Author's Note: I forgot to mention last time that this story is about 19 chapters, inlcuding epilogue, so I will be posting one per week. Suggestions on how to make this story better are appreciated for if I ever return to it. I do plan on a much-later sequel but since the general plan includes spoilers, I won't discuss it until the epilogue. Enjoy.

Fall from Grace Chp. 9

The Felis scampered around Azrael's feet, as the angel brushed at his long hair. Lucifer jumped on the bed on all fours. Azrael watched him through the reflection of his mirror, narrowing his eyes slightly. Lucifier ignored the reprimanding looks and continued to bounce.

"Are we going out, Az?" he inquired in his bubbly tone.

"I don't know about we. Rafael says you were being rowdy during the Trials. You could have drawn attention to yourself."

Lucifer flicked out his hand in dismissing gesture. "Rafael was exaggerating what happened. 'Sides, he wasn't sharing with Lucifer."

Azrael gave him a look. "It was his food."

"Lucifer only wanted a bite."

"You ate the whole thing."

Whining, the demon swatted at the sheets. "The Trials were looong."

"You're the one who wanted to come," Azrael reminded him.

"I wanted to see Az. Az is always doing things with Micael and Rafael. Never with Lucifer."

"I usually take you with us," the angel countered, knowing that his words weren't exactly true.

"Un uh! Az always says 'No, Lucifer, you'll cause trouble. No, someone'll see you. No, you're too wild. No, we're busy.' Az doesn't have time for Lucifer," the Felis pouted, plopping onto his back and crossing his arms. "Az thinks Lucifer is just his pet."

Azrael set down his comb and turned around. "I'd never think that, Lucifer. We're friends."

"Az likes Micael better," Lucifer snapped.

"He's older."

"Lucifer is not a child! Demons grow faster than angels. Lucifer may look younger than Az, but Lucifer is more mature. Az is just making excuses."

The angel walked over to the bed and leaned over Lucifer, putting his hands down on either side of him. "You're being stupid. You know you're just as important to me as any of them."

Lucifer lashed his tail. "Lies!"

His master groaned and snatched his tail. Angrily, he yanked it back, almost pulling the Felis off the bed. Lucifer yowled and rolled over, tugging his tail free. He scurried over to the end of the bed and sat on the edge, holding the tail and smoothing the surface meticulously. He glared at Azrael with his mismatched eyes and slapped some black and red bangs from his eyes.

"Just because Az is sad about Micael doesn't mean that he has to take it out on poor Lucifer. Lucifer didn't do anything," he hissed, flattening his cat ears.

Azrael blinked and crawled onto the bed. "I'm sorry, Lucifer. Come here." He gestured to the demon with his finger.

The angel felt guilty. He was taking out his frustration on Lucifer. When Micael had just left him without a word, he had been angry. Micael cared more about the vicious Drakon he had accidentally killed than he did about him. He would have rather had Azrael die so the demon could live.

It wasn't even his fault he killed it. The Elders had given him no other options. This sort of demon had granted him no quarter and had been determined to fight to the death. He had just wanted to subdue it. But all that other strain that Gabriel had put on his mind had messed things up. He hadn't been able to contol his own strength.

Micael should have understood.

He felt Lucifer pad up to him and lay his head on his knee, scattering jet black hair over it. Azrael rubbed at the place between the demon's shoulderblades. Lucifer started to purr and smile. He had always been quick to forgive when it came to him. Azrael found the trait endearing.

"I'm going on a night trip, Lucifer. Want to come with?" he asked.

"Really?" Lucifer exclaimed, jerking his head up. His smile faltered. "Is Micael coming too?"

Azrael shook his head. "Just us."

"YAY!"

"You'll have to be good and listen to me," Azrael warned as he pushed at the tip of Lucifer's nose. "No flying and no causing trouble. Watch how everyone else behaves and act like that, okay?"

"'kay."

"Was it wise to leave him at the inn?" Azrael thought to himself as he approached the address he had been searching for.

