LUCIFER
There was darkness. Darkness around them. Around her. As if a slip of the figure got out from its own body and was now a shadow. But Lucifer snapped out of it fast, now seeing both of the men from the council standing close to them, formally.
Seeing how tich Hermes’ embrace was around Mordred’s body, so familiar and so calm… It only made her want to puke. It was his light hands close to the healer’s face and his other hand squeezing his stiff shoulder. The sight of them together made her feel something she couldn't quite put her finger on. She felt a pain in her chest and a bitter taste in her mouth, and she had to look away.
‘’You are fine’’He whispered in relief and his emerald eyes looked down.
But even Lucifer could see a familiarity of this interaction that she did not feel comfortable with. She knew better. Now she knows better.
She wanted to say something to them, to Mordred but Janus wrapped his hand around her shoulder, cutting her confidence.
‘’You all look fine’’ He said with disbelief. His face was cleaner than the last time she laid her eyes on him. A few of his scars had faded too but his hands now seemed wounded. Especially his finger tips.
The letters seemed to be calling about him the most.
Lucifer shook her head relieved that she had found someone who was involved with her. Even if they did not talk much from that failed meeting, she was glad they could now both talk.
Hephaestus was looking at Orion and Talus, asking them if they were all right.
They caused this. A voice whispered into her mind. And she ignored it. She had enough of her thinking. Making her sick, tired, and afraid.
They had given her a stone because they trusted her. She had to make efficient use of it to not go to waste. She thought.
Hermes had asked Mordred multiple times what was happening. They replied with half-truths. That a Made One is actually behind everything and they were emerging from Babel with the machines. Not that Hephaestus broke the dagger, rather Mordred said a simple lie that the Made One managed to break the curse thanks to it.
Mordred did everything in his might to keep Hephaestus or any other from the blame. She felt relieved when Hermes believed their words instantly but she was concerned when they saw Hephaestus stretching their cane and looking away. As if their confident arrogant fire had faded.
As they were now all walking away from that floor, Lucifer could see that both Mordred and Hermes were whispering to each other, sharing a strange secret. But his light green snake eyes could not let go of her face or Hephaestus.
Another cold wind blew over her cheekbones and she turned behind to find Janus coughing with his hand covering his mouth while his other was close to his chest.
‘’I am sorry’’ He said, showing his face which had another fresh and clear scar around his nose like a collar.
''No need'' Lucifer's eyes found his other hand and smiled gently.
They were finally on the last floor which was separated only in two parts. No more bridges, no more rooms. There was just a bridge, long and wide with three heavy levers hanging to the wall with cogs and gears next to them. Down from the bridge were the exact shapes that only in books she could let her imagination see those creations. This time they were made of metal. There was a giant closed gate far away from them as the explosives were a few inches lower than the others.
A breath from the Lord of Death caressed her face and then his hand wrapped around her neck as he was emerging from the ground of explosives.
‘’So’’Lucifer played with the ring finger and her eyes found Hermes. ‘’How did you find us and what is your plan?''
Hermes took a deep breath and tried to explain how they found them. But it was not so difficult for her to understand. The man was worried about…Mordred…but he found them sooner or later. And as for Janus,
‘’When the rest of you find the pilot room, we have to go to Elysium again’’
The Lord gave the young princess a necklace of bones and shadows. A gift from the feast that she will give to him tonight when explosives fall on Elysium and Olympus. She was ready to accept the gift but she could see a familiar pair of hazel eyes and mechanical hands on one of his plates.
I do not care about my family. She said, But I do care for his family.
Her eyes looked at each one of them and she held her gaze longer than she was expecting Orion and Talus and forced a smile.
‘’I understand'' She lied and looked down at the explosives and then at Hephaestus. They both had the same expression of Hermes' idea. One of them didn’t want the Lord to eat just yet, preventing him this time. The other one wanted the same but because she didn’t wish him to eat one soul.
Talus and Orion tried to argue but Hephaestus placed their hand right in front of them and let a whispering no.
‘’But’’ Lucifer raised her brow. ''That is not what you want.'' A slight evil grin curved to her face. ‘’Am I wrong?’’
Hermes shrugged with no care. Mordred did not speak either but Lucifer could see the clear disagreement and pain in his eyes right behind the mask.
