Daystar (27 page)

Raphael wrapped Lucifer in his arms and healed the cuts as they formed.

Lucifer’s teeth lengthened, his fingernails grew into talons.
 
“KIL—”

Raphael shoved Lucifer back.
 
“Do not move.”
 

Lucifer ignored him.
 
His wings surged with energy, his eyes bled.
 

Raphael pressed his thumbs gently against Lucifer’s eyelids.
 
“Lucifer!
 
Stop it!”

Lucifer took a step.
 
His leg fractured.

Raphael grabbed the limb, healing it instantly.
 
Lucifer dislocated his shoulder in his struggles.
 
He opened his mouth to speak, blood dribbled out.
 
Raphael grabbed Lucifer’s wings and drove him to the ground.
 
“You are killing yourself!”

Lucifer snapped his teeth near Raphael’s face.
 
“Die!”

Raphael flipped Lucifer to his back and grabbed his neck.
 
He opened his four wings and covered them both.
 
Raphael kissed him beneath the protection of his outstretched wings.

Lucifer was paralyzed.

Raphael pulled back and blinked.
 
His eyes had turned cherry red.
 
He kissed Lucifer’s cheek.
 
“Calm yourself, you fool.”

Lucifer found his lips were free to speak.
 
“What are you?”

Raphael sighed.
 
“You do not recognize me?”
 
He pulled back.
 
“No wonder, no matter.”
 

Lucifer stared.

Raphael put his finger to his lips.
 
“Keep silent and think of what you do before you do it.
 
Hell, just
think
for
once
.
 
Okay?”

Raphael stepped away from Lucifer, his eyes blue again.
 
He put his hands to his hips.
 
He stared at the roiling fire and shook his head.
 
He snapped for Selaphiel.
 
“Make sure Lucifer stays put and watches.”

Michael looked between them, confused.

Selaphiel broke from the ranks of angels and grabbed Lucifer by his arms.
 
Lucifer gaped at Raphael.
 
He looked from the boy to the throne.
 
The fire pulsed and shifted colors, unaware of everything around it, embroiled in raptures.

Raphael looked to Selaphiel.
 
“Be alert.”
 
He flapped his wings and shook out his limbs.
 
His hair grew in strawberry red, his eyes and wings were the color of red wine.
 
Raphael twirled and his body shifted to female.
 
Her face lost its mask.
 
Dahlia flashed Lucifer a smile.
 
She faced the throne.
 
“RAPHAEL, MY SECOND, GET YOUR ASS BACK HERE AND STOP FUCKING AROUND!”

The fire ripped in two.

The form of the Primangel was launched backwards.
 
Dahlia caught Raphael’s body.
 
She turned her around so that they were facing one another.
 

Raphael was dazed; she still looked like Ladriam, twins.
 
Dahlia slapped her across the face.
 
She pressed her palms to Raphael’s temples and restored her memories in a flash.

Raphael’s eyes cleared, her body changed back to her own, dropping the disguise.
 
She grinned.
 
Her hair and wings changed to bubblegum pink with black streaks.
 
Her teeth grew out in long fangs that poked out over her bottom lip.
 
She stood up on her own and brushed herself off.
 
She snapped her fingers.
 
“See,
brilliant
idea!
 
Right?
 
Am I right or what?
 
Yeah!”

Dahlia smiled and let her go.
 
“Did you get what we needed?”

Raphael nodded.
 
“Roger that, boss.”

Dahlia grinned.
 
“Then give me my wings back.
 
Unless you
want
to be Primangel in my place.”

Raphael made a face.
 
“Fuck that noise, your second is a shitty job as-is.”

Lucifer looked between Selaphiel and the girls.
 
Selaphiel did not seem surprised he looked relieved.
 
Michael gaped.
 
Gabriel nodded, interested, but emotionally detached.

The fire hovered, twitching.
 
WHAT IS THIS?

Lucifer wanted to know the exact same thing.

“Okay, this is going to be a quick change.
 
Don’t move, boss.”
 
Raphael ripped seed feathers off her the third set of wings and plunged them into Dahlia’s back.
 
Dahlia stumbled as energy hit her body like a brick wall.
 
A third set of halos formed above her head, feathers of white and gray joined her wings of black and red.
 
Raphael looked her over and nodded.
 
“Neat and sweet.”

WHAT IS THIS?

Dahlia spread her third set of wings and kissed Raphael on the cheek as Raphael’s third set disappeared.
 
Raphael’s halos shifted to tar and ice.
 
Dahlia hugged her.
 
“I hope that experience was not too unpleasant.”

Raphael shrugged.
 
“I have wiped the bad memories already.
 
Besides, it was my turn to take one for team Hell.”

WHAT IS GOING ON?

Dahlia pushed Raphael towards Lucifer.
 
She addressed the throne, “Do not use that tone of voice with me.”

LADRIAM?

“
Dahlia
.”
 
Dahlia reached out and hooked a finger in the air.
 
She pulled and ripped open a portal of darkness.
 
The wound in Heaven opened into Hell.
 
Dahlia flicked her wrist and the collar around Lucifer snapped in two.
 
