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
“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
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