Evenstar (44 page)

“What is it like?”

“I can see his injuries overlaying my body, it is a dual vision.”

Lucifer examined Paimon, but he did not appear any different from his perspective.
 
“Can you tell what his status is?”

Paimon nodded, engrossed in himself.
 
“This is bizarre.”

Lucifer helped Paimon to his feet.
 
The quilt dropped to the floor, Paimon held on to Dahlia’s teddy bear.
 
He wore one of Furcas’ shirts.
 
Lucifer took Paimon’s free hand.
 
“We do not have time to waste.
 
Come.”

Paimon blinked and shook his head.
 
“Where’re we going?
 
What are you doing with
that
?”

“To the surface.
 
We are going to reap what the angels have sown.
 
Gaea needs their life-force for Dahlia and Furcas.”

“Are we going anywhere in particular?”

Lucifer thought it over.
 
“Somewhere populated.”
 
That was as far as his thought process had gone.

Paimon wiped his eyes and smiled.
 
“Can I choose?”

Lucifer nodded.
 
“It makes no difference to me.”

***

As Ladriam slept with her head on Lucifer’s shoulder, Dahlia and Furcas transitioned to Furcas’ memory.
 
He hovered over the planet with the other Archangels.
 
Green growing things covered the earth below them.
 
The angels descended.

Paimon landed in a forest-ringed meadow and forgot Furcas existed.
 
He dropped into a crouch and stared at the plants.
 
He sniffed them, rubbed leaves and petals between his fingers.
 
These new things were complex; rules existed in them, layers with function and purpose.
 
His eyes caught on another plant, then another.
 
He ran from item to item, intent on knowing them all.
 
He must understand it all.

Furcas followed Paimon to the ground.
 
He landed on soft grass and moss, stunned by the sensation.
 
Overhead Berith, Andrealphus, Helion, and Belial soared onwards.

Furcas wandered through the grass.
 
He followed the unfamiliar sound of running water until he came to a stream.
 
Soft mud lined the bank; it looked comfortable so he sat down.
 
He dipped his feet in the clear water and enjoyed the sun as it hit his shoulders.
 
There were so many beautiful things to see here.
 
He smiled and took it all in.
 
Rosebushes lined the bank, covered in rosebuds.
 
He reached out and touched a flower; the rose opened gray and lavender.
 
His pupils dilated as the scent washed over him.
 
A melody escaped his lips, a song meant for the rose.

Paimon whipped his head around at the sound of Furcas’ voice.
 
His calculations ground to a stop, jarred by the notes of a new song.
 
He sniffed the air, catching Furcas’ scent on the breeze.  His eyes narrowed.  That
guardian’s
melody interrupted his thoughts.
 
He scratched his fingers through his long, tangled hair, irritated with this state of things.
 
He stalked to Furcas’ side.
 
He crouched down next to the angel and stared at him with unblinking jade-colored eyes.
 

Furcas was unaware of Paimon’s presence.
 
He was too caught up in the petals and scent to notice him.
 
He reached for the stem and caught his finger on a thorn.
 
He stuck his finger in his mouth as it healed.
 
He saw movement in his vision—
Paimon
.
 
He jumped up in shock and fell backwards into the stream.
 
He landed on his butt and stayed there.

Paimon made no move to help him up.
 
He cocked his head, bit into the rose, and swallowed the flower Furcas adored.
 
His eyes traced over Furcas’ body, gauging his reaction, trying to figure him out.
 

Furcas stared, too petrified to react.
 

Paimon ate what remained of the flower.
 
Despite the new living creations around him, he was stuck on this simple-minded, two-winged angel, unable to move on until the puzzle he represented was solved.
 
He bit down on the thorny stem and chewed.
 
This
thing
in front of him would not be organized.
 
There were variables he did not understand.
 
He could not bend or shape Furcas’ mind.
 
His fingers twitched, wanting to poke and prod at the angel until he became measurable.
 
He leaned towards Furcas, thinking of grabbing him and forcing him to make sense.
 

Furcas saw something unfeeling in Paimon’s expression and it scared him.
 
He slid away through the stream.
 
Shivers ran through his body; trembling that had nothing to do with the cold water.
 

Paimon noticed his trepidation and frowned.

Andrealphus landed in the water next to Furcas and broke the spell.
 
He held fruit and looked at Paimon.
 
“I already tried those flowers.
 
These are better for that activity I think.
 
Just my opinion though.”
 
He tossed Paimon a fig.
 

Paimon ignored the fruit and scrutinized Furcas.
 
He crept closer.
 
Furcas quailed and inched backwards.
 

Belial and Helion sat on the opposite bank of the stream and shared in Andy’s fruit.
 
They were silent, but between them dialogue occurred.
 
Belial tasted a berry and Helion knew what it was.
 
Helion touched a velvety leaf and Belial smiled at the sensation.
 
Their movements were coordinated, their emotions and thoughts blurred between them and they stayed engrossed in their own world.

