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“After the fall? I didn’t think that was possible.”
“None of us did, not until Micah suggested it.” I sighed. “Helena was probably the last, best angel left on Earth before Medrion killed her. She sacrificed herself so that I would be able to get up into Heaven and stop all of this. Instead, I made it worse.”
“Lucifer got out,” said Missolis. “That wasn’t your fault.”
“I was going there to free him. I thought he would… fix everything. I thought he would save us, save Heaven. Instead, he turned out to be a massive?—”
“—dick,” said Hekata, finishing my thought even if that wasn’t the word I was going to use. “Huge disappointment. I can’t believe I fell for his lies.”
“We all did,” said Missolis. “That’s why God imprisoned him. She must have known he was… broken. Must’ve known the damage he could do.”
Hekata rolled her eyes. “She’s dead,” she said, “You don’t have to kiss Her ass anymore.”
“You’re right,” I said, “She’s gone and we’re all that’s left. It’s up to us to put Lucifer back in his box, somehow, and avoid dying in the process.”
“That’s not going to be easy,” said Missolis, sighing deeply. “Even if Lucifer is mortal now, he still has an army of demons at his back. We’re outnumbered, and as long as we’re here, we’re vulnerable.”
I shook my head. “There can’t be another fight,” I said. “That can’t be the way we go out. Lucifer will win if we resort to violence.”
A brief pause passed between us. I heard the gentle sway of the ocean, the rush of a soft, salty breeze as it climbed up and over the bastion’s parapets, the voices of angels talking amongst themselves. It was peaceful here. Quiet.
“Do you know what Hellions are best known for?” asked Hekata.
I looked over at her and shook my head. “I don’t,” I said.
“We aren’t the strongest demons. We aren’t the ones that ride out with broadswords, hammers, spiked maces or whatever other instruments of torture a demon decides to make an extension of their own body. But we’re still the first to engage the enemy. Do you want to know why?”
“I really do.”
“Hellions ride out ahead of the other demons, we stalk our prey… watch them carefully, learn their movements, their patterns. We determine their weaknesses. Once we know where our target is most vulnerable, we swoop in like dark arrows and strike only those spots. If we’re lucky, we bring the prey down immediately. If not, we slow them down long enough for those instruments of torture to become useful.”
“You’re suggesting I bite at Lucifer’s ankles?”
“You have more of a history with him than any of us. You must know something about him that makes him weak. A blind spot, a vulnerability.”
“Lucifer is…” I paused, shook my head. “No, he’s meant to be perfect, and he has more power than any of us. What vulnerability could he have that I could exploit?”
“Maybe his weakness isn’t physical,” said Missolis. “Maybe it’s not about his power, or his abilities, but something in his character.”
“He loves to talk,” I said. “If only we could get him talking, he’d never stop.”
“I’m not sure how we can use that to our advantage, but it’s a start.”
I looked up at the darkened beacon again. “What if it’s hopeless? What if our last, best hope is to surrender and hope he doesn’t kill us all?”
“And then what? We become his pawns in whatever cosmic game he’s playing? I’d rather die a thousand deaths than allow myself to be subjected to that.”
“I’m sure he could arrange for that,” said Hekata. “All you have to do is refuse him. He clearly wants to be adored, more than anything.”
“Huh…” I paused. “You’re right.”
“I am?”
A flicker of Light along the battlements caught my attention. It was soft Light, the kind that didn’t make Missolis and Hekata go running for the hills, which meant it could only have been Micah. When the Light settled, the cherub was there, a pensive expression on his face. He walked up to us without skipping a beat, then stopped short of reaching us entirely.
“Am I interrupting?” he asked.
“Only my musings,” I said. “If you’re here, then whatever you have to say is vastly more important than this conversation.”
