The sound of someone making his way through the forest broke the tension between them.

Darkyn whirled, and Gabriel drew a dagger.

Rhyn emerged, sweating and grinning, his cheek slashed from a weapon's strike. Darkyn replaced his daggers and paced. Rhyn trotted towards them.

"Good news and bad news," the half-demon said cheerfully. "Good news: we've got allies here. Not many, but they might help."

"Good," Gabriel said, pleased to know he had some loyal dealers left. "Bad news?"

"There are about three hundred dealers in the palace." Rhyn swatted at a branch that got too close. "More in the barracks and scattered in the forest."

"I'm ready." Darkyn started towards the trees.

Gabriel shared a glance with Rhyn. "Darkyn, we need a better plan than taking on three hundred trained death dealers."

The Dark One ignored him. The trees separated for him, creating a path in the direction of the palace.

"Guess we're doing this the demon way," Rhyn said with a wink. "We got this, Gabe. Easy."

Gabriel said nothing, unable to shake the sense he needed to figure out something more about the Lake, like how to help it. He was missing the key to unlocking his power. Was it here?

"We need to return here once we've got things under control," he said, walking with Rhyn towards the path.

"Darkyn's not gonna last too much longer without going crazy," Rhyn said softly, eyes on the demon ahead of them.

"I know." Gabriel's hands twitched with the instinct to grab his sword. "He'll probably explode and take everyone with him."

"That'd be my guess."

"We'll be ready. As long as his mate is -" Gabriel smashed into a sudden wall of foliage and stopped, staring up at it.

"What the fuck?" Rhyn asked from the other side. "You there?"

Gabriel cursed and wiped his face. "Go with Darkyn," he snapped. "Apparently, the Lake has some business with me."

"Hmmm."

Gabriel didn't need to see his best friend's face to know Rhyn was likely plotting a few different ways to take out Darkyn. The two had a brittle relationship, mainly because Darkyn had tried for months to kidnap Rhyn's mate and steal their unborn daughter.

"Play nice," Gabriel called. "For my sake. When this is over, you can go back to trying to kill each other."

"All right." Rhyn didn't sound pleased. "Find us when the trees let you."

Gabriel glared at the foliage. The sounds of Rhyn moving away faded, and Gabriel retreated back to the lake, furious.

"Tell me what the fuck you want," he ordered the Lake. "You know we don't have time for this shit!"




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