A/N:
This chapter just did not want to end. It seems that the story is just as eager as the rest of you to get to the good stuff. Good thing I'm on board and hammering away on the next chapter. My thanks to OnceNeverTwiceAlways for editing, Cimar, BlueberryandHoney, and Damlone for beta reading, KT for all the cheer-leading, and Weaver for working with me on this. Holy monkey, we might be coming into the home stretch!
If you like what you see, consider buying me a coffee. The link is in my profile here and can also be found on my AO3 profile.
Onward!
The words echoed through the warehouse lot. Then there was silence. Silence and creeping relief. She'd said it. She'd actually said it.
She hadn't even realized it herself, and it had spilled out of her mouth as naturally as breathing. It felt good. Like a weight was gone from her shoulders. She felt light and alive and free of an oppressive, crushing weight. So, now she knew! It was a hell of a way to find out, but there it was. And now he knew too. She was pleased that her statement had left the Devil slack-jawed and speechless, but Judy found it a moderate compensation for the consequences she was about to face.
He knew.
She knew that she was going to fall. She had always known. In tying herself to a demon as strong as Wraith, she had willingly placed herself in grave danger. She was now reaping what she had sown. And yet, he had shown more care and respect for her in their short acquaintance than Judy felt she had earned. There was no reason for an arch-demon, now the Devil himself, to treat her as anything but a pawn. He could have killed her many times over, but, instead, he had listened, treated her with a sarcastic respect, and—in his own strange way—accepted her. For all his posturing, his actions had shown her he was more honorable than she had credited him with. As it turned out, more honorable than the Host itself.
She had spent her entire existence fighting for a cause she believed in wholeheartedly. That cause was ash now. Her decision to ignore her Commander's orders and pursue Wraith had placed her in a unique situation. She could, for the first time in her life, choose.
The realization of what those consequences could be turned her ears scarlet and dumped adrenalin to her blood. Her heart rate tripled. Her relief and the satisfaction at his stunned expression were quickly waning, overwhelmed by a growing tide of stricken, pulse-throttling panic. She'd accepted her new ambition. She'd also spouted it off to the very male it concerned. The truth was out. And, if the fox didn't respond soon, it would set her soul free from her body.
If I don't die from the embarrassment first.
She was saved from self-immolation under the fox's gaze by the Cursori, who bravely fainted, shattering the moment.
The fennec's outburst helped.
"Zelle!"
The fact that she'd fallen onto the fennec helped too.
Nick's voice was sprinkled with relieved amusement. "Zelle? Did you just call her by an endearment?"
"Shut it, Fox" came the fennec's sharp reply.
The Cursori responded to the imp's baritone. "Finny?"
"Finny...?" Nick snickered into his paw. "My my…. I'll have to remember that."
"I said, shut it!"
Judy was confounded. "What the Hell is going on?"
"I'm curious about that myself, Carrots," Nick replied and turned to his subordinate. "And you tried to catch her, too! You've watched plenty of mammals keel over and not lifted a claw to help, but now, you're being altruistic? Has the great edifice cracked at last?"
Judy grabbed the fox's sleeve and yanked him down to whisper, "How does antagonizing him help?"
"He's quick to anger. And angry mammals talk," he crooned softly back.
"Of course they— You don't trust him, do you?"
"Can we afford to?" Raising his voice again, Nick continued. "Trapped under an angel…. Tsk Tsk. Never thought I'd see the day."
Still struggling, lying on his back under the limp ungulate, the imp spat "Like you have room to talk" with extra venom on the final syllable.
"Excuse me?"
The imp snarled. "There's no excuse for you. And this is not the place."
Judy watched the two demons stare at each other. She'd seen the two interact only a few times, and, in each one, their dynamic was very clear. Now, the easy chatter of annoyance and rebuke, tease and threat was gone. There was something happening, and she wanted very badly to know what it was. The demons were unobliging, however.
"Nick?"
When he turned to face her he was nothing but easy smiles as always, but Judy could feel the tension in him. The bond was open and steady. "Lets get inside, Carrots. We're exposed out here."
"Nick..."
His voice was even as he responded. "We'll talk about it inside."
"We'll talk about it now," Judy insisted. "This needs to happen, and if we wait it won't."
"I overreacted."
She blinked in surprise. "A little, maybe. But why?"
"It doesn't matter."
"I can feel that it does to you. Why?"
Nick huffed a breath. "You took an unnecessary risk. Foolish, but undeserving of so strong a reaction from me."
Judy was getting more and more confused. "It wasn't foolish. I needed to blow off some steam, and I know what I'm doing in a fight. Besides, you have my back."
A shiver rolled up the demon's spine before he answered. "Be that as it may, it was still a waste of effort. Those opponents were beneath you. Blunting your blades on them was unworthy of their use and your strength."
Beneath her? Judy goggled.
At that moment, the cursing of the smaller fox distracted them both as he struggled to lift the barely sensate gazelle to her feet. Judy went to help.
Nick raised an eyebrow. "Finnick, are you really trying to move that angel all on your own?"
"Nope!" Finnick gestured to the rabbit pulling on the Cursori's other arm. "Now, I got divine aid!"
"Do all demons have terrible jokes?" Judy groused, rolling her eyes. "Come on. We can get her inside the warehouse at least."
"I can't believe that this is what I have to deal with," Nick grumbled and lit a cigarette.
"If you can whine and smoke, you can help," Finnick countered. "If you ain't gonna do that, then shut up and hold the door or something."
The red fox's collar pulsed red and quiesced. "We don't have time for this."
A huge cloud of smoke left Nick's maw and floated over the pair of petite celestials as they struggled with the third. Judy and Finnick found themselves plucked from the ground by vaporous paws and lifted along with their unconscious companion. While Finnick seemed content to struggle and thrash as the smoke carried them towards the warehouse door, Judy was acutely aware of two facts. First, she was accompanying a fellow angel into the Devil's Den. Second, she didn't care about her own standing with the Host, but Gazelle was a relative innocent in their situation. Judy was many things, but she was not sunk so low that she was about to allow a non-combatant Cursori be corrupted.
