"What are you doing Namaah?"
Torothin joined her and sat on a metal container of a building. He had noticed her going into several hell loops, but she had come back to this one twice. He had never entered one as he had been trained to be a warrior.
"Observing and learning. Watch!"
In front of them, a dark-haired human spawn sat opposite to a human male and threw all her hate against him. She wasn't afraid, though, even if in a very disadvantaged position. As the scene developed, the mother of the spawn arrived and shortly after a dark-haired man followed. Torothin believed him to be the father before he realized who he was. With big eyes he exchanged looks with Namaah. They watched the scene until the mother of the spawn ended the life of the trapped soul.
"Do you think she is our lord's spawn?" Torothin had liked her scent and cherished her sweet gift.
"Nah. She is all human, but very different to death souls. I wonder if all humans are as strong willed as she is." Namaah slid down from the container and motioned Torothin to follow her. "This is going to be our secret. No word to the Lilim." She led him to another hell loop. "Our king took me to this one and some others. The sky and the light are always the same."
"You believe he did that for a reason?"
"Obviously. He led me there on purpose and told me to wait inside or outside. The ones I didn't enter are different. This one you saw is different. We are getting trained for a reason. And the human youngster was here for a reason."
"Will we train with living humans? Live with living humans? I learned humans are fragile and weak. The youngster didn't seem so. She was quite similar to us, don't you think?"
"She is trained by Mazikeen of the Lilim." Namaah concluded as if this would explain everything.
"Well, yes, but in that loop, we witnessed, she was too young to be trained and she was fierce in the eye of danger." Torothin sounded impressed.
"I think my purpose is another. The loops I witnessed always had some caretakers and mothers present."
"But you are training to be a warrior. As am I." He lifted the decorative blackish-green scales of his neck.
"True," she agreed. "I haven't figured that out yet."
"Can I speak to you for a moment?" The blond detective sat in sport leggings and T-shirt on the old Persian Ghom in front the warm fireplace and padded the place to her right. Something was up. And not something fun. Although her movements and voice seemed soft, her partner sensed the conversation wouldn't be pleasant and looking in the winter lake eyes he could perceive determination.
"Of course, my darling. Are you going to grill me? I'd prefer if you'd fire me up."
"You have been pretty busy with the nursery," she started casually.
"I have, haven't I? Sorry if I neglected you in any way." Was that everything? He sat beside her, reached for her hand with his long fingers and kissed her palm almost beggingly.
"No, it's not that. I just see how much you are nesting, and I can't put that together with the Lucifer I know." Blue-grey eyes looked deep into his soul, searching for something.
"Why can't I be nesting? I have huge wings, haven't I?" Why was she like that? He frowned.
"Because I am not even sure if I am happy with another child and it scares me that you are, and I am not. You have always said you despise children and now this?!" Her voice got louder.
"Don't you love me?" He looked hurt. "This child is a part of mine, as it is a part of you." The pattern of the rug suddenly was much more interesting than her face and his voice broke. Didn't she understand how rare such an event was? A supernova was a dime a dozen and it still hurt him when it happened. This pregnancy was a miracle. And it only happened because she was a miracle.
"I love you! Never question that. But I am a professional and I am a mother already. I like my work and I had never contemplated to get pregnant again. I am overwhelmed." Chloe sighed and held his hand, knowing it was the only way to keep him on the spot after hearing the tone of his voice.
"You also believed I couldn't be a responsible partner and sexually exclusive. And I am, am I not? You don't need to feel that way. I will take care of it. Of everything!" His eyes searched for hers, looking for an acknowledgment in her face. "Unfortunately I am no sea horse. Imagine me getting fat." He allowed himself a bright smile and she actually curled her lips in response.
"It's not that simple." The tone had become lighter, at last! But she wasn't convinced yet. He could hear it between the lines.
"Oh, but it is, Chloe!" He started massaging the foot she had laid on her leg because of the lotus position she was in. "Leave it to me." He knew how to get things done and he could pay for additional help. There was no problem at all!
"A baby is not a toy." Now the voice was the typical matter of fact she employed at work. Not anxious anymore. Getting there!
Lucifer stopped massaging the foot and reached for her hands again. "I am well aware. Didn't I babysit your daughter once in a while without breaking her? I can train with Charlie. I am a fast learner, you know that. And I solemnly promise I won't let myself go like Charlotte's husband did. No crocs, ever!"
Chloe managed to produce a sincere smile.
"Can we just go a bit slower? I need more time to adjust and to know what I want." Lucifer really seemed eager to take care of the possible child, that was a good thing, but Chloe wanted to feel the joy for herself, and it wasn't there yet. She looked at her belly. There was no sign, no protuberance, anything that indicated she was carrying the Devil's spawn. Why was she so pessimistic? Spawn had a positive connotation when he said it, but when she thought about it, it contained the darkness of every horror movie her mother was in, the frightening illustrations she saw at the Vatican and his scarred body she saw every time he came back from Hell, frightening her to the bones, until she asked him to go shower first.
"Anything you desire, Chloe." He put his right on her belly, and she could sense his warmth and love when he caressed it with little strokes. Maybe she was just paranoid. She still had a month to think about it and he was busy fixing a room and leading a business, and then they had some murder to solve in the meantime.
"Let's go to that law firm tomorrow morning. I could need your help with those guys."
"Anything you wish." Lucifer embraced her from behind, slinging his legs and arms around her, snuggling and resting his head on her shoulder. She finally gave in and relaxed, letting her back rest on his warm body.
