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)
Loud, hiccupping sobs slowed. “N-no, Ronin,” I rasped, my hand closing on a jagged shard of bone china. “It’s you who doesn’t see”—I shoved up, pressing the shard against his throat—“that you’ve ruined everything.
“It’s over now,” I whispered. “I can never love you now.”
“Charlotte, put that down. Even if you wanted to kill me, the sub bond wouldn’t let you, but it will punish you horribly for trying!”
I barely heard him. “You did this,” I choked out, strangled by the terrible things he’d done in the name of loving me. “Because of you, I’ll never smile again.”
“Hunter! Put it—!”
Grabbing my lips, I swung.
“Nooo! Charlotte!”
I shook—body spasming as I stared uncomprehendingly at the two pieces of me lying on my palm. It was strange, but I didn’t feel pain as rivers of blood ran down my chin, neck, and soaked my dress.
I didn’t feel anything.
“Charlotte!”
I couldn’t do that anymore.
I DON’T REMEMBER WHAT happened after I passed out. I just know that when I woke up, Ronin wasn’t there.
I lay on the bed, slowly taking stock. Someone had changed the sheets, and me. Gone were the blood-soaked slip and duvet.
Blood-soaked? My hand flew up, probing my mouth. Two full, dry lips pressed back.
They’re still there. Did I imagine that? Was it all an awful hallucination?
“Yeah, you got your lips back, you psycho.”
I jumped, nearly falling out of bed as Raven rose from the armchair. It was then I noticed the chains and shackles were gone.
“But if you’re going to miss them that much,” she said as she strolled over, “maybe next time don’t cut them off.”
I could only blink at her, mind refusing to believe what I was seeing.
As usual, Raven was a knockout in an emerald-green minidress that clung to her every dip and curve. She raised a brow at me as she perched on the end of the mattress. “Well? Fucking say something. I’m the one who cleaned up you, the bed, and fixed your face. Is that stupid look all I get in return?”
My mouth worked. “I... thank you?”
She rolled her eyes. “What the hell am I going to do with a thank-you? I’m more interested in money. Gold obols will do just fine.”
What the hell is happening right now?
“Oh.” I sat up a little straighter, settling on the pillows. “Sorry, but I don’t have any money.”
Another eye roll. “Useless.”
“If I’m so useless, what the fuck are you doing here?” I snapped.
“Uh-oh.” Raven laughed. “Look who’s got some life back in her.”
I rolled my eyes, and paid for it. Weeks of crying had made them sore and achy. “Seriously, what are you doing here? Why would you heal me and clean me up?”
“Why else? I did it because Ronin asked me to—” She tipped her head. “Well, he asked all of us—Sauda, Kama, Eris, and Ursula—but only I volunteered. It just so happens there’s a mouthy bitch on my hitlist that deserves to lose their lips more than you.”
“What! You transferred my injury to someone else? But why?” I cried. “I never wanted—”
She waved my noise away. “Relax. This bitch is cruel, even by demon standards. She’s got a thing for incubi, so she abducts them, traps them in her house, and rapes them repeatedly.”
My brows blew. Okay, yes, I did care a lot less about someone like that keeping their lips. “But still, why would you help me and not Ronin? I know he knows the spell to transfer someone’s injury to someone else.”
“Are you kidding?” Raven stretched out on the bed, propping herself on her arm. “He didn’t do it because you freaked him the fuck out. The man was shaking when he came to us—practically begging on his knees for us to help you. And now he won’t go anywhere near you because he’s afraid he’ll say or do something that’ll provoke you into hurting yourself again.”
I opened my mouth... but nothing came out.
“But don’t feel bad,” Raven went on. “As far as I’m concerned, Ronin’s got this guilt coming. And I hope the bastard’s choking on it. This time...” She shook her head. “He went too far.”
“Too far?” I wasn’t really hearing this. I couldn’t be. “Too far with what?”
“Using the sub bond to force you to kill your own sister.”
Surprise stole the reply off my tongue... for all of five seconds. “How did you know about that?”
“Are you kidding? The whole school knows. Everyone knows he killed Professor Leech too,” she confessed, “but killing Lucifer’s daughter is on another level. Lucifer wants Ronin expelled for what he did, and technically he should be for killing a professor, but the headmistress hasn’t handed down a decision yet.
“I’m pretty sure it’s because she knows Lucifer wanting Ronin dead has nothing to do with your sister or the leech. He just wants to cut off the head of the empire of sin—Ronin.”