The air in the torture chamber was heavy and filled with the unmistakable scent of blood, pain, and fear, which formed a delectable perfume for Lucifer, who casually strolled across the floor. His footsteps echoed off the dark stone walls of the dimly lit room. He stopped at a long table filled with all manners of tools. Lucifer pointlessly wiped his blood-soaked hands off with an already crimson-stained rag. The bandage on his left hand was stained almost as red as his eyes. He always allowed his demon half to partake in this part of his life. The truth was that half loved this work, but Lucifer had to control himself because it would be very easy to take things too far.
"Okay, let me make sure I understand. You, Tarnelias, illegally bought a Kashiea sprout, grew it to maturity, harvested its petals and seeds, then planted many more. Twelve, in total, that we found, along with two dozen bottles of poison rendered from the mature flower. I am correct so far, aren't I?" Lucifer asked, grabbing a curved tool meant to be forced under the fingernails and turning back to the bleeding and weeping man tied down to a chair. His clothes were torn to shreds, and his body was covered in blood. However, most of the wounds weren't deep or life-threatening; he wanted information, not a corpse.
"Yes, Milord! Yes! My business was failing. I had to do something," He groaned, his bloody head hung low, looking at the floor.
"All the Blackmarket things you could have turned to, and you chose poison? Not just any poison but the notoriously difficult-to-trace and almost always deadly, Kashiea blossom. A Foolish decision, especially since one of your vials of poison found its way into my castle," Lucifer informed casually, "Now." He continued taking a deep breath and moving towards the bound man, "What I need to know is how did that happen, Tarnelias? You see my concern, don't you? That poison could make my father and me very ill, but others it would easily kill. Like my wife. After all, she's only human." Lucifer informed, twirling the instrument between his fingers.
The man suddenly looked up and started shaking his head furiously as panic permeated the room, "Please! I didn't know. I swear I didn't know!" He cried as Lucifer closed the gap with a few long strides and grabbed the man's face.
"Didn't know what?" He demanded, holding the small silver torture devise dangerously close to the man's eye.
"A man in a cloak," He choked, eyeing the weapon, terror soaking the air around him, "they almost always hide their faces. He asked if my poison worked on humans. I don't know if it does, but I told him yes. He, he bought three vials."
Lucifer dropped the tool and grabbed his throat as rage rushed through his body, "When?"
"F..few weeks ago, Young Lord." He choked out.
"More specific." He growled.
"Two, m...maybe three!"
"Can you tell me anything else about this cloaked man?" Lucifer demanded, loosening his grip but not completely letting go. Tarnelias whined, shaking his head, "Then you are of no more use to me. Choose now and die quickly, or rot in the chambers."
'Let me kill him!' The strong voice in Lucifer's mind demanded as his hand tightened around Tarnelias's throat again.
"Please, Young Lord! Have mercy." He croaked, thrashing in Lucifer's grasp.
"Mercy? How many of my people did you help kill? How many lives did you help end? I have no mercy for you. Choose." Lucifer hissed.
'So let me kill him! Why are you giving the fucker an option?'
"Give me a chance of redemption," He whimpered, "Let me live! Please, Milord! I'll prove myself, I swear!" He begged.
"Do I look like God to you? Hate to tell you, but you're in the wrong place for redemption." Lucifer forced himself to let go of the pathetic man's throat, "I'll let you live...well, I wouldn't call it living. I'll tell the suns you said goodbye."
He snapped his fingers, and the man was taken screaming from the room.
'You asshole!' Rang through his head like a stabbing headache, 'Why? Why couldn't I kill him?'
"Because he doesn't deserve a quick death." Lucifer mistakenly answered aloud.
"Milord?" Questioned one of the demons still in the room.
"Search his shop, his home, and any other property. If you don't find anything, search again. He had to have kept a list! What idiot wouldn't keep a list!" Lucifer ordered the demon while trying to ignore the plethora of curses echoing through his mind, "Also, wife, children, and work associates, any associates at all, I want brought in for questioning. They are not to be harmed unless they resist."
The demon bowed and quickly took off. However, Lucifer knew deep down the guy was an idiot and most likely didn't have a list. He scowled.
'... a pathetic useless excuse for a demon! No wonder mother hated us! It was because of you, you disgraceful coward, and you wonder why our wife won't fuck,'
"Oh, shut up!" Lucifer yelled at himself in the now empty room forcing his demon side into quiet submission, which took much more effort than he liked. He knew that side of him was fighting him more, and it seemed he was getting stronger. Pushing that thought out of his head; he brought his focus back to the present problem.
