Chapter 25

"Your… unconditional surrender?" asked Lucifer.

I nodded. "You heard me."

"You're telling me, every single angel and demon down in this bastion beneath us has agreed to surrender to me?" Lucifer slapped his thigh. "You got me! Ah! You're trying to pull a fast one, aren't you?"

"I'm not."

"I'm the first bullshitter, Sarakiel. I think I'd know a bit of bullshit when I smell it." He paused. "But on the off chance you're telling the truth, what changed? Everybody down there hates me."

I shrugged. "I talked to them. I told them what I'd been through and convinced them that fighting was pointless. You're obviously going to win if we try to resist. Besides, what you said about other deities and their minions rising up to fill the vacuum God left behind really hit home."

He lowered his eyes, unimpressed. "Really…"

"Really. I told you; we're mortal now, and we don't want to die either by your hands or by the hands of some pissed off other creature. I explained to them it was better for all of us to follow you and try to build a better Earth, with you in charge. That is what you want, right?"

"Right, right. Yeah. Of course."

"You'd be surprised how convincing I can be," I said. "And how reasonable everyone down there can be."

Lucifer was having trouble believing my story. I could see it on his face. If I was going to sell this, it needed to hit him where it hurt; I needed to attack his weakness.

"This is a big pill to swallow," he said. "I could be walking into a trap."

"What trap could a bunch of angels and demons possibly spring on you? You're Lucifer, the first angel, the Morningstar. I mean it, we surrender. If you don't believe me, come down and see for yourself. Not a single one of us is armed."

"Even if you were, it wouldn't make a difference."

"Exactly. I'm telling you, we're done fighting. We want to be on your team… Lucy."

Lucy. What the hell are you doing, Sarakiel?

"Lucy…" Lucifer said, trailing off. I thought he was about to vaporize me by the ever darkening look on his face, but then he grinned. "I like that. I like it a lot. Nobody's ever called me that before."

Relief washed over me like a warm wave of tropical water. "We're angels, Lucifer. We're meant to be a family, and with God dead… we're all we have. Don't you want to be a family again?"

A grin spread across Lucifer's face. "What the hell," he said. "Sounds like fun."

I nodded, then I began my descent back into the glamour bubble the demons had placed over Helena. At first, there was only water beneath my feet. But as I moved through the barrier, the entire bastion came into view; the bastion, and each and every one of its inhabitants who was currently staring up at the sky, watching on bated breath.

They had been able to see me, even if I hadn't been able to see them. They were also able to watch Lucifer descend, and while many of them looked ready to put their lives on the line defending this bastion, others looked entirely enraptured by him. I couldn't blame them. His aura was difficult to resist, to look away from.

Even if he was the most obnoxious prick in the entire cosmos.

I noticed Azrael was still holding her light sword in her hand. My eyes widened, and before Lucifer could make it through the barrier keeping Helena hidden from his eyes, I waved my hands frantically at her. She didn't seem to take my meaning at first; either that, or she flat out refused to drop her weapon.

She dismissed her sword, but only at the last possible second. Just in time for Lucifer to make it through the glamour and see a bastion of angels and demons, each of them unarmed and staring up at him—just like I had promised.

The only person missing from the lineup was Micah; I had a hard time spotting him for all the wings and the suits of armor.

I landed just off to the side of the ritual circle we all needed Lucifer to stand on. My hope was that I could coax him to land right beside me, but he stubbornly refused to bring his feet to the ground. He hovered about ten feet up—just high enough that he could tower over us all without needing to be ten feet tall.

"Look at all of you," he said, "What a good-looking bunch. And you're also here Abaddon," he added before breaking out into a fit of giggles.

Abaddon didn't even acknowledge the dig, much to my relief.

"I told you," I said, "no weapons."

"You did," said Lucifer. "And here I thought I was walking into a trap ready to be sprung at a moment's notice. Like maybe there were more of you hiding around here, or something. Not that it would've made a difference how many of you there were. I'm Lucifer."

Azrael glared at me. She wanted to hurt him, to draw her sword once more and run it through his smug face. I could see it in her eyes, the rage, the venom. She also seemed keenly aware that Lucifer wasn't landing like he was supposed to. He was simply hovering precariously above the trapped spot, his wings gently moving to keep him held aloft.

