Loving Lucifer [COMPLETE]

Chapter 48

He continued eating, unperturbed, but there was a shift in his expression when I asked the question.

"I didn't understand. Excuse me," he said.

"Did you put Bobby and Bee up to it?"

He swallowed a vegetable and took a sip of water.

"Up to what?" he asked, looking back down at his food and taking another piece of carrot onto his fork.

"Up to beating up Matt and then me."

"I thought we had already concluded that Lucifer was guilty..." he said, practically spitting at the sound of Lucifer's name.

"I'm asking you a question, and all I need is a straight, true answer. I don't care what it is that the judges concluded at the trial. I am asking you whether it was actually you."

"You claim you saw Lucifer with your own eyes."

"We both know that Bobby and Bee had an extraordinary gift when they were angels; a gift that could only be temporarily restored by someone possessing the light."

"What are you talking about, Catherine?" Raphael asked.

"Stay out of this, brother."

"No," I said, "He has every right to be a part of this conversation." I turned to look at Raphael, "I have reason to believe that the perpetrator was not Lucifer at all, but Bobby...in the shape of Lucifer."

"But who would give him back the power to morph? He's so wicked!"

"Someone even more wicked."

"Are you calling me wicked, you ungrateful child?!"

"Ungrateful?!" I asked, slamming my fork down onto the table, "What reason have you to call me ungrateful? You never even cared to show up in my life - to be there for me - until this happened. What have you ever done for me that I should be grateful for?"

His eyes seemed to light up with fires of rage; their blue burning hot with anger. He slammed his fork down and stood up. I followed suit.

"Everything I've done has been in your interest!"

"Are you admitting it?" I asked.

"I haven't said that!"

"Stop avoiding my question and admit it!" I said furiously. My heart was beating erratically inside my chest. If this was true, then I had put Luke through hell for nothing. If this was false, then Luke was the monster I had seen with my own eyes that night.

"Yes! Yes, Yes, Yes!" he said looking angrily into my eyes, "I never thought you would fight back; I never thought you would get in the middle. I thought you would walk in, see him beating up your friend and hate him forever. I wasn't counting on you trying to defend the other child! But you got out with very little in comparison, and you're all better now. So, no harm done."

"Are you serious?!" I asked, fuming, "Did you think that I would appreciate it just because you didn't mean for me to get hurt? I hated Luke mostly for hurting Matt... not me. He hurt me because I fought him. He fought me back. And just so you know, your little errand boy touched me."

"I was only trying to show you that he couldn't be trusted. I instructed Bobby not to kill your friend. He was not even meant to bruise him so badly, but it took long for you to come."

"I wouldn't have gone there at all hadn't Sam called!" I said.

"We were counting on someone alerting you; we knew you'd rush to his aid. I simply wanted to deter you from seeing Luke. He brings about only misery, betrayal and death. He cost us fellow angels and he cost me your brother."

"My brother whom you had abandoned in the same way you abandoned me?" I asked.

"Brother, is this all true? Did you orchestrate this attack?"

"Raphael, stay out of it!" Michael growled.

"No!" I said, "You have sentenced an innocent man to a life of misery over a lie!"

"I sentenced nobody and he is anything but innocent!"

"One mistake should not shape anyone's entire life!"

"Of course it should! His mistake affected too many!"

"Then know this; I will make sure this one mistake will never leave you, Michael. You've messed with the wrong person."

"Catherine..."

"No. You made a mistake when you caused pain to the people I love." I turned to look at Raphael, "Thank you for being such a wonderful host."

"I will escort you back," Raphael said.

I nodded, glared at Michael one last time, and stormed out of their cottage, Raphael trailing close behind.

"I'm so sorry, Catherine. I did not know."

"Why did you help Belial come up?" I asked.

"I did not," he said, "Belial was already here. Did he say I brought him up after I left the room? I saw him outside the gates. Somebody else must have brought him. "

"Who?"

"Well...now I'm guessing my brother must have been involved."

"I need more answers," I said, "Some of it doesn't make sense. Why would Bobby help Michael?"

"I wouldn't know, sweet niece," Raphael said.

"Raphael, I will not ask you to join me on this journey - I know your loyalty lies with nobody except your brother...and there is something I must do that will put you in the centre of a conflict."

"Catherine, my brother wronged you. I will do whatever you ask."

I took his hands in mine and pressed them.

"Will you take me to the Creator?"

His eyes widened with surprise, but he nodded and led me away to the gates. The place was familiar now, but held within it so many horrible memories that its beauty had become ghastly and deformed in my mind. We went up the beautiful glass steps leading to the front door and knocked, but no answer came.

"This is very strange..." he said.

"Why?"

"There's always someone here...I haven't been here since the trial. The Creator does not see us often. But there is always someone to accompany her."

"Can we just go in?"

"We're not supposed to, but we could try."

I turned the handle and the door immediately allowed us entrance. I looked at Raphael, whose eyes were filled with concern. We went up the familiar stairs, down the large hallway and to the great chamber in which Luke's fateful trial had been held.

But this time, nobody greeted us - the Creator was not there.