Chapter 1: June 6th 1985 - Rome
Chapter Text
"One child of love and one of spirit,
walk earth and shore where violence furles.
When Lucifer tenants in the City of Angels,
His children once will rule the world."
delivered by an unknown woman in a Roman cemetery
"Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me." She sighed and looked heavenward after coming out of her trance. Prophecies were here calling; rarely she remembered. Words from God were meant for those affected by them, not for the vocal conduit. Tonight, she was alone and able to recall the verses with perfect clarity. Her eyes abandoned the starlit sky and travelled over the vast expanse of the city. Rome was beautiful at this time of the year. Streets and windows alight with their artificial fires and colourful tourists roaming the streets, even a few minutes after midnight. Just like the metropolis of the new continent, the ancient city seemed to never sleep. She wanted to bask in it. It felt like forever since she had walked these paths, and what better place to start her exploration than the place where everything had begun all those millennia ago. Nearly two thousand years had passed since the young Christ had blessed these streets with his blood. What had happened since? She needed to get her hands on the latest copy of The Book to find out what was coming.
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-⛧♱⸸♱⛧-
Chapter 2: June 25th 2016 - Los Angeles (Lux)
Summary:
Lucifer has an unexpected guest at his nightclub, and Chloe meets a new member of her partner's family.
Chapter Text
"Never know how much I love you,
Never know how much I care.
When you put your arms around me,
I get a fever that’s so hard to bear.
The sun had barely passed the horizon when Lucifer claimed the grand piano in the middle of his nightclub. Still happy about the wrap-up of their latest case, Chloe had agreed to join him tonight. Now, his detective smiled while sipping her virgin cocktail at the bar. Life was good. After the first chorus, unexpectedly, a new voice took the next verse. A voice he had not heard before … probably, and still it made him shudder with delight. His fingers moved over the keys as he searched for the singer.
"Sun lights up the daytime,
Moon lights up the night.
I light up when you call my name,
And I know you’re gonna treat me right.
He joined her for the chorus when she stepped into the light. Leaning against the piano, her smile prompted him to take the bridge.
"Lucifer?" He barely registered Chloe as she sat down beside him, too captivated by the apparition before him. Her voice echoed through Lux with the third verse, and everyone held their breath. His harmonising with her felt like singing gospel — something he had refused to do for millennia.
After the last note vanished into the night, she leaned over the piano and brushed her lips over his like a feather. It felt like a blessing, and he would have closed his eyes against the well of emotions that welled up, had her whispered words not hit him like a sledgehammer, "Hey, Dad."
The club erupted in applause, but he was deaf to the noise. He could only stare. His beloved glanced from him to the woman and back again. She wore the calculated look of a detective at work.
A slight figure. A shimmering dress, though not of outstanding quality, possibly even from the rack. Black hair like Lucifer's and a nose very similar to his. Her eyes gleamed an incandescent sky blue, and her flawless skin seemed to glow from within. All in all, a charismatic woman. Some might even call her beautiful. Judging from the looks men and women alike gave her, she seemed to be … special. Still, it irked Chloe that she had kissed Lucifer. The devil had earned her trust, but …
Nudging him, she offered her hand. "Chloe Decker, and you are?"
Beaming, as if delighted by the offer, the young woman shook it. "Ari. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you in person."
"No," Lucifer breathed, still drinking in the sight of her. "That’s not your name."
People began to crowd around them, trying to draw the young woman’s attention.
"Maybe we should take this upstairs."
"Yes," Lucifer blinked, looking around. "Let's do that." Looking up again, he caressed the stranger’s cheek for a fleeting moment before he offered his hand. "Come."
As always, he was entirely cordial as he guided the two women towards the lift. His eyes, however, never strayed from >not her name<-Ari. Once out of the public eye, the woman leaned against the wall. The smile had slipped from her lips, but she closed her eyes with a contented sigh. It felt as if she had finally reached her destination after a long, arduous journey.
"You’re weak."
"Lucifer!" Chloe berated. Sometimes, basic human politeness still seemed beyond him.
Not-Ari didn’t take offence. "I am," She looked at them intriguingly.
Chloe could not make head nor tail of this situation. Lucifer having a child was absurd. Not only because he certainly would have mentioned it, but also because at least one of the scriptures would have picked up on that. Not that she put much faith in a book written two thousand-plus years ago. Yet, her life was filled with angels and demons, and she called the literal devil her partner. So, the list of things she could dismiss outright had shrunk over the last two years to virtually nothing.
"Who is your mother?" "When were you last at the Silver City?"
She and Lucifer spoke simultaneously, glancing at each other in surprise, as if the other’s question was entirely absurd, given the situation.
The young woman chuckled. "Do you want to take that question, Dad? I’m afraid your beloved is jealous."
