Rhyn's Redemption - Page 98/133

Death alone could drive the invaders from her world.

As Darkyn had said, the underworld tempered his Immortal magic, but Rhyn felt the demon power broiling behind the constraints, seeking a way out of him. He was sticking to his plan, though he no longer had time to find Death. He was going to try to make her come to him. She’d know where Katie was, and Rhyn could find her before more demons closed in.

He knelt on the ground and closed his eyes, seeking out the writhing darkness of his demon side. If the demons had the power to transform and fly, he could access his demon powers, too, even if the Immortal side of him was bound by Death’s underworld.

“Berries,” Toby commanded the tree before him.

The tree obliged and lowered one of the low hanging branches to Toby’s level. He plucked a few of the red, tart berries and popped them in his mouth.

“How’d you do that?” Ully asked.

Toby hunched his shoulders. He’d wandered far enough away from camp that he’d hoped to get some food before running from Ully, who was still sleeping. The angel memories convinced him that Ully’s strange comments and the trees attempt to combat him indicated Ully really was a demon. Toby turned slowly to face the scientist, whose hands and body had begun to transform back into its demon form. The Ully-demon hadn’t yet realized it.

“Angel memories. This is where old angels go before they die,” Toby said. He huddled deeper into his coat, more than the rain chilling him. The Ully-demon still wore Ully’s face, but the rest of his body had grown bony and taller. Toby couldn’t help wondering when Ully had been swapped for a demon, but it had to have been before they left Hell.

It now made sense how Ully had been able to free them and talk Jared into letting them go. Toby had been too excited to find their escape too easy at the time, but now, he realized it was … weird. He’d failed again. He couldn’t even escape on his own.

“This way,” he said and started towards Death’s palace.

Thunder cracked overhead, and Toby looked up. Ully ran into him as the angel stopped, and they both stared at the sky. He thought he saw something in the sky, but the trees blocked it.