Ch.8

After our bout of sex, I made sure to keep an arms length between us less we be tempted to repeat it. I grabbed a shower separately from her before we sat dow to some light piano music I recorded and ate a fine Italian meal with a few buffet style dishes to choose from.

We kept it to small talk about how our day went and of course what we liked or disliked. After promising to cook enchiladas next time, I led her to the movie room. There she was not only surprised, but excited as we watched her favorite fantasy movie series out there.

When that was over, we devolved into kissing and things went from there onwards. Over the next two weeks things continued on that path with fine restaurants and movie theaters to just relaxing in her living room and watching a comedy show that'd started out about micro-penis jokes.

I didn't have the heart to tell her it was all stolen works as she liked it a lot so we watched on. Lucifer tried a few more times to talk about the plan to send his mother off while taking notes from my dating plans with Ella.

Finally I told him we'd need the other two pieces of the sword artifact if we were going to use it to send her away. When he asked about them I simply stated that I'd no real clue where the third one was but that the second may be in a mental institution here in LA.

He'd backed off and went on his way for a while. A week after that he came back saying he'd found it and handed me a belt buckle. I raised my eyebrow and asked while putting it away. "Is that all you found? This piece was the focal point of God's connection to it, he'd have been able to temporarily possess whomever wore it."

My words shocked him to his core before he demanded. "Are you sure? It could've been the influence of the bloody thing!"

I sighed. "Calm down father. I'm sure. Odds are if you've met the wearer of that, he was possessed by god himself. The artifact while powerful, isn't whole and therefore anything it would try to relay would come out as nonsensical murmurs in another language or a burst of sheer emotion."

He stilled before getting even more angry that it was in fact God talking to him. I think he was more angry about himself than anything else. I patted him on the shoulder while comforting him.

A couple weeks of searching found us with nada so finally he brought his mother and Amenadiel in on it. When they met us in the Penthouse, Lucifer was in fact introducing me to her officially. I gave her a cold look and shrugged her off to her displeasure.

She asked. "Tell me Wraith, have you inherited your father's angelic side of the family?"

Lucifer patted me on the shoulder and told me with a smile. "Well, go on, show her."

I sighed and my wings unfurled, showing her them. I made sure not to let the fire burn on them so they appeared a grassy green with purple trim. She looked them over before asking. "Why are they this sickly color?"

I snorted. "They're the color of nature and royalty. Your son here had the decency to screw the Greek goddess of night and this made a demigod/angel halfbreed. I became the god of reincarnation and rebirth, a nature god of sorts, like life and death."

She frowned before commenting on him scrapping the bottom of the barrel and I slugged her with a sneer. "The next time you speak about my mother that way, I'll burn you alive and see if I can't reincarnate your as a dung beetle."

Lucifer held me back from more while Amenadiel helped her up. They both scowled at me but I couldn't give a rats ass about their approval. I shrugged Lucifer off and went to the bar counter for a drink. While I poured myself one, Lucifer filled them in on the fact that we needed one more piece to the sword.

I set it on the counter and he showed them a piece was missing. The goddess in human skin basically told us she'd get on it and stomped off to work while Amenadiel followed. For another week I explored the labyrinth as wondered about, occasionally killing random monsters or watching demigods search the labyrinth themselves.

Lucifer was left with the task of pulling Amenadiel to our side so when Charlotte Richards, aka his mother, got stabbed and started burning people alive with intense light from her wound, they knew her vessel was going to explode soon.

It wasn't until they found Lucifer's doctor tortured, beaten and bleeding out that he jumped onboard the sending her to an alternate empty reality plan. Lucifer called me up and I teleported to him there on the docks where Charolette Richards was about to kill his favorite detective/girlfriend.

I felt time stop and sighed while taking out the sword pieces. He took the last piece that Amenadiel hid on detective douche. I put it together and warned him as lit it aflame. "You'll only get one shot at this. If I do to much with it, this reality and most of everyone else in it will be too dead to matter."

He agreed and told Charlotte/his mother, the plan. they argued for a minute before she sighed as she truly didn't want to see more of her children die from a war she'd be starting by going to heaven. When she agreed, I channeled my will and emotions into the artifact and used a small percent of it's power, what little I could manage to control, before swinging the flaming sword in front of us.

