It was near two in the morning when Lucifer reappeared at the villa. Oriel was still wide awake and sat curled in a chair, her attention focused on some candles she had lit earlier in the evening. "For someone only a trifle concerned, you're here early tonight," she said as she watched the flickering flames. Despite the serious tone of her voice there was a mischievous glint in her eye that Lucifer caught even in the dimly lit room.
"I let my curiosity get the better of me," Lucifer replied with a shrug doing his best to sound and appear nonchalant. He knew that despite her air of determination when she left earlier, Oriel was extremely tired and her strength would suffer because of it. "I know you can hold your own…even without all the layers of protection you've put around here."
"Given the present situation, it's for the best," Oriel told him. Her mood had lightened a bit since returning to the villa but she was still exhausted – both mentally and physically. She was surprised to learn that he had noticed the spells she had cast. "Seems someone hasn't turned completely mortal yet."
"I am well acquainted with your magic," he said as he poured a drink. "You were able to summon Ephialtes?"
"Yes. I guess you're not as surprised as I am?" she replied with a troubled expression. She wasn't bothered that Lucifer had correctly guessed what she had been up to, but rather by the ease in which she was able to call a demon forth from the underworld.
"You are stronger than you think Oriel. How many times do I need to tell you that before you believe me?" the devil asked her. He held out the filled glass and offered it to her. "Maybe now you will try shapeshifting."
"There will be no tries at shapeshifting. EVER. How many times do I need to tell you that?" she told him while declining the drink pointing out the glass she had filled with water nearby.
Lucifer smirked as he heard her reply. It was the same response he always received. "Is Hell down one demon?"
"Not yet," Oriel said.
"You do enjoy being diplomatic – except when it comes to my cigarettes," Lucifer replied as he shook his head more amused than annoyed as he recalled the events of earlier that day. "I cannot understand what the aos sí get out their constant civility."
"You can catch more flies with honey," she said with a slight smile. "We've also found that the dead tend not to talk."
"Ephialtes spoke to you?" he asked his voice filled with astonishment. The devil had been almost certain that the demon would not utter a word to the being he was currently tormenting. But Lucifer was aware something had changed since that morning – Oriel was talking to him, which she hadn't done in days.
"He thought I was an envoy sent by the fae to try and reason with him," she explained.
"Oriel, you know demons tend to lie," Lucifer cautioned.
"This one doesn't lie that well. He also doesn't ask important questions like whom he is talking to," Oriel told him with an almost imperceptible shake of her head.
"Not everyone is as inquisitive as you. What did you learn?" he said as he sat in a chair across from her.
"Ephialtes is not very well informed about the aos sí. If I wasn't so tired, I would've stirred up some wind and had him thinking we can control the weather," the fae replied with an impish grin.
"That is not entirely false," Lucifer said with a pointed look after taking a sip of his drink.
"It is also far from the actual truth, although it could develop into the stuff of legend; kind of like you and goats," she told him.
"Not only did we agree to not ever speak of that, I am not here to discuss me," the devil retorted.
"Lucifer, you really do care!" Oriel said with mock surprise as his eyes flashed red at her. "Getting back to a less interesting subject, Amenadiel and Ephialtes are making promises they cannot keep. In addition to being allowed to exact vengeance against me, Blasius has been promised immortality once he turns corporeal."
"That is not possible," Lucifer stated casually.
"The only one not aware of that fact is Blasius," she laughed wryly. "It appears that they – well, Amenadiel – are willing to promise anything to reach his goal."
"Which is?" the devil inquired.
"You back in Hell. That is what this is all about after all," Oriel said emphatically.
"How does any of this even attempt to get me back to Hell?" Lucifer asked seemingly indifferent to the idea.
"Your brother likes to think that we are bound like a junkie to his fix. Take the fix away and withdrawal soon sets in. You may agree to anything – after a while – to get a hit," she told him.
"You think that Amenadiel believes that if you remain in the world of the aos sí for some time I will be easier to deal with?" he inquired slowly.
"Lucifer, everyone knows you are not easy to deal with but it may make you more open to suggestions," Oriel answered. "Plus, there is the definite possibility of me being killed or driven crazy without Amenadiel lifting a finger. I think he would like that."
"I abhor taking his side but my brother would not harm you," he told her sincerely.
"Not directly. I've learned angels don't like to get their hands dirty – present company included," she said with a challenging stare.
"That is…," Lucifer began and then paused to think, "not entirely true."
"It's been ages since any one of you have gotten involved in any matter…unless it was on direct order from your father. Taking sides in your tiff was the only thing they have ever made a choice on," she affirmed.
"What is your point?" he asked sharply.
"Angels may have wings but tend to be a bit wishy-washy when it comes to making up their own minds," Oriel stated.
"Angels are wishy-washy?" Lucifer asked pronouncing each word slowly and giving a special emphasis to the words wishy-washy. "Might I remind you that the aos sí were expelled from Heaven because they wouldn't pick a side."
