Seraphim

by Leslie Swartz

  “You know where she is?”

  “No, but we sure as shit know where she was last night.”

  “What’d she do?”

  Gabriel swallowed a bite of pancake.

  “She killed a bunch of sorority girls and incited a forced orgy at a frat house,” she said before gobbling up the rest of her breakfast while Wyatt stood in astonishment. “Oh, and she broke some dudes legs, but that’s kind of low on the list as far as horrific shit goes, you know, comparatively.”

  She stood, kicked off her shoes, leaving them on the kitchen floor and headed to her room.

  “I’m taking a shower and a nap,” she announced. “Can you fill him in?”

  “Happy to,” Lucifer agreed.

  “What the hell, man?”

  “You should sit down.”

  Chapter 19

  Later that afternoon, Gabriel called Valerie over for a family meeting. She was reluctant to go, having stayed away as much as possible in an attempt to avoid Lucifer. But, her sister said it was important, so she went, telling herself it was only for a little while and that as soon as she heard whatever this big news was, she was out.

  The four siblings gathered around the kitchen island, Wyatt and Valerie on one side, Gabriel and Lucifer on the other. The tension was high as Gabriel tried to find the right words, knowing that Wyatt would probably be fine, but no matter how she put it, she was about to break Valerie’s heart. She and Tae had always been close and the news of his death was going to crush her. Gabriel cleared her throat and took a breath before starting.

  “Last night, Tae called to me, saying there was a demon at the hospital. He asked that we, Lucifer and I, come help. Lucifer was in the shower, so I decided to go on my own.”

  “Shit, girl, you okay?” Valerie asked.

  “Yeah, I’m fine,” she told her.

  “Oh, God,” Wyatt muttered, realizing what must have happened. “That’s when you fell.”

  She nodded, keeping her eyes on her sister.

  “As I was leaving, I could feel him,” she continued. “Raphael left.”

  “What do you mean, ‘he left’?” Valerie snapped.

  “He’s not here anymore,” she said. “He went home, to Heaven. So,”

  “You’re telling me Tae’s dead?!” Valerie asked.

  “Yeah.”

  “How is that possible?” she questioned. “We’re fucking self healing. The only way is if--” she stopped, horrified at the thought of how he must have died. “Fire?!”

  “I’m gonna spare you the details,” Gabriel said.

  “You’re gonna spare me?!” Valerie erupted in anger. “How the fuck did we not know this was gonna happen? Why didn’t I get a vision ahead of time?”

  “I don’t know,” Gabriel answered stoically, a phrase she didn’t utter often.

  “How do you not know?” Valerie shot back. “You know goddamn everything.”

  “Not everything,” she corrected, starting to get irritated by Valerie’s thoughts. She blamed her for Tae’s death, angry that she didn’t somehow prevent it from happening. Gabriel tried to keep a cool head, but after the events of the night before, her nerves were pretty much fried.

  “Clearly,” Lucifer chimed in.

  “Dude,” Wyatt warned him.

  “What?” Lucifer asked as Valerie began to sob uncontrollably, Wyatt rubbing her back to try to comfort her. “I’m just pointing out the obvious. Our sister, in her current form, is not at full power. Had she been--”

  “Had I been,” Gabriel interrupted, her annoyance turning to anger. “You would still be in a coma until I handled this Lilith thing myself because I wouldn’t need you.”

  “That may very well be true, sister, but as it stands, we’re one angel down and no closer to finding my malfeasant twin. I can only hope we find and defeat her before the rest of you get picked off.”

  “I’m doing my best, okay?!” Gabriel barked. “Between Barachiel’s meltdowns, your general douche baggery, Tae ghosting for months, and Uriel’s open disdain for you and your bullshit, I’ve been doing everything to keep this family together, civil and on task. None of you make it easy. You think I’m not pissed off that Lilith’s still out there? I’m livid.”

  “You’re seriously thinking about the mission right now?” Valerie complained. “Our brother just died!”

