Autor's note: Hello dear readers! First I hope you will forgive me for this much too long time I took to get this chapter out. I still have health problems that make writing very difficult lately, but it's getting better, slowly. I also had an amazing visit at the beginning of the year. My French Beta and fellow writer, Bebec, whom I met on this site, crossed the ocean to come and meet me in my cold country, Canada. We had a hell of a time visiting Québec and the area together and enjoy all the pleasures of good food, beer and wine, and of course snow! Thanks Babe for this great time, I adore you!
I was amazed by the number of reviews/comments for my last chapter and I can tell you all that it helped me a lot to recover the energy and interest to write again. I want to thank personally the readers who are not registered but appear as Guests on the reviews they sent me and to whom I can't reply directly for this reason; Svage, Sweetdemon, Chubbypug, Luckycharms, Saintluci, Cheeky, Cathy Sullins, know that your good words and your encouragements to pursue this story have not gone unnoticed and that you are a reason this chapter is now out. Thank you all!
Now, place to the story. Enjoy!
Chapter 21
Death from Beneath
The mountains were steadily growing into view above the trees as they kept marching towards them. Not for the first time, Lucifer wondered what craziness took his siblings to decide to establish their camp in a place as notoriously dangerous as the Howling Mountains. There was a good reason for those mountains to have been named so and Lucifer wasn't looking forward to meeting the howling creatures that were at the source of it.
According to the two scouts who had spotted the Fallen Ones there two and a half weeks ago, it looked as if they had been there for a moment. They'd probably taken Vasariah's warning very seriously when he'd threatened to have them killed if they ever came back. Lucifer guessed that it was as safe a place from Vasariah as they could find, yet too far away to have gotten words that the Angel of Justice had been taken down and that Lucifer was once again the one in charge, trying to bring back order to chaos.
The animals before him suddenly came to a halt when they reached the end of the forest, which sent the message down the long columns of men behind him to do the same. Just in front of him, Djall turned around awkwardly on her saddle to face him. She didn't seem any more at ease on her huge lizard-beast mount than he himself felt on his. Like him, Djall would have preferred to walk the entire ride rather than to have to endure the stench of the beast and the uncomfortable swaying of its pacing, but the beasts had their utility. Those mounts were almost six feet tall and more than ten in length. Their height kept their riders efficiently far from most dangers coming from ground level and they sure could give a good fight if needed, with their sharp fangs and their huge and tick tail. There wasn't enough beasts for all of his men, which numbered fifty when they left the citadel ten days ago. So only the two scouts who knew and led the way had mounts, as did Djalliah and he of course, plus three more guards who kept close around their king as defense. The rest of his men were marching behind them in two columns.
"You're still sure you wanna go through that?" inquired Djall one more time, her lips pursed in disgust.
Lucifer gazed upon the huge expense of marshes spreading before them and on both sides for miles, and nodded. "You know I can't accept delaying anymore in order to go around it. The scouts said it took them more than two days to walk around it when we could be on the other side this afternoon if we go right through."
He saw Djall open her mouth once more to try and dissuade him from taking that risk, and stopped her with a raised hand. He already knew all her arguments, about the possibility that they got stuck and had to reverse course anyway, and about the dangerous creatures certainly lurking in the bushes and under water. They had already lost four men to hell beasts during the crossing of the Desert of the Damn, and Lucifer knew that more could still be lost before the end of this journey. Though he knew perfectly well that it wasn't about those poor sods' lives that Djall worried, but more about his own safety. Whatever the odds were, Lucifer could not take the risk of delaying any more than necessary for fear of losing track of his fallen brothers. He'd already yielded once to Djalliah's demand, begging him not to act on his first impulse to simply fly straight to his brothers alone. He'd kept his impatience in check and accepted an escort to protect him during the journey. Still, there was a limit to the Devil's patience.
Djall deflated visibly as she closed her mouth into a pout more befitting a teenager than a bloodless demon. Djalliah would rant and whine all she could when it came to his safety if she still believed to have a chance of changing his mind, still in the end, she always submitted to his will.
