Evenstar (77 page)

The tool passed through the shield.
 
He backpedaled and watched it fall.
 
He wore no pendant, having no desire to go to the planet for any reason.
 
He frowned and returned to Heaven.

***

The Fallen sat back at their table, slices of cake adorned as many plates as could fit on the surface.
 
Dahlia’s spoon darted out taking a piece of each kind and tasting it.
 
Helion did the same.
 
Dahlia and Helion made eye contact and sped up their tasting, determined to beat the other.

Furcas had a giant piece of chocolate cake to himself.
 
He leaned against Paimon.
 
Paimon refrained from eating and had his arm around Furcas, his fingers lazily batted Furcas’ braid back and forth.
 
He gazed at him until Furcas’ eyes darted to his.
 
Under the table, Paimon slid a hand up Furcas’ inner thigh.

Furcas stomped on Paimon’s instep.
 
“Creep.”
 

Paimon yanked on Furcas’ braid.
 
“Cripple.”
     

Dahlia settled on a simple slice of pound cake.
 
Belial impaled a slice of angel’s food cake.
 
She looked it over.
 
“Where is the devil’s food cake?
 
This shit is nasty.”

Andy swallowed.
 
“In my stomach and it was oh so tasty.”

Lucifer pushed his slice over.
 
“Have mine, I do not like it.”

Dahlia intercepted the slice and took a small piece.
 
She passed it to Belial.
 
Belial took a gob of it and smashed it into Andy’s face.
 
Andy blinked and licked his lips.
 
“Uh, thanks?”

Belial smiled.
 
She scooped another glob up.

Lucifer eyed her.
 
“Belial, think about what you are about to start.”

Andy grinned and gave her no time to do any such thing.
 
He grabbed a cupcake and pressed it into her face.
 
Belial laughed and rubbed cake in his hair.
 
Furcas and Paimon ducked.
 
Lucifer leapt across the table and tackled Belial and Andy.
 
He drove them into the floor.
 
“Stop it.”

Dahlia jumped on the table and dropped a rainbow chip slice on Lucifer’s head.
 
He glared at her.
 
She grinned.
 
“Whoops!”

Helion did not understand wasting perfectly good food.
 
He grabbed at pieces before anyone else could snatch and throw them.
 
Whitney leaned back in her seat and finished her chocolate raspberry cake in peace.
 
The table jerked to the left as one of its legs was kicked out.
 
Furcas and Paimon backed up and watched the four wrestle underneath.
 
Berith and Apple sighed and joined them.

Helion and Whitney flew into the air with as many cakes as they could carry.
 
They stared at the scene below, while eating from above.
 
Lucifer hauled Dahlia out of the mix by her hair.
 
She high kicked him in the face.
 
“Let go!”

Paimon whispered to Furcas, Furcas nodded and nudged Berith and Apple.
 
They shrugged and agreed.
 
The three ran off.
 
Paimon waited for the fighting to die down.
 
Andy collected himself and scraped off cake, shoveling it into his mouth and smiling.
 
Belial rescued Dahlia from Lucifer’s grasp.
 
The pair squared off with Lucifer, each with a plate of cake in hand.

Paimon jumped on the unsteady table.
 
“New game!”

Lucifer frowned and wiped off his face.
 
“What now?”

Paimon grinned.
 
“Tag.”
 
He snapped his fingers and a ball of fire formed over his head.
 
“I’m it.
 
Run.”

Belial and Dahlia ran, trailing cake as they left the promenade.
 
Lucifer dashed after Dahlia, intent on reclaiming her.
 
Paimon looked at Andy.
 
“Well?”

Andy looked up from cleaning his suit.
 
“Sorry, what?”

Paimon backhanded him, transferring the fire.
 
“You’re it!”
 
He ran.
 
He made it to the first street of buildings before Andy landed on his back.

“No, you’re it!”
 
Andy leapt away.
 

Paimon scowled.
 
“No tag backs!”
 
The ball glowed above his head.
 
He sighed.
 
“New rule, no tag backs, starting now.”
 
The fire flickered.
 
He stood up and dusted himself off.
 

Gaea ran up beside him.
 
“I can show you where they are.”

Paimon grinned and set her on his shoulders.
 
He ran the direction she pointed.

***

Berith ducked into Titan’s Borough.
 
Mostly full of squat houses of metal, earth, and stone, it housed ogres, dwarves, and the occasional troll.
 
He barreled down side streets, weaving as much as he could.
 
Being the slowest he had a distinct disadvantage in the game.
 
But, if he could blend in and—

Paimon dropped on his head.
 
“Tag!
 
No tag backs!”
 
He slapped Berith and ran away with Gaea perched on his shoulders.
 

Berith sighed, now it was going to be difficult.
 
He stared at the fire floating above his head.
 
Not exactly something he could hide and sneak up on people with.
 
He climbed to the roof of the building closest to him.
 
Berith looked around, ignoring the snickering coming from the ogres that had watched him get tagged.

Helion flew against the ceiling, in plain sight but too far for him to reach.
 
Berith saw a blur move across the rooftops, probably Andy.
 
