Gabriel returned to the Sanctuary in the Caribbean and paced in front of the hourglass perched on the altar. He wasn't able to shake his unease. Rhyn wasn't as far along as he'd hoped.

The sand in the hourglass had begun to fall faster the past two days. Rhyn didn't have a week.

He needed more time.

Gabriel crossed to the window and stared at where the dark ocean and night sky met in the distance. He willed his friend to learn the lessons he needed to, and fast.

Of all the mortals and immortals alike Gabriel had ever known, he'd never considered one a friend, not since his father's death. He'd often wondered if he had more family somewhere. If he did, he hoped he had a brother like Rhyn, who had been no older than Toby when Gabriel stumbled across him long, long ago. Gabriel delivered Rhyn to Andre and left him, though he always checked up on the half-demon whenever Andre hired him for an assassination.

Feeling helpless, Gabriel glanced again at the hourglass. For the first time since he was a child, he was worried.

 

***

 

 

Katie awoke in a sweat, the blurred scenes of gore and screams of dying from her dreams fading. The room was dark. She was alone. Disoriented, she leaned over to turn on the lamp. It was almost two in the morning.

St. Louis. She was in St. Louis.

Rhyn was still gone.

A tremor of dread slid through her. She’d had an impending sense of doom since meeting Gabriel on the street outside the faux police station, but this feeling was…defined.

"Rhyn? Can you hear me?" she called, feeling foolish when nothing happened.

She rose. As she bent to tie her shoes, a gory vision made her stagger. It was her dream all over, the flashes of light, darkness and blood, the scent of sulfur and death. She landed on her knees, horrified yet knowing something was very wrong. Rhyn was in trouble.

She glanced out the window and spotted the Arch. It flashed, silver glinting off its graceful curve. She closed her eyes, and dampness slid through her, over her. She opened her eyes and froze, recognizing the shadow world. Portals to other places glowed around her.

"Rhyn?" she whispered, close to panicking.

One of the portals flickered as if in response. Terrified of what she'd find on the other side, she stepped through and tripped. Grass tickled her hands, a chilled wind nipped her neck, and the scents from her vision intensified until she was near gagging.

She pulled her shirt over her nose and mouth and sat back on her heels. She sat on the river bank across from a series of wide, large steps leading up a hill to the park where the Arch stood, framed against a black sky.

Death. It was everywhere. She rose, trying hard not to look or touch anything. The grass, the road, the steps…all were littered with bodies and soaked in blood. She didn’t know what kind of massacre had occurred here--was it even real or was it a dream? She stepped through masses of flesh and body parts, holding her mouth, until she reached the road. It was less cluttered with bodies. Some of the tattoos of the dead still glowed, the eerie red tribal patterns punctuating the landscape.

She didn’t feel cold inside; she felt frozen. She’d grown up never having seen death, and in the past week, she’d seen it in its most gruesome forms. She felt something squish beneath her shoe and almost vomited.

The sounds of heated discussion made her look toward the river. Three forms with glowing tattoos were moving slowly toward the road, stopping to sift through the dead bodies. One grabbed an arm and took a bite.

"Not here."

The words were loud. She looked around, panicked, and darted to the massive stairs. Keeping along the long wall, she inched her way upward, sticking to the shadows. The three creatures continued to hunt through the fallen, sometimes eating, most of the times pushing body parts aside in search of something.

In search of Rhyn. She reached the top of the stairs and stared at a similar scene leading past the Arch and all the way up the park toward the city.

She heard a shout and whirled. The three creatures made a run for the stairs.

"Rhyn!" she called, darting forward. "Rhyn!"

Another vision, one of the Arch through the branches of a tree. She staggered and looked around widely before going to the right. She stepped on something squishy but didn’t let herself stop to think about what it was. Instead, she half ran, half leapt through the piles of bodies into the treed area lining two wide walkways.

"Rhyn!"

She was closer. She felt him. No vision came to her and she continued. The creatures had reached the top of the stairs and were looking around, trying to figure out which way she’d gone.

"Rhyn!"

Her shout drew their attention, and they started toward her.

"Goddammit, Rhyn!" she said, tears rising to blur her path.

The taste of death was in her mouth and if she looked, she knew her shoes would be covered in blood. She ran, eyes blurry and stomach turning.

Stop. His command was weak, yet the air around her stiffened until she hit an invisible wall.

She dropped, surprised and disgusted when one hand landed in what was a human or creature at one point. She wiped her hand on her shirt and leapt up.

