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FIFTY

PART FIVE

THE GAME OF TRUST

LUCIFER

She wanted to give the hairpin back to Mara. Every night, she could not close her eyes and dream peacefully, thinking of how she could react when she found out that the one thing she wanted to find in Elysium wasn't there anymore. She could feel the weight of the pin inside the pocket of her dark pants as she was fixing her pink shade shirt.

She wore the ring that Talus made with a dark and red gemstone. It was a small crystal with the shape of a polished diamond. A simple size even smaller than an almond. But enough to make it work. At least that is what Mordred said the day earlier. Unfortunately, Hephaestus had no time to test it but Mordred was someone proud enough to believe it.

Even if she still could not trust them, she could trust them about how a few things about incantations and power work in this world, the ones that Lucifer did not know. Why should they lie about that, something as important as the mission?

She took the pale crystal and placed it close to her eyes. She imagined the color that she wanted her eyes to be. That is what Mordred told her to think. Think about what she wanted to be and change.

She imagined herself with brown deep eyes. Common, simple. But when she saw herself in the new mirror her heart kept rushing faster and faster.

‘’The green does not suit you’’Said Mara with her body leaning against the door. ‘’I wanted to be brown'' Lucifer corrected her and noticed that Mara’s eyes were dark brown like the ones she saw the first time she met her. Her fabrics were dark and yet they did not miss colors. Her night blue sky pants covered even her ankles even if they were wide. Her blouse too with dark blood for color. There was nothing to be shown while there was her eggplant colored belt around her wide waist. But there was something different. Something had changed around her presence. Something that she was forced to hide.

Even if her scar was absent, letting her face seem clear, less 'monstrous' Lucifer's gaze turned to the crystal again and noticed that they both had not spent enough. The others could have plenty to change. But she did not.

‘’Can you do it?’’Lucifer asked her, lending the pale crystal to her. I don’t want green eyes.

Mara lowered her dark eyes, shocked with a tense expression that softened in a second.

She leaned down to her as her hand slipped and she took the crystal from her.

‘’Brown?’’ She asked Lucifer with a frown.

‘’Light'' she implied.

The crystal was now close to her left eye. But She was always closing it and her hands were shaking.

‘’Why did you make them green at first?'' Mara asked curiously while the crystal kept making small circles.

‘’A mistake’’ Lucifer replied with a stutter.

‘’Why do you want light brown?’’

Lucifer’s eyes relaxed as she tried to figure out an answer to tell her.

‘’Because I am not like them'' She finally answered.

‘’Because you are a warlock?’’She moved to her other eye.

‘’Because they hate me’’She said. ‘’They tried to kick me out when my parents died.’’

‘’Everyone hates someone, but that doesn’t mean they are different from them’’

‘’They are liars’’

‘’You lied a lot of times’’ Mara reminded her.

‘’Pretend that everything is flawless, wanting to live an ideal little’’ No human.

Mara moved away from her and Lucifer could feel her face burn from the realization that it had hit her. She could call herself stupid many times but it wouldn’t be enough.

‘’I hope you like it’’Mara took the mirror from the wall and gave it to Lucifer's hand.

Her lips curled from shock but also disappointment. Their eyes were light but light blue like a cloudy day.

‘’I am an artist, remember?’’Mara grinned and then, she showed Lucifer her sketchbook, revealing it from her back pockets.

Lucifer took it with a second of hesitance but her eyes found a drawing of Mara’s at the top of the paper. It was almost finished with the end of her thick curls being smudged as Lucifer had now cut the hair. Her eyes were shaped big, curious with even stars painted on each one. The line is clean and smooth as a professional made it.

‘’This is …’’ Lucifer gasped and looked up at the girl., her fingers touching the coal that scratched the paper.

‘’Told you I could draw you better’’ Mara grinned, her hand patting her waist.

‘’Why are you giving it to me?’’

‘’A goodbye gift.’’ She shrugged and scratched her scar.

‘’You will leave?’’ Lucifer stood up. Mara frowned and looked down, waiting for something. ‘’You were expecting me to stay?’’

