Work Text:
He will cover you with His feathers;
you will take refuge under
His wings.
His faithfulness will be a protective
shield.
Psalm 91:4 - The Holman Christian Standard Bible
(HCSB)
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Lilith narrowed her eyes, squeezing her hand tightly. The black blood was still spilling, and she wondered how long it would take to clot. There was much to the ritual that could go wrong. The intricacies of summoning spells always seemed to be one of her weaknesses. If she could sing the incantation, maybe she wouldn’t be as worried as she was. But something about this particular spell was concerning her.
She knew why.
The blood sank into the wells of the pentagram, and spread itself thin, pouring through the entire maze of the star’s design. It looked like far more of her essence than she’d truly bled, but she supposed that was part of the illusion. Demons’ blood was viscous. It had to be, so they could make deals frequently and safely.
Lilith solely told any of her peers how often she made deals or just how many souls she owned.
Once the blood had spread throughout the entire design, she was satisfied. It would be fuel for the flames; something to connect her to the circle after her power had burned off in the purity of Heaven’s magic.
Lilith sighed, snapping her fingers as a single flame manifested on her pointer. Hell Fire. Innate to demons and Sinners of this realm. She knew it well. The fire was bright; burning like a bastard spark with no mother to ever truly love it. She stared up at the crypt's ceiling and wondered for a moment just how much brighter it was truly about to get.
She looked down at the pentagram, each rune carved into the divots of dust with intricacy and poise. She drew them herself and could feel the holy energy pulling at her while she did so.
This is wrong. You have no right to do this. He will rebuke you.
And still, she crafted the summoning circle.
She walked over to a table nearby, with a bowl of holy oil perched on one of its shelves. It was counterfeit material; she had to entice a priest with less-than-desirable mannerisms in order to smuggle it back down here. Satan was furious the second he'd sensed the righteous and pure substance nearby and had expressed just how dissatisfied he was with her decisions in bouts of pent-up rage. But it didn’t matter. She could cleanse her soul - if just momentarily - and the circle would begin to alight with the magic she couldn’t make herself.
She held her fist up over the oil, and let a drop of black blood sizzle on the surface. At once, the oil glowed a bright shade of blue, clear and undisturbed, before returning to the shiny, golden hue.
She sighed, reaching in with her flamed finger, holding her breath. The fire hovered just above the oil, and she winced in pain. It was hot - much hotter than usual. The properties of demonic nature and Heavenly power were actively working against one another. But Holy Oil was strong and would continue to maintain its properties as long as it didn’t mingle down here for too long.
Here goes nothing.
The second the oil touched her fingers, she yelped in pain, feeling it coat her skin. The flame burned hotter, and she bore her flesh, which was burning at the very touch. Two opposite powers, acting against one another, trying to reach neutrality; all she could think about was the text.
The text, the text, the Word of God.
It had to work.
She cried out as the oil shined bright once again, and the flame began to crawl up her finger, to her knuckles, and then down her hand. Tears sprung to her eyes as the glow surrounded the room and her eyes flashed bright red with salt evaporating on her waterline.
It had to work, it had to work.
The aroma of myrh filled the entire space, overwhelming her senses as it met with the potent sulfur of her realm. The flames burned her wrist, and she screamed, unable to move away from the bowl.
Please, please, please work.
She seized the bowl with her other hand, biting back the urge to sob as she collapsed to the floor and slammed it into the center of the pentagram. The trail of fire danced overhead, lighting itself on the oil, and with a sudden finality, the entire room roared to a blaze with flames as the pentagram lit with bold brightness.
She'd made Holy Fire.
“Lucifer!” She cried from the ground, tears pouring down her face as the flames burnt her skin, up and down her arm, getting close to her shoulder. They mixed with her power, something organic now tainted with foreign magic. “Lucifer, help me!”
The flames roared, burning her vision as something crisp and white flooded her mind’s eye. It was brighter and more demanding than the light of the flames, and it was soft.
Like feathers.
Her mind went still.
And Lilith collapsed in front of the pentagram.
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The second Lucifer came to his senses, he knew he wasn’t in his workshop anymore.
The tug had pulled him down, much farther than prayer possibly could. No, prayers didn’t travel up from where he was. They were far too quiet, and nothing could separate the cries of desperate Sinners from the power of all seven Rings.
No.
This was Hell, and he knew it.
He heard a sharp cry in the dark space he’d been summoned to, and a dull thud hit the ground. When he opened his eyes to take in the scene, the fire was what first caught his attention.
It was contained within a circle. There were shards of pottery around him, and residual oil pooled in the center of what appeared to be a skillfully drawn pentagram. It was keeping him trapped in the middle, and he knew that only someone on the outside would be able to break the bind he was currently in. Holy Fire was a vice, made with traces of demonic power and Holy Oil. There was none of it in Heaven - and for good reason. He narrowed his eyes, looking at the prison which he was confined to.
It was quiet, and the entire space looked eerily similar to a tomb. If he had to guess, he was in some sort of crypt. When he looked down at his feet, he saw that the markings engraved in the pentagram were sigils that spelled out his name in Enochian.
So this summoner wasn’t exactly a ‘beginner.’ Great.
The second thing he heard was a low moan from on the floor.
