Lucille sat on the edge of the bed, remote in hand, flipping through the channels on the dingy old box TV. Nearly all of the 100 channels were a fuzzy mess. A few had some visible picture hiding amongst the mess, but only a small handful were actually watchable. For such a nice hotel, they were lacking in the television department. Of the four or so watchable channels, three were airing the six 'o' clock news from different TV stations.
She stopped on one and immediately felt that warm sense of familiarity again when she saw the bright, cheery face of the blonde-haired newscaster. Isla Kelly had been one of the main local newscasters for ages. Lucille fondly remembered watching her in the morning on snowy days throughout school life, hoping that she would report that Lucille's school had been one to cancel on that day. Isla always seemed to be pleased to report a school closure, perhaps sharing the joy with all the children watching.
Meanwhile, Aleron was laying back and watching the TV with masked fascination. He knew that humans had a vast array of technology, many like this one, but to see it in action was something else. To have a box made of glass, plastic, and metal, projecting an image of a room and the people inside it was innovative. Humans could do so much even though they lacked the higher powers that demons and other beings possessed.
"In other news, nineteen year old girl, Lucille Harper is still missing two months later..."
Two months? Lucille thought incredulously. Could it have really been that long? She leaned forward, moving herself closer to the TV.
"Upon investigating her apartment, evidence of a male presence was found, but due to abnormalities discovered in DNA testing, authorities will be doing further research. Her parents—"
"Lucille, why don't you shut that off? You don't have to watch this."
She glanced back at him. He was still undressed, not at all concerned about the approaching darkness.
"I want to watch it, though. I am curious... and I kind of want to see my parents on TV, if possible."
Isla introduced the press conference her parents had done just that morning. Being a small time news station, they didn't air the entire conference, just snippets including the most vital parts.
Her mother stood, teary-eyed, next to her father, who had a stone-cold, dire expression on his face. Both of them looked as though they had aged ten years since she had last seen them a few months ago. The first stab of guilt pierced her chest before they even had a chance to speak.
Listening to her mom sob her way through her plea to bring her daughter home just drove that home. It made Lucille's chest tighten and her eyes grow wet. Watching it wasn't easy. But when her dad spoke and his normally serious, friendly voice cracked with sorrow, it was like a fist grasped her heart and squeezed.
"Please just give us our daughter back, give us some closure—" He choked and put his face in his hands. "I'm sorry." He mumbled.
A strangled sob finally escaped from Lucille's throat. She felt Aleron shift on the bed behind her. He sidled up behind her, snaking his arm around her waist and reaching around with the other to free the remote from her tight grasp. After pressing a few different buttons, he eventually hit the power button and the TV turned off with a fuzzy click. He dropped the remote and pulled her against his chest, holding her close as she cried.
"It's okay Lucille, everything is going to be okay." Aleron rocked back and forth with her, stroking her hair, trying anything to console her.
"It's not going to be okay, I feel terrible!" She sobbed, holding on to the arm wrapped around her stomach. "It's all my fault that they are devastated. Just because I wanted to live in a new realm with someone I love, I ruined their lives."
Aleron sighed.
"I knew you watching that wouldn't end well. I'm sorry, Lucille, there is nothing you can do now. They will learn to move on with their lives, just as you will learn to accept it and move on. You can't spend the rest of time feeling guilty for this."
"Can't I just go back to them and say goodbye or something? Anything? Just a quick visit to them while we are here, so they know I am okay?"
Watching her parents break down and cry on national TV had opened her eyes. After she had recovered from her first transport to his realm and had had some time to sit and think about the hasty decision she made, she had felt some guilt, sure. And of course she knew she would come to miss her loved ones once the novelty of this new world wore off, but she could live with that.
As for how her loved ones would feel, she didn't think they would miss her so much. Ever since she moved out she hardly saw her parents in person, she maybe talked to them on the phone once a week. She never talked to her distant relatives unless they were forced together at some reunion or something.
How could she have been such a selfish fool?
"You know that is not possible, it would stir up far too many problems."
She choked out another sob and leaned her head back against his chest.
"I know, but they—they need closure. They need to know that I am okay... It's almost Christmas." She paused for a sniffle. "They probably think that I am being held captive and tortured, or that I am dead in some ditch somewhere or something like that."
