Chapter Twenty (Hades)

I was a grade-A asshole.

Okay, so maybe that was the biggest fucking understatement of the year, but for once, I actually believed it.

But I'd never been very good at communication, or planning. Spontaneity was my middle name and douchebaggery was my game. And I'd just won the jackpot with what I'd done to Lucifer.

I grimaced as I stood in the place called No Man's Land that was settled between the mountains of my realm and Lucifer's. The place was more than just No Man's Land. It was a wasteland between the mountains where nothing grew. No plants, no trees. The greenery, what little there was around here, stopped abruptly around this space. Scratch that; it wasn't No Man's Land. It was No Living Thing Land. Nothing, but volcanic rocks that seemed to almost be washed out in color, as if even the most powerful substance in the world couldn't touch this place.

Because seriously, who would've fucking guessed this entire thing could be solved with goddamn colors?

I'd had a weird feeling that it would be something like this. All the talk of the Source not speaking like we thought it did. And the few times I'd actually heard the Source speak. It was unlike anything I'd ever experienced. A strange clarifying, a strange calm that I'd only ever felt whenever I was with Lucifer-- and wasn't that fucking cheesy as balls?

I inhaled the air of the wasteland around me, the sulfur from deep beneath the crust and rock, the smoke that filtered up through the caves in the mountains. Smoke that Lucifer had come to love the smell of-- something I only knew because he always commented on it when he was all over me.

I reached up to rake a hand through my black hair, watching it fall over my shoulders.

"Hades! Hades, come back!"

Lucifer's scream still rang in my ears. It made me uncomfortable, as if my skin was shriveling up too tight over my bones, bones that rattled in my body. Breathing hurt. It was a physical pain to hear him scream like his entire world was ending, and who the fuck thought for a single second that something like that would be related to me?

Okay, I mean, I'd made plenty of people scream bloody murder around me, whether in rage or fear, but this was different. This level of fear wasn't of me, but for me. There was a raw horror in Lucifer's voice as he realized what I was planning. It was why I hadn't said anything, why I'd just decided last minute that this was the only way.

And god, I felt stupid for doing this.

Stupid because I knew I was stronger with that fucking angel. Over the years, it had become clear to me that Lucifer wasn't just a good fuck, wasn't just a lover, not even just a... friend. He was something entirely different, something no word could describe. I couldn't translate the word the Source had given me to describe us. The only thing I could think of was soulmate, but even that seemed far too beneath what we had.

I'd never thought I'd be saying that, never thought I'd feel this way.

Hell, I'd spent years denying it. Lucifer was just my lover. That was it. Another consort that I brought to bed, spent time with, considered a friend. I didn't want to go as far as to claim him as something more. It made it too real, too serious, and the last time I'd tried to fucking do that, it was destroyed. Actually, every time I tried to claim something as mine, it fucking fell apart. Even with my kids.

But it was getting exhausting. Pretending this was nothing more than just an intense friendship. Denial only took you so far, before logic settled in and you just had to face the fact.

I... fucking loved Lucifer.

No, it went beyond that, but that seemed what everyone said when they found what they called the one.

And frankly, all the cheesy bullshit was making me uncomfortable. It was begging me to run back to Lucifer, rip that barrier down, and pin him down on the bed for the rest of the night. I wanted to see that fucking ring on his finger. I wanted to see those sapphire eyes glow with pride and joy. He was such a sap, he'd probably cry too. He'd never take the thing off, and somehow, that sent a possessive streak through me.

People would see that rock and know he was mine.

And I wanted to see that. It was almost like seeing your lover wear your clothing, except infinitely better and more permanent. Fuck, if I could've, I would've made it so that ring infused into his skin, but I'd probably be reaching levels of psychopathy that was only meant for Jo and Zeus.

Twisted motherfuckers.

I took a deep breath again, shaking my head.

Alright. Now wasn't the time to have revelations like this.

Because if I didn't do something fast, the ring wouldn't matter. Lucifer wouldn't matter. Our kids. Nothing would matter anymore if that fucking Shifter got what it wanted. And I would be fucking damned if I let that thing take away everything.

I'd already had everything taken from me before. Everything. Always.

Not anymore.

I was fucking sick of letting people get away with this shit. I let Cronus and Rhea get away with their abuse, with their manipulation. I let Zeus get away with my dignity. I let my siblings get away with my humanity. I let my past consorts get away with pieces of my soul.

No one was taking Lucifer away from me. No one was taking our kids. No one was taking my realm, my accomplishments.

Fuck that.

This Shifter wanted to fucking dance?

Let's fucking waltz, bitch.

And my first step was to find Yhwhwa. We'd done a lot of running around to find the guy, which made sense. When you didn't want to be found, you made it damn near impossible. But if there was one thing I knew about disappearing, it was that you still needed a connection to the world so you knew what was going on. Someone you could touch base with to make sure things were going right as rain in your realm.

