Lucifer Damned (Morningstar Book 3)

by Percival Constantine

  “My friends, we know who is truly responsible for the sad state of affairs. The one who first spoke of the ideals we now strive for. Who could have turned this desolate dimension into a utopia instead of allowing his lieutenants to twist it into a dystopia. Had he simply had the courage to act instead of bowing and scraping before the angels and hiding in his tower, we could live in paradise.

  “But he was a coward. He remains a coward, having abandoned the throne so he could live among the humans.”

  Lucifer feared where this was heading and he knew he had to find a way out of here. If the crowd knew that he was here, after how much Raum was firing them up, the result would probably not be very pretty.

  But it was already too late. It wasn’t pure accident that he and Mara were attacked when they were and it wasn’t chance that he woke in a cave below where Raum was rallying his followers. Now it was clear that Raum had been behind both those actions, because he looked right at Lucifer and smiled.

  “And now, my friends, we have him here. The Morningstar himself, the great betrayer who threw us to the tender mercies of his fascist followers.” Raum pointed in Lucifer’s direction. “Let’s give him a warm welcome.”

  The demons turned to face the direction Raum pointed. And they saw Lucifer standing at the rear of the crowd, his back to the wall. A dam had broken and they rushed at him like a flood, screaming epithets.

  Lucifer tried to run, but he didn’t even know where an exit could be found. The way he came just led back to the dark cave where he woke. He tried to follow along the wall to see if it led to another tunnel, but a hand grabbed the back of his cloak and pulled him into the crowd.

  They piled on him, tearing at his clothes. Fists battered his face and body and claws rent his flesh. Lucifer attempted to fight back, trying to punch or kick his way through. But their numbers were so great that he wasn’t sure he would have been able to fight back even if he did have his powers.

  It wasn’t long before Lucifer was thrown to the ground. He tried to crawl to freedom, but the demons continued their assault. They kicked and stomped on him. Pain shot through every one of his nerves. He didn’t even know which way he was going, all sense of equilibrium was gone.

  A voice called out, dwarfing the screams of the mob. The taunts and jeers relented, as did the violence. It was only a brief respite of relief, for the pain still lingered. Lucifer tried to raise his body up, only to fall back on his face. The ground was slick with his blood, dirt and debris clinging to his skin.

  He was rolled onto his back. Lucifer’s eyelids were heavy and he tried to force them open. His vision was blurry, but even when it came into focus, the image split into two only to merge and then split again. It was Raum looking down at him, grinning.

  “Get him on his feet,” he said.

  Lucifer was picked up by his arms, held out at either side. He didn’t have the strength in his legs to stand under his own power and just hung limply in the grip of the demons who propped him up. Raum stepped up to him and clasped his face with both hands.

  “Welcome to the Badlands, Lucifer,” said Raum. “Welcome to the world you’ve created.”

  Lucifer tried to speak, but his mouth just filled with blood. His lips parted and the blood dribbled down his chin. Raum stepped back and watched the blood drip onto the ground.

  “Gotta say, it’s a real treat to see you in this state. You don’t know how long I’ve wanted to have you like this at my mercy,” said Raum. “The Morningstar himself. Revered leader of the rebellion and champion of the oppressed.”

  Raum punched Lucifer in his abdomen. Lucifer groaned.

  “Wonder why they never added hypocritical coward to your list of titles,” said Raum. “You put me in an ice prison where I couldn’t move, couldn’t speak, could do nothing other than reflect on how much I hated you and your lies. Hiding in your tower as the Court continued to become just as tyrannical as the angels you rebelled against. Just like the Presence, you became an absent leader.”

  If the number of blows Lucifer had received during the mob beating were multiplied by a thousandfold, they wouldn’t come close to landing as hard as that one accusation from Raum did. Lucifer rebelled because of the lie of the Presence. If there was no supreme power, then Lucifer believed they should live in freedom.