Djall might not feel the urgency of their situation, but he certainly did. This was his chance of getting what he desperately needed to ensure his return to Chloe, and he would not miss this opportunity. It would be the perfect timing to bring his fallen siblings back to his side to assert his power. By themselves, the wingless angels were still worth more than an entire army. Furthermore, they had proven to be trustworthy to protect him, which was not a small thing these days. With the Demon King Mastema and his forces having at last sided with him after long negotiations, and the great Baal and his followers who had been already fighting for him from the start, added to the two armies that Lucifer had conquered by killing their Demon Kings, the Devil's troupes were getting quite huge. If his fallen brothers could join him now, it might be enough to tip the balance of power and precipitate the conclusion towards a total victory. Even if there was still nine Demon Kings out there hoping to chop his head off, those were as much fighting against one another as they were against him. So Lucifer was very much optimistic that his chance had turned, at long last. He wasn't naïve enough to think that he could end the war easily, nor quickly, but he knew he could do it, if only he could convince his two hundred brothers to risk their lives for him once more. Yet to do so, he would need to offer them a very good incentive, something they couldn't refuse. And he believed to have just the perfect deal for them...
Lucifer was brought back to the present when his three new winged scouts came back from their reconnaissance ahead. While those three were not the smartest demons, they could at least obey simple orders and even talk a few words to make themselves understood. Apparently, they believed to have found a possible path through the marshes. It would still be at least knee deep in most of the places, but they thought it to be practicable. The winged scouts would keep flying low above the water to spot any creatures that could pose a threat to them during their advance.
The path they followed, if it could be called so, was winding through numerous bushes and other marsh plants, which was forcing them to advance into a single column, making Lucifer's forces stretch into a long line. Their progresses were slower than anticipated. Not only was it a tough walk for the foot demons, but also for the heavy lizard-mounts which were more used to deserts than to water and spongy grounds.
Djall kept looking intensely over the expense of dark water, searching for any source of danger that could threaten her Lord. She only managed to find a way to complain that it was too quiet to her liking. Lucifer smiled sweetly at his new demon. Count on her to always want to keep him safe even when she was angry at him.
They had been in a strange place lately, ever since that night when she'd helped him regain his self some four months ago. He was still not sure if she were angry at him or at herself for what happened. What he was sure of was that she had been acting out since then. She was bad tempered, arguing more often with him in front of his men, and getting into fights with anyone and for any kind of reasons. It could be seen as a simple teenager crisis, but he knew better.
He knew that he'd hurt her that night by refusing her, by refusing the comfort and love that she had been ready to give him with her whole body. He'd tried to explain to her that she meant more to him than a comfort fuck, and that it wasn't what he'd needed from her at the time, that her presence and friendship alone had been what he truly needed and that he was immensely grateful that she'd been there for him. Clearly, she had missed to understand his point.
He had to admit that he was probably responsible for part of their complicated situation. He'd never really payed attention to the way he dressed, or should he say undressed, in front of her, even sleeping stark naked a few feet away from her every night without wondering what message it sent to his young demon. And that night, when he'd lost himself to the darkness, his confusion had been so profound that he'd barely registered that they had been laying naked together for hours. He'd needed the comfort way too much to question himself.
Ever since that incident, he had been very careful with her. He didn't even sleep naked anymore, for fear of giving her the wrong impression. Not that he ever acted as if he desired her before, but a devil was never too safe. She still kissed him tenderly from time to time when they were alone, if somehow less often and he always made sure to stop her quickly in case she might get carried away as she had that terrible night. He didn't see how chaste and caring kisses like they had could be wrong, all the more since they never even kissed on the lips. He didn't even feel attracted to her in the proper sense, even if she was a very attractive woman, but he liked the affection she provided him and the way it made him feel. Was he selfish for wanting it, for needing it? Probably.
He wasn't sure what it was he actually felt for her. Certainly not lust, nor love, of that he was sure of. Probably friendship, but not exactly, since he felt a deeper sense of protectiveness and responsibility for her wellbeing that reminded him of the way he felt about Beatrice sometimes. All he was sure of was that he cared for Djall very much and that he needed her affection in return. He just hoped that she wasn't actually falling in love with him and that it was just a phase in her development, like an Oedipus complex of some kind for her creator.