But it had to be somebody that nobody would suspect. Someone with authority, but not noticeable enough to call attention to. Someone you knew wouldn't be captured and tortured for information on your location, and even if they were, they wouldn't speak a word or have a backup plan. Someone smart and someone willing to break the rules for you.

My first thought would've been Michael, but even Michael had no idea.

But it had to be someone in Heaven.

I went through a list of the angels I knew. Because I wasn't an idiot; just because I was a pagan heathen didn't mean I didn't know the angels. I knew plenty of the fucking pigeons, had run ins with them throughout the years. They were like fucking Jehovah Witnesses, knocking on your door, and asking if they could convert you. Except angels didn't ask. They pulverized you. Think, Jehovah Witness in steroids and a god complex they would never cop to.

Except none of the angels made sense.

While all of them were devoted to Yhwhwa and his teachings, none of them were strong enough to keep their fucking mouths shut. And Yhwhwa knew that. He'd only tell someone he trusted implicitly.

So then I thought about the ancients.

Definitely not the demon siblings. They would've gone after him the first chance they had. They wouldn't let him duck out of the game. As far as I knew, he didn't have a relationship with Alexion. He definitely knew Stanton, the two of them went way back, but there was no way Yhwhwa would risk Stanton. In Yhwhwa's eyes, Stanton had too much to lose.

So someone with nothing to lose if death closed upon them.

Someone he trusted.

Someone in authority.

Someone willing to break rules.

Well, fuck me.

I knew exactly who fit the description.

Without further adieu, I teleported from No Man's Land to Heaven. Getting in was easy, considering Yhwhwa was no longer there and the barriers had weakened since our last trip there. I didn't go to Michael's place, though, or drop in to check on Menoetius-- not yet anyway. I made a mental note to do a little visit after I was finished with the main course.

I appeared in the main hall. All pristine and shiny and full of angels, all of whom froze when I appeared smack dab in the middle of all their white cleanliness in my black military uniform. A few angels actually fucking screamed and hid behind their counterparts while the angel managing the desk leapt to their feet and snatched their phone up with them to make a call.

A smirk spread across my lips the moment I felt a ripple of power behind me.

I cocked my head and turned to see Zaphkiel standing in front of the doors, looking P to the D pissed. His dark hair shaven close to his head, his piercing golden eyes the color of embers in a fire, and his body bulked out like some kind of WWE cosplayer. He looked like he was seconds away from busting out of his suit too. It was like seeing Dwayne Johnson in Italian silk.

"Hades," Zaphkiel muttered, his voice a deep gravelly growl. I smirked.

"Sup, pig with wings," I greeted. Zaphkiel's eyes flared at that, but his expression remained calm. He didn't speak for a moment, then scanned the room before looking back at me.

"Let's take this to my office."

"Lead the way."

Acting all calm and casual, Zaphkiel inclined his head and brushed past me, leading me to the elevators. All the angels in the room cut us a wide path, shrinking back and even a few straight up running out of the lobby. The angels in the elevator upon its arrival fled the scene so we got in and had a nice awkward silent ride all the way to the top. It was business as usual as we approached a set of double doors that led into a massive office that was all decked out like Christian Grey's office from Fifty Shades. Except, the moment the door closed behind us, the only action that followed was me grabbing Zaphkiel by the throat and throwing him up against the wall by the doors.

"Let's cut to the chase," I said, watching Zaph's eyes blaze, "Where's daddy? And don't tell me he's in the Red Room, or I'm gonna start cutting off body parts." Zaph curled his lip at me, but he couldn't speak with my hand around his throat. I knew the only thing I was choking off was something smart alecky, though, so I held on for a moment longer, watching his breathing become shallow through my grasp, his eyes widening. I released him and he dropped to the floor, breathing raggedly. He shot me a dirty glare.

"And what makes you think I know where he is?" He demanded breathlessly, touching his throat. I raised an eyebrow.

"Why not? You're probably the dirtiest fucking angel up in this shit," I said, making him narrow his eyes, "Oh, don't even give me that look. You're the first angel to fuck a human. The first angel to fuck a guy, if I'm remembering right. How'd daddy deal with that one when he found out? Not only a faggot, but a human faggot." Zaphkiel's eyes burned and I watched every muscle in his body tighten.

"Oh, right," I added, "He didn't care much, did he? Considering you made up for it pretty well by ratting Lucifer out to Michael." Zaph curled his lip.

"You're an awfully nosy bastard."

"Says the guy who bugged Lucifer's shit. I don't want to hear anything about privacy laws from you, asshole. So let's just cut to the chase, huh? I know everything about you and I'm smart enough to put two and two together. Yhwhwa wouldn't trust anyone else with his location, except you. You have nothing after Lucifer left. You may have been promoted, but you lost the love of your life and swore yourself to celibacy to honor what you lost. Since then, you've been really good at denying yourself the good things in life. So why don't you just tell me where Yhwhwa is at and I can get a move on with saving the universe?"

