Chapter 22
"Ugh, this isn't working." Frustrated, Maze kicked at some of the trash littering the ground. Not satisfied, she picked up a rock along the curb and hurled it towards a homeless man who'd begun to cross the street towards them, narrowly missing on purpose. "Better move it along, buddy!" The bum turned back the way he'd come, muttering about 'crazy bitches' and scratching his head.
Eve giggled. "C'mon, Maze, there has to be somewhere we haven't looked yet. If anyone can figure this out, it's you." She perched on the back of the motorcycle, thinking. "We've checked the junkyard, the ghetto, a ton of pawnshops, the projects...even that guy Sal with the one eye. He was kinda sweet, you know? Once you get past the big knife, I mean."
"I've looked everywhere I know humans usually go to get a crappy car," Maze agreed. "How the Hell is stupid Dan outsmarting me?"
"Maybe he wasn't looking for a crappy car."
Maze froze. "Eve, that's it! He's not just on the run." She grinned, and it was feral, and terrifying, and Eve couldn't look away. "He's on the run with a kid. He doesn't want to put Trix in some piece of shit car, he wants something decent. Not too flashy, nothing obvious, but nothing trashy either." She snorted. "Even a cheap hooker wouldn't get in that thing he was driving before."
"So where would he go to get a car like that?" She looks like a panther, stalking around like that. On the hunt, lethal, hot...not hot, Eve.
"Good question." Maze got back on the bike. "He could just steal one, but that's pretty risky. He'd look for somewhere with a plenty of options, but no cameras. Huh." She crossed her arms, frowning.
"It's too bad there aren't car stores. That would make for some fun shoplifting." Eve pulled an apple out of her purse and took a bite.
"There are, but they're almost impossible to steal from. Lot of cameras. I've got it" She snapped her fingers. "A garage, a busy one. Less security than a car dealer, and some of them even sell used cars on the side. You're a genius!" She concluded, and without thinking she laid a hand on either side of Eve's face and pulled her in for a quick, but passionate, kiss. Realizing a moment later what she was doing, Maze broke the kiss off as suddenly as it had started. "I know a few places we can look. Get on," she nodded to the back of the bike.
Mind reeling, Eve fastened her helmet and climbed onto the motorcycle. She paused for a split second before wrapping her arms around Maze's waist, but held on tightly as they sped off into the LA night. I need to focus on helping find Trixie, and then it's back to the daily grind for me. I can't get distracted by these feelings—this is my second chance, and I need to do my best to live a normal life...even though 'normal' is pretty boring. The warmth the demon exuded, the soft slide of the leather she wore against Eve's skin, and the faint tingle that lingered on her lips despite the wind were colluding with one another, a siren song Eve wasn't sure she could ignore for much longer. This is crazy. As soon as this is over, I need to move on—from LA and everyone in it.
"Holy Father, protect us!" the bearded man cried, abandoning his gilded scroll and running backwards as quickly as his sandaled feet would carry him. "It's...it's you! Judgment Day is upon us! The de-"
"Hi, um, could you please, maybe, quiet it down a bit?" Chloe stepped forward, shrugging her wings away to seem less threatening. "It's Peter, right? I'm Chloe. We're looking for Amenadiel. You seem like you know a lot about this place." She tried a smile. "Could you tell me where he is?"
"I...I...the Fallen...you..."
"Yes, yes, I'm not supposed to be here, Father's wrath, blah blah blah... come now, you boring old muppet, haven't you got anything better to say to me? Over seven thousand years to come up with something witty, and all you do is croak and stutter, like a tree frog with a head injury! Honestly," he turned to Chloe, "you people wonder why I'd rather be on Earth."
"Lucifer!" she stage-whispered, grabbing his arm. "We are supposed to be here peacefully. Be nice to the locals!"
"Ugh, fine," he replied petulantly. "Sorry, Peter!" The man didn't respond at all, didn't pause as he scurried away. "There, you happy?"
"Why do I feel like I'm talking to my eleven-year-old right now?" She rolled her eyes as Lucifer stuck his tongue out. "Right. Come on, let's go."
"Amenadiel should be at the Palace, but if he's been up here as long as you say, who knows where he's gotten off to. It's as good a starting point as any, I suppose."
She flew after him, marveling at the cherubs, the shining streets, the billions of happy souls wandering about, carefree in the afterlife. It's so different from Hell. It's beautiful! And this is where Lucifer grew up, she realized. It's even older than Hell is. I wonder if it always looked this way. "Lucifer, uh, I didn't realize that LA was modeled after Heaven."
"Quite the other way round, I'm afraid. Dear old Dad's made a lot of changes since I've been gone, and I assume we have you lot to thank for it. Really, I mean, look at all this!" He waved a hand at the parks, the streets, the shops. "As much as I like Los Angeles, it's hardly the most beautiful place on Earth."
