Hell was surprisingly… peaceful.
Or so Raha couldn't help but think as he looked around the downright massive room that looked like a luxurious penthouse he'd only ever seen in movies or magazines.
"Hm," his twin hummed, scratching his chin as he somewhat carefully walked around the leather sofas set in the center of the room, heading toward the huge open windows that seemed to lead out to a balcony. Behind it, Raha could only see the grand view of the starlit sky with some distant noises coming from below. His twin brother stepped out on the balcony, then he saw him peer over the balustrade before Damon turned around and sent a killer deadpan stare at the Wolf, who grinned toothily while nudging his mate to take a seat on one of the sofas. "This is Hell, Fen?"
"I never said we're going to Hell," Fenrir snickered, then headed to something that looked like a bar, as luxurious as the rest of the place. "Only that I'll take you to Lucy's place. Welcome to Los Angeles, boyos," he laughed, then set to pour himself a drink.
"Los Angeles?" Raha repeated, gawking at the Wolf as he rested his hands on the backrest of one of the sofas. "Like… Seriously?"
Senri, whom Ares insisted they take as protection (which Raha was insanely thankful for), wrinkled his nose with distaste as he neared the open arch inside the area leading up to another room whose furnishing seemed to mostly consist of the fucking massive bed with rumpled sheets.
"Smells like weird sex," he shrugged at his questioning look, then shook himself up and set to explore the corner far away from that arch. Raha frowned, following him with his gaze before he shook his head and focused his gaze on Fenrir again, who was smirking as he poured a few more drinks, then leaving most on the counter with two glasses in hand sauntered over to where Calliope – in a lovely cobalt dress – sat, handing her one of the glasses with a smile before he dropped to the sofa next to her and stretched his legs, resting his booted feet on the low table between them. Calliope carefully sniffed the offered drink, sipped it, and gave her mate the brightest grin yet.
"It's dis… tasty," she caught herself, holding the glass between her hands as she moved closer and leaned into her Wolf side.
"Of course, Princess," Fenrir chuckled, then motioned with his glass toward him. "Relax, Raha, grab a drink and sit down. Considering our company, we will have to wait until Lucy's up here," he pointed meaningfully between Calliope and Senri. He frowned at first, following his gesture, then flinched slightly when Damon sighed right behind him as he crossed the room to apparently comply with Fenrir's words.
"He's right," his twin said, picking up one of the glasses from the counter, then walking back and gingerly sitting on the couch Raha was leaning against before looking at him with a wry smirk. "Senri and Calliope can't assume fully human form, remember? And I rather don't deal with a mess of humans' reactions to two shapeshifters… especially if we're really in the fucking Los Angeles, right?"
"Right," he sighed, then moved around the sofa and sat down next to his twin, ignoring the drinks. In their small town, Miqo'te were already a sensation, he didn't even want to imagine how people living in a place like this would take it. "But what if this whole Fray isn't here any…?" he trailed off at the sound of the delicate ding, and his eyes shot toward the door of an apparent elevator right when it parted, revealing a familiar-looking biker, though this time without black-streaked wings.
…and not alone.
The biker, Frey, looked like the last time he saw him in that clearing. Leather jacket and pants and long black hair set into a braid that reached his hips. His features were very sharp, almost wolf-like, and his eyes looked like an abyss of permanently dilated pupils with the thinnest ring of green irises around them. His expression was unreadable as he dragged his eyes from one person to another, stepping into the room, followed by a smirking, handsome man dressed in an elegant suit. This one, with short black hair, looked them all over, his eyes (brown, if Raha wasn't wrong) pausing the longest on Senri, who froze near the windows as they walked in, then sighed and, with a roll of his eyes moved behind the counter of the bar.
"Think I'm too sober for this," he heard him mutter with a distinctively British accent, and his eyebrows shot near his hairline. The biker, in the meantime, froze, staring at Fenrir, who smirked and saluted him with his drink.
"Yo, Frey," he chuckled, tapping his finger against his glass. "I decided to take you up on that offer, pal. And hey, Lucy, long time no see, yeah?"
That made the tall brunette pause while pouring a drink and give the Wolf a long, confused look before his whole face lit up with a blinding grin.
"Fuck, Fen? What the fuck happened to you?" he said, resuming what he was doing while Raha's jaw dropped as he gawked at him with a wholly new understanding.
That was Lucifer?
"You know what they say… A good woman changes a man," the Wolf laughed when both men scowled, with Frey shoving his hands in the pockets of his jacket as he stopped by the edge of the table set between the sofas and narrowed his eyes at Fenrir before giving a careful look toward the Allag leaning against his side.
