Soul Conquered (7 page)

Josh

I might be back in Heaven, but
I’d rather be down on Earth with Grace. Her kiss is still on my lips. I run my
fingers down my face again, trying to cool down, but it’s almost impossible.
It’s been a long time since we’ve been together and it would be so easy to just
give up and join her. I might even be able to swing a deal with Lucifer…

No.

I can’t think like that. I groan and fall back on the
broken sofa, swearing I can smell her lavender-and-vanilla scent. I can’t give
in. I have to do this for Grace. I have to find a way to save both her and
Noah. Only, I really don’t think he wants to be saved. And why would he? He’s
got everything he wants.

Maybe once Lucifer starts telling him to do
increasingly horrible things he’ll grow a conscience? I dismiss the thought
immediately. He already killed somebody, and he’s the fucking Antichrist. He’s
supposed to rain blood and judgment on the Earth… I can see why Mr. Griffith
feels like this is a done deal.

What do I need to save both Noah and the world? I need
Noah to have a sudden and very unlikely change of heart. The question is, does
he
have
a heart? And how do I get at it? He has to have some positive
feelings about Grace, right? So she really does have the best chance at getting
to him. But how? And if I can’t touch him, how do I help? The whole thing gives
me a headache.

I stand to stretch, and there’s a knock on the door.

“Come in,” I call. It’s either Mr. Griffith, who’s
been too busy to stop in recently, or…

“Hello.” Shona walks in with the giant book tucked in
her arms like a baby. “You visited Earth?”

“How did you know that?” I ask, watching her conjure a
standing table in the center of my room where she sets the tome gently, despite
her thin stature and the obvious weight of the thing.

“Joshua, it’s customary to welcome guests with an
invitation to sit and have some form of refreshment. Honestly, we must go over
these things if you’re going to save Grace and bring her back up here.”

I roll my eyes at her proper English attitude. “I
think we’re past all that, don’t you?”

She grimaces, pulling a cup of tea from the air only
to set it on the table as far as possible from the book. “Mmm. I can see the
pain on your face. You obviously visited Grace despite my warnings.”

“Am I that transparent?” I ask, already knowing the
answer.

“’Fraid so. At least you’re still here, which means
you did not succumb to her charms. Yet. Now come take a look at this with me. I
may have found some other information of interest.”

I approach the table she set up and peer over her
shoulder. It feels kind of weird, like we’re reading Mr. Griffith’s diary,
though I guess that’s exactly what we’re doing.

“It’s a story regarding Michael and Lucifer, or Luke,
as he’s referred to here.”

She flips through the first third of the book with
reverence and runs a finger down the worn page to the beginning of a new
passage about halfway down and reads:

Father has begun assigning duties to us based upon
ability and what He refers to as “personality.” Luke and I have been given the
task of dealing with human souls when their Earthly bodies have failed. Luke has
named this “death,” which I think is a depressing term for a happy homecoming.
Unfortunately this turned into fodder for another of our quibbles.

“They don’t appreciate it,” Luke chided. “They are
simple beings and don’t even understand what’s happened. To those left behind,
the soul is lost. Though I suppose they will learn the truth in what is the
blink of an eye to you and I.”

“To them, that can be most of a lifetime.”

Luke glowered. “Humans are a mistake.”

“Father does not make mistakes,” I said.

“They are purposely imperfect. Why create them?”
Luke scoffed.

“They have free will. They will decide their own
nature. They will make those decisions over their short times on Earth and join
back with us after. We will be in charge of that homecoming. We can make it
happy for them while they wait for their families.”

“What if they don’t deserve happiness?” Luke asked,
stepping close to me. “What if they choose incorrectly throughout their lives,
again and again? I daresay the few that exist thus far have already
demonstrated selfish actions.”

I frowned. He pointed out truth. Still… “Luke, they
are like children. And children must learn before they understand.”

“Even if the child chooses unforgivably?” he
challenged.

“You would have them punished?” I asked.

“I would have them receive what is deserved. Making
selfish choices should not give them leave to spend eternity with
us
,
Father’s perfect creatures.”

Shona stops reading.

“Well?” I prompt. “Keep going.”

“That’s all there is in the passage. This whole
collection is a million varied bits and pieces. Some of them are simple bits of
dialogue or incomplete thoughts. It probably never occurred to him that anyone
else would read it.”

I wonder if Lucifer has a similar diary. What would he
have written?

“I believe we can surmise the division of Heaven and
Hell based on this conversation,” Shona says, carefully shutting the book and
sitting on the corner of the couch to sip at her tea.

“What good does that do us?” Am I destined to get my
hopes up only to realize I have nothing more than I did before?

Shona cups the tea in her hands like she’s warming
them even though the room is far from cold. “There has to be more. Information
is always the key to solving a problem.”

I wish I could agree. “There’s got to be a better
way.” I rub my hands over my face and through my hair. It’s becoming a nervous
habit.

“Perhaps you should try talking to Michael again.”
Shona waits, cup poised and ready at her lips.

I want to tell her that it’s crazy to talk to Griffith
when he’s the one that sent Grace to Hell and went off the deep end about
preparing for the End Times. But the truth is, she’s right. We could study his
diary for years and never find out what he could simply tell us if he’d only be
straightforward.