Drunkards wandered throught the streets, swearing at one another and occasionally throwing various objects. It was drizzling and the rain was sticking to his clothes. The thin fabric was annoying. Humans were morons to walk around like this with the odd weather they had. The jerkin was completely waterlogged and his cotton slops felt as though they were plastered to his legs. He kept rubbing at them to peel the fabric from his skin. If it weren't for the fact that he was afraid he would get lost and need assistance, he would have preferred to do this in his usual form. He could have avoided all this trouble by just being invisible.

Lucky Lucifer. He was back in that warm inn room, dining on mutton and snuggling down in some nice cotton blankets. Lucifer was miffed at Azrael for making him stay in the inn while he investigated the village. It was for the best though. His magic wasn't strong enough for him to disguise both himself and all the demonic attributes of his companion. At best, he could do something about the wings and the horns. But then that left the ears and the tail. Those would have raised some interesting questions.

Now, he was alone in a place that he only knew from books and the few times that Micael and him had explored it. They had never been to this area. It was full of humans. They seemed to be giving him some choice looks. Probably because of his hair. He hadn't changed it because he wanted to stay as close to his normal appearance as possible. It might instill some sense of recollection in the one he was going to see. Curious, he wondered if the looks were more about the color than the length.

He spotted a man waiting near an entrance of a building with strange mask shapes overtop. Squinting, he tried to read the sign.

'Theatre Divine'

Ironic name.

"Excuse me," he hailed the man. "I'm looking for a man. I was told he's a regular here."

"Does this person got a name?" the man drawled, hardly acknowledging Azrael.

"Uh...Lucius Devi," the angel replied, remembering the name that Lilith had given him when he went to visit her.

This drew a pleasant smile from the man. "Ah, Baron Devi. Yes, he comes here often. Even donated a hefty sum to our theatre. What business do you have with him?"

"We're old...aquaintances," Azrael fibbed, unable to come up with anything on the spot.

The man eyed him suspiciously for a moment. Then, he pulled the door open to let Azrael pass through. He motioned to the balcony with his eyes. "Baron Devi likes the back balcony. He's an odd fellow. Very polite, mind you. But there's something about him...."

"Thank you," Azrael cut him off and rushed past. He ascended the stairs and searched the section of balcony.

What was he even supposed to be looking for? He had no idea what this being looked like. It was doubtful that he would make himself so obvious.

He was startled by the sound of dark laugher. "Terribly obvious, aren't you, angel? Must be young."

A man was gazing at him as he enjoyed a glass of red wine. He was decked out in a black, velvet doublet that lay over a silk shirt with ruffles pouring out the ends. Sets of sparkling ruby rings adorned the majority of his fingers and glowed with an eerie light. It seemed as if a tiny flame was trapped in each of the jewels. Azrael could almost see the flames move as the man set his drink down.

His hair was a styled short black with thick streaks of red on both sides. It seemed out of place with the man's pale yellow eyes. Over the right one was a mark in the shape of a black diamond. The top part resembled his Felis' single triangle mark.

Positive that he had found who he was looking for, Azrael stepped up to the man's table and started to pull out a chair. "Not your typical angel, Lucifer," he replied, staring into his brother's eyes.

Lucius Devi's jaw dropped. Azrael could see the set of fangs that stood out among both halves of his jaw. His companion leaned back into his chair.

"Whoa! I haven't heard that name in something close to a century," Lucius mused.

"It's the name Mother gave you."

"Mother?" Lucius pulled up his chair and leaned over the table to inspect the angel across from him. "Can it be? Is this my baby brother Ezra?"

Azrael looked confused. "It's Azrael."

"Heh. They changed it, huh? Not angelic enough for their refined palates?" Lucius mocked as he grinned at his brother, flashing a single white fang.

"Mother called me that too," Azrael murmured listlessly. "I never knew I had another."

"That prick Gabriel must have changed it." Lucius shrugged. "No matter."

"You know about my father?" the angel gasped.

Lucius tossed him a superior look and folded his hands under his chin. "Why, dear Azrael, I'm the Prince of Darkness. I know everything."

