Daystar (19 page)

***

Paimon, Belial, and Andrealphus stood braced against the walls of the house.
 
Andy puffed out his cheeks as the tremors stopped.
 
“I think we reached the surface.”

“We have.”
 
Belial dipped her head and stared out a window.
 
“I can only imagine there’s going to be some kind of celebration.
 
This place hasn’t seen the light of day in centuries.”

Paimon slumped onto the boxes and furniture that they’d been pulling out of storage.
 
“I have to get this cleaned soon!
 
Why did we bring it all out?”

Andy patted him on the shoulder.
 
“You wanted to search through it, remember?”

“Oh.”
 
Paimon frowned.
 
“What was I looking for?”

“Furcas’ favorite slippers.”

“Right, did we find them?”

“No.”
 
Andy shook his head.

Paimon stood up straight.
 
“Then we need to keep looking!”

***

Dahlia waited next to Apple on the Great Plains.
 
To the east, the City rose into the sky, taller than the tallest human buildings, larger by far than any human city.
 
Dahlia turned in a slow circle.
 
All around them humans stood in lines as far as the eye could see.
 
Every single human was asleep on their feet, kept that way by Apple and Gaea.
 
 

Male and female Lilliam of each family line waited with their corresponding family elder.
 
King Morgan and his wife Queen Daphne stood closest to Dahlia with a team of elves, fairies, centaurs, and nymphs.
 
The categories of Lilliam became stranger the further that one walked in either direction.
 

Aita and Persephone hiked over, trailed by banshee and masked gorgons.
 
Aita bowed.
 
“Dahlia, if we know the divisions, may we take our new family into the dark before the conversion?”
 
The undead portion of the City stayed below the earth, connected to the City via caves and waterways.
 
Many of the undead could not stand direct sunlight.

Dahlia nodded.
 
“Of course, please do so now.”

Aita nodded and hurried back to his area.
 
He gestured to Hephaestus to pull their group of humans below the earth.
 

Dahlia waited until this completed before addressing Apple, “Are you ready?”

Apple nodded, panting.
 
“Yes, the sooner the better.”

“Did you impart the information?”

Apple nodded.
 
“They’ll each have the same history lessons we were all taught as children.
 
They’ll wake up knowing the basics, the timeline, the languages, everything.”

“Good.”
 
She took Apple’s hands.
 
“Let us get this over with.
 
Begin transmission.”

Dahlia took a breath and launched into her speech, “Greetings.
 
Our world has irrevocably changed.
 
Most of you were not aware that creatures called Lilliam walked the earth with you, before you, or that angels existed, or even that this planet is a battleground in a war that has been going on since the creation.
 
But this is truth and it is truth that you must accept.”

The message played for everyone: Lilliam and sleeping humans, Archangels of Heaven, and Archangels of Hell.

“All that were once human were created of my body.
 
I am Dahlia, formerly known as Ladriam Evenstar.
 
I am the Primangel of matter.
 
My consort is Lucifer Morningstar, the Primangel of energy.
 
All that currently live on this planet, whether Lilliam or human, are from our bodies or our union and we seek to keep you safe from further harm.

“I know that everyone has suffered unimaginable losses over the past week whether from the riots, the attacks you now know were not random, or the shifting in the earth itself.
 
I too have lost, my Archangels have losses, but we are not without hope.

“Our home is under siege.
 
It is a battleground; a place that I fear shall soon be attacked directly by those seeking to destroy us, the force of Heaven.
 
When you awaken you will see the world a different place, your homes gone, your conveniences disappeared, but for now, this is the only way we can live.
 
I cannot protect the scattered and lost.
 
This world has become my fortress and I will keep you sheltered within its walls.

“When this war concludes five cities will be open for residence, they are Atlantis.”
 
She looked at Ra who was beaming.
 
“Ra-Giza, Necrocoenosis, Paris, and the City, renamed Eden.
 
For now,
all
citizens must remain in Eden, for their safety.

“A human is a fragile thing, without protections, without the healing and longevity of a Lilliam.
 
Heaven made humans to be this way.
 
I am removing that weakness in each one of you.
 
What happens next can only be experienced, but know that it involves reawakening in all of you your ancient bloodlines.
 
Know that you are all accepted with open arms and love.”

Dahlia ended her message.
 

Apple opened her eyes.
 
“Ready?”

“Ready as I will ever be.”
 
Dahlia sent a pulse through Apple.

The air over the humans shimmered.
 
Within each human, a change took place.
 
Their blood stirred and portions of DNA long considered garbage and useless, turned on under Dahlia’s influence.
 
The humans changed shape, size and color; reverting to the largest portion of Lilliam blood within them.

A small group remained to the side, some hundred thousand that made up the remnants of the Solomon Soldiers.
 
Pureblood humans they had never interbred at any point in their existence.
 
For now, they remained human.

Dahlia released Apple and allowed the changed humans to wake.
 
The Lilliam delegates swept in and set about dividing the newly converted Lilliam, drawing them into smaller orientation groups.
 
Already Eden had quadrupled in size, expanded to include new homes and community centers.
 
