Lucifer's Pride

by G. P. Ching

  “I need to talk to the council.”

  He put his hands on his thighs, his eyes narrowing. “Yeah. I’m sure you guys will come up with something.”

  “So, I can’t convince you to join us again?”

  He shook his head. “No.”

  Hope retrieved her purse, her phone firmly gripped in her hand. “I’d better go. This is something I should explain to Ms. D in person.” She headed for the door.

  “Haven’t you forgotten something?” Finn asked.

  “Huh?” Hope turned back to him, confused.

  “HORU.” He handed her an earpiece. “Isn’t that why you came?”

  She shook her head, tears clouding her vision. “One of the reasons. Not the most important one.”

  “What’s the most important one?”

  “You. Our friendship.” She shook her head. “I still care about you, Finn. You’re my friend.”

  He looked down at his fingers and murmured “friend” under his breath. When he looked up again, she could feel the distance widen between them. “The earpiece has full access to all of HORU’s functionality. If you ask her, she can repopulate the databases for you.” He pointed to an identical earpiece in his own ear. “Of course, I have full access to her as well. But I don’t mind sharing her.”

  She nodded. “Thank you. We needed this. It’s going to help so much.” She took a step forward and kissed him on the cheek.

  “I think hero is the word you’re looking for,” he said, his cheeks reddening.

  “Ha-ha. Maybe.” With a strange ache in her heart like she might not ever see him again, Hope pulled open the door. “Goodbye, Finn. Talk to you soon?”

  “Anytime.”

  She gave him a little nod and strode toward the exit. Someone had to warn the team. The dagger had been compromised.

  7

  Aunt Millie

  Mike Carson pulled his aunt into a tight hug. He didn’t think it was possible, but she seemed even smaller than when he’d left, nothing but skin and bones and a thin gray bun tied high on the crown of her head.

  “Well, if it isn’t my long-lost boy come to pay me a visit.” She placed cold fingers on his cheeks and tilted his face down so she could look him in the eye.

  “I’m sorry I didn’t call, Aunt Millie. They have crazy rules at Revelations. This is the first break we’ve had since we went on tour.”

  “That’s all right. It’s just good to have you home.” She dropped her bony hands, tucking them into the pockets of her dress. The garment looked big on her. It used to fit.

  “You haven’t been eating enough. You’re wasting away,” he said.

  “Oh, bother. I have my cheese sandwiches. You know me.”

  For as long as he’d lived with her, Millie had displayed a fondness for overstuffed grilled cheese on white bread with Campbell’s tomato soup on the side. She passed this off as a luxurious and healthy meal that made up for the fact that she hardly ate for the rest of the day.

  “Well, now that I’m here, we’ll have my favorite, okay?” Mike sat her down at the small Formica table and dug some chicken out of the freezer, still untouched for the entire time he’d been gone. He preheated the oven and moved to the pantry for some potatoes.

  “Tell me how it’s going,” she said. “You could have knocked me over with a feather when I received your letter. My Michael, joining the circus.”

  He slid the chicken into the microwave and set the defrost function. “To be honest, the change took me by surprise too. It’s like you always say, when opportunity knocks you’ve got to take it.”

  “The checks you send… they’re too much. I don’t need all that money. I’ve put it in the bank for you. You can have it anytime you want it. I haven’t spent a dime.”

  He turned toward her, resting his hands on the back of his chair. They always sat in the same spots, which left his vinyl seat cracked from his above-average size. He hadn’t realized that Revelations had been sending her checks. Jenny had mentioned taking care of her, but he’d assumed that meant protecting her from Lucifer, not paying the rent.

  “I have plenty, Millie. That’s all for you, to help out around here. You need to hire someone to paint this place, fix the roof and the stairs. Do you think I sent enough to cover that?”

  Her eyes widened. “Lord knows I could buy a whole new house with what you sent me. But that should be for you, for college.”

  Michael had to turn away and close his eyes. They’d sent her a lot of money. This was good. If he could get her to use it. But then a thought crossed his mind. If he decided not to continue as the Healer, would he have to pay the money back?

  “Revelations has a scholarship program. My college is covered. That money is for you.” He said it toward the microwave door to reduce the likelihood of her detecting the lie.

  She clapped her hands together. “Lordy, that job gives and keeps on giving. What are you doing for them anyway? What’s your act?”

  He thought for a minute. “Uh, it changes. Mostly illusions. They want me to take on more responsibility, but I’m questioning whether I should.”

  “Why wouldn’t you? It seems like they’ve been treating you right. They must think you have what it takes to do more.”

  “Yeah, they do.”

  “Then why haven’t you accepted the new position?”

  He sighed. “I’m not sure I’m good enough. The people who did this before me were better suited for this type of thing. The last one had parents who were both… performers. She’d been training since childhood.”

  “Hmm.” He recognized that throaty grunt she made. A lecture was coming.

  “It isn’t—”

  “You think because we never had any money that you can’t be as good as someone who has? No, you didn’t have basketball lessons, but you played at the park from sunup to sundown. No coach. No rules. Whoever wanted to play you, you’d play. And when you made the Beaverton team, you were first string as a freshman.”

