Chapter 7

Lucifer's POV

Catalina's confession last night had kept me up. Her gift of fire didn't worry me, it was normal for followers of Hecate to have gifts over the elements. What worried me was how I felt when she confessed a small fact about her childhood. It made me angry. The thought of a child being burnt. It was torture. What Catalina had experienced that day was a form of torture. She was six! How long had she had to endure that pain? Why didn't anyone stop it? What else had she been through? She was a child! A child who had prayed for death. She went nights praying to never wake up in the morning. She was-

Enough of this! Focus on the task at hand.

If I was going to help Catalina, I needed to know everything. Every single little detail no matter how dark. Catalina had gone back to her usual cycle of ignoring me this morning. I knew getting any more information out of her was not exactly feasible, which meant I was stuck with Gabriel. Luckily Gabriel was up to join me for an early morning training session. While my brother had preferred to let his training slip I never did. You never knew who was coming for you, it was best to be prepared at all times. I knew we wouldn't be interrupted. Catalina was hungover and would most likely sleep until the early afternoon. She had only woken up once and that was to grab yet another drink from the fridge. Gabriel of course was more than happy to join me and after all these years he still had hope that he could beat me. He lost every time. Eventually, he'd get it. We had been at it for a few hours when we decided to call it a day.

"How do you always manage to beat me?" Gabriel asked as he walked over and grabbed a water bottle, chucking one to me. With Gabriel's property being so large we could train in the backyard and have plenty of privacy.

"Don't beat yourself up Gabriel, I've had more time to train than you have," Gabriel smirked as he tossed his water bottle to the ground,

"You know one of these days I'll be able to take you."

"Spoken like a true younger brother."

"Yeah well, I should get inside before Catalina wakes up."

Gabriel said as he began to put his shirt back on.

"Speaking of Catalina," Gabriel immediately stopped and turned back around to face me,

"How long have you known her for?"

"A few years."

"And when did you meet her?"

Catalina had spoken as if she had these gifts since a young age and she claimed Gabriel was helping her, so how far back did this friendship go?

"I met her when she was in kindergarten."

This friendship goes back quite a while then.

"I lived in another state at the time and I was walking down the street and I saw her. She was in a school uniform but she was covered in bruises." Gabriel's fist tightened at his sides,

"She was crying, trying to tell her mother that her ponytail was too tight and I watched as her mother smacked her across the face and told her to suck it up. She looked at me, looked me in the eyes and I could see the tears already forming."

Gabriel's hard eyes locked on mine,

"She needed someone, so I shifted myself to her age. I became her friend, healed her injuries, and tried my best to keep her safe."

"She grew up with you?"

"I figured that was the easiest way to remain close to her."

He was right. Pretending to be a child of her age group was the best way to keep an eye on her. He would be able to notice every little thing, memorize every little detail, and help heal her whenever she needed it.

"When did she find out about what you are?"

Surely she couldn't have figured it out as a child.

"When she was around ten years old. She got into an accident and I needed to use my wings to shield her."

That was a Gabriel move.

"Was she afraid?"

Most people typically were. Anytime one of us had been spotted and plastered all over the internet, everything was the same. Some people rejoiced but the majority of others were terrified of the winged beings that roamed the skies.

"No. Once I explained who and what I was, everything was fine. To be honest I don't think there was much in this world that could frighten her anymore."

"You care for her greatly brother".

"She is like a sister to me. I will always care for her."

I had no doubts in my mind he would. Gabriel would do anything and everything in his power to keep her safe. It didn't matter what he had to do or who he had to destroy. He had formed a bond with this girl and he was willing to do it all. For her.

"Is that why you've been helping her control her fire gifts?"

Gabriel immediately tensed up, his fingers curling at his side, Irritation clear on his face.

"She told you?"

"More like she showed me," I responded as he walked back over to me.

"What do you want to know?"

"How long have you known about it?" I asked and I could tell by his slightly darkened eyes that he did not want to speak about this.

"I have known since I first met her and I've been helping her throughout the years to control it but it has been…difficult."

He's hiding something.

"Gabriel-"

"We're done talking about this Lucifer."

I nodded my head. I knew when to push and when to back down and this was one of the times to back down.

"Very well, tell me about her family then."

I had been intrigued since she told me a little information about her childhood. Was her father the same? or was it just her mother who chose to scar her skin? What other punishments was she subjected to?

"She had two brothers but has not spoken to them in months. The oldest one is a very well-known businessman, he has a couple of businesses here and on the West Coast, and the other, the youngest, is a professional dancer, I think he's in New York now for a show on Broadway. Other than that I don't know much about them."

So she is a middle child. Interesting.

"And her father?"

"He's not a bad guy but the man wasn't around much and barely paid any attention to her."

Gabriel was silent for a moment.