I needed to get him down onto the ground, but I didn't know how.

"Right," said Lucifer, "now what happens?"

"As I told you earlier," I said, "we have agreed to follow you. All of us."

He shook his head. "No, no. I think I've heard enough from you. I want to hear from them. I want hear them say it. Starting with you."

Lucifer's eyes went to Azrael, who instantly stiffened as if she'd just been hit with some kind of eye-beam. Azrael's expression darkened, then hardened, her eyes taking on the qualities of precious gems, her fists clenching so tightly her gauntlets squeaked.

She glanced at me, then took a series of short steps toward Lucifer. The effort it took for her to drop to one knee was monumental, I had never seen someone struggle with something as much as she was struggling right now, but she managed. Then she looked up at him, her stony eyes fixed on his radiant form.

"Lucifer, Morningstar… the first angel," she said. "The Bastion of Helena formally declares its surrender."

Lucifer smiled brightly. "There, that wasn't so hard, was it? But I think I need a little something extra from you. You had some choice words for me the last time we met."

"You were trying to destroy this bastion and kill everyone inside."

"Details. Nuances. I think I deserve an apology. What about you, Sarakiel? Don't you think I deserve an apology?"

I really didn't want to answer that question. I had a feeling Azrael was likely to try something incredibly stupid if I asked her to apologize, but at the same time, this was going to be the only shot we got at Lucifer. Because even if we surrendered now, there was no guarantee he would actually let any of us live. Maybe the lesser angels, sure, but Azrael, Abaddon, Missolis and me? We were gone.

He would've been an idiot not to take us out.

This wasn't about forgiveness, or about mercy. It was about ego, about power. Lucifer wanted Azrael to humiliate herself in front of him and everyone else. The moment was tense, and it lingered way longer than I wanted it to. Then Azrael spoke.

"Perhaps if you came down here," she paused, "I could apologize more fully."

Lucifer's eyebrow arched while he considered her response. He then descended, coming down the remaining ten feet to touch the ground. My heart skipped into my throat and started beating hard and fast against the sides of my neck. This was it; he was down. Then I caught Micah's eyes, and they were wide with alarm.

The cherub had been hiding among Helena's soldiers, using their large profiles to keep himself from being spotted. When I saw him, his lips were pursed, his eyebrows were arched, and he was cocking his head to the side repeatedly, and decisively.

I wasn't sure what exactly he was trying to tell me, until I glanced over at Lucifer and realized… he wasn't entirely in the ritual circle. I couldn't see the circle itself—none of us could save for the demon who had hidden it—but, I knew based on the pattern of the tiles at Lucifer's feet where the center was supposed to be. Where Lucifer was supposed to be.

And he wasn't on it.

Dammit.

"Here I am," said Lucifer, who now stood in front of Azrael. If only Azrael had knelt another foot or so two the left, Lucifer would've been exactly where we needed him. "I'm ready for my apology. And it had better be a good one."

Azrael posture was that of a coiled snake. At the drop of a hat, it seemed, she was ready to strike Lucifer down. The only problem with that was, she would probably lose that confrontation. Lucifer was probably expecting that kind of behavior from someone like Azrael. He wasn't expecting her to actually debase herself in front of the rest of her kind. She was too proud, too stubborn, too much of a Warrior for that.

And yet, Azrael lowered her head. "I have learned the error of my ways," she said. "It was wrong to not allow you to murder us all."

Lucifer watched her, his head tilting from side to side. "I'm not sure I believe that," he said. "I want to, I really do, but I feel like maybe those words would sound better if you were… kissing my feet."

"Lucifer," growled Abaddon.

"Easy, big guy, you'll get your turn. In fact, I want you all lined up to kiss my feet. Right now."

The angels and demons assembled in the courtyard exchanged confused glances.

"You heard me," said Lucifer. "Form an orderly line, and get ready to kiss my feet. Do it well enough, and I'll consider sparing your lives. Do it badly, and well…" he ran his thumb along his neck. "Nothing personal."

"I will not kiss your feet," said Abaddon.

"You won't, huh?" asked Lucifer.

"You should know me well enough by now."

