My neck tingled from where he’d drunk from me before, my mind immediately producing memories of how it had felt to experience his lips against my skin.
I cleared my throat, forcing the memory away. Because now wasn’t a good time. Especially after Lucifer’s visit… and the warning he’d left behind.
That isn’t all he left for me,I thought, glancing at the book.
Vita.
I wasn’t sure why he’d left it here when he’d warned me not to be tempted by it.
Maybe it’s a test?
I nearly snorted.Well, if that’s the case, then that’s an easy test to pass.
Because I wasn’t going to touch that damn thing ever again. Not just because of Lucifer’s warning, but because of everything else it had done to me. Lost time. Showing me the source.Depicting a potential future I don’t even want to contemplate…
I shoved some eggs into my mouth, forcing myself to focus on food instead of the images that threatened to follow.Nope. Not thinking about it. Ever.
The book and I were done. Finito. Finished.Goodbye.
My hands slightly shook when I took a sip of my orange juice, something Ajax seemed to notice because he murmured, “Lucifer can be intimidating.”
No shit,I thought, clearing my throat. I eyed the espresso machine and set my tray to the side. “I need something stronger than juice.”
Before I could stand, a glass of coffee appeared with whipped cream on top. My eyebrow arched. “What the hell is that?”
“A very strong coffee,” Ajax replied, his gaze twinkling. “Irish style.”
I canted my head and picked it up, curious. “Irish style, huh?” That implied he’d added some whiskey to the mix. “Okay.” I took a sip and groaned at the decadent flavor. “Ohhh, yes. More of this, please.”
Ajax chuckled and two more populated my tray. “Consider it an apology for how I acted last night.”
I glanced at him sideways. “Just last night?”
“To apologize for everything else, I’d need to conjure up a lot more Irish coffees,” he confirmed.
“That’s true,” I agreed, smiling a little at him. This was kind of nice, us having a somewhat normal conversation. So I didn’t bring up theschoolingpart or what it meant, as I didn’t want to disturb the moment.
We ate in silence for a bit, though I mostly focused on the delicious Irish coffee drink. It was probably going to make me drunk, but my supernatural metabolism would fix that quickly enough.
“It’s a good sign that Lucifer let you refer to him informally,” Ajax suddenly said into the quiet. “That’s not common.”
“Yet he told you he hates the formal titles,” I pointed out.
“In certain situations, yes. But as I told him, things feel confusing at the moment. It makes me unsure of how to proceed.” He finished his drink and set it down. “However, I at least know how to bow properly when required.”
I scowled while he chuckled.
“We can make that lesson number one when I’m done with my shower,” Ajax added, causing me to roll my eyes as he cast a spell that made his tray vanish. “Are you finished with that?”
I grumbled something unflattering and took a final bite before nodding. “Thank you,” I told him when the dishes disappeared, but one Irish coffee remained.
“You’re welcome.” He tilted his head with a soft grin. It sent his messy black hair sprawling over his forehead, somehow making him look even more attractive and edgy. “But seriously, we’ll need to work on your curtsy.”
I frowned. “Is that part of being a Hell Fae?”
He shrugged. “It is now, as I’d prefer you don’t almost fall on your face when you see Lucifer again.”
I couldn’t tell if he was being sarcastic or not. There was a devious twinkle in his gaze that left me uncertain.