He knelt down, trying to get a better look at the figure he’d realized was collapsed in front of him. That must have been the thud he’d heard before he’d landed in Hell, confined to the circle itself. He peered through the flames and saw the dip of the demon’s hips against the confines of what appeared to be her dress. Her skin was ashen gray, and much like his own blond hair, her honey-gold tresses cascaded over her shoulders, and down her back. Her face was delicate, eyes shut tight and scrunched up in pain, as her lashes fluttered; mouth open while she took shallow breaths forcing air down her throat.
What concerned him was the burns up her arm, and the blood pouring from her fist on the other.
“Hey,” he said, snapping his fingers, trying to get her attention. She may have been a demon, but as his summoner, he was worried that she was suddenly unresponsive. He needed her to get back. “Hey, um, Miss… demon-” Demon? Sinner, maybe? “Miss- are… are you alright? Hello?”
The figure in front of him coughed, blood spewing from her lips. He winced at her pain and watched as she forced her eyes open. The second they did, she locked her gaze on his, and blue met the most beautiful and lustrous shade of violet he’d ever seen. A moment later she let out a low moan in pain, eyes shutting once more as she curled in on herself.
“Can… I help you?” He asked nervously, looking around the pentagram. See, the problem was she had him bound. Summoning demons was easy because capturing them in salt circles was something even a cherubim could do. Angels - to be more precise, Archangels; however, were more difficult. Their power was unruly and had to be contained within the Holy Fire.
Like he said, hardly an amateur.
The demon shook her head, and from the tip of her finger, a new wave of power started to spill. It was red, dancing with a darker shade of royal purple in glittering waves. The magic consumed her, crawling over her like some sort of unholy blessing, and the energy embedded itself within her spirit. Lucifer could feel it, even within the pentagram, while powerless.
She groaned, turning onto her back as she took a huge gasp in. The magic died down, and he could tell that whatever spell she’d just enacted had come directly from her spirit, restoring her to at least temporary health.
“Oh my god,” she croaked, stretching her arms up above her head, blood splattering from her fist down onto her chin. It was supposed to be a wretched sight to see - demon blood - but for some strange reason, Lucifer felt compelled to send a wave of magic over to her and clean it off her skin. “That worked.”
He raised a brow, shuffling back to the center of the circle, trying to ground himself as he realized she was no longer in pain. She hadn’t needed his help and appeared as though she was fine fending for herself. “So you are a demon,” he muttered.
She turned to look at him from where she still lay, outside of the circle. “That’s right,” she affirmed, sounding rather… proud… of herself for some reason. “The demon that summoned, you, to be precise.”
Lucifer rose to his feet, watching as rushes of red power danced in circles up and down her arms, healing her wounds. Or, rather, healing to the best of her ability. If he had to guess, Holy Fire had burned her. That wouldn’t resolve with dark magic. “And to what do I owe this pleasure?”
The demon stood, arms out for a moment to balance herself as she regained her footing. She ran a hand over her face, sighing, as though there was still residual pain from the ritual she’d enacted, within her.
“Actually,” she said, brushing dust from the ground off of her dress. “I believe it's you I have the pleasure of talking to. You seem to have our roles reversed.”
Lucifer frowned, crossing his arms over his chest as he observed her. The sheer sleeve of her dress was burned on one side into nothingness, leaving her lithe arms on display. The burns were still angry but appeared slightly less intense. He knew that angelic magic could heal just about any wound, but he was hoping she was aware that he couldn’t do anything from within the pentagram. “Somehow I doubt that.”
“Oh?”
“You summoned me to Hell,” he said dryly. “Don’t think I can’t tell where I am. The entire place reeks of brimstone.”
The demon shrugged, leaning against the stone wall of the crypt, mimicking his posture. She appeared nonchalant and relaxed as she studied him, eyes raking over his figure. For some reason, that left Lucifer feeling on edge.
“You get used to it the longer you’re here. You smell like frankincense.”
“Most people like that aroma.”
“Then remind me never to go candle shopping in Heaven,” she retorted, eyes narrowing as a smirk crept onto her lips.
“Can’t say I’d recommend it, considering the wicks are imbued with peach tree shavings, and that type of smoke burns you if I remember correctly.”
“Ding, ding, ding, give the angel a piece of ambrosia; you are smarter than you look,” she drawled. “Believe me, I’m pleased to know you’re aware of what can potentially kill me. You all come from the same lot. I’ve seen other types of your brethren be summoned before, and all of them seem to be content skipping the small talk.”
Lucifer’s blush deepened, realizing that she was right. He’d been here longer than ten minutes now, and he still didn’t know who she was or why he’d been summoned. He straightened the sleeves of his robes, manifesting his halo from above his head, dimming its shine so as not to blind her. He suspected the light was bright enough it already was putting quite a strain on her eyes. “Tell me, demon,” he tried again, steadying his voice as he attempted somewhat of an authoritative tone. “Who are you?”
She raised her chin to him, lifting a brow in disbelief as she snapped her fingers. At once, a wave of demonic darkness reigned down over the crypt. It dimmed the strength of the flames incrementally, counteracting the light of his halo. “First of all, cut the shit,” she said flatly, “you are not going to play ‘Sword of God’ in front of me. I know who I summoned, and it’s not your brother. I wanted you, and I got you.”
Lucifer stilled hearing that. People didn’t usually summon him - it was almost unheard of. He was a lesser angel, despite his rank, especially compared to Micahel. His brother’s tenacity and daring always inspired others to draw in their most ferocious dreams and desires in the name of a righteous cause. He was simply an inventor.
What could she possibly want?
“That doesn’t answer my question,” he said, voice a bit more unsteady than he would’ve liked it to be.
