Hell's Throne (The Devil's Assistant Series - 5 ) - Unedited

Chapter 3

"Do you want some tea?"

Lifting my eyes from the stack of papers in my lap, I blinked up at Lucius. His dark hair was still mussed from sleep but his eyes were alert and there was a twinkle in those beautiful blues. I sat up straighter in my chair and stretched. A small dining table had been brought into the throne room and it now served a secondary function as my work desk.

"Sorry, I was miles away." I murmured, tilting my head and accepting the chaste kiss as Lucius lowered his lips to mine in greeting. He lingered for a moment, nuzzling my nose with his before he pulled away.

"Good morning."

"Good morning." I replied, smiling up at him. "And yes, I would love some tea."

Taking the papers from my hands, he set them on the table before stealing another kiss. He was doing it all of the time now. Ever since we had taken that step together into a relationship, he would always find some way to brush his hand against mine, steal kisses or just be near to me. I thought I would find it irritating after spending so much of my life alone but instead I cherished the small gestures. He cared for me – it was what mattered.

"I want you to have dinner with me tonight." Lucius stated as he handing me a steaming cup of tea.

Holding the cup in both hands, I inhaled the comforting scent and sighed. Instantly I felt some of the tension ebb from my body. Sometimes the best remedy for life's troubles was just a steaming cup of strong tea.

"I thought we were having dinner together anyway." I replied finally, peeking over the rim of the cup in time to his lips press together and his nostrils to flare briefly. I snorted into my cup. Taking a noisy slurp of the hot tea, I looked anywhere but that the man before me.

"Yes, but I wanted tonight to just be us." Lucius clarified. "I meant know just you, me, and Danny. You know – family time. None of the riff raff."

Rolling my eyes, I nudged my shoulder into his as he took the seat beside me. "That sounds good to me. I think we need some quiet time."

Lucius wrapped an arm around my shoulder and pulled me closer. Both of us had been on edge since the scene in the throne room but three weeks had passed and still Terran had not made a move. The anticipation was almost worse than actual fighting. It left me restless. There had not been a single night where I had slept the entire night through.

"I'm proud of you, Savannah."

I frowned. "For what?"

"For being you. You've taken all of this responsibility in your stride. I don't think many people could do what you have done." Lucius stated. There was no hint of his smirk. No teasing glints in his eyes. He was serious.

I swallowed to get past the lump which had formed in my throat. "Thank you."

"Now, eat something or I won't give you back the paper. Don't think I missed you skipping lunch yesterday."

I dropped my head and felt my cheeks heat up under his stern gaze. I had become consumed in the affairs of demons ever since the audience had been held. It was fascinating how similar their grievances were to humans. There were squabbles over land, livestock, and house feuds. It appeared that even when humanity began to fade, some traits would forever remain ingrained into their souls.

"I'm sorry. I'll try to take better care of myself."

Lucius kissed my temple and then slid a plate of steaming food before me. Inhaling deeply, I drew in the tantalising aroma of freshly cooked pastries; mini croissants, pain au chocolat, and pain aux raisins beckoned. My hunger gnawed at me as my stomach grumbled loudly. It felt like I hadn't eaten for days but in reality it had only been twelve hours.