by Darcy Town
Barachiel walked towards them slowly. He smiled at his mace. “Oh, Paimon…”
Furcas rolled his chair, putting himself between Barachiel and Paimon. “Don’t touch him again!”
Barachiel shook his head as he neared Furcas. “Are you his guardian angel too?”
“I—” Furcas doubled over and coughed up blood.
Barachiel frowned and lowered his mace. “Please get out of the way, Furcas. I do not want or need to hurt you.”
Furcas wiped his lips. “Fuck you.”
Barachiel sighed. “Why an angel ever got messed up in the business of Archangels has always confused me. You and Helion were two of my best.”
Furcas glared at him defiantly. “I received two sets of wings. I was as Archangel as them.”
Barachiel smiled sadly. “And you have none now. Was it worth it?” He stepped closer.
“Yes.” Furcas wheeled himself backwards in jerks.
“But you have nothing now. You had a purpose in Heaven.”
“I have everything I want here.”
“No, you do not and you never will.” Barachiel held out his hand to Furcas. “You will not know true contentment unless you come back with me.”
“I’m Fallen!”
“But you do not have to be.” Barachiel smiled kindly. “You were misled and I will forgive you. You will be content with me, Furcas. You will lose your foolish desires.”
“Bullshit.” Furcas lit up. He gnashed his teeth and kept his eye on Barachiel. “How do you know what I want?”
“You are still one of my guardian angels. I know your desires now just as I always did. I can restore you your wings if you come back with us and help us. I know he…” he looked at Paimon’s body with disgust. “Was the one that corrupted you. He brought you to this with his lies. It was not your fault. Not really, you were misled by greater angels. Because of him you have suffered, became less pure. Come back to me.”
Furcas stuck his chin out. “He did nothing like that.”
Barachiel sighed. “You are so confused, Furcas. I can help you.”
Paimon limped up behind Furcas, his neck bruised. “We gave him his wings, not you, Barachiel. We made him Archangel. He is one of us, not one of your pawns.”
Barachiel pointed his mace at Paimon. “And he lost them for you. He lost everything he had for you! He was happy in his simple existence. He feels only pain, loss, and regret since he has been with you. You did this!”
Paimon snorted. “Right. Like I ever—”
“I know what you did to him, Paimon.” Barachiel trembled with anger. “I know and your sin will never be forgiven.”
Paimon went pale.
Furcas scratched at his scalp. “Get the fuck out of my head!”
Barachiel lost his kind visage. “Archangel Furcas.” He laughed. “What were you ever the Archangel of besides lost causes? Just like everything you have ever wanted or fought for, a lost cause.”
Furcas sniffled quietly. “Nothing is a lost cause.”
Paimon got in front of Furcas. “You want to know what he really was, Barachiel? He was your replacement!”
Barachiel balked. “What?”
Paimon slammed into Barachiel. They plowed through a storefront, breaking through glass and concrete. Paimon tore out of the debris. He landed in front of Furcas and addressed him, “You are not the Archangel of Lost Causes.” He put his hands on either side of Furcas’ face and wiped away his tears with his thumbs. “You are Hope incarnate, start acting like it!”
Furcas looked at his ruined arm. “So you keep telling me…”
“Sometimes!” Paimon shook the wheelchair by its handles. “You aggravate the fuck out of me!”
Barachiel leapt out of the storefront and hit the pavement, sending out cracks. “Hope?” He laughed and sneered at Paimon. “Do you want to know what he wants, what he hopes for in vain? It is so sad! The two of you are so pathetic.”
Paimon straightened and turned to face Barachiel. “Fuck you too.”
“You were always a poor excuse for an Archangel, Paimon, flawed from the start. First to abuse, first to torture, first to inflict your misery on others. You were all of Lucifer’s faults made flesh.”
