Miracle

Pt. 31

Alexander raced frantically through the forest, the midday sun barely piercing the thick canopy above. He was searching for an intricate design carved into the bark of an ancient tree, a hidden passage he knew led to an improbable place. At times like this, he wished he could just teleport to Hell, but he couldn't. There was no real reason for angels to teleport there, so they didn't possess that ability. The only way he could think of at the moment to reach Hell was to go and see a certain pain-in-the-ass warlock.

Finally finding the carving he was looking for, he placed his hand on the bark. The tree trunk quickly opened, revealing a dark, spiraling staircase. He ran inside, down the steps, and pounded on a sturdy wooden door three times. He was truly on a race against time now. He had no idea what Lily was going through; he couldn't feel any of her emotions or sensations, absolutely nothing. That terrified him even more.

When it came to angelic abilities, they simply did not work in Hell. His connection with Lily had been completely severed since she was taken. He understood that when he got to Hell, he would essentially be like a human all over again. He just hoped he wouldn't run into any trouble bringing her back.
The door quickly swung open. The small, gray-haired warlock, Max, looked at him with a bewildered, "what the hell?" expression. "Oh, you're popping up again to disturb my peace?" Max said, hands on his hips, a sassy smirk playing on his lips.

Alex paid him no mind, pushing past him into the tree's interior, then running up the stairs.
"And you're breaking into my house! What kind of angel are you? Do I need to get a magical restraining order on you?" Max grumbled, following Alexander into his spell room he letting a dramatic sigh escaping his lips. "Honestly, the paperwork alone would be a nightmare.".

Max's eyes widened as he saw Alex rummaging through his very delicate magical supplies. "Hey, hey, hey! Hands off the merchandise, Ken!" He speed-walked over, standing protectively between Alex and the magic-filled containers. Pushing him away slightly, Max pointed a finger at Alex. "Listen, I don't know what your deal is, but you better let me know before I'll be forced to kick your ass."
Alex finally focused on Maximus, taking a step back. "I need a spell to get to Hell, now."

Max let out a small laugh, his gaze scanning over Alex with a judgment that bordered on disdain. "Ahh, I see. You're missing home, huh?"
Alex glared at him, a vein throbbing in his temple. This kid could never take anything seriously. "No, dumb ass. The demon was able to get Lily and bring her to Hell, despite her wearing that necklace you gave her. This time, the demon came with help." Alex began to pace, his frustration mounting.

Max scratched the top of his head. "Wow, I didn't know other evil creatures would have been after her. You guys should have told me that... Not to be an ass, but... you kind of suck at your job, Ken." Max couldn't help but laugh at Alex's incompetence. Alex's eyes glowed bright red, a silent warning.

"Okay, okay, sorry," Max conceded, holding up his hands. "So, what's the plan here, exactly?" Max crossed his arms. Sure, he didn't really care for Alex, but the girl he came with before, Lily, she seemed genuinely nice. He certainly didn't want to hear about her suffering a long, painful demise in the infernal pits..

"The plan is you're going to make me something so I can get to Hell and back," Alex stated. Max started picking up bottles filled with different magical elements while his eyes scanned Alex's outfit. "Umm, and you're planning on going in that?" Max said, a little grin on his lips.

Alex looked down at his outfit. What was wrong with it? It was his usual pristine white suit "Dude, you look like a fuckin' nerd. You'll stick out like a sore thumb in that all-white shit." Max laughed as he began pouring different liquids into the bubbling cauldron.

Alex couldn't deny the fact that he would stick out wearing his white suit. Concentrating on his outfit, it quickly changed to something else: long, black distressed jeans with a black T-shirt and a red skull on the front. "Okay, so what about this?" Max glanced over at him, rolling his eyes as he saw the skull. The fact that Alex equated "tough" to a skull on a black shirt was a problem, but Max wasn't about to touch on it. "Yeah, sure, I guess that's better than the all-white suit." Max filled two bottles with the bubbling elixir.

"Okay, so one to go, the other to bring you back." Alex reached out to take the bottles from Max's hands, but he quickly snatched them away. Alex gave him a confused look "Nahh, since you suck so bad at your job, I'll hold on to them."
Alex raised his eyebrow. "What do you mean, you'll hold on to them?"
Max rolled his eyes. Was the angel really that dense? "I'm coming with you, duh."
Alex blew out a breath.

He didn't feel like being a babysitter to this kid. "And why would you do that? Don't you have better things to do?"
Max pretended to think it over for a long, exaggerated moment, stroking his chin thoughtfully. Then, a wide, mischievous grin split his face. "Nope! Consider it a field trip. Now let's get going." He snatched one of the bottles from his pocket and, hurled it against an empty section of the wall.

A large portal immediately tore open, a swirling vortex of ominous, crackling energy. He gestured with a flourish for Alex to walk through first. "Ladies first," he sing-songed, his eyes sparkling with amusement.

Rolling his eyes, Alex stepped through the shimmering threshold without another word. Max followed close behind, his grin still firmly in place. The portal snapped shut, leaving the eccentric spell room empty once more, silent save for the faint bubbling of a forgotten cauldron.

(Mia note: Ok but what a iconic duo)