Purity: Divine Deities, #2

By Rye Brewer

When you're the daughter of a god, you're not always in charge of your own fate. That's what Riven and her five sisters discover when their father, a minor god, has bartered their future to the god of the Underworld.

Riven's nothing like her twin sister. She's bold, determined, ambitious, and she will get what she wants. Hell hath no fury like a woman kept from her objective. And right now, Riven's objective is Finn, the firstborn of the King of Hell.

Sure, Riven's promised to Nico, but what's a little trial to a demigoddess like Riven? She welcomes the challenge. Poor Nico. He's bitten off more than he can chew when it comes to this feisty daughter of a demigod.

And Riven's hell bent on getting what she wants. Literally.

• Language: English
• Publisher: RBP
• Release date: Jan 13, 2022
• ISBN: 9798201187996

Book preview

Chapter 1

Life is a balancing act, but not in the way most people think.

It’s not an internal battle, a constant give, and take between your light and dark sides. You cannot be one or the other; that’s a philosophical mistake that everyone makes. People are not capable of being fully light or fully dark. We all have goodness and badness within us. Inside, we are gray. Therefore, balance is impossible.

The real balance comes into play in an external sense… between people and the face they show the rest of the world. When I was little, my stepmother told me that there would always be a fight for equilibrium between the powerful and the weak. But Gia, goddess of evergreens, knows nothing about power. She was minor. Insignificant. Nobody cared about trees that stood tall for centuries and never changed. That was not power. That was nature. It could not be helped.

However, Gia was close to the truth in her statement. She got one thing right… power is important, but not in relation to weakness. Rather, the world is constantly struggling to maintain stability between those who have the courage to achieve power and those who do not.

I was born the second-eldest daughter of Zoren, god of arts and literature. I always thought he was ridiculous. A god with influence over the very things we live our lives in—art and language and beauty—should’ve had the gall to become more than a minor influence in the immortal realm. He could’ve been great, but instead, he fumbled and lost everything. He even lost his daughters.

Despite my heritage, I wasn’t going to follow the same pathetic path.

I was going to be great. I was going to be powerful. When it came to balance, I would be on the side of the scales tipping closest to glory.

It was early in the morning. The sun was fighting to rise on the horizon. I noticed that about the Underworld—the sun was heavier here. It was swollen and lethargic, fighting against the night each time morning came. In contrast, the moon blossomed in the sky with ease, welcomed by the shadows that persisted in this realm.

Balance.

When I first learned that I would be traded to a prince of the Underworld in exchange for the assistance my father desperately needed from the King of Hell to gain back his lost kingdom, I spent only a few seconds hating him for it. It was easy to hate Zoren. Over the years, it came so naturally that it took up too much of my headspace, so I learned to become indifferent to my father.

Instead of taking offense at being treated like a shiny toy, I saw the opportunity clear as day. If I played my cards right, I could be one of the most powerful beings in existence. I was born a demigoddess, but the god of the Underworld could grant immortality if he deemed you worthy of it.

Of course, I began my journey for power with a disadvantage. My twin sister Rose, born just a few minutes before me, was automatically promised in marriage to the god of the Underworld’s oldest son, Prince Finn. One day, the prince was going to be King of Hell, and my twin would be his queen.

It was an unfortunate setback, but I played my cards well. Prince Nico of Corruption was cunning, but not as clever as me. I had him wrapped around my finger within hours.

That was how I got the private gymnasium.

The daughters of Zoren were gifted with special talents. Though we were half human from our respective mothers, the divine blood that ran in our veins offered us a natural aptitude for one of the arts. My twin was musically gifted, born knowing how to play every musical instrument known to men and gods alike. Rose could write symphonies with ease, as if she were merely breathing. It was a blessing. She was so shy that, if it weren’t for her ability to communicate via music, I doubted she would say anything at all.

My talents were different than hers, specific to dance and acrobatics. I learned to walk before it was expected of me. By the time Rose was awkwardly toddling around our father’s palace, I was already spinning pirouettes, performing flips, and climbing the dangerously tall evergreens my stepmother grew on the castle grounds. I couldn’t explain the grace or the flexibility. I couldn’t teach it. It was a part of me, something I couldn’t change and didn’t question.

When Prince Nico, the second son of the god of the Underworld and my betrothed, learned that I was gifted in gymnastics, he created a sprawling playground for me to practice in. Aerial cloths, ballet barres, tumbling mats, climbing walls, and countless other contraptions filled the space. He built it to make me happy and comfortable in my new life, an unexpected act of kindness from the prince who ruled over the kingdom of Corruption. It quickly occurred to me that although the princes were gods and although they lorded over mortal souls suffering for eternity for committing a specific sin, there was a human side to them.

Nico wanted to be liked as much as the next person. He wanted me to like him, not only because I was going to become his wife but also because he didn’t like the idea of not claiming the affections of everyone around him. A man who rules over the realm of Corruption gained many advantages by being liked; it was a wise strategy.

Honestly, I did like him. He was hot and confident and a surprisingly good listener. But I knew better than to give my heart to someone. Falling in love requires loss of control and reason. If I wanted power, I couldn’t afford that.

That’s why my sister was such a fool. Rose was going to be Queen of Hell one day, and she couldn’t even stomach the idea of caring for Prince Finn. When I visited her in Arrogance, I was baffled. What was the problem? He was the ultimate partner, the man who could’ve been mine if I was born first. Rose had everything. There was so much potential at her fingertips. She didn’t have to protect her heart because being in love with Prince Finn was the best any one of Zoren’s daughters could do.