"I’m not …," Chloe began, but since Lucifer made a habit of always telling the truth, she had started to try the same. At least in the privacy of her own mind.
The devil tilted his head and studied his daughter. "Your mother …," he mumbled. "I can’t … I can’t remember. She …," shaking his head, he frowned, as if following this particular train of thought hurt him.
Not-Ari put a comforting hand on his arm. "Maybe not with your mind, but your heart remembers. Otherwise, we wouldn’t be here."
"What does that mean?" The detective challenged.
"Names, places, people, … everything that’s important stays with us. Like little pinpricks of light, stitched into the very fabric of our eternal soul. Even if these forms," she gestured at her father and herself, "are not made to remember everything, the memories are still not lost. Once we shed the mortal skin, they come back."
The lift opened, and the women stepped into the penthouse. The younger one gasped, "Oh, this is beautiful!"
"זְרִיחָה" A celestial voice echoed through the room, reverberating from every last corner.
Chloe shuddered, turning back towards Lucifer. It had been a long time since she had had a brush with his divine powers. Usually, it was his devil’s face. His wrath, directed at the culprit of a particularly heinous crime. This, however, was different. The word 'Zricha' – though she could not tell what it meant, nor the language used – felt light and hopeful and full of love. She glanced towards the young woman and noticed tears of joy streaming down her face.
"Father," she sobbed as Lucifer opened his arms.
"זְרִיחָה, my beautiful child. Have no fear, because I am here to protect you."
She collided with his chest, burrowing into the devil like every child on this planet that sought comfort from a parent. "Thirty years," She whispered against his chest, as if ashamed of the admission.
"But," he hissed, cupping the back of her head. "Why? That’s far too long, and you know it!"
Chloe frowned at the distressed pair. "Maybe Zree…" She was interrupted by the woman’s weak chuckles.
"Don't even try. I go by the Latin version of my name this millennium."
"Ari …" Lucifer frowned, but then chuckled. "Clever girl. Aurora."
The detective scraped together her Latin basics. "Like … dawn?"
The devil smiled and caressed his daughter’s cheek. "Like the first light of day after an eternal night. Like hope and joy and faith in a better tomorrow."
"That seems like a lot of expectations for an infant."
The two celestials chuckled. "She was never an infant. Anyway, you need energy. You’re running on empty." Lucifer took off his jacket.
"Dad, if you don’t want to abandon this body, I don’t think intercourse is the best idea. Also, your Chloe might not like that very much."
"Intercourse?" The human in question stared at them, entirely baffled. "You want to sleep with your own daughter?"
"Right," the devil hesitated. "Human norms, I’m afraid."
"Human norms? Lucifer! You … she … you just said she’s your own flesh and blood!"
"Hardly," he snorted.
At her confused look, Aurora explained, "I’m not a nephilim … or cambion," she added as an afterthought.
"I don’t understand," Chloe admitted. "I thought you said you were Lucifer’s daughter."
"I am, but my mother’s not human."
"What else could she be?"
Auror smiled softly. Once again, the detective was filled with emotions of lightness, joy, and love. "An angel, of course, just like Dad."
"But Lucifer has fallen."
"There was a time before," the devil recalled reluctantly. "A time when I served Dad’s purpose. When I went down to Earth to punish the sinners or guide the departing souls, and I returned to Heaven, … someone was there to catch me, to soothe the pain and suffering I brought. When it all tore me apart, they were my …" His voice fell away. He looked at his daughter as he exhaled. "I remember."
Aurora smiled. "I know you do."
"Remember what?" Chloe wanted to know, feeling like an outsider and not liking it one bit.
"Mum," the young/old/immortal woman shared. "By the way, she says >thank you<."
"Thank you for what?" Lucifer piped up.
"Not to you, Dad, to Chloe."
"To me? How does this unnamed angel even know me?"
"Lux," the devil whispered reverently.
"What?"
"You know that Samael was called the Lightbringer when he still lived in the Silver City?"
The human nodded.
"Did you ever wonder why?"
"I … no, not really."
"Because of mum and me. If we go with the Latin translations of our names, I’m Aurora, and she’s Lux. But at the beginning, when she came into being, Dad called her לוקס since that’s what she was to him."
The name felt like a glowing, subtle radiance that lit up the darkness, like enlightenment, and a brightness that made even the heaviest burdens bearable. Aurora’s voice was like her father's; words spoken with celestial meaning echoed around the room. But while the child’s voice was like a candle, lighting up even the darkest places, Lucifer’s was like a wildfire, all-encompassing and all-consuming. Chloe had gotten so used to being immune to infernal energy that she could not help but shiver at the idea of the feelings of these names.