"So it was your girlfriend?" he finally smirked, inclined his head toward the Calliope when she grinned at him.
"Something like that," Fenrir said with a chuckle, then pointed with his drink toward one of the still-free seats. "Sit your ass down, Frey. I don't like assholes hovering over me… and you're making our pal nervous," he tossed an amused look toward Senri, whose narrowed eyes followed the biker's every move as he slowly moved behind the sofa the twins sit at and rested his hands on its backrest behind their back.
"I would do more than make him nervous," Raha downright flinched at the leer coming from the side of the bar. His shocked gaze darted toward the fucking Lucifer, his mouth open as the supposed Ruler of Hell gave his lover an appreciative once-over while moving around the bar, then toward them, and then sprawled in one of the armchairs set perpendicularly to the sofas. He raised his glass toward his mate with a very obvious leer on his face. "I didn't have a Miqo'te yet, and this one definitely looks like a prime specimen."
"Hey," he hissed instinctively, forgetting he was speaking to a fucking Satan in the face of that statement as he bared his fangs at him. "Back the fuck off, he's taken."
"I don't mind threesomes, either," Lucifer smirked at him and sipped his drink, far from intimidated. "I do wonder, however, what do I owe the visit…?" he drawled toward the Wolf, raising his dark eyebrows expectantly after lowering his glass.
Raha flinched when his twin's hand moved to rest on his thigh and squeezed in a warning. Right, no antagonizing unknown, who knows how powerful entities.
"Ah, we're here for him, actually," Fenrir said with a smile, pointing his finger toward the still-hovering Frey, who at that furrowed his eyebrows and tilted his head curiously. "But let's do the honors first…" he chuckled, then pointed his glass toward their apparent host. "Boys, as you likely already guessed, this is Lucifer…"
"…Lucifer Morningstar, these days," the guy cut him off, then sent them a toothy grin. "A Crime-Solving Devil."
"…the fuck?" Fenrir looked as stumped as the rest of them.
"Don't even fucking start," Frey groaned, then finally moved and dropped to the free seat next to Fenrir with a glare toward Lucifer. "Imagine how I'm going to explain that to Gabriel, Lamp."
"If I give you a phone, would you record his reaction?" Morningstar asked somewhat giddily, leaning back in his chair with a chuckle.
"A Crime… what?" Fenrir repeated with confusion.
"It's a long story, but I'm a consultant with the LAPD these days," Lucifer said, and the Wolf's jaw dropped open as he blinked rapidly. "Punishing the sinners and all that… just on my own dime this time."
"He's just as petulant bastard as always," Frey sighed with a frown toward him.
"Alright… I'm not going to try to unpack that," Fenrir groaned, then shook his head and pointed toward Calliope, who looked between the men with real interest. "My little lady and Bastet's daughter, Calliope," then he inclined his glass toward them. "Also, Bastet's twins, Damon and Raha of Allag, and Senri, Raha's mate. And as you already know, Daimon Frey," he ended, sending the biker an amused look while the male looked toward them with a confused frown.
"Wait… Allag?" Frey looked at him and then back to them. "Aren't they like… supposed to be extinct? And you suddenly got yourself three of them?" he asked incredulously.
"My, my…" Lucifer now leered toward them, and Raha leaned back, appalled. "Wasn't the Allag supposed to be the Bastet's pinnacle of pleasures…?"
Senri simply growled, and when Raha looked up at him, his lover was glaring daggers at the other brunette, who snickered.
"Down, boy," Fenrir sighed, then turned his bright eyes toward the Abaddon. "Question, Frey. The Key to the Abyss… you got it on you?"
Daimon scowled, looking at him as he sprawled in his seat, and then his expression hardened as he dragged his eyes between them all.
"That's what this about?" he finally drawled, looking back at Fenrir. "The Key?"
"Do you have it or not?" the Wolf raised his eyebrows expectantly.
"I can't part with it even if I would want to," Frey replied reluctantly, then tossed a narrowed look across the table at Damon. "Anyone ever told you you're unnerving, kid?"
Raha wasn't surprised to see the familiar, cold look in his brother's eyes directed at the biker.
"Most think it without saying it out loud," his twin smirked, then sipped his drink. "But more importantly… What do you mean you can't part with it? Fen told us that without your guy upstairs, this whole Key is quite useless."
Frey chuckled, then folded his muscular arms over his chest and cocked the black eyebrow at the Wolf.
