Page 40 of Demon Queen
“I don’t understand what that?—”
The dungeon door flew open and in stalked Dorian, flanked by demons I’d never seen before. All of them looked like they could rip off a head with their teeth, no problem.
“If you hurt my mate, you will die this day,” he rumbled, and the floor actually trembled along with his rage.
I mumbled, “The vodka did more harm than the rabbit. I think. There was a spark of purple. That might have donesomething.” I stared at my bare knees. Dorian’s shirt went down to them but didn’t quite cover. I should have worn a ninja outfit for all the climbing I’d been doing all over the place.
I looked up at Dorian as he dropped to his knees before me and took my face carefully in his massive claws.
“Tell me you are well.”
I stared into those madly flickering eyes. Ah. He cared because I was an angel and he was my slave. I smiled slightly. That was hilarious, right there. “I feel like I’m in the bottom of a well. I seem to be on the floor. Do you think you could pick me up in your strong arms and carry me to bed?”
“Your bed or mine?”
His bed where I’d woken up with a demon? Um… “Mine. I have to open the shop first thing in the morning.”
“It’s already first thing in the morning.”
I sighed heavily. “Do I look pulled together enough to open the shop?”
He glanced down at my body and his breathing hitched before he refocused on my face, the one he was still holding. “No, my beautiful mate. You look very drunk and bruised, and sliced up, and have blisters on your feet.”
“I’m not your mate.”
“As you like, my mate.”
I rolled my eyes and looked at the White Rabbit who had a slight smile on his mouth. “You see what I have to deal with? This guy, always with the denial.”
The White Rabbit said, “I am pleased that you have a demon king to protect you. They are very difficult to defeat.” Unless you slaughter all their angel mates and make them insanely suicidal.
Dorian scooped me into his arms, and stalked away from the White Rabbit, arms straining, but not from carrying me. More from not putting me down and reaching through those bars and ripping the White Rabbit apart.
I patted his chest. “You can kill him later.”
“Can I? I appreciate the vote of confidence. I’m starting to feel less than confident in my abilities. I have a great deal of false confidence that comes with king spikes, but you keep slipping through my fingers.”
“You’ll have to manacle me to the floor next time.”
“The manacles of love.”
“What?” I looked up at him and his eyes glimmered while he smiled the most dangerous smile I’d ever seen.
“It seems that I must convince you that you wish to stay by my side. I’m told I’m very cunning. If I can’t love you well enough, I’ll have no right to protect you.”
I blinked at him and then closed my eyes before I burst into tears. Dorian hated angels. That’s what the White Rabbit said. Oh well. He’d also said that I shouldn’t ever tell anyone what I was. I’d forget all about it.
thirteen
. . .
I wokeup with the raging headache that came from too much vodka and not enough water only to find the perfect morning-after tray on my bedside desk along with a note. I picked it up with trembling fingers and had to blink a few times to bring the words into focus.
I took the liberty of inviting some of my friends to help cover your morning shift. Take your time dressing and coming down, my queen.
~D
I sat very still while the familiar handwriting sent a wave of pain through me. How many times had he written notes to me just like that? He hadn’t called me his queen, though. The White Rabbit. Was anything he said real? I poked a piece of still warm toast and then really saw my arm, the dark blue thread that pierced my pale skin like I was Frankenstein. Frankenstein’s monster. Whatever.
