"If she's in danger, I'll know."

"Danger isn't the problem."

"She's safe here. That's all that concerns me," he replied in a hard tone.

"She's scared, Gabriel."

Gabe paused then forced himself to continue. He'd deal with her after he issued orders to his assassins.

He crossed through the shadow world to the lake near Rhyn's, emerging near Harmony.

"Take these," he said, tossing the compasses to her.

She caught them.

"These will be replacing our broken radars." He stopped beside her, gaze on the lake that glowed green in the quiet night. "Pick someone as quick as you and start collecting souls. The demons are gathering the ones we're missing. We've gotta curb the damage as much as possible."

"Will do," she said. "Forty seven lakes." She added before he could ask.

"Good. We're bringing all the souls to this one and sending everyone but five guards to the Ancient Tamer. As soon as another compass is ready, send a dealer out with it."

She nodded. "I'll issue the orders."

They stood in silence for a moment, eyes on the eerie lake. Gabe was beginning to feel like he'd be able to clean up the soul mess. He had no way of knowing how many the demons had claimed during the week his dealers had claimed none. Hopefully, they grappled with the same problems locating the souls.

He had little time to redeem himself, and he kicked himself mentally for not walking into the room that would turn him into the Death he was supposed to be. Whatever powers that room contained, he was in desperate need of them. His predecessor had seemed much stronger. Gabriel felt again he was missing something huge, the key to assuming the power he hadn't inherited with his responsibilities.

"Are you okay?" Harmony asked at last.

"Rough few days," he replied. He glanced at her, noticing for the first time that she was worn out. "If you need to rest, take a break before you go hunting."

"I'd rather go home," she admitted. "I'm used to the trees putting me to sleep at night. It's hard to sleep in a forest that's not …alive." Her gaze went to the pine trees with suspicion.

Death, a word, if you please. Deidre's place.

Gabriel cocked his head to the side at the polite summons. The timing for the demon lord to request an audience couldn't have been worse.

"Soon," he assured her. "I'm getting my shit together, little by little."

"It's not your fault."

"Yeah, it is. But I'm fixing it. We'll get home. Promise."

Some tension faded from her frame. She sighed.

"It looks like the messaging system is back up."




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