Page 53 of D'Vaire or Nothing
Goddesses Wild
Chapter 1
Death trailed her fingers along the stone parapet as she strolled the highest walkway of her castle. It was a large home, and Death had endured countless complaints about her choice to make such a grand structure. But she had ignored her sisters. Her choice to use her magic to create a vast gothic bastion was simple.
The rooms went on forever, which made it difficult for any visitor to herebirlloba—the realm of the dead—to find her. For much of her existence, she’d wished for nothing more than to escape the cruelty of the other goddesses. But they were never at the heart of her decisions. The high walls also offered her the advantage of seeing all the gorgeous creations crafted by the spirits in her always-expanding kingdom at the same time.
Each day, Death charged the air with her power to ensure that every spirit could build whatever they wished. It was the best she could offer them. For many of them, death had come too soon and dreams had failed them. Sad, broken, and lost, they entered her realm. Death left them alone to wander.
As she had.
Eventually, those stalwart souls would create lasting relationships with other nomads. Mates rediscovered each other. Communities slowly developed. Soon, they wore smiles,their hearts glowed with love, and Death reveled in their happiness.
The journey wasn’t the same for everyone. Spirits who deserved punishment entered theebirlloba, and Death eagerly meted it out with the harshness such evil merited. Thankfully, there were far fewer of those horrible withered beings among the extensive and constantly growing land she provided.
It was rare for her to decide that a spirit had changed and had served their sentence. For most of them, they didn’t deserve redemption.
“Death!” a voice screamed.
Lost in her thoughts, Death sneered and thanked the goddesses that she hadn’t just screamed in terror. Her black gaze landed on a set of twins poking their heads out of a tower. Mayhem and Chaos. A duo who’d overstayed their welcome.
“What do you want?” Death demanded.
“Life has arrived,” Mayhem yelled.
“Fate is with her,” Chaos added.
The pair had been separated by choice for a long time, but after being reunited, they had quickly fallen into the habit of finishing each other’s sentences and thoughts. It was annoying.
“Good for them,” Death snarled. “I’m busy.”
“But you’re just out here taking a walk,” Mayhem said, her light blue gaze confused as she fussed with the slick red dress she’d chosen for herself. The goddess’s forehead was nearly invisible thanks to the massive ruby circlet resting above her dark eyebrows.
“What is your point?” Death asked.
“You have guests,” Chaos said. “Should we offer them anything?”
“An opportunity to leave immediately?” Death retorted.
For reasons Death couldn’t explain, Mayhem and Chaos had put themselves in the role of stewards. They announcedvisitors, righted furniture that was minding its own business, and did all kinds of other unnecessary tasks. If the goddesses weren’t embroiled in an ongoing investigation to track down their sister Folly—a truly dastardly woman who’d caused thousands of earth years of turmoil and strife—Death would’ve sent Mayhem and Chaos packing.
But Death and her closest sisters had decided it would be best to keep the twins charged with adding confusion and disorder to the countless realms the goddesses ruled under constant watch. Chaos had already unwittingly added Folly in her nefarious plans, and the last thing any deity with caring in her heart wanted was to help that awful destroyer.
“Death, come on,” Mayhem urged, waving her hand in a disturbingly quick motion. “Be a good host and greet your guests.”
With a growl that shuddered the ground in a low trembling earthquake that would hopefully startle the heinous spirits shackled close to her home, Death shoved the twins out of the way and stalked into the castle. Her magic kept the soft layers of her gown from touching the outraged duo as she swept past them.
It’d become a habit of the goddesses who’d somehow grown into Death’s friends to gather in a large space near the great room. Inside was a viewing room so massive it took up a full wall, and the plentiful furniture gave them seating options galore. Deciding abruptly that walking no longer appealed, Death shimmered directly to her destination.
A handful of goddesses cursed, and someone threw a dagger. Since Justice and Courage were the ones who were usually armed, Death assumed it belonged to one of them.
“First, we are nearly startled out of existence by two giggling goddesses who inanely offered to take our cloaks, then Death herself nearly adds us to herebirlloba,” Life groused.
“Take your cloak?” Death asked as she took two steps and sprawled in a soft chair covered with a tapestry of skulls and necromancers raising spirits. “Since when do you wear one in my realm?”
“Never,” Life snapped. “Why can’t we confine Mayhem and Chaos?”
Death’s senses alerted her to a scuffle outside the door, and she didn’t need any magic to know who was responsible. With an exasperated sigh, she sealed the space so no one could enter.
