A or B? Your Choice (Or Is It?)

A or B? Your Choice (Or Is It?) Part 3

9. Beginning of the End

Michael poured Ashwaganda tea into the cup in front of Lucifer, hiding his smile at the look of angry discontent on Lucifer's face.

"Drink up. This tea is good for stress."

"Will you stop gloating?"

Lucifer spat ill-humoredly, disregarding the fact that, at the end of the first test, he had gloated before Michael in the most annoying way. He knew that Michael was also recalling the incident, which didn't improve his mood.

"Come on, Lucifer. We are now even. You have won once, I have won once. There still remains the final test."

"I thought the game was in the bag. Isn't love supposed to conquer all?"

"True love will conquer all. But it was not true love, was it? The boy was only under a spell. Maybe it was not strong enough to make him forget all other considerations."

"Well, that was her job, to make him forget everything else. Stupid bitch, couldn't even get something that simple right. I should've punished her even more severely."

"So the girl was a demon in disguise?"

"Of course. She was part of the test, so that's not an outside influence, if that's what you're insinuating."

Michael smiled at the way Lucifer jumped to make excuses.

"I'm not insinuating anything, Lucifer. I understand she was part of the test."

That patronizing tone was even worse than the sanctimonious smile.

"Fine, I may have got her to do something a little more. But you still won, didn't you? Even after all she did? Congratulations, then."

"Like I said, you won once, I won once. So, the final test remains. What is it going to be?"

"I'm not going to tell you. I will tell you this. This time, there will be no outside influences. The boy will decide all on his own. We will see how he decides when he has no one to push him to one side or the other."

"That sounds interesting."

"Well, I only live to serve your pleasure."

Lucifer said sarcastically, and completely ignoring the cup of tea in front of him, he disappeared in a pillar of smoke. Michael shook his head.

"Pity. He could have really used a cup of this tea."

..........

Tristan looked around the room, his room, the place he had called home for the last half year. He was going to miss everything about this place, even the someone he was not going to name. He sighed and went back to his packing.

Miles, who had just opened the door, froze in the doorway.

"You're packing?"

"Yes, I'm leaving tomorrow. Aren't you?"

"I am, but Michael said we need to keep things as normal as possible until Winston leaves tomorrow."

"I know that, I just wanted to, you know, do this now when I have the time. So I can, um, get some closure."

Miles sat down on the bed and watched Tristan as he emptied his drawers.

"Has Lucifer told you more about this than Michael has told me?"

Tristan stopped for a second and regarded Miles.

"I wouldn't know."

"What has he told you?"