Good evening :)

Chapter 10 finally translated!

Enjoy XD

ALASTOR

The glass debris creaked slightly under Maze's heels as the latter skirted the rugged car of her Master.

She touched the dented body with her fingers before forcefully pressing her fist into it, leaving a gaping hole under the impact. She passed a hand through her long hair, wet with the icy rain, and uttered an angry grunt. There was no trace of Lucifer. Not an odor, nothing. There is no olfactory or visual evidence to guide her in her research.

Mazekeen was distraught at not feeling anything in the air since she had detected Alü's presence. She felt completely naked... and not in the fun way. It was the first time that her powers of demon were lacking. At that very moment, being human seemed all the more as a serious handicap in her eyes. A fatal handicap. She sniffled hard the moist air that surrounded the scattered debris of the car, hoping to find a tiny essence that would guide her in the right direction. She felt a lot of things, but in a much more jerky and ephemeral way. She felt like she was going back thousands of years ago. When Lucifer had created her in the Flames of Hell. It had taken some time to subdue her capricious faculties. It had taken her a few hundred years to become one with them. She had to concentrate more, that's all. Use her powers in a deeper, roundabout way...Her olfactive abilities seemed to be hampered, but it operated at different levels. More complex to invoke.

But the demon wouldn't shrink back to find Lucifer...and Chloe...eventually.

Maze closed her eyes and took a deep breath, focusing on the emanations around her. She no longer heard the rain fall softly on the deserted street, nor the wind sweeping her legs. There was only her breathing. Maze expired slowly, emptying her lungs to the maximum before filling them with air again. Still slowly, she slightly spread the arms of her body, palms upward. The demon gently waved her fingers, as if playing with invisible threads, touching them, sliding her long fingers along their length. Slowly. With a delicacy that had never been suspected. An imperceptible wave of energy shook the ambient air. A kind of deep and soft echo.

Mazekeen brought her hands back to her sides and opened her eyes. Hundred of thousands of multicolore

d threads surrounded her and occupied the entire deserted street. They intertwined, followed each other, prolonged in every direction, forming a complex and magnificent picture. A rainbow of threads. Each thread represented an essence peculiar to each individual who passed through this street. Those of humans were more dull and bland, while others threads had a distinctly colored clarity. A blinding light clarity for celestial beings and a more perforated luminescence for demonic beings.

That of Lucifer was a perfect cross between these two extremes. A solid thread of a brilliant white on which interlaced filaments more dark. Maze looked around, looking for that particular essence. She finally saw the thread of her Master closed to the ground, at the level of what was once the passenger seat. She squatted to its height and frowned. It was Lucifer's essence... but the appearance was quite unusual. The filament was translucent. Low. Maze swallowed hard, her throat tied by anxiety. She couldn't tell if it meant that Lucifer was in a very bad state or whether it was related to the thing that blocked her abilities, hiding her perceptions. Despite its translucent appearance, the thread remained there and seemed to cross the street all the way up to an opposite point. The demon followed its trajectory until she saw a sort of dilapidated warehouse a little further on. The thread went in a straight line inside the building, across the broken wooden door. A body was lying a few centimeters from the entrance, a puddle of carmine blood spread all around him, blood mixing and pinking in contact with the icy rain. It was still fresh, the ferrous and powerful aroma came to titillate the hypersensitive palate of the demon.

The latter sat up gently and waved her fine fingers in front of her. The complex entanglement of filaments immediately dissipated into a volute of translucent and multicolored smoke to disappear then completely, only leaving the rain disturbing the place. Maze staggered for a moment on her legs and held back with one hand to the rugged car behind her. She closed her eyes and breathed slowly, hoping to calm the painful pressure that gripped her sweaty temples. Using this technique was tedious for the body and mind of the demon, at the same pull as a demonic invocation for Lucifer. It wasn't comparable however, an invocation required an enormous amount of demonic energy. But Maze had lived for too long among humans and resorting to this complex process was more exhausting in an environment unreceptive to supernatural emanations. She lacked practice, that's all, and her body reminded her of it.

She released her grip around the body and walked rapidly towards the warehouse. She glanced at the man lying at her feet. His skull was broken and dripped with blood. She detailed the rest of the body. No trace of struggle...A blitz attack. From whom? Lucifer? Decker? Or someone else...But why? Who could be this guy? Why were Lucifer and the detective here in this deserted neighborhood? She looked again at the embedded car a little farther against a wall. They had had an accident, that was certain. The why of it was a completely different story. Ans Maze needed to know more to refine her track. It would save time by eliminating the many possibilities that were jostling in her mind.

