Lucifer had sent for a gargoyle that he had been forced to exile from The Conclave due to her beliefs in science. The exile had initially been under the order given by the former head of the ancient law. Now, given the change in the tide, Lucifer needed the woman he had turned so long ago. Naddia Copernicus, the bastard daughter of the famed astronomer, Nicolaus Copernicus.
Naddia had been exiled over five hundred years ago. It was an exile that Lucifer himself felt stung over. Her radiant beauty reminded him so much of an ancient human he had once fancied. He even once thought she was the reincarnation of his long-lost interest.
Naddia was reluctant to take his invitation. He had always kept tabs on her. Her love for science, like her mortal father, spurred her on to study and adapt many scientific fields under her belt. Genetics being one of them.
She entered the stone chamber wearing a trench coat, a black one. Underneath it, was casual wears, nothing fancy or revealing, simply casual wears. The brunette didn't bow, nor did she courtesy like in the old days. She simply crossed her arms and put her right foot forward and leaned a little. Her voice didn't tremble either. "I got your summons." She was short-tempered, she had every right to be.
Lucifer stood up and just glared forward. He didn't show any emotion. Being a gargoyle, sentiment wasn't common to his breed, but on rare occasions, he did have some feeling, and for Naddia, this was one of the exceptions; however, he couldn't let her know that. "I did send for you Naddia."
She had been escorted in by two brutes in reptilian form, neither of them gargoyle, but gorgons. They left her after Lucifer motioned to them with a flick of the wrist.
Before Lucifer could address her; however, a man came lurking in, wearing a white lab coat and a shiny silver tie around his neck. The man moved quickly but cautiously. He seemed nervous.
Lucifer grunted, "What is it now, Dartis?"
The man cowered. His voice trembled. He didn't want to be here for a very good reason. He had seen what happened to those who brought news that Lucifer was displeased with, and today, he had bad news to give. "Lord Lucifer. Our investigative team... I…"
The dark-haired gargoyle king blurted out, "Spit it out Dartis. What is it?"
"The recovery teams. The one you wanted to investigate whatever it was that Damien Winters and Miss Rutherford were trying to make sure burnt to ash…"
His voice echoed a little. "Yes?"
"I'm sorry my lord, but the reconstruction team couldn't recreate anything from the briefcase or the pages. It would seem that whatever paperwork they had tossed into the fireplace where you encountered them, it was in the fire too long."
Lucifer grunted again. "You're telling me, that nothing could be restored? Surely something? Those two put up a hell of a fight to make sure whatever it was burned. Something important was in those papers. There was nothing left?"
Dartis slowly rose upward, his dark brows quivered. "I'm sorry my lord, the only thing that did, it was nothing useful. Nothing in regard to the Society at all survived, only a single page. The page had nothing to do with any weapon or plans at all, just something about their daughter, Sara, and nothing more."
Lucifer scoffed, "Poor, poor Lilith, probably some mortal death certificate the sentimental old bat wanted for safe keeping."
This time he growled. "I have an interview to perform Dartis, send me a copy of whatever that letter was, and do not disturb me again until you see me in council, understood?"
Dartis nodded quickly and lurked out of the room.
His attention returned to Naddia. "Do forgive the interruption, I will get directly to the point. I will make one thing clear Naddia. We need your help to simply put it, I am willing to offer you full reinstatement to The Conclave."
The brown-haired woman laughed. "You're fucking joking?"
"I am not…"
She huffed, the fact that he made that offer, enraged her. Her skin crawled, literally. Scales, black ones, washed across her face, like a wave moving across her flesh. She didn't transform, only her skin waved twice and resumed it's flawless lite bronzed color.
"Naddia, you never defected to this new order, nor any of the others. I know you are still a believer in the old ways. We immortals being the superior ones. If we are to continue, our order must evolve, otherwise this travesty. This heresy of humans and immortals living as one will continue to thrive."
Naddia was a mortal once, that part was correct. After being given immortality, she believed herself to be superior to humans in every way and prided herself on the intellect that had been enhanced by the immortal gift she was given. She too had her pride. "You exiled me. Every theory I proposed, had me struck down as a heretic, a mad lizard gone astray from the tenants of immortal law. Why the fuck should I come back to you now?"
He paced. He turned around, tugged at his chin, and looked at her. His accent, fluently British most days, reverted to something older. "We are the immortals, the true masters of this world. Science may be the new religion of this existence, but it does not change the fact that we are immortals. We are the rightful rulers of this world, and if science must be the new faith we go by as we go forward, then who better to have craft our new tenants than you, my dear?"
