Sophia's Chronicles
Chapter 20: The Followers
Ol dooain mirc periazoda de iadnahmad
The whispers cut through the distance like lightning. It was said again.
Ol dooain mirc periazoda de iadnahmad
It certainly caught my attention. In the dead of the night, I flew towards the call. The sky was clear, allowing the waning moonlight to cast her sparse rays onto the cornfield. Within the barriers of tall crops, a table had been set up with chairs and candles. At the head of the table, the angel waited with a bowl of ingredients for the summoning. I appeared before him, only to find more of them seated around the table. They had been waiting for me. Feelings of unresolved conflict returned to me.
"Raziel," I addressed the one doing the summoning. "It's been a long time."
"You came." He stood there, dazed, before regaining his composure and gesturing for me to take an empty seat at the other end of the table. At least things weren't overtly hostile yet. I was grateful for that much. "It's been a while since we all congregated in the same place."
"Truly," I agreed. I knew these angels. Closely. All of them bore vessels whose appearances didn't deviate from what I'd known of their personalities. Raziel, the leader, was dressed impeccably in a copper coat and black suit underneath, had stark black hair, wise eyes and a van Dyke beard. I looked around the table, recognising Rahab, Dinah, Pahaliah and Shemsiel – the members of Nalkam, a small group of angels I'd picked out myself as apprentices. I trained them in the scholarly, prophetic and magical pursuits. In a way, they were the only remaining piece of me in Heaven – Seekers of Truth.
"Well, it's not all of us," Dinah spoke up. Her vessel was a young woman dressed in ripped denim bottoms and a leather vest with spikes on it. A choice fashion, for sure, but that was to say nothing of her hair – a Mohawk with pink highlights. Several piercings also punctuated her face and reflected a litter of lights while she nonchalantly chewed gum. "But we'll just have to settle."
I felt a tingle, almost like I had actually been violated in some way. Words could hurt in such ways. "I see that old grudges remain," I observed.
"Grudges, she says, as though we were wrong to ever doubt her," this time it was Shemsiel, with a British accent. His vessel's attire, bleached blonde hair and golden skin seemed to suggest that he spent most of his time at a beach. Even in the darkness of the night, the sunglasses seemed to be a staple of his outfit. Classy.
"Am I being put on trial without any chance to defend myself?" I crossed my arms as Raziel poured me a cup of tea.
"We didn't come here to argue about the past," Raziel said definitively, despite glares from the others. They seemed to heed his words. "We're here because we need to discuss the future."
I offered a conciliatory smile. Amidst the scorn of Heaven, his formality was refreshing. "I presume that you have taken my place as Keeper of Knowledge in Heaven?"
"I believe there is only one such Keeper, and that is you, Sophia. I have merely been standing in since you left," Raziel said. I could see a great tiredness behind his pupils. He wasn't the kind to talk about things that troubled him. But he was clearly troubled about something.
Shemsiel scoffed. "She was never going to return, Raz. She was cast out for treason. There usually isn't any coming back from that kind of thing," his voice was laced with bitterness. "Even more so for poor Zaphiel, who bought into her and Lucifer's lies… till death claimed him."
My heart despaired to hear such things, especially from one of the few people in the world I cherished. "You know what happened to Zaphiel. You know it wasn't I who condemned him to death," I retorted desperately. "Your own loyal brothers and sisters slew him without any mercy."
"The fact remains that he would still be alive if you and the other one hadn't betrayed Heaven," Shemsiel crossed his muscled arms and averted his gaze.
"Oh stop this!" Rahab shouted with a deep, hoarse voice. His vessel was a large, built man with a shaven head and smooth brown complexion. Tattoos lined his exposed arms and torso underneath a tank top. Silence fell across the table. "This petty argument is beneath us."
I could guess that his manner of speaking was acclimatised to the Southern American continent. Raziel cleared his throat. "I think what Rahab is trying to say is that our duties transcend our differences in opinion. What's important here is our shared commitment to protecting the cause of knowledge, not our feuds with each other." He took a pause to collect his breath. "As we all know, things are ever more complicated now. What with this apocalypse and all…" I sensed a wave of melancholy disseminate amongst them. Perhaps this feeling was not completely foreign to me either. "The omens and signs were very clear about this. About the fight between Michael and Lucifer, but…"
"Not me," I guessed. "I'm not exactly supposed to here, isn't that right?" Raziel solemnly nodded. "I am aware that I wasn't welcomed by any fancy prophecy, thank you very much. As much as that stings, shouldn't all of you have foreseen this? It was you lot who helped sealed Lucifer and me away, and proclaimed this prophecy. It couldn't have been a wild guess that Lucifer would try to free me too, considering what all of you already knew about the two of us."
I took a sip from my cup. "It would have been a good guess," Pahaliah, who had been quiet so far, began with a meek voice. Her chosen vessel was a slender and light-skinned woman with modest features and straight, brown hair. "But it wasn't something we could divine. In fact, when we tried…" she trailed off, some ominous thought brewing in her mind. "The apocalypse appeared to us crystal clear. The signs, the seals, the sins – we could see all of it. We tried to see what was in store for you, but…" she exchanged nervous glances with the others. "It was unclear, like looking into murky waters."
Murky waters, huh? It reminded me of what Gaia showed me.
"The dark forms revealed to us were constantly fluxing and of a nature so unfamiliar," she continued, trepidation growing in her tone. "The message revealed to us had to be hidden from the rest of Heaven. Orders from above. W- we saw danger, sacrifice and darkness of a nature so uncharted that it was forbidden for us to look any further." I was listening intently, attention unwavering from her voice. "Time was warped. It was impossible, you see, to know for sure if you would walk the Earth during the apocalypse. Now that you're here, we don't know what that means either."
"The feeling is mutual," I shrugged. "Tell me, did these visions include an infection of life on this Earth?"
Raziel's brows pinched. That told me all I needed to know. "Did you see something?" he inquired.
"I was shown visions too, the nature of which matches what you describe, yes," I pondered. I manifested the rotten apple again and set it on the table. "Gaia gave this to me as a sign."
The angels simultaneously leaned forward in their seats to observe the fruit. "Not the most pleasant of signs, certainly," Shemsiel remarked. "No offence, archangel, but I think even Gaia stands against your rebellion. You should probably reconsider your stance, especially if the whole darn planet can't stand it."
My lips pursed into a thin line. "But why now, of all times?" I asked calmly, despite his crude assertion. "There was plenty of time to say something before."
"I don't know," Dinah monotonously said. Her darkly-lined eyes targeted me. "Maybe like most people who admired you, she waited until things reached a breaking point before deciding enough was enough."
"Point taken, Dinah," I uttered sternly. "Look, I know that all of you are upset with me. It was never my intention to hurt any of you. As much as I would have loved to stay and be God's little puppet, I couldn't do it with a clear conscience. I had my reasons to do what I did and I stand by them."
Shemsiel was about to speak up, when Pahaliah interrupted. "Guys, what if the apple isn't a sign of the rebellion?" she postulated. "It wouldn't make sense. The apple was only a symbol for the rebellion after Adam bit into it, but what about before?"
"It was a sign of creation," Rahab answered, spurring some contemplation in all of us.
"The tree of Sophia's design," Raziel added. "A piece of God's plan. The vision showed it all decaying, like this apple."
"So what, the Earth will be devastated?" Shemsiel wondered. "We already knew that. The apocalyptic prophecy already revealed that."
"No, this has to be something else," Pahaliah insisted. Her hands tightened around her own teacup, fingers visibly trembling. "The visions were… alien, for sure. A scripture written by forces that just didn't care about things like the apocalypse, angels and demons, Light and Darkness…"
Rahab reached to hold her hand. She snapped out of it, like she hadn't even realised she'd been shaking so much. I rued to think what she must have seen. "If this is all connected to The Apple," I began. "There might be a way of finding more pieces to this puzzle."
