Coming of the Seraph

Chapter 3

"Spare me, Lucifer." Azreal finally snapped, silver eyes narrowed at her companion; he'd finished surmising Alexiel's war against Heaven and had wasted no time in issuing commands to her. Lucifer emphasized her behavior, ordered her to remain silent unless spoken to, and he warned her to remain obedient to him; at least in the presence of the Inorganic Angel. He could deal with her stubbornness in private, but for now Rosiel had to believe that they were in complete agreement.

"This isn't the first time I've dealt with men of rank." Azreal growled, and brushed back strands of dark blue behind her ear. Lucifer narrowed his eyes, it was that sarcastic tone that would ruin their deception.

"Azreal." He closed the space between them with a few quick steps and his gray eyes pierced hers, she scowled in return. "For the time being, you will obey me. I won't have you ruining the one chance we have." Lucifer's chafe tone was warning enough and Azreal nodded, her lips tightened into a line as silence eclipsed the fallen angels.

"You still haven't explained how you came under Rosiel's control." Azreal broke the silence, making a small circle around him; silver eyes flared with curiosity as she watched the back of his shoulders square sharply. Overhead a large airship sank through the clouds, they watched it land with disdain for the Inorganic Angel.

"That story is too long, and even if we had the time... I don't think you'd understand." Lucifer replied, his eyes lingered on the woman. "We'll have to save that for later." He smirked in the way she hated most and Azreal looked away. The airship picked up waves of dust and it took minutes for the particles to settle after the roaring engines died. The woman's eyes narrowed as the Inorganic Angel emerged from the hatch.

"What's happened to him?" She hissed as Rosiel approached, his long pale hair swayed weightlessly in the breeze and a he looked childishly delighted. As he neared, Azreal realized that he was physically younger, by at least a decade. Lucifer remained silent, that was another story that would have to wait. Rosiel paraded closer, his smile stretched into a grin as his eyes darted between his new pets. A few steps behind him a young man in a Cherub blue uniform had his eyes in a stare so cold it turned his expression into ice.

"That took longer than it should have Lucifer." Rosiel's voice had grown strangely feminine, nothing like his old self. Lucifer snaked a hand behind Azreal's back and presented her to the Inorganic Angel.

"She was sleeping." His warm hand settled on the small of her back and she felt his fingers scrape the boning in her corset; it was an unneeded warning.

"Katan, did you hear that?" The Angel of Death was taking a nap as Creation spiraled out of control!" The smile on Rosiel's face grew wider as the old pseudonym resurfaced; sickening the Cherub and the fallen Seraph.

"You remember Rosiel-sama." Hell's king abhorred wasting such a title on the insane angel, but for now it was a mandatory annoyance. "Greet him." Without his signal the woman complied. She tipped forward in a show of dishonest respect and as she stood Rosiel's thin fingers reached out, his long manicured fingers slide down her cheek with feverish warmth. Brilliant gold eyes scrutinized the woman, and he confirmed that this was the one he'd been hoping for.

"Rosiel-sama." Katan was already unhappy that his master had resurrected the Demon Lord, and despite all his secret wishes and expectations Lucifer had proven to be frighteningly obedient. But even the Cherub found himself questioning Rosiel's intentions by the demanding the presence of Azreal. "We should leave now, the White Mansion will take several hours to arrive to if we plan to remain unnoticed." Rosiel released the woman with a laugh, his hesitant lavender shirt whirled around him like a dress and he turned to lead the forsaken angels to the merkaba.

"I can only imagine that you are both aching for blood. There isn't much time, come on then."

Rosiel's merkaba was large enough that it allowed Azreal to find an empty room to dwell on the story Lucifer had shared in the hours they had waited for Rosiel's arrival. The Organic Angel had fled Paradise and launched a war against God; siding with the Evil's of the highest plane of Hell. It was no surprise that she had lost, but the punishment they had inflicted on her had been cruel in every sense of the word. Azreal's fingers unconsciously found the scarred flesh on her chest, she traced the inverted cross with a shudder.