  “Basketball—”

  “And track, and football. You have always had a God-given edge when it came to sports. God-given, Michael. It says in the Bible not to hide your light under a bushel. You have an obligation to use the talents God gave you.”

  “But what if I’m not good enough? What if I make a mistake?” He pulled out the chair and sat down. “I’m comfortable the way things are.”

  She leaned back in her chair. “It sounds like you’re afraid.”

  “In the circus, we perform dangerous acts with pyrotechnics and heights. If I advance before I’m ready and make a mistake, I could be the reason someone gets hurt.”

  His aunt nodded slowly. “Mmmhmm. Accidents happen. Only, I wonder if the next person to take the role will be as careful as you. Will they care as much about the risk? Or will they be more likely to get someone hurt? You care. You’re afraid, which means you’ll be careful.”

  He chuckled. “Or, they could be better at the job than I am. I appreciate your confidence, but if someone were going to do surgery on either one of us, I’d choose the experienced person, not the scared newbie.”

  “You didn’t tell me that. Is there a more experienced person available and willing to perform this role?”

  He cleared his throat. “No. Not really.”

  “So it’s you or whoever’s behind the mystery door.”

  He shrugged.

  “Oh, Michael, didn’t you learn anything from all those Sundays I made you sit in the pew next to me at church? God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He doesn’t call the ones qualified: he qualifies the called. It sounds like this role has fallen into your lap for a reason. You’ve got to rise to the call, son.”

  “But what if it’s not safe?” Michael groaned. She wasn’t getting this. If she understood the risks, she’d never be encouraging him to do this.

  “Safe?” She made a face. “Safe? Nothing in life is safe. Your mother was shot on t
he way to the store to buy you milk.”

  “I don’t want to talk about this.” He buried his head in his hands. He hated this story.

  “She thought she was safe. Wasn’t doing anything risky.”

  Mike shook his head. He didn’t want to hear this again.

  “Stray bullet caught her in the head, and you know how they found her? Cradling that milk because she knew you needed it. She fell down bleeding but protected the damned milk. That’s how much she believed in you.”

  Tears welled in his eyes. He was too young when it happened to remember much about that day. He had the faintest idea that it was a woman with red hair who came to get him from the house. Social services. His mother had left him home alone that day.

  “They tried to find your father after it all happened, but he was long gone. So you came to me. And I was scared. I didn’t know anything about raising a son. I was scared just how you are scared. But I trusted. And it wasn’t always easy, but look at the blessings I received.” She cradled his hands in hers. “I got you.”

  The microwave chose that moment to beep. Mike stood and removed the chicken, dumping it into a glass baking dish. He added some potatoes and carrots and slid the whole deal into the oven. As long as he was here, Aunt Millie was going to eat well. He wiped under his eyes before turning back around.

  “Promise me, no matter what happens, you’ll take care of yourself while I’m gone and use the money I send you to fix this place up. I won’t be able to accomplish anything if I’m worried about you.”

  “I’m a grown woman. You shouldn’t worry about me.”

  He gave her a firm and pointed look.

  “Oh, all right. I will eat more and fix up the house if that will make you happy.” She leaned her cheek on her fist.

  “It will,” he said.

  “Now that we have that settled, I want to hear all about Revelations. How are your friends doing?”

  Michael spent the entire forty minutes of cooking time telling Millie about the show, everything Hope had told him. He talked about Jayden and Jenny and even Finn, although he put a positive spin on his words. He refused to lie outright to his aunt, but it wasn’t difficult to mislead. All he had to do was tell her enough to satisfy her curiosity and no more. Jayden performed an outrageous act filled with pyrotechnics. Finn was studying to be a magician and currently taking a break from the show to complete intensive training with a mentor. Jenny was the brains of the operation. Hope was an overall talent.

  Soon, he had turned the tables on the conversation, and she gossiped about the other ladies at the library. She described the considerable number of books she’d read since he’d been gone. They didn’t stop gabbing until both their plates were empty and his aunt could barely keep her eyes open.

  “Are you staying the night?” she asked hopefully.

  Mike nodded. “Yeah. You should get some rest. We can talk more in the morning.”

  She stood to clear their plates and kissed him on the cheek. “Good. And Michael, if you’re still not sure about this new job, ask God for a sign. He’ll give you direction if you ask.”

  He sighed. If only it were that easy. “Thanks.” He watched her walk to her room at the back of the house. He missed this—being home. Rising from the table, he washed the dishes and locked the doors. Then he climbed the stairs to his room on the second floor.

  “She’s a smart old bird.”

  Mike leaped back as Gabriel stepped from the shadows, his pearl-white wings arching over his shoulders.

  “What are you doing here?”

  “You know what I’m doing here. You’ve been called.”

  Lowering himself onto the bed, Mike leaned forward and braced his elbows on his knees. “I need more time to think about it.”

  “More time?” Gabriel growled. “We are out of time. Even now, Lucifer is gathering forces, growing stronger, and planning to wipe the Soulkeepers from the face of the Earth. The team must have a leader.”