  But Raum was right. Lucifer had become exactly what he fought against. He felt it’d be sufficient to leave the Hell Lords to run their territories as they saw fit. He never imagined they would turn into the very kind of tyrants they once stood against.

  More than that, if he were being truly honest with himself, he would admit that he really didn’t care. Lucifer was more concerned with his own self-pity than the responsibilities of leadership. He’d failed in his mission and perhaps Raum was right to call him out like this.

  “So pathetic,” said Raum. “The Lightbringer reduced to to such a sorry state. You won’t even fight back, will you?”

  Raum punched him a few more times in the torso and then threw a final one at his face. Lucifer was nearly convinced that his head would break off his neck. He turned his gaze back to Raum and spat. Blood flew from his mouth and splattered on Raum’s face.

  The demon wiped it clean and kicked Lucifer in the chest. The force was strong enough that the two demons who held Lucifer lost their grip and he fell back. Lucifer slumped to the ground, but he was slowly feeling some strength coming back to his extremities. He groaned as he propped himself up on his hands. Though he didn’t know what exactly he’d do even if he could manage to stand.

  “Raum,” said one of his followers, placing his hand on Raum’s shoulder just as he was about to move back towards Lucifer. Raum stopped and looked at the demon, who continued to speak. “What should we do with him?”

  Raum looked at Lucifer’s battered and bloody body, struggling to stand. Lucifer got to his feet, but stumbled back and hit the wall. Instead of falling again, this time he’d managed to hold himself up, using the wall to help.

  “We’re going to do to him what he’d do to us,” said Raum. “We’re going to show the Morningstar exactly what it means to be trapped in Hell.”

  15

  Mara woke screaming. For her, only a moment had passed since she was caught in the middle of a massive explosion of hellfire. She could still feel the sensation of the flames searing her very soul. It took her a few moments to realize that she wasn’t actually in the Badlands, but lying in a bed, wrapped in black, satiny sheets. She checked her body and found no signs of distress, but then she noticed that someone had dressed her in comfortable sleepwear. And the pain from the hellfire was now gone—what she thought she’d felt was just the memory.

  She looked around the strange room and realized it was actually familiar. That’s because it was her room—or at least, it used to be. Before she was dispatched to Earth by her mistress. Which meant there was only one possibility—she was back in Lilith’s realm.

  A knock came at the door and drew Mara’s attention. She instinctively began channeling hellfire into the palm of her hand, but she relaxed when she remembered she was in a safe place. The door opened and a servant entered—a stocky demon who looked absurd dressed in a tuxedo.

  “Oh good, you’re awake,” he said in a smooth, velvety voice that demonstrated a sharp contrast to his appearance. “I am Kragmor, the mistress instructed me to see to your needs.”

  “The mistress,” Mara repeated. “Where is she?”

  “She’s out for the moment, but will return soon.”

  “And where did she go?”

  Kragmor let out an annoyed sigh. “If you must know, she is on business related to the Infernal Court.”

  “Do you know what kind of business that is?”

  “No, she did not inform me of any specifics beyond that,” said Kragmor and then added in a smarmy tone, “Perhaps because her business is none of mine.”

  Mara narrowed her eyes at the demon and felt the urge to channel her hellfire, but she suppressed it. He was jus
t doing his job. Though she wondered what came over her in that moment. Mara had always just accepted statements from Lilith without question in the past. Yet now, she wanted to know more details.

  “You’re right, I’m sorry. I’m just still in some shock after what happened,” she said. “I don’t suppose you could fill in some blanks in my memory?”

  “I thought you might ask that,” said Kragmor. “Some of our scouts in the Badlands saw an explosion. When they went to investigate, they found a destroyed carriage, several dead demons and beasts, and then you. The only survivor of what appeared to be a battle with raiders. The scouts recognized you and brought you back here, where you were treated and then allowed to rest.”

  “How much time has passed?” asked Lilith.

  Kragmor cocked his head to the side. “I’m sorry, what do you mean?”

