“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.