Zaph clearly wasn't comfortable with being called out, and I didn't give two shits. I did, however, derive satisfaction at watching the pain burn in those eyes. I shouldn't have enjoyed spitting at him, but I did. The asshole hurt Lucifer more than he could ever know. Zaph only lost his butt buddy. Lucifer lost literally every-fucking-thing.

"No," Zaph sneered, making me arch a brow, "There is a reason he fled."

"Because of a spy in Heaven, yeah, I know, except that spy is currently bedridden in my territory, so there's no reason to fear him."

"You think Uriel was the only one to betray Our Father? There are more of them," Zaph snapped, straightening and casting me a disdainful glare, "Plenty of them. And you think for one second I'm going to tell you with that big mouth of yours? I may have made mistakes in my past, but this is not one of them. And for the record, I do not appreciate that term." I smirked.

"It's the twenty first century, asshole. And it'll be the last one if you don't tell me where Yhwhwa is. That asshole knows more about this prophecy than he's letting on and I'm done playing his protection game. I already know how to get rid of the Shifter," I added, making Zaph blink and eye me warily, "I just need the right shades." Zaph scowled.

"Shades?"

"Time is running out, Zaph," I added, dropping my smirk and teasing tone to get down to business, "If I don't figure out how to do this right, it won't matter if you're protecting him. Nothing and nobody will matter. That human you so desperately loved will no longer exist." Even though millenia had passed since Zaph had been forced to abandon said human, that human had been reincarnated several times. And I wasn't an idiot. Zaph wasn't going to stop watching the one that got away.

Zaph said nothing for the longest time.

"Where is Riyad by the way? Oh, wait, he goes by Benny now, doesn't he?" I asked. The name was loud and clear in Zaph's mind. The archangel had no way of blocking that from me. Nor the raw pain coursing through his veins. It was almost enough to make someone feel sorry for him, but then, it was Zaph's fault he chose laws over love. The reason his relationship with Riyad failed was because of him and him alone. The reason why Riyad's soul would never rest was because of him, and he knew that too.

"Do not sully his name," Zaph said through clenched teeth.

"Then tell me where Yhwhwa is. Because if we don't stop this Shifter, nothing will matter. You'll just be fucking Riyad over even more," I added. Zaph ground his teeth together so hard it was a miracle they didn't shatter. Quite a sight to see the archangel infamous for his loyalty and his strictness crumbling under the pressure of his duty and his affections. Normally, I would've stuck around to keep poking and prodding at him until he fell into a million pieces on the floor, but I was running out of time. The Shifter was going to regroup and come after Lucifer, and myself. And while I could handle my own, and had seen Lucifer do it, there were more shadows than there were of us.

Time was running out.

"Tick tock," I growled. Zaph looked like he was physical pain as he pursed his lips tight and cocked his head in discomfort. He put his hands on his hips, looking at the floor before his eyes lifted to mine sharply.

"Prison," he said at last. I stared at him blankly for a moment, then sighed. I flung my hand out and Zaph cursed as he slammed back up against the wall and I caught him by the throat to hold him there now. He choked, clawing at my hand to no avail.

"Look, if you're gonna fuck with me--"

"Not," Zaph made a gross gurgling sound for a moment before seething, "Lying."

"Then maybe you should be more specific," I said, loosening my hold. Zaph's feet hit the ground and his legs wobbled. He coughed harshly, rubbing at his severely bruised throat before he glared at me.

"He's in a human prison," he rasped, making me frown, "Some place in fucking Virginia. He's been jumping to and from the prisons, but the last one he was in was in Virginia in the United States." I scowled at that. What the hell was the hippie fucker doing in a prison?

"I'm really starting to question why anybody worships this guy," I muttered, making Zaph bare his fangs, clearly offended before the angel went into another coughing fit before speaking.

"He's trying to help the humans, you asshole, not because he belongs there. He's there because he's trying to prove Lucifer wrong," he snarled, making me narrow my eyes, "Lucifer was banished because he was the first one to show Yhwhwa he could make mistakes. When Lucifer turned out to be right about the humans, Yhwhwa was devastated. You weren't there when you saw what his own creation was doing. The humans were supposed to be Yhwhwa's whole world. He loved and adored them, until they started killing each other, torturing each other, destroying everything he gave them. Do you have any idea what it's like to watch the ones you love kill themselves?"

I didn't answer that. Didn't want to. I didn't want to admit that for a split second, I actually did fucking know what that was like. I'd spent years watching my siblings fuck each other over. I'd spent years watching my sons suffer by their own actions and the actions of others.

Yeah. It fucking sucked to see everything you'd hoped for fall to pieces.

"What prison?" I asked after a moment. Zaph glared at me for the longest moment, clearly not keen on sharing further information. I felt the heat of my magic pool into my eyes, making them glow so much I actually saw the reflection of the gleam in Zaph's eyes before he answered me.

"Pearson's Correctional Facility."

"Looks like I'm going to have to pay your daddy a visit in prison."