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)
“I’m not like other demons.” I grabbed the showerhead and turned it on, tipping her head back as I washed away the shampoo. “Ninety-eight percent of demons are mortals cursed in their afterlife. Then there’s Beelzebub, Asmodeus, Mammon, Leviathan, Zariel, and my father who were born from the sins of men, and then there’s me—who was born from my father,” I explained. “Lord Sloth is my true parent. Not some bastard who plucked me out of the demonage to be a pawn in his political games. And even though we’re father and son, I couldn’t give a shit about that dude.”
Shampoo done, I reached for the conditioner. “You said once that loving someone is putting them first? But why in the fuck would anyone do that? Father didn’t raise me himself. He had to give me over to the nannies and servants because to chase after a child all day and night isn’t very sloth, is it? The minute he stops being the embodiment of that sin is the minute he stops being the lord of that sin.
“He had to choose between raising me and being master of all he’d built, and he chose Ignavia because why wouldn’t he? What the fuck did I need him around for? What would he have done that my servants wouldn’t have done better and quicker?
“It’s the same for me,” I told her. “Now that I’ve come into my true face, it’s time for me to collect servants and pledges, and then lead the war to overthrow Father and take the throne. If I was putting him, and his annoyance with tedious things like war, first, I’d be no better than those paper princesses, with even less of a future.”
Charlie was silent while I worked the conditioner through her strands.
“There’s a reason selfishness isn’t a sin, Hunter. It’s because it’s not one. We should all be looking out for ourselves first and foremost, because no one else is going to do it for us. No one’s going to lust for our desires more than we will ourselves, and it’s in that lust that you find the things worth living for.”
Turning her around, I looked deep in her eyes. “Love was poisoning you. It was ruining your life and holding you back,” I said. “Deep down, in the place you won’t admit exists, you were sick of being a parent to a kid you didn’t even fucking have. You were sick of taking on all the responsibility of making sure her desires were filled while yours died in your dreams. You were sick,” I hissed, “of being chained to her with a bond more twisted than the sub bond could ever be.
“No,” I stated, my voice clear. “Love is dangerous. The only good thing it did was bring you to me, so that I could free you from its clutches.” Tipping her chin, I pressed a light kiss on her lips. “I know you don’t see that now, but you will... and I’ll wait.
“I’ll wait for you, Charlotte. For as long as it takes.”
CHARLOTTE
I waited for the door to click shut behind Ronin, and then bolted to the bathroom. Diving for the toilet, I shoved up the lid and hurled in the toilet, puking up every rancid crumb of that strawberry French toast.
My shackles clanged as I dropped back on the floor, sobbing my raw throat ragged.
“A favor.”
Dora loomed over me, her red eyes wide, innocent, and trusting as I plunged the knife into her chest.
“I did you a favor.” Ronin grinned as her body hit the floor, bleeding a river of black that spread and crisscrossed through the black. “Love was poisoning you. It was an anchor dragging you to the depths of hell.”
He snapped his fingers, and Dora crumbled to dust.
“You’re welcome.”
“Ahhh!” I screamed, pounding my head and the awful visions that assaulted me every minute of every day. But it was no use.
No matter how loud I screamed, how hard I sobbed, or how much I scrubbed, my hands remained stained with black blood.
RONIN RETURNED AFTER morning classes let out, carrying a tray of my lunch. My stomach heaved at the sight of it and him.
Ever since he buried Santino and made me ki— and took Dora from me, he’d become even crueler to me... by being kind.
It was a complete one-eighty from the lazy, horny jerk I was dealing with before. He waited on me hand and foot, he delivered all my favorite meals, and he dried all my tears.
The Ronin I wanted him to be before had finally arrived, and all it took was completely pulverizing me to dust.
For days after what happened in the library, I screamed hate and obscenities at him until my throat bled. I told him I wanted him dead. I said I’d never be his because his psychosis and obsession had ruined everything before we could even start.