“No.” Her heated gaze snapped in my direction. “Not when you’re King Dickhead, ruler of the evil and remorseless.”
“Oh, but you love how dark and demented I am, don’t you, little treasure?” I reached for her chin, but she flinched away from me.
Before I could say anything else, a pair of figures appeared in the corner of my eye. A quick glance almost made me chuckle, but I swallowed it down. Standing before the throne were Mammon, the Lord of Greed, and my shapeshifting brother, Belphegor, who’d shown up in his preferred female form.
With the way he draped himself on Mammon’s arm, Asmodeus wasn’t the only one he’d set his sights on.
The difference was, Asmodeus had slept with his brother not knowing who it was. It seemed Belphegor had decided to recycle the same joke, this time with the Lord of Greed as his victim.
This female form had a new face, but I could see beneath the magic disguising him.
“You have no shame,” I addressed the female Belphegor.
Mammon’s brows crinkled with confusion before he smirked. “Shame’s a funny thing to bring up, considering the human toy you’re proudly displaying at a royal affair. At least my date is a demon.”
Mammon wore a smoke gray suit and cape with too many embellishments and too many iron rings on his fingers. A black mask hid most of his wide face, and a spill of oily black hair fell just over his shoulders.
Belphegor was his polar opposite, with voluptuous curves in all the right places. Flowing white hair fell around his narrow shoulders, and red eyes peeked out from behind a delicate filigree mask. If he moved too suddenly, his breasts were going to pop out of his little black dress.
I could sense Rayven’s curious gaze lingering on him, wondering who this stunning woman was. “Who is that?” she whispered beneath her breath.
The flames of my eyes flickered at the lack of hatred in her tone. My brothers were providing a decent distraction from her anger. At least they were good for something.
“Remember the story I told you about Belphegor taking on the form of a woman to trick Asmodeus into fucking him?” I whispered to her.
Her eyes widened and, for a moment, there was the trace of a smile at the corner of her mouth. “Your family has baggage.”
“Oh, little human, you have no idea.”
Rayven stifled a laugh that my brothers seemed to miss before they disappeared into the crowd. She watched them go, her eyes glued to the dancing crowd waltzing effortlessly to the melody playing from the live band.
“Admiring your subjects?” I asked, hooking a claw beneath her chin and turning her face toward me. Her eyes glimmered with hatred.
“Yoursubjects,” she spat. “I am not your queen.”
I chuckled, amused by her stubbornness. “Youaremy slave queen, and once I make the announcement, everyone will know it.”
Grabbing her wrist, I trailed a finger over the two marks above her wrist.Mymarks.
“Soon, my pet. You don't have much time left.”
Her eyes narrowed, and she snatched her arm away.
“Fuck you. I'm not your queen, and I never will be.”
She jumped off my lap, and I watched her go, laughing as she hopped off the dais straight into the river Styx. Her fear from earlier had been replaced by rage that rippled through me in waves of ecstasy. Oh, how I yearned to fuck that attitude out of her.
Struggling against the current, she climbed out on the other side, once again soaked to the bone in blood. As she dashed into the crowd, she left a smear of crimson in her wake.
She gathered a bundle of the chain in her arms to make running easier, but the end of it remained attached to my throne. It would grow as she fled, adding links until she tired.
I leaned back, debating my next move.
I’d let her run…or at least, I’d give her a head start before tracking her down. I adored how she still thought she stood a chance at escaping.
Her time might not have technically been up, but if she wasn’t tired of this game of cat and mouse yet, I’d let her play.
I’d let her run.
