LUCIFER

Now inside the car, wearing military clothes, Ukko tried to turn up the machine.

Lucifer wanted to speak to him, tell him that there would be soldiers everywhere at the borders. But she also could see his frightened face. Giving him more reasons to get scared wouldn't be pleasant. In the end, she kept silent as the car started moving.

I can't go back. She pinched her left arm. She could not see everyone's gaze of judgment aiming at her like the weapons of the soldiers

Greetings, I ran away but I am back now. She knew that none of them would forgive her for doing that.

Would she even go back to Elysium? Or go to Naraka and burn? Both of the fates she could have were worse than the other. But Lucifer preferred the stakes over the humiliation.

She was always different from her relatives. One of them was her looks. She took her mother's brown curly hair, crooked nose, her father's complexion, and proud personality, but nothing else. Her eyes were different from both of them, even if they were both green. But her parents loved her, even if the rest of her family assumed that she was a child out of marriage. Her relatives had dark or red hair, mostly green eyes or hazel. And the other one was that she hated the way the world was. She was living in luxury with diamonds and flowers but she was no fool or naive. The world was cruel. And cruel to her.

''Are you alright?'' Ukko finally asked her. She shook her head and looked outside to the night sky. After that, she closed her eyes as her body was tired of using her power.

AGE FIFTEEN

She was back in her room. A dream. She looked outside the window and saw that it was nighttime.

''I found what she has been up to'' Hestias's familiar voice whispered outside the room. Lucifer stood up and stretched her thin arms. As she started walking slowly with big steps she looked at herself in the mirror, noticing that she was wearing her pink nightgown. Even if it was dark, she could still see the bright, light colors.

She opened the door slightly, only to see Hestia, talking to someone else.

''It will finally be over, probably in a week. Give me a week'' She begged the other person.

''You are here years'' The voice was rough and tough. But also soft and worried.

''Did you get...attached?'' The other person asked curiously, his voice becoming lower and slower as if both of them were frozen in time.

Lucifer saw the candlelight shaking, as it was dancing around Hestias's skin. She could even notice that it was getting brighter than before.

''I don't want anyone to get hurt'' She broke.

''We have to take it '' The other person spoke again. But this time felt like an order.

''I know'' Hestia raised the tone of her sweet voice and then Lucifer saw the fire of the candles rising even more. She took a step back and fell, with her hands behind her, touching the cold floor.

''Go'' Hestia whispered to the person. Lucifer stood up fast returned to her bed and covered her body with her heavy sheets, even if they were filled with iron dust.

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

''Your Grace?'' Hestia whispered worriedly. Lucifer did not reply. Hestia let out a long sigh, knowing very well that she listened to everything. Lucifer knew as well that she knew it. She couldn’t hide anything from her. And that made her weak.

''Goodnight...Lucifer''

She opened her eyes once again, only to see that she was back at the car with Ukko who was yelling. She narrowed her eyes only to see that she was right to think that it was all her aunt's plan.

Her mind kept thinking of what she saw. It was not a dream but a memory that she thought was one. Everything that happened in that memory was a week ago.

''We are going to die'' Ukko cried out loud.

''We won't die'' She said and tried to understand where she was. Cars and soldiers are right in front of a deep-forsaken forest.

They were near the borders. They were driving for three hours, judging by Ukko's pocket watch that was now out of his trousers. They needed almost a day till they finally could arrive in Diyu. If they could manage.

She took a look at her hand, waiting for the light to appear again. Nothing. She turned her head front to see that everyone was aiming their guns at them.

''I have an idea'' Ukko suggested and showed her the wheel. Lucifer shook a no. But Ukko insisted on pulling her closer to him and trying to change sides as the car started moving left and right.

''I am going to kill you'' Lucifer shouted in horror, hands clenching to the iron wheel. It hurts.

Ukko stepped to the break and they were now right in front of the army. He opened the door and showed Lucifer what she had to press when he would return. She stood there and watched her friend walking right toward the soldiers. There should be over fifteen, with a badge that had the shape of a snake, shining, by the moonlight reflecting the iron.

''Tell the other one to get out'' One of the soldiers yelled. Lucifer noticed that it had three black stripes on his left sleeve, starting from his elbow. That meant that he was the superior, a sergeant probably. Lucifer took a look at hers and saw that had only one.

''She has nothing to do with this'' Ukko explained. And kept his hands up.

''I will give you three seconds'' The sergeant yelled and lifted his right hand. The others followed his signal and loaded their guns.

Ukko moved his hands away from his head slowly.

''One''

Lucifer took a deep breath and played with her ring finger. She wanted to know what Ukko's plan was but she knew for sure that he would do something reckless.

''Two''

Ukko took a step back. Lucifer lifted her head and prayed to the spirits to help both of them out.

''Three''

Lucifer finally realized what Ukko wanted when his hands were spread wide open. All cars started roaring and cracking with their engines as they started working. By Ukko's command, a bright wave of light moved right to his fingertips from the iron machines.

His hands snapped like a wave, causing the electricity, the lightning, to fall on the soldiers' bodies and cars. The explosions and bright colors that hit her clothes and body caused Lucifer to turn her face away from the heat. Her heart pounded like a train, and every scream she could let out was held in a thin line between her lips.

''Now'' Ukko yelled at Lucifer as he was now running back at her, spitting blood from his mouth.

''Did you..'' Lucifer tried to ask him as her eyes could not stop looking at the fire and the fallen bodies. The air became harder for her to breathe. Her head became heavier.

''Drive'' Ukko screamed. Lucifer snapped out and started driving again.

''They are alive'' Ukko informed her while the car was getting left and right. The cold wind was falling hard to Lucifer's face, blowing her hair back.

''The iron absorbed it'' He explained and coughed again. ''But we will be far away when they find new cars''

Lucifer shook her head and her hands kept shaking. She had never seen Ukko's incantation before. She was aware that he was a warlock but she was not aware that he was capable of having such a power.

She had studied how few of the incantations work. It was no creation. It was manipulation. None could create magic from nothing. Ukko could not create electricity without a source. Just like Lucifer's power is no use in the dark.

Ukko was now sleeping and snoring loudly as Lucifer was driving deep inside the dark forest. The sound of the car was loud as it felt like they were jumping by stepping onto big rocks. Ukko told her to keep her hands straight but that did not mean it was easy for her to drive. But keeping her focus on the road and the wheel was the only thing she could do at that moment.

She took a quick look at Ukko's face. He lost his color as sweat was falling from his brow, caressing his messy beard and then to his tight coat. Lucifer understood that he used almost every bit of his strength for the escape. Her stomach was tied in a knot as she felt an awful taste inside her mouth.

I did nothing. She clenched her fingers and bit her lower lip, making it bleed. Pathetic.