  Lilith mentally scolded herself. “Never mind,” she said. She still behaved as if she were on Earth and not back in Hell. “You said I was the only survivor?”

  “Yes, that’s correct,” said Kragmor. “Though we do have some questions. We obviously identified some of the dead as raiders. But the others wore armor consistent with Lord Beelzebub’s forces?”

  Mara nodded. “That’s right.”

  “May I ask what you were doing with them?”

  “It’s a long story,” she said.

  “I’d be very curious to hear the details of it.”

  Mara didn’t want to divulge too much information. Even telling Lilith about all of this left her feeling a little nervous. The Hell Lord and Lucifer weren’t on the best of terms to begin with. And if more people found out that the Morningstar was back in Hell, that could create further issues.

  “What was that you said about things being none of your business?”

  Kragmor huffed. “So, that’s how it will be?”

  “It’s a very sensitive matter, Kragmor. No offense, but I don’t know who the fuck you are. You say you work for Lilith, but for all I know, there could have been a coup or this could all just be made up to look like I’m back in my old quarters.”

  “Well, good to see Earth hasn’t dulled your suspicious nature,” said Kragmor. “Very well, I shan’t press further. Though I have to inform you that the mistress will certainly seek answers from you.”

  “In that case, I’ll talk to her when she returns,” said Mara.

  “As you wish,” said Kragmor. “If there’s nothing else you require…?”

  “One more thing,” said Mara. “You said you found the remains of Beelzebub’s men and the raiders. Did you find anyone else?”

  Kragmor pursed his lips and his eyes narrowed. “I do not believe so. Why do you ask?”

  Mara just shrugged. “No reason.”

  “Was there someone else with you?”

  “I’m still feeling a little fatigued from the whole ordeal and would like to get some more rest,” said Mara, cutting short Kragmor’s line of inquiry. “Could you tell me when Lilith is ready to see me?”

  Kragmor bowed. “As you wish, my lady.”

  He excused himself and left Mara alone in her room. She climbed out of bed and went to the heavy, black curtains drawn over the windows and pulled them open. They revealed a balcony door, which she went through and then leaned on the edge of the railing.

  It was indeed Lilith’s realm, so Kragmor hadn’t been lying about that. Mara had no way of knowing if Lilith had been informed yet that she was here, but she knew her mistress would have a lot of questions. And Mara wasn’t yet sure what answers she should give.

  Lilith eventually did return and requested for Mara to join her for dinner. With the aid of magic, it was a simple matter to weave together a suit for herself that was more appropriate for dinner than pajamas. Kragmor came to fetch Mara just before dinner and escorted her to the dining hall. The little demon hovered a few feet in front of Mara, kept aloft by his wings.

  “I’ve never seen you here before,” Mara said to the servant.

  “I joined the mistress’s staff shortly after you were dispatched to Earth,” said Kragmor.

  “I was here not too long ago to report to Lilith. Don’t recall seeing you here during that time,” said Mara.

  “Perhaps I was simply attending to other duties at the time,” said Kragmor.

  Mara didn’t know why she felt so nervous and suspicious. Especially since she was in the one place in all of Hell where she should have felt completely at ease. She didn’t say another word and just followed Kragmor in silence.

  They finally arrived at the dining hall. Kragmor hovered ahead and opened both doors, then moved to the side and gestured for her to enter. Mara stepped through the entrance and saw a table laid out with two place settings and a bottle of wine in the center of the table. Kragmor hovered over to the bottle and picked it up, then went to one of the place settings and retrieved a stem glass.

  “Would you care for a drink?” he asked.

  “Sure,” said Mara.

  Kragmor poured the red wine into the glass, returned the bottle to its proper setting, and then carried the drink over to Mara. She took the glass from him and sniffed the wine first before taking a tiny sip. Her suspicions rising again.