"You're gossiping about me behind my back, Fen? I'm hurt," he drawled, and when Fenrir snorted, then shrugged, tightening his arm around Calliope while sipping his drink, Frey rolled his eyes and looked between them again. "Yeah, Key is useless, but it doesn't mean I can part with it, boys. What is it to you?"
"Fen told us how you did become the 'Abaddon,'" Damon replied calmly, wrapping both hands around his glass and narrowing his eyes at the angel. "And the topic came up since we have a list of certain gods that are in need of un-making. The way he made it sound gave us an idea that this whole Key of yours might be a tool we could utilize for that goal."
"Gods in need of un-making?" Lucifer cut in, laughing. "And what? Do you think you can achieve something like that? Aren't you a glorified sex toy for Miqo'te to fight over?"
"Watch your tongue, fucker," Senri snarled, and Raha turned at the sound of tearing leather. He wasn't surprised to see his lover's claws deep in the sofa's backrest or the sight of far too many fangs his mate bared at the fallen angel. He sighed and turned sideways to place his hand over Senri's, tossing Lucifer a glare, he answered with a sneer.
"Careful, Lucy," Fenrir drawled with amusement, and when they all looked at him, he pointed his glass toward Senri. "This one here isn't a normal Miqo'te. He's Ares's kid brother… and shares his most useful skill too."
"Oh," if possible, the fucking Ruler of Hell looked actually sheepish as he looked toward them again.
"And this one…" Fen continued, pointing toward Damon. "…is Ares's mated lover. So, yeah…" he shrugged with a smirk and sipped his drink. "…pissing them off is unwise in general, though. Keep it to yourself… but Allag are actually demi-primordials," that gave him the full attention of both angels and their surprised stares. "And those two in particular…? Human born hybrids."
"You're shitting me?" Frey whistled, then looked at them with a new interest. "Human-primordial hybrids? Who the fuck thought it was a good idea?"
"Fascinating," Lucifer hummed, giving them a once-over over the edge of his glass. "I bet Gabriel would shit himself if he knew… Not that I will tell him, but the idea is amusing."
"Shit himself?" Frey snorted, giving him an incredulous look before grinning at them. "He would fucking lead the heavenly horde to offer his service. Like… no joke, human-primordial hybrid? With our Daddy out, you are like his wet dream come true!"
"…truly?" Damon hummed, raising his hand to rub his chin with consideration.
"No, don't even think about it," Raha hissed, nudging his side. "We already have enough on our hands."
"Spoilsport," his twin sighed, but his crimson eyes shimmered with amusement as he raised his dark red eyebrows at Frey. "But going back to the topic that brought us here… the Key?"
A new understanding dawned on the biker's sharp features as he whistled under his breath, looking between them.
"I think I get it… That's why you told us what they are?" he turned his abyssal eyes toward Fenrir, who sighed and nodded. Frey frowned, looking back at them, and Raha shifted in his seat uncomfortably under his scrutinizing gaze. "You're awfully young to think of killing gods, boys. Who is it that so badly needs to be unmade?"
"Set," Damon replied, then looked toward Fenrir and Calliope. "And Odin. If you ask me… they overstayed their welcome in our Realm."
"So… the rumors are true?" Lucifer drawled, dragging his glass along the armrest of his chair. "About Set… inspiring the whole Clan of shapeshifters to dabble in slavery?"
"The… what?" Frey looked at him with surprise.
"I might be here, but I keep tabs on Hell, Frey," Morningstar sighed, his expression growing serious for the first time since Raha saw him. "They didn't land there, obviously, but Mazikeen… my PA, so to say… have friends across in Duat. It is a dreadful place, even by our standards, which she enjoys. Apparently, a few days ago, they had a massive influx of the creatures that were surprisingly reminiscent of Sha… that, like Allag, were supposed to be long extinct."
"They were Keepers," Senri drawled with an angry growl. "And a shame upon our kind. Good to know they're where they deserve to be."
"I see," Lucifer sipped his drink, then shook his head before looking at Frey. "You'll tell them about the Key, or do you want me to?" he smirked, wiggling his dark eyebrows at the Abaddon, who scowled, then rolled his eyes and narrowed them at Damon.
"Let me get this straight… You think you – being those human-primordial hybrids – can somehow make the Key work for you and permanently erase the gods?"
