At peace.

Alone.

Seated in the gallery, two floors above ground, he listened to the echoes of the heavenly voices of the choir practicing below. Like a shadow, he blended into the dark space, where he'd sat without turning on the lights. He'd chosen this spot because there were no windows in the area. From afar, his dark skin gave the illusion of his yellow caftan being a headless, handless figure, poised in the unlit pews of the church.

It was a somber afternoon, on a Thursday. Though they usually liked to practice in private, the choristers were consistently generous enough to run through common classics, whenever they were alerted to his presence on the premises. It wasn't often that he intruded, but there were moments when he needed to ground himself. When he needed to comfort himself. Choirs tended to offer that comfort without reserve.

Their current rendition of 'It is well' was slow and quiet, dragging the notes along in an almost hypnotizing tune that had him swaying from side to side as he listened. The acoustics of the building were immaculate, so much so that even with an empty hall, and no speakers, their voices carried all the way up to where he was. With no distortion.

"Sir?" a woman whispered behind him, a hot breath in his ear.

Not wanting to ruin the moment, he kept his eyes closed, hanging on to every note that floated up from beneath him.

"Someone had better be dying," Lucifer said.

"There's been an unfortunate development... with Fedriel."

Lucifer opened his eyes, realizing that the building had been illuminated for quite some time. He wasn't sitting in the dark as he'd expected. With the central lights turned on, casting down yellow shadows on the rest of the building, Lucifer was still hidden. He wished he didn't have to leave. But Fedriel was probably the second most important person in his life, at the moment.

"What happened?" he asked as Sherimiah, his inhumanely thin assistant with pointed features and a dark disposition, leaned into his space and deposited a tablet on Lucifer's lap. His legs were crossed, lifting his knee above his waist in a convenient holster. "What is this?"

"As of today," the male, news anchor said. "The Apple Clause will finally be enforced, for every future Flagbearer of the Young People's Congress. After months of rumors, the clause has been put into effect in a bid to eradicate impropriety and sexual deviance from the party, the YPC stakeholders and the Party-Chair, Chief Ekene Chetachi have stated that the clause will apply to every single-"

Lucifer slammed the tablet into Sherimiah's belly as he stood to leave.

"Sir?"

"Not now," Lucifer said, dialing Fedriel's number.

"That's what I'm trying to tell you. No one can get a hold of him."

"The number you have dialed, is switched-"

"Where the fuck is he?"

"None of his personal guards are reachable. I've been trying to find him for the last twenty minutes."

"I don't care what you have to do," he said, his voice rising. "I don't care if you have to scour the fucking country. Find Fedriel before he does something stupid."

As Sherimiah trotted away, her heels clicking against the drabby gray tiles, Lucifer's phone vibrated in his hand. It wasn't Fedriel, but it was the very next person Lucifer was going to call. Moving the phone from one hand to the other, he wiped the sweat from his palms on the legs of his trousers before taking calming breaths in order to answer the call with poise.

"Good evening, Chief," Lucifer said, realizing that the choir had quieted. Probably because of his shouting.

"We're cleaning up the party," Chief Ekene Chetachi said.

"You should have talked to me about it first, Sir."

"Lucifer-"

"Fedriel won't stand for it. This is the presidency we're talking about, Sir. He's been groomed for this. He's ready."

"He isn't the kind of person who can lead this country. Don't you want our leaders to lead by example?"

"Now?" Lucifer asked, trying to calm himself. "Considering the kind of leaders we've had, why do you want to change anything now?"

Chetachi sighed heavily over the phone, sounding tired. "Aren't you tired? Look at what Nigeria has become. Aren't you ready for a change?"

"We're survivors, Sir."

"I need you to listen to me. Now is not the time to go back and forth. Fedriel is a loose cannon that we must contain."

"You should have thought of that before you hung him out to dry."

"Lucifer!"

He bit the inside of his cheek as he went silent at the angry reprimand.

"He doesn't listen to anyone but you. Find him and make him see reason."

