"The Code is an instruction manual."
"There's nothing in the Code about what I'm dealing with," he said.
"What are you dealing with?" Daniela folded her hands in her lap, her irritation at him replaced by interest.
Gabriel hesitated. "Our radars are broken. We're missing souls and fighting off demons to get to the dead."
"And the Lake of Souls?"
"Still bubbling."
"Two very separate issues," she said, pensive. "Maybe the problem is you. A former-human running Death's domain? What's the world coming to?"
"Not helpful," he said. "The Immortal Code, rule seventy four states that my status as a former-human has no relevance, once I was made Immortal."
"It was an attempt at humor, but I can see you have none," she replied flatly. "If Andre the Ancient was still around, he'd be able to help you with the demons. He was the most gifted tracker in the history of Immortals."
"Also not helpful, since he's dead-dead."
"You're Death. Bring him back."
Was she joking or not? She had to know raising the dead-dead broke thousands of rules! What little patience he had was waning fast. Gabriel stared at her stonily.
Daniela shook her head. "Past-Death would've figured it out. But if you can't do your job, then go back to the way it was originally, before past-Deaths hired on all that help. You fetch souls instead of the death-dealers. When in doubt, go back to the basics."
Surprised at the casual wisdom of her words, Gabriel was quiet.
"Use your compass instead of the radar. Maybe it'll reset things." Daniela sipped her tea.
"What compass?"
"The soul compass. It was what she used long before your time. I'm sure she left it there for you."
Gabriel didn't say what he wanted, that if his predecessor knew he needed something, she'd probably torched it before she left. He'd roamed the palace that was his home many times before returning to live out of the tiny cabin he preferred in the Everdark forest. He never thought twice about searching the rooms for something he didn't know existed.
"That's probably why she told me about it," Daniela smiled. "To tell you. I wondered at the time. Maybe I'm your instruction manual."
He looked at her hard. It wasn't out of the realm of the possible that the information he needed was hidden in some sort of sadistic treasure hunt created by the sociopathic goddess who held the title of Death before him.
"You miss her, don't you?" Daniela asked.
"Not the way you think," he answered, standing. "I'll see you next time."
"You're welcome," Daniela said.
Intent on hunting down his first real lead since things started going wrong, Gabe called open a portal to return to his underworld and the shopping mall-sized palace in the center of the living forest. The palace acted as a barracks for his assassins, who were trudging in after he ordered their contracts all cancelled. They moved out of his way as he strode through the wide hallways to the stairwell leading to the top floor, Death's floor.