"That's the theory," his twin brother nodded, narrowing his eyes at him in turn. "Since – according to Fen – it might be, in fact, the Key to Chaos, or work like that for us, considering our connection to it due to this nifty human part of our nature. We aren't, however, clear on the 'how'… not without trying if it does do anything in our presence. We're still learning our capabilities, considering that a bit over a month ago, we didn't even know that we're anything but human. We know we can address Primordials at will and share in Allag's magic, but so far, our… connection to Chaos is the biggest unknown. Fen was tasked with teaching us by Erebus, but we didn't even really start when this idea jumped out at us. And considering his… history with Odin, we would rather prefer if He didn't suddenly show up out of nowhere and snatched our teacher back to Jotunheim… especially when now he's Soul-Bonded with our lovely Calliope," he pointed his glass toward the cobalt-haired Allag.
"Odin has to go," she whispered, wrapping her hand possessively over Fenrir's thigh, and he smiled at her while Damon nodded with a smile, while his still cold, calculating eyes turned toward Frey.
"So… if there's a chance that this Key of yours can make that a possibility…?"
The biker-looking angel looked between them for a long moment, then exhaled slowly and shrugged helplessly, smirking.
"No clue. I never heard of something as insane as human-primordial hybrids, obviously," he said, leaning sideways against the armrest of the soft while not taking his eyes off them. "…perhaps? The issue is, boys, the Key isn't a thing," he drawled, and his expression grew unreadable. Raha and Damon exchanged confused looks, then leaned forward in their seats toward him, ignoring Lucifer when he snickered, and then sipped his drink.
"I don't understand…?" his twin frowned. "Fen made it sound like it is…?" he tossed the Wolf a suspicious look, but Fenrir looked as confused, staring at the Abaddon beside him with narrowed eyes.
Frey sighed, then rested his chin on his palm, smiling toward them wryly.
"It used to be a material thing when I used it to open the void that swallowed the Anti-Creator," he said slowly, and Raha got a funny feeling in the pit of his stomach, somehow guessing what he would hear before Frey's next words. "But when I was resurrected as the Abaddon… I became the Key."
Raha sighed, then looked at his twin as he leaned back in his seat with resignation.
"I see," Damon hummed curiously, then looked the biker over and frowned. "Or I think I do… So – theoretically – you can open up… a door into the Abyss, but you can't without your God's express permission?"
"More like He can use me to open the void," Frey shrugged like it meant little to him to be treated like some sort of a tool. "But since He's literally gone…? I'm not much more than a simple Angel of Destruction, capable of traveling through the cosmos and destroying the planets and planes designed for termination. Without God behind the steer, 'Abaddon' is the empty title. Hence I was included in their scheme when He disappeared," he nodded toward Lucifer.
"Daddy-dearest went 'puff' a few hundred years ago," Morningstar drawled in a bored tone as his accent grew slightly more pronounced. "And ever since then, we have been scrambling to keep it hush-hush between Heaven and Hell since His rule legitimizes both. Limbo in between is the no man's land, yeah, but angels above and demons below are bound to freak the fuck out if they knew that He's gone. Gabriel, upstairs, alongside a few other archangels, is in the known while for us, it was only Asmodai and me since he's been my right hand when it happened."
"I'm honestly surprised that the Rotten Prince didn't yet come here to drag your sorry ass back home," Frey rolled his eyes at him, and Lucifer smirked over the edge of his glass.
"Rotten Prince?" Raha repeated with a confused frown.
"Asmodai's title," Fenrir chuckled, then tossed a knowing smirk toward Morningstar. "Tell me I'm right… You two are fucking, yeah?"
"I'm a gentleman, Fen," Lucifer replied with a haughtily raised eyebrow. "And one does not discuss their conquests in company."
"You just hit on my boyfriend," Raha deadpanned in turn, glaring, and the devil himself grinned at him.
"And on you, don't forget," he winked, then turned his eyes back to Fenrir and shrugged. "And what it is to you, whatever I fuck Asmodai or not?"
"Simple curiosity," the Wolf shrugged. "I always thought he must be a demon in bed."
Lucifer burst into laughter at that.
"That he is," he finally replied, snickering when Frey tossed him a deadpan glare.
"So the rumors that he freaked out when you left Hell are fake?" he drawled, and Morningstar shrugged.
"More of a front," the Ruler of Hell gave a one-shoulder shrug. "And I didn't leave… I'm on vacation," he announced with a smug grin.
"That's what I smelled?" Senri said suddenly, and all looked at him with confusion. He pointed his thumb toward the massive bed past the arch aside the room. "…demon sex?"