She smiled at him and began to circle the pentagram, stalking around him like a predator observing its prey. “It doesn’t,” she said simply, “and for that, I’m terribly sorry. Although I’d love to tell you who I am, I don’t know if that would be wise. Your innate holiness protects you from my demonic power, and my realm protects me from your angelic will - especially with this little trap I managed to concoct. But this is a two-way street, and I’m not looking to ride on your side of the tracks if you know what I mean.”
Lucifer frowned, watching as she came into view again, arms still crossed over one another. Oh, he was perfectly aware - and was a bit upset she’d been able to guess his motive that quickly. Demons could be summoned too, if you knew their sigil. Heaven’s libraries had numerous documentation of the various demons living in the Underworld. If he only caught her name, perhaps he could summon her at his own leisure, and keep her in a salted circle for however long he wanted.
She wasn’t the only one who could play games.
“Well, there must be something you want from me then,” he said, voice laced with irritation. He sensed particles of grace lining up to form the joints and outlines of his wings. The power within was dampened, but still present. It was uncomfortable to fit the massive appendages in the circle. “It’s not every day a random demon just summons me to Hell.”
“I’d give you a warmer welcome, but I don’t think you could take the heat,” she smirked, running her hands through her hair, and carefully working them around her horns.
Lucifer swallowed harshly, unable to keep his eyes from glancing down at her figure.
She was lovely, admittedly.
The act cut short, and the smile melted off of her face as her lavender-colored eyes locked on his. “Look,” she said slowly, kneeling down. That was odd - it was almost as though she was submitting some sort of authority to him. Lucifer’s heart raced in his chest watching her do so, bracing herself against the Holy Fire. “There’s… a particular group of demons down here that are not entirely pleased with me.”
He frowned, curious. “Meaning?”
She bit at her lip, biting back a malicious smile that he could tell held no actual joy or mirth. “I stopped a ritual at the expense of an unjust sacrifice on Earth,” she explained. “It wasn’t that long ago, really. But they drugged up… honestly, a child, if I’m being honest, and set him on an alter. I came in and ended up setting the entire place ablaze, getting the boy out just in time. Several of the participants in the sacrifice were harmed, and the demons they’d intended to honor with their ritual got word that I was the proprietor of such actions. They’re looking for me right now.” She glanced up, around the crypt’s walls. “Hence, why I’m here.”
About a million questions ransacked Lucifer’s mind at that moment, but the only one he could get out was: “...Where are we?”
“A cemetery for the Hellborne,” she explained, as though that was a logical thing to say. Something that wouldn’t make a normal individual’s blood run cold at the very idea they were in a graveyard, burying souls that had passed on to the bleak windless plains of Purgatory. He shuddered, but the demon continued. “I mean, why would anyone bother looking here for a low-ranking demon such as myself?”
“I wouldn’t short-change you; you were able to summon a Prince of Heaven,” Lucifer said, crossing his arms over his chest as he stared down at her, still kneeling with her gaze locked on his.
“Mm, you’d be right, your grace,” she purred, eyes lowering slightly. “Although something tells me this is a bit unorthodox for you as well.”
His heart raced, as he tried to keep his expression from shifting indignantly. “I- I’m summoned plenty, I’ll have you know,” Lucifer said, shifting his weight from one leg to another.
“Oh, I bet,” she intoned lightly, moving so she was lying on her belly as she propped her hand up on her chin. He could see the curves on her body far better now and could feel his face running hot. It was the weather, it was the weather down here- warm to a fault, burning, tight, and tempting- “Everyone is just dying to entice the Deliverer of Light, Inventor of the Heavens.”
He flushed - he couldn’t help it. “You don’t know the first thing about me,” Lucifer growled.
The demon smirked, against her palm, the blood no longer pouring from the wound she’d inflicted on herself. “I know that you’re good,” she told him. “I know you made electricity dance in the storm clouds and strike down on the Earth. I know you invented the waterfowl, and their feathers mimic the angels’; waterproof and durable. I know you invented the pollen in plants and crossbreeding to create desirable generational outcomes with the foliage and harvest in the plane above me. You are the one short-changing yourself, my dear. I know all about you, trust me.”
He hesitated for a moment, at a loss for words. How did she know all of these things about him? There certainly wasn’t a leak in Heaven allowing demons to enter into their realm. Surely she must’ve collected this information on Earth.
“I want to make a deal with you,” the demon said, cutting right to the chase. She was walking around him again, and the prowl was making Lucifer anticipatory with a rush he couldn’t verbalize. “I want to offer my services to you in exchange for something you can make me.”
He bristled at the thought. What could this demon possibly offer him that was worth his time? What services?
But a morbid curiosity entered Lucifer’s mind that enticed him in a way that felt almost… blasphemous. The more he considered it, the further he realized there was plenty of sustenance in this realm that fascinated him. The want felt cursed and inherently wrong, but he wasn’t willing to fight it. And trapped in the ring of Holy Fire, it wasn’t as though he was in a place to say no.
“What do you want?” He finally succeeded.
The demon smiled, hand tightening into a fist. It was the one that had been bleeding black, creating a mess all over her flesh. “I want a talisman made with angelic power to protect me from my kin,” she said. “They’re… they’re not like me. And if I keep evading the sacrifice they demand I make and the souls I’m supposed to take, they’ll kill me. In exchange, I will protect humans from my kind for… shall we say, 10 years? That’s how long contracts with my kind last. This way, a greater number of souls will resist unholy temptation and may have a great chance of seeking salvation.” She stifled for a moment, moving to turn around and face him. “Do we have a deal?”
