Lucian left Gabriel. He couldn't believe that he was trying to be friends with Gabriel. Lucian let out a frustrated cry. He was tired of all this. He was tired of seeing Gadrial die over, over and over again.
They needed a way to break the contract over her. He was walking towards Gadrial's apartment building, still deep in thought. But if she was not. . .baptised - that means fate was intervening, wasn't it? His phone vibrated, bringing him back to reality, and he took it out of his pocket.
"She is safe. . .Uriel took care of her."
Lucian hissed at Gabriel's text message. "How would he know? Uriel could have been lying to him! I still don't think Uriel is on our side, no matter what Gabriel said."
Lucian, still staring at the text message, began typing his reply. "Are you sure?"
Lucian continued his walk to Gadrial's apartment building. Ever since he felt her soul a few months ago, at club Mystic. Lucian remembered his heart hammering. He had to find her; his soul was crying out, but hers did not cry for his yet. . .
Lucian stood in the shadows near the alleyway. Yes, he could be seen as a stalker, but he would rather be her stalker than not be able to save her at all. Lucian sat down on a dustbin, he saw the apartment door opening, and his face fell - it was not Gadrial.
The door opened for a second time, Uriel came out, and Lucian spat on the ground. He got up from where he was sitting, and he stopped himself. Lucian sniffed the air. Uriel smelled like earth, and he had a light brown glow about him. "So he did go neutral on us."
Lucian saw Uriel stop walking when a taxi went past, stopping a few feet away. Lucian held his breath, the door opened, and Gadrial climbed out. She glared at Uriel, who only dropped his head down the bastard wasn't good at lying anyway. Gadrial walked into the building without giving him a second glance.
Uriel lifted his head, his gaze following her until she wasn't visible anymore. This was Lucian's chance to rattle Uriel a bit. "Uriel! Long time no see."
Uriel was rooted on the spot. His face went completely blank. "Lu...Luc...Lucian?"
Lucian grinned at Uriel's discomfort. It was as if he caught him in a lie, and he walked over to him. "In the flesh, I see you have changed."
Uriel took a step back. "I see you haven't changed at all, Lucian."
"I'll take that as a compliment, Uriel.
"It wasn't meant to be a compliment.
"Oh? Now that hurts my little black heart, so tell me, Uriel. When have you decided to become a neutral bastard?"
"Why do you want to know Lucian?
"What if I told you, you will be able to tip the scale in our favour if you become a fallen."
Uriel turned his back on Lucian. "I am not interested in your speeches."
"Even if it can save Gadrial?" Lucian knew that would stop him in his tracks. Lucian knew of his little crush on her; Moloch told him that Uriel followed her like a lap dog.
Uriel's voice came out like a whisper. "What do you mean?"
Lucian smiled when Uriel turned around, and he got his undivided attention. "Well, you are neutral, and that means you tip the scales."
Uriel looked at him with an emotionless expression. "I know that I am the middle man. . .what is this about Gadrial?"
"My, my, but you are inpatient. We can save her this time, and I know we can. Uriel, we have to change the balance - at the moment, Gadrial is also neutral, is she not?"
Uriel nodded his head slowly. "So you are saying if Gadrial and I joined the fallen, we would tip the scale so far that we may win heaven?"
"Now you understand, this time - it is crucial that we win this battle, Uriel."
Uriel detected the anguish, sincerity and love in his words, and his heart ached; ached that she could never have chosen him. Yes, Gadrial will be Lucian's always.
"Why?"
"I don't know if you heard, but her mortal body was not baptized."
Uriel's hands formed fists. "What!" His voice grew louder, angrier.
"Yes, so this time - if Gadrial dies, she does not come back."
Uriel's body began throbbing. Without meaning to his wings escaped, and they spread wide.
"Calm down, Uriel!"
"Don't you dare tell me to calm the fuck down, Lucian!"
Woah. . .that was the first time he heard Uriel cuss, and Lucian liked it. "As I was saying, we can save her this time."
"I don't believe you! What if we can't?"
"What do you suggest then, Uriel?"
"We get her baptized!" Uriel's anger escalated, and he opened his hand, closing it.
Lucian took a step forward-looking, Uriel in the eye. "If we get her baptized, everything starts from the beginning! We can not do that! If this is the only way out of the contract you enforced."
Uriel's eyes snapped at Lucian at those words. "What I enforced on her?! You think I have enforced it out of my will?"
Uriel took a step back from Lucian. "I had no free will when the Creator said I should seal her fate."
"You could have stopped it."
"And what, Lucian?! To get damned by the Creator after you defied everything?! Do not tell me I had a choice!!!"
"Then why, after all these years, are you neutral?"
"Because I found my free will!" Uriel took flight and flew off.
Lucian stood there, that was not how he planned this conversation, and he sighed inwardly. "It seems I have a hard time letting go of the past."
He turned towards the apartment building, so how should he do this? Say he was looking for a friend? Uriel stayed here. He grinned, perfect.
Christine was busy making lunch, she got herself the morning newspaper to look for a new job, seeing she quit her last one, she got angry all over again.
She opened the cabinet, throwing herself a glass of wine, and her doorbell rung. "Coming!" I do hope it isn't Uriel, she muttered under her breath.
Christine opened her door, her eyes showing her slight shock. "Lucian?"
Lucian smiled innocently at her. "Miss Parkins, I didn't know you lived here."
"I... uhm, can I help you?"
"I was looking for my friend, and he said he lived here, but I can only remember the floor, not the number, so I pressed the doorbell."
Christine leaned against the door. "So you rang the first bell - in hope. . .someone can tell you where he lives?"
"Yes, you are extremely observing."
Christine blushed. "No, just logical. So what is your friend's name?"
"Oh, his name is Uriel."
Christine went quiet at Uriel's name. "He lives there- she pointed past his head to the door opposite hers- " he isn't there, though."
Lucian turned his head to see where she was pointing. "That is too bad - I guess I'll drop by some other time."
Christine bit her lip - maybe she should invite him in?
"I'll see you around, Miss Parkins." Lucian turned to leave.
Christine grabbed his arm. "Would you like some wine?"
Lucian raised his eyebrow, turning back. "If I am not mistaken, Miss Parkins, I would say you want to get me drunk."
Christine averted her gaze. "I... Actually, I am busy having lunch, and it is just so lonely."
Lucian placed his finger on her lips when Christine turned her gaze back. Lucian's face was so close their noses were almost touching.
"Are you inviting me to lunch then?" Lucian didn't move his finger from her lips.
Christine's heart was thundering in her chest. "What if I am?"
"Then I will have to abide by your invite, Miss Parkins."
Christine couldn't think straight. The way he said, Miss Parkins was making her weak in the knees. "Then I guess you'd have to come in."
Lucian removed his finger from her lips, their faces only a few millimetres apart. "Lead the way, Miss Parkins."