"Hmm." Chloe was quiet for a minute. "So, what would you say is the most beautiful place?"
He scoffed gently. "Normandy, Tuscany, Santorini... Bora-Bora. Ah, here we are," he said unnecessarily as the landed at the base of the Palace stairs and folded his wings away. "Certainly, the cherubs will have alerted everyone that I'm here. Hopefully, Amenadiel will meet us before any of my less-friendly siblings make an appearance." Wordlessly, Chloe took in the enormous Pearly Gates before she reached out and took his hand, and they started up the glowing opal steps.
The climb felt like it took forever, but once they reached the summit Chloe was rewarded with a gorgeous view. Off in the distance she could make out a pristine beach, with crystal-clear aqua water hugging the silvery sand. A few cabanas were scattered between the beach-goers sprawled out on towels, and Chloe's breath came a little faster as she remembered the "dream" encounter with Lucifer. Not the time, and definitely not the place, Decker! Get a grip. Close by was a large outdoor market, where families strolled with baskets and tote bags, and off to the other side but slightly further out was a picturesque golf course, set around an antebellum-style clubhouse. She could just see the edges of a few tennis courts and a huge swimming pool, also well-populated with carefree spirits. Walking to one side of the colonnaded portico, she caught sight of a towering forest, with several different trail heads marked at the entrance. "Say what you want, Lucifer—it's breath-taking."
"I reserve that particular compliment for you, darling." He half-smirked at her before looking around again. "Now, where is that boring brother of mine...?" They both searched the surrounding skies for another moment before Chloe tired of waiting.
"I'll just call him myself," she grumbled, desperate to move on to the next stage of their plan. She could feel the ambiance, the overall calm of the place soaking into her, occasionally making her forget momentarily that her daughter was in danger and her (partner? Boyfriend? Hi, I'm Chloe, and this is my boyfriend, the actual Devil. Right.)-her whatever needed her help to escape an unjustified jail sentence. She shut her eyes and focused. OK, Amenadiel, we're here, in Heaven, and we need your help. Where are you?
"Chloe." Amenadiel landed beside her with a quiet swish. "I was already on my way, but I didn't realize Lucifer was here. It's all over town—we need to get inside, quickly. Chamuel and Gabriel will meet us. Raphael should be finished with his duties shortly; he will join us when he can." The trio proceeded through the massive carved alabaster doors and into a large, domed indoor courtyard. "Brother, your wings?" Chloe realized that Amenadiel had never tucked his away; they weren't spread fully but remained out, the sunlight reflecting off the polished ebony of his feathers. Lucifer groaned, then popped his own snow-white wings out, holding them close as Amenadiel did.
"Bloody hate this place," he muttered, intending it under his breath, but still loudly enough that Chloe heard.
"Chloe, this is the Palace of the Angels. Our Father resides, and rules from, here. We are his children, and while within this building we all must appear exactly as He created us. Please, make sure your wings are visible. Now, I've brought both of you robes," he continued, pulling a folded stack of fabric out of a small rucksack that hung from his belt. "Put them on, and hand me your shoes."
Chloe pulled the soft, pale gold garment over her head, cinching it with the rope found at the waist. As she bent to pull her boots off, she noticed Lucifer wasn't moving. "Lucifer, hurry up."
"I am not putting that on."
"Brother, you know the rules!"
"If you insist, I will remove my shoes, although if they aren't returned to me in the same condition they are now, there will be Hell to pay." For emphasis, he allowed a brief glimmer of red to flash across his eyes. "But I am not, I repeat not, going to wear a dress to visit my Father for the first time after he kicked me out seven thousand-some-odd years ago."
Amenadiel and Chloe rolled their eyes in tandem. "Lucifer, why are you being such a drama queen? This is our best shot to get you out of Hell, and you're acting like a spoiled child."
Lucifer snorted. "Easy for you to say, you haven't spent literally millennia wondering if this meeting would ever even happen, let alone how it would go."
"Yeah, sure, but I have spent literally ten minutes in Heaven waiting for you to get over yourself so that we can all go save your ass as well as my kid's! So ex-cuse me if your ego isn't all that important to me right now, because at least one of us needs to stay focused on getting Trixie back!"
"So my feelings on the subject don't matter at all, is that what you're saying? Seems like you really do belong here after all!"
By this point, the two were practically toe-to-toe. Thin wisps of smoke were actually trailing from Lucifer's ears, but if looks could kill he'd be building his own Hell loop right this minute thanks to Chloe. Amenadiel exhaled gratefully as he noticed Chamuel and Gabriel making their way across the courtyard. "Thank You, Father," he whispered. "Would you two please stop? Our reinforcements are here."
