Chapter One
Lucifer stood silently near a palm tree watching the scene before him. It was beautiful and he was afraid of disturbing it. He could see Lilith standing in the ocean waves with her white cotton cover-up tied up around her thighs in an attempt to keep it from getting wet. Strange to see her so modest. Lili was usually more of a bikini or skinny dipping type. Still, she looked beautiful. Seeing how the waves crashed around her ankles and the way the wind played in her long dark hair stirred the devil's heart in unexpected ways. It had been so long since he had seen her, too long really. It wasn't until a week ago that he had finally learned that she had escaped Hell. In fact she had been free for several years now. There had been evidence of course but he had dismissed it. When he found that he no longer needed to check on her sugar plantation he had simply assumed their son, Velius, had taken over. Once Ella had claimed to have seen her, but he dismissed this too. Ella was too fanciful, too eager and at times it led to mistakes in judgement.
For a moment the devil found himself smiling. Until now he hadn't realized just how much he had missed her or her wise influence. The last time he had seen her was that awful night in the hospital when she was in a coma. He hated that memory. That night he had been forced to make the painful decision to send her back to Hell so she could be whole again. That seemed such a long time ago, not a mere seven or eight mortal years. Right now, all he wanted was to do was hide himself in her arms and cover himself in her long hair. She always had a way of making him feel wanted even when all the rest of the world seemed cold and distant.
He had a thousand things to say right now and yet he also was afraid to speak. He had made far too many mistakes and . . . and, . . . well, there was no reason to think that Lilith would ever allow him back into her life. If she still harbored hurt feelings over his threat to take her power or his jealousy over Michael then he couldn't really blame her. Even the devil's hindsight is 20/20 and looking back he could finally see just how clouded his judgement had been.
He had loved Chloe so much back then . . . he still loved Chloe. She had managed to bring out so many wonderful things in him and make him want to be so much better, so much more. The trouble was that no matter what he did, no matter how he tried he never seemed to be good enough. It wasn't Chloe's fault though and after a lot of soul searching I realized that it wasn't his fault either. They both had needs and expectations but no matter how either of them tried, they just couldn't quite come together. He still loved her though and would hold those memories very close and near his heart.
Right now he just needed to start over, but first he wanted to rest. Dear God he just felt so tired. To sleep for a year would be heaven right now. Looking out at the view before him, Lucifer found himself not wanting to disturb it. Lilith looked so happy and peaceful and he didn't want to change it or ruin it as he had so many other things. It was probably better if he got a hotel room anyway. The silence would do him good and no doubt the alone time would help him meditate. By meditate, of course the devil meant a distraction with a few hula dancers thrown in for good measure. For a moment he started to turn around and leave only to stop as he realized Lili was watching him from where she stood. Her feet slowly sinking into the sand as the waves crashed against her.
"It's been a long time, 'Old Scratch'," she called out.
"Yes it has, Aḻakāṉa." he answered as he slowly approached. "Why didn't you come back to me after you escaped Hell . . . why didn't you at least tell me you were out?"
"I had reasons."
"I needed you . . ."
"You never needed me." Lilith cut him off.
"Yes I did," he insisted, sadly.
"No," Lilith shook her head. "There wasn't room for me. You had your little circle of human pets to keep you company and I . . . well I needed to go my own way." She watched the way he sighed and pinched the bridge his nose in frustration. He looked like a man who had gone through too many battles and did not have the strength for another, at least not right now. "So how did you know I was out of Hell, anyway?" She asked, changing the subject.
"Velius." He explained. "Velius was at the club about a week ago. I asked him why he had stayed away so long and why he stopped communicating with me. He said he was tired of being forced to play the adult because his parents wouldn't. He wants to live his own life away from us for a while. He then informed me that you were here. It seems our son thinks that you and I have a lot to talk about." Hearing this Lilith became a touch uncomfortable. Yes, there were things they need to discuss, but she knew it would only cause a great deal of hurt and anger.
