Issa wiped the sweat from her brow, glowing bones scattered around her. Painstakingly, she'd fixed the cracks and grown the missing parts in the existing bones but she was so far from making a body that it was laughable.

Each time she'd come into contact with the bones, slivers of Lucifer's memories would flash before her eyes.

Eden's laughter.

Eden's tears.

Eden calling out his name.

Luce.

They took our son.

Then there was Edvardiel with his mother's eyes, the sunset catching the reds in his hair, his expression tight with suspicion.

How do you know my name?

Issa felt a pang of envy.

Despite everything, it was clear that Edvardiel's parents cared for each other. They'd cared for him. As she continued her trial and error with the bones, her envy morphed into grief, and then anger. What did she care about Eve and Michael? She didn't need them.

A bead of sweat rolled down her temple and dripped onto the end of one bone. A sharp jolt ran up her arm.

Issa was plunged into a vivid memory.

"Are you here to kill me?"

Eden looked much younger, all rounded cheeks and gangly limbs. Her dress was smudged with dirt as though she'd been sneaking out.

Lucifer's gaze shifted from her electrified hair to her muddy dress to the lightning sizzling in her palms, his displeasure growing by the second.

"My orders are to make sure you're dead. But I don't need to kill you, do I?" His angelfire vanished and he spread his wings. "You're mortal. All I have to do is wait."

Eden's brows furrowed. "You're going to follow me around and hope I die?"

"Believe it or not, there are more interesting things on Earth than you." Lucifer looked down his nose at her.

"But I'm one-of-a-kind." Eden had lowered her hands, seeming to forget all about the threat he posed to her life. She was gazing at his wings. "How long will you stay on Earth?"

Surprise flitted in his swirling eyes. "For both our sakes, a very long time, I hope," he said dryly. "Farewell, strange Nephilim."

He glided upwards but Eden made a grab for his ankle. "Wait!"

Lucifer started.

"You're not going back to Heaven?" she clarified.

He stared at the hem of his robe clutched in her hand and gave it a tug. "Not as long as you're alive."

Eden held fast. "Seraph." Her eyes shone. "I can show you the best places on Earth if you take me flying."

Issa was thrown out of the memory. When she looked down, the shining bones around her had multiplied. There weren't just six or seven but a dozen. Ribs, arm and shin bones. Something tickled her sweat-slicked fingers—she was covered in golden leaves and around her, golden flowers bloomed on the grass.

Was that the key—sweat? Gross.

But, she thought grimly, far from the grossest thing she'd done. Issa gathered more sweat from her brow and touched the bones again.

This time, she expected the plunge.

It was raining in this memory. Eden was much older, her glory-filled eyes shuttered as lightning flashed behind her. Water dripped from her hair.

Fire of my heart. It's time for us to part ways.

Issa watched the memory float past like a jellyfish. Now that she wasn't bamboozled by the whole memory surfing, she became aware of a tingling in her arms and shoulders. Life. This was it. She was drawing power from the memories—the stronger and the longer it was, the more bones and parts she could create.

She sifted through images of Michael's cold, aristocratic face as he gave his orders; conversations with Eve; and, much to Issa's embarrassment, a couple of her own childhood tantrums. From Lucifer's viewpoint, she looked so small. She caught him wondering if Eden's son was this small. This destructive. Not a bad thing, Lucifer thought. Despite their attempts to retrieve the boy, perhaps he'd do better in Heaven—he was more seraph than human.

Issa swam past these memories, searching for something more powerful.

A cry split through the darkness, catching her attention.

"Luce," Eden keened. "Lucifer!"

This had to be it. This memory seemed powerful enough to make a body. Issa braced herself and tumbled through it.

As always when Eden called, he answered.

It had been years since they'd parted ways. He didn't know what to expect when he stepped towards the golden gates but his body melded through them easily.

Eden never barred him from her Garden.

He found her weeping in front of what had once been their home. The ivies they'd planted together had grown wild, flowers covering the little hut. The roof he'd damaged had been patched over and painted a bright hue.

He paused, taking this in.

"He's gone," Eden choked out.

Lucifer tilted his head. "Who's gone?"

She only sobbed harder, hysterical in a way she'd never been before. He tried to remember what to do. It had been so long. Then he knelt down and brushed back her hair the way he knew she liked, and lowered his voice in a way he knew calmed her. "Eden, my sweet. Tell me what's wrong."

She flung herself at him and cried and cried. He stiffened. After several minutes, he gripped her shoulders and made her look him in the eye. "Tell me why you summoned me."

