“You say that like it’s a good thing,” she leaned her head to one side of the pillow. “You are too desensitized and your temper is unpredictable. Like Gabriel said, you are too headstrong.”
“You met Gabriel?”
She felt a shiver down her back when she heard the change in his voice. “Briefly,” she replied, and then quickly changed the subject. “I’m covered in mud and you put me on the bed.”
“I will have the bath prepared,” he said.
She caught his sleeve before he stood up. “Are you sure you’re fine, Lucifer? They didn’t…they didn’t, did they? You’ll stay with me, won’t you?”
He bent down and kissed the tears from her eyes. “We will have a lifetime together.”
Chapter 25: Promising Eternity
His head was comfortably resting on her lap as her fingers combed through his silky platinum hair. Her long black tresses scattered from her shoulders to lie across the bed. Her violet eyes were mesmerizingly hidden behind her long, dark lashes every times she blinked. He reached out for one of her hands and placed it over his lips.
“You don’t mind me looking like this?” she asked in a gentle voice. “It took me quite a while to get used to it.”
“As long as you are Kali, other details are irrelevant,” he replied.
She took his hand and placed it on her cheek. “I feel so insignificant beside you sometimes.”
“Why is that?”
She smiled. “With your words, you can control armies. With these hands, you can create or destroy. How could I not feel insignificant?”
“It is a boring existence, really,” he sighed.
“I have been curious, Lucifer.”
He looked up at her. “About what?”
“Why me?” she asked.
He took a moment before replying to her. “Perhaps it was a combination of fate and the consequences of my own making. I resurrected you to satisfy my curiosity of the humans I have long ignored. The subject of a wish worth dying for fascinated me. I plotted to manipulate your feelings into surrendering that wish to me. My plan failed miserably, and here we are.”
“Was killing Chevalier and manipulating me in your bargain, part of your plan too?” she asked quietly.
“If I told you no, would you have believed me?”
She shook her head.
“Then why ruin a good thing? It was quite clever, now that I think about it.”
“It can’t be like Adria said…you did it out of blind jealousy…”
“That wouldn’t make any sense now, would it?”
“I suppose not,” she pondered. “I can’t imagine you being the jealous type. Why, all Hell would break lose.”
A mischievous grin appeared on the corner of his lips.
They both turned toward the door when they heard a light knocking. “They are ready for you, my lord,” Adria said with a polite bow.
“Come, Kali,” he rose from the bed and offered her a hand. “The court is waiting.”
“I’ll stay in bed today,” she said as she stretched her arms out and leaned back against the pillows. “Most of the time, I don’t even know what they’re talking about.”
He lifted her up in his arms and carried her out of the door.
“Didn’t you hear what I said, Lucifer?”
“You will figure it all out soon enough,” Lucifer said. “It is important that you learn.”
“I don’t see why I should,” she protested. “Your demons always look at me with contempt in their eyes, like I’m some sort of thorn.”
“That is why it is important to learn their characters so that you can manipulate them against one another, if need be,” he said. “Keep them busy among each other to draw attention from yourself.”
“I have you for that.”
“Each and every one of them has their own agenda. I can only protect you to a degree, Kali. You must be able to defend yourself. If you cannot do so physically, you must use your wits.”
He lets her down on her feet when they reached the double doors of the throne room. After giving her a minute to prepare herself, he commanded the doors to open. They did as he bid and he guided her down the aisle. The demons bowed their head respectfully as their master strode toward his throne. She stood beside him and listened attentively to their conversations. Lucifer would glance at her at fixed intervals to make sure she was paying attention. Still, her mind couldn’t help but drift somewhere else every now and then.
†††††
She waited patiently outside of the study until the door opened. Her son walked out with a gloomy expression, but he smiled when he saw her. He embraced her and placed a kiss on her cheek.
“Was he being difficult with you?” Kali asked as she looked through the crack of the open door.
“No,” her son replied, “he only assigned me a little errand.”
“Are you leaving again?”
He nodded. “I will come back when I finish.”
“Please stay here with me,” she pleaded. “It’s very lonely here. I feel so confined.”
“What I need to do is very important, Mother.”
She lowered her eyes. “Are you leaving now?”
“If you want, I could stay for a few days.”
A bright smile lit on her face. “I’ll cook your favorite dishes. Maybe I can ask Adria to do a little grocery shopping for me. After dinner, I can bathe you and then read-”
She paused in the middle of the sentence and looked up at him. She quickly lowered her eyes again to hide the hurt she felt. She quickly dashed into the study and closed the door behind her.
Lucifer pushed to his feet and came to her side. “What’s wrong?” he asked.
“It’s just so unfair,” she said in a little voice. “I want my five year old back. I wake up and he’s already grown up. I feel even more useless than I used to. I know children grow up fast, but this is ridiculous!”
“I thought you had gotten used to it by now,” he sighed.