Lucifer became aware that his feet were touching the surface of the dirty water and that the foot soldiers were now torso deep in it. In front of him, Djalliah was fidgeting nervously on her saddle as if she were trying to look everywhere at the same time.
"I'm telling you, I don't like it. It's way too quiet around here. There hasn't been any sign of life since we set foot in this damn place. Shouldn't there be plenty of hellish creatures trying to eat us instead of this freaky stillness?"
Djalliah probably had a point. It wasn't Lucifer's first swamp, least of all in Hell, and it was usually a lot more lively and active than this one. The three scouts above them hadn't even mentioned anything alive after almost an hour of marching. Most strange indeed.
Sudden screams of terror resounded down the line of men, stopping everyone in their tracks.
Lucifer turned in time to see a panicked soldier resurfacing from under water for a second, some forty feet away behind him, only to disappear in it again as if dragged from underneath.
"There's something in the water!" screamed another soldier close to the scene.
From his vantage point, Lucifer could only see the dark water moving as if something big was undulating beneath it on a large scale. With a yell, a second soldier disappeared into the murky water. Then another.
Whatever that thing was, it was moving very fast and apparently heading up the line of men; straight to the Devil.
From there, panic spread over the column of demons and a good number of them started escaping away from the unknown creature while the bravest took a stand with their weapons out.
Her scimitar already out, Djalliah turned her beast around to move closer to Lucifer, bellowing orders to bring the men back in line. "Protect your King!"
Her words had the desired effect on some deserters who turned around to regroup nervously. A first dead corpse resurfaced, almost severed in half with its guts floating around it.
Apparently, the creature they were up against didn't take the time to eat.
It was out to kill!
From up in the sky, the flying scouts threw their spears through the moving water that was already reaching the first of the three mounted guards in line behind Lucifer. One of the weapons seemed to connect with something, only to bounce off harmlessly. The first demon rider also tried to aim at the mysterious creature with his spear, but his lizard-mount was getting into a frenzied panic at the feel of the approaching menace and was kicking and slapping its tail wildly, even hitting a foot soldier in the process. It took the rider all the skills he had only to stay onto the saddle.
In a thunderous explosion of water, an enormous snake-like head snapped out of the dark liquid and rose up at lightning speed on top of a sinuous brown and green body. It hissed viciously, showing off its two long fangs, just before sinking them into the poor terrified rider. The creature snaked a few rings of its body around the screaming demon to squeeze the life out of him as it brought them both down under water where they disappeared.
Renewed screams of panic echoed through the dispersed soldiers. The dirty water seemed to be moving everywhere around them as if the creature had no end. Those who still had enough wits about them to fight were stabbing blindly in hope of hitting something. Here and there, Lucifer could see portions of its scaly tick body just below the surface. That thing had to be at least forty feet long!
Lucifer had not been idle during the attack. His mount was now fully turned about and he was taking a stand beside Djalliah with the Flaming Sword pulsing with power in his hand. Only two mounted guards were left between them and the vicious creature that looked like a mixt between a snake and a dragon. Now Lucifer understood why that swamp had seemed so quiet; probably not much could survive in the kingdom of such a mighty beast.
The moment the snake sprang out again to snap at the second mounted-demon, Lucifer was ready and blasted a fireball that stroke the beast right on the neck.
The power of the hit made the creature scream in pain and fury, yet barely slowed it in its attack. To Lucifer's amazement, the supernatural fire of his attack didn't find any purchase over the glistening scales and died almost instantly. He couldn't even see any wound over the scaly body.
Lucifer swore under his breath. He'd hope that a fireball would do the trick. That option now eliminated, he feared that he would have to risk slaying that beast with his sword. Unfortunately, there was no way he could use his Lightbringer's power to kill it since he'd never been able to focus it into a narrow beam. If he used it, all demonic creatures in the vicinity would die a horrible death.
With fangs now deeply imbedded into his body, the poor guard on top of the lizard got snapped away and shaken viciously from side to side by the swamp's creature. The closest demons tried to stab it with their weapons, but unfortunately none were able to pierce its tick scales before it disappeared again into the water with its victim.