A tear in reality appeared as I sweated fiercely. I growled. "Go! It will only stay open as long as I can keep the blade alight. We don't have time for a long goodbye."

She hugged Lucifer and said something about being proud before releasing herself from the body she inhabited. I watched her essence leave this reality for another alternate one and once it was through I released my control and power on the blade.

the flames went out and the tear sealed up. I took it apart like before and put it in my inner world, not the realm that overlapped it where I stored everything, but the inner world where my world tree presided. There it would absorb apart of my soul and bond with me completely over time.

It would help me control and power it later when I truly needed it instead of forcing the bond and my will over it like I had done just now. When it was gone I heard a gunshot as I felt time start up again. With a flap of my wings I entered atmo and flew to the penthouse while Lucifer dealt with the human things.

Life was becoming routine until Ella broke up with me two months later saying. "I'm sorry but we shouldn't have done it to begin with. It's just, well, I need to focus my work right now."

I sighed and felt her emotional state before agreeing. "It's alright. We tried our best and that's all I could ask for I guess."

She looked sad but I kissed her knuckles saying. "Relax darlin, I'm not angry, just resigned. I mean, you work with my father and his girlfriend, I guess I always knew it'd get weird at some point."

She saw my smile and shed a tear. I gave her a hug before she went to ask. "Can you give me a ride home?"

I shook my head and handed her the car keys. "Keep it. I'd already changed the title to your name and was going to tell you next week as a surprise. This way you'll be able to have something to remember me fondly by."

She sighed and looked even sadder as I placed the keys in her hand. When she left, Lucifer came down to see me from the penthouse. He went to speak and I shook my head. "Save it. I already know what you're about to say. Just, not right now okay? I ain't dealing with your wings and whatever Sinnerman crap is going on right now. I need some time alone to think and adjust."

I'd tried telling him and Amenadiel it was their own minds that were causing the changes in themselves but in the end they ignored me. I'd helped Amenadiel dispose of his wings repeatedly and even kept a few pairs to pluck feathers in case I'm ever wounded by a demon blade or they were.

After leaving them both with pieces of divinity as Amenadiel called it, I left LA through the labyrinth telling Lucifer I'd be back when I had my head on straight again. He agreed sadly and I sealed up this entrance to the labyrinth on my way in.

I wondered aimlessly through the labyrinth as I walked with no real destination until I came out on the other side where camp half-blood was. There I saw the demigods fighting and trying to kill each other with monsters helping one side.

Sighing, I destroyed the monsters with a thought and summoned Orthrus to me. "Chase off the demigods working for Luke."

He was a smart boy so he immediately went full size and roared, shaking the battlefield as he bared his fangs from both mouths at the battlefield. The demigods broke apart and many fled past me into the labyrinth. When they were gone, Orthrus shrank and hopped on my shoulder, cuddling against me to comfort me.

I walked past the stunned demigods and sat down next to Dionysus where he was smoking a bowl and watching the fighting with laughter. He didn't say much but passed me a joint commenting. "You know we're not aloud to interfere."

I snorted. "I do what I want. Besides, I didn't interfere, Orthrus did and he's a monster so it doesn't matter. Don't all gods use monsters for their bidding as well?"

He gave me a sardonic look before shrugging. "Whatever. Zeus isn't going to like this either way."

I shrugged. "Then old thunder ass can bite me."

Thunder rumbled in the sky and I snorted. "You heard me! What are you gonna do about it, rain on me?"

Dionysus shook his head in disapproval. "You shouldn't provoke him."

I rolled my eyes and watched the campers stair at me in shock before collecting themselves and helping the wounded. With a wave of my hand the battlefield fixed itself and the trees and nymphs that were burning healed. The poisoned waters were cleaned as nature healed itself under my command.

Dionysus didn't comment on this as it was my domain as a god of nature. He did however say. "There's going to be a group of demigods sent into the labyrinth to find and confirm their hideout and perhaps face Kronos."

I shrugged. "Sounds positively boring. I'm not apart of this little play so I couldn't care less. I may however, go and look up Hecate for a drink or two. I'm interested in the magic's she uses. Perhaps I'll even learn something."

He shrugged. "And if she's joined the other side?"

