by Lizzy Ford
Shaking his head, Rhyn realized how sweaty his palms were as he stood before the door leading to the zoo. Sasha’s mages had sat in the antechamber, repairing any damage the inmates did to their cells or preparing some magical torture that Sasha wanted.
It was the last place in the universe he wanted to be. Rhyn’s body felt wooden, and his heart flew. He opened the door to the antechamber and stopped, surprised at who sat within.
“Jared?”
“Rhyn!” The full demon dropped the book in his hands and lurched to his feet.
“Darkyn made you the jailer,” Rhyn growled. “You better not –“
“Wait!” Jared barked. “I didn’t do anything. To any of them, as much as I wanted to eat the human. So succulent and sweet-smelling, like barbecued –“
Rhyn drew his knife as Jared’s feature lit up.
“But I didn’t,” the demon rushed on. “I’m as much of a prisoner as they are. I can go here and I can go out on the block.”
“You’re a prisoner.”
“Yes.”
“Prove it.”
Jared motioned him away from the door. Rhyn stepped aside warily. The full-demon tried to walk through, only to be thrown to the ground by an invisible shield.
“Darkyn wouldn’t let me stay in the mortal realm. I came here and hid out,” Jared explained. “I knew these things were your friends.” He motioned dismissively towards the cell block.
“Is the angel here?” Rhyn asked.
“Yes. And the man in black who used to visit you. Smells like a human, acts like an Immortal.”
“Gabe?”
“Sure.”
Rhyn moved to the door leading to the block, unable to help the small tremble of his hand. Not only had he spent too long in this very place, he’d seen Katie hurt here and barely escaped alive with her.
“And the girl.”
“What girl?” Rhyn asked, freezing.
“I don’t know it’s name. It was with Lunchmeat at the Immortal stronghold,” Jared said, using his nickname for Katie. “Can you get us out of here?”
“Why would I do anything for you?”
“As a reward, for not eating any of your friends.”
Rhyn considered how he might use the demon, as he had once before. He didn’t answer, pushing the door open to the cell block. Nearly all the cells were empty.
“Where is everyone?” he asked.
“Darkyn incorporated them into his army. He sent most to the Immortal stronghold,” Jared said. “Miss your old friends?”
“Not in the slightest. You put Gabe in my old cell,” he said, stopping in front of it. He sensed the death-dealer’s presence without being able to see into the dark room.
“Rhyn!” Toby’s gleeful shout jarred him. “I knew you’d come! I knew Jared would help.”
Jared bared his teeth in response. Rhyn stopped in front of Toby’s cell and saw the young angel bouncing around.
“Oh, thank gods,” Ully said from the cell across from Toby. “Rhyn, Darkyn created two shapeshifter demons. You must find them before they - “
“Rhyn,” Gabriel’s ragged voice drew his attention.
Rhyn stepped closer to his old cell, hating it and the fact his friend was trapped in it.
“I’m sorry, Rhyn,” the death-dealer said. “I failed you and Katie both.”
“What’re you talking about?”
“The fucking demons got me. I don’t know what they want with Katie, but it’s been almost two days. I was leading her through the underworld.”
“She’s not dead,” Rhyn said and drew an even breath, trying to calm the side of him that was screaming for him to find her as fast as he could. Two days with demons … he’d seen what happened to her here, in Hell, over a similar period of time. Sasha was twisted, but Darkyn was merciless.
“Yes, she’s alive, or was when I left her,” Gabe said.
“Where were you when this happened?” Rhyn asked. “How did you get Katie away from Death?”
“I told you, she’s not dead!” Toby shouted. “No one listens to me!”
“The underworld,” Gabe answered. “Toby’s right. She found a loophole. As long as Death doesn’t find her and we can get her back to a Sanctuary, she’ll live.”
“Darkyn was right,” Rhyn said.
“About what?”
“Death offered to return Katie to me after a few days. Darkyn said she wouldn’t do it, and he was right. She doesn’t have Katie.”
