The Angel of Death looked at the pitiful mess on the floor. He had to keep himself from gagging. This sentimentality was nauseating. When the slaves tried to take Lucrezia's body away, Borgia had hollered in rage, making them back away in terror. The man had been clutching his sister for over an hour now, not allowing anyone to touch her. It was pathetic.
Part of Samael wished the Bastard had drunk from the poison as well, so he wouldn't have to deal with a brokenhearted demon. But Borgia's death would have put a kink in the plan. He still had to play his part. And with the stupid witch losing the baby, that part just got bigger. Samael only had to push Borgia in the right direction, which wouldn't be difficult to arrange.
Borgia finally noticed the Angel of Death was in the room. Samael put on the mask he had perfected over the centuries to hide his disgust toward him.

"Bring her back," pleaded Borgia. "Bring her back to me, please!"

"I can't. I don't have that kind of power."

"Liar! You're the Angel of Death! If you can't do this, then what the fuck good are you?"

Samael pressed his lips together. He had to remind himself that this man was 'hurting'. Diplomacy was in order. He turned his back on Borgia and sighed.

"It is unfortunate we lost the baby. That little girl would have solved everything."

"What baby?"

Samael glanced over his shoulder to meet Borgia's confused look. "Joan and Gabriël's child. You know, the one conceived in the Vale. Her powers would have been... Well, it doesn't matter anymore."

Samael paused. He could hear the wheels in Borgia's mind slowly turning. That must hurt.

"If you had the girl's powers... could you bring her back?" asked Borgia. "Could you bring Lucrezia back then?"

"With such a being at our disposal, who knows what we can do with those powers?"

Borgia looked down at his sister's face and caressed her cheek with his thumb, smearing blood over her ashen skin. He carefully gathered her up in his arms and carried her to the bed, placing her lovingly onto the sheets. He kissed the sleeping beauty's lips, whispering something inaudibly. 

"Where is the child now?" he asked then, his voice lacking all emotion.

"We don't know. Lucifer discovered I had another plan in motion. He attacked us at Pergamum and took the baby. The Fallen Angel was so devastated that she died from shock."

"Joan of Arc is dead?" Borgia's head jerked back toward Samael.

"She is."

The corners of Borgia's mouth curled up in a grin. "I'll happily ensure Gabriël joins his slut, then."

"Gabriël isn't our most immediate problem," said Samael. "Lucifer is. We're searching for him, but he covered his tracks well. Even the Hellhounds have trouble locating him. I tried using the Alpha, but the bitch won't yield to my command. And I'm reluctant to kill her. She was an angel before she became a beast; she may yet prove useful to me."

"What about the others who gained Lucifer's trust?" inquired Borgia. "Those carrying the amulet? Surely you or Bathory can find him through that? She has one herself, as I recall."

"Believe me, we've tried. The amulets are useless to us. The power within obeys Lucifer and Lucifer alone. So do his followers, either out of fear or some misplaced loyalty. We are certain that one knows where he is, but no one will..."

Samael fell silent, making sure Borgia saw him look intently at the crystal goblet he had purposefully walked over to. He bent down to pick it up, pretending to examine it.

"This isn't yours, is it?"

"No, the goblets came with the wine," said Borgia. "Why do you ask?"

"I've seen this goblet before. In Lucifer's private chambers."

Borgia's eye widened. "You're not suggesting he had anything to do with this?!"

"No, I don't believe the Devil ordered your sister's death. I doubt he even knew she was here." Samael drew nearer to the Borgia Bastard, keeping his voice low. "However, these goblets could have only been taken by someone who held Lucifer's trust and had access to his private things. Someone who may have had their own reasons for wanting sweet Lucrezia killed."

The wheels were turning again. And then...

"That fucking harlot!" exclaimed Borgia, eyes wide and nostrils flaring.

"You know who it is?" Samael asked with pretend curiosity.

"I do."

Borgia reached for his sword and made for the door, but Samael grabbed his arm.

"Wait!" he said. "I understand your desire to kill this person. But they may be our only hope of finding Lucifer and that baby. If you want me to try to get Lucrezia back, you need to make them talk first."

