Black Wings

Chapter 30

"Lucifer, you called!?"

"No, I thought you called me."

Angels, everyone not bedridden, gathered in front of the gates of Heaven. I was perplexed. Lucifer that I called him, and everyone else that he called us.

"I apologize, I'm the one that called all of you."

"Rina."

She smiled in response. Rachel shifted next to her, holding a box in her arms.

"Rachel!"

I stopped Gabriel from running towards Rachel.

"This is where it all began, didn't it, Lucifer? You brought me through these gates all that time ago. Except that day you gained a weapon. Today that weapon is going to destroy you. I'm done being a puppet on your strings. The entire host of Heaven is done being your puppets."

Rina sighed.

"Obviously none of you know the story I do, so this must be confusing. I'll explain. See, in the beginning there was darkness, blah blah blah, then God created Earth and whatever. But that's not the important part. After earth, Heaven, and Hell were created, God created the first being. That would be Lucifer over here. Then all the other angels came, animals, and then God decided to create humans. Daddy's boy Lucifer didn't like that. So he broke into the garden and twisted Lilith's soul beyond recognition, thus the first demon. But God created Eve. So, once Lucifer entered the garden and tricked Adam and Eve. Then he decided to make the perfect weapon and trick all the angels."

Lucifer shifted uncomfortably.

"Erasing the memory from all the angels must have taken some serious spell work. As well as hiding all the angels wings from them. See, angels can't see it. But humans and demons? They can. I didn't realize it until Rachel said Gabriel's wings are different. An angel could tell the slight difference in feathers, but I sincerely doubt a human could. Rachel, how are Gabriel's wings different than mine?"

"They're gold."

"And Lucifer's?"

"Charcoal grey. Michael's are the only wings that are pure white."

"Who knew the humans actually got some of the bible right. And that the spell to reverse it was so simple."

Rachel set the box on the ground and started pulling out things for spell work. As she set it up and mixed ingredients, Rina continued.

"Back to the perfect weapon thing. It was ingenious, really. A living weapon immune to everything. Not quite but almost. Everyone by now knows my mother was Lilith, but you can't figure out my father yet. It should be quite obvious now, isn't Lucifer? Or should I call you dad? But you knew you couldn't be the one to weild me. That's why I was created for Michael. He would follow your commands to the end of time, and he would control me. And that is where you screwed up. If Emanuel had never told me who I was, you would have won."

"Rina, it's ready."

"This spell needs the spell caster's blood. But mine should be good enough."

Rina cut her wrist over a metal bowl on the ground. As the blood dripoed into the bowl, a little flame sprung up. And everyone's wings were painted in a different color. Rina's wound healed and she stood boldly against Lucifer.

"You lose."

Lucifer was silent for a second. Then waves of fury rolled off of him.

"Do you know what happens to puppets when their strings are cut? They're destroyed."

Then he charged her. And they both fell out of Heaven.

*****
Both of our wings flared out as we fell. He was trying to pull me up and I was trying to make sure we fell. I used my smaller wings to beat the inside of his wings to keep him from making a proper stroke. As we neared the ground, he shoved me away and we both hurtled to the ground in the golden field. I spat out blood and tossed a lit match into the grass. The grass burned in distinct patterns.

"What is this!?" Lucifer growled.

"Your cage in Hell."

He lunged at me as Michael and Gabriel landed nearby. I kicked him away and scrambled towards Michael.

"Michael, get you blood on the markings over there. Gabriel, you over there. Then get back and let me handle this."

Lucifer grabbed the edge of my wing, yanking me back. Suddenly we were falling down the side of the Empire State building. He tried to throw me off but I held onto him. Then somewhere in Tokyo. Then London. Then Greece. Then Jerusalem. And finally back in the field. I jumped away from him, smashing a small vial of red liquid.

"That's Michael's blood, Gabriel's blood, and Raphael's. All I need is yours."

I dropped my blade out of my sleeve and took a swipe at him. He dodged and rolled away. Slowly, I pushed him back towards the center. Then I cut my arm again and threw the blade with my blood on it.

"You forgot your blood runs through my veins, you moron! Apertio infernum!"

The ground started to crack underneath our feet. I started runnig towards Michael, away from the cracking ground. Lucifer chased after me, but he was caught on a falling piece of ground. He tried to get out, but the powerful downdraft trapped him. I continued to run, the edge on my heels. A large piece cracked under me and I dove towards solid ground. I clung to the edge of the ground, only holding on by my arms.

"Rina!"

"Michael, don't get any closer!" I yelled over the wind as she tried to run to my aid.

"I'm not giving up yet!"

"If you do, we'll both go down!"

"If you fall, you're just going to Hell right!? You can get out!?"

"No, this is different! I'll be locked in a cage forever!"

Michael grabbed my arm, his wings flapping against the wind. Gabriel grabbed my other arm, using his wings as well.

"It's working! Keep going!" I shouted, starting to flap my own wings.

I finally managed to get to solid ground, panting heavily. The ground sealed up behind me. Michael pulled me to my feet, and into a crushing hug.

"So, he's trapped?" Gabriel asked.

"Until someone breaks my seals. But no one will break them."

"And Lilith?" Michael questioned.

"Dead. After I she told me what I needed, I couldn't let an evil like that live any longer."

"It's finally over?" Michael asked.

"Yeah, it's finally over."