Chapter One
Gabriel turned the pages of the Oracle’s book, watching as words scribbled themselves across the parchment, updating a chain of events that changed with every decision made by the Council That Was Seven. Only the long-dead Oracle possessing the book and the deities could see the Past, Present, and Future.
He saw only the Present, like fractured scenes of a movie where the actors continually changed their lines and settings. Words leapt from the pages to form hologram-like images dancing over the book. Friends and strangers alike acted out their stilted scenes before dropping onto the page as words again.
Show me Rhyn, he told the book.
He always peeked at his friend, whom he'd dropped off in Hell to serve an undeserved sentence. Rhyn's powers were beyond even Gabriel to control, and the unfortunate immortal was a loose cannon that’d accidently almost destroyed the world more times than Gabriel could count.
Gabriel's lover and master, the deity Death, materialized beside him at the Oracle's altar in the center of an ancient fortress in the Sanctuary. Each of the four Sanctuaries sat on an island straddling the human and immortal worlds and housed an immortal treasure, such as the Oracle.
He sensed Death's disapproval.
"I know," he said, and turned the page in the book to continue watching Rhyn.
Death took her human form out of respect for the women of the convent-like Sanctuary that housed the Oracle. She was beautiful, a woman of sunshine, smiles, and eyes that changed from white to black and every color in between. At close to seven feet with eyes and hair blacker than night and a permanent scowl, he was what most expected Death to look like. Yet the lithe woman with the transparent skin and glow was exactly what people saw when they went: a bright, beautiful, peaceful light.
"I want to know if--" he started.
"Rhyn?"
"Yeah."
"Immortals aren’t so far off from humans, are they?" Death mused. "They share their weaknesses."
"I know what really happened, and I hoped others would figure it out. He doesn't deserve to be in Hell," he replied.
"You can’t interfere more than you have. How many times have I warned you about breaking Immortal Code?"
"Does nothing bother you?" he asked without heat, knowing the answer. "And technically, I interfered by making him disappear before anyone figured out he’d saved humanity."
Death smiled serenely and placed her small hand on the book. He met her gaze.
"All things come to me eventually," she said, quoting the familiar words. "You, too, you know."
"Someday."
"And someday Rhyn. He's on my list, Gabriel."
He was quiet, the words and holograms before him blurring as he thought. The only immortals on Death's list were those who were about to become dead-dead. He'd always hoped Rhyn would have another chance, that Hell was a place to stash the dangerous immortal until the world was ready for him.
"He didn’t deserve what he got," he voiced, troubled. "In all my time, I’ve never felt guilt at what I do."
"You’re my best assassin, and you’re the only one who can trespass in Hell and return. You had to do what you did. If nothing else, you know he’s safe, and so are the little humans."
"Are you serious about making him dead-dead soon?"
"Let me show you something," she said, and stepped up beside him. "Keep in mind, you're not supposed to be anywhere near the Oracle. Only--"
"Deities and whatever," he finished with a roll of his eyes.
She gave him a stern glare that made him smile. Her human form was tiny enough that the Oracle's book reached her shoulder level.
Death's hand hovered over the pages, and she turned them quickly without touching them. She stopped and touched a page with her fingertip. An image sprung from the paper before them.
The earth in flames, with earthquakes swallowing whole towns and buildings burning.
Gabriel shifted, well aware Rhyn was capable of this.
Death gave him a pointed look, waiting for him to jump to his friend's defense as he always did. It was hard with the scenes she showed him flickering in front of him.
"The Future isn't set," he managed at last.
"It's not," she agreed. "But if I don't make him dead-dead, there's a good chance this is the fate of the human world."
"I can't believe there's nothing that can be done!" he replied with more emotion than he intended.
"You're going soft, Gabe."
"It's wrong."
"Odd, coming from my best assassin," she said.
He said nothing, watching the scene. Death closed the book and looked up at him.
"Do you believe in him so much, or do you feel so much guilt?" she challenged.