“I’m slowbecause someone stabbed me.”
“You had that coming,” Kris snapped and joined them, following Gabe’s direction.
“Rhyn, Death’s got Katie inside.”
Fear made Rhyn’s chest seize. No sooner had Gabe spoken the words than the demons fell away. Coldness snapped over Rhyn, and his surroundings blurred. He blinked, uncertain what happened until he found himself standing in a dimly lit chamber. Kris and Gabe were still beside him, and instead of demons, there was only Death.
He heard a groan from nearby and lowered his weapons, the first to step away to see whose body lay before Her. It was Kiki’s. Rhyn smelled blood before he saw the soaked clothing of his half-brother. Ignoring Death, Rhyn rolled Kiki onto his back. The Immortal was alive, but barely. Satisfied, Rhyn rose, towering over the tiny woman with flaxen hair.
“Darkyn won this round,” she said.
“What did you do with Katie?” Rhyn demanded. A quick look around the chamber showed no sign of his mate.
“You led him here, Rhyn, a sin made worse by the fact my own weakness made my domain vulnerable. But, I’m going to remedy this.”
“I don’t give a shit! Where – “
Death held out two small emeralds, and Rhyn’s breath left him. She snapped them back up in her hand and put them in the pocket of her pants.
“You sworeyou’d free her!” he whispered, stricken.
“I can give her back to you,” Death said slowly. “But it means this.” She held out her hand again. A hologram-like image appeared in her hand.
Rhyn saw the demons pouring from the skies over major cities in the mortal worlds. He turned away, not wanting to care about the cost of getting his mate back.
“Look at it!” Death commanded.
His body obeyed her, and he found himself struggling against himself not to turn around. Death won the fight for his body, and he watched. Demons slaughtered humans and Immortals alike, razing the mortal world.
“This happened once before, long ago,” Death said and held out her other hand. “Gabe remembers. This is when I found him.”
Rhyn saw the young man he assumed was Gabriel fighting demons.
“It was stopped by the Dark One, who knew what I’d do if he didn’t stop it,” she said. “Darkyn led this assault without the Dark One’s permission. He was banished deep into Hell. This time, I can do nothing, and they know it. If you ask me, I will give Katie and your child back to you. The price will be this.” She held up the hand holding the scenes of demons destroying the mortal world.