He squinted; someone climbed up the side of the palace.
 
He grinned.
 
Berith leapt to the ground and ran.
 

***

Belial scaled the palace; her talons took chunks out of the stone.
 
Only Helion and Andy could catch her now and she could see Helion from where he flew overhead.
 
She saw a window above, perfect for hiding.

A chunk of stone slammed into her back.
 
Her talons broke.
 
“Fuck!”
 
She fell the length of the palace and slammed into the ground, dazed.
 

Berith helped her to her feet.
 
“Tag, no tag backs!”

Belial held her head and dusted herself off.
 
She scowled.
 
She grew a new set of talons and looked around.
 
She did not see anyone besides Helion.
 
She grinned and climbed.

***

Helion soared in a giant circle, watching the others below.
 
He saw where Furcas, Paimon, Dahlia, Lucifer, and Berith had gone.
 
He didn’t see Andy or Belial.
 
He continued his sweep around the City.

Helion heard laughing and looked around.
 
It was Belial, but the laughing echoed, and he could not tell from which direction it came.
 
He looked down, but the streets below were only full of Lilliam children watching the game.
 
Helion frowned.
 
They were looking past him, above him.
 
He looked up.

Belial dropped from the ceiling and landed on his back.
 
“You are it!
 
Tag, tag, tag!”
 
She grabbed his hair like reins.
 
“No tag backs, Helion!”
 
She dropped.
 
Andy caught her mid-fall, put her on her feet, and dashed off again.
 
Belial flipped Helion off from the ground and sprinted away.

Helion looked at the fire over his head, then back down at the ground.
 
The rest of the Fallen scattered, except for Lucifer.
 
Helion swooped down and landed behind him.

Lucifer barely noticed him.
 
“Helion, have you seen Dahlia?”

“You’re it!”
 
Helion tapped him, transferring the fire.
 

Lucifer looked up.
 
“I am not playing.
 
Have you seen Dahlia?”

Helion frowned.
 
“The fire is on you, I think you are.”

Andy slowed down.
 
“Lucy, you have to play!”
 
He ran off before Lucifer could nab him.
 

Helion smiled and flew up into the air.
 
“No tag backs!”
 
He laughed.
 
“Lucy!”

Lucifer stared at his feet and muttered.
 
He closed his eyes and sniffed the air.
 
He smiled and turned.
 
He walked back the way he came.
 
He heard a heartbeat.
 
He paused and stopped at an empty doorway.
 
Lucifer dashed inside.
 

Dahlia threw a couch at him.
 
“No!”

Lucifer skidded to a stop, his hand inches above her face.
 
“Why?”

“You so totally owe me, tag someone else.”

He folded his arms.
 
“I find this less than sportsmanlike.”

Dahlia rolled her eyes.
 
“Play to win.
 
Rules are for people that cannot win otherwise.”
 
She grinned and ran past him.
 

Lucifer ground his teeth.
 
Then he smiled.
 
He pulled out a lamin from his arm.
 
“Furcas, come.”

Lucifer waited.
 
Furcas showed up at the doorway, pissed off.
 
“This is so totally unfair.
 
I had the
best
hiding spot.”

Lucifer shrugged and tapped him on the forehead.
 
“You are it.”
 
He put the lamin in Furcas’ hands.
 
“Dahlia went left.”

Released, Furcas stomped out of the house and ran straight into Berith.
 
The two tumbled end over end down the street.
 
Dazed, Furcas got to his feet and kicked Berith, sending him towards one of the rivers.
 
“You are it.”

Berith sighed.
 
“Again?”

“Not my fault.
 
You
barreled into me.”
 
Furcas slipped down a side street and made himself scarce.

Berith got up and stood ankle deep in the water.
 
He looked around.
 
Belial no longer scaled the walls and Helion had taken up roost.
 
He heard splashing.

Dahlia hid in the shadows.
 
“I will let you tag me if you help me get someone.”

Berith grinned.
 
“Deal.”

They shook hands and the fire moved to Dahlia.
 
Berith whispered in her ear, pointed, and she grinned.
 
She took off running.
 
Towards one end of the City, the ground gave way and plunged into an abyss.
 
Lilliam of the air made nests and homes in the side of the cliffs.
 
Daring Lilliam jumped off for fun.
 

Dahlia saw the edge and picked up speed.
 
A blur darted across the rooftops, running along with her.
 
She sprinted headlong for the cliff.
 
Her heart pounded.
 
She leapt off.
 
Dahlia soared a good distance, then began to fall.

Andy caught her in midair.
 
He twisted, kicked off a wall, and jumped his way back to the ledge.
 
He set her down.
 
Dahlia grinned.
 
“You are it.”

Andy smiled.
 
“This is what I get for being a good guy.”

She grinned.
 
“Sorry.”

Andy shrugged.
 
“What is the point of me being it anyways?
 
It will take me all of two seconds to get someone.”
 
He ran, leaving her near the harpy nests.

Furcas saw the blur coming.
 
He ducked, grabbed a flowerpot, and parried Andy’s attempts at touching him.
 
Andy whirled around, but Furcas ducked and dodged always one-step ahead.