Envy: Divine Deities, #6

By Rye Brewer

The final book in the Divine Deities series!

 

When you're the daughter of a god, you're not always in charge of your own fate. That's what Sasha and her five sisters discover when their father, a minor god, has bartered their future to the god of the Underworld. Their foolish father lost his kingdom to a trickster goddess, and much like any buffoon, he has thrown good money after bad and decided to trade his daughters for his kingdom. Indeed, the girls' hands have been given in marriage to the princes of hell.

 

Sasha's pledged to Caleb. A sweetie, by all standards, when compared to his hellish brothers. Yet, what Sasha and Caleb don't know can absolutely hurt them as palace intrigue swirls in the Underworld and threatens to consume all in a tidepool which started long before the Red River goddess committed her sin. Long before the girls' father's impetuous affairs. Oh, these matters predate all, going back to the very beginning of evil.

 

And now, Sasha is missing.

Not merely missing. In grave danger.

• Language: English
• Publisher: RBP
• Release date: Jan 13, 2022
• ISBN: 9798201011390

Book preview

CHAPTER 1

My mother used to tell me stories about what it was like to live as a human in the mortal realm. It always sounded like a fascinating yet terrifying place, prone to extreme fragility but sprinkled with moments of pure joy and incredible wonder. She said that the people in that world spoke thousands of different languages, laughing when I asked how on earth anyone could understand each other in a realm like that.

That’s the thing, sweetheart, she crooned. They rarely understood each other. Such is the pain and beauty of being mortal.

She told me that many humans lived mundane lives. They woke up in the mornings, brewed their coffee, and went to work behind a desk for the majority of their waking hours. Some humans made a lot of money, enough to buy machinery that could transcend the curse of their pedestrian fates and fly them around the world—or even to space and back. Other humans made very little money and suffered greatly, often at the expense of the rich elite.

There was a wealth of diversity among humans, I learned. Not a single one was like the other. Some of them were devout, believing in deities that weren’t real for the sake of comfort and peace.

Others didn’t believe in the existence of gods at all.

That always struck me as the strangest thing. How could they not believe in something that was so undeniably real? Who did they think created the earth and the moon and the stars and the sun? How did they think I existed, a demigoddess, the daughter of a mortal woman and a minor god named Zoren?

And when they committed great sins and came to the Underworld after death to pay for their crimes, who did they think delivered the punishments? It wasn’t a machine or a trick of the light. It was one of the oldest gods in existence and his six divine sons who reigned justice upon the twisted mortal souls.

But, in reality, it wasn’t quite as dark as that. Although the Underworld was synonymous with hell, I’d found so much beauty amongst the shadows. There was love and light and pleasure here. There was hope. Even when bad things happened, I always felt certain that being optimistic was the right answer. Things have a way of working out okay in the end.

I hummed under my breath as I got ready for the day ahead. Across the hall, my boyfriend—or rather, fiancé—was probably still in bed. He was a late riser, but not for lack of energy. As soon as I chased him awake, he was bright and alive, bouncing around with the mischievous nature that I adored so much. Since moving into his father’s palace in anticipation of our marriage ceremony—and that of our siblings who would wed before us—we’d gotten into a routine. I awakened naturally at a reasonable hour, took my time readying myself for another day as a princess in the Underworld, and then went to Prince Caleb’s rooms across the hall to wake him up so that we could eat breakfast together and do everything else together.

I’d be lying if I said we didn’t break the unspoken no-sleeping-in-the-same-bedroom rule put in place by the God of the Underworld sometimes, though. We were young, after all. We had hormones and all that stuff.

The palace was as quiet as it usually was that morning. Mine and Caleb’s rooms were located the furthest from the center of the vast palace, so we rarely heard any commotion unless someone made the God of the Underworld angry enough to make him shake the whole building with divine strength. Back in Jealousy, the kingdom that Caleb ruled in the Underworld, daily life was noisy. There was always something going on—laughter, chatter, music, and pure life bursting like firecrackers around every corner. That’s the way we liked it.

Soon, we would be able to return there. When we did, Caleb and I would be husband and wife, and I would be immortal. I wouldn’t simply be a demigoddess. I would be the goddess of jealousy. I would have more power and strength, and I would never die. The prospect of it made me nervous, but I was also excited to know what the future held for me, both near and far.

That morning, I decided to wear a new gown. One of the perks of being engaged to the son of one of the most powerful gods in existence was that anything we could ever dream of was at our fingertips. Admittedly, I was a simple girl. I liked pretty things—dresses, jewels, and shoes—I knew my older sisters thought I was shallow, frivolous, and maybe a bit dumb, but what was wrong with enjoying the beautiful things in life? Wasn’t that the entire point of being alive?

At least, Danai didn’t judge me harshly. We were closest in age and personality, so although our father preferred his daughters to be relatively amicable competitors, we’d always been close friends. She’d been spending a lot of time busy with her fiancé Sebastian and our mother-in-law Raya, but I didn’t fault her for it. The Red River goddess didn’t show favor easily, so I thought it was wonderful that Danai earned her affection.

When I finished buttoning up the front of the deep green dress I’d chosen, I smoothed down the black lace sleeves and straightened the pleats of the long skirt. I pulled my straight black hair up into a sleek bun at the top of my head and smiled at myself as I did a twirl in the mirror. I felt like a gothic ballerina.

Suddenly, a knock on the door out in the reception room beyond my bedroom caught my attention. Thinking that it was Caleb surprising me by waking up before I could pounce on him the usual way, I skipped to the door and answered it with a bright grin on my face.

