Lucifer Unchained, page 19
part #4 of Lucas Johnson Series
“And yet you have no desire to be the cause of World War Three.” Gilgamesh smiled sourly. He reached for a glass of water and took a sip. “Though I believe that we do not have to pretend that the story of Sayf stealing a nuke and then blowing himself up is true.”
Oh, this was an extremely well-laid trap. If I did anything else than deny what he said, Gilgamesh would have proof that the allegations were false since I was sure the room had some recording microphones. I shrugged. “That’s the only story I’ve heard. Look, Lucielle’s nukes are really sloppy in design, so it’s easy to blow one up by accident. And your bloodsucker happened to touch the wrong button, most likely.”
Everyone in the room knew I was lying, but what were they supposed to say? With Ubar gone, they couldn’t afford a war with Lucielle. Yet Gilgamesh remained calm, which I didn’t like. “And what does the Devil offer?”
That sounded better. “She is terribly hurt by losing her nuclear warhead. But, in her infinite grace, she is willing to settle the issue in court, provided she receives an appropriate apology.” I drew the USB stick from my pocket. “Here’s the lawsuit.”
“Typical Lucielle…” He smirked, shaking his head. “But that is not enough. While I would, indeed, prefer a peaceful solution, I need an appropriate compensation for the harm caused. And with Lucielle publically humiliating me over something I haven’t done and ripping me off in court at the same time, I want something from the man who caused me all this trouble. I will accept this deal in exchange for three large favors, Mr. Johnson.”
Oh, hell no. A large favor could be almost anything and I was not going to do dirty work for him. I had to get myself out of that. “I don’t think Lucielle will give you any favors while doing this.”
“A good attempt, but I want the favors from you, not from anyone else.” Gilgamesh smiled. “After all, you are the man who framed me for stealing Lucielle’s nuke, who blew up my city and who killed Sayf. From you and you alone, I want the compensation.”
I sighed. I wasn’t going to start a world war over myself. “Since I’m still employed by Lucielle, I don’t see how I could ever fulfill any large favors to you.”
“Stop wiggling.” Gilgamesh glanced at the clock. “You have less than two minutes before Lucielle’s deadline expires.”
That was almost two minutes for me to haggle. “One large favor and we’ve got a deal.”
“Do you think haggling with me will work?” He scoffed. “Three, last offer.”
“You’re not going to cause a world war over a few favors. One.”
“Watch me.” Gilgamesh poured himself another glass of water and said nothing more.
This ancient bastard… I watched the seconds tick and sighed. “Fine. I accept.” I threw him the USB stick.
Gilgamesh caught the stick with ease and placed it on the table. In a seamless move, he took out his phone and typed an email. “There,” he said once he finished.
“So, what do you want for the favors?”
“I do not yet know.” He sported a smile. “I will keep them for the most appropriate time.”
Awesome. “One more thing. Why does Lucielle call you Goatfucker?”
He laughed heartily. “A bit over four thousand years ago, I was a young prince of the Sumerian Empire and Lucielle was the chieftain of the barbarians raiding our cities. The king, my father, organized a feast to attempt to settle our disputes. I sat with my friends at the far end of the main table. When we got appropriately inebriated, my friends started talking about Lucielle. How they would, in today’s words, hit that. To which I scoffed, and said that rather than her, I would fuck a goat.”
“And she overheard that,” I added.
“She never forgets or forgives.” He smiled. “But anyway, that is beyond the point. I believe that our current business is settled, and I will inform you when I want to redeem my favors.” He motioned toward the door with his hand.
Ashti stepped to the door to open it for me, but then paused. “Are you certain we shouldn’t use any favors now? For killing Sayf, every single vampire in the world will do its best to kill Lucas. And a dead man cannot fulfill favors.”
Gilgamesh waved it off with his hand. “This one will.”
Ashti bowed slightly and opened the door, motioning me to follow her.
What the hell did Gilgamesh mean by that? I didn’t like that at all, mostly since it sounded as if he was counting on me getting killed rather soon. And I had very different plans. A small crowd stood outside the room, everyone looking a mixture of confused, embarrassed and annoyed.
Except for Aisha, who was glaring at me. I pretended to ignore her but kept an eye on her movements while I followed Ashti. The crowd flowed into the room. Aisha headed toward me, slipping among the men in suits, as silent as her robes allowed.
We separated from the crowd and she slid behind me. I whirled, catching the hand with a dagger an inch before she could stab me. Before anyone could do anything, I grabbed her head with my other hand and pushed my aether into her.
I paused and Ashti turned, hand on her sword’s hilt.
