Lucifer quickly walked down the steps at Lux and headed towards the bar fully expecting to see Michael standing in the same spot that he had been in earlier. He walked around the bar and found it empty. Seeing nothing, he headed back towards the stairs. Lucifer's foot barely hit the first step when he heard a noise. He turned towards the sound and was able to make out a figure in the shadows.

"Last call was some time ago," Lucifer said from where he stood.

"Last call? What is this place?" a man's voice said sounding a bit confused.

"Your last call was years ago," Lucifer muttered to himself as he recognized the voice. In a louder voice he asked, "How did you get in here anyway?"

"Lucifer?" the man asked as he walked towards the devil. "I didn't expect to see you."

"That makes two of us, Blasius," Lucifer told him as he looked at the other man intently. "What are you doing here?"

"E-Ephialtes," the other man stammered unable to pull away from Lucifer's gaze. Blasius was much shorter and stockier than Lucifer, with sandy brown hair and a nose that had come in contact with a few fists during its first time on earth.

"Ephialtes did not accompany you on your escape from Hell? That is strange behavior for a demon with an opportunity," the devil mused.

"He doesn't like here," Blasius replied.

"Really?" Lucifer asked with arched eyebrow.

"That is what he told me. He would rather watch the chaos he causes from afar," the man said.

"Ephialtes always did prefer only making the snowballs instead of getting into the fight," the devil said shaking his head. "What about you, Blasius? Why did you want to escape?"

"Revenge," Blasius said simply and with effort pulled his eyes away from Lucifer. "What is this place?"

"This is a nightclub. People gather, drink, dance," Lucifer explained to him.

"People dance wearing that now?" Blasius asked gesturing to Lucifer's clothing. As he reached to touch the black silk robe, the devil took a step back out of reach.

"Not generally. I was hoping to get some sleep tonight," Lucifer answered. When he saw the puzzled look on Blasius' face he further explained, "I reside upstairs."

"Is my vila here?" Blasius asked gruffly. He referred to Oriel using the term from his native tongue. Although Blasius was curious about Lucifer's residence and the world he had returned to, his personal reason for returning overrode any potential questions he would have asked.

"Blasius, women belong only to themselves – whether human or fae. She is not yours," Lucifer corrected him sharply.

"Are you not keeping her for me? Have you spoken with Ephialtes?" Blasius inquired while ignoring the devil's words entirely.

"I have not spoken with Ephialtes since I departed Hell. My responsibilities now include running this nightclub and ensuring the humans who come here have a good time," the devil told him. "The dealings of lesser demons and human souls wanting revenge are of no consequence to me."

"Oriel must be here. Her dream brought me," Blasius said. Lucifer listened and remained impassive. Since he recognized the man wandering in the nightclub, the devil had been trying to figure out why Blasius turned up at Lux. Oriel had rarely entered the building in the past five years and when she had her time there was hardly nightmare worthy.

"Oriel, as you often told me, prefers the wood and water. This place is neither," Lucifer said and gestured around the room. He was not about to share with Blasius that he knew precisely where Oriel was or how very well acquainted they were, since the man did not seem to know that.

Blasius' looked around the dim nightclub, his eyes lingering on the large screens filled with silhouettes of dancing women. "I need to find her," he replied.

"Why bother? You have done what few souls do and made it out of Hell. Is that not enough for you?" Lucifer asked as he also watched the gyrating figures.

"I caught her; she was mine," Blasius stated firmly.

"You trapped a child," Lucifer said loudly and angrily. As the devil's voice raised, Blasius involuntarily took a step backwards.

"I caught a vila. And then she dared stab me – with my own blade," Blasius challenged. "I have returned to avenge myself and when I do, a knife in her heart will come at the very end."

"It would appear that I am not as skilled at devising punishments as I believed. You obviously learned nothing from your time in Hell," the devil replied. He had mostly forgotten how angered and degenerate Blasius was but the memories resurfaced quickly.

"She was fed, clothed, and had a place to sleep. For that I was condemned," Blasius sneered. He had not spoken so boldly to Lucifer since his first days in Hell and he had suffered for that brazenness. However, Ephialtes had assured him that upon return to earth immortality was his, while the devil was becoming ever more mortal.