With a wave of my hand, I brought forth an ancient hexa-dimensional map I had made. It showed the whole universe with Earth at its centre for reference. Little specks marked areas containing what I had termed Fragments – little pieces of celestial knowledge scattered in the universe as a result of losing the Tree of Knowledge.
"When Adam and Eve ate the Apple of Eden, the Tree of Knowledge was erased from existence. Thing is, even God can't completely destroy something so crucial for His creation to exist. What remained of the Tree's corpse was scattered across time and space as these Fragments that you see here," I pointed. "These are free-floating repositories of obscure, and possibly even forbidden, information that anyone who stumbles upon them could access. I went on a long journey once, to discover all of their locations. I think all of you understand as well as I do that these Fragments cannot fall in the wrong hands."
"Hands like yours?" Shemsiel questioned.
"Shemsiel," Raziel sighed.
"I can't be the only one who finds this weird," he retorted, brows crimping above his shades. "You worried about 'forbidden' information getting in the wrong hands, when it was you who tempted the humans to bite the Forbidden Fruit. What else did you think was going to happen? If there's anyone whose hands are dangerous, it's yours."
"I'll admit," I articulated sharply, if only to shut him up. "The things that have happened between us are terrible. If it's worth anything, I am sorry. Not about the rebellion, but about how it divided us. You may find it hard to believe, but protecting sacred knowledge matters to me, even if I don't matter to God, because this job—this job is beyond Heaven and Hell. It's a matter of existence itself and I think it unites us. Hate me all you want, but I implore you not to let your hatred put everything else at stake."
A breeze swept bitter contempt over to my end of the table. "I think she's right," Raziel stood. "If these Fragments are as important as the archangel says, we must look into it."
No objections seemed to be made. It seemed the new Keeper was doing a good job at maintaining respect for the title. "Thank you," I told him. "A sizeable number of these Fragments are close to the epicentre of the trigger event, meaning they are still on Earth. I was on a mission to collect all these fragments until I was, as you know, locked away by Michael and Raphael."
Rahab nodded, chin held by two fingers. "It does explain the fluctuations we've been detecting for the last several millennia… why humanity's understanding of the world is growing exponentially. We always did wonder what triggered it."
"I hate to say it," Dinah interjected, her poisonous glare alleviating in curiosity. "But we did go to Andromeda once on an expedition. We detected something that matches your description, but we couldn't see anything."
"I think I'm the only one who can see them," I reasoned. "It is true, though, that they have a distinct energy signature. If you were able to pick up on it, maybe all we need to do is finetune your detectors. There is hope yet."
An awkward coughing erupted from Shemsiel. "I think I can help with that."
"Muchas gracias," Rahab said somewhat jokingly.
Pahaliah leaned forward, her brown locks of hair falling gently on her cheeks. "So you think this will help us understand the visions?" she worried.
"It's a start. Like you said, there are forces at play here beyond our understanding. These Fragments are nothing like the rest of creation. I think they may be connected. They also seem to hold certain secrets that could help us," I explained, remembering such a time. It was how I removed the burden of the Mark from Lucifer and passed it to Cain, but I wasn't about to bring up this little titbit just as we were beginning to get along. "It's a long shot, I know, but it seems to be the only lead."
"If this is your intuition, we will consider it," Raziel promised with a cordial nod. A short pause seemed to grip him. "There is something else. The reason why we summoned you, is um- is actually…"
In that hesitation, Dinah was quick to be out with it. "We need to know where you kept the Word of God," she uttered quickly.
Raziel wanted to stop her, but didn't. "I would've phrased it differently, but yes, we do," he said.
I sighed. I should have known it would come to this. But it didn't matter anyway. I only ever had one answer for this question. "I can't tell you."
"Can't, or won't?" Raziel's head tilted as his eyebrows creased into a frown.
"Both," I maintained eye contact with him. "The tablets' locations are meant to be secret, hidden away for the rest of time. Wouldn't be much of a secret if I told you."
"Those tablets are property of Heaven," Raziel reasoned, deliberately cautious with his words. "Don't get me wrong – your commitment to the duty is appreciated, but you aren't the official Keeper of Knowledge anymore. Those secrets have to be passed to us now. That's only right, isn't it?"
"Not really," I doubted. "This kind of flawed reasoning isn't like you, Raziel. What's going on? What aren't you telling me?"
Shemsiel huffed, almost smiling. "Nothing gets past her," he teased. "Just tell her, then."
A deep sigh billowed from Raziel's lungs. A heavy burden wrote itself on his face. "It's Raphael," he confessed. "The good archangel sees your freedom as a threat."
"Of course he does," I murmured. "He would have a fit if so much as a ray of light touched my face."
"He suspects that we, the Nalkam, may turn against Heaven," Raziel brooded. "Just because we have history with you. He wants us to prove our loyalty by bringing in those tablets."
"Into his 'safe' hands, I'm sure," I dryly said. "You could've just lead with that. My answer's still 'no', but with more zest and perhaps a plan to poison him, if there are any takers." I waited for a response, but none came. "Fine, I'll just have to do it myself, then."
I was about to leave, but Raziel beckoned me once more. "Could you at least consider it?" he pleaded. "There's a lot on the line here, Sophia."
When I looked at them, really looked at them, I saw not anger anymore, but dejection. Rahab and Pahaliah's hands were still united, but they both had downward gazes. Shemsiel, slumped back in his chair, took a sudden interest in his nails and Dinah stared emptily into the distance. There was a time when I would've done anything for my students. Knowing them had truly been something. Perhaps not all my ties to Heaven had been severed by the Fall. "Michael and Raphael," I mentioned. "What have they done to you?" I saw uncomfortable shifting. "You have to tell me."
Dinah was the first to answer. "After you were cast out, everything changed. We were under Raphael's direct supervision. He stripped us of the rights you gave us – the freedom to explore anything in our investigations and the right to guard our secrets. He forced us to share our findings with the new intelligence division—also under his jurisdiction."
Raziel shook his head as if to mourn. A heavy gulp slid down his throat. "The one who worked for him—Naomi—perverted our work to manipulate and brainwash our own brethren," he said with a matching disgust. "We tried to speak out against them, and then Raphael threatened to cast us out for blasphemy too. He said it was all God's will."
"So you see it too, then," I pointed out. "That your moral archangels aren't to be trusted."
"But they weren't cast out by God," Rahab shrugged.
"You know in your hearts that this isn't right," I berated them. Raziel held his tongue. I knew for a fact that he agreed with me, but he wouldn't say it out loud. He was always measured like that. If I were to guess, I'd say that he kept the others in line and urged them to put up with all of this to protect them. They had all seen what happened to Zaphiel, the sixth apprentice I had trained. If they had all been exiled, death surely would have been waiting for them. Despite my misgivings, I had some respect for his decision.
"We'll construct an archangel-proof case," Raziel vowed. "Give us the tablets and we'll secure them. We'll allow the archangels to see that we passed their test, but we won't let them possess the Word."
I exhaled through my nostrils. "Oh dearest," I lamented. "Michael and Raphael are not so easily convinced to give up their pursuits. If you let slip that you knew where the tablets were at all, you'd all be in terrible danger. There is no negotiating with them."
My own words reverberated in my head. It seemed so clear to me now that Michael was so beyond reach, from what I'd heard from both Lucifer and my former apprentices, despite what I'd told Lucifer earlier. This new reality was finally dawning upon me. The simple past seemed even more distant than it did before. The image of Michael that I still held onto was nothing more than a ghost.
