"You really believe that?"

"I do."

"It's not going to happen in a week," Deidre said, pacing.

"No."

Deidre waited for her to say more. The Dark One's mate appeared uncertain once more. Deidre didn't press. She felt guilty enough being there.

"Are you allowed to leave h.e.l.l?" she asked.

Darkyn's mate nodded.

"If I don't f.u.c.k up everything and wipe out the world or die-dead in three days, I think I'd like to talk to you more," Deidre said. "If you're interested in being the friend of someone like me."

"I might need some time for that. I can forgive you, but I'm not sure I can ever trust you."

"Trust must be earned," Deidre said. "I get it. I'm learning that with Gabriel. I thought this was the first step. I'm just asking for the chance, from both of you, to make things right. If I even can."

"I'll think about it," Darkyn's mate said. "I'm gonna go. Um, I guess you know how to call me if you need anything."

"I do, thank you. Deidre, I really am happy that you're okay."

Darkyn's mate nodded, turned and retreated through the portal back to h.e.l.l.

Deidre let the tears fall that she'd held back. She covered her face with her hands and cried. She'd never hurt so much, even knowing Darkyn's mate was okay. The chill of the shadow world made her shiver. She padded to the glowing portal and stepped through.

She was hungry. Worry had prevented her from eating earlier. She walked down the hallway in search of the dining room, thoughts on all Darkyn's mate had said. Relief was forefront in Deidre's mind and the acknowledgment she'd gotten d.a.m.n lucky that the demon lord favored winning deals over killing mates.

She paused at an intersection to let a group of Immortals through, uninterested in talking to anyone just now. Her eyes settled on a familiar form, and she stared at him.

Wynn stopped in the middle of the hallway. He regarded her for a long minute and then smiled. It was a cold, knowing smile, one that screamed I told you so.

Deidre spun and walked back the way she came.

"I never took you for a coward," Wynn taunted.

Deidre stopped. The first Ancient Immortal approached her. Tall with dark skin and glowing turquoise eyes, he most closely resembled Andre of any of his sons. The cultured mannerisms that made talking to Andre comfortable were quite different from Wynn. He was cold where Andre was warm, and Wynn's direct gaze held no emotion.

"You're starting to see how right I was," he a.s.sessed.

"How did you get out of h.e.l.l?" she asked coolly.

"Long story. We'll talk sometime."

Deidre studied him. She didn't recall what it was that made him hate her. It was locked away with her memories. She did remember bringing him back from the dead ten years before in order to help her with her plan and how cold he'd been to her then.

Only he'd tried to kill the human she wanted him to preserve. He failed in his mission, for which she was grateful. But she saw what lay beneath his actions: hatred for something she'd done to him.

"Wynn," she started. "What did I do to you that made you want to kill me?"

He considered her. "You don't recall?"

"No."

A flash of irritation crossed his gaze. He clasped his hands behind his back and drew a deep breath.

She waited apprehensively.

"Many things. I don't care to relive it all," he answered.

"You've never forgiven me."

"Never," he said in a low voice. "I never will."

The powerful words made her frown.

"Even so, I'm sorry," she said softly. "It may not help you now. Whatever it was, I apologize for hurting you so much that you bore a grudge for thousands of years."

Wynn listened intently. She wasn't certain what to expect. The silence grew. Finally, he spoke.

"My only regret is that I didn't save the human you sacrificed when I had the chance," he responded in the same tone. "We are both culpable for sending the only innocent soul either of us has ever known to h.e.l.l."

His words stung. Deep inside, she knew she probably deserved them.

"Darkyn was too kind to you," Wynn continued. "He should've let you remember every wrong you committed so you could relive them every second of every day. You have the capacity to care now. Your tears would never stop if you were faced with the creature you were."

"I understand," she murmured.

"You're right," he finished. "It's too late for an apology, Deidre." The Ancient Immortal swept by her, his anger palpable.

Deidre watched him go. No longer hungry, she began to wonder how many other people she'd faulted over her lifetime.

She went back to her room, startled to find Gabriel there. The sight of him made her want to cry. She managed to hurt everyone around her, even her precious Gabriel.

They stared at each other. She wiped her eyes hastily. The tension around Gabriel was present. His muscular frame and direct gaze made her uneasy. He would never hurt her, but he'd never again touch her as he had the other day, either.

The silence grew taut.

"I went to see her," she said.

Gabriel crossed his arms. He said nothing.

"I don't know what else to say, Gabriel. I understand if you hate me. I just don't know what to do to fix things."

Her mate said nothing. Deidre's shoulders sagged. She turned away from him, wanting to be alone. Thinking of taking a dive in the lake and not surfacing again, except that it meant she'd lose her soul. She couldn't change anything that happened or make things right. Where did that leave her?

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"No. I can't be okay. I've hurt so many people."

"Are there any more secrets?"

