“You have a discerning eye.” Pitte touched Rowena’s arm as he nodded at Malory. “It’s the prize of the collection.”

“And still,” Dana pointed out, “you haven’t answered the question.”

“Magick couldn’t break the spell that locked the souls of the king’s daughters in a box of glass. Sorcerers were called, and wizards and witches from all the worlds. But no magicks could unbind the curse. So another was cast. In this world, in every generation, three women are born who will come together in one place, at one time. They are not sisters, they are not gods, but mortal women. And they are the only ones who can release the innocents.”

“And you want us to believe that we’re those women?” Dana’s brows arched. There was a tickle in her throat, but it didn’t feel like laughter. “That we just happen to look like the women in this painting?”

“Nothing just happens. And whether you believe or not changes little.” Pitte held out his hands toward them. “You are the chosen, and I am charged to tell you.”

“Well, you’ve told us, so now—”

“And to make you this offer,” he continued before Dana could finish. “You will each have, in turn, one phase of the moon to find one of the three keys. If within the twenty-eight days the first fails, the matter is done. If the first succeeds, the second’s time begins. But if the second fails within her time, the matter is done. If all three keys are brought to this place, before the end of the third moon, you will be given a boon.”

“What sort of boon?” Zoe asked.

“One million dollars. Each.”

“Get out of town!” Dana snorted, then stared at her two companions. “Oh, come on, ladies. This is just screwy. Easy for him to toss money around like confetti when we’d be off on some wild-goose chase for a trio of keys that don’t exist in the first place.”

“And if they did—” Her eyes brilliant, Zoe turned toward Dana. “If they did, wouldn’t you want a chance to find them? The chance for that kind of money?”

“What chance? It’s a great big world out there. How do you expect to find a little gold key?”

“You will be given, each in turn, a guide.” Rowena gestured to a small chest. “This we can do, if all agree. You may work together. In fact, we hope that you will. You must all agree. If one refuses the challenge, it’s done. If all accept the challenge and the terms, you’ll each be given twenty-five thousand dollars. It remains yours whether you fail or succeed.”

“Wait a minute, wait a minute.” Malory held up a hand, then pulled off her glasses. “Wait a minute,” she repeated. “You’re saying if we agree to look for these keys, just to look for them, we get twenty-five K? Free and clear?”

“The amount will be deposited in an account of your choosing. Immediately,” Pitte stated.

“Oh, my God!” Zoe clasped her hands. “Oh, my God,” she repeated and sat down heavily. “This has got to be a dream.”

“A scam, you mean. What’s the catch?” Dana questioned. “What’s the fine print?”

“If you fail, any one of you, the penalty for all will be a year of your lives.”

“What, like in jail?” Malory demanded.

“No.” Rowena motioned to a servant to enter with a coffee cart. “A year of your life will not exist.”

“Poof!” Dana snapped her fingers. “Like magic.”

“The keys exist. Not in this house,” Rowena murmured, “but in this world, this place. This we are able to do. More we are not allowed to say, although we may offer a little guidance. The quest isn’t simple, so you will be rewarded for the attempt. Should you succeed, the reward is greater. Should you fail, there is penalty. Please, take this time to discuss it. Pitte and I will give you some privacy.”

They walked out of the room, and Rowena turned back to slide the wide pocket doors shut.

“This,” Dana said as she plucked a tiny cream puff from the dessert tray, “is a nuthouse. And if either of you is actually considering playing along with these fruitcakes, you belong in this nuthouse.”

“Let me just say one thing.” Malory poured a cup of coffee, stirred in two lumps of sugar. “Twenty-five thousand dollars. Each.”

“You don’t really believe they’re going to plunk down seventy-five large because we say, oh, sure, we’ll look for the keys. The ones that unlock the box holding the souls of a trio of demigoddesses.”

Malory debated over a mini éclair. “Only one way to find out.”

“They look like us.” Ignoring the coffee and pastries, Zoe stood beneath the painting, staring up. “So much like us.”

“Yes, they do, and that’s just creepy.” Dana nodded when Malory held up the coffeepot. “Why paint the three of us together that way? We’ve never met before tonight. And the idea of somebody watching us, taking pictures or sketches or whatever so they could put this portrait together, spooks me.”

“It wasn’t something painted on a whim, or quickly.” Malory handed Dana the coffee cup. “It’s a masterpiece—the skill, the scope, the detail. Someone poured himself or herself into that piece, someone with incredible talent. And it took an incredible amount of work. If this is a scam, it’s an elaborate one. Plus, what’s the point? I’m broke. You?”

Dana puffed out her cheeks. “Close enough.”

“I’ve got some savings,” Zoe put in. “But I’m going to go through them pretty quick if I don’t get another job, and fast. I don’t know a lot about it, but it doesn’t look like these people would be after the little bit of money we’ve got.”

“Agreed. You want some coffee?”

“Thanks.” She turned back to them and spread her hands. “Look, you all don’t know me, and you’ve got no reason to care, but I could really use this money.” Zoe came forward. “Twenty-five thousand would be like a miracle. Security for my son, a chance maybe to do what I’ve always wanted. Have my own little salon. All we have to do is say yes. So we look for some keys. It’s not illegal.”

“There are no keys,” Dana insisted.

“What if there are?” Zoe put her cup down without drinking. “I have to say, the idea of twenty-five thousand dollars really helps open my mind to possibilities. And a million?” She gave a quick, baffled laugh. “I can’t even think about it. It makes my stomach hurt.”