It had been days since Oriel had left the villa and Lucifer had heard nothing from her. She had hidden herself well; even when he attempted to track her using their binding it led nowhere. It was as if she had dropped off the face of the earth. Ordinarily, he wouldn't have thought twice about the silence; they had gone months without seeing or speaking to each other on numerous occasions throughout the centuries. This time however, there were extenuating circumstances that caused Lucifer to be uncharacteristically concerned and troubled. Oriel was certain Amenadiel had played a significant role in bringing Blasius back to earth and even Michael, who rarely got involved in anything, had taken the time to come to Lux to speak with his devilish brother. Two angels showing interest in the situation didn't bode well and Lucifer also knew that Oriel's lack of sleep had left her unusually prone to letting her guard down which could lead to trouble.
"Is everything okay?" Chloe asked Lucifer as they walked away from the latest crime scene she had been assigned. He had been surprisingly quiet all morning. When Lucifer did respond to her questions or comments his replies were limited to a few words.
"I am fine. Why?" Lucifer replied off-handedly. He barely looked over at the detective as he answered and was clearly lost in thought.
"You're here but your mind is somewhere else," the detective answered and gestured in the air with her hand.
"Lux does not run itself you know," Lucifer pointed out and absently pulled on his cuffs and straightened his shirt collar. He did not want to get into what was troubling him with anyone.
"Making sure there are enough half-naked women around must be exhausting for you," Chloe replied sarcastically before inquiring, "How's Oriel?"
"Oriel is taking care of a personal matter," Lucifer said with the hopes of ending the detective's line of questioning before it started.
"You don't know where she is again, do you?" the detective challenged with a smirk on her face.
"Her exact location? No," he begrudgingly admitted. "But I do know what she is doing."
"You may know but you don't like it and that's what got you all upset," Chloe guessed as she opened the door to her car and got in. "Why are men all about independent women until the woman in question gets all independent?"
"I am all for independent thinking and actions for everyone. I am not your typical man in case you haven't noticed," he told her and sat down in the passenger seat.
"Uh-huh. If you're so different, why can't you admit that you care and are concerned about her?" Chloe asked and started the car.
"I…well…," Lucifer stammered. He was certain that stating he was the devil would not be accepted as a valid reason by the detective.
"This is not a game, Lucifer," Chloe said in return. "I need to have your full focus when you are here. As it stands now, your attention is elsewhere and that could put both of us in danger. I won't have that. If you intend to keep working with me, tell me what's going on. I don't need – or want – the details, but maybe I can help."
Lucifer exhaled loudly and glared at Chloe from where he sat. He wanted to keep working with the detective but at the same time he knew that she would not believe the truth if he were to tell her the whole story. "Oriel told you her nightmares scared her because they were becoming real?" he asked and watched Chloe nod. "Well, Oriel's nightmare has become real and she has gone to take care of it."
"Become real? Take care of it?" Chloe repeated and looked at him dubiously. "What does that mean?" To the detective, it sounded like Lucifer meant Oriel's dream had literally taken form and the fae intended to kill it.
"It means exactly what you think it means detective," Lucifer stated. "Oriel intends to send him back where he belongs."
"Which is?" Chloe inquired.
"Hell," the devil said point blank.
"You realize that you just told a police officer that Oriel is going to hurt or possibly kill someone," Chloe said to Lucifer in the hopes of further clarifying what she had heard.
"Technically, I said no such thing," he said with a wicked grin. "You jumped to your own conclusion. Put out an APB if you must, but please warn them that Oriel is quite a handful when she's angry."
"This isn't a joke, Lucifer," she replied seriously.
"Neither is dealing with Oriel when she is mad – believe me," he answered.
Chloe looked at him unsure whether he had been serious the entire time or was just trying to be amusing. She changed her course of questioning hoping to throw him off guard and get a direct answer, "You know exactly what those nightmares are and what happened to her, don't you?" the detective asked.
"I do," Lucifer said shortly and looked out the front windshield of the car. It was clear that he was not about to go into any details.
"And?" she demanded deciding to press her luck.
"And I need to get back to Lux now," he replied still staring straight ahead effectively ending the conversation.
"Any word?" Chloe asked as she walked into Lucifer's penthouse apartment later that day. It was early evening and the only people she found downstairs at the club were Maze, who gave her a dismissive glance as she passed by, and one or two dancers. Despite her best efforts to remain impartial and be the voice of reason, as the day wore on the detective found that she was now concerned about Oriel's silence too.