"Oh, but I do know you. I know you so well. And so do all of they, right? I mean, you are a killer of angels, now. Angels and humans. We'll add demons to the list pretty soon, don't the rest of you worry."

Abaddon was keeping Lucifer entertained, and while that was happening, I was trying to figure out how to get Lucifer to move a single foot to the left. All it was likely to take was a nudge, but getting close enough to do it… Lucifer would see me. He would see any of us coming.

Micah didn't know what to do or what to say. Our entire plan hinged on Lucifer standing exactly where we needed him to, and none of us could move an inch to make that work. Worse, Lucifer was starting to get annoyed that Azrael wasn't already kissing his feet.

He looked down at her, the contempt rising in his eyes. "What is it you're waiting for?" asked Lucifer. "Are my feet too dirty? Because I could make them dirtier for you. Is that what it is?" Lucifer paused. "Kiss my feet!" he barked, his voice echoing around the courtyard like a gunshot.

I turned to look at Lucifer. "Is that necessary?" I asked. "She's sorry, we all are."

Lucifer never took his eyes off the Warrior. "Of course, it is," he said. "I want everyone here to know I'm their superior. If this is a family—like you say it is—then I'm the head of this family. Is that too much to ask?"

"Yes," said Azrael, who had clearly had enough. Her sword of Light manifested in her hand, and before she lunged it towards Lucifer's midsection she added, "It is."

"Azrael, no!" I screamed, but it was too late. She had made up her mind, she had thrust her sword arm, she had rolled the dice. As fast as she was, as strong as she was, Lucifer was faster—and stronger. Her sword thrust made Lucifer jump a foot or so to the right, going further off target. Worse, after the thrust missed his midsection, Lucifer delivered a swift kick to the side of Azrael's face that hit with the force of a thunderclap.

The Warrior's jaw shattered, and she flew across the courtyard only to roll wing over arm before coming to a sudden stop far, far away from where she had been a moment ago. Lucifer patted himself down as if he were dusting his clothes.

I couldn't move. I was rooted to the spot, paralyzed by a sudden surge of crippling fear. Azrael had been wearing a suit of armor that looked like it weighed a ton, but Lucifer had put no more effort into dispatching her than a human would kicking a ball around.

"Unfortunate," he said. "That's not the way I wanted her to go, but that's just what happens. Let that be a lesson to the rest of you. I won't suffer fools, rebels, or weak-ass ang?—"

A dart shot out of the corner of my eye and zipped towards Lucifer at blinding speed. I hadn't caught the movement until a shadow was upon the first angel—a shadow in the form of two feet, closing rapidly in on Lucifer's right side.

"Remember me?" came a voice just as the shadow's feet slammed directly into Lucifer's arm, causing his body to crumple and stagger off to the left.

Just far enough for Micah to be able to rush out from behind the line of Helena's soldiers and spring the trap.

The entire courtyard went up in lights, light that seemed to come up from beneath the stone somewhere. Every single one of Micah's sigils burned to life, forcing Lucifer to his knees, grabbing hold of the sides of his head. He was screaming, but no one could hear him.

When I looked across from where Lucifer was, I saw Hekata standing where Lucifer had been a moment ago. She had come from out of nowhere, appearing as swiftly and as suddenly as she used to back when she was known as Gadriel, my Seeker.

For a moment I saw her as she had been before, as the angel with hair the color of night and the wings to match. She was beautiful, dark, and deadly, and she towered above Lucifer; only it wasn't Lucifer anymore. It was Medrion on his knees, the archangel who had beaten her, broken her, and thrown her into the Pit so, so long ago.

Hers was a look of vengeance, and pain, and anger… the purest expression of herself I had ever seen, and I was in awe of it. She wasn't just an angel, or just a demon, or just a Seeker. She was something else altogether. Something cosmic, and unstoppable.

Gadriel looked to me, her eyes filled with righteous fire, and nodded.

"Micah!" I screamed, "Now!"

A buzzing sound began to grow all around me, and I saw the forms of every angel and demon around Lucifer start to glow as if they were radiating light from within. Lucifer looked up at Micah, his eyes filled with anger, and hate, but also fear.

Micah slammed his hands together, and in a flash of Light, we were all gone.

Every last one of us.