Daystar (81 page)

I DID NOT TRY, MICHAEL.
 
I HAVE NOT BEGUN TO TRY!

Michael turned and walked away.
 
“You live based on lies.
 
You are not the truth or the light.”
 
He closed his eyes.

Whitney and Helion stood by him, ready to block an attack from either side.
 
Helion wrapped an arm around Whitney.
 
“Whatever happens, you will be fine.”

Whitney touched his cheek.
 
“I do not want to exist if no one else does, Helion.
 
Do not trap me into some split-off existence if everything else fades.”

Helion nodded.
 
“We will go together then, if that is our fate.”

Lucifer appeared in a flash of light.
 
He fixed his eyes on the throne, gazing at both the black and the gold flame; he had eyes for no other.
 
Lucifer breathed in and flames licked his skin, his hair glowed blue.
 
“Lucifel, come, greet me as a brother!”

The flame around Lucifel was torn away and he was thrown out a man.
 
He snarled and stood on two feet.
 
Whitney and Helion gasped.
 
He looked exactly like Lucifer.
 
The same jaw line, the same features, save where Lucifer was blue, Lucifel was gold.
 
Lucifel sneered.
 
“What can you do, weak one?
 
I am still far stronger than you.”

Lucifer set his jaw.
 
“Then you will not back down from passing blows.”

Lucifel grinned.
 
“Oh, definitely not.”
 
He threw himself at Lucifer, landing a punch to his throat.

Lucifer caught his arm and twisted, knocking him back.
 
He swallowed against the pain.
 
Lucifel came around and shot him with flame.
 
Lucifer threw up his arms, but was blasted back.
 

Lucifel sighed and readied another volley.
 
“What is the point of this?
 
Did she send you, so that you could die while she watched on?
 
She has regained her power, regained herself, and she has no use for you anymore.”

Lucifer dove and slashed at Lucifel’s face.
 
“All you are is lies!”

Lucifel laughed and shook off the blow.
 
He punched Lucifer in the jaw and threw him to the ground.
 
He dropped over him and put his hands around Lucifer’s neck.
 
“She wants to consume everything!
 
She wants to make us a part of her!”

Lucifer kicked him in the ribs, but it was as if he kicked the air for the damage it did.
 
“Die!”

Lucifel grinned.
 
“Join with me!
 
Together we will be stronger than she will be, we can defeat her.
 
Give me your power!”

Lucifer rolled, knocking him off.
 
He turned to kick Lucifel, but Lucifel was no longer there.

Lucifel grabbed a wing and threw Lucifer end over end towards the throne.
 
“You have one of two fates, my brother!
 
Join with me willingly or lose yourself unwillingly.
 
Either way I get your energy!
 
Are those simple enough terms for you to understand?”

Lucifer held his head.
 
“You
need
my energy to stave her off.”

Lucifel nodded and walked towards him.
 
“She is stronger than me alone, but not us both together and with Helion we can bleed her consciousness away.
 
She will stay locked in that dark place for eternity, never knowing any better.
 
It would be merciful, I would not kill her.”

Lucifer’s eyes narrowed.
 
“You seek to place her in the dark again?
 
You seek to imprison her
again!
”

“She seeks to destroy us!
 
This action I propose would see us three alive.
 
She is dangerous, Lucifer.
 
Her existence threatens ours.”
 
Lucifel shook his head.
 
“Perhaps I should have told you this before, but I was so afraid of what she would do to you, to me.
 
She is nothing but a threat to us.”

“I love her!”

Lucifel sneered.
 
“Such an emotional fool!
 
Why do you care?
 
Make yourself a new girl; make two, or a boy.
 
I can make you a doll that looks like her, an angel without her powers; you can have as many as you want.
 
They will be as beautiful as she was, she will live on through them.”

“I
want
Dahlia
.”

Lucifel sighed.
 
“It is a poison, what she does.
 
She has infected you.
 
She infected you when you joined at creation and you traded energy, mingled.
 
You have this sick desire to be like her, to join.
 
Do you not understand it?
 
She wants to kill you, Lucifer!
 
Her sole purpose is to end us!
 
It is what she wants!”

“She does not!
 
When we joined, she did not suck my life away as you assumed she would!
 
She
gave
me life and we made life together!”

Lucifel took a step closer, ignoring his words.
 
“We are brothers, Lucifer, twins, and we should stand together.
 
We are the guardians of Heaven; we are the pair that stands in the light.
 
Join with me and allow me to block her entirely.”

Lucifer made his hands into fists.
 
“Why could you not join
me?
 
Why are
you
the dominant one?”

“Be honest with yourself, you do not have the spirit for it.
 
You would falter in the face of locking her away.
 
I will do it in your stead so that it does not pain you.”

Lucifer dropped into a crouch.
 
“No.”

Lucifel’s golden eyes shined bright.
 
“No?”

“I will not submit to you, never again.”

Lucifel nodded.
 
“I did not think you would.”
 
He bent his wings and light cut through the air.
 
Lucifer dodged.
 