However, when I saw who stood on the other side, I awkwardly stumbled as I clutched onto the doorframe to prevent myself from greeting them the way I would’ve greeted my prince—by throwing myself into his arms and kissing his cheeks as if we’d spent much longer than just the last night apart.

Hello, Sasha, the woman standing out in the hallway crooned. I hope you don’t mind that I dropped by unannounced.

It was Gia.

Gia.

Ugh. Gia.

Technically, she wasn’t merely a woman; she was a goddess. To be exact, Gia was the goddess of evergreens. She was also my stepmother, the wife of Zoren, who spitefully shared her husband’s palace with the five mortal women who bore him daughters. The spite came from the fact that Gia was barren and therefore unable to have children of her own.

She didn’t like my sisters or me very much, which was what made her arrival at the palace of the God of the Underworld so unexpected and strange. Gia claimed she was here to offer her stepdaughters guidance on their upcoming nuptials since things hadn’t been going very well for some of my sisters. Never once before had she ever offered helpful advice or even an ounce of genuine kindness to any of us, but I was always willing to give people the benefit of the doubt. Maybe Gia turned over a new leaf. Maybe she finally realized that it wasn’t my fault that my father cheated on her with my mother and decided to become a more maternal figure in my life.

Good morning, Gia, I replied respectfully, dipping into a shallow curtsy, and answering her smile with one of my own. Of course, I don’t mind. What can I do for you?

I was wondering if you’d like to join me on a walk in the gardens, Gia responded, her demeanor calm and gentle as I’d never seen it before. Typically, she was a cold and stoic woman. I’d like to speak with you about a few things if you have the time.

Oh, really? I murmured, glancing past her shoulder at Caleb’s closed door. When he eventually awakened on his own and found that I wasn’t in my rooms, he would be confused, but I was sure a palace servant would be able to tell him where to find me. They always knew where everyone was at all times, mostly because that was a significant part of their job. Sure. Yes, I’ll join you for a walk.

I’d never spent time alone with my stepmother, but why would it be a bad thing for me to accept her invitation? It wasn’t kind to refuse an olive branch.

Gia patiently waited while I grabbed my cloak and then closed the door behind me. I threw one last glance in the direction of Caleb’s rooms before following Gia down the hallway toward the back of the palace, where the stunning gardens spilled out in an array of eternal blooms.

I didn’t know what to say, so I remained silent the entire walk. Gia didn’t speak either, which confused me, but she must have been wanting to wait until we reached the gardens to bring up whatever was on her mind. Trying to be patient with the goddess who normally looked at me like I was nothing but an unpleasant mess she found on the bottom of her shoe, I politely kept my mouth shut.

Finally, when our shoes hit the pliant gravel path and the cool morning air filled my lungs, Gia cleared her throat.

I supposed I should begin by apologizing for taking eighteen years to finally communicate with you on such terms as this, Gia said, speaking to me with her eyes facing forward as she led the way down the path toward the eastern edge of the gardens. I know that I have not maintained a traditionally parental presence in your life before, Sasha, but I do hope that you understand I did not mean it personally. I was merely giving my husband’s mistresses the space I assumed they wanted from Zoren’s wife while they raised their children under his roof.

Truthfully, I didn’t know what to say to that. I wondered what Danai would say if she was here with me. She was much more clearheaded and logical than I was and far less prone to daydreaming. In my head, she would be much more critical of Gia than I was currently being, but that didn’t mean it was the right course of action. What was the harm in believing that Gia had true intentions? Everyone deserved the opportunity to redeem themselves.

It’s okay, I answered nervously. I understand. I am sure that it has not been easy for you.

It hasn’t, she mused. Ever since the birth of those twins, I have felt nothing but shame and embarrassment. I allowed it to turn me into a version of myself that is not the true me. That being said, I believe that I, therefore, have a lot of experience in the typical kinds of strife that arise throughout a marriage. That’s why I’m here.

Those twins. Rose and Riven, born to Zoren’s first mistress. They were four years older than me. Rose was the true firstborn, born a few minutes before Riven, but she was always the more reserved twin. My sisters and I knew that Riven merely resented Rose for the firstborn privileges she was granted because she was lucky enough to come out of their mother’s womb first.

Of course, everything worked out for Riven in the end. She was now married to the eldest prince of the Underworld, the heir to the throne of the King of Hell. I mean, Rose had to be imprisoned in the worst prison known to mortals and immortals alike in order for Riven to achieve that, but I was sure Riven didn’t mind. She’d never been very warmhearted.

I felt bad for thinking ill of her, though. Riven had been in a coma for a week after being poisoned by an unknown traitor within the palace that hadn’t yet been discovered. Even unkind people didn’t deserve fates like that.

Focusing back on Gia, I tried to think of something to say in response to her statements, but it was difficult to formulate something eloquent when speaking to the woman who had said only a handful of words to me before in my life.

Well, I began, offering her a bright grin. Your task will be met easily in the case of Prince Caleb and me. There is no strife in our relationship. I know I am young, but I’m confident I love him.

So I’ve heard, Gia murmured. We were walking closer to the line of the forest beyond the gardens, skirting the edge of the black rose bushes and iridescent tulips in favor of the trees. It must have been instinctual for Gia, so I didn’t question the direction of her footsteps. Tell me more about you and Prince Caleb.

What do you want to know?

Was it love at first sight? She winked at me, then turned her face away once more. Gia hadn’t made much eye contact since she showed up at my door, but it was hard to do so when you were walking beside someone anyway. I didn’t take it personally.

Pretty much, I admitted with a blush.

"How sweet… and the two of you don’t argue