"Well, there is plenty of time for that, 'Old Scratch'." She looked into her old friends face. His skin was pale, his eyes had dark circles around them and his hair was unkempt. He was dressed in one of his expensive suits, but the shirt was untucked and there was a dollop of something white and crusty that she really hoped was simply sour cream or Alfredo sauce. It really wasn't like the Lucifer at all. Normally the devil was fastidious in his look and style. She had seen him take forever choosing a pocket square with just the perfect shade of boysenberry to match his ensemble. "You look tired. When was the last time you slept?"
"It's been about . . . two nights . . . maybe?" He really wasn't sure. He had drank so much over the last twenty-four hours that he might as well have had an IV of Blanton's Single Barrel Bourbon going straight to his veins.
"Come on, let's take you in and get you some rest."
Lili took his arm and led him inside, his eyes looking around at the demoness' home. He had only been here once and that was only after he had been forced to send her back to Hell. Not a lot had changed, but there were differences. A change in the artwork perhaps, fresh lilies on the table. His sharp eyes also noticed a photo in a frame on an end table that Lilith quickly turned over as they passed by it. He really hadn't caught much of the image beyond a glimpse of dark hair. Strange that that his lady friend was so eager to hide it.
The room she led him to looked as though it had come straight from the pages of a decorating magazine showcasing tropical designs. The walls were white as were the bed linens highlighting the simple dark bamboo furniture. The room wasn't used much and Lilith immediately opened a window and turned on the ceiling fan to move the stagnant air. Lucifer sat down on bed and slipped the Rolex from his wrist then set it on the night stand while she momentarily left the room. He took a deep breath of the tropical air and for the first time in a long time he felt like everything was going to be okay.
Lilith smiled at him as she strolled through the room and into the bathroom carrying a couple of towels and setting them on the counter. Lucifers dark eyes watched her as she fussed straightening things in the bathroom. He liked the way loose strands of hair fell into her eyes and the gentle way she swept them back behind her ear. He smiled watching her rise up on her tiptoes to reach a bottle of soap on the top shelf. The devil reached into the inside pocket of his jacket and gripped a hard flat piece of stone that had a leather cord wrapped around it. It was Lilith's necklace. The one he had carved for her and placed around her neck so long ago in Hell.
He wanted to put to return it to its place around her neck, but as she walked towards him, the devil's courage failed. He dropped the necklace leaving it in the pocket and instead took his jacket off and laid it on the foot of the bed then proceeded to kick off his shoes. Lilith walked over and took up his coat then asked if he had brought any bags with him. He had, of course, but they were still in his rental car. She laid his jacket across the chair then pulled the curtains closed, darkening the room so he would be able to sleep.
"Is there anything I can get for you?" she asked, gently pulling back the covers for him. Lucifer caught her by the waist and pulled her to him.
"Stay," he replied softly, before resting his forehead against her belly. Lilith didn't know what her old friend had been through, but she could see that he was broken. She kissed the top of his head and assured him she was there. Feeling his hands begin to slip beneath the cotton cover-up, she instantly tensed up and pulled away. Lucifer could only stare, stunned. She had never acted like that before. "Is everything okay with you, Aḻakāṉa?"
"Y-yes, of course." She assured him, slipping her hand into her pocket. He started to reach for her again, but her hand came out holding what appeared to be a miniature black pearl. She crushed it between her fingers and blew the dust into his face. For a moment he grunted and coughed then his body slumped over and his eyes closed as fell into a deep sleep. Lilith carefully laid him back on the bed and pulled the blankets over him. "I'm sorry 'Old Scratch'. Things will look better when you've caught up on your sleep."
For now Lilith's secrets were safe, or at least she thought they were. There was no way for her to know that she was being spied on from Hell by one of children. Misran sat across from his father Asmodeus looking down into the still silvery surface of a mystical pool. The pool was hidden in a dangerous part of Hell known as the Dovev caves. The dark prince knew the cave was forbidden and was also aware the pool had brought disaster to every demon who has dared to mess with it. His own visits were rare and this was the first time he had ever brought his son to the place. Misran's dark hollow eyes stared at his mother's image in the pool, uncertain of why he had been brought here.
"Haven't I told you that she cares nothing for the Lilim . . . her own children?" Asmodeus argued, pointing at the demoness.