"Chief-"

"We don't have time for this."

The line went dead.

Lucifer clenched his phone in his hand as he squatted by the church doors, struggling not to scream as loud as he wanted to. This was not supposed to be happening. Not now. Not ever. The succession within the party was a carefully crafted plan that had worked on multiple levels, for many years. Why the YPC stakeholders wanted to change it now was beyond Lucifer's understanding.

"Sir," Sherimiah said, walking up to him.

"What is it?" he asked wearily.

"We've found Fedriel."

For a moment, Lucifer thought there might be hope to un-fuck the entire situation, yet.

***

As soon as Lucifer arrived, moving through the dark, purple hallways beyond the doors, he was quickly ushered to a private room. Because, of course Fedriel would book an exclusive room to throw a tantrum. Which was how Lucifer found him; in a usually pristine room that he had laid to ruins with the glass table shattered, the couches upturned and the bar emptied of bottles.

"Sir," the manager said, his eyes filled with pleading gratitude, the moment he saw Lucifer. "I tried to get him to calm down."

"It's fine." Lucifer waved the poor manager away.

As soon as the door closed behind the manager, Fedriel turned around, saw Lucifer and smiled.

"Luse!" he shouted. He was drenched in sweat. His jacket was hanging over the bar and his white shirt was covered in varied colors of drinks.

A man who usually stood taller than Lucifer was nothing but a shell, bowed in defeat as his eyes bore no confidence. No joy. No reason to think beyond the damage he wanted to cause. His hair hung loose in black, heavy, long locs, a sight Lucifer deemed unbecoming. With a groan, Lucifer bent to the glass-covered marble floor and retrieved Fedriel's hair tie that had been lying carelessly on the floor, intertwined with shards of glass and dust. He shook off the dirt, and took slow strides towards Fedriel.

"Did you see the news?" he asked, his eyes red from hours of crying. "Did you... did he have to do this to me? Did you talk to him?"

When Lucifer didn't reply, Fedriel's smile vanished from his face.

"He won't change his mind, will he?"

"There's still time, if you clean up your act," Lucifer said, gently putting the hair tie in his pocket. "The primaries aren't here yet."

"What are you going to do about it?"

"I have a plan."

Fedriel scoffed. "That's all you have?"

"We can't go against Chetachi without a plan."

"If they go through with that fucking clause, I'm defecting."

"What?" Lucifer asked, eyes widening in shock.

"APC! PDP! Fuck, I'll join the Labour Party if it gets me to the front of the line."

"You can't be serious."

"Anything," Fedriel screamed in Lucifer's face. "Is better than bowing to some brand new wannabe, just because he hasn't had the pleasure of fucking. Or stealing. Or doing anything fun."

"It's not that simple."

"I've dirtied my hands for this fucking party. I've destroyed people. I've done unthinkable things. And now they're just going to..." he gasped as if in pain. "Oh God!"

"Listen to me," he said urgently, moving close to his friend. Lucifer held his gaze as he clenched Fedriel's hand in his. "That clause is impossible. Every party has it, but no one is clean enough to get through it."

"Are you sure?" Fedriel asked, his lips quivering like he was seconds away from tears. "Chetachi has shifted his support to Adam."  

"It doesn't matter."

"If there's anyone who can get through the clause, it's him. Adam's hands are fucking immaculate."

"Then we'll dirty them," Lucifer said. "When I'm done with him, his hands would be filthy."

For a moment, Lucifer had him. He could see it in Fedriel's eyes that he understood why this was important. He wasn't a fool. He had to know that defecting, so late in the game, was a career killer. It was YPC or nothing else.

"Why?" Fedriel asked, holding Lucifer's hand, as well.

"Why what?"

"Why are you fighting so hard to keep me here?" he asked, suspicion apparent in his eyes.

"Because you deserve it."

Fedriel smiled sadly, tilting his head at Lucifer. His other hand wrapped around Lucifer's neck as he cupped it with his thumb, gently caressing Lucifer's lips.