The second and third generation Lilliam took charge and Dahlia left them to it.
 
She looked past Apple to the Solomon Soldiers, still sleeping.
 

Apple followed her gaze.
 
“What do we do with
them?
”

Dahlia frowned.
 
“For now?
 
Give them to Chronos and keep them in stasis.
 
I do not have the time to waste with killers and zealots.”

Berith padded over and pointed up.
 
“We have an audience.”

Dahlia looked towards the sky.
 
“Excellent.
 
Are they all there?”

Berith nodded.
 
“Yes and one is new.”

Dahlia grinned.
 
“I am going up.”

Whitney and Apple grabbed her arms.
 
“You are not battling them!”

“Battling them?
 
No, I am not.
 
I was thinking more on the order of taunting them.
 
Come with?”
 
Dahlia soared into the sky.
 
Apple, Berith, Whitney, and Helion followed behind her.
 
Dahlia flew straight up, stopping when she was mere meters beneath the shield.

Beyond it, Michael and the other Archangels watched.
 
He backed away when he saw her draw near.
 
He pointed the spear at the planet.
 
“What can you hope to accomplish with that?”

Dahlia held out her fingers.
 
“One, you can no longer fuck with
my
humans, they are humans no longer.
 
Two, that irritates you and I so enjoy doing that.
 
Three, it brought you all here for this wonderful occasion, and I wanted all of you here, within reach.”
 
She looked at the Archangels, her gaze lingering on one.

Michael appeared nervous.
 
“What are you speaking of?”

Dahlia flashed into space, grabbed Jegudiel, and flashed back beneath the shield.
 
Jegudiel gaped, too surprised to even struggle.
 
Dahlia looked at her prize.
 
“Mine, thank you.”

Selaphiel snarled.
 
“Give him back!”
 
He dove for the shield.

Raphael grabbed him and hauled him backwards.
 
“You will die if you cross the shield.”
 
He eyed Dahlia.
 
“He is not in eminent danger with her.”

Dahlia wrapped her arms around a petrified Jegudiel.
 
“Of course not, he belongs with
us
.”

Michael was furious.
 
“He can escape you!”

Dahlia touched Jegudiel’s forehead.
 
“No, that ability of yours to flit around as you do is removed.
 
Thanks for coming, bye!”

Dahlia dropped into a dive with Jegudiel firmly in her grips.
 
Apple and the others soared alongside her.
 

Berith frowned.
 
“What are we doing with him?”

Dahlia smiled.
 
“Talking for the moment, leave us please.”

The others dropped away.
 
Dahlia and Jegudiel broke off and circled in the thin air above the clouds.
 
She held Jegudiel from behind and rested her chin on his shoulder.
 
She spoke into his ear, “Hello.”

Jegudiel flinched.
 
“Are you going to kill me now?”

“Kill you?
 
Kill the Archangel of
Love?
 
I think not.”

He gulped.
 
“Then am I a hostage?”

She smiled.
 
“Only until you switch sides.”

“Switch sides?”
 
He stared at the ground, confused.
 
“You are fallen angels!”

Dahlia frowned.
 
“Are we really still Fallen if we have our wings back?
 
I do not think so.
 
Our side is back to being strong.
 
Angels once more.”

He went rigid in her arms.
 
“You cannot force to me to join you!”

“Of course not.”
 
She laughed.
 
“You will join us of your own free will.”

“I will not!”

Dahlia flipped Jegudiel over so that he faced her.
 
“You have no purpose in Heaven.
 
I offer you a purpose here.”

“I rule over love!”

She ran a hand through his wavy blonde hair and pinched his youthful cheeks.
 
“Yes and there is just so much of that in Heaven is there not?”

He looked away.
 
“There is love there—”

“You cannot say that with honesty.”
 
Dahlia watched his face.
 
“There is worship, obedience, and fear.
 
Love, the kind you desire to see, that which you have never experienced before, is here.
 
I know you seek this.”

“You do not—”

“I do!”
 
Dahlia brought his face close to hers.
 
“You seek to know of love between friends, love between family, and love between lovers.
 
You have been in a drought.
 
I offer you an overflowing river, Jegudiel.
 
I am giving you a gift, which if you were smart you would accept.”

He frowned.
 
“Why are you doing this?
 
I am less than useless.
 
I cannot fight, I am clumsy, and I offer your side nothing except advantage against my brother.
 
The others, Uriel, would have had me dead sometime before if it were not for Selaphiel.
 
No one needs me.”

Dahlia looked at him seriously.
 
“I have a friend that needs you dearly.”

Jegudiel searched her eyes.
 
“Why would
anyone
need me?
 
No one has ever needed me.”

“Well time for a change.”
 
Dahlia flew lower, pointing towards Eden.
 
“You shall stay there for a time, very comfortable.”

He frowned.
 
“I am not to be imprisoned?’

“Not in the chains kind of way.
 
I think you shall find, however, that you will have no desire to leave.
 
Even now, you think of the opportunities, you hope for the truth in what I say.
 
You have yearned to know, to see, what it is really like.”