“It would break every Immortal Code – some older than Death – if she returned a mortal to the mortal world,” Gabe said. “If she finds Katie, she’ll never let her go.”
Rhyn felt like the fool he was.
“Tell the demon to let me out,” Gabe said. “We need to go.”
“Jared, free Gabe,” Rhyn ordered.
“Only if – “ the demon started.
“Yes, fine. We’ll come back for you.”
Jared returned to the antechamber.
“Ully, Toby, you’re staying here until we get back,” Rhyn said.
“What?” the two responded simultaneously.
“You’re safe here. And, you’re out of my way.”
“Rhyn, no!” Toby whined.
“You need my help!” Ully added.
“Then I’ll come back for you. Right now, Gabe and I are going to the underworld. You’ll slow us down,” Rhyn said.
“Rhyn, I can help you,” Toby pleaded. “Katie is my human. I can find her for you.”
“I’m not looking for her. I’m going to find Death.”
The cell block fell silent. Even Jared looked at him in surprise. Rhyn took the talisman dangling from the demon’s hand and pressed it against the wall of the cell holding Gabe.
“You can’t go after Death,” Gabe said quietly as he stepped from the cell. The death-dealer was more unkempt than Rhyn had ever seen him. His clothing was ripped and his face unshaven. “Do you know what she’ll do to you?”
“You don’t have to go, Gabe,” Rhyn said. “You can stay here or I’ll take you to the Sanctuary. I just need you to tell me where she is. She’s after Katie. We find Death before she finds my mate.”
Gabe took a deep breath. “I know the underworld better than you. I’ll take you to where she might be.”
“Rhyn, you need to know something,” Ully said. “One of the shapeshifters took on Gabriel’s shape. I think Darkyn knew Katie was with Gabe, and they wanted to replace him.”
“Why? Gabe, where were you going?” Rhyn asked.
“There’s a secret portal in the underworld, similar to the one here in Hell that allows Immortals to come in and out. It’s how I could visit you when you were in Sasha’s zoo,” Gabe explained. “I couldn’t take Katie through the shadow world place, because Death and Darkyn had assassins waiting for me to step foot in there. The secret portal is in Death’s palace.”
“Wow,” Toby breathed. “You were taking her straight to Death.”
“Not straight,” Gabe said. “I was taking a route no one else could track.”
“And the demons grabbed you and replaced you with a shapeshifter,” Rhyn said. “But why?”
“Because your bond will reappear seven days after you broke it.” Toby’s voice was a whisper. “I’m not supposed to tell you that.”
Rhyn stopped in front of the dejected angel’s cell.
“I dreamt where Death told me about the seven days … “ Gabe drifted off and shook his head, as if to clear a bad memory. “You’re saying Rhyn didn’t break the bond?”
“I’m saying, the mate of an Ancient or any Immortal is preordained. No one can break that bond, not even Death,” Toby answered. “But since no one ever listens to me and I’ve failed at my duty as a guardian – “
“Stop whining, Toby,” Rhyn snapped. “Why seven days?”
“I don’t know.”
“Angels have a shared consciousness with all other angels. It’s how they pass on memories and human history,” Gabe said. “I
f Toby can’t find that answer, it’s not something any of the angels know. Or he’s too young to tap into it fully.”
“I know I’m a failure,” Toby said, blinking back tears.
“Darkyn said the shapeshifters only had to be effective for a few days,” Ully added.
“Whatever he’s planning has to be done by the time your bond returns,” Gabe said.
Rhyn frowned. Toby, Darkyn, and Death knew about the seven days. He felt a flutter of hope where he’d felt desperation before. In seven days, his bond to Katie would return. She’d no longer be vulnerable in the Immortal underworld. She could move between worlds as he could, and he’d no longer be at risk of destroying everything he came into contact with.
Death wanted him to wait until the bond returned. Darkyn wanted him to act before then. Rhyn didn’t understand the battle the two were locked in, but one thing was clear: Katie would need him before the seven days was up.
