LUCIFER

Why me why me why me? Lucifer screamed inside her head with the soldiers trying to find a servant who was acting suspiciously. And that servant was her. One of the soldiers noticed her rapier and looked at her frightened.

She smiled at him and showed her long lashes. ''It's lovely fake, isn't it?'' She chuckled. ''But the soldier did not buy it as he shouted at the rest of the guards.

''Fine''She rolled her eyes and started running far from them. The hunt began.

When she managed to lose the soldiers, she found the opportunity to catch her breath by pulling the mask out.

Her tired eyes found a golden mirror and looked at her face. Light blue like glass.

Better than green or lilac. She could let her eyes stay that way.

The lilac meant a gift. She was no gift to anyone. A bad joke. Green meant her family. What family? The one that hated her existence? The one that was making fun of her, waiting for her to fail?

She pinched her left palm to wake up from her overthinking. It was no time for her mind to travel again.

She was getting down to the building to find the flying machines.

With an orb of light in the palm of her hands, Lucifer found two portraits of her family with their faces vanished, charred. She could even see the portrait of herself in front of her. But it was not burned. Her eyes were lilac, her hair had long brown curls, and her gown light green. But at that moment, she wished it was burned.

She moved her head left and right and kept walking the cold door stairs. A horrifyingly loud echo came from the steps of her leather boots, reminding Lucifer that she had to be cautious if someone could listen to her, coming closer to them.

Two soldiers were guarding a wooden door with an iron lock.

One pistol each.

One of them found her and aimed at her stomach with an iron bullet scared by her presence. The other one gasped and shouted at his comrade, telling him how stupid he was. Lucifer grinned as she twisted her hand, creating a bright light inside the room.

She got used to using her incantation to make people lose sight for a while. She did not enjoy it. But she got adjusted to it.

''I am sorry, I am sorry''She apologized repeatedly as she searched for the keys to the door from the fallen soldiers' bodies, sneaking her fingers at the grip of one of the pistols. She took a good look at the dark key she found and then back to the door.

You apologize too much. For a criminal.

‘’I am not a criminal,’’ Lucifer whispered down to Leviathan.

When she unlocked it, a loud sound scratched her ears, and moved the pistol at her belt. She opened the door slowly, only to see there was nothing. There was a hideous smell from the sewers. The air was cold and thick from the smell as well there were lanterns to keep everything bright. But there were no machines, no soldiers, nothing.

Hephaestus predicted that they could be down as the tunnel was guiding them to the surface. Lucifer thought if it could be in the sky, ready to fly and attack. But they could have noticed a giant machine made of metal, causing loud screaming noises from the engines, above the dark sky.

Her mind started now projecting the worst case of scenarios. That the machines had already fled days ago and everything was just a simple mistake. A trap to make them go away from Babel and return empty-handed, only to see…chaos. Something is not right. Well, nothing is but something more wrong.

Girl, RUN.

The door behind her closed and woke her from her mind. Her fingers clenched on the golden rose handle with the shape of a snake, from the rapier, ready to attack at any minute. ‘’You shouldn’t be here’’A a brooding voice warned her with the sound of a releasing sword sung to her.

‘’Neither should you’’She said, gritting her teeth. Her eyes fell to the pistol and she thought of using it on him. But it was far too reckless. She had to calculate each of the bullets and the time she had to do it.

She turned back, cutting the air in half with her blade as the man in front of her defended his body with his red crimson basket-hilted sword and golden blade. Only one hand while the other one was helping him stand in flawless balance.

The man had a dark mask to hide his face and leather gloves. His suit seemed to belong to one of the servants.

‘’Impressive’’ He said amused with his blade moving closer to her. She had been practicing for years. But she had never been in true competition or an actual enemy.

Her left hand which was holding the rapier was shaking.

‘’But weak.'' The man spread his hand, moving the blade with him, far away from Lucifer, making her lose her balance. As she took two steps back, the man did not let her go out of his sight and kept attacking her with quick slices.

Lucifer thought about his movements. Light and free. He had experience. His steps were quick as if he was dancing with the tip of his toes.

