Daystar (44 page)

“Chronos,” Lucifer crooned.
 
“
Where are you?
”

The other seven children were gleeful, laughing quietly from their spots.

One spot did not laugh.
 
Lucifer turned towards the tall grandfather clock.
 
“
Chronos
.”
 
He tsked.
 
“Too easy.”
 
He tapped on the glass and smiled.

Chronos stuck out his tongue and slid out.
 
“Fine, I’m it, thanks you guys.
 
If you hadn’t laughed I wouldn’t have been caught.”

Lucifer patted his head and handed Chronos the blindfold.
 
“Do you not like being
it?
 
I find the hunt quite appealing.”
 
He snapped his teeth at his son and grinned.
 
Chronos counted.
 
Lucifer ran silently to Dahlia.
 
He slipped under the tablecloth and sat by her side.

Dahlia gasped and nearly hit her head on the wood.

Lucifer kissed her, creating flowers in the stone.
 
Dahlia scowled.
 
“You cannot hide with me.
 
If you do we might as well not hide at all.”

Lucifer put his finger to her lips and snapped putting up a sound barrier.
 
“No one can hear us.”

Dahlia pointed to the flowers.
 
“Kind of a giveaway.”

Lucifer waved a hand and they disappeared.
 
“Any more reasons I can dispel?”

Dahlia grinned and kissed his nose.
 
“You may not kiss me.
 
They will see more creations.”

Lucifer shrugged and wrapped his arms around her drawing her into his lap.
 
“I will agree to this.”
 
He waved and the table surface became a one-way mirror.
 
Dahlia leaned on him.
 
They watched their children play, carefree.

***

Helion and Whitney flew together in silence.
 
Whitney led the way.
 
Helion stared at the water below as they passed over a clear blue lake.
 
He gazed at their reflection, pale images in the predawn light.
 
No smile reached his lips.
 
He found it hard to feel anything but numbness.
 
Now that Belial was safe and happy with Andy, he slipped into her memories.

Whitney drew him towards the lake’s pebbled shoreline.
 
Beyond it stands of fruiting trees stretched away in wide rows as far as they could see.
 
She swooped down, landing amongst the first row of trees.
 
Her feet touched the ground and Helion’s followed shortly after.
 
The grass was soft under their feet.
 

“This place is perfect.”
 
Whitney looked into the sky.
 
The view was pink and blue as the sun grew closer to rising.
 
She smiled and turned to him.

Helion’s face remained blank.

Whitney hugged him and looked up into his blue eyes.
 
“My magpie.”

Helion closed his eyes and inhaled.
 
“Whitney.”

Whitney pulled him to the ground.
 
He sat down and she kneeled in front of him.
 
She clasped his head to her breasts.
 
Helion wrapped his arms around her and rested his forehead on her breastbone.

Whitney stroked his blond curly hair.
 
“What is wrong?”

Helion held her tightly.
 
“I am feeling our separation again.
 
It is hard and now I have Belial’s memories.”
 
He spoke quietly, his voice barely audible above the sound of the breeze.
 
Whitney massaged his scalp and was quiet.
 
She breathed deeply, feeling calm for them both.
 
Helion matched her.
 
He rubbed her back.
 
“I find it hard to feel anything but loss inside.”

Whitney tilted his chin up.
 
“You have your sister back and she is happy and healed.”

He nodded.
 
“This is true.”

She stroked his cheek.
 
“Those memories are only a nightmare now.
 
You should let them fade like a bad dream.”

He grabbed her palm and kissed it.
 
“Angels do not dream.
 
I do not know how to treat them as dreams.”
 
He kissed her wrist.

Whitney leaned against him.
 
“Then write them over with better memories and do that until they fade.”

Helion trailed kisses up her arm.
 
“Whitney.”
 
He looked up at her.
 
“I do not feel the same.
 
I am not the same any longer.
 
I am not the Helion you love.”

“Everyone changes, Helion.”
 
She smiled.
 
“But I still love you, so you must be you.”

He looked away.
 
“I do not feel that way, I feel empty.”

She reached out and grabbed an apple.
 
“That is why I took you here.”

Helion looked around for the first time.
 
“Where is here?”

“My orchard.”
 
She grinned.
 
“I know how you feel about food.
 
It will revitalize you.”
 
Whitney bit into the apple.

He watched her chew.
 
“Nothing sounds good to me now.”

Whitney shrugged and took another bite.
 
Apple juice ran down her lips and dripped onto her right breast.
 
She looked down.
 
“Oops.”
 
She smiled as another drip hit her skin.
 
“Look at all the apple juice going to waste and it tastes
so delicious
.
 
A shame don’t you think?”

Helion watched the drip.
 
He rested his cheek on her left breast.
 
He listened to her heartbeat as calm and warmth filled the void inside.
 
Another drip hit her skin.
 
Helion’s tongue snaked out and licked it off.
 
He followed the drip making it to her chin, then her lips.
 
He grabbed the apple from her and tossed it.
 
