Page 6 of Dancing With Demons

“There’s no one there,” Tristan broke in. “If you’re talking about the room we pulled you out of, I went back down there and busted the fucking door open to find the fucker who dared to snatch you, and all I did was walk into a dark, empty room that reeked of dark magic.” He tossed Ronin a disgusted sneer and got one right back. “It stank worse than shit, but it was empty. If your sister was there, she’s not there anymore.”

“Ugh,” I groaned, tears stinging my eyes. I dropped my head in my hands and something crumpled in my palm. Drawing back, my eyes fell on the same scrap of paper from my dream.

The hallow of the air gives an aigrette light and fair.

From the hallow of the sea, steal what he has given thee.

For the hallow of the fire, light the pyre—burn the sire.

Among the hallow of the wood, join thy shackles to his manhood.

“It wasn’t a dream,” I whispered, closing the paper in my grip. “It was a deal.”

“What was?” Tristan asked.

I flicked up to him, and those gorgeous golden eyes. Even with the weight of everything crashing on me, I couldn’t help but think he was breathtakingly beautiful. His long, wild wavy hair was windswept instead of untamed. His rough and scarred body was inviting, instead of intimidating. His soft smile was... it just was. Every part of Tristan drew me in like a warm hug.

But him...

I peered at Ronin out of the corner of my eye. “Ronin, thank you for getting me out of there. You’ve probably got a lot to do, so please don’t feel like you need to stay.”

A slow smirk stretched his lips. “A very polite brush-off, but since when does a servant send their master away?” He closed the distance, moving soundlessly through the shadows. Something in his large, shining eyes made me flinch before his fingers brushed my cheek. “And what a pretty little servant you are...”

Heat bloomed in my face. “You—”

“She’s not your fucking servant,” Tristan growled, slapping his hand away.

Ronin snapped back before he could touch him, but somehow, his touch was still on me.

I swallowed hard. “The glamour—”

“Gone,” Tristan said. “For him, anyway. I could smell you were somewhere in the underlevel, but dark magic was confusing the scent. I needed that shithead”—he jerked a thumb at Ronin—“to find you, but he wouldn’t help until I told him why finding you was so important.” Tristan winced. “I’m sorry, Charlie. I shouldn’t have—”

“A human mortal woman,” Ronin sliced in. He was still raking me up and down like a germ under a microscope. “What’s so special about you that someone would help you get into hell ahead of your death?”

My gaze was steady. “As I said, I’m thankful for your help, but how I got here and why is my business. Please give me some privacy. I’d like to talk to my friend alone.”

Ronin didn’t move a muscle. He just turned that irritating smirk on Tristan.

If anything, the wolf growled louder. “I’m sorry again, Charlie, but that was his price. The cost of getting you out of that room was telling him everything. Because the first thing he said when he sensed someone channeling all that rage and hatred into that putrid-smelling room was I want in.”

“You want in?” I cried, turning my outraged expression on him. “You sensed something horrible happening in the room my screams were coming out of, and your first thought was let me join the party!?”

“Yes,” Ronin replied, blinking lazily at me. “So let’s hear it.”

I clenched my teeth, turning over my options. I don’t want to tell this jerk a thing. I can still remember the look on his face when he made me have sex with Tristan in front of the entire class.

But, another voice said, can what Lucifer and my mother are planning even be kept secret? Should it be kept secret?

“Fine,” I forced out. “I’ll tell you why I’m here. I’ll tell you why... Lucifer brought me here.”

With that, I told them everything—

Sort of.

I left out the part about my mother, sister, and I descending from a long line of Avos witches. All I said was that Lucifer used a deal with my mother to bring about Adora, because he ultimately wanted to use her soul and blood connection to him to open the gates of hell.

“And how would that have happened?” Ronin asked. “No half-breed, not even an angel half-breed has the power to open the gates. It’s been tried before and failed. Lord Lucifer would know this.”