Mazikeen stared at the corpse again, disgusted by what she was about to do. She let out a long sigh before squatting near the inexpressive face of the man lying at her feet and soaking her fingers in the carmine liquid. She grimaced with apprehension before bringing her fingers to her lips, testing the ferrous liquid. It wasn't pleasant at all. Tasting the blood of a living being during some carnal activities was something quite... erotic and exciting. But with the dead ones... it was like... licking putrefaction flesh covered with cockroaches teeming and biting every nerve of the demon. She closed her eyes again, her jaw stiffening violently. A wave of "cockroach" energy rose up her throat and exploded in her mind into a multitude of indistinct sensations and images. The last sensations of the dead one...

Fear...

A hunt in the stormy night.

A disturbing rumble coming from the bottom of the warehouse.

A man injured on the ground.

Their target.

Pain...

The misty influx of sensations stopped, leaving the demon panting, on her knees on the wet floor. A thrill of disgust rose up her spine, causing a violent tremor in the rest of her body. Maze remained on her knees for a few moments, regulating her jerky breathing. She hated this... Torture didn't defile her in this way. She grunted, frustrated. She couldn't get anything useful from these foggy visions.

All this for nothing!

Humans weren't a reliable source of information. Too much instable.

She looked at the entrance door of the warehouse. The inside of the place was plunged into darkness. It was from this warehouse that Lucifer invoked Alü, Maze was now convinced. She straightened up and entered with a determined step into the darkness. She saw every detail with incredible clarity. It was inbred for demons.

Except Lucifer.

He wasn't born demon, and was therefore deprived of that innate faculty in each of his creatures. He had to use this power voluntarily. This is what differentiated him from the basic demons. The Devil was a unique being. Neither totally angel nor fully demon. And even less human. A subtle blend of the three. Making him both fearsome and vulnerable. As terrifying as an archangel... as devious as a demon and... as fragile as a human. Unique. Yes... Lucifer was unique.

Maze sincerely hoped he was still alive. She didn't want him to suffer, despite their recent claims. Nothing was more important than Lucifer. Her Master. Her Protector. As well as she was protecting him. They were united. Connected. A deeper connection than anything a human mind could grasp. There was nothing sexual or emotional... it was more complex and more precious than that. Far more. Lucifer was alive... yes, alive. She couldn't doubt about that. She had to concentrate all her strength, all her energy to find him safe and sound. It couldn't be otherwise.

The demon wandered among the muddy puddles and the crates piled up on both sides of the ground, on her guard. Her faculties damaged, she could fall into a trap without realizing it. She put her hands in her pockets, stroking with the thumb the hot and sharp surface of her blades. This gesture reassured her and she continued to advance further into the darkness.

She cautiously smelled the dusty, damp air. Minimal traces of essences fluttered around her and tickled her nostrils. She closed her eyes, smelled deeply, filling her lungs with these scents. Lucifer's spicy and stunning taste momentarily filled her throat and faded away almost immediately. Maze opened her eyes quickly.

She was close. Lucifer's essence was far too strong here to be totally inhibited by this inexplicable blockage. Whoever or whatsoever couldn't destroy the essence of the Devil. No one could. Not completely.

A characteristic breeze briefly caressed the bottom of her back, making her momentarily the trace of Lucifer's scent. Mazikeen pinched her lips and let out a piercing whistle as she rolled her eyes.

" It's just now you show up? ", she exclaimed, turning quickly to the newcomer.

Amenadiel walked slowly a few steps and replied with a nasty look.

Maze stared at him for a moment while absently caressing her blades hidden in her pockets. She still hesitated between gutting the angel or giving him the benefit of the doubt. She had lowered herself to ask him for help, him who had remained silent to only appear one hour later. Amenadiel perceived her reservations and raised his hands in a peaceful sign.

" Using your blades against me would only waste precious time, you know that...", he said calmly.

The demon smiled briefly before taking out one of her blades, which she skillfully twirled between her thin fingers, the blade producing shrill whistles in the moist air. The angel didn't shrink and didn't move an inch. He remained in his place – palms raised – staring at Mazekeen with a serene air.

" Why should I trust you? ", she asked defiantly. " You've already betrayed me once and your mission is to bring Lucifer back to Hell. Helping him would only take you away from that purpose..."

Amenadiel sighed and slowly lowered his hands.

" You fell it too, don't you? ", he asked without preamble.

Maze narrowed her eyes, not directly understanding what he was referring to.

" That blockage...", he replied to her confused look. " This isn't normal, you know it. Neither for you nor for me. I want to find out what it as and...if for that, I have to help Lucifer, then...make it so. See this as a way of redeeming myself to you...A debt to pay..."

She had to admit that this blockage hampered her greatly. Combining her powers with those of an angel could be useful right now. And the idea of asking the payment of a debt to a celestial being was very exciting for the demon. It was an opportunity that couldn't be denied. Maze straightened her chin and stared at Amenadiel a brief moment before advancing towards him from her feline gait.

