“Deidre?” He faced her fully. “You’re alive.”
She nodded.
Stunned, he was speechless for a long moment. His eyes swept over her. Her hair was still pink and in a loose bun on the top of her head. She wore the clothing of the women of Hell: a black, silky, backless dress that reached the tip of her sandaled feet. The faded signs of massive scarring were on one side of her neck while there was blood on the other, as if someone had just hurt her. Her eyes were red-rimmed, too, and his gaze rested on the tiny fangs resting on her plump lower lip.
“What the fuck is going on?” he demanded.
She jumped at the harsh words. She glanced at Darkyn, who was still. Silent. Watching. Gabriel couldn’t take his eyes off the woman who had been his mate, for however brief a time.
“I, um, made a deal with Darkyn. I went to Hell and …” Deidre drifted off. She crossed her arms, the range of emotions crossing her face too fast for him to decipher.
Suddenly, Andre’s cryptic warning made sense.
“…had the tumor removed which happened to be past-Death’s soul. Darkyn brought past-Death back, fulfilling their mystery-deal, and you were at the mercy of Darkyn,” Gabriel finished.
She nodded. “As his mate.”
“His mate.” This was almost beyond Gabriel’s ability to believe. He began to think this was a shape-shifter demon, like he originally thought about past-Death when she suddenly appeared.
He started towards her, senses trained to catch any movement from Darkyn before the demon attacked him. Darkyn did nothing. Deidre skirted away, placing the recliner between them. He stopped and searched her face.
“I just want to see the mating marks. That’s it,” he said.
She hesitated but nodded.
“You okay?” Gabriel asked in a hushed voice. His jaw was clenching and unclenching. He was tense enough to feel claustrophobic.
Another nod.
Gabriel stretched towards her slowly, afraid of spooking her. He had no idea what she’d been through the past few days at the hands of Darkyn. While she looked healthy, she bore blood on her neck that made him feel ill at the thought that Darkyn was bleeding her dry.
Deidre didn’t move. He took her arm with one of the hands that had explored every part of her body – or the body he thought was hers - not even a few hours before. He tugged her out from behind the chair then turned her gently. He pushed her hair over one shoulder, and his hands dropped.
“Gods, Darkyn,” he muttered, astonished.
She wore two mating markings: the Immortal tattoo and the mark of a blood-bound demon.
Deidre looked at the demon lord, and Gabriel followed her gaze. Darkyn’s eyes were on Gabriel. The sense of satisfaction was there again, along with the faint smile that made Gabriel furious.
“I win this round,” Darkyn said.
“Double bond. You weren’t about to take a chance that you lose her,” Gabriel said, grappling with the reasoning behind the demon lord’s actions. From what he knew of demon blood bonds, they were restrictive on the two bound together to the point that they could never have another mate. What made Darkyn blood-bond Deidre?
Gabriel turned her to face him again. Deidre looked up at him, trembling. Gabriel didn’t know what to say for a long minute. He was a fucking fool for trusting the goddess, even in her human form. Her secret now revealed, Gabriel understood why she’d refused to tell him.
What the fuck did he do now that he knew?
His attention fell again to the bloody neck of Darkyn’s mate.
“Tell me Darkyn did that to you, and I’ll fucking destroy him,” he said.
Deidre shook her head, a smile slipping free. It lit up her features, and he saw the tiny fangs she was trying to hide.
“One of your death dealers attacked me,” she said.
“What?” Gabriel growled.
“I came here to … visit,” she said with a quick glance at Darkyn that said she probably ventured out of Hell without telling her new mate. “They found me.”
“Followed her,” Darkyn corrected. “Your doing, Gabriel?”
“Of course not,” he snapped.
“Harmony was with them,” Deidre added.
“The bitch betrayed me to you, Darkyn. Which means this could be your doing.”
“The funny thing about traitors,” Darkyn replied. “You can’t ever really trust them. Harmony was granted access to use Hell to go to your underworld. I can assure you if she’s found going through my portals again, she’ll be sent straight to me.”
Gabriel studied the demon lord. He almost sounded … protective of his mate. Which made no sense. If Darkyn told him about the death dealers attacking his mate, Gabriel would’ve ignored him. Coming from the sweet human before him, however, the news made Gabriel want to bargain for entry into Hell just so he could destroy those dealers who thought it was okay to hurt her.
“How many were here?” he asked Deidre.
