"Ever," it answered with a wheeze. "But … there has only been one other Dark One before Darkyn." Its breathing was labored, and it sighed when they reached its chair. "Was the oldest … deity remaining. Very powerful. Don't know …how Darkyn did it."
"Maybe he made a better deal," she suggested. "That is what he does, isn't it? Makes people horrible deals that screw them over for eternity?"
"This is true. Darkyn is smart. He doesn't make …mistakes."
She shivered, not wanting to imagine what Darkyn was capable of or how hard it might be to outmaneuver him to leave Hell. As ugly as the aged creature before her was, there was something about him that left her feeling safe for the first time since arriving to Hell.
"Do you have a name?" she asked.
"Do you?" It looked irritated at her question. "Of course demons have names."
"Sorry," she murmured. "I'm Deidre."
"A human mate and so soon after he's taken command." The ancient demon shook his head in disapproval. "You can call me Zamon. My real name is too hard for you to say."
"Nice to meet you, Zamon."
"There was a time … young girls ran when they saw me," he sounded annoyed then sighed. "That time is gone."
"If it helps, I'm scared." Deidre rubbed her upper lip again. Her gums were irritated, reminding her she hadn't eaten or drunk water in a while. "Do you want me to run away so you feel better?"
"No." Zamon growled. He pushed the small book around then opened it.
"What kind of library is this?" she asked with a glance around.
"I keep our histories, record bloodlines, manage the deals that come in. I will record you now," Zamon said.
She watched him turn a page and touch it. Strange writing appeared.
"You are recorded," he stated, reading the words. "The Oracle says you made your first deal as his mate. You learn fast." He nodded in approval. "Your deal holds the power of the Dark One to enforce the debt, since you are his."
"That doesn't sound good," she said. Her first deal was made more out of emotion than anything else. She'd challenged Gabriel's new mate to win him over in one week, or one of them lost their souls.
During the quiet time she'd had since then, Deidre began to think she'd made a bad bet. Gabriel and Past-Death had a relationship that spanned thousands of years. He'd chosen to stay with her that long, and she'd broken Immortal laws to take her place as his mate. Gabriel's intense hatred was born of intense love and pain, and he'd clearly never made up his mind about her in the time they were together.