Andrealphus sat beside Belial and took her right hand in his own.
 
Both twins smiled at him, though what Helion felt and what Belial felt differed.
 
The twins marveled in their first dissimilar sensation.
 
Andy let them fall back to their silent dialogue, content with being near her.
 

How does the whole sibling thing work, Furcas?
 
Why do they exist that way?

You want to know that now?

If not now, then when?

Good point.
 
Well…Lucifer was created first.
 
Then he made Michael, the first Archangel.
 
He went on to make six more with guidance from Him, each representing an aspect of the Primangel.
 
These are the originals.
 
If He liked the design of one Archangel, another angel would be created in the same way, though perhaps with a few changes and only two wings, not Archangel.
 
That is a sibling.
 
They are not the same as the regular two-winged, slightly different due to their status as siblings, and yet still part of the greater choir.
 

Did every Archangel have a sibling?

No, Andrealphus has no sibling.
 
Barachiel has no sibling.

And the twins?
 
Belial and Helion?

An experiment I think.
 
They came from the same mold, created together at the same time, not separate.
 

Do you have a sibling?

No and yes.
 
The angels, those of only two wings, were created in batches produced at one time.
 
Many were created at once.
 
I was created and had myriad siblings.
 
We were linked through the same Archangel, yet none of us were brothers.
 
Helion and Belial were part of my batch.

This was how all angels were made?

Yes, except for the sibling angels, we were all made together in groups.
 

But you did not look like the others?

Correct.

Why?

Furcas frowned.
 
Ones like the twins and myself were made early in small batches, before the mass produced ones came out.
 
I believe Lucifer had leeway to make us as he saw fit, designing new patterns to keep himself content.
 
Later this was no longer his task and the copies came out, many angels of the same mold, created at once, all looking the same.
 
In some ways, Belial and Helion were the first example of the copy angels that would come.
 

So who was the Archangel that you linked to?

Barachiel, though almost all fell under him at that time.

Was it bad?

No, it was peaceful.
 
We guarded and maintained.

What did you guard?

The songs, we kept them pure and safe through repetition.
 

Why are they important?

I…do not know.

Andy, Helion, and Belial burst out laughing, drawing Dahlia’s attention back to them.
 
They threw ripe fruit at each other and laughed as it splattered them with sweet juice.
 
Helion dove into the stream and the others were quick to follow.
 

Berith came over to the stream with a giant stick in hand.
 
He batted at bushes and rocks with glee.
 
He saw Furcas sitting in the water and hauled him to his feet.
 
He set the angel down next to Paimon and sat on Furcas’ other side.
 
His enormous wings shadowed them both.
 
Berith had no desire to eat things like the others.
 
He stabbed the mud around him, creating finger-sized holes in the earth.

Paimon ate the rosebush down to the ground.
 
He stared at Furcas out of the corner of his eye.
 

Furcas tried to ignore the disturbing scrutiny.
 
He stared at the light on the water.
 
He bent over and looked into it.
 
He caught his reflection and smiled.
 

Berith leaned over and shared in the view.
 
He batted at the water and made the image change.
 
The pair laughed together.

Paimon tensed.
 
This change in Furcas’ face made things worse, more engrossing to him.
 
Each new thing Furcas did made the boy harder for Paimon to quantify.
 
He moved away from the angel, unable to take his eyes off him.
 
He scrabbled up into a tree and sat by himself in the shadows.
 
He ate leaves and bark, his teeth gnashed together as he pondered.
 

Two new two-winged angels dropped out of the sky with whoops.
 
Uriel dropped on his brother Berith.
 
Startled, Berith jumped up.
 
Uriel held on and laughed.
 
He hit his brother in the head.
 

Gabriel landed beside Furcas and knocked into him.
 
The pair slid into the water.
 
Furcas recognized his friend and smiled.
 
He grabbed Gabriel’s hand, pulled him to the bank, and showed him flowers.
 
“Look at these, Gabriel!”

Gabriel looked at the colorful objects, then at Furcas.
 
He did not understand the appeal, but this was usual.
 
His best friend confused him often.
 
He looked away.
 
“Where is my brother, Furcas?”

Furcas pointed into the closest tree.
 
“There.”

“Thank you.”
 
Gabriel walked to the base of the tree.
 
Paimon dropped to the ground beside him.
 
The brothers shared a perfunctory nod.
 
Paimon broke into a lecture on things newly created, giving names, and explaining their purpose.
 
Gabriel listened without speaking.

Paimon found in his brother what he needed, a methodical mind that made sense.
 
It was an organized mind, a utilitarian thing.
 
Gabriel’s presence blocked out the nonsense and chaos that Furcas emanated.
 
Furcas sat a few yards away and stared at the grass.

Uriel and Berith wrestled across the ground.
 
Helion dove at Uriel and the two broke off in swings, punches, and laughter.
 
Uriel tackled Helion.
 
“Where is Belial?
 
I heard of his new wings!
 
I want to see his new wings and congratulate him!”