Chapter 17 #2
“Ah, yes. That one. You sent that one to the grave with that curse, you know.”
Some consequences I had no problems with. “Good. He deserved it. Had I not been dealing with work at the time, I would have made his end far more immediate and worse.”
I continued to examine the warp and weft that was Lucifer, debating how best to accomplish my goal without changing much at all—at least on the surface for those who might sneak peeks.
I decided that the Devil’s nature should remain intact, a silky shroud of darkness used to disguise the robust truth beneath.
The warp of the silky shroud would be of the purest light, drawing from the radiance beneath while the weft would remain darkness, staying true to the origin I would be meddling with.
The true beauty would be found beneath, a reflection of all that had been, all that was, and all that would be.
Unlike with the node or with the problem of His doubt, I found Lucifer an easier puzzle to solve, unravel, and weave to be better suiting. The exterior shroud remained a dark sky full of stars, a glimmering expanse sharing the beauty of a clear night.
I alternated night and darkness in the warp and weft beneath until the light illuminated without eradicating the shadows.
At the core of it all, I found that same radiance, and while not pure white, I found it to be equal to His in every way, a beacon of warmth and comfort.
No, it was not equal. It surpassed.
In that glow, I found where despair met hope and hope triumphed, leading to brighter days and being strengthened from trials and tribulations.
“Is it true your father gave you as a gift to all, Lucifer?”
“So he claims.”
“And to think humanity claims your brother was the gift. Humanity really does get a lot wrong, doesn’t it?”
“Oh, my brother was also a gift, and my father mourns the necessity of that gift every day.”
I wondered if the guilt I’d banished also involved that poor child—and I wondered if I might be able to help secure the future Lucifer wanted for his beloved wife and children. The simplicity of the problem took my breath away.
Some mistakes simply couldn’t be fixed, not without help. “And now your brother is a sister, right?”
“Souls do not have gender. That’s a biological process. There are many souls that go back and forth. My little brother’s soul is unusual in having manifested as male during every renewal. My darling’s soul is a new one, and should I have my way, there will be no need for its renewal.”
“And yours?”
“I am unrepentantly male of course.”
I laughed, resuming my work so I might be finished with my meddling, wrapping the beautiful soul that was all things Lucifer in the warmth of the weave I’d rewoven to better suit him.
Then I allowed him the comfort of familiarity in old ways, tossing the silky shroud over it and taking care to tuck in the ends and seal the joins so that nobody might capture peeks at the truth beneath.
It wouldn’t stop everyone, but for the average person not touched by magic beyond their control?
They would be safe enough.
“You’re meddling with my shroud,” Lucifer commented. “Do you even know what that is?”
I shrugged. “Well, it’s obviously a shroud, and its job is to hide the pretty jewels from prying eyes. I’m just making certain it does the job better and without those pesky holes you had in the original. I can tell it prevents people from sneaking looks, but I don’t know why they can’t see it.”
“To see my father’s face is to be destroyed, for mortal souls cannot bear to see His glory. All my father’s children, angels, archangels, and greater devils alike, are reflections of that glory. The soul is destroyed, and it cannot be planted again.”
“Well, that’s just silly,” I commented, and I slipped through the silky shroud I’d created for a closer look at the core, which I assumed was the lethal radiance he disguised. “How do we fix that?”
The Devil spluttered. “What do you mean by that?”
“It’s silly for people to just be irrevocably destroyed if you idiots get pissy and do the magical equivalent of take your clothes off.
So, how do we fix it? Surely there is a way.
” I tapped my foot, and I lifted my hand to my mouth and drummed my thumb against my lower lip before nibbling on it.
Something about tapping my upper teeth against the nail helped soothe my nerves at the thought of the End of Days being potentially triggered by naked divines causing everybody problems. “This shroud is part of what it is for the End of Days to begin, right? There’s something about seals in that holy book of yours. ”
“Goodness, Crystal. Are you now trying to dissect an entire religion?”