"I miss the days when you couldn't lie to me, Luse."

"I'm not-"

Fedriel fixed his thumb into Lucifer's mouth as he leaned really close till they were breathing the same air.

"I can hear his voice speaking through you. Your dear... Chief." A low purr lingered in his throat. "He needs me here to keep the others from defecting. But he doesn't need me enough to lead."

Lucifer turned his head away, dislodging Fedriel's finger from his mouth, but Fedriel wouldn't let go of his hand. Cupping his elbow, Fedriel kept them close.

"Do you remember what it was like, Luse? When you were mine? Before you let Chetachi own every inch of you."

"Let go of me."

"I'm sure you truly believe you're trying to help me-"

"I. Am."

"Bullshit," Fedriel rasped, grabbing Lucifer's head with both hands. "Look at me."

Lucifer stopped fighting as he took a few calming breaths, before his eyes rose to meet Fedriel's.

"I'm doing this for you," Lucifer said.

Fedriel shoved Lucifer. When he fell on the floor, his thigh grazed against broken shards. Hissing in pain, he held his hand up to keep the guards, stopping them from approaching. He was fine. They didn't need to fawn all over him.

"I'm leaving YPC," Fedriel said, straightening his shirt as he pulled out a string from his pocket and began wrapping it around his thick hair.

"Fedriel, please."

"Beg all you want. I'm not staying for the disrespect."

He wore his jacket, picked up his phone and his car keys from the bar. When he turned to leave, the guards blocked his way. Fedriel sighed exasperatedly, staring down the daring guards for a tense moment before turning, slowly to look back at Lucifer.

"Tell your lap dogs to let me pass."

It was just like Fedriel to be disrespectful. Anyone beneath him was just that. Beneath him. Wincing, Lucifer used the side of the bar to get to his feet. Blood dripped down the side of his thigh and leg, ruining his caftan.

"Lucifer," Fedriel chided, softly.

"You probably still see me as the boy you bought from a whorehouse in Aba." He stood against the bar. "I don't blame you. Honestly, I bear some responsibility for that, Fedriel."

"Tell your men to get the fuck out of my way."

"So that you can leave?" he asked.

"I'm not one of your pawns, Lucifer. I know who you are." He smiled darkly. "I know what you are." Sliding his hands into his pocket, he strolled back to Lucifer. "You might have your hand in everybody's business, but you should know better than to fuck with mine."

"You fucked with mine the moment you said you wanted to defect."

"I'm allowed to do that to you, Luse," he said, lightly tapping Lucifer on the chin and pouting. "I'm me."

Lucifer bit his lip and chuckled.

"If Adam becomes the YPC flagbearer, it will set a dangerous precedent. If you run away, rather than fight, others will run with you. If people run, YPC will collapse. Do you see how that's a problem for me?"

"I don't see how that's my business."

"Let me open your eyes."

Winding back, he punched Fedriel so hard he staggered back into the bar and then fell on the floor.

"What the fuck?" he shouted, looking up at Lucifer with a bleeding nose.

Lucifer stretched out his hand to the guards and they put a handgun in it. As soon as Fedriel saw the gun, his eyes widened in fear.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm protecting my party."

"Lucifer-

"I really do care about you, Fedriel. But as you've proven to me today, you're uncontainable."

"Let's... Lucifer, let's take a moment to talk about this."

"Adam will never lead this party. You should have trusted me when I told you that the first time."

"Lucifer, please... I-"

He pulled the trigger. Fedriel's head jerked back and the contents of his skull splattered against the floor. As the echo of the shot rang through the room, Lucifer was stunned into immobility, struggling to comprehend that that was Fedriel. On the ground. Dead. That was Fedriel who would never be again. Fedriel, who would never call him "Luse" in a moment of excitement.

Because Fedriel was no more.

He handed the gun back to the guard who'd given it to him as he stepped over Fedriel's body. One problem down. One more to go.

If only putting a bullet in Adam's head was just as easy a fix, Lucifer's life would have been so much better.