Gabriel's Hope

"No," he replied. "If you do as I tell you, you will increase his chances of surviving the destiny Darkyn intends to inflict upon him."

"I'd never do anything to put Gabriel in danger," she whispered, distressed by the idea. Surviving her own plight meant nothing if there was no Gabriel for her to return to. "I'll listen to you. I'll do whatever Darkyn wants me to. I swear it."

"Good. I like Gabriel," Fate said, the intensity leaving his features. "He makes me laugh."

Her brow furrowed at the odd sentiment.

"It's not easy to do, when you've been alive since the time-before-time," he added with a wink. His eyes went to the door suddenly. "Darkyn comes. Don't tell him I was here. We're not on good terms right now."

She heard the door open and turned. Without looking, she felt the loss of Fate's warm energy.

"Come," Darkyn ordered without entering.

Deidre obeyed. Afraid of what the demon was going to ask her to do, she was resolved not to hurt Gabriel by ignoring Fate's warning.

"Rules," Darkyn stated as she joined him in the hallway.

"No running. No fighting," she recited anxiously.

He reached for her neck. She flinched but didn't otherwise move.

"Good." He dropped his hand and started down the hallway. "Come meet the Dark One."

Swallowing hard, Deidre followed. He strode through more corridors than she was able to count, down several flights of stairs and finally to a short, dead end hallway with a ceiling that towered ten stories above. One set of massive metal doors was all the hall contained. Darkyn strode to them and placed his hand on one. It cracked open silently with enough room for them to enter.

Her courage almost gave out at the idea of walking into the devil's personal hangout. Deidre felt woozy and paused to steady her breathing. After a moment, she entered the room.

It wasn't what she expected. There was no way for her to measure the size of the chamber, for the darkness inside was more impenetrable than night, with the exception of a circle of light ten meters from the door. Darkyn waited for her in the circle that stretched about five meters across. She went to him, unable to see through the darkness even while walking through it.

The door closed with an ominous boom that echoed throughout what sounded like a massive but empty chamber.

Her tomb.

Skin clammy with nervous sweat, Deidre concentrated on taking deep breaths.

"You may want to close your eyes." Darkyn's laugh was sinister.

She snapped them closed, but not before she saw him slide into the darkness. There was a long moment of silence from the chamber around her, filled by the sound of her breathing as it grew more erratic, louder. She thought she heard something stir once, twice, before she was certain. The scraping of leather against leather, the hollow clatter of stone and shale, the rustle of whatever creature settled behind her.