  “Our mission from God to save the human race from indentured servitude to a psychotic, baby eating whore monster? That mission?” Gabriel howled. “Hell yes, I’m thinking about that. I’m always thinking about that and if there’s ever a minute in the fucking day when you’re not thinking about it, then maybe I haven’t made it clear to you just how fucking important it is. It is the only reason we’re on this planet instead of in Paradise, which, by the way, is where our brother is right now, so you’ll have to excuse me if I’m not blubbering like a toddler that got the wrong color sippy cup. There’s work to do, and until it’s done and that bitch is in a fucking cell, nothing else matters. Your job, your social lie, your issues and your mother fucking feelings are just gonna have to take a back seat!”

  Gabriel calmed herself as the others sat silently, not sure what to say. Her outburst had shocked them as none of them had ever seen her get agitated.

  “I’m sorry I yelled,” she said, getting up from her seat and getting a bottle of water from the fridge.

  “I gotta get out of here,” Valerie said, wiping the tears from her cheeks and nearly knocking the stool over as she stood. She blew past Gabriel who let her go, not making eye contact. She slammed the door behind her, leaving Gabriel to lock it back.

  “I could’ve handled that better,” she recognized. She sat back down and took a sip of water.

  “My ‘meltdowns’?” Wyatt asked.

  “You cry a lot, bro,” Gabriel told him. He raised an eyebrow while Lucifer chuckled.

  “Well,” Lucifer said. “I, for one, am quite inspired by what you said, Gabriel. I’m proud of you for standing up for yourself and impressing on everyone the gravity of--”

  She cut him off. “Just shut the fuck up.”

  Valerie was a little more than halfway home when she was suddenly struck with a vision that was so strong and clear that it knocked her to her knees right there on the sidewalk. She saw a building that she recognized as the women’s clinic almost directly across the street from where she was. Inside, she could see a handful of people, some slumped in their seats or on the floor in the waiting room and others behind the counter, all dead, their necks broken. There was someone in the back, in a storage room far away from the offices and exam rooms. All she could see was a doctor lying in the hallway, blood pouring from his head, his eyes open and vacant. The door was cracked and there was light coming through, but she couldn’t see who was inside. It didn’t matter, though. Valerie could guess based on the level of evil she felt coming from that room.

  “Miss, are you all right?” she heard a man ask as she came out of the vision. He was kneeling in front of her, one hand on her shoulder.

  “I’m okay,” she told him as they both stood.

  “You sure?” the man asked.

  “Yeah, I’m good. Low blood sugar, that’s all.”

  “Okay, okay,” he said, reaching in his pocket, pulling out a business card and handing it to her. “Well, listen, I have to get to a job right now, but that last number is my personal cell. Maybe you could call me some time and let me feed you.”

  The card read, Malik Perry, Private Chef and Culinary Instructor.

  She looked back up at him, just noticing how attractive he was. Tall and muscular with a shaved head, strong jawline and wide smile.

  “I’ll do that,” she flirted as he walked away and she put the card in her pocket. Once he disappeared into the crowd of pedestrians, she looked across the busy street to the clinic.

  “What are you thinkin’, ho?” she whispered to herself as she began walking toward it, navigating through traffic, paying no attention to the crosswalk just a few f
eet away. She knew she wasn’t thinking clearly, still reeling from the news of her brother’s death. Even more than that, though, Gabriel losing her temper had thrown her for a loop. She’d never seen her like that. It had startled her, the look in her eyes downright frightening. Valerie knew she couldn’t handle Lilith on her own, but she was right there and if she could save the people inside, convince them there was a bomb threat or gas leak so they’d evacuate before Lilith got there, she had to do it. Then, she’d call on Gabriel to gather the troops and wait for the bitch to show up. That was her plan. But, she was too late. As she entered the dimly lit building, she was sickened by what she saw. As it had been in her vision, everyone in the clinic was dead.

  “Holy shit,” she uttered under her breath.

  “Uriel?” a voice called from the back. “What are you doing here?” A young girl came out from the shadows of the hallway and into the waiting room looking genuinely confused. Her hands, mouth and chin were covered in blood as was the collar of the long white dress she was wearing.

