Chapter Fifty: Don't Be A Fool
Third Person POV
He's not Lucifer anymore. He is now Sam. The person who made a promise to the girl's father. The person who gave his word that he would let no harm come to the girl. He wonders as he flies how she could have even died in his place. It is the safest place she could be in... Unless...
"Goddammit!" He mutters under his breath as he sets his feet atop solid ground, tucking his wings safely behind him. He silently blames himself for her death. He should have been there. He knows she's too stubborn for her own good. Why then did he think she would stay put simply because he asked her to?
Mostly likely, she wandered off to find her new boyfriend, or probably to divulge their findings to her friends and she encountered the killer in the process.
Though he knows that death wouldn't be a bad thing for her as she would be with her parents, under the guardianship of his Father, he didn't want her to go where he didn't have free access to. Yes, it is rather selfish of him, but when did the Devil start caring about being selfless?
He finds his brother in no time, disguised as a woman he doesn't recognize but can immediately tell it is the girl's mother and the child runs to Azrael, a huge smile on her face as she wraps her arms around the Angel of Death.
"Unhand the child at once!" He commands, his voice lacking its usual teasing undertone and coming out as cold and authoritative.
Bells turns to him in shock, then she turns to the person she believed to be her mother, only in place of the warm, small woman stands a tall brooding man who is well built and seems to blend into the darkness of the environment.
Bells watches in surprise as the man glides over to Sam – glides because his movement is so fluid, she swears he has no feet.
"Don't be a fool, brother. We both know I cannot do as asked." Azrael's voice is thick, heavy but light and velvety at the same time and it seems to materialize from the surrounding rather than from the being.
"Sam?" Bells calls out to the familiar Angel, seeking answers. "What's happening?"
"Well, you said you wanted to meet with Azrael. Az, meet Bells. Bells, Az." Though Sam is smiling, Bells can tell he is anything but cheerful. In fact, his grin only makes him look more menacing as his canines glisten in the dark and his cold eyes stand out.
"Thanks for the introduction. However, I must now take her to Heaven."
"Wait! I'm dead? I should have known something was wrong the moment I saw my dead mother. Of course, I'm dead. Of course!" The girl spits out bitterly as she paces, not knowing what to do nor how to feel.
"I can't let you take her, Az," Sam continues to address his brother, ignoring the girl's banter.
"Humans die by the second, Lucifer, and last I heard, Raguel caused you a lot more work so there really is no time for this right now."
"Then make time!" Sam demands. He doesn't want to fight Azrael, but he knows he would if he has to. He just can't let her die.
"I have to –"
"You heard him! Make time!"
They are startled by the new voice and Bells watches as Azrael groans at the new comers. She turns around to find Raphael landing beside an Angel she has never seen in her life and she marvels at the sight. Before Raphael can tuck his wings back in, she notices the most beautiful pair of wings she has ever seen in her life, albeit for a split second.
She reasons she can see it because she technically isn't human anymore, but a soul. The wings are beyond what she can possibly describe and despite the situation, she cannot help but stare at the friendliest Angel she has ever seen with awe.
"Hi Az, Hi Anabelle." Raphael waves at them and walks towards the girl who just continues to stare at him, tongue-tied.
"You promised me you'd keep her safe. I handed my duty to you; how did you not sense she was in danger?" The new Angel spits at Sam who shrugs.
Bells notices the new Angel is a head taller than Sam and a lot broader. He looks terrifying, but there is something about him that feels familiar. His eyes are the most piercing shade of silver she has ever seen, demanding attention and he has long silver hair that cascades down to his back.
Bells can only watch him. She racks her head, trying to come up with why he seems so familiar. How could she forget someone built like a warrior with such sharp jawlines and tanned skin? It isn't possible. Yet...
"Now is not the time, Michael. I had more important things to do," Sam defends himself and Bells remembers the Angel who Sam mentioned was terrorizing his home.
"Indeed," Raphael adds. "He was just about to murder Raguel. I saw it happen. It was intense!" Raphael continues to smile, not minding that he gets ignored by the other Angels who continue to argue about whether or not Bells should get to cross to the other side.
"Ignore them," Raphael turns his attention to her. "How did you die? I'm intrigued."
"Interesting question. I don't recall. I know I was on my way to see Tiff. I think I got hit by a bus. Yes, what a mundane way to die, given the circumstances," is Bells' response and Raphael chuckles in amusement.
"I can bring you back to life. It's kind of my deal. However," Raphael floats in the air and does a flip, like a child suffering from ADHD. Floating upside-down, he faces Bells and smiles, his green eyes full of life and nature, "I need a distraction from Azrael."
Bells notices a bright light and looks behind the Angel of Medicine to find Sam throwing balls of light at Azrael.
"Azrael is fighting off two Angels. I don't see a better distraction than that," she inputs and with furrowed brows, Raphael turns, only to laugh at his oblivion.
