Evenstar

by Darcy Town

  Dahlia had a hard time telling what was love making and what was friendly beating the hell out of one another. Either way, it ended up in a lot of collateral damage. She watched as Lucifer grabbed Ladriam by her wings and tossed her into another planet. Dahlia sighed. How long do we do this for? I feel like we’ve destroyed an entire solar system.

  We can switch back to my memories.

  No! I’ve had quite enough of the two of you.

  Furcas laughed again. You’re not going to get out of it entirely. There are things you need to see. Besides, you know you kind of want to.

  No, I don’t. I never thought of myself as a voyeur.

  Ladriam and Lucifer finished imploding a gas giant and soared away. Dahlia and Furcas were pulled along for the ride. The Primangels oriented back on Earth. The pair chatted and kissed.

  Lucifer held her and his voice carried, “Then we became separated. We used to be one mind then we became two. We had conversations instead of communes. I find it an interesting change. This new change, total separation, it is interesting also.”

  Ladriam twirled through space. “I do not know of anything before the conversations. I was not aware of being.”

  Lucifer smiled. “He gives me much to ponder between our talks.”

  “Do you find some things confusing?”

  “There are always things that I cannot comprehend. Only He can understand all things.”

  She sighed. “I want to understand all things too. I ask questions, sometimes He answers but—”

  “You question Him?” Lucifer frowned. It had never occurred to him to ask questions.

  Ladriam nodded. “Of course, if I do not understand something. That does not mean He always answers, but there is no harm in asking.”

  He smiled at her. “You are so unlike the others and I.”

  “He said I was an individual.”

  Lucifer mulled that over. “Individual, yet part of the whole.”

  “Yes.”

  He pulled her into a kiss. “And He let us meet to make this place.”

  She frowned. “I do not know if it was for that.”

  “It has happened, no other reason can exist.”

  Ladriam gazed into the universe. “Maybe something else should have happened?”

  He looked confused. “Should?” He thought over the concept, it was unfamiliar. There was and there was not, things happened or they did not. There was no value of whether something should or should not happen. “If it has happened then He has willed it.” He swept her into a hug. “Share this with me, this should, it is an interesting concept. I wish to know of it.”

  “Ask Him to share it. I do not know if it is my place.” She kissed him and drew his attention away. “You had a body before the creation?”

  “Yes, in Heaven.”

  “I had none regardless. This joining has given one to me.” She looked off into the darkness, her vision slightly troubled. “Have you spoken to Him since the creation?”

  “No.” Lucifer flew. “He always summoned me before. I cannot reach Him.”

  She looked away. “I…let us go back to our planet!”

  Lucifer smiled and grabbed her hands. He burned with blue fire and they streaked away. Earth came into view and the two hit an ocean, sending up a tidal wave. They skimmed the surface and skidded to a stop on an empty beach. The planet looked different, changed as things had grown and evolved as time passed.

  Lucifer touched the sand. “This is different.”

  “Yes.” Ladriam flipped him on his back and straddled him. The area around them rippled with energy.

  Seriously? Again?

  Come on, Dahl-face. I actually do have something to show you this time that is not just sex.

  The images shifted as they transitioned from her memories to his. They moved across the planet. Paimon and Furcas were locked in an embrace in the middle of a jungle. The air was humid, heavy, the colors too bright. Neon flowers and birds populated the foliage above. Lucifer and Ladriam’s energy raced across the planet and made both angels look up.

  Furcas wiped his brow and untangled his hair. “They are back. Fun!”

  Paimon smirked. “We have fun regardless of them.”

  Furcas smiled. “No, more fun now I think.”

  Paimon raised an eyebrow. “Oh really?”

  “Yes, really.”

  Paimon bit him in the neck. Furcas kicked Paimon in the stomach and darted away, smiling. Paimon hit a tree and shook himself off. He sprinted after Furcas. He ran faster and stronger. He caught Furcas. Paimon pinned him to the ground. “You are letting yourself get caught.”

  “Oh?” Furcas batted his lashes.

  Paimon embraced him. The two became mindless as the world seemed to catch fire.