Paimon grimaced, but said nothing. Tree roots broke through the ground at Barachiel’s feet and stabbed at his wings. Barachiel flew higher and smiled. “Furcas, I can tell you what Paimon’s heart truly desires. It is not you, you know. You were always just a means to an end. He and Lucifer are very similar in that fashion, cold and uncaring, taking what they wish. Remember how you were treated? Do you not remember what he was? He never really changed, not deep down and you know it.” Barachiel raised his mace. “Furcas, are you really willing to die for someone that does not love you?”
“Liar!” Lightning blasted into Barachiel, smashing him to the ground. Furcas glowed blue and white as electricity rippled across his body. “Everything you have ever said is a lie! You don’t care about your angels! You used us in your ever so important tasks! You let them die in the war so that you could avoid fighting! You are jealous that I escaped, that I found something to live for! Helion found something as well! You are an empty!” Lightning strike. “Abusive!” Strike. “Lackey!” Furcas collapsed in his chair. Electricity snapped around him and went out.
Barachiel laughed. “And you are still a fool. You have a lot of passion, Furcas, I will give you that, but you are so easily misdirected. It is not a surprise that Paimon was able to get control over you.”
“He doesn’t control me!” Furcas snarled.
“Hey.” Paimon put his hand on Furcas’ shoulder. “Calm down and stop listening to him. It’s just words.”
“Just words.” Barachiel nodded. “Words cause doubt, hatred, wars, and death. Words are important, Paimon.” He looked at Furcas and smirked. “I am giving you one more chance to come back to me. Forget these stupid dreams. You know Paimon cannot give you what you want.”
Furcas stared at the ground.
“Bullshit! I give him everything he wants!” Paimon slammed a car into Barachiel. He shone with green and blue light. Plants raced and stabbed at the Archangel, following him into the air as he flew higher. Seedpods burst, shooting acidic sap at the Archangel. Plants, barely looking like flora, belched flame and noxious gas. Flowers snapped petals lined with razor sharp teeth.
Barachiel ignored them and hovered over the pair. He spoke to Furcas, “Paimon is going to get himself killed and then you really will be alone, just like you fear.”
Paimon glared at him. “He goes nowhere alone!”
“Really?” Barachiel smiled. “Furcas does not seem to think that is true. You left him alone for some time, Paimon. You abandoned him. You were not there for him when he needed you the most. You were too busy thinking about yourself. You have only ever thought about yourself.”
Paimon snarled. “You don’t know anything about us or what we’ve had to go through!”
“On the contrary.” Barachiel rolled his eyes. “I know more than you, I can see everything he is thinking as plainly as if spoken aloud. He is so afraid.” Barachiel laughed at Furcas. “Terrified. Oh Furcas, you should have listened to me.”
Paimon seethed. “So that he could be what? One of your mindless drones?”
“He would not be afraid at least.”
“He wouldn’t be happy either!” Paimon stomped towards Barachiel. “We might have our issues, but at least we have something that is ours!”
Barachiel sighed and flew overhead. “See what he does, Furcas? He says things that he does not really mean and you stupidly put yourself at risk for him. He makes you suffer for his mistakes. When he goes wrong, you are always the one that ends up hurt, look at you now. How many times will it take before you realize this? How many times are you going to let Paimon hurt you before you realize that he does not really love you? In fact, he enjoys hurting you, Furcas, he gets off on it. Paimon loves it when you suffer.”
Furcas held his head and stared at
his feet. Tears streamed down his cheeks.
“You ineffective shit!” Paimon launched cars at Barachiel. “You can’t even fight! You just hover and blabber about bullshit you don’t know anything about!”
Barachiel shrugged. “I am just buying time until Michael can get here.”
Paimon’s eyes flicked to the sky.
Barachiel laughed and lifted his mace. “I should—”
A flame whip cracked the Archangel across the face. A being of fire smashed into him, sending him careening into the nearest building. The Fury landed on the concrete and snapped her whip sending a fireball chasing the Archangel.
Paimon nodded to her. “Apple.”
Apple saluted. A squad of City Guard marched up the street, weapons drawn. They were tired, battered, but alive. She smiled. “You always throw the best parties, sensed you from miles away.”
Paimon grinned. “Always open invite. What happened to Berith and Lucifer?”
