I drove past the club that was on my gps, looking for a parking spot. He's not behind this. But he could find out who was. I looked up at at the 8 stories building that was flashing in the darkness of the night sky. I switched my gaze to the front entrance that had a sign on it.
*Lux. Latin for light.* I thought. *I guess his arrogance hasn't diminished if he's naming his club after himself.*
I drove to the closest parking garage which was about 2 blocks away. Stepping out of my car I put in my AirPods and listened to my wife's favorite playlist- a mix of country and old school rock. Elvis and Johnny Cash. As I walked out of the parking garage I took a look around and noticed that there were a whole mix of Sups walking around in the streets. As per usual the vampires and werewolves were sticking together while glaring at each other.
I sighed. *fuckin' kids…*
Ever since they… left. I've been cursing more and more. Chelsie said I shouldn't curse around the baby despite Ford not understanding a thing and I obliged. Now that they're gone I feel my restraints loosening.
Walking up to the club all I could smell was drugs, alcohol and brimstone. Quite the combination. I approached the door when the two security guards at either side tried to stop me from going in. Dressed in full black suits and both standing a head taller than me they would have looked terrifying to normal people.
"Sir, there's a line." the bald demon said as he nodded his head towards the long line of people.
"Not for me." I said before I snapped my fingers and they went flying in opposite directions away from the door.
Walking in I saw that on each side there were stairs leading down to the dance floor people where drank and danced. I looked to my left and saw an elevator and walked to it before pressing the call button. No one answered. I kept pressing until I decided to just hijack it. I flexed my finger and made my fingernail into a claw and quickly took off the base panel.
*Lets see here.* I thought. *lets move this here and this… oh this connects to the key slot. Let me just remove that then*
*ding*
The elevator door opened with no issue. I smirked as I thought. *Damn I still got it.*
I hoped on and pressed the penthouse button. I couldn't help but think about him as I took my earbuds out. It had been a while since we last met. Around… 130-140 years?
*I bet he's still fucking anything with two legs. It's almost shocking that he hasn't found a lover yet but considering his personality…*
*sigh*
The elevator opened to reveal two people on a very large bed rummaging around in the sheets and moaning.
*called it.*
I simply walked to his bar and ignored them as I poured myself a whisky-neat. I drank about 7 glasses before I got fed up.
"Oi." I said as i clenched my hand around the glass hard enough for it to shatter. "Get off of each other for 5 minutes so I can speak to you."
I saw a woman suddenly jump from the sheets and peek her head out over them. Dirty-blonde hair with an angled jaw. Not his usual type. I heard him sigh as he got out from the sheets and stood up exposing his naked body. He looked the same as usual. Same short black hair. Same stubbled jaw. Same square chin. And a very, very punchable nose.
"Dear, oh dear!" He said in a snobbish tone with a British accent. "Looks like my dear friend has finally decided to visit me!"
"Not your friend. Not visiting. I need answers, Luci." I began. "You know your demons like the back of your hand, right?"
"Quite a rude reunion, wouldn't you say, Chloe?" Lucifer said as he smirked at the girl who was still hiding under the sheets.
The girl- Chloe- looked at Lucifer. "Lucifer, if you couldn't tell, We're both fucking naked at the moment?" She said with an evil but strained grin at him. "So could you politely ask your 'friend' to get the hell out?"
"Hmm." I hummed in thought. "Not your usual type, Luci. She's feisty."
He grinned as he looked at me. "I would have invited you to our wedding but it seemed as though you went and married another girl and got lost in Utah."
My eyes darkened as my head slowly turned to him. My eyes lost all emotion when I caught his gaze. I saw him gulp.
"That is why I am here, Lucifer Morningstar. Light Bringer. The One Favored By God."
You ever wonder why people are so obsessive with numbering things in threes? The holy trinity. The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. The number three represents divine wholeness, completeness and perfection. Saying something 3 times can only signify truth for magical beings. Calling him by his 3 titles told him that this was a life or death situation for him. Because if he didn't take this seriously… I would get blood.
"The Law of Three?" He said quietly. "I apologize, my friend. I don't know what happened but I feel that we should converse in a more… appropriate fashion."
"I'll go to the balcony while you both dress." I started walking towards the glass doors leading to the balcony before I looked back at him.
"I'm happy for you, Luci." I glanced at Chloe. "Take care of him. I know he can be a handful, but I can tell he loves you deeply."
She laughed. A nice throaty laugh. "Finally someone else that knows my pain! We'll let you know when we're done."
