"Definitely."
"We have a deal? I'll go get Darkyn's soul if so."
Deidre held out her hand. "No additional conditions, unwritten terms or creative executions of timeframes."
"Agreed." He shook her hand, and their deal was sealed with a flash of cool magic. She handed him the two souls. Exhilaration raced through him. "Wait here."
Gabriel left the roof, weaving among the statues of death dealers. Once inside, he sprinted towards the bedchamber and ducked into the secret closet, snatching Darkyn's soul from the caldron.
When he returned, he saw Deidre kneeling over past-Death. He quickened his pace, not fully certain he was able to trust the temporary Dark One with his mate, despite their common understanding and generally good relationship.
"What're you doing, Deidre?" he called, nearing.
"Something amazing," she replied, a breathless note in her voice. She leaned back to display past-Death pushing herself into a sitting position. "Look! Good as new!"
Fear shot through him, and Gabriel dropped beside his mate. "Don't move!" he urged, hurrying to cover the wound in her belly. "Dammit, Deidre! If you'd left her frozen, I-"
"She's fine," Deidre replied. She stood and stepped away to give him room. "I don't know how, but she is."
"I'm fine," his mate echoed, pushing his hands away. She met his gaze, and he paused, searching her features. Her cheeks were glowing, her blue eyes bright. She cupped his cheeks with her hands and placed a light kiss on his lips. "You worry too much, Gabriel."
He lifted an eyebrow at the familiar teasing note in her voice.
"Now that I understand why, it makes me happy," she added.
"Because I love you," he said. He gathered her into his arms, not convinced she was healed, and hugged her against him.
"Is it over?" she asked.
"Almost, yeah." Gabriel breathed her scent in deeply, enjoying the feel of her warmth and softness after almost losing her. The muscles of his body relaxed instinctively, the bond between them no longer suffering from pain.
"What happens when it is?" There was apprehension in her question.
"Then we won't have any more excuses not to make this work."
"I like that idea."
"Me, too," he said, chuckling.
She lifted her head from his shoulder and gazed deeply into his eyes. "Thank you for waiting for me for all these years," she said. "I promise you, Gabriel, I will be everything you deserve in a mate and more. I don't care how long it takes for you to trust me. I'll prove I'm worthy of you. I'll work on being a good human every day."
"I do trust you, Deidre," he said softly. "The moment you chose to let Harmony kill you instead of telling them the whereabouts of my soul, I trusted you. The goddess I knew never would've sacrificed herself that way, even for me."