Cora dropped to
her knees beside her and pressed Deidre’s hand back to her
neck.

“Keep it there, so you don’t bleed out,”
Cora ordered then tilted her head to the side. “Gabriel.”

“Oh, no,” Deidre mumbled. She wasn’t ready
to face him yet!

She
hurt.
She’d never felt pain as a
deity. She’d never been attacked by a demon, either.

Wooziness turned to lightheadedness. The
world faded into shadow and light then into an uncomfortable
darkness, not quite sleep but not consciousness either. Deidre
closed her eyes, unable to fathom some stupid demon had hurt
her.

She was human. She was weak.

She was terrified.

Something warm drifted through her, and her
body felt like it was floating. The pain faded then stopped
suddenly, but she wasn’t able to leave the in-between place.

Wake up,
sweetheart.
The quiet command was
accompanied by a flare of warmth and strength within her. Deidre’s
eyelids fluttered open. She was lying in her bedroom, on her bed.
Someone had figured out how to turn off the overhead lights that
blinded her earlier.

She had a nasty headache and groaned,
touching her head. Soft voices drew her attention to the doorway,
where she was able to hear but not see Cora behind the massive
frame of Gabriel.

Deidre stared at him, not remembering him to
be as big as he was. Just under seven feet tall and muscular, he
wore all black with weapons strapped to various parts of his body.
His back was to her, his arms crossed, and his t-shirt stretched
tightly across his thick back and shoulders. His hips were slim,
his long legs shapely. She didn’t remember the aura of power and
command around him either. It was subtle but compelling, drawing
her attention involuntarily.

Her Gabriel, who spent his life a part of
the shadows, radiated the quiet power of a deity that reached her
from across the room. He’d never blend into the shadows again.

Her heart was racing and something new
fluttered through her, warmth that pooled at the base of her belly.
And fear. If a demon nowhere near his size was able to hurt her,
what could Gabriel do, if he was upset at her for any reason? If he
found out the extent she’d gone to in order to be here with
him?

In his place, she’d kill him.

She reclined back onto the bed, staring at
the ceiling. The soft bed was warm from her body heat, and she
found herself running a hand over the downy comforter while she
tried to understand the emotions within her.

“Are you okay?”

Deidre’s heart flip-flopped at Gabriel’s
husky baritone. He sat down on the bed beside her. Her breath
caught.

Beautiful did not describe him. The features
she’d admired when she was Death she now saw as stunning. Chiseled
to perfection, covered in olive-hued skin, with a low brow,
piercing gaze and strong jaw …His nearness made her feel hot.

“I’ll assume that’s a yes,” he said with a
faint smile. He reached out to tilt her chin to the side to see her
neck. Warm energy fluttered through her. His large hand was
unexpectedly gentle as it settled on her neck over where the demon
bit her. She’d never let him touch her like that before, but she
found his touch calming.

Fascinated by the texture of his palm, she
took and held his hand up until she was able to see the roughness
of his calloused palm. She traced her fingertips over his wide
palm. It was almost twice the size of hers.

He lowered his hand, resting it possessively
on her upper thigh. Desire stirred within her, along with some
confusion. He’d never touched her without permission. He seemed at
ease with himself, another thing she didn’t remember about him.

“Don’t take this the wrong way,” he started,
studying her. “Who the fuck are you?”

Her jaw dropped.