‘’Who are you?’’ Lucifer asked and the man lifted his leg, making it kick her to the stomach and making her fall close to the edge of the river.

‘’You don’t need to know my name’’The angle of the blade, sharp and light, was kissing her throat as the man was now on his knees, looking at her and studying her.

‘’My orders were to kill you’’

‘’Let me guess’’ She frowned proudly. ‘’Ma’at?’’

He is the assistant. Lucifer realized as she kept looking at him, curious.

‘’Smarter than you look’’ He complimented her, pressing the blade closer to her, making her handshake from his strength.

Lucifer let out a long sigh and held her breath, praying that she wouldn't die from disgust. She let the weight of her body free, leaning on the opposite side and every part of her body followed her to the dirty water.

She felt her body becoming heavier every second she tried to move around the thick liquid. Even the rapier became tiring to hold. But she had to keep on. She could not hold her breath and live inside the water forever.

She pushed her legs and started swimming to the opposite side of the catacombs.

‘’Even if you find a way to escape from me'' The man spoke while she kept holding her breath from down below.

‘’You will not see the sun rising again’’

Full of yourself are you? Lucifer thought as the weight of her boots kept her down. She pushed her body above as much as she could. She had made the mistake of opening her eyes and looking at the deep dark end. Her lips opened, letting thick filth inside her mouth.

I am going to puke inside puke. Perfect. She thought and noticed a glimpse of a familiar jewel slipping from her and getting down below. She felt her stomach turn and her throat burn. She could feel the tears streaming down her face, and she knew that no amount of strength could save her now. She had fallen, and there was no turning back.

Free me. I can help you. Leviathan said as the jar almost slipped from her bag

No, not now. Lucifer changed her direction and tried to swim down, catching Mara’s pin. She kept pushing herself, thinking of what she would say, what she would think, and what she would do if she found it now completely missing.

I have to live to find out. Lucifer regretted her actions and looked up with a narrowed gaze. She had no choice but to follow the path she had chosen and find the courage to face the consequences, whatever they may be. She slowly started to move, following the current.

When her free hand found the cold ground she pushed everything she had in her fist and got out, gasping for air with the water getting inside her mouth and lungs and then out with a heavy cough.

She could hear the man laughing from the opposite side as her clothes were now soaking wet and tighter than before. Even her hair was close to her face, sticking right at it.

One deep breath and let down her bag, making her body even lighter.

‘’My turn then’’ He said, pointing his sword at her tired, leaning body. Her left side, keeping the weight of the rapier.

‘’Where are the machines?’’Lucifer demanded to answer her question.

‘’Is that your next question?’’ The man asked curiously.

Lucifer clenched her jaw and looked at her reflection steadily at the blade.

The plan, except for the insane, was simple. Hephaestus and Mordred had to cover the ballroom if something happened there to learn and inform the rest of them. Mara, Ukko Talus, and Orion had to make distractions for Hephaestus and Mordred to scatter later around the palace to find things that Lucifer could not find.

She was just a head start. So no one else could be worried after that while she kept being in danger.

‘’Is this what you want?’’The man asked her. ‘’Blood and violence?’’

She frowned and let out a long sigh. ‘’What do you want?’’She replied with a question.

‘’Peace’’ He answered instantly, moving his sword away from her side.

‘’And how will you manage to do it? With blood and violence?’’ A small grin curved around her mouth. Her heart kept racing fast and her free hand was now behind her back, a clenched fist, nails dipping inside her skin.

‘’Isn’t it tiring?’’The man started walking left and right with the sharp edge of his sword caressing the floor and his gaze not losing Lucifer’s eyes.

‘’Seeing everyone around you die for you to live a pathetic peaceful life?’’

Lucifer heard his tone becoming more playful as he tried to play with her mind. His sharp words hit her skin and lungs but her mind kept looking forward.

‘’It is, yes’’ Her sword backed up and pointed at the man, thinking of the ways she could attack. He was faster than her and had more experience in combat. She could not win. But she had to run from there.

‘’But one more life it wouldn’t be a problem now would it?’’ She said with a wide grin.