" Are you suggesting a kind of... truce? ", she asked gently.

" Kind of. ", conceded the angel still motionless in front of her, awaiting her verdict.

Mazekeen put out her blade in her pocket and held out her hand to him. Amenadiel looked at her hand and questioned her with his eyes.

" A pact with a demon is generally signed by a kiss, but still... A handshake will do the trick. ", she explained, giving him a dazzling smile.

The angel remained silent before holding out his hand and squeezing briefly hers. He quickly released his embrace, worried that this simple touch could affect him in somehow. The demon gave him a mocking smile before lowering her hand. The angels were too sensitive, too pure. And they were seriously lacking in humor and spontaneity.

Amenadiel cleared his throat noisily, still embarrassed by this brief touch and looked around him.

" You feel something here? ", he asked her.

" Maybe... it's quite difficult to detect but Lucifer was here. And for you? "

Amenadiel looked around him before answering :

" Possible... I'm not accustomed to this lack of sensations. I'm not sure what I feel, it's rather confusion...rough. "

Maze let out a frustrated sigh before moving further into the warehouse, nearly followed by the black angel. She could hear him walking a reasonable distance behind her, not daring or wanting to approach her. She couldn't help smiling at the precautions taken by the celestial being. Their previous encounter had to disrupt him and he struggled to reconstitute his barriers of impassivity. It was quite fun to watch.

Maze smelled the humid air, following step by step the low essence of Lucifer among the containers and crates scattered on the ground. She preferred to rely on her abilities, hindered but more reliable than those of Amenadiel. She didn't want to take the risk of trusting him. Let him live was already a great altruistic gesture from her. He couldn't ask for more right now.

The fleeting effluvia led them to the bottom of the building where a half-open container and a few boxes piled up against the wall hindered the passage. Impatient, the demon ejected the dusty wooden boxes with a powerful kick. The crates crashed violently against the opposite wall, causing a dozen distraught rats to flee. Maze stopped near the window made opaque by the thick layer of dust and watched the ground as Amenadiel crouched beside a crushed box.

A puddle of blood of a rather large diameter spread over a part of the moist ground. Black blood. Lucifer's blood. Mazekeen could discern weak luminous filaments dancing in the opaque liquid. She swallowed with difficulty, a thick knot clogging her throat. So much blood...Lucifer's condition was critical. He needed her. From her bodyguard. And she wasn't with him as she ought to have been. She had failed to her duty to her Lord and Master.

" It's Lucifer's...", Amenadiel observed, a slight bitterness in his voice.

Mazekeen strove to stay focused on the present moment, setting aside her fears to focus on the angel squatting in front of her. The latter stared intently at the puddle of blood stretched between them.

" How do you know? ", she asked, curious.

" This isn't visible to a demon, but it is as if the liquid was boiling...", he explained, pointing the center of the dark liquid. " This is the characteristic sizzling of Lucifer. "

The demon nodded absently in response to his explanations. It didn't help much. She already knew that it was Lucifer's blood. It was a useful indication of his health condition but not on his present position. Even less about the cause of this persistent blockage. It was a complex act of inhibiting her abilities and Lucifer's demonic presence...the act became much more arduous when an angel's abilities were included in the problem.

Who could do that? And why?

Maze sniffed the air insistently as she slowly walked around the dark liquid spread out at her feet. She perceived something else. An essence closely linked to the Devil's one. An acrid taste titillated her palate and the demon let out a victorious cry that made Amenadiel jump.

" What? "

Mazekeen didn't answer him immediately, deeply breathing the air around her. Yes, that was his essence.

Alü.

" Lucifer invoked a lower demon. That's how I knew he was in trouble. He does the kind of madness only as a last record! I feel Alü's essence in there! ", she said, pointing to the blood spread out on the filthy floor.

Amenadiel gave her a sceptical look, not seeming to understand what this essence implied. The demon sighed loudly before explaining to him in a sharp tone:

" It's a demon trick! I can unite my blood to this one and relive the feelings and sensations of Alü. Doing this with only Lucifer's blood would have been useless. Lucifer is much more powerful than I am, it could kill me. So if his own blood is mixed with the fluids of an inferior demon...Inferior to me...Let's say it makes things easier..."

Her explanations didn't seem to convince the angel in front of her. Maze rolled her eyes in annoyance. She really didn't have time to teach him about demons and fluid exchanges. He should be satisfied with her summary explanation. She gripped her sharp blade with a firm hand and knelt in front of the puddle of blood.

Amenadiel had risen slightly at the sight of the demonic weapon, on his guards and watching her movements. Maze stretched her left hand – palm to the ceiling – closer to the center of the dark liquid. She gently approached her blade from her moist and trembling hand.