"Remember to whom you speak!" Lucifer roared. As he spoke, his eyes blazed red and he transformed into a demon-like creature. "I knew exactly what you did to arrive in Hell before you uttered a word."

"What of the vila? Oriel deserves punishment as well for what she did to me," Blasius said refusing to back down.

Enraged at Blasius' words, Lucifer quickly lunged forward, grabbed the man by the neck and easily lifted him up. The man's eyes grew wide. It appeared that the devil still had all his power even though he no longer resided in Hell – no matter what Ephialtes had said. "You dare to pass judgment after all you have done?" the devil asked and began squeezing Blasius' throat.

"What – what does it matter?" Blasius choked out while hanging from Lucifer's grip. "Sh – she has no soul. Neither you nor your father will get her."

Lucifer said nothing but increased the pressure around Blasius' neck. Looking down at the devil with a determined gaze, the other man stopped struggling and managed a half-smile. Ephialtes had told him he could no longer be hurt. Blasius trusted the demon; after all, he was back on earth, and Ephialtes assured him that an even more powerful being wanted him to succeed with his retribution.

Blasius' smile snapped Lucifer out of his blind rage and the devil realized what he was about to do. No matter how angry, Lucifer would not break the unwritten rule that an angel could not take a human life without order from his father – even if it meant Oriel could be in serious danger. Lucifer returned to his human appearance, slowly loosened his grip, and put Blasius' feet back on the floor of Lux.

"I'll let you know when I find the vila. Perhaps you could brush up on your punishments with Oriel before I finish her," Blasius told Lucifer with a smug smile on his face.

"GET! OUT!" Lucifer yelled with eyes blazing red and pointed towards the door. "Get out now!"

Moments before Lucifer discovered his second visitor of the night, Oriel bolted awake and sat straight up in bed breathing heavily. Instinctively, she reached underneath the pillow next to her and grabbed the dagger Lucifer had presented to her. In the end, she had decided to keep it. She could see clearly in the pitch dark room and Oriel glanced around to make sure she was alone while clutching the dagger close. Seeing and sensing no one, Oriel began to relax and breathe easier but she knew that her nightmare had materialized and somewhere Blasius was walking the earth again.

As she sat alone in the dark, Oriel suddenly regretted not letting Lucifer stay the night. Not wanting to be chided for being fearful, plus an overriding stubbornness prevented her from calling him or going to Lux immediately. Instead, she made sure all the enchanted walls and boundaries she had set were still intact. Oriel then lay back down and curled up in a ball under the covers with the dagger still firmly gripped in her hand. Eventually, she fell back into a troubled sleep.

The next morning as she emerged from the bathroom clad only in a towel, Oriel gave a startled jump. Lucifer sat in the middle of the bed idly spinning the dagger in his hands and looking at her with a Cheshire cat grin on his face.

"One would think that someone being haunted, or hunted as the case may be, would not let their defenses down – especially whilst they are in the shower," Lucifer told her taking great delight in the surprised look on her face.

"Careful. If a bullet makes you bleed a bit, one slip with that and you could have a serious problem," Oriel muttered as she watched him play with the knife. She was annoyed that Lucifer had managed to get inside without her knowing. He was right, she had let her guard down and allowed herself to relax and get lost in thought once she finally pulled herself out of the bed.

"Now Oriel, if anyone should be upset it is me. The towel didn't fall as easily as your spells did," he reasoned.

"I hate to burst the little self-congratulatory bubble you're floating in, but I let them fade now that I'm fully awake," she retorted with a smile and walked closer to the side of the bed. "Are you here for something other than hoping to catch me without a towel?"

"Shortly after leaving you last night, I had a visitor at Lux," he said as he swung his feet off the bed and sat to face her.

"I assumed as much," Oriel stated and pushed some strands of damp hair away from her face.

"You knew Blasius would show up at Lux and said nothing to me?" Lucifer growled while pointing the dagger blade in her direction.

"I was referring to your usual distractions," she told him looking him directly in the eyes before dropping her gaze to the tip of the blade. Given the tone of his voice and origin of the knife, she was not about to take a chance of grabbing it out of his hand. "Blasius…was at Lux?"