What did I just say? For a moment, Lucifer's fingers trembled from the words she let out.

The man moved his right leg behind his left and he jumped on the other side of the river with his glutton blade, ready to eat Lucifer alive.

She took a step back and dodged his attack right on time. Her steps were now in sync with her arm movements and his attacks. He did not seem to struggle though. On the contrary, it seemed that he was enjoying it. He even made a swing around his body and kept trying to attack her, moving to her side and swinging his sword left and right as if it were a small stick.

This time, she managed to slice him in the stomach, before even trying to fall to the floor.

‘’Time for you to die’’His sword found an open space close to her throat.

She moved her body low and her sword pierced right into his heart, making him let out a small whimper

‘’Are you sure about that?’’ She asked him proudly, while she kept listening to him gasping for air with his blood, feeding the rapier.

I …I did it. Lucifer thought as there was a tense wave tingling her body, making a drop of sweat fall from her brow to the floor.

She lifted her body higher, making her blade get even more inside his heart. His head fell to the right side of her neck

‘’Yes,’’ he whispered with pain in his voice.

Lucifer looked at him surprised as she felt a strong pinch right below her chest. She lowered her head and noticed that the man had also a knife in his other hand. She pulled away from him, letting her rapier go, and forced herself to get free from the knife.

Her head felt heavy as the pain grew more and more when she let the blade out of her body.

‘’What is …’’

‘’Iron doesn’t work but'' The man explained and took the rapier out of his stomach simply and threw it back into the water. Lucifer noticed his white shirt had stopped shedding blood.

Her wayward twitched and fell to her knees.

‘’This poison will bring you pain,'' he said slowly and moved to her side.

‘’You are a warlock’’ Lucifer groaned with her eyes, looking at him.

He kept walking towards her side but when he was one step away from her, he walked right behind her, at the bag.

Lucifer began coughing.

The jar began rolling away from Lucifer's belongings, ending up at the man’s feet.

Ugh, finally, you are here.

The man looked down, letting out a surprised shout.

‘’Leviathan? I thought you died.’’

Things got …complicated.

‘’No,’’ Lucifer tried to stand up, her fingers clenching to her wound

The man’s face turned to Lucifer and back to the jar.

‘’Do you want me to free you, Leviathan?’’He suggested.

No response.

‘’I will take that as a yes’’

Getting down on his knees, the man grabbed the jar and returned to the water. He opened the jar and threw the ashes right there as if it were filthy trash.

Lucifer waited for a second. And another. And another. Until the water rose above in the shape of a long ten feet tall snake. The serpent felll to the floor and the filth became a spine, the trash moved away with organs and flesh being created.

Lucifer started crawling away

as she saw Leviathan holding her own rapier and them being on their knees, gasping for air.

And then. They puked.

''Why...'' They barked, facing their brown eyes to the man.'' There?''

''It felt fitting''The man shrugged.

Leviathan, naked as if they were born once more, stood on their own two feet and faced the poisoned girl.

Their lips curved a satisfied grin, giving the blade to the man.

The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

''May I?''

The man rose his shoulders.''The Ruler would probably want her alive...''

''She will live''They lifted their right hand and water moved from below and found Lucifer's right arm. She tried to move it, to get away but it was pointless.

''What?'' She almost squeaked.

Leviathna's bare feet started moving at her.

''I loved our bonding moments trully''They sighed.''But Hephaestus should have warned you about me.''Their fingers found her chin, moving it higher.

''I don't understand...''She stuttered, remembering a moment of warmth she had around them. Was it a lie?

Leviatan laughed ''I wonder,''They licked their plump lips.''What your body will choose to heal first. The poison wound or.''They snapped their fingers.

Crack.

Lucifer screamed as her arm broke by the pressure of the water. She screamed and screamed until her eyes moved to the ceiling.

Leviathan laughed with pleasure once more.

''Oh, your bones sound so beautiful when they break.''

Lucifer panted heavily as she moved her other hand at them, ready to make light burn their eyes. And then, another orb of water captured her palm.''And your screams are so much better.''