"It proves nothing, Father. You're as suspicious as Mazikeen. She believes everyone will abandon and betray her and you are no different." For a moment the dark prince lashed out shoving his son backward against one of the basalt pillars. His white eyes burning like fire as he caught him by the neck of his uniform.
"You dare to doubt me?" he growled. "Look for yourself." He released his son and pointed to the pool. Softly he spoke a name, a secret name known only to a select few. The only reason Asmodeus knew it was because he had spied on her from the shadows during her last visit. He always spied on Lilith because he knew the demoness kept many secrets and he was always hopeful of gaining leverage against her. "See! There . . . in the reflection!" Misran did look and his saw exactly what his father had been trying to tell him. "This one will be set above you all! Make no mistake about it. Your mother is shrewd and knows what she is doing. Right now you are in command of the Lilim army. If Maze had not betrayed the Lightbringer and fallen out of favor with your mother then she would still be the leader. Your time has finally come, my son, and all of the Lilim look to you." He watched the way Misran beamed with pride at this achievement and the dark prince was glad of it. His first born should be the leader of the Lilim. "You understand though that when this whelp is ready she'll usurp your authority . . . unless you prevent it."
"But I . . ."
"Just bring her to me and I will take care of everything." Asmodeus rose, a dark smile playing on his lips. "No reason for you to get your hands dirty." The old demon walked away confident his son would obey.
Suddenly alone, Misran sat there staring at the pool. He was no fool. He knew the cost of crossing his mother. If he went through with his father' plan and was caught, then he would be most likely handed over to his siblings where mercy is non-existent and there is no limit to pain. He had witnessed what happened to his twin siblings Aliah and Lamia when they attempted a coup. They were now locked away and nothing more than slobbering lunatics forever staring into space. He had also heard what happened to his youngest sibling, Ahriman. He had attempted to destroy Lucifer and Lilith and ended up with his throat sliced open by their mother.
Lilith was woman never to be crossed, but Misran couldn't deny the truth in his father's words. Had he not replaced Mazikeen when she had fallen from grace in their mother's eyes? He supposed that all of this could be a mistake, but he was afraid to take that chance. Above all, Misran was ambitious. He liked the power and title of commander of the Lilim. He liked knowing that he was subject to no one's orders except Lilith's. The thought of being demoted and another being groomed to take his place didn't set well at all. He had worked far too hard to be in the position he was in. This possible usurper was a thorn in his side and wanted to remove it quickly.
Perhaps Asmodeus' plan was better than he initially thought. The only way for Misran to leave Hell was to possess the body of someone recently dead. In that form his mother would never recognize him. Once he kidnapped the competition, he could then wash his hands of everything. If any actual harm was inflicted then it would be the fault of Asmodeus, not him. The idea was starting to have merit. Perhaps he should pay a visit to earth. He could always back out if things got too sketchy . . . or dangerous. The place must have some redeeming quality to keep the Lightbringers interest for so long, or his mothers.
Earth really had become home to the devil and demoness, although they never would have thought so in the beginning. For Lilith it was a fresh start to live as she wanted, any way that she wanted. Over time she had come to find a great deal of peace in this existence and even came to terms with her human emotions. Although there were still times when they overwhelmed her and she felt at a loss as to how to handle them. Her favorite method of doing that was still alcohol, but it had been a while since she had felt that need.
Lucifer, on the other hand, was different. He had found his home among certain humans, mostly Chloe Decker. She had taught him how to feel in ways he had never expected and he had thought that he would never to lose that. The human detective had always had a way of making him want to be better than he was. In return, the fallen angel had opened Chloe's eyes too. He had made her see that the devil was not as evil as the world had made him out to be. Unfortunately it seemed that in the end loving each other was never enough and despite best intentions they just couldn't stop hurting each other.
During the entire drive to the precinct, Chloe kept replaying their last conversation. It was an easy assumption to think that Trixie and her friends had gotten alcohol from Lucifer. Why wouldn't she think that? When she came through the door there were five drunk teenagers and Lucifer holding a freshly opened bottle of Woodford Reserve with an empty bottle at his feet. She didn't find out that Trixie's friend Michael Payne had stolen it from his father's shelf until last night. She still cringed when she remembered their last words to each other.
