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D eath’s expression was grim as she stood in a room that was rarely visited within the expansive palace most of her sisters called home. It was filled with large cages—each one designed to cater to the prisoner assigned to it. The problem wasn’t the condition of the prison constructed by their mother. It was the fact that every cell was empty.

“Oh, look who’s graced us with her presence,” drawled a woman with a unique raspiness to her voice.

Since Death preferred to keep the company of only a select few of her sisters, she ignored the fool standing somewhere behind her and continued to survey the disaster facing them. Recently, Death and her closest confidantes had located Folly. The goddess tasked with creating mischief had forsaken her natural duty and embraced evil.

For many millennia, Folly had lived by her own rules and preyed upon the creations carefully crafted by the goddesses. After such a long chase to locate her, Death had known Folly’s easy capture during a Council parade had been part of a larger plan. Folly had readily admitted that she had secret allies in the palace, but the last thing Death had expected was to find their prison emptied.

Folly’s power had grown unnaturally thanks to her savage decision to siphon sorcery from her accomplices. Which was why there was scant evidence left behind of who had unlocked the cages or where any of the prisoners had ventured following their release. Death’s dark gaze landed on a cage designed for a pegasus.

She dragged her fingers across a simple plaque that read Tivadras . Once, he’d been her friend. But he’d made mistakes that had run him afoul of Death’s mother. For his temerity, he’d been deemed guilty and locked up for over fifteen thousand Earth years. It was harsher than he’d deserved, and Death hoped he would run far from any goddess or he’d find himself back in a cage. They had no choice. Their mother had left long ago, and no one had any clue when she’d return to reverse his sentence.

“He was always your little pet,” Mayhem drawled as she stepped closer.

“It would be easy to imagine that you played a hand in this disaster,” Death told her.

Mayhem’s mouth curved, and the bright light Justice had flooded the space with glinted off her fangs. “You will never know if I did or not.”

“Convenient, that,” Death replied as she studied her sister’s pale blue gaze. She hadn’t encountered Mayhem in years as she preferred to steer clear of any goddess whose idea of fun was stirring up unwarranted trouble. Of course, that was Mayhem’s purpose, so Death didn’t hold it against her, but she didn’t want to be caught in the middle of it either.

“As is your presence here,” Mayhem said. Without disturbing the red-and-gold gown she’d paired with a bold ruby necklace, Mayhem bent and picked up something from the ground.

Death lifted a brow. “Nearly every goddess alive is here.”

“Yes, but you have little use for us.”

Eternity appeared in the doorway with worry written plain on her pretty face. Her silver eyes met Death’s, and Eternity raced toward her.

“Untrue, dear sister,” Death drawled. “I make time for those worthy of my friendship.”

“Death,” Eternity called out as she drew near. “What a mess.”

“Yes, hello, sister,” Mayhem commented as Eternity looped her arm through Death’s. “Have I suddenly grown invisible?”

“Mayhem,” Eternity replied, surprise in her voice. “I haven’t seen you in ages. How do you fare?”

“How do you think I fare?” Mayhem demanded. She stomped her foot with such forcefulness that her black hair billowed away from her shiny gown. “No one wants anything to do with me. Do you know who bothered to seek me out last? Chaos! Who wants to deal with her? She’s unhinged.”

As it had been Death’s habit to avoid the palace, she was left out of current affairs.

“Why do they avoid Mayhem?” Death asked Eternity. “What has she done to anger everyone?”

“I am standing right here!” Mayhem exclaimed.

“As if anyone could miss a shouting goddess wearing jewels large enough to blind a human,” Fate drawled from behind Death.

“Why are you yelling?” Courage asked as she and Justice stomped toward the rapidly growing group surrounding Death. Clad in chain mail and wearing a fierce expression, Death was surprised her sister had forgone carrying a weapon. The same could not be said for the blond Justice, who had a blade strapped to her back.

“Because Death is annoying,” Mayhem accused.

“What did I do?” Death asked. “All I asked was why you have run afoul of our sisters.”

“You posed the question to Eternity instead of me,” Mayhem wailed.

“Perhaps that is because you are screaming like a child,” Justice retorted.

“They hate me,” Mayhem cried out. “I had to beg for permission to add a race to their precious planet, and the minute I created one, they judged me as unworthy, and I was forced to leave the palace to avoid their accusatory stares.”

As someone misunderstood and feared by most of her sisters, Death had been an outcast from the start. A stirring of empathy rose in her breast as she studied the misery in Mayhem’s pale blue eyes.

“Not everyone understood why she created a race without the ability to survive on their own,” Eternity told Death quietly.

“Bend the rules one time and everyone is a critic,” Mayhem muttered.

“How did you bend the rules?” Fate asked, her blue gaze disbelieving. “There was no rule against creating a race dependent on another. You wanted vampyrs. No one expected you to make humans necessary to their survival.”