She focused on the Bond and put her will behind it as she spoke and thought, "Stop!"
Nick flinched. Finnick hit the ground, cursing.
"What, rabbit?"
Judy fixed the fox with a hard gaze and stated, "I'm not letting you take another angel into your den."
"Feeling possessive, are we?" Nick retorted.
"I will not allow her to be corrupted."
"You really are a dumb bunny sometimes," he snorted. "We can discuss this when we get inside. It's almost da—"
Sunlight poured over the horizon. With the dawn came the chorus of the heavens bringing its benediction to the world. Both demons reacted poorly. Nick pinched the bridge of his muzzle and brought the two angels gently down to earth before terminating his spell. Finnick, meanwhile, clapped his paws over his ears and writhed, before pulling himself into the shadow of a large rock and curling in on himself.
The crescendo only lasted a few moments, but it was obviously unpleasant for the infernal males. Judy felt invigorated though and was pleased when Gazelle's eyes fluttered open. She was then surprised to see the divine messenger scramble to her hooves and open her wings as a shade for the imp hiding in a shadow.
Finnick slipped from behind the rock into the shadows of the angel's wings and rasped, "Thanks, toots. I hate sunrise."
"It's ok." Gazelle knelt over him, deepening the shadows. "Sorry I was unconscious."
Nick chose that moment to insert himself. "It appears that this is a commonly used solution to dawnbreak. Very interesting isn't it, Carrots?"
"Which part?" Judy replied. "The angel protecting the demon? Or the fact that it's routine?"
"Are you sure you're worried about the 'innocent' Cursori, now?" NIck asked sarcastically.
Before Judy could reply, the fennec fox leapt to his feet and bared his teeth. "I haven't laid so much as a paw on her. And neither will you, Wilde."
"I have no interest in doing so. But, as you are all so paranoid, I'll lay your fears to rest. I have no interest in the Cursori. You need safe haven, and my home will suffice. You can accept my hospitality or not, but I won't harm a feather on your lily-white wings."
Gazelle nodded. "I will accept."
"Good." Nick smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "You can repay my generosity by explaining yourselves. Why you're together and why you, Gazelle, are still here after being ordered home."
"I'm curious about that as well," Judy chimed in. "You know, as the one who gave you that order."
"Excellent!" Nick chirped with his smile growing even less mirthful. "This just keeps getting better. We can get those answers and you can tell me all about the Bond! It'll be sharing time at daycare."
Finnick snorted. "I'm surprised you didn't go for 'show and tell', boss."
Judy watched a feral grin grow on Nick's face. "You show me yours, and I'll show you mine…" The greater demon locked eyes with the imp. "Finny."
Nick led the way back into the warehouse, blinking the last vestiges of dawn's impact out of his mind. There were few things he enjoyed less than witnessing a new day's beginning. Normally, he would shrug it off with a bit of discomfort and the rigorous suppression of memories, but now he was the Devil.
As the de facto apex demon, the dawn was a far less pleasant experience for him. He hadn't claimed the throne yet, but the first light of the sun and the Chorus' opening number had been quite painful. He'd managed to hide it, but he was not feeling terribly steady on his paws. He felt lightheaded, almost giddy—not a good accompaniment to pain. This was not helped by the envy he felt for his favorite imp. It was rare to find shelter out of doors like he had and from such a willing angel. There was a story to that uniquely symbiotic relationship, and Nick would know what it was soon enough. In the meantime, he did have one small pleasure to indulge in.
Finnick's mumbled "Ah shit. This part" as the darkness enclosed them brought a small smile to Nick's face.
As soon as the warehouse doors were closed behind them, the ground shuddered. Under their paws the floor shifted, liquefying and flowing. Nick closed his eyes and waited, listening with great amusement as the angels flailed in the dark. The only thing that amused him more was Finnick's baritone cursing.
The floor of the warehouse was something Nick was particularly proud of. It had taken a lot of time and power to infuse the top several inches of material and bend it into a shape that was flexible enough to be useful while retaining the toughness needed to be worthwhile as a defense. He believed he'd pulled it off well, as was evidenced when he snapped his fingers and light flooded the room. His smile grew when he took in the fruits of his handiwork.
Both angels were restrained. Their lower halves bound in an amalgam of concrete. Limbs reminiscent of tree roots and metal vines hanging from the ceiling had snagged their forelimbs, entangling them. While the three celestials were restrained, the animate limbs had begun to shift over their frame, searching them. Finnick, who was completely cocooned in gently writhing metal and concrete strands, was left with only his head outside his tiny nest. With the lights on, he had given up vocally expressing his displeasure and simply glowered at his commander. In fairness, neither of the divine servants looked much happier, though the ungulate looked significantly more fearful.
"Nick!" Judy sounded very put out. "What is this?"
"This is him being an asshole!" Finnick answered for him. "Get us out of this shit!"
Nick was pleased. "Patience, Finny." He leaned against the wall by the elevator and grinned. "You are being held by a battalion of golems I created to act as my first line of defense. They restrain unknown visitors and will release when they are done, or when instructed to by me."
Judy seemed no more enthusiastic than Finnick. "Alright, Slick Nick, you've had your fun. Now tell them to let us go."
"I could…" Nick replied. "But that would mean they'd forget you as soon as you've left my home again. It's much easier to let them do their job."
Still hanging uncomfortably, Judy asked, "What is their job?"
"To search anyone who comes a-knocking at my door. As soon as they're done, I'll introduce you and this won't happen again." Hearing Finnick growl Nick added, "I wouldn't resist if I were you. They dislike it when you fuss. You have to let them do their jobs, or you know what'll happen."
