Evenstar (33 page)

Paimon turned to Furcas and put a cigarette in his mouth.
 
He walked to the beat of the song and pushed Furcas’ wheelchair as they became visible.
 
He hummed louder as the song began.
 

Furcas closed his eye as a blush crept up his skin.
 
“I really hate you.”

Paimon put the microphone to his lips and sang in a language that none but angels knew.

Furcas wrinkled his nose at the words.
 
He responded in English, “I caught
you
.”

Paimon lit Furcas’ cigarette.
 
He clapped to the beat; the humans around him did the same.
 
He sang on, to their delight.

Furcas muttered, “It’s never a
good
morning.”

Paimon leaned into him, his voice a melodic purr.

Furcas glared.

Paimon took off his jacket and laid it across Furcas’ chest.
 

Furcas wrinkled his nose.
 
“Gross.”

Paimon smiled and brushed his fingers along Furcas’ forehead.
 
Syllables slipped from his lips like honey.

Furcas angled away from him.
 
“You
cause
my headaches!”

Paimon’s voice was tinged with a smile.

Furcas blushed a deeper shade of red and looked away.
 
“If I
didn’t
, you’d be dead right now!”
 

Paimon leaned over and plucked at a stray hair on Furcas’ head.
 
He pointed to Furcas’ sutured wounds.
 
He winked at him and moved away; his voice rose and fell with the melody.
 

Furcas ripped through his restraints and reached for the microphone in Paimon’s hand.
 
“Stop singing!”
 

Paimon smiled at Furcas and sang on.

Furcas snarled.
 
“Not anymore!”

Paimon twirled on his heels as his voice dropped to a whisper.

Furcas hopped his wheelchair over.
 
“You’re
dead
, Paimon!”

Paimon dropped the microphone as the music played on.
 
He retook the handles of the wheelchair as the song died.
 
He kissed Furcas’ on the cheek.
 
Furcas leaned away from him, pouting.
 
Paimon smiled.
 
“You love the attention.”

Furcas grimaced.
 
“No, I don’t.
 
You’re just using this as an excuse to humiliate me.”

Paimon shrugged.
 
“The humans liked it, now everyone’s in the spirit.”
 
The music faded away.
 
The humans across Portland collapsed in heaps of elation, but some continued dancing regardless.
 
Paimon smiled and brought the microphone to his lips.
 
“I hope everyone is having just as lovely a time as I am.
 
Isn’t that a beautiful sky?
 
I love this city!”

The humans in hearing range cheered.
 
Paimon bent down and nibbled Furcas’ ear lightly.
 
He spoke into the microphone, “If you all don’t have someone you adore, find someone.
 
Have a good time, this one’s on the house, courtesy of Lucifer Morningstar and Ladriam Evenstar.”
 
He turned the microphone off and tossed it down the street.

Furcas looked over at him.
 
“Besides a constant desire to embarrass me.
 
Why
are you doing this?”

Paimon stood up straight and rolled Furcas down the street.
 
“Trying to get attention.
 
I think a citywide orgy of excess will get media attention don’t you?
 
Belial gave them the violence.
 
I’ll give them bliss.”
 
He winked as humans ran by grinning, clothes half off.
 
He glanced at the Chulyin; the soldier handed out bottles of alcohol.

Furcas looked around at the plants growing to cover buildings and the road.
 
“You used your gift, Paimon.
 
Michael will know!”

“
If
they’re even looking.
 
Belial is getting more attention right now I’m sure.”

Furcas rubbed his temples.
 
“I don’t remember what she did.”

Paimon patted his head.
 
“You don’t need to think right now, you’re sick.
 
Just relax.”

Furcas flashed brightly and shuddered.
 
“Dahlia’s scared and very angry.”

“Shh.”

Furcas’ temperature spiked, causing Paimon to jump back as Furcas’ skin lit on fire.
 
Paimon batted at him with his jacket.
 
He got in front of the wheelchair and put his hands on Furcas’ face despite the heat.
 
Furcas’ bloodshot eye looked elsewhere, seeing something that was not there.
 

Paimon kicked a fire hydrant, sending water shooting into the air.
 
Humans flocked to it with giggles and cries of joy.
 
Paimon diverted some of the cold water to Furcas.
 

Furcas looked up blurrily.
 
“They’ve moved the girls closer to Andy, the fire.”
 
He heaved.
 
“She’s puking.”

Paimon frowned.
 
“You’ve never been this attuned to her before.
 
This doesn’t make sense.”

Furcas waved his hand.
 
“I hope you’re not asking me.”
 
He went unconscious.
 
His cigarette slipped out of his mouth to the concrete.
 

Paimon grabbed his chin.
 
“No, wake up!
 
None of this!”
 
Furcas turned blue.
 
A lightning bolt struck Paimon in the back.
 
He winced.
 
“No, no, no!”
 
He picked Furcas up and put him directly into the cold water.
 
“Wake up!”

Another bolt hit ten feet away, sending humans scattering.
 
Paimon’s hair lit on fire as Furcas shocked him.
 
He brought Furcas out of the water and pressed their foreheads together.
 
“Wake up, Furcas!”
 
He kissed Furcas as another bolt hit them both.