“Well, excuse me for feeling sorry for Folly’s damn race,” Mayhem retorted, slapping her hands on her hips. “I created vampyrs so you had no choice but to give some of them humans mates. If I didn’t make the vampyrs dependent on humans, they would all die.”

“That’s rather brilliant,” Death remarked.

Mayhem’s gaze widened. Then she grinned. “Thank you. I’m quite fond of your undead. I’m rather angry Fate hasn’t bothered to put one of my vampyrs with a sentinel.”

“It doesn’t work like that,” Fate argued. “I don’t pick out two races and decide to match them. Each person is considered carefully, and I pair them with someone who complements them. No sentinel has worked out to be with a vampyr yet.”

“I do not wish to discuss sentinels at the moment,” Death growled. “Another beast was torn from the ebirlloba to be reunited with a sentinel who has no memory of him. Justice, can something not be done to keep the living from casting these spells?”

“Since necromancers were your idea, I will influence Chander to ensure the spell is not cast again,” Justice promised. “With this calamity happening, I was not focused on the recent resurrections and was unaware there are difficulties.”

“A sentinel with two mates was resurrected, which doubles his dragon’s ire at being combined with someone who cannot remember the way he loved these men before,” Death informed her sister. “Unlike Brynn, there are no relatives left to guide Chander to right this situation fully. Phillip’s dragon will never rest completely.”

“Keegan wasn’t a shifter,” Fate said. “Perhaps it will not be as bad as you fear.”

Courage shook her head. “It matters not. He was too late to save Keegan. Phillip and Victor died of heartbreak wrapped in each other’s arms, their eyes wet with mourning tears.”

“You allowed a dragon to be tugged from your realm of the dead with those memories, and I am the evil one for creating vampyrs,” Mayhem muttered.

Death glared. “I have no choice. The living can pluck any soul from the ebirlloba .”

“Necromancers were your idea,” Mayhem argued. “You did not think to give them limits?”

Annoyed that she hadn’t thought of every scenario prior to green-lighting the creation of the race that had created more than one issue after a resurrection, Death pursed her lips. “Excuse me for not being omnipotent.”

“Phillip is a Daray now, or he will be as soon as he meets Victor,” Justice stated calmly. “They will ensure he is cared for and that his dragon is managed. Will you guide Chander if he shadow walks to find answers?”

“It sounds cruel, but no, I will not give him the answers he seeks,” Death replied. “I have no regrets for leading him to Morcant. It was for the best. Morcant was miserable and deserved to live. This way, Morcant will have a chance to find a mate. But if I aid Chander each time this happens, it will not stop. He will ignore Justice’s warning not to use the spell. It must end. Beasts cannot fight their instincts. No sorcery will ever clear their memories. Nothing will calm them fully, not even reuniting with their loved ones, because they recall the terror and finality of death. Keegan won’t die again, but Phillip’s dragon will always be overprotective of him. Victor too, but not to the same degree.”

“I fear we did not consider the ramifications of allowing Sorcery D’Vaire to craft the spell to resurrect someone with their beast,” Justice remarked sadly.

“We thought it was a kindness,” Courage said.

“How?” Death asked.

“Because we believed it was cruel to separate man from beast permanently,” Courage answered.

“You were foolish not to ask me,” Death retorted. “The beasts in the ebirlloba are happier than the ones on Earth. They are not confined in the body of another. They are with their mates forever instead of being forced to visit them during a shift.”

“You are right,” Justice responded. “We were wrong.”

“How moving is this?” Mayhem drawled with a roll of her eyes. “A gaggle of goddesses finally admitting they are wrong about something. Death, I had no idea you were so popular these days.”

“Death has always been among the most admirable of our sisters,” Eternity boasted. “Anyone unaware of her many attributes is a fool.”

Mayhem cackled. “You’ve made our dear sister blush nearly as red as her hair.”

Annoyed that color had indeed risen to her face, Death narrowed her eyes at Mayhem. “Shut up.”

Still wearing a grin Death wanted to smack off her face, Mayhem lifted her hand and uncurled her fingers. In her palm was a tiny part of a damaged lock. “Look here at what I found. Our little jailbreaking sisters have left a clue behind.”

Justice grabbed the metal fragment and allowed it to float in the air in the center of their small group. “Interesting.”

Death allowed her magic to float toward the scrap, and her mouth twisted as she recognized the sorceress responsible for freeing the pegasus. “Why am I unsurprised to find that Sorrow had something to do with this?”

“What?” Mayhem asked. “I thought Sorrow to be one of your dearest friends.”

“Not hardly,” Death scoffed. “We were never close, but she was punished because I caught her burrowing sorrow into the Lich Reaper.”

Mayhem’s eyes bugged. “Surely you did not give her permission to feed off the leader of the reapers?”

“I would never.”

“To so blatantly break a rule,” Mayhem murmured. “Folly is at the heart of this, but how long was she swaying Sorrow? Before or after she preyed upon one of your reapers?”

“An excellent question,” Justice said. “We need to make a list of every goddess punished in recent years. We must observe and perhaps even question them to find out if they are involved in whatever Folly is doing.”