"Hmm." I walked to out onto the balcony, took a cigarette out and lit it. I stopped smoking a couple of decades ago.
*Someone actually managed to lock that horn-dog down in not only a relationship, but marriage!* I thought as I took a puff. *I'm happy for him.*
As soon as I pressed the cigarette into the ashtray Luci opened the door to the balcony as if he was waiting for me to finish.
"Well? Come on then." He said as he looked at me putting out my cigarette.
We walked in and I saw Chloe sitting at the bar.
"Oh ho?" I turned to Luci. "A cop? Didn't take you for a law abiding citizen."
Chloe turned as she heard me. "Uh… detective, actually. How'd you know?" She looked at me incredulously.
"Well starting with the gun under your jacket." I said while pointing at the bulge underneath her arm. "Though my first thought went to 'gang member' your demeanor and proper clothing is screaming 'respect the law.'"
"Huh. You seem like quite the detective, yourself." She said she tucked the gun deeper to hide it.
"Technically I am? I was a detective back in London around 2 centuries ago. I mean my protege is annoyingly… famous." I said while frowning at the memory.
"A 'protege?' Is he in LA? I would love to meet him some time. Always nice to have competent people watch your back.* She said while looking excited.
"London, actually. Don't worry about meeting him. Been dead for over a century now." I said while I walked to the bar before taking a shot glass and filling it up with tequila. "You've heard of him." I drank the shot. "Sherlock."
"What?!" She yelled. "He was real?!"
"Hmm… not quite… Sherlock was more of a pen name. I don't know where he got 'Sherlock Holmes' from but his real name was 'Joseph Bell.' He decided to pursue his dream and became a doctor. The books were fictional but his skill was not."
"Yes, yes, very nice." Lucifer said as he filled his own glass with whisky. "Now can you tell me what's so important that you're willing to kill me for?"
"Kill?!" Chloe exclaimed in shock then quickly pulled her gun out and aimed at me. "Step back, Lucifer!"
"That won't do much to him Chloe." Lucifer said with a smile. "He's older than I am, you know? Even if we count the years in hell."
Time passes much faster in Christian Hell. One year in hell was only a second on earth. God's way of giving people time to 'face their guilt' I suppose. Only one person has every actually done that, though. And that was Lucifer himself.
"Actually, it will hurt a lot." I said as I frowned while looking down the barrel.
Lucifer pushed the gun down as he looked at me. "Well, now that introductions have passed, tell me why you're here. Must be serious if you're invoking the Law Of Three."
I clenched my jaw for a moment. I didn't want to talk about it. But I had to. I needed some answers.
"9 days ago." I started with a tight voice. "My family… there was a fire. My son, Ford and wife, Chelsie both…" I clenched my fists as I growled. "Demon. Could scent it. One of yours set fire to my house. I need to know who."
"Fuck." Lucifer said.
"I'm… so sorry. I can't imagine it." Chloe said as tears formed in her eyes.
"I'm sorry to say I've renounced my position, Birger. Baal is in charge now. I haven't been to hell in 5 years."
"Baal, huh?" I frowned. "Can you call him?"
"Anything for you, my friend." He said as his eyes glazed over, looking into nothing.
A moment later a tall man appeared with red hair and green eyes. He was wearing a simple black v-neck shirt with blue jeans. He immediately bowed to Lucifer while smiling.
"Sup, my lord?"
I laughed. *he still has a free soul. Good to see.*
Not all demons were evil, per say. It was quite simply just another race. They had their own customs and thoughts about various topics but some were more humane than humans themselves.
He looked at me for a moment after I laughed. "Hmm… you look familiar, human."
"Nice to see you too, Baal." I smirked. "Don't tell me you forgot about your favorite uncle?"
"What do you…" his eyes widened. "Periyapa?"
I smiled gently at him. *Haven't heard that in a while.*
'Periyapa' meant 'Father's elder brother' in Tamil. Another way of saying 'uncle.' Although we are not related by blood his father was like a little brother to me. He unfortunately died many eons ago during the first Christian war between heaven and hell.
"Uṟaviṉar." It meant 'relative or kin.' "It's been a long time-" he cut me off by gripping me in a bear hug.
"I thought… you died in the War in Heaven."
"I did, technically." I said with an odd smile on my face. "I renounced most of my power so I could live amongst the humans. Seeing you're father look at you with such love made me want to have a family of my own…" I trailed off as I was reminded of my family.
"Baal." I said as I looked at him seriously. "I need your help. A demon came to my home… my wife and child…" I sighed.
I didn't want to relive it but I had to.
I told them the full story.