A Dance Of Gods ✓

11. Escape

Lucifer

It starts as a low ringing in the ears -then grows painfully intense. There have been instances in the past, a demon overstepping their boundaries for example- that only required a gentle call. This is different. This is one of the more powerful demons telling me I need to get back now.

In a matter of seconds it becomes so loud I can hear nothing else- though I can read Taylor's lips as she speaks.

"Lucifer are you okay?"

  Her words take me aback. I have permanently traumatized this woman- changed her life in a matter of days, but she's asking me that?

  99.99% humans really confuse me at times. The twelve year old we found in Pompeii was the sweetest kid, but when he got angry it'd almost always end in the death of someone close to him. Still, I enjoyed watching him right up until he had a mental breakdown and decided to go for a swim in an active volcano. And that would've been perfectly fine if Michael hadn't startled him and caused him to  displace a few thousand pounds of lava- which caused a massive Boulder blocking the deepest pit to shift for the first time in a hundred years, and the sudden movement to trigger the massive eruption.

  At that point we didn't have a choice but to end his existence- he wouldn't have had much of a life after that anyways.

The ringing becomes a stabbing pain, something that'd cause any human to kneel over and scream. I simply tense up.

  "Something's.... wrong. We have to go." I say, only imagining how confused Taylor must be.

When I whisper 'take me to them' and grab Elrinora's hand, she tilts her head. I don't wait around to see her reaction as we vanish- the trip much faster for us as we've done it together thousands of times.

As soon as we end up on the castle's top balcony, everything happens so fast.

"What's going on?" Elrinora asks. "I've never seen you quite as out of it as you were just now."

"Looks like we'll find out." I gesture to the circle of beings that have gathered, some impatiently tapping their feet while Abezethibou slaps himself with his wing over and over again. Lilith stands in the middle with her eyes closed, whispering my name.

Upon seeing me Obyzouth taps her shoulder and Xaphan stands up straighter.

"Care to explain why you gave me a headache?" I raise an eyebrow.

"Lucy-" her eyes fly open, relief washing over her. "We were about to send somebody to fetch you-"

"What.happened?"

Abezethibou refuses to make eye contact as I direct my gaze towards him, the power of my position radiating outwards in waves. He gulps, staring at the floor- and his voice is barely above a whisper.

"Kaden... Kaden Smith's soul escaped his torture chamber."

"That isn't possible- Lilith and I both had a go at him. He couldn't have.... HOW COULD YOU HAVE LET THIS HAPPEN?!!" I roar, face turning redder by the millisecond. "I LEAVE YOU IN CHARGE OF HELL AND A SOUL ESCAPES!!! WHAT THE FUCK!!"

"Somebody could have let him out." Lilith says, calmer than I am but still annoyed.

"THAT'S WORSE!!"

"My lord and Lilith-" Obyzouth steps forward, going into peacekeeper mode. I could rip her head off. It'd be so fucking easy- but then she'd grow another one like a fucking worm. I picture all the things I could do to Abezethibou- everything from a few days of nonstop disembowelment until he finally dies to bleeding him out quickly. With the latter I wouldn't have to look at his face for much longer, but it wouldn't be as satisfying. "If I may.... the only people capable of doing that are right here or are... your dad and brothers."