"There is one solution I can think of, however," I proposed. They all seemed to perk up at the sound of that. "I can offer you refuge. In Hell."
Shemsiel threw up his arms in exasperation. "I knew this would be a waste of time."
"Hear me out," I quelled their nascent groaning. "I'm not asking you to do anything for me. You'll have safety until this war ends. No one will bother you, or ask you to partake in the fight, unless of course, you're willing to contribute. If you do decide to help us win, the Earth and Heaven will be free from their reign. You will be free to do as you wish. I guarantee it."
Even Pahaliah, the more sympathetic angel, appeared upset. "So your solution is us betraying Heaven?" she inquired.
"Is it not a betrayal of Heaven to let the angels believe that their orders come from God, when God is nowhere to be seen?" I asked back. I saw some stifled gasps. "You know it to be true. I taught all of you to be observant. Isn't it a betrayal of Heaven to make good angels prove their loyalty when they act righteously?"
I let my explicit thoughts simmer in the air.
"You can either keep your principles or let Raphael get his hands on God's Word."
A warm gust of air greeted me as I returned to Hell. Demons bowed in greeting as I marched down the corridor. Up in our private chambers, I heard voices coming from the armoury. I'd almost forgotten how much Lucifer loved this room. All of his weapons hung from the walls. The most precious and powerful, of course, were hidden. As I ventured into the armoury, I saw who Lucifer's conversational partner was. It was none other than the ghastly image of Death himself. The horseman, fashioned as a skeletally thin elderly man, stood on our large balcony. He was dressed in all black, an acceptable hue by our standards, and sported an ornate black cane. Even from this distance, the eerie magnetism of his life-sucking energy could be felt. The old man rarely showed up except to tell me off, so it did come as a surprise that he should visit at all.
"Aren't you mad? At all?" Lucifer questioned, arms crossed respectfully. One hand soon moved to the back of his head, like he was genuinely curious. "Dad sealed you away, just like He did me and Sophia."
The old man stared off into the distant rocky death traps we had for mountains, unmoving. "Anger is for those who are moved to crusades," Death said stiffly. "I serve only one cause – the vacuum of life, the space without any."
Even from his back, I could tell Lucifer was puzzled. I would be too. "Right," Lucifer simply said. "Alright, so-"
"I will do as Time has dictated," Death interrupted. "This apocalypse is just another event in my calendar. I'll not be bothered after this."
Lucifer nodded rigidly. "As you wish. Sir," he clasped his hands.
I neared them now that it seemed the interaction was over. "Sophia," Death greeted. I expected something more, maybe a question of well-being, but I forgot that someone as old as Death couldn't be bothered to care about such inane things.
"Horseman," I greeted in turn. "If I could have a moment before you leave," I hurried to say. "There is something I need to ask." Though I did get his attention, I could feel his impatience brewing. "I need to know—what does the last seal of my prison entail?"
"Hm." He shifted his balance from one foot to another, briefly glancing at Lucifer too, who was also interested in the answer. "You'll find out soon enough. My advice—just get it over with quickly and save us all some time."
I exchanged an uncertain look with Lucifer. "W- what do you mean?" I probed. "This- this Warden of Chaos. Who is he?"
"A twist of fate," Death answered with a little more tang than normal. "You have Him to thank for the lovely assortment of creatures in your Vault."
Lucifer neared me and rubbed my shoulder in reassurance. "No wonder it felt off in there," he realised. "I wouldn't mind having a word with him myself. I've got some things to get off my chest."
"Don't underestimate Him," Death warned. His beady eyes took turns to bare into us. "Someday you will have to make an impossible choice. It will be the right thing to do, if you value your freedom."
"But… she's already free," Lucifer brought up. "The Vault is busted open. It can't just be sealed up again, can it?"
"Freedom is a funny thing, isn't it?" Death posited. "You don't really know what it is until you don't have it. That is, if you care at all."
With that, he left us.
"That was… illuminating," Lucifer's brows jumped briefly. "So I guess you can stop worrying about this. Checks one thing out of many off your list."
"I don't have a good feeling about this," I closed my arms in on myself. I gripped the hardy metallic railing as I stared at the courtyard. Demons trained to fight, as they always did, under our watch.
"Whatever it is, you know I'm here, right?" Lucifer held me close. His cold breath tickled the back of my head. I sank into his embrace, letting his arms confine me. "You won't face this alone."
"That's what I fear," I told him. My face remained paused in expression. Passing through the emotions of these thoughts was a difficult journey. "Death said it would be an impossible choice. The most impossible choice to me is giving you up. There is no life for me without you."
My eyes began to sting at the thought. "If it meant your freedom, I would do whatever it takes," he vowed. "And if he was so set on putting you back in that Vault, I would gladly join you. No prison exists for me with you in it."
I parted from him briefly, if only to face him. "I can't let you do that," I begged. I pressed his palms to both my cheeks. "After everything you've been through… You deserve a better life. I can't live with myself if something happened to you."
His chest rose up and down with heavy breaths. "I didn't free you so you could be imprisoned again," he uttered. "We'll get through this. Together, like we always do."
He pulled me into his embrace, where I was always safe. Moments later, we settled by an exquisite table in his study with glasses of wine. This was where he spent most of his time, surrounded by books and in deep thought. We were cradled in each other's arms when he decided to bring up something that had been on his mind.
"An assortment of creatures, Death called it," Lucifer said. "You have to tell me, Sophia."
"What's there to say?" I swirled my glass. "Sometimes you get stuck in a pit full of hostile vipers whose sole purpose is to anchor you down with their fangs, and sometimes they just choose the lighter option of strangling you. Not much in the way of diversity, unless they were all different kinds of snakes."
"I hate to invoke the Nazarene, but Jesus," Lucifer gasped. I could have been surprised at his discontent, but I just didn't feel anything. It was all just images passing through me. "You said you didn't remember anything."
"When it's all been the same for millennia, it's hard to tell what happened and what didn't," I explained. "It's coming back to me slowly."
"That chasm in the ocean… that didn't feel like you," Lucifer recounted, eyes fixated on a spot on the table. "I knew you'd be upset, but even for you, it was bad. I had no idea. You were in constant searing pain."
I shrugged. "It's all in the past now. There's no point in talking about it."
"No," he denied, exasperated. He was practically burying his head in his hands. "It's your pain. It's ours. We should own it. They want it to get to us and beat us down. But we have to hold it proudly and throw it back in their faces."
I rubbed his firm back. It was hardened from his stubborn rage. I could feel it even as I rested my head against his shoulder. "You really haven't changed," I remarked. "It feels like I'm the only one in the whole world who has."
"What do you mean?" Lucifer took a swig of his drink.
"It's… I was summoned today. By angels," I started. Now he was really attentive. From the way his brows were knotted, he looked ready to fight someone. "Relax, it was the Nalkam."
"Ugh," he rolled his eyes. "The ones who refused to stand by you, despite everything you gave them?"
"They didn't mean to harm me," I consoled him. "They just wanted to talk."
Begrudgingly, he relented. "What did they want?"
"They… tried to ask me about the Word of God," I hesitantly revealed. "They wanted to know where the tablets are. Apparently, Raphael is trying to use this to test their loyalty. See if they can use our bond to pressure me into giving the tablets up for Heaven's possession."
"And?"
"And I said no way," I replied, puzzled that I had to clarify that at all.
"You know what you have to do," Lucifer gestured with his head. "You have to get those tablets."
"No," I firmly refused. This time I was rightly bewildered. "You know I can't do that. That's forbidden knowledge. No one can have them."
"Is this really the time for ethics?" he pressed. "Sophie, Raphael is already trying to make a move on them. If it falls into his hands, he may not hesitate to use them to help Michael in the final fight. If they aren't above doing that, maybe it's time we consider it."