Chloe backed off first, handing Amenadiel her shoes to tuck away in his bag and arranging her wings appropriately. "Hello," she said nervously, taking stock of the two angels before her.
"Chloe, it is wonderful to meet you," the Native American said smoothly. "I am Chamuel, and this is my brother Gabriel." He stepped back after briefly taking her hand, to allow the average-height redhead to properly introduce himself.
"So you'll be Chloe Jane Decker, then." Gabriel spoke with more than a hint of a Scottish accent as he frankly appraised her from head to toe. "Hmm, bonnie enough, I suppose. Samael, I must say I expected a bit more from the girl who won your heart, but it doesna matter now. Get yer robe on, now, and we'll be off."
"It's Lucifer, actually, and I've no intention of wearing any such costume—but thank you, Gabriel. Manners the same as ever, I see."
"And yer still the same clod-heid, so it's nice to know some things never change." Gabriel crossed his arms, his white-and-silver wings twitching impatiently.
"Luci, why don't you just remain here for now." Amenadiel verified this was a good idea by surreptitiously making eye contact with the other three, and plowed on when it seemed they all agreed. "We will request an audience with Father, and we can send for you when He's ready."
"Fine, delightful. Think the old man would mind if I stepped outside to have a smoke?" Not waiting for an answer, Lucifer stalked back out to the portico.
Shaking his head, Gabriel turned his attention back to Amenadiel. "Aye, s'going well so far, brother."
"He is nervous, worried," Chamuel nodded after the fallen angel. "This causes him to feel out-of-control, so he is holding on to the things he does have power over. We will help him return to his center."
Chloe contemplated this internally as she finally focused on the space around them. Silvery waterfalls cascaded down the polished marble walls, ending in clear jade-lined pools that artfully connected to form a gentle river around the perimeter of the room. Large white koi swam slowly through the moat, which was surrounded by lush green ferns and beautiful flowers of all kinds; their fragrances combined into a sweet, subtle perfume. The clear dome several stories above filtered the sunlight, where it was broken into thousands of tiny rainbows as it reflected off the water. A faint, chiming music permeated the air, a peaceful counternote to the sound of the water. More of the glittering silver sand Chloe had seen earlier surrounded the plants and the watercourse, and several large, flat-topped boulders were scattered in groups throughout. A few were being used as seating off in the far corner. Wow. Lucifer's spent all this time—a lot of time, actually—as a king. Sure, he hates it, but by now he's used to being feared, respected, even worshiped. Even though it's not who he wants to be, the Devil is a really important figure in history, and I'm, or I guess we're, asking him to just walk away from it all. He's right, I haven't really stopped to ask him his feelings. I'm an ass. "Amenadiel, I'll be right back." She took a breath and speed-walked (Somehow, running feels wrong) outside.
Lucifer stood in three-quarters profile, rolling an unlit cigarette between his fingers. He must have noticed her approach, quiet as it was. "Ignorant fools, the lot of them." He put the cigarette away and pulled his pentecostal coin from his suit pocket instead. Chloe stood beside him and watched him flip it between his fingers for a few seconds before speaking.
"Lucifer, I'm sorry. I never...I don't think anyone has asked your opinion, on what you want. I know you say LA is your home, and you don't want to be stuck in Hell anymore, but do you really want to give up being, you know, the Devil? It's been part of your identity for a long time, even if you don't really like it, and...I'm rambling, aren't I?" She sighed. "Look, I'm just gonna try to ask your Dad for help with Trixie—I won't even bring you into it. I should have thought this through better, and that's entirely my fault. I'm just so worried about Trixie, and..." She took a breath to ward off tears. "And I was just trying to solve all the problems at once, because it helps to distract me from what I'm feeling, which is sad and scared, and worried, and nervous to meet your Dad, and so, so angry." Chloe wrapped her arms around herself, trying to keep it together.
"We're going to find her." Lucifer had put the coin away and pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her from behind and resting his chin atop her head. She leaned back into the embrace, taking the strength he offered, shoring herself up for the coming audience. "As for the rest, well, I'm not really sure myself. Certainly I don't want to stay in Hell, but you're probably correct in that not being the actual Devil anymore would cause me a bit of an identity crisis. Not sure even Dr. Linda will be able to fix that one." She felt the half-smile, the pressure of his lips against her hair. "No, I'm fairly certain I want to give it up, move on with my eternal life already. I just hate doing it on someone else's terms."
She laughed. "There's the Lucifer I know and love." She turned, looked up at him. "I have to go, they're waiting." She kissed him then, lingering a bit. "But I'm here for you, whatever you decide." With that, Chloe walked quickly back into the Palace, to where three angels awaited her for a meeting with God Himself.