Darkyn's Mate (#3, Rhyn Eternal Series)

Day One: Chapter One

Chapter One

In Hell, human-Deidre sat next to the hearth hours after she made the deal with the goddess who stranded her. She hadn’t seen her new mate, Darkyn – the Dark One – since he drank his fill of her hours before and left. Her lightheadedness was gone and she was grateful his bloodsucking was pain free. Not by his choice, which was clear. If she hadn’t bartered for a painless existence, she’d be trying to kill herself to get away from him.

If, for some reason, she was stuck here forever, at least he wasn’t going to hurt her, as long as she followed his rules.

No running. No fighting.

Either of them was too much of a turn on to a demon that reveled in causing pain. The idea made her panic. How long would it take Gabriel to find her and rescue her?

Would he be able to, if he thought the goddess Past-Death was his mate?

Her stomach growled. A look around her bedchamber with its black, stone walls, ceiling and floor revealed nothing remotely edible. The large bed was set in a similar stone bed frame and covered with dark coverings. The room was allegedly the most comfortable Hell had to offer. She wasn’t able to tell what time it was in Hell. There were no clocks and she had no cell phone. Her room was made of black stone and quiet with no sounds except the crackle of fire.

It wasn’t bad. She had no intention of spending eternity there, though.

She stood, hungry. Made of material softer than silk, the black dress she wore pooled at the top of her feet. Her back was bare to display the name of Darkyn amid the Immortals’ geometric writing that marked her as an Immortal mate.

She put her hair down to hide the mark, horrified by the idea of belonging to the devil.

Deidre’s hand went to her neck, where Darkyn had placed a slender collar. If his name scrawled across her shoulders didn’t mark her as his, the collar did. She didn’t think any demon in Hell was going to mess with the Dark One’s mate. At least, she hoped not.

She stood in front of the door nervously for a long moment, not certain it would open.

It did.

There were no longer demon guards outside her door, maybe because Darkyn knew she couldn’t leave. If her bond to him was like hers to Gabriel, he’d be able to find her no matter what.

She couldn’t think about such things without wanting to break down and weep. First things first: she needed food to survive. Bracing herself, she stepped into the hallway. No one attacked her or told her to stop. She also had no idea where to go.

Deidre closed the door behind her and walked down the hallway. The dress moved with her like a second skin, draping her curves and swishing silently around her legs. She rubbed her mouth. It was dry and her gums irritated. She could use some water, too.

She walked for ten minutes, carefully remembering where she went, so she was able to find her way back. The first demons that crossed her path made her freeze in place. They didn’t notice her, and she released her breath.

Deidre continued through the halls lined with torches bearing black flames. She reached a stairwell and descended to a floor with wider, taller corridors, as if she’d gone from the wing with private chambers to a more public area. There were more demons on this level, a couple of which eyed her before moving on, leaving her a bit more confident she wasn’t going to be eaten. The stone doors lining each side were all closed.