  A glowing green light floated out of the earth and hovered near the two. It watched for a time as they rolled, laughed, and cried out. A foot appeared in the green light; a girl stepped out and stood on the ground, a bit wobbly. She had large red eyes and dainty features. At her back, two ghost pale wings fluttered in and out of existence.

  Furcas looked up and gasped. “Whoa! Stop.”

  “Stop?” Paimon stopped, startled. He followed Furcas’ gaze. “Whoa!”

  The little girl laughed. The two angels sat up. Paimon looked her over. “What are you?”

  Furcas pointed to her eyes. “She has Ladriam’s eyes.”

  The energy around them swelled again, making both angels sway. A child of cloudy complexion formed beside the green one. He opened his salmon-colored eyes. Furcas pointed. “Also Ladriam’s eyes.”

  Paimon grinned. “Maybe they are Ladriam’s Archangels?”

  Furcas reached out to the cloudy child. The boy smiled and jumped on him. The green girl jumped on Paimon and scrambled to his shoulders. “I am Gaea!”

  Paimon smiled up at her. “I am the Archangel Paimon.”

  “I am the angel Furcas.” Furcas smiled at the cloudy boy.

  The boy grinned, his mouth black. “I am Ouroboros!”

  Gaea wiggled happily on Paimon’s shoulders. “Where are Mommy and Daddy?”

  “Mommy and Daddy?” Paimon said the words aloud. “Do you mean Ladriam and Lucifer?”

  “Yes!” Both children said together.

  Paimon and Furcas shared a gleeful look. Paimon pointed out of the jungle. “We shall take you to them!” Gaea held on to Paimon’s red hair and kicked her heels on his chest. His skin took on a green tint at her touch. He ran, flapped his wings, and jumped in soaring bounds. Gaea shrieked in glee.

  Furcas watched them with a smile on his face. Ouroboros jumped off Furcas’ back and walked beside him. They held hands. Furcas hummed a melody for the children and they smiled, rapt. He looked at Paimon. “Do you think there are more like them?”

  Paimon nodded. “Probably.”

  Furcas grinned. “Bet I find the next one first.”

  Paimon looked him over. “You are on.”

  They passed by a lake and a little girl leapt out in a rush of water. She plowed into Furcas and his mass knocked her back, sending up sea foam into the air. He helped the girl up. “Are you all right?”

  She looked at him with burgundy-colored eyes. “Nicetomeetyou!”

  “First.” Furcas smiled at Paimon, and then pointed to the children. “Are these are your siblings?”

  She grinned. “Yes, I am Leviathan!” She linked hands with her brother Ouroboros and the group walked alongside the shoreline.

  Paimon squinted, waiting to find the next child.

  Berith, Andrealphus, and Belial landed beside them. Andy linked hands with a boy of gray with indigo eyes. Belial held a girl of midnight blue with opal eyes.

  Berith carried three children that scrambled across his body. The first was a brown and silver boy with cherry-red eyes. The second was a boy of fire with azure eyes. The third was a child of light. The child in light was too bright to make out clearly besides her neon blue eyes. Andrealphus introduced them, “Chronos, Nix, Titan, Ifr
it, and Ra. Who are yours?”

  Paimon answered, “These are Gaea, Ouroboros, and Leviathan.”

  Gaea stood up on Paimon’s shoulders. “I was first. I am eldest.”

  Chronos stuck his tongue out at her. “I was second!”

  The rest of the children got their order figured out as the angels watched in delighted awe. Gaea watched over her siblings. “Where are Mommy and Daddy?”

  Lucifer and Ladriam dropped out of the sky. Lucifer pointed. “I thought something was strange.”

  Ladriam gasped. “Lucifer, they are ours!”

  “We created them?”

  “Yes!”

  Lucifer took in their appearance. A smile graced his lips. He hugged Ladriam and kissed her. “They are ours.”

  The children rushed their parents. Ladriam swept as many as she could into her arms. She let them drag her to the ground. Lucifer picked up the extras. He stared at Ifrit. The boy belched fire in his face. Lucifer smiled and blasted him right back. The boy laughed and shot fireballs into the sky. Lucifer stared at his son, feeling something different from when he had made his Archangels. He hugged the boy tight.