Gazelle finally found her voice, if shrilly. "What will happen?"
"Finny?" Nick mocked. It was satisfying for him to see his creations work so effectively. The discomfort it caused the imp was the cherry on top. "Do you want to field this one?"
The imp snarled. "They'll switch from 'restrain & search' to 'blender'."
Seeing Judy's angry look, Nick amended, "They're a layer of defense, and this is what they were designed for. Take a deep breath, and let them finish up. You'll be on the ground in a moment."
Moments later, the golems restraining Gazelle finished up and slithered off the terrified Cursori. In response, the angel fainted again.
"Excitable for an angel, isn't she?" Nick observed.
"Not all of us are warriors," Judy commented as the tendrils gently released her. "There's a reason she's a Messenger."
"No doubt." He turned to his fellow demon. "You almost done over there?"
"Shut it, Wilde!"
"I thought he knew how to handle these things," Judy stated, helping the other angel in the room to her hooves.
"He does, but he's Finnick. He doesn't take restraint well. Or being picked up."
Gazelle's bleary statement of "He's never complained when I've done it" as she regained her footing got her two very surprised looks.
Finnick bared his teeth. "Not a word."
Judy and Nick looked at the tiny fox and the murderous expression on his face. What got their eyebrows to rise was the light pink gracing the inside of his enormous ears.
"Not. A. Word."
This was a turn of events that Nick had never expected. The implications alone were astonishing! Finnick was hardly sentimental, let alone caring. He had never defended anyone to Nick's knowledge. Uniform indifference to the suffering of others wasn't unusual for demons. It was fairly standard, really, but Finnick was unusual even in that respect. He was a true mercenary, even among their kind. It was one reason Nick liked having him around. With Finnick, he alway knew where he stood. That was no longer the case. Finnick showing an interest in someone other than himself, and an angel at that, was new and worth exploring. A plan began to form in his mind.
A few awkwardly quiet moments later and the fennec fox was on the ground, dusting himself off and shuddering—muttering about how much he hated golems. Nick was grinning like he had just gotten a fantastic present, and the angels were somewhere between embarrassed and amused. Then, Finnick looked towards the elevator, preparing to stomp off, and was brought up short.
Looking at the lintel of the door, the imp muttered, "You've got to be kidding me."
The angels looked up as one, but their reactions were very different. Gazelle snickered nervously behind a hoof, while Judy just looked confused.
"Huh? What is that"
The little fox pointed at the lintel and read, "Omnes pudicitia linquenda vestri intratis hic. Latin words written in the Theban alphabet. Roughly, it translates to 'All virtue abandon, ye who enter here'." Finnick turned to Nick in exasperation. "I can't believe you actually did that."
Nick grinned in complete self-satisfaction.
Gazelle murmured, "Isn't that the inscription on the gates of Hell?"
"Close." Finnick gestured at the red fox. "For Hell it's 'hope' not 'virtue', but look at our host."
"I shouldn't find that funny."
"Too long around me, toots," Finnick replied.
"Am I the only one here that doesn't read Latin?" Judy grumbled.
"Looks like it!" Nick chortled. "Even the imp is better educated. Ouch."
"Hey! I read Enochian and modern mortal languages just fine, thank you!"
"You might want to brush up on the classics a bit." At that, Nick winked and led them into the elevator.
The descent to his Den was a quiet, awkward affair, until Finnick broke the ice, much to Nick's surprise.
He turned to Judy and said, "Nice work on that asshole Lash. I'll have to remember that trick."
Gazelle scoffed. "I'm surprised it wanted your sword at all. Don't divine weapons burn demonkind?"
"They do," Judy answered. "I don't know why it works. But when you're in battle, it doesn't matter."
Finn shaking his head got both angels' attention.
"What?" the rabbit questioned. "You know?"
"All demons do," Finnick answered. "The Lash knew it would hurt, but it was pretty. Envy is the House of the highest regret in Hell. They miss their beauty from when they were angels. They hunger for it. It doesn't matter to them that it hurts. Some officers wear angelic plate maille into battle just for the vanity of it.
"And to brag." Nick's comment was full of scorn.
"But why?" Gazelle inserted. "The pain must be intense!"
Nick snorted and leaned against the wall. "Excruciating. And that's nothing."
The ungulate shifted closer to the fennec. "What do you mean?"
"It's Hell. Pain is everything."
"I don't understand."
"If I had a Nickle…" Nick rolled his eyes and kicked open the elevator doors, leading them into his home. "In Hell, everything hurts. Breathing, walking, blinking…. Agony is the only constant."
The rabbit hurried to keep pace with him. "So, nothing feels good at all? That's got to be wrong. Otherwise how would Lust work?"
"It works." Nick stated bitterly as he led them into the kitchen area, starting to make a pot of coffee. "Sex is excruciating in Hell. In the centuries I was used as a party favor in the brothels, not one demon felt pleasure. No matter how many times they used me, or how often they climaxed."
"Then what's the point?
The red fox stopped and met her eyes. "The only good feeling in Hell comes from hurting someone else."
The sound of Finnick breaking into a nearby crate distracted the pair. They watched Gazelle hold the lid open for him, while he fished a bottle out of the packing material and cracked it. As he chugged, Gazelle hovered at his shoulder. Nick raised an eyebrow at the unusually easy atmosphere between the two.
Nick shook himself. He didn't understand why talking about this was so difficult now. He'd never had trouble talking about pain before. It was a fact of reality. One he thought he'd dealt with sufficiently to put to rest.
He took a deep breath and continued, "In Luxuria, when I was used, it was so they could feel the satisfaction of giving me more pain than they had. Some were quite inventive." He couldn't keep his eyes from dropping at the memory. "And enthusiastic."
"Is that why demons are so fixated on escaping?"
Nick's chuckle was sour. "Congratulations on guessing the obvious, Carrots."
"There's no need to be rude," Judy replied, chastened. "We don't learn about this stuff in the Host."