"It appears you are right." Raphael giggles and does another spin in the air. "Az will surely be angry at me for at least a hundred years, but you'll be surprised at how fast time flies especially when you're immortal." Raphael claps his hands together. "Let's do this! I have to warn you that your body hasn't healed and so is in severe pain. Now, I could easily cure you completely, but let us not shock the doctors so much. I mean, they have already declared you dead and you're coming back to life. Imagine if you-"
"I don't mean to be rude, Angel Raphael –"
"Just Raph is fine." He beams at me and she nods.
"Yes, Raph. However," she looks behind him at the Angels who are at each other's throat. "I think it would be in our best interest if we left. Now!"
"Yes, yes!" He snaps his fingers and chuckles as though he finds something amusing and immediately, Bells felt like the air was being sucked from around her.
She feels like she is being drawn, probably back to her body. Everything hurts and she wants to beg him to stop. It seems as though being dead is better. At least, in death, nothing hurts. She doesn't ask though as she is well aware of how Angels aren't supposed to interfere with human lives and Michael and Raphael are risking a lot by bringing her back to life.
She wonders briefly if their action would incur God's wrath on them. Is she worth it?
Bells' POV
Pain rushes to my body like an unwanted wave and I want to cry out, but my lips refuse to move. All around me, I hear the beeping of machines and I try to open my eyes to take in my surrounding, but my lids are too heavy.
Sucking in a deep and painful breath, I force my eyes open, only to snap it back shut when my senses are assaulted by the bright light of the room.
Laying in the bed, I pause for a moment and think about what just happened. It seems like a dream, but I know for sure that it wasn't. I really was dead and there were Angels fighting to bring me back.
I didn't see the bright light everyone always talks about. All I remember before Azrael came in was the serene emptiness; the absence of sound or people. Just bliss.
"Oh my God!" I hear someone scream beside me and it is followed by sniffling and shuffling around. "Oh my God! DOCTORS! She's awake!"
I crack my lids open slightly and everything appears disoriented. The world blurs in and out of focus and I have to blink repeatedly before I can finally see clearly. I turn and find Cherry staring at me, her eyes swollen and red, her usually perfect curls dishevelled and snot around her nose which she wipes with the back of her palm.
"You're alive! You're really alive! Where are those darn doctors when you need them? DOCTORS!" She screams again, causing my pulse to ring in my head and I let out a groan. "Oh my! I'm so sorry! What am I thinking screaming in your ears? I'm so sorry, I'm just so happy." She smiles, though tears are still falling from her eyes and despite the intense pain I'm in, I manage to crack a faint smile.
The door barges open and a doctor rushes in looking exasperated before he catches sight of me, eyes wide open and smiling; very much alive.
"This is..." He quickly rushes to my side and is followed by a nurse. Together, they conduct a series of tests to make sure I'm stable. Cherry stays put, refusing to leave my side.
"I told you all she moved, you said I was crazy! Look who's crazy now." She laughs at the doctor, but her voice breaks and she has to clear her throat. "I'm going to get water and fetch my mothers and the others. They'll be ecstatic!"
She reluctantly gets up and walks towards the door where she stops briefly and glances at me from over her shoulder. Though her eyes are red and swollen, she looks the happiest I've seen her in a long time; as though a heavy burden has been lifted off her shoulders.
"Please, don't ever scare me like that again," she mutters, her voice cracked and barely above a whisper and I smile, unable to find my voice. She exits the room, leaving me with the doctor who soon agree that I will make a perfect recovery in no time.
"So, I was dead?" I ask the doctor when he's done with my examination. "That sounds exciting. For how long?"
"For about half an hour. It's surprising. Between you and me, your friend is an amazing person and really loves you." He winks at me, then exits the room, leaving me with my thoughts.
I take a look around the room which is littered with flowers and gift boxes and I smile widely, feeling loved. Gathering all of my energy, I reach out for the gift basket nearest to my bed and pick up a bar of chocolate from it, but I'm surprised by the envelop beneath the chocolate.
What are the chances that this is a letter from my boyfriend? God! Even after death, a lady can't catch a break, can she?
I flick the envelop around in my hand before deciding to tear it open and pull out the purple, lavender scented paper with the same italic text.
As much as I wanted you gone, seeing you lying here unresponsive is breaking my heart.
I miss your laugh and your smile. I miss your sense of humour and occasional cluelessness to social cues.
Try not to die. Hope you wake up to the scent of your favourite chocolates.
Love, yours. XOXO
What an improvement! At least, he's not wanting me dead anymore. Perhaps I should die more often. It seems to be solving my problems.
Just as I have tossed the paper back into the gift basket and I'm about to tear open the bar of chocolate, the air around me changes suddenly.
I feel a dark, menacing presence around me that causes my heart to accelerate as it is filled with adrenaline. The air becomes heavier as though there is something that is sucking out the life in the room, and much to my dismay, I look around and notice the flowers around me start to wilt.
I look around the room and gasp when I suddenly find him.
This can't be good!
~~~
So, according to my plot for this story, we have about 15 - 20 chapters till the end of Devilish Detective.
Who is the killer? What is their motive? Who'll be the next victim?
Are you as excited as I am? If you are, hit that star and vote for this chapter, drop a comment also.
XOXO