"Rhyn?"

Katie.

She turned, not sure if she heard his voice or if he was in her head. She hopped over another mess and searched the darkness. His was the only form in one piece; he was propped up against the base of a tree. She dropped beside him, crying, shaking, terrified, and found he was unconscious.

"C’mon, Rhyn, they’re getting closer!" she said, and shook him.

He sagged against her. She smelled his blood, felt the weakness of his body when their skin met. The sensations surprised her.

The creatures were coming. They’d kill her. They’d kill him. He wasn’t waking up.

She choked back a sob and saw the glint of starlight off a knife on the ground. She crawled over him and snatched it, wiping its blade on her clothes before she hesitated.

She’d never cut herself before. She looked at her wrist, where Lankha had bitten her, closed her eyes, and hacked. Pain made her gasp as blood welled and spilled. She placed her wrist to Rhyn’s mouth, willing him to awaken, to drink her. She’d never thought she’d find a reason to want some creature to suck her blood; if ever, now was the time.

At first, nothing happened, and she readied herself to run. He groaned softly, licked his lips. His body tensed so fast she didn't have time to blink.

His silver eyes opened, glowing almost crazed in the night. Uneasy, she started to move away, but he grabbed her arm to keep her wrist in place and tore into it. She screamed, the creatures came closer, and sheer will made her close her eyes to envision the hotel room.

The shadow world…she staggered and floated through it, hauling him with her toward a pulsing portal that grew blurry fast. She toppled through it into their hotel room. It was silent aside from her choked gasps. Rhyn was unconscious again, his face marred by her blood.

There was nothing left of her forearm but a mangled mess. Horrified, she stumbled into the bathroom for a towel, wrapped her arm in it, and collapsed, sobbing.

 

***

 

 

Rhyn stared at Katie’s still body, uncertain what to do. Her breathing was shallow, the scent of her blood making him shudder. He was weak but alive, his body covered with his blood and hers.

His little mortal had come after him. No one had ever come after him before.

The thought shocked him. He watched blood ooze from her arm. He wasn't a healer, and the only healer he knew was trapped in Hell. Humans had their own kinds of healers. Gazing at her, he doubted a human healer could help her.

He scooped her up, not knowing what else to do. He opened his senses to locate the immortal he wanted, and then willed himself there. It was the only place he knew where someone might help him.

He stood in the gently lit bedroom of his brother, Kiki. Kiki whirled from his position before the hearth, his oriental features set off by electric turquoise eyes.

"What the fu--Rhyn?"

The only brother not to declare outright war on him, Kiki was a distant second to Andre in his tepid support of their black sheep of a young brother.

"Gods, what'd you do to her?" Kiki demanded.

Rhyn ignored the accusation and pulled her away when Kiki tried to snatch her.

"Tell me where to take her before she bleeds out," he ordered.

Despite the animosity boiling at the back of his brother's gaze, Kiki's pragmatism snapped to the forefront. He whipped off his T-shirt and wrapped Katie's arm.

"No one told me you were out of prison," Kiki muttered as he worked. "You hear about Andre?"

"Why else do you think I'm here?"

Kiki glanced at him and whipped out a mobile phone. His conversation was short and curt before he tossed the mobile.

"I'll take her somewhere safe," he said, holding out his hand.

Rhyn pulled the scarf he hated from her neck. Kiki stared, even more stunned.

"Fool," he said, eyes narrowing. "What--"

"Kiki!" Rhyn growled.

His brother snapped his mouth closed and extended his hand, pulling Rhyn and Katie with him into the shadow world. They crossed through the fog to a destination Rhyn had never been before. They emerged from the shadow world and stood on a narrow, winding road. The fragrant ocean was too dark to see. The sound of waves rushing the shore and the firm sand beneath his feet indicated its location a few yards from them. A sprawling castle with thick walls, an old portcullis, and torches glowing along the walls rose up before them. The road leading to the castle was modern blacktop.

"What is this?" Rhyn asked suspiciously as Kiki started toward the arched door beside the portcullis.

"There are four immortal Sanctuaries on earth. This is one. Hurry."

Rhyn followed, painfully aware of the limp mortal body in his arms. Kiki didn't knock the door down as he could, instead beating loudly enough for the sound to drift down the road.

A small, older woman in severe grey opened the door. Kiki clasped his hands and offered a small bow.

"We seek your assistance, good guardian of the Sanctuary," he said.

