Evenstar (46 page)

Barachiel escorted the angels back to Heaven.
 
Jegudiel, Selaphiel, and a third Archangel landed on the planet in their place.
 
Jegudiel and Selaphiel bowed to Lucifer and Ladriam.
 
Selaphiel introduced them and the third, “Raphael, created at the creation.
 
His ward is healing.”

Ladriam gaped at Raphael.
 
Her face showed a mix of awe and joy.
 
She leapt from Lucifer’s side and hugged him.
 
Raphael hugged her back, equally as excited to see her.
 
Ladriam pulled Raphael away from the group.
 
The two exchanged words in hushed, excited tones.
 

Dahlia frowned.
 
Why can’t I remember what we said?

I don’t know.
 
I was hoping we’d get to hear.
 
None of us knew what you two said to each other or why you acted that way.

You didn’t ask?

At the time, it didn’t seem important to ask.

Lucifer watched them talk with curiosity.
 
He pulled Ladriam away and kissed her, drawing all of her attention back to him.
 
Andrealphus did the same with Belial, who giggled.
 
Michael looked away from Lucifer and walked to Berith.
 
Jegudiel was fascinated, looking between the two couples with wonderment.
 
Selaphiel kept his eyes on Raphael.
 

Raphael wandered to Paimon’s side and stared at the emotionless Archangel.

Paimon eyed him and moved away.
 
Raphael followed him.
 
Paimon frowned.
 
“Stop it.”

Raphael smiled, said nothing, and took off into the air.
 
He buzzed Michael and Berith.
 
He landed in a field of flowers, sending up puffs of pollen in his wake.
 
He cartwheeled through the flowers by himself, his four blue wings making his body look like a pinwheel as he tumbled.
 

Furcas saw Raphael and the blur of colors and motion.
 
He handed flowers to Belial and chased after Raphael, his senses caught up in this new sight.
 
He watched and dove into the flowers.
 
The two flipped side-by-side, smiling and laughing together.
 

Paimon watched the pair, his jaw clenched and unclenched, his body tense.
 
With Gabriel gone, he could see nothing but
that boy
.
 
He stared at Furcas’ discarded flowers.
 
He had to rid himself of this
thing
.
 
He had to make it go away, just as he had made the flower disappear.

Paimon took to the air.  He dove at the pair and grabbed Furcas by the wrist.
 
He flew straight up.
 
He said nothing to the guardian.
 
Paimon looked out across the planet and searched for a remote location to dump the angel.

Furcas watched the others disappear from sight as Paimon soared away with him.  He hung from Paimon’s arm like deadweight, too scared to call out to anyone.  His heart pounded like a hammer. 

From his place among the flowers, Raphael grinned, watching the two grow distant.
 
He ran back to Selaphiel and Jegudiel.
 
The two inclined their heads to the boy.
 
Raphael pointed up.
 
“Time to go back.”
 
They nodded and the trio leapt away from the planet and disappeared back to Heaven.

Andrealphus, Berith, and Belial leapt into the sky, but they did not return to Heaven.
 
They played tag.
 
Belial zoomed towards the moon.
 
Andrealphus easily outpaced and tagged her.
 
Berith came up beside her and they chased Andrealphus.
 
Andrealphus flew towards the sun easily keeping ahead of them.
 

***

Paimon dropped Furcas into a secluded forest clearing.
 
He touched the ground and folded his arms.
 
Furcas got to his feet and looked up hesitantly.
 
Paimon glared at him, his voice ice cold, “
Explain
.”

Furcas froze.
 
“What?”

Paimon snarled at him.
 
“Explain yourself!”
 
He pointed at the flowers in Furcas’ hair, his brown eyes.
 
He gestured to the colorful pollen, the artfully splashed hues on his skin.
 
He couldn’t take it.
 
“Explain!”

Furcas gulped.
 
“I do not know what you want, Archangel.”

“Why do you bother me so?
 
Tell me,
guardian
!”

“I do not know.”
 
Furcas took a step back, then another.
 
“I just am.”

“You distract me!
 
Why did you come at all?
 
Everything about you is
wrong
!
 
I do not want you here in my sight!
 
I do not want to see you!
 
Leave!
 
Go back to Heaven
!”

Furcas could not take the order after Lucifer had said he was to stay on the planet.
 
He shook.
 
He could not flap his wings to fly away, but his feet worked.
 
He fled into the forest, stumbling awkwardly as his wings hit bushes and trees.

Paimon stared after him, satisfied that this distraction was gone.
 
He looked at the stars and things around him and categorized them.
 
He fell into his mental routine of classification.
 

His chest hurt.
 
His thoughts buzzed and frayed around the edges.
 
He let out a quiet whine.
 
His chest ached and the pain irradiated into his limbs, worsening with each second that passed.
 
Paimon prodded his skin, searching for the wound that hurt him so, but there was nothing.
 
His eyes dropped to flowers in bloom.
 
He clenched his jaw.
 
He looked at the way Furcas had left by.
 

***

Lucifer and Ladriam watched the others leave and their thoughts turned to each other.
 
He smiled and set her up against a tree.
 
She grinned and wrapped her legs around him.
 
They kissed.
 
He pinned her wrists up above her head with one hand, while his other hand searched and explored.
 
Her soft cries set his skin on fire.
 
