Child of the Morning Star

by Tatiana Carey

  Atropa quirked an eyebrow, “What is it?” she asked. The teen unwrapped the paper and saw the tome she’d been reading before Semangelof attacked. Her stunned face looked up at the angel, “You…you got this for me?” A slow nod made a smile spread across her face. “Thank you!” she cried and examined the beat-up book.

  Sansenoy chuckled at the adoring look. “You are truly a beauty,” she whispered and brushed the side of the teen’s face. “I must leave now. I can hear your demon coming.” The angel turned to the window and spread her wings.

  “Wait!” Atropa clutched the book close to her chest as she asked, “How did you get across the barrier?”

  Sansenoy smiled and placed a finger against her lips, “Shh.” The angel then leapt out the window, dissolving into the morning sky and leaving no trace.

  Atropa watched in awe, still clutching the book. The teen looked down at the it. She smiled and laid it on the bed, opening the old tome. Atropa tucked some stray hairs behind her ear. The teen read the words slowly, the letters beginning to make sense to her.

  Lilith opened the door and saw her love awake and attentive. She smiled and went toward the other. “Morning, sunshine,” the demon greeted, slipping the towel off her head. “What’re you doing?” she asked, sitting beside her. Lilith gasped when she recognized the object, “Is that the book?!”

  Atropa nodded, not looking up from the words. She began to nibble on her nail as she read. The words making sense. “I can read it,” she thought aloud.

  “Huh?” Lilith looked at the book then the teen.

  “I can read it!” Atropa started to laugh hysterically, “Holy shit, I can read it!” She calmed down, still chuckling at the revelation. The teen fell back on the bed, still smiling.

  Lilith put on a strained smile. She slowly took the book out of Atropa’s hands. “Hey, come down for breakfast. You can study later,” she said.

  Atropa frowned, “Shouldn’t I read it now?”

  Lilith shrugged, “It’ll be here when you get back. Go on, Darren and Erin won’t eat till you come down.”

  Atropa sighed, “Those two.” She got up and jumped into some sweatpants. Before she left, she turned and asked, “Aren’t you coming?”

  Lilith smiled, “I kind of need to get dressed.” She gestured to her towel.

  Atropa snorted, “Oh yea, duh.” She left down the hall, closing the door behind her. “Don’t be long or Erin will eat your pancakes!” Atropa teased.

  Lilith laughed, “Tell him I’ll rearrange his teeth!” After hearing Atropa’s laugh and footsteps becoming faint, Lilith let her smile drop. She grabbed the book and flipped through the pages. When she found the passage she was looking for, she tore it out. Atropa didn’t need to find out just yet. The teen didn’t need to be scared or worried. Lilith set the page ablaze and felt a deep ache in her chest. “Not yet,” she whispered, “not yet.”

  Just a little more happiness, just for a little while longer.

  Chapter XX: God’s Will

  “Cast, are you sure?” the other angel asked.

  Castella sighed, “Of fucking course I’m sure! I wouldn’t have called you if I wasn’t sure. Get Arariel, Kiraman, Tennin, Eae, and Barachiel. We need to kill these two!”

  “How are you sure?” Barrattiel asked, nibbling a Twizzler. She pressed the phone against her shoulder and opened her chest. “I’ll go tell them, but Eae is going to be pissed off if they aren’t real demons. You know if he’s called for a kill, he wants a kill.”

  “Trust me, They’re the real deal,” Castella rubbed her temple, “Just get them all together. I need your help, you owe me for that time in Budapest.”

  Barrattiel sighed. “Fine, I’ll get them. Just be ready.” She slipped on her robes. The pompous garb had to be worn in Heaven. It was a way to tell angels apart from mortals. They couldn’t count on wings, since some of the older angels didn’t possess them. Still, they could have done better then robes. “We’ll see you in a bit, love you.”

  Castella beamed, “Love you too.” She hung up, placing the phone on her nightstand. The cherub reached under her bed and pulled out a chest that she’d stolen from her mother. Inside were seven daggers.

  Castella wasn’t about to let her world crumble, God or no God. A knock at the door made her hide her stolen goods. “Come in,” she yelled to the person on the other side.

