“With the ballsacks?” I chuckled, cocking a brow at him. “There were some leftover decorations I dragged here from Earth, weren’t there? Will we use those?”
He shook his head slowly. “Only if you want to. I had the staff make some baubles I think you’ll enjoy more.”
He’d even thought of custom ornaments? Fuck, I loved this demon.
“What kind of baubles?” My heart fluttered at the thought of beautiful goth ornaments trimming my new undead tree.
“Only the best for my queen.” He snapped his fingers, and I jumped when the throne room doors clanged open.
Three servants, two skeletal souls and a green-skinned demon, swept in, carrying sleek gray boxes with pristine black bows, just like the gift Belial had given me. They approached and bowed, setting the boxes on the floor at my feet.
“Your Highness,” one of them mumbled in acknowledgement. “We hope these are to your liking.”
“I’m sure they will be,” I assured them before they retreated, and my eyes lasered on the gifts. My heart raced in my chest, and I sank to my knees, feeling like a kid again on Christmas.
My hands trembled as I tugged at the bows and slowly unveiled what waited for me inside.
The contents took my breath away.
There were bone-colored candlesticks, crystal plums, and tiny glittering gondolas like the ones the ferrymen used to travel to the lower levels of Hell. In the second, there were several yards of glittering black twine adorned with hundreds of teeth—from incisors to molars, all with the roots still attached. And in the last box, there was a mountain of black and silver ornaments that reminded me of the vintage ones my grandma had on her tree when I was little.
It wasn’t until I opened all the boxes that Belial made his box of ballsack ornaments reappear, adding it to the collection.
“These are beautiful!” I gushed, practically vibrating.
“Would you like my help?” my mate asked, appearing delighted himself. It seemed the holiday spirit was infecting even king scrooge himself.
“Of course.” I flashed him a bubbly grin, and handed him one of the miniature gondolas. “How else am I going to reach those high ass branches?”
We trimmed the tree in mostly silence, with me humming various Christmas carols while we worked. We strung up the teeth and hung all the gondolas. Each candlestick came with a silver holder that we fastened to the branches. Once they were all hung, a simple flick of Belial’s wrist lit them all with brilliant blue flames that stretched to every corner of the throne room.
We were nearly finished, with only a few ornaments left to hang, when I froze in my steps. The secret I’d been keeping from Belial rushed to the front of my mind, and I was overcome with the urge to share it.
We were alone. No servants, and it was too early for guests to start arriving. When would I have a more perfect time?
“What is that smile for?” Belial asked, and I realized my face had given me away.
I might as well tell him now.
“You’ve given me so many gifts to make this Christmas truly special.” I placed one of the shriveled testicles of my enemy on a branch and turned to face him. “Would it surprise you if I said I had a gift for you too?”
“A gift?” From his tone, he hadn’t expected one. “You’re the only gift I need, my treasure.”
“I don’t know, I think you’ll like this one.” I rocked back and forth, running through the words I’d been planning for weeks. I’d practiced the conversation with myself countless times, but going through with it in person was more nerve-racking than I’d imagined. Forget butterflies in my stomach. I had a whole hive of hornets pricking my insides. “It’s definitely something unexpected.”
“Unexpected,” he repeated, his head canting, his gorgeous hair spilling over his eyes as his bells gave a merry little jingle. “Okay, I’ll bite. What is it?”
“A new title.”
At this, his brows drew together. He had no idea what I was talking about. Good. I’d done an excellent job at keeping my secret safe from him.
I walked over slowly, planted myself in front of him and took both his hands in mine, giving them a squeeze.
“Lord of Bones, King of Death, Ruler of the Hells… What else could I possibly give to a demon lord who has everything?” I asked, only pausing for a beat. “Except for a new title.”
His gorgeous quicksilver eyes flickered. “A new title? What in the world are you talking about?”
My nerves shot up in a swell, threatening to drown me, but I swallowed them down.