Lucifer's eyes let tears fall as her bones were put back to their original place.

Crack.

'' Did you know?''They asked her concerned.''That when you break your bones, it hurts more than cutting your skin.''

She twitched.

''The shock, the pain, the fear''They sighed with anticipation and pulled few feet away before moving back to her with slick movements of theirs.''That is what my

Her lilac eyes scanned everywhere for a sign, for someone, for something. But the other man was gone. Now it was just a a snake. A snake made of human flesh, eyes human and a smile when the reflection of pain found them. Was this what they wanted?

''He wouldn't save you.'' Leviathan slapped her face, pushing her down.

Crack. Thumb. Crack. Index. Crack. Crack. crack. Her fingers, her hand her arm, her bones. Helaed, Crack, healed crack.

''Be grateful that I am attacking you and not my boss.''They spat.''I am giving you a moment to heal. He would have peeled your skin from your corpse right now.''

Crack.

''He would have made you suffer more than I do he...''

And then it hit her.

''Envy is your weakness.'' There was a laugh escaping her voice. ''You want to bring pain. Suffering, like him. No. For him.And that.''She took a deep breath, feeling her body healing once more.''Will end you.

Levithan's brow twitched and moved the water far from her arms and made it the dirty liquid wrapped all over her neck.

''I wonder how your soul will break''They sifghed.''The light from your beautiful face,''

The liquid pressured her flesh slowly, making her air fail to get in, the poison kept growing as her healed hand reached for the pistol.

''Then, I will kill the little bird''they said.''It seems you are interested in them''

The cold metal touched her flesh. She moved it fast.

''If you don't break easily I might tell the Ruler to keep.''

Bang. Bang Bang.

Lucifer finally found the right air to breathe as the bullets fell to Leviathna's head.

''Shut up'' She panted and forced herself to stand up, watching Leviathan's wounds begin healing as they were lying on the ground.

''Hephaestus should have killed you when they had a chance''She sighed and rushed away with poison going to her blood and a pistol in her hand.

She got out of the catacombs and started getting upstairs with cold sweat rushing to her forehead.

There was now a warlock that poisoned her and weakened her body. I have to find Mordred. She thought and a second after, she regretted it. She had to stick to the plan as Hephaestus said. She would not come back there helpless, weak, waiting for someone to heal her.

Her eyes found soldiers looking at her with disgust as if she was a piece of nothing.

Gathering every last drop of her remaining strength, she ran away from them. Growing up inside the palace, she had found every perfect hiding spot for her when she and her cousins were playing tag. Well, mostly she was the one that they were after. Lucifer remembered one of her cousins with both red hair and green eyes, having a dagger and when she found Lucifer, she tried to stab her. She cried to her aunt and made her cousin’s parents suffer. She did not know how and Lucifer did not want to know.

But she knew something. After that, none of her cousins tried to hurt her. With a dagger at least.

Rushing to the hallways,her mind went back to the rotten corpse. The eyes stared at her.

They died. They died because of her. She killed them. She hurt them.

Envy was their weakness. It was not my fault.

She found the door that she was looking for. Her hands touched the golden flowers that decorated the wood and walked inside pushing them away from her.

Closing the door and leaning against it with her body down to the cold floor, she found Boudica looking at her, sitting right in her office with surprise. She had a Castellon suit, well tailored just like all of her fabrics and she seemed to be a warrior. A beautiful warrior who wore a crown and blood.

‘’Who are you?'' Her words hit Lucifer sharper than the knife. Her hand was close to the wound, clenching it tight. Her body was in filth and her eyes had a different color.

‘’It’s me'' Lucifer groaned in pain. Boudica stood up from her seat and walked to her side.

‘’I will call the soldiers and..’’

‘’Lucifer’’ She cried with pain, clenching her wound with her shaking hand.

Her eyes lit up and her beautiful kind smile appeared again. Lucifer could understand how confused she was before. Right now, every part of her that was getting called, royalty was lost. She was nothing more like a thief.

‘’You smell horrible dear’’She said and yet caressed her cheek.