"And you aren't encouraged to think about it either," Nick quipped sharply.
"I'm trying to understand you." Judy quickly amended, "Demons, I mean. We're taught that you're subversive traitors who want to invade or destroy all of Creation. That's sounding less and less accurate as time goes on."
"Well, they aren't wrong. Sometimes, I think you angels forget that Hell is a prison. We're basically convicts who took over their gaol. Demons may run the place, but only a few of us can actually leave. That's the trouble. The whole of my kind is trapped in Hell—a place where sanity is rare and pain is constant. There is no end to it and no hope, other than escape. The only way to do that is getting here."
Judy swallowed thickly. "But there's only so much demonic power that the Wager can take…"
"That's right, rabbit." The fennec snarled. "The few lucky ones like us get to come up here for little vacations, playing games with you pigeons and hoping you fuck up enough that we can all get out."
"So, once you're here, you don't want to go back." It was apparent from her deepening scowl that Judy was liking this less and less. "Why do you?"
Nick scratched at an ear and flicked it. "We go back if we're ordered, because failure to comply is…not a wise decision." Coffee slipped from a carafe into a mug while the demon spoke. "If we refuse, or threaten the Wager in any way they'll issue a bounty. That'll bring every other demon on their tail. Once they catch you, you go home and Hell is well known for its aptitude at finding ways to hurt."
"Catch? I would have thought that dead or alive was the best you'd get. "
"Death is a mercy that no demon would grant another." Nick sipped his coffee in the silence following his statement. "Bounties are only paid if the target is alive. Anything past that, however, is negotiable. Our only hope is that, if we play this stupid game with the Host long enough, there's a chance we can come back for another mission or—Misery willing—bring the Host down and win our freedom."
Judy cringed as she asked, "What happens then?"
"The same thing that happens when any demon is allowed out of Hell." Delight flooded Nick's expression. "We revel!"
"On a planar scale…"
"Which is why you lot are so eager to keep us bottled up, I suppose." He commented with a shrug. "You can't have your precious mana farm ruined by a bunch of desperate, PTSD-riddled traitors, can you?"
"You just want freedom."
"Damn right," Finnick boomed. "We want out. And if that means claiming the rest of reality, we'll do it and damn the consequences."
Judy held up a paw. "Just to clarify, you don't suffer outside of Hell?"
"Only between our ears." Nick replied around his mug. "A certain amount of what happens to you in Hell stick with you, you know?"
"That explains the troop following Finnick."
"I can think of four explanations for that."
"Only four?" Judy quipped.
Nick raised an eyebrow at her and continued, counting off on his fingers. "One, he was stealing from the Archives. That's worth a reward if they catch him. Two, he has the smell of the mortal world all over him."
Judy interrupted. "From what you've said, that would be plenty of reason for any demon to hunt him. If they could find a crack to crawl through, they'd get a temporary pass to freedom."
"Exactly."
"Wonderful."
Nick chuckled. "Reason number threesie, he's been around an angel. That lingering trace of the divine will attract any demon, but members of Envy, Pride, and Lust most strongly. Let's be glad they only had a troop of Levi's House and not either of the others."
She shifted uncomfortably. "Or gluttony. I couldn't handle a Gorger right now."
"Not the most pleasant of companions, are they?" Nick commented and dove back in. "The last one, however, is the most likely. Finnick has the smell of me on him from his status as my servant. My power fingerprint is on him, and I'm the Devil, so the demons will seek out their new master."
"Creepy…." Judy rubbed her arm and tried to avoid shivering. "Now, that covers the why of it. How did they follow you? I thought the realm was sealed."
"It was," Nick grumbled.
"Was?"
"Yes." He sighed. "Was."
"What?! How?!" Judy exclaimed. "Aren't you all the demon reality can handle?
"High praise Carrots, but no. When we went to my Den I was technically outside of the world."
She was incredulous. "So, Heaven and Hell could have sent in legions and you'd have been none the wiser?"
Nick surprised himself by having the good grace to look sheepish. "A small trade off. Perfect privacy has its price."
"You call that small?" she shouted.
"Comparatively? Yes." Judy was about to explode, but Nick stopped her with a raised paw, intoning, "Calm down, rabbit. The wager is intact. The demons are gone. And the Heavens haven't made a move."
"How did you not break the Wager, though?"
"I felt something was off and muted my power without thinking about it when we left the Den. Once I had the Brood by the throat, their power was suppressed under my own. And you neatly killed the rest of them, so I could let my wings out again."
Nick knew she was in no position to argue, despite how overly tidy answers seemed. "Alright, fine. Is there a way to fix it so you can keep Hell out while you're in your Den?"
"Yes. I am loathe to do it, but there's no choice."
With a flick of his wrist, Nick summoned his spear and touchstone, eliciting a gasp from the two newcomers. He slashed upwards rending a small hole in the air. He tossed his touchstone through the hole and sealed it, a mou of displeasure pinching his features.
Judy looked between the place where the hole had been and the fox. "What did you do?"
Nick grimaced, turning back to his coffee. "My touchstone is a piece of me. So long as it's in the world, so am I."
"Where did you put it?"
"That's my concern." He sipped his coffee. "Now…what do we want to start with? The Bond? Or the story of the Angel with Horns and the Imp?"
Gazelle shook her head and muttered, "Through Hell with a servant of the Devil…"
Nick blinked in surprise. "Well, sweetheart, I think we have a winner."
"Cursori Gazelle…" Judy started, her voice low and suspicious.
The angel in question startled and snapped to attention, "Yes, Acting Commander?"
"Did you go to Hell with that imp?"
"I…um…" the Cursori stammered.
Nick blinked again, grinning as he saw the lesser angel's discomfort. Finnick's gagging on his drink and panicked expression as he met his master's eyes was all the confirmation he needed to know for sure.