Lucifer stood near the bar. He had just finished pouring himself a drink and quickly looked up from the book in front of him. It was the same one that Oriel had been reading a few days ago when she was there; he had found it on an end table. As the detective approached, he snapped the book shut. "No," he said, "Then again, I really was not expecting to. Did you have better luck with your APB, detective?"
"You're always saying that you're the devil. Why don't you use whatever magical powers you have to find her?" Chloe asked angrily. Lucifer's seeming ambivalence towards the situation had finally got the better of her. "Oriel said you can always find her."
"Do you think I haven't tried?" Lucifer said. His demeanor was remarkably calm as he walked towards the balcony glass in hand. Before following him, Chloe glanced at the book from across the bar. The cover looked old and well-worn. She could barely make out the title "Heptameron" on it. Chloe made a mental note to Google it later that night when she was home.
"I don't know. Have you?" she shot back at him.
Lucifer looked at her with an expression caught somewhere between frustration and disbelief. "The same way I kept the instance of my being shot from her, Oriel is keeping herself from me now – and she is much better at it. She is trying to keep me safe," he admitted.
"Oriel is trying to keep you safe? From what? You asked me to shoot you," the detective reminded him.
"Yes, you shot me and I bled. And then there is the matter of whatever has been following me," he snapped at her harshly after a long exhale. Lucifer's tone softened as he explained, "Oriel tends to consider every possibility she can think of and err on the side of caution. In case I am more mortal than I believe, she would prefer that I not die."
"I thought you said the vila was here," Blasius muttered to Ephialtes as they walked aimlessly through the underbrush.
"That is what I was told," the demon replied as he peered into the foliage in the hopes of seeing something.
"And you believe it?" Blasius asked with a sideway glance.
"Of course. An angel wouldn't lie," Ephialtes said.
"An angel?" Blasius laughed. "I thought they were all about good deeds, not assisting demons and enabling the death of an vila."
"This one is still bitter over the aos sí not taking a side in Lucifer's fall from grace, I guess," Ephialtes guessed.
"I saw Lucifer when I first returned. Even spoke to him," Blasius said. Up until that time, he had kept his conversation with the devil to himself.
"How is the Lord of Hell? Did he tell you when he plans on returning to the underworld?" the demon inquired.
"I'm here – not in Hell, so what do I care?" Blasius declared callously. "He would not help me find Oriel."
"Did you really think he would?" Ephialtes scoffed. The demon knew full well that the devil placed his own needs above all others.
"Lucifer seemed very interested in learning all about the vila when I first arrived in Hell," Blasius explained.
"He was probably hoping she was a demon of some sort. I'm sure once Lucifer heard that she was aos sí his interested vanished," Ephialtes replied and he curled his lip in disgust. "They want nothing to do with him – or anyone else for that matter."
"Because of that he tossed me out of the place he has for humans to gather and dance? A nightclub he called it," Blasius said. "I thought he was going to kill me when I suggested Oriel deserved what I intend to do."
"Kill you? But his powers…I was told they were diminishing and he was turning mortal with his stay here," the demon said thoughtfully.
"He had me up by the neck with one hand. Does this look like he is weakened?" Blasius said and pointed to his neck which bore red marks where Lucifer's hand had been.
Unbeknownst to the demon and his companion, they were being watched and eavesdropped on. Oriel was not far off leaning against the trunk of a huge redwood listening to their conversation as they walked. As she heard their words, she silently laughed. Oriel knew she could've killed Blasius many times over in the time she had spent watching, but it was not in her nature to attack without provocation. Whether she would try to provoke him was an entirely different matter.
"The vila is not here," muttered Blasius. "Finding her will take forever."
"Thank the divine being of your choice that I don't have the patience to wait for that," Oriel said coming out from behind the tree trunk. She had left her hair unbound and it caught the light that filtered through the trees giving it the appearance of a fire from afar. Although Oriel did her best to look and sound nonchalant and casual, she had carefully secreted the dagger Lucifer had given her into the back waistband of her pants in case she needed it.
Blasius and Ephialtes turned their heads simultaneously to look in her direction. Blasius' eyes grew wide as he looked at her while Ephialtes' lips curled in a snarl at seeing the rogue fae again. "Oriel?" Blasius asked.
