DEVIL, DEVIL (Michael Langdon)

iv.

Grand Chancellor Ariel invited a coven of witches to Hawthorne. While he and the instructors wouldn't tell the students why, Michael told Judas. Ariel thought that Michael was the Alpha, a legendary figure to the warlocks, never before heard of and stronger than the witches' Supreme. Judas had no doubts that Michael was. He had never seen another warlock so strong. Michael would need to complete the Seven Wonders, a series of tests that would prove whether or not Ariel's theory was correct.

Supreme Cordelia Goode had denied Ariel's request. She wouldn't see Michael dead for his efforts.

And so Michael took things into his own hands. A witch part of Cordelia's coven, Queenie, was trapped at the Hotel Cortez, unable to leave. Even Cordelia's magic couldn't free her of the hotel's clutches.

But Michael's could. He saved Queenie. Michael crossed the veil between life and death to bring another of Cordelia's coven, Madison Montgomery, back from her personal Hell. Cordelia had been primed to leave, had been seen out by all the students at Hawthorne. But waiting outside the doors were Madison and Queenie, two people she had never expected to see again.

So Cordelia agreed that when the Blood Moon rose in the sky, Michael would take the test of the Seven Wonders, and life as everyone knew it would change forever.

One night before Michael's fate was to be decided, Judas sat on Michael's bed. Michael held a penny in his hand. Flat against his palm, the face of Abraham Lincoln looking up at Judas. "This is stupid," Judas stated, but he was laughing and that made Michael smile. 

"No, you have to look," Michael said, reaching out with his free hand to turn Judas' head toward the penny.

"Michael, it's just a penny," Judas said.

"I know that. But you have to watch, Jude."

Judas rolled his eyes but watched all the same. Michael closed his eyes, and Judas watched as the penny began to melt. "Holy shit," he whispered.

"I'm not finished," Michael said, not opening his eyes.

Judas fought the urge to poke at the melted copper as the smell that so reminded him of blood filled his nose. Slowly, the melted metal rose into the air, hovering at least five inches from Michael's palm. Judas could only watch in wonder as it twisted in midair, slowly but surely forming the shape of a heart. "Michael," Judas breathed out, eyes wide.

Michael raised a finger to his lips, silencing Judas in an instant. The copper heart dropped back into his hand, a penny once more in an instant. Michael opened his eyes, a smile on his face. Judas was stunned for a moment. "Michael," he finally said again, though that seemed to be the only word he could say.

A laugh escaped the golden boy sat before him, and Judas' face went red as he realized just how stupid he was acting. Michael had done things that were nearly impossible, but this was what stunned Judas. Michael smiled. "It's really not that amazing," he noted.

"It's not the trick," Judas admitted, only realizing that then. "It's you. Everything about you. The things you do and how you are. You are amazing, Michael." Michael laughed.

Judas decided that his favorite thing in the world was Michael's smile. Before he could stop himself, he reached out, letting his thumb brush across Michael's lip, which earned another smile. Michael took his hand, smoothing his thumb over Judas' knuckles before he moved to press a kiss to his fingertips.