Only one last mounted lizard was still standing between Lucifer and the beast. From the corner of her eye, Djalliah saw Lucifer change into his full Devil form and understood that he intended to face the creature himself. There was no way that she was going to let that thing get a chance to hurt her king.
Djall took her opening when the snake made its next attack against the last guard, and jumped on its back to grab it around the neck. She heard Lucifer scream, ordering her to let it go. Instead, she tightened her legs around the creature that was as large as a big man's torso, and clang onto a horny hedge on its head with her left hand. The snake was struggling madly to shake her off and she knew that she wouldn't be able to hold on for very long.
With her right hand, Djall drove her dagger down a few times into the softest parts of its head. It screamed in suffering as both its eyes were blinded.
The snake continued to scream and struggle blindly, refusing to die from the wounds. Eventually, Djall was ejected from her precarious position and landed straight into the smelly water. When she resurfaced, she saw that the Devil had moved closer to the panicking snake and was about to attack it with the Flaming Sword held high in his hand.
As if coming out of nowhere, a ribbon of fire suddenly crossed the sky and snaked itself around the creature's body, holding it into place.
With piercing screams of agony, the huge snake tried to wrestle out of it, without much success. The strange rope of fire tightened itself even more and quickly pried its way in between the unbreakable scales. Soon, the monster's body was severed in half and fell limply into the marshes.
Still astonished by the surprising show, Djalliah recovered her footing and followed with her eyes the origin of the fiery rope that was now retreating towards the sky above her; towards a flying apparition.
Beautiful and deadly, she looked as if Heaven and Hell had been mixt together to create the perfect being.
She looked like an angel, but with a clear hellish ring to her. Her dark wings were diffusing a reddish glow uncommon to angels and her fiery whip could only come from Hell itself. Yet Djalliah had never gazed upon that mysterious being. The silence that fell over the assembled demons told her that she was not the only one to be astonished by the sight.
The strange angelish being kept hovering above their group, the noise of the rhythmic beating of her wings being the only sound disturbing the stillness. Djall realised after a moment that the new comer was staring surprisingly at the Devil, and that the latter looked equally stunned by the sight of the winged woman.
Djall walked slowly towards Lucifer who was still up on his mount. "My Lord?" she asked uncertainly.
But her king ignored her.
"Mazikeen...," the Devil breathed as if in awe.
Lucifer's devilish appearance suddenly changed back to his angelic one. He'd gotten pretty good at mastering the change over the last few months.
Mazikeen... The Mazikeen? The one Lucifer had told Djall so many stories about? The one whom Lucifer trusted with his life and that Djalliah dreamed to someday equal or even surpass? But, how was it that she never heard anything about wings?
Mazikeen at last landed on the mass of dead snake in front of the king, her wings still partially spread out to maintain her balance.
"You have wings!" blurted out the Devil in clear amazement. "Bloody wings! What the hell did you do?"
Mazikeen pouted in annoyance. "It was actually your fault! But I don't think it's the right moment to tell this story."
Lucifer just couldn't figure out how he might be at fault for her getting those wings. The last time he saw her, she was on the verge of dying and he had saved her life with his power. His celestial power... Could it have caused this?
Maze interrupted his disturbing train of thoughts. "And what about your wings, and... everything?" she gestured at him up and down his body with her hand.
Lucifer figured that the sight of his new devilish self certainly had been a shock for his oldest friend. Mazikeen probably thought that she'd already seen him at his worst in the past, and he'd thought so too, until recently. But there was a lot she didn't know about who he had become, and apparently she might have changed as much in her own way.
For a moment they looked at each other like they were strangers.
"It's a long story," he simply answered with a bittersweet smile.
Her sad look told him that she was probably starting to understand the reason for the emergence of his new appearance, now that she was giving it some thoughts.
After a moment of silence, Maze narrowed her eyes at him. "Didn't you get Chloe's message about my coming here?"
"Yes I did, about a week ago."
"And you didn't think of waiting for me?" she asked, indignant.
Lucifer sighed. "I couldn't afford to lose that time. What I'm doing here is too important to let anything delay me. Besides, I knew you could find me. Though you did it a lot faster than I thought you would." He smirked at her playfully, motioning to her new wings.