“I guess it’s worth a try. I have an appointment with
him later. He wanted to show me something. Keep reading the book until then, I
guess.”

Shona tosses her cup into the air, where it disappears,
and smiles at me. She lifts the giant book with care before leaving.

I flop back down on the couch, running a finger over
my bottom lip. “Show me Grace,” I tell the magic screen.

Holy Hell.

Grace appears in the same outfit I saw her in earlier.
Something Keira would wear. Her hair’s arranged around her face in ringlets and
her eyes are rimmed in thick gold. She’s at a velvet-covered roulette table, hanging
all over this good-looking guy. He’s tall with a model face and has big muscles
I can see right through his sleeves. Damn. I trust Grace, but that’s not the
issue. It’s Lucifer I’m worried about. He’s up to something.

“Time to ask Griffith what he knows?” I ask TT, who
stares back at me with big innocent eyes, like he hasn’t the foggiest idea.

Well, that makes two of us.

Maybe Mr. G will get mad and order me to stop helping
Grace. That would actually make things simpler, wouldn’t it? I could never stop
helping Grace. I’d rather join her in Hell than stay here and pretend to try
and forget her.

Noah

“I’ve decided that since
Keira’s here, she may as well be useful. I’ve asked her to fix your school
records and the memories of your teachers and friends so that you have no
skeletons in your closet.” Lucifer swirls the amber liquid in his glass and
sniffs.

I’m on the throne, bored out of my mind because he’s
sent Keira on this errand and has decided to babysit me in the meantime. Here I
thought I’d be threatening fire and destruction on the fucked-up part of the
world while demanding money and shit. Figures Antichrist duty would suck just
as bad as the rest of the whole afterlife setup. I mean, seriously? You put yourself
first in life, and what—you get set on fire in some pit for the rest of
forever?

“There are two more days until Saturday.” I scratch at
the leather arm of the chair, carving lines in the fabric, which automatically
disappear in moments. Self-cleaning. A little OCD there, Lucifer?

“Emily is all set to shoot the governor.” Lucifer
grins and takes a swig of his brandy or whatever.

“Then I catch her. She takes the fall, and I become an
insta-hero.”

“Remember when you make a public statement that you ‘just
knew you had to stop whoever the shooter was before they could hurt anyone
else.’ Be sad about the governor’s untimely demise while you’re at it.”

“Yeah, so then I get some media attention. Then what?
We do it again? Aren’t people going to get suspicious that I’m always there on
time?”

Lucifer snorts. “Only an idiot would use the same play
twice. Though, people aren’t as smart as you give them credit for, Noah. Once
you’re a household name and we get you appointed to a position, you’ll sort out
some corrupt politicians by having them invite you in on a deal, which you’ll
then realize is a scam against the citizens, so you make it public.”

“Where do you find these corrupt politicians?” I ask.
“Not that it’s a rare breed, but who’s going to let me in on it?”

“You’d be surprised who owes me a favor among the
living. It’s not as uncommon as you’d think for people to offer up their
eternal soul. I’m just picky about who I reply to.” He tosses back the
remainder of the glass and throws it up in the air, where it vanishes.

I stand and stretch before starting to pace. I’m
getting sick of being stuck in my room with all these lessons. I’ve been
playing the good little Antichrist—at least ‘til I get a handle on what
Lucifer expects and what’s actual fact. But this is getting ridiculous. I’m
ready to go travel the world with Keira and
do
something. “So I rise
through politics. Then what? Does that make me president in eight years or
something?”

Lucifer’s eyes slide back and forth, following my
movement, while the rest of him is perfectly still. I force down a shudder. Yes,
it’s creepy, but no matter how creepy he is, I have to remember I’m his mortal equal.
“In eight years I want you in control of the entire world. Presidency should
happen in three to four years.”

“Wait. How? You want me to run for president in four
years? That’s crazy. Even for you.” I laugh, but it’s obviously forced.

Lucifer smiles and stands, tugging his shiny suit
jacket down. “Elections will be unnecessary and, you are correct, too obvious.
Not my style, but I most certainly could if I chose to. No. You’ll be speaker
of the house by then, and we will arrange for something terrible to happen to
the president and vice president. Then you’re next in line.”

He throws an arm around my shoulder and smacks my
chest. “You’re not going to just rule the free world, Noah. President is just a
stepping-stone to taking over the UN and then establishing a monarchy over the
entire globe. We’re talking about the future of the human race, Noah. You will
decide its fate. It’s all part of the prophecy.”

I swallow, remembering the
prophecy as Lucifer told it to me. I might not be much for memorization in
school, but when it’s a prophecy about me? I pay attention.

Judgment Day. So where the prophecy says, ‘Day of Judgment,’
does Lucifer think that means I should send all the people to Hell just to be
tortured for eternity? I just want power and respect. Joe Shmoe can stay on
Earth and live his life. “Why go through all this trouble just to fool people
into believing in me? If we’re so powerful, why not just take over and do what
we want?” What
I
want. Like ruling with Keira. Being in charge and taken
seriously.