"It wasn't their argument. I wonder what things would be like if everyone hadn't given in to the politicking," she replied without hesitation.
"I have never been wishy-washy – with or without wings," he retorted.
"True, you're more like a stubborn child with a flair for the dramatic," Oriel conceded. "After all, why indulge in a plain old temper tantrum when you can clip your wings just in case anyone forgot that you're upset with the status quo?"
"Yes, yes. I'm a rebel and I'll never be any good," he muttered.
"That's debatable. Anyway, I'm sure your father took note even if he didn't say anything to you," Oriel said as she looked at him directly. They sat in silence with eyes locked and unmoving except for Oriel slightly cocking her head challenging him to contradict her words. Not wanting to begin an argument they had engaged in many times and not having a good comeback ready, Lucifer looked away.
"If you are correct about Amenadiel, he will not be happy when he realizes that you summoned and spoke with Ephialtes," Lucifer replied attempting to redirect the conversation.
"I don't care. This ends one way or the other. I'm tired of being a pawn in this chess match," she told him.
"Oriel," he began concerned by the seriousness of her voice.
"Your brother is trying to use me to get to you," Oriel said cutting him off from a further reply. "He has from the very beginning."
"He asked you to speak to me. That is all," the devil reminded her.
"I am still willing to talk to you about going back to Hell. You do need to consider the implications of you remaining here permanently. But, I will not coerce, bribe, or force your hand in that decision. I think he realizes that now," she told him.
"Oriel, you cannot hold your tongue, let alone your temper," Lucifer pointed out. "Amenadiel is an archangel, you are not strong enough to go against him."
"I know that whatever magic and power I may have is no match to an angel's. However, your brother isn't playing fair and I am more than willing to bend the rules to gain any advantage I can," the fae answered with a stony countenance.
"You will need every advantage that you can muster," he said flippantly and watched her expression change. One thousand years had given him plenty of time to learn which buttons to push to elicit a response from her.
"I don't plan on losing, Lucifer… not to Blasius and not to Amenadiel," Oriel responded angrily, her eyes beginning to blaze with a blue-green light.
Lucifer said nothing but a sly smile of approval appeared on his face. She had finally said aloud what he had wanted to hear from her since she told him about the nightmares. "What's with the look?" Oriel asked.
"Finally…I have managed to snap you out of it," he declared. He grinned widely and waited for her thanks which he assumed would be coming shortly.
"You managed to snap me out of what?" the fae asked instead causing the smile to disappear from his face.
"Whatever funk you were in. You were not yourself, Oriel," he explained. Lucifer avoided mentioning anything Chloe had said to him knowing the fae would not take kindly to the detective's words.
"I'm sorry that me coming to terms with the compromises I'm making of what I will and won't do wasn't fun for you," Oriel told him with a stinging look.
"I take it one of those compromises was summoning a demon from Hell?" he asked although he already knew the answer.
"It goes against everything I was taught," she said thinking back to her childhood. Attempting any sort of dark magic, much less summoning a demon would have had Oriel trapped inside the four walls of her home for days; a terrible fate for a young fae who liked to wander the woods. Her foster mother may have been a witch, but she had strict rules that even an inhuman child was expected to obey.
"I know," Lucifer said with a compassion that caught her off guard. His empathy was short-lived though and the devil went on to say, "Might I point out that you are still here and possibly stronger for doing it? There was no lightning bolt from my father to be seen, or felt as the case may be. Looks like I was right…again."
As Oriel shook her head with a wry smile on her face, Lucifer took something from an inner jacket pocket. He placed a dagger on the coffee table and pushed it towards her. "What's this?" she asked.
"You are not the only one who is willing to bend the rules," Lucifer told her.
Oriel picked up the weapon which fit perfectly in her palm and looked it over. Overall, it was approximately 10 inches long, razor-sharp and fabricated in one piece. Its hilt bore a twisted pattern to the crossguard and featured a faceted stone which like Oriel's hair seemed to glow with the colors of fire. She could tell by touch that the metal the dagger was crafted from was nothing ever to be found on Earth. "This is not of this world," she said.
"It was forged in Hell," he said.
"You didn't pilfer one of Mazikeen's weapons, did you?" she questioned him. Her voice was filled with exasperation. "I would prefer to fight one battle at a time."
"This is not one of her favorites," Lucifer explained.
"Do you intentionally try to piss off as many people as you can at once just to see if you can get out of it?" Oriel asked her eyes flaring.
"Wh…," the devil began.
"You steal one of your demon's knives…to give to me. You know she barely tolerates me. What are you thinking?" she continued over his half-hearted interjection.
"I am thinking that you have been pulled into a fight that is not wholly yours and that blades forged in hellfire can be quite deadly," he said in justification of his action.
"If I accept this, what do I owe you in return?" Oriel said running her finger lightly over the blade.