"How utterly foolish of them both." Azreal whispered bitterly and considered that Alexiel's latest reincarnation was fighting his way through Heaven for his sister... his lover. Lucifer had prattled on about what a warrior Alexiel had become and Azreal wondered if the Messiah shared her talent. She tangled the thoughts in her head as she watched the slums pass far below. They seemed in an even worse state than she remembered, the already shabby buildings looked like they'd been ripped to pieces, faint shapes of angelic bodies lost in the rubble.

Its so muuuuch easier... The wicked voice that intruded on Azreal's musings was revoltingly familiar, it was her own voice drenched in the madness that had taken her eons ago.

If you just kill them... they are so weak... Azreal shrieked as she pressed her hands over her ears, she had suppressed it since her awakening and wanted nothing more to do with it. She slid to the floor, cradling her head in her hands, and gasping for air as the whispers continued.

"Azreal." The former angel jerked her head towards her name, recognizing his voice. She met his gaze and shook at the sight of him; those gray eyes pulled her through centuries of memories.

"Azreal." Lucifer repeated firmly, he frowned at the sight before him. He'd assumed that she no longer suffered her madness, but those frightened silver eyes told him otherwise.

"What...?" Azreal whimpered. She stared at the white ceiling and focused on her control of the voices fighting for dominance in her head. Azreal stood and kept her eyes averted, she'd lost the nerve to answer the questions she expected to follow.

"I have something for you." Lucifer took a cautious step forward, bringing the long shrouded sword in his hands to her attention. Azreal froze as her eyes fell to the sword, her sword and she felt a bolt of unworthiness in the presence of Tenkahane again. She lurched forward, the distance between herself and her blade closed in an instant. Lucifer kept his grip firmly on the ancient sword, he wasn't just going to allow her to take it.

"Give me my sword." Azreal sneered in a soft even tone, and it was far more threatening than a fit of hysteria.

"I want to hear the circumstances of your fall from grace. Tell me and the sword is yours." Lucifer studied the hateful glare that flashed across her silver eyes, they were perfectly merciless.

"Why?" Azreal thrust the sword back into his chest, stalking back to the window.

"Because you, God's Angel of Wisdom should have been the last person to have fallen." Hell's king admitted. "How could someone as righteous as you betray our brethren?"

"Don't you speak to me about righteousness Lucifer!" Azreal took back the space she'd put between them, her finger pressed sharply into his sternum. "You're fall-"

"I want to hear about your rebellion Azreal." Lucifer took her hand, which she immediately snatched away

"It wasn't a rebellion. But I'm sure the official records call it one. I... I just wanted it to stop." Azreal said defeated, she briefly shut her eyes as the nausea settled down. Lucifer felt the question rise in his mind, but knew she would refuse to answer him.

"So many died... Even on the day of the trial there was no clear number. Michael ordered at least a full battalion to its death that day and that isn't counting the civilians that were on campus at the time. Finally he stopped it himself, and Raphael was there for good measure." The woman sighed, condensing the events of that single day was impossible.

"They rushed the trial through the system, the public was so eager to see me on the stand. They had after all, spent a very long time trying to put together a case that wasn't guilt by association."

"What do you mean?" Lucifer arched a brow in honest curiosity.

"The repercussions of your war... no of your rebellion were far worse than anyone could have imagined. I don't even think you knew what would happen..." She straightened suddenly and met his gaze. "If you ignore all of the casualties, the only that happened was that seven high ranking angels turned traitor and worst of all... we lost the Morningstar. And that sent the ranks into a state of paranoia, and that madness began the Inquisition. Mercilessly every single angel regardless of rank underwent an investigation to determine their loyalty to God. Can you even imagine...? There weren't many of us in the higher seats that could satisfy them." She stared at him for several minutes, her expression furious.

"And at the top of their suspect list, anyone left to succeed an office from a rebel angel..."

"So you did take up the 1st chair?" Lucifer crossed his arms, pepper gray eyes focused on her with a small smirk.