I sighed. "I won't join them but then, they couldn't hold me even with Athena's net so it'd be a moot point. She'll either teach me or I'll erase her and take her domain as I drain her essence."

He looked at me incredulously. "You'd become an enemy to all gods if you did that. You know the laws, hell, ever god knows them the moment they ascend to godhood."

I shrugged. "I do what I want. If it pisses off everyone else, fuck em. I'm going to learn her magic's even if it means starting my own war of the gods. I've little to fear and see no reason in joining Kronos and his minions just to learn magic."

I got up and left him to think on my words as I headed for the labyrinth where I knew I'd find the entrance to Hecate's tower of magic eventually. I passed Daedalus on my way in and only gave him a wry look as I did so. He recognized me almost immediately but knew I was a god now from the whispers.

I felt my essence sending off some of the demigods into reincarnation at the moment and knew a few had died here today. Sighing, I entered the labyrinth and wondered about a bit before heading to where I sensed Hecate.

It wasn't long before I was standing in front of her and a bunch of other minor gods, including some of my nephews on Hypnos's side of the family. I gave them a small smile before telling Hecate. "You've three options. You can teach me magic and trade it for a favor with me. You can teach me for a price or the last one, I destroy you and take your domain over magic."

They all stilled by my words as she frowned. I didn't particularly care which she chose and when she answered it didn't bother me much for some reason. "I'll trade if for a child with you. You are after all, as strong as Zeus and his brothers are you not?"

I chuckled. "No love, I'm stronger. That's something they don't understand. When I became a god, I was immediately as strong as they were. Now that I've cleaned up the planet and caused the fertility of each species on it to go up, not to mention I've begun reincarnating those in Hades, my power has nearly doubled."

Her eyes went wide before she gave me a sexy grin. She was by no means ugly and what she wanted seemed acceptable to the essence in me that made me a god. Even as my mind rebelled a bit, my body was ready to agree.

She smiled. "Then would you like to become our patron as we break apart from the greek pantheon?"

I sighed. "I couldn't care less what you or the Greeks do so no. I'm not interested. But since you've agreed to my request, let's get you paid up so I can learn all you know about magic."

I waved a hand and sent the minor gods to go play with themselves in the labyrinth while I took her to the tower behind them. She was uniquely beautiful as she reminded me of Katie McGrath when she played Morgan Le Fay in Merlin the television series.

When we appeared in her bed chambers, I stripped us both with a thought and took her fiercely. As we joined in body, so too did our essence join spiritually for a time. The world around us blurred as rebirth/reincarnation and magic joined together as one.

Nature, fertility and death joined in as well while we coupled fiercely and repeatedly on a bed of stars and magic. When it was over and I sensed she was pregnant, I cleaned us and dressed before giving her a warning glare. "If you try and use our child against me-"

She shook her head fiercely. "Never."

I sighed. "Very well then. Perhaps you should think of a name for her then."

She smiled. "Her name shall be Magiana or Magi for short. Her powers will be over the magic of sacrifice and rebirth. A new magic stronger and more diverse than simple necromancy. A cycling magic that will allow her to potentially become a god of your standing."

I nodded. "Then she can have the domain of life, that which all nature gods are apart of. A large portion of my own domain over nature itself. She will have to fight the other gods if she wants more though."

I sighed. "How long until she is born?"

Hecate shook her head. "I've no idea really. It could be today or a hundred years from now. It all depends on how compatible our natures are."

I nodded. "Then it's time for you to show me your domain. I wish to learn all the magic you know."

She stilled and I waved a hand. "Relax, I've no interest in actually taking your domain for myself, I just want to explore the magic's of this world as they fascinate me. They're one of my few hobbies after all."

She smiled though not as reassured as I'd like but resigned that I could simply destroy her and take over without her cooperation. For some reason she knew I'd not harm her so long as she was pregnant anyway and could rely on me for assistance to ensure the safety of our child if necessary.

I picked this all up from her surface thoughts as I read her mind lightly. I didn't wish to delve deeper as I truly wanted the experience of learning this new magic for myself.

We began with something I was used to, absorbing the world's natural energy to convert it into magic. Then came the simple spells, most of it was nature based like fire, water, earth etc.