It sailed a foot and disappeared mid-air.

Whitney watched the apple go.
 
“I wasn’t done with that.”

Helion kissed Whitney’s neck.
 
“Fiendish food waster, using precious food to get my attention.”

Whitney grinned.
 
“Food waster?
 
There is so much here!”

Helion normally would have looked, but his eyes were fixed on hers.
 
“Write over the bad memories with the good?”

Whitney nodded.
 
“It is the best way.”

Helion smiled slightly.
 
“That’s what you brought me here for?”

“That and the apples are out of this world good.”
 
She smiled and pushed him to his back.
 
She straddled him.
 
“May I make some more memories for you?”

Helion brushed back her hair.
 
“I would not be opposed to such a thing.”
 
He smiled up at her, his blue eyes catching the light of the sky.

“Good.”
 
Whitney smiled and leaned down to kiss him.
 
Her hand found its way down past his stomach to his pelvis.
 
She swirled her fingers around.
 
“Because I wasn’t letting you get away anyways.
 
I have
needs
you know.”
 

“Do you?”
 
He grabbed her hips, holding her still.
 
He pushed cautiously.

Whitney sank down on him.
 
She leaned forward so her hair came down in a curtain of white.
 
He held her cheek; she kissed his thumb as she rocked against him.
 
“What would you like today?”

Helion watched her face.
 
“Do not worry about me.”

“But I want good memories for you.”

“Seeing you like this is very good for me.”
 
Helion thrust lightly.
 
“I would like this memory to be the first to overwrite the bad.
 
Then you can worry about me.”

Whitney raised an eyebrow at him, but her body kept moving, grinding against his.
 
“Oh well, if I must, I must.”

Helion grinned.
 
“Take one for the team.”

“Where did you learn
that
phrase?”
 
Whitney moved against him quicker, her breaths coming faster.
 

Helion lifted her up and pulled her down quickly making her gasp.
 
“I have a lot of new information now, from Belial.”

“Oh dear.”
 
Whitney bit her lip and scratched his chest.
 
She quickly lost interest in speaking at all.
 
Helion was transfixed by her, eyes tracking her every movement, every gasp.
 
Whitney fell forward, gripping the earth, moving against him.
 
She opened her eyes to look at him as pleasure coursed through her body.

Helion brought her down into a kiss as her voice lifted and body shuddered.
 
The forest around them turned to stone as she gasped.
 

Whitney squeezed her eyes shut and broke the kiss.
 
She sucked in air.
 
She blinked once and looked at him in adoration.
 
Her eyes flicked to the left, then the right.
 
“
No!
 
My orchard!
 
I fossilized my whole forest.
 
Fuck!
”

Helion grinned and rolled her onto her back.
 
“What are you talking about, no it isn’t.”
 
The stone vanished and was replaced with living, growing things.

Whitney looked around as Helion took control.
 
“What are you, the magic erase of the universe?”

Helion smiled conspiratorially.
 
“If I told you, I’d have to kill you.”

Whitney bit him.
 
“Whatever, you have absolutely no clue what you’re doing.”

***

Gabriel kneeled before the throne.
 
“I believe I may have a way, but I need to check it out first, in person.”

I WILL ALLOW THIS.

Gabriel nodded.
 
“Then I will go now.”

WITH AN ESCORT.

Gabriel frowned.
 
“Michael.”

NO, HE MAY NOT LEAVE.
 
YOU WILL TAKE AZRAEL AND SAMUEL.
 
AZRAEL, YOU TAKE ORDERS FROM SAMUEL.
 
SAMUEL, YOU WILL OBEY GABRIEL.

Gabriel made his features vacant.
 
This was less than ideal.
 
He did not like or know these creatures.
 
They were both unknown quantities.
 
He nodded his head to Samuel.
 
“I do not plan on engaging, only looking, stealth is required.
 
Do you understand?”

Samuel nodded and checked his blades.
 
He had traded in his whip, still reeling from when Lucifer had grabbed hold of it.
 
Samuel looked to Gabriel.
 
“We are yours to command.”

Gabriel turned to Michael.
 
The two were acutely conscious of the fact they were the eldest, the remaining two.
 
Gabriel wanted to speak with him, but now the moment had passed.
 
They shared a slight frown.
 
Gabriel bowed.
 
“We shall return with information.”

Michael nodded.
 
“Good.”
 
Ariel and Metatron waited by his side.

Gabriel took Samuel’s hand and shared the location that he would be going to.
 
“Follow.”
 
He stepped into space and into the heat of the sun.
 
The same sun that Earth rotated around.
 
The same sun from his memories.
 
He shivered.

Gabriel positioned himself on the opposite side from the planet, out of view.
 
Samuel and Azrael joined him, but he paid them no heed.
 
His eyes locked on to the sun, its heat and song were pleasant.
 
He allowed himself to revel in its perfection for a moment then he began to think.

Azrael purred.
 
The boy dipped down to swim through the radiation.
 
He spoke in a singsong voice, “Lovely warm bath.
 