"NO!" The woman screamed. "But that didn't matter, I was your 2nd and that was enough to make me a collaborator. After my capture I was painted as a spy for the Rebel Army; and they gave me that horrible name. I was guilty before the trial even started." Azreal's hand went to her chest, memories brought the fire alive again. She turned back to the window, and pressed her forehead against the cool glass. Silver eyes scanned the ground as the cloud cover broke and far below amongst cracked earth and countless bodies sat an unmistakable patch of fiery red hair.

"Its...Michael." Azreal gasped, beckoning Lucifer to the window. A cold frown danced across his face as his gloved hand pressed against the glass; an instant too late it was slapped away.

You didn't!" She screamed, but she already knew that he had sent his twin an open invitation with his own astral signature

"If Michael-"

"He won't." The Devil interjected, a pleased smile set in his features. He lifted Tenkahane back into his hands and gingerly offered it back to its rightful owner. She took it and tore the old canvas off, she smiled at the reflective surface of the silver sword tinged a pale and faded green with the ether that it had been tempered from. The light overhead followed the hard straight edges of the long sword. It was nearly as tall as her shoulders and far heavier because of the ether, the densest and strongest metal next to Angel Crystal. She gripped the hilt, and swung the blade with ease that made it whistle as it sliced the air.

"You're surprisingly agreeable since waking up." Lucifer returned an hour later, now clad in light black armor; he carried several pieces of the same for his companion.

"I was almost worried that after our last meeting, all those years ago- that your would have put that sword through my head." Lucifer muttered darkly as he worked a black strap around her neck, it had two bars of brushed steel that molded comfortably to her neck; it matched his and Azreal knew they had been Rosiel's idea of collars for his new pets.

"I don't need too win a battle you already lost." She bristled as he lightly took her arm to his shoulder. His hands strapped a shiny obsidian spaulder across her left shoulder; and he lingered on the leather below her bust. "You asked for my help, and I am helping." Her eyes fell to his bare right shoulder; the black cross tattoo served as another mark of Rosiel's ownership.

"I always could depend on you." Lucifer sighed, and he suddenly pushed her back to the nearest wall; too fast to allow her the chance to react. "But I know you better than that Azreal. There is nothing but selfish ambition driving you, as it always has." She was trapped beneath him against the wall, his hands firmly at her waist. His thumbs rolled over her hips and under the thin material of her shorts he could feel the sharp bones of her pelvis.

"You think you're the only one who wants our Creator dead? I'm here because our goals are the same. Because He destroyed the greatness we achieved." Azreal responded with a silver glare and Lucifer absorbed it with a satisfied sigh.

"You involved me this time, and I am willing you help you..." The woman shifted her gaze downward. "Unlike back then. When you left me...out of everything."

The loud knock was a startling intrusion to the 2nd Seraph's peaceful evening, and a glance at the faceless wall clock told her it was too late for guests. Azrael stood and tied down the champagne colored silk robe as she made her way to the door. She was greeted by a nearly unconscious Morningstar, and Lucifel collapsed into her arms; silently elated that he had managed to reach her in his condition.

"What are you doing?" Azrael pleaded as his weight bore on her and she struggled to prop up her taller comrade. She led her commanding officer to a nearby couch, an abnormal warmth spread over her shoulder and as she seated him she saw and smelled the heavy iron blood.

"You're bleeding?!" She exclaimed loudly as Lucifel's head tipped back onto the head of the couch. She ordered him to stay put as she disappeared into another room of her spacious apartment.

That bitch... The Great Seraph growled as he recalled his encounter with the teenage Organic Angel. The rumors that circulated made Alexiel out to be a cold and empty thing, but the complete opposite was true. For the first time in centuries Lucifel had found himself completely baffled, not only had she managed to wrestle away his saber and overcome the pain of breaking her knee; she had almost landed a deadly blow against him. She was indeed a woman worth tainting, but now he wasn't sure if that would be enough. She was gorgeous...and Lucifel pictured her naked form, gripping the gilded sword that God Himself had presented to His Morningstar. ...mine...

