The Underworld (Rhyn Eternal)

The Underworld

#4, Rhyn Eternal

By Lizzy Ford

http://www.LizzyFord.com/

Cover design by Eden Crane Design

http://www.EdenCraneDesign.com/

Mobi EDITION

The Underworld
copyright ©2014 by Lizzy Ford

http://www.LizzyFord.com/

Cover design copyright © 2014 by Eden Crane Design

http://www.EdenCraneDesign.com/

Typography Copyright © by Regina, Mae I Design

http://www.MaeIDesign.com/

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the author. The only exception is by a reviewer, who may quote short excerpts in a review.

This novel is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events; to real people, living or dead; or to real locales are intended only to give the fiction a sense of reality and authenticity. Names, characters, places and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and their resemblance, if any, to real-life counterparts is entirely coincidental.

For the first time in far too long, Death stepped from the portal room in Hell into his own domain. A towering, muscular form dressed all in black, he surveyed the world that was his with eyes darker than night. Power swept over him then retreated, lingering in the forests of the underworld, a sign he had not yet won the right to command his realm.

But he felt the tension around him. His magic recognized its rightful master and was struggling not to come to him. He was meant to be here, to break down the dam between him and the magic of the dead that was rightfully his. The souls were calling to him in a faint, mournful wail, their peaceful existence threatened by his weakness.

Hang in there,
Gabriel urged them silently.
I’m one step closer.

He had never been as relieved to be home as he was this moment, standing beneath the milky grey skies where even the weak midday sunlight never matched the power of the setting sun on the mortal plane. He found himself no longer squinting the way he did in the human world.

The trees moved, leaning away from him while their branches slithered like snakes far above his head. Shrubberies and other small plants scurried out of the way of the three invaders. The air was cool and light. It grazed his skin, bringing with it the familiar mossy scent of the forest.

Home.

“You know where we are?” Rhyn, his best friend and closest ally, asked from behind him. The silver-eyed half-demon was radiating a different kind of tense energy, probably as a result of their trip through Hell to get to the underworld. The power of Hell clung to him.

“Always.” Gabriel knew his home better than he knew anything else. “But my magic is still blocked. I’m not going to know if we’re in danger.”

The thick forest was too dense for him to see beyond the first layer of trees.

“We have two choices. We go Rhyn-style and smash everything in our path to get to the palace. Or, we take our time to scout and plan for a day or so,” Gabriel said, turning to face the others with him.

“I think Darkyn needs to make that call,” Rhyn responded.

The smaller, lean Dark One, the third member of Gabriel’s rescue party, was taking in his surroundings with a sharp gaze.

“How long does she have, Darkyn?” Gabriel asked gruffly. He wanted nothing to do with the demon lord. The only reason he allowed the Dark One to be there: the woman-turned-demon that was trapped somewhere in the underworld. They had no choice but to work together at this point.

Darkyn’s fists clenched. Unreadable, the lethal, youthful demon was glaring at him, his long fangs resting on his lips.

“Don’t be a dick, Darkyn,” Gabriel snapped. “We have the same goal. If we need to act fast, then tell me.”

“My mate is newly blood bound. She will weaken quickly,” growled the Dark One. “She doesn’t have more than three days.”

As usual, the demon’s candidness left Gabriel a little surprised. When Darkyn had no reason to lie, he was almost trustworthy. The problem: figuring out if this was one of those times, because trusting a lying demon almost always ended in someone losing his soul.

The only leverage Gabriel had was that Darkyn was also blood bound, meaning he’d need the blood of his mate or spin out of control with unquenchable bloodlust. And … he had begun to think that the ruler of Hell had a soft spot for the mate he claimed.

“Rhyn, go on ahead and scout. We’ll move fast,” Gabriel said.

“I’m going with the half-breed,” Darkyn replied.

“No. You’re staying with me.”

Darkyn faced off with him.

“Neither of us has any magic here. We have a better chance together, especially since the underworld hates full demons,” Gabriel said.
And I’m not letting the Dark One loose in my fucking domain.
“Rhyn, go.”

Rhyn drew a knife and trotted off, his thick frame disappearing into the thick foliage.

Gabriel half-expected Darkyn to trail, but the Dark One remained.

Breathing in the humid air, Gabriel assessed their location and the best way to approach the palace at the center of the underworld, where they needed to be. He had spent long enough repairing the defenses of the underworld to know where the best places to place scouts and sentries were. Common sense told him to go the path of least resistance.

The instincts of a master denied his place, however, wanted to chop a direct route through the forest and to slaughter those involved in betraying him and kidnapping his mate. As much as he hated agreeing with a demon, Darkyn was right. Gabriel needed to conquer his world once and for all.

Once he figured out how to do it without getting everyone around him killed.

“You up for a fight?” he asked Darkyn.

The demon drew two blades and spun them deftly in his hands.