Lucifer froze, unsure of even what to say. He felt trapped, in more ways than that of the fire. He was drawn to her, spirit pulling to meet her own in a delightfully foreign way. Some part of his mind whispered that this was temptation, this was a serpent waiting to strike when he least expected it.
But… he sought the venom. Let it run, run deep in his veins. If more humans went to Heaven for his crimes, then passion would be his undoing and this demon would seduce him without so much as biting her lip. He felt weak at her beckon, heart stuttering and racing in his chest. Your grace, she’d called him, the title of a Prince, something that he savored on his worst days.
She was no royalty, but the crown seemed to radiate from within her soul. This, this… creature, was something worth his time, his value, and affection.
Her offer was an out to something he suddenly felt compelled to give beyond anything possible. Call it temptation in the worst form of the word, but Lucifer didn’t care.
He was going to protect her.
He exhaled, lifting his head up to look her in the eyes. “I’m going to regret this,” he muttered, knowing deep down he wouldn’t, “but… you have a deal.”
The demon smirked at him, and carefully took a step over the Holy Fire. Lucifer gasped, seeing her cross the flames as she entered the circle. She moved over to him, about a head taller than he was, and lifted up his jaw with the tips of her fingers so he’d look her in the eye.
“You won’t regret this,” she whispered, and at once pressed her lips against his.
Lucifer’s eyes shut, as skeins of violet and gold magic wrapped around them both, securing their deal within the kiss. He’d forgotten that certain demons swore their oaths this way, except he couldn’t recall the exact type that operated in such demands.
Despite his confusion, his mind was racing as he felt her deepen the kiss, licking into his mouth as the flames roared and the magic rushed with holy and demonic intention, faster than he could ever comprehend.
The demon broke apart, pulling on his bottom lip slightly as she did so; whispers of disjointed voices echoed around them as the grace outlining his wings bristled with intent. His feathers were ruffling on a plane far away from the one he occupied, stashed away so the demon could see.
She looked at him, eyes sparkling as she raised one of her hands out to the side, and the flames began to diminish. “That’s a promise, which we’re both bound to, now,” she said, backing away slightly, still touching him, which made Lucifer’s heart race. “So don’t think twice about trying to evade your part of the deal.”
He paused, watching as the fire diminished to nothing, and he realized she was letting him go. Cautiously, he summoned a skein of grace, fashioning it into a wax pencil which he could use to sketch designs with. He found no restraint in doing so, the makings of the wood and material coming together with ease. His power was restored. He banished the pencil and sent another rush of power over the ground to sweep up the Holy Oil tainted with her blood into a collection. Hovering in midair, they both watched as he bottled it and sent it to his workship.
“Wouldn’t dream of it,” he said with a smirk, wings coming to life behind him as her eyes widened seeing the magnificent feathers. They stretched high above him, and the wonders of Heaven’s Inventor, as the demon had called him, seemed to amaze her. With a flick of his wrist, a portal opened adjacent to the circle, leading back to Heaven. He brushed past her, cheeks burning at a bit remembering what she’d just done to him. But then Lucifer froze, standing right in front of the gleaming exit.
“You-... you never told me your name, you know,” he said, wishing that for whatever reason his voice wasn’t so weak. He couldn’t resist turning around to look at her one more time.
She could hear it, he was aware. But she didn’t chastise him or belittle him for the caution. “Honestly, I didn’t expect you to take my offer,” she said. “But if we’re going to work together, I suppose I can see the value in you knowing it.” The demon faltered, then smoothed back her hair with a sigh. “My name is Lilith.”
Lilith.
He paused, still standing in front of the portal, wishing for whatever reason that he didn’t want to savor the way her name sounded from off her tongue. Names had power in Heaven and Hell. Invoking them was risky business, and could alert the owners of said names into awareness that their presence was wanted. But all Lucifer could think of at that moment was the way the owner of that particular name was looking over him like prey, still waiting to snatch him up in her jaws. Lips upturned and bared in a way that made him desperate to press them against his own again.
He blushed, and turned away from her, crossing his arms over his chest as his wings puffed up behind him. “A pleasure to meet you, Lilith,” he murmured. And without another word, Lucifer stepped through the portal, letting all traces of Lilith and her crypt vanish behind him.
He had a lot of thinking to do.
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Lilith, Lilith, Lilith.
Lilith, Lilith… Lilith, oh, Lilith, the demon, teeth sharp enough to rip him apart, hands lithe enough to put him back together again. To touch him and make him shiver, to hold him and appease him, to- to ruin him, and he’d let her…
Lilith, Lilith, Lilith-
Lucifer.
Lucifer woke with a start, face on fire as he heard the prayer drift up to him. It was barely there, and certainly not coming from Hell.
But he knew that voice.
Lilith was in the mortal realm.
Lucifer sighed, turning on his side as his blush deepened, trying to will the strain between his legs from causing him further discomfort. He’d been in the middle of a delightful dream, one where the demon who’d summoned him was there, lounging under the shade of a pomegranate tree in Eden. Lilith had some sort of connection to Eden, he was sure of it now. She’d been there, bare in some places, clothed in others, beckoning to him as juice dripped down her chin, dark and red. He’d wanted to move in and lick it up off her jaw and taste the fruit in her mouth.