Aleron nuzzled his face into her hair. His hot breath warmed her neck when he sighed again.
"I am so sorry, Lucille. I really truly am. But they will eventually learn to cope with your absence and their lives will go on. And you will eventually come to accept the downsides to the choice you made. It won't be easy, but in the end everything will be fine."
She groaned miserably. The sobbing had taken its leave, but her chest still ached and hot tears slowly trickled down her face. Every so often, she would sniffle. In that moment, she didn't think things would ever be okay.
Aleron patiently sat with her in his arms as she cried herself out. Being held tightly, and stroked softly, did a lot to comfort her. It also showed her a different side of him. she was so used to his delicate caresses having a sexual, sensuous feel to them that these comforting, almost chaste ones seemed to make the moment a lot more special, not to mention how they made it difficult to remain sad.
And it wasn't that she didn't enjoy his sensual side—she wholeheartedly loved it—it was just that seeing and feeling a man who possessed strong sexual prowess that went straight to his core, use his touch for something so sweet and innocent felt special. Especially when incubi were so normally harsh and domineering by nature. She knew he had that side to him, but she was beyond grateful that she never had to see or experience the full extent of it.
She wasn't sure if the other human women he had been with could say the same thing.
Taking in a deep breath, Lucille opened her swollen, bloodshot eyes. Outside it was completely dark, save for the twinkling city lights spanning out in a tear-blurred bokeh until they hit the horizon. It was nearly time for them to go to the church, and her face still felt sticky and gross. Aleron also had yet to explain to her exactly what she needed to do to summon an angel.
Except for the occasional hiccup and sniffle, she was done crying. The pain from watching the press conference lingered, but she couldn't find anymore tears in her.
"How do you summon an angel?" She asked softly, breaking the silence.
She felt his chest rise and fall against her back.
"We don't have to do this right away, the night is young, if you want to take some time to rest you can."
"No, I am fine. I don't really want to spend anymore time sitting around. I just want to get this next part over with. I want all of it to be over with so things can go back to normal at the mansion and with us."
"I want that too. If you're sure you want to go now, I'll explain the summoning ritual to you as we walk to the church. It's fairly simple, so you shouldn't have any trouble remembering it."
Aleron slowly unwrapped his arms from around her, freeing her to stand up from the bed. She turned, watching him as he, too, lifted himself up from the bed. Her heart fluttered nervously. Answers were right around the corner, hiding in the scary unknown, and she was about to delve right into it.
Outside of the church, Lucille and Aleron stood on a dark, mostly empty street. The occasional car passed by, but no one paid them any mind. His hood concealed his horns, and the darkness made his skin tone unnoticeable if you weren't taking a close look at him.
"Oh, I really wish you could go in with me. I don't want to do this alone—and yes, I know that I won't technically be alone in there for long, but I know that you know exactly what I mean." Lucille said, wringing her hands nervously. Her anxiety had her entire body trembling.
"I'll save the humor for later. You will be alright without me there. We've gone over the ritual at least five times by now and you've got it. And you did manage to successfully summon an incubus by yourself, for a matter far more daunting than wanting to ask for a name and possibly even a location." He smiled slyly at her.
"I think this is a bit bigger than asking for a name and location. I was nervous as hell about finding my biological Mom, and all I had to do then was go into an office and talk to an agent, not someone some almighty being and talk to them."
"Lucille, if you've forgotten that I am far more of a threat to you than some angel, I will be sorely offended."
Lucille looked sideways at him.
"How could I forget when the thought of it kinda turns me on?"
He mirrored the devilish grin that had spread across her own face.
"Such cruel words, considering our sexual situation."
"Don't think that they don't perturb me too. I'll just use them to motivate me in there. The longer it takes me to gather up the courage, the longer it will be before..." She smiled.
"Precisely. I'll be out here counting down the seconds until we can be... reunited. All chances of going to heaven are off the table for you, so it's not as though you run the risk of offending this angel so terribly that you ruin anything for yourself. All you need to do is ask the angel who your father is, and where you can find him."
"And you're positive that this random angel will know who my father is just by looking at me?"
