Heaven and Hell

EIGHT

L U C I F E R ' S C A S T L E

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"WHY AM I not at all surprised to see the both of you down here in Paradise?"

The blond haired angel smiled, lips stretched apart so beautifully that it was almost a painful sight. Lucifer stood just a few feet away from both Lucius and Adelia, his arms folded across his chest and wings spread out behind him as if he had just landed from a flight. With the light flaring from behind him dramatically, Lucifer was a pure work of art and that was undeniable.

"An angel of the night and an angel of the day. Both so very different and yet hold a common interest in my humble abode. I am truly honored."

Immediately, Lucius bowed his head just the slightest to show his respect for his superior. Even the angels gossip and everyone in Heaven knew that Lucifer was God's favorite angel, and all for good reason. The original angel of light was phenomenal in his line of work and had taught Lucius everything he knew. All the credit of Lucius's hard work could as well be given to Lucifer himself.

"Forgive us for intruding, Lucifer. We were just curious and decided to head away from the festivities." When Lucius failed to respond, Adelia was the one that stepped up. When she tipped her head, her mop of midnight curls fell around her face in beautifully curved ringlets. "Your castle merely caught our attention."

"I would not call it a castle, Adelia." Lucifer had a smile gracing his lips, the very same that made him even more ethereal than he already was. "Please, no need for the formalities. We are a family, are we not?"

At that, Lucius immediately straightened up. His spine was rigid, body tense and lips pursed. Surely, Lucifer had always been a kind and understanding tutor. He was the one that trained them, developed their skills and assigned them their respective duties. For all of his existence, Lucius had only witnessed good from his mentor and had heard tales of his heroism. Yet, now, they had committed a crime that was punishable. Leaving Heaven was perhaps not so much of a good idea after all.

"Are you going to punish us?" Lucius bluntly asked, worriedly fidgeting around. "For leaving Heaven, I mean," he clarified.

"No, no, of course not!" Waving it off almost nonchalantly, Lucifer took a few steps closer to his disciples, resting a hand on the table once he was close enough. "If I punished the both of you for leaving the blessed grounds of Heaven, I would be being very hypocritical, wouldn't I?"

From beside him, Lucius could practically Adelia sigh out in relief. Her shoulders sagged, posture slacking as her lips parted. They had just dodged a possible punishment and Lucius could not be more thankful. If they had been under any other archangel, especially Gabriel, Lucius could only imagine the dreadful possible outcomes if they were ever caught.

"But then again, the both of you had better return to Heaven immediately. The festivities have already ended and I imagine that your friends must be looking for you."

Gesturing behind him, Lucifer made a beckoning motion with his hand just as Lucius and Adelia nodded. Their wings were already outstretched, feet barely lifting off from the stone ground as they got ready to take flight. Lucius flew significantly higher than Adelia did for he was all too prepared to leave. He did not want to stay any longer than he could in fear that Lucifer might change his mind about the lack of punishment for their desertion of Heaven.

Just before they could leave, however, Lucifer cleared his throat, spinning around on his spot so that he could look at both the angels properly. Lucius watched with a bile in his throat as Lucifer gingerly touched the scrolls on the desk as if shifting them back into place after the former had picked it up.

"Oh, and Adelia?" He called out, picking up the same scroll that Lucius did prior to Lucifer's entrance.

"Yes?" She responded. Lucius thought he could hear her voice trembling just the slightest, enough to create a difference but not enough to be too obvious. Then again, Adelia had proved time and time again to wish to be different than what others thought of her. She was never presented as weak or delicate, almost too desperate to prove herself mighty.

"I expect a full report after the night ends. Regarding your duties, of course." This time, as he spoke, Lucifer did not spare them a single glance. Instead, he had already unrolled the piece of parchment and was now reading it intently as if examining it for possible defects.

"Yes, of course," Adelia affirmed, her tone much harder than before and filled with a new surge of determination. All worry had bled away, leaving her stronger than ever.

"Good. You may take your leave now."

They did not need to be told twice. Before Lucifer had even completed his sentence, Lucius had already taken hold of Adelia's hand, speeding away as quickly as possible and definitely much faster than it took them to arrive. In no time, they were already at the foot of Heaven's Falls, wings ready for the ascend and blood still roaring in their ears with adrenaline drenching them head to toe.

As they flew upward, the wind was coursing through their hair, each strand forced in the other direction due to the intensity of their speed. They made their way up fairly easy for it was a straight path, unlike the winding spiral staircase they had to use on their way down. Once they touched back down onto the grounds of Heaven, Adelia smacked Lucius on the arm.

"Ow!" Lucius exclaimed, jumping slightly away from the night angel as she scowled at him. "What was that for?"

"That was for nearly getting us caught! I happen to enjoy my position in Heaven and will not like to risk it again anytime soon, thank you very much." She huffed, folding her arms across her chest as she glared down at Lucius. After a few seconds, however, her features softened.

"I am so very sorry for getting us into trouble, Adelia. I had not meant for it to happen," Lucius apologized.

"Well, it was fun, for all that matters."

Lucius stared at Adelia blankly for a few short moments, stunned by what he had just heard. When the creeping smile of hers confirmed that he had not imagined the sentence in his mind, Lucius's own beam was much brighter than that of the light of the sun. Euphoria was nothing more than a drug that coursed his veins, a delightful surge of felicity that fuelled his entire body even though they were previously saturated with fatigue.

"Really? You think so?"

She nodded once, combing stray strands of her hair behind her ear before she turned around to walk back towards the edge where she usually sat while watching over the night.

"Of course," she uttered, so softly that Lucius had to strain his ears just to hear her melodious voice. "One of the more eventful days of my life."

That was all that Lucius needed to hear for a good night's rest.

[A/N]:

So sorry that I took so long to update. Hope you enjoyed the chapter, nonetheless.

Until next time.

xx aurora