Daystar (9 page)

Raphael called forth his reserves and blasted through the air.
 
He pulled his wings in and rocketed across the sky, he had the strength and time only to do this once.
 
Behind him, the death song drew close.

Raphael threw out his hands and grabbed Selaphiel by the wrist, trusting that Selaphiel would keep a hold of his younger brother.
 
Raphael blasted them out of the song’s path, going fast enough to make the world appear as a blur.
 
He lost control of his flight.
 
His world went dark and he passed out.

Selaphiel was weakened, having given his pendant to Jegudiel to keep him from dying.
 
He attempted to keep all three in the air, but the burden was too great.
 
Their bodies hit the ice and snow and did not move.

***

“I will not throw you!”
 
Lucifer grabbed Dahlia by the shoulders.
 
“That is suicide!”

“Doing
nothing
is suicide!”
 
Dahlia tore herself out of his grasp and dove into the crater.
 
She twisted and controlled the fluid around her.

Lucifer waded in.
 
“What are you doing?”

Dahlia gave him a quick glance.
 
“I love you.”
 
She punched the air.
 
Behind her, the fluid balled into a fist and punched, throwing her.

Lucifer gaped.
 
“Dahlia, no!”

Dahlia was launched through the air, going too fast to exert any kind of control.
 
She held out her arms.
 
The death song dropped to meet her.
 
She flew into the miasma.

The melody recognized its creator, from her lips it had ushered forth.
 
The song wrapped around her limbs, wishing
her
to call it out.
 
Dahlia shook herself.
 
“Give me Paimon,
now!
”

The song swept her up and she collided with Paimon.
 
Dahlia held him.
 
Darkness emanated from his skin.
 
In his arms, the desiccated remains that had been Barachiel crumbled into dust and bones.

She punched into Paimon’s chest.
 
She closed her eyes and willed the song to come out, to be hers again.
 
Dahlia ripped the black violin from him.
 
In her hands, it shifted, changed, and slipped inside her skin a physical thing no more.
 
The song drew back and the air stilled, silent.

Dahlia shuddered and went briefly unconscious.

The pair fell, angled towards the beam of red light.

Dahlia’s hand hit the light.
 
Her eyes snapped open.
 
She snatched her hand back as if burned.
 
She hurled Paimon away from her into the sky.

Helion caught Paimon and flew wildly, still weakened from the song, his wing passed through the light and burnt in half.
 
Helion screeched and wobbled.
 
Whitney held on to both and blasted them away.
 
Unable to carry the deadweight, they careened into the ground, landing near Raphael.

Dahlia smiled at their escape, but she had no one to catch her.
 
She closed her eyes and fell into the red stream.

Time stopped for her.
 
She hung suspended, her body lit up with the force of the countless humans who had died and been collected.
 
She saw many lives at once, brief flashes of time and light.
 
Energy surged through her.
 
It did not burn her away instead it filled her.

On the ground, Apple radiated red light.
 
She writhed on the snow.
 
Her screams were a mix of agony and pleasure.
 
The force she shared with Dahlia launched her into the sky.
 
A halo of red light erupted from her body.

Dahlia saw too much, it was a sensory overload.
 
Her neon red eyes turned dark.
 
Voices ushered her to sleep in their embrace.

***

Gabriel’s fire died on his skin.
 
He could not keep up the anger to fuel his attack.
 
Confusion and fear set in and he shook badly enough to jettison him from his place inside the machine.
 
He held his sides and fell to his knees on its surface.
 
He wailed into the sky, not understanding why he hurt.

The machine died, its light ceased.
 
There was stillness and silence.

***

Uriel leapt on Helion’s prone form as the fallen angel hit the snow.
 
He snapped Whitney’s limbs and tossed her away like a ragdoll.
 
Uriel grabbed Helion and held him upright, a blade to his neck.
 

Belial and Andy leapt for Uriel, but he pricked Helion’s neck with the blade.
 
Belial and Andy flanked Uriel, nervous, waiting for an opportunity.

Paimon convulsed on the ground near them.
 
Blind and weak he could do nothing to help others or himself.

***

Dahlia hung suspended in the column of light.
 
Her eyes slid shut as the red glow died.
 
She fell.

Michael grinned and took to the air.
 

Lucifer jumped and landed on Michael’s back.
 
He slammed his bat into Michael’s head.
 
Michael stabbed at him with the spear, scoring his arm.
 
Lucifer hissed and smacked him harder.

Berith leapt.
 
Dozens of Uriel’s angels plowed into him, driving him into the ground.
 
Apple leapt in to help.
 
Angels hauled her away from him.
 
Berith dove for her, but was shoved down into the ice.

Andy limped into a loping run.
 
He hurdled over angels, racing to get beneath Dahlia as she fell.
 

Uriel threw Helion to the ground and raced after Andy.
 
He wrapped a hand around Andy’s arm and hauled him back towards the earth.
 
Uriel snapped Andy’s neck against the snow, rendering him unconscious.

Michael grabbed Lucifer by his hair and threw him towards the crater.
 
He pumped his wings and caught Dahlia’s hand as she fell past him.
 
Michael brought her into an embrace and turned, looking mockingly at Lucifer.
 
“Stand down, all of you, or she dies.”

Lucifer regained his feet and held his weapon high.
 
