“You’re different from your brother. From the other angels,” Charon had said.
“This is it, isn’t it?” asked Raum.
Lucifer watched the memory play out. Charon had passed the young Lucifer a special coin with a unique inscription.
“If you would like to know more, then go to the Styx and throw that coin into it. I will come for you and take you where you wish to go. But a warning—do not let anyone else know of this conversation. And do not let anyone see that coin or be present when you summon me.”
“This is where it started,” Lucifer told Raum.
The walls were cracking.
19
Raum stood before a massive, brick wall. He reached a hand out and ran his fingers over the surface. The wall had just sprung out of nowhere once the memory of Lucifer’s encounter with Charon had faded. The demon craned his neck to look over his shoulder.
“You think this will stop me?” he asked Lucifer.
“I have no idea what you mean,” said Lucifer.
“You’re trying to keep me out. It won’t work.”
Lucifer just shrugged. “I can’t be held responsible for what my subconscious chooses to do. Perhaps these are memories even I don’t want to revisit.”
Raum smirked. “All the more reason to see what’s behind this wall. Don’t you think it’s time you confronted your own demons, Morningstar?”
He turned his attention back to the wall and placed both hands on its surface. Raum leaned forward, pushing against the structure. Hellfire started to crackle around his strained fingers, channeling into the wall. Cracks began to appear across the surface, oscillating out in jagged patterns from their starting point. The cracks crossed and joined with each other, quickly forming a web-like tapestry across the wall.
Raum’s eyes burned bright and hellfire began to appear within the cracks. It created small beams of light that flowed back.
Lucifer knew he had to try something. He ran. Whether it worked or not was something he couldn’t predict, but he wasn’t going to give up to Raum without a fight.
We’re in my mind, which means I can take back control from him, he thought.
Lucifer focused on what he desired and as he did, wings erupted from his back. They raised him off the ground and propelled him forward. He dove into Raum, his feet slamming against the demon’s back.
Raum was flattened against the wall, his concentration broken and the energy fading. He spun and released a hellfire charge.
The blast succeeded in putting some distance between the two. Raum looked taken aback by the strike, but even more so by the sight of Lucifer’s wings.
“How are you doing this?” he asked. “I’m the one who controls things here.”
“No, you’re not. I’m the one who controls my consciousness, Raum. And any decisions about what I can or can’t keep secret remain my own, as do my reasons,” said Lucifer. “I don’t owe you a damn thing.”
“We’ll see about that.”
Raum held out his hand and hellfire seared down his arm, forming into a sword in his palm. He didn’t even wait for Lucifer to forge a weapon of his own, simply moved in for an offensive attack.
Lucifer ducked the first swing and jumped back to avoid the second. He couldn’t concentrate enough to generate a weapon of his own. Even though in the mental landscape, he should have no trouble doing such a thing, he quickly found it too difficult to devote the necessary concentration.
“Don’t you see how pathetic you are?” asked Raum between sword thrusts. “You can’t even defend yourself against a lowly demon!”
Lucifer flapped his wings forward, hurling wind strong enough to keep Raum off-balance. His wings then lifted him off the ground and he landed behind Raum to deliver a kick to his spine.
Raum stumbled, but recovered and attacked with an upward swing of his blade. Lucifer pulled back and his wings instinctively closed around his body for protection.
The hellfire blade cut through the wings, sending feathers flying. Light emerged along the edging of each remaining feather and Lucifer felt the wings starting to fade.
“No…” he whispered as the wings grew transparent. Within moments, they had vanished.
Raum stood over him, resting the sword on his shoulder. “Well, well, how about that? So much for your much-vaunted control, eh?”
Raum swung his sword again, the hellfire cutting through Lucifer’s body. He felt the heat searing his soul and collapsed to the ground as the pain radiated throughout every inch of his form. While he was on his knees, Raum kicked him into the teeth, a blow that threw him onto his back.