"Try to get her back?" Borgia was seething. "You will get her back!"

"I can make no promises. Even if I can collect the child's powers, there is no guarantee. Lucrezia would need an anchor, something her soul can hold on to."

"I will be her anchor!"

"That would kill you. Your body isn't strong enough to hold her soul as well as your own."

"I'll get stronger then! I'll do whatever I must to get my Lucrezia back! Anything at all!"

The Angel of Death narrowed his eyes.

"Anything?"

***

Katheryn knew something was wrong the moment she heard the screams. A horrifying blood-curdling sound, different from what was heard in the Circles every minute of every day. These screams weren't of physical pain. They were the screams uttered by someone who had a dearly beloved ripped away. She remembered screaming like that once.
Then the quiet returned. Eerie quiet. Katheryn wanted to know what had happened, but didn't dare leave her room. She waited for someone, anyone at all, to come to her. After what seemed like an eternity, her door finally opened. She gasped when she saw Cesare on the threshold. A white eye glared at her from the socket which had been empty mere hours ago.

"Cesare," she whispered his name, fearful. "Are you all right? Did... something happen?"

"No," he spoke with a deep voice. "Nothing you need to concern yourself about, anyway."

"I heard a scream."

He closed the door. A sudden uneasiness washed over Katheryn. Why did it feel like she was in the presence of her executioner again?

"I need your help, Kitty," he said.

"Oh... Of course."

"The Angel of Death and Bathory have taken over the Circles. They are hunting down the Devil as we speak. I must get to him first. I must help him reclaim the Circles before our home is destroyed."

A chill ran over Katheryn's spine as he approached. Why was there blood sticking to his shirt? Was he hurt? If he was, he did not seem in pain. 
Cesare cupped her face with one hand. She shivered at his icy touch.

"I know Lucifer trusted you, Kitty," he said. "I know he sent you to me. Did he ever speak to you about a sanctuary? Somewhere in the Mortal Realm, perhaps?"

Katheryn hesitated, trying to read the intent in his eyes. She didn't like how cold they appeared. Then they softened. Cesare lowered himself and kissed her. His lips were so warm.

"He... might have gone to Ireland," said Katheryn as she drew back a little. "A place in the Dublin Mountains, called the Hell-Fire Club. It's in ruins now, but he can restore it to what it once was."

"Are you sure?" asked Cesare. "Think carefully, Kitty; there is much at stake here."

"Yes, I'm sure. He took me there once. There was a party. He let me keep the gown I wore then."

"He let you keep more than that, I would say."

He reached behind her and picked up a crystal goblet from the table, holding it between them. She stared at it. What was Lucifer's goblet doing in her room?

"A valuable gift... for a valuable spy."

Katheryn froze at the change in Cesare's voice. It was as if something unholy possessed him. His hold on her tightened.

"I just need to know one more thing," he said. "Did he order it? Or could you not deal with the fact that Lucrezia was a hundred times the woman you could ever be?"

"Cesare, please," she pleaded. "Whatever you think I did, I promise, I —"

"I don't think, you fucking whore. I know."

The crystal goblet in his hand shattered against the side of Katheryn's face. She screamed as shards pierced her flesh. Cesare threw her hard on the floor. Warm blood flowed from her jaw and down her chin. Katheryn's fingers trembled as she tried to pry the glass away. She froze, wide-eyed, as Cesare's figure then loomed over her.

"You took her from me. But I'll have my Lucrezia back. Nothing will stop me from having her in my arms again. You'll see. You'll have the perfect view... mounted on my wall."

Katheryn scrambled up and ran to the door. But before she could open it, she was grabbed by her shoulder and forcefully turned around and slammed against the door. She expected to see Cesare, but he hadn't moved from where he stood.
Pain suddenly pierced her as pins shot from the door, drilling through her body. Katheryn cried out. Tears mixed with blood. She raised her head, trying once more to plead with the man she had grown to love. But he was no longer that man. He was no longer that demon, even. He had evolved into something worse. Something darker.
Cesare drew his sword and held it out before him. He let go. The double-edged blade shimmered dangerously, floating in mid-air. And then, in a single flash, before Katheryn could even scream, the sword whirled toward her, cutting through flesh and bone, embedding itself in the wooden door.