Chills rushed right down her spine, making her squeal and the burning around her body made it worse.

‘’I know’’Lucifer mumbled and looked away, cowardly. Her hair was decorated with small golden chains, a green gown bright like a jewel, and her flawless skin was shining, covering every wrinkle she might have.

The firelight was playing shakily with the red color of her locks as her green eyes, sharp and beautiful, kept looking at her niece with concern.

Lucifer’s gaze fell on the clock. She had less than half an hour to find the machines.

‘’Here’’ Her aunt returned with a handkerchief and tried to clean Lucifer’s face up. Her palm was trembling. Lucifer slapped her hand away, making the fabric fall to the fire and burn in an instant.

‘’I am sorry,’’ Boudica’s hand shrunk into a fist and she looked away. ‘’You must have been through a lot.’’

And whose fault is that?

Lucifer curled a smile and tried to stand up. ‘’I am fine now,’’ She lied and fixed her clothes.

Boudica stood at her height and tried to laugh. ‘’You even changed your hair.'' She lifted her eyes and kept her fingers around her sticky locks.

‘’They were getting in the way'' She admitted and chuckled once more.

‘’I see, I see'' Boudica walked back to the side of the couch and poured tea into a small china cup. But this time, she did not stop on that. She kept asking questions about what had happened in the past few days. As if Diyu, Naraka, being a warlock did not matter. But there was more. Lucifer answered her questions with lies, that she was lost in the forest while her aunt was walking towards her desk, opening her drawer, and picking up a jar of strange herbs.

‘’What is this?’’ Lucifer asked, curious, playing her role, confused.

‘’It’s something that will help you relax,'' she said as she put it inside the single cup.

Lucifer shook a yes as she took the cup from her aunt’s hand, ready to drink.

What am I doing? She hesitated as she smelled the herbs inside the tea.

‘’How many times?’’ Lucifer's voice broke.

‘’What?’’ Boudica’s eyes twitched and she lowered her gaze to the tea.

‘’How many times did you drug me to forget?’’She held her tone calm, rational. No human.

Boudica remained silent. just like her gaze became far cold.

‘’Answer me ‘’

She played with her ring finger as her green eyes kept looking firmly at her niece. The lines on her face were thin like a spiderline as she tried to speak. But her eyes said everything.

She has woken up.

‘’Only twice dear’’She said in a broken tone which in the end, there was arrogance. ‘’You remember everything don’t you?’’ She frowned.

Lucifer touched her wound and shook her head.

Boudica shook her head again and let out a deep breath from her nose.

‘’Alright, I will tell you everything, I swear but you have to understand…’’She moved to her side once more with her hand slipping into her filthy chin. ‘’I did it for you...''’’

I am done with understanding.

‘’Just tell me why?'' Lucifer interrupted her.

Boudica shook her head once more and jerked her head to the couch. Lucifer did not move from her position.

‘’When my father died,’’ Boudica explained and moved to the fireplace, taking the iron pitch to fix the firewood.

‘’A man visited me after the funeral, telling me that he was his assistant.’’

‘’Ma’at?’’ Lucifer let out his name as she had said it over and over again until she got tired of listening to it from everyone around her.’’He doesn’t seem that old’’

Her aunt’s eyes snapped in surprise and kept playing with the fire.’’He is keeping himself young with machines’’She informed her. ‘’He got weak in an accident and...’’

She could see that she was losing Lucifer's attention and care.

‘’He told me that he would be my assistant too.’’ She smiled for just a moment before it broke.

‘’But he needed something in return,’’ Lucifer figured out. ‘’Didn’t he?’’

‘’He just needed space for his work to be done’’She explained. ‘’To not ask, to not bother and also few things.’’

‘’He needed warlocks.'' Lucifer finished her sentence and her fingers started tracing the pistol, moving to her belt and counting the cylinder holes. Possibly six bullets. Six shots.

‘’I told you, I did not interfere’’Boudica scoffed. ‘’He was also doing a favor, keeping cells empty for more prisoners.’’

‘’And gathering you livestock for hunting?’’ She lifted her shoulders as she kept her eyes piercing at her beloved relative.