“Now, where were we?” asked Raum as he turned his attention back to the wall. He swung the sword in his hand as he approached, and once he reached the structure, drove the sword into the brick.
The sword flickered as the hellfire energy that made it up flowed into the wall. The cracks lit up as they had before, but now Lucifer could do nothing to stop it. He just watched as the energy flowed into the wall and more cracks formed. Soon, there seemed to be more breaks than brick.
The wall exploded, light flooding the void where they stood. Lucifer struggled to get to his feet and called out to his tormentor.
“Raum, don’t do this,” he pleaded. “The secrets you’re about to discover…you don’t know what they could lead to.”
“I’m not a child, Morningstar. I want the truth and I’ll get it by any means necessary,” said Raum. “Just what is it you’re trying to keep hidden?”
Raum stepped into the blinding light and when he came through the other end, he stood now in a massive library. Lucifer appeared by his side, which surprised the Morningstar more than anything else. Lucifer was able to stand again, but he still felt lingering pain from Raum’s attack.
“Don’t look so shocked,” said Raum. “I want you to witness the moment when I learn what you’ve been hiding from all of us.”
Lucifer remembered this library well. Located deep within Purgatory, this was what Charon had led him to. He saw his young self exploring the library, examining the unlabeled books on the shelves.
Raum followed the young Lucifer as he moved deeper into the library to investigate a soft, scratching noise off in the distance. The path continued past the shelves to an alcove with torches mounted on the wall, illuminating a desk. The desk’s occupant furiously scribbled on parchment with a pen.
When the memory of Lucifer attempted to greet him, the man perked up, then darted from his chair. With a flash of blue light, the creature flew off into the darkness.
“Stop!” the young Lucifer had cried. “I’m not here to hurt you. I just…I don’t even know why I’m here.”
“Who is that? Where are we?” asked Raum.
Lucifer gave no response. He hadn’t been a willing participant in these revelations up until now and he wasn’t about to start. But he remembered well that this was the moment when he had first come into contact with Metatron, the Scribe of Heaven.
Raum watched the scene of Lucifer and Metatron’s first meeting play out with interest, but he was also growing impatient.
“Will they get on with it already?” He gestured with his hand and the memory seemed to jump ahead. And then he heard Metatron say something very interesting.
“The seraphim worked a spell, converged their power to gift me with the Sight. From that point on, I could see things no other angel could. They believed it would grant me greater power to serve as a more effective chronicler. But there was an unexpected side-effect they never intended.”
“What?” asked Lucifer.
The archai’s eyes were filled with fear. “I saw too much. I saw what they didn’t want me to see. And when I chronicled my vision, they knew I’d become a threat to everything they’d built.”
Metatron had then spoken of the story that Divine Choir had constructed about the Presence. And finally, the bombshell phrase that had shattered Lucifer’s world back then was replayed once more.
“The prob
lem is this story is just that—a story. It’s not history, it’s mythology,” Metatron had said.
Raum waved his hand and the memory looped, playing back for him so he could be certain of what he’d just heard.
Lucifer watched Raum’s face as he processed what he’d just heard. The memory melted away, and they were back in the void.
“It was all a lie from the beginning. No greater power in the universe, and certainly no mandate for Heaven to lord over the universe the way they have.” Raum’s eyes were vacant, but when he turned them on Lucifer, they started to flash with anger. “And. You. Knew.”
“Yes, I did,” said Lucifer.
“You perpetuated their lie, did their work for them,” said Raum, almost in disbelief. “I knew you’d become a failure, but I never knew to what extent. You violated everything you claimed to stand for!”
“You think I came to this decision easily?” asked Lucifer. “I tried to tell Anael and Michael. They rejected me. They thought I was lying or that I’d been corrupted. And I realized that angels—whose only purpose was servitude—would crack if they realized that their entire existence was a lie.”
“And what, you thought you were so superior to everyone else?” asked Raum.