"Have your senses taken leave of you?" I honestly wondered. "The formulas contained within those tablets aren't for anybody's eyes. It's easier to level the playing field without them out in the world, and that's that."
His grip around the glass grew taut. Thoughts bubbled on the surface of his lips but never seemed to be uttered, until he said, "You have no idea what it's like to know you. You have the power of infinity in your fingertips, Sophie, and you won't even use it to win an age-old war."
"Is that all I am to you? A weapon?" I hissed. "It's my job to uphold certain principles because no one else can. If I start to breach my own rules for this one thing, what's to say I won't do it again for something else? And just like that, the sanctity of knowledge is lost. You know this deep down."
"Yeah, but I don't understand it," Lucifer pressed a palm to his forehead. "You know what? I'm done arguing about this. Do whatever you want."
"We can win this fight," I assured him. "But there is no need to dig up forbidden tablets. We will use our wits and our firepower to get ahead." He stayed silent and still. "But… if there is a silver lining, it's that my former apprentices are starting to get disenchanted with the current administration. I'm not about to force them to help us, but there is a high chance that they could pull through somehow. I already have them helping me figure out the final seal to the Vault. If things go well, I can get them on our side."
"That's what I really hate about having friends. All the effort," he grumbled. "I'd rather have slaves."
"I know, darling," I continued caressing his back. "I make friends so you don't have to." I took another sip of my wine. "Speaking of, why haven't I seen a single Prince or Knight of Hell?"
"Because they're utter disappointments," Lucifer bemoaned. "The Knights are mostly dead or lost to time. The Princes… well, Azazel was the only one who did as he was told. The others are in hiding somewhere, pretending that their ruse of playing dead would fool me."
"You didn't call them to enlist?" I asked.
"I shouldn't have to call my own soldiers to work for me," he said, understandably vexed. "They clearly have misplaced loyalties."
"That's not right. You created them," I ran a hand through his blonde hair. "You gave them power beyond their greatest imaginations."
"They'll get their penance soon. I don't want to spend my time on this right now," he told me. Despite all appearances, I knew that many issues like this were weighing on him. If he was set on this Apocalypse, it was only right that he shouldn't have to spare a thought to these traitors.
"If that is what you wish," I accepted. "But I do hope you don't mind me looking into this. After all, a mother should discipline her children."
My creativity was bubbling at the idea of finding those ungrateful little heathens. First things first, I'd have to find them. I obtained ash from the banks of the river Styx and with the help of some potions I'd made ages ago – my old cabinet was covered in cobwebs – I created a detection spell. Of course, the Princes were good enough to hide their tracks well. I wasn't expecting instant results. These were seeds that would harvest in good time. I sprinkled the enchanted ash over a golden palm-sized tablet we used as a map back in the day and secured the map somewhere safe.
The next few weeks fell into a kind of rhythm. It almost felt like the early days of Hell. Lucifer would raise the dawn and I would lay the dusk to rest. A perfect balance—an eternal symbiosis. We felt like us again. We felt whole again. Yet, much like a broken glass that couldn't be put back together perfectly, it seemed there was a fissure between us that wouldn't close. Lucifer was obviously preoccupied. I knew what he was like in times like these. Never stopping and always doing everything in his power to get what he wanted. Things would get better once this was all over. I knew it. But that was the hardest part. We had to survive.
Which brought me to this little town on the outskirts of a forest, just far enough from the nearest metropolis but still retaining a sense of modernity. It was a little pet project of mine. An experiment, if one could call it that. It started with one human. And over time, gradually it became a little more. Maybe a dozen. The townspeople called the incident a case of 'overgrowth'. I just called it a return to form.
My beautiful vines reached out from the forest onto the buildings and sometimes even into people's homes. Some part of me hoped they would have welcomed it. Instead, they sought to curb my vegetative children by pruning them. How ungrateful, I thought. I know my gifts are deadly but that doesn't mean you have to disfigure them. So I had to step up my plan. And that was when they realised the magnitude of what was upon them. Instead of just vines, it would be trees and grass and rabbits. Inside their schools, their churches, their hospital. Then, the inevitable began. It started with them noticing these innocent, plump flowers. As soon as the human neared one, the flower would sneeze pollen straight at them. Within mere hours, the human would seek help from the hospital and not long after, they would be deemed a corpse. On the surface level, that would be true.
Demons would help me with what came after. I had a little abode in the woods. An abandoned industrial building, now also overrun with my leafy spawn. It was beautiful, really, with every wall covered in vines and tendrils. A light shower from the sky hydrated them. Cold, delicate droplets lay a glossy shimmer over the land. The murky inflammation in the Earth remained calmly under the surface level, refusing to show itself but reminding me of its existence. I do this for you, Gaia. I tended to a little flower bed in a corner of the vast building, under the monolithic steel beams. That was when the demons came with the first human 'corpse'.
Left in the morgue's refrigerator for autopsy, the infection had the time to grow. I saw surgical ligations aimed at deciphering the puzzle, but I doubt the coroner got any clues. The body had rapidly yellowed into warm hues while fungi and caterpillars had settled into various crevices.
"Beautiful," I remarked as the demons lay the corpse on the flower bed.
The bed welcomed the human as its own and quickly attached vines and stems into the being. Now they were one.
"See how eagerly Gaia welcomes you into her arms?" I knelt next to the corpse. Roots of micron diameter innervated the human. They snaked their way into her heart. Just like that, her heart pounded to life again. I grinned as I swept her hair away from her face.
The demons looked to me for further instruction. I gave them a nod. The plan would proceed as intended. More seeds would grow around town and the system would thrive. Ideally, the humans would all fall for the vivid-coloured flowers I'd made. Unfortunately, they seemed to become more cautious. On top of pruning, they were beginning to use herbicides. Little did they know that no synthetic chemical could beat a force that was ethereal. The bodies continued to drop. They would all be mine. There was no negotiation to be had.
On one fine night, I took an invisible stroll through the town centre. Pride filled me to see foliage enjoying its place amidst their buildings and pavements. Mortals went on as usual—nothing really could distract them from their exaggerated affairs. I supposed that ignorance of theirs was the only way they could cope. Their minds couldn't handle much more than that. I was at least glad to know that some brave ones had tried, like the ones remembered by history. They had all gone mad in some way. That was the price of the Apple.
Somehow, I was drawn to the acoustic music being played in a bar. The notes were sensuous and romantic pieces of older Latin American culture. In fact, I found myself humming the very same tunes as I harvested another corpse for my herbage. Back in my lair, I commanded the air to replicate the calming melody. With a snap of my fingers, candles erupted with flames. Damp air, candle light, music and nature. Perfect.
Lucifer wasn't befuddled when he arrived, nor was he so certain. "You were always so inspired," he commented, upon seeing the row of beds. He inspected them more closely. "I'm… I'm speechless."
A stick was used to prod the human's bluish face. The human's lips were forced open by a butterfly newly escaping its cocoon. More of its family would be roaming around these parts. "There's more of them planted around town," I elaborated. "This is just a microcosm of what we can do. A test run. What do you think?"
His jaw opened and closed a few times. "W- what exactly is it?"
A sheepish smile lit up on his face. It was almost laughable. I pulled him into the opening left by the vines, a gently illuminated spotlight, where we assumed position. My hands on his shoulders and his on my waist, we swayed to the rhythm. These heels, Zara's recommendation, allowed me to look Lucifer in the eye with just a slight upturn of the head. A necessary purchase indeed.
"Well, I noticed a few things," I answered. "Gaia is weak, you need to strengthen your front on Earth, and Raphael is seeking to gain an advantage in illicit ways. So I found a way to smite three angels with one strike, if you will."
