Dance of the Angels

Chapter 18

The furious female knelt beside her injured sibling who whimpered as he tried to sit.
“Sammy, are you okay?” she asked him. He let out a groan as his hand slipped from beneath him.
“I keep seeing… seeing…” He found himself unable to finish the sentence as he closed his eyes.

It was going to feel weird but Naomi pushed away those feelings and wrapped her arms around Samiel in a hug.

He’s sending me while you and Lucifer are busy. I’m the only other one with a blade. It cut to Samiel easily killing people with the celestial blade. He slit open throats, stabbed them through the heart, sliced open their chests and then let them bleed out. Men, women, children, it made no difference. Samiel had been given orders he wasn’t allowed to question and he followed them through.

If he had seen that for days…

Slowly, Naomi rose to her feet and glared at Lucifer. Rage flowed through her veins and amplified her already strong hate towards Lucifer. She raised her hand and threw Lucifer into the barrier.
“Why?” she screamed. “Why would you do this to your own siblings?”
“They have done just as worse. You saw what he’s done, who he’s killed,” he said. “The only difference is that I’m the Devil.”

Lucifer’s words and excuses only infuriated the teenager more. She pushed him further into the barrier and he winced slightly. Naomi glanced at the other barrier and flung her arm out towards it. It rippled with a strange blue light as she forced her way through it. As she concentrated more, the ripples faded and so did the rest of the barrier.

Gabriel ran to his younger brother who had now managed to sit up. He looked to Michael for confirmation. Michael nodded and then Gabe and Sam vanished.

Despite all of the force Naomi was putting on him from her telekinesis and from the barrier, Lucifer laughed.
“It looks like you’re stronger here too,” he said with a smile. “The perks of being a fallen angel.”
“Be quiet,” hissed Naomi. “Just get him out of there.”
“Why do you need me to do it? You could rip down that barrier and do it yourself.”
“I’m giving you a choice to be better,” she said. Lucifer smirked and shook his head.

Naomi looked at the blue barrier and gestured for it to be pulled down. There was a blue ripple across its surface before it shimmered from existence.

Gasping and spluttering, Ryan opened his eyes and felt fear as he realised his was in mid air. He fell forwards and hit the floor with a loud thud. Concerned for him, Naomi rushed to him and released her hold on Lucifer. Lucifer stepped forwards and brushed himself off.

Ryan got to his feet without the help of Naomi.
“How… how long?” he stuttered.
“Barely five minutes.”
“It felt like ages,” he whispered, his voice was hoarse and dry. “It felt like months.”

Naomi hugged him tightly and whispered reassurances to him.
“You’re okay now and when Gabriel gets back, you’re going with him and you’re going home. Okay?”
“Where’s Samiel?” he asked.
“With Gabriel.”

“Do you two lovebirds need a room?” asked Lucifer with a grin. “But seriously, you said something was wrong with Michael but he seems fine. Or were you lying in an attempt to trick me?”
“It wasn't a lie,” said Michael. “He altered my view on things, changed the way I thought.”
“In an attempt to get her less attached, I assume,” said Lucifer. “Clearly, it hasn’t worked but how come you’re back to your usual uptight self?”
“Father’s… influence was lose when I entered Hell.”
“Entered?” scoffed Azrael. “I practically dragged you down here.”

“My point stands,” said Lucifer in a sing-song voice. “Our all-powerful father isn’t very benevolent.”
“I knew a long time ago,” Michael admitted. “I just wasn’t willing to accept it.”
“None of us wanted to accept it, Lucifer,” said Azrael with a small frown.
“He’s still our father. Nothing can change that,” said Michael. “So we respect him and so as he says because he is God.”
“I can’t stand your righteous…” Lucifer let out a sigh.

“Are we civil?” Michael shook his head. Lucifer’s initial betrayal has hurt him the most and everything Lucifer had done since had only added to that pain.
“Perhaps,” said Azrael. “We should be fine if you don’t fling me across a church again.” Lucifer smirked at the memory.

“They can’t allow you to remain free,” Naomi said out loud. “Oh, sorry, were you having a conversation?”
“Not really,” Michael said as he narrowed his eyes at Lucifer.
“Oh, okay then,” she muttered making Ryan smile at her hopelessness.

“What did you mean by what you said?” asked Lucifer.
“I was just zoned out and I… oh. You meant the thing I said before that.” Lucifer nodded with an amused smile on his lips.
“Well, the more you walk around free, the more power you have and the quicker you’ll gain power, especially in a vessel,” she said. “But you already know that and you know we have to stop you.”
“Well, you don’t have to,” said Lucifer. “But everything is balanced. If my power grows, the opposition gains power meaning - usually - an new angel is created. Everything is perfectly balanced.

“Like Star Wars!” Ryan happily exclaimed. Seeing the strange looks from Lucifer and Azrael and the smile from Naomi, he then added: “It’s the Force.”
“I’ve never heard of Star Wars,” said Azrael.
“You people need educating,” he said. Realising the glares had just intensified, Ryan shut up and stayed silent.

The air seemed to become thicker as more tension filled it. No blade, celestial or otherwise, had a chance at cutting through it. Lucifer looked at Ryan who had moved towards Azrael - presumably for protection even though she didn’t seem to like him much. He saw Naomi watching the ginger duo with concern and worry. Michael stood awkwardly, unsure of what to do. Lucifer took a deep breath as he realised what was going to happen.

“You’re locking me in here, aren’t you?”