Lucifer approached her and caressed her cheek. "Don’t be afraid, Chloe. It’s not our power you feel. It’s our love. You’re a mother and a daughter and a wife. You know these feelings, so our emotions echo through you."
"But your powers never worked on me before."
"Because you didn't want them to, my precious detective. You're a mother, a guardian, a protector. Your entire being is filled with love, so it's possible for you to feel ours."
"The love you have for your daughter and her mother?"
The fallen angel nodded.
Aurora had watched their exchange wordlessly. "Call her name, Dad."
"What?"
The angel smiled, and her eyes began to glow a subtle blue as she seemed to … expand. "Call her by her true name and for once, don't hold back."
Lucifer's eyes began to match hers, the red glow rising slowly, but he shook his head and blinked it away. "No, she … it would be too much. I …"
"Trust me," his daughter whispered, unfolding her arms. "I can see her soul, it's so incredibly bright. She can take it."
The devil frowned as he turned back to his beloved. Chloe seemed unsure, and a bit hurt. As if she were comparing herself to Lux and came out wanting. His girl had seen it and was now trying to make amends for bringing up her mother. Gently, Lucifer reached for his partner's hand and placed a loving kiss on it before he whispered, "Chloe Jane Decker"
Both women fainted.
When Chloe came around, she was lying on the couch. Lucifer sat at her head, caressing her. "That was swift," he offered the glass of amber liquid he had sipped from. "How much do you remember?"
Combing through her recent memories, she smiled and looked up at him. "Everything." And she did. It had felt like warmth, like fire, like light and a fresh ocean breeze. Her name from his lips was overwhelming and all-encompassing. It had filled her entire being with happiness and joy, as if she were the centre of his world, the sun around which everything revolved. She reached for his palm and kissed it before sitting up. "Is that really how you feel about me?"
Lucifer took back his glass and nodded as if the depth of his emotions was embarrassing to him.
Chloe smiled. "And you finally gathered all of your power to project it."
"On the contrary, my dear," he finally looked up. "Since Aurora was there to shield us, I merely stopped holding back."
Disbelieving, she asked, "You're telling me that you feel like this about me all the time?"
"Every hour of every day." He smiled, claiming her mouth in a demanding kiss.
"Get a room, you two," came a groan from behind the couch a few minutes later.
"This is my room." Lucifer countered, "I should leave you here until you discorporate, you foolish child. You said she could take it, yet you were barely strong enough to hold the shield. What were you thinking?"
An arm waved through the air, brushing the comment away. "That the woman who holds your heart should not doubt your love for her, even for a second."
Lucifer growled, "Fine! Now answer the question!"
Aurora peeked over the back of the sofa. Had she been pale before, she looked positively grey now. As if whatever had just happened had washed the rest of her energy out of her. Chloe rose to get her juice and pudding; she knew Lucifer always had some in stock for Trixie.
"What question?"
"When were you last in the Silver City?"
Aurora retreated to the floor and scarfed down the treats.
Her father rose from the sofa and glared over the back. "זְרִיחָה, when have you last been home?"
The young woman flinched at her father's ire and mumbled, "Thirty years ago, plus-minus a year."
Lucifer took a deep breath and looked at the sky, as if praying for strength. How ironic. "You need sustenance. Now!"
"Can't," Aurora mumbled. "After all of this, I might lose the grip on my corporation." She nodded towards Chloe. "I guess she doesn't want to leave now?"
"Not a chance," The detective smiled sweetly and claimed the corner of the couch as if waiting for dinner and a show. She was not wrong.
The devil gestured impatiently. "She's seen my wings and was fine. Now come here!"
Reluctantly, the young woman stepped around the couch and crawled into his lap.
"Can you do it yourself?"
"I'm not a kid!"
"Then stop acting like one!"
Aurora glared at him, her eyes burning an electric blue before she dug razor-sharp teeth into his carotid artery. Chloe screamed and tried to pull her away, but enormous, translucent wings pushed her back, hiding the young angel and the devil in a cocoon of iridescent feathers. The world exploded in light.
There was a … being, Chloe noticed, hovering in the middle of the room. It was composed entirely of wings and light. Aurora! A harmony filled her head. It sounded like gospel. "Do not be afraid, for I am an angel of heaven!"
Chloe could not help but chuckle. "How many angels are from hell?"
"On Earth, one as far as we know. In hell, another 666, my love. However, our status as angels or demons could be up for debate." Lucifer kissed her neck before he stepped around his bar to cover the bite marks.
"That's why you mentioned cambion before." The detective pondered, studying the formless angel. "Is this how you look naturally?"
"Yes"
"You sound different."
The light pulsed. "I'm a member of the third choir."
Lucifer teased, "Careful, little Virtue, pride's a sin."
The light flickered, and Chloe had the distinct feeling that Aurora was pulling a face at her father.
