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)
“But what he’ll never be,” Raven pressed, tightening her strangle-grip on my collar. “Is yours.”
If that wasn’t bad enough, their girl gang lackeys were all backing them up, completely blocking all movement in the hallway to keep me penned in. One of Kama’s girls and one of Eris’s girls each had a grip on Dora’s shoulders—making sure she didn’t intervene.
Looking into their violently enraged expressions, I burst out laughing. “Ronin will never be mine? Do you promise?” I laughed louder, putting a crack in Raven’s tough expression. “Ladies, get a damn clue, please, and get it today. I have no interest in Ronin Belphe. I just made a deal with him and that’s all. It’s a”—flashes of me screaming and writhing went through my mind and warmed the back of my neck—“business transaction,” I said firmly. “We mean nothing to each other, and he’s for damn sure not going to make me his queen.
“My sister and I are going back to the mortal realm. End of.”
Eyes narrowed, Raven leaned back—her grip slightly loosening on my dress. It was clear she didn’t know whether or not she believed me, but she was leaning toward not because the princess of wrath desperately wanted to kick my ass.
I flicked to Adora, who was looking at us with an expression that was quickly growing concerned.
My teeth clenched. The last thing I’m going to let happen again is me pinned down and helpless while my sister is attacked. I’m ending this stupid, jealous-rivals bullshit now.
“You know,” I began. “Since you were kind enough to give me advice, shall I give you some?”
Raven frowned. “What the fuck did you call me? What the hell is kind?”
“You five don’t need to fight over who’ll be the next queen of sloth,” I said, blowing past her question. “Why in the world should you... when you can all be Ronin’s queens?”
Eris snorted. “The bitch is insane as well as a slut. Normally, I’d like that about her, but you’re taking it a bit too far, don’t you think? Ronin can only have one queen, and it’s going to be me.”
I let her insults roll off my back. “Belphe can only have one queen? Why?” I asked, my voice light and innocent. “Is that some kind of rule?”
“Of course it—!” Kama cut herself off, blinking. “I mean... it’s...”
“That’s what I thought,” I pounced. “Seeing as neither one of you loves him—”
“We what’s him?”
“Love?”
“Loves?”
They passed the word, and confused glances, around the group, then looked back at their flunkeys to see if they knew. Their minions all gave them shrugs in response.
“Exactly,” I continued. “None of you want anything more from him than his power and his body, and like you just realized, there’s no rule or law saying you can’t all have it. All of you should marry Ronin,” I announced. “Equal in status and equal in power, you can unite the Houses of sloth, envy, greed, wrath, lust, and gluttony into...”
“Into?” Kama whispered, leaning in. “Into what?”
I hid a smile. “The kingdom of sin.”
They gasped.
“No,” I cried, hamming it up. “Make that the empire of sin!”
“Empire?” Ursula repeated, eyes huge.
“Just imagine,” I said. I threw out my hands, snapping all their heads up. “All of hell will be kneeling at the foot of your thrones with their begging bowls clutched in their bony grips.”
“Begging?” Kama licked her lips. “Oooh, I like it when they beg.”
“Yeah, princess of wrath is a nice title and all, but how much better does empress of wrath sound?”
“Empress of wrath?” Raven staggered back, releasing my collar. “Wow... I do like the sound of that.”
“And what about you over there, Eris?” I winked at her. “No one’s going to make a more gorgeous empress of envy than you.”
I swear Eris blushed.
“And you, empress of lust! And you, empress of gluttony! All of you empresses!” My enthusiasm was so infectious, Dora started clapping and cheering behind them.
That only made the peacocks puff it up some more.
“No, wait,” Raven cried, tossing her head. “This can’t be! I mean, this is... this is...” She tapped her lips, face scrunching. “This is genius.”
“Of course, it’s genius!” Ursula shoved me out of the way. “It’s genius because I thought of it first! The mortal bitch is just ripping me off again.”
I slowly backed away, reaching for Dora’s hand.
Her captors let her go easily, all of them focused on their leaders and what they were going to do next.
“No, I thought of it first,” Sauda hissed, getting in Ursula’s face. “I’ve always said the five of us should stop fighting over Ronin and just make him marry all of us. You’re the ones who never fucking listen!”
“No, the empire of sin is my idea,” Kama screeched. “I was born to be empress of lust!”
Five charged glares pinged back and forth, then Eris spun away.