"She did," the greater demon purred, before turning to his bunny. "Carrots, I think you should have a little girl-talk with your colleague, while I have a chat with little Finny. I think she'll feel a little more...comfortable discussing this with you one-on-one."
Judy nodded uncertainly. "That may be a good idea."
"Come on, Finnick," Nick said, putting down his mug. "We have a few issues to address, don't you think?"
Nick led the way out of the central hall and through a small maze of cloisters and hallways, but not before collecting a bottle and a pair of glasses on his way out. He knew the imp was following him from the patter of tiny paws with little claws echoing up from behind him. This was a delicious turn of events, but not the main point of interest for getting his old comrade alone. There was plenty they had to discuss, and not all of it was for angelic ears.
Judy watched the two demons slip out a door that she was unfamiliar with. When she had a chance, she would have to get a tour of her temporary residence, but that would have to wait. There were more pressing concerns, some of which took precedence over her own curiosity. And her hunger to stay with the fox. His pain and vulnerability stirred in her a desire that she was unfamiliar with. She wanted to ease his discomfort, though the idea seemed particularly ridiculous now. How could one lessen such a burden of misery? Looking at her fellow angel, now seated across from her with a cup of tea, another question floated to the foreground of her mind.
"Why—in the name of All Things—did you follow an imp into Hell?"
"I didn't, ma'am…?"
"Then what did you do?"
"I helped him, ma'am."
"You helped him…." Judy massaged her temples. "How exactly?"
"I'm not sure, Commander—"
"Enough with the titles! My name is Judy. Now drop the formality, and tell me what happened! And why are you not in the Heavens as I ordered you?"
"I was ready to return, but I was issued higher orders. I sent on my reports and all the information as you instructed. But, once I did, I was ordered to stay and await instructions. So I did."
"So where does 'Finny' come into it?"
Judy was surprised to see the nervousness that suffused the horned angel at the mention of her pet name for Finnick. Wringing her hooves, Gazelle shuffled in her seat. It was almost comical. Judy would have laughed if she hadn't seen so similar a reaction in herself when it came to her own fox. The parallel was sobering.
"I needed protection." Her eyes were drawn to her hooves as she fiddled with them. "I'm just a Messenger. I can fight, but I'm not a warrior. There were no other angels to turn to, so I went to who I thought I could trust."
"You know…" Judy walked to a chair and slumped onto it with a wry chuckle. "Not long ago I'd have a hard time understanding that statement when applied to a demon."
"Me too, Ma'am—"
"It's 'Judy'. Go on."
The fiddling continued. "After his help during the riots, I figured he'd be a good bodyguard."
"Good choice." Judy nodded. "I think."
"For an alcohol-fueled anger generator, he's not that bad," Gazelle admitted, embarrassedly. "He's also quite a mystery."
Judy's head tilted. "What do you mean?"
"I can't place his Sin, Ma—uh, Judy."
Judy smiled weakly. "Somehow, I'm not surprised. Demons seem to be a fascinatingly enigmatic. Lets just skip to the part where you assisted an imp infiltrate a secure facility in Pandemonium."
"It's fairly simple, really," Gazelle admitted with a shrug. "He opened a portal, and I used my magic to sustain it. Because of my affinities for traveling, it was easy for me. He went and did whatever he did and came back running with a troop on his heels."
"Uh-huh…. 'Through Hell with a servant of the Devil' was it?" Judy sipped her tea. "How did you 'go through Hell', if that's all there was to it? You couldn't have left the portal. And you would have been a beacon in the darkness if you'd set hoof in Hell. Explain."
"Well, Finny—"
"And you'll explain the nickname when you're done."
"OK…um," she cleared her throat. "Finnick had some tools and relics he was going to use to break in. I saw them when he was preparing to go in. I…offered to help him."
Now, Judy was all focus. "What? How?"
Gazelle's voice was barely above a whisper. "I put one of my feathers in his Paw of Glory. It had some unintended effects."
"You—" Judy was split between being upset at her subordinate for putting herself as such risk in trusting a feather to a demon. Then, realizing she didn't have any room to talk, she elected to focus on the other part of her statement. "What kind of effects?"
"The Paw creates light that only the bearer can see. With my feather, it let him see through walls, or so he said. The problem was that the Paw burned out quickly and the feather was exposed in Hell before it winked out of being. That was what caught the attention of the Troop."
"Well, that answers a few questions…" Judy commented.
"It does?"
"Yes, I'll explain later. but first, were there any other effects?"
"Yes…" The hesitation in her voice made Judy very uncomfortable. "There was a secondary effect. I…"
Judy leaned forward. "You what?"
"I could follow him. Like I was looking over his shoulder, or sitting on it." Gazelle shook her head, obviously uncertain about what she was saying. "I had no control, but I could see everything. It was me that spotted the troop. If I hadn't looked behind him, he would'vee been ambushed."
"Oh, wow…" Judy breathed.
"Judy, have you ever heard of demonic and angelic powers mixing like that? I'd intended to give his relic a boost, not change its nature."
"Yes. Once before. Nick and I combined divination and scrying. The result was a silver trail to our goal."
"That's…odd…."
"Very," Judy commented blankly.
"It's a pity really."
Judy was confused. "Pity? What do you mean?"
"We won't be able to keep this all a secret from the Host." Gazelle's concern was clearly not for herself. "Once they find out, there'll be trouble."
"That's if they find out," Judy assured. "We don't have to tell them."
"If they ask, we will have to answer."
"We have options." Something bothered Judy. She wasn't sure exactly what, but...
"We can't lie, Commander," the Cursori insisted. "We're avowed against it."
"But I've…"
Something was wrong. Very wrong. Judy had known for some time that there were some parts of the reality she was in that didn't make sense. But with all the madness she'd been embroiled in, there'd been no time to assess it. Now that she had the time to think and a little outside perspective, it was clear. She felt like she was in freefall.
