The Devil Likes Lemon Cupcakes

The Devil And My Panther

                                              »You were a risk,

                                                    a mystery,

                                                 and the most

                                    certain thing I'd ever known.«

                                                  Beau Taplin

The Big Black jumped through the trashed place as swiftly as a ballerina. She gently leaned her head on my back and pushed forward to make me sit up. I rested my arm on the concrete, the half of the body I landed on when the blast occurred was aching with pain.

Lucifer lowered his body by bending knees. He grabbed my shoulder and slowly placed me in a siting position, leaning on Layla. By lifting one of my hands he examined the bloody wound tearing into my flesh.

As curtsy of the explosion I could hear faint ringing in my ears. »How did you find me?« I looked around, not even sure where exactly I was.

»Her.« Lucifer faintly glanced towards Layla who hissed in response.

»Layla?« I asked.

»Yes.« A tender touch next to my wound made me silently growl with discomfort. »They put a barrier around, preventing me from locating you.«

»Right, you know where I am if I think of you.«

»That, and the Mark I left on you, tell me your position.«

I subconsciously brushed Devil's mark on the back of my neck. My hand stretched out to caress Layla's fur. »Thanks, girl.«

A narrow river of blood traced its way towards me. It wasn't mine, and it wasn't Layla's... »You got hurt!« I stared at the giant blood stain on the bottom of his jeans.

»It is nothing.« He said.

I rolled up the jeans and a fresh wound painted in red gaped at me. Pair of teeth were quite noticeable. It was a bite mark. »How...« I shook my head.

»Her.« Lucifer repeated the answer from before.

»Layla?«

»She was not exactly understanding when I showed carrying your scent, but with no you.«

I opened my mouth to place a question, but he beat me to it.

»We got ambushed.« He said. »As I took you home, something took me by surprise.«

»What?«

»The Girgori.«

»Agrafena?«

»No, there were several of them.« Lucifer averted his gaze away from me. »I took my eyes off of you for one split second...« He sighed. »Anyway, they were fast and organized, it was obviously carefully planed attack, but I eventually fought them off.«

»All of them?«

»Of course,« A hint of his arrogance danced in the air around us. »I am the Archangel after all, and they are just mere soldiers. Well, a Fallen Archangel, but none the less.«

I gave a nervous laugh when I remembered the other Archangel I met today.

»I tried to track you down,« Lucifer took one of my hands and gently, but firmly, placed it around his neck, and lifted me up in his arms. The heat of his warm torso somehow helped to reduce the pain in my ribs. »but, I did not hear the echo. That only meant one thing – the Angels got you. And the only creature that can seek you out regardless the heavenly obstacles, is her.«

I blinked rapidly, trying to clear my vision, and looked at  Layla. The light from outside reflected on the starless night of her fur, basking her in all glory of the Heavens.

»Your souls are connected, and nothing can break that.« Lucifer explained. »As I previously said, - when I showed up without you, she sunk her fangs in my flesh, and I must say, it was not a very pleasant experience.«

»I thought you were the King of Hell,« I said as Lucifer carried me towards the gaping hole in the wall. »that nothing can hurt you.«

»I told you before – Wanetas are guardians, protectors, shields against supernatural. They are designed to inflict wounds even on the Celestial. Though,« The redness in his eyes shimmered with mischief as he glanced at Layla. »on me, this won't even leave a scar.«

My panther silently growled at him, warning him of future interactions.

»But how did she know to look for me?«

»I told her.«

»You what?«

»Are you surprised?« The corner of his lips curled into a faint smile. »She is no ordinary cat, Wanetas' are actually quite intelligent creatures. Just because they do not answer back, that does not mean that they do not understand you.«

»So you found me.«

»So I found you.«

I finally looked outside and saw we were in one of the skyscrapers. On the very top floor. A long and deep fall I saw beneath me, made me grip Lucifer even harder. Buildings were placed next to each other, reflecting the sunrise like razor blades. There were spots beneath us that I knew were in fact human.

»What exactly did they say to you?« He asked.

I was torn between telling him the truth and obscuring his view with lies. But then again, I can't lie to him. It's impossible. »They asked if I knew why you want my soul,«

He nodded but said nothing.

»They said that they can help me get my soul back.« Words stuck on my tongue.

Suddenly he cackled in a condescending tone. »Did they explain the price of that, as well?«

I parted my lips, but froze with no response.

»Go figure.« Lucifer silently said.

»Why do you want my soul, anyway?« I swallowed.

He stared at me with hidden secrets in his look. »I will explain momentarily.«

»And, did he call you – brother?« My curiosity would not give.

Lucifer deliberately stepped on the very edge of the gaping opening, the corners of which were simmering black. We were now half hanging off a very tall building, with nothing but concrete streets bellow us. I closed my eyes and rested my head on Lucifer's chest.

»What now?« I whispered.

»Now,« He grabbed me a bit tighter and bent his knees. »we fly.«

I squinted my eyelids together as tight as I could, seeing nothing but darkness. The breeze sweetly crashed into my skin, caressing my long hair with its cold fingers. Every now and then I felt a slight tingle in my stomach, the way you feel when you're jumping on a trampoline.

Do I dare?

My eyes fluttered open, revealing a world from above. Buildings passed us by almost as fast like those on a moving train. We descended onto the nearest building just for a moment, and Lucifer pushed away again and up in the air we were. I understood then that he did not in fact intended to fly as much, as he intended to jump from one building to another, in order for Layla to be able to follow us.

Light of the sunrise created a masterpiece beneath me; with its heavenly brush it painted a shadow of a black angel.

His wings were shadows of thousand feathers that allowed him to glide on the breath of the World.

Large and majestic they spread and soared across the gray of the City.

As I lifted my head to see them in their true glory, to see how the sun echoed off them like music, I saw; nothing.

»Why can't I see your wings?«

»Only an Angel can see wings of another.« Lucifer replied.