"Apt metaphor," he complimented. Another demon arrived with a body cradled in his arms. I told him to take the corpse to the mines.
"Anyway," I continued. "These humans are dead in most senses of the term. Their souls have departed. But, using their existing biological system as a motor, I can pump energy back into the Earth."
"Which will allow nature to heal," Lucifer deduced with an impressed nod.
"And become stronger," I added. "How do you feel about all quakes moving up one or two points on the Richter scale?"
"Ecstatic," Lucifer hissed, pressing me against his torso. We turned in a few circles in perfect synchrony. Matching our steps and advancing this dance came naturally to both of us, like two galaxies orbiting each other.
"It'll accelerate the body count exponentially, maybe even surpassing your projected target," I guessed. "And just to top it off, if Raphael thinks he can get ahead of us with the Word of God, wait till he sees what a whole planet can do for us."
"All with these tender bulbs? So innocent yet deadly, just like their creator," Lucifer looked around us to admire the little colourful bulbs that decorated the steel beams.
I chuckled heartily. I led him to one of the beams on which vines grew plentifully. There, I caressed a little blossoming flower of the purest violet shade. It yielded to my touch and spread its petals eagerly. "Imagine if we spread these across the world. A reign of elegant flora," I yearned. When I noticed his silence, I found his warm gaze centred on me.
"Even your destruction is beautiful," he hummed as he enveloped me taut in his arms. "I would conquer the whole universe just to give it all away to you."
He could make me so red sometimes. Just then, a human from a recently occupied bed seemed to be groaning. As this was all so new, I expected that some humans would survive the infection. That could be remedied quickly. "I don't need the whole universe. I just need you," I assured him. More groaning erupted from that one bed. The human roused to consciousness more quickly than I'd thought.
"In all seriousness, this is amazing," he said, arms opening to gesture his excitement. With a twirl of my hand, I summoned the nearest vine to wrap around the human's throat. "I do forget that I'm in love with someone whose intelligence far exceeds mine."
I clenched my fist. Mirroring the quick action, the vine instantaneously snapped the human's neck. "Don't be absurd," I dismissed with a shake of the head. Our slow dance resumed with plump silence between us. It felt like all time had ceased and it was only us in the whole world. The way it should always be. "Lucifer."
"Hm?"
"What was it like when you fell from Heaven?" I bit my lip nervously.
An amused smile lit up his jaw, though his eyes were narrowed. "You were there," he answered.
"I know. Apparently, it's a flirtation," I told him, giggling.
"Oh," he smirked. "Consider this flirtation well-received. Does this mean I can fertilise you?"
"Lucifer," I exclaimed. "We've talked about this before."
"That was almost a million years ago," he argued noncommittally. "The war is almost over. Shouldn't we think about this?"
"The war isn't over yet," I emphasised. "What's the rush?"
A sudden sobriety held him in its thrall. "I don't know. It's just," he paused. "It feels right to me now. The world isn't perfect, but you are. And so is this," he gestured towards everything around us. "We're in a small, perfect snapshot of time and space, so why wait?"
"Because I'm not ready for this," I stated firmly. "How can I bear a child without knowing whether you and I will survive this?"
"And how can I leave to fight knowing that there's a good chance you'll be all alone for the rest of eternity?" he retorted. Just like that, our blissful moment of union was split again. This seemed to be happening with a frequency I didn't want to acknowledge. A harsh despair gripped him again. No matter what Lucifer felt, if it was felt strongly enough it would become anger. "I've had a long time to think about this. Whatever I do, it doesn't change the fact that death is on the table for me." My heart thumped so vigorously I worried it would rip a hole through my chest. "There are only two options I see. Live with my brother's blood on my hands or die with my blood on his."
A thunder crashed inside my chest. I rushed into his arms immediately, eyes dampening, and threw my hands around his shoulders. I couldn't stomach the thought. This was a cruel reality. "Io blan's tia," I compulsively chanted a protection spell. When I was done, I kissed him gingerly. "Then give yourself a reason to win. Come back alive and I will give you anything you ask."
For once, he let tenderness reach his eyes. He nodded and kissed my forehead in turn. It was a promise I would surely honour. Yet I couldn't help but feel that our time was limited somehow, just as he seemed to think – a cursed thought. I buried my head in his shoulder. I wanted this to be forever.
"I know you worry, but you really shouldn't," he said as he caressed the back of my head. "Our child will be our legacy, whether we're here or not. A creation of ours will brave any adversity. I guarantee it."
More nights were spent in such devoted comfort. It was one thing to focus exclusively on winning this war, but it was another to know deep down that everything was on the line and our time together could be limited. I promised myself I wouldn't weep over this in his presence but sometimes I couldn't help it. It almost felt like I struggled to fully cherish what I had. Some part of me refused to run the whole mile and indulge fully. I knew I felt things but still, a sick feeling at the bottom of my gut made me feel like I was back in the Vault again. I tried to forget it so long as I was with Lucifer. The moment he was gone, however, these musings returned.
And then, the inevitable happened. Lucifer warned me that this would happen, but not to think much of it. I joked that I'd never seen him so patient with anyone who wasn't me. "This is something I need to see," I had told him. Little did I know that I would, only a few days later.
To preface this, I thought it would be nice to change things up a little. When Lucifer had come to visit me the night before, I took him into town instead of remaining in my shack in the woods. He was initially opposed to the idea but I convinced him that some variety would do us good, especially if all of this were to disappear soon. Begrudgingly, he let me drag him into a motel. A neon pink glow from the sign that said 'Ivy's' painted the damp concrete iridescently on the outside. Brown butterflies and tired birds settled on the rail on the front to greet us as we entered.
"Give us your best room," I asked the lady at the counter. She was a little chubby and had lovely scarlet curls which, admittedly, were dulled by her wary gaze. It was like she was surprised to have customers at all.
"We had a best room," she prefaced. "Now it's overrun with… you know. The mangrove menace, the papers are calling it."
I exchanged an impressed look with Lucifer. "Perfect," I told her. "We'll take it."
"Uh… we just fumigated some rooms on the first floor," she offered. "It's a little smaller but at least you'll survive the night."
"No thanks," I declined. This was taking too long. I locked eyes with her. By virtue of that alone, I accessed her mind. She trembled slightly. She tried to look away but the humming in her head stopped her. "Give me the key."
She obliged immediately. Lucifer leaned over the counter. "Bring us your best champagne," he ordered.
The room was still smaller than I'd expected. But it wouldn't matter. The dim neon glow filtered in through the windows into the dark room. It was cozy and quiet, which was good enough for a midnight date. My lovely vines invading the walls kept me grounded – I could still keep in touch with my green daughter. Sweet nothings were shared in magnetic proximity. And so the morning came and Lucifer left to take care of business elsewhere.
Laying there in the bed, tracing the depression of where he had lain, I basked in the scrapings of sunlight that made it past the vines crowding the window. When I passed the counter again, the same woman gave me a bewildered stare. "Look bright, dear. The world heals every day," I said as I marched past her.
The first thing I noticed on my rounds was the sudden sigh from every leaf everywhere. I jerked at the sensation. It was a long, exhausting exhale, akin to the final breath of a dying animal. Luckily, my town-sized terrarium was not on the verge of death as of yet. No, she was strong. This was just a warning. I went to every pod station around town. Everything seemed alright except in the mines. It was completely demolished. Burned. Ashes lay strewn on the mud. Charred, tattered pieces of roots and stems cluttered the ground. My nerves shot to attention and quivered when I picked one up. A terrible atrocity! Where are the demons when you need them?
I soon received the answer. Burnt remains crunched under my feet as I stepped over them. Several bodies with burnt out eye sockets were hidden among the debris. I crouched down to inspect the damage. Some of these seemed of angelic origin, while others had distinct stab wounds. Curious, indeed.