But when it came to necromancy, things got really interesting. As she fell under Hades domain albeit partially, she was able to temporarily make servants of the death through zombies, skeletons and ghosts. Even going so far as to fully revive someone without their soul wasn't an issue.

The trouble came when you tried to take a soul from Hades's domain without permission. Then shit got complicated. Her work around was to take the souls of insects and bugs in general, yes, apparently they have souls as well which shouldn't surprise me as I'd been reincarnating people into all kinds of things depending on their karma and their past deeds.

Reincarnation after all was no guarantee that you'd be reborn human or even as an animal. It all depended on your karma value and that's where my real power came from. As a god of nature and death over evil people, I'm able to reincarnate bugs and so many other creatures not even Hades knew about.

Not to mention all the evil people that were dying and getting turned into bugs and such. Hell, even trees had souls as technically they were alive as well. That's where my extra power came from to start with as I cleaned up the planet and regrew entire forests! There was already an influx of evil souls in this world from all the vile acts they performed.

I just took them and instead of turning them into bugs at the time, I turned them into trees. That and humans were killing thousands of bugs a minute as they used bug zappers and sprays. Life truly was vast in some ways.

After learning all I could about necromancy, something I doubt I'd ever use again, she taught me healing magic's. Her magic as it turned out was based on DC comics magic logic.

Everything from backwards spell casting words to changing the appearance of spells to make them stronger and more diverse. What surprised me most over the year we spent together was the fact that she actually only knew a small portion of this world's magic and capabilities as even her Roman counterpart Trivia, didn't know it all.

The other pantheons and religious icons brought their own magic's along with inter-dimensional magic's other beings can bring in. It was truly awe inspiring and funny to know that the goddess and personification of magic was humbled and limited by what she knew and could do.

As a last minute thank you gift, I gave her a light kiss as I sent her a lot of information on the magic's I knew from the originals/vampire diaries reality. It was so much that she actually gasped and backed away a little in shock. I still kept all I learned in the vampire slayer reality to myself along with all I knew of enochian magics.

Even with what I just gave her I could feel her power skyrocketing as her knowledge and understanding of magic took a giant leap forwards. When I went to leave I told her. "That is one small portion of the knowledge I have of magic. Think of it as a thank you and payment for taking care of our daughter."

She grabbed my arm. "Wait, with what you've given me, I have to know, where did you learn it all?"

I shrugged. "There are many dimensions and realities out there, some of which are more interesting than others. I've been wondering around for a while and picked up a thing or two along the way."

She bit her lip before asking. "Can you tell me how to get to them?"

I shook my head. "Your power bases is here on earth. If you left here you'd no longer be a goddess, but a mortal witch. Odds are you'd die easily anywhere you went."

She gave up that line of questioning right then and there. To her it was simply unacceptable to become mortal. I left, teleporting away as I'd felt the battle of the labyrinth end a few months ago and knew Kronos had risen and was preparing his army to attack Olympus.

Hades has called a meeting and was waiting on me now. I'd also felt the Roman demigods wondering about fighting another giant who ended up fleeing this time within the labyrinth. When I arrived in Hades's throne room he looked irritated. "You're late."

I shrugged. "I was busy completing my deal with Hecate. Perhaps if she had a place here in the underworld, I might've been on time."

He snorted, even more irritated at what I'd suggested. It was simply beneath him in his opinion, to waist the efforts to cultivate good relationships with those weaker than him. It really was just like Olympus only darker and slightly less judgy down here.

He simply didn't deal with the minor gods and goddesses unless it suited him while the Olympians dealt with them cruelly and shoved it in their faces before kicking them out. All these idiots didn't deserve to be gods and that's why I didn't particularly care if they fought to the death.

As it was though, the demigods didn't deserve to die with them so when Hades spoke about joining the Olympians once they declared the final battle, I agreed solemnly. "Fine, I'll be there to help. Just call my name and I'll come when it's time for battle. I've no need to be here for battle plans do I? It's just Kronos and those dumb enough to join him."

Hades shook his head. "From what we know he has at least one other Titan helping him. If he gets more to join him-"

I waved him off. "I'll be there. Besides, it's not like he's turned you to his cause so there's no need for me to worry needlessly. I'm great at war after all."

I left him and Persephone there to deal with the war preparations while I headed to the Penthouse in LA to check on things there. I found Lucifer distraught and rambling about the detective breaking up with him after finding out he wasn't lying about being the devil, the hard way.