“Ully, you said there were two shapeshifters?” he asked. “Who is the second?”
“Hannah,” Ully said and motioned to a cell farther down. “He replaced her before Gabriel.”
“Really?” Toby asked, pressing his face against the cell door. “I didn’t even notice.”
“That’s because I used the Immunity blood to enhance their talents,” Ully said. “No one can tell the physical difference until the injections wear off.”
“Darkyn replaces Gabe to get to Katie. Why replace Hannah?” Gabe asked.
“To influence Kris,” Rhyn said. “Gabe, we can talk on the way.”
“Rhyn, don’t leave me here,” Toby said again.
“You’ll be fine. Jared, move Hannah in with Toby. If you touch one hair on any of them, I’ll -”
“I understand, half-breed,” Jared said. “I don’t want to be here when Darkyn gets back.”
“We’ll come back before then.”
Rhyn left the cell block to Toby’s protests and walked with Gabe through the antechamber and into the hallway on the other side. Gabe’s gaze was dark, his air brooding. Rhyn opened a portal, and they crossed through to Gabe’s cabin in the underworld.
“I left her near a stream,” Gabe said, looking around. “But I don’t know where the demons would’ve taken her.”
“We’re not going after Katie,” Rhyn said again.
“Death will crush us and hopefully, any demons in her domain.”
“If we find her, we can stop her before she takes Katie. We don’t know what the demons are doing, but we know Death is looking for Katie.”
“She’ll find Katie before us, if she hasn’t already,” Gabe agreed. “But seriously, Rhyn, no one bargains with Death and wins.”
“I’ll deal with that when we find her. Take us to Death.”
Gabe sighed before striking off into the jungle. His walk turned to a trot and then a run. Rhyn ran after him, feeling alive as they raced through the enchanted forest towards a fate he wasn’t entirely certain how to handle yet.
They ran until daylight then slowed. Gabe followed a trail Rhyn couldn’t see that led them to a stream. The assassin stopped and knelt to splash water on his face.
Rhyn looked around, wishing he could sense his mate. She was alone in the underworld with a demon, a thought that made him incensed with the urge to find her.
“This stream leads to the Lake of Souls then beyond to Death’s fortress,” Gabe said and stood. “I told her to keep to the stream. The demon probably picked her up between here and the Lake.”
Rhyn paced. He still felt the need to find Death, that if he found her, she’d lead him to Katie. They could wander the underworld for millennia without finding Katie, but Death … Death would know where she was.
“The underworld sucks much of our power out, like Hell,” the death-dealer said. “You should sit down and rest, Rhyn.”
“I don’t have time.”
“You have two days. We can find Death in two days.”
“It won’t matter if Darkyn gets to Katie first.”
“Or if Death changes her mind.”
“Changes her mind?”
“Two days ago, I had a dream where she told me you had four days to pass some sort of test. I don’t need to tell you what happens if you don’t pass.”
“I can guess that bitch is pretty unforgiving,” Rhyn said. “And I imagine, if I don’t pass, she’ll take Katie.”
Gabriel met his gaze, and Rhyn ceased pacing. Sensing his urgency, Gabriel stood.
“Let me check on something,” he said, striding away. “There are signs when Death is in her fortress. I might be able to see the trees in their defensive positions from here.”
Rhyn watched his only friend trot into the jungle. He resumed pacing, surprised when Gabe reappeared quickly. The death-dealer motioned for them to start walking along the stream. Rhyn sprung forward, anxious to be moving again.
“What do you plan on doing when you find Death?” Gabriel asked.
“Whatever it takes.”
“That’s a dangerous mindset to have when you go into a meeting with her.”
“I have no choice. I want my mate back, and I will destroy anyone in my path.”
“You know the Council needs you,” Gabriel said. “Kris can’t keep everyone together. He needs your … charm.”
“I don’t give a shit, Gabe.”
“You should, Rhyn. If you get Katie back and the world goes to shit, all you’ve done is given her an Immortality of hell on earth.”
