Open Your Heart

Chapter 24

Henroin watched as the King turned his full attention to Angel and looked him over. It wasn't long before the fallen angel was standing and beginning to pace around the room. "Well, now this is interesting." He turned sharply on the ball of his heel each time he changed directions. "So, let me get this straight; you want to use this incredibly valuable, one time use, all encompassing IOU, which you could literally use to ask for anything with, even the extermination of your enemies... on your son?" Henroin nodded. The king hummed. "So... are you wanting to... fix him in some way?" The looked of horror on Angel's face at the notion was one he hadn't known he never wanted to see.

"No, no. No "fixing" because there's nothing to fix. I want to use it to get him..." Henroin looked at his youngest and met those magenta eyes head on. "His freedom." He said the words and the spider stared at him as though he'd lost his mind. He didn't have a contract with Angel, Valentino did, so how could he give him any sort of freedom? Lucifer hummed once again, but this time with interest.

"Really? You know, doing this might start a massive war with Valentino that you won't be able to run away from? And I won't be able to help you at all, because I'm a neutral party in this." The king paused in his pacing for a second and clapped his hands. "Oh! Let's do it. It'll be so much fun! You really did find one of the most chaotic ways to use this, didn't you? Though, I must admit I didn't expect you to use it for another... oh, fifty years or so, if you ever did. Usually such a thing is coveted, but no matter. You using it now, like this, will have the whole place in an uproar! After all, if you start a war with Valentino, you start a war with Vox and Velvet too. It's like a package deal!" As the man rambled on, Angel shook his head in disbelief.

"You wanna get me... what?" His son stood and took a step toward him. "My freedom? How the fuck are you gonna get me that, huh?" Before Henroin could answer, Lucifer was sliding up to the spider and wrapping an arm around his waist. After all, Angel was taller than the king.

"Oh, it's simple Anthony! I take the IOU from him, and then I over rule and void the contract you have with Val. You will feel a slight pressure, but nothing too serious! Though, I have noticed it comes with nausea as a side effect, so be prepared for that. And Val will feel it too, once it's voided. Also he can't recreate it." Angel turned to stare wide eyed at the blond.

"Can't recreate it? So... once it's gone...." Lucifer's smile widened and he started walking toward Henroin.

"Once it's gone, it can never come back. No matter what kind of tricks he tries to play, or how sweet he talks to you... he still can't make a contract with you like he has now." His son turned his attention to him as he explained. "You'll be free." He'd had the process explained by Lucifer before, for when he breaks a contract for someone. Now, looking back on it, he was glad the man had, even if the king had only done so for ill intentions.

"But, Valentino will know about the break and most likely be livid about it. So, it's guaranteed to cause a lot of destruction. Which isn't so bad, honestly. Someone could beat him and wipe him off the map entirely, or he could beat that someone and just be happy with that... or he could tuck his tail between his legs and crawl away like some scared and pathetic little puppy. Either way, it's fun for me!" Lucifer clapped and jumped around in his glee before focusing on Henroin and holding his hand out. "So... It's a deal then, right? Your IOU for Anthony's ultimate freedom from any and all Overlords... including yourself. Since I know that's what you meant." There was a moment, a quick little feeling, that told him this may have consequences. That this wasn't what his son really wanted at all. However, looking at Angel, he could see deep in the depths of his eyes, the hope that this would work. He even debated on if this was worth the war he'd have with the three V's, but in the end, he took the king's hand.