He approached slowly, luring her in as best as he could. He tried his old way of offering something in exchange for power. Power always won out, and he had used this ploy countless times. Providing mortals power by enthralling them. Modifying them with his blood. But… She was already an immortal, so power of a different matter would be his offer. "You can be our Bishop of Scientific arts, my dear. Write new laws for The Conclave. Be the author of the new faith that grows within our ranks. Write your tenants of the scientific bible that we shall hold dear and true as our laws. Now that I am the Overlord, it is within my power to offer such prestigious placement amongst The Conclave. I will only offer this once and once alone. Should you decline, I have others in mind…"
"I will only make this offer to you once Naddia. Return, with my blessing and as my Bishop of The Scientific Arts, and a seat on my council signifying it. Rebuke me, and exiled, you shall remain."
She rolled her eyes, but what he had said was something she had always dreamed of. It was the lure, the right lure, to catch her attention. Still, she had to question it. "Let me guess, The Society of Night has advanced enough to, well, let us face it, it is fucking 2118. And you want to even the playing field?"
He walked around her, smiling. "You said it once before, when Overlord Rankor rebuked your claim, that if The Conclave was to continue, it must adapt to the times. I am offering you what you were denied."
She knew he wanted something else. "Aside from writing the tenants, I know you want something else Lucifer, you always want something else. And I'm not some human that wants to become a witch, which by the way, they were never witches. All you did was create powerful psychics, much like these Sensitives that have evolved without Immortal blood to spur the change."
He sounded coy. He opened his arms bowing. "What can I say. The old ways made what we are sound more magical. Now, mankind would have us believe we are simply infected."
She smirked. "We are oddities of nature Lucifer, created by something Alien."
He seemed bored. "Yes, I do watch television. The feeds have been informative. Regardless, we are the result of something cosmic, that I can live with."
He rolled his eyes. "I do have something else Naddia…."
She scoffed. "I knew it."
He smirked. "But first, will you accept my offer, or will you not?"
She knew he wouldn't say anything else after posing his question. She knew him. He never offered something twice. He delighted in rubbing it in the faces of those who refused him when they either changed their minds or entered a situation to where his offerings would have made a different outcome. He loved seeing the looks on the faces of those who became despaired from those revelations. "Of course, I will come back and accept the seat of Bishop of your Scientific Arts."
&nb
sp; He reached his hand out. He was always a little melodramatic, allowing his dark claws to form. "Should I have you sign something, my dear? Or just shake on it?"
She extended her hand. "Shaking will suffice."
The two shook hands, he brought his other hand to embrace her right hand as they continued signifying an agreement. "Then we have an accord. Delightful."
He turned around. "Come with me, Bishop Copernicus. I have the other task that I need revealed."
She followed him down two corridors made of stone. Like Xairin's labyrinth trials. Lucifer was underground in a mountain as well. The hallways were smooth. Naddia reached out to feel them. Smoothed by hand by countless slaves over an eon or two. Lighting was provided in the form of fire, not old school torches, nor something modern, but actual flames that shot up through vents drilled into the floors from a chamber beneath them. Lucifer was a gargoyle after all, and reptiles did like the heat. For Lucifer, however, fire was more prototypical of what mortals thought him to be. He felt it fitting.
He led her into another room filled with equipment she would feel right at home with. The latest in medical technology, sparing no expense in the purchase of her new toys. That, however, wasn't what surprised her. Seeing Lady Lilith on top of a medical bed, with IV sedation always running into her veins, now that was the surprise.
To Lilith's right, Damien Winters was similarly confined. Naddia didn't recognize him right off, but Lilith was well known to be Lillian Rutherford, the very leader of The Society of Night.
Naddia rushed to the medical bed self-propelled by a green laser at each corner of the medical bed. She gasped and turned to face the man who made her the gargoyle she was. "You have Lilith in the flesh, here?"
He pointed to the dark-haired man beside her in the other bed. "And Lord Dracula."
Naddia gasped again and backed away from the table. Chills shot up her spine and down her extremities. For him to have subdued not only Lilith but Lord Dracula as well, Lucifer had increased in strength. That made her fearful. "I…."
He waltzed over. "Lilith is immune to silver, an ability that has given her an edge in combat for as long as I have known her. No one, not a single immortal, has ever figured out how, or why she has this immunity." he looked at Naddia. "Mortals have silver weapons, they have put it in the very air, some silver gas that has killed several of us. They can even put it in the very water we drink. I am no fool to this, and I know that is why her followers are so eager to keep the mortals happy. But… If we can figure out how to make all of us immune, that puts us back to where we rightfully belong and allows us the edge we need over the heresy that is her Society…"
He put both hands on her shoulders. "I want you to unlock the secrets of her immunity so that you, Bishop Copernicus, can bestow this gift to the masses that believe that our way is the one true path…"
She looked at Dracula lying there. She had seen him ages ago, with a different face. This face he had now, was far more seductive, a handsome ruggedness that pulled at her eyes, keeping them fixated on his tasty youthful look. She stuttered. "What about Lord Dracula? He was never immune?"
Lucifer scoffed. "Aside from him being a chess piece, one that I need to be kept in check, I also want you to figure out why he is stronger and faster than the average grand alpha vampire?"
