The dusk settled, and Ravenna waited. Edward promised to come back for her, to bring her back to Michael. The hardest part of waiting was not knowing when he would come back, and after her visit with Teresa, the demon was not coming back soon enough.
She could not sit, she could not relax. She paced the length of her home, from the infirmary to the kitchen to her bedchamber, back along the same path. The look on Michael's face as she told him to leave was ingrained in her mind; the realization that he had broken her trust, her boundaries, her heart. –But Teresa told me he was just trying to express his love…and that it wasn't his decision to push me too far, it was the powers that overwhelmed him.–
Ravenna wondered if Lucifer had helped Michael with his powers yet, and then scoffed at the idea; it hadn't been a full day since she had told him to leave, there was no way that he had been able to fully control such overwhelming abilities in such little time. Hope was one thing, but realism was more important. She still hoped he would come back, to be himself, but she had to be realistic that it would take some time.
After she felt like she had taken a million steps, a pair of black and red clouds announced the arrival of the men she had been waiting for. Lucifer grinned widely at her, his arms held open.
"Darling, it's been too long."
Ravenna wasn't sure if she wanted to embrace Lucifer for coming to get her, or strike him for giving Michael the powers. They had thought the powers were a good idea, but were unprepared for the repercussions. After a long moment of silence, she decided to bite her tongue.
"It has. Thank you for taking Michael back after…the situation."
Lucifer waved his hand dismissively, as if it was only natural for him to help Michael. "We're not going to make you think about that any longer. He's made good progress. He's not quite finished yet, but he's well on his way. Luckily for you, darling, the powers of the Fallen are much more readily controlled than those of my new demons."
–He's in too good of a mood, something else is going on.– Suspicion gripped Ravenna's mind, and her curiosity got the better of her.
"You seem happy today..?" Her eyes narrowed slightly, trying to provoke the answer out of Lucifer.
He seemed thrilled that Ravenna noticed, his excitement nearly spilling over. "Your dear Michael's Brother came to visit, he brought us some excellent news. If it comes to fruition, it will greatly change my odds ag-" He stopped himself, before he could blurt out the rest of his plans. "It will greatly change the way I can train my demons. Now, enough about me; are you ready to go?" He hoped if he dangled the opportunity to see Michael, Ravenna would not notice his slip-up.
Much to Lucifer's chagrin, Ravenna was quicker than he had given her credit for. "Wait. What Brother came to your realm? What did he have to say?"
"Nothing of consequence. Come now, let's get you back to your dearest angel."
Ravenna crossed her arms, refusing to budge until the Fallen man gave her the information he had stopped himself from divulging. "No. What did the Brother come to tell you?"
Edward glanced upward at the ceiling, his ruby gaze focused upward and away from the fight between the woman he considered a friend and his master. He rocked back and forth on the balls of his feet, before huffing out a large breath. "Vincent told me his Brother Zerachiel came to us. An Archangel from the Kingdom is seeking refuge; he wants a way out from under the Ruler's thumb. A second ally has found his way to us. That is all, all there is to tell so far. Can we please go home?"
Through clenched teeth, Lucifer agreed. He picked up Ravenna, and stepped between the realms, taking her to the UnderKingdom; to the land that he ruled.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Michael sat in the Great Hall with the demons, idling away the time chatting until Lucifer returned with Ravenna. He had so much he wanted to tell her, so much he wanted to apologize for. William sat next to him, attempting to reassure him that things would be okay, that everything would work out. But no matter how much the new convert tried to convince him that positive things were coming, Michael felt bleak.
William put his hand on Michael's knee, trying to comfort the angel. "She's a good woman, Michael. She gave her word that I was deserving, and I got my second chance thanks to her. Ravenna had the evening and all day to think about it, and I can feel it in my heart that she's missed you."
"You really believe in us, don't you?"
"As much as I believed in myself and my own wife."
Vincent sat by Hellena, both demons sitting quietly. Hellena knew she would only make the situation worse, and after her lies during the ritual, she didn't want to make her relationship with her master's ally even more strained.
The black and red smoke announced the arrival of Lucifer and Edward, and Michael stood from his bench. William smiled hopefully; he wanted to see the reunion go well.
Until her scent reached him.
Lucifer set down Ravenna, allowing her to stand on her own feet. Her anxiety toward seeing Michael permeated the air, and her fears reached her blood.
William quavered; his control faltered. The smell of her blood was too much for him to bear, and he slid backward from his seat, intending not to be noticed. The new convert stepped between the realms, appearing behind his master, grabbing Ravenna and slamming her to the ground. She fought back desperately as Lucifer's shouts calling William back fell dead to the demon.
–Feast.–
Ravenna screamed; William had quickly overpowered her, and he had shown no mercy as he tossed her around like a doll. She pounded her small fists on his chest, but it was as effective as striking a wall. She squeezed her eyes shut; hoping with everything she had that this was not the Ruler's way of punishing Michael again - to kill her in front of him. William's breath was hot against her neck, the fangs that had burst from his gums uncomfortably close to her skin. "Help!"
Vincent and Edward dashed forward, crashing into William and dragging him off of Ravenna. The elder demons shouted, begging Michael to get Ravenna out of their realm. Their combined strength could only hold off William so long in his ravenous state, and Vincent knew firsthand how nothing would stop the new convert if human blood passed his lips.
Her safety came before her permission, and Michael picked Ravenna up from the ground. He cradled her head to his chest as he realm-travelled away from the Great Hall, William's desperate screams in the background.