The Underworld (Rhyn Eternal) by Lizzy Ford

What’s wrong?” Deidre started to turn.
    Karma yanked her to face her and released her hand. “Be still!”
    Deidre froze, listening, afraid there were guards sneaking up behind her or some other danger she couldn’t sense.
    “You have a new soul.” Karma appeared puzzled, her gaze taking in the space around Deidre.
    Confused, Deidre looked down. She saw the strange fog form at her feet and frowned. “I don’t understand. What is it?”
    She took Deidre’s hand and held it out, palm up. “Look.”
    The fog snaked around Deidre’s hand and centered in her palm, coalescing and solidifying until it took on the shape of an emerald with the coloring of smoky quartz. There was no mistaking what it was despite the unusual color.
    Uncomfortable with the idea of holding souls, Deidre hesitated then closed her fist around it. Once, a soul had spilled out its story all at once to her, terrifying her at the intensity and tragedy of its tale. She braced herself for a similar experience, only for the soul to remain quiet.
    “Whose is it?” she asked.
    An image of past-Death formed in her head briefly before sliding away.
    “Oh, god,” she whispered, looking again at the smoky gem. “It’s been a week.”
    “You have more.” Karma was eyeing the pouch at her waist, the one protected by magic that kept the death dealers from seeing it. “Karma senses souls, one her brother gave you.”
    Deidre opened the pouch and dropped past-Death’s soul into it. She stared at it, bitterly realizing Gabriel’s soul rested beside his mate’s. The third gem was given to her by Fate before she was kidnapped by the death dealers. She didn’t know whose it was, but Fate seemed to think she needed it.
    “I guess I’m collecting them.” A pang of hurt went through her at the thought of past-Death losing her soul. It meant Gabriel wasn’t the only person who was heartbroken. At least I have it and not Darkyn or someone who won’t protect it.
    “Karma thinks we should go.”
    “I have to free my friend.”
    “Karma thinks this isn’t a good idea now.” The deity’s gaze was on the cell across the hall from hers. “She –”
    “I,” Deidre corrected again.
    “- I thinks we should go quickly.”
    Deidre roused herself from the sad thoughts about the gems in her pouch. She tied it closed and wiped her eyes.
    “Is there something wrong?” she asked, following Karma’s look.
    “Very.” Karma rested a hand on the petrified wood of the door of the closed cell. “Karma … I feels a great imbalance.”
    “Darkyn?” Deidre’s hope surged.
    “Not the Great Imbalance. Karma thinks …” the deity drifted off.
    “Does Karma … I mean, do you know what it is?”
    “No.” Her tone was softer. “Karma feels sad. You are sad?”
    “I am.”
    “Karma reflects the emotions of those around her. Sadness is Karma’s least favorite feeling. Please refrain from sadness.”
    Deidre managed a smile at the note of pleading in the deity’s voice. “I’ll try not to, if you can stop referring to yourself in the third person. It’s kind of weird.”
    “Very well. Karma … I will tries. We need to escape.”
    “No. I have to help someone,” Deidre said firmly.
    Karma cocked her head to the side. “We cannot stay in the dungeon.”
    “This place is huge. We can hide somewhere, find the key to my friend’s cell and free her.”
    “I thinks your plan is not thorough enough to be successful.”
    “Do you have a better idea?”
    “Not yet.” Karma’s gaze went down the hallway. “There is someone else here.”
    Deidre spun, panic flying through her at the thought of being cornered again by death dealers. She almost sighed. There was no one in sight. Spooked anyway, she let Karma take her hand and start down the hallway.
    “Come on. I’m not being trapped again. We are both in rags and we need to rest before we face death dealers for keys to the cell,” Karma said firmly.
    Deidre went, her gaze lingering on the cell