"Consider it a gift," he told her.
Oriel gave him a puzzled look as she placed the dagger back on the table. "Lucifer, there are always strings attached when you are involved."
"I would prefer that you not die in this endeavor," he admitted. "It's a purely self-serving request; finding another traveling companion as interesting as you would be quite vexing."
Oriel bit down hard on her bottom lip to stifle the sarcastic reply that came to mind. She knew this was as close as she would get to an admission of concern from Lucifer. With a concerted effort, she changed the subject. "I guess we learned my gift of sight really is sketchy at best. The retribution seems to be directed at me."
"Not if you look at the big picture," Lucifer said matter-of-factly. "What do you see now?"
"I've stopped looking. It's a frightening path to go down," she replied as the devil watched her intently.
Lucifer had another drink and the pair spoke for a while longer until Oriel suddenly stood up. "Go home, Lucifer. It's early enough for you to find a diversion or two wandering around Lux."
"I could easily be diverted here," he said looking intently in her direction.
"That's fine if all you want to do is sleep," she replied. "I'm exhausted and I can't put it off much longer."
"What if Blasius materializes before you fully awake?" Lucifer asked her.
"He is not your concern, Lucifer. Besides nothing is going to happen here with all the magic about," Oriel assured him.
"Are you certain?" he pressed.
"For someone who isn't worried and is sure that I can take care of myself, you're not acting like it," she told him.
Lucifer left the villa, albeit somewhat reluctantly, and headed back home. Although there were a few stragglers still left at Lux, he found himself uninterested and headed up to the penthouse alone. The devil changed his clothes and decided to try and get some sleep but instead found himself awake and staring up at the ceiling in the bedroom. Annoyed, he eventually got up, stalked off to the balcony, and lit a cigarette. As he stood there smoking, something impinged on the edge his awareness causing him to look around warily. At first he thought it was the invisible demon that followed him from time to time, but this felt different and was not in the penthouse with him. Lucifer walked out of the elevator in Lux and leaned over the balcony at the top of the stairs expecting to see someone there. The entire nightclub was now empty and quiet, aside from a rustling noise behind the bar.
"Maze?" Lucifer called as he walked down the stairs dressed in only black silk boxers and robe. "No need to hide, I've seen it all."
He received no reply, but from behind the bar a figure stood up and stared directly at the devil. "Is bottled water too pedestrian for you to have on hand?" the imposing figure asked.
"I take it back, obviously I have not seen it all," Lucifer replied. "Is a plague of locusts imminent?"
"Not that I am aware," came the answer. "I hope I didn't ruin your evening."
"To what do I owe the honor of your presence Michael?" the devil inquired coolly as he walked over to the bar.
"You can't guess why I'm here?" the angel asked.
"Please tell Dad I cannot return a demon to Hell when I cannot find it most of the time," Lucifer told his brother. He then pointed to a glass and bottle. When the angel handed them over, Lucifer poured a drink.
"I'm not here about the missing demon although I recommend you rectify that problem soon," Michael replied with a solemn stare.
"You didn't drop in just to say hello," Lucifer stated.
"Is the fae safe?" Michael inquired.
"Oriel?" Lucifer asked with narrowed eyes. "You are here about Oriel?"
"She should not be put in danger because of your stubbornness," the angel answered.
"From what I understand, I am not the one you need to be speaking with, brother," Lucifer replied nonchalantly and emptied his drink. "For what it's worth, as of a few hours ago she was fine."
"Lucifer, you need to keep her safe. There are demons involved and they are under your rule," Michael said emphatically.
"Were under my rule. I quit, remember," the devil clarified. "You are not giving her enough credit; Oriel is well matched to battle any demon. Or is it the angel involved in this that troubles you?"
Michael's resolve withered a bit under Lucifer's icy glare. "Neither of them are likely to back down. If it comes to blows, Oriel will not emerge unscathed."
"She will not allow me to help her, as usual Oriel does not want to be in debt to me," Lucifer said in explanation.
"I cannot fault her for that," the angel replied.
"But you can fault me even when my help is not wanted," Lucifer said with a snarl and refilled his glass.
"I did not come here to argue with you," Michael told him. "Oriel may need your help, Lucifer, even if she doesn't ask for it."
"Since, as you have often said, it is not your place to get involved in other's affairs, why do you care?" the devil asked his brother.
Michael looked at Lucifer intently and paused before he replied. "A better question is why you seem not to." Without another word the archangel disappeared.
Lucifer returned to the penthouse drink in hand soon after Michael left. Any possibility of sleep had disappeared as quickly as his brother and the devil sat himself in an upholstered leather chair. As he mulled over the few sentences the angel had uttered, Lucifer was torn between remaining in the penthouse or returning to villa against Oriel's wishes. As he finished drink and stood up, he again sensed a presence down in Lux.
"Bloody hell, what now," he muttered and put the glass down on a side table before heading towards the elevator.
