Son of the Devil - Book I of The Higher Order

Chapter Two: Rising Angel

I ran through the gold and white washed walls of the Hall, giggling as I evaded my millennia-long friend, Rochelle. "You can't catch me!" I called over my shoulder as I took a darting left along the corridors and weaved through the grand white marble pillars inlaid with circlets of gold.

"Oh, yeah? We'll see about that!" She laughed, racing after me. I ducked out from behind one of the columns and screeched as she caught me around the middle. "Told you!" We laughed gleefully, totally caught up in our ridiculous game of cat and mouse.

"Lucifer!" Matthias called. I turned to him, still smiling without a care, "Father wishes for you." Immediately the smile was wiped from my face, any unscheduled appointment usually meant nothing good.

"Do you know what he wants?" I asked, studying his expression. He had golden blond hair, innocent yet fierce golden eyes, and clean shaven baby smooth skin. Despite being the most prominent in the Holy Guard, he couldn't lie to save his life. His lips tightened as he bit his lip, one of his tells. "Matt, tell me what you know."

"I don't know anything, Luci." He pleaded, trying to make me stop pressing him. I narrowed my eyes as I lifted an eyebrow, "fine, it's about the Crimson Guard, that's all I know." His eyes were downcast, it was obvious that he wasn't supposed to tell anyone and probably felt ashamed that he had broken so quickly. But, he had never been able to keep secrets, especially from me, part of the reason that he wasn't the Secret Keeper. All I had to do was ask and instantly he would break. Too pure to tell a lie himself.

"You should go, Luci." Rochelle said, looking sympathetic. When father called for me, it usually wasn't because I was in trouble. It meant I had an assignment, which could be anything, and I do mean literally anything. I was once sent to the mortal realm to get a cheeseburger with a side of fries, that had lead to an interesting encounter with a minotaur who worked the drive-through window.

I nodded, "I will, don't worry, when father calls, all must answer."

"Amen to that." Matt said, looking troubled. "In case I don't see you before you leave, here's some advice--don't do anything stupid." Then he smirked and produced a beautiful silver diadem, my diadem. It had the emblem of Heaven upon it, a tree with its roots shifting around into a perfect not-quite-complete circle with a drop of sapphire blue water encased in an apple shaped form of unbreakable glass. It was given to me by father as a symbol of my status as the First, and somehow Matt had gotten his hands on it. He placed it perfectly within my curled golden hair and said, "Now you're ready."

I smiled as I threw my arms around him and whispered into his ear, "you're the best brother, at least one of them anyway." Releasing him, I turned to Rochelle, who had a pouty look on her face.

"I hate when you leave, it gets too quiet and then I have no one to talk to."

"Maybe you should try to make some friends then." I prompted.

She wrinkled her nose and scoffed, "with those boneheads in the healing wing? Forget that." She nearly tackled me in a bear-hug, "I'm gonna miss you, Luce."

"Me too, but hey, maybe I won't be gone for so long this time?" I returned the hug while trying to maintain my balance. Last time I had been sent to a camp of aurae in the mortal realm for a whole year as an ambassador of sorts, quite interesting creatures and super friendly, they had even taught me to herd butterflies, though one did escape while I was there. The aurae responsible was exiled and I had no idea what became of her, I thought her name was Aegina, but I wasn't certain.

Releasing my best friend, I took a step back and summoned my wings. "Go get 'em, Luci!" Matt called, smiling fondly at me as I prepared to launch into the sky. I swept my wings downward with unparalleled strength and shot into the sky, laughing with glee. Flying was amazing! There was nothing quite like it in all the realms. I made a circle over their heads, waving down to where they stood looking so small from such a height. Wherever I was sent, whatever I would be doing, I always missed my home and my family.

I tipped backwards and sailed into a loop-de-loop, and for a good second, the Silver City was upside down and the view was somehow even more beautiful. Unfortunately, the joyride had to end and I course-corrected to my father's hall which was simply called the Burning Bush.

Flying over the many buildings of the realm, I banked toward my father's hall and landed with a sweep of my golden wings. The twelve foot tall doors swung open without a sound as I approached, carved to look like the hall's namesake. I strode through the hall like I owned the place until I arrived in front of my father's throne, where I curved my wings around to my front and bowed in the signature way of the Light Angels, not daring to look up into his face.

"Lucifer, it's good to see you again." He gestured me to rise, "you know you need not bow to me, but I know you'll not listen."

"Father," I smiled as I rose, "You summoned me for a reason?"

Father smiled mischievously, "Do not pretend that you haven't weaseled it out of Matthias, I know for a fact that you have."

Of course he did, not just because he knew Matthias couldn't lie to save his life, but also because of who he was as an Amortal, one who was omniscient. "Is that a 'God knows all' quote?" I asked.

"No comment," he said, suppressing the smile that rose to his lips, "Unfortunately, this is not a pleasure meeting, we have important matters to discuss."

I wiped the smile from my face and nodded, down to business then. "Of course, father. What would you like to discuss?"

"A matter of grave concern." He said, stepping off his throne and setting his all-powerful hands on my shoulders, "some time ago, the king of Hell stole something from me. At first I was quite alarmed, until I realized that he had no idea the power that he had stolen from me."

"What is this object?" I asked curiously, masking whatever distress I might've felt. What could possibly be so powerful that my father, an all-powerful Amortal, could be so afraid of it? And that was his motivation; fear. It was one of my talents, reading the emotions of others.

My father returned to his throne, and upon sitting, he explained, "it's a crown, but the crown is not what is important, but the eye it holds which contains a single drop of blood . . . from Asherah." I could feel my whole body react at invoking the name of the Goddess, the only other of the three Amortals. It felt like my nerves had been set alight. It took a moment for my body to settle down after such an invocation.

Knowing he hadn't called me here just to rehash the past, I prompted, "what would you have me do, father?"

"The crown must be returned, so I task it to you, my dear Lucifer, first of my Angels. He has given it to his second son, Samael, who is set to compete for the newest position in the Crimson Guard. I will arrange it so he survives the trials and arrives in neutral territory tomorrow. I need you to bring me that crown, whatever it takes."

"Whatever it takes?" I questioned. Surely he didn't mean what I thought he did.

He turned his head, expression hardening, "whatever it takes. Kill him if you can, we don't need another Crimson Guard to go up against, if he manages to escape you, so be it. Tell me now if this is something you are not capable of."

Looking down, I avoided his penetrating gaze. "It will be done." When the Savior calls, all must answer.