Of Light And Shadows

“What about Hannah?” Jia asked as they walked.

The group stuck to shadows and alleys, avoiding the patrols as best they could with the curfew in effect. The sun had sunk below the horizon and the city had closed its doors.

“I can’t handle seeing her tonight. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to see my parents again without needing a mask to stop me from tearing out their throats.”

Beneath his hood, Evan cast his silver eyes downwards. “I know I won’t be seeing them again for a while, possibly forever. I can’t take having the same conversation with Hannah, not yet.”

“What if they tell her themselves?”

“At least when I do go to see her she’ll know what to expect.” Jia swallowed, struck by the utter heartbreak in his tone.

“I’m so sorry, Ev. I wish there was something I could do to make this easier for you.”

“You’re already doing everything you can. Don’t worry about me, Jia. I’ll be okay in time. Right now I’m itching for a fight and really hoping this Demon gives us trouble.” He looked ahead to where Lucifer and his brothers talked. “Looks like we’re getting close.”

Sure enough, Lucifer stopped and looked across the street. Jia followed his gaze to find the address they were after sitting right in front of them.

It was a quaint suburban street, the kind where a developer created a floor plan and regurgitated it until they had an entire estate of identical houses. The house they were after looked like every other house on the road. Only the number on the door told them they were in the right place.

“It doesn’t look like a Demon lives here,” Evander commented.

“Did my father look like a Demon to you?” Jia asked.

“Fair point.” They drew level with the others, staying concealed behind a low wall while a police patrol car drove down a neighbouring street. When the sound of its tires on the tarmac faded they ran across the road, not stopping until they were hidden between a fence and a parked car.

“What’s the plan?” Jia asked.

“We go in and talk to him, you work your magic and hopefully we leave without a fuss. If not, we kill him,” Mammon shrugged.

“He’s awake,” Evander murmured, listening intently to the sounds inside the house. “He’s alone in one of the rooms at the back now.”

“Good. Let’s go,” Lucifer said. Jia’s stomach flipped nervously as they snuck round the car and down the side of the house, staying low as they made their way towards the french doors that opened out onto Killian’s garden.

She’d had plenty of training with Lucifer while he was bed ridden. He’d taught her how to better access and control the powers she’d originally believed made her Lotura. Understanding herself had opened doors to abilities she never knew she had, but she still doubted herself.

The lock on the french doors clicked quietly as Mammon placed his palm over it and whispered an incantation under his breath. It swung open silently and they crept into the house, listening for any sounds of alarm at their entry.

They were in a dark room that looked like some sort of brick conservatory. It was neatly laid out with matching furniture, hardwood floors and expensive blinds. She followed Lucifer through it and into the kitchen beyond, listening out for any sign of the Demon.

Evander signalled that he’d moved back towards the sitting room and Jia nodded, taking point as they moved further into the house.

They’d settled on her trying to influence him before they confronted him in the hope that it could be done quietly. If she failed then they’d try talking face to face, and then the last resort was to kill him.

Jia stopped in the hallway and held out a hand, thankful that the TV was blaring in the living room to mask any sounds they made.

She took a deep, steadying breath and closed her eyes, imagining her consciousness expanding outwards like a creeping mist. As it reached her companions they lit up like beacons in her mind, illuminating one by one in brilliant hues of silver, red, green, and yellow.

She went further, reaching into the living room and searching for Killian. She came up empty until she reached the armchair in the corner, catching a hint of a pale green light as her consciousness swept over him.

Instead of brushing harmlessly past, she imagined the mist of her mind sinking into him, soaking through his skin and pouring into his mouth and eyes, taking control of every part of him.

She kept him rigid in his chair, careful not to get too excited in case she broke the connection with him. He fought against her as she squirmed her way through his thoughts and memories, rearranging them and removing the ones she didn’t want him to have.

The further she got, the harder he fought, until it was physically painful to continue. She gritted her teeth and tried to force him back down into his own mind, being less careful with his memories as she pulled them out and discarded or moved them.

Killian grew more panicked, and as his adrenaline surged so did his strength. Jia yelled as he pushed her out of his mind with a sudden, ferocious heave that sent her snapping back into her own body with a sickening lurch. As her stomach heaved she shook her head at the others to show she’d failed.

Abaddon’s subordinate was on his feet, wide eyed and wary as he backed up towards the TV. Lucifer stood calmly and walked into the room, flanked by his brothers. Jia gulped several breaths to clear the dizziness, fighting against the nausea turning her stomach. Evan set a hand on her shoulder before getting to his feet to join the others in the room with Killian.