"And it would have been way faster if those bloody wings listened to me properly." The said wings vibrated as if her words insulted them.
Maze was starting to feel irritated by Lucifer's apparent lack of gratitude for her efforts to rescue him. "Now, can you tell me what could be more important than what I came to do here?"
Lucifer raised his hand to stop her from saying anything more in front of his men. "Let's go talk in private."
"I'm coming too!" interceded Djalliah, who was standing proudly torso-deep into the dark water beside the dead snake.
Maze looked down at the young demon who seemed to think so highly of herself. "And who the hell are you, child?"
If a look could kill, that red head demon certainly would have stroke Maze down instantly. "I am the King's bodyguard, and wherever he goes I go," the young demon spit out. "And by the way, I was handling that snake just fine before you came in. Your help was not needed."
Maze raised an eyebrow amusingly at the girl's impudence, thinking that even she had never been so full of herself. She was suddenly reminded of an encounter she had with Michael just a few days ago during which she might have said something similar to what that girl just said... She dismissed the thought immediately, confident that she had nothing in common with that little brat, and yet, there was something eerily familiar about her.
"You take them young, Lucifer, and with a temper." She believed that there was not just the girl's hair that was fiery.
Lucifer leant against the pommel of his saddle, watching his two demons with delight. "Maze, meet Djalliah, your little sister, or what is the closest thing to a real sibling you'll ever have. You two better get along because I am not going to tolerate childish behaviour between you two."
Maze's smile faded at the revelation. Now she understood what seemed so familiar about that demon. The demonic half-side of her face was ravaged exactly like hers, except that it was on the right side instead of the left. She should have noticed it far sooner. For her defense, it was not every day that she looked at her true self into a mirror.
The meaning of Djalliah's existence suddenly hit Maze right in the face; Lucifer had created that demon to replace her...
Mazikeen shook herself inwardly at the spark of hurt.
Without adding another word, the Valkyrie took the lizard mount that Lucifer offered her and the three of them moved some distance away from the rest of the group.
Maze was getting more and more impatient. She stopped her mount and spoke her mind as soon as they were far enough not to be overheard. "I don't understand what we're doing here, Lucifer. I came to save your butt and bring you back home. Chloe must have told you about the vortex I can create, so let's not waste any more time and let's go!"
Lucifer shook his head sadly and lowered his gaze. "I can't leave, Maze."
She stared at him, mouth agape. "What do you mean you can't leave? Chloe needs you, Lucifer. And... I need you!" she admitted with much more emotion than Lucifer was used to with his friend.
"Mazikeen...," he started patiently, lifting his gaze to hers, "there is nothing I want more than to go back to Earth believe me, but I can't leave now. Hell is in chaos and I have to fix it. I need a permanent solution if I ever want to be truly free, and I'm at the brink of getting it."
Maze snorted in disbelief. "You mean by finding your damn brothers? Malphas told me about your idea when he gave me the indications as to where to find you. They will never follow you now that they have their freedom. It's a waste of time."
"On the contrary, I think that their new freedom is far from what they might have dream it would be. Think about it Maze. With all the dangers in Hell, what are their chances of surviving for long in the end? And once they die, they know they would end up in a hell loop of their own. It's only a question of time before they get killed. After having been tortured for hundreds of years by demons, I think a hell loop might be their worst nightmare. I will offer to Semyaza a deal that he won't be able to refuse. As their chief, I'm sure he will want what's best for them. More importantly, Semyaza is a great leader who is used to power and appreciates it, yet who's not too greedy."
"And what is this wonderful deal you're so sure will tempt him?" Maze asked doubtfully.
Lucifer smirked confidently. "I will make him my regent. He would reign over Hell as a king, all but in name, with his men safe around him."
Maze gaped at the idea, considering it seriously. Lucifer would remain the Lord of Hell, while being able to stay away from it for long periods, if not forever. It could work! It would still involve a lot of warring to bring the Demon Kings to heel, making it a very dangerous and risky plan in Maze's book.
"Why do you even care if demons keep killing each other when you could get out of here, Lucifer? I don't understand."
"Because I have responsibilities, Mazikeen. Not only is it my duty, but I also made a deal with Dad."
