Page 1 of House of Demons and Bones

PROLOGUE

The Fallen Star

Before everything went wrong, Lilith had shone as brilliantly as Lucifer, her twin, their radiance stretching across galaxies. But Lucifer’s pride drove him to challenge Heaven’s Throne. When Heaven hurled him down to Hell, Lilith chose to fall to Earth, knowing she’d never again see her starlit home.

No one knew why she fell, and they called herthe fallen star. She didn’t waste time lamenting her loss. She had one purpose—to eliminate the threat at all costs.

She stepped up to rule the Underworld after Lucifer became a wanderer, roaming between realms.

Ages passed, and she felt no closer to finishing what she’d started.

The endless solitude would have crushed most souls, but Lilith had been born of starlight. That spark inside her kept burning through the longest, darkest nights.

Finally, she found the Maiden, spinner of the thread of life, hiding from their enemy. The Maiden spoke a prophecy meant for Lilith alone—one that, once again, demanded a great sacrifice, carving out another piece of her essence as a tithe.

While she waited, the void in her chest expanded.

She’d taken lovers by the hundreds. Men, women—beautiful creatures who shared her bed but never touched the frost in her soul. None came close to matching her power, her beauty, her intelligence. None stood as her equal.

Then came Hades’s true heir, and desire hit her like lightning to the heart. But he did the unthinkable—he said no. The first man ever to turn down a star, a queen of her caliber.

Deep down, she knew he wasn’t hers to claim, but that knowledge didn’t dull the wanting. Something about him woke up her ancient heart, made her feel young again. His rejection drove her to the edge, drove her to use her star-born power to bend his will. She’d already fallen once. What was one more sin?

So she forced the bond, betting everything that his heart would eventually be hers.

Then the girl appeared—the one who was actually meant for him.

1

Sy

The looks on both heirs’ gorgeous faces were priceless—pure gold.

Rowan and Killian stared at me, their eyes smoldering with shock and disbelief, like they’d been sucker-punched by reality itself.

I sympathized—couldn’t blame them for the mental whiplash.

One second, Barbie had charged between the dueling figures, golden curls bouncing, eyes blazing with determination to break them apart. The next, I stood in her place, grinning with confidence and radiating savage beauty.

Watching sweet Barbie transform into me wasn’t your everyday entertainment, especially given our stark differences. Barbie was lovely, all rosy cheeks with lingering baby fat, but I was something else entirely. It wasn’t only that I was a good head taller than her. A decade of fighting, eating intelligentbeings, and sex feeds had sculpted me into an apex predator. Pure danger wrapped in deadly curves.

I flaunted myself before the two most powerful heirs, thrusting my double-Ds out. Their predatory focus fueled my excitement, so I flashed them my signature grin, all fangs and zero apologies.

I was done living as Barbie’s shadow. Here in Mist of Cinder, I could finally be Sy in all my wild, cunning glory. The human world had its limits, but here? I belonged. A few stolen hours with my sugar some nights wasn’t cutting it anymore. Neither was commanding attention at the occasional party. I wanted the spotlight full-time, no more hiding in the dark.

I basked in the princes’ attention. Even the chaos prince saw me. It was time to seize more opportunities.

“Hello, hello, lovers,” I purred.

We don’t want to rile them up further!Barbie’s voice rang sharp in my head as she watched the heirs like a hawk, braced for the shitstorm.They’re dangerous.

No more dangerous than us.I brushed her off, too pleased with myself to snap at her constant doom-and-gloom.They aren’t even snarling. And no one dies today, not on our watch. So I consider it a win. Think about it—we stopped a death duel between the two most formidable heirs.

The air, thick with blood and violence moments ago, now hummed with mystery, all orchestrated by me. The thrill of power buzzed in my blood.

And look, they’re both so smitten with me that they’re speechless,I pointed out to Barbie.

They aren’t smitten.She tried to claw her way to the surface, but I held firm.They’re having a hard time processing this shitty reality.

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