Really, what else could she do, since this was all actually her fault to begin with. She was technically the one who had cooked the summoning up.
He’d have to remember to thank her later for that.
“I am afraid there has been a grave mismanagement—” began Grandfather, but the dark figure cut him off.
“Oh do shut up, Michael. We are quite aware of the situation. Or do you forget yourself and in whose presence you sit?”
Gabe saw Grandfather’s face, and he, once again, didnotlook pleased.
“I still think you chose the wrong place,” the dark figure stated. “You probably hardly ever get to use your sword upstairs. I told you that you’d have far more occasion to swing that thing around in the underworld. If you weren’t such a prick, I'd ask you if you wanted to switch teams.”
The light figure gave a subtle clearing of the throat, and the dark figure turned toward them with an affectionate look on his face. “Of course I wouldn’t steal any of your people, Yah, but I’m sure he probably gives you about as much trouble as he’s worth. He’s gotten a bit high and mighty as of late. I keep telling you that I could have everyone upstairs in better shape in a few short years. They all take advantage of you, love.”
“Yah?” squeaked Gabe. This couldn’t be… Surely this wasn’t… Az gave him a tight squeeze, and the dark figure directed his attention to Gabe.
“Hmmm,” he said, looking closely at Gabe and then at Az. He squinted his eyes a bit, smirked, and then looked back at Gabe. “Yes, of course, introductions. I’m Lucifer, but you may call me Luce. And that is Yahweh, and you may call them Yah, although never upstairs, as it calls them forth and they’re entirely too overworked as it is.”
Gabe just stared. He was sitting and having tea with god and the devil? And the devil called god ”love”?
What. The. Fuck.
“Luce, it’s lovely to see you. I apologize for the summoning, but as you can see, we had a bit of a problem,” Az stated.
He then turned towards Yahweh and inclined his head. “I apologize, as I had no part in calling you forth, and I am sorry to have involved you in such a trivial quarrel,” he said, shooting a dirty look at Grandfather with the last two words.
Ok, so Grandfather could be kind of a dick sometimes, but he had always been nice to Gabe and his siblings, and he had come around frequently when they were growing up to check in on them. He’d fostered their interests, and Gabe had some pleasant memories of talking about old books and authors with him.
He was still pissed off, but he did logically understand that Grandfather had come in order to try and protect him. He was more angry at his brother for deciding that Grandfather’s interference was necessary in the first place.
“A trivial quarrel?” Yah questioned softly, and Gabe squirmed in his seat. Yah was staring at Az, and they seemed to glow a bit brighter, their voice carrying a hint of thunder and roaring oceans within it.
“Exactly,” said Grandfather smugly. “A demon taking advantage of a human is no trivial matter and requires action.”
Gabe had to resist the urge to go over and whack him across the head.
Grams, however, apparently could not resist the urge, because she reached over anddidsmack him across the back of the head.
“Dammit, woman!” he thundered.
He started to rise, but Yah’s voice cut him off, merely saying, “Michael,” with such power that Gabe practically felt the room shake. Michael stiffly sank back into the chair, and he looked like a sullen kid.
“Perhaps Michaelshouldspend some time in the underworld,” Yah stated coldly, looking over at Luce. “He seems to have forgotten his place.”
Grandfather paled considerably at that. “My lord, I have not—” he began, but Yah again cut him off.
“Do you, for even a moment of time, begin to imagine that I do not knowexactlywhat is occurring? Do you, for even the span of a breath, think that there isanythingthat happensanywherethat I am notfullyaware of? Have you come to doubt my infallibility?” Yah questioned, and even Gabe felt his insides quake with fear in the face of that voice.
Michael slipped out of his chair and fell to his knees, his head bowed. “My lord, I most humbly apologize. I do not doubt your infallibility.”
Yah’s voice softened. “I appreciate that you look after your offspring and seek to be a protector, but you have become overzealous in this situation. Your prejudices color your vision. Rest assured that Gabriel is safe and under no one’s power but his own.” Yah’s voice hardened again as they stated, “Your presence is no longer required. You are dismissed.”
Michael’s head practically touched the floor he bowed so low, and then he spread his wings around himself and was gone.
“He has only gotten more insufferable,” sighed Grams.
Luce chuckled, but Yah merely sighed in what Gabe assumed was agreement.
“Lilith! How are you, my dear? It’s been decades at least!” Luce said, turning his attention to Grams.