No.

Lucifer tapped her fingers into her dark pants and kept feeling the hairpin of hers. She could give it. She could give it and let it continue. To Elysium for everything.

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‘’Why did you actually draw me?'' Lucifer changed the subject. The girl nodded and looked to her left and back to her right as she moved her note far from Lucifer's fingers.

‘’It is a better way for me to remember what I want with pictures,'' she replied. ‘’Or things that I want to see.’’

‘’You want to remember me?’’ Lucifer smiled at those words.

Mara laughed and leaned towards her. ‘’I like pretty things, Princess'' she teased. ‘’You are not special.’’

‘’You think I am pretty?’’ Lucifer lowered her shoulders as she heard her voice almost squeal like a child.

Mara turned away with her circle round ears now being at Lucifer’s perspective. They were dark red. So that was her tell, wasn’t it? Her ears blushing.

Lucifer smiled as she rested her body closer to Mara’s. The girl seemed stunned by her confidence as she was now one breath to be nose to nose.

She noticed that Mara’s hands were now close to her pockets. She gulped as her thin fingers found the girl’s sharp hidden ear. It was far softer than she imagined, almost mortal. Even the angles were soft and the flesh heated red.

If I am no Royal anymore then…

‘’Maybe, I like pretty things too,’’ Lucifer admitted breathlessly, making her nose brush into hers. She could smell every explosion of intoxication, of the Aztlan soaps and apricots, coming from Mara. Spirits, the smell was far more than Lucifer could handle.

She did not lie. And Mara knew it. She showed that she knew it as she moved one more breath closer.

‘’Is this what you want?’’ Mara asked with a stutter. Lucifer nodded, feeling almost her lips. Harsh. Her thin fingers, stroking now her hair dark locks, trying to move her closer.

‘’Then’’ Mara licked her lips and curved a smile, leaning her lips to Lucifer’s ear. A beat skipped. ‘’You should try harder.’’ She whispered gently and backed away, letting Lucifer’s hand feel the absence of her sharp ear.

‘’I am sorry, I…’’

‘’Don’t be sorry’’ Mara played with her ear and her long raven hair. Lucifer looked into her eyes. Dark, and tired, she could almost see Lord Death touching her skin.

‘’But I am, ‘’Lucifer lied.

Mara scoffed and lowered her head, licking her sharp teeth. ‘’You are a terrible liar’’

‘’I am better than you ‘’Lucifer implied with a proud grin, hiding her fear inside her, imagining if she noticed it or not.

‘’We will see about that.'' The girl raised a brow at her.

When she was gone, Lucifer had forgotten that Leviathan was right at the table, watching everything.

Her cheeks flushed red from the embarrassment. ''It is not like...'' She startled.

I won’t tell.

Her eyes opened wide and looked down, confused. ‘’Thank -’’

But maybe hide your jewelry better. The eye fell on her pockets.

There it was, her heart sinking into the abyss. ‘’You know?’’

Once again. I won’t tell.

When they met with the others, Lucifer noticed that Mordred and Hephaestus had changed their clothes, they were the ones that they found inside the container. Their suit was dark red with silver pants, and two leather bucks. Both their pants and dark boots were hiding their prosthetic leg as they insisted on not using their cane for Elysium.

Maybe someone will notice. They explained. It will be fine. They hoped. Mordred was wearing a silver blouse with arms exposed as in the chest there were lighter gray fabrics attached from their shoulders to the center of it and tight leather jeans. Even they had brightened their hair and darkened their eyes with white gemstones. But not much to seem unrecognizable.

Lucifer slammed her hand across her face

‘’We are all going to die’’She complained about their showing clothes, thinking that everyone would look at them and get their suspicions.

Probably. Leviathan half agreed while they were on Lucifer's hand.

‘’I am going to die poor because of you’’ Orion whined, holding a bag with face-covered masks. In a corner there were Talus and Ukko, pulling bullets from inside the pistols. For a moment, his eyes met her and she swore that he saw him smile at her.

