Gabriel's Hope - Page 125/175

"What is it?" Tamer asked.

"This is one of yours?" Gabe asked, holding up the compass.

Tamer took it then handed it back. He nodded immediately, recognizing his own magic.

"Are you numbering or logging them or anything?"

"Nope. Your people are handling all of that. I oversee their creation then seal them. Why?" Tamer's gaze sharpened. "I know it didn't break. I'm too damn good at what I do."

"It works," Gabe said grimly. "That's all I needed." Dread pooled in the base of his stomach for more than one reason. There was a traitor among the fifty-odd death-dealers he had above ground, and he'd assigned twelve-hour shifts to keep an eye on the apartment where he sent Deidre.

"I heard a rumor," Tamer said. He crossed his arms. "Wynn?"

"He is back," Gabe confirmed.

"You brought our father from the dead-dead?"

"You can thank my predecessor for that one."

Tamer appeared conflicted. Gabe suspected he knew why. While not privy to the Council's business, he assessed the appearance of their father at a time when Rhyn was struggling for control did not bode well for any of them. The Council had been on the verge of splitting for years, severing the effectiveness of their ability to combat Darkyn's demons.

The three eldest sons on the Council were dead. None of the remaining were old enough to remember how Wynn had run things, and no other Immortal in the human world had been around when Wynn was in control. Gabe distrusted the Ancient father of the Council as much as he did Darkyn.

What happened was outside of Gabe's official purview. Personally, he wasn't about to let Wynn hurt any of the people he cared about.

"Thanks," he said and tucked the compass away. "Send all of these to me from now on."

"Will do." Tamer said, distracted. "Hey, you got time to see something?"

"Is it important?"

"No, I wanted to have a fucking tea party." Tamer started towards the locked door on one side of the foyer, behind which were the historical treasures. "I figured out a few of the symbols on your compass. I've been working twenty hour days for you, Gabe."

"You're welcome for keeping Rhyn off your back."

Tamer shot him a look. The Immortal led him down the hallway to a familiar library. A notebook lay on the table next to a few scrolls, an ancient manuscript and another block of stone with carvings too faint for Gabe to read.

"The symbols in the strictest interpretation are largely related to nature," Tamer started. "Snow, rain, one is a tree stump, another a ravine. Of the twenty symbols, I've figured out five."