"Perhaps," Lucifer smirked, then leaned against the armrest of his chair and raised his eyebrows expectantly toward the twins. "But returning to the issue at hand, boys. Daimon, here, as stated, is the literal Key to the Abyss, yeah, but – as also stated – he's quite useless without Daddy's power behind him. So I suppose you came all this way for nothing… not that I don't enjoy the company."
Damon hummed, considering something, as raised his glass and sipped his drink with an absent look… then the hand holding it froze as he lowered the drink and tossed Frey a speculative look.
"Wait… What exactly did you mean by us being Gabriel's dream-come-true?" he asked in an even tone, but knowing his as he did, Raha could see gears behind his eyes turning furiously.
"How it sounds," Abaddon shrugged. "We're… I mean, Heaven is Godless, and this farce can go on only so long. Same for them," he pointed toward Lucifer, who sighed and nodded slowly. "The moment the high-ranking demons realize that God is gone, they'll overthrow Lamp's rule in a heartbeat, and it's going to be a bloody slaughter as they'll fight over his throne. Imagine humanity's succession wars on steroids among the immortals. Not pretty," he grimaced, then looked between them with a frown. "And upstairs, it wouldn't be much better, either. Limbo, too, would get hit with refugees escaping both sides of the conflict and so on. Then, all-out war, they would likely drag down to Earth, and can you imagine that mess? Hello, Armageddon. But you… If you really are human-primordial hybrids, as unheard of as it is… You stand so high above gods that Gabriel would bend the knee in a heartbeat."
"So would I," Lucifer said slowly, startling them into looking toward his when he ran his fingers through his black hair and sighed. "If you can prove your heritage, that is, Heaven, Hell, and Limbo would be yours. Think of it this way: all know that humans created… or used to create gods. Primordial Gods, meanwhile, literally form the reality of this whole fucking universe. A hybrid of both? The possibilities are endless, and any of us would want on that gig when our own God… fucked off or – as some say – got eaten by Chaos. Any creature of the gods who… expired one way or another, basically leaving them orphans, would look to you for shelter and protection. Any creature of Primordials would see you as the messiahs – an impossible link between their creators and the Chaos – the raw power that started all life in this universe we all – one way or another – spawn from," he frowned with consideration, pressing the edge of the glass against his lower lip. "Opportunistically speaking, if you somehow managed to use Frey here as you thought, erasing the gods, you could claim any pantheon or Other you would like. Most gods these days are too weak to put up much fuss, so I can imagine that hearing of you, they would simply surrender to you just in case you turn on them. Shove stragglers in the void… and bam, you have the whole thing in the pocket. That's why the very idea of a hybrid of human and Primordial sounds insane," he smirked, but it didn't reach his eyes, intent and focused on them. "Since by definition… a thing like that would be the unquestionable ruler of the Otherworld."
"Holy fuck," Raha breathed, staring at him numbly… before he flinched and, with a gasp, turned his eyes toward his twin brother. "That's what you meant, D? When you said all Others would be ours to protect if you're right about this whole… demi-primordial theory?"
"That was the most logical direction of that theory, yes," Damon hummed, far too calm for his liking. "Allag being demi-primordials aside, however, it's more about us and the humans, isn't it?" he narrowed his eyes toward Fenrir, who sighed and nodded. "All this talk reminded me of something you said when telling us about Frey. I didn't pay it that much mind at the time, true, but what was that thing of Chaos looking for an outlet? As you described it, it's not a sentient creature, yes?"
"No," Fenrir shook his head and then grimaced. "Like I told you, its raw power of creation and destruction… and like all powers, unused, it either swells or dims. Humans, losing faith, disconnected themselves from it – without realizing leaving it without a purpose… and it started swelling. Hence… I thought it's why you've been allowed to exist, boys. Planned even, long, long ago – thinking in eons – when Mother Night saw the end of the universe within Her tapestry. Not Ragnarok, Armageddon or anything as tiny… but the true End, the Chaos – unbound and uncontrolled – wreaking havoc across Her creation as it swells, swells and swells… to – like a supernova – implode, taking everything out."
Raha paled with every word, struck mute as he stared into Fenrir's bright, green eyes.
"That – I believe – you and others like you are meant to be," the Wolf winked at him, his grin downright evil. "The Rulers of Chaos, putting a leash on it before it can swallow us all. Because opposite to me – or any other Chaos-aligned god – it should, in theory, want to serve you as much as it's capable of 'wanting.'"