Lucifer shook her head and took a look at her mask. It was one that the jesters were using or the servants around the ball. Painted eyes and a big smile. Then, back to Leviathan. She had insisted on taking them with her as she now pushed the jar inside her bag pack.

Gently.

‘’Alright,’’ Mordred took a small bottle made of glass that had red dark dust. Mara sighed and clenched the bag with the explosives.

Lucifer took a lock at the clock at the wall and then back at them.m Shen then checked her rapier, studying it as she fixed it around her belt.

‘’We have one hour till the ninth bell’’ Mordred explained.

''Whatever happens, we follow the plan.'' His gaze slid towards Hephaestus.

‘’We have seven rings so one has to make sure to save one so we can run away’’ Hephaestus told them.

Lucifer raised her hand slightly and told them that she would be the one.

Ukko did not seem to agree with her. He heard what she had to do. Lucifer did not care. She had made up her mind.

‘’And NOT die’’Mara finished and Hephaestus lifted their hands like they were holding a glass of wine. And they called out their last speech.

‘’Let’s make a change,'' they said loudly with pride. Everyone repeated it softly. Even Lucifer.

Everyone was heading to the darkness, somewhere that none knew exactly what could happen. And yet everyone decided to trust one another. Just for tonight. Just for one night before something would make it far worse form before.

Orion looked at Talus and then clenched Hephaestus’ hand. Mordred took his blue silver mask and broke the bottle into a million pieces.

For Lucifer, it felt like she was falling. Falling to a deep end of darkness, looking at the light, fading far away.

Her mind shifted to the one she met in Ma’at’s lab. He was a man too. Middle-aged, frightened, tired, trustful, and caring. But also a coward. No, he was loyal. But loyal to the scientists.

‘’Princess’’ Mara whispered in her ear. She opened her eyes vividly, only to see Orion and Talus throwing up behind a few bushes. She could see servants with their white shirts and red pants walking inside a room. On the other side, nobles were walking into the main room of the palace. There was candlelight in each corner, just like the flowers. Jogglers danced, spitting flames from their mouths, even making cards disappear, turning them into pigeons.

If I create light, I am hunting prey or burning flesh from Naraka. But when they were doing those tricks, Lucifer played with her ring finger and watched Ukko, Mara, and Talus walk out of the bushes.

The two broadening men found themselves around the servants and smiled when the soldiers did not look at them and pulled them close to the darkness. Mara was close to the nobles whose gazes were being held by the performers, letting her hands slip into their pockets.

As they all returned, Ukko and Talus showed everyone clothes that belonged to servants as Mara showed with her now gold-wearing hands two invitations to the event.

''You stole more from them?'' Lucifer gasped.

''They won't miss them.''She rolled her eyes.

Each of the clothes had a different perfume and the shirt that Lucifer took was sweaty. They took them from someone.

She took a look at the clothes. Made from Olympus, filled with iron dust which was now something that she could not get wounded by. But there was still darkness around Lucifer's thoughts as she analyzed the green colors of it. Dark olive green pants with a lime shirt for the top were something she was not expecting to wear. Just for tonight. Just for tonight.

‘’Are you ready to do this?’’ Mara asked and placed the red-painted mask upon her face. Ukko asked the same question with his hand resting on her shoulder.

She turned her head over her shoulder and smiled gently at him. ''You are my guard''She reminded him. ''If anything happens, you will find out.

''Be careful'' Ukko pleaded.''I mean it''

Lucifer smiled nervously again.

''Alright,'' Lucifer took a deep breath and followed the other servants wearing her servant's dark mask. On one side, there were Ukko, Orion, Talus, and Mara, hiding as they walked toward the side of the clock tower. On the other, with the angle of her head, she found Hephaestu waving at her a farewell, lifting their eagle mask high and finding a glimpse of their kind smile.

But for Lucifer, she felt as if she had seen this scene once more. The final smile. The farewell with no return. I do not regret being at your service. Remember this. Just this.

What were they planning?