Furcas’ eye shot open.
 
He gasped.
 
“Was I doing it again?
 
Sorry.”

Paimon put him back in the damp chair and batted at his burning hair.
 
“Just try and stay awake so that it doesn’t happen again.”
 
He looked at the sky as helicopters filmed above the range of the drugged pollen.
 
He touched a rose bush and sent the plant rocketing into the sky, creating a canopy of flowers.
 
The cameras focused on him and the plant.
 
He waved.
 
“Now they’ll see us.”

“Who?”

“The City.
 
They saw Belial I bet.”

“What happened?”
 
Furcas struggled to remember.
 
His visions from Dahlia, her nightmares, and reality blended into one confusing memory.
 
He looked at his hand.
 
“I can’t remember clearly.
 
Nothing makes sense, Paimon.”

Paimon sent a small piece of lichen into overload, covering a brick building in seconds.
 
“It is okay.”

“It’s not okay!
 
I am
not okay
, stop saying that!
 
I’m not a fool.”

Paimon took Furcas’ hand.
 
“I know that.
 
I didn’t say you were.”

Furcas slumped in the wheelchair too weak to sit up straight.
 
Paimon pushed him back into the seat.
 
His eyes locked on to the blood dripping off the chair.
 
“How does your back feel?”

Furcas shrugged.
 
“I still cannot feel anything. “

“Do you feel weaker?”
 
Furcas nodded.
 
Paimon adjusted his bandages and held his hand.
 
“It’ll be all right.”
  

“It’s funny you know.”  Furcas gave him a half smile, marred by the stitches on his face.

Paimon smiled along with him.  He cocked his head.
 
“What is?”

“All…all this time I’ve been trying to make myself look better and it’s when I’m ugly that you pay attention to me again.
 
That’s funny I think.”  He looked at the humans around them.  “I’m dying and I’m finally interesting to you.”

Paimon frowned.
 
“Huh?”

“Interesting.”
 
Furcas slurred and yawned.
 
“You find me interesting now.”

Paimon clenched his jaw.
 
“What do you mean
now
?”

Furcas looked at the sky; fever made his vision double.
 
“I know you’ve gotten bored of me over the last few centuries.
 
I knew it would happen eventually, and it is okay, you’re—”
     

“
Shut
your mouth.”
 
Paimon paled.

“So creative and smart.”
 
Furcas ignored him.
 
“How could I hold your attention anyways?
 
I was foolish to think I could.
 
What have I ever had to offer you besides my body?”

Paimon clamped his hand down on Furcas’ mouth.
 
His eyes blazed blue.
 
“You’re speaking like this because you have a fever.
 
Your mind is playing tricks on you.
 
You know none of that is true.
 
Okay?”
 
He pulled back his hand.

Furcas gazed at him sadly.
 
“No, it’s allowing me to see clearly.
 
I know you fell out of love with me some time ago.
 
I think you only continued to see me out of boredom.
 
Am I right?”

“No, you’re not right!  How could you—” A sonic boom rocked the sky above.
 
Paimon looked up, and then back down.
 
“You think that I don’t love you?”

“I know you thought less of me when I was controlled by my lamin...the things I did to the Lilliam.  That’s when it started I think.”
 
He looked at the space beyond Paimon.
 
“With Dahlia we were finally close again.”
 
His eyes filled with tears.
 
“I knew it wasn’t going to last, but I really enjoyed it while it did.”

Paimon shook with rage.
 
“That’s what you’ve thought this entire time?
 
All those centuries!
 
Why didn’t you say anything to me?”

Furcas looked away.
 
“I couldn’t bear to hear the truth from you, so I didn’t ask.”

“You
idiot
!”
 
Paimon pulled at his own hair.
 
“I
never
thought less of you!
 
I thought less of
myself
because I couldn’t do anything for you when you were controlled, I couldn’t even fucking find you for a goddamn century!”
 
His cheeks turned red.
 
“I was supposed to
protect
you and
I failed
.
 
I
fucked up, Furcas.
 
How could you think that I thought less of
you
?
 
That I didn’t love
you
.
 
Of course I fucking love you!”

Furcas’ eye met his.
 
“You disappeared after you freed me from the lamin.
 
You didn’t speak to me, didn’t stay with me.
 
I had no idea where you were, who you were staying with, if you were even alive.
 
You left me—”

“I was ashamed of
myself
, you stupid, irrational,
fool
!
 
You have no idea what it was like for me to have to see you like that and know that I couldn’t do anything!”

Furcas looked at him blankly, and then over his shoulder.
 
“Is that Barachiel?
 
He brought a mace.
 
You know I never thought he was a mace man.”

Paimon snarled and whirled around.
 
Barachiel hovered above the city.
 
Paimon looked back at Furcas.
 
“We aren’t done with this conversation.”
 
He turned to Barachiel and shouted, “I didn’t know secretaries fought.
 
Everyone must be busy for them to send
you
.”

Barachiel looked uncomfortable and annoyed.
 
Humans stopped their dancing, drinking, and lovemaking to look at the Archangel.
 
They pointed and grinned.
 
Barachiel tucked his pendant into his shirt.
 
“Michael, Raphael, and Uriel are occupied.”