Chapter 4:
Felipe was a bit shocked when he saw Lucifer appear, "You are not going to take him away from me!" Felipe signed angrily.
"I am glad to see that you remember me?" Lucifer smiled charmingly, "But not that is not usually my job but my sister's."
"How did you know that he was dying?" Felipe asked next, "I mean Diego isn't dead yet."
"What do you mean by that Felipe?" Victoria couldn't keep silent anymore, "How would he know that Diego would have died? What are you hiding for me? I thought no more secrets."
Felipe shook his head, "This isn't my story to tell." To be honest he was also afraid of the reaction she would have if she would learn who the creature in the room really was. So he turned towards Lucifer again to hear his answer.
"No Felipe, Diego isn't dead yet and still here I am, don't make me say how I know this." Lucifer sighed, he was pretty soft when it came to the two humans who had sheltered him when he couldn't hide his wings because of the broken wing bone.
"Is he… is he down there? Why would he be down there? Especially since he isn't dead yet." Felipe signed rapidly.
"Yes, he is, I presume that he has no clue, the lovely senorita has figured it out?" Lucifer said as cryptically as possible.
"What are you talking about and how does he know? What in God's name is going on here?" Victoria was starting to get angry and worried now.
"Senorita, leave my Father out of it, will you. He is not here to help, I am." Lucifer said in a serious tone of voice.
Felipe looked from Lucifer to Victoria and back. He couldn't do something other than telling Victoria everything.
"This man isn't human, he is an angel." Felipe signed, trying to break the news about where Diego was as softly as possible.
"I am sorry to break it to you, but I am the devil." Lucifer said, "Technically, I am still an angel, but I don't want to be seen that way."
"Felipe, you don't believe this nonsense are you?" Victoria asked putting her hands on her hips. She didn't believe a word Lucifer said.
"I believe him because I saw his wings," Felipe said determined to let Victoria believe everything he said.
"So Diego is going to heaven, is that what you are saying?" Victoria already had tears in her eyes. If Felipe saw it, it had to be true. The young man would never lie to her about something so important like this.
Lucifer rolled his eyes, "No, senorita, like I said, that is my sister's job, not mine, and I am afraid part of him has crossed over already, I hate to disappoint you, he is not in the Silver City or Heaven like you call it. I don't know what in Dad's name is going on, part of him is in Hell."
Felipe slapped the palm of his hand in front of his eyes, so far the plan to break it easily.
"What do you mean Diego is in Hell? He isn't dead and why would he go to Hell in the first place?" Victoria started to sob. She couldn't handle this.
Felipe turned to Lucifer, "Yes, why is Diego in Hell? Is it because we helped you? Am I going to Hell too?"
Lucifer shook his head, "No, Felipe, don't worry, helping me has nothing to do with it, guilt brings a lot of innocent souls to me."
"Guilt about what?" Felipe signed. He was happy that the devil could read his signs even better than Diego. No matter how fast he signed them, Lucifer understood.
"It has to do with a certain senorita and the fact that in his eyes she doesn't really know about him." Lucifer said honestly, "He thinks she will never love him if she finds out."
"Can't you just heal him?" Felipe suddenly asked, "I mean you told us that your feathers have healing powers."
Lucifer shook his head, "I am afraid this won't do, I need to find a way to heal his soul first. You see that's why I am here, to look at what was going on. Clearly, a piece of his soul is still attached to his body here on earth. That's his luck in this case. I never had a case like this before."
Felipe sat down on the bed before he found the nerves to sign slowly, "But if you can't help him, it's a matter of time before he dies."
"I didn't say I can't, I just don't know how yet, I will do everything in my power to help
him." Lucifer smiled.
"Only for me to lose him again." Victoria sobbed.
Lucifer shook his head, "Don't you worry, lovely senorita, I won't let them take him. If you need me let Felipe pray to me. He knows how he can reach me and trust me I will be listening."
"I will be going now, Felipe, watch out for my friend okay? I will come back as soon as I know what needs to be done." Lucifer sighed, "I will do anything in my power to bring him back to you."
Victoria sighed, "Lucifer, can you give him a letter from me? Is that possible?"
"Of course it's possible. I have time now if you want to write it." Lucifer wasn't used to being this soft or being friendly to a woman without having sex with her. The only reason he hadn't tried something with Victoria was out of respect for Diego.
