45 Sacrifice

Is that why I'm here?

Is that why he needed me?

***

"Are you okay?" I heard Lucifer's voice echo.

"I'm sorry." I apologised. Why am I apologising?

"No need to apologise. You daze off a lot, don't you?" He questioned furrowing his eyebrows.

Yeah, I can't deny that.

I nod my head to what he said.

"So you were okay with speaking up to tell Gabriel that I wasn't your boyfriend but when I talk to you, all you do is nod?" He said with a huff as if he wasn't getting anywhere with me. He sounded frustrated but remained calm. Somehow, I could still pick up the tension.

"Says the guy who sealed my mouth shut when I was about to speak my mind." Oh, wait I wasn't supposed to say that out loud. Meh, either way he would've heard. I mean, he can read my mind. Unfortunately, all of them can but Felix? I'm not so sure about. I think he just knows what I'm going to say. Was it a bond or something? Do I share a bond with him? He is my Guardian after all, I wouldn't be surprised if we did.

"Would you like me to seal it again?" He said sarcastically.

"No, no, no... it's fine." I turned my head away as I said this. Geez this was awkward. "Where are Felix and Azrael by the way?" I questioned out of the blue.

"Honestly," Lucifer paused, "I don't know and I don't care." He gritted out.

"But I do." I said. I was beyond confident as the words left my lips. His eyes went wide in surprise.

"Why do you even care about those two? They never played a part in your life before this. You never even knew about them before this. What if..." he paused unsure of what to say as his eyes caught my own, he shook his head only to look away.

"What if?" I questioned. He didn't finish what he was going to say.

He looked at me before continuing. "What if I could erase this whole mess?"

"What are you trying to say?"

"What if I could make everything go back to normal?"

"I don't understand?"

"Didn't you say you wanted things to go back to the way they were?"

"Yes, I- wait how did you know I thought that?"

"I've been keeping an eye on you since the start of this whole theory that you are Eden but the story was changed a lot, not just by the Author but by the book as well."

"Can you please speak English." I said. I was confused.

"There is a book, a book that speaks of everyone's destiny." He said paying no mind to my rudeness. "A book that spoke of you and how you came to be and also what I did in the past. I fell in love with someone. Maybe falling is just my thing, I fell from heaven but I didn't expect to fall in love with her. She, however, was in love with someone else at the time."

"Uh? Sorry to um burst your bubble," I barged in, "but how does the story of how you fell in love have anything to do with me or any of this?"

"Just listen," he sounded a bit agitated, "I fell in love with Eden."

Does Azrael know about this?

Wait, so Azrael and Lucifer both loved the same girl?

It's a love triangle, love triangle *echoes* le le le love triangle.

"I'm done thinking, let's listen."

"She was in love with Azrael and I was a jealous power hungry man. I always wanted what I couldn't have and before Gabriel, Death was the Creator's favourite. Eden was created to be Deaths companion. It was an experiment just like the story of Adam and Eve. Two different people coming together and building a life together. They were opposites and yet, they got along perfectly. I, however, was destined to be alone and because of this I turned on my friend and teacher everyone called the Creator."

"What did you do?" I said lowly.

"It doesn't matter," he said, "what's done is done and cannot be undone but maybe with you, maybe with you it can."

"How?" I questioned. That sounds like a bit of a contradiction right there.

"The truth is you are not Eden, you are Alice but you do have Eden's powers and you carry a piece of her as well." He pointed towards the necklace.

I thought back to the voice that came from the necklace. That was Eden's, wasn't it? She was trying to tell me something.

"She was warning you." He replied to my thoughts.

"About what?"

"About me." He grit out.

"So you are the bad guy?" I questioned.

"I'm the bad guy, duh." (And I'm referencing song lyrics again).

"Yes, I am the Devil after all. It's the way I written into the story well, your story." He said. "It only makes sense that I'm the bad guy here but I'm not the only one you should be worried about."

"Then what do you want?"

"Simple, I want your heart."

Fudge this sh*t I'm out.

And with that I made the cowardly move of running in the opposite direction of the Devil only to be stuck in place and running on the same spot.

"Relax," he grinned, "it'll only hurt a little bit and then it'll all be over and things will be back to normal."

And I'll be dead. Azrael warned me about this.

I felt a hand cup around my wrist tightly. "Look at this." He said gripping my wrist tightly and pulling me towards the dinning table. There on the table were a couple of torn pages. They looked like they had been ripped out of an old book.

"This is what I tore out of the book I spoke about earlier and how I came to know about you." He said. "This is why I need your heart well, actually I mean your life force." He showed me a page that spoke of bringing back deceased angels.

"You want to bring Eden back?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Lucifer said. "And that's why you're here. Why I went through all this trouble."

