"Shit no." Rhyn flashed a grin. "Ever have like a secret you can't tell your best friend but you really, really want to?"
"Yeah."
"What is it?"
"I don't have one now. It was about Katie, when she was in the underworld and you didn't know she was alive," Gabriel clarified.
Rhyn stared at him then began to laugh.
Gabriel eyed him, unaware of what the half-demon found funny about the major event preceding his takeover as Death. Rhyn stopped after a minute of belly laughs.
"Alright. You made my day," he said. "Where's this poisoned tea?"
"Something going on?" Gabriel asked, perplexed.
"For once, I think Kiki is right. I need to be discreet. Besides, we're even now."
"I don't want to know." Gabriel shook his head. "I feel like I'm winning my battles but losing the war."
"I won a battle today," Rhyn said with a frown. "No idea what it'll cost, though. The demons stopped killing human kids."
"Please tell me you didn't make a deal with Darkyn."
"I didn't. All I did was ask someone who had some influence with the bastard."
"No terms?" Gabriel asked, unaware of the Dark One doing anyone favors for free.
"None."
"That's great, Rhyn."
"I want to think so." Rhyn didn't look happy at all. He shook his head.
"There's a lot more, isn't there?" Gabriel asked. "Darkyn doesn't listen to anyone."
"Yeah. But, it's done," Rhyn hurried on. "Your dealers are finding souls and you're beating the demons. I don't think you're losing the war. Making up ground, maybe."
"Could be. Something isn't right yet. I've got a handle on things, but the underworld is still closed to me. I can't fix whatever is wrong down there," Gabriel said in frustration. "I found out there's a way for the rebellion to permanently remove me from my position." His gaze went to the Oracle, who had shed no light on what was going on in his underworld. Even the book was shutting him out.
"So you'd be stuck here?" Rhyn asked.
"No, I'd be sent to Hell."
Rhyn grimaced. Gabriel felt a pang of guilt. He'd been the one to deliver his friend to Hell many years ago. Though he had visited Rhyn regularly, Gabriel never was able to fully forgive himself for what felt like a betrayal of the only friend he had.
"I need to get back home," he muttered. He definitely didn't look forward to waking up one day in Hell. He wanted to think that being booted from his position was the least of his concerns. He always put his duty first.
But he was worried about his soul.