Lucifel grabbed the light and shaped it into white spears.
 
He hurled them in a blur.
 
One struck Lucifer in the shoulder, knocking him off his feet.
 
Lucifel took his time to aim.
 
He threw another, piercing Lucifer straight through the stomach.
 
The spear lodged in the firmament, trapping Lucifer in place.
 

Lucifer pulled himself up the spear in his stomach.
 

Lucifel walked over and pushed a third spear through Lucifer’s sternum, forcing him to kneel.
 
He frowned at his brother’s pain.
 
“You wondered why I never killed you myself.”

Lucifer struggled to speak.
 
“Yes.”

Lucifel dropped to his knees, pressing all three of the spears in gently.
 
“You are my brother.”
 
He reached out to touch Lucifer’s jaw.
 
“Regardless of what has passed I still felt something for you, but I see now that those feelings have prevented me from doing what I always should have.”
 
He covered Lucifer’s mouth.
 
“Perhaps I will make you anew when I am done taking her apart.”

Lucifel rammed his arm into Lucifer’s chest, their bodies of light mingled.
 
Lucifel smiled as Lucifer gasped and tried to stand.
 
“Do you not like the feeling of joining anymore?”
 
Lucifel wrenched his arm.
 
“You cannot hold me off.”
 
He pushed him back to his knees.
 
He placed his other palm on Lucifer’s throat.
 
“Close your eyes and it will be done.
 
You will be a memory only.”
 
Lucifel pressed into him.

The two lit up in a pillar of light.

Within it, Lucifel and Lucifer began to lose their shape and form.
 
Lucifel pressed his will into Lucifer, forcing him to submit.
 

Lucifer struggled to keep his consciousness whole.
 
“I am Lucifer!”

“You are nothing but an extension of
me!
”
 
Lucifel spoke close to his ear, “You were never anything intelligent, a force to create only.
 
You were made to be my tool.
 
I
was given the ability to think, to plan, while you only acted thoughtlessly.
 
You
obviously
were made to be mine!
 
My Primangel!
 
My voice, my mirror, my song!
 
You reflect
me!
 
You made yourself to look like
me!
”
 
He screamed into Lucifer’s face, “You are mine!
 
Relent to me!”

Lucifer blinked against the pain.
 
He shouted his own name, struggled to hold on to his memories, his thoughts, what he knew to be true.
 
“I am Lucifer!
 
I am Dahlia’s Morningstar!”

Lucifel laughed.
 
“Morning, not the true light, you but herald the coming of the sun.
 
You herald me, the Daystar!
 
I am the true king!
 
Yield!”

“No!”
 
Lucifel’s power crushed him, but Lucifer struggled.
 
“I remain myself!
 
I am
not
you!
 
I am Lucifer!”

“You are nothing
but
me!
 
You remember what you felt, when we joined, when you
worshipped
me.
 
You felt complete when you gave yourself to me, because that was right.
 
That was the way it should be.
 
Let us go back to that, brother.”

“I feel complete with Dahlia!”

Lucifel sneered.
 
“Do you hear yourself?
 
You are only complete when you give yourself to a god.
 
You are not a god yourself.
 
You are weak.
 
You are without power.
 
You are not my equal.
 
You cannot keep me back.
 
See us now, Lucifer.”
 
Lucifel looked at their merging forms.
 
“You do not deserve to remain yourself in the face of what is greater.
 
You have done
nothing
to deserve your own will.”

Lucifer’s eyes slid closed.

Lucifel raised his fist and formed it into a blade.
 
He pointed it at Lucifer’s head.
 
“I will make this as quick as possible.”
 
He slammed his fist downwards.

Lucifel was impaled.
 
He stared in shock at his midsection.
 
Two white shafts pierced his stomach, the two broken halves of the original spear.
 
He wailed and jumped back, clutching at the wound.

Michael dove for Lucifer.
 
“Get up!
 
You are not dead!”

Lucifer opened his eyes.
 
“Michael?”
 
He grew angry.
 
“Both brothers to kill me!”
 
He swung a fist at Michael’s face, sending him tumbling away.
 
Lucifer could not rise, too tired to stand.
 
“Leave this to us, Michael!”

Michael crawled back.
 
He spoke quickly, unafraid, “In the sun, you asked me if I regretted my decision and I said yes.
 
I want to know why you want to know.
 
What is the point in you knowing?”

Lucifer frowned.
 
“In the sun?”
 
His eyes widened.
 
“That was no figment.
 
You were there, you
saved
me.”

Michael pulled the spears from Lucifer’s body.
 
“I have to know, please.
 
You said you would not end me.
 
What then would you have done?”

Lucifer looked at him with new eyes.
 
“I would do what I did not then; I would try and convince you to join me.
 
I would have said sentiments about brothers, but…”
 
Lucifer looked to where Lucifel slowly pulled out the first spear shaft.
 
“Apparently brothers are not so special, there is no special relationship.
 
My arguments then would have failed.
 
Love and friendship do not seem to matter.”