What he is saying doesn't make any sense though. Why on earth does he want to set things right?

"Don't listen to him." I heard Azrael? Wait, this can't be right. Am I hearing things?

I looked towards the entrance of the dinning room to see Azrael there. "Let her go." Wait, that sounds like Felix. He was standing next to Lucifer with an aluminum base ball bat in hand? How'd he get here? He's not a cat anymore? How? "Let her go or else."

"Look," Lucifer said slyly, "I'm just trying to fix things so run along like the kitty cat you are and leave."

"You didn't tell her what you did, did you?" Azrael said directing his question at Lucifer.

"What is there to tell her?" He said nonchalantly.

"Tell her how you killed Eden."

"You have it wrong I didn't kill her, last I remember it was you holding her when she took her last breath."

"You bastard!" Azrael exclaimed. His jaw was clenched and so was his fist. He looked as if he was going to fling himself at the Devil, and beat him to a bloody pulp. He picked up speed, running in the Devil's direction with his fist raised, only to be flung into the dinning room wall by the flick of Lucifer's hand.

He didn't even touch Azrael. He just moved his hand and Azrael shot into the wall with a loud crash. The wall was indented with cracks upon impact as he landed violently on the ground with a thud.

"You forget whose realm you are in." Lucifer gave a satisfied smirk. "However, I'm not going to fight with you Azrael," he said, "I'm not that primitive."

Azrael groaned as he tried to raise himself from the ground. Moments later he was standing and wiping his mouth, glaring at the Devil. He was angry I could tell. I looked towards him, seeing the skeleton like details appearing on the side of his face. His skin was gone.

Half his face was human well the other half showed a skeleton like bone structure with a blue flame in its bone like eye socket. He rubbed the side of his face that was covered in bone. He reminded me so much of that creature that wanted the necklace. It had skeleton like fingers but I couldn't see what it was exactly.

Was the skeleton his true form?

"Or maybe you're just scared?" Felix burst in out of no where.

"Says the scary cat and did you not see what I am capable of doing?" Lucifer said sarcastically as he gestured towards Death.

"And you forget..." Azrael rubbed the skeletal side of his face more, an ashy like dust formed and the flesh of his face reappeared, the blue flame turning back into a steel grey eye, "that we are still on earth." He gritted out, clearly enraged.

Azrael ran forward, picking up speed. Lunging into Lucifer, they both hit the ground. The surface cracking beneath them. Lucifer was struck down as Azrael began throwing punches at him left, right and centre. Hitting him from every direction. He looked as though he had lost all of his sanity and he wouldn't stop. Blood and gore spewing everywhere but this battle was an even fight since they both seemed to be healing themselves after each blow.

I felt a hand cup around wrist and in that moment I realised Lucifer was no longer holding me captive since he was on the ground. Felix still had his baseball bat in hand and his free hand was cupped around mine.

"Let's get out of here." He said, whispering into my ear as I shifted my focus from the fight to him.

"No," I stopped in my tracks, "I can't leave them like this." To leave them fighting like this? It's just a cowardly move. Yes, I know I am cowardly at times and not to mention contradicting, but I can't just leave them fighting like this. What if they kill each other off? I don't think that is likely though but then again you never know.

"You want to get captured again?" Felix said looking at me with confusion and utter annoyance.

"Heck, no. Of course I don't want that, but I just feel odd not doing anything and just walking away like a coward while they are at each others throats over there." I looked their way as I saw Lucifer getting up and wiping his blood stained mouth, ready to go at it again. Azrael punched his fist into the wall, just missing Lucifer's head, as blue flames surrounded his hand.

Without a moments thought I ran into the middle of their fight.

"Are you stupid?!" How the heck did Felix get in front of me so fast? I was inches away from the fight. I had ran with all my speed and Felix was behind me only a few minutes ago. It's like he jumped in front of me but the green luminescent lights explained his speed. I'm not sure if it was teleportation or magic but it must be one of his powers.

"As a matter of fact I am not." I said in a rather sassy tone.

"Your actions speak otherwise." Felix said looking to where they were and of course they were still fighting. Such hard headed individuals and here I thought angels were civil creatures. What happened to Lucifer's words of "I won't fight you, I'm not that primitive," it was something along those lines if I do not recall.

"Azrael!" Lucifer's voice boomed throughout the room. Azrael was once again flung into a wall but this time unlike the last time he was stuck indented into the wall as Lucifer held his one hand up. His palm was outstretched in Azrael's direction. It looked like he was focusing his strength on keeping Azrael glued to the wall so that he couldn't lunge into him again. Azrael was stuck in his grasp but at least they were no longer fighting.