"And technically, any child of mine would be more than a mere Cambion."
The woman tilted her head and tried to recall her Bible studies. It was always better to be prepared with so many celestial beings around. "Oh, yes, it would be the Antichrist."
"Exactly," Lucifer grinned, "That's why I always wear protection. Though there is certainly more involved than a simple fuck, if one tries to bring about The Great Beast – trademarked. There needs to be rituals and moon phases and all of the tedious nonsense you humans are so fond of."
"Good to know," the detective grinned and kissed her fallen angel. She hesitated when she noticed Aurora pulsing irregularly. The angel emanated unease … however, a bag of light and wings could do that. She even shrank a little, no longer filling half the room. "Aurora, what is it?"
The angel shrank further, compressing herself seemingly painfully until a radiant young woman stood in the middle of the penthouse. Naked. She studied the carpet, playing with the ends of her waist-long hair. She only looked up when her father repeated the question, "Child, what is going on?"
"That's why I came here." She glanced over, and despair filled her eyes. "Because I need your help."
"Help with what?"
"Damien," she replied shortly. "I need your help with my brother."
-⛧♱⸸♱⛧-
"De nial"
Not only a river in Egypt.
Lucifer set his tumbler down and enunciated very carefully, "I think I would know if I had any other offspring besides you. There is even a special place in hell for parents who abandon their children!"
Feeling the rising tension, Chloe prompted, "Maybe we should all take a seat."
But Lucifer was beyond reason. He roared at his daughter, eyes burning red and devil's face on full display, "Don't lie to me!"
However, instead of being cowed, Aurora charged right back, wings snapping out, until they illuminated the entire room. Her voice trembled in a terrifying harmony when she screamed right back, "I am not! How dare you, of all people, accuse me of that when YOU were the one who taught me right from wrong!"
Electric blue eyes met burning red ones, hovering, waiting, as if a mere gaze could convince the other. The only human in the room pondered the wisdom of stepping between the two celestials when Lucifer pulled back, returning to his human façade.
"It can't be," he mumbled, shaking his head.
Aurora approached and put a soothing hand on his arm. "You were not really in a good place towards the end of the last century, and they took advantage. Drugs and alcohol intoxicated you. You slept with seven women, right on the altar."
He sighed and forced himself to remember. "They were so young. Barely in their twenties."
"You impregnated all of them, but only one survived until childbirth."
"I had a feeling that something was wrong."
His daughter nodded. "You returned. I could feel the echoes of your soul on the graves even decades later."
"They buried her in an unmarked grave, the body of a foetus still inside of her. There were markings of daggers on her ribs and the child's. I thought someone else had taken care of it."
"It was a setup. They were big on that. Staged another one for Damien's adoptive family with a jackal and a baby with its head bashed in."
"Who?" Chloe rejoined the conversation. "Who did all this?"
"Satanists, radical Christians, … I honestly don't know. I never took the time to investigate."
Lucifer studied his daughter. Nearly two generations was a very long time for a Virtue to stay away from heaven. He knew his daughter; she was curious, but never reckless. She came after her mother, fortunately. If she had remained on Earth all this time, there had to be an excellent reason. "What did you do?"
She looked down at her hair. "I watched Damien, mostly."
"Did you interfere?"
"I couldn't."
"Why?"
Thinking about how to explain, she finally settled on, "Your powers … they are like a protective shield around him. I couldn't get close."
"And now you can get close?" The detective wanted to know.
"No, that's why I need help." Aurora reached for Lucifer. "Dad, please, you need to understand. He was pushed into this life with little to no guidance. And it was okay because he tried to be fine; he exercised his free will, and apart from a few hiccups, it worked. But on his 30th birthday, a demon baptised him in blood. Now his powers are spilling over, and he's alone and frightened and I … please, Dad, we need to help him!"
"You want me to kill him?"
Chloe gasped, but Aurora merely tilted her head. "If the worst comes to pass, we might have to. But …"
Lucifer tilted his child's chin up and studied her face. "What are you not telling me?"
Reluctantly, the angel admitted, "There was a prophecy."
"Of course, there was a prophecy," the devil sneered. "Half of the bloody Book is made up of prophecies. >When the jews return to Zion and a comet rips the sky …< and so on. There will be armies and war, and humans killing each other. The majority of the 20th century was marked by Death, War, and Famine. That's nothing new."
Aurora was glancing at her strands again.
"Child!"
She closed her eyes and stepped back. When she spoke again, it was like an entire choir, voices overlaying, each with its own melody.
"One child of love and one of spirit,
walk earth and shore where violence furles.
When Lucifer tenants in the City of Angels,
His children once will rule the world."