  Mara heard the sound of a door and turned to the source. There was another entrance on the opposite side of the room from where her and Kragmor entered. And it was through these doors that Lilith appeared. Her red hair was expertly weaved and set on top of her head and she wore a tight black dress that clung to her curves. Her lips curled into a friendly smile when she saw Mara and her yellow eyes brightened.

  “So, it is you,” said Lilith as she approached Mara. “When they told me what had happened, I was more than a little surprised. Certainly wasn’t expecting to see you back here again so soon.”

  “I wasn’t expecting it, either,” said Mara as she sipped her wine.

  “Well come on and sit down, let’s talk about it.” Lilith then turned to Kragmor and said, “You can start bringing out the food.”

  Kragmor passed Lilith her own glass of wine, then bowed before his wings carried him off to carry out his orders. Lilith sat at her place at the table and Mara took her own seat.

  “I was told that you were found in the Badlands. The sole survivor of a battle between raiders and Beelzebub’s men,” said Lilith. “How exactly did you find yourself in the midst of that?”

  Mara sighed and set her glass on the table. She glanced at the door and waited for some sign of Kragmor or any other servants. Telling Lilith the truth was a necessity, but she didn’t want anyone else to hear.

  “Mara?” said Lilith. “I asked you a question.”

  The doors opened and Kragmor led a few servants in who carried metal trays of food. They set the dishes in front of both Lilith and Mara, then removed the covers to reveal steaming cuts of roasted dragon meat. Mara waited until the servants left and her and Lilith were alone again.

  “I’ll tell you everything,” she said. “But it’s a very sensitive matter. And I’m more than a little concerned about prying ears.”

  Lilith’s head flinched back. “Are you saying you don’t trust my people?”

  “I trust you, my mistress,” said Mara. “Everyone else is a question mark.”

  “Very well.” Lilith picked up her knife and fork and started cutting into the dragon meat. “I’m listening.”

  “The reason I didn’t come directly to your realm is because I’m not here to see you. I came here on a mission,” said Mara. “And I didn’t come alone.”

  “Who did you come with?”

  Mara hesitated and looked around just to be certain they were truly alone. Then she said in a softer tone, “The Morningstar.“

  Lilith’s knife stopped cutting through the meat. She set both her utensils down and reached for the wine, taking a long sip this time. “I thought Lucifer abdicated the throne for a life on Earth.”

  “He did, and it was his intention to stay there. Still is. But he’s run into some complications.”


  “What kind of complications?”

  Mara paused again before giving voice to this next revelation. “Lucifer’s become mortal. No senses, no powers, nothing celestial exists in him any more.”

  “I see…” said Lilith. “But if he wanted to live on Earth, what should it matter if he’s human or not?”

  “For one thing, he still has enemies out there. In fact, it was just such an attack that prompted his decision to return.”

  “And he assumes returning to Hell can somehow restore his powers?” asked Lilith.

  Mara nodded. “That’s the theory.”

  “So why Beelzebub? Why not come to me or go directly to the new king?”

  “Lucifer felt Beelzebub could be trusted and he thought going to Cross might risk being seen as trying to undermine his rule.”

  “And me?”

  Mara took a sip and shifted in her chair. “You’re…not exactly his biggest fan.”

  “That’s a fair characterization,” said Lilith. “So where is Lucifer then?”

  Mara looked down. “I don’t know.”

  “What?”

  “Beelzebub provided us transportation and an escort to reach Cocytus, but we were attacked en route by raiders. Beelzebub’s men were killed and I was knocked out by a hellfire blast.”

  “And the Morningstar?”

  “Kragmor said no one else was found.”

  “So the Morningstar could have died in the raid?”

  “Possibly, but I think there would have been some remains,” said Mara. “Yet raiders aren’t known for taking prisoners.”

  “No, they’re not,” said Lilith. “Which means this may not have been a simple raid. It may have been planned.”

  “Beelzebub mentioned something about a threat rising in the Badlands,” said Mara.