Chapter Four
That night, Dora snoozed away in my bed—blissfully frolicking through dreamland, while I curled up on the armchair, doing the exact opposite.
Me: I don’t know what he did to her! She’s a complete space case!
She spent all day writing in the notebook, but when I finally read it, all she wrote was a single paragraph on her “life” and then fifty pages on stuff that just happened throughout the day.
Ten whole pages were dedicated to how nice I was, but she got my name wrong every single time!
I went from Barley to Jehoshaphat to Kelvin to Ed!
Me: What spell is this? How do I reverse it?
Tristan: Wow. I know this is Satan we’re talking about, but this fucker really goes too far sometimes.
That was putting it lightly.
Tristan: But I’m sorry, I don’t know what spell this is or how to reverse it. This has to be angelic magic, and angels are forbidden from revealing the secrets of their magic. Lucifer’s broken a lot of rules. Nearly all of them. But he’s never broken that one.
My heart sank, depression settling in deep.
Another text lit the screen.
Tristan: You’ll need help from another fallen angel who is NOT loyal to Lucifer.
Me: Any referrals?
A bunch of sad emojis came at me. But I didn’t blame him. Werewolves lived in complete isolation to protect themselves from vampires. Of course Tristan didn’t pop out of hiding to get buddy-buddy with the only angels in hell who hated Lucifer as much as I did.
My screen lit up again.
Tristan: I know it sucks that he took her memory, but do you really have to do his bidding to get it back? You should get out of here, Charlie. Take your sister and run so far from hell, you reach heaven. Anything she needs to know about her life, you can tell her. But relying on Lucifer...?
Tristan: The king of pride never reneges on a deal. But he also never makes a wager he isn’t sure to win. The minute you sign the contract, you’ve already lost.
I sighed, casting a look at a sleeping Dora. Slowly, I typed my reply.
Me: I can’t take Dora and leave. It’s like you said. Lucifer doesn’t make a wager unless he’s already won, and he’s won this one too.
Me: The bastard has completely hollowed my sister out. The reason she keeps changing my name is because she can’t remember it. It’s like he gave her Fifty First Dates disease. Who I am, where we are, what we’re doing here. None of it sticks in her head for longer than an hour.
Me: How am I supposed to take her back home like this?
What kind of life am I returning her to?
Dora’s dream is to become a doctor. She fought her way back to life and worked her butt off for four years to make it happen, but who’s going to hire a surgeon who stops in the middle of surgery and goes, “who dis?”
Me: But that’s only if the world has evolved enough since we’ve been away to hire a demon surgeon, and I can make a wager that I’m sure to win too: it hasn’t.
Me: My sister’s the only one who’ll end up on a surgeon’s table—having every part of her undead body dissected.
Me: I just can’t do it, Tristan. Lucifer’s giving me a chance to give Dora her life back. Literally, academically, occupationally, emotionally, and all the other allys. I’ll never be able to look her in the eye again if I only save her body, and leave everything else behind.
Speech bubbles appeared on the screen, heralding Tristan’s reply.
Knock. Knock.
I stilled, my phone nearly slipping through frozen fingers. Who is that? It’s the middle of the night, why would someone be outside my room—?
The knob turned and the door swung open.
Heart leaping into my throat, I snatched up the side table lamp and—
“Argh!”
Ronin stepped inside and raised an eyebrow at my lamp-over-head charge.
I skidded to a stop, nearly colliding into his chest. “What is the matter with you?” I whisper-screamed, shoving away. “Why in the hell are you breaking into my room? Again!”
“What do you mean why?” Ronin was, as always, sinfully gorgeous in a tight blue knit sweater and loose, ripped black jeans. His long hair was wet and curling from a shower. A shower so recent, there were still water droplets clinging to his horns.
Just thinking of him in the tub, soaking himself from head to toe, brought back incredibly unwelcome visions of him in the bath with my hand around his business.
“I’m here because we have unfinished business.”
“We do?”
“We do.” Ronin’s gaze flicked over his shoulder. “I’ve been waiting for your call, but you sure like to draw out a moment, don’t you.”
“Excuse me?”
“Your answer is yes.” Ronin closed and locked the door with a snap of his fingers. “You’re accepting my offer and my protection, so let’s get on with the bonding and be done with it.”
I stood there for an entire thirty seconds. I understood everything he just said. Lucifer’s translation magic put it in plain English for me, but somehow, it was still a load of gibberish.
“Dude, what?” I goggled at him. “My answer is not yes. My answer is no. I am not doing that sub bond thing, it’s insane that you’d even ask.”