  “Hope said I had a choice.”

  The angel became eerily quiet. He paced the room, eyes locked on Mike, body giving off a slight glow. “Everyone has a choice. Even I have free will. But you should know that a choice against something can be a choice for something else. There are unintended consequences to our choices.”

  “I need more time,” he said again, then remembered what his aunt had suggested. “I want to pray to God for a sign.”

  Gabriel’s eyebrows shot to the ceiling. His derisive snort preceded a laugh Michael feared would wake his aunt. “Are you asking for more of a sign than an angel standing in front of you? I am the messenger of God. What other sign do you need?” He spread his hands.

  Shifting under the angel’s stare, Michael tried to think of an excuse to put him off. His aunt was right; he was scared. So what? What they were asking him to do was scary! It was worth taking a moment to think about. He rubbed his eyes with his fists.

  “I just need…” Mike shook his head.

  But Gabriel wasn’t listening. He sniffed the air, then looked over his shoulder at the door. “Michael, grab your triquetra,” the angel warned.

  Mike looked up at him, confused.

  That was when he heard Aunt Millie scream.

  8

  Call Me Liam

  Hope was about to call Ms. D and tell her everything she’d learned from Finn when the smell of citrus and cinnamon made her freeze. She spun around to find Damien standing behind her. Despite herself, a sense of relief washed through her. She’d been worried about him after hearing he’d faced Lucifer again. Why? She wasn’t sure. He was immortal after all… and there was no reason for her to care as much as she did, was there?

  Standing on the street beside her, wings tucked away, he might have been anyone. He was as beautiful as always with dark hair that flopped lazily over his forehead and eyes the color of ripe wheat. Remarkably human looking.

  “Damien,” she said.

  “Call me Liam.”

  “Why?”

  “Because the name Damien reminds me of someone I no longer am.”

  She turned back to her phone. “That’s the thing about life. We can change our future, but there’s no rewriting the past.”

  “Have coffee with me. Let’s talk.”

  She whirled on him. “What will we talk about? How you deceived me? How you owned a school with the sole purpose of killing off Soulkeeper potentials and replacing them with demons? That won’t change if we talk about it. Shining a light in a sewer doesn’t make it stink less.”

  “But it shows you where to clean.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “I can’t change what I did. I can only ask your forgiveness and keep asking until you give it to me.”

  She winced. “Forgiveness takes time and distance. You need to give me room to breathe, to process everything.” She tapped her phone, annoyed the app wasn’t responding fast enough. “I have to get back to the bus and tell them what’s going on with Lucifer. It’s worse than any of us thought. The portal Finn opened is right next to the dagger’s hiding place.”

  “I know. I tried to eliminate it for them, but I didn’t have enough time. We need to consecrate the tree or the portal will remain open. I can do it if I can get close enough.”

  “Finn says Lucifer is guarding the portal. Ms. D needs to know. It’s going to be harder than she expected to retrieve the dagger and more important than ever that she’s careful if she does.”

  She tapped the app on her phone. Completely locked up. She needed a new phone. She powered her phone off and then on again. As the smell grew stronger and she felt the warmth of Damien’s body behind her, she cursed.

  “Did you hear a word I said about distance?” she snapped.

  “How long do you want me to stay away?”

  “Maybe forever.”

  He recoiled.

  “You hurt me. You lied to me. You pretended to be human and used me for your own gain. I think that means I get to be angry and resentful for as long as I need to be.”


  “Did I?” He spread his hands. “Was it in my best interest to allow you to redeem me?”

  She frowned and turned away from him. “I noticed you made sure to keep all your money. I bet that shell company you set up is rolling in it by now. I hear Damien Bordeaux’s estate was worth billions.”

  He circled until he was facing her again. “Would it help if I gave all the money to Revelations? To you? I personally don’t have a need for it anymore. You can do with it what you will.”

  Hope’s head popped up. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

  His hands came to rest on her shoulders and the warmth they infused made it impossible for her to shrug them away. Why wouldn’t he leave?

  “Please forgive me, Hope.”

  “Why? Why does it matter if I forgive you?”

  The look of hurt on his face made a spot in the center of her chest ache. “Because I love you.”

  Hope shook her head, tears forming. If the ground could open up and swallow her, now would be a good time. She didn’t want to hear this. Nor did she want to feel the breathless squeeze in her torso that made her close her eyes and want to hear him say it again. She was split in two, her heart and brain running in opposite directions. If she didn’t do something, she’d be decapitated by the wrench of it.

  He kept going. “You know it’s true. And I don’t expect you to love me back. If you don’t, I understand. But I will never be at peace if you don’t forgive me.”

  She looked down at her fingers. Forgiving him was something she wasn’t prepared to do. Her phone vibrated as it powered back on and she stared at it dumbly.

  Damien held out his hand to her. “If you need to get to Victoria quickly, don’t bother with the car. I will take you.”

  Light shone between his outstretched fingers. Beautiful, multifaceted light. It came from his skin, she knew, and from whatever it was that flowed under it. She’d heard angels bled silver, but to her, Damien had always had a gold aura. A tremor started somewhere deep within her.