"Is that all you have to say about the matter?" he asked and placed the dagger on the nightstand next to the bed.

"Um…sorry," Oriel replied half-heartedly and shrugged as best she could while keeping the towel in place.

"He thought I had you at Lux waiting to be handed over to him," he explained to her.

"Why would he think that?" she asked with a puzzled expression.

"Since Blasius materialized at Lux he assumed you were there," Lucifer said matter-of-factly.

"Not exactly how it works, but close enough," Oriel said quietly.

"Why were you dreaming of Lux?" Lucifer inquired looking intently at her.

"I dream of many things. I don't remember any of it this time. I awoke knowing he was alive somewhere, that is all," she replied quickly. It was the truth. Oriel had spent a good amount of time that morning trying to recall any bit of the dream in vain. "So, are you going to help him find me?"

"I sent him on his way. I am retired, remember?" the devil said. Lucifer did not go on to explain how he almost killed Blasius before tossing the man out of Lux.

"You mention it so often, it's hard to forget," she said sarcastically. Instead of receiving a swift comeback, Oriel watched the intensity of his gaze deepen and saw an added rare look of concern cross his face. "What?" the fae asked.

"Punishment has not changed him and now that Blasius is back on earth he is worse. Much worse. He is looking forward to exacting revenge on you with an intensity rarely seen," Lucifer told her.

"I did dispatch him to Hell with his own knife. I hardly expect a thank you," she replied.

"Oriel, you need to take this seriously," he implored.

"I have been very serious about this since the beginning. What's changed your mind all of a sudden?" the fae answered. "Surely it wasn't your conversation with Blasius; you've known his feelings towards me since his first day in Hell."

"I took some time to think over a few things last night," Lucifer replied cryptically. Oriel was now peering at him with intense scrutiny. He did not tell her that prior to Blasius' arrival, Michael had been at Lux to discuss her wellbeing.

Oriel was certain that there had to be more behind the change of attitude than Lucifer giving it some thought. She also knew it would be a fruitless endeavor to press him for more information when he wasn't ready to give it. "I'm sure Blasius is looking for me already. Even if you aren't helping him, others will. He will find me soon enough."

"What will you do in the meantime?" Lucifer inquired.

"I will be leaving here," Oriel told him. As Lucifer opened his mouth to protest, she silenced him with a harsh look and a finger on his lips. "We both know he will search outside the city first, and that's where I will be. I'm not playing hide-and-seek. Plus, there is less chance of a human getting caught in the crossfire this way."

"Humans getting hurt. That is your concern?" Lucifer said with derision.

"One of them. We are not having this discussion; you are well aware of my feelings on the subject," she said and turned away from him.

"I gave you the dagger. What if Blasius has been given a similar weapon?" he probed.

"Then I hope that I really am as strong as you think," she replied somberly.

"I almost killed him last night," Lucifer finally told her as he stood up. "For a moment, I thought he wanted me to."

His words caused Oriel to turn around. She looked at Lucifer and said, "He probably did. He's been led to believe that he's immortal now. The player hasn't realized that he's the one who has been played and he is as mortal as he ever was."

"I should have shown him the error of his thinking," Lucifer replied, his anger returning.

"Your brother hopes you will do just that. Never cross that line, Lucifer – not for anyone," Oriel told him with particular emphasis on the last word. Long ago, he had answered all her questions on the "rules" set up for angels. Killing a human, even for the best of intentions, would result in the angel's demise – even if that angel happened to be his father's favorite.

Lucifer understood what she had left unspoken. She would not be – directly or indirectly – responsible for the devil's end. "You will keep yourself safe," he directed her.

"From your mouth to God's ears," she said with a smile.

"Those words may have the very opposite effect of the one you are hoping for," the devil told her.

"I guess I'll find out how much weight being the favorite pulls," she said as she let the towel drop. "On the off chance I don't come back, I'd like my last thought of you be something other than this conversation. Or do you have somewhere else you need to be?"

"I think therapy can wait," Lucifer said and tossed his jacket onto a chair. "Speaking of…I have been working on putting myself in other's shoes. How do you feel about role playing?"