Past-Death had fucked up many times, but in the end, she'd tried to get it right. It was this thought that led Gabriel to one that banished any lingering anger.
The goddess hadn't had the capacity to understand what some of her actions, like creating Deidre as a stand-in, truly meant when she did it. She came from a place of absolute power and control, crippled emotionally and incapable of true compassion.
She went against her nature when she fell in love with him and again when she destroyed the sanctity of souls to create Deidre's. Just as Gabriel wasn't able to see the world as the chessboard she did, she hadn't been able to see it through the eyes of a human.
But she tried, because he meant more to her than all the power and knowledge in the world. She gave up being a goddess to become someone new, someone she thought he deserved.
Which is a lot. He had a headache already from downloading the information.
There was too much to sort through, especially now, and he dug through the chaos of his mind to find the bond to the underworld.
The underworld - his underworld - needed him. It was the first and only logical place to start.
"How long does this take?" he asked, touching his head, somewhat off balance with the activity in his mind. It was distracting his senses, turning his attention inward when it needed to be focused on the threats he faced from the external world.
"I'm not sure," she replied.
Gabriel shook his head and realized they'd stopped walking and were waiting at a door. Drawing a knife, he took her hand and squeezed, then opened the door. "Stay here. If anything happens to her, demon, there is nothing the Dark One can do to you that will be worse than what I do," he warned.
"Very well," Jared said unhappily.
He stepped onto the flat roof of the palace, not surprised to see four death dealers pacing around the perimeter. With the buzzing in his mind, it was harder than usual to focus. He tried to recall the names of the sentries and shook out his shoulders, aware he was about to make his first move as the official ruler of his domain.
The sky was cloudy, the wind cold and stiff. Gabriel sheathed the weapon and approached the first guard, who froze the moment he caught sight of him.
Gabriel kept his distance. "You get one shot at this," he said calmly. "A quick death followed by mercy. Or -"
The death dealer drew his weapon and charged with a shout.