Daystar (17 page)

Andy eyed her.
 
“Are you sure?”

She wouldn’t meet his gaze.
 
“Yes, Andy.”

They stared at Paimon.
 
He twitched in his sleep.
 
He spoke Furcas’ name.
 
Even in dreams, his voice was full of loss.
 

Andy pulled Belial into a hug.
 
“I never want to go through that.”

Belial watched Paimon.
 
“The pain?”

“Losing love.”

Belial gulped as guilt heaped on fear.
 
“No one does, Andy.”

Andy watched her in the darkness.
 
“Belial…are you sure you’re okay?
 
Do you want to talk about anything?”

Belial forced a smile.
 
“How does it feel to have your wings back?”

“Uh, fine, but—”

“Yes.”
 
Belial stared into the darkness.
 
“It is good to be whole once more.
 
Very whole.”
 
She wrapped her wings around them both.
 
“Do you think I look good in this metal color?”

“Belial—”

“It really changes my wardrobe options, I—”

Andy stifled her words with a kiss.
 
He was gentle.
 
His lips were warm, soft, and questioning.
 
He pulled back, unwilling to push if not invited.
 

Belial grabbed him and kissed him.
 
She needed him.

Andy ran his fingers through her hair and pulled her close.
 
He kissed harder.
 
Belial responded with equal force.
 
Andy pressed her against him.
 
She snaked her tongue into his mouth.

Andy shuddered and pressed her to the floor.

Belial gasped and allowed him to.
 
She was pleasure and need.
 
She had never felt this before.
 
Now it was all that drove her.
 
Her heart pounded against her ribcage.
 
She froze.

Andy moved to her neck, trailing kisses like fire across her skin.
 
Belial stared at the ceiling in shock.
 
She touched her chest through the robe.
 
The area beneath her skin trembled.

Belial put her hands on Andy’s shoulders and pushed him back.
 
Her chest ached.
 
It wanted him, wanted to join with him.
 
Her mouth tasted terrible.
 
She cupped her hand over her mouth and ran up the stairs back to the bathroom.

Andy gaped at the doorway.
 
“I shouldn’t have done that.
 
I said I wouldn’t push.
 
I’m such an idiot!”
 
He got up and followed her.
 
“Belial, I’m sorry!”

Belial stared in the mirror.
 
She opened her mouth and stuck out her tongue.
 
Darkness coated her throat, not yet at her gums or lips, but it was encroaching.
 
She threw up in the sink.
 
Black bile splashed across the porcelain.

Andy hovered outside the doorway.
 
“I, uh, I am sorry.
 
I didn’t mean to.”

Belial wiped her mouth and rinsed the black residue away before he could see.
 
“My fault.
 
It’s just…I need more time.
 
I’m sorry.
 
I’m not puking because of you.
 
I just don’t feel well.
 
This physical Archon stuff is taking some getting used to.
 
That’s all.”

Andy stepped into the bathroom.
 
“You don’t have to be sorry for anything, Belial.”
 
He frowned; her face was coated in a sheen of sweat.
 
“You don’t look okay.
 
I think we should—”

“Where is it?”
 
Paimon tore through furniture downstairs.
 
“
Where!
”

Belial and Andy raced downstairs.
 
Paimon stood in the living room rifling through cabinets.
 
He flipped the couch.
 
“
Where is it?
”

Andy grabbed his shoulders.
 
“Where is what?”

“Furcas’ favorite hairbrush, I can’t find it!”

“Why do you need it now?”

Paimon punched Andy in the stomach.
 
“It’s his favorite!
 
I have to find it!
 
I have to!”
 
He burst into tears.
 
“I have to!”

Andy pulled him into a hug.
 
“We’ll help you find it, that’s what we’re here for.
 
Now tell me, the last time you saw it was when?”
 
Belial took Paimon’s hand and they led him into the next room to continue the search.

***

Dahlia and Lucifer’s eight children appeared on the surface.
 
They looked between the ages of five and ten.
 
Gaea, the eldest, stood at the front of the gaggle.
 
She tapped her mom on the shoulder.
 
“We’re here.”

Dahlia looked up and hugged her daughter.
 
“Hello.”

Whitney was in tears.
 
“That was such an asshole thing to do!
 
Fuck all of them!
 
I’m glad I’m an Archangel now, I’m going to kick some ass!”

Dahlia gave Whitney a smile.
 
“Good.”
 
She addressed her daughter, “I need your help.”

“What is it?”

“Remodeling this place.”
 
Dahlia stood up.
 
Helion and Berith popped up behind them.
 
She looked to everyone present.
 
“First off.
 
Gaea and Chronos, I need you to round up any remaining Lilliam that were outside the City, get them home.
 
Then help Apple gather the living humans into one spot.”

Gaea nodded.
 
“All of them?”

“Yes.
 
The Great Plains are back to being great and empty so fill that area up first.
 
I need them centralized.
 
Titan, Leviathan, and Ifrit, I need you to protect the City and get it to the surface intact.”

Titan nodded.
 
“As it was before we sank it?”

“Yes.”