“Two,” she replied. “And Harmony.”
“They hurt you,” he said, lifting her chin to see the blood. No wound was there. Now that she possessed a fraction of the Dark One’s power, she would heal instantly.
“Yes,” she said. “Darkyn rescued me from them. He has the two I think.”
Gabriel faced the demon lord. Darkyn stepped out of the corner where he stood.
“There were two who attacked my mate,” the demon lord said. “I’m taking the dealer who hurt her.”
Gabriel waited, sensing the Dark One wasn’t finished.
“My … spies report that you can’t keep dealers and have no idea what’s going on in the underworld. The other dealer you can have.”
“This sounds like a favor,” Gabriel said with a frown.
“It is.”
“What do you want in return?”
“Harmony. When you find her.”
The instinct that Darkyn was protective of a mate rose again. Gabriel considered. Darkyn had gone through the process to blood bind Deidre; he wasn’t going to let his only source of food go. Ever. He also wasn’t going to let anyone else threaten his blood monkey.
Deidre glanced at Darkyn in puzzlement, and Gabriel realized she didn’t yet understand the depth of the Dark One’s obligation to her.
“By letting them attack you, Harmony made a personal affront to the Dark One,” Gabriel explained. “I can’t imagine that will go well for her.”
“What does that mean?” Deidre asked uncertainly.
“I imagine an eternity of punishment as only the Dark One can devise. Same for the dealer who hurt you today.”
“But I’m okay. He didn’t hurt me,” she said, looking at Darkyn. “An eternity? For one mistake?”
“Even I won’t go to bat for him,” Gabriel said. “Either of them. Mates are sacred.”
“But it’s my fault,” she said. “Darkyn, I never should’ve come here. I don’t want him paying for something I did.”
“He will pay for drawing your blood,” the demon lord growled in a tone that made her jump. “Anyone who raises a hand to my mate also raises a hand to me and will be dealt with accordingly.”
“For once, I agree with Darkyn,” Gabriel said, staring at the Dark One with no small amount of surprise.
Deidre was quiet, her features troubled.
Deal? Darkyn asked Gabriel mentally. No other terms.
What you did to Deidre cannot be undone, Gabriel replied.
What I did to both Deidres cannot be undone was the unsettling response.
Gabriel was quiet for a long moment. His eyes went back to the girl who had been human just a few days ago. Her gaze was on Darkyn.
“Has he hurt you?” he asked, unable to fathom how she survived Hell so far.
“No,” she replied. She was agitated to the point of distraught. The Dark One lifted his chin in subtle command.
Deidre crossed to him, unafraid of the creature whose appearance often made grown Immortals quake and grovel. She leaned into his side, and
Darkyn rested a hand on her hip. The Dark One’s touch calmed her air instantly.
What the fuck had Darkyn managed to do in four days that Gabriel hadn’t been able to in the week he spent with her? Removed her tumor, immortalized her and now, could comfort her with a single touch. Gabriel had never felt inadequate in his life until that moment.
“Agreed,” he said. “Harmony for the dealer you have.”
“I’ll have him brought to the shadow world and summon you,” Darkyn said.
Deidre was watching him, her gaze troubled. Gabriel wanted to say something to her, to apologize, to rationalize what happened … He felt like he was on the verge of snapping, unable to settle the turmoil of his emotions.
“You don’t deserve to spend your life in Hell,” he said, pacing. “Gods, if I could send her home with that demon in your place, I -”
“Gabriel!” Deidre exclaimed.
“Would you consider a trade, Darkyn?” Gabriel asked with a bitter laugh.
“She did what she did because she loves you, Gabriel,” Deidre said. She moved away from Darkyn to stand in front of Gabriel, searching his gaze.
“After all she did to you, how can you say this?” he demanded, glaring down at her. “She’ll be lucky if I let her survive the day.”
“I was angry at her,” Deidre admitted. “Maybe I still am. But you can’t kill her! She deserves a chance.”
“To what? Turn on me again? To make my life hell?” Gabriel shook his head.
“To have a second chance with you,” Deidre answered softly.
“I knew something was wrong. Her story just didn’t make sense.” He looked away, towards the window, hands on his hips.
“When you thought I was dying, you weren’t willing to take a chance,” Deidre added sadly.
“Deidre, I –“
“No, wait. You weren’t, Gabriel. You did exactly what she did. You hurt me to protect yourself,” Deidre said with emotion that made her face flush. “I had to make a choice without knowing what would happen or even if you would be there for me in the morning.”