‘’Sometimes the experiments were failing and they were still alive.’’ She moved her fingers around.’’And people, need something for their mind to get lost too…fine an interest?’’

Lucifer's tongue got stung with poison as she heard her aunt talk so casually about massacres.

‘’What is this change of heart then?’’ She asked after. ‘’Did you try to stop him?’’

‘’My stupid husband did.'' Her proud voice of hers shattered. ‘’He tried to burn his lab with him inside.'' She faced Lucifer again.

‘’He died trying’’Lucifer finished her sentence. ‘’And you kept on,''

‘’So my son could live his life without any parents just like I did?’’ She replied with a painful question.

Lucifer looked down with understanding. She had lost something that she wouldn’t wish for her worst enemy to happen to them. So why would she do that to a child?

‘’But also, I do not want my son to see people he cares about getting hurt by people like Ma’at.’’ She faced her consequences once more.

Lucifer was aware that she did not like the part the story was getting.

‘’When I first met you, I thought that you were just a member of the Royals like everyone else. Even without your’’She is playing with her red locks. Lucifer mimicked her by playing with her now short curls.

‘’But Ma’at told me to get rid of you,’’She explained.’’Told me that you were a danger.''

‘’He knew that I had…’’ Lucifer’s eyes faced her hands. Her aunt did not continue on that subject.

‘’Out of line'' He said mimicking a robotic sound. ''She will be out of line.’’ Her eyes wandered around the room.''But that made me interested in you.''

‘’And what did you do?’’

‘’I made a deal’’ The great Ruler smiled as she kept her steps approaching her niece. ‘’I will keep you in line, I will put you in a place that you won’t try to have outbursts again with the exchange let my son be free from the tradition.’’

‘’All this interest is about me so I could not rebel against you?’’

‘’Sort of’’ Boudica tried to explain again.

‘’What did you do?'' Lucifer had enough. She demanded answers. She demanded the reason she was still alive.

‘’He wanted a,’’ She took one deep breath as she flexed her fingers.’’I need a replacement.’’

Her heart throbbed as she gazed down at the carpet which was once stained with blood all over it. She wished she had heard something wrong but it was too late.

‘’In the end, he would be sure that you won’t be a danger to anyone, just for sure.’’

Lucifer bit her lip and held her anger tight.

‘’I thought that you would have looked more excited’’Boudica informed her, disappointed. ‘’You are going to have everything after I pass. Or,’’ She laughed bitterly. ‘’When history thinks I passed.’’

‘’But I am a warlock''

‘’People forget’’She grinned.’’Just like they will forget that you were once a lost cause.’’

‘’Just like they will forget that my parents died at your hands?’’

‘’Do you know how many hours Thoth had to stay around those corpses so the wounds could look barbaric enough?’’ She laughed. Bitter like the bark of a beast.

‘’They found what you were planning and…’’ Lucifer panted, remembering everything that she had seen.

‘’I did not have any other choice, my son,’’ Boudica pleaded.’’I regret nothing,’’

‘’What about me?’’ Lucifer hissed. Mortal. ‘’Did you even…’’

Boudica’s eyes twitched as she kept talking calmly. ‘’You are my family Lucifer,’’ She reminded her.’’And yet you…were, you are the solution.’’

And it hit her like the poison.

If she stayed she would have taken the crown, everything. If she stayed she would see every one of her closest ones die and she would have to lie. She would have every riches, she would get married to Ukko and he would be safe.

Would he? Just like Osiris was for Boudica? She would have everything. She would have every pain.

She always looked up to her aunt, and always admired her, even in her cruel days, even when she saw taking someone’s life. But the admiration could fade when a gentle smile was not real.

She wanted to see her fall. She didn't want to be in the shadows. She saw everything that she was doing to people like her. She despised it. She resents every part of her aunt, her family, and the people inside the castle. And she despised herself for believing that she wished to be like them. Every time she wished, she prayed to not have the worries for her life to end at the stake, for someone to marry her and for her family to not kick her out with no fortune, for her life to not be like her parents, instead to be in riches and glory.

