The Deer and the Dragon (No Other Gods #1)

by Piper C.J.

I stared down the barrel of the lesser of two evils: the flesh-and-blood disappointment of a human man, or a life trapped in my imagination with a fictional lover.

A text came in from my editor. She announced in no uncertain terms that she knew I’d seen her emails and was ignoring her. She told me that she loved me, that I was very pretty, and very talented, but that she’d paint the streets with my blood if I didn’t get her five new chapters by the end of the week.

We locked eyes for a horrified moment. “Silas?” I gasped. “You can’t be fucking serious.”

you’re safe from everyone from the boogeyman to Zeus himself. Be grateful.” “When you say Zeus…” “The guy has trouble keeping it in his pants. You don’t need him in your bedroom. As for your abilities, it doesn’t matter what you call them,”

friend. Plus, I have so many theories to share with you. Your sigil? The Prince? You being a dipshit with a death wish? Let’s go be gals on the town.”

And if he isn’t with his human—” “Marlow,” I corrected. “With his idiot,” Fauna said.

“Relax.” She rolled her eyes. “You have very cute nips. He’ll love them.”

“Sure! What have you trained in? Can you lasso things? Have you taken fencing classes? What are your archery skills like?” The look she gave me told me to grow up.

can only assume Azrames meant to make a better first impression on the Prince of Hell, but the moment he saw my face, he burst out in a laugh so cruel that I wanted to punch him.

“Now is not the time to fuck, Marlow” and “We have a goddess to defeat and a sigil to break” and “Stop trying to stroke my dick or I’m going to make you pay for it later” were followed by “Now I’m going to make you pay for it much later and add a new day of deprivation every time you’re difficult.”