“Nothing of the sort,” said Lucifer. “Some of us have been able to handle the truth—Abraxas, for one. But when Pyriel learned, he went insane. I realized then that I was right to keep the secret throughout these past eons.”
“No, you weren’t,” said Raum. “You haven’t any right to keep the truth from us. We both know the real reason.”
“You know nothing,” said Lucifer.
“Don’t I?”
Raum gestured with his hand and a memory appeared before them again, one of Metatron speaking to Lucifer.
“Why invent such a fantastic story?” Lucifer had asked.
“For one simple reason—control,” said Metatron. “He who controls gods, controls the believers.”
Raum closed his fist and the memory vanished.
“‘He who controls gods, controls the believers,’” he repeated. “You perpetuated the secret for the same reason as the Choir—you wanted control over the Infernal Court. If they all still clung to these notions, they would look upon you as their god. Just as we all had come to once being transformed by Hell into our current states.”
“Control was never something I wanted,” said Lucifer. “All I wanted was to bring people free will. It’s why I lit the spark in humanity, it’s why I agreed to lead the rebellion in Heaven.”
Raum stepped forward and punched Lucifer. The Morningstar attempted to retaliate, but suddenly, he found his arms restrained. The void dissipated, and they returned back to the cavern in Hell.
“You betrayed us, Morningstar. Continued the work of the Choir because it served your interests,” said Raum. “Stepping down may have been the best decision you ever made. But it’s clear why you chose Cross as your successor. Not because you thought he was fit for the position, but because you knew he’d maintain the same lie you did. After all, he was raised by a cult that serves Heaven.”
“I thought a man who represented the best of what demons and humanity could aspire to would be a good leader for a new age. To make things better down here,” said Lucifer.
“That’s what you say. But Cross hasn’t done much other than perpetuate the status quo,” said Raum. “It’s time for real change to come to Hell. And that requires not only new leadership, but new tactics. We can’t hide behind armistices and one-sided treaties that rig the game against us. We need to finally rise up.”
Lucifer struggled against his shackles, but it was futile. “Raum, listen to me, you don’t know what you’re talking about. You’re becoming gripped by the same madness that took Abraxas and Pyriel. This is why I had to keep the secret!”
“Enough!”
Raum shoved his hand against Lucifer’s chest, slamming him against the wall and channeling hellfire into his body. Lucifer screamed as the heat burned his soul to its core. It lasted only a moment, but felt like an eternity. When Raum removed his hand, Lucifer’s body still smoldered.
“It’s time,” said Raum. “First, we take Hell. And then, once we’ve gathered all the demons in Hell together under one voice, we march on Heaven.”
Raum generated a sword of hellfire and plunged it into Lucifer’s chest. He screamed again and a sadistic smile spread across Raum’s face.
“You’ve become expendable, Morningstar. Now watch a real revolution.”
20
Mara sat quietly in the carriage across from Cross and Lilith. At one point, the two had shared a wild passion, but now Mara couldn’t help but noticing that even when they were sitting next to each other, there was a distance between them. Even with his recent change to his old appearance, Cross still seemed a different man than he was before he took the throne. Mara hadn’t cared for him much back in those days, but she wasn’t sure what to make of this new version of him.
The carriage rolled to a stop and they heard voices coming from outside. The driver was speaking to someone. Then there was a rumbling and the carriage resumed its procession. They must have reached the gates of Beelzebub’s realm.
“What are we going to say to him?” asked Mara. “‘Hi, I think one of your guys is a traitor’?”
Cross shrugged. “You not a fan of the direct route?”
“She’s not wrong,” said Lilith. “If you don’t handle this diplomatically, Beelzebub may view it as an accusation against him. Like you’re saying he’s not capable of controlling his own people. And he does not like you, so it’s best to step carefully.”
Cross leaned his head back. “Both of you need to just relax. I’m Mr. Diplomacy.”
Lilith and Mara exchanged uncomfortable glances. Cross noticed, but didn’t say anything.