No human, no mortal, no Royal, no warlock. Nothing. She was nothing. She was everything that she could let herself twist, let herself free. From her aunt’s warnings, lessons. From her parents' lost love, from Hestia’s intrigued nature.

‘’Why did you change your mind again then?’’ She asked her. ‘’Back to Diyu.’’She sat her eyes for one second and then she faced her once so-called aunt with anger. ‘’WHY?’’

‘’BECAUSE’’ Boudica’s voice broke out loud. Her eyes darted from the pain and fear, lips shaking. ‘’You made me weak. You made me see you as something more than just a pawn that maybe.’’She took a deep breath. ‘’I thought maybe I did you a favor of dying.’’

‘’A favor?’’

Fingers free, mind unchained and ears listening to the ninth bell as a sound of explosion accompanied it. She could see the fire growing out of the top of the clock tower with the sound of the guards approaching the danger.

‘’What…’’ Boudica walked to her side and looked at the flames. Then, back to Lucifer, shocked. ‘’You caused this?'' She almost gave a startle.

Lucifer grinned with an arched brow.’’ Don’t be ridiculous’’She mocked her. ‘’I am far too naive to do something like that’’

Boudica held her breath, her posture, everything even the air that was conquering her was impeccable. But Lucifer knew that she was furious, afraid.

‘’Why are you here?’’ Boudica’s voice stopped being kind, sincere, or even cruel. It was just cold. Dangerous.

‘’There are flying machines'' Lucifer admitted. ‘’Where are they?’’

'What is your plan with them? Killing innocents?''

''No''Boudica's brow arched. ''No, I will give them a chance of surrending. Mught few of them run enough to become a prayer.''She smiled once more.''Others might rot in prison just like the thieves you teamed up with. I am merciful.''

Lucifer watched as her suit shifted to dark blood red with the playful light of the fire.

''And if they don't?''

The green eyes of her aunt lost their light and sanity. ''The ones that cannot be controlled must burn.''

''So, they will either die for your entertainment or simply perish.'' Lucifer's voice broke.''People will die.

''I am ruling Akhet, Lucifer''She reminded her. ''My father and his before him''Her broad shoulders snapped the world around the girl.''Their people my people are dying, because of the creatures outside because of their greed, of their need to kill us all.''

''You are wrong''

''Am I?'' A few steps on Lucifer's side, her thumb cupping her cheek. ''If you really believe it then tell me. And I will stop everything with a snap.''Her lips perked.

Lucifer twitched and looked down on her feet. They were soldiers, there was a council that wanted to fight. There was Mordred who could kill. Why would he need to know how to kill if he was a healer?

''Just as I thought'' Boudia moved away with disgust.

''They do not have the power, the technology to win. They won't do anything''She tried to defend Babel. ''They just want to defend themselves. They will not.''

''Of course they won't''Boudica flexed her fingers.''Because they need someone like you. Do still not understand?''

Someone like me?

Lucifer thought once again about everything. Everything that happened, what she had learnt what she was feeling. She would not let her aunt win, No this time.

‘’If you are here to kill, you want closure.’’ Boudica changed the subject.

‘’Don’t worry,'' Lucifer's voice let out a musical sigh.’’I am not like you,’’ Her smile faded.

Boudica’s two arches with her hand now cupping Lucifer's face tight, pulling her closer to her.

‘’Do you think that you have the power to make such threats?''

‘’Promises.’’ Lucifer corrected her pushing herself far from the Ruler, getting far from her She let the cup smash to the ground with her hand now open, letting light emerge from her skin, looking almost like a threat around her aunt’s presence.

Boudica clenched her jaw and narrowed her gaze at her. Even with the sudden threat, she did not show fear. Spirits, why couldn’t Lucifer be like her?

‘’Are you sure that you can make it?’’Her aunt’s lips curled into a devious grin.

The angle of her azure eyes found one more fire emerging from the dark pits of the forest. Far from the clock tower. Close to Ukko.

Lucifer wanted to keep her eyes on her aunt, her emotions in touch but.