Sure, I could kill Aisha as a self-defense. For all the stonings and other atrocities in which she took part, she deserved to die. But I did not care.
I withdrew my aether and dropped her. She fell, barely stabilizing, pale, wide-eyed, breath shallow. She knew I almost killed her.
Ashti barked something in Arabic and two guards rushed to Aisha.
With a smirk, I turned and stepped away, but strengthened my body with aether. Behind me, a man shouted with pain, and Aisha screamed something. I spun, swinging my arm. A guard was reaching for his bleeding hand and Aisha was darting toward me, aiming her dagger at my throat. I hit her in the head with the back of my arm.
Her skull exploded as if hit by a cannon ball. Blood burst into the air, her headless body now a fountain of blood.
I gave her a chance to let go and to live, to move on. She forfeited that mercy, and so she would be welcomed in Hell.
Chapter 16
IN ALABAMA, the weather was great. Spring sun shone high on the azure sky, bright but not yet burning hot. I parked right in front of a massive, iron gate, which was the entrance to the school’s campus. Above the gate, large letters read, Heaven’s Mercy High School. In front of the gate’s wings, a priest was sweeping the road, wearing a buttoned-up cassock.
I pulled in by gate’s side and motioned at Lillith. “You get off here.”
She had her arms crossed across her chest, dried tears on her face, and looked ready to start crying again.
But I gave her no alternatives. “Now.”
“I don’t want to go to some stupid school.”
“We’ve talked about this ten times already. You are going to school.”
She raised her chin, but the act was weak. “And what will they teach me there?”
“Math, chemistry, and how to be a decent person.”
“You can teach me all of that!”
I rolled my eyes. “Out, now.” I opened the door and got out. The wind carried a fresh scent and trees rustled pleasantly. The sweeping priest, Azrael, ignored us, his hair black, clean-shaven face calm. Since Lillith wasn’t getting out, I walked around the car and opened her door.
She glared at me and I held her gaze. Reluctantly, she dropped her eyes and got out of the car. I closed the door and went to the trunk, from which I started taking the bags. Meanwhile, she kept glowering at the school’s gate and the text etched above. “Why are you putting me into this school, anyway?”
“Because it’ll suit you the best.”
“Are you sure it isn’t because the school is far from where you live so I will have a hard time coming to visit?” She pointed her finger at me, still glowering. “You are abandoning me!”
I took out all four large bags filled with Lillith’s clothes and put them on the ground. And I added the three backpacks, and two suitcases. When I sent her shopping with Evelyn, my beloved decided that Lillith needed clothes for every occasion. “I’ll stay in touch and visit whenever I can.”
“Not even you believe that.”
I sighed. “Is that what your sense for truth tells you?”
“You are cheating on that, anyway.” She looked at the gate, crossing her arms over her chest. “And, if you wanted to stay in touch, I could go to a school in New York and live with you and Evelyn.”
“You cannot do that.”
“Why not? Everything was fine the past two weeks!” Tears crawled into her eyes again, but her voice didn’t weaken.
The priest sweeping the floor cleared his throat. “Tell her.”
“Tell me what?” Lillith glanced at him and froze. “Aren’t you the priest from Greece?”
“I am everything the Lord needs me to be.” Azrael smiled. “And he needs to tell you who he is, how you became an angel in the first place, and why he isn’t going to raise you himself.”
Lillith braced her hands against her hips and turned, glaring at me.
“None of that is relevant,” I said, looking away.
“She has the right to know, Lucas. Tell her.”
I sighed and I looked back at Lillith. Azrael was right. “I have no idea how to raise anyone. If I were to do that, the only thing I could teach you would be to become me. And you must never become like me. Because of that, you will stay here with Azrael, and learn how to be a proper angel.”
“Why couldn’t I become like you?” Lillith asked, ignoring the name drop which I hoped would distract her. “Sure, the Ubar thing wasn’t nice, but that was more of an accident.” Her eyes watered though as she apparently sensed the finality in what I was saying.
“That was no accident.” I forced out a smile. “Nothing was. The light you bear, the halo and the wings, that was all once mine. And so was the spell I cast through you. But this light I used to wield this power was taken from me for my crimes. If you were to stay with me, you would follow my path, and you would commit the same crimes. And I didn’t give you my blessing for that to happen.”
She stared at me, wide-eyed, tears rolling down her face.
“Heavens didn’t make you an angel. I did.” I removed my hat and let my strength flood my body. My eyes turned into pools of darkness, tail slid out from my behind and a crown of horns sprouted from my head. “And I could do that, because I am Lucifer.”
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