More on this book
Community
Kindle Notes & Highlights
Bel clenched his fists so hard, his knuckles cracked. “I swear to god if you both don’t shut up, I’ll rip your tongues out, shove them up your asses, and then strangle you with your own intestines.” “Sounds kinky,” Meph said, still grinning. He groaned. Just kill me now.
“Mine,” he said yet again because he needed her to understand it. He needed everyone in the realms to hear it. He needed to make it very clear to every single living being that if anyone, anyone, tried to take what was his, they would die begging for mercy they would not receive.
“My Lily,” he murmured, pushing her back onto the bed. “Mine.”
Yellow eyes shifted away, and that was when she finally saw it. Pain. He was in so much pain, and he was trying to hide it from her.
Lily was right. His life was worth something—it was worth a lot—and if given a second chance, he would never choose to carelessly discard it again.
Iris’s mouth twisted. “You have no idea how crazy that sounds. I get you like the demon, and I’m maybe willing to consider that maybe, possibly, not all demons are evil all the time, but we’re literally in Hell, and—” “I love him.” Her sister’s eyes looked like they were going to fall out of her head. “I love him, and he doesn’t know. I never got to tell him.”
I want to be strong enough that you aren’t scared to tell me the truth. I want to be strong enough to save the man I love.”
“If we survive this, I’m going to sleep with a night-light for the rest of my life,” Iris whispered. “I’ll get one shaped like your arse for good measure.”
“Iris and I came to get you, but we have to go now. We’re running out of time.” He inhaled deeply. “My Lily.” Her breath caught. “Yes, it’s me.”
And I guess that even though Paimon was technically killed by a gorath, because I was the one fighting her when we fell into the Pit, well . . .” She trailed off. Their gazes met. “You’re my new mistress,” Mist said softly.
He reached out, pulling her hand away and drawing her into him. “I don’t care.” “No, I have to do this. I can’t just—” “I want to belong to you.”
“I love you, I love you,” she said over and over, her voice muffled against his chest. His skin immediately became wet with her tears, which were much less rare than his own. Yet each one was no less precious.
“You are everything good in my world, Lily. You are my freedom. There is nothing I value more, and I no longer have the desire to hunt because I know I have already found the most precious treasure in existence.”
His world narrowed down to nothing but her. His Lily. His beautiful Lily whom he would do anything for and whom he . . . loved. Yes, that is it. This was love, and it was the greatest feeling in the world. In all the worlds. In all creation.
“Love you,” he whispered.
She seemed to understand this, because she relaxed against him again and squeezed him right back. “I love you too. So much. I couldn’t stop if I tried.” “Don’t try,” he growled, and she snorted. “I won’t. I don’t want to. I couldn’t, as I said.” “Good.”
“I like that you are marked with something that ties you to me.” The thought did indeed fill him with satisfaction. “Well, we could go get matching tattoos then! We don’t need horrible, cursed brands.” He smiled briefly. “If you one day discover a way to remove them, we’ll get matching tattoos. Until then, I like knowing you are marked by me. Maybe it will make it easier not to bite you.”
“You will come with me?” She smiled. “Of course I will. You know I’ll follow you anywhere. Even to the pits of Hell.”
She was done apologizing for her own existence. From now on, she was going to take up some damn space in the world, and she wasn’t going to be sorry about it.
“I can’t believe I hated it,” she told Mist, “when all along I should have been grateful.” “We fear what we don’t understand,” he said.
“Still a stickler for the rules, then?” “Only the ones worth following.” He smiled, though his eyes were closed again. “A wise witch taught me that.” Lily chuckled. “She sounds amazing.” “She is.”
With that conviction, she drifted back to sleep, safe in the arms of her demon.