He’d wanted- he’d wanted so badly, and he still wanted.
Lucifer’s eyes burned white-hot with lust as he shifted in his bed, straining to hear her prayer. Could demons pray? Lilith was certainly doing something on Earth; he could feel her presence there. It was calling upon him.
I know you’re listening.
He shifted on his back, hands traveling down his stomach, over his breeches. He didn’t have nightclothes as many of the people on Earth or in Hell did. Angels didn’t really need sleep and only had rooms for privacy. But resting was allowed every seventh day of the week… perhaps she knew this.
Did she?
I just burned another demon with my magic. There were no witnesses this time, but word travels fast in Purgatory. They’ll know who did it eventually.
The topic was morbid and made him wonder why she was still actively working against her kind. It didn’t make sense, it didn’t-
He was about to assault someone. I did what I had to do.
That made his lust tamper for a moment, hearing about the horrific deed someone had tried to commit upon another person. How Lilith had been there in time to stop them was beyond him, but something told him she had a knack for being in situations where her presence was needed. Maybe… it was a strange type of sixth sense. Some demonic power that called upon one in times of need.
Father above, he needed her right now.
He’d been giving a lot of thought to what he was about to do. What he would lose in helping her. But he had known the moment she summoned him what type of blessing was needed for the protection she sought. It was old magic, and that certainly wasn’t without consequences. But… something about her had lured him in. It made him weak in a way that perhaps she hadn’t intended for him to feel.
She hadn’t compelled him to sin, and they shared a mere kiss.
Right, he’d scoffed to himself after returning through the portal. A kiss between a succubus and an Archangel. Of course, there are consequences.
But he wasn’t damned yet. That was the after-effects of something that was up to his discretion. He could’ve turned around the second she’d broken the ring of Holy Fire and smote her with his power until she was dust; soul gone and lost to the eternal plains of Purgatory.
But he didn’t.
You didn’t, you didn’t, you didn’t-
Didn’t what?
Lucifer flushed, realizing that he was thinking far too loud. Had his intentions manifested in something that returned her prayer?
Didn’t what, Lucifer? She asked, this time the prayer far more powerful, invoking his name like that. He shook, pleasure wracking his body at the thought of her saying his name like that. The feeling made him insatiable, and he could feel his wings twitching in another plane, desperate to curl themselves around her.
His heart practically stopped in his chest at the thought of his wings.
Wings, wings, how could he have ever been so stupid as to not see it? Wings would work, clearly. They would be the most direct way to be with her. He’d had a taste, and he couldn’t stay away.
Lucifer didn’t care what it cost him to see her again, to be with her again.
He was going to protect her, and the cost didn’t matter. He’d be filled with unholy energy, and he’d burn at her expense.
It was fine.
It was going to work.
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The second time Lilith ever saw Lucifer was at his discretion. About two weeks later, she was mingling in the crypt, still impatiently waiting for something that was honestly out of her control.
An angel, honestly. How foolhardy. No demon would ever… stoop so low, as to even suggest keeping company with the servants of Elohim. Or invoking their name at the cost of Holy Fire and a summons.
Lilith stared down at her palm and saw the scar still there, embedded deep from the knife. She’d sliced harder than she’d meant to and bled all in the name of protection. It made her wonder why she’d stopped the ritual to save that little boy in the first place. How many times had she ever been summoned as a result of disillusioned humans who thought a sacrifice of their own was necessary for her presence? She could recall exactly three times that such a horror had occurred in her name. Every single time she’d left the place blazing.
It was an ugly life, to be a demon like herself.
She felt her hand throb, right along the cut where she’d maimed herself. She drew in a sharp breath, confused and aching with pain, when suddenly the world seemed to spin, and she was racing faster than time itself through planes and dimensions. She didn’t know where she was heading, she was whirling in around herself. Her body was losing its physical form, diminished to a violet whorl that only spun around in itself, faster and faster until-
She landed.
Trapped in a salt circle.
Damn it.
“Lilith,” murmured a low voice, the shadow of which was illuminated by a full moon, hovering far overhead in the cosmos. It was one she was very familiar with, and would often stare at from her dim apartment in the Pentagram City, reflecting back on times where life just… wasn’t this way.
“Lucifer,” she replied, not having to squint to see the figure coming closer to her. This time, the angel had prepared well in advance. It had been some time since they’d been with each other last and Lilith hadn’t exactly been sure how they’d contact one another again. Although, meeting on Earth in a salt circle at a crossroads wasn’t exactly her first pick in locations. Two-way street and all of that, giving up her name so he could use it as he pleased. “What’s all this?”
Lucifer smiled, stepping closer as his halo - though invisible - cast a soft glow of angelic light over his head. “What? No ‘hello?’ No, ‘how are you, Morningstar, Bringiner of the Light?’”
“I wouldn’t go so far as to flatter yourself,” Lilith said lowly, crossing her arms over her chest. “I doubt you’re interested in small talk.”
He came up to her, no fire to illuminate the circle she was trapped in. Just his halo, which threatened to singe her if he got too close. “You just might surprise yourself,” he said lightly. “And honestly, what about it? Have you considered that your voice is alluring? Maybe that’s why the Greeks mistook your kind for Sirens.”
She smirked at him, feeling a rush in her chest. Maybe her prayers had been heard after all. Something told her he was far more interested in this deal than he’d been when she proposed it.
“Looks like someone’s done their research,” she said, voice low.