"How did this happen?" Azrael returned with a medical kit, and seated herself across from him on the wooden coffee table. He replied with silence and through his open eye he watched his lieutenant struggle with frustration. He looked around the apartment he had never been in, it was sparse and decorated primarily for functionality. White walls, grey wood, and eggshell colored furnishings, the only color came from a glass vase that housed a dozen blue roses.

"I don't think I can do this Lucifel." Only in public did either of them bother with honorifics; they'd gone through the same grueling process of becoming Seraph together, they were well beyond formalities. "You should have Belial-sama look at it, or any other trained Virtue. What about Bal-san?"

"Azrael. Please." The woman blinked; please? It was the closest to begging she could ever remember him coming to. Azrael sighed and worked in silence to disinfect and carefully rub a salve that stopped the bleeding, she avoided his gaze as she taped down the final piece of gauze.

"I suppose that's it. Stopping the bleeding was the hardest part." She wiped her hands mostly clean on a rag, ignoring the bloodstains on her white camisole.

"Will you tell me who did this to you now?" The woman frowned at his silence, and rubbed at her temples; she tried to meet his eyes to make him understand how important it was that this crime not go unpunished. But she realized as she spoke that his eyes where staring at her hair. She had- since joining the academy, worn it in a tight bun that left her long fringe free. But now it was loose and he could see every cobalt strand of collarbone length hair illuminated by the overhead light.

"Fine. Its late-"

"I'm done Azrael." Lucifel interrupted, one cold eye fixed firmly on her reaction. Azrael raised a brow and waited for an explanation that he wasn't going to give.

"Done with what?" His subordinate finally sighed, she was accustomed to the mysterious way he chose to speak sometimes; but there was something hiding behind that somber tone that was hard to pin down. She was only certain that it was bothering him and that it was feeling far too foreign for him to express.

"Are you happy? With what the Creator has given you? Lucifel leaned forward, and felt the heady rush of blood loss as it blurred his vision.

"I have nothing to be unhappy about. I sit in the 2nd chair of the Seraph phylum and we're the first to ever hold office in this rank." Azrael replied, she ignored the fact that she owed her rank to him otherwise her gender would have put her in the lower seats beside the handful of other women who'd earned the title of Seraph.

"But you abandoned the role God gave you in exchange for all those things." Lucifel reminded her, and he regretted his word choice instantly.

"I didn't abandon the Council! I have simply taken a leave to serve beneath you. I will return when you no longer need me." The Angel of Wisdom crossed her arms, it was ridiculous that Ezekiel had the freedom to pursue his career without upsetting anyone.

"And if I wanted you forever?" The Morningstar watched the woman struggle with herself, uncertain if she was upset.

"Don't." She settled with a frown. "But you never answered my question. What are you done with?" Lucifel seemed to be enjoying himself, one eye darted back and forth between her features. But, for once he didn't look past or through her, he took in every detail the woman he saw more often than his own twin. The deep ocean blue color of her hair was a heavy contrast to her pale silver eyes, but one could almost miss the gentle shimmer behind thick eyelashes and narrow eyes. They weren't angry, but they had grown out of girlish wideness; she had been trained to see, to hunt, to kill.

I never noticed... The Great Seraph found himself thinking that more and more as he passed over her other features. Pale coral lips, high cheek bones, and a narrow heart-shaped face cast from cool porcelain.

"Lucifel..." Azrael whispered after minutes of silence, he finally met her gaze and she saw it beneath his icy gray eyes; he was unsettled and burning alive in the wake of something he could not understand.

"I'm tired of this facade. There will not be peace forever." Lucifel rose from the couch, followed closely by his 2nd.

"What do you mean?" Azrael understood the ominous statement, but whatever intentions he had with those words were unclear. The feeling that he was planning something behind her back washed over her. He didn't respond, choosing to see himself out.

"Tomorrow then Azrael." Lucifel nodded before shutting the door behind him, she was unsure how long she'd stood staring at the door, but the blood had dried and started flaking. She cleaned off beneath the shower in a daze and when the water finally turned cold she went to bed.