Maze squeezed her eyes shut for a moment as if she were hurting. "Oh no, He got to you too..."
"It's not what you think, Maze. As Father pointed out, He hasn't asked me to do anything I hadn't already decided to do of my own free will."
"And you really trust your Father to release you if you succeed?" There was clear doubt in her voice.
A tired smile made its way up Lucifer's lips. "Believe it or not, but the bloody bastard has come around. We have some kind of new understanding now. He promised me a lot more than to just let me go. You have to understand that this is my one true chance of really being with Chloe someday without His interference. It would actually even be with his blessing. I really can't screw this up, Maze."
Even without having heard all the details, Maze understood that this was big. And after her own recent encounter with God, she strangely felt that He genuinely loved Lucifer in his own way and might even want to make amends for His past mistakes.
Maze's lack of argument on the subject surprised Lucifer. He expected her to need much more convincing when it came to his Father's intentions and His capacity for manipulation. Then he remembered something she said just a moment ago and narrowed his eyes at her questioningly. "What did you mean by «He got to you too?»"
Maze's frustration about the whole Valkyrie thing resurfaced quickly. "How do you think I got those bloody wings? It was your Father. He waited until I was at my weakest before forcing me into a deal I couldn't refuse."
"But..., how...? Why...?" It just made no sense to Lucifer.
It was not the time to get into the long version, so Maze cut it short. "You didn't heal me that day with your celestial power, Lucifer. It couldn't work on a demon. It would have killed me without your Father's intervention." Lucifer's face dropped in horror. "To save my life, your Father had to give me a soul. The bloody bastard also took the liberty to make some other changes too, as you've seen, to reshape me into one of His tools. His weapon."
"I'm sorry, Maze... I didn't know... I...," Lucifer staggered in confusion. He felt awful to have played a part in helping his Father to attach a string on his friend. On the other hand, he also felt awe struck to learn that his heartless demon now had a soul. He couldn't begin to imagine the implications of such a change.
Maze rolled her eyes at his apparent discomfiture and decided to relieve him of some culpability. "It wasn't really all your fault. The wounds I got from Lilim would have probably killed me anyway. So trying to save my life at the risk of killing me with your power sounds like a logical last resort choice. I should probably thank you for trying."
"Don't mention it," he immediately dismissed.
Maze nodded shortly, then took a deep breath and hardened her features as if she were taking a hard decision. "If you stay, I stay. I'm not about to leave you alone down here risking your life every day. We're going to restore order together if it's so important to you, then we're going back home."
Djalliah straightened up on her mount and spoke indignantly. "He's not alone! I'm here for him. I am the King's protector and I take care of all his needs. We don't need you here."
Lucifer saw Maze's gaze darken dangerously at the dismissal. He thought it might be a good idea to interfere before things could get ugly.
"Djall, please!"
To Maze's confusion, Lucifer's words sounded more like a plea than a command. Djall seemed hesitant to obey, clearly not done yet at telling what was on her mind. The young demon locked gaze with Lucifer's soft one, first with an air of defiance, then her features smoothed, until she lowered her gaze, more in acceptance than in submission.
The silent exchange left Maze with the strangest impression. She'd never seen Lucifer act that way with a subaltern, not even with herself. It was hard to put it into words, really, but there was something going on with those two that looked more like some kind of relationship than anything else. Maze didn't have more time to pounder more about it that Lucifer was talking again.
"Maze, you need to leave, right now." Lucifer wanted to ask more about her wings and other possible new abilities, but there was no time for that. He needed to send her back to Earth as soon as possible.
Maze stiffen with hurt and frustration. "What are you talking about? I worked my ass off for days to get here, flying through desert and woods with those feathery appendages, and fighting hellish creatures that saw me as their dinner. I'm certainly not about to leave now that I found you."
"Maze!" Lucifer pleaded her with a touch of pain in his voice. "Chloe is in danger!"
It caught Maze's attention alright.
"You remember that demon you sent to me for questioning, Moz'gan, who worked for Lilith?"
Maze nodded with a sense of foreboding growing inside her.