"Do you honestly think I would ever do that?" Lucifer had asked.
"Of course I do, you're the devil! Temptation is what you do!" This had slipped out of her mouth without her meaning it, but the damage was done. Oh God, that look on his face. She had to fix this, there just had to be a way to fix this. Unfortunately this was not the first time this had happened. In fact, Chloe had lost track of just how many times they had argued and similar things had come out of her mouth. She knew very well that Lucifer would never do anything to hurt her or Trixie and that the man she knew was not the creature portrayed in those books she had read so many years ago. So why couldn't she top herself leaping to that conclusion?
Walking to her desk the detective had hoped to see Lucifer as she always did when she arrived for work, but there was just a desk with files on it. This didn't worry her too much. It was Lucifer after all and he would probably show up fashionably late and with a frivolous reason. At least she hoped he would. With a sigh, she sat down and started to look over the topmost file to remind herself of where they were in the investigation. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a hand reach out and offer her a cup of coffee.
"Lucif . . ." she started to say only to see the ever smiling face of Ella looking back at her. "Sorry, I mean Ella. Morning," Chloe quickly corrected, taking the cup. "Thanks."
"Oh my gosh, did you see Ramin Karimloo on the tonight show last night?" Ella gushed in her usual fashion. "God, the things that man's voice can do to me, mmmmmmm."
"No, no I didn't see it. I had other things, more pressing things, on my mind," the detective explained before taking a drink of coffee and turning her attention back to the files at hand.
"Where's Lucifer, anyway? Shouldn't he be here by now?"
"I-I don't know. I haven't seen him since late Friday," Chloe answered quickly. Ella looked down at her best friend and noticed for the first time just how tired she looked and the dark rings around her eyes showed that she had been crying already this morning.
"Did you two get into it again?"
"I don't want to talk about it," the detective answered. "You don't know what it's like . . . you just don't know . . ."
"You're going to talk to him though right?" Ella waited, but there was no response from her best friend. "Right?"
"I don't know. We'll see." The detective turned to the next page of the file. "Right now I just need to focus on work."
"Okay . . . fine. If you need anything let me know."
Seeing that it might be best not to press any further, the forensic pathologist snuck back to her lab. She hated seeing those two fight and yet it seemed that it happened more often as time went on. Needing a pipette so she could get a sample of some liquid taken from a crime scene she started to rummage through her drawers. As she did her hand ran across an old hospital bracelet. The name on it was 'Lilith Eden' and was dated a number of years back. Ella remembered taking it after Lili had disappeared from the hospital. Security was called in and then the case was handed over to Det. Dries. She had been called in to look for evidence, but there was nothing to be found except this bracelet.
Since her disappearance, Ella had made it a point not to think about her. It had been one of many things that had made her question her faith. How she wished she could talk to her now. Once, two or three years ago, she thought she had seen her outside a restaurant getting into a car. When she called out to her the woman had looked up and it was Lilith's face she had been sure of it. Instead of greeting her or shouting something back, the woman had hastily got into the vehicle and drove away. When Ella had told Lucifer about it he dismissed the incident and assured her that Lili was home.
It really was a pity that Lilith was dead because at times like this Ella couldn't help thinking that Lucifer needed his old friend. It was true that the forensic pathologist dreamed of seeing Chloe and Lucifer ride off into the sunset and obtain that magical happily ever after, but she also remembered how he was with Lilith. The two just seemed to understand each other and they had a long history. In her fanciful heart they had become Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr in An Affair to Remember. Fate had kept the lovers from meeting at Ella's imagined version of the Empire State Building and with Lili's injury and certain death, there was no way fate would ever lead them to meet again. Ella tossed the plastic hospital bracelet back in the drawer and continued her search for a pipette. Softly she started singing to herself:
Our love affair is a wondrous thing
That we'll rejoice in remembering
Our love was born with our first embrace
And a page was torn out of time and space
Our love affair, may it always be
A flame to burn through eternity
So take my hand with a fervent prayer
That we may live and we may share
A love affair to remember