  Sansenoy phased through the door. “Hello, Cast,” she greeted sweetly.

  “Hey aunt, Sans,” Castella hugged the woman, who gladly returned the affection. “I heard you got into a fight with Uncle Semengayloaf.”

  Sansenoy began to laugh wholeheartedly. “Semangelof, my dear, Semangelof,” she beamed and kept an arm around the cherub. “Castella,” she said to get the girl’s full attention.

  “Yes aunt, Sans?”

  Sansenoy’s face turned grave, “Be careful whose side you choose.”

  Castella gulped. Nothing could get past her aunt.

  * * *

  “Wake, my child.”

  Atropa sat up in the darkness. Her hand was burning. From what, she could not see, but it did. She staggered to her feet. The teen stood but didn’t move. She didn’t know where to start in the abyss around her. Atropa furrowed her brow and looked at her palm. She gasped, it was glowing.

  Atropa waved her hand around, watching the light dim and brighten. She moved her hand back toward the right, watching the glow grow immensely. Atropa shrugged and decided to follow the pull. She walked through the darkness. Her eyes adjusting to the dimness and seeing a slight fog around her. Atropa smiled, there was more light! She ran to it, abandoning her hand following, and sprinted to the source. What she found was odd to say the least. It was a burning bush. “What kind of corny ass shit is this?” she asked.

  Atropa kneeled down and watched the flames that licked the limbs of the shrub. She noticed her hand was glowing with abandon. Atropa placed it into the fire and was surprised to find that it didn’t burn. The teen ran her fingers through the flames, now understanding what Lilith was talking about that night they flew. She let out a soft giggle and jumped back when she got a response.

  “Having fun?”

  “What the fuck?!” Atropa screamed and crawled away from the vegetation. She watched the flames flicker and brighten with each word.

  “Hello, my child.”

  Atropa raised an eyebrow, “Who…who are you?”

  The bush was silent for a while before answering, “I am, that, I am.”

  Atropa’s eyes widened, “Are you God? What are you doing here?” she asked. “What am I doing here?”

  The bush let out a chuckle, its voice calm and soothing, “One question at a time.” The creator let the fire glow brighter. “Come closer my child, we must talk.”

  Atropa frowned but scooted closer to the being. “About what?” she was confused and didn’t know if she should trust this…voice. For all she knew, it could be a trap. However, the teen couldn’t stop staring at the golden flames. She felt drawn to the warmth, to the light.

  “I have come to explain things to you,” they answered, voice deep and lulling.

  “Explain what?” Atropa asked. She sat cross-legged in front of the bush. “I thought that old book you gave me had all the answers I needed,” she said. Atropa nibbled on her thumbnail.

  The creator let out a deep sigh. “In the beginning, I made the heavens and the Earth.”

  Atropa narrowed her eyes at the statement. “No shit,” she said, unamused. “I’ve heard some parts of the Bible, seven days, Adam and Eve, all that I know. Get to the important stuff!” The teen had no patience for the omnipotent being’s riddles and long winded speeches.

  The being wanted to smack this child. It was sad the bush didn’t have hands. They let out a groan and began again, “I started out with simple intentions, to create life. The beasts were fine, along with the flora but man, man was different entirely.”

  Atropa raised an eyebrow, “How so?” She hated to admit it, but the voice
had her attention.

  The bush’s fire stilled, before flickering again in the unknown wind. “Man was made in my image,” they explained, “They came with my virtues, and my flaws.” Their tone turned melancholy as it continued, “I made this world with such good intentions, now look what has happened. War, murder, rape, torture, suicide, sacrifices, so much death. There has been so much death.”

  Atropa frowned, the voice choked as if swallowing the scarring things it had spoken of. “You didn’t make us immortal,” the teen reminded. She ran her fingers through the flames, trying to comfort the bush’s dying fire, “You should expect death. But you gave humans Heaven, so they’ll get a second chance.”

  The bush’s fire dimmed even more at the statements, “No, I made something monstrous,” God said.

  Atropa was confused by the statement. “Do you mean demons?” she asked, feeling a bit offended.

  “No,” they whispered, “Selfishness and greed.”