Part of me expected a bigger reaction to my rejection, but he just cocked a brow.
“Why do you refuse me?” Ronin sounded genuinely curious. “I literally saved your life this morning, and I was the only one to attempt to do so. You would have died if not for my intervention. Do you truly not see you need me?”
His simple statements were daggers through my skin. “I... can’t disagree with you. Connard was going to do something very unpleasant to me, and you stopped him. I’m thankful for that, Belphe, but”—my face changed—“saving someone’s life doesn’t give you the right to turn them into your slave.
“If no one’s told you that before, I’m glad I was the first.”
He hummed, cocking his head. Ronin was looking at me like I was some strange, new thing laid out under a microscope.
He was curious, and a bit annoyed, that he hadn’t figured me out already.
“It was the wolf, yes? He filled your head with fears and lies, and now you’re denying the most complete protection you’ll ever receive so that you’ll have to continue relying solely on him.
” Ronin laughed, shaking his head. “Sly little wolf. He didn’t beat out all the other alphas in his pack for first mating rights for nothing. ”
I jerked back, the corner of my lips dropping down. First mating rights? Fears and lies? “Wha... What are you—?”
“But if no is your answer, I will respect it.” He shocked me brushing a light, teasing finger across my trembling lips. “This will be the last time we speak, Charlie. It’s inevitable that you’ll be killed before our next conversation.”
My eyes popped—chill rippling down my spine. Ronin put me in my grave so soundly, I felt the Grim Reaper’s hand around my throat.
“When you’re gone,” he said, “I’ll look after your sister. Having Lucifer’s daughter pledge loyalty to House Belphe will be quite the upset.”
Anger lit in my chest. “Don’t you dare mess with—!”
“Mess with?” he broke in, frowning. “Oh no, that’s not a threat. It’s reassurance, Charlie. That I’ll take care of her and make sure Lucifer can’t use her for his own means after you’re gone.” Ronin glanced at her, before lingering on me. “I take care of everyone who’s loyal to me.”
“I—”
He turned away, leaving as suddenly as he came.
“This will be the last time we speak, Charlie. It’s inevitable that you’ll be killed before our next conversation.”
“Wait,” I blurted. “If... If I’m being misled about what the sub bond is, then you tell me. How does it work?”
Ronin took his hand off the knob. “It is a bond that can force you to obey me, but it’s not a permanent one. It must be entered into willingly, and it can be broken.”
I scoffed. “Yeah, the willingly entering and exiting isn’t the problem, Belphe. It’s all the forced obedience in between! Why can’t you just help me without the expectation of something in return?”
It was Ronin’s turn to scoff. “Is that what they do in your land of the living? No wonder the mortal realm’s going to the hellhounds.”
“You—!”
“Do you even realize what you’re asking of me?
” Ronin was so calm and matter-of-fact. “Help you whenever you need it. Whenever you ask. This is your first trip to hell, mortal, but it’s not mine.
At all hours of the day or night something or someone will be watching you, will be stalking you, and will be lying in wait for its chance to strike.
“The sub bond binds you to me. It makes you a part of me,” he said.
“So much so that no matter where in all the realms I am, I’ll be alerted if you’re in danger.
Without it, the only way I can keep my promise to you is to become your shadow.
I’d have to follow you around everywhere you go and be at your constant beck and call.
” His eyes narrowed to slits. “Now who’s looking for a slave. ”
I reeled back like he slapped me, eyes blowing wide.
And in the shock... shame slipped in. “I...” I swallowed hard.
“You’re right,” I whispered. “You’re absolutely right, Ronin, and I apologize.
I am the one sitting over here asking you to become my personal bodyguard even though I can’t pay or offer you anything in return for the risk.
That was really shitty and entitled of me, and I’m sorry. ”
His eyes narrowed to slits. “What is this? What are you doing right now?”
“It’s called taking responsibility for my actions, acknowledging that I was wrong, and apologizing.”
“Well, it’s disgusting,” he snapped. “Cut it out.”
My hand flew to my mouth, smothering a giggle before it came out. I knew plenty of guys who were allergic to accountability, but never had a guy reacted to my sorry like I barfed it up on the carpet.
Ronin flew forward and grasped my hand, pulling it away from my mouth.
“What is it?” I cried, startled. “Do I have something on my face?”
He stared intently at my mouth, frowning—then he dropped my hand. “No, you do not.”
For the life of me, I couldn’t understand why he sounded angry.
“So your answer is no?” he asked, backing away.