Chapter 9

"ARGH!"

SHATTER!

Lucifer sighed. "Maz, if you're gonna break something please don't break the liquor bottles. Took me quite a while to collect it."

But it was though his head torturer didn't hear him. She tossed her daemonic blade with such ferocity that, when it hit a bottle of 1915 French wine, several bottles around it exploded outward. Lucifer sighed.

"THAT LITTLE FLYING RODENT IS GOING TO GET IT!" Maz shouted as she sent another two blades hurtling towards the wall. This time, the two dark blades hit an unknown painting done by Vermeer, which made Lucifer angry.

"Alright! That's enough!" He declared. The Devil stood to his feet in one smooth movement and stalked over to his right-hand demon. He stood in-between her and his priceless artefacts. She glared up at him and he almost backed off at the sight of anger in her eyes.

Anger like he had never seen on Maz's face.

"What happened?"

"I tracked the pigeon to the Airbnb on the other side of town. Found her out and about unawares but she escaped into the protection of a church."

"Okay…."

"Lucifer, a messenger should've never escaped my grasp." Maz insisted. "I'm the head torturer of Hell! All she does is carry messages all day!"

"Well, at least to sorted out where the carrier pigeon was."

"Yea, but she won't stay there for long if she's smart enough." Maz, calmed down to a relatively minor degree of anger. Lucifer sighed in relief, thankful that the rest of his collection was safe from Maz's outburst. "Took me a full three days to find out where she was. Only got lucky because I followed the mixed scent of heaven and hell."

"If you tracked her down once, maybe you can track her down again. Follow the lead of that mixed scent of heaven and hell."

"You don't understand! That rat with wings knows we're onto her." Maz snarled, nibbling at the tip of her blade. "She'll probably skip town before I can track her back down."

"She's under the order of the Archangels, those smarmy bastards." Lucifer muttered under his breath. "If the pigeon knows what's good for her, she won't leave until she's completed her mission."

"Or we obliterate her."

Lucifer sighed through his nose. "Sometimes I hate it when I'm not in control. I'll have the Detective search the churches, maybe send her on a wild goose chase."

And as though his thoughts had summoned her, his phone started to go off with Chloe's name flashing on the screen.

"Well, speaking of the detective." Lucifer said with a smirk. He placed the phone to his ear after he slid the answer button. "Hellloooo Detective."

"Lucifer, I need you to meet me at St. Mary's Cathedral on Fifth."

"Oh?"

"There's been another murder. Just get down here now."

Chloe hung up, leaving Lucifer to blink confusingly at the order. He turned towards his right -hand demon, his eyebrows raised.

"Summoned to St. Mary's Cathedral."

Maz rolled her eyes. "That's exactly where the pigeon hid. You don't think that she's responsible for these murders?"

"Couldn't fathom her doing it." Lucifer said as he went back through the last few weeks, starting with the beginning of the murders. The timeline didn't match but the Messenger could have been here stirring up trouble in an attempt to get him to show himself. "Whatever the case, we'll have to catch her first before we can determine whether or not she's responsible."

"I'm gonna to clean my knife off." Maz announced, her sneer deepening. "And sharpen all of my implements, since I'm going to be needing them soon."

"Good. I'll be back."

'Don't get discorporated."

"And don't break any more of my things." Lucifer shot back as he walked out of the apartment.

Maz, alone by herself, smirked evilly. "Right. Like I ever promised not to leave anything unbroken."

She stalked off.