"I just never understood how a man can sit by as his child is being hurt and not step in and just leave her in that situation, knowing what her mother was capable of." Gabriel's eyes shifted as his face turned into the cold mask I had only ever seen a handful of times. The mask of one of the most powerful Archangels to walk the earth.

"There was no way that man did not see the scars and bruises on her and while Catalina might be more forgiving towards him I certainly am not."

That makes two of us.

It was unacceptable. A grown man allowing someone else to harm his child. A defenseless child who looked to him and her mother for support, love, and protection and they had failed her.

"And the mother?"

Gabriel's face contorted with rage,

"Catalina's mother deserves to rot in the pit and I hope for Catalina's sake, that her mother dies a slow painful death and knows no peace."

Well, Shit.

"Catalina was abused by her mother for years and she never knew why but what makes me the most angry is the way her mother always brought up Catalina's past every chance she got and threw it back in her face."

"What happened?"

Gabriel looked over and a sense of regret washed over his face,

"Catalina did some very reckless things as a teenager. Hanging out with older guys, sneaking out, drinking. She recognized her mistakes and paid the price for what she did and did her best to make up for those mistakes but her mother never let her forget it. Catalina made mistakes and yes those mistakes were dangerous but she grew up, she learned her lesson but it was never good enough for her mother."

The rage had appeared back in Gabriel's face but an instant later it was gone.

"We should head back inside," Gabriel whispered as he gathered up his things.

"I'll be right behind you, I just need a minute." Gabriel nodded as he walked back to the house.

I don't know why but all the information about Catalina had enraged me.

An abusive mother and an absent father. No wonder the girl is so angry.

I thought back to what Catalina had said last night about the punishments she had endured as a child. Knowing that and learning all about her family and how she was treated, I could feel the anger seeping into me. She was a child! Children made mistakes, it was a part of nature and an important part of growing up. And it seemed that Gabriel was the only one that gave a damn about her.

I need to get out of here just for a moment.

I needed to run, to get away before I did something incredibly stupid. Satisfying but ultimately stupid. I took a single step forward, arching my back as I spread my wings for the first time in days and soared into the sky.

* * *

Gabriel's POV

"Catalina open the door please." I knocked on her door for the third time. Hoping this time she would answer.

Please just answer the damn door.

As if she could hear my thoughts, the door slowly opened,

Damn, she looks a mess.

Her hair was a frizzy mess as her long night shirt hung off her left shoulder and of course no damn pants.

"What do you want, Gabriel?"

I'd pushed past her and she closed the door,

"You told Lucifer about your gift?" She shrugged her shoulders,

"I was drunk and wasn't thinking but it felt right to tell him."

Of course, she was drunk.

"Well, Lucifer was asking about you and your gift and your family this morning."

I could see the slight look of fear in her eyes,

"What did you tell him?"

"Just the basics, that I've known about your gift for years and that your mom is a piece of shit and your dad is a spineless tool, and that you don't speak to your brothers."

Catalina closed her eyes and dropped down back onto the bed.

"I won't tell him anything else."

"It felt nice to talk about it."

Her voice came out as barely a whisper. As if it was something she was afraid to admit.

"It felt nice to confide in someone who in a way is similar to myself."

"How do you think you and Lucifer are similar?" I asked as I took a seat at her desk. Catalina and Lucifer were vastly different. She for one never killed anyone or enjoyed the torment of others.

"We both are the outcasts of our family, we're both seen as the bad ones," She sighed and let out a low laugh,

"He honestly gets it."

There's no way she's serious right now.

"Lucifer is here to help you find an outlet for the drinking and messing around. He's not here to be your therapist, He'll be gone soon enough so don't get too used to him being around."

I didn't want her getting too attached to him. He wasn't going to be here long and the last thing I needed was her trying to bond with him and sleeping with him.

Not a picture I need in my head right now!

"I know and thank you for always looking out for me but you have to understand that there are things you can't help me with. Things you wouldn't be able to understand or relate to."

She was right. No matter what I could never understand some of the things she went through. I didn't understand what it would feel like to be outcasted from your family. I didn't understand how it felt to be the odd man out. I didn't understand what it felt like to be labeled as the problem child.

But he did. He would know all about that.

Catalina yawned as she got up and headed for her door,

"Where are you going?"

"Well since I'm up before my alarm went off, I figured I could get a few hours of reading done."

Why am I not surprised?

I couldn't help but smile as I yelled back,

"Can you at least put some pants on!"

I could hear her laugh from down the hall as I smiled and stood up, grabbed a pair of shorts from her dresser, and walked out of her room. I tossed her the pair of shorts as I walked past her library. A warm tingle pressed against the back of my neck, I glanced towards the entryway into the living room, I could have sworn I saw a dark shadow standing there.