Bath, warm, nice and lovely.
 
Bath and warm.
 
Warm and bath.”

Gabriel watched Uriel and Berith’s brother warily.
 
He feared how broken and unpredictable this one would be after Uriel’s depraved behavior and Berith’s defection.
 
He frowned and fanned out his green wings to take in readings.
 
They lit up as he performed calculations.

Samuel waited for a command.
 
He watched the numbers and symbols move across Gabriel’s wings.
 
“What are you doing?”

“Calculating the mass I need to add to the sun.”

Samuel swept closer.
 
“Why?”

“So that I can then make it into a supernova.”

“Why?”

Gabriel spared him a glance.
 
“Do you know what a supernova is?”

“No.”

“Then why are you asking me these questions of which you will not understand the answer?”
 
Gabriel frowned.
 
“You are distracting me, please stop.
 
While you are at it, pull Azrael back.
 
I do not like him in my line of sight.”

Samuel was not offended, he snapped at Azrael.
 
The child Archangel flew to his side.
 
They both stayed silent and alert.

Gabriel turned from them and sent a pulse towards the star.
 
A bright spot appeared on the sun.
 
Gabriel looked back at Samuel and Azrael, but their faces did not show that they noticed anything.
 
Gabriel turned back to the sun and sent another flash on the opposite side, short bursts and long.
 
He went back to his calculations.

***

Paimon’s head snapped up as the first flash of light hit the corner of his eye.
 
He reached back and slapped Furcas in the face.
 
“Stop for a second.”

Furcas bit his shoulder.
 
“Fuck you.”

“Redundant.”

Furcas smirked.
 
“Don’t slap me.”

Paimon shrugged.
 
“Sorry, you owe me one then.”

Furcas slapped Paimon and looked up.
 
“Ooh, the sun is flashing!”

Paimon rolled his eyes.
 
“Will you get off already?
 
You’re distracting me.”
 
Furcas snickered.
 
Paimon folded his arms.
 
“You know what I mean.”

Furcas disentangled their limbs.
 
Paimon squinted at the sun.
 
“Oh my
fuck
.”

“What?”

“
Gabriel
.”

“What?”

Paimon scratched his head.
 
“That’s
our
code
.”

“Why is the sun making your code?”

“Because Gabriel is fucking with it obviously.”
 
Paimon created a pen and scratched the formulas down on his arm.
 

Furcas looked at them.
 
“What the fuck does that mean?
 
Why can’t he just say hello?”

Paimon shook his head.
 
“Would I have said hello when I was like him?
 
Or…”
 
He looked at what he was writing.
 
“Would I have cut straight to the chase and told you what I was going to do to the sun.”
 
He looked at the sun.
 
“Why is he doing this?”

Furcas hugged Paimon from behind and rested his chin on his shoulder.
 
“Maybe for sport?”

“Sport?”

“Perhaps he seeks a challenge.
 
Maybe he wants you to move against him.”
 
Furcas nuzzled his neck.

“Chess.”
 
Paimon cocked his head.

Furcas grinned.
 
“Could be or he’s upset that you fucked with his machine.
 
Maybe he’s thinking
fuck you!
 
Deal with
this!
”

Paimon looked back at the calculations.
 
“He does seem to have a theme going with ejecting his radiation at the planet.”
 
He smiled.
 
“He needs to get laid,
bad
.
 
We should get him a fuck buddy.”

Furcas bit his neck.
 
“So is he over there?”

Paimon nodded.
 
“I suspect he’s on the other side.”

“Should we check it out?”
 
Furcas let him go.

“We’re not supposed to.”
 
Paimon grinned.
 
“But it
is
Gabriel.
 
It wouldn’t even be a fight really.”
 
He turned and looked at Furcas’ glittery wings.
 
“How about we send a message back and see if he bites?
 
We have to defend if
he
attacks
us
.”

Furcas spread his wings.
 
He created a pair of sunglasses from thin air and slipped them on.
 
He focused on his diamond wings.
 
They doubled in size, and then tripled from that.
 
“Light me up.”

Paimon flew away from Furcas and took off the few remaining scraps of clothing he had left.
 
He lit up like a light bulb.
 
Paimon looked at Furcas’ diamond wings.
 
“What should we say?”

“
Bring it?
”

Paimon laughed.
 
“He won’t understand
that
.”
 
He frowned and created several orbs of light between his hands.
 
He floated them towards Furcas and grinned.
 
“Ready?”

Furcas shrugged.
 
“Sure why not.
 
Wouldn’t be the first time you’ve almost killed me.”

Paimon made a face.
 
“I know what I’m doing.”

Furcas covered his body in diamond armor.
 
“Uh-huh.”

Paimon clapped and the materials smashed into one another.
 
The bomb went off.
 
Furcas wings caught the light and flashed it back, brighter and bigger at the sun.
 
The bombs remained and Paimon fired it off again, in quicker pulses.
 
He frowned.
 
“Is douche bag one word or two?”