“Depends on how you behave,” she said, smiling up at him through happy tears.
Rhyn grimaced. “I’m not promising any miracles. We got a lot to do to prepare the world for Hazel.”
“I have faith in us.”
“Right now, I owe my mate a rowdy night on the beach under the moonlight,” he said. He swung her up into his arms and strode towards the water.
Katie laughed, happiness and hope bubbling within her. She took in Rhyn’s strong profile. If anyone could save the world, it was him.
In Hell, Darkyn stood before the hourglass perched on a window sill in his study. The black sand had run out. He’d missed his window. Rather, he missed thiswindow. He looked over at the demon standing before him. At least one of his super-demons had survived. This one still wore half a face, that of Death’s favorite assassin, Gabriel.
“Chances are, the demons will be defeated this round,” Darkyn said. “And Death … you’re certain she walked away?”
“Yes, my lord. She quit and appointed Gabriel in her stead.”
“Interesting. A Death with a history as a mortal. Not any mortal, but one you say she was in love with. I’d heard rumor but never thought a deity capable of such a thing.”
“Rhyn’s mortal was convinced of this. She said Gabriel had been the lover of Death for thousands of years.”
“And now she’s gone,” Darkyn said.
“As far as we know. I didn’t see her enter the portal, but one of our spies was in her fortress when she entered the chamber you indicated.”
“Where would a deity in love with a mortal go?”
“To the mortal world,” the super-demon guessed. “She’s no threat to you, master.”
“True,” Darkyn said. “But the new Death is her lover. That makes her someone of interest to me.”
“The immunity blood worked. We can have the Immortal scientist make us more. We could slide right into the – “
“Ully is dead-dead, as you will be by the time the day is over,” Darkyn said. “I cannot have anyone else find out about the power of the immunity blood.”
The demon before him looked down but didn’t object, understanding his place. Unlike Immortals, demons obeyed their leaders. But maybe, next time, lack of discipline in his enemies would work for Darkyn. He’d failed to takeover Death’s domain or to kill her. It would take Gabriel a very long time to learn how to rule over the dead, and Rhyn was a loose cannon as a leader for the Immortals. In the meantime, all of Rhyn’s Immortals and Death’s assassins would be a disorganized mess.