  Nix and Belial chased each other. Belial laughed and swept up the little girl into her arms. Ra jumped on Belial’s back. Belial opened her wings and carried darkness and light into the sky.

  Ouroboros spun in a whirlwind. He lost his angelic body and changed to a serpent. Leviathan watched him and did the same. The two beasts saw one another and leapt at each other in a flurry of water, wind, and laughter. They ran into Furcas and pulled him down into it.

  Berith ran by chasing Titan. The boy sank into the earth only to come up behind Berith and pelt him with stones. Berith smiled and ran back the other direction. “I will get you!”

  Paimon wandered between groups until he came to Lucifer’s side. He knelt down. “I am apologetic for the time before.”

  Lucifer nodded. “You have changed, learned.” He squeezed Ifrit and set the boy down as he looked over his Archangel.

  Ladriam reached out and touched Paimon’s shoulder. “You are happy now?”

  “Very much.” Paimon nodded. “But I wish to make a petition.”

  Lucifer set Chronos down and looked him in the eye. “Yes?”

  “Furcas, I…I wish him to be Archangel.”

  Lucifer watched Furcas play with his children of air and water. He looked back to Paimon, curious. “Reasons?”

  “I love him. I do not want to lose him in the hosts when we do finally return to Heaven. I want him to be as strong, no, stronger than I am, smarter than I am. Please Lucifer. Give him my ward if you have to. Make my wings his if needed. I cannot lose him.”

  Lucifer looked at Ladriam. She nodded. Lucifer helped Paimon to his feet. “Bring him here.”

  Paimon drew Furcas over. Furcas looked bewildered. “What?”

  Paimon pushed him to Lucifer, but Lucifer passed Furcas to Ladriam. She touched the leaves and dirt in his hair and smiled. She hugged him and placed her hands on his back. The area shimmered and new wings appeared beside the two he already had, but these new wings were not blue. They shimmered deep purple, almost red. Ladriam let him go.

  Furcas looked over his shoulder and stared in shock. He opened his wings and felt the first wave of new energy. He floated without having to flap his wings. He stared into the sky and saw the links of energy and matter that united the universe. He gaped and stared at his hands. To his new eyes, symbols appeared on his flesh, inscribed in light. He focused and they surged with radiance and fire. He saw in possibilities, dreams, and change.

  Paimon hopped up and down, giddy.

  Furcas looked from Paimon to his wings and back. “You asked for this?”

  “I did!” Paimon nodded.

  Furcas grinned. The two bounded off. Furcas exploited his new strength and tossed Paimon around. Paimon did not resist; he let his lover do as he pleased.

  Lucifer and Ladriam sat down. They leaned on one another, content to watch their children play.

  Andy, Chronos, and Ifrit destroyed things. Ifrit lit things on fire and Chronos made objects decay and age. Andy pointed at rocks, metal, anything, to see what the two boys could do. He pointed out a tree stump. “That!”

  Belial dropped on his head and knocked him to the ground. She got her arms and legs around him. “Got you!”

  Andrealphus jumped away with her. They landed and bounded again. The two smashed down on boulders, pulverizing them. They looked up to see Paimon and Furcas wrestling around on the ground. Furcas laughed; he enjoyed having the upper hand. He kissed Paimon and the two plowed into a tree. Belial and Andy sat on a boulder and watched them, bemused.

  Andy looked over at Belial. “Do you want to…you know, do that, together, just you and I?”

  Belial shrugged. “Sure.”

  “I mean, we do not have to if you do not want to, but it looks fun and maybe…”

  Belial kicked him off the remnants of their rock. She grinned. “You talk too much!”

  “I should speak less?”

  Belial kissed him. She threw her arms around his shoulders.

  Andy pulled back. “Maybe we should ask Lucifer?”

  “Why?”

  “To gain his blessing.”

  Belial giggled. “Andrealphus! You are silly.” Her attention span ran out and she left him. She dashed into the fields to play with Nix and Ra.

  Andy stared after her, disappointed.

  Paimon and Furcas threw stones at him. “Just do it, stop talking about it.”