‘’And what about the Made One?’’She asked him again. ‘’Will your wind make it go?’’
His face became dark red like a rotten tomato under the sun.
‘’We are not afraid of a…’ Made One’ of yours’’ His eyes returned to Mordred. ‘’I know their belief in spirits sometimes can be...overdramatic''
Those words seemed to make Mordred ashamed of their thoughts. Maybe that man acted like he cared about Mordred too.
‘’Wait I am telling you the truth’’Mordred tried to speak but Hermes moved his palm close to their face, cutting his hopes fast.
‘’It might be a strong warlock. That doesn’t mean that he is a Made One.’’
He is lying. He knows. Lucifer thought and let out a long sigh.
‘’Why aren’t we dead yet?’’ She asked after that. ‘’We did not leave Babel with the best … appearance?''She grinned again and scoffed.
Hermes' acting mask fell and broke, showing how twisted he truly was.
His eyes became dark and sharp as his lips curled up like a hideous grin.
‘’I see that you are asking many questions’’ He said irritatedly.
The girl had many questions since she ran away from Babel. And one of them was what the council was planning to do with them. Everything around her made it clear that she wouldn’t wander around freely looking at the purple veil.
Working like a pawn did not suit her anymore.
‘’We are not here to help you'’ Hephaestus said, pulling the gun at his head.
Hermes let out a groan with a frowning gaze right at Mordred, waiting for him to attack. His pistol was at the left side of their forehead.
‘’I won’t let any more bloodshed.’’They explained. ‘’Mortal or not.
‘’Oh, quit being an innocent act. ’’Hermes rolled his eyes and swung his fingers, making a wave of wind, pushing everyone far from him. Everyone except Mordred and Janus as they kept standing by his side. Lucifer fell on her knees and started coughing, feeling it getting out of her lips. No, not iron. Blood. Her gaze moved up, staring at Mordred’s shaking hands.
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And then Hermes finally kept talking ‘’You stole the dagger in the first place.’’
‘’What?’’ Hephaestus panicked as they helped Talus and Orion to stand up.
Lucifer did not believe it. She did not want to believe it. She would not.
‘’I did not''They stuttered and looked back at Mordred’s pale mask.
‘’Why should I give something valuable for a simple mission?’’
Simple? SIMPLE? Lucifer thought now furious.
‘’It makes complete sense after all.’’
‘’But they told me ‘’Mordred faced Hermes, confused.
And then something snapped Hermes' eyes. And Lucifer could now see it. Strings. Threads, everything pulled together.
‘’They lied of course,’’ he shouted. ‘’They used you because they knew how much your loyalty lies to..’’
He caught up on his words before he finished his sentence
To me.
‘’To Babel.’’
‘’We do not have time for this’’Lucifer finally spoke.’’There is a Made One around here’’
‘’A Made One?’’ Hermes laughed and turned to Mordred mused. ‘’This is just delusional.’’ He took one more deep breath and shook his head.
‘’An experiment he might be but a Made One, does not exist. They did not.''
‘’We saw it’’Talus jumped into the conversation. ''Like the whole world was shaking.’’
‘’Shut it mortal'' Hermes hissed at him, furious. ''He looked back at a trembling Hephaestus. ‘’I saw enough tonight to know that you kept a lot of secrets.'' He took a heavy breath and faced their burned hands.
‘’They told me’’Mordred stepped in front of him and tried to surprisingly defend them.’’They had told me from the beginning what they were’’
‘’And the one in the ballroom was not me'' Hephaestus added, surprised as they had heard Mordred defending them.
They are both blind.
‘’It does not matter, you betrayed-''
‘’I betrayed no one,’’ Hephaestus reminded him. ‘’I did not give the dagger, I did not steal it, you gave it to me’’They kept talking.
‘’You did, you melted the iron prison with your own flames.’’
Iron prison?
Lucifer finally stepped in front and narrowed her eyes to him, furious.
‘’Well, this simple mission is the reason we are …’’ Lucifer tried to speak and then held every thought inside her head.
Oh. OH MY -
Hermes sighed, tired. Exhausted.‘’Just kill them already and go for the rest,’’ Hermes said, waving his hand.’’It will be better for you too.'' His gaze moved to Mordred, concerned.