“Add all of us to the list,” Fate drawled. “We were all punished for saving the lives Folly destroyed.”

“Obviously we are not involved,” Courage retorted.

“I am not either,” Mayhem insisted. “Surely you will allow me to aid your investigation?”

Death studied her sister carefully. She did not trust easily, and she had plenty of reason not to despite recently gaining close confidantes, but some instinct told her Mayhem could be useful.

“You are an outcast,” Fate remarked, tossing a lock of red hair off her shoulder as she too stared hard at Mayhem. “You are the perfect prey for Folly. We don’t know her intentions, but she has been recruiting goddesses to wreak havoc and destroy everything. Or she wants to summon mother. We aren’t sure, but we are committed to stopping Folly. How do we know we can trust you?”

Mayhem’s shoulders slumped. “Never mind. We are sisters but barely know each other. You have no reason to bring me into your confidence. If you are already unsure of my intentions, there is nothing I can do to sway your minds.”

“When was the last time you spoke to Folly?” Justice asked.

Tapping her finger to her lip, Mayhem squeezed her eyes shut. “I find it easier to think in Earth years. When did I last talk to her? Hmmm…”

“For the love of the ebirlloba , let us find a viewing mirror and scroll backward until we can prove to ourselves Mayhem wasn’t recruited,” Death growled. “I have no patience for Mayhem’s faulty memory.”

“My memory is far from faulty,” Mayhem retorted. “Oh yes! I remember now! You are familiar with Jarl Kolsten Eldrvalkyria?”

“I created the Eldrvalkyria,” Justice drawled. “Of course I know their leader.”

“Oh yes, how could I forget that?” Mayhem replied. “Surely you remember his sweet mage was murdered by those cruel pale soul people?”

“Pallidus Anima,” Justice said. “Yes, I recall them. They were awful, vicious people.”

“What do you mean were ?” Mayhem asked. “They have not suddenly gained any redeemable qualities. Quite the opposite, really.”

“Wait, they still exist?” Justice demanded.

“Maybe she swings that sword too much in the lists,” Mayhem muttered.

“I have thought the same,” Fate remarked. “She and Courage are too fond of weapons by far.”

“Indeed,” Mayhem agreed with a bright smile for Fate. “So, anyway, Folly came to speak to me after that dear little mage was murdered. She was gleeful about it. I grew uneasy. But I also thought myself foolish. I could not imagine then that a goddess could grow as twisted as we now know her to be. I decided to avoid her, not that it was difficult since she had to stay hidden.”

“You are the goddess of mayhem,” Courage pointed out. “Perhaps she misunderstood your role.”

Mayhem shook her head. “So many do. I am not fond of order, and I do like to spice things up, but my twin is the one who thrives in turmoil, not me.”

“Where is Chaos?” Death asked.

“I told you, she is unhinged,” Mayhem cried. “The last thing I want to do is talk to her.”

“Do you think your twin would be more willing to align herself with Folly?” Justice asked.

“I hate to think it, but my gut tells me it is possible,” Mayhem replied, her gaze hitting the white floor.

“Okay, okay,” Eternity said. “We need to find Life and fill her in on everything we’ve learned. You need to tell us where these Pallidus Anima are. I thought they’d died out long ago.”

“Oh no, they are still doing crimes I’m sure,” Mayhem replied. “Awful people, really. But I lost track of them some years past.”

“Pity. I will find Life and bring her to Death’s castle,” Justice said, stalking off in a flurry of gold gown and outrage.

“Death’s castle?” Mayhem exclaimed, rubbing her hands together. “I’ve never had an invitation. Is it true you can see the entire ebirlloba from its ramparts?”

“If I find you are part of Folly’s group, you will live among the dead and grow very familiar with the view from every part of my realm,” Death warned.

Mayhem giggled. “A rather ominous threat, but have no fear. Folly is awful. I wouldn’t have anything to do with her. Is it possible to help me find any dead vampyrs? I’d love to know how my lost fare.”

With a sigh, Death fell into step beside Eternity and nodded at Mayhem. “They have built a lovely village for themselves. At the center is a remarkable rose garden. Its golden gates shine as brightly as your dress.”

“It is good to know the rumors of you are untrue,” Mayhem said. “I never believed that you’d allow spirits to live in darkness and calamity.”

“Why would anyone ever think that?” Eternity demanded.

“Well, it was her treatment of the demons given as the reason for that conclusion,” Mayhem said, shrinking away from the enraged Eternity.

Death had many regrets, including the demons, but she lacked the luxury of indulging in them now. They had a goddess and her cohorts to find. An entire prison of people to recapture spare at least one. Death would do nothing to locate her pegasus friend.

Fly free, Tivadras, Death thought. He deserved his freedom. His only crime had been boredom, which was of little surprise since he had been confined to a realm where his lone companions were goddesses who treated him like a pet. What he’d dearly wanted was a mate. Perhaps the often-mischievous Fate could be persuaded to finally give him that gift.