~~Young~~

Chapter Eighteen

   “I-I have not b-betrayed my Lord,” Michael sputtered out as he slipped and fell to his knees on the icy floor, “n-n-not like Gage has wi-i-th you.”

   Lucifer spun and slammed his door shut with enough force to rattle chunks of ice from the ceiling.

   “What did you just say?” he roared, appearing only inches from Michael’s face.

   But the angel refused to answer, instead shaking his head muttering only the word, “warmth.”

   “Fury!” he snapped his taloned fingers over his head, shoving Bane away for Fury’s grasp.

    This time he did not give Michael the chance to fully thaw before he demanded answers, “Speak but heed this warning, if I were you I would be careful the words that tumble from your mouth angel, they will determine whether I let you keep your head on your shoulders.”

   His chin quivered just ever so much but still he nodded in comprehension, “Gage, he has stolen a soul from you.”

   “Lies!” Lucifer threw a hand in the air, “he is my loyal servant, he knows the penalty for such things.”

   “I can only speak the truth,” Michael shrank back at Lucifer’s harsh words, “I do not know deceit and I swear to you he has brought a woman back to life.”

   “Then he must have had reason,” Lucifer snapped, “and that does not make it a soul stolen. I know my servant and he cannot retrieve a soul lost, merely mend flesh.”

   “He had help, from the Angel of Death.”

   Lucifer paused to be sure he had truly understood the angel’s words before spinning around sharply.

   “All of you, out now!” he motioned to the room’s occupants, keeping only Fury and Bane as witnesses.

   He turned back to Michael once the room had cleared, gritting his teeth, “so he had help from Death did he now?” he said on a hiss of air as he leaned into Michael once more, “but how does that make it a soul stolen? You are not of the right to judge a mortal, so then how would you know the soul was bound for hell?”

   Michael shrank back at Lucifer’s barely held together control, a light rattling sound coming from his still frozen wings as he shook, knowing at any moment he may perish.

   “Because…because before my own eyes I watched as she brutalized three men, a fourth being left dead because of her actions. It was a practiced event, one obvious she had completed before and as such she never would have been meant for heaven’s light.”

   Lucifer raised his hand to Michael, ready to tear his head from his body in anger. His Gage, his Gage would steal a soul from him? Impossible! He wanted to rent and tear, beginning with those godforsaken wings but it was not the body Lucifer truly wished to tear apart. As much as he wanted to doubt Michael’s words he knew at least part of it to be truth, the worst and most undamnable part, that he could not lie. God created only one of his servants with that skill, and regretted it every moment afterwards and never again repeated the mistake.

   But still he needed an outlet for his anger, and with a growl and a swipe he dug his claws into the armor on Michael’s chest. And with one mighty heave he tore the otherwise irremovable plate from his body.

   He faltered in shock and had Fury not had such a firm grip he would have been laid out on the floor. It seemed that was another fact that God was remiss to tell his servants, that besides God himself Lucifer was the only other being that could remove their armor save the being themselves. He always thought that to be a rather interesting proposition, perhaps God giving himself an out in the case that he should no longer have the tolerance for his creations, fortified or no. He had tried it once before after all, but Lucifer was quick to see that he could use those cast aside for more than just sword fodder.

   “And what do I gain from this?” he growled as he spun around, unable to even look at Michael any longer because of his resemblance to his traitorous servant, “you said there would be gain for both of us should I heed your request but I can see nothing but loss for myself!”

   Because he could no more render Gage to unrecognizable hunks of flesh then he could the angel in front of him without punishment. With Gage it would be self-inflicted of course, not just the loss of one of his favorite killers but the loss of an eternity’s of preparation. He hadn’t kept Gage within his realm for no reason, hadn’t tolerated the arrogant and righteous affirmations of a servant for so long without there being something in it for him. Ironically though Michael was about the only other being who could offer Lucifer such a thing, and was the only reason he was still letting this continue. Though considering he was asking Lucifer to rid him of Gage rather than do it himself so he could stay in God’s good graces surely he wouldn’t-

   “I will grant you one request,” Michael said meekly.

   No…he couldn’t be offering him…could he?

   Slowly Lucifer turned back around, one hand stroking his throat at the possibilities, “any request?”

   As he watched the angel took a deep breath then nodded, “yes.”

   “Are there terms?”

   Again he nodded, “only that you allow myself and those I love a chance to ensure our Lord’s escape, twenty-four earthen hours. I will afford you entry into heaven but I cannot allow you to destroy him.”

   It was Lucifer’s turn to shake, with pleasure. Oh he very much wanted to see God’s eternal life come to an end, but to see him broken as everything he has worked to create destroyed in front of him? Now that kind of suffering would fuel him for all of eternity. Forget roaming earth, with heaven burning he would rule earth! Now that- simply for having Gage killed who he would no longer need with Michael’s assistance- was more than worth it. He would murder ten immortals for such.

   “I will give you one chance to resend your offer angel,” Lucifer finally looked upon him again, “because should you be found guilty it will be the life of all you care for. I am not the only god guilty of vengeance and spite, you have bared witness to this. Choose now, because you can be sure this offer of compassion is an isolated event and only because of the gift you offer me.”

   He did not hesitate to answer, “I have had centuries to make my decision, so no, I will not resend my offer. Once Gage’s life has come to a final end then it will be assumed it was he on your orders that allowed such a raid on heaven.”

   “Very well then,” Lucifer purred, and in the next moment he was standing before Michael again, unable to contain his excitement, “Gage’s life for the opportunity of entry into heaven.”

   He extended his red palm to Michael, to which he barely spared a glance before he took it in his own hand sealing their contract.

   Lucifer’s laughter bellowed through the room, “go, go and find what it is you seek because I will have my army ready in those twenty-four hours. And should you dally then I will find a way to make you suffer for all your eternal life do you understand?”

   “Yes, of course,” Michael nodded, “but if you have not fulfilled your end before that time then you will find your entry into heaven denied.”

   “Oh my boy,” Lucifer grinned, “you can be sure that wheel has already been set in motion. In just a few mortal hours’ time he will meet his final end. It will take just one word and the mortal I have in place will put our contingency plan into effect, he does make a demon proud to know there is such malevolence mingling with God’s creatures on earth.”

   “A mortal?” Michael pulled his head back in disbelief, “a mortal does not own anything capable of ending Gage’s life.”

   “No, but Gage himself does. And once this mortal man makes our plan known then surely Gage will feel the need to defend himself, drawing his blade from the hell fire. It is that moment he will wait for, and in that moment he will steal his blade and pierce Gage’s heart.”