Monday morning was one day away from the New Years Eve parties at LUX and probably not many lawyers would be frequenting the firm, but if his beloved consort asked for something he was going to comply. She was wearing the nice black pants suit he had given her some weeks ago and an aquamarine blouse, highlighting her brass colored curls and enhancing her eyes. He was drinking her image like the product of an award-winning distillery. She looked so professional and precious at the same time and he simply couldn't get enough of her. To quench his thirst for her, he put his hand on her back, knowing perfectly well she didn't like expressions of caring or love in front of suspects.
They entered the high-rise building and after a fast security check they were on the way to the twentieth floor. Only two men were riding the same elevator. Middle management checking on the staff, apparently. Lucifer pitied them while they were admiring his consort, his left hand firmly on her back. He didn't even let go of Chloe when they stepped out at the firm's L.A. branch.
The young, Korean looking receptionist stopped chatting over her ear pods when she spotted the tall, sharp dressed man, who smashed his ringed hand on the desk to attain her attention. She smiled brightly.
"How may I help you?" Her cherry red lipstick contrasted with her impeccable, porcelain-like skin.
Chloe pushed her open hair back and plainly stated: "LAPD. We are here to see Mr. Meyers or Mrs. Berkin."
"I am afraid. They are not in. What's it about?"
"Inheritance, testaments." Lucifer Morningstar smiled, leaning seductively at the front desk. "You surely know who could be of assistance in these cases."
"Just a second please." The receptionist flashed her retainers before leaving into the back. Not a minute later she had returned with a grey suited twentysomething, whose brightly colored Hermes tie was obviously fruit of a good deal. "This is Mr. Kowalski. He might be able to assist you."
"Is that so?" Lucifer looked at the lean, fashionable combed, brown-haired lawyer and picked up some sexual interest. "Hello, Mr. Kowalski. I do hope you can help us in more than one way. Lucifer Morningstar, consultant. This is Detective Chloe Decker from the LAPD."
"We are looking into the deaths of several recently passed clients of yours. It is just procedure; we want to rule out any wrongdoing in order to release the bodies." Chloe lied bluntly, handing over a short list of names.
"Please follow me, but I don't have to tell you, that we are not in the position to give out any information regarding the amounts or the beneficiaries." The lawyer led them to a meeting room.
"Oh, but you can surely help us with something." Lucifer's eyes wandered seductively over the entire body and remained a bit too long on the zipper before returning to the hazel eyes and licking his lips while his hands played in the pockets of his black pants.
"Let me see what I can do." The young man disappeared while Chloe stared at Lucifer disapprovingly.
"What?" He shrugged. "It's not like I am going to have sex with him. And you took me with you because you knew it is the only way to get that stuff without a warrant."
Chloe just rolled her eyes and he grinned, pecking her on the lips.
"We are a great team, aren't we Detective?"
"Yes Lucifer, we are." Chloe genuinely smiled.
She enjoyed that spark they had at work. At home he tried to be the exemplary husband, pleasing and protecting her most of the time, but at work he fell into the pattern of behavior she found so alluring and appalling at the same time.
"Let's look for some clues somewhere else."
She stepped out and asked an assistant for the restrooms while he went to look for the lawyer. Unfortunately there were no filing systems near the restrooms. She hoped her husband had more luck. Returning to the meeting room she stumbled into another lawyer, a woman in her mid-fifties, apparently in a senior position.
"Excuse me. Maybe you could help me. My name is Detective Decker from the LAPD. Are you Mrs. Berkin?"
The elegant woman answered somewhat annoyed. "No, and she is not in. Took days off after a client dropped dead and left us to clean the mess."
"Really? Can you tell me more about it? I am actually here because of the body in the morgue."
"He is still at the morgue?" The woman looked surprised and Chloe had to be careful.
"There were some questions from Forensics."
"Yeah, I thought there would be some. Nobody who takes care of himself like Barry Gould would simply die like that."
"Do you have an address of the next of kin? Apparently, there is nobody in the State of California."
"There is none. He left everything to the Humane Society and another organization. Nice guy with a big heart."
"Well, thank you for your help, Ms.?"
"Winter. Anne Winter." She stretched her hand out to Chloe. "If you ever need a lawyer, do not hesitate to call me. I can help you rearranging your prenup if you know what I mean."
"I don't even have a prenup. But thanks anyway."
"Then your very generous husband must love you very much." Ms. Winter pointed to the engagement ring and the wedding band.
"Yes, he does." She smiled at that thought.
"Consider yourself lucky, especially in this city."
Lucifer Morningstar returned to the meeting room shortly afterwards. He had gotten copies of every file they needed from the grey suit and he only had to bite an earlobe and sweettalk a bit. Both left the firm immediately.
xxxxx
"That was somewhat illegal, Detective."
"We were not impersonating anybody, and we didn't show a warrant or said we were working an active case. We didn't even mention a name."
"So Chloe did Lucifer?" He looked at her fondly.
"Yeah, you could call it that way. Team Morningstar." She got into her red Beemer and kissed him fervently when he got on the co-pilot seat.
"Mrs. Morningstar!" He moved over to her and rubbed his stubble on her cheeks, played with her curls and pushed one hand under her cotton blouse, searching for her breast. "I suggest we move to the back seat."
I would just send some encouragement to all you out there. Stay safe and take care! All my best!