It was said when someone lost their head, they remained conscious for several seconds after. When Katheryn Howard lost her head the first time, her mind was at peace since she believed she would be reunited with her beloved Tom Culpepper. But when she lost her head the second time, her mind was far from peaceful. The last thing she saw was the monster who had killed her stalking toward her... and the black feather beneath the table, covered in broken crystal.

***

Eternal night descended upon the Mortal Realm. But there were no stars and no moon, only darkness and deafening silence. The waters stopped flowing. The winds stopped blowing. Animals hid, sensing the terrible devastation that would soon sweep through the ocean, land, and sky. Humans tried to make sense of the strange occurrences that terrorised their world, but the powers at play were bigger than any mere mortal could comprehend.
With a wave of his hand, Lucifer made the window disappear. He didn't want to expose Margaret to what was going on outside. As soon as she finished checking the baby, he would open a portal from within his illusion of the Hell-Fire Club so Margaret could deliver her to the Vale. And once that was done...

"She's hurt."

Lucifer turned to his wife when she spoke. Margaret was cleaning the baby in a little basin near the fireplace to keep her warm and showed Lucifer a cut on the girl's cheek.

"It keeps bleeding. It must have happened when... when..."

"Here, use this," said Lucifer hastily, not wanting her to mention Joan.

He walked to the cupboard and took the same ointment he had used to treat Gabriël's wounds. He passed it to Margaret, who delicately applied the balm on the baby's cheek. The girl fussed but didn't cry. Margaret then swaddled the baby in fresh linen. Her hands moved quickly and expertly. When she was done, she picked the little girl up and looked around the room.

"We need to feed her. Is there any —?"

Lucifer conjured a bottle of milk before she could ask for it. He held it out to her, but she didn't take it. Instead, she tilted her head, regarding him closely and said, "You do it."

"Wha—me? No, Marina, I-I can't," stammered Lucifer, perplexed that she would even suggest it. "You're better at this than me. I-I couldn't possibly —"

But Margaret had already placed the baby in Lucifer's arms. She helped him put the bottle in the infant's mouth and smiled when the child drank from it.

"See? She knows what to do. All you have to do is hold her and keep the bottle steady."

Lucifer stood paralysed, watching the little girl in his arms. He felt the strangest sensation wash over him then. A warm fuzziness.

You're not even my own flesh and blood, and still... What I wouldn't do to keep you safe.

"I thought newborns were smaller," he murmured, not wanting to disturb the baby.

"They are. I suppose we shouldn't be surprised that she would also age more rapidly outside the womb. She's not a human baby, after all."

Her words reminded Lucifer of what they were to do next.

"You'll need to take her up right away," he said. "She needs to be with Gabriël and the other Archangels. They can keep her safe."

"You're not coming with me?"

Lucifer met her hopeful gaze. "I can't; I'm... tainted. And even if I somehow don't catch fire the moment I set foot in the Heavens, I highly doubt they will allow the Devil to enter the Vale."

Margaret nodded in understanding. Lucifer put the empty bottle on the table and handed the baby back to her.

"It might be better if you stayed up there," he said. "Just for a while, until —"

"No, I'm coming straight back to you. Michael said he wouldn't stop me. I trust he'll keep his word."

"Marina..."

"I'm coming back, Lucifer. So you better wait for me because I won't let you go after our boy alone."

