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)
“Because they’re not weak. Female demons master and wield dark magic better and quicker than their male counterparts.”
“They do?” I blurted. “Is it a woman thing? Like how everyone keeps telling me about goddesses blessing mortal women with magic, but they’ve said nothing about the men.”
“No gods or goddesses are involved with this,” Ronin murmured. There was an odd quality in his voice. “Dark magic is powered by hatred, and, in hell... male demons give women plenty of reasons to hate them.” He nodded at the ladies who were currently in the middle of plotting their adopted fathers’ violent ends. “Case in point.”
“Male demons give women plenty of reasons to hate them...” Through my lashes, I peered at the five women who were adopted to be powerless, and then threatened with punishment and death when they tried to do something about it... then my gaze drifted to the room full of vile leches and pervs who howled and stepped over each other to rape me first... and then my eyes drifted down, falling on the tattoo emblazoned on my skin for all to see.
And beside me, Ronin tracked every sweep of my gaze—his own drilling into the side of my head.
When I snapped up, I was all smiles. “That’s a bummer,” I finished, “but hopefully, when Lucifer gives in and you all create your new empire, that’ll all change. There’ll be a lot less hate and a lot more unity in hell, and I’ll be by your side through it all. Right where I belong.”
“Tch.” Shoving back from the table, Ronin threw his wineglass at the aye-aye demon who chose that moment to return with the food.
The guy sputtered and coughed as Ronin stormed off.
Watching him go, I gave my sentence its real ending. “Male demons give women plenty of reasons to hate them...? Then, I’d have thought you learned your lesson by now.” My nails pierced my tattoo. “A woman scorned is a lot more powerful than you think.”
FOR THE REST OF THE day, I gave Ronin the sweet, pleasing, empty-headed pet he was looking for. I didn’t react when he made me sit on his lap during classes. I called myself his pet and his possession whenever the topic came up. I didn’t look in Nik’s direction, and I didn’t bring up the hallows except to say that I was excited to look for them together after Lucifer gave in to Ronin’s demands.
And all day... Ronin looked pissed as shit.
That night after dinner, I hung out in my room doing homework.
Most of the professors didn’t bother assigning homework because none of the students would do it, but Connard was a particular kind of creep who used the threat of expulsion for literally everything. He demanded a five-page paper on the true history of the Great Invasion, and how it led to the downfall of demon society. He also said we had to use Abaddon Academy and its disgraceful co-species education rule as one of the examples.
So, naturally, I was writing five pages on how supernatural creatures were banished to hell by witches against their will, but ever since, they’ve made demon society better by bringing about awesome fae food, the expert craftwork of the master wolfsmiths, the opportunity to learn the long and fascinating history of mortals through vampire eyewitness accounts, and, most importantly, a new and hopeful future of unity and diversity—and yes, I was adding detailed definitions of what those words meant.
“Let’s see who’s a kiss-ass bitch now,” I muttered.
A knock sounded on my bedroom door. Since Dora was in the shower, there was only one person that could be.
Opening the door, I found Ronin on the other side of it dressed in nothing but a robe. He held a vial I recognized in his palm.
Every muscle in my body went rigid.
Ronin held up the aphrodisiac, face hard and anger dancing in his eyes. “Shall we?”
I didn’t move for a beat, swallowing hard. I knew what this was, and I knew why. The night before, I let Ronin have my body but I didn’t let him have my pleasure. That night, he was taking both. No matter how hurt and enraged I was by what he did. No matter how hard I bit my lips, he would have me screaming his name in five minutes flat.
“Problem?”
I met his eyes, and the challenge in them. “No,” I rasped. “There’s no problem.”
“Then get undressed and get on the bed. I assume I won’t need to tie you up this time?”
I said nothing. I just closed the door behind me and stripped off my dress, bra, and panties. Every part of it was mechanical—no passion, no excitement, no joy. I may as well have been getting undressed for a gynecological exam.
Ronin trailed me as I climbed on the bed and settled on the pillows. Accepting the vial, I unstoppered it, raised it to my lips and—