After all the effort I put into this, it just took one burning to put off the whole system. To be fair, when this system was implemented worldwide, such small disruptions couldn't hurt the whole biome. In such a small apparatus, even one disturbance could be exaggerated. I would just have to patch this up for now.
You look away for one second and pests find their way into the garden. It was night by the time I was done. It wouldn't be as good as it was before, and this station wasn't yet ready for more seeding, but at least the circuit was repaired. The wind was crisp and cold against my wings as I returned to my lair. Strangely enough, an eyesore of an automobile stood before the building. I recognised it from one of Zara's memories. This relic of four decades ago stood out like a sore thumb amidst the natural greens of my abode.
Indistinct shuffling reached my ears from inside. I had barely passed the large rectangular entrance where a shutter would go when a demon collapsed at my feet, dead. When I found the source of the commotion, my helpers were all murdered. They've become so fragile, I sighed. In the midst of their bodies stood the famed trio.
"That all of them?" the one named Dean said.
"All but one," I answered. They spun to face me. Instantly, their jaws dropped. Am I so stunning?
"Z- Zara?" Sam hesitantly asked. His heart melted the most, I could tell. I knew that reaction—eyes stinging, chest heaving, muscles rigid. It was exactly how Lucifer would react.
The angel stepped protectively in front of them. "Not Zara," he declared, suspicious gaze fixated on me. "Sophia."
"Castiel," I smiled. "It's been a long time. Look how you've fallen."
I merely took a step towards them but Castiel flared up his wings like a cornered pheasant. Dean had his angel blade up too.
"You're responsible for all those missing corpses," Sam stated, a bitterness evident in his tone.
"And you amputated my child," I retorted, crossing my arms. "Offence taken."
"Zara, if you're in there-" Dean began.
"She is," I cut him off. "And she's resting, if you don't mind."
"You can defeat this killer," Dean continued. Zara could hear it all. I wasn't afraid of that. In fact, the biggest reaction I could feel from her was a sigh. "Kick her out right now."
"I'm no killer," I denied, somewhat disheartened. "I take no joy in it. What I do, though, is recycle. I thought you humans liked the idea of recycling."
"Archangel," Castiel addressed. "Why are you doing this? The Apocalypse will destroy what you've worked so hard to build."
"I know," I admitted. It was refreshing that someone could see that. "But sitting around and waiting for Heaven to claim victory isn't an option either. So what else can I do, but make sure this planet survives? That's what you're looking at, if you haven't figured it out yet."
Sam's passionate little head tilted. "You?" he doubted. "You want to make sure the planet survives? How's going all Poison Ivy and killing people going to help us survive?"
I chuckled. That was an innocent notion. "Oh honey," I groaned. "So human, isn't it, to think that it's all about you? Just because God made angels bow down to you? Here's a quick rundown for you, Sam. Life existed before you. Life will exist after you. The planet will survive—I'll be sure of it. With or without humanity. Besides, there's so many of you. What's the loss of a few, if it helps everyone and everything else thrive?"
"You don't get to decide that," Dean stated so assuredly.
"Says who?" I questioned back. "Were you chosen by God to nurture life on Earth? No? Then shut up and leave."
"No," Dean refused. "Not until you take down this vegan buffet."
Really hardy, aren't they? "I wouldn't recommend taking that tone, Dean," I said pointedly, walking towards them. My head tilted down, eyes shining bright emerald, I was ready to show them out by any means possible.
"Stand back!" Castiel warned. He swiftly reached into his pocket and held out a lighter. I halted abruptly in my tracks. Its miniscule flame was close to one of the vines wrapped intimately around a steel pillar.
"What are you doing?" I demanded to know, brows knotting deeply.
"One step closer and I'll incinerate this place," the angel threatened.
"Smell that?" Sam probed almost maliciously. "It's kerosene. One flick and it'll all go down in flames."
I released a rapid exhale. "That's evil, even for you. This biome is a living creature, you near-sighted mortal," I hissed. "If you know what's good for you, you'll get out of here and forget this place. I only say this because the two of you have your parts to play. There will be no mercy after this."
"We'll take our chances," Dean said through clenched teeth. An unspoken synchrony befell them as Castiel hurled the lighter towards the dense undergrowth. I shot my palm forward, almost instinctively, catching the dastardly thing in my telekinetic grip. Unimaginable fury surged through my veins, a flurry of thoughts listing all the courses of action I could take. Yet, only one idea from my subconscious dominated. The darkness invaded the telekinetic bubble and disintegrated the lighter into its atoms and then, into nothing. That wasn't even fully intentional but I wasn't complaining.
I glared daggers at the three invaders. Castiel was the first to swing his blade. I knocked him firmly to the side, pinning him against a beam. "To think we have so much in common," I lamented to him. "Us fallen angels should stick together." Before Dean and Sam could rush me, I did the same to them. It took barely a breath. Dean struggled the most in my pincer grip. "Why do you boys resist so much? Is it so difficult to say a single word?"
"We don't want any part of your stupid fight!" Dean yelled. "No vessel, no match."
I briefly contemplated increasing the pressure on his ribs. Either way, I was fine with just watching him squirm around so much. "You know, I really admire your spirit," I admitted. "If it's any consolation, I don't want the Apocalypse either. I don't want Lucifer in a fight to the death with his own brother. But what I want won't stop destiny. There's no point fighting against God's will. You need to realise this too."
My fists clenched and with them, so did Sam and Dean's lungs. "Sophia!" Castiel shouted. "You cannot harm them. They are protected."
"Right," I remembered, much to my chagrin. "Can't hurt Michael's property…" I cast Dean and Castiel back so far that their breaths were positively knocked out. "But Lucifer would understand."
I sliced the air with my fingernails and so Sam's chest was ripped. He groaned in agony while blood seeped out generously. I flicked my index finger upwards and sent his spleen mad with desire to be one with his clavicle. An ear-ripping scream flooded out of his throat into the heavens.
"You really thought that you could come in here, slaughter my creation and tell me what to do," I sauntered suavely towards him. I clenched my fingers into a claw. His oesophagus yielded to my command with an audible squelching sound. Sam's gasps for breath were even comical to me. "What a loud bark for such a delicate thing. You should be grateful that your miniscule life could culminate in the success of a worthy cause. A cause that gave your kind liberation from God's tyranny." With every word I spoke, my anger lent its force to my vernacular. "You should feel lucky that someone like Lucifer would even glance upon your corporeal face. To accept him is an honour few others can have." As much as I wanted to bring an end to this play, a rational voice in the back of my mind stopped me. I held his jaw up close to me just so I could stare deep into his terrified pupils, and whisper, "What greater deed befalls a mortal if not the ending of a divine tragedy?"
I pulled back my free hand for one final blow.
"Hey!"
I saw Castiel rushing me from my periphery. I quickly dodged, grabbed his throat and threw him across the floor again. By then, however, a far more dire sight awaited me. I saw blood. Dean's palm was cut. Below him, a familiar sigil. "No!" I howled. It was too late. The sigil was activated.
The winds of Zion were irresistible. They whipped me up and smeared me across space as I struggled to hold onto the dimensional fabric. It was a battle that couldn't be won. A stop only came into sight when my back impacted the ground. I violently coughed out air and other debris. My head was still dizzy when alarms went off in it. Can't… stop… I flew back in a messy trajectory. I set foot in that town again. I knew what they were going to do. They were going to cull my biome. They were going to abort my baby. My nerves felt like they were on fire. I knelt on the soil and placed both palms down. Whispering some Enochian, my spirit reached into the roots. I still felt some connection. That was a good sign.