“I can do both. I can protect her and the rest of humanity. I think … no, I know that’s what I’m meant to do. I never knew that until I found Katie and I started to realize –“
“- you can use your demon powers for good.”
“I wouldn’t call killing things good,” Rhyn said. “But I’d only kill things that threatened those who couldn’t protect themselves.”
“You’d do what Andre did.”
“I suppose.”
“And your father. Almost like you’re making up for your mother killing him and then Andre killing her,” Gabe said. “You’d almost be making things right, assuming you chose this role.”
. “All I care about is finding Katie, kicking Death’s ass and then going home, wherever Katie wants that to be. Whatever happens then - happens.” Rhyn said with a glance over his shoulder
“What if Death has her already, Rhyn?” Gabe asked. “What if you do succeed in forcing Death’s hand and she brings Katie back from the dead? You’d tear the fabric of the universe and invite the demons to take control. She’s all that stands between us and them.”
“Gods, Gabe. You’ve spent too much time with Death. When did you learn to think?”
“Would you do it? Would you kill Death or risk destroying the worlds for Katie?”
Rhyn froze. The voice was Gabriel’s, but the assassin’s argument was unlike Gabe, who would know exactly what Rhyn would do after their conversation in Hell. In fact, the whole conversation seemed … off.
“Why?” he asked.
“I want to know what you’re getting us into.”
“You already know that.” He turned.
Gabriel was gone. No one followed him, let alone spoke to him. Rhyn looked around uneasily, wondering who – or what – he’d been speaking to. He started back to the spot where they’d stopped for water. A few minutes later, Gabriel reappeared.
“Follow the stream. We should reach the fortress in the morning. It looks like she’s there,” Gabe reported.
Rhyn stared at him, looking for any sign the death-dealer wasn’t his friend.
“What, Rhyn?” Gabe asked.
“I just had a five minute talk with you. But you weren’t here.”
Gabe frowned.
“Something about this place is fucked up.”
“It wasn’t just my voice? You saw me?” Gabe asked.
“Like I do now.”
A troubled look crossed the death-dealer’s features.
“What is it?” Rhyn asked, suspic
ion rising.
“Katie said something similar about seeing someone who wasn’t there. From now on, we don’t separate.”
“Agreed. Let’s walk.” Rhyn sensed there was more to Gabriel’s thought, but he wasn’t about to stand around talking when Katie was out there somewhere, being stalked by Death.
“What did the other me ask you?”
“If I’d kill Death to get Katie back.”
“And you said?”
“I turned around to look at you, and you were gone,” Rhyn said.
“That’s probably a good thing. The last thing you want is Death’s spies telling her you’re coming to kill her.”
Gabe sounded more relieved than Rhyn thought the encounter warranted. He looked closely at his friend, wondering what might be bothering him.
“Let’s get going,” Gabe said, avoiding his gaze.
“Lead on.”
Chapter Nine
Kris glanced up, expecting Kiki to enter his tent; however, it was one of his Immortal messengers who approached. The messenger held out a small thumb drive with what Kris hoped contained a report identifying the two shapeshifter demons. He left, and Kris plugged the thumb drive into his small PDA. A single file was on the drive, and he opened it.
It was blank. Puzzled, he pulled the drive free of his PDA and reinserted it. The single file within was still empty. Kris tossed it on a table.
“You’re a difficult creature to find.”
He lowered the PDA at the voice. The temperature of his tent seemed to drop by ten degrees. Rather than feel privileged by her visit, he felt his sense of foreboding grew stronger. The petite woman who materialized out of the shadows wasn’t what he expected. Her flawless features were unremarkable, her large eyes turning colors faster than his. She wore white and smiled, more like a nursemaid than the woman whose job was to collect souls.
“It’s a pleasure, my lady,” he said, at once thrilled and uneasy that she’d finally acknowledged the leader of the Council That Was Seven.
“You’re getting ready to raid my underworld,” Death said, her glance falling to the rucksack beside his feet.