Downtown Hell

Chapter Ten

I woke up with a headache and a feeling like I had a fever. I must have rolled around while I was sleeping, the covers were wrapped around my legs and almost caused me to fall over when I tried to get up.

I went to the bathroom and splashed my face with cold water, sighing in relief when the heat faded a bit. But that didn't last. I looked at my trembling hands and noticed steam rising up from them. They were completely dry, even though I had just washed my face with them.

I shook my head. I didn't have time for this, Lucifer was probably already waiting for me. I put on the armour I was given yesterday, the leather top and pants, a short red tunic, some black gloves and covered my wings with the metal from heaven. I strapped the daggers to my belt and made sure they wouldn't fall off again, before I left my apartment.

Lucifer hadn't told me where to meet him, so I set off to the throne room.
And I was right. Two people stood at the other end of the room and seemed to be arguing over something. I quickly made my way over to them and noticed out of the corner of my eye that the braziers beside me burned brighter and higher than normally.

"Lillith!" Lucifer had noticed me. I smiled at him. The other man next to him scoffed and crossed his arms. I approached them and held out my hand.

"I assume you're Ryder?", I said. He took my hand and nodded.

"Lu told me you'd join me while I do his dirty work," he answered.

I grinned. "Lu?"

Lucifer rolled his eyes. "With all due respect, Ryder, stop calling me that."

Ryder smirked. "Fiiine. We'll leave now, since you've decided to become an absolute killjoy. You coming?", he turned to me.

I followed him out of the palace and watched him look for a portal to earth. "They could just put signs on these damn things," he grumbled.

While I waited, I took a closer look at him. He had dirty blond hair and striking green eyes. He was taller than me, but most people were taller than me, so I was used to always looking up to others.
He didn't look older than thirty, but his eyes told a different story. No thirty year-old person could have a cold stare like that, a stare that told everyone to stay away from them.

"Found one," he stated and looked at a slim streak of light in the air, about twenty feet ahead of us. "Why the fuck are these things always in the air?? Not everyone can fly, you idiots."

"What do you mean? I thought you had wings too."

"Not every immortal has wings. I'm not an angel, neither am I a fallen angel or a demon. I'm just... immortal." He stopped and pressed his lips together.

"So I guess I'll have to give you a lift over there?", I mocked him and offered my hand. "It's not even that far, come on."

Ryder hesitantly took it and I flew us over to the portal. He was heavier than I thought, but I managed to get us through the portal and set him carefully on the ground.

We were in a small flat with beige walls, a wooden floor and some cheap furniture.
"Ah, I remember this one. From the outside, it looks like this flat doesn't even exist, they just don't see this floor," Ryder explained. "But we're not staying here very long, time's almost up for our target."

"How do you identify your targets? And why do you even kill them, do they work for heaven?"

"No. Heaven doesn't hire humans. But sometimes, when a human is so desperate they see no other way, they sell their soul. To Lucifer or some demon that's around that time. They get what they want and after a few years, I come to collect them. The deal leaves a mark on their soul, it's pretty easy to find them." He opened a drawer under the kitchen sink and took out a glass bottle.
He offered me a glass, but I declined. I didn't want to be drunk during a mission.
Ryder didn't seem to share that concern and emptied half the bottle with one gulp.