Boudica noticed it and let out an insane laugh.

΄Focus, focus, focus. Lucifer tried to snap out.

‘’You knew,'' Lucifer sighed.

‘’That you were coming back? Yes. But not for the reason.’’

‘’How did,’’ Lucifer tried to speak but Boudica cut her words.

‘’Shouldn’t you be in a hurry?’’ She arched her brow again. She is done with her act. Done with everything. Lucifer knew it.

‘’This time, you might save someone that you love,’’

Lucifer quickly let the light fade from her hands and looked at her ring.

Stay. Keep her in line. Keep her far. But she could not stay in the room any longer.

But not without an example.

‘’I hope that you will too’’ Lucifer wished and drew the gun out and played with the cylinder. Tick. The trigger and the weapon aimed above Boudica. At the portrait. A bullet escaped with a loud sound, finding the top of the fireplace, hitting her portrait with her husband in half with a glimpse of light, letting it fall to the fire.

‘’No’’Her aunt screamed.

I did it. Lucifer panted, watching her aunt run to the fire.

She felt a wave of energy drain from her body once more, feeling even the incantation around her eyes disappear too.

‘’You won’t go anywhere.'' There was a sound of rolling roulette accompanying Boudica’s crying voice. Lucifer moved back and aimed at her aunt once more. She could see that Boudica had managed to save only one part of the painting. Her husband’s hand.

Eyes ready to snap, let out a cry with a snarl, wild and insane. The pistol was simple, just like the one she had used that night.

Lucifer grinned and looked at her ring once more. ‘’When this night is over, burn my portrait.’’

Her aunt gasped. Her lilac eyes kept looking at her wild face, reminding herself that she was no mortal.

‘’I promise when we will meet again,’’ She finally showed her true colors. ‘’You will be on your knees, crying and begging for my mercy.’’

And she twisted her finger, imagining being back to Ukko. To the warehouse. Where the fire was happening.

Even with amplifying the original stone, Lucifer had wasted too much strength from her. From the poison, from everything she had been taught that night, she could only let a few breaths till she fell on her knees, looking at the ruined warehouse.

There was no sound, only colors vibrating around her eyes. Bright enough, colorful, playful. Dangerous. Death was collecting tonight. And one of the souls was Ukko’s.

Lucifer tried to scream, calling his name. Nothing came out of her lips. Nothing came out of her dry eyes. Only smoke had been invited into her lungs. Body weak, mind filled with regret, blame, with everything. Ukko died and she did nothing to change that.

He promised, he promised, he promised, he.

‘’Lucifer’’ A familiar voice screamed from behind, making the slice less dreadful. As she looked back above her shoulder, she found Mara, looking at her with a worried expression.

‘’He,’’ Her voice broke, and she tried to remember how to breathe.

‘’I was here for a while, I tried to find him'' she explained herself. ‘’I am..’’

‘’He,’’ she said again, standing up on trembling feet.

Something is wrong.

‘’I am sorry,’’ Mara whispered with Lucifer resting herself on her.

‘’It’s my..’’Lucifer kept herself from crying. So her dry eyes could see the bright hairpin inside Mara’s pocket. Her heart almost stopped realizing that something was wrong.

‘’You are sorry?’’ Lucifer asked her, looking up. Eyes were dark, and the scars faded. Smiled sincerely.

‘’Of course'' she replied.’’For this’’

Lucifer gasped, feeling a tight pain, right at her heart. Looking down, she noticed an emerald green pin. Her hairpin. The one the girl had stolen from her from the start. She let out a gasp but it became unbearable as she felt a familiar pain. The poison.

‘’You are working with...'' She gasped, touching the blood around her chest. The girl played with her curled locks and took one of her earrings away from her skin.

‘’Do not worry Princess’’The girl moved back and watched Lucifer getting down on her knees, eyes looking right at her devious grin.

A dark figure emerged from the night, standing on Mara’s side.

‘’You are the main event’’The raven girl showed the emerald hairpin and then her ring while in the same hand, she had Lucifer’s pistol, letting it down to the ground like a broken toy.

FOOL

Pathetic.