"No," Lucifer pulled back. "NO!" He roared, throwing the closest bottle against the mirror over his bar, shattering it into a thousand pieces. "No! You are MY children! He has no right. Not in this! He can't have you! Not now! Not ever!"
"That's not how it works."
At his daughter's whisper, he turned back around. "It was you, wasn't it? He sent the prophecy directly to you!"
Willingly, the angel curled into her father, allowing him to hold her close, even when his grip was suffocating.
"I won't let him have you," Lucifer whispered into her hair. "Not now, not ever!" He repeated as if making a vow.
"I'm not human, Dad. I don't have a choice."
Chloe looked up from her mobile, where she had studied the last few chapters of the Revelation. "What do you mean you have no choice?"
Auror sighed, "I'm not human. Free will doesn't come with my territory."
The human frowned at that. Still, she returned to the texts. "What if there are competing prophecies?"
"What do you mean?" Lucifer turned towards her, still keeping his daughter within the confines of his arms.
Chloe read from her phone. "When the Jews return to Zion, and a comet rips the sky, and the Holy Roman Empire rises, then you and I must die. From the eternal sea he rises, creating armies on either shore, turning man against his brother, 'til man exists no more."
"Classic Revelation," Lucifer growled. "Up and about to bring the end of the world. As if all this was just a game to him!"
The detective gestured. "Exactly, so the prophecies seem mutually exclusive. Because why would your children rule a planet devoid of life?"
The devil studied her. "You think we can choose the outcome. Decide with one will be fulfilled."
Aurora nodded before shaking her head. "I can't choose. I'm bound by his word."
Chloe grinned, "While I am not entirely convinced of that, considering how other angels I know are acting, you might be an angel, but Damien is half human, and free will certainly comes with his territory!"
Lucifer grinned and stole a kiss. "I so love it to see your brilliant mind at work."
"What now?"
"Now, we're flying to New York."
-⛧♱⸸♱⛧-
Chapter 3: 26.06.2016 – Los Angeles and New York
Summary:
Travelling by plane, we'll dip into the canon of Damien's movies and TV show a little bit before we catch up with canon.
Notes:
AI-generated picture.
Chapter Text
The sun was lighting up the eastern skies when an angel and the devil boarded a plane. Since Aurora could not be bothered with earthly possessions, Lucifer had forced her into a boutique at the airport so she could dress appropriately, even when jeans, a t-shirt and a blazer had been her attire of choice. Lucifer now pinned all of his hope on Damien. At least one of his children had to have taste in fashion. Once they had settled into first class – two sleep-deprived businessmen had given up their seats at Aurora's congenial question – Lucifer closed his eyes and steepled his fingers. "Alright, break it down for me."
His daughter looked around and then smiled at a little kid with an iPad. "Can I borrow that, sweetheart?"
Gaping at her, the little boy gave up his high-end entertainment. Potential protests from the mother were starved off as Aurora caressed the kid's head and kissed his forehead with a whispered, "Sleep, child." When the boy curled up in his mother's lap, the woman seemed ready to cry. Aurora whispered, "It's alright. Get some rest."
"Aren't you a good little Samaritan. That has to be your mother's influence," Lucifer teased.
His daughter merely chuckled and climbed over him to retake her seat. "They were both exhausted. Electronics would have just wound him up." With her father's help, she connected the device to the internet and called up a few pictures. "I know where Damien was conceived, but not the circumstances of his birth. I just felt something calling upon me. When I finally followed the pull, it brought me to a hospital where Robert and Kathrin Thron were leaving with him as their son. Their own child had been killed, but Mr. Thorn would only learn about that years later."
When the flight attendant interrupted them with breakfast, Lucifer offered his most winning smile. "Please bring us a bottle of champagne with breakfast. I've just learned that I have a son." At her "Congratulations, Sir!" he accepted the well-wishes gracefully. After his first glass, he gestured for his daughter to continue. "First, eat, you're too thin. Second, no matter how much you adore your brother, we only have five hours, so give me the Cliff Notes."
The angel rolled her eyes. "First, this body is a construct, and after tonight, perfectly healthy. Second, he's your son! You should be interested in him beyond the Cliff Notes!"
Lucifer shrugged, "If he's the prophesied Antichrist, there is no use in getting attached."
"Is that why you're dragging out this journey?"
"This was the earliest available plane. What do you want us to do? Fly ourselves?" He clenched his jaw when Aurora only looked at him with the patience of an angel.
Their breakfast had been served and removed, and both were set up with a cup of coffee and tea, respectively. Finally, she gathered her courage. "Dad, why do you hate your wings?"
"I don't …" He stopped himself and wanted to curse his daughter for being so observant. In the past, only Lux had known him well enough to see things he tried to hide, even from himself. Aurora waited.
"Because they are a symbol. A symbol of everything Dad took from me!"