Lucifer looked at the determination in his wife's eyes and listened to her unyielding voice. There was no going against such fierce tenacity. He bent his head to kiss her and then stepped away. But just as Lucifer was about to open the portal to the Vale, his breath choked. His heart clenched. He dropped to his knees.
Margaret screamed his name, but her voice was miles away. All of a sudden, Lucifer was thrown back by a gust of wind. He smacked against the wall, and the illusion of the hunting lodge in all its glory broke. He shook the numbing feeling that threatened to cloud his mind and managed to stay conscious.
When he tried to get up, Lucifer was forced back to the ground. The foul stench of death and decay hit him first. Three pairs of homicidal red eyes leered at Lucifer. He felt their weight, their paws with razor-sharp claws and craggy, tangled fur as they pinned their former master to the ground. Then, Lucifer saw him — the son conceived in love but born of jealousy, hatred, and darkness. A black-winged being, neither demon nor angel, but something new. Something... elusive.

"Well, well. Look at us, all together again," said Samael airily. "One big happy family."

"Samael, please, let him go." Margaret's voice trembled as she appealed to him.

"I'm afraid I can't do that. Wouldn't want dear old dad to try something stupid now, would we?"

He snapped his fingers, and one of the Hellhounds scratched open Lucifer's leg. He grunted in pain but would not give Samael the satisfaction of hearing him scream.

"He is your father! Don't do this!"

"That means nothing to me." Samael turned to his mother. "We share blood, but no more. Now, because of that blood, I will grant you both one last way out of this. If you give me the child, you may live here for the rest of your days. I promise this one part of the Mortal Realm will remain unspoiled for you."

"I am not letting you take this baby, Samael." Margaret held the baby closer to her, and Lucifer saw his son's expression darken.

"Last chance," Samael warned. "Hand over that baby, or watch Lucifer die. I'll pry her out of your own dead hands afterwards."

Margaret gasped in horror. "You wouldn't!"

Samael snapped his fingers again, and the Hellhound nearest to Lucifer's face struck him with his paw, slicing Lucifer's cheek open. At the smell of fresh blood, the beasts grew even more restless. They were close to ripping their prey apart. But when an animal, even one from Hell, grows restless, it moves about. Lucifer felt their weight shifting and found his right arm was free from them.

"Samael, please." Lucifer looked up at heard Margaret's pleading voice. Her emerald eyes were fixed on their son's face. "Don't cross this line. Don't become the villain they all believe you to be. You have done nothing you can't come back from. Please, Samael, my darling boy, let us help you. Let us save you."

Mother and son locked eyes, speaking unspoken words. Lucifer held his breath when Samael finally moved toward Margaret. He put an auburn curl behind her ear and rubbed a tear away with his thumb. Margaret smiled weakly at him.
In that moment, Lucifer saw a boy who longed for his mother's approval. He saw the scars fade, revealing the handsome young man Samael truly was, every bit his mother, with a trait of his father here and there. He saw the part Samael had pushed down for so long, finally breaking through the shield he had cast around himself. 
But... that boy, and that young man, had already lost their fight against the darkness.

"I don't want to be saved."

Death's skeleton hand appeared between Samael and his mother. Margaret gave a choked gasp as the bones fell against her belly.

"NO, MARINA!" Lucifer's fingers closed around the paw of the Hellhound closest to him and shouted, "In Dei nomine, ego voco super Ignem Caeli!"

The spark ignited and spread rapidly, fuelled by Lucifer's rage. The beast from Hell howled and thrashed around to escape the intense blue and white flames. It collided against the other two Hellhounds; their roaring wails filled the space. Heaven's Fire consumed them utterly until nothing was left but smouldering carcasses.
Lucifer scrambled to his feet, but something kept him from moving. He stood frozen, held back by an invisible force. He fought against it, trying to break free from the spell with all his might, but there was nothing he could do. Nothing but watch as the woman he loved fell to the ground, the baby in her arms swiftly caught by the Angel of Death.
Samael glanced back at his father. There was no emotion in his expression. No victory, no sadness, no guilt... Nothing at all. He was empty. Heartless. Soulless.

"Do give my regards to Michael and Gabriël. They're next."

A portal opened, and Samael stepped through, taking the baby with him. The force holding Lucifer back should have released — it didn't. 
Margaret's breath was no more than a wheeze. Her skin turned sickly pale until it was almost grey. Her hair became white. Dull eyes, all colour drained from them, searched for Lucifer. Her faint smile upon finding him shattered his heart. A trembling hand reached for him.

