Page 123 of Dancing With Demons

My breaths shortened with every word. “I can barely take this in, Ronin. This was your plan? All this time, and everything you said about me being yours and belonging to you,” I said. “And the whole time, you were planning for me to leave.”

“Uhhh.” Ronin shrugged his mouth. “Actually, the plan was for Samael to take your sister and only her back to earth. My original plan absolutely included you staying here with me forever.”

Of course it did.

“But that day in the hall,” Ronin continued, his teasing tone fading, “when you smiled that head-tilting, eyes-sparkling, nose-wrinkling smile... I knew I could do it. I knew I could let you go because that smile gave me everything I needed for the rest of my afterlife.”

I warmed under my Peter Pan collar. My heart was racing so fast, I was in danger of fainting again.

“Just one question,” I said softly. “Santino... was killing him an illusion too?”

“Of course,” Ronin replied. “I didn’t kill him in that tunnel, I just trapped him inside.”

My fuzzy, rosy feelings vanished in a blink. “What?! Is he still there?”

Ronin blinked. “Course he’s still there. The fucker wouldn’t stay away from you, and he couldn’t say no to you. I couldn’t have him messing things up.”

My jaw dropped. “Ronin! You have to get him out of there, it’s been six weeks!”

“Yeah, sure, but it’s not a big deal,” said the still-a-fucking-work-in-progress. “It’s not like he can suffocate or starve to death in there.”

“Get him out,” I gritted. “As soon as we leave, go straight to Abaddon and get him out of there.”

He sighed like I was being impossible. “If you insist.”

Tossing my head, I went over to Samael and Dora, falling in on Dora’s other side.

“Your last question is about the leech? Really?” Ronin’s voice stopped me in my tracks. “You’re not going to ask about breaking the sub bond?”

I was quiet a beat, then said, “No. Everyone’s already hinted at the terrible price of breaking the sub bond, and I’m not interested in either one of us paying it. Besides, I kind of like the idea of us being linked across two worlds and two lifetimes.” Turning around, I beamed at him—eyes shining, nose wrinkling and head tilting. “Because I love you.”

Ronin gaped at me, face frozen. In a blink, he fell to his knees, clutching his chest as if my confession made him too weak to stand. “I love you too.”

“Touching.” Samael’s heavy hands fell on my and Dora’s shoulders. “Shall we?”

“Yes,” I said clearly, shooting a smile at my sister. “Let’s go home.”

“Aww, leaving so soon?”

We whirled around as Lucifer ripped through reality, transporting into the room with a whoosh that blew three servants off their feet.

“But you haven’t said goodbye.”

“Charlotte! Dora! Run!”

The cry was barely out of Ronin’s mouth before Lucifer charged.

Samael threw us back, shoving us out of the way. Before our eyes, their human-safe wrappers melted—unleashing their true angel forms.

“Don’t look!” A heavy body pounced on me and Dora, clapping his hands over our eyes.

We huddled on the floor, smooshing our faces into the cold, gold-inlay marble as the battle raged above our heads.

“Ronin, get us out of here,” I shouted over the clanging of swords and fleshy impact of fists on skin. “Do another transportation spell!”

“I can’t! It’s Samael!” He pulled me closer. “Dark magic doesn’t work in a place filled with heaven’s divine energy!”

Why did magic have so many blasted rules!?