"You dare set one of your lackeys on me?" Lucifer asked loudly as he descended the rest of the way down the staircase into the bar.

"He was only there to watch; he would not have harmed you," Maze told him.

"And this?" the devil asked and slammed the curved blade that Oriel had given him down on the bar. "This does not have eyes to watch."

"Where did you get that?" the bartender questioned cautiously her eyes wide.

Lucifer stared back at her intently and arched an eyebrow.

"He gave it to you?" Maze asked not quite wanting to believe that Amenadiel had given Lucifer the knife. When the devil remained quiet, she went on to mutter in a lower voice, "Double crossing… worse than a demon."

"Yes, he is," he agreed finally breaking his silence.

"I knew I shouldn't trust an angel," Maze said voicing her thoughts aloud.

"Amenadiel did not give it to me," Lucifer revealed with a gleam in his eye at getting her to admit she had been conspiring with his brother.

"But you agreed…," the demon bartender replied.

"That he was worse than a demon?" the devil inquired. "I was referring to Blasius. You remember him…he was one of your favorites."

Maze nodded affirmatively but said nothing. Now that she realized Lucifer knew she had given one of her weapons to his brother, her eyes were beginning to fill with trepidation.

"My dearest brother, with whom it seems you have become well acquainted, gave this to him." Lucifer explained. "Oriel returned it to me after it was used to attack her."

"Lucifer, I never intended it being used to harm her," Maze tried reasoning with him. Although she cared little for Oriel, the demon knew he would not take kindly to the fae being harmed.

"So you intended it to be used to send me back to Hell?" the devil asked, making the inference both from what the demon had voiced aloud and left unspoken.

"That isn't what I said," Maze protested loudly.

"You didn't have to. There is that small matter about actions speaking louder than words," Lucifer told her. Although his voice remained calm and controlled, his eyes began to glow with a red light.

"It's not what you think," she began to say. Lucifer stopped her protest.

"You realize Oriel was correct? All you had to do was leave if you wanted," he told her with a controlled calmness before roaring. "I trusted you with everything…and this is what I get in return. You have your chance to leave now before I rethink my generosity."

The devil then turned and quickly climbed the staircase to leave.

Lucifer returned to the penthouse and paced back and forth for a few minutes silently fuming. He ended up shaking his head in frustration as he realized that Oriel had been right in her assumptions all along.

"Stop and think about what you are about to do," Michael called to Lucifer from the penthouse balcony. The angel had been sent by their father to try and intervene with the devil's plan to confront Amenadiel.

"Well, if it isn't the voice of reason. Go away!" the devil declared as he drained the drink he had poured himself.

"Lucifer, I am serious," Michael said and walked inside. "Father may not forgive you."

"Maybe he will ban me from Hell for my actions. Seems every cloud does have a silver lining," Lucifer said sarcastically. "Will forgive Amenadiel for plotting to kill me?"

"I can't answer that, and you were not killed," the angel pointed out.

"The only reason I wasn't killed is because Oriel seemed an easier target, and letting Blasius deal with her gave our brother a way to keep his hands almost clean," the devil replied bitterly as he poured another drink and walked towards the balcony.

"Yes, unfortunately Oriel got caught in the mix. She did provide quite a diversion though." Michael related and followed his brother back outside.

"A diversion?" Lucifer said slowly. The implication of the angel's words incensed him. He glared at Michael angrily. "You used her as a distraction."

"I had nothing to do with it, no matter what you might think," Michael objected.

"You could have stepped in and stopped her – or prevented the whole thing," the devil challenged.

"It is not our place to interfere," his brother told him earnestly.

"I don't think Amenadiel got that memo," Lucifer said after a mocking laugh.

"Being earthbound, she could've walked away at any time. She has free will, and Oriel chose to stay and fight," the angel reminded him.

"You do realize that she would never break her promise to fight fair even against Blasius. Had I not given her the dagger, Oriel very well could have died," the devil pronounced.

