Fate's Vinculum

Chapter 4.

Sera had finally pried Sapphire out of Lucifer's grasp, one finger at a time. While Sera, Rosalyn, and Lucifer were grappling over Sapphire, Sires had cautiously come to the gathering. Once Sapphire was released, collapsing to the ground and gasping for breath, Sires snatched the pendant from Lucifer's neck and fled.

"Break it!" Rosalyn screamed at him.

Sires threw it down and stomped on the pendant with his boot. When that didn't work he picked it up, tossing it to Rosalyn. Sera grabbed it mid-air instead and fled upward out of the torchlight. Simultaneously, Lucifer whipped around and with lighting speed tore into Sires. Sires screamed with agony, a sound many of them had never heard before, as he was swiftly eviscerated.

Marcus jumped on Lucifer, biting and clawing, but Lucifer twisted and grabbed him around the waist. Flying up into the air with the once faithful vampire, Lucifer then turned head-down, slamming back into the ground directly on top of Marcus. They hit with such force a small crater was formed. Marcus laid, not moving.

"Marcus!" Zoë screamed from where she had been cowering besides Sapphire who was still struggling to breath.

~

"Please," Lucifer said to Hakan and Vince, extending his normal-looking hand to two white chairs that magically appeared across from him, "have a seat."

When the pair didn't move, he gave a genuinely friendly smile. "Please."

With nothing else to do, they went and sat at the table.

"Why are you doing this Lucifer?" Vince asked hesitantly.

"Please, call me Morningstar."

"Oh. Um. Uh, okay, Mr. Morningstar."

To both of their mild horror, Morningstar laughed a rather delightful, twinkling laugh. "If calling me that is what makes you comfortable..."

"Is this really happening?" Hakan asked him, bewildered.

"Yes," Morningstar replied, blinking. "Why wouldn't it be?"

"Because you're so—so—so—"

"Different," Vincent finished for him.

Morningstar smiled sadly.

~

Lucifer was then in the air, hurtling towards Sera, trying to catch up to him. Time seemed to slow; Sera tossed up the necklace, took his sword, and slashed it. It broke into thousands of shimmering pieces seconds before Lucifer's outreached hand could grab it. Sera looked smug while Lucifer's face contorted in pure, undiluted rage.

~

"This is my true form," Morningstar replied simply with a shrug.

"What happened?" Hakan asked.

Morningstar frowned. "Well...I Fell."

~

Lucifer screamed unintelligibly, ramming into Sera. The pair disappeared into the deep shadows of the tall ceiling. Flashes of light and screaming could be heard. After a short but intense battle, Sera's sword fell from above, covered in blood. Seconds later Sera fell, landing next to his sword in a bloodied, mangled heap.

~

"It didn't have to be like this," Hakan told him gently.

Morningstar chuckled bitterly and looked off to the side briefly. His pretty eyes then flicked back to Hakan. "Have you ever been discarded like a piece of garbage?"

Hakan straightened and narrowed his eyes a little. Wordlessly, Vincent took his hand. "Actually, Morningstar, I have."

~