"Well, I made him talk. He admitted having recruited someone at the precinct, a detective, to spy on Chloe. The man has to report directly to a vocal box any news concerning her, as well as you, Daniel, and even Doom. Anything about your whereabouts, or any information that could help to get close to any of you if needed. He was supposed to receive other instructions later by phone. According to Moz'gan, the guy didn't seem shy of doing anything for money, including killing, which is probably what Lilith intends to ask of him sooner than later. In addition, that detective was to find the best candidates to bribe among Lux's staff as another way to get information about all of you."
Maze was starting to feel quite anxious for her friend. "Chloe was going back to work this morning for the first time since you left. She could be in danger!"
Lucifer nodded knowingly, worry evident in his eyes. "I know that Doom will be there to protect her at all time now that he has passed the K9 test, but as good as he can be at sensing supernatural dangers, he has no way of sensing a threat that comes from a human. That's probably why Lilith has been recruiting humans in the first place."
Chloe had sent him information regularly through her prayers since he was in Hell, so he knew a lot about what was going on up there. While it made him feel closer to her to hear all kinds of little news about her life and his friends', it also frustrated him boundless to have no way to answer and most of all to warn her about the threats against their lives.
Maze nodded pensively. "We already suspected that there could be informants at Lux or even at the precinct. Do you have names?"
Lucifer shook his head. "Not about the people at Lux, but I know who the detective is. I don't know him personally, but apparently he has been chosen in part because he started working with Daniel. His name is... Murdock."
"Son of a bitch! I'm gonna kill him!" she exploded.
"Easy Maze! He might have important information about Lilith. You can do to him whatever you want, only once he has told you everything he knows."
Maze gritted her teeth together in anger. "Oh believe me, he's gonna talk!"
Taking her statement as an agreement to return to Earth without him, Lucifer rummaged through his pockets and retrieved an envelope that he presented to her.
"Please, give this letter to Chloe for me." He'd written it as soon as he learned that Maze was coming to Hell.
The tightness in Lucifer's voice and his tortured gaze were enough for Maze to understand how much staying behind was killing him. She took the envelope wordlessly and only nodded in agreement.
Lucifer sighed in relief. "Thank you Maze, and could you...? Can you ask Chloe to keep praying to me? Her words have saved me more than once already. I honestly don't know what I would have become without it, without her."
Maze nodded once more, not trusting her voice to answer with words. The Lucifer that stood before her was already far from the friend she remembered. To hear that it could have been worse without Chloe's support was downright disturbing. Not only was there his newly shaved head displaying his old tattoos, a statement of the darkness lurking inside him, but she'd also seen his new devil form... The signification of it was scaring her as hell. Even without his new form, Lucifer looked changed, more dangerous, his gaze dark and fathomless. Yet she could still discern a bit of the old Lucifer in him. She just hoped that it wouldn't take him too long to bring back order down here or else there could be nothing left of the Lucifer she knew, and that Chloe loved...
Maze folded the letter and slipped it into her pocket. She then came down her mount and stood before Lucifer on a small mound. "Don't worry, I'll take care of Chloe. You, on the other hand, will take care of yourself, okay?"
Lucifer's smile didn't reach his gaze. "I'll do my best."
Maze didn't like his answer one bit. She turned towards his new bodyguard and sent her a killer gaze. "If anything happens to him while he is here, I'll take you responsible for it."
Djalliah didn't miss the deadly implication of not reaching Mazikeen's expectations. The young demon lifted her chin up proudly and hit her chest with her fist. "I would die before letting harm get to my King."
Maze was more than doubtful about the girl's ability to keep Lucifer alive, but she had seen her courage during the fight with the giant snake and was at least certain that she would do her best to protect him. Even with her lack of experience, that girl was fierce and obviously loyal. It was the best Maze could hope for in the circumstances.
The Valkyrie smirked at the demon in acknowledgement before making a last farewell to her friend and king.
Reaching inwardly towards the power of her celestial armband, Maze tapped into it and created a vortex that would bring her back to Earth, hoping that she was not already too late to warn Chloe about the possible threat against her life.
Author's note: Next chapter is going to be full of action, and don't worry, Lucifer will be back on Earth very soon now. I hope you liked this chapter, please let me know in a comment/review. Those truly help me to keep going on. Thank you all for reading!