She sighed and shook her head. "The ones I had weren't enough to drive you away?"

"I told you. No matter what, you're my mate."

Deidre glanced at him. Spending her lifetime with someone who hated her was not what she wanted.

"Now that everything's on the table," he continued. "This is where we start to rebuild."

Deidre stared at him. His faint smile contained sadness. Of all the things she'd done, she'd never be able to forgive herself for hurting him.

"How can you say that?" she asked. "You deserve so much better, Gabriel. All I do is cause pain."

"I never stopped loving you either, Deidre. You have no idea how much that makes me hate myself sometimes," he said. "Our path won't be easy, but we didn't spend thousands of years trying to be together not to take the chance we have now."

She searched his face. Even hurting, he was serious about everything he said. She didn't know how he could love her still after all she'd done or why he was willing to try to make things work. Had she ever understood how honorable and good he was?

"If you're interested," he added at her silence. "It'll take us some time, but we've got eternity."

She managed a smile despite the tears she tried not to shed. Deidre nodded, not trusting herself to speak.

"We'll start slow. You want to have dinner?" he asked.

"Funnel cakes," she whispered.

"Okay," he said.

Gabriel hesitated. Deidre didn't know what to say, overwhelmed by him and her emotions.

"I'm headed to a meeting with Rhyn," he said. "I'll see you at dinner."

She nodded, looking up only when he crossed to the door and left. Deidre gazed after him, fear and hope colliding within her. For the first time this week, she didn't feel entirely doomed.

Deidre. The soft summons made her pause. Accompanying it was a vision of the shadow world. She hesitated then opened a portal.

As she stepped through, so did Darkyn's mate, from a black portal to her left. Deidre glanced at her with apprehensive curiosity, wondering what the former human wanted. Darkyn's mate wasn't alone. A teenage girl with a scarred face framed by short dark hair and tiny fangs marking her as a demoness trailed her. The girl wore the garb of h.e.l.l but appeared uncertain, mirroring Deidre's emotion. She crowded Darkyn's mate.

"Hi, Deidre," Darkyn's mate was the first to speak. "I wasn't expecting to see you so soon."

"Um, I thought you summoned me," Deidre said.

Darkyn's mate shook her head.

Dread crept into Deidre.

"Deidre, I think we need to " she started, backing towards her portal. It had started to close.

Sensing her alarm, Darkyn's mate turned and took the arm of the girl behind her, pushing her towards the black door to h.e.l.l.

Two forms stepped between them and the portal, blocking it.

Deidre whirled and saw two people between her and the yellow portal. Heart pounding, she stared at the woman and man before her.

"Harmony," Darkyn's mate said in a hushed tone.

Deidre knew the death dealer; she'd recruited all of them. Harmony was tall and willowy with red hair and green eyes. The man beside her was Vory.

"What do you want?" Deidre demanded in a cool tone.

"You aren't Death anymore." Harmony stepped forward.

Deidre didn't see the blow coming. The punch flattened her and made her ears buzz. She shook her head, once again amazed at how awful pain was. She didn't know how humans bore through it.

"That's for recruiting me without telling me it'd cost my soul," Harmony said, crouching beside her.

"Deidre, are you okay?" Darkyn's mate called anxiously.

"Yes," Deidre replied and rose. "What's going on?"

"Simple. Because of Darkyn's b.i.t.c.h, I've got a price on my head from the Dark One. I didn't betray Gabriel to be stuck in the human world," Harmony said. She grabbed Deidre's arm and hauled her to the other two women. "Who is this?"

Deidre's eyes fell to the tall teen demoness, who was shaking and clinging to Darkyn's mate.

"A servant," was the quick response.

"Kill her."

One of the dealers grabbed the girl and pulled a knife free.

"No!" Darkyn's mate cried. "I lied. She's Darkyn's daughter."

Harmony stared at her then at the teen girl. Suddenly, she smiled.

"Perfect. Even better," Harmony said. "Darkyn's b.i.t.c.h will get us into h.e.l.l. Gabe's will get us into the underworld. Once we're there, we'll have all the leverage we need."

Deidre exchanged a look with Darkyn's mate. They'd be completely cut off from either deity in the underworld. Gabriel was locked out, and Darkyn wasn't permitted access in the first place. If both of their mates disappeared, she saw them starting an all out war rather than trying to find them.

Darkyn's mate cast a worried look at the teen demoness, who was shaking. Deidre held no warmth at all for Darkyn, but she could understand that the girl didn't belong in this mess.

"Will you leave her?" Darkyn's mate asked. "I have the power of h.e.l.l at my back. I can grant you almost anything in exchange for her life."

"I will, too," Deidre spoke up. "Any deal I make will be sealed by Death's magic."

Harmony was quiet for a moment.

"Darkyn made a deal with Gabriel for your soul, Harmony. Whoever finds you first, Darkyn keeps you," Darkyn's mate added.