"Or it already does," said Lucifer suddenly, and their heads nearly snapped off, turning to look at his considering, distant expression. "Thinking of it… When it comes to Chaos, as far as I understand, it does not involve ideas like time… past, future, etc. It is mindless and needs a way to release a building tension, yes? So what if – theoretically – the moment Nox woven your existence into Her tapestry of fate, it bound itself to you? Why else our God – when his worship is still very much a thing… More, when His power – perhaps – considering how many humans still believe in Him, was likely the first to go? Before even Miqo'te broke the rules coming out to humans and causing Christianity to grow more prominent than ever?" he smirked, inclining his head toward Senri before looking at them. "What if it was already running a groundwork in preparation for your arrival?"
Damon, still looking far too calm for all of this, hummed with consideration, then sighed.
"All of that is, however, a baseless speculation," he finally said carefully, then turned his eyes toward Frey. "But let's say we could prove our – like you said – heritage. That we are, in fact, human-primordial hybrids… What, exactly, would that mean in correlation to Heaven and Hell… and Limbo?"
"A complete control," Frey replied wryly. "Fuck, you would likely have to chase off the angels and demons eager to serve you – because that's what is our nature. We serve. Even Lucy here serves…" he pointed toward Lucifer, who nodded reluctantly. "…in ruling Hell. But without anyone to serve, we're… useless," he grimaced, shrugging. "Personally? If you can find a way to use me as the Key, I'm on board. The eternity is fucking boring without a purpose."
Damon nodded slowly, as if that was what he thought, while Raha exhaled slowly, falling back against the sofa's backrest and grimacing because he had a sinking feeling about where this whole thing was going.
"Senri, could you create two phones?" his twin turned beside him toward his lover and stretched his hand expectantly. A moment later, what he asked for landed in his hand, and Raha somewhat numbly stared as his brother hummed under his nose, programming his number in both before passing them one after another to Frey and Lucifer. They both took them but kept their suspicious eyes on Damon. "I do hope you know how to use them. And that – for now – you can keep that whole conversation to yourself, okay? We will need time to think and talk it over, do some research… and such. But I'm quite honestly certain we will get back to you about it shortly… hence the phones," he chuckled, pointing his free hand toward the devices before settling his empty glass on the table and standing up. "Fen, if you could get us home?" he turned his eyes toward the Wolf, who sighed, finished his drink, nodded toward the angels, and stood up, pulling Calliope along. Raha hesitantly followed, moving around the sofa to take his lover's hand. Looking at Frey the moment Fenrir opened the rift, he saw the angel flinch and scowl.
"Well, nice meeting you," Lucifer grinned, saluting them with his glass if the look in his eyes were nearly as cold and calculating as that in Damon's when he smiled and inclined his head toward him in turn.
"Likewise," his twin said, then, without another word, crossed the portal.
"Ah… Thank you for having us," Raha muttered, bowing his head slightly and watching Lucifer smirk at him, nodding in reply as he sipped his drink.
"Tell your brother I'll look toward hearing from you," Frey said with a mock salute, sprawling in his seat.
"I think he knows," he sighed softly, then pulling his lover along, went through the rip in reality, not surprised to step out in the middle of the clearing near the lair. Fenrir and Calliope followed, and the rift closed behind them with a snap.
He wasn't sure what he expected but wasn't exactly surprised that Damon stood there with narrowed eyes staring up at the starlit heavens above them, the mix of focus and consideration on his face. He was more shocked, however, by a sudden sound followed by a voice that had his eyes shot toward the edge of the clearing.
"There you are," Raphael, Gabriel, and Ares entered the clearing and neared them. Ares, if anything, had a slightly dazed expression on his beautiful face, his sky-blue eyes locked on his lover as if he'd seen him the first time.
"What's wrong?" Damon scowled, looking between with raised eyebrows. "I heard you're MIA…?" he said with some amusement toward the older Pyre when he stopped in front of him. Raha, hesitantly and still holding Senri's hand, moved next to his twin, frowning as he met the starlit gaze as it moved between them.
"I – and my siblings – we were busy setting up some things at Nox's order," Raphael replied wryly, then sighed… and fell to one knee in front of them, lowering his head in something that very much looked like submission. Raha's jaw dropped when Gabriel followed suit, the normally smug expression on Pyre's face exchanged for an unreadable mask. "And as Mother Night demands, in the name of all the ten Pyre Houses and the Coalition of the Others, going forward, we're yours to command, Damon and Raha… Rulers of the Chaos."
And he could only stare – as shocked as his twin brother – when behind them, Fenrir started to laugh.