He still looked as though he was in pain. Slowly he began to repair as I witnessed sparks of blue appear and then like lightning he was out of Lucifer's hold and on the ground with his one knee on the surface of it as he crouched down.

He raised himself up and Lucifer moved forward as well. They were going to fight again. I have to stop them but before I could a flash of golden light appeared followed by three white feathers flying in an odd circular like motion before they hit the ground. A spark shot and then...

"You having a fight and you didn't invite me?"

That voice?

It sounds so familiar.

I know I've heard it before but where?

"I'm utterly offended." The voice continued sarcastically. "But no matter, I brought popcorn so continue, I'll just watch the show since you didn't invite me in the first place." The person joked.

"Gabriel?" Azrael said as he dusted the front of himself off. "What are you doing here?"

I knew I heard that voice.

"I came here to watch a fight that's what and you disappointing me." He laughed playfully. "Joking, I heard you were in town and I just happened to be in the neighbourhood. Figured, I might as well pop in and say hi, you know?" He grinned stupidly rubbing the back of his shaggy, golden mess of hair.

Azrael looked at him blankly, not saying a word and I swear, I could hear the sound of crickets. The fight had stopped. Lucifer just stood still on the opposite side of the room. Felix was holding my wrist now and I hadn't even noticed until I looked down. His other hand was clenched firmly around his base ball bat.

"What?" Gabriel played dumb. "Is this the wrong time?" He questioned as his lips twitched up into a grin. He knew what he was doing, clearly. He probably intended on stopping the fight.

No one said anything after this and Felix was still gripping my wrist. This moment was like that moment when you're in a deserted place and tumbleweed blows by. I shook my head. I guess I still have to prove myself.

I really wanted to stop this. To stop everything and maybe even reverse things but I'm just me. I know Felix was trying to protect me but I hate being useless. I want to be able to stand up for myself and before Gabriel got here and stopped everything I wanted to stop that fight. I jumped in there without thinking I know, but I'm head strong what can I say.

The silence was finally broken by Lucifer? "Of all times why now?" He placed his hand on his face and closed his eyes in disappointment.

"This is a bad time?" Gabriel acted stupid. He widened his eyes acting shocked.

"Yes it is..." Azrael burst in.

"Agreed." Lucifer said actually agreeing with his enemy. He agreed with Azrael?

Guess they must have actually wanted to continue.

"I thought you said you weren't that primitive?" Gabriel joked. He must have seen the fight before he arrived. He's an Angel, I wouldn't be surprised if he was watching over us.

"That was until he punched me." Lucifer said, defensively.

I got to admit that is a valid excuse.

Gabriel paid no attention to his answer and shifted his eyes on me instead. "Oh, hey girl whose name I still don't know." Gabriel said innocently, waving in my direction as if he just noticed me now and not to mention directing everyone's attention to me.

I just said an awkward... "Hi!" Hoping that their attention would shift but of course it didn't. Lucifer and Azrael were both looking at me and Felix was looking at Gabriel as if he had ruined his plans.

"Felix?" Lucifer questioned all of a sudden. "What are you doing here?" He furrowed his eyebrows as his attention was moved from me to Felix's hand, that was still firmly around my wrist might I add, to Felix. The base ball bat in Felix's other hand seemed to have disappeared into ash just as my eyes fell upon it.

"Nothing, I'm just here to bring her home so-" Felix said bitterly but trailed off with his unfinished sentence.

"Wow, would you look at that. Doesn't this feel like a reunion, ha?" Gabriel teased.

A reunion?

Do they all know each other?

Clearly, says my logical thinking.

"We got Azrael, Lucifer and Felix under one roof. This is a peculiar sight indeed..." Gabriel mocked and his punchline was, "considering that you all hate each other." He seems more like a joker than an angel, if anything else.

"Can you leave?" Lucifer stretched out in annoyance as he looked at Gabriel.

"But I just got here." Gabriel pouted.

"Yes, now leave..." Lucifer demanded, "unless you want to be banned?"

Banned from Hell?

Wait, wasn't Felix banned from Hell?

"Speaking of which," Gabriel cut in, "Felix, how on earth did you get in? You were banned, were you not? So how?"

"I'm also questioning that..." Lucifer said in a deep tone.

Suddenly Felix spoke up... "Honestly," he spoke, "I have no clue. I just came here to do my job, get Alice and leave." I looked towards him as he said this. Lucifer furrowed his eyebrows at Felix's words. "What?" Felix said nonchalantly. "I'm just doing my job."

"Wow, the dedication." Lucifer cut in again. "You betrayed me and you still have the audacity to show your face here. I should skin you alive right now, in your cat form, for defying me."

"So what's your name?" Gabriel said to me. Wait, Felix's hand was no longer around my wrist anymore and Gabriel and I were alone in one room. How? "Where am I?" I questioned him.