The woman curtseyed deeply in response and stepped aside. Rhyn shoved past Kiki into a small courtyard. The woman motioned them to follow, her quick steps echoing across the cobblestones. Another woman in grey emerged from a hallway. She bobbed her head and darted off at the murmured instructions of the first woman.

They stopped at a wooden door, which the woman flung open. The room was tiny, but Rhyn didn't care. He carefully lowered Katie to the small bed. Immediately, the second woman reappeared with a small basket full of medicinal wares.

"You must leave. You cannot be here," the first woman said, pushing Rhyn toward the door.

He ignored her order with a glare.

"Rhyn, come on. Ancients aren't welcome in Sanctuaries," Kiki said.

Rhyn resisted for a moment longer, watching the woman expertly slice Katie's shirt open. Kiki gave him a shove, and the older woman closed the door behind them.

"This is the best you can do," Kiki said. "Don't piss these people off by breaking their rules, not when they’re probably the only ones who can help her."

For once, Rhyn agreed. He trailed Kiki out of the castle to the boulders a short distance from the walls.

"What the fuck are you doing, Rhyn?" Kiki turned on him at last. "You are the last person in the entire fucking universe that should take a mate!"

"Back off, Kiki," Rhyn replied, knowing the words were true.

"No, Rhyn, I won't. I've never been as strong of an advocate for you as Andre, but I always thought you decent somewhere on the inside."

"Thanks for your faith, brother!"

"But you, Rhyn, have somehow managed to kill every mortal you run across! How the fuck did you--"

"Enough!" Rhyn roared.

Kiki fell silent, but his gaze was accusing.

"I don't know, Kiki!" Rhyn snapped. "Leave me the fuck alone."

"You don't know what?"

"I don't know why I did it. I wanted to piss off Sasha at first. Now…" He stopped, not sure how to explain the fact he now wanted something he shouldn't.

"This isn't…is it Katie?" Kiki asked, gaze sharpening.

"Yeah. And?"

"We lost her the same night Andre died. She was with you?"

"Sasha dragged her down to Hell. He wanted to make her his mate," Rhyn said.

"So you did before he could," Kiki finished. "Real smart, Rhyn."

Rhyn ignored his brother as the lean man paced and pulled at his hair in frustrated silence. Rhyn looked toward the walls, unable to quell the flutter of worry within him.

She'd almost died to save him. He'd almost died many times, and in many cases, for the sake of his brothers. He never thought twice about walking into danger and rarely cared if he survived or not.

But no immortal--let alone human--had ever risked his or her life for him. For the first time in his life, he didn't know what to do.

"What do we do?" Kiki demanded at last. "You can't keep her."

"What do you mean I can't keep her?" he returned, facing his brother.

"I mean, you don't have what it takes to keep a mate alive, let alone safe. You're your own worst enemy, as Andre always tried to warn you."

Rhyn clenched his jaw, hearing the truth in Kiki's words.

"Do you have any idea how fucking pissed Kris will be?" Kiki muttered.

"Like I give a fuck what he thinks."

"He intended to take her as his mate, Rhyn. This is going to reopen that wound…"

Rhyn said nothing, giving his brother a bitter smile. Part of him felt triumphant to know he'd piss off Kris as well as Sasha. Kiki ceased pacing and stared at the walls.

"You can't keep her," Kiki said again.

"Yes, I can. And I will, Kiki," Rhyn said through clenched teeth. "She's mine. I've claimed her under Immortal Code. Why the fuck does everyone want her anyway? She's just a little human."

"Yes, but she's…" Kiki's retort drifted off.

Rhyn met his gaze, as Kiki became suddenly considering.

"You haven't blown anything up yet," Kiki said. "Hell tame you?"

"Nope."

"Something did."

Rhyn shrugged. He hadn't noticed until Kiki's words. Nothing had blown up or gone wrong since he'd returned from Hell. His power felt the same, but maybe his time in Hell had mellowed it out, made it more responsive to his command.

"I'm bound to tell Kris you're here," Kiki reminded him. "And the others."

"I don't give a shit."

"As for your mating…maybe you can find a way to undo what you did."

"Fuck you, Kiki," Rhyn said.

"You're welcome, Rhyn."

And Kiki was gone. Rhyn took a deep breath before perching on a boulder outside the walls. He'd never been to a Sanctuary. He was glad Kiki brought him and just as troubled by his brother's doubt.

Katie had proved herself to him by doing what even his blood-brothers never would. No, Katie was his. He wasn't going to undo anything, especially not if it was something his brothers wanted!