"Rhyn's Redemption" – Excerpt 1

Just a little teaser. I'll post another one next week. (Warning: contains profanity and hasn't been edited yet.)

Rhyn went straight to the castle's basement, where the body of his father had been kept.  He pushed off his hood as he entered what had been the most sacred chamber of the immortals.

The coffin was gone, but the mutilated body of his demoness mother remained on display on the far wall.  He stood before it, just as he had less than a week before.  This time, he felt something towards the decapitated creature: hatred.  She'd made him what he was, a disaster no one could fix except for a dead human.

"The preferred fate for any demon," a woman's voice said.

Rhyn tensed, guessing who it was without turning.  He felt Death's cool presence, the same coolness that preceded Gabriel's visits.

"And half-demon," Death added.

"I welcome it," Rhyn replied, facing the small woman with flowing white hair and gown. "What the fuck do you want?"

"I came to see what was worthy of the attention of my best assassin," Death said and looked him over. "I see nothing but Gabriel's human weakness for a creature he should've let die-dead."

"Funny – he was right about you. You're the cold bitch he said you were."

She frowned, a ripple of something else crossing her pale features.

"Don't like that, do you," Rhyn said. "I'll ask you again. What do you want?"

"I came to warn you. You cannot destroy this place before four days have passed."

"Why not?"

"You simply cannot."

"I don't give a shit about your agenda.  Tell me why it matters to me."

"I can make you dead-dead right now," she reminded him.

"I won't fight you," Rhyn replied and flung open his arms, giving her his whole body as a target. "Kill me.  Do me, you, and everyone else a favor!"

She stared at him.

"I got nothing to lose."

"There's Toby," she said.

"He means more to you than me."

"Gabe."

"You mean the assassin you sent to kill my mate?" he asked with a snort. "Not sure we can be friends after that."

"Katie."

"Already dead. And you can have my brothers right now.  I'll give you the order I prefer you to kill them in," Rhyn said.

"There are factors at play I cannot share with you," Death said. "You would risk destroying this world and every human in it?"

Rhyn smiled.

"Of course. You're a half-demon. It is not in your nature to care for anything beyond you," she said, frown deepening.

"You took everything I cared about," he growled. "If I can destroy everything to spite you, I will."

"I am not your enemy!"

"I don't care." His anger growing at the petite woman who'd taken Andre, Katie and Gabe from him, Rhyn stalked towards the door.

"Then I will grant you a favor."

He stopped at her words, surprised.

"One favor from a deity of unimaginable power," she said. "In exchange for four days."

"Katie," he said instantly.

"Done," she replied just as fast.

Rhyn turned to face her. "Alive, not her body or pieces of her or anything twisted."

"She will be as she was before she walked into the ocean."

Speechless, Rhyn's heart flip-flopped at the prospect of seeing his mate again.

"Do we have a deal?" Death asked.

"Yes," he forced himself to say. "But if you trick me, if the fourth day comes and Katie isn't alive, I'll wipe out everything and hunt you down."

"Agreed."