Leviathan pulled her blue hair into a ponytail.
 
“Where are we putting it?”

Dahlia mulled it over.
 
“At the moment, place it near the humans, but I do not want Lilliam leaving and interacting with them.
 
Consider both groups under quarantine.”

Ra, Nix, and Ouroboros looked on.
 
“What are we doing?”

Dahlia pointed to Helion.
 
“Going with him.
 
Collect the art, monuments, and architecture.
 
Save the best and bring it to the City, well not in the City, but nearby.
 
Just, place it off to the side someplace.”

Ra grinned.
 
“Can I bring my pyramids?”

Dahlia thought it over.
 
“No leave as-is.
 
I will keep them from being deconstructed.”

Gaea went to Apple’s side.
 
“What is the first order of business once we get the humans rounded up?”

“Heal those that are injured and dying.
 
Then let me know once you have everyone assembled in one place.
 
The rest of the planet is going to get dangerous.
 
Helion, you will have to work while I do.
 
So be fast and quick.
 
I like Klimt, Hieronymus Bosch, and Dali.”

Helion gave her a blank look.
 
“What are those?”

Dahlia sighed.
 
“Kidnap Jacob from his sylph harem, he is the Art History major.
 
Grab whatever he tells you.
 
Tell him he has full artistic license.
 
What he does not save will not be saved at all, got it?”

Helion ducked his head.
 
“Yes, Dahlia.”

“Good.
 
Berith, give the heads up to the City, things are going to be shaky.
 
Whitney, you are coming with me to rearrange things.”

Whitney grinned.
 
“Extreme Makeover, planet edition!”

Dahlia pointed to them.
 
“Get to it, especially you, Helion.”
 
She took Whitney’s hand and hauled her into the air.
 
“You and I have some space planning to consider.”

“Woo!”

***

Paimon huddled in front of an outmoded television he had dug up from a closet.
 
Furcas had sought to throw it away long before, but Paimon had kept it, ever the pack rat.
 
Andy had managed to find an old VHS player and Belial found the boxes of tapes.

The tapes were marked and organized in neat rows, each one from Dahlia’s childhood.
 
Paimon selected one at random and popped it in.
 
He appeared on the screen with shaggy red hair and a grin on his face, he held a four-year-old Dahlia in his arms.
 
He pointed at the camera.
 
“Look, Dahl-face!
 
Who’s that?”

“Fuck-ass!”
 
She screamed in delight and giggled.

The cameraman sighed.
 
“I told you to stop making her call me that, fuckwad.”

Little Dahlia laughed.
 
“Fuck odd!”

Paimon glared.
 
“Stop making her swear, Furcas.
 
You’re a terrible influence on our little Dahlia.”

The cameraman whispered, “Fuck off.”

In front of the TV, Paimon laughed.
 
“I remember this.
 
I wish I could see it.”
 
Behind him Belial and Andy were rapt, never having seen Dahlia as a child.

In the movie, Furcas put his arm out.
 
“I want Dahlia.
 
You film for once.”

“No.”

“Yes.”

“No.”

“Yes!”
 
Furcas flipped the camera around and thrust it at Paimon.
 
He grabbed Dahlia from him.
 
He lifted her over his head and grinned.
 
“Such a pretty darling!”
 
He held her out and played airplane.
 
“Someday you’ll have wings and soar like this on your own.”

Dahlia laughed and kicked her feet.
 
“I wanna fly now!”

Furcas drew her into a hug.
 
“I would help you if I could, but I think the Archangels would find you.”

“Arcangals!”
 
Dahlia punched the air.
 
“Hit inna face!
 
Bite inna neck.”

Paimon laughed off camera.
 
“Our training is going so well, the fearsome four-year-old shall storm Heaven!”

Dahlia smiled.
 
“Heaven sucks!”

Furcas made a face.
 
“Don’t say sucks.
 
It is not a pretty word.”

Paimon snorted.
 
“Furcas
sucks
.
 
Say it, Dahlia!”

Dahlia grinned.
 
“Fuck-ass sucks!”

“No.”
 
Furcas scowled at Paimon.
 
“I do not suck.”

On the floor, Paimon smirked.
 
He said his comeback along with his past self, “No, I’m pretty sure it’s your favorite thing ever.”

Furcas covered Dahlia’s ears.
 
“Children are present.”

“Dahlia doesn’t know what sex is.
 
Do you, dear?”

Dahlia looked at him blankly.
 
He must have made a face because she broke out in laughter.
 
Paimon snickered.
 
“See, she’s innocent.”

Furcas glared at him.
 
“Oh, keep justifying your behavior, just like you always do.”

Paimon moved around with the camera.
 
“I will.”
 
He got in Furcas’ face.
 
“Give the camera a kiss, sweetheart.”

“No.”

“Yes!”

“No!
 
Paimon!
 
You are so fucking irritating!”

“Kiss it!
 
Kiss it!”

Furcas shifted Dahlia to one arm and decked Paimon; the camera went sideways and hit the ground.
 
Paimon laughed off camera.
 
Furcas glared at him.
 
“Are you drunk again or just high this time?”