"Good thing you aren't the devil everyone thinks you are," Michael said matter-of-factly as Lucifer turned away from his brother. "The situation with Oriel is unfortunate but she survived."

"Yes, the cuts and bruises she received will heal quickly. Then she will be left with the memories…again," the devil said in a low, controlled voice as he stared out over the city. Not only did Lucifer know every detail of Blasius' actions towards the fae, but he also knew the anguish that had lingered in Oriel for years afterward because of it. "I suppose that is acceptable to you…and our father?"

"You've spoken with her?" Michael demanded disregarding the devil's question. "I cannot believe Oriel agrees with what you're about to do."

"She is not aware of my intentions," Lucifer shook his head as he began to regret what he had said to her earlier. "We argued."

"You argued?" Michael repeated.

"Yes, we argued. She left," the devil retorted and turned back around to face his brother.

"What did you say now?" the angel inquired with exasperation.

"Does it matter?" Lucifer said to him as the look on Oriel's face right before she left the penthouse flashed in the devil's mind.

"Next time, try saying I'm sorry – and mean it for once," his angelic brother told him sternly.

"There isn't going to be a next time," the devil revealed somewhat quietly.

"What are you saying?" Michael asked.

"She made herself clear; she is done with me," The devil admitted to his brother. "Oriel is gone – home, I would assume."

"And you're just going to accept that? After one thousand years?" Michael demanded. He knew that Lucifer and Oriel had often gotten in heated arguments. Both were stubborn and the fae generally refused to give in to the devil's whims, but neither had ever gotten so upset as to never speak or see each other again.

"In case you forgot, where the aos sí dwell is banned to me – and you," Lucifer told him coolly.

"There are ways. You have a binding with her – or did she remove it?" the angel muttered not bothering to disguise the anger that was building in him. Oriel was the only being that came close to getting through to Lucifer occasionally. His brother angering her was one thing; not trying to rectify whatever he had done or said was another.

"Are we done? I have an angel I need to see," the devil inquired harshly. Lucifer was not about to be distracted from his plans by trying to contact Oriel. He was certain there would be time for that later.

"Lucifer, do not do this," Michael implored his brother.

"If you're so concerned, stop me," Lucifer declared. "Oh, that's right, it's not your place to interfere – unless Dad tells you to."

####

Michael walked into pub near the Tor that he had frequented with Oriel in the past. He spied her sitting alone in a corner swirling the shadows that fell on the table. He was acutely aware of the other patrons watching him with curiosity as he walked over to her where she sat. "I thought I would find you at the ruins," Michael said and sat down.

"Not today," Oriel said and took a large swallow from the pint glass in front of her.

"I didn't take you for the drinking away your sorrow type," Michael told her as she looked up at him. The fae then quickly glanced around and realized that the angel had slowed time around them so they could speak in private.

"Ice cream isn't my thing," she informed him. "And, I'm not sad. I'm mad – really mad."

"Lucifer tends to do that to people. You know that – better than most I would say," he answered glibly.

"Don't make excuses for him. He's a big boy who knows exactly what he does and what he says," Oriel said crossly. "I hope you aren't here to apologize for him. that to peopleglass in front of her. nter the game. "

"I'm not," the angel assured her.

"Good! You know Lucifer thinks that I have a thing for you or you have a thing for me," she snapped at him and then went on to mutter, "Does he think I haven't learned my lesson? Never speak to anything with wings – especially if they appear in front of you unannounced."

"Oriel, Lucifer is rash, intentionally tactless, and suddenly has developed a case of human jealousy," Michael said slowly after her rant. "And I'm not telling you anything you don't already know." He was deterred from continuing by the exasperated look reflected on her face and eyes that were beginning to glow.

After a short uncomfortable silence, the angel continued, "Lucifer has gone to confront Amenadiel."

"Teaming up with the devil's demon is probably not the best idea he's ever had," Oriel replied succinctly.

"Amenadiel acted recklessly without giving much thought to the outcome," the angel conceded.