"Commander?"
"Gazelle, lies should destroy us." Her words sounded breathless, even to her.
"Yes…? We know this. What's wrong?"
"Cursori, I lied to you when I ordered you home. I've lied to Nick for a week now. Lies of omission, lies of misdirection, white lies—all skirting the truth. All dishonest. By rights and my vows, I should be dead!"
Nick led the smaller fox along until they reached what, in a cathedral or monastery, would be considered the head priest's private quarters. They had been repurposed to better suit the former-archdemon's personal preferences. It was small and bare, but the walls were studded with chains and manacles and there was plenty of space to work. A small table, currently unoccupied, sat off to the side of the room with a single chair. He called it his study.
The glasses were filled and the bottle of dark red wine was placed on the table before Nick turned to address the other fox. He was looking unsurprisingly nervous.
"Come on, Finnick. Take your drink. I know you want another."
The imp's reply was as sullen as it was hesitant. "Um… Sir… I…"
"Just take the damn glass." Nick sighed impatiently. "I'm not going to hurt you."
"Really?" The imp's voice was cautiously optimistic.
Nick sipped his wine and replaced his glass on the table before answering. "For what? Duping an angel into helping you? Keeping her close so you can work on corrupting her while she pays you for the privilege? That's what you did wasn't it?"
The fennec stared into his glass as he answered, "Yes, sir."
A partial truth. Perfect.
"I have to give you credit. I didn't expect such subtlety from you. It's quite impressive."
Finnick sipped from his glass uncertainly. "Thanks, boss."
"Don't look so nervous," Nick crooned. "I told you outside that I'm not interested in your little horned pigeon. My own is more than enough to keep me diverted. In fact, I hope you succeed. Bringing down a Cursori will certainly get you a proper Rank."
"I know." Nick saw the wheels spinning behind the imp's eyes. "It's the best opportunity I've had in a long time. I'm not going to fuck it up."
Leading the conversation was child's play. "And yet, you want something."
"You offering me a deal?" Finnick's calculating gaze shot to his boss.
"I am the Devil, Finny-poo," Nick replied with due sarcasm. "It's sort of my thing, now."
"If I can make her fall, what rank would I earn?"
The anger in Finnick's voice surprised Nick. He'd said nothing to provoke anger. Irritation, yes, but not anger. That meant there was an internal reason. There were a few reasons that could apply, but in light of Finnick's recent reactions, only one applied. Nick was used to the self-loathing and anger that permeated the little demon, but this was unusual for him. It was time to push the little fox to see how far he'd go. Perhaps there was a drop of genuine truth to be found through it.
"In a House? Or under me, personally?" Nick asked, lightly.
"Both."
"Well, a House would give you an earldom, most likely. I'd see you made a Count." Nick raised his glass. "That's a far step up from Imp."
"No House will have me, either way." The pall of self loathing around Finnick intensified. "If I swear to you, will you keep your word on the Rank?"
"Yes. Do we have an accord?"
Finnick looked like he was choking on the possibility. "One condition."
This was it. "Oh?"
"Keep the rank of count. I'll be an earl."
Nick rolled his eyes, affecting amusement. "And?"
"And I get the Cursori."
Jackpot!
"Oh…. Oh my…." Nick bled his genuine glee into condescension. "Is little, broken Finnick getting attached to his meal ticket?"
"She's an angel," the imp barked. "If I have her, I may be able to repair myself. Or at least feed my Sins for once."
The reasoning may have been genuine, but it felt cobbled together. The thread of desperation in his voice didn't help. Demons were used to their personal suffering, so the reasoning didn't hold up. He wasn't desperate for himself.
Nick felt his smile turn vicious. "One empathizes."
"I know." Finnick drained his glass and hopped onto the table to refill it. "I can see the hunger in you. Well?"
Nick leaned in. "You make that angel fall, and she's yours. Along with a rank of Earl, or higher. I'll give you command of a Legion under my banner too."
Finnick spit the word like it hurt him. "Deal."
"But!" Nick barked. "If you can make her submit to you willingly—keep her wings and still bow to you…I'll make you a Baron. Still a deal, little demon?"
The fleeting look of relief on Finnick's face was all the confirmation Nick needed. He was a drowning soul, and Nick had thrown him a lifeline. The fennec was more than just attached.
"Deal." They clasped paws, and Finnick yanked Nick down to his level. "But if you call me little again, I'll bite your face off. No matter who you think you are."
"That would be low of me. I'll try to rise above it." The imp's growl tugged Nick's smile wider. "Now! Before the angels get bored and start looking for us, tell me: What is Hell looking like these days? Utter chaos, I presume?"
The imp huffed a dry laugh and hopped off the table. "You don't know the half of it."
With a wave of his paw, Nick summoned a stool for the imp to sit on. "Explain."
Finnick slumped onto his seat, taking a long pull from his glass. "I know you wanted to keep the Houses squabbling to buy you some time, but you may have made a mistake. The city is tearing itself apart." He drained his glass, and Nick refilled it. It was empty again a moment later. "Something is happening down there. The Old Citadel is acting up. Weird power surges, walls shifting and growing…. The old defensive pylons around Tartarus are glowing for Misery's sake! There's even a rumor that the Obsidian Throne was purring."
Nick paused with his glass at his lips. "That's disturbing."
"It's fucking terrifying!" Finnick shouted. "Those defenses have been dead since Lucifer's rule! The throne has been a blob of rock since his disappearance, and now it's waking up!"
"The first ruler of Hell…." Nick sipped his wine. "Such a tragedy…."
"Tragedy my ass."
Nick blinked. "I beg your pardon?"
"I don't believe he's dead."
"Is there something you know that I don't, Finnick?"
"Lucifer vanished. We don't know he's dead." He shifted uncomfortably on his stool. "It was kept quiet, and the idea of assassination was the easiest rumor to encourage. But that's all."
