Rhyn's Redemption (Book III, Rhyn Trilogy)

Chapter Nine

“I think I said it.”

“You want me to let the Council break apart.”

“That’s not quite what I’m saying.  I know you understand that great sacrifice is sometimes warranted for a greater good.  And what you might be learning is that the greater good also sometimes requires doing what might be called evil,” she said.

“Evil cannot be done in the name of good.”

“You buy assassinations from my death-dealers.  Maybe your definition of evil is different than mine.”

“I don’t have time for philosophy,” he said, growing irritated with her word play. “Are you here for any other purpose than to discuss my definition of good and evil?”

“I guess not.  Except … “ She trailed off, gazing around the tent.

“Except what?” he asked after a long pause.

“Several weeks ago, you bought two assignations from Gabriel.  Do you remember?”

Kris blinked, trying to figure out what the deity wanted. He thought for a moment, remembering. He’d paid in advance for two assignations after he began to suspect there was a traitor in his organization.  The second had been for Katie, in case she couldn’t be reasoned with. She was a risk for revealing the Immortal society to the human world or alerting the demons as to where Kris’s strongholds were.

“You remember,” Death said, reading his features. “You paid for two deaths.  Gabe came to collect, and those two lives … disappeared.  They’re in my underworld right now, running from me.”

“One was for Katie. But who was the second?  Rhyn killed Jade when he attacked me.  He was the traitor operating beneath my nose.”

“What a broken heart will make a person do.”

“So he wasn’t the second,” Kris said, ignoring her mocking reference to his former lover, Jade.

“Rhyn’s daughter was the second.”

“Rhyn’s … “ Kris’s thoughts flew from Katie to another woman, Lilith, who long ago had been pregnant with his own son.  She – and the child – had died at Rhyn’s hands, which was the catalyst for Andre sending Rhyn to Hell.

Death’s words made the air in the room feel heavy.  Kris sat down at the table.

“Think about that when you enter my domain,” Death said.

“I settled an old debt and didn’t even know it.”

“That’s one way of looking at things,” she said. “Kris, what if I said you could have anything in the world from me?  A favor.  A wish granted. Whatever you want to call it. What would you ask for?”

Her bizarre changes of subject made him understand why Andre hadn’t liked dealing with her.  Was there hidden meaning in her words? Or was she a bored deity there to mess with him?

“I don’t have time for this,” he said and rose.

“Answer me, Kris.  What is your deepest desire?”

“To be more powerful, so I can wipe out my enemies and force my brothers to stay in the Council.”

“I can’t help you there.”

As suddenly as she appeared, Death was gone.  Anger rising, Kris looked around to make sure she really was gone then cursed. He no longer felt slighted by her exclusion. Instead, he was grateful he hadn’t had to deal with her before.

“Kris, I –“

“What, Kiki?” he snarled.

Kiki froze halfway through the doorway, frowning.  Kris breathed a sigh, wondering how one tiny woman could make him tense enough he wanted to raze the beach.