  Atropa frowned, “What do you mean?”

  They sighed, “Even in my ‘holiest’ creations, the seeds of greed still grow. They seek to usurp me, to take my place among the stars.”

  “Angels, I thought they were the good guys?” Atropa was confused to say the least.

  The creator wished the girl could have seen their frown. “They are more human than they care to admit, my child,” they explained. God let flames flicker brightly on the bush once more, “Angels were made to protect my children from afar, as I do. Sadly, Lucifer did not take to this method. He did not think humans should be led from a distance, they were too reckless, too savage, too blinded by their own wants and desires. He wanted me to get rid of them. Either destroy them or remain vigilant. When I told him that his predictions would be proven false, he laughed at me. He, himself, showed that even my angels could fall.”

  Atropa began to rock back and forth. She was thinking deeply, “Why are angels bad though? If they protect humanity, why is that bad?”

  “They began to go against me, against my teachings. They made humans kill each other. Over who was right, over names and dates, over trivial matters. I let it happen, for I thought humans could rise above their treachery, but I was wrong. I had never been more wrong in my existence.” its voice cracked at the memories. “The inquisitions, the crusades, the holy wars, were all my angels’ doing.”

  “What do you mean? All of those are over different relig- oh” Atropa thought for a moment and frowned.

  “Yes, I go by many names and am worshipped in different ways. My angels planted the seeds of chaos in humans, ripping them apart from the world I created. I sent prophet after prophet to teach them peace and harmony, but it only made it worse. People twisted their words as well.” The creator sighed, “The path to Hell is truly paved with good intentions, and I have made a cruel example at the cost of billions of lives.”

  Atropa frowned, “So, all religions worship you?”

  “I am but one, who is seen by the eyes of many.” The bush dimmed. “You are to take my place. Guide my children into a new era.”

  Atropa’s eyes widened, “What?”

  “You know these beings,” it began, “better than I could ever dream. You know how they think and feel. I shall leave you in charge, you are the second coming.”

  “What?!” she screamed again, “Wait a second, I’m not good with people! Most people hate me instantly. There’s got to be someone else!”

  “There is no one else. You are the one who shall unite the Kingdoms of Heaven, Earth, and Hell. You have ties to all three realms. You are the perfect ruler,” the creator finished.

  “Wait, what do you mean I have ties to Heaven?” The teen watched in horror as the bush’s fire began to dim, before going out. “Hey, wait!” It plunged her into utter darkness. The sensation of falling took her, dragging her into nothingness. She fell into the space, the blackness around her suddenly turned crimson.

  A statement rang out through the void, leaving her cold…

  “And as it began, so it shall end.”

  Chapter XXI: The First Horn

  “Atropa!” Lilith shook at the girl, “Wake up!” she screamed. The demon looked at the sky. Her fears were being realized.

  “Wha-?! What’s going on?” Atropa rubbed her sore eyes and looked at the demon. Sleepily, she sat up, confused at Lilith’s panicked face. The teen looked out the window and gasped. The sky was a deep blood red “Is…is it an eclipse?” she asked, knowing the answer would make her heart sink.

  “No, it’s the beginning.” Lilith got up and threw on some pants. “Get dressed!” she ordered, throwing some clothes at the teen. Lilith rummaged through a drawer, pulling out some keys before running out the room. It wasn’t supposed to start yet. Why were they starting it early?!

  Atropa scrambled to put on a t-shirt and pants. Tripping on the carpet, she followed what she thought was Lilith’s path and went downstairs. Darren and Erin were both there, looking out the window as well. “What’s going on?” she asked, shaking Erin’s shoulder.

  His blue eyes were wide and unfocused, “It’s about to happen.” He was quivering in fear. He’d seen so much death, so much destruction but this, this was different. The unholy sense of dread that was filling him was unimaginably terrifying.

  “What is?!” Atropa screamed the question. She shook the blonde. “Tell me! Tell me!” She’d had enough of these guessing games and riddles.

  A deafening sound rocked the Earth and the foundation of the skies.