"Apoptosis," I ordered. Now it was time to wait. I felt a new energy course through all the vines, especially the prickly but oddly satisfying popping of the flower bulbs all around town. It would go in a wave. I just needed it all to go off.
BOOM!
The shockwave resounded in my chest. A giant ball of smoke wafted towards the sky in the distance. My lair. It was all over. Without the head plant base, everything else would wither. Not all the flowers managed to release their poisonous pollen into the air. Seething, my lungs demanded deep breaths in and out. I dug my hands into the soil and screamed. I heard the rupturing of concrete roads and the shattering of window panes somewhere far away. Didn't matter anymore.
Against the interests of my own fragile heart, I did go back to my lair. Everything was in shambles. My children died terrible deaths. How could I go on after seeing their charred remains? This beautiful self-sustaining system was ruined by the feeble-minded, the ones who couldn't comprehend the scale of what I was doing. How could this be any kind of justice? I wasn't like the Horsemen—I wasn't out to hurt anyone, not beyond what was absolutely necessary to sustain more life. It was a simple balance of cost and benefit. After everything, eating from the Tree of Knowledge did not help the humans see the elegant design of my biological motor. These difficult thoughts spiralled in my mind as I paced about in my room in Hell, so much so that I didn't notice Lucifer enter.
"What is this that I am hearing?" he said, all flustered. "You almost killed Sam?"
I recoiled at this ridiculous question, huffing in disgust. "After all of that, this is what you're worried about?" I argued.
"He's my vessel. He can't be damaged," Lucifer remained obstinate. "How is disfiguring his innards going to convince him to take my side?"
I couldn't believe it. He was seriously upset about this. "How-" I put my hands on my hips and looked away. "He doesn't have a choice. Not like 'damaging a vessel' mattered to you when you lay your hands on Zara."
"That's different," he somehow said. "Sam is my weapon to the big fight. I can't go into battle with a damaged, unwilling weapon, can I?"
"Lucifer, I don't care about your weapon's feelings," I said directly. "Sam and his ilk murdered my child. Are you seriously going to gloss over that?"
"I'm not saying it isn't bad," he said unconvincingly. "But you already have a blueprint. You can do it again. I only have one shot at this."
"I cannot believe my ears right now," I hissed. The rage on him was so real. I couldn't understand it. I should be the upset one. "Are you really picking that mortal over your own Queen? I'm telling you that I am hurt, way more than that boy could ever be, and you're really lecturing me on keeping your weapon pristine?"
He huffed and shook his head, muttering something underneath his breath. "There's no winning this argument for me," he concluded, pinching the bridge of his nose.
My teeth were grinding just at the sight of him vacillate over this. "I want retribution," I demanded. "I want him in the dungeon."
"What's he gonna do in there?" Lucifer asked, half-sarcastically.
"Think about what he's done," I explained anyway. "And while he's at it, he can have at least a couple more reasons to get in line. You're welcome."
"You're not serious about this," his tone lowered but his scalding gaze didn't. "You know I can't do that."
"Why's that?" I crossed my arms and turned away from him.
"Because he's my vessel and I decide how to approach him," Lucifer said firmly. "He needs to be coaxed… goaded gently. Not roughly prodded. You know there is a way to do this. Aren't you the one who's always talking about duty? And not compromising said duty for the sake of petty rivalry?"
He'd done it this time. I jerked my head to face him. When I did so, I had not only a scorn but a glare I'd never had before—my darkness showing itself fully. Black sclerae with my green irises. It immediately sucked all the light from the room so only the green from my eyes would show. While Lucifer was duly surprised, he wasn't so appalled. Well, he had something other than my appearance to be appalled by.
"This has nothing to do with duty," I spoke, the support of dark winds bolstering my voice. "Sam would've lived to see another day. Lived to choose you another way. This is about you not taking my creation seriously. All you men care about are your wars. Nothing more than brutish jousts."
I stormed off past him to clear my head and return to my normal self. I couldn't exactly go around as this pillar of darkness. Even for me, that would be a bad look. I was brought into this universe strictly in opposition to my created nature. And we all remembered what happened to the Darkness. Locked away in another dimension, never to be spoken of again. You don't even haunt my thoughts anymore, Mother.
The sun's rays were beginning to seek shelter in the horizon, just as I craved it the most. Before I could let out a sigh, a summoning reached me again. Good timing. It was Shemsiel.
As soon as I landed, obnoxious music invaded my senses from loud speakers. I cringed. Yet people lounged about or even danced to it. At least this outdoor patio had a nice view of the beach. Hues of pink and orange painted the sky. I had to pass a pool to enter the main building. It seemed I stood out by being the only unaccompanied person and also by wearing decent clothes. Most of them here were practically naked and I found myself becoming extra cautious as to avoid touching these undraped individuals.
Shemsiel called me here? The main building had two floors, one with the patio and another with a balcony, both extensively lined with large windows and glass doors. Inside, it was much more crowded. It was a den of vices and degeneracy. Just as eyes awkwardly shifted in my direction, Shemsiel's blonde hair came into view. "There you are," he greeted with as much pomp as he did others on the way to me.
He was wearing the same style of clothing he wore to the meeting earlier – a tank top with tacky floral design, shorts and the same pair of sunglasses. "I see you have… visitors," I gestured towards the crowd.
"They're not visitors. They're customers. Keeps the place lively, don't you think?" he led me further inside.
"That's one word for it," I followed him. He took me into a an area reserved for authorised personnel and then to a door brimming with magic. To the ordinary mortal, it looked like any other door and wouldn't reveal much when opened. Upon his touch, however, it'd lead to a basement. I recognised this trick. I had taught it to him. We came upon a dimly lit room with a table in the centre, a whiteboard on a far wall and shelves lined up along the sides. Another door led to more rooms.
"Sorry about the mess," he roughly cleared away some strewn papers from the table. "I always tell myself I'll sort it out but it never happens. Running this nightclub is a lot of work too. But it's a good cover."
"Your cover is frequented by so many people," I remarked as I looked around the office. Everywhere I stepped I had to watch out for piles of papers or books or other odd things lying about. "Placing all these important documents under a common place. That's risky."
"The humans don't bother me. And neither do the angels," he shrugged nonchalantly. "They're all too afraid of visiting a site of depravity. Works for me." He started rummaging through the pile of papers that he had just picked up. "Where did I put it…" he murmured. "I must have left the spell book in another room. I'll be right back. Please, do make yourself comfortable."
Always so organised, I thought dryly. Meanwhile, I took an interest in the strange items he had collected. Despite everything between us, he was still my student and I was curious as to what he chose to spend his time on these days. An entire wall was dedicated to displaying seashells of various types. I found it amusing that beneath the exterior of a palace of hedonism lay a true repository of worthwhile knowledge. An inkling of pride grew within me to know that the things that I taught had been put to good use. Nearby on a waist-level shelf was a bounded copy of something he wrote about seashells being related to information fields in the ocean.
Just as I was flipping the pages of the book, a folded piece of paper fell out. I picked it up to put it back, but then I noticed something that shouldn't be there. I saw the outline of something all too familiar. I unfolded the paper. It was an invisibility sigil, specifically the one I used to protect the tablets written by Metatron. There were some notes about how the sigil must have been designed in this specific way to protect its content. As I read on, there were experimentally-deduced conclusions of where the sigil might have been used.
I couldn't believe it. Shemsiel had located the angel tablet. Of course, he probably didn't know that. This was just his educated guess. Why did I have to be such a good teacher?
Before I could fully come to terms with this, I heard the patter of his flip flops approaching. I quickly placed the paper and the book where I found them and pretended to admire the wall of seashells instead. "It's an interesting collection you have here," I complimented him.