“I enjoy existence and do not wish a bunch of stupid people to end it. For all things to end because of a bunch of idiots removing their magical clothes? No! I absolutely refuse to die from something that fucking idiotic.”
Then I whistled for the Four Horses, opened my eyes, and glared at the Devil.
The animals popped into being, whinnying at my call.
After shooting another glare at the Devil, I gave each horse his owed attention.
“My babies, I believe we’re going to be working on a permanent cancelation of the End of Days, so I have a job for you.
War, Conquest, this is more up your alley.
Sorry about that, Death and Pestilence. You can help as much as you can, though.
Your job is to lure foolish divines to my door, and we’re going to start with targeting the ones who are the highest risk of causing the End of Days.
We’re going after Him first. We might need to involve a bunch of kittens to keep Him distracted while I see what I can figure out about that radiance.
I don’t want to dim it, because that’s a critical part of Him, but it needs to not destroy everyone and everything.
Do warn me which one you plan to lure should He not come to my door first—I will need to spring traps.
I doubt they’ll consent to being meddled with like Lucifer here.
He’s a bit twisted, and he probably likes when women tell him what to do. ”
“I really do. But are you seriously implying you can screw with my father’s soul?”
I raised a brow at Lucifer. “I already have. I just didn’t realize what the problem is, not that I know how to solve the problem.
You were easy. You already had the foundations in place; I just redid it to be more robust and multilayered.
You were using your darkness as a shield to hide your light—the lethal one, that is.
But it was too bright and getting through, even when you only had the light in the warp.
I just created another layer with the darkness as the weft, the light in the warp, and another layer that was an equal mix of light and dark in the warp and weft.
I used the tolerable light to defuse the lethal radiance within so it can’t penetrate the layer on top.
I’d still be careful and do whatever it is you’re doing to be standing out here without hurting anybody, but I don’t think you can actually hurt those without the aptitude now. ”
The Four Horses regarded Lucifer, tilting their heads this way and that. After a few minutes, they bobbed their heads and whinnied.
“It seems they agree with you. And you figured this out just from looking at the weave?”
“I was just trying to figure out why you were trying to hide behind so much darkness. But that’s the lie, isn’t it? You’re the goal. He gave all things a balanced being, equal parts darkness and light.”
“Damn it, old man!” Lucifer howled.
His presence filled the room. “What have I done now?”
“Crystal is meddling, and it’s your fault.”
His laughter warmed me from within. “Yes, my beloved son. She is here because she is my gift to all who is and all who is to come, and she is my regret and sorrow for all who have been and had no chance of enjoying life without fear. When I fulfill a promise to you in future days, she will be why that promise will be the truth. And you will not know which promise I mean because I make many of them to you, and I keep them all. One day, you’ll figure it out, and if all goes well, in that moment of your truest glory, the End of Days will truly be only a memory, and there shall be life everlasting.
Perhaps this world will crumble and perish, but should it, it will only do so because it was time for the world to crumble and perish, not because of anything any divine orchestrated.
And should this world fade, there are others where you can take your darling and meddle to maintain the balance because balance is your very nature.
I love all my children, but you are my greatest treasure.
You are the only one of my children who can stand equal.
And should it come to pass that I no longer exist, there is only you.
But with the Fates gone and their seeds unraveled so they may enjoy the eternal rest they are owed, that possibility grows ever distant. ”
“You unraveled their seeds?” Lucifer blurted.
“I did. There was no future for them with joy and prosperity, only suffering. I gave them the true desires of their hearts and allowed them to embrace the relief of their true end.”
Lucifer muttered dark things, and I kicked him in the shin. “Just because I meddled with your shroud does not mean you get to test my working right now.”
“Your work is without flaw, my jewel. You are what the Fates could have been if they had been willing. Without being told the problem, you understood the need.”
“So, how do I fix your problem?”
“You cannot. That task belongs to another, and that seed has already been planted. You have done what no other has thought to do already. Please accept my gratitude.”
I supposed in some way or another, we all needed to be forgiven for something. “I’m still luring you here and trying,” I muttered.