The carriage rolled to a stop once again and a moment later, the door opened. Mara emerged first, followed by Lilith, and then Cross stepped out last. Many of the demons who populated Beelzebub’s realm were gathered on either side of a path leading up to the castle doors, all having come to see the new King of Hell in person.
“My liege.” One of Beelzebub’s guards, decked out in chitinous armor, stepped forward and knelt before Cross. “I would be honored to escort you to Lord Beelzebub.”
Cross gestured for the guard to stand. “Sure, that’s fine. Let’s just dispense with the pomp, okay?”
The guard rose and bowed, then spun almost perfectly around and started marching down the path towards the castle. The visitors followed behind him.
“Thought you said Beelzebub hated me?” Cross whispered to Lilith.
“He does,” she replied. “But he also knows how to play the game.”
The castle doors opened when they approached and the guard led them inside. Any staff within stood near the walls at attention as the trio was led deeper into the castle—up the stairs until eventually they arrived at the top floor. In here was a throne room where Beelzebub’s insectoid form sat on a chair that—while it would have been perfect for a person of human-like proportions—hardly seemed like it would be comfortable for someone like him.
“Ahh, here he izzz now, the new King of Hell.” Beelzebub waved a thin arm for them to approach. The guard bowed and dismissed himself. “Welcome, sire.”
“Good to see you, Bee,” said Cross.
“Izzz it?” asked Beelzebub. “I’ve sent many invitations for you to vizzit my realm, and yet you’ve never answered a single one.”
“Sorry,” said Cross. “I’m still figuring out how to do this job.”
“Then I am honored that your first royal vizzit is to my humble abode. Now, what is it I can do for you?”
“It’s about the Morningstar,” said Mara.
Beelzebub’s head snapped angrily at her and his eyes burned bright yellow. “Insolent cow! Do not speak before the King of Hell has had his say!”
Mara narrowed her eyes and her hands tightened into fists. She didn’t car
e much for Beelzebub in general, but to have him condescend to her was almost too much to bear. Lilith could clearly sense her feelings as well, because she placed a hand on her shoulder to calm her. Though it went against her every instinct, Mara allowed herself to relax.
“She’s just concerned, no offense meant,” said Cross. “Thing is, Lucifer has gone missing. Seems the convoy you provided was attacked by raiders. And we’d like to know how Lucifer’s presence was even uncovered, let alone his route.”
Beelzebub paused before responding and just focused his gaze on Cross. Luther, for his part, remained stoic, his sunglasses concealing his own eyes. After a sufficient amount of sizing each other up, Beelzebub finally spoke.
“Are you saying there’zzz a traitor in my midst?” he asked.
“Beelzebub, we simply want to know what happened to the Morningstar,” said Lilith. “We’ve all heard the rumors of someone gaining followers in the Badlands. And if some of those within the existing realms have been converted, no one would fault you for that.”
“You’re telling me that I cannot control my own people,” said Beelzebub. “That is a fairly significant charge, Lilith.”
“It happens to all of us,” said Lilith. “No one saw Abraxas’s betrayal coming, and he was a Hell Lord in the highest regard.”
Beelzebub looked back and forth between the trio. “So what would you have me do, exactly?”
“We’d need to question your people,” said Mara. “Anyone who knew that Lucifer and I were here, anyone who knew of our route. These were your men who were killed by the raiders, Beelzebub. Don’t you think your denizens might be a bit upset to learn that their lord wouldn’t lift a finger to find who betrayed them?”
“That sounds like a threat, little demoness.” Beelzebub’s gaze drifted back to Cross. “Izzz this how you conduct your business, King? You wish to threaten one of The Fallen with a public smear campaign?”
Cross held up his hands. “Hey now, nobody’s threatening anything. What Mara is saying is that you do a lot of work for your subjects.”
Lucifer Damned (Morningstar Book 3) Page 13