Eden swallowed several times.

"Our son," she said. "Someone took him."

Out of everything he expected Eden to say, it wasn't this. A myriad of strange sensations crashed through his being. For several seconds, he struggled. Most of the sensations were foreign. Impossible for a seraph to understand. Lucifer gave up. He focused on the one thing he did understand. "And you wish to have him back."

Tears rolled down her cheeks once more. "I've looked everywhere."

He considered that.

"There's one place you haven't looked."

Her fingers were still curled around his arm but awareness was returning to her eyes. She looked at him as though truly seeing him for the first time, her gaze shifting to his wings. "They're wilting." Her grip tightened, dismay in her gaze. "Luce. You never went back to Heaven, did you?"

"Now I will." He lifted his gaze Heaven-wards. "I shall search for this son you did not tell me about." He tapped the hand clutching his arm, noting that their wedding band still glinted on her finger. "But first, you must let me go."

The memory ended far too soon.

Issa's body was entirely overgrown with golden branches, leaves and flowers. The bones around her had multiplied some more and were scattered. The shining bones of a whole hand were lying near her knee and Issa gingerly removed a foot from her lap.

The memories weren't strong enough. Or she was doing something wrong.

She remained hidden in the thicket, repeatedly trying and failing to make something out of Lucifer's bones until the fiery orange sunset streaked through the skies.

Dinnertime.

Issa peeled off the leaves and petals off herself and then paced back and forth, contemplating ditching the dinner. They were no doubt going to discuss vital matters like the engagement ceremony and the plan to take down Lilith, but she didn't dare enter with Lucifer's bones. Not when Edvardiel's second set of gates towered around the perimeter. Ironically, the very thing that was supposed to protect her was now a gigantic problem. She wasn't about to risk setting herself on fire.

She paced up and down several more times before running into Jacob.

"Are you here for dinner?" she asked him.

He was still smoking, his eyes redder than ever. "Uh-huh," he mumbled. "You?"

"I don't know what to do with the bones," she said in a low voice. "I don't know what will happen if I try to get through the gates with them."

Jacob took a drag from his joint and looked at her with his faintly glowing eyes. "Why don't you give them to me?"

Issa hesitated. "What do you mean?"

"I'll take care of them whenever you need to be in there and you can tell them I'm high or something," he said. "They'll buy that."

"But you haven't been in any of the meetings. They're starting to worry about you." Issa frowned at him. Jacob looked gaunt and there was a hollowness in his eyes. All the weed and the watcher powers seemed to be taking their toll on him. "I'm worried about you."

At that, Jacob gave her a flash of his old grin. "I'm fine, Sleeping Beauty. I'm doing my part. Watcher angels are always in the background pulling strings." He gazed at the gates. "The others will buy this for a few more days. You just have to focus on making a body asap." He tapped his temple. "After that, I can go back to being sober and not have all this knowledge giving me a killer headache."

She really did need his help. She couldn't leave the bones unattended in the graveyard—not now that she knew they belonged to Lucifer.

"I owe you one," she said, pulling out the wrapped bones from her angel dress and handing it over. He tucked it under his arm, his gaze lingering on her hand, to where her ring shone like a beacon in the darkness.

"Congratulations." He tried to pat her shoulder but missed it.

"Thanks," she said, but he was already skulking away. "I'll be out as soon as I can," she called out. "I'll fill you in and bring dinner!"

It took all of Issa's self-control not to fidget through dinner. Edvardiel told the others about their plan for the engagement ceremony: how they were going to use it to show off Issa's glory, keep the threats at bay and get support.

The engagement would be announced tomorrow and the ceremony would take place the day after. Spirits were high—it was the first time that they had an actual plan to end the Apocalypse and everyone was eager to get the ball rolling.

As Jacob predicted, there were some questions and protests about his absence, but nothing strong enough to warrant dragging him to the meetings.

While they were talking, Edvardiel reached out and plucked something out of her hair.

"Look," he murmured.

In his palm was something small and glittering.

One of the petals she'd accidentally made this afternoon.

"Very pretty," Edvardiel said. "I wonder which flower this came from."

This was one thing she didn't have to hide.

As she watched him examine the flower, a slight smile playing on his lips, she realised he was excited. He was excited that they were engaged. His beautiful ring gleamed on her finger, warming her, and Issa felt a sudden rush of affection.

He'd protected her from Lilith. He'd saved her life. He'd carried her through the Apocalypse for days despite his weakened state.