For you?
‘’Is this what you want?'' She asked him but Hermes did not look impressed or bothered by the position he was in now. Trapped from both sides. Even Orion and Talus were now both holding their pistols, Orion aiming at Mordred and Talus at Hermes.
He let out a deep breath and raised his hands.
‘’You are far deeper in this war than you think, Royal’’ Hermes replied with his gaze piercing at her, filled with disgust.
Yes, Lucifer knew that gaze better than everyone.’’You are all in danger, you are all thieves and liars’’He almost let out a hiss.
‘’It is better for you to stay either far or deal-’’
‘’I wasn’t talking to you’’Lucifer interrupted, sliding her eyes and head right behind her where Janus was standing still from the pain.
He kept his silence as his thoughts were hidden inside his head for only him to cherish. But Lucifer knew this from the beginning.
It’s not your fault.
Lucifer remembered. Not mine, but his.
‘’You knew that Hestia would die that day’’Her voice was calm and rational, empty from the anger she was feeling. ''Your hands are all burnt from the iron.''
‘’And you keep touching your heart. The place which I stabbed you earlier’’
‘’And what about it?’’ Janus asked nervously, eyes looking at Lucifer darted. ‘’You have no actual proof’’
‘’Are you now blaming everyone you meet?’’ Hermes rolled his eyes tired. ‘’You are a Roy-’’
‘’For Spirits shake. Shut. Your. Mouth’’ Lucifer finally snapped at him, speaking each word with a stop.
He lifted his shoulders with his face moving even higher as his eyes were in complete shock. Lucifer found Hephaestus having the same expression.
‘’Janus gave it to me'' Hephaestus admitted.’’He told me that it was from you’’
Janus stuttered with his hand shaking his no over and over again, breathing shakily, whimpers getting out of his mouth.
‘’And you gave it to me. ‘’Mordred moved closer to Hermes
‘’But I didn’t tell him anything.'' Hermes sighed and pulled his hair back.
The curtain had fallen.
‘’How unfortunate’’ Janus sighed melancholy and looked to the floor.
Hermes flinched as his green eyes found him. Body still, impeccable posture, and a calm, cold expression. Lucifer took a deep breath and kept smiling nervously.
''Hestia,''He looked down narrowed.''Told me that you are a smart girl but...''
‘’I thought that you had caught on me sooner’’
‘’What did you do?’’ Hermes asked him furiously. A wind of bright energy tingled Lucifer's skin.
''Nothing that I wasn't supposed to do''He explained drily.''The world needs a sort of balance. And people like you are making it so difficult.''
Janus’ hand was inside the pocket of his dark vest as he took a dark stone from it and pointed it at Hermes.
‘’Don’t be surprised friend.'' He said with a slight grin. ‘’We all have to peak sides at the end.’’
Hermes looked left and right and tried to grasp his hand at Janus’ face.
‘’I send my regards to Feronia’’ Janus muttered before Hermes vanished into thin air.
The girl’s eyes froze from fear as she felt every part of her body lose energy.
Mordred shouted and pointed the pistol at him, trying to shoot. He dodged all of them with a few steps, with shadows moving all over his body.
He shrugged and stepped out, closer to the light of the lamps. With that, Lucifer could see the remaining scars. They were sunken, deep as if someone had placed a lump of coal deep inside his skin. No, it was not coal. Stone. Red stones.
‘’He offers peace,'' Janus finally said.
‘’No more hunting’’
‘’An endless cycle’’ He replied with a grin. ‘’He can break it’’
Hephaestus tried to attack him with their power, by lifting their hand but it was too late. Lucifer let out a deep gasp and looked at Mordred whose eyes could not let go of Janus.
‘’I haven’t forgotten’’ He said, snapping his fingers again.
Mordred’s eyes became sicker as he went on his knees, trying to hold his life from a single thread.
‘’What did you do?’’ Hephaestus asked, moving to Mordred’s side.
Lucifer had the same reaction, looking at Janus confused. He had a satisfied and proud expression on his face.
‘’Oh, nothing much,'' Janus shrugged. ‘’Just that he has about an hour to live or,’’ He had the grossest smile Lucifer had ever seen and the scars were not the reason for it.’’Well, you have one hour to find out.’’