"Don't worry-" Gabriel said, "you're still in the same room. I'm just in your mind. I wanted to have a one on one conversation with you."

"Wait, this is all in my head?"

"Well, pretty much. You never left the room so don't worry, and they can't hear us." Gabriel went on.

"But Azrael and Lucifer can both read my mind?" I questioned him.

"They are not really focused on us at the moment and even if they were, they wouldn't be able to hear since, I sound proofed your thoughts."

"You did?"

"Yes, but that doesn't matter. What matters is... who are you? I still don't know your name. I think Felix said you were Alice?"

"Yes, that's me but Azrael thinks that I'm Eden and Lucifer wants my heart for something."

"Eden?!" Gabriel exclaimed, "thee Eden?" He questioned. "Is that why they were fighting and Lucifer wants to take your heart by force?"

"Well, I'm assuming you saw everything already?" I said confused. "You must have seen most of what was happening."

"Yes, I did. Why on earth would they think you are Eden?" Gabriel gave a quizzical expression. "Your aura is completely different from hers but that necklace does tell another story."

"What?" Was all I could say in my mind as I was back in the same room with Felix's hand, still rested around my wrist. Gabriel knocked me out of my own thoughts. He left me hanging and never even bothered to answer my question of "What?"

I shook my head to this. I guess I'll never know everything for certain. I'll always be left on a whim.

"I'm dying to know-" Gabriel said directing his words to both Azrael and Lucifer, "what your so called fight was about?" He then looked at me and winked?

The cringe...

But from him not so much.

I could tell he was being playful.

"We had a score to settle." Azrael spoke up as his eyes drifted to me.

"Over the girl?" Gabriel raised an eyebrow.

Felix tugged my arm to get my attention and before I could say anything to him, a bright green outlined portal engulfed us and I was in my apartment. Well, this is great.

Was Gabriel distracting them?

"What just happened?" I questioned confused.

"You know a thank you would be nice." Felix said in a cocky tone.

"For what?" I was confused.

"You are aware that Lucifer was planning on ripping your heart out, right? Azrael was planning on keeping you for I don't know how long and..."

He was going to go on but I stopped him. "But Azrael promised he'd let me go on the third night?" I was confused. Azrael did sound sincere about it. I do admit, I did have my doubts but I think he would have kept his promise or maybe I'm just gullible.

"And you believed him?" Felix sounded annoyed. "Just how naive are you?" He shook his head. "Anyway, I don't think they are going to be too happy about what I did so I need you to wear this." He continued, giving me a bracelet with a cat charm on it and a couple of silver feathered birds scattered around it. "That bracelet has an invisibility charm on it. It makes you invisible to angels. You can see them but they can't see you, touch you or smell you. With it you'll practically be a ghost well, to angels anyway." He scratched the back of his head as he pulled a face.

I let him put the bracelet on me. His eyes drifted to mine for a bit as he put the bracelet around my tiny, fragile arm. He closed the clasp of the bracelet and I felt a weird pulse go through my body and then it was as if everything went back to normal.

"There," he said, "you should be safe now."

"Why did Lucifer want my heart?" I thought out loud as I clasp my chest. My eyes wide. Gabriel questioned if he was planning on taking it by force before he left me hanging with my question. He wasn't sure what Lucifer was planning either I guess.

"He wants to bring back all the deceased angels," Felix said, "and not just Eden but all of them. Although, Eden never died she was just I don't know," he trailed off, "but it seems to me like she was trapped and her death was an illusion. I mean, can life actually die?"

Was I her reincarnation?

I don't think so...

Lucifer said I had some of her powers and he needed my heart for her so, maybe she was trapped and the necklace? Was she trapped in there? He pointed to the necklace when he said a piece of her was with me.

She was separated from her body, wasn't she? The necklace did have the ability to turn me into a soul after all and they thought she died but she is still here. Perhaps, she is just invisible to us? The bracelet Felix gave me could hide me from angels I wouldn't be surprised if it were similar to this.

Maybe she is with us but she is trapped and they can't see her?

"Ahem," I coughed, trying to get Felix's attention, "they can't find me as long as I have this bracelet on, right?" I questioned.

"Yeah."

"Okay, but then that means if I talk to Eva or the others they will see them talking to no one? Won't that give me away? Plus I can't tell the others what is going on so this is going to be a problem."

"Well, you are kind of right." Felix paused, "they'll know eventually I suppose but they won't be able to get you unless you take off the bracelet. For now though, don't worry. We'll figure this out."

"We will?"

"Yep. We got Cara and some inside help too. You can thank Gabriel for being a distraction. He was our inside man." He said. Cara?

Gabriel was working with them?

To be continued...