Page 215 of Crimson Promises
“Why do you want it?”
“Do you recall how I told you I was able to sense your birth?”
“Yeah.”
“When I close my eyes, I can tune into all those amongst the various planes that have even an ounce ofaurumwithin them. I?—”
“Aurummeaning angelic power,” I interrupted. My thumbnail dug into my knuckle. So many terms and political systems had been introduced to me over the last few weeks, and I was a history major. Absorbing information was second nature to me, but even I felt I had hit my limit. I couldn’t keep my head on straight. “What doesaurumlook like?” My curiosity took over any rational thoughts.
Lucifer raised his chin to explain. “I imagine it would look like when you’re back home on earth, gazing at the night sky—tiny dots of lights and stars in the distance. But instead, each star or ball of light represents a being with angelic power flowing through them. If I focus on one flicker of light, I can zoom in to sense who they are, where they live, and their heritage and identity.”
Ben sucked in a breath.
“Yes, Bennett. That was how I was always able to find you. Even after all those years, you thought you had managed to fall off the Original’s radar, and that may be true. But when the relevant players entered the game, I was able to find you in a matter of seconds. Angels that survived the fall that had fought, Ordinaries like you, with the Crimson Promises, their signature has golden light tinged with scarlet. No matter where you try and run, Bennett Caelum, I will always find you.” Lucifer’s voice was laced with command.
I couldn't help but feel a twinge of desire stir within me, a response to the power he emanated. It was a dangerous allure—one I knew I shouldn't entertain. Yet, there was an undeniable attraction in the way he took control, in the sheer force of his presence.
“I think you can cool it with the constant reminders of your ability to pull my strings and me having to dance at a moment’s notice.” Bennett pulled at his hair.
“I think not. It does bring me great joy to continue to bring your suffering.”
“What does this have to do with the Vision Relic?” I cut in. I was beginning to feel like a parrot, repeating the same question. The two couldn’t pass up the chance to engage in a pissing contest each time. A kissing contest would be much more entertaining to see them release all that pent-up anger and aggression.
“As I said, Little Star, I can typically see all those withaurum. Chamuel’s vision relic will amplify what I already see. How to best describe this?” He tapped his chin. “It is as I see all of the connections within my mind, but by wielding the relic, it adds another layer—a filter on top to enhance the image. Not only will I be able to see those withaurum, but I will be able to see the connections between them all.”
He blew a stray piece of sunshine-colored hair out of his eye.
“Chamuel, the fool he is, embedded the relic with enough of hisaurumthat it will reveal if any otherdimidiums, like you, have been hidden from me. Though I suspect none would have the level of power you do, it is always best to be sure. I refuse to go into this war not having every possible angle covered. Failure is not an option.”
My face paled.Others like me.
“You see, with all those revealed to me and their connections amplified, I will finally be able to locate the army that God and the rest of the Originals have hidden from me, and with your help, Aurora, we will get them to rise again.”
Fear prickled the nape of my neck, spreading throughout the rest of my body. When he made comments like those, I could not recognize the Lucifer I thought I knew. The Devil reminded me that, at his core, I was to be an accomplice for him alongside his war crimes. Whatever care he showed for me was because he wanted me to be agreeable and pliant. I was a tool, a key for his centuries-long quest for revenge. Any feelings we had for the other were surface-level desires. It was not a connection born of substance. That’s all it would ever be.
“The Vision Relic will be able to show me bonds and agreements the Originals have made with other angels to protect and defend the empire. I’ll use those bonds and agreements in my favor for leverage. Piece by piece, I will dismantle the army that the Originals created until nothing is left to protect them. I cannot wait to see their faces when they realize, in their own arrogance, they gave me the mechanisms to tumble down their House of Cards.”
“Starting a war will do nothing but cost innocent people their lives,” I stated.
“Sometimes you must sacrifice the few for the greater good of many.”
“Who is the many? You?” I still held the relic clutched in my hand as I leaned forward.
“Me and many other Ordinaries who will benefit once the bloodshed has seized.”
“But of course.” I jeered.
“Aurora, I am not the hero of anyone’s story. I’ve been painted the villain, and I’ll embrace that role repeatedly if that means demolishing a Heaven of the Original’s making. One that is no paradise but an oligarchy of powerful angels lording over their subjects. I need to change it. God has abandoned his people; I will not. And how I intend to begin is with that relic. Hand it over, Aurora. Next time, I will not ask as kindly.”
Curling my hand from the Vision Relic, I placed it in Lucifer’s outstretched palm.Am I doing the right thing?
“Thank you,” he muttered slowly as the pendulum unwound. Silence stretched before us as we all stared in wonder at the relic Chamuel created. One thing was for sure: it was a thing of beauty.
I must have misheard him.
Lucifer cradled the pendulum and headed deeper into the Observatory, whispering a language that was entirely unfamiliar to me.
I scraped a hand through my hair. A yearning for a hot shower had me stifling a groan.