His jade eyes returned to Lucifer. ‘’You saw what I did to Leviathan before, haven’t you?’’
He turned them back to normal. He healed them No. He reversed it. He reversed time. And now he made time fast for Mordred.
But how was it possible? Is it another experiment of the Made One? Or was it his own strength?
Orion took his pistol up again and managed to shoot Janusright in his jaw.
But Janus looked right at him, ignoring the blood that was falling from his face, and opened his mouth to let the bullet fall to the floor.
His hand started to shake and he tried to shoot again.
Janus glanced at Hephaestus whose eyes stayed on Orion and Talus while their hands were at Mordred’s back.
‘’Wait’’ Lucifer spoke. Hephaestus stood up, rushing towards them, to protect them. She turned to Janus and tried to stop him from snapping his fingers.
She grabbed his left hand and light came out of it, making him scream from the pain. Her ears held the scream to the bone and her eyes found that his right hand was ready to snap.
‘’Stop’’ Lucifer yelled.
He snapped his fingers and time stopped. No movement, no sound, and even the air was not moving. But Lucifer could see everything.
She could feel Janus pushing her away from his hand and moving towards Hephaestus. She could see a dark figure around his steps and presence. He could see the blood falling from his face.
''Wait'' Lucifer managed to speak. Janus turned to her side but he turned a few seconds after she spoke. Her eyes dilated so she looked at the rest of them. None was moving or reacting like her. The time froze completely. Except for her.
‘’Of course, ‘’His lips departed from one another, shocked,’’ you are a Lightbringer’’ Janus said, and approached her, getting on his knees close to her.
‘’Light warlocks are…’’He tried to explain, moving his hands around, with Lucifer’s eyes traveling around his fresh clear wounds
‘’faster than the others…even when the time stops '' he clicked his tongue and touched her face. She could feel his cold fingers all around her skin.
‘’Maybe that was the reason she wanted you alive,’’ Janus whispered.
‘’What?’’ Lucifer asked, confused.
None spoke for a while.
‘’She begged for me to keep you alive’’Janus finally spoke, brushing his fingers alongside her locks slowly. ‘’Crying as I was taking her life slowly.’’He exposed a slight smile from his wounded lips.
‘’I thought that she cared about you.'' He blinked, sentimental.
‘’She did,'' Lucifer yelled. She knew what she had done. She kept moving her feist with the red stone, hoping she would gather enough strength to get out of his incantation.
But Janus noticed it fast and let out a quick harsh laugh. His fingers from his other hand touched hers, making her fingers release the crystal for only him to take it and push it inside his wrist.
‘’You do not deserve more power’’ Janus groaned, satisfied with the energy rushing from the stone to his body. His green eyes shifted down to her pants, noticing more of the gems from Mara’s pin. He took them too, without any hesitation, putting them inside his pocket.
‘’Stop,’’ She said again.
''I thought that maybe, just maybe Leviathan would make you understand...''A laugh escaped from his swollen lips and his hand cupped her chin, pulling her closer to him. ''Even with all the power in your hands. You cannot stop this. You cannot prevent him.''
She could feel her arms, her bones once more shaking as if the time around her moved faster and faster.
‘’I apologize for this, your Grace’’he mocked. ‘’But I am interested to see how she was expecting you to stop me without almost no strength. ’’ He sighed, the scars slowly fading from his lips.
‘’Stop you?’’ Lucifer panicked and looked down. And it hit her as he was now facing her emotionless.
‘’The letters she wanted to keep me away. Away from you.’’ She raised her tone, making her almost sound hysterical.
Her words found Janus' ears and made him giggle like a child playing with his favorite toys.
‘’Maybe she thought that you were also weak and pathetic'' He played with her and faced back to the rest.
''And she thought that you were her friend.''Lucifer shouted.''WHY? WHY DID YOU BETRAY HER.''
No answer.
As he stood up, Lucifer tried to speak, to move, to do something.
‘’I hope that she did care because'' He placed his hands on his thighs and stood up. He showed her his back and walked away again with his right hand, finding a simple, medical knife. His eyes faced Lucifer for one last time before he took one more step away from her.
‘’I don’t want to kill the only thing I have left from my sister.’’