"I am, because they too can feel energies, just as I would be able to tell who your father is if you were of my kind. And they are far more generous to strangers than I would be, so you will get your answers without having to pay a price. For the last time, everything will be fine."
She blew out a gust of air in relief.
"Good. Okay, I can do this. I am going to do it. I think I am ready." She said, even though her body felt as though it was buzzing from all of the nervous adrenaline coursing through her.
"This part is the easiest, the first step to resolving this situation."
"Thanks. That really makes me feel better about the big picture." She said, spreading her arms out dramatically as she turned towards the church steps.
Aleron chuckled.
"With any luck, I will be able to be by your side through the 'big picture'. For now, I'll be waiting right out here for you."
Hand on the enormous door handle, she mustered up a smile for him before she drew open the large door.
"I'll see you shortly then."
She stepped into the chapel. She held onto his gaze as she closed the door, slowly closing her off from the cold air and her line of sight to him. Shutting the door held an air of finality to it. She could just open the door if she really wanted to, but she knew she couldn't do it. Not if she wanted to take a step forward in the right direction. So she turned, facing the chapel.
The lingering scent of incense lightly graced the air. It was likely from an evening mass, or whatever this specific church did. Lucille had never been religious, all she did know about that specific church was that they were one of the few that remained open all days and hours of the week.
A warm glow of candles emanated from the altar, giving her just enough light to see the dark outlines of the pews as she slowly walked down the middle aisle. She was halfway to the altar when she could already see that everything she needed was waiting right there for her.
Quite a few candles were already lit, all representing prayers that people had made, but a few still remained unlit. Quietly, in case anyone was nearby, she stepped up to the altar. Looking out at the empty pews made her realize how big and vacant the chapel was, and dark. A church, usually meant to be bright, happy, and filled with people, had an ominous feel to it when swathed in darkness.
Brushing off the chill creeping up her spine, she picked up three unlit votive candles and the box of matching sitting on the altar and stepped down. She took them to the opening in front of the pews and the altar and carefully arranged them in a wide triangle, with one sitting near the altar and the other two right by the pews. Striking the match, she then proceeded to light each candle, starting with the singular top one.
As she went about that, she recited the incantation Aleron taught her, despite the few words his demonic blood wouldn't allow him to say; she understood it all.
"From the father..." She lit the first candle. "... The son..." Second candle. "...And the holy spirit..." And finally the last. She shook the match out and moved to the middle of the candles. "... I request the council of a holy servant, an angel, to give me answers that no other can provide for me." The flames around her grew, brightening the space. "Amen."
A force nearly knocked her from her feet. It made the measly candle flames leap high into the air, nearly creating a circle around her. She could scarcely breathe. And within a matter of a few seconds, she could barely see due to the bright light filling the chapel, making the blazing candles seem dim in comparison. A soft whine hit her ears, and it was only moments later that she realized the sound was coming from her.
The light eased up, prompting her to wipe the tears from her eyes. A tall, glowing figure stood before her, like an enormous porcelain doll with a flame glowing inside its body. The angel was mostly androgynous, with their flowing, golden locks and their pretty face. Their features were flawless, skin lacking any blemishes or imperfections, features smooth and gorgeous.
The only thing that gave any hint to a potential gender was the broad, flat chest lying underneath their robes. If it weren't for the fact that her father is an angel, she wouldn't have even been sure if angels had genders.
Regardless of their gender, they had quite an impressive wingspan, until they were tucked behind the angel's back.
"My name is Thelial. You requested the council of an angel, for what reason do you require my aid, young one? Their voice surrounded her, echoing slightly just as one would imagine an angel's voice would. It made them seem all powerful for sure, and maybe a bit intimidating, but it didn't strike Lucille as threatening.
"Uh—I—Uh." She stammered. She had absolutely no idea where to start, until she eventually blurted out, "I'm a nephilim!"
She cringed. No shit she was a nephilim. Why did her mind have to blank at the most crucial moment?
The angel simply smiled.
"Yes, that you are. I am afraid I cannot help you come to heaven—for reasons I am sure are obvious—however, I can help you in other regards."
"That is fine, I am not concerned about heaven. I was actually wanting to know who my father is. I have inherited some sort of power from him, and I need to learn how to control it."