  “Lilith?” Valerie asked, her voice not much louder than a whisper as she was horrified by the realization of what she’d just walked in on.

  “It’s amazing,” Lilith said, licking her fingers. “Entire facilities dedicated to the legalized murder of tiny humans before they’ve been born. Can you imagine? And people called me a monster just for finding them delicious.”

  Valerie edged toward the glass door that she’d come in, knowing she was no match for someone as strong as Lilith, not by a long shot. As her back touched the handle, she heard the door lock behind her. Her heart began to race and her mind swirled, unable to string a plan together, knowing there was nothing she could do.

  “Was it you?” Lilith asked as she approached. “Did you kill my subordinates? Seems so unlike you, destroying all the so called innocent people my followers were populating, but it has been a couple thousand years. People change.”

  “I didn’t kill anybody,” she replied, her fear turning to anger as she thought about the demon that killed her brother and how he was only there because of her, the psycho that now threatened to take her own life. She let the pain of her loss fuel her rage, believing it was her only chance of getting out of this alive.

  “No,” Lilith said. “I didn’t think so.”

  “But, I’d have no problem putting your little girl wearing ass down.”

  “Well, that’s hostile.”

  “I’m about to show you hostile, bitch!”

  Lilith came closer, the look of bewilderment returning to her face.

  “Even at full power, which you’re obviously not, you don’t stand a chance against me alone, and you know that. So, I ask you again, what are you doing here?”

  Valerie shakily pulled her knife from her pocket and held it to her enemy’s throat.

  Lilith giggled. “You can’t be serious.”

  “I’m dead fucking serious, bitch.”

  “Have it your way,” Lilith sighed, waving her hand, throwing Valerie into a wall across the room. She slammed against it and crashed to the floor. She struggled to stand back up as Lilith moved toward her again.

  “If you didn’t kill the demons in the theater,” she gathered. “Then, someone else did. Who else is here? It can’t be Michael, he’d never leave Father unguarded during his sleep. Is it Camael? I thought I felt his presence a few weeks ago, but it’s been so long, I could have been mistaken.”

  She grabbed Valerie by the throat and slammed her into some chairs. She climbed on top of her, squeezing with one hand her cheeks and chin while she decided what to do with her.

  “This is quite a beautiful body you’ve chosen, sister,” she said, looking Valerie over. “Tell me, is incest still as taboo as it was in the beginning? So many things have changed.”

  Valerie panicked, adrenaline coursing through her veins. She started to hyperventilate, which only excited Lilith more. She slid her hand down from Valerie’s jaw to her chest and began unzipping her jacket, a mischievous smile creeping across her face. As Lilith slipped her hand inside the jacket, running her hand along Valerie’s left breast, the knife, which remained clenched in Valerie’s hand, erupted in flame. Without hesitation, she plunged the fiery pocket knife into the monster’s gut, again and again, lighting her dress on fire. Lilith flew back into the wall behind her, screaming in pain and surprise. She patted the fire out and fell to her knees, coughing up blood and trembling.

  Lilith’s psychic hold kept the door locked, so Valerie kicked the glass until it shattered, allowing her to squeeze through and make her escape.

  She ran and kept running all the way to her apartment where she collapsed on the floor, completely out breath and terrified. She took her phone from her pocket and texted Wyatt, not wanting to get a lecture about not calling on Gabriel sooner.

  Lilith’s at the abortion clinic on Broadway. I’m pretty sure I hurt her real bad with my fire knife.

  After a few seconds, she got a reply.

  Gabriel and Lucifer are literally cheering.

  Are you sure she’s still there? she heard Gabriel ask.

  Bitch, I don’t know, she replied. I took off. I’m not trying to die today.

  Chapter 20

  The three siblings rushed to the clinic only to find it swarming with police and EMT’s. Lilith was long gone, but they got a glimpse inside at the carnage she’d left behind. The scene was grim as body after body was loaded into the coroner’s van.

  “She knows we’re here,” Gabriel told her brothers. “If we don’t find her before she heals, we’re fucked.”

  “I’d like to say she can’t have gotten far with her injuries,” Lucifer said. “But, I don’t feel her anywhere.”