"They were so beautiful," the angel whispered, "Glorious with their own light. They were so wide you could wrap them around Mum and me at the same time. We would rest in the protective cocoon of your love. And now they are barely big enough to carry you."
Lucifer sighed and caressed her cheek. "Don't worry, little nightingale. Maybe they will be again … one day." She leaned against him, revelling in being called that ancient nickname after so long. For a few minutes, they allowed themselves some peace before Lucifer prompted again, "Damien."
Accepting the change of topic, she called up a few newspaper articles. "Not much happened during his first few years. He was a calm, introverted child. He played when other kids were around but was generally content to be by himself. On his fifth birthday, his powers spiked for the first time. It was subtle. He called hellhounds and demanded his first sacrifice."
"His mother?"
"His nanny. Everyone was shocked, and numerous articles were published. You can imagine the spectacle when the nanny of the American Ambassador in Britain commits suicide during his son's fifth birthday party."
The devil whistled and promptly glared at the other passengers, who looked at him with censure. "Those who planted him certainly aimed high." Then he rolled his eyes. "Dad demanded a firstborn, and Abraham was ready to deliver. My son is prompting a suicide, and people start to make a fuss."
Aurora smiled. Her father's claim to Damien was a step in the right direction. "Anyway, the vacant position was filled with an acolyte from hell, and she brought hellhounds into the house. Damien adored them. The Ambassador was not amused. After the death of the nanny and two citizens of hell so close, Damien thrived and toppled his mother from a second-story bannister. There wasn't much information in the newspaper. The general consensus was that the family had demanded privacy in these trying times. Damien thrived on the chaos. His powers grew, and soon I couldn't even get close to the house."
"Are his powers hurting you?"
Aurora shrugged, "Honestly, I don't know. Until two … no, three nights ago, I never tried to push back."
"What happened three nights ago?"
Pain filled the young woman's face when she whispered, "Damien tried to kill himself."
The devil froze. "Why?"
"On the sixth of June, at six p.m. local time, one of your demons baptised him with her blood and the words >Hic est Filius meus, in quo mihi bene conplacui.< [This is my son with whom I am well pleased]. Things went downhill from there. After the killing of his adoptive parents and cousin at age 13, he mostly tried to suppress his powers. You know how powerful belief can be."
"No amount of belief could make my son less than the Antichrist. He thrives on blood, pain and chaos. That's what he was born for."
The angel chuckled humourlessly. "Oh, believe me, he knows that." At her father's expectant gaze, she revealed, "He's a war-photographer."
When Lucifer mirrored her sound, she pulled up another website and logged in with an unnecessarily complicated password, "I might have sneaked into his apartment and uploaded a few of his photos to my cloud drive."
Grinning, the devil claimed the pad and studied the pictures, though not without teasing, "You can't connect to a plane's Wi-Fi, but you have cloud storage?"
She shrugged, "If you ask nicely, someone's almost always around to help."
"He does have an eye for human suffering."
"Yes, but only through the mirrors of his camera. Now that things happen to him instead of only around him, he does not know how to cope. He feels responsible."
"How many people did he actually kill?" The devil did not look away from the pictures, as if they could give him further insight into his latest child's mind.
The younger angel tilted her head and began playing with her hair. After a while, she admitted, "Alright, I have to guess a little, but likely: The Nanny. His mum, Kathrine Thorn. Robert Thorn was shot by the police when he tried to kill Damien with one of the daggers of Megiddo."
Lucifer growled, "His father did what?"
"Tune down the eyes, Dad," She nudged him, prompting him to shake his head to suppress the rage. "There was this priest who told Mr. Thorn the truth about Damien's origins. They couldn't prove your involvement, but guided him to the grave they had set up. Inside, Mr. Thorn found a dead jackal. Combined with Damien's rising powers, he … slipped a little."
"Slipped? You call a father trying to kill his own son, slipping?"
"Well, in his defence, his adopted son was the Antichrist."
Lucifer brushed that comment aside and seethed. Aurora returned to combing through her memories to find deaths her brother could be responsible for. "I'm more or less convinced that he's involved in the death of his second adoptive family, Richard, Ann and Mark Thorn. One man died during an outdoor event of Thorn Industries, and one employee was killed inside the building, after there was an incident with a … fertilising agent, maybe, when Damien's class was visiting. Other than that, … you know, in places of war it's hard to keep up with the departing souls. I don't know if a soldier was shot because he made Damien angry or threatened him. But I got the impression that the general aura of these places was enough to soothe him."
"Then, what changed?"
"After his baptism, Satanists got involved and started to push."
"For what?"
This time, it was the younger angel who rolled her eyes. She was a mirror-image of her father in that moment, prompting a hidden smile from the man. "For him to embrace his destiny."
