Free The Underworld (Rhyn Eternal) by Lizzy Ford

Karma either.”
    Deidre gave a husky laugh, startled by the disgruntled note in the woman’s voice, as if the deity was truly hurt that no one liked her.
    “Who put you here? Harmony?”
    “ You did. At least, your deity form did. Captured Karma a thousand years ago. Karma has been forgotten here and Immortals and deities have run amok, doing as they please.”
    “Wow.” Deidre’s thoughts went to the Dark One. “What do you do to those who are securely on the side of evil?”
    “She can do little to deities, aside from a temporary re-balancing. Immortals and humans, Karma can balance as needed. Whatever they have earned, she delivers.”
    “And I earned being healed?”
    “You have nothing to fear from Karma. You cannot commit the amount of evil needed to balance your scales in your lifetime.”
    “That’s good. Just confirms what I know about my life.” Deidre drew her knees to her chest. “It’s fucked up, isn’t it?”
    “Yes.”
    At least in Hell, she had Darkyn, and no one would dream of fucking with him or his mate. Deidre felt tears rise for a different reason. “I miss him,” she murmured. “I shouldn’t, but I do.”
    “He’s your blood mate. You should , even if he didn’t earn you.”
    Who knew she’d find Karma supportive? There was a time when she’d cursed the deity several times a day.
    “He will come for you,” Karma added. “He is already here.”
    “What?” Deidre’s breath caught. “Is that possible?”
    “She can always feel great imbalances from a distance. He is here.”
    Hope bubbled within her breast. Deidre wasn’t certain what she felt at the news: relief, exhilaration, fear.
    Hunger that made her mouth water and the furnace at the pit of her stomach blaze to life.
    “We need to get out of here,” she said and stood, pacing.
    “ We ? You would take Karma?” Karma asked curiously.
    “Yes, I would take Kar – you. I would take you .” Deidre caught herself. “Any reason why you refer to yourself in the third person?”
    “Bored. Karma started it to entertain her and then forgot how not to talk about Karma like that.”
    We’ll fix that later. “Where do you want to go? Do you have a … uh, domain or home like Death and the Dark One?”
    “No. She has nothing.”
    “Okay then. Let’s focus on leaving.”
    “She needs out of these.” The chains rattled. “You need to avoid the death dealers, lest you end up half-dead at Karma’s feet again.”
    Deidre shivered. “Not that I want to, but why can’t I remember what happened?”
    “You earned peace of mind. Karma can separate the memories that cause you the most pain.”
    Do I thank her or freak out she messed with my mind? Deidre shook her head. “We need keys.”
    “Or … search the corner opposite her. They toss Immortals in every once in a while for her to balance.”
    Deidre’s gaze lingered on the dark shape of the deity. She’d learned a lot about how shifty the gods and goddesses of the universe were. She’d learned never to trust them, too.
    She saved my life. After a brief hesitation, she went to the corner and knelt, feeling around with her hands until she found something.
    Deidre leaned back and moved it into the light, dropping it with a startled yelp.
    “That’s a femur!” she exclaimed.
    “Should be femurs for five over there. Not that they’ll help,” Karma said, unconcerned.
    “I’ll never understand how dismissive you deities are of life!”
    “Not dismissive. We understand it differently.”
    Whatever that means. Cringing, Deidre patted the ground delicately. Her fingers grazed another bone, then a pile of them. She ordered herself not to get sick and sorted through them. Bile rose in her throat at the thought of the dead Immortals piled like rocks in a corner of a cell.
    She began to understand why the Immortals and Deities didn’t want Karma loose, too. If this was evidence of what she did to most …
    “Anything?” Karma called.
    “Bones mostly.”
    “Knives,