She'd seen his devil face and was horrified by it. He mumbled something about Charlotte being killed and him killing Cain. Sighing, I bitch slapped him before saying. "Speak up, you're the devil for Christ sake! So what if she's freaked out now, most humans would be. They spend all their time watching horror films and hearing tales of you being the epitome of evil. It'll just take her time to remember that she's known the real you all this time and seen what kind of person you are!"

He was a bit shocked to say the least but he finally sighed. "I'm not a person, I'm the devil!"

I snorted. "You're an angel, no matter what title you go by you cannot change your species no matter what you consider yourself as. The devil is just a title for the ruler of hell and by my calculations, you gave up that throne. You made something more of yourself than a simple title humans once described you as."

He was thoroughly shocked now as I sighed and poured us both a glass. "The devil is a title that goes with the throne, not despite it. If I or any other feathered family member takes up the throne then that'll make them the devil. You on the other hand are no longer the devil unless you go back there to rule over hell once more. As for Cain, he's spent his life as the world's worst criminal emperor. Odds are your act saved more lives than you'll possibly know. No, he's had thousands of lifetimes to change and he's failed. You simply took him from one hell and placed him in another, nothing more or less."

He frowned before sighing. "But Charlotte-"

I waved him off. "It was passed her time. If Amenadiel really took her to the silver city then she's in a better place then she was when she died the first time. She was on borrowed time anyhow. The balance must be maintained so she would've been taken by a bus or car accident soon enough if Cain hadn't shot her. Besides, you weren't even there. There's nothing you could've done to stop him and even if you could, Amenadiel or possibly even the detective would've been killed in the crossfire."

I leaned in to him as I gave him a half hug saying. "Lucifer, father, you can't live your life playing what if or if only. You're better than that and while it's ok to morn and feel bad, it's not ok to blame yourself for other's deeds. As for the detective, give her time to adjust and wrap her head around it all. Maybe suggest she talk to that therapist you've been seeing that knows and accepts you already. Just a light suggestion should do to help her."

He seemed to deflate as I spoke and calmed down now. "You're right. Perhaps I've been to hard on myself. Linda is the perfect person to talk to the detective now as well."

I nodded and sipped my gin while sighing. "There's going to be a war soon in New York. A battle to decide the fate dog the Greeks. I spoke to mother while I was practicing magic in a trance and she wants me to stay out of it. She says the Olympians are a bunch of spoiled children who treat the humans as dolls."

Lucifer smirked. "How would she know that?"

I chuckled. "She's the personification of the night. She sees all that they do at night and a lot of it isn't pleasant. From their whoring and in Zeus's case, rape, she thinks it's not worth risking myself to defend them."

Lucifer's eyes went red. "Rape?"

I sighed. "The gods are fickle bastards father. Zeus is supposed to be the personification of justice and the sky but he's changed as humans and their beliefs have over the years. It started back in Greece but he's gotten worse over the centuries, they all have. Apparently he does understand that no means no but then neither do most of them. Mortals are toys and dolls for them to play with it seems then throw away when they break."

He looked at me and I sighed. "I cannot destroy them yet, if I was planning on doing such a thing. They'd ban together and kill me instead. I have to wait until it's time to act then the gods and goddesses, should I be planning such a thing, will be destroyed entirely."

He nodded. "Then I wish you luck in your possible endeavors and do make it painful if you decide to do such a thing."

I smiled. "I'll do my best. Now, on to more pleasant things, Azrael is in town. I felt her presence as soon as I arrived. She feels like my brother Thanatos fucked an angel. It's all weird and well, you get the picture."

He smirked. "Indeed I do. Do you know why she's here?"

I shrugged. "You maybe? Or maybe Amenadiel blabbed and she's here for me? I've no real idea but I can sense she's flying overhead the police precinct right now so I've no real clue."

He raised an eyebrow before closing his eyes to pray for a minute. A flap of wings later and the angel of death appeared in person. I sat back and watched them bicker for a bit before she turned to me. "Where's my blade? I can feel it on you."

I snorted. "Finders keepers auntie. Besides, it's not something Angel's should have and you know that or you wouldn't have left it up in heaven for Uriel to steal."

