The death dealer lashed out at it with a sword, which the black smoke avoided easily. The fog cleared to reveal the small shape of Deidre, glowing darkly with the power of the black hole overhead, her pink hair tossed in the wind and her eyes swallowed by black.
It can't be possible. Cold realization shot through Gabriel as he suddenly understood why there had never been a storm such as this in the thousands of years he was in the underworld. It wasn't Harmony's doing either, or something past-Death had set loose before she quit.
This was Hell. Forbidden from bringing his magic with him, Darkyn had none, unlike his successor, who faced no such restrictions when she became the Dark One. Horror flew him at the idea of innocent souls being lost, along with the underworld and everyone else he cared about. Harmony was one kind of threat, but with the power of Hell behind her, Deidre was something else entirely.
Deidre brushed away Harmony's attempt to stab her with the sword and strode forward, snatching the death dealer's neck and lifting her off the ground.
The power flowing through him made the air around him sizzle and the winds avoid him. With a tortured glance at his dying mate, Gabriel started forward at a run towards the newly appointed Dark One. If he didn't stop this, none of them would survive.
The black hole was tugging at the edge of the palace, and the stones making up his home shuddered and began to break away. The past few months flashed through Gabriel's mind, his frustration and anger at the challenges of becoming Death, the opening of old wounds when he discovered his mate, the knowledge of all the ages and that the underworld had chosen him.
"No," he whispered, fury and resolve solidifying within him. "I am the Keeper of the Souls, the master of the underworld. You will not harm my realm!"
The moment the words were spoken, the entire world fell silent, still. Gabriel slowed, not understanding. The storm and black hole were frozen, the fleeing death dealers as well. Nothing moved or stirred, except for him.
The eeriness of the sudden quiet made his skin crawl for more reasons than one. Power was thick in the air. His hair stood on end and the movement of his blood felt electrified. He spun completely around, elated to have stopped the destruction and the death of his mate and realm without fully comprehending his next move.
A sob broke the quiet, and he faced Deidre once more, startled when she stepped away from Harmony in confusion. The death dealer remained suspended above the rooftop, stuck in time like the rest of the world.