Nick put down his glass and leaned forward in his chair. "Encourage…? You mean—"
"Yeah. I was." Finnick shuddered. "I saw the Trident laying across the Throne as that creepy ass chair wailed like a banshee in mourning."
"If you were there, you were a witness."
"No!" he barked. "I know nothing. The interrogators made sure I didn't. I was just a house imp, but they worked on me for months. I told them nothing. Not even when they got creative."
A horrible thought crossed Nick's mind. "Is that why you are the way you are?"
"Yeah. I'm fucked up because of them. I had nothing to tell, but they weren't about to let a toy go unused." The imp seemed to draw in on himself. "I escaped when they got sloppy. And I wasn't fun anymore, so they didn't look. They never found proof Lucifer was dead, but they declared it once Buffy claimed the Throne. I'd lay good money that crazy bastard is still alive, somewhere."
"And now, the Throne is singing again." Nick shrugged and sipped from his glass. "Just another day in Pandemonium."
"Bullshit! The fucking Leviathan showed up!"
For the fifth time in ten minutes, Nick found himself confounded. This was truly a day of surprises. "Levi? Are you sure?"
"Le—I'm not going to ask." Finnick raked a paw over his face. "Yes. The beast of the deeps himself just strutted out of the Styx and sniffed around the Old Citadel for a few days. He's been back a few times since, according to my spies." The imp dropped his glass onto the table and upended the bottle, draining it, before continuing. "Something bad is going down in Hell, Nick. And it all started when you axed Baphomet."
"It was more like I pulverized him," he preened. "But that's beside the point. This changes things."
"We need you on the Throne. Now." Finnick's forcefulness fascinated Nick.
"Not happening." The red fox replied. "My word binds me, and I have business here. I will stay until it is concluded."
"Don't take too long, or we may not have a Hell to go back to," the fennec groused. "Hell can rot for all I care. But it's our bargaining counter against Heaven, remember?"
NIck conceded. "I'll do what I have to and get my tail on the throne before Pandemonium is in ruins. If I have to be shackled to a throne, I want a kingdom worth ruling, not a pile of rubble."
The Devil raised his glass to his companion before sending the rest of its contents down his throat. Then, he felt it.
Nick felt something as he placed his glass back on the table. A surge of tension and focus flitted through him, followed by a sense of immanence. The Bond was not open. He knew she was coming and quickly. He didn't know how, but his Bond mark burned. And only a moment later, the rabbit burst through the door, dragging a very confused gazelle along in her wake.
Judy was incapable of lying. She was bonded against it. Sworn. Any falsehood should have been excruciating to her. She'd seen the results of it in Heaven and the Fringe—soldiers in court-marshal or making reports. Falsehood was always known, and the penalties were always severe. And yet, she'd been skirting flat out dishonesty the entire time she'd been on the Mortal Plane. She hadn't exactly told outright lies—but lies of omission? Yes. Evasion? Yes. Misdirection? Clearly. She'd equivocated and gotten by on technicalities since she'd arrived in the city.
How?
It should have been impossible. It was impossible. She should have been writhing in pain the first time she'd told Nick about the "consequences" of lying with the bond. She'd been technically correct, but had omitted the details, allowing him to fill in his own assumptions. A simple trick that shouldn't have worked. A demon's trick. Mortals could bend those rules, but any form of dishonesty would hurt an angel. A flat out lie would potentially cripple them, but even equivocation or deception through circumlocution would cause severe pain and consequences with the Host. To the Avowed like her and Gazelle, it was supposed to be fatal—instant death or exile to Hell. Or so she had been taught.
In retrospect, it was unspeakably glaring. How had she missed it?
As her feet pounded through the halls, she let her instincts drive her. She could feel him. Not just his existence, but his presence. She felt the echo of his being in every step he'd taken since leaving them in the main hall. It felt like she was walking just behind him. The Bond mark tingled, and she tried to ignore it. Judy knew what it meant. He was the first person she'd thought to turn to and the one she trusted most. She knew he'd help her. Her old self would have wept, but the thought spurred her onward.
Stone walls flew by to the accompaniment of frantic clopping at her heels until a huge wooden door grew in her sight. She pushed it open and skittered into the presence of two very surprised vulpines.
"Carrots!"
"Nick!" Judy shouted as she stuttered to a halt. "What is the greatest risk to angels on the mortal plane?"
He raised an eyebrow. "Is this a trick question?"
"Just answer the question."
"Me."
She groaned. "Now, answer seriously."
Nick leaned back in his seat. "Are you claiming that the Devil isn't the biggest threat to divine servants?" Finnick chuckled.
"Stop being difficult," Judy groused. "In officers' school, we learn that temptation is the biggest danger to angelic operatives on the plane."
"If you know that, why are you asking?"
"Why is it true? That's that I want to know."
The fox fixed her with a considering, yet amused gaze. "Supposedly, it's because you could sin and fall."
"Define sin."
"Really, Carrots?" Nick replied with a flat look. Her reciprocation had him sighing and responding. "Really it is, then! Sin is the conscious decision to act against divine law."
"Such as to speak words you know to not be true," Judy prompted.
"Or 'lie' as some mammals call it." Nick rested his chin on his paw. "Does this vast collection of obvious statements have a point?"
Judy turned to the other angel, who seemed as confused as the two demons in the room. "Gazelle!"
She snapped to attention. "Yes, Acting Commander?"
"Enough with the rank stuff!" Judy snapped in frustration. "Get over here!"
The angel in question very uncertainly moved to stand in the center of the room. Judy saw her eyes flit to the demons, particularly the smaller of the two, as she did, as if looking for assurance. She must have gotten some kind of affirmation, because her resolve stiffened as she came to attention again. It would have been fascinating, if Judy didn't already have a major revelation to explore.
"Yes, Ma'am?"
Judy held up her arms. "Call me a fox."