A hard-won smile stretched across his jaw, though not fully. It gave me hope to know that the most cynical of my former apprentices could find it in himself to ease up. He passed me a piece of paper. "These are the specifications for the detectors and the spells we used on our trip to Andromeda. If you could look over it and tell us how to refine them, I can get the items we need and work on it."
I scanned the note. "I see the issue," I beckoned for a pen. I quickly noted down where their procedure could be altered and how.
"That was… fast," he peeked from under his sunglasses. "I'll work on it. And uh…"
I awaited his sentence. He seemed to be mustering something.
"In the meantime… I know you just got out of eternal incarceration so… if you want me to show you around the place," he offered. "This city can be nice. Without the end-of-days aura, even. I wouldn't mind being a tour guide for a day. Could probably show you the merits of humanity."
I grinned. "Thank you for the offer. But I think I've had enough of my fill for a while. Besides, there are things I must attend to."
"Apocalypse stuff?" Mild discomfort riddled his brows. I nodded. He sighed. "I'll miss this place when it's gone."
I wanted to tell him it wasn't up to me, or anyone, as I had several times to other people and myself, but I was just too tired to. We both remained in silence. He may not have shown it, but it was obvious to me what truly plagued his mind when he saw me in that cornfield. "I'm… sorry about Zaphiel. Deeply. I was heartbroken when I saw what had transpired. I never wanted any of this," I broke the silence. "And I know how close the two of you were." My eyes dampened without my permission. "I can only imagine what pain you must have suffered to have heard the news. You didn't deserve that, Shemsiel."
His eyes contorted with unknowable anguish. Even those shades couldn't hide that. He sniffled.
"If it's any consolation," I placed a palm on his upper arm. "He still talked about you even after the Fall. He thought many times about writing to you, but he- he didn't want to put you in danger. He chose his own fate and we shouldn't belittle his choice."
Shemsiel stared at the clutter on his table as if that would cause it to be different. He swallowed a hard gulp. "I understand," he nodded.
"Be well. You're one of the good ones," I bid farewell. A cool wave of relief washed over me as I left him. I wouldn't have truly appreciated the impact I'd had were it not for the Nalkam seeking me out. I used to feel so alien after the Fall. If only I'd known that pieces of me remained in Heaven—they had mourned deeply. There was some closure, at least, that I could offer. A job remained, however. Shemsiel was close to cracking the location of the angel tablet. I had to protect it. There was only one way I could think of which would avoid gaining too much attention. Unfortunately, the circumstances weren't exactly perfect for enacting this solution. It wasn't like I had much of a choice, though.
Lucifer's tired eyes were directed through me, not at me. A demon had just left his presence after receiving orders, I presumed. I stood before him in the all-too-familiar position in the throne room. I didn't want to appear this demanding, standing all defiant in his face. A tense silence settled between us. My chin was tight. There were no easy concessions to be made here. "I need your help," I directly stated, swallowing my pride.
He rolled his eyes and fidgeted in his seat. "I'll bite," he hoarsely said.
"I need one of your crypts. Take me there when I get back," I monotonously declared and turned to leave.
"What for?" his voice bounced off the castle walls.
I didn't bother to turn back. "You'll see," I replied.
The angel tablet was exactly where I'd left it, save for some jostles due to millions of years of seismic activity. Retrieving them was something of a feat, seeing as they were kilometres underground. The protective layering was mostly intact. I broke the sigils I had designed myself. They could be disrupted either by mechanically changing their form – a weaker but more immediate method – or, as only few angels knew, by targeting weaknesses in their construction. As I picked up the angel tablet, I rubbed my palm over it, wiping away the dust. The tablet had remained in the ground so long that it had a thick mineral coating. The writing seemed to be largely intact. Too bad Metatron had his own codex which prevented anyone else from deciphering the meanings in the tablets. Stowing it away in an angel-warded box that I had brought, I returned to Lucifer.
The night was silent. Moonlight illuminated the wet gravel road leading to an abandoned warehouse. As I appeared before my husband, I realized that we weren't alone. He had brought some demons along.
"Um…" I frowned. I looked to him for answers but he seemed unbothered. "Why are they here?"
Lucifer's hands were slipped into his pocket. "Because I take you seriously enough to bring back-up," he answered sincerely.
"What?" I frowned deeper this time. I stepped closer to him so we could stay out of the demons' earshot. "You do realise a crypt is for storing secrets? Not a museum for demons."
"These are my most trusted," he gestured towards them. Some of them even beamed proudly. "And you're just gonna have to trust me. Your secrets are safe."
I couldn't describe what I felt in that moment. Here I was, holding one of the most important documents in all of existence, and he wanted me to feel safe hiding it where at least a dozen other beings knew where it would be. Unbelievable. With his hand resting against the small of my back, he led me in. Some of the demons scouted the area in front of us to make sure it was clear and others watched our backs.
"Maybe you should trust us too, Mother," one demon walking alongside me said. "We are eternally in your service."
I scowled. "Then don't speak to me unless you're spoken to."
Most trusted, my ass. That should've only been reserved for the Princes of Hell. Azazel botched that somehow, and now we were left with these remains of their servants and disciples who honestly believed they were as important to Lucifer as the Princes themselves. I certainly did not feel like my work was safe with these demons around. However, this would have to do for now.
The enchanted stone door appeared before us. Lucifer undid the warding. The door slid open. Inside, I found a good spot for the box. I closed my eyes. "Io amzi'po raak," I uttered, envisioning the correct protection sigils. When I opened my eyes, they were engrained into the walls. "It's done," I told him.
"What, exactly?" he watched me silently, with arms crossed and an unmoving gaze which bore judgment.
The demons were right outside the door. Even then, I didn't like the arrangement. Lucifer raised an eyebrow in impatience. My lips were tensely sealed. When he took in that sharp inhale, I knew what was coming next. Questions about whether I cared, whether I trusted him—things that shouldn't have to be questioned. This was a whole fight that didn't need to happen now. So against my better judgment, I answered, "This box contains the angel tablet."
His brows knotted and his head tilted slightly. "Th- the angel tablet? The Word of God?"
"The very same," I confirmed. I knew a plethora of ideas came to him right about now. "One of the Nalkam was close to figuring out where I'd hidden this. I had to move it before he could unearth it himself. So now the onus of guarding this secret is on both of us."
Lucifer looked unconvinced. "Why not just kill him and burn the evidence?"
I sighed. "Because he's my friend, Lucifer, and we don't just kill our friends. We go behind their backs so they're none the wiser."
"Hm." Lucifer traced the sigils on the box. "Not the way I would've done it, but alright." An uncomfortable friction built between us. "I know what you think of me."
"Hm?" I wondered.
"That I'm some amoral being who'll compromise anything to get what he wants," he clarified, still inspecting the box. "Yes, I am all those things. But if there's anything I'll not compromise, it's you."
"I know." I supposed that was his way of telling me that the angel tablet would be safe from him. While that was a relief, it wasn't him I was worried about.
While my duties as Queen, overseeing his reign, continued, some underhanded strategies had to be taken. I did what I had to. For one, the Whore of Babylon had risen. That presented a ripe opportunity. The Whore had a Winchester problem, it seemed, and I'd learnt some things from my last encounter with them. Some of the 'most trusted' demons found themselves being assigned to protect the nest. They never returned. On other occasions, I simply had to take care of the demons myself, in private. Doing some research on hunters did help make it look like an accident of fate.
One problem remained—Meg. This one was hard to isolate. She was always tagging along with Lucifer. My stomach churned at the thought of this boot-licking hoochie sticking around his viewing distance whenever he had work to do. Taking her out of the picture would be difficult without Lucifer noticing.
Despite this minor setback, my plan worked swimmingly. One by one, the 'most trusted' fell, almost like they never existed. Anything to keep a secret safe.
