Gasping a lungful of air myself, I tackle him to the ground and lock his head between my thighs. He stares up at me, in what I think is amazement, and the colour rushes to his face while I cut off his air supply. His complexion reddens and he struggles to breathe underneath me.
“You—know—this is actually—quite—delightful—” Caspian chokes between gasps, grinning at me.
How can he still manage to be an ass when I’m literally squeezing the air from his body?
Rolling my eyes, I disentangle myself and stand on my feet. I offer him a hand. “Looks like I won.”
My triumph is short-lived.
The air seizes in my lungs and I’m thrown off my feet and onto the ground. Strong, powerful hands pin me down and force my face into the dirt. What in the name of the fuck?! How did I not see that coming?
I flail underneath him, but his strength far outmatches my own. The sound of him chuckling tells me the fight is over. Caspian won. Damn it!
Now it’s his turn to hold out his hand. “Told you I wouldn’t go easy on you.”
I accept his hand, and he pulls me up. “Asshole,” I mutter.
“Well done.” The prince applauds us slowly, his eyes trained on me in particular. “Not bad, but you’ve got a lot to learn. Caspian will show you to your room.”
I blink at the prince. “You mean… I’m in?”
A slow, lazy smile stretches over his lips. “You’re in.” He nods to the stone. “Pledge your soul to the stone and gift it your blood.”
Picking up one of Caspian’s daggers, I approach the rock and slide the blade over my palm while trying not to convey my excitement. I squeeze my hand and let the blood drip down onto the wet stone, still fresh with Caspian’s blood.
The prince makes a gesture with his hand. “Welcome to the Trials.”
I did it. So long as I keep my real identity hidden and the bracelet on my wrist, Rizer will never be able to find me. I’ll be the one to find him, once I’m ready. I incline my head and follow Caspian across the courtyard.
“Hey, Caspian,” the prince calls out, “keep your eye on that one. She is less wolf and more fire.”
Caspian chuckles and nods. Before we disappear entirely, I sneak a glance over my shoulder only to find the prince still looking at me with that contagious, sexy smile of his. It promises that if I’m his fire, he just might be my downpour. I’d better watch him… closely.
Chapter 7
Lilith Thornblood
The courtyards of the Demon Hunting Trials are beautiful in a way I never expected Hell to be. Instead of being dead and covered in flames, it is full of green and life. Different plants fill every corner and in rows at the side of rocky stone pathways. The buildings are made of old yellow stone with black metal balconies. There are pillars and archways everywhere I look. This place has the feel of a mixture between Greek and French. Everything is covered in red flowered ivy, curling around the statues of the Crescent Mother we pass. The statues make me feel like I’m back at the academy, where they have statues everywhere. We head around the dim corridors, through pathways, and into one of the tallest buildings that is right at the back of the compound. The building stretches into a branch that goes across the roof, letting ivy and vines trail around the building like they are embracing it.
I follow Caspian through the entrance hall, which is empty except for a single green sofa, and into a corridor full of dozens of doors. Caspian never glances at the doors in his long strides, making it clear he knows his way around. When I don’t owe him my life, I’m going to be nosy and find out what happened last year and how he failed the demon-hunting trials. He must have lived here last year. The corridors are painted deep forest green with intricate patterns of small to large trees, no doubt mimicking the tree outside that Hell itself literally revolves around. The green compliments the dark-wood floors and occasional planted flower pot we pass. Every few feet are chandeliers hanging from the ceiling that look like they’re made of pure glass shaped like diamonds. They couldn’t be genuine diamonds… I think. If the demon hunting goes wrong, I’m stealing one or two of the diamonds from those chandeliers just in case.
Each door has a gold-plated number on it, and I notice right away the numbers are all odd. Why are there no even numbers? We go around the corner, far into the sixties and seventies rooms before we come to a stop at the number seventy-seven.
Funny, seven has always been my lucky number since I was five and tricked seven academy teachers into thinking a racoon had raided their snack cupboard with my ace acting skills.
Caspian opens the door with a set of two gold keys and then slips them both in his pocket.
“Can I have my key?” I ask, staring at his back.
He glances back at me as he pushes the door open. “No.”
“Why the fuck not?”
“I don’t remember you having such a rude mouth when you were in Caeli. Don’t they hate swear words or some shit?” he questions. “I remember the academy teachers telling me off and I only got away with it because I wasn’t from there.”
“Swearing is frowned upon in Caeli,” I explain to him. “I never understood it. Fuck is as good a word as any in the dictionary. Actually, I think it’s an amazing word. It can mean so many things and insult so many people.”
He laughs and shakes his head, waving a hand at the door. “Ladies first.”
“Do I get my own room?” I ask and step over the threshold.
He walks past me and turns on the light and I see that he didn’t have to feel the wall for the
