Page 84 of Hell Fae Warden

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.