  “She’s hiding out somewhere,” Gabriel said. “B, why don’t you check out the theater. It’s a long shot, but anything’s possible. Lu--” she turned to look at Lucifer, but he was gone. “Fucking shit.”

  Wyatt entered the old theater, carefully making his way through every room and corridor, being as quiet as he could be. After about an hour of investigating, he was sure the place, smelling of char and decay, was empty. As an ex-firefighter, he recognized the lingering smell of burned flesh and knew something terrible had recently happened there. The main theater room was covered in soot, a lot of the wood having been burned away. Broken glass littered the floor, still wet from the fire department’s efforts. Wyatt wondered what had gone on. Did Lilith kill her own minions? To hear Lucifer and Gabriel tell it, she was capable of anything. Did they set each other on fire? Was it an accident? Were demons even the ones that died here? No other clues remained, save a fast food cup lying on the stage. He looked around one more time, his curiosity piqued, as he opened the door to leave.

  “I’m sorry,” Gabriel said, walking into her sister’s apartment.

  “Girl, for what?” Valerie asked. “I understand. After seeing that bitch in action, I get why you’re all about the mission at hand.”

  “I shouldn’t have yelled at you,” Gabriel admitted. “Lucifer, sure, but you didn’t deserve that. I should have been kinder, considering.”

  “Well, probably, but that’s not really who you are, is it?”

  “No, I guess not.”

  The two sat on the couch, Gabriel knowing what her sister was wondering about.

  “It was me,” Gabriel confessed.

  Valerie stared at her, eyes wide. “What the--”

  “I know,” she said. “I know. If I had waited, brought Lucifer, maybe we could have saved those people. Maybe. But I was not in a good head space.”

  “You crazy bitch,” Valerie muttered. “You killed those people.”

  “Yeah,” she said pensively. “But, when Tae died, Uri, I never felt like that before. I’ve never been upset like that.”

  “You’ve never been upset before?” Valerie condescended.

  “I’ve never been sad before.”

  “Now I know you’re lying. Your parents died when you were fifteen.”

>   “I meant what I said,” Gabriel insisted. The two sat quietly for a moment before Gabriel spoke again. “I didn’t tell you everything about Tae’s death.”

  “I know,” she said, visibly miffed.

  “When I said I felt him leave, that’s not the whole story. I didn’t just feel Raphael’s absence. I felt Tae die. I felt him being burned alive. I felt his pain and his fear. I felt him suffocate. I heard him begging me to save him. And, I couldn’t. I couldn’t. So, I went looking for Lilith because I wanted to kill her with my bare hands. I wanted to wrap my fingers around her throat and watch the life drain from her eyes and I wanted to see her true form so I could burn it until there was nothing left. And, when those demons wouldn’t tell me where she was, I lost it. I burned them all. I stayed in that room, choking on smoke, until I was sure they were all back in cages and the worst part of it is that I don’t really feel bad about it at all. If I had to do it over, I’m not sure I wouldn’t do the exact same thing because at least those things are off the streets and back where they belong.”

  Tears filled Valerie’s eyes, Gabriel putting a comforting hand on her knee.

  “I know that I don’t usually let my emotions get the best of me,” she said. “I don’t typically have many emotions, if I’m being honest. Gabriel is always reasonable. Always in control and level headed. Doesn’t get attached. But, Taran Murphy loves her family. You, Barachiel, Raphael, even Lucifer. The mission takes precedence because it has to, but you guys, you’re everything to me.”

  Valerie wiped away her tears, considering everything she’d just heard. She thought for a while then sighed.

  “That’s really deep and I feel like you need a hug,” she told Gabriel. “But, Taran Murphy needs to get her shit together because Valerie Moore isn’t gonna hang out if you’re out there slaughtering people.”

  “I’ll try to control myself.”

  “Try hard, bitch. I got enough stress without worrying about you, too.” Valerie said, hugging her sister. She would forgive her for now, understanding her mindset at the time, she herself having gone a little homicidal on Lilith not an hour before. But, she’d be keeping a close eye.