"Don't you recognize me? Well, I was quite young last you saw me – not even eighteen. I hope I'm not showing my age too much," she replied.
"You have not changed much at all and your hair marks you, as always," Blasius said and continued to gape at her while Ephialtes looked on in silence.
"And here I've always thought it was my eyes that made me special. Live and learn, I guess," Oriel replied with shrug ignoring Blasius' reaction to her appearance. Like all aos sí, she was a late bloomer and had not come into her own until years after she had dispatched him to Hell.
"I've been waiting for days," Oriel said. Even with her hidden weapon, she kept her distance from the pair and remained where she was. "You seem to have lost what little tracking skills you had."
"Humans are easier to track than a vila," the man stated.
"Your kind do tend to leave trails, and in your case Blasius, a particular stench," she agreed.
"You impudent…," Blasius said loudly as Ephialtes laughed.
"That is your vila?" Ephialtes cut in and Blasius nodded in return. "She is the one I spoke to earlier. You did not reveal that you are the rogue fae."
"You should ask whom you are speaking with before running your mouth," Oriel told the demon and smiled as Ephialtes bared his teeth at her. "Seems your angel didn't give you all the information. How was Hell, Blasius? Did you enjoy it?"
"I should've killed you when I first found you, like I did that witch and the man who protected you," Blasius told her, his face furious. Oriel inwardly recoiled at the words. The pain of losing the only parents she had known still stung deeply but she was determined not to let their murderer and a troublesome demon find that out.
"If you had, you would've missed all the spoils from robbing and looting," she replied with an edge in her voice and cold eyes. "And let's not forget passing me around to your friends when I was a bit less gangly. You gained a few coins from that, too."
"You are the one they talk about, aren't you?" Ephialtes interjected before Blasius could respond to Oriel.
"I'm not sure I know what you're referring to?" Oriel said innocently. She was very cognizant of all the dialogue that surrounded her as it had been occurring for centuries. With the exception of Michael and a few of the other aos sí, no one directly asked her about it.
"You are the fae who has the binding with Lucifer, aren't you?" Ephialtes demanded of Oriel before turning to Blasius. "And you wonder why he won't help you – she is his consort."
"You just said that her kind do not want anything to do with Lucifer," Blasius said with a puzzled look on his face.
"This one does not follow their rules. She ventures out among humans and even has lived among them. I'm telling you she is bound to the devil," the demon voiced emphatically as he pointed to Oriel who had taken to leaning against the tree trunk.
"Lucifer himself has told you this?" Blasius asked. He stared at Oriel trying to discern some sort of reaction on her face. She stared back at him and remained resting against the tree with arms crossed appearing totally unmoved by the conversation.
"No. I've never asked him directly; no one has," Ephialtes reluctantly admitted. "It is just rumors, but it is accepted as fact."
"What say you Oriel?" Blasius asked.
"If the Morning Star neither confirms or denies the rumors, why should I?" she countered as she stood upright. Oriel's countenance remained impassive and she met Blasius' gaze with her own icy stare.
"Oriel," Blasius growled angrily and glowered at her.
"That may have worked with a frightened child but I'm not scared of you any longer. The tables have turned Blasius and you should be frightened now," she replied and stirred up a strong breeze to blast him and the demon.
It was a calm day with no wind at all and Oriel's former tormentor took an involuntary step backwards as the gust hit him in the face. He then quickly regained his composure and bravado. Blasius believed that he was now immortal and thought that put him on somewhat equal grounds with Oriel. "You cannot hurt me," Blasius told her.
"Do you really want to find out if that is true?" Oriel answered her eyes gleaming brightly with unearthly light. She turned to look at Ephialtes. "You didn't tell him."
"Tell me what?" Blasius asked and looked back and forth between "his" vila and the demon.
"You may be back on earth but you are far from immortal. He does not have that power," Oriel stated.
"Why should I believe you?" Blasius asked her boldly.
"Because I killed you once when I was much younger and much weaker. I am giving you a chance to walk away now and live out whatever life you may have left," she replied in a strong voice.
"But the angel," Blasius began to say.
"The angel doesn't have the power to grant immortality either. Only the Creator does. Ask him?" Oriel said with a derisive nod towards Ephialtes.