  Atropa covered her ears as the noise swept through the house, rumbling the floor under her. She looked up at the bloody heavens. The noise rang out again. “What the hell is that?!” she shrieked over the blare. “Is it a bomb?” she asked in pleading hope, but she knew that it was nothing normal, nothing human.

  Erin wrapped an arm around the teen’s shoulder, “No, it’s the first horn.” He helped her to her feet and let her lean against him till she got her bearings. Erin sensed a presence. He looked back at the figure in the doorway. He nudged Darren and the two left the room, leaving Atropa to look out the window in confusion.

  After a few minutes, the noise began to fade out. Atropa shook her head to stop the ringing in her ears. “What does it mean?” she asked, now that she could finally think and hear. A large hand gripped her shoulder. Atropa jumped at the contact. She looked up at Lucifer’s stern face, it was young but had ancient eyes.

  Lucifer smiled at the blood red sky. He looked at his daughter’s confused stare. “Armageddon has officially begun,” he said, patting her back before walking off, leaving the antichrist to think. He decided to find his knight before the she-demon went on a rampage.

  * * *

  Lilith climbed the stairs to the attic. It was an old room that had neglected for some time. The walls were covered in cobwebs and layers of dust were on every surface. Boxes and totes lined the walls with a single path cleared for walking that led to a circular window. The boards creaked as steps were taken.

  She kicked random objects out the way. Lilith then began to throw box after box before grabbing her treasure. The demon found the chest, it was dusty and covered in rust. Lilith took the old key out of her pocket and twisted it into the lock. She popped the lid open and saw the gleaming sword laying in its ripped velvet lining.

  “My old friend,” she whispered. Her canines lengthened as the pure blood gilded blade shimmered in the crimson light that flooded in from the window. She traced the gold lining that covered the edges of the smooth handle. Lilith let the sword weigh in her hands, it was a nice feeling. It was a slayer, both in name and in use.

  “Are you preparing?” Lucifer asked. He stood on the attic’s landing. “Seems a bit early, don’t you think?” Lucifer smiled, though a deep ache filled his chest.

  Lilith kept her eyes on the gleaming weapon. “It’s never too early,” she whispered, letting the sharp edges run against her fingertips. “Besides, I know they’ll be here soon.” The demon stood and passed Lucifer to go down the
steps.

  The devil’s eyes narrowed in thought, “Lilith.”

  Said demon turned back to the man. “Yes?” she asked, going back to stand before her creator.

  Lucifer frowned. “I know you’re scared to tell her, but you know what must be done,” he cradled her face in his hands and pressed his forehead against hers. “I’m so proud of what you have become.”

  Lilith felt tears well in her eyes. “It’s not goodbye, yet.”

  Lucifer placed a kiss on her forehead, “Just in case.”

  Lilith sniffled, “I’ll make sure the portal is opened, and she’s safe. You, get the kings ready. They need to see her at least once before she claims the throne.”

  Lucifer nodded and let Lilith go. The she-demon walked down the hallway and out of sight. He frowned, knowing that Beelzebub would not be happy with his decision nor would any of the other kings.

  None of it was his decision to make.

  He looked up at the window. “Even though you cast me out, I am still bound to you.” He touched the locked under his shirt and sighed, “give me strength.”

  * * *

  Atropa ran into the bedroom she shared with Lilith and began to throw her meager objects in a duffle bag.

  “What are you doing?” Lilith asked, stepping into the room, sword in her waist holster.

  “I-I don’t know!” Atropa stuffed more clothing into the sack. “Leaving, I guess. I don’t know?!” she screamed in confusion. The teen was stopped by hands on her shoulders.

  “Atropa,” Lilith whispered and sat the girl down. “I need you to breathe, okay? Breathe for me,” the demon said, rubbing Atropa’s damp cheek.

  The teen sniffled, “I-I’m scared.” Her pleading eyes looked into the red orbs. “I don’t know what to do, Lilith. I-I didn’t think it’d be so soon…” Atropa covered her face and began to sob. She’d literally just woken up to see the end of the world. She hadn’t even finished the book yet! How the hell was she supposed to be the Antichrist and the second coming?! Atropa tried to take in deeper breaths as Lilith’s hands rubbed her shoulders and tried to soothe her.