“Noah, Noah, Noah.” Lucifer spins me to face him and presses
my face between his hands. His alcohol breath mingles with his cologne, and it
makes me want to gag. “The point isn’t to rule the little people, it’s to
demonstrate that they can’t make good decisions for themselves. You must take
away the inflated concept of self they have by tearing it to shreds in front of
them. Then they lose hope. And without hope? No one dares to challenge you.
That’s how you rule Hell. That’s how you rule Earth. And that’s how I will rule
in Heaven when it comes time.”

Wait.
What
?

Lucifer lets go and takes a seat in the throne. I’ve
noticed he can’t seem to stay away from it when it’s unoccupied. Interesting.
But not as interesting as what he just said. He’s planning to overthrow
Heaven
?
I’m no expert, but isn’t that how he got booted in the first place? Maybe the
stories I was told growing up are wrong. They sure seem messed up so far.

“How did you end up in charge of Hell?” I ask.

Lucifer turns, eyebrows raised like he’s shocked. But
he doesn’t seem angry. “Good question, my boy! You see, ‘death’ in human terms
was supposed to be up to me—well, Michael and I, but let’s just say
Michael has always been a bit childish when it comes to ruling others. I
recognized that being given free will wasn’t going to help humanity become the
ultimate heroes that The Man Upstairs hoped for. I knew they had small minds
and would act selfishly, even brutally, toward each other. I
foresaw
that. So I suggested they didn’t deserve Heaven. Why allow them to be with the Archangels?
Perfect creations rubbing elbows with nobodies? The very idea still grates on
my nerves.”

“So you created Hell,” I say.

“Indeed. But when I refused to relinquish those souls
who’d spent some time in Hell, as was suggested—mind you,
suggested
—by
The Man Upstairs, Michael complained. My own brother! Can you imagine? Ha! I
daresay you can.”

I nod like I know what the Hell he’s talking about so
he’ll go on.

“I was given an ultimatum.” Lucifer’s eyes glow red,
but it’s like he’s looking past me, seeing something else. A long-ago
conversation, perhaps. “Follow the rules or be no longer welcome in Heaven.”
Lucifer takes a drink of something he conjures and then immediately makes it disappear.

“So you chose your own way.”

“Better to rule in Hell than serve in Heaven with no
choices. I am not some lowly creature. I am His firstborn! I am an Archangel.
Now back to you, Noah, and the plan.”

Time to practice my manipulation skills. “Wow.
Sometimes it’s just hard to believe this is really happening. To me.” I sit on
the couch like I haven’t noticed his usurpation of my throne, like I’m in my
rightful place, literally beneath the bastard. He’s made it crystal clear that
he thinks he’s better than humans like me. But despite his real feelings, he
keeps trying to placate me, which convinces me more than ever that I’m a threat
to him.

He leans down like a benevolent father. The kind I
doubt actually exists. “I know it’s a lot to take in. You are still human. I
have to remember that. But you’re also the One I’ve been waiting for, Noah. You
must understand how excited that makes me.”

I look up with a big dopey grin of my own. “Of course!
I just don’t want to blow it for you. So let’s go over the whole thing again,
if you don’t mind.” Of course you don’t. You’ve been driving me crazy, drilling
the first part into me for weeks.

Lucifer begins droning on about Emily’s position as scapegoat
and my industrious rocket-ride through the ranks. I nod and smile, even ask a
few questions for clarification here and there. Finally, he gets to the part
where I rule the world after I’ve taken control of the UN. But that’s where he
stops.

“Then what?” I ask. If I trust my Sunday school days—the
few that I paid attention in—Hell doesn’t win in the end. Obviously
Lucifer doesn’t buy that part, so what
does
he expect?

He blinks. “Then you rule the world. What more do you
want?”

“You want more than Hell, right?” I toss the question
back at him.

Blue fire flares in his eyes, but only for a moment
before his face is as calm and benevolent as before. “I want what’s rightfully
mine.”

“Which is what?” I press, spreading my arms across the
back of the sofa like I’m hanging with some dude from school. I know he wants
Heaven. But why? He doesn’t answer right away, so I give a little. “See, I want
more than just to rule. I want respect. I want others to appreciate me. Is it
the same for you?”

Lucifer cocks his head, appraising me, and I wait it
out.

“In a way,” he says, finally. “To put it in human
terms. When we are done here on Earth, I expect an apology of sorts from the beings
who doubted me. I belong up there.” He points vaguely upward. “At least free to
move back and forth. To make up for that and to acknowledge I’ve been right all
along, I expect a token. But that’s not for you to concern yourself with.”

I nod again. So Lucifer thinks The Big Dude Upstairs
is going to apologize and offer a makeup gift. Personally, I think he’s
deluded. Then again, I don’t really understand it all. Maybe he knows what he’s
talking about. I mean, he has come this far. And if he does somehow get to go
back to Heaven, does that mean there’ll be an opening in Hell after I die? Even
part-time? Maybe I’ll inherit the crown, so to speak, and then I can make some
changes to the torture-for-all-eternity bullshit.

The more I learn about Lucifer, the more possibilities
I see for my future.