Lucifer grumbles as he ponders the fallout from declaring Adrammelech a traitor and stripping his rank and titles. Already one of his daughters is scheming to take more than what she deserves. “This would be so much easier,” Lucifer sighing; “if you just stopped running away from politics, Enoch.”
His thoughts interrupted when a communication portal opened up. Lucifer looking up, he sees his brother Arch-Angel Michael Morningstar on the other end. “Missed me already,” Lucifer putting down his quill; “you want the duchy of Malebolge here in hell?”
“What,” Michael; “looking confused. What’s happened?”
“Oh lots of things,” Lucifer sounding exasperated; “where to begin.”
“How about after I left with Pava and Penemue,” Michael answering; “start from there.”
Lucifer nods as he fills in his brother of Enoch and Baal’s encounter of a chaos being. How Enoch used his old sword to defeat it. Then he followed up on his and Enoch’s trip to the heart of hell where Enoch explained what he was doing on Earth as they stopped some profane ritual while fixing the final ward.
“Wait,” Michael interrupting; “Enoch has Light-Bringer? How? I thought it was lost?”
“Humans found it,” Lucifer responding; “At least that was he said.”
“This business with the wards,” Michael sounding puzzled; “how does it come into play?”
“Why don’t you ask Jehovah,” Lucifer also puzzled;” He had Enoch holed up their in Heaven for a year researching them.”
“My nephew was up here,” Michael booming; disturbing the peace of the library he was currently stuck minding while guarding Penemue; “God, if Kusheil knew, I can’t think of what would happen.”
Michael then fills in Lucifer what happened when he brought Pava to be healed. The interaction he had with Kusheil and Jehovah and how Jehovah has been keeping an eye on the shifty angel with having cherubs act as spies.
“Oh and the iron knights that were hiding in hell,” Michael adding; “are up here in heaven. Now they are angels. Jehovah knows, thanks to the cherubs.”
“That explains the cryptic chat I had with Jehovah,” Lucifer rolling his eyes; “when he told me to end the lockdown.”
“He was in hell,” Michael sounding bemused; “I bet the court must have had a stink on that.”
“The court doesn’t know,” Lucifer sighing in thanks; “so how is Pava?”
“Jehovah and Raphael are dealing with that. But an interesting thing happened,” Michael digging to the reason why he is using a communication portal to hell; “Cruciata managed to contact me.”
Lucifer perked up upon this nugget of information; “How may I ask?”
“I’ll leave that to you,” Michael chuckling; “She wanted my help. Is it true, Beelzebub is dead?”
“You want to come back down here and view his corpse,” Lucifer responding; “What does Cruciata want?”
“Mostly to plead her case,” Michael explain the interaction and how when she mentioned tamper with the wards and it got Jehovah’s attention and he joined in on the conversation.
“So Cruciata managed to talk to god,” Lucifer chuckling; “How did that go?”
“Surprisingly well,” Michael responding; “He told the young demon that the key to saving Pava is prayer.”
“A demon praying to god? He finally came up with something fresh,” Lucifer laughing.
“He was dead serious,” Michael responding; “but my true purpose in calling you is to ask if you can send someone to help defend the poor wretch.”
Lucifer spent a few minutes laughing at what Michael just told him; calming down he looks at his brother. “While the evidence is circumstantial,” Lucifer stating; “she did admit to starting this whole kerfuffle by bringing the four iron knights down here. Without a confession from them or,” Lucifer’s thoughts trail before a wicked grin crosses his face.
“Oh this is just delicious,” Lucifer chuckling; “pin it on Adrammelech now that he is wanted, he can’t refute the allegations!”
“Until he is capture,” Michael not liking what his brother is thinking; “are you sure about that?”
“Short of a miracle from god,” Lucifer looking side eye; “thanks for giving me the update brother, I have a kingdom to run. We’ll talk more at the weddings.”
Lucifer closes the communication portal then ponders his brother’s words regarding prayer saving Pava.
“Not since the peace treaty has a Demon ever prayed to god,” Lucifer musing; “what are you up to old friend?”
****************************************************************
In the heavenly city, God and Raphael stand next to the peacock demon Pava; each observing her silent form as she struggle to breath.
“Death nears her,” Raphael breaking the silence; “Cruciata needs to hurry up or it will be too late.”
“She’ll come through,” God smiling; “if this works, we will be one step closer to reconciliation.”
“Are you talking about a demon becoming angelic,” Raphael sounding surprised; “is that even possible?”
“Anything is possible,” God smiling as a warm glow begins to envelope Pava; “and now that Cruciata is doing her part, we can begin ours.”