Jia stayed where she was as Lucifer explained why he was there, bracing herself as she sent her consciousness outwards again. She was gentle this time, trying her best to creep slowly forwards without alarming Killian. She sent her power crawling over his shoes, then up towards his face in slow, sweeping waves.

Instead of soaking into him all at once, she imagined her mist creeping into his ear, wrapping delicate tendrils around his brain instead of a thick blanket. She waited like that for a few minutes before moving further.

Lucifer and his brothers were trying to reason with the Demon, explaining that he could leave if he wanted and nothing would happen to him as long as he agreed to forget about them and never return to the human realm. Jia prayed he’d listen, reluctant to use her powers again in case he knocked her loose and put her out of action.

When it was clear the words weren’t working she sank her tendrils into his mind slowly, trying to do it without alerting him that something was wrong. She began sifting through memories even as he made them, removing any knowledge of their presence or the conversation he was having.

She marvelled at how she instinctively knew what to do, but it was hard. She was starting to sweat as both physical and mental exertion set in. Sellik had warned her not to exceed her limit but at this rate she was going to do that in a matter of minutes.

She panicked and tried to move faster, and Killian let out a vicious roar that hit her like a forceful slap. Jia leaned against the wall, once again trying not to throw up in the aftermath of her second failure.

“You should listen to your father, Prince,” Killian ground out, fury making his voice tremble. “There are too many of us out here for you to stop. It’s too late.”

“This is your last chance,” Lucifer warned. “I don’t want to destroy you, but I will if I have to.”

“Go ahead. Let’s see how much blood I can spill before you kill me, eh?” Killian grinned wickedly and Lucifer prepared to lunge, but Evander was faster.

His fury was a weapon on its own, lending him speed and strength that made Jia gasp. He shot forwards like a bullet, his hands gripping the sides of Killian’s head. In one quick wrench he snapped his neck and tossed his body aside with a vicious snarl.

“He talked too much,” was all he said before stalking back out of the room. Mammon let out a low whistle.

“Damn. Never knew he could be so scary,” he mused before sauntering out behind the Vampire. Belphegor sighed and looked sadly at the crumpled body on the floor, stopping to help Jia to her feet. She left just as Lucifer turned away and the body started crumbling into a pile of ash.

“Well, that didn’t go how I wanted it to, but at least the first one on the list is dealt with,” he muttered when they were back in the kitchen. “Are you alright?” He touched Jia’s cheek with one gloved hand.

“I’m fine, just a bit nauseous.” She glanced over her shoulder at Evan, who stood out in the garden with his hands in his pockets, staring at the ground. “I don’t think he’s okay though.”

“We’d better get him back to Apollyon. At least there he can take the mask off and have some time to calm down a bit.” She nodded and followed Lucifer outside, trying her best to hide how sick she really felt.

“We’re best going back the way we came. We still can’t use a portal unannounced within the wards,” Mammon warned.

The group murmured an agreement and set off back through the streets, ducking out of sight whenever a patrol car drove by or they heard the sounds of officers searching the area on foot.

Eventually they made it back to the edge of the wards and Lucifer called up a portal straight away. Evander jumped through the swirling mist like he couldn’t wait to get out of the human realm, followed by Mammon and Belphegor.

Jia went next, finding herself back in the study at Apollyon. Mammon had already picked up the list of names off the desk and was scoring a black line through Killian Dubeck.

“Well, only a hundred more to go,” he murmured, running a hand through his silvery hair. Evander took off his mask and stuffed it in his pocket, waving goodnight to them half heartedly as Lucifer stepped through the portal and closed it behind him.

“He took tonight hard,” Belphegor mused sadly when he was sure the Vampire was out of earshot. “He did well not to fly off the handle.”

“He snapped Killian’s neck in a second. Is that not flying off the handle?” Mammon countered, arching an eyebrow.

“Why is that different to any of us killing him?” Lucifer asked.

“Good point.”

“Ev will be okay. He just needs time. He wasn’t expecting his parents to want him to come home still. It hit him pretty hard so I think it’s best if we give him his space for now,” Jia advised. The others nodded in agreement.

A rhythmic tap at the door interrupted them, and then it swung inward before Lucifer could give the visitor permission to enter.

In the doorway stood a woman with long, brilliant red hair that flowed down to her waist in beautiful waves. Her eyes were a green so bright they glowed even in the low lamp light.

Red lips in the shape of a perfect cupid’s bow curved upwards in a sultry smile as she laid eyes on the Demon prince. Jia’s pulse quickened as the woman crossed the room and laid a hand on Lucifer’s chest like she owned him.

“My darling prince,” she purred. “I’ve missed you.” Lucifer looked down at her with a surprised frown.

“What are you doing here, Jezebeth?”