Deidre's Death (#2, Rhyn Eternal) by Lizzy Ford Page A

the dealer to deliver Erik to Rhyn’s fortress. He then called a
portal to visit Tamer, the Immortal making the soul compasses.
Gabriel withdrew a piece of paper from his pocket as he went,
studying the symbols. Tamer, Rhyn’s half-brother and the least
friendly member of the Council, had deciphered five of the twenty
symbols on the compass. The keeper of ancient Immortal histories,
Tamer was able to read scripts from the time-before-time. It was
his secret power, the one few others knew about.
    Gabriel emerged into Tamer’s palatial home
in Cairo. The limestone and marble foyer was lined with artifacts,
a sign of Tamer’s passion for all things ancient. The door to the
secret library was open, as if Tamer expected him.
    Gabriel strode down the narrow hall to the
only open door and entered. Muscular and dark-skinned, Tamer was
hunched over the table in the center of the room, putting the final
magic touches on a new compass.
    “Wait,” the Immortal barked.
    Gabriel snorted and sat in one of the plush
chairs. He studied the five symbols on the paper in his hand. Tamer
had translated them, but they meant little to Gabriel.
    River, ravine, tree stump, cloud, rain.
    Magic vibrated in the library then
faded.
    “Alright. Here’s another,” Tamer said and
held out the compass.
    The tool lit up at Gabriel’s touch, the
symbols swirling around the edges then settling. He handed it back.
Tamer hefted it.
    “Looks good,” he said with a satisfied nod.
“What do you want?”
    “Good day to you, too,” Gabriel said, always
amused by Tamer’s curtness.
    “You had to tell Andre about all this,
didn’t you.” Tamer motioned to his library.
    “I didn’t tell him anything,” Gabriel
replied. “I sent him to ask you a question. Whatever happened from
there is on you. You’re welcome for bringing him back, by the
way.”
    “Now I’ve got two brothers in my hair.”
    Despite the words, Gabriel knew Tamer was
pleased about Andre’s return. All the brothers were, because Andre
alone had been able to manage the different personalities in such a
way that they all trusted him. He debated what to tell Tamer.
Technically, it wasn’t his business or duty to tell Rhyn’s brothers
about Erik.
    “Speaking of people in your hair, you may
want to keep an eye out for any pesky demons,” Gabriel said. “They
may be after you all.”
    “I don’t give a shit.”
    “Alright. You get any farther on these?”
Gabriel asked, holding up the paper.
    “A little.” Tamer rustled through a
notebook. “Figured out three more. Shrub, well, mountain.” He
scribbled them down onto another piece of paper and tore them off
for Gabriel.
    “Well,” Gabriel said, recognizing the
symbol. “That’s the one the demons seem to be after. Any clue how a
hole in the ground equates to an evil soul?”
    Tamer was pensive for a moment. His eyes
went from Gabe to the paper in front of him. He started to sketch
something, paused then leaned forward with more interest and
continued.
    “I saw something in an ancient text,” Tamer
mumbled. “It compared the earth to a cesspool.”
    “Helpful.”
    Tamer scowled. “The sky was given the status
of something pure and clean, the earth sort of a dirty wasteland,
and anything below water level or the ground considered Hellish.
See what I’m saying?” He showed Gabriel the drawing of the
different symbols with a sketch of the sun on one end and the
ground on the other.
    “Hole, meaning a bad soul,” Gabriel said,
gazing at the symbols. “Darkyn is after the bad apples. Makes
sense. He’s building an Army of Souls to attack the human world. He
won’t want anyone with a conscience.”
    “I’d say not. I have no fucking clue what
the rest of these symbolize, except that it’s a ranking structure.
These in the middle, I’m guessing about,” Tamer said, circling half
the images he’d drawn.
    “You’re certain about the bottom three? The
bad ones?” Gabriel asked.
    “As certain as can be, based