He was quiet, unaware of the depths of her hurt until now. Everything he did was to help her, or so he thought. Did he ever tell her that? Or did he simply push her away, leaving her to interpret his rejection in the worst way possible?
“I don’t want you to apologize, Gabriel,” she said with a sigh. “I want you to see what I do. You both made selfish choices. You both have a chance to make it right.”
“And leave you in Hell with him?”
“I made a choice, too. I chose to live, no matter what the consequences. That path lies in a direction I never would’ve expected. But I accept that, Gabriel. There’s a greater purpose than myself. You and she never understood that, when it came to caring for someone else. You have that chance now.”
He studied her.
“I guess what I’m trying to say is…” she drifted off.
“You’re breaking up with me,” he said, smiling faintly.
“Oh, god,” she mumbled with a look at Darkyn. “Deidre gave up everything to be with you. You weren’t willing to do that for me. Maybe you can set aside your pride for her.”
“You’re too nice to be involved with any of us.”
“The only innocent soul in Hell, I’ve heard,” she said and rolled her eyes.
“If Darkyn ever, ever hurts you, you have a place to go.”
“Thank you, Gabriel.”
“We’re done here,” the Dark One said smoothly. “Send my regards to your mate.”
Gabriel didn’t trust himself to respond. He called a portal and left, needing to escape then realizing the emotions he didn’t want to feel went with him.
He went to the lake near Rhyn’s. Unable to function from shock, he sat down on a rock overlooking the lake. His death dealers were around, ever-wary for signs of demons.
The morning sun felt hot, and Gabriel was soon sweating. He suspected it was the feeling that he was about to explode and not the cool morning. He stripped off his shirt and flung it then tossed all his weapons in a pile at his feet before seating himself once more.
It didn’t help. His head was still reeling to the point he was fevered. It was worse than the morning after he slept with human-Deidre and awoke to discover whom he spent the night with.
What exactly happened? Why did Darkyn choose to keep the human over the deity? What other deals were in place that Gabriel didn’t fully know about?
“How’s life?” Fate’s tone was casual.
“You are the last person who should be around me right now,” Gabriel snarled.
“Peace, friend,” Fate said, approaching. He stopped a safe distance away, his multi-hued eyes on Gabriel. As usual, he appeared the least affected by anything that was going on. He was dressed as if he’d just come from some club, all in leather with his blond hair in a braid.
“Peace,” Gabriel snorted. “You knew.”
“I even told you.”
Gabriel thought back. At one point, Fate had told him a story about how he tricked the goddess into a series of agreements that landed her out of a job. He did it by pushing the only button that seemed to work on the deity. He told her that she was destined to be the mate of the Dark One. In desperation, the goddess made a series of deals with the former Dark One, Fate, Darkyn and others to alter the series of events that might see her with anyone but Gabriel.
At the time, Gabriel had laughed at Fate’s manipulative story, not realizing that Fate’s alleged lie held more truth than not.
“I’m beginning to see why she hates you,” Gabriel muttered.
“It’s for a good cause.”
He stared at the nonchalant Fate.
“What is one life in the bigger picture?”
“Everything,” Gabriel said.
“Believe it or not, I’m less a fan of Darkyn than I am of your goddess,” Fate said. “The good news: now that the Deidres are in their right places, you may find life a little easier.”
“I refuse to believe this is the way things were meant to be. Why fucking give her to me then take her away?”
“You’re taking it personally. Don’t.”
Gabriel glared at him. “Have you ever been human?”
“Of course not,” Fate said quickly.
“Have you ever known what it was to love someone?”
“Does it matter?”
“Answer the fucking question.”
“Relax, Gabe,” Fate said with a smile. “Not that it matters but no.”
“Then you have no idea how personal it gets,” Gabriel snapped.
Fate simply gazed at him. Gabriel was reminded of the many times he’d expressed something human to the goddess he’d loved for thousands of years. Before she became a human, she never understood him or what he felt and thought.
“I am not incapable of emotion,” Fate said, as if reading his mind. “I am not like your predecessor.”
“Every last one of you is a sociopath.”
“I have emotions,” Fate said more clearly. “I’ve checked on your little human almost every day to ensure what I planned for her was not altered by Darkyn’s bloodlust.”
“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.
Chapter Eleven