So he said nothing. Her question was a good one: did he like who she was two days ago better? He didn't think it mattered. Whatever she did sounded permanent.
Troubled, Gabriel didn't move until she was gone from sight.
He returned to Andre. The graceful Immortal was in the study, hands folded in his hands, as if waiting for him.
"Shit," Gabriel muttered.
Andre smiled.
"You knew how that would go."
"I made an educated guess, based on what I knew about both of you," Andre replied. "Before you ask: the answer is no."
Gabe drew a breath, expecting Andre wouldn't betray the confidence of his mate. He planned on asking. Andre's patient smile reminded him of how there was a time when he never would've considered asking for such a favor.
Deities did things differently, but he wasn't about to do what his predecessor would have and demand a favor of someone like Andre. He wanted to be different than the other deities who didn't respect any boundaries, even if he was breaking Immortal Laws right and left to try to salvage his underworld.
"I get it," he said. "Will you tell me if she's in any danger?"
"Not that I can tell, but we didn't get into details about her dealings with Darkyn. A better person to ask might be Darkyn."
"Yeah, right," Gabriel said with a grimace. "Trust a demon above my mate?"
"You wouldn't be the first."
"Ouch, Andre."
"That's for considering asking me to betray someone else's trust," Andre said with a grin.
"If she owed him something, Darkyn wouldn't be waiting for her to deliver. She'd be scared. So, I'm assuming he isn't the looming problem."
"Safe assumption. Except that he's still got a hand in all this," Andre said calmly.
Gabriel shook his head. "You know what I'm going to do, Andre?"
Andre waited.
"I'm going to kill demons and collect souls, until I set things right. Whatever happens with my mate, happens if or when it does."
"I support that. You both need your space," Andre agreed.
Gabriel frowned. He didn't like the sound of that.
"In other matters," Gabriel started. "I need to talk to you about something important. It has to do with Erik."
"I'm guessing he's no longer missing."
"Parts of him aren't," Gabriel said with a wry smile.
Andre gave him a disapproving look, and Gabriel realized the joke was probably misplaced when talking to the family member of the deceased.
"Rhyn said you didn't find his soul."
"We didn't," Gabriel said. "You may not want to leave the fortress."
"I'm not worried about Darkyn," Andre replied calmly.