Darkyn's Mate

Deidre. She frowned, not recognizing the voice. Darkyn said nothing about leaving Hell after they returned from her apartment. She hesitated, though, not wanting to walk into another trap of Harmony's death dealers. Darkyn wore her out, and when she'd woken, she was alone.

On her way to see Zamon, she stepped into an empty hallway before trying to call a portal. She saw someone waiting for her in the center of the in-between world and recognized Rhyn. At ease with the half-demon friend of Gabriel, she entered the shadowy land. He waited for the portal behind her to close.

"Thought I'd check up on you," he started. "Figured you had to make a deal that broke bad for you."

"Um, no. Why?" she asked curiously.

"Five minutes after you left, he called off the attacks." Rhyn eyed her. "I don't want you to hurt yourself to make a deal that benefits me. I'll make a deal with him first."

Deidre grinned. With a whoop, she twirled in the middle of the shadow world.

"So you did do something," he said, waiting.

"I think so," she replied. "I basically asked him to stop."

"Just like that."

She blushed, smile on her face.

"This is the creature that nearly wiped out the planet and the human race, who's building an Army of Souls to make a second go at it, who has eaten more people than you'll ever know, even if you live forever, and who's got the largest source of power of any deity," Rhyn said. "You asked him not to kill a few kids, at the request of the half-breed he fucking hates, and he just agreed."

"It's purely on his terms," she added. "Why he chose to agree, I don't know. I think …" She was pensive for a moment. "No, I have no idea. I've been trying to figure him out for the past few days and have no clue. I didn't know what to do after you showed me those pictures, Rhyn. I knew I had to try. I can't out-deal him. I can't lie to him. I can't manipulate him. All I could do was ask. Maybe he's got something worse planned. I don't know why he agreed."

Rhyn studied her. "I think I do."

"I'm all ears."

"You'll figure it out," he said. He held out something to her. "I brought this, in case you needed a negotiation tool to use to protect yourself from him."

She accepted the small vial. It was the size of her thumb and filled with blood.

"A little birdie in my spy network fills me in on shit going on down there from time-to-time," he started. "Past-Death said Darkyn kept Wynn, and the birdie told me awhile ago the reason I think he did. Darkyn's daughter?"