“You could say that,” he murmured back, a hint in his tone that was a bit smug, but enticed her to keep at it. He was a damn tease. For an angel, of course. “I find you quite fascinating, my dear. But… I take it you’re probably a bit confused at your arrival.”
“A salt circle is quite the welcome,” Lilith said, glancing around her. “It’s been a while since someone mistook me for a crossroads demon; though I have to admit, you really are something.”
“Oh, you wouldn’t believe just how much reading I’ve done up on you,” Lucifer smirked, reaching into the pockets of his coat, and moving back nonchalantly. “You’ve managed to go quiet for a long time, haven’t you, Lilith?”
She stilled, wondering just what he was getting at. It had certainly been some time since she’d made a deal. Which was precisely why she wanted to go off the radar. But what exactly did mean? Why was he so intent on discovering who she was?
“I have my reasons,” she muttered. “People always seem to want me when they least expect it. I’m not going to lie with someone for a power grab like the lore may imply. There are far more other ways to get what I want and I’ve become quite skilled in getting them. My fellow succubi don’t know what they’re doing or what true influence and power entail.”
Lucifer smirked, circling around the salt, now stalking Lilith in a way that made her heart race in her chest. “Is that so?”
“I’d like to think it that way.”
“Hmm,” he hummed, stepping back to observe her. From within his pockets, she could see his hands starting to shift around, holding onto something she couldn’t see. What did he have? “I take it these past two weeks haven’t been all that entertaining for you then, after catching me.”
“I let you go, you know,” she huffed, moving to kneel down. Grounding herself in moments like these where she was powerless was important. It reconnected her with the Earth, from which she’d come. Thousands and thousands of years ago. “It’s not like I tortured you.”
Lucifer frowned, turning his head away from her. “... I suppose you didn’t.”
She rolled her eyes, glancing around the circle. “So what’s all this then? A tit for tat? Really had to go and one-up me for a simple precaution, didn’t you? You’re an Archangel and could smite me at any given moment. Don’t think I’ve forgotten that.”
He gazed at her from where he stood, expression still, but she could see him faltering for a moment. He hadn’t been expecting her to be so self-aware of her own mortality at his hands. “So eager to perish, aren’t we?”
“If you recall, I summoned you so I wouldn’t die. I’m surprised you’ve forgotten so soon.”
“Oh, I haven’t,” he smiled, reaching into his pockets. From within, he pulled something out, turning it over in his hand. He stepped closer to the salt circle, moving to one knee so he was lowered at her level. “I’ve been working on this for a while now, at your request. You… haven’t exactly left my mind, stringing me along with your prayers every time you visit the mortal realm.”
She smiled at him, feeling a rush of pride. “So you did hear me.”
He looked at her with the same, hungry expression. “You’re quite easy to pick up on when the only creature worth my time is calling my name the way you do.”
She blushed at that, his voice insinuating something a bit more sinister in a way she… well, she wouldn’t exactly deny it, but certainly, her intentions had been a bit more pure than he was alluding to. She had to admit, though, it was wonderful to hear him speak with true desire.
She knew Lucifer wanted, she knew it.
“I… have something for you,” he said carefully, dropping the flirtatious behavior both of them were teasing with. Carefully, he pulled something out of his pocket, and the utter wave of power that poured out from his hands coursed through her.
Lilith’s eyes widened, seeing what he was holding. It was a delicate string of pearls that radiated angelic energy, each bead carefully and meticulously crafted. They were strung through a chain of angelic steel, though the fastening was the only piece of metal visible.
“What do you think?” He asked.
“They’re…” her voice trailed off, at a loss for words. It was far more than she’d expected him to make, and the blessing that was instilled in them was potent. She could feel them practically vibrating with power. “They’re beautiful.”
He smiled, clearly pleased with her answer. “I’m inclined to agree. Thank you for thinking so,” he said. “There are 14 pearls altogether that travel around the necklace. One for each of the Seven Deadly Sins, one for each of the Seven Holy Virtues. They’re meant to neutralize one another and leave you protected as though you’re still a mortal, not having crossed over to your next life.”
Lilith stilled, not believing what she was hearing. “These- these can’t-”
“Bring you back to life?” No, no I’m afraid even I don’t have that power. Archangels are good, but we’re not that good,” Lucifer chuckled, brushing a thumb over one pearl. Lilith felt a pull in her soul, inching towards the strand. She shuffled forward incrementally, closer to the edge of the salt circle, careful not to touch the line.
“But, as I said, they can disguise you from other demons. Hide the sulfur in your soul, and bring about the… goodness, that exists. The nature that protected the child. There’s something innate within you Lilith; forces that counteract one another. I can feel them. It’s why this necklace will work.”
“You truly believe that?” She asked after a moment of stunned silence. He sounded so… convicted. As though he truly knew her, despite only having met her, well, twice now.
“I do,” he smiled. “I’m stunned that you summoned me to begin with. Not many demons would take that risk, knowing the lines our realms have held against each other.”
“Drawn to danger, I suppose,” Lilith murmured, careful to still the blush crawling up her neck. It had been a calculated risk, having him in the crypt with her. She’d been careful that the Holy Fire would keep burning as she guessed it would, but it was truly a thin wall of protection against real angelic power.
“Perhaps,” Lucifer agreed with a smile. “Now come. Let me fasten this for you.”
Lilith went to stand, but hesitated, glancing down at the salt. “You’re funny.”
