The Devil's Daughter

Chapter 24 ~ Lucifer

A/N Early update Wooo!! To make up for the lateness of the last one :) and the next chapter should be up sometime on Sunday. The last few videos have been from my all time favourite movie Spirit!! (The songs kind of relate to the story...) If you haven't seen it, stop what you're doing and watch it right now!! It's awesome :D

Anyway, back to Abby and Zak and their unwelcome visitor.

Chapter 24 ~ Razakiel

"Reaper," The icy voice calls softly into the darkness from which we had come, "I know you are in there, please do not test my patience." The threat, murmured in that soft sweet voice sends chill racing down my spine, I had hoped to never hear his voice again. I had hoped I'd be back in Heaven by now with my mother, my people. Home.

And yet here I am, right back where I started, standing by Lucifer's side. At least this time I can take comfort in the fact that I am not here to serve him but to destroy him. And he doesn't even know I am here.

The feel of Abby struggling to hold closed the locked door of memories and fear in the back of her mind jolts me from thoughts of my past as Lucifer's right hand and I tighten my grip on her arm steadying her against the wall. An insatiable urge to do more, to pull her into my arms and comfort her, hold her together and protect her from anything and everything that wants to harm her almost overwhelms me.

With a great deal of effort I hold myself in place my free hand clenching into a fist with the force needed to resist the urge. Knowing I need to do something to help her, to take away the pain lurking deep within her, I settle for helping her to hold back the tidal wave of emotions threatening to overwhelm her, and calming her at least slightly.

"Sir?" The disembodied rasp of one of the Shadow Reaper's grates harshly through the air after the smooth, silky tones that Lucifer used.

"Why, might I ask, is my right hand locked up in a cell down there?" The words are almost a sigh, as if he cannot quite understand why it is he even has to ask this question, and yet there is an unyielding steel underlying the words that makes them threatening despite the gentle tone.

"'E admitt'd to murderin' a innocent human man, Sir. Tis a crime that cannot be ignored, Sir. We 'ad no choice but to lock 'im up. Tis our job, Sir." The grating voice of the Reaper responds from the shadows, the confidence and power replaced by subservience laced with something that sounds too much like fear and a shiver of unease runs down my spine.

"I don't much care what your reasoning is. I want to know why you have locked him up down there. I believe we agreed that I would decide the punishment for the members of my army who break the laws. You had no right to sentence him. You should have sent him back to me." The first hint of anger enters his tone and a scraping sound echoes from th tunnel as if the Reaper stumbled back to get further away from Lucifer and whatever punishment he was preparing to give.

"Apologies, Sir. We mean' only ta do our jobs. It won' happen again. Wou'd ya like ta come get 'im yaself, Sir?" Hesitation lurks in the pauses between his words and for the first time I seriously start to doubt that we can stop him. The Shadow Reapers, creatures designed to capture and imprison anyone, Archangel, Angel, Demon, Nephilim, that breaks the rules fear him. Doubt seeps through the cracks of my resolve and I glance down at Abby for a moment until Lucifer speaks again.

"You're testing my patience Reaper. You know perfectly well that I never intend to step foot in Stagnum Ignis again. I am all too aware that if I do so you may easily apprehend me and hold me prisoner down there for an eternity like you were supposed to. As I do not wish to be locked in one of those cells again I will remain in Hell where you cannot touch me without my demons descending on you. Now, you or one of your friends will go and retrieve Chastir and return him to me. And be quick about it, I don't have time to waste waiting on him. I don't know why the imbecile got himself arrested in the first place." Lucifer murmurs the last part to himself glancing at the ground before looking back up, "Well? Why are you still standing there?" He asks to the empty space.