" Just...Stay still! ", she ordered to the angel who was about to stop her gesture.

He obeyed and stepped a few steps away, continuing to watch the scene with a lost look. Maze focused on her hand and clenched her teeth. She'll suffer. A lot. But it was a price she was willing to pay to save Lucifer. With a quick gesture, she cut off the flesh of her palm and applied her bloody hand on the center of the liquid at her feet.

A low rumbling sounded from the depths of the ground. A deflagration of harmful energy pierced the mutilated palm of the demon. The latter felt her whole body arch and her head slammed back, her eyes rolling over in her head, only revealing two white and milky orbs. Her mouth opened in a mute cry. Every part of her body was struck by this demonic wave, consuming her nerves, her soul, mixing intimately with it. The rumble grew in power until it turned into a high-pitched sound, causing the window behind her to vibrate forcefully.

She thought she heard Amenadiel screaming her name before losing herself in the blast that assailed her from all sides.

Pain...Pain...Fear...

Chloe...

Save...Chloe...Alü

Men...Lucifer...

Van...

"MAZEKEEN ! ", screamed a deep voice.

She opened her eyes and saw a face – usually impassive – leaning aver hers, anxiety reading on it. Maze moaned before taking her head in her hands. Her fingers encountered a sticky liquid at the level of her ears. She brought them up to her eyes – confused – and stared blankly at the bright red blood staining her fingers. Not paying attention to the angel leaning on her and tirelessly repeating her name, she awkwardly wiped the blood flowing from her ears gently rejected Amenadiel. He stepped away from her and straightened up.

" What was that? ", he asked her, distraught.

Maze got up cautiously and winced as she felt her bruised palm throbbing against her thigh. She snatched a piece of her top to wrap it gently around her hand, biting her lower lip as the tissue stroked too abruptly her wounded skin and stained with demonic energy. A powerful headache hugged her temples and she staggered for a moment on her legs. Amenadiel started a movement towards her but held back at the last second before the evil look of the demon.

" That's what I thought...", she whispered weakly.

" Are you going to tell me or I'll have to guess?! ", angered the angel in front of her.

The demon looked at the puddle of blood. There was nothing left. Just a thick, boiling smoke twirling in the air. She turned her head towards Amenadiel, exhausted and irritated by his hostility.

" I was able to relive the memories of Alü and Lucifer in this warehouse. It was quite confusing...their essences were intimately linked but I could draw useful things from it...", she said, pressing her back against the cold surface on the container.

" Tell me. "

" Men were going after Lucifer. I suppose they are responsible for the car accident. He's seriously injured, that's for sure...I felt it. ", she whispered in a trembling voice.

Amenadiel looked at her strangely and Mazekeen thought she saw in his eyes pity. She straightened up quickly and continued in a firmer voice:

"They took him...This asshole had invoked Alü to protect this human: Decker! He was too weak to fight them...You fool! ", she almost cried as she gave an angry kick in the container behind her. " I saw a van...There was an old inscription on it...LA Gp? "

" A former electricity company. They went bankrupt about fifty years ago after the energy expansion of the rest of the city in the 1950s. "

Maze stared at Amenabiel with a puzzled look. The latter cleared his throat, embarrassed.

" Human History is one of my passions...", he justified, sheepishly.

" You know where this factory is? ", she asked, quickly approaching him, all trace of fatigue dissipated.

Amenadiel nodded and Maze almost ran towards the entrance, the angel on her heels. As she walked through the doorway, he held her by a firm grip, forcing her to stop. She turned to him while grabbing her other blade with her valid hand. What now?! There was no time for this! Amenadiel accentuated his grip around her arm and enjoined her with a simple glance to do nothing against him.

" No rush, Maze! We need a plan...We can't go there and destroy everything with our powers! Think about the consequences..."

" Screw that! ", screamed Maze, nervous and eager to fin her Master as quickly as possible. " Don't you understand?! "

Amenadiel released his grip around her arm, puzzled.

" Those men aren't a problem...It's the person behind all this! The one which inhibit my powers and yours! I felt his presence during the exchange...If I'm right about this...Lucifer is much more in danger than we thought..."

The angel approached her, alert.

" What do you mean? "

" There's only one being in this world able to compete with my powers and Lucifer's...I really hope being wrong about this...", she whispered with a trembling voice.

" Who? ", he interrupted her abruptly.

Mazekeen sighed and watched at the rain water flowed down the sidewalk before responding in a breath :

" A superior demon..."

She stared at the angel.

"Alastor..."

to be continued with..." Help the Devil"

Thanks for reading. Let a review if the story pleased you so far! Bye bye !