Gazelle shifted uncomfortably. "Is this some kind of self-affirmation thing?"
"No, dammit! Call me a fox!" Judy shouted. "An echidna! A caterpillar! Anything!"
Gazelle balked. "Fine! You're a caterpillar! Why?"
"You just lied."
The ungulant blinked uncomprehending. "I what?"
"You spoke an untruth," Judy crowed. "I am not a caterpillar. Yet you said I was, and you didn't suffer."
"I didn't. But I'm bonded to truth!" Gazelle goggled. "I should be blacked out from pain, or dead!"
"But you aren't. And neither am I. Since this isn't something we're familiar with, why don't we ask someone who might be." Judy turned to the two bemused vulpines. "Nick?
"Yes?"
Judy smiled at the foxes, raised her arms, and said, "Nick, I'm a fox."
"Prideful rabbit." He smiled. "I like it."
"No, you idiot. I'm a fox. I'm a squirrel. I'm a sixteenth-century bird rancher."
"Obviously, you're insane," he quipped around a giggle.
"Or lying. I lied, Nick. I've been dancing around dishonesty this whole time, and now I just flatly lied. Several times."
"So?"
"So I can't lie! The gold bangle I wear shows that I can't. I swore oaths! I was bonded twice to truth and truth only! Any one of those lies should have left me catatonic or dead, but I'm perfectly fine!"
"True..." Nick sipped from his glass. "Your little show there was quite illuminating."
"Then, maybe you can help me understand." Judy turned to him, pleading, "Why? Why can I lie?"
"I can tell when you do, through the Bond."
"That's not the point!" She growled in frustration. "I can't lie. In heaven, I would be dead. But here I'm not!"
"A very succinct summation. Regrettably, I'm not following."
"Nick, I think the reason angels are at risk on the mortal plane is that here we can't be controlled directly by the divine. You said once that in Hell the overlords could enforce their will directly."
"Yes. Power dictates parts of reality and one part is the enforcement of submission by weaker demons to their commanders."
"What if that's true in heaven, too?" Now, everyone was staring slack-jawed. "The divine says 'if you lie you'll die' and it becomes so. Power dictating submission."
Nick placed his glass down and rubbed his face muttering, "As above, so below…"
"What?"
"An ancient principle of magic." He huffed a weak laugh. "One that no one teaches anymore, apparently. At a rough explanation, it's like yin and yang—balance in extremity—what happens on one end of the spectrum of reality will be equally reflected in the other."
"Unsettling," Judy commented. "But it illustrates my point. If Heaven and Hell behave the same way, what about the middle?"
"What do you mean?"
"Here I have a choice, Nick! If Heaven and Hell both control their residents, I think that's why Heaven is afraid to send angels here. It's not just because temptation exists here, but because they're afraid that this is the only place where we have the free will to embrace it!"
"How does that work with your agents, then?" Nick sounded irritated. "We have the threat of punishment, but we also have freedom to do as we please when it comes to our methods. If we fuck up, we hurt for it. And that's enough to keep us in line…"
"Usually, the command structure here is rigid. There's no give to it. It makes sense if you're trying to prevent temptation but—"
"Also if you're trying to avoid the Wager Officers realizing that their vows aren't death sentences when they're broken anymore." Now, he sounded resigned.
Judy was more perplexed than ever, but she couldn't stop. "Yes, it would lead to temptation, but—more importantly—to thinking for ourselves. I wasn't forced through the trainings and preparations for this posting. It was rushed. It makes sense if they only wanted me here for the surgery. Bogo didn't know, so he ignored me. Then, I met you and I had to make choices that skirted my vows. Just barely. That led to other choices. And now I know."
"The reason they don't want angels down here is because they have the freedoms to choose to give in. Not because temptation exists, but because they are free to choose to indulge in it."
Gazelle's hoarse voice echoed in the wake of her statement. "It's the same as Hell…"
The red fox pinched his muzzle. "Perfect. The ruler of Hell is now suffering terminal worldview collapse."
The fennec grumbled. "Him and me both. I want a drink."
"We'll get one soon." Gazelle sat on the ground by the imp and put a hoof on his shoulder. "For once, I think I'll join you."
Judy didn't understand. "Why are you all so upset? This changes everything!"
"We are aware."
"Then why aren't you excited? This is huge!"
"Yes…. Yes, it is."
Now, Judy was seriously worried. Her last statement had been a perfect setup for a crude sex joke—exactly the sort that Nick seemed to enjoy so much—and he'd ignore it completely. She knew what she had uncovered was revolutionary. It changed everything that they knew of Heaven and the nature of the Host. Not for the better, granted. She understood why Gazelle was shaken. The demons, on the other hand, were a puzzle.
"Nick? Finnick, what's wrong?"
"You ain't thinking it through, rabbit."
"I don't understand."
"Nick? Are you ok?"
"I'm wonderful, Carrots. A conundrum as old as time has been laid bare. Shocking news: Angels can lie! And we've proved that Heaven and Hell are governed the same way, which is a real kick in the teeth." Anger suffused Nick's tenor as he ranted, leaving Judy feeling completely helpless. "Creation is losing what little minds it has, and then we have our little predicament."
"It's not that bad."
"Not bad she says…. Well, if that doesn't intimidate you, how would you feel about the news of the Dawnstar returning?"
"The Da—Lucifer?!"
"The very same." Nick's eyes bored into her. "I think we are in deep, rabbit. And I am done with patience. Since it's sharing time, I think it's your turn."
"Mine?!"
"Yes. You are going to indulge me in a rare vice. One even rarer for demons, but today we seem to be glutted with! The truth."
"T—truth? What truth?"
In response Nick raised his paw, displaying his Bond Mark. It was smaller—pooling across his knuckles and into the center space at the back of his paw. The intricacy of the Mark had grown and deepened, illuminating layered patterns and complex meanings. It appeared to be writhing. Flowing even as she looked.
"The truth."