"Now you're making excuses for him, too," she grumbled, clearly irritated. Oriel involuntarily brushed her bangs from in front of her eyes as was her habit. Mid-movement, she caught herself and took a sudden breath and held it for a second or two before exhaling. She had forgotten herself and used her injured arm.

"You could have someone heal that," Michael told her as he pointed to her arm.

"For the most part all that's left is the pain and I think it's better I don't forget about the outcome of all this for a while," Oriel replied. "Besides, I already know what they would say when they found out the cause."

"They only want you to be safe, Oriel," the angel told her while contemplating what she had said. "Speaking of safe, with his bouts of mortality Lucifer may not make it through a fight with Amenadiel."

"Then maybe you should go swoop in and save him instead of sitting here talking to me," she stated brashly and stared intently at him.

"How many of those have you had?" the angel asked and pointed at the near-empty pint glass.

"Not nearly enough," she quickly replied with sass. While she may not have had the tolerance of an angel, or devil, Oriel was nowhere near drunk and the conversation with Michael had killed any pleasant fuzzy feeling she may have been beginning to feel. "I totally understand the import of what you're saying. Lucifer may end up back in Hell – which is where everyone wanted him. Or has something changed?"

Michael studied Oriel from across the small table hoping to figure out a way to change her mood. She stared back just as intently trying to deduce what part, if any, Lucifer had played in the angel's sudden appearance. "He would not be allowed out for side trips," he told her.

"I understand that also. My ability to travel is not dependent on the devil," Oriel assured him.

"You're really done with him," he said. The words came out more as a statement than the question it was originally intended to be. It suddenly dawned on the angel that she was as serious in being done with Lucifer as he had said.

"Yep," she told him confidently. "He's changed. Lucifer never lived up to the devil of legend with me, until today. His words and actions have consequences; it's time he experiences that firsthand."

"Oriel, those consequences affect more than Lucifer. You just experienced it yourself. If Lucifer does not return to Hell of his own accord, it will be worse than it is now. His anger and resentment will know no bounds. What becomes of the humans and their world?" Michael told her with concern filling his voice. Oriel was raised by humans and lived among them a good part of her life and the angel hoped to appeal the side of her that appreciated them and their world.

"My home does not exist in the human world," Oriel stated. Despite her slight shrug of disinterest, the angel noted she suddenly stared off into the distance.

"Whose side are you on?" he demanded of her.

"My own," she shot back as she looked at Michael directly. "Being attacked with a demonic weapon because an angel has anger issues tends to make you see things in a different light."

"Oriel…," Michael began.

"Not good enough for you?" Oriel asked sharply not allowing him to finish his thought. All the hurt caused by her confrontation with the devil came pouring out, "How about this…Lucifer's words cut me deeper than Mazikeen's blade. If you're expecting me to run and rescue him, I'll pass. Do it yourself."

Michael was surprised and unprepared for her seeming indifference. He had never seen this side of Oriel before. She always readily acknowledged the devil's flaws but never held them against him. He wondered what exactly his brother had said to her to bring about this change. The angel then decided to try a different approach and proceeded to tell Oriel of Lucifer's concern during her fight with Blasius.

"Is that supposed to change my mind?" Oriel asked the angel when he finished talking. She appeared impassive and unimpressed with the tale.

"I know my brother can be difficult and has obviously hurt you to an extent I never would have imagined. You deserved to know this side of him, too and I'm not sure Lucifer would ever own up to it," Michael reasoned.

"In a decade or two, he would. He'd be very proud of himself for it, too," Oriel told Michael. A slight smile formed on her lips as she thought back over her time with Lucifer.

"Believe me when I tell you, Lucifer regrets what he said to you," the angel said to her sincerely and watched as Oriel rolled her eyes. "It's no wonder you two get along so well. You are as trying as he is."

The fae chuckled before saying anything. When she did speak she did so thoughtfully, "I don't know if I can forgive and forget this time, Michael, or if I even want to."

"Oriel, I can only delay Lucifer for so long," Michael said seriously. "I've tried talking to him and have gotten nowhere; you may be the only one who can stop him. Think about it. Please."