"To bring about the second coming of Christ, by causing the apocalypse? That does not seem like a very thought-out plan."
"It's humans. What do you expect?"
Lucifer bristled at that. "I happen to work with a few very clever humans."
"Yes, and you even fell in love with one," she teased.
"Well …"
"What is it?"
The devil watched the clouds going by. After a while, he admitted, "Sometimes, I wonder if my being close to Chloe does not bring more grief than happiness into her life."
His daughter smiled softly. "A valid concern." When her father glanced at her, she tilted her head in the direction of his heart. "Regrettably, that is not your choice to make."
"Who else could make that choice?"
"Chloe." She reached out and soothed his tense shoulders. "You can choose to love or not love her. She can do the same and decide if your love is worth all the good and the bad that comes with it."
The devil brushed a thumb over his thigh, caressing the scar of the bullet-wound his detective had given him years ago. "It's not." He shook his head. "I can't not love her. I tried and failed miserably."
His daughter put her head on her father's shoulder. Together, they swiped through Damien's pictures.
"He really sees them. He's like you, but instead of seeing their souls, he sees their humanity. Not the good or the bad, just them as they are. Without any filter." The devil glanced down at his older child. "Tell me something about him. Not the events, but him as a person."
That was so easy, Aurora relaxed immediately. "He's unprejudiced in the best possible way. He judges people only by their actions. You know, unlike Him who sent you down to Earth to punish those he deemed unworthy." Lucifer shivered, not liking to remember that part of his angelic existence. "Oh, he even has an acolyte!" She rushed through the pictures until she found one of a laughing young man, covered in dirt, clutching a camera.
"He certainly has good taste," the devil purred.
Aurora chuckled and nudged him, "No fishing in someone else's pond!"
"As if I would ever be unfaithful!"
"You wouldn't?"
Looking into his daughter's eyes, Lucifer shook his head. "Never with Chloe."
"Now I know why Mum was so delighted when she shot you."
"Your mother is watching me?"
"Watching over you," she corrected. "At least when you are on Earth. Oh, by the way, she told me to give you this." Out of thin air, the angel produced a coin that spun over the tips of her fingers.
"How?" Lucifer gasped.
Pulling a chain from under her shirt – no, that had not been there a moment before – Aurora revealed her own Pentecostal Coin, trapped in an artfully wrought silver net, so no part of the metal touched her skin. "She never lets me leave heaven without it."
Reverently spinning the token that would allow him unrestricted passage to and from hell, he repeated the question, "How could she even get her hand on one of these coins, let alone two?"
Aurora sighed, "Do you remember her special expression?"
"The expression that says: Don't ask questions you don't want to hear the answers to? Yes, I remember that look vividly." At least he did now. The more time he spent with his daughter, the more memories of the Silver City returned to him. He was not sure if that was a good thing. His child raised an eyebrow at him, and he deflated. "You didn't ask her."
"No," she smiled sweetly, "I did not ask my mother, the manifestation of light, how she got her hands … metaphorically speaking … on two 'get out of hell free' cards."
He rolled his eyes. "You were talking about your brother's pet."
"Don't be mean."
"I'm the devil. That's literally my job description."
It wasn't, and they both knew it. Giving people the chance to punish themselves came without any emotional prerequisite.
"Damien had a girlfriend once. He broke up with her to protect her from all the weird things happening in his life."
Lucifer challenged, "The thought never even occurred to him with his acolyte."
"Nope," she grinned. "From what I've gathered, Damien saved Amani out of a ditch, where he would have been shot otherwise."
"Their souls entwined."
Aurora nodded. "They have been working together ever since, and Damien's aura protects Amani."
"Christ had twelve apostles. He needs to up his game."
"One of which betrayed him." She quipped back. "Quality over quantity."
"What about his girlfriend?"
"Died in a sinkhole after making him angry."
Maybe they should lower their voices, since they were in the middle of a full plane, but somehow everyone around them was either asleep due to the early hour or had headphones in, preparing for their first meeting. Regardless of whether it was their combined power or a lucky coincidence, they had absolute privacy.
"He really needs to get a hang of his powers."
"See, that's the thing," More hair-tugging. "I'm not convinced it was him. The place had a dark aura to it; I just couldn't get close enough to either confirm or deny infernal involvement. Either way, everybody around him is pushing or pulling in every possible direction. Yet nobody talks to him, explains or offers guidance. I'm not sure if they are convinced that he must figure this out himself, or if they don't know how to handle their prophesied Antichrist."
"What about you? You can invade dreams to deliver prophecies."
"I tried, but, as I said, your powers are shielding him."
"What do you want me to do? Killing him does not seem to be your plan A. Neither can I take his powers away. That's not how I work."