"M-My Morning... Star. S-Save him."

The hold on Lucifer's body broke. As Margaret crumbled to ashes, her smile still on her lips, so too fell Lucifer in the ashes of his despair. He had been consumed by revenge. He had played the game. And he had lost it all. Again.

***

The Gates were in chaos. The few souls that weren't reaped by the Four Horsemen were left to fend for themselves since the Angel of Death had forsaken his duty. Those that made it to the Vale were immediately brought before Peter. Those that didn't were lost between life and death or taken to the Circles by force. And the harrowing threat of that pit grew with every minute.
Michael tripled the sentries at the Gates after several demons attacked. Most were disembodied spectres; one or two were warriors of flesh and blood. But one thing was certain — they had all been sent by the new rulers of the Circles.

Everything that had been forgotten about Lilith was now of the utmost import. The words 'hell hath no fury like a woman scorned' never rang more true. Lilith was determined to make all who had ever stood against her pay. Her swift removal of the Devil proved she would stop at nothing. And with the Angel of Death at her side, nothing could.
But they hadn't won the war yet. In their rise to power, Lilith and Samael had made a grievous mistake. They made an enemy of the man who had nothing more to lose but everything to gain.
Michael put himself between Gabriël and the door before he could do something stupid. Gabriël glared at him, but Michael refused to move aside.

"Get out of my way," ordered Gabriël.

"No, I am not letting you go. Lucifer and Margaret —"

"You're not seriously expecting me to trust Lucifer, do you? How could you even allow him to leave after what he did to you?"

"He knows Lilith and Samael better than any of us! If anyone can get Eve —"

"Stop calling her Eve! That's not... That's not her..." Gabriël's voice broke. He leaned on the table, his head hung low. "Her name is Ariëlle. Joan told me before she..."

He pressed his lips together, and Michael put his hand on Gabriël's shoulder. If he could bear the pain and sorrow for him, he wouldn't hesitate to do so.

"I understand you want to go," he said. "I understand you want to make those monsters pay for Joan's death. But we have to be smart about this. Lilith and Samael will have prepared the Circles against another attack. And I would not put it past them to harm your daughter at the slightest hint of trouble. They need her powers, which they can extract from her dead body if they must. The risk is too great to take."

"Michael, the longer she stays with them —"

"I know. But please trust me in this, Gabriël. Besides, we have to speak with Tepes before we go; he will tell us what we can expect to find down there."

Blue eyes met his as Gabriël raised his head. Michael chuckled softly at his friend's quirked brows.

"You did not think I would let you go alone, did you?"

"I can't ask you to do that." Gabriël grabbed Michael's wrist. "You're the Lord Protector. They need you here."

"I gave up that title, remember? The Vale has managed without me for so long now, so what are a few more hours? Finding E—Ariëlle is more pressing. Besides, I would rather fight and die with you alone at my side than on a glorious battlefield amidst thousands of angels and demons."

Gabriël smiled weakly. Michael felt his pulse quicken at the beautiful frailty he saw in Gabriël's face. The grip on his wrist shifted a bit. When the pair of shimmering lapis lazuli looked at him in wonderment again, Michael realised Gabriël must have felt his pulse change.

"Michael, I —"

"You do not have to say anything. I have already accepted that your heart never belonged to me. I have no right to ask it of you. So I rather keep and hold you close as my friend before I lose another lover."

Gabriël stared at him. A faint blush coloured his cheeks. He cleared his throat.

"You, um... never told me when your feelings for me changed."

"Honestly, I am not sure," said Michael. "One day, I just saw you differently."

"You should've told me."

"No, Gabriël. We were never meant to be more than what we are. But... thank you for considering the idea of us."

Suddenly, Michael heard hurried footsteps echo through the Villa. He quickly let go of Gabriël and they both walked to the stairs, surprised to see the Keeper of the Pearly Gates appear below.

"Peter?" Michael furrowed his brow at the old man. "What are you doing here? What happened?"

"Michael, Gabriël, it's... it's unbelievable! He's here! Lucifer is in the Vale!"