With a sharp exhale, I lifted myself up onto the balance beam and stood with my right foot in front of the other, my toes perfectly angled forward. There was a protective mat beneath the beam, but there was no need for it.

I’d never fallen before.

As the sun rose in Corruption and washed the gymnasium in pinkish golden light, I bent down and rested my palms on the beam, pressing up with minimal effort to turn my body upside down. I held my legs straight up toward the ceiling for a few seconds before completing the turn and standing upright once more.

Sometimes I wished acrobatics were more difficult for me. I craved even just a hint of a challenge, thirsting for the thrill of potential danger. Although I never tried, I doubted I could make myself fall on purpose if I tried.

When I was about twelve or thirteen years old, word spread about my physical talents. It didn’t take long for the god of war to come knocking on my father’s door. He wanted me to join his army, but Zoren delivered a reproach with scathing eloquence on the god. How dare he ask Zoren to give up one of his daughters?

It never occurred to him that I might be able to make the decision for himself. Regardless, my father’s protective sentiment didn’t last. That’s why all six of his daughters were in the Underworld now. Each of us would marry a prince of Hell and live out the rest of our days here. Maybe that’s why my father didn’t let the god of war take me. He wanted to keep me close just in case he needed to use me further down the road.

I took a running start on the beam and then launched myself into the air, somersaulting thrice before landing cleanly on the mat. Lazily, I walked back over to the beam and pulled myself up again.

It wasn’t uncommon for me to be in the gymnasium this early in the morning, but today was a day unlike any other, and I had a particularly significant amount of steam to blow off.

My twin was getting married today.

She was going to walk down the aisle to her cool, gorgeously arrogant prince and promise herself to him forever. She would be the first one of us to be granted immortality, and the first one to call the god of the Underworld her father-in-law.

I sighed in frustration, turning a cartwheel on the beam.

I’d been dreading this day for weeks. I tried to tell myself that my sister’s wedding wasn’t the end of the road for me. There was still hope that I could overcome her one day. She was miserable in Arrogance, after all. It wouldn’t be hard to nudge her out of the way and guide her toward a path better suited to her soft sensibilities. It wasn’t that I wanted to hurt my sister, but it was infuriating to watch her be so ungrateful for a life that we both knew I deserved more.

If I played my cards right, I would find a way to the top.

Balancing on one hand, I molded my body into a clean line, my toes pointed to the chandelier hanging overhead. I closed my eyes, wondering how long I could hold myself there before my arm gave out. Given the extent of my divine talent, there was a good chance I might never grow tired.

I held myself still until I heard the door to the gym open and close, followed by swift footsteps across the cushioned mats. When I opened my eyes, I saw an upside-down version of Prince Nico walking toward me. He looked good, even from that angle. Like his older brother, he was tall and broad, with black hair and black eyes that shone with unquestionable power. Nico differed greatly from Finn in many ways, though. For example, he wore his hair longer, allowing the gentle waves to fall in tendrils down to his shoulders. Tiny silver hoops glinted from his earlobes.

When our eyes met, I grinned and used my arm to push myself off the beam. I turned once in the air and landed a foot away from Nico, dipping into a graceful curtsy without faltering.

Good morning, I murmured, watching my fiancé’s eyes twinkle with amusement at the unnecessary curtsy. Have you come to chastise me?

Why would I do that? he asked, grabbing me around the waist and pulling me close. I wrapped my arms around his shoulders and smiled when he pressed a kiss to my cheek.

Even if I refused to fall in love with Nico, the least I could do was enjoy myself in the meantime. It wasn’t like hooking up with a sexy royal god was torture.

Well, I sighed, mirroring the mischief in his tone. The sun has risen, and I’m not in my chambers getting dressed for the wedding, which is supposed to be happening in approximately two hours. Aren’t you worried I’m going to make us late?

I was teasing him. I was never late, and Nico knew that. In fact, he was usually the one who kept people waiting. He believed lateness was stylish, while I believed it was tacky.

But all couples had to disagree on some things, right?

Nico rolled his eyes. Actually, I have some news.

News?

In regards to the wedding.

Do tell. Will there be angels singing? Liquid gold running in little rivers down the aisle? You know, we’re going to have to take notes so we can make sure our wedding is a thousand times better than theirs.

He snorted and shook his head at me. That’s the thing, Riven. My brother’s wedding has been called off.

Utter surprise struck me still. I loosened my hold on Nico, but he didn’t let go of me.

What? I breathed. Why?

Behind the constant amusement glistening in his eyes, I caught a hint of anxiety. Something wasn’t right. In fact, something was so not-right that it concerned my carefree, unbothered, easygoing fiancé.

Nico cleared his throat nervously.

It seems your sister is missing.

Your sister is missing.

Rose? Missing? How could a demigoddess engaged to one of the most important people in the Underworld simply go missing?

I took a step away from Nico, doing my best to keep my expression unreadable as I stared at him silently.

No, Rose would not have gone missing on accident. It was a purposeful disappearance. Was she kidnapped? I doubted it. The palaces we lived in were heavily fortified. Plus, no one dared to make a move like that against the King of Hell. His punishments were merciless.

Thus, there was only one explanation. I knew it was true the moment the thought rose to the surface of my mind. Rose and I weren’t the closest of siblings, but we understood each other. Sharing a womb with someone for nine months created a connection