Darkyn's Mate (#3, Rhyn Eternal) (16 page)

“Just get me through Hell,” Gabriel said.
“What happens then won’t matter.”

“Gabriel …” She rose and paced, her feet
sinking into the soft sand. “You shouldn’t have told me that. You
shouldn’t have asked me.” Frantically, she tried to recall anything
anyone might’ve told her about suppressing information from someone
reading her mind.

“I have no alternative,” he said, rising.
“I’m not asking because of what we had. I’m asking because I have
no choice. I’ll owe you.”

“You already do owe me one favor,” she
reminded him.

“I’ll owe you two.”

Deidre sighed. “I’ll try to help you,
Gabriel. God help me, I don’t know how.”

He watched her, arms crossed. He thought she
was being difficult. He couldn’t know that she was about to become
the only thing standing between his soul and Darkyn.

“I have to figure this out,” she murmured.
“Can I have a little time?”

“Whatever you need.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll figure it out way before
our deal is up,” she said, rolling her eyes.

“What deal?”

“The one between me and your Deidre.”

“You made a deal.” He crossed his arms, wary
once more. “Do I want to know what it was?”

She hesitated. “No. Because it doesn’t
matter.”

“Your deal is sealed by the Dark One. Why do
I have the feeling he’s waiting to collect?”

“I can’t talk about it with you, Gabriel.
She shouldn’t either,” she said quietly. “Please just know I bear
neither of you ill will, despite the outcome.”

“Fuck,” he muttered. “That scares the shit
out of me.”

“It shouldn’t. I’m the only one in this mess
who isn’t out to hurt anyone else,” she retorted. “It’s strange,
but I’ve learned from Darkyn not to be ashamed of my nature. He
laughs at me for being unwilling to hurt anyone else, but he says
no one should feel shame about who they are.”

“He’s a living example of that,” Gabriel
remarked wryly. “Life lessons from a sociopathic demon lord. I
never expected him to be capable of treating you well.”

“He does, in his own way,” she replied. “Can
I get your soul from the underworld?”

“A demon of human origin?” he shook his
head. “Neither humans nor demons are permitted entry to the
underworld.”

She gave a sound of frustration.

“It would take all of five seconds,” he
said. “I’ll accept all risk and if Darkyn is angry, I’ll take you
with me.”

“Let me figure it out,” she repeated. “Thank
you for checking up on me and for the offer to protect me.”

“It’s the least I can do.”

Troubled, Deidre nodded. She nibbled on her
lower lip, thinking furiously.

“Romantic setting for two former lovers.”
The Dark One’s low growl made Deidre blink.

“We’re just talking. No need to be jealous,”
Gabriel said, bristling.

“One might ask why you’re distressing my
mate,” Darkyn said.

Deidre sighed. “I’m not distressed. He
didn’t do or say anything bad.” But she did want to feel him close
to her. She had no idea if Darkyn sought her out when she was upset
because he thought she might be in danger or because he was
concerned about her being with her ex.

She crossed the short distance to her mate
and paused in front of him, breathing in his dark scent. Darkyn’s
frame was rigid and his growl loud. She leaned forward until she
was resting against the demon, who didn’t move away. His warmth was
comforting, his hard body her home. She nudged his chin with her
cheek to try to soften his mood. He lifted his head, refusing
her.

She nudged him again, this time nuzzling his
neck.

“Please don’t be angry,” she said for his
ears only and rested one hand against his heart.

Her mate hesitated then lowered his head,
nudging her gently in return in a sign that he wasn’t too angry
with her.

“This was where we met, Darkyn,” Gabe
said.

“Thus far, only one of us has managed to
hold onto her,” Darkyn replied.

“No fighting,” Deidre said. “Go home,
Gabriel.”

She didn’t expect Death to listen. To her
surprise, he called a portal.

“Always a pleasure, Deidre.” She turned to
watch him go.

Darkyn’s arm slid around her when the portal
closed behind Gabriel. Chilled by the cold ocean wind, Deidre
pressed herself against his warm body. At the feel of his hot
breath on her neck, she tilted her head. The Dark One nipped
her.

“What’re you hiding, love?” he purred. There
was an edge in his voice, one that told her he already knew.
“Besides your markings.”

Deidre’s breath caught. She willed her hair
shorter and blonde once again, knowing he’d already read her mind
and seen the reason why she changed her hair. His nip made her
shiver. No part of her wanted to reveal what Gabriel told her or
that she meant it when she said she would find a way to help him.
She was still silently cursing herself for asking him why he needed
to get to the underworld and him for answering honestly.

She couldn’t help thinking it was the first
truly honest exchange they’d ever had – and the timing was the
worst it could possibly be.

“You always knew when I’m upset,” she said
to Darkyn.

“I sense your distress, love.”

“Darkyn …” she whispered.

“Pleading already,” he noted. “That
bad?”

“If you already know, why are you asking
me?” She gazed up into his dark eyes. His hands skimmed her arms to
circle her and rest at the small of her back. One of his nails
scratched her rhythmically, sending small streaks of pleasure
through her.

“A better question is why you don’t want me
to know.”

“You know why,” she said with exasperation.
“Because I don’t want you to hurt him.”

“So you’re choosing loyalty to him over
me.”

“No!” she twisted in his grip to look up at
him. “You can read everything about me. I know you know this isn’t
true.”

He wasn’t happy. His cold gaze was piercing,
his frame tense despite her touch.

“I still care about him, yes,” she added.
“I’m not choosing anyone. I’m trying to do what I feel is right,
and I’m terrified that you will hurt him.”

“You want to lead another deity through my
domain without my permission. I’ve slain demons for far less.”

Deidre didn’t know what to say. She leaned
into him, breathing in his scent.

