Free Gabriel's Hope (#1, Rhyn Eternal) by Lizzy Ford

called a portal when in the hallway and walked into the shadow realm, stopping in place.
    The gray door to his underworld was gone. It denied entrance to its own master. Gabriel’s temper was close to boiling over, for the umpteenth time since he inherited the responsibilities of Death. If his week was any indication, this was not about to fix itself as easily as the portal shutting out his assassins.
    Immortal Code, Rule 22: Only deities can interfere with the duties of another deity.
    He suspected Fate was done with smiley faces and polite invitations. Locking him out of his underworld wasn’t a summons Gabriel could ignore.
    Determined to fix what he’d fucked up, Gabriel drew a deep breath then strode towards one of the sunny portals to the mortal world.
    Rhyn stood beside a lake on the property the Immortals owned around the castle in the French Alps. The shade of the forest where Gabe emerged was cool, the spring sunshine warm. The scent of pine and blooming flowers was thick in the air. He sensed the presence of his assassins nearby, relieved a few had made it out of the underworld before the portal disappeared.
    “Notice anything out of place?” Rhyn asked, peering into the lake.
    Gabriel joined him and cursed. The bottom of the lake glowed with souls. The green gems reflected the sunshine, shimmering through the clear water.
    “How many of my dealers made it here?” he asked after a moment.
    “Five. I dragged them out here as soon as we found this.” Rhyn lifted his chin to the far side of the lake. “Want me to drain the lake?”
    “Not yet. I have no way of getting them back to the underworld,” Gabe said.
    Rhyn met his gaze, surprised.
    “C’mere, Harmony,” Gabe said, using his magic to project the quiet order across the lake.
    “I never thought I’d be the one to say this, but I think you have real issues, Gabe,” Rhyn said.
    Gabe nodded, forced to admit he no longer had any idea how to fix whatever was broken in Death’s domain. Harmony appeared beside him.
    “We’re shut out of the underworld,” he started. “How many made it up?”
    “Forty three, five here, thirty eight spread among the Sanctuaries,” she answered promptly.
    “Can you sense them?” He indicated the souls.
    “Within a short distance. We sensed them from the castle but not much farther.”
    “About five kilometers,” Gabe judged. “It’s something. Spread everyone out and have them start searching. We need to locate how many lakes are now possessed.”
    Rhyn chuckled. Harmony didn’t get the joke. Gabriel wasn’t surprised.
    “And then what?” she asked.
    “For now, our mission is to protect the lost souls from the demons.”
    “Very well.”
    Gabe turned towards Rhyn, in sore need of a pep talk as only his best friend could provide.
    “Gabriel,” Harmony’s voice was hesitant.
    He looked at her once more. She considered for a moment then shook her head.
    “Later,” she said. “I’ll catch up with you.”
    “You’re doing good, Harmony,” he said, sensing her concern.
    She smiled politely then opened a portal.
    “Even I know what that was, Gabe,” Rhyn said, amused.
    Gabriel suspected he did, too. A status check on their relationship, the one he hadn’t told her he couldn’t have, because he was trapped into mating with a formerly sadistic psychopath-turned-human he was trying hard not to kill. If he slipped and broke that rule, he didn’t have to break it off with Harmony. He hadn’t made up his mind about either woman yet.
    “I have a bet with Katie,” Rhyn started. “She thinks you blew up the gym because Deidre is your mate by Immortal law. I said it’s because you slept with her.”
    Gabe grimaced. “You’re both right.”
    “That is not good, Gabe,” Rhyn said with a shake of his head. “You realize that means you can’t kill the bitch who tortured you for all those years?”
    Immortal Code, Rule 10 & 11: An Immortal must regard the protection of its mate above its own