She bit her lip before saying. "You don't feel like Lucifer's kid."

I snorted. "That's because I'm hiding my presence here-"

I revealed my full presence to her and she looked gobsmacked before turning to Lucifer. "You made it with a pagan?!!! Dad's going to be so pissed when he finds out!"

I snorted. "First of all, I'm not an it, I'm Wraith Morningstar and secondly, I've met god. He had his chance to smite me and didn't. In fact he's the one who told me I could have the blade after he talked to Lucifer."

Lucifer looked stunned. "What?"

I sighed. "Yeah, why do you think I told you about the belt buckle being only a conduit? It was him who basically verbally spanked me and sent me back here to wait until you retrieved it and talked to him. He wanted to understand and get a chance to speak with you."

Azrael was even more shocked as she turned on Lucifer. "You spoke to dad? Dad never speaks to any of us!"

Lucifer gave me an annoyed look as he sighed. "This isn't about our father. This is about why you're here."

She looked admonished. "Can't I come and see you?"

I snorted. "You weren't watching him. You were watching someone at the police precinct and unless the night shift has gotten a whole lot more interesting, I'd say it was either Chloe, Dan or Ella."

I saw her twitch at Ella's name and Lucifer must've caught it as well because he frowned. "So it's Ella you're after. Is she in any danger?"

I narrowed my eyes at the angel and read her mind forcefully. She immediately sensed me and tried to stop me but a second later I was off the sofa with her throat in my grasp slamming her into the wall as my own wings unfurled. I roared in her face as they ignited, causing a flicker of fear to cross her facial expressions.

I delved deeper into her mind until I found what she was trying to hide from me. I released her and she fell to the floor as her own wings came out and brought her back to her feet. I snorted. "If you'd had any thoughts of harming her I'd have ended you. As it is you'll be telling her the truth tomorrow or I'll have to apologize to God as I'll have clipped your wings in a rather permanent manner."

Lucifer asked. "What is it?"

I growled at him. "She can tell you. I need a stronger drink before I change my mind and clip her wings anyway."

Azrael rubbed her throat as I grabbed the strongest drink Lucifer had and turned it into nearly pure ethanol mixed with nectar. While I slammed back the bottle she scowled at me before telling him. "When Ella was in a car wreck when she was younger I sort of came down to do my thing."

Lucifer smiled. "Let me guess, false alarm?"

She nodded. "This time I didn't wanna leave. I mean, you know Ella, there's just something about her that makes you feel like..."

Lucifer finished. "Good about yourself?"

She nodded. "Yeah exactly! I only ever get to talk to dead humans. I mean, they're so morose. Anyway, whenever I was in the neighborhood I'd stop by to see how she was doing and we became friends. But, apparently, it's weird if people talk to invisible angels. So I told her I was a ghost."

I growled and finished off the bottle before slamming it down and telling her. "Yeah, and your little ghost stunt nearly had her put in the damn loony bin repeatedly! No one believed her and while most thought she was sick in the head, the rest thought she was a compulsive liar. Don't lie, I've seen it in your own mind. If she wasn't so damn good at putting up a false front of cheerfulness, she'd have committed suicide because of you!"

She shivered at my tone and Lucifer frowned at my aggression. Sighing I told her. "You'll tell her the truth tomorrow or I'll keep my word. Don't try to run home either because I will go and drag your ass back down her after storming the gates of I have to."

Azrael gulped before asking Lucifer quietly. "Why did you have to go and make it with a pagan? They're so warlike and hostile."

I snorted and Lucifer chuckled. "You know me sis, I can't resist the forbidden. Besides, he's my only son after all this time on earth. Quite frankly I'm surprised I could even have a child."

He looked to me with questioning eyes. I just shrugged. "I'm a fertility god if it helps any. Just say the word and you'll have more kids then you care to count."

Azrael looked to me one last time before scowling and flying off. I grabbed another two bottles and poured us both some enhanced enchanted whiskey. It was enough to get him inebriated after the first glass but not nearly enough for me. He hugged the bottle like it was his baby while I told him. "You'll probably have work tomorrow so you'll want to get some rest soon. Your sister can't have been on earth solely for Ella or just to see you. Odds are she's in the neighborhood as she put it, to reap someone."