“Will you give him permission?” she
ventured.

“Not unless he’s willing to make a deal with
me.”

“But wouldn’t you do whatever it took,
too?“

“I would.”

“How is this different?”

“If he wants access to my domain, he will
deal with me directly, not prey on your weaknesses.”

“Kindness and compassion aren’t weaknesses,”
she countered.

“They are when dealing with deities.”

She heard the firmness of his tone and
understood he was drawing another boundary for her. This one left
her saddened and frustrated. It was impossible to help Gabriel
without Darkyn finding out.

“I’m sorry,” she murmured. “I don’t like it
when you’re angry.” She nuzzled his neck, loving the scent of his
blood.

Darkyn wrapped both arms around her and
lowered his head. His bite was sharp enough to make tears spring
into her eyes. The pain melted into hot pleasure once again, and
she closed her eyes as he fed long and hard. Rather than incite
her, it left her sleepy. She was dozing by the time he finished and
nudged her awake.

“Leave the dealings of deities to the
deities,” he whispered.

“Okay,” she murmured.

“Drink.”

Rousing herself, she bit him and fed until
revived.

“Zamon is waiting for you in the library.”
Darkyn released her and lifted his chin towards an awaiting
portal.

Deidre stepped away, almost crossing into it
before she realized he wasn’t following.

“You aren’t coming?” she asked, facing him
again.

“I have matters to attend to.”

“You’re not going after Gabriel.” She
searched his hard face, unable to read him.

“Not your concern, love.”

She rolled her eyes at him and marched into
the shadow world, fed up with all the deities in her life.

She emerged into the hallway in front of
Zamon’s library. Zamon didn’t look up as she entered.

“Maybe we will get through another deity or
two more today,” he said in a disgruntled voice.

“I’m not having a good day, Zamon,” she
grumbled back. She mentally envisioned his wings pink again.

They turned colors in response. He gave her
a harried look.

“Very well. We are starting with Fate,”
Zamon said. He tapped the Oracle book waiting where she left it.
She sat down to watch, unhappy with how her morning had gone so
far.

A familiar face appeared from the words, the
golden-skinned deity she nicknamed Mr. Checkmate the first time
they met at the Immortal Sanctuary. Fate was as old as Darkyn.
Instead of war in his background, there was peacemaking and
diplomacy from the beginning.

“Fate has been served by three deities,
making it second oldest in existence,” Zamon started. “Fate is
considered the weakest deity, which gives him unlimited access to
all of the worlds. He also appears uninvited in your library at
will.”

She blinked, not registering the deity was
behind her until he spoke.

“I wouldn’t say
weakest
,” Fate mused.
“Perhaps in the histories of the demons. In our histories, I’m king
of the universe.”

“You again,” Deidre groaned.

“He comes here often,” Zamon muttered.
“Normally to spy upon my records.”

“I have no need to spy,” Fate replied.
“There are a few creatures I’ve collected over the years that
interest me. You are looking well, Zamon, for being a million years
old. Pink is a good color on you.”

Zamon ignored him. “Weakest, because he has
no source of power.”

“One might argue that manipulating the
Future and unfettered access to the present provides more than
enough influence.”

“Perhaps he is simply lazy,” Zamon answered.
“The more freewill Fate allows, the more depravity is created to
feed the Dark One.”

“It works both ways, demon.”

Deidre laughed at the exchange, sensing a
quasi-friendship as old as the two arguing.

“I’m guessing Zamon didn’t tell you who he
was,” Fate said, moving around the table. “Darkyn did not slay the
Dark One. He simply forced him to retire.”

“You?” she gasped, looking hard at
Zamon.

“The danger with Darkyn is dealing,” Zamon
said.

“And fighting. He’s the most incredible
warrior you ever trained,” Fate added.

“I trained my hatchling well.”

As she watched, the ancient demon changed
forms, turning into his human form, a handsome man in his prime. He
was neither ancient nor ugly, with familiar dark eyes and hair and
roughly hewn features. Unlike Darkyn, whose hair was short, Zamon’s
long hair was captured in a braid. His smile didn’t reach his gaze
but revealed fangs the size of Darkyn’s.

“What’s a hatchling and what did you just
do?” Deidre asked, standing in alarm. The strange calm she felt
around Zamon remained, and she recalled more clearly Darkyn’s words
about how the original Dark One lured in his prey.

“A hatchling is what demons call their
offspring,” Fate replied.

“You’re Darkyn’s father,” she said,
surprised.

“I am. I simply took on a form that you
would not find threatening,” Zamon answered. “Would you have
entered my library if you saw me like this?” He motioned to
himself.

“No way,” she replied. “But you sent him
into the middle of Hell for thousands of years. Did you want him to
die?”

“That was the plan,” Zamon replied. “I
figured if he survived the worst Hell had to offer, he’d make a
worthy successor. If not, no loss.”

Darkyn’s assertion that demons didn’t have
emotions almost seemed true. Deidre shook her head, once again
feeling too far away from the reality these creatures lived in.

“They are different creatures,” Fate said.
“Zamon and I have always gotten along. Darkyn and me? Not
exactly.”

“Darkyn is a poised predator. He strikes
where men are weak. He has no patience for your games. I invite
them in for tea then steal their souls while they talk about the
weather.” Zamon winked at her. “If you weren’t his, honey, I
would’ve fucked you up the day you walked into my library.”

First the videos then the confrontation with
Gabriel, now this. It was turning out to be a horrible day.

“Why did Darkyn let you live?” she asked in
a strangled voice.

“We made a deal,” Zamon replied with a
grunt. “You should know the power of a deal with him by now.”

“Yes,” she replied. “And the strength of a
blood bond.”

“Good,” Fate said, satisfied. “In two days
your deal with Past-Death is up.”