"Ah, yes, that I can help you with. Please, come to me."
Lucille glanced pensively down at the triangle she was standing in.
"Never fear, the ritual has not trapped you for the time I am here. You are free to move about, now and after I leave."
She nodded and stepped out of the triangle. Maybe it was only demons who were supposed to remain in the summoning circle... No, that didn't even make sense, considering how Aleron had made himself quite at home in her apartment.
Brushing off those thoughts, she walked up the steps of the altar, coming to a stop right in front of the grand angel. She could almost feel the angelic power coming off of them in waves.
She was trembling again as the angel extended their hand towards her.
"Do not be afraid." They said solemnly, lowering their hand down onto Lucille's forehead.
Warmth spread through her body. It was like the warmth you feel when you first step into the sun, or stand in front of a campfire on a cold night. The sensation was pleasurable, but in an entirely different way than Aleron's influence; it didn't work its way into every cell in her body and completely undo her with lust and need.
But it did relax her frazzled nerves. And just as soon as she started to ease into it, their hand was gone, the warm sensation leaving with it. Her eyes popped open and she gazed up expectantly at the glowing angel.
"Ah... Yes, that is a familiar energy."
She was hanging on to every word.
"Who is it?" She asked eagerly. The angel smiled warmly at her eagerness.
"That energy could only belong to none other than Pharzuphiel." A smirk played across their face. "Yes, you are most definitely his progeny."
"Pharzuphiel... That is a mouthful." She laughed nervously. "Do you know him?"
"I knew him. And I believe he goes by Pharzuph now, due to some errant behaviours he fell some time ago. Unfortunate, but I imagine it will make the task of meeting him far easier for you, given your circumstances."
And just as Aleron said it would, the information was playing right into her hands.
"Yeah..." She nodded. "I really think it will too. Thank you so much."
"Of course, Lucille. Do you require any more of my assistance?"
"No, no thank you." She said distantly. She was too busy thinking about the new information she had and wondering if Aleron knew Pharzuph.
"Very well. Good luck, Lucille. God bless you." And with that, the angel disappeared before her eyes.
"Oh, alright then. Bye." She said plainly to the now empty chapel. The sudden disappearance was enough to snap her out of her deep thought.
Glancing around to confirm that she was alone again, she saw absolutely no one. If anyone had seen anything, they weren't interested in letting themselves be known. Not that it really mattered. Lucille figured that this would be another one of those things that witnesses could try to share, but no one would believe them. And any videos would be attributed to fancy editing. Thank you modern skepticism and technology.
She scampered down the steps and hastily gathered up the three flickering votives. As she returned them to their respective spots, she mused about how Aleron would have teased her for taking the time to put away the candles. She may have surrendered herself to a demon and his realm, but she still saw no point in inconveniencing the priests. Maybe that was the angel blood in her, making her more considerate than the average demon in some regards.
With another quick, final glance around the dark chapel, she wasted no time in walking back down the middle aisle and pushing her way through the doors, heading back out into the cold, fresh nighttime air.
Immediately she saw that something was off. Aleron wasn't waiting outside for her as he promised he would.
she started to panic as her eyes scoured the dark surroundings, only for her to find absolutely no sign of him. She knew how to get back to the hotel from here, but she couldn't walk back alone at night... And she had no clue why he would abandon her here. At night.
Lucille raced down the concrete steps, her heart beating nearly as fast as her footfalls. She couldn't stop asking herself why. She knew there was no way he could be in the church looking for her, so had someone or something forced him to leave? That seemed to be the only logical answer in Lucille's mind, even if she had no clue who would be able to oust her powerful incubus. She wasn't about to believe that he would leave her alone on purpose.
Either way, she was thoroughly shaken up. Any resolve to be independent without him was out the window.
"A-Aleron?" She said wearily, still frantically scanning the street, hoping he would step out of some dark corner or nook.
The next second a hand clapped over her mouth, muffling her terrified screams as a strong arm wrapped around her and pulled her into a firm, manly chest.
Author's Note: I am so sorry this took as long as it did to get updated! I had a fairly busy few weeks, but as far as I can see now, things in my life are calming down. Thank goodness lol.