Lucifer slouched into Concord class, his mind still buzzing from last night's info dump with Ezra. Demonic hierarchies, interdimensional politics, and the finer points of supernatural peacekeeping swirled in his head, making Shakespeare's sonnets seem even more incomprehensible than usual.
He was so lost in thought that he almost missed Margot's pointed cough. Looking up, he found the Concord teacher staring at him, one perfectly sculpted eyebrow raised in a mix of amusement and exasperation.
"Mr. Morningstar," Margot said, her voice dripping with saccharine sweetness, "as fascinating as your desk clearly is, perhaps you'd like to join the rest of us in discussing the themes of forbidden love in Romeo and Juliet?"
A few snickers rippled through the classroom. Lucifer felt his face heat up, a decidedly un-devilish blush creeping up his neck.
"Uh, sure," he stammered. "Forbidden love. That's, uh... bad? Because their families don't like each other?"
Margot's lips twitched, as if fighting back a smile. "A masterful analysis, Mr. Morningstar. Truly, your insight knows no bounds."
More laughter from the class. Lucifer slumped lower in his seat, wishing he could just disappear. Or maybe open up a hellmouth and swallow the whole school. That was probably within his power set, right?
As the bell rang signaling the end of class, Margot's voice cut through the shuffle of students packing up. "Mr. Morningstar, a word please."
Lucifer froze, one hand still in his backpack. He glanced at Margot, trying to gauge her mood. Her face was unreadable, that enigmatic smile still playing at the corners of her mouth.
As the last student filed out, Margot closed the door with a soft click. The sound felt oddly final, like the closing of a trap.
"So," Margot said, perching on the edge of her desk. "You've been busy."
Lucifer blinked, thrown by her casual tone. "Uh, yeah, I guess. Lots of... studying and stuff."
Margot's smile widened, taking on a predatory edge. "Oh, I'm sure. Tell me, does your 'studying' usually involve clandestine meetings with known agents of the Crimson Oath?"
Lucifer felt his heart skip a beat. How did she...?
"I don't know what you're talking about," he said, aiming for nonchalant and probably landing somewhere closer to guilty panic.
Margot sighed, her playful demeanor dropping away. "Lucifer," she said, and the use of his first name sent a shiver down his spine, "I told you I'd be watching you. Did you think I wouldn't notice your little tête-à-tête with Ms. Rhys?"
Lucifer's mind raced. Should he deny it? Play dumb? Go for broke and confess everything?
Before he could decide, Margot continued. "Listen to me very carefully," she said, her voice low and intense. "You're playing a dangerous game, and you don't even know all the pieces on the board."
She stood, moving to the window. For a moment, she stared out at the bustling school grounds, her expression distant. "The Crimson Oath isn't what you think it is," she said finally. "They have their own agenda, and I can guarantee it doesn't align with your best interests."
Lucifer frowned, feeling a spark of defiance. "Ezra's not like that," he said. "She's trying to help me."
Margot turned back to him, her eyes sad. "I'm sure she believes that," she said softly. "But trust me, there are forces at work here that neither of you fully understand."
She moved closer, and Lucifer caught a whiff of her perfume – something floral, with an undercurrent of... ozone? "I'm not your enemy, Lucifer," Margot said. "But I'm not exactly your friend either. I'm something... in between. And right now, I'm trying to keep you from stumbling into a war you're not prepared for."
Lucifer's head was spinning. "A war? What are you talking about? And how do you know all this stuff anyway? Who are you, really?"
Margot's lips quirked in a humorless smile. "Let's just say I'm someone who's been around the block a few times. In several dimensions."
She reached out, placing a hand on Lucifer's shoulder. He felt a jolt of... something. Power? Recognition? It was gone before he could place it.
"Be careful," Margot said, her voice barely above a whisper. "There are factions moving in the shadows, vying for control of this city and what it represents. You're a wild card, Lucifer. One that a lot of very powerful beings would love to have in their deck."
Lucifer swallowed hard, his mouth suddenly dry. "What am I supposed to do?" he asked, hating how small his voice sounded.
Margot's expression softened slightly. "For now? Keep your head down. Don't trust anyone completely – not even me. And for hell's sake, try to stay awake in my class. I'd hate to see you fail Concord on top of everything else."
With that, she turned and began gathering her things, as if they'd just had a perfectly normal teacher-student conversation about homework.
Lucifer stood there for a moment, feeling like he'd just been hit by a supernatural freight train. As he finally moved to leave, Margot's voice stopped him at the door.
"Oh, and Lucifer?" He turned back to find her smiling that enigmatic smile again. "Do try to be a bit more subtle in your clandestine meetings. Perhaps somewhere other than the sandwich joint directly across from the school next time?"
Lucifer felt his face flush again. "Right," he muttered. "Noted."
As he stumbled out into the hallway, Margot's warnings echoed in his head, mixing with Ezra's earnest determination and his own growing confusion about who he might be up against and how complicated the situation might actually be.
There was no telling what to expect, since whoever was involved was unknown to him. The fact that there were too many unknowns made his head spin.
One thing was clear – he was in way over his head. And if Margot was to be believed, the waters were about to get a whole lot deeper.
Great, Lucifer thought, resisting the urge to bang his head against a locker. I finally start to figure things out, and now I can't trust anything I've learned. Some all-powerful fallen angel I turned out to be.
As he made his way to his next class, Lucifer couldn't help but wonder – if Margot was right about the Crimson Oath, what else had he gotten wrong? As the literal devil who sowed seeds of distrust in humans, he sure was struggling with trust issues himself.
If only he could harness all of his darkness, he wouldn't be groveling to supernatural Concord teachers and little girls with magic swords.
What to do?!
***