8. Family, p.2

Cain knew only too well what the word 'possessed' meant. How could he not, considering it had all started because of him? So, though he had never actually seen anyone angelically-possessed, or at least not while they were being possessed, he had seen enough of what El used to call 'empty vessels', and he understood completely what it meant for the man he was used to calling 'dad'.

That was why he was refusing to accept it. For God's sake, no-one had been possessed for what, like, twenty years? And when he had asked El once whether something like that could ever happen again – and who would know better than an ex-archangel? – she'd cut him off with one short word. "Unlikely," she had said. And he'd had no good reason to doubt her. He had trusted her with his life, always.

And now here they were: Michael, this other member of El's kind, had barely arrived and everything had already been turned upside-down. – Just like mom used to tell him. – Jeep was lying on the ground with his hands cuffed behind him, and El was sitting on his back, pinning his shoulders down with her knees, as if she was afraid he could still do anything in that supremely uncomfortable position. Michael was pointing his handgun at Jeep's head.

Before Cain had heard that terrifying voice, he had thought that they were being just a little bit over-reactive.

Had Jeep had even the slightest chance of actually shooting El? Frankly, Cain doubted it. He knew better than anyone how little she ought to be taken lightly. But he saw that Michael had been shot; his arm or his shoulder, Cain wasn't sure, and he understood well enough what El's reaction might be.

Even when Jeep had started to shake, Cain had thought – wanted to think – that it was just some sort of stress. But he already knew the truth.

There had been no more room for doubt when he heard that voice. – God, it had made him shiver. – When that creature inside his father's body had choked out a short, harsh laugh, Cain had experienced fear, and fear was the feeling he despised most. – "Fear is a liability," El had always said. "Foresight is a virtue." – So he fought it in his own way.

"Well, well, well," the creature said, "look what we have here – a fucking family reunion… how touching."

"Who the hell are you?" Cain said.

His father's face turned to him and he saw those eyes: pure darkness with flickers of red, like fire-sparks in the depths of night.

"Oh, so it's you, the new messiah, the one and only hope of your pathetic kind. It's Cain, right? Well, boy, come closer and I'll tell you."

"Don't listen to him, Cain, not a single word," Michael said in a harsh voice. "Don't go near him."

"What are you scared of, kid? I won't bite. Well, not right now, not when my lover's holding me down this hard." It stared up at El. "So, you like to be on top now, huh, Gab? I'll remember that."

Cain saw Michael's jaw tighten and his gun-hand twitch slightly, but he said nothing.

"Nice to see you too, brother." El had remained completely calm. "Why are you here?"

"Brother?" Cain couldn't help but interrupt her. "This thing is your brother, too? So tell me, El, exactly how many of these unpleasant relatives have you got?"

"See, Michael." It laughed again. "You and I are unpleasant relatives to our precious Gabriel. Well, according to his boy-toy. Oh wait, no, it's 'her' now. Well, that's a somewhat disturbing situation, but I can see a lot of potential in it. Can you? It's just that so many things could be done with this body…"

"Shut up!" Michael snapped.

"Shut the fuck up!" Charlie added unexpectedly. "I don't give a damn who or what you are; just get the fuck away from my family."

"You should try to calm your mammy down, kid, she's really annoying me," the creature said in a cold, peremptory tone, the voice of someone accustomed to command. Then he added, "Well, the stupid questions are annoying me as well. But considering you and I are gonna be buddies of a sort, the answer would be nomen illis legio*."

"That lame Latin of yours isn't going to impress me," Cain snapped. "Scientia potentia est**. I'd recognized you, primus inter pares***, your arrogance preceded you. We'll never be anything but enemies."

"'Never' is a very ill-advised word, kid. Try not to use it; that would be wise. You should listen to me first, and only then make your decision. Well, at least if you care about your daddy's life."

"Everything he's gonna tell you will be falsehoods, Cain." Michael's tone was full of confidence. "He's been called the 'Father of Lies' with good reason."

"Oh, the truth, I'm afraid, is never that simple, Michael. You should know that, if anyone should." It chuckled, and then added, "I won't lie. I can't. I'm a fucking archangel, no matter what, and the rule still stands. You trust Gabriel, right, kiddo? So ask him, or, I'm sorry, her, and she'll have no choice but to confirm it. Or she could just refuse to give you an answer. Those are the rules of the game. Either way, you'd know I'm telling the truth."

Cain knew only too well that Michael was right: he shouldn't speak with the Fallen. But it was Jeep's body that that thing had possessed, and it was his mother beside him, trying really hard not to sob, her eyes full of pain and despair. He knew how much she loved Jeep. So he stared at El and said, "Is he telling the truth?"

There was the slightest hesitation before she answered him, her voice deadly serious. "Yes and no. Yes, he wouldn't lie to you, but by telling the truth he would lie to you. Don't go down this route, Cain. Take Charlie somewhere else and let us handle it. Please. "

He couldn't remember her ever using that last word before. So, he wrapped his arm around Charlie's shoulders and pressed her to his chest and said in a low, soft voice, "It's all right, mom. Don't be scared. El would do everything possible to save dad." Then he gave the possessed man a hard look and said, "Go to Hell."

Then he and Charlie climbed into the SUV, shutting the doors behind them so that they could see what was happening but could not hear.

Michael and El exchanged a glance. Her lips curled in a hint of a smile, and he nodded as if in agreement.

"So, it's just the three of us," the Fallen said. "Just like in the good old days. Any suggestions what we're going to do? Cos I really don't think you're gonna kill me right now, again. It'd definitely upset the boy, and you two certainly don't want that. In fact, this whole situation looks very like a stalemate to me."

"Now we'll talk," Michael said in a cold voice.

"Yeah, it's time to deal with family issues, lover," El added caustically.

* nomen illis legio (lat) their name is legion

** scientia potentia est (lat) knowledge is power

*** primus inter pares (lat) first among equals