"Well?" Blasius demanded when Ephialtes remained silent.
"She is correct; I do not have the power to grant that. As for the angel, I am not fully aware of what he can or cannot do," Ephialtes finally admitted.
Blasius turned his attention back to Oriel. She was wearing a smug look on her face and slowly shook her head. "Demons lie. Didn't you learn anything in Hell?" she inquired. "If you agree to walk away and leave me be, I am willing to let you live out the rest of your days."
"I don't take orders from a vila," he angrily answered. As Blasius tried to decide, he looked over at Ephialtes. "I want to talk to your angel."
"I don't know if that is possible. He has always found me," Ephialtes said quietly.
"You will call him and I will talk to him. Then I will let you know what I have decided Oriel," Blasius declared.
"You have one day. If you don't return and let me know one way or the other, I will hunt you down and kill you," she said solemnly. "You lost your chance at mercy…as did you Ephialtes."
"Do you think that was the best decision?" The question came from behind Oriel after Ephialtes and Blasius had disappeared back into the forest. She turned to see Michael standing there. His face showed both concern and a touch of surprise. "Amenadiel is sure to speak with them and probably figure out a way to aid Blasius."
"I know, but there are lines I won't cross," Oriel told the angel.
"Such as?" Michael asked.
"I will not kill without reason. Blasius standing in front of me – although annoying – is not quite provocation enough," she answered.
"I see my brother hasn't totally corrupted you," Michael teased.
"Lucifer has never killed any human. He doesn't even punish them without justification," she said with certainty. "You know that as well as I do."
"Oriel, have you thought this through? If Amenadiel assists Blasius in his endeavor, you could end up seriously hurt or even dead," the angel said.
"I can hold my own," she assured him silently touched by his concern for her well-being. She reached behind her back with one hand and drew the dagger out. Oriel showed it to Michael. "Nothing can survive this I'm told, not even you."
The angel reached for the hilt of the blade. Oriel quickly pulled it away and carefully tucked it back where it was originally hidden. "Is that what I think it is?"
"Depends upon what you think it is," she laughed but did not reveal the weapon's origin. Oriel then said seriously, "I didn't let Blasius win the first time around and I'm not about to let him win now. As you heard, my compassion is short lived."
"What now?" Lucifer enunciated as the world around him seemed to come to a halt. He was sitting in a booth at Lux, a few glasses filled with whiskey on the table in front of him as he watched the crowd. He turned to his brother with an irritated look on his face. The angel stood a few feet away unconcerned by the devil's displeasure.
"A hell-forged dagger. Very shrewd; I never would have thought of that. Though, if its original owner catches her with it, your actual involvement may be needed in the melee that will follow," Michael said with a pointed look at the devil.
"Why? The blade will serve the purpose in any battle," Lucifer inquired flippantly with raised eyebrows. The genuine concern he felt for Oriel was overridden by the displeasure of his angelic brother's sudden reappearance.
"What did the devil ask in return for this rather advantageous weapon?" the angel asked intently. Upon hearing the question, the devil looked at his brother making no attempt to hide the frustration he was feeling.
"It was a gift," Lucifer told him succinctly.
"Sometimes I almost understand Father's patience and understanding with you," Michael mused as the devil stared at him intently.
"You, she will see. Me, she hides from. I guess we know whose company Oriel truly prefers," Lucifer said sharply, his internal dialogue spilling out.
"And then you open your mouth," Michael said shaking his head. He found himself slightly amused by Lucifer at that moment, but not wanting to start a fight he did not say it aloud. During his time on Earth, Lucifer seemed to have developed a bit of a jealous streak concerning the fae, in addition to the ability to bleed. "She has always been your staunchest defender."
"And biggest critic," the devil shot back quickly.
"You have always needed one; it keeps you grounded," his brother told him good-naturedly. "I hope you actually listen when she speaks."
"Is it over then?" Lucifer asked diverting the topic of conversation away from himself.
"When it is, she will show herself or your binding will be severed. Either will be unmistakable," Michael told him solemnly. Any prior jocularity he had been feeling disappeared as he said the words. "As it stands now, Oriel gave Blasius a day to think about her offer."
Lucifer exhaled loudly in disgust. "She could have ended it easily. Ephialtes would not have interfered."
"You knew that Oriel wouldn't do that. That is why you gave her the dagger," the angel replied with a knowing glance.