“I’m… what? Oh, the- the salt, right…” Lucifer said, a rose-gold blush crawling up his neck. “I mean, I didn’t know how to summon you again! It was the only way I figured I’d be able to get your attention.”
Lilith rolled her eyes, smirking as she did so. “Clearly you don’t know how strong the pull of a summons is, then. It’s quite alluring, your grace.”
She was right, of course. Creatures of higher power such as herself and Lucifer had their abilities counteracted in a way that brought balance to the universe. They couldn't ignore a summon if done correctly, and any ritual enacted in their name was like a beacon calling upon them to arrive wherever the caller pleased.
Except this time, their little game had been played in reverse.
“Well, how about that,” he mused, matching her tone in the realization that she wasn’t upset. He reached forward and caressed her chin, reaching over the salt line and lifting to have her meet his eyes. “An angel, having caught himself a demon, letting her go so soon. Whatever am I going to do with such a muse as yourself?”
“Taste your fill and drape me in gold,” she purred, looking up at him through a hooded gaze. If he wanted to play coy, she could easily outwit him. She wasn’t part of the succubus species for nothing. “Tell me I’m pretty and let me taste the sweetness of the morning, how about that?”
As she expected, Lucifer flushed a deep hue of rose gold, unable to withstand her flirtations. She giggled to herself, watching him carefully rise from his knees, releasing his hold on her face. Carefully, he dragged the toe of his boot across the salt, breaking the circle. Lilith felt a rush of power enter her being, violet in hue and strong in nature as her abilities were returned. Under the light of a full moon, she felt rejuvenated in a way she hadn’t been in a long time.
Lucifer looked at her nervously, as though expecting her to burn him, or reach forward with her power and enact some form of hellish torture upon his grace.
But she didn’t.
They’d made a bargain, and something about him was almost… enticing. In a way that confused her thoroughly, of course, but brought her curiosity nonetheless. It was experimental, watching as she stepped forward with her palms turned up, seeing him eye the gash still heavy and scarred across her hand. But it was a gesture of peace, allowing him to make note of any magical inclinations she had the potential to enact. It would let him see it firsthand, giving him a chance to escape or fight back.
It was practically an intimate gesture in truth.
She turned, back to him as she moved her hair out of the way, bending down slightly so he could string the pearls along her neck. She felt the strand settle on her collarbone, Lucifer’s fingers caressing the skin there which made her shiver. It was honestly a gift, one she’d ask to have been made, yes, but one that existed because of a mutual respect found in the crypt. Deals like that didn’t just happen between angels and demons.
She felt him fasten the clasp, and at once a rush of grace whirled through her being, coursing through her veins and demanding that she submit to angelic power. Lilith opened her soul, violet melding with golden power, and she felt something conceal itself within her being. Simultaneously, she felt a rush of demonic power, a dark and cruel escape from her soul and flooding into his being. Lucifer winced, clutching onto her like a lifeline as the power exchanged between them. Darkness met with light, and what was good in both of them melded together to create something unique. It was a blessing, holy and righteous. It was beautiful, meant for her and her alone.
She was hidden under his wings.
She let out a shuddering breath, rising back to full height as she felt Lucifer take a step back, letting his fingertips drag down her spine.
“Wh… what did you put in these pearls?” She stammered, adjusting to the flow of angelic power within. It was foreign, and she could tell there was something demonic trying to reject the blessings. But she was failing to do so and was falling into his protection without ever trying.
“Grace, mostly,” he murmured, letting his fingertips dance over her vertebrae, before circling to rest on her hip. He walked around her, a shadow cast in the full moon as she sensed his energy within grow stronger, acclimating to her spirit. “A bit of Holy Oil to give them their sheen. There’s a blessing on it to protect your skin from burning in contact with them. But… there’s a special bit of protection I added. Something from me, that will keep you safe. I promise.”
Her eyes widened at his words.
There was no possible way-
At once, he released his wings behind his back, each of the six magnificent appendages reaching up toward the stars, far from where she could see on the ground. They were stretching higher and higher, each keratin fiber dazzling in a way that reverberated off of holy waves, made new under the workings of grace and angelic intent.
Angel wings were unique. Strong. Reminiscent of each servant of Heaven, meant to reflect their role as a protector, worshiper, and proprietor of all that was good. Angels were fiercely protective of their wings, this much Lilith knew. Their feathers were prized possessions that stood out against the most wicked ways of men and could cut through the throats of any demon ready to lay siege on all that was holy. These were the ways of angels. These were the ways of Lucifer’s kind.
“You… you didn’t,” she said weakly, hands wrapping over her torso, suddenly feeling sick, as though the pearls were contrinstricting her. The blessing only amplified in the presence of his wings, feeling their master stretch out toward them. She was drawn to him in a way that only equals could be. Those who shared soul ties, those who savored the goodness and wickedness of one another.
“I did,” Lucifer answered solemnly. The response made her want to back into the circle, sick to her stomach with what she knew was the truth. “I took a feather and dissolved it in the Holy Oil, using a blessing I had within to turn into protection for you. I… I wanted to make sure that the final blessing would be strong enough to withstand the powers of Hell, even if I wasn’t there. It should suffice in keeping you safe from your kin.”
Lilith was willing herself not to tremble, realizing what he’d done for her. Why, why, why? Her mind kept screaming, trying to find some logical explanation as to what had possibly brought him to do this to himself; maiming his wings and removing a feather for the cause of a demon’s safety.