Even at the beginning of the 1800s, women and men threw themselves at his feet. Everything happened in secret, but it still happened, both Senoritas and Senoras. Humans of all layers of the society, from the richest don in the city of Madrid to the poorest peasant here in this small pueblo, the only thing that could resist him was true love. Something that didn't happen as often as some humans would care to believe.
A bright smile appeared on Victoria's face, "Felipe, do you have some pen and paper?"
Felipe nodded and took off to Diego's desk to get a feather that Diego used for writing, ink, and paper.
Meanwhile, Lucifer looked at Victoria, "You are an exceptional woman, you know that right? You are not only beautiful but what I noticed is that you are smart too and without fear. Diego is lucky to have your love." The devil said charmingly, "Also I don't often find women who can resist my charming self."
Victoria chuckled, "You are not used to that, are you?"
"Usually, they throw themselves at my feet for this perfect body. Only humans who are destined to be with someone will resist my charms." Lucifer smiled charmingly.
"The man I love lays here dying, senor. No other man will ever hold my heart." Victoria said while looking at Diego, "The man I love lays here dying. Dying because of a bullet that was meant for me."
"I know it will be hard to hear, but try not to feel guilty about it." Lucifer said, "You didn't ask him to catch that bullet for you."
"Is that suppose to make me feel better?" Victoria said agitatedly.
"Maybe, maybe not but I don't lie senorita, that's a matter of principle for me. I tell the truth no matter how hard it is. I believe he once told me that you did the same for him once. I saw pieces of that event in his Hell loop too." Lucifer said bluntly.
"So what are you saying that it's my fault that he is Hell?" Victoria growled.
"I didn't say that. It's his guilt. It was his choice not to reveal himself to you so he has to live with the consequences. I just want to make sure that when your time is up on earth you won't go in the same direction as him. I don't want to see you there especially when I am done with Diego." Lucifer said.
Victoria wanted to react but that moment Felipe entered the room with the equipment to write that letter for Diego.
"Thank you, Felipe." Victoria smiled when she took the pen and paper. She took place at a table in Diego's room and started writing the letter.
Lucifer waited for the letter patiently already thinking where he needed to look for this solution. He had read about this myth but didn't know if he had the book in Hell.
"Thank you for doing this I hope you can find something to help him." Victoria handed him the letter.
Lucifer nodded, he took the letter from her, "If you two need anything, just let me know okay?" He placed the letter in the inside pocket of his jacket.
Victoria nodded, "Thank you."
"You are all amazing humans, you know that right. I mean most humans fear me for just being well a bit rebellious." Lucifer said, "Most humans think I am evil."
"Felipe trusts you and that is enough for me to not doubt you," Victoria said with a smile.
"I will come back as soon as I have more news." Lucifer turned around and left the room. He waited until he was well out of sight before he unfurled his wings and flew back to Hell.
The first thing he did was walk to the hell loop with a stone door, a door like the one that opened the cave via Toronado's stable. The only thing that had changed was a door nob. He opened the door and walked inside. He wasn't surprised to see Diego brushing Tempest.
He looked up and smiled a bit when he saw Lucifer entering, "I hope you have some good news for me."
Lucifer sighed, "I have news but I don't know if it's good. Clearly, your soul has split in two. I should be able to bring it back together I just need to find out how to do it. This never happened before."
"So there is hope of me getting out of here? I am sorry Lucifer you have been a great host but I want to go back to my life with Victoria." Diego said.
Lucifer didn't know if he should come clean about what he had learned on earth but then again, the devil never lied, especially to his only friend beside Felipe, "I don't know what is better, Diego. To bring you back or to leave it the way it is."
Diego was confused now, "Why?"
"Clearly you can go to the Silver City if you work over your guilt but I learned something horrific on earth. Your enemy, the alcalde I presume, found out that you are Zorro and has you guarded only to hang you the moment you are fit enough. I am not going to let him do it but the choice is yours. Oh, and I have this letter for you from a certain young lady. This may help you in your decision." Lucifer said with a sad smile.
Diego took the letter from the devil, "from Victoria?"
Lucifer nodded, "I will leave you to it." he turned around and left Diego's cell.
TBC