The other Fallen did the same, the Lilliam behind them just as ready to fight.

Michael landed.
 
He held the spear up to Dahlia’s bleeding face and pressed the material in, gouging her cheek.
 
“Stand down or she dies.”

Lucifer pointed at him with the bat.
 
“He would not allow her death!”

“What do you know about what He wants?”

“I know far more than you
ever
will!”

Michael stared at Lucifer.
 
Raphael, Selaphiel, and Jegudiel limped up.
 
Uriel dragged Andy to Michael’s side; the Archangels stared at the Fallen.
 
The ice quieted.

Dahlia stirred, her magenta eyes opened.
 
She saw who held her and struggled against him.
 

Michael pricked her.
 
“Ladriam, here we are again!”

Dahlia only had eyes for Lucifer.
 
“Do not fight him.”

Michael sighed.
 
“I am afraid I do not dare tarry this time.”
 
He looked at Dahlia.
 
“You are coming back with us.”

Lucifer’s eyes turned black.
 
“No!”

Michael sneered.
 
“You lost again, Lucifer.
 
Be glad it is just her we have orders to return with.”

Lucifer watched Dahlia squirm in Michael’s grip.
 
He could not lose her again, not when he knew what waited for her in Heaven.
 
He owed her everything; he could not be the cause for her going back there.
 
His guilt already unbearable.
 
He would not live if he did nothing.
 
Lucifer dropped his bat.
 
“We make a deal.”

Dahlia kicked.
 
“No!”

Michael laughed.
 
“Oh I think not—” His body went rigid as it was lit from within.
 
The voice of God filled the air.
 
SPEAK, LUCIFER BETRAYER.

Lucifer bowed his head.
 
“I offer you a trade.”

OF WHAT?

“I offer you myself.”

Dahlia reached for him.
 
“No!
 
Lucifer, do not!”

SILENCE, LADRIAM.

Lucifer took a step forward.
 
“Take me in her place.”

Dahlia bit at Michael, kicked, flailed but it was of no use.
 
Uriel leaned over and stabbed her in the stomach to stop her struggling.
 
Lucifer staggered.
 
“Do not hurt her!
 
I give you myself freely in trade!”

Belial screeched, “No, Lucifer!”

YOU OFFER
YOURSELF
FOR THE PRISON?

“Yes!
 
Let her go, take me.”
 
Lucifer stared at the fire that roiled inside Michael.
 
“I know you want to punish
me
, to make me hurt.”

YES AND I HAVE.
 
THIS BEING APART HAS BEEN PUNISHMENT.
 
I HAVE ENJOYED WATCHING YOUR DESPAIR AND MADNESS.
 
WHY SHOULD I SEEK TO DO ANY DIFFERENTLY NOW?
 
YOUR GUILT PAINS YOU WITHOUT NEEDING CHAINS.

Lucifer struggled for words.
 
“The
prison
is the punishment you desire most.
 
This thing is what you desire of me, the one who stole your love away.
 
I am the guilty party, I the greedy one, the thief, the betrayer.
 
You have always wanted me in that prison.
 
Just as much as you desire to see her suffer as I did, with guilt.”

The fire churned.
 
THERE IS TRUTH TO THIS.

“Accept the trade.”
 
Lucifer bowed his head.
 
“I will not fight.
 
I do this freely.
 
I beg you.”

The fire shook.
 
THE DEAL IS ACCEPTED.
 
COME FORWARD, LUCIFER MORNINGSTAR, AND TAKE THE PLACE OF YOUR WHORE.
 
SHE WILL BE RELEASED UPON YOUR CAPTURE.
 
URIEL, RELEASE ANDREALPHUS, READY YOURSELF.
 
The fire left Michael.
 
The Archangel blinked and regained himself.
 
He smiled wickedly at Lucifer.

Uriel threw Andy.
 
Belial caught him and carried him back to Helion and Whitney.

Dahlia clutched her bleeding stomach.
 
“Do not do this, Lucifer!
 
You do not know what trade you make!
 
You do not know what you say!”

Lucifer took a step towards her.
 
“I cannot send you back there.
 
I cannot.
 
This is my atonement.
 
This is what I should have offered from the beginning.”

“No!”
 
Dahlia reached for him.
 
“No atonement is needed!
 
I have forgiven you a thousand times over.
 
Do not do this!
 
I can bear the prison.
 
I have survived it.
 
Do not, Lucifer!
 
Please!
 
Listen to me!”

Michael squeezed her throat.
 
“Silence.
 
No words are needed from
you
.”
 
He gestured to Uriel.
 
“Grab him.”

Uriel grinned.
 
Lucifer stopped and dropped to his knees.
 
Uriel smashed his fist into Lucifer’s face, breaking his nose and jaw.
 
Uriel slammed him into the ground.
 
He took hold of Lucifer by his hair and pulled him towards Michael.

Dahlia struggled.
 
“Lucifer, fight!”

Lucifer kept his head down.
 
He bent into the blow as Uriel slashed at his face.
 
He kept silent at the kick to his ribs.
 
He ground his teeth, knowing accepting this now meant they would let her go.
 
She would live and in doing this, he paid for what he had done to her so long ago.
 
He had failed to rescue her then, now at least he could begin to make up for his unforgivable actions.