Aurora looked out of the window. "I don't know. I could drain him if he lets me, convert some of his energy. But that would be like putting a band-aid on a garden hose. Sooner or later, the pressure would build up until it exploded. As for you … get close. Be there for him. Explain things so he actually has a fighting chance. Divine powers are gathering around him; so do infernal ones. He's trapped in the middle with no way out. Make a deal so he's forced to let you in. I just can't watch him tearing himself apart any longer!" She tapered off and looked at her father for guidance. No matter the millennia that had passed since her creation or the time he had been away, she still had faith that her dad could make it better.
With a sigh, he caressed her head and pulled her against his shoulder. Beneath them, the clouds drifted by. When was the last time he had flown? When was the last time he had owned his own mistakes without Chloe's prompting? The prophecies trapped them. Was he willing to let his children fend for themselves, just so they could learn? That was more his dad's stick. Stabbing Damien and giving him a new beginning certainly would be the easiest solution. A clean way out of this entire apocalypse nonsense. He did not even need a single dagger of Megiddo. Any ancient brass blade could serve as a tool to channel his infernal powers. Quietly, he asked, "Do you want to stay on Earth with him? As his sister, his mother, in any capacity?"
Aurora understood immediately what her father was proposing. Her ability to see and touch souls would enable her to capture Damien's before he fell into hell if they had to kill him. She could find a virgin for him for his next incarnation. Or she could carry him. Nine months would not be a problem, not now that her father had charged her. "Me becoming his mother would erase his greatest advantage: a human parent."
"No free will beyond the occasional rebellion," Lucifer pondered. "So, we need to get his powers under control."
"Not just that," she shook her head, recalling the sinkhole. "He's also being investigated for murders beyond Kelly Baptiste's. Also, Armitage and Ann Rutledge are digging their claws into him."
"Hm," The devil claimed the iPad. A few clicks and Chloe's login, and he was able to review the rather shaky case this Detective James Shay was building around his son. Nearly all the evidence was circumstantial, and Shay relied more on inferential interventions than on facts. Armitage Global was another problem. One he would have to deal with personally. But regarding one potential player on the board, they hadn't addressed until now. "What about the Vatican?"
The angel combed through her mind. "I haven't been in Rome since his birth. Until now, only biblical scholars and a few priests got involved."
"Of their own volition?"
"Yes … No … Mostly, because of circumstances, I think. Robert sought one out to get answers. But for Damien, it was more like unfortunate incidents. The result was always the same, though: 'Creature from hell'-slash-'Great Beast'-slash-'Antichrist' accept god as your saviour, drink his blood, and so on and so forth … you know, the same song and dance as always."
Lucifer studied her, "For an angel, you've become rather cynical."
His daughter shrugged. "I consider myself a realist. When was the last time He got involved? Even this entire mess was centuries-old prophecies and human conviction rather than the Lord's attempt to save the world." When her father just looked at her, she tugged on the tips of her hair, looking back out of the window. After a while, she admitted in a whisper, as if afraid that saying the words would make them true. "I don't think He cares anymore."
"Why?"
"Following Damien from one war zone into the heart of a natural disaster with a pit stop at an uprising … it's hard to believe that god still loves the humans. Not with all this suffering going on."
The devil shook his head, choosing a course he despised, but seeing his child so defeated tore at his heart. "With free will comes the ability to make mistakes. There was a time when females were worth less than a goat; when people of colour were considered property."
"And now everything's fine because there is a black president and women can vote?" Her voice was bitter.
"No," he caressed his daughter's face, brushing away her sadness. "But things go in the right direction. You need to give mankind time."
She sneered, "According to the Revelation, mankind's days are numbered."
"Then let us do better. You said that there is good in Damien, despite him being the Antichrist. That he helps; that he saves lives!"
"It would be rather heartless to let a child die."
"And yet the article showed him as the only one helping. All humans have the potential for good and evil. Their desires, however, are entirely their own."
"You mean safety versus protection?" It was not uncommon for a creature to freeze in the face of a threat. Many species had evolved that way. Humans, however, were the only ones who had to rationalise their inactivity afterwards. She wondered how the people in the subway, where Damien had pulled that child from the tracks, would do that. Maybe they just chose to ignore it. Nobody could lie as effectively to themselves as humans if they didn't want to face something.
"An oncoming train can be rather frightening."
Still. "They are not mice, they are man!"
"Or woman, in case of the mother," Lucifer conceded to her point.
Aurora looked at the sky. It was one thing to watch humanity from above with the occasional dip down. It was another thing entirely to live right in the middle of them. "Is it bad not to … love them?"
Her father reached out and pulled her against his side once more. "No, child, that's entirely reasonable."
"But it's what I was created to do!"
"No, זְרִיחָה, your mother and I brought you forth, to be nothing but yourself."
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