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“You think you can turn up after a year and start barking orders?” asked Azrael. “You aren’t the commander of this bastion.”
“I know, but I’m asking you to trust me.”
Azrael came up to me and lowered her tone. “Why?” she asked, breathing the word. She looked just as scared as the rest of us did.
“Because I know what he wants,” I said. “Let me do this. I’ll get Lucifer down here.”
She shook her head. “If what you’re planning on doing doesn’t work, he’ll kill you first.”
“If he does, you should all run. Run as far as you can, and as fast as you can, and pray he forgets about you.”
“This is not what we discussed,” growled Abaddon.
“I’m aware,” I said. “But I just thought of this, and it’s the only thing to do. Micah, I can give you a few minutes—no more than that.”
Micah went back to furiously drawing on the ground with a piece of chalk. I didn’t have time to discuss anything else with Missolis, Abaddon, or even Azrael. With a quick glance at the angels gathered around me, I took to the air and leapt out of the protective glamour bubble Missolis and her demons had put into place.
Sure enough, there was Lucifer, trying to figure out where in the world the bastion he knew was right here actually was.
When he saw me, he smiled. “There you are!” he said, “I’ve been looking everywhere for you. Sneaky little trick, hiding your bastion like that.” The sun was shining on his human form, breaking against the back of his plump, feathery wings.
“Where are your demons?” I asked.
“They’re a bit of a rowdy bunch,” I said. “I thought I’d let them sit on the sidelines for the first couple of innings and see how things went. I see you and your friends have been busy anticipating my arrival.”
“Can you blame us? You’ve come here to murder us all.”
Lucifer’s eyes widened. “Murder you? No! You’ve got it all wrong.” He tutted. “How could you think so little of me?”
“Isn’t that what you’re here to do?”
“Well… yes, but only if you stand against me and don’t do exactly as I tell you to do. And even then, some of you have to go.” He cupped his hand around the side of his mouth like he was telling me a secret. “Too rebellious for my liking. Isn’t that weird? Funny how the universe works.”
I shook my head. “You aren’t going to kill anyone today.”
“I’m not? Well, that’s a relief.” Lucifer paused. “Why?”
A cool breeze moved between us. From up here, with Helena glamoured underneath me, it looked like we were both hovering above nothing but ocean. The demons hadn’t just hidden the bastion—they had hidden the volcano, too, and it had actually tricked Lucifer.
“I’m sorry,” I said.
Lucifer’s eyes narrowed. “You’re sorry…” he paused. “You’re sorry? Why are you sorry?”
“She created you before She created any of us. You were her first, and for that reason She treated you way more harshly than she treated any of us.”
Lucifer said nothing for a moment, choosing instead to watch me while he considered his words. “Are we talking about the same God?” he asked. “She throws angels into the Pit with impunity. I would know, I’ve seen it happen over and over. It started with the rebellion, and it continued all the way to the fall.”
“She loved you, Lucifer. You know that, right?”
“Sarakiel… what are you doing?”
“Nothing. I’m just… sympathizing. God made you first, she thought you were perfect.”
“I am perfect.”
“C’mon. We both know that’s not entirely true. None of us are, but She wanted you to be perfect. She desperately needed you to be, and that pressure… I can’t even begin to imagine what that must have been like on you.”
“It was… challenging. I’ll give you that.” Lucifer looked down at his hands. “She wanted me to lead the rest of you, and to do it by example. She never allowed me to question Her because every question I could possibly have thought to ask She had already asked and answered, and that answer lived inside of me. So, I should just keep my mouth shut and do what I was told for all of time.”