"Dracula and his brother Radu, are only six hundred and fifty-six years old. They both are stronger than any two-thousand-year-old grand alpha I know. I find it curious. Other than him being a piece in this game of chess I wish to win, I want that secret unlocked as well… Understood?"
It dawned on her. Dracula, Vlad Tepes, had a brother, a brother named Radu who also was bitten by the same bat, once thought to be a demon. Radu was equally deadly in combat and knowing Lucifer, it was a bargaining chip to keep Radu in check, not so much anyone else. It did make her curious, however, as to what he had just said. Dracula and Radu being stronger and faster than they should be for vampires as young as they were. "You're afraid of Radu retaliating? Or joining the mortal loving heretics?"
Lucifer growled. He hated being figured out. "Radu is a well-known neutral, much like Vlad was before Lilith sweet-talked him into joining her. Radu may be unpredictable, but one thing about him is quite predictable… He loves his brother, and I have a game of chess that needs no further surprise moves."
She looked at him. His eyes, a deep brown, became black, with red slits. "I take it there have been a few surprises that even you didn't foresee coming?"
He growled. His forked tongue flickered from his statuesque face. "Aywren Sateele defected to Lilith's cause. As have a few others…"
Naddia looked concerned. Aywren was deadly, an enforcer that was renowned for her savagery in battle. Such a defection was undoubtedly a blow. "Oh, dear."
Two horns, resembling that of a black goat, arose from the sides of his forehead. He hissed. "I have sent for every warrior and mind worth having that has been in hibernation to be awoken. I play to win Naddia, which is why I sent for you."
There was one immortal that had the same values that Lucifer carried faithfully to him. Another gargoyle that would never be sent for. She still had to ask. "Surely not your father then?"
Lucifer turned around. His fanciable flesh erupted into thick black scales. His wings burst from his wingslits. Thick long black claws developed, along with curved fangs, much like that of a viper, dripping venom. His height reached seven feet easily, with a reptilian tail, and clawed feet, gripping at the earthen floor. His voice turned deeply guttural, "Do not ever bring up the name Mephistopheles in my presence again…"
The gargoyle stormed off, leaving Naddia to her thoughts. "I guess the family feud is still in full swing."
Chapter 10
Detective Ezra Huxley was sitting behind his desk fiddling with a stylist from his tablet. He couldn't help but think if he had done the right thing when it came to what was said at the end of his date with Xairin. K2 felt otherwise. It was the first time in all of Ezra's life that he had ever been chastised by a droid for matters in the heart.
He kept checking his cell phone. Xairin had yet to text him. In fairness, he hadn't text Xairin. A stalemate of wills.
Ezra eventually put his phone down and returned his gaze to his computer screen. A new murder had turned up. Same as the rest, the body decapitated, dismembered, and shattered glass found within him.
Alberta Fentrose was breathing down Ezra and Marine's necks. It wasn't just the LGBT community demanding justice now, it was the families and friends of the victims who joined the quarrel against Interpol's lack of action in discovering the assailants against the fallen men, slain horrifically.
Grace Tomlin, a young woman, who had ascended the ranks quickly at the Academy of Faustin, an establishment well known for producing the best investigative agents the G.A. had to offer, had been joined the team. She was youthful, barely twenty.
The new recruit was tying her blond hair up into a bun as she sat beside Marine. Marine tolerated the young girl.
As for Hannibal Quessenberry, he was also studying his computer. For weeks they had been at this case. For Ezra and Marine, it had been months. The public was losing faith, and the damage to Interpol's reputation needed mending. The team had to do something soon.
Marine scoured over the details of the victim she went to investigate that was found in the train tunnel, while Hannibal looked over the details of the victim before him. Grace was looking over more information pertaining to the latest victim. Scott Summers.
Scott's abduction had been linked to the hookup app Manfinder. He had logged in three days ago, met a profile going by Dickyoudown. Details of the chat logs were typical, Dickyoudown, messaged Scott first. Scott listed that he was a bottom, Dickyoudown, a raging top. They exchanged a few pictures. Dickyoudown never sent a face photo.
Looking over Scott's profile, she looked for anything in common with the other cases. She brought up a screen showing each face and noticed something. "They're all sensitives!"
Ezra's concentration was broken and turned around. "Excuse me?"
Grace looked over her shoulder. "Sensitives, they're all sensitives, every single one of them. Ranging from level ones, all the way to level eight."
Marine turned around. She cocked her head. "What?"
Grace pointed out. "Scott Summers, in his profile, he has sensitive listed. Same thing with Jason York, Albert Porter, and David Hostling. Then when I looked at the victims that were picked up at a bar. Each one scanned in their identification, they were all sensitives."
Grace scoffed. "Pfft, you all were assuming a racial link, but you were thinking skin color, this bastard is racially profiling, but not the color of their skin, but whether or not they're human or more than human."
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