She'd never imagined that she would ever feel safe again. That she would trust again. That she would love someone this much.

Feeling oddly shy, she reached out and touched his arm.

"I can show you," she said.

She closed her eyes and reached for the power deep within her. There was no need for her to feel. Life was warm and slippery and needed coaxing. It needed an anchor. The tingling feeling returned to her hands and her hold tightened around Edvardiel's arm. Without warning, memories flashed through her mind.

Edvardiel, bent over a sink, gasping.

Edvardiel with his hand pressed against his chest, lightning crackling around him.

Blood flowing, the red staining the tiles, burning with angelfire.

It was all over in a split second.

Edvardiel gazed at the shimmering golden rose blooming in her palm.

"Neat!" Mike exclaimed. "I didn't know Nephilim could do that!"

Issa stared at Edvardiel, whose was smiling. He didn't look like he was in pain or bleeding. Were those memories from the time after they'd battled the demons? From when he'd thrown people into the dungeons? How much of his injuries had he healed on his own?

Edvardiel, who'd been softly glowing with glory all evening seemed positively radiant with it now. Lightning crackled around his folded wings and made Paul's hair stand on end.

"It's yours. If you want it." Issa held out the rose, feeling awkward about being watched. Edvardiel had a teasing gleam in his eyes, and he made a show of kissing her hand before taking it. Issa felt her face heat up and Edvardiel grinned.

"How romantic," Jessica sighed, as Paul leaned away and tried to tame his hair.

There was another round of cheers and congratulations and then Mike was asking them if the ceremony was going to be open to the whole of Eden. The discussion took a turn to the more practical—what were they going to wear? Where would it take place? Decorations? Food and drink? Jessica and Mike mentioned an ancient warehouse filled with a bunch of clothes and Rosalie muttered something about preventing assassination attempts.

At the first opportunity, Issa slipped out with some pie and potatoes, searching for Jacob with her Acolyte's sharp sense of smell.

She found him sitting at the edge of the broken headstone, already waiting. The angel robe was laid out flat and the bones were arranged in a strategic pattern pointing towards the centre. When Jacob saw her, he took a particularly long drag of his joint before gesturing at his handiwork.

"Make the heart first."

Issa rubbed her neck. "I've only been able to make bones."

Jacob reached into his pants and withdrew a knife. Issa's breath caught. It was one of the double blades belonging to the Acolyte who'd died at the gates. The one that looked exactly like Yassper's.

"Blood," Jacob said, exhaling a long cloud of smoke. "Not sweat."

The hairs on the back of Issa's neck stood on end.

"You know, Jacob," she said, sitting across from him. "Your watcher angel thing is really creepy."

He gave her a half-hearted smile, his eyes still unfocused. "I know."

Of course he did.

Issa looked at the blade in Jacob's hand, but the moment she wanted to reach for it, she found that she couldn't.

Edvardiel's words echoed in her mind, as powerful as Lilith's.

You're not to hurt yourself.

Fuck. She'd forgotten about that part. She kept forgetting that despite everything, she was still bound to her Keeper.

"I can't do it," she said, shaking her head.

Jacob moved so unexpectedly, she barely had time to react as the blade slid across the lower arm, cutting it open like butter.

She gasped.

"I know," Jacob said, as red, red blood began to flow from her arm. He tossed the blade away. "Sorry. You couldn't have let me do it, could you?"

She stared at him, deeply unsettled.

He knew.

He knew that she couldn't hurt herself, which meant he knew that she was an Acolyte.

"You should do it fast," Jacob only said, his hands shaking as he searched in his pockets. "I don't know how long I can keep this up." He cursed as he fumbled with his lighter as though he were blind. His eyes were fixed and unblinking, the whites swallowing the brown almost entirely.

Issa decided that she could confront him about it later. If he remembered anything at all.

"Here we go," she muttered, taking a deep breath. She could feel Life bubbling forth from her blood as it dripped onto the bones. It would work. She could feel it as she took the plunge. This time, she wasn't just surfing through Lucifer's memories. She was diving deep among them, almost as though the events were unfolding before her very eyes.

It was sunset on a beach.

Eden's son stood forlornly at the edge of the cliffs, staring out into the ocean, his wings tucked within his angel robe.

Edvardiel.

Eden had spent her life searching for her son. Finally, a face to the name she'd uttered a million times.

Lucifer watched him for a while before he stepped forward and made himself known.

"Hello, Edvardiel."

Happy International Women's Day to all you wonderful women out there!