They were both silent for a moment, under the full moon as Lilith backed into the broken circle of salt. It almost felt like a silent form of respect, turning back to the cause which had made her powerless upon her summoning. She could understand what had possibly brought him to do this.
“I- I know you must be a bit… confused,” he admitted softly, scratching at the back of his neck, a bit awkward. “Why in the world an Archangel would be… willing… to part with their feathers.”
“You do realize that all of Hell will sense a holy blessing on me now in my presence, don’t you?”
His lips drew into a line, still and sure as the reality escaped Lilith’s mouth. “Quite aware, yes,” he said.
She threw her hands up in exasperation with a sigh, then pinching at her brow. “There was no need to do… this.” She muttered. “Ten years of souls meant for salvation can’t be worth the loss of your feathers for a being like me, Lucifer. It- it just can’t.”
“Do not tell me what is considered a fair loss,” he said, voice suddenly sharp in a way that made Lilith nervous. “I put considerable time and effort into that necklace for you. I don’t seek to gain it back. That blessing is for you and you alone. It will cease to work should anyone take that necklace from you. Your blood is in it. My feather is in it. We’ve melded our essence together in a way that would damn anyone but us.”
“You’re the one who’s damned,” she frowned, shaking her head and taking a step back as guilt wracked over her body. She’d never meant for this to happen. Not something as blasphemous as an angel using their very being to protect a demon, not that. “I’ve already lived my life and sinned in a way that is egregious against Heaven. There’s no undoing what is done. I’m- I’m supposed to be a creature of Sin. Of terror and Hell- you’re nothing like that. The Word declares it, I’ve read it- I know y-”
He stepped forward, a hand suddenly behind her head, and pulled her in, lips crashing against one another. Lilith moaned weakly into the kiss, feeling his tongue lick along the seam of her lips as he pushed in and tasted her essence. His wings curled around them both, cocooning them in a cloud of feathers, directly in the center of the crossroads. Within, glyphs of protection, runes of Hell, and whispers of affection were racing and radiating between them as she shifted her mouth to deepen the kiss.
He pulled her in, covering her lips with his over and over again, tasting, teasing, as his hands wandered down her body and hers tangled in his hair. Lilith was at a loss for words as each sound pulled from his mouth encouraged her just a bit further, feeling as he began to mouth at her skin, moving down her neck, resting just over the pearls.
“Don’t tell me that what I’m meant to be, my dear,” Lucifer said, voice rasping so low it dredged itself within her soul. “I’ve damned myself for you, and I’ll do it again.”
She keened at the statement, tilting her head so he could continue working at her neck, hands moving in a way that drove her mad with need at the incessant touching.
Damned, damned, damned, he had. An angel gave their protection and blessing to a demon. She hadn’t stopped to consider what would happen to him, making a deal with a creature such as herself.
Damned, damned, damned.
“You did it for me,” she said in a broken whisper, pressing kisses to his temple, across his brow, and over his face as his hands traversed her body.
“How could I not?” He murmured. “If I’m to sin, it will be in your name, forevermore.”
“Y-your brothers-”
“Forget them,” he hissed, nipping at her skin, causing Lilith to gasp. “You’ve stolen me from Heaven, all for yourself, haven’t you? You’re all I want.”
She moaned at his words, feeling him nip at her bottom lip once more with sharp teeth. She couldn’t help it: she wanted him. It was a need that resonated within, deeper than she could ever put into words that such a desire proclaimed.
Lucifer pulled away as both of their chests heaved. Her pearls were glowing, still embraced by the hold of his wings as his arms wrapped around her body and he stared up at her.
“I won’t regret it, so please don’t feel as though you must remind me to,” he said gently, reaching up to trace his hand along her face. “It’s only a matter of time before Heaven notices your magic within me.”
“And what then?” She whispered nervously, mind racing faster and faster at the prospect of his words. They’d banish him from his home- they’d find her and tear her apart with him.
“Then I’ll find you and we’ll burn together,” he whispered, moving up to press another kiss to her neck, curling two of his fingers under her strand of pearls and pulling on them like a chain. “You’ve claimed an angel’s wings as your protection, but you’re my demon to protect, Lilith.”
She shuddered, letting out a sharp breath as Lucifer took a step back, arms straight with one hand on either of her shoulders. “I feel as though I’ve done something horrible,” she whispered, wondering just how many times sin would be her undoing.
He smirked at her, hands squeezing gently as he looked upon her with kind eyes. “Then let me take the burden from you,” he said gently, reaching to caress along her jaw. Lilith leaned into his touch unable to stop.
“They’ll know what you’ve done.”
“So be it.”
“Lucifer-”
“So. Be it.”
Lilith stilled, eyes watering as she felt angelic power rush through her soul. It was strong, stronger than she ever could fathom in a way that would conceal her from those who wished to harm her. It was potent and filled with grace.
“Say it,” he told her gently, voice soft, yet firm in a way that spoke to the finality of what he’d done.
Lilith let out a shaking breath, bowing her head as though she was praying. Perhaps she was, in all honestly.
“Amen,” she whispered, feeling him step forward and wrap her in his embrace.
“Amen,” Lucifer murmured right back.
He was damned now, she was sure of it. And for all of her wickedness, there was some part within that lingered onto the way he held her. The ways his wings wrapped around her in finality as he accepted his fate.
Lilith had stolen a Prince of Heaven all for herself.
And he’d fallen into sin with her like temptation was simply enough.
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