  ***

  Lucifer and Ladriam watched their children play as time slipped past. They laughed at their antics and doled out praise to a newfound ability. Lucifer was proud of everything they did; he wanted to see it all.

  Ladriam let him watch while she became lost in thought. As she looked at everything around her, at herself…she grew uneasy. She took Lucifer’s hand. “Lucifer.”

  Lucifer looked away from their children. “Yes?” She looked sad. He became worried. “What?”

  “Something does not feel right to me.”

  “What do you mean? How can anything not be right?”

  Ladriam chewed on her lip. “I…” she replayed her last conversation with Him in her head. “I do not think this was supposed to happen.”

  Lucifer was confused. “How could that be? It has happened.”

  Ladriam looked at the sky. “I love you.”

  “I love you too.”

  She shook her head. “No. I love you with everything I have. I was supposed to grow up, that was all I was told. This…this…loving you cannot be what He meant by that. I think I have disobeyed.”

  “I do not understand.”

  Ladriam kissed him. “I need to contact Him.”

  “How do you do that?”

  “You say His name.”

  Lucifer looked confused. “His name? He has a name?”

  Ladriam nodded. “Yes, . I am always able to contact Him that way.”

  Lucifer repeated the word. “ ?”

  Why can’t we hear it, Furcas?

  The name was burnt from all our memories.

  Dahlia grew cold. Oh.

  Ladriam shook her head. A presence hit her senses, strong and overwhelming. It searched for her, knew her, saw all that she had done. She cringed. “I thought you would have been told too. The fact that you were not while I was, this worries me.” The presence grew angry and then bitter. “Lucifer, I have done something I was not meant to do. I am in trouble.”

  Lucifer held her hands. “How can you think this thing?”

  Ladriam pointed to their children. “They should hide and this place should hide. Now.”

  Lucifer frowned. “I do not understand you. You are a gift from Him. This place is a gift. How can any bad come of it, of us?”

  “No, you do not see.” She shook her head. She called for the children. They came and ringed her. The Archangels followed behind. She looked at her glowing children and kissed each one in tur
n. She took Gaea’s hand. “We love you, but you must hide, all of you. Now. Come out for no one but your father. Gaea, watch over them all.”

  The children vanished, leaving the Archangels stupefied. Ladriam swept her arms out and a red pulse of light blanketed the world and raced up into the sky to encapsulate the planet. She looked at Lucifer. “Maybe you are right, maybe everything will be all right, but it might pay to be paranoid.”

  Booming and light accompanied the arrival of Michael, Barachiel, Jegudiel, Selaphiel, and Raphael. Michael landed in front of Lucifer. He looked grim and confused. “We have been told to bring you all back.”

  Lucifer raised an eyebrow. “By whom?”

  “Him.”

  “He spoke to you?”

  Michael looked torn. “He has made me speaker. You have been gone for some time, Primangel. But you will retake the position once you return, I am but your second.”

  Lucifer nodded. He took hold of Ladriam’s hand and smiled. “You will like Heaven.”

  Ladriam nodded weakly. Her eyes drifted to Raphael. The Archangel was gaunt. He took her other hand. The other Archangels looked disappointed to be leaving their world, but not worried, not unhappy. As one, the group vanished.

  ***

  Paimon struggled to stay at Lucifer’s side as Lucifer played the violin. The pressure of the sound strained his senses. His ignored the pain, eyes fixed on his body. He clenched his jaw and focused on Furcas.

  Lucifer glanced down. “Any change?”

  “No.” Paimon gasped. “Gaea needs more.”

  Lucifer played on, though his concern for Paimon was apparent on his face. He hoped Gaea knew what she was doing.

  Red light spiraled down from the earth and rushed to the Sanctuary. Gaea concentrated. She focused the energy on the red shield around Furcas and Dahlia. It was weakening, but not failing. Gaea strained. Her daughter Ceres attended her.

  The radius of death spread for miles around Lucifer and it crept ever outward. Lilliam caught and caged in Solomon Soldier compounds watched their captors vaporize. They themselves did not vanish, but the destruction song left none unscathed. They bucked and writhed. Their eyes shifted to red and black.