He breathed her in, tasted her skin, and became intoxicated off her presence.
 
Like an addict, he sought for more.
 

Michael watched them and his expression grew cold.
 
He looked away, jumped into the air, and returned to Heaven.

Lucifer let Ladriam’s hands go and took her hips.
 
She draped her arms around his shoulders and held on.
 
She pushed against him, taking him inside her.
 
Waves of heat and light rippled out from them.
 
Flowers turned to butterflies.
 
Spiders formed from the rock.
 
Fish erupted into life in the streams.

The Primangels shone with prismatic light.
 
They learned each other.
 
He moved against her in ways that sent her passion into a fever pitch.
 
White flame licked the earth around them, and from it animals came alive.
 
Their fire stabbed into the earth itself, moving the bones of the planet, inflaming the core into churning molten rock.
 

***

Across the planet, Furcas panted and stumbled.
 
Tears poured down his cheeks.
 
He ran scared and confused, pained by the blisters on his feet.
 
The first wave of euphoria from Lucifer and Ladriam washed through the planet.
 
He swooned and lost his footing.

Paimon caught up with him and skidded to a stop as his toes curled with the same pleasure.
 
He shook himself off as newly created birds took to the air.
 
He held his head.
 
“What is
this
?”

Furcas whirled at the sound of Paimon’s voice.
 
He pressed himself against a rock wall, alarmed.
 

Paimon motioned for Furcas to come to him.
 
Furcas shook his head and edged away.
 
Paimon leapt, grabbed Furcas by his arm, and drug him to his side.
 
At the contact, they gasped.
 
Paimon shook him.
 
“What are you doing to me now?”

Furcas shielded his face.
 
“I am not doing anything, Archangel!”

Paimon gave Furcas a weak shake.
 
“What...I...”

Their eyelids slid closed.
 
Archangel and angel swayed, caught up in Lucifer and Ladriam’s intensifying thrall.
 
Furcas leaned in and kissed Paimon.
 
Paimon did not resist.
 
A hungry fire lit inside him.
 
A sound of surprise and fear escaped his lips.

Furcas realized what he was doing.
 
He jumped back and bowed.
 
“I am sorry, Archangel!”

Paimon touched his lips as desire warred with confusion.
 
He grabbed Furcas by the shoulder and pulled him back.
 
He touched Furcas’ face, chest, and shoulders trying to find where this sensation emanated from.
 
It had to be inside the boy somewhere.
 
If he found it, he could stop it, and he could have his control back.
 
He brushed a hand across Furcas’ wings.
 
The younger angel shuddered and swayed.
 

Paimon grabbed his other wing and Furcas dropped to the ground.
 
The air between them blurred with heat and possibilities.
 
Furcas fought to breathe.
 
He tried to scoot back, but Paimon would not free him.
 

Paimon gripped his feathers tighter, bringing them closer together.
 
His skin glowed, searing hot.
 
He burned.
 
His mind and nerves were on fire.
 
He needed, craved, but could not name his desire.
 
He could not remember what he had been trying to do.  Why was he here?
 
Heat washed across his skin.
 
His thoughts fragmented into colorful shards of sensation.
 

Euphoria seeped into them from the earth, wresting away their will and desire to fight.
 
Furcas leaned his head on Paimon’s thigh.
 
He kissed Paimon’s glowing skin.
 
Paimon gasped and stumbled.
 
Furcas held him up.
 

Paimon’s hands clenched on Furcas’ wings, indecisive, needing, hating, craving.
 
Violence and pleasure strained his head and heart.
 
He wanted to fling Furcas away from him as much as he wanted to keep him there.
 

Furcas moved upwards, certain in his intent to please.
 
He wrapped his arms around Paimon’s hips and pulled him close.  He was cautious, gentle, his lips and tongue slow and deliberate.  Ecstasy bubbled in their blood and bones.
 
Thoughts evaporated, leaving senseless action and desire to reign.

Paimon held on to Furcas by his shoulders.
 
One hand clawed at Furcas’ hair, grabbing it in a knot.
 
His wings shimmered, catching the air on fire.
 
He floated inches off the ground.
 
The dirt and grass smoked with light and heat.
 

Pleasure crested around them.
 
Paimon threw his head back.
 
He gasped and shuddered.
 
His wings flickered blue and folded closed.
 
He dropped to the ground and stumbled to find his footing.  He swayed in shock and let Furcas go.

Furcas smiled, elated and drowsy.
 
He touched his hair where Paimon had grabbed him.

Paimon blinked and regained himself.
 
He looked down.
 
Furcas leaned on his thigh with his eyes closed.
 
A torrent of the boy’s seething feelings wormed through his skin where they touched.
 
Visions whispered through his mind, uncertainties, falsehoods, fear, and madness.  Paimon grabbed Furcas by his hair and hurled him away.
 
Furcas hit the ground and rolled.
 
His right wing snapped on impact.

The noise ceased, but things were not right.  Paimon shuddered.
 
The barrier between himself and everything else crumbled before his eyes.
 
He stared through his hands, seeking solace in thought, but his numbers and equations slipped away as he sought to hold them.
 
He no longer saw what was.
 
His cold certainties were gone.
 
Everything that mattered to him was 
gone
.
 
His eyes bored into Furcas.
 
He spoke too low for the angel to hear, “What have you
done to me
?”