Page 1 of Insanium (Devil’s Playground)

Three of my favorite toys were sprawled out before me, each flaunting a distinct allure and deadly charm.

One gleamed a playful pink with a serrated edge, flashy and bold.

The second, draped in midnight blue, boasted captivating skeletal motifs that danced along its blade and handle.

The third was a sleek, purple number, its design aerodynamic and menacing, promising swift, precise strikes.

I wished I could take them all; choosing just one felt akin to picking a favorite star in the vast darkness above, and the others would surely feel neglected. Lost in contemplation, I was yanked back to reality by a soft knock at my door.

“Come in,” I sang, injecting a cheerful tone into my voice.

The door creaked open to reveal both of my brothers. Their gazes quickly fixated on the trio of knives laid out on my bed, catching the light from the afternoon sun streaming in through the balcony.

“You two are just in time. As you can see, I’ve got a bit of a dilemma here.”

Charon approached first, his attention still on the uniquely decorated blades. “Like participating in Judicium ?”

“Aw, are you worried about me?” I smiled up at him, feeling touched. “That’s not an issue.”

“I’m more worried about everyone else, Kenzie. You know you can’t just go slicing into anyone who annoys you just by breathing too heavily, right? We need some of those people in one piece.”

I frowned at his obvious deflection. “Don’t act like I can’t play nice with others.”

“Can you?”

“You just wait and see. I’m gonna be the best team player that ever played the game.”

He laughed and shook his head. “There are no teams, Kenzie. Trust your judgment for alliances, but you shouldn’t try to make friends too quickly, either.”

I shrugged. “You know, making enemies can be just as fun.”

I looked back at my knives and then at my kind-hearted big brother again. “But say someone does do something I don’t like. Then what?”

“Maybe they have an unfortunate accident. Or maybe they make it through, and we’ll be waiting for them where they least expect it,” Kyrous answered.

“I can deal with that,” I conceded. “You think there will be anyone cute there?”

Charon’s expression tightened. “Please, remember we’re going to be watching. I may have a strong gut, but there are some things I don’t need to see.”

Right. How could I forget that they would be able to see almost everything that was about to happen? Things were sure to get awkward real fast. Not for me, of course, but I wasn’t as prudish as these two refined gentlemen. “But what if I get lonely?” I asked with a pout.

“Then give us a sign or something, Kenzie. Fuck.”

“And make sure he or she is worthy,” Ky added. “You know what will happen if they aren’t.”

Oh, I certainly did. I laughed, returning my attention to my bedspread and clapping my hands together. “Okay, now help me pick.”

“They all cut the same. Choose the one that feels right,” Charon advised.

I picked up the blue knife, its skeletal design resonating with my current mood. “It’s not just about the cut,” I mused. “It’s about the statement it makes when I finally get to use it.”

Kyrous pushed off from my ornate dresser and stepped closer, his expression growing serious.

“The pink one is playful and unexpected, good for a shock factor. The purple, sleek and fast for a clean strike. But the blue”—he paused, taking it from my hand to examine the intricate skeletons—“is bold. Morbid. It fits the game you’re about to play. ”

Charon nodded, his eyes narrowing slightly as he studied my pretty toys. I held my hand out and gently grasped the blue knife, taking it back from Ky, its weight familiar and comforting. “I think this is the one.”

With that settled, I could get to the bottom of why these two had come to find me.

If it weren’t for today being my last day home for a while, it wouldn’t have been that unusual.

We always hung out when they weren’t off planning world domination with our cousin and their gorgeous specimen of a best friend.

And I never minded their company. The twins were among my favorite people to walk this big, rounded earth.

Second in line after our mother dearest, and right before our adoptive father, who was one spot ahead of our cousin Ciaran.

The best damn friends a girl could ask for completed the list just after Maverick.

Dolly Parton had an honorary placement right beneath them.

I didn’t know her, of course, but I liked to pretend I did.

“Now, I know you guys love me and everything, but I’m guessing you didn’t come in here to remind me of that.”

“We came to get one last look at you before Judicium ,” Ky replied.

“Really? I didn’t think I was going to be offered a makeover.”

“That isn’t—”

“And if I am, I will be offended to the highest level. A blind man could see I’m stunning.”

“Kennedy,” Charon implored in that way of his that indicated he was all about business.

“Listen, I’m fully aware of what I’m stepping into. Our family’s made darn sure of that. You two went through this, plus more, and are still as beautiful and demented as ever.”

“So, you noticed?” Ky questioned rhetorically.

I could tell he was quite proud of himself, and Char too, as he damn well should’ve been.

They exchanged a look—a silent conversation with some twin-speak they’d perfected over the years—before turning back to me, their nearly identical faces set in determined lines.

Kyrous broke the silence with a statement that resonated deep within me, “Then let’s ensure you come out of this not just intact, but legendary. ”

Oh, how his words struck a chord. They coursed through me like a dark symphony. The world we lived in viewed me as a pampered rich girl, a little loopy perhaps, always nestled safely in her glass tower.

Sure, I lived a charmed life. And maybe there was a twist of madness in my method. But wasn’t it often said that madness brushed the edges of brilliance? I’d take that, twist it, and wear it like a crown.

This was my sole path to the Devil’s Playground.

When all was said and done, I was going to be the star of the fucking show.