The Great War

XII

"If anything goes wrong you get her out of here. I mean it." Azrael threatens the girls as he carves a sigil into the wall next to him, "This is the worst idea ever." He mumbles to himself.

I walk over to Theo who looks to be spacing out, I place a hand on his arm giving it a soft squeeze. "Hey, you okay?" He absently nods his eyes staring at the floor like it was the most interesting thing in the world.

"Theo, look at me." I cup his face and move it up to look me in the eyes.

"Hm?"

I give him a smile and brush my thumbs on his cheekbones, "What's going on in that head of yours?"

He shakes his head, "Nothing you need to worry about right now." I soften my smile, pressing a small kiss to his lips and nod.

"Promise you'll tell me if it gets bad inside there." I lean up on my toes and kiss his forehead. "I'm here, okay?" He nods, softly, lifting his hands to rest on top of mine. I sigh and grab his hand after a moment, standing beside him as Azrael turns towards us.

"He's coming. I don't know when, or how, or whats going to happen. So... prepare yourselves."

I look up at Theo and he looks down at me, his eyes full of worry. I squeeze his hand again. I can't do much in this situation or else I would, I hope he knows that.

"Home sweet home." A deep smug voice butts into our silence. A tall figure steps out of the kitchen's darkness, "Girls, Azrael." He greets the three near him before his dark eyes hit me. A chill ran up my spine as I lock eyes with him. He grins and steps forward.

"Well, well. I have to say, it's a great look, my dear. Fits you." He eyes Theo before reaching out for my face, I flinch away from his hand. He halts his movement and retracts his hand, clearing his throat.

"It's been what? 100-odd years? Thought I had you back at the school but guess not." He turns his gaze to Azrael, "I assume you've been helping her hide from me? Your mother in on it too?"

Azrael shakes his head, his face pinched up in grief again, "Mother... we haven't seen her since the fall." I could almost say I saw real, raw, worry hit Lucifer's face at the mention of that.

"Hm... she was always a runner, 'specially from you kids." Then it hit me, he didn't know that I wasn't Ophelia.

"You don't—"

His eyes go to me as he smiles, "Don't what, dear? Speak up."

I give him a sad look; I've had to break this to so many people who knew Ophelia and it never seemed to get any easier. "I'm not your daughter, Ophelia's been gone for 12 years."

His posture tenses and his face loses the smugness, "Did I hear her right?" He turns to Azrael questioningly.

"Unfortunately, so."

He steps away from us and sits down on the couch, "Who are you then? What are you, some sort of trickster? A shapeshifter?" He glares at me, his emotions whirling around like a storm.

"My names Daphne, I met your daughter when I was a little girl, she gave me something. I don't know what it is or how it works. But It's a piece of who she was." I release Theo's hand, but he keeps hold of it himself. Stopping me from stepping closer. I look back at him and place my other hand on top of his slowly pulling it off.

"Your daughter was a wonderful person, I don't know when exactly you lost her, or why yet. But I know she's mad and so, so sad. I felt her, I stepped in her shoes, it's how I met everyone your daughter loved and kept close to her heart. It's how I saw you." I kneel down beside him, his eyes following my every move like I was prey.

"I saw you and her fight before she married Mani. I saw the fall of the school; I know it was you. Why? Why did you do it? why'd you cause her so much loss and pain?" I place my hand on his arm as he inhales and holds his breath.

"That night of the fall. I was trying to protect her from the harsh reality of who she was. Or what she had coming for her. Ophelia... She wasn't created for love and to hold a family. She was created as hells royalty. She was me when I was young. I tried saving her from what I had gone through, what she would go through."

His eyes grew cold and angry, "She never listened to me. She was just like her mother in that way. Always did the opposite of what people told her." He slowly stands up and grabs my arm bringing me up with him. "I don't know what you think you're doing, kid. But stop, stop now before you no longer have that choice. You fall too deep, you're dead and gone."

He shoves me back into Azrael, his glare hitting his son, "As for you my boy, take my advice, stop listening to your mothers' teachings. It'll lead you down the same path as her. Fallen and gone." He looks down at Azrael's summoning and kicks over the bowl, I gasp as I fall back onto the floor. 

"Azrael!" I call out before looking wide eyed around me, Cora, Smilla, and Theo no longer here. I look at Lucifer as he squats in front of me.

"You'll learn, every child learns. Once you do, you're mine." He grabs my face tightly, getting closer. "You'll take Ophelia's spot as the heir with her brothers. You'll learn just as she did. Watch your back, little girl, I'm always watching." He lets go of my face and smiles at me before disappearing.

"Daphne!" I gasp and lurch forward coughing, "Are you alright?"

I look at Cora and nod, "Yeah, I–I think." I rub my face and take a deep breath.

"C'mon get up, girl." She grabs my arms and helps me up, "What happened?"

Smilla looks down at me disapprovingly, "We'll talk later, come along." She leaves the cabin and I look at Theo who looks just as disturbed as I feel.

"Are you okay?" I immediately ask him as I reach for him. He grabs me up and hugs me tightly.

"Shut up." He mumbles into my hair. I sigh out quietly and hold onto him.