“Those two can never party for very long. They had to go home like old men.”
Barachiel snarled and leapt into the air. He spotted Apple. “Two Fallen and the Princess, Michael will be so pleased.”
Furcas tried to wheel his chair to Paimon’s side, but he did not have the strength. He rocked himself out of the chair and crawled across the concrete trailing blood behind him.
Paimon looked at him, horrified. He ran over and picked him up. “What the fuck are you doing?”
“You need to know, he was lying!” Furcas clung to his clothes. “It was worth it and I don’t believe what he said about you.”
“Now’s not the time to talk about this! I said later!”
Furcas shrugged, barely able to keep his eye open. “Of course it is time, we could die. There might be no later.”
Apple threw herself at the Archangel.
Paimon grimaced. “Fine.” He sent a wave of vines at Barachiel to distract him as Apple launched fireballs. He looked at Furcas out of the corner of his eye. “I never got bored with you or fell out of love, not once, not ever.”
Paimon flicked his wrist and trees swung their branches like clubs. “But I’ve had your fall on my conscience and I’ve been guilt ridden since you lost your wings. Then the lamin thing happened and I just couldn’t take it anymore! I led you astray in the first place. I hurt you. I couldn’t prevent what happened during the war, and then I couldn’t even save you from stupid fucking humans!”
Paimon growled and pointed at Barachiel. “That dim fucking excuse of an Archangel is right! All of the shit you’ve been through is my fault! I should never have let you get near me in the first place. I don’t know what I was thinking! I wasn’t thinking! If I’d never petitioned Lucifer, you’d still be in Heaven, whole.” He looked away. “All I wanted to do was make you happy, but all I’ve done is bring you misery.”
Flames and acid filled the air overhead. Paimon focused and seedlings in the air burst like mini bombs around Barachiel’s face. “I tried to make you see that by keeping at a distance, but it only made you unhappy. So I came back…for you. I realized there was no taking back what had occurred. I couldn’t undo what happened to either of us and all I was doing by hiding from you was hurting you, again. I was punishing you for my crimes. I only seem to cause you pain.”
Furcas blinked away sleep. “Why didn’t you say that? You just popped back around with no explanation, acting as if nothing had happened. We hadn’t seen each other in centuries. I hadn’t heard from you, and you just come back out of the blue. What was I supposed to think?”
Paimon scowled. “I’m no good at talking about my feelings! I just thought you knew with your intuition or something! So—” Explosions knocked them back. “I’m sorry! I’m sorry for everything! If there is anything I can possibly be sorry about, I’m sorry about it! And I love you, I always have and I’ve never fallen out of love with you, got it!”
“Got it.” Furcas smiled a little. “Apology accepted.”
Paimon dodged as Barachiel sent an arc of searing light at them. “Are we fine now? Everything’s aired and no more miscommunications? You’re wonderful; I’m a dumbass, everything back to normal. Right?”
Furcas nodded and leaned his head on Paimon’s shoulder. He smiled.
Paimon looked back up at Barachiel. “Now tell me what he meant by saying you could not get everything you wanted. What haven’t I been able to give you? Tell me now.”
Furcas drifted off towards sleep. “A baby.”
“A kid?” Paimon looked at him, confused. “How is that impossible? We can go adopt one pretty easy. There are plenty of Lilliam orphans that need—”
“No.” Furcas’ voice trailed off. “I want to create your baby.”
Paimon’s mouth dropped open.
Light as bright as the sun illuminated the space around them. Phoenix stepped out of the light, followed by Agni. Agni grabbed Apple and launched a jet of flame at Barachiel that engulfed the entire street.
Phoenix expanded her portal and pointed. “In now, all of you!” She grabbed Paimon’s hand and pulled the pair as the rest of the City Guard followed. Agni stepped through last with Apple in tow. The light flashed and the street was empty.
***
The group materialized inside the palace. Apple landed on her ass, shook herself out of Agni’s grip, and tried to throw herself back through the portal. Queen Daphne grabbed Apple’s hand and doused her flaming daughter in ice water; she slapped Apple then hugged her. Berith was next in line; he wrapped her in a hug and refused to let her go. The City Guard backed away from the area, spotting the King, Queen, and the rest of the Fallen.