“I was robbed!” she cried. “I gave birth to him, but I didn’t even get to see my child grow up! It’s horrible, Lucifer. I want to feel like a mother again.”
“You should be glad that you had five years of his childhood, Kali,” Lucifer gathered her into his arms. “If you feel lonely here, perhaps you want to adopt a human child?”
She looked up at him. “Adopt one? Can’t we have another of our own, Lucifer?”
“That’s…” He seemed to be struggling to find words. It was the first time she had seen him like this. “That’s…”
She searched his eyes and drew her own conclusions. She pulled away and left the room.
“She’s unhappy with me,” Trent said to his father. “It seems she preferred the younger version of me.”
“She is only having a hard time adapting to her new life, that’s all,” Lucifer sat down again at his desk. “It is difficult for mothers to see their children growing up and not needing them anymore. It had always been one of her greatest fears, and now she has to live with it.”
“I told her I would always need her,” Trent said. “She just didn’t believe me. Her mind is wrapped up with the idea that she needs to cook and take care of me to fulfill her role as a mother. She is my Mother, regardless.”
“She wants another child,”
Trent lowered his eyes. “I suspected she would. She needs something to fill the void inside her heart. How will you go about explaining to her?”
“I am not sure how to tell her she may never have another child,” Lucifer sighed. “Humans instinctively prioritize procreation because of their short lifespan. I wonder if that quality remains with her. If that is so, it may be even more difficult for her to cope.”
“If I can find my other self soon, that may not be a problem. Not just for Mother, but also for myself. We don’t always get along, but she was still part of me, nevertheless. I am not accustomed to feeling empty and alone in my mind. Losing my instinct felt as strange as any hum
an would feel if they gained one. As much as I hate to admit it, I miss my other self. If I had any other choice, I would not neglect my duty.”
“She still has time to learn,” Lucifer assured him. “Find your other self quickly, before that even becomes an option.”
Trent nodded. “I promised her I would stay with her a few days. I’ll leave promptly afterward.”
“Yes,” Lucifer agreed. “Stay with her while I arrange one last detail. I will make all of the necessary preparations for her before I go back to sleep.”
Chevalier threw the kitchen knife toward the wall. The shadow effortlessly dodged and emerged into form. With a mutter of annoyance, Chevalier pulled the blade back out and rinsed it in the sink. The apartment he was in was completely slanted, like the rest of the destroyed city. The floor was already covered in two feet of rising water.
†††††
“Leave me alone already, Lucifer!” Chevalier shouted out loud. “You should be happy that she chose you and stay the hell away from me!”
“I am here to ask for a favor. But first,” Lucifer approached Chevalier and punched him in the face. Chevalier fell back against the indented wall. It took him some effort to remove himself from the mold Lucifer had just created for him.
“That’s funny,” Chevalier wiped the fresh blood off the corner of his lip. “You’re pretty rude for someone who came for a favor. I want to decline already.”
“Neither of us can decline,” Lucifer said as he regained his composure.
Chevalier slammed his fists against the already broken countertop. It shattered into more broken pieces. “If you mention her name, I swear I won’t hold back.”
“It is quite hard not to mention her name if she is the subject of our discussion.”
“Did something…” Chevalier turned away. “Did something happen to her?”
“No, she is safe for the time being,” Lucifer replied.
“Then thank you for not destroying us all, and get the hell out of whatever is left of my house!”
“You still care for her.” It wasn’t a question.
“When do I not care for her? That woman drives me crazy!” Chevalier massaged the bridge of his nose. “What is this favor of yours? State your business and be on your way.”
“I am going back to sleep, Chevalier,” he said plainly.
Chevalier turned around and grabbed Lucifer by the collar. “What the hell do you mean you’re going back to sleep? What is going to happen to her? You’re just going to leave her to your demons who want nothing more than to tear her to pieces?”
“She will be able to defend herself,” Lucifer assured him.
“Bullshit!” Chevalier pushed Lucifer against the wall. “That girl can’t do anything on her own! She chose you over me and now you’re just going to leave her? You are supposed to protect her, damn it! You should protect her and love her more than I do!”
“It doesn’t matter what you say, my time is running out.”
“Goddamn it!” Chevalier cursed under his breath. “Does she…know?”
“I haven’t told her.”
Chevalier let out another curse. He let go of Lucifer and shuffled his hair in frustration. “What do you want me to do?”
“She has been very lonely recently. Even with me by her side, she still yearns for a child to love. She does not know our kind lack the ability to procreate, and with me gone, life will be unbearable for her. I need you to fill my role in my absence.”
“What the hell are you asking me, Lucifer?” Chevalier took in a deep breath. “You’re going to leave her a mess again and you want me to pick up the pieces. I feel pain, too, damn it!”
“Do you think I wanted to be replaced?” Lucifer shouted back. “Do you think it’s easy for me to ask another man to love and protect her in my place? Once I am gone, who will care for her? Who will chase away the dark loneliness that lurks in her heart? I cannot leave her with a child to love! I leave her with nothing but a horde of enemies! If she was not this important to me, I would never have thrown away my pride and come here to see you. Man to man, you should be able to know how I feel about the situation!”
