Deidre's Death (#2, Rhyn Eternal Series)

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fourteen

Gabriel.

Rhyn’s summons came at a bad time. Gabriel finished collecting the souls from the bowl then straightened, motioning to Landon. Andre had tipped them off about another, smaller warehouse. This one was the size of a small apartment, stacked ceiling to floor with bodies. Ten demons guarded this one, two of which he’d slaughtered before leaving his dealers to handle the rest to search for souls.

“Rhyn’s calling. Can you handle this?” he asked Landon.

Landon nodded.

“I’ll take these to the lake. Stay available.” Gabriel summoned a portal and emerged at the lake.

He froze. He could feel that something happened. It was a new kind of sense, one he’d never experienced before. Something was broken and for once, it wasn’t Death’s domain. Another sense grew stronger. It was familiar. He last experienced it …

… Monday night, when Deidre had gone to Hell. He didn’t understand it at the time. It was less an instinct and more of an absence of something. A warmth at the edge of his mind.

Gabriel.

He started towards the fortress at a trot, struggling to decipher the instincts of a deity. Something broken and something missing. His pace quickened, and he left the forest and trotted to the Immortals’ stronghold. His attention shifted from his thoughts to the scene before him, and he slowed.

Rhyn and Andre stood near Darkyn between two lines, one of Immortals and the opposite of demons larger than any Gabriel had ever seen. Both demon lord and half-demon were bristling with power, the Dark One’s growl audible long before Gabriel reached them. He paused near the crack in the ground.

He saw it once before, when he was seventeen. When Darkyn’s demons had wiped out his village, a tiny stopover on their journey to enslave the mortal realm.

“Gabriel.” Only Andre would manage to sound calm standing before two creatures with enough power to turn him to dust.

“What’s going on?” Gabriel asked, hands on the hilts of his weapons.

He wasn’t expecting anyone but Andre to answer. The two demons were locked in a silent staring contest. When he was close enough, Darkyn addressed him.

“My mate. Now,” the Dark One snarled. His eyes were cold and sharp. With the tear between worlds, he was able to use more of the power normally restricted to Hell. Dark power surged around him.

“Where’s your Deidre?” Rhyn asked Gabriel, his gaze never leaving Darkyn.

Gabriel summoned her with enough power that she wasn’t able to ignore him, even if she was upset.

No response.

He waited another moment, unleashing his senses.

He should be able to find his mate no matter where she was – but couldn’t.

Something missing.

If he couldn’t find her, she was in one of two places: Hell or the underworld.

“What the fuck happened?” he asked, focusing on Andre.

“You fucking tell me.” The Dark One faced him.

Gabriel didn’t react, instead motioning to Andre to do something about Rhyn, who was ready to explode. The half-demon had the impact of a nuclear bomb with absolutely no control. He summoned Landon and gave his second-in-command an urgent message.