A demon brought the poison into the castle and tried to convince one of the servants to hide it in a specific spot. She agreed and took the poison, but fortunately, the young girl was smart enough to take the vial to Vassal instead, who immediately turned it over to his father. He tortured the demon for days till he spilled everything he knew, which included the shop owner. Though he didn't procure this particular vial, he did recognize the glass bottle and where it came from. This vial was given to him by a cloaked man with instructions and a healthy bribe. Lucifer left the dark and gloomy room and headed back up into the castle. He needed a shower and a drink. This was one damned day for sure, but at least it was almost over—a bit of paperwork, a trip to Angelique's to hopefully calm his other half, and bed. Angelique, he scowled at the thought of her. He would have to punish her tonight for her disrespect and disregard of his warning to behave herself. Speaking of disregard, his Baby Girl had been right about how she would pull something. Lucifer wondered if he would ever be able to go a damn week without having to apologize to that woman for his own foolishness,
"Well?" His father's voice startled him as he snapped back, "I see he took some convincing." He said, looking Lucifer over. Lucifer had been so focused on his thoughts that he hadn't even realized he was already passing the throne room.
"As per usual, but a bit of creativity opened him right up," Lucifer explained, then proceeded to give his father a quick review of everything he learned and the actions he took.
"Hum," His father's brows knitted together as he tapped his chin, "So you think this mysterious stranger is after Kathrine Ann?"
"Seems to be. He asked specifically about humans," Lucifer replied, ready for his father to leave him be so he could go shower. The blood was starting to dry on his skin and making him itchy.
"Could have been after a half-human. We have a few in the Cities." His father suggested.
"Possibly, but it seems too coincidental. The demon who brought the poison into the castle also interacted with a cloaked man. Regardless, we know whoever bought the poison bought it from Tarnelis, and if it is, in fact, this cloaked stranger, he has two more vials." Lucifer replied.
"Stay on top of it, Louie. I wouldn't want anything to happen to your new bride." His father instructed, crossing his arms, "How was my brother today? Excited as ever to see you, I'm guessing?" He inquired, changing the subject with a chuckle.
"Please, father," Lucifer moaned, "I've had a very long day, and all I want right now is a nice hot shower to wash the idiotic shopkeeper's blood off of me."
"Oh, fine, go on then." He shooed, "Oh, no luck in the woods. I sent my best men Louie and couldn't find a trace of anyone but you two."
"Figured that," He grumbled, "knew it couldn't be that easy." And with that, Lucifer didn't waste another second retreating to his room, the whole way unable to shake the gut feeling the mysterious presence in the woods and the poison in his palace were related.
~~~
Feeling quite a bit better after the hot shower, Lucifer walked toward his study. His blood-stained white shirt traded for a maroon V-neck and a pair of well-fitted black pants. His black hair was combed back, still a bit damp, but a few dry locks fell around his face. As he approached the room, he could hear a soft humming floating through the slightly ajar door. Quietly walking in, he spotted his Baby Girl sitting at their shared desk with her back to the door, humming and writing. The sweet smell of contentment carried around the room with her adorable hums. Lucifer crossed the room unnoticed and looked over her shoulder, glancing at what she was working on. A smile formed on his lips. It was a child's spelling workbook. Currently, she is drawing lines from words to their matching pictures,
"Baby Girl," He started but was interrupted by a sharp yelp and a burst of fear and panic, "I don't believe this was the assignment I left you." He chucked as she held her hand to her chest, breathing heavily.
"Please, please don't make a habit of this." She puffed, "Azazel's constant venture to scare the soul out of me is barely bearable. I don't think I can deal with you aiding her attempts." She closed the workbook and patted a stack of papers at the edge of the desk, "I finished your assignment a bit ago, figured I'd work on my Hellish till you got here."
She explained as Lucifer reached over and picked up the top few pages for examination. He shuffled through them and gave a quick skim. Neat, organized, and a bit more detailed than needed, but he liked it.
"Very good, Baby Girl." He smiled, patting her head to receive a bit of annoyance from her.
He picked up the stack of papers and walked around the desk where he stored them in one of the drawers before reaching for the bottom one next.
"So, did you get what you needed from your guest?" She asked as he pulled out a decanter and two glasses.
"Yes, but, sadly, not the news I wanted. It seems the issue is a lot," He paused as he poured two glasses while pondering his wording, "more complicated than I predicted."
"Oh? What's wrong?" She asked as her curiosity peeked.
Lucifer slid her a glass leaving the decanter on the desk, "Sorry, Baby Girl, but the details are not for you to hear." Her shoulders slumped a bit, but she didn't push the subject, "How was the rest of your card game?" He asked, taking a well-earned pull from his drink.
"Fine." She quickly answered that bit of annoyance he sensed earlier, reemerging. Part of him wanted to pull the truth from her, but the other part, the mentally drained part, refused. She was a big girl and could handle her feelings. He didn't need to solve all her problems.
"Good. I trust the ladies treated you with the respect you are entitled to?" He questioned, immediately regretting it as the words left his mouth.
"Yes, for the most part, that is, but you resolved the one issue," She smiled. There was something else. He could tell, "Thank you for that, by the way."
"No one criticizes my wife on her origins but me." He smirked as she gave a slight shake of her head before sipping her drink, "You may go if you like. I have nothing else for you to do today." He offered as he pulled out his computer, "I have a bit of work to do before dinner."
"Is it okay if I stay for a bit? I find it easier to focus here than in our room." She asked, pulling her workbook towards her.
"Fine with me." He shrugged, turning his focus to the computer screen.
She mouthed thanks and opened her workbook to the next lesson as a cute little expression of determination appeared on her face.