Total pages in book: 116
Estimated words: 111353 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 557(@200wpm)___ 445(@250wpm)___ 371(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 111353 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 557(@200wpm)___ 445(@250wpm)___ 371(@300wpm)
A long, ornate grand table appeared on top and stairs appeared below, leading up to seven upholstered, throne-like chairs poofing one after the other around the table.
As the tablecloths, chinaware, wineglasses, and food snapped on the table one by one, I saw this new eating area for what it was—the cool kids’ table.
But as surprising as all of this was, what surprised me even more were all the guys milling around on the side, looking more subdued than I’d ever seen them.
No hooting. No catcalling. No elbowing each other in the face to get to the tasty new human girl.
On the contrary, not a single one of them looked in my direction.
But then, why would they? Women a million times more gorgeous than I could ever be were walking among them.
Somehow, that was true. Even though the ladies all had the red eyes of a demon, for some reason, they didn’t have the fish heads, snake scales, furry faces, or koala ears of a demon.
Do the lords of hell not steal the souls of the women who pass through the gates?
Even as the thought went through my head, I dismissed it as nonsense. A place that didn’t have a word for romance, most definitely didn’t have one for chivalry.
They must all be glamoured to—
“There now.” The copper beauty dusted off her hands. “Looks so much better now. Don’t you think, boys?”
“Nope,” drawled an elephant seal demon who had his finger way too far up his nose. “Looks like shit. Who the fuck told you bitches to come up here in the first place and—?”
Copper Beauty glided over to him, smile dancing on her lips, and smashed her fist into his gray, floppy nose. He hit the ground hard, bouncing his skull off the carpet.
She didn’t pause. She didn’t blink. She didn’t stop smiling. Lifting her foot, she brought her stiletto heel right down on his neck—impaling and killing him before the shout left his throat.
My eyes bugged as she ripped her heel from his body and kicked him away. “Now, as I was saying, what do you think, boys?” She swept that beaming, sadistic smile on the room. “Don’t you like what we’ve done with the place?”
“Sweet.”
“It’s great.”
“So much better in here,” they sounded off right on cue, leaving me even more dumbfounded than before.
“Pathetic, aren’t they.”
I jerked, twisting around as Ronin fell in beside me.
It irritated me that he was even more gorgeous than usual that morning. His long, wavy locks were cut closer to his scalp, so that they tickled his horns and fell over his eyes in the most distracting way. All I could think about was brushing his hair behind his ears where they dare not cover his swirling, tempting ruby orbs again.
Unlike me who was forced to dress like a clown every morning, Ronin looked temptingly sexy in a beat-up leather jacket, plain white tee, and black jeans with singed hems.
“But they don’t want to be,” he went on. “Right now you’re looking at the princesses of greed, lust, envy, gluttony, and wrath.”
My brows popped. “Wait, what? Are you serious?”
“Why would I lie?” he asked, turning his smirk on me.
I hated my stupid heart for fluttering.
“The Abaddon Women’s Academy is run very differently from this one,” Ronin continued. “The species have always been separated there, so the demonesses set themselves apart by the Houses they intended to pledge loyalty to. The House of wrath. The House of lust. The House of greed, and so on. The differing factions compete for the best dorms, best study spots, the best tables, and the best and smartest bitches to do their assignments for them.”
“Different factions?” I repeated. “You mean gangs, don’t you?” I looked at the demonesses in new light. “They’re a bunch of gang members competing for territory and lackeys in AWA? But then why leave? Why come here?”
Ronin leaned in, bending over my ear. My cheeks caught fire as his warm, minty breath tickled my neck. “Because I’m here.”
I shot back, roughly rubbing my neck like it burned. “Bull crap, they’re here for you,” I snapped. “You really think you’re hot shit, don’t you?”
Far from offended, Ronin laughed out loud. “Did that sound conceited? Well then, you tell me if I’m the catch hell says I am. You see, every hell lord has an heir—even Lucifer, although his is a fallen angel—and every other hell lord has adopted a woman to be their heiress.
“Is this because they all wanted to dote on Daddy’s little girl? No,” he sliced. “It’s because they’re all certain no woman could ever best them—and therefore never steal their throne. Because if one thing is certain, it’s that Beelzebub, Asmodeus, Mammon, Leviathan, and Zariel never intend to step down, or die.”
See? Chivalry is dead.
“Pigs,” I muttered. “But then why name them their heirs in the first place?”