Phoenix and Agni faded out.
“What?” Paimon cradled an unconscious Furcas in his arms, gaping at him. “You want to create my what?”
Lucifer looked at Furcas’ injuries. He opened his mouth to speak when Furcas lit up gold and white. Lucifer’s face drained of color. “She is in imminent danger.”
Furcas went limp; blood dripped from him a steady stream. Ceres blinked into existence, took one look at Furcas, and teleported him to the Sanctuary. Paimon followed on foot. Lucifer ran alongside him. “How long has he been flashing?”
Paimon shook his head. “A day I think.”
“Where is she?”
Paimon scowled. “He doesn’t know, so I don’t know.”
Lucifer grabbed his wrist and stopped him. “How can he not know?”
Paimon punched Lucifer. “He is dying!” He took off at a run. “Damn it, where is the Sanctuary? This place always confuses me!”
Lucifer grabbed him and morphed the building, dropping them off in the room outside the Sanctuary. “They are inside, do not interrupt.”
Paimon paced in front of the locked door.
Lucifer watched him. “What has he said about Dahlia?”
“That they have Andy, Dahlia, Helion, and Whitney in some kind of room. So far they’ve ignored Dahlia, Furcas would know, but they’re torturing Helion and Andy.”
Belial stormed in. “Who is torturing them?”
Paimon rubbed his eyes. “Same people that have Dahlia.”
Belial pushed him. “Well where are they?”
Paimon backed up against the Sanctuary door. “I don’t fucking know! All right! Furcas is dying! He isn’t exactly coherent when he’s raving!”
Berith stepped in-between the two groups; Apple sat on his shoulders. He held his hands up. “Furcas will know once he is healed, they can heal him, we wait. It is all we can do.” The Fallen stared at the small door silent, worried, and angry.
***
Friday
Solomon Soldiers handcuffed Dahlia and Whitney to a metal ring in the floor. They were left able to sit up, but were only a few feet away from the fire. Whitney slept leaning on Dahlia. Both of them were exhausted.
Dahlia strained to stay awake, fearing what would come if they slept. She shifted her position; her body ached. The heat from the fire had burned her left side, leaving her bare patches of ski
n red and blistered. She’d puked up everything she’d been given to eat or drink. The smell of burning flesh sent her into spells of nausea. She winced as the flames burst forth again, not for her pain, but for Andy’s.
Andy seemed to be unaware of his body. He spoke Belial’s name when he had enough of a tongue and mouth to do so. Dahlia watched him as the flames died once more. With each flame burst, it took longer for him to recover. He mumbled to himself, his thoughts elsewhere.
Helion leaned towards Andy, seeking to give him comfort but ordered to be silent. The human that worked on Helion broke his fingers with snaps. A weak whimper escaped Helion’s lips.
The man wiped his brow. “This one has an amazing pain tolerance.”
Another human flipped channels on the TV. “Look, see in Portland, finally. I told you something was going on, the news just didn’t want to switch, but it’s all over the radios and web.”
The man at Helion’s side squinted and nodded. He turned back to Helion. “Tell me who caused that. You are allowed to speak.”
Helion gasped. “Furcas and Paimon.”
The man watching television leaned closer to the screen. “They’re in the database. We had them both for a time. Very damaging to the Lilliam, especially the one called Furcas.”
The torturer looked to Helion. “Where are their lamins now, demon?”
Helion shook his head. “I don’t know!”
The man sighed. “You are the most pathetic fallen angel we have ever come across. Why is it that you know absolutely nothing?”
Helion dropped his gaze. “I was just a guardian angel until recently.”
The man at the television looked over his shoulder. “So who’s the one in the flame seal?”
Helion tried to stifle his answer, but he had no way of getting around it. “Andrealphus.”
The two men looked Andy over. “Andrealphus? We had you for a while didn’t we? Had you raze three whole villages to the ground.”