Darkyn's Mate

Yet the alternative was that Darkyn probably killed Wynn tomorrow, when he failed. It was too easy of a death for the first Ancient.

She'd make him a deal. One he couldn't turn down.

She wrapped her hand around the vial and focused on calling a portal back to her room. The hole appeared, and she cringed as she went through it. She'd never liked the portal system outside of Hell; this one was scarier. There were no doorways, just a hole.

She ended up in her room as expected and left for the girl's room three doors down. She knocked, and Wynn answered.

"I hope you have good news," he said and pushed the door open, stepping aside. "I don't."

"Just checking in," she murmured. Her eyes fell to the girl. "What's her name?"

"Selyn."

Deidre crossed to her and touched the girl's forehead. Wynn paced to the desk in one corner, pushing the papers around with frustration.

"Your time is almost up, Wynn. What will you do?" Deidre asked carefully.

"I don't know, Deidre. Chances are he kills me or sells me back to Rhyn at some great cost."

"Or leaves you here somewhere," she mused.

"That would be the worst of the options. Have my magic stripped and turned into a blood monkey for demon scum."

"Can you make him a deal?"

"Maybe. I'm well aware of his reputation, though."

"I wouldn't make him a deal, and I'm his mate," she said with a snort. "I get Hell for eternity and you get …death. Or to leave."

"Fate is a cruel master," Wynn said.

His nonchalance made her angry. She sat down and pulled her knees into the chair.

"Do you have any regrets, Wynn? I mean, this time around, I guess."

"You want me to say I regret what I did to you."

"It'd be nice to hear you wish you hadn't almost killed me." Deidre smiled sadly as he glanced at her. She rested her head against the back of the chair. Nervous about proposing a deal, she also feared doing it wrong. Darkyn's first few lessons returned to her. She went over the wording of the deal in her mind.

"I do," Wynn said in a considering tone. "In some respects."

"I think you do a little. I mean, why else did you want to ask me out to dinner at the end?"

"I did what little I could to assuage my guilt."

"But not for my sake," she murmured. "For yours."

"The greatest lesson I've learned this life is survival. In my previous life, I was nearly invincible. My magic was stunted this time around. It's made me cautious and appreciative of the importance of self-reliance. Caring for someone is a vulnerability."