Lucifer nearly passed out at the surge of energy that hit him all at once.

WHAT ARE YOU DOING?

“Taking my boyfriend back.
 
Thanks for the wings, but this situation just does not work for me.”

INSOLENT!
 
I WILL END YOU!

Dahlia stood with her hips cocked out.
 
“I doubt that very much.”

GIVE UP OR THEY ALL DIE!

“No more empty threats.”

THIS IS NOT EMPTY.
 
I WILL KILL HIM FOR THIS!

Fire raced towards Lucifer.
 
Dahlia nodded to Selaphiel.
 
Selaphiel kicked Lucifer through the portal.
 
The slice of darkness closed up behind him.
 
Dahlia looked up at Him.
 
“
Now
what are you going to do?”

***

Lucifer tumbled through darkness.
 
He did not know where he was, or really, what had just happened to him or to Dahlia.
 
He was warm, he had wings, he felt safe.
 
He knew this place was a haven, but there was no up or down, no way out, nothing that he could see.
 
Lucifer tried to fly and slammed into something solid.

An irritated voice cut the muffled silence, “Fuck me!
 
Fuck!
 
Damn!
 
Fuck everything!
 
What is it now?”

Lucifer gaped in the darkness.
 
“Hello?”

“What the fuck?
 
Who is that?”

Lucifer recognized that voice.
 
He reached out around him.
 
“Fu—Furcas?”

“What?
 
Wait.
 
Lucifer?
”

Lucifer erupted into flame and cast his light out in every direction.
 
He saw a hand and pulled.
 
Furcas ran into him.
 
The pair looked each other over in shock.

Lucifer stared.
 
“But you are
dead!
”

“You have
wings!
”
 
Furcas pointed.

“Dahlia did it!”
 
Lucifer smiled.

“I’m dead?”
 
Furcas made a face.

The pair eyed each other.
 
Lucifer looked him up and down.
 
Furcas was intact, both arms, two red eyes, not a single scar on his body.
 
Twin glittering halos circled his head, wrists, and ankles.
 
Lucifer reached out and found Furcas’ wings and feathers in the darkness.
 
He was a restored Archangel.
 
Lucifer enveloped him in a hug and blinked back tears.
 
“
Furcas!
”

Furcas hugged him back.
 
“What?”

“You are really you!”

“I would expect that I am, yes.”
 
Furcas pulled back.
 
“Why are you crying?”

“You
died!
”

“I did?”

“Do you not remember?”

Furcas frowned.
 
“I remember…huh.
 
What do I remember?
 
We battled over the ice, yes?”

“Yes.”

“I was pretty amazing and then I was in the darkness.
 
I can’t find my way out.
 
There’s no end to this murk.
 
It’s fucking boring around here let me tell you.”

“And Barachiel,” Lucifer prompted.

“Barachiel…oh.”
 
Furcas trembled.
 
“That
fuck!
 
He said that he would
kill
me!”
 
He frowned.
 
“Oh.
 
Right…so he succeeded.”
 
He touched his abdomen and flinched.
 
“Why am I in Hell?”

Lucifer looked into the darkness.
 
“Is that where we are?”

“What else does this look like to you?
 
A boudoir?
 
A coffee house?
 
Or maybe a—”

“Shut up.”
 
Lucifer hugged him tightly.
 
“Paimon is going to be out of his mind.”

Furcas shuddered.
 
“Please tell me he did not do anything to himself.”

Lucifer sighed.
 
“He tried to use the death song to kill himself and everyone else in existence.”

Furcas grimaced.
 
“That
idiot!
”

“He did kill Barachiel.”

“Good!”

“He also killed thousands of angels.”

“Get to the bad part, I know there is one.”
 
Furcas scowled.
 
“What giant fuck up did he create?”

“He caused Dahlia to get captured, but I gave myself over in trade.
 
I am not sure as to what happened on Earth after this, but I was imprisoned in Heaven.
 
I woke up to find Dahlia trading herself in to wipe her memories.”
 
Lucifer frowned.
 
“But somehow it was not Dahlia it was actually Raphael and Raphael was Dahlia instead.”

“Okay…”
 

Lucifer shook his head.
 
“One of them, I am confused which one, got me my wings and then they kicked me out of Heaven.
 
I do not know how long I was there or you were here…”

Furcas grabbed him by the arms.
 
“Right, okay.
 
So everything is okay now?”

“I do not know.”
 
Lucifer met his gaze.
 
“Dahlia was still in Heaven when I left.”

Furcas scratched his chin.
 
He touched his cheek then his eyes.
 
“I have both eyes!”
 
He looked down.
 
“My scars are gone!
 
I am handsome again!”

Lucifer sighed.
 
“Yes, you are still you.
 
You are whole again.”
 

Furcas lost his smile.
 
He looked away.
 
“No, not whole.
 
I lost her…”
 
He covered his mouth and burst into tears.

Lucifer hugged him.
 
Something sharp stabbed into his fingers.
 
He wrenched his arm back.
 
A glowing orb hung off the end of his middle finger.
 
“What is that?”
 
He shook his hand.
 
“Get it off, Furcas!
 
It came from you.
 
Remove it at once!”