"Karma freed one lock!" Karma said in excitement. "But the bone is broken."
"I think I found another." Deidre pulled free another one with a jagged point. She slid it across the floor to the deity. "I'm not seeing tools."
"We need more bones," Karma said with a grunt. "Karma can make that happen."
"Um … I don't think that's the best alternative. I'll keep looking for bones."
"Half the Immortals in this palace have it coming."
"Do you and Death ever scuffle over territory?"
"Sometimes, like when Karma balances someone whose name hasn't been written on the list. Past-Death put her … me here for it."
"Who did you judge?"
"Gabriel."
Deidre gasped. "But he's … Gabriel. You wanted to kill him and past-Death wouldn't let you?"
"Kill? No. He didn't earn death." There was a silence as Karma worked on her bonds. "Past-Death pissed off Karma again. Karma figured out how to get back at her and was going to tell Gabriel what past-Death was doing to manipulate his future."
"And she imprisoned you." Deidre grew thoughtful.
"My brother turned me in. Said I needed to learn not to fuck with deities."
"That sucks. So you knew exactly who I was when I was brought in."
"Yes." The sound of something snapping drew a curse from the deity.
Deidre flinched at the thought of desecrating the remains of anyone, even an Immortal serving Harmony.
"More bones," Karma ordered.
Deidre sought out two more and took them to the corner. Suddenly, Karma's movements stopped.
"They're coming," she whispered. "They want to see what Karma did to you."
"No!" Deidre said, starting to panic. Her eyes went to the bones in the center of the room. "I'm not going with them again!"
"Toss your clothing on the bones. They won't dare come close enough to be balanced."
Deidre obeyed without question and went to the dark corner with the rest of the bones.
"Three." Karma's count was accompanied by the snap of another bone.
Deidre heard the sound of a death dealer rapping on a door nearby. Huddled in the corner naked, she prayed he bought their bait. She didn't remember her last run in with them, but she could guess what happened by the blood on her body and where the dress was torn.
"Keep silent," Karma warned. "Karma is almost free."
I'm not sure that's a good thing, Deidre thought. Was she unleashing a plague of a different kind by freeing Karma?
The door creaked open.
Deidre held her breath and prayed. Karma's rattling stopped.
A death dealer entered, his gaze on the pile of bones and the black dress in the middle of the cell.