Page 90 of Dancing With Demons

There was nothing more for Ronin and me to say to each other.

“AHAHAH! HAHAHA! HA!”

I held the phone away from my ear, sighing deeply.

“Hahaha!” Lucifer guffawed, legitimately sounding like he was busting a gut on the other end of the phone. “Oh, sweet Charlotte, I do so enjoy you. Goodbye.”

Click.

I flashed Ronin a mirthless smile as we entered the mess hall. “Luce says he’ll think about it.”

Ronin’s eyes narrowed. He heard Lucifer’s response just as well as I did. Even if that raucous laughter was translated into words, those words wouldn’t be I’ll think about handing you the keys to my kingdom in exchange for the hallows.

Dora trailed behind us—dancing and skipping along to music only she could hear.

I veered right toward the kitchen.

“No,” Ronin said. “Come with me.”

Confused, I hesitated, but Dora didn’t—marching right after him like he was the mama to her duck. I ended up following behind just to keep an eye on her.

Ronin parted the crowd like a hot knife through butter. That morning, he forewent his usual leather on black on leather, and dressed in a soft, blue cashmere sweater that should’ve clashed with his ruby eyes, but instead made them impossible not to look at. His pants clung to him in all the right ways from hugging his shapely bottom, to doing nothing to hide the bulge in the front.

As always, he looked like he just stepped off the runway, but while everyone was looking at him, he just kept looking back at me.

I frowned the fifth time he glanced over his shoulder as if to check I was still following him. What’s with him? He’s been strange all morning.

That morning, I woke in Ronin’s bed after getting out of the shower and walking right past him out of my bedroom door.

Dora was fast asleep under Ronin’s sheets, and since I wasn’t going anywhere without her, I just climbed in and drifted off.

When I woke up, Dora was dressed and sitting by the fireplace, sipping on a mug of hot cocoa while she flipped through the journals Mother sent.

“Dora?” I called. “Where’d you get that drink?”

She perked up. “Ooh, Berneice, you’re up!” Setting down the book and the mug, she raced over to me and planted herself beside the bed. I goggled at her as she broke into a jig—kicking her feet, jumping up and down, waving her arms, and making insane faces at me at seven o’clock in the morning.

“Dora, are you okay?” I cried. “What’s wrong with you?”

She stopped, a slight pout stealing over her face as she planted her hands on her lips. She leaned over and stuck her face in mine, making me squeak as she studied me.

Just as suddenly she popped up and tore into the other room. “Sorry, Ro-Ro. It didn’t work.”

I glared at the back of his head as I obsessed over what happened that morning all over again. Neither one of them would explain Dora’s sudden fit of insanity. Her because she forgot the reason. Ronin because he wouldn’t give a straight answer even if you paid him.

Ronin climbed the steps of his platform, then snapped his fingers. Two thrones appeared beside his usual one. “Sit.”

Dora ran right up and grabbed a seat, as carefree as a pure soul curse would make her.

I didn’t move.

The tips of my shoes touched the bottom step as a million refusals sprouted on my tongue. I didn’t want to hear the noise Eris, Raven, and the other women would make when they found me sitting in the spot reserved for the heads of the Sins Gang. I wanted to enjoy my breakfast in peace in my bedroom away from any drama. But most of all—

I cut eyes to Ronin.

—I don’t want to eat anywhere near you.

Lifting my feet, I climbed the steps and took the seat next to his, saying nothing. My stomach churned when he grabbed the foot of my chair and pulled me closer still. Sweat broke out on my palms as I turned my head away from him, avoiding his nearness as much as possible.