“How many times must I watch her wash her face in the tears of your memories? You’re cruel, Lucifer,” Chevalier said through gritted teeth. “I have my own pride, too!”
“You cannot refuse.”
“That’s why you are cruel,” Chevalier pointed out. “How much time do you have left?”
“A measly twenty years, at most.”
“Don’t expect me to give her back when you wake up, Lucifer,” Chevalier shot him a glare. “Don’t expect me to be your lackey, because if I have her in my arms, you’ll have to step over my dead body to get her back.”
“That can easily be arranged.” And then he was gone.
†††††
She was hiding her face in the pillow, softly sobbing. She waved her arm to dismiss him when she felt a gentle stroking of her hair. He climbed into bed with her and gathered her into his arms. She murmured soft protests, but it did not do any good. She shrouded her face on his left shoulder to hide her pitiful expression. He was silent until she was prepared to talk.
“Why don’t you want another child with me, Lucifer?” she asked. “Does the idea appall you?”
“I would want any child with you, Kali,” he replied.
“Then why?” she inquired. “Why did you give me that awkward look when I brought it up?”
“You don’t want me to agree so casually on the subject, now do you?”
She thought about it. “No…”
He detached himself from her, bending down to kiss her full and pretty lips. She receptively wrapped her arms around his neck. His hand slid down her back and slowly guided her down to the linen. She softly called his name and he broke the kiss to give her his full attention. His beautiful blue eyes stared into her violet ones.
“Leave me a part of you before you go.”
“It will only be temporarily, my love,” he kissed her again. “My Eternity is yours alone.”
Epilogue
Egypt, 1273 B.C.
A young boy with a proud face strode through the court’s officials with little regard for anyone around him. The gleam of his gold scarab bracelets and solid gold amulet was no match for his bright smile. Before his Pharaoh and Father, he presented the two lion cubs in his hands. The creatures struggled to scratch themselves free.
“This is for you, Mother,” he said proudly to the woman sitting next to his father. He placed the cubs on the floor and then stood straight up to clap his hands. Two huge, bronzed slaves dragged a bloodied lion corpse into the court amidst the surprised gasps of the palace maids and officials. “And this is for you, Father.”
“You skipped your morning lessons to hunt?” his father inquired. “Ramses, learning how to govern Egypt is your priority.”
“If one day I am to succeed you, I have my advisors to help me govern our beloved Egypt. I believe, Father, that the glory of Egypt will be won by the might of swords.”
Satisfied with his son’s answer, the pharaoh smiled. “Explain to me how are you going to bring glory to Egypt?”
“I will assemble the greatest army the world had ever known.” He raised his fists. “And I will destroy our enemies and make them bow to our Gods!”
His father burst into laughter. “I have raised you well, Ramses. I have decided that in three days, on your fourteenth year, I will crown you Prince Regent. Let us together bring Egypt’s enemies to their knees.”
The boy crossed an arm in front of his chest and knelt before his father. The Pharaoh came to the boy and raised his hand to tell the boy to get up. He then placed a hand on the boy’s shoulder. “I have summoned you today to show you the tribute from Nubia. They sent us something puzzling and I need your opinion.”
“Yes, Father,” the boy said and followed his father obediently to the side of the throne.
“I have heard that Nubia suffers from f
amine this year. All they sent for tribute this year is young girl,” the Pharaoh said.
“That is insolent!” the boy yelled out. “They have little regard for us Egyptians! We do not lack women.”
“The ambassador speaks highly of this…tribute. They say she was hatched from an egg and there are even rumors about her being a child of the Gods. Let us judge for ourselves.” The Pharaoh tapped his son’s shoulder. He then signaled for his servants to bring the girl in. They returned quickly, pulling an iron cage on wheels.
“They caged a woman?” Ramses knitted his brows. “And they used such expensive materials. I heard that these materials can only be found in fallen stars from the sky.”
“Her hair, my son,” the Pharaoh pointed out the platinum tresses that rained down to cover her body, “looks like newly spun spider silk.”
The boy approached the cage with curiosity. He reached out to touch her strange hair and was astonished by the silky feeling in his hands. The girl was startled and jerked her head up. Her pale green eyes made him freeze, as if his legs were deeply rooted to the floor. She closed her eyes when he unconsciously tightened his gasp on her lock of hair. Her thick lashes were pressed tightly against her pale and flawless luminous skin. Her full lips, her nose, her face were proportionately harmonious.
Loud, surprised gasps circulated throughout the room.
“Give her to me, Father,” the boy requested immediately as he turned around.
“She is indeed a rare treasure,” the Pharaoh agreed. “She shall be your coronation gift, my son. She will be good entertainment for you while the high priests seek councils from the Gods to elect a wife among your sisters.”
†††††