"Everything?"

"Pretty much." The devil hesitated, growing a bit irritated. He brought his hands behind his head and half-closed his eyes. "There's a few other secrets here and there. He wants me to play nice, you know. Gotta be careful with His little Fallen angel." Lucius sighed and took another swig of wine. "So why has my baby brother decided to pay Big Bad a visit? You are a true angel now. You passed the Trials. Nasty trick they played on you up there. Hope you plan to wreak some major vengeance."

Azrael pushed at a dish cloth with his finger and turned away. "I can't do that."

His brother chuckled. "Of course, the good-will thing," he said in a sarcastic tone. "Well, you still like to think about nailing those bastards, dontcha?"

"Constantly," Azrael answered with an evil grin.

"You are my brother."

The words sobered Azrael. He scratched at his right eye in a nervous fashion and stared at Lucius.

"I came here to speak with you. We've never talked."

"Could have something to do with the fact that they really don't like me up there," Lucius joked. But it was hard to disregard the venom in the tone.

"They do hold their grudges," Azrael concurred. "I should know. I was hoping that talking to you would help me understand some things. Like why the other angels hate me. I know it's because of you."

Lucius snarled. "Can I help it if a bunch of self-righteous do-gooders have no sense of vision? All things change. They'll have to face that eventually."

"You can't pretend that you weren't to blame, Luci-Lucius," the angel lectured, correcting himself before he let his brother's true name slip. He leaned closer and whispered sharply, "You did challenge Him."

"It always comes back to that, doesn't it?" Lucius sighed. A small smile played across his lips. "It wasn't even a challenge. More of a dispute. I was having a bad day." He met Azrael's eyes as the smile grew larger. "A REALLY bad day."

"But you didn't stop. You fought against the angels."

"Michael was being a real ass about the whole thing. I had my pride."

"He is rather hard headed," the angel noted with a short laugh. Then, he became serious again, anger passing through his eyes. "He hates me."

The devil raised an eyebrow. "Zat so? Guess he hasn't changed much over the years." He settled back into his chair and raised his glass as if preparing for a toast. Lucius shook the wine and looked upward. "It's so nice to know that that place is just as fucked up as it's always been," he remarked before downing the glass.

Azrael gave a curt nod. He turned to his side when he heard the noise die down among the room. People were walking onto the stage in the center. They were dressed in ostentatious clothing.

Lucius clapped his hands.

"Finally! I have been sitting her for over an hour. I hope their man hasn't gotten sick again. Lovely voice but such a frail body. He'll probably be joining the lower levels of your ranks soon. I'd take him but the bastard is so friggin' good-natured. My charms have no affect on his soul. It's a shame really."

The angel had no idea what his brother was talking about. He watched as the humans pranced about the wooden floor, reciting strange lines and complimenting them with flamboyant gestures. It was a little amusing but provided no explanation for why the devil would be so enamored of the event.

He pointed to the stage and shot Lucius a questioning glance. "What's this called?"

A couple in the next table glared and shooshed him sternly. Azrael rolled his eyes and scooted closer to the table, making more noise than he had to.

Something wrapped around his braid and pulled him low enough that his chin hovered over the table top. Lucius' face wasn't far from his own. He set a finger against his lips and then began to whisper in an enlived tone.

"It's this wonderful invention called theatre. Drama. Humans dress themselves up in various ways and act out different scenarios."

"Sounds cool," Azrael uttered, keeping his voice low this time.

"Yes. The humans can come up with splendid forms of entertainment."

"You come here to watch?"

Lucius winked at him. "I'm not all about the death and darkness, Azrael. Sure, I send some to sin. But when I'm not causing despair and chaos or other neat stuff like that, I like to check out a play or two." He motioned to the drama on the stage. "This guy has some of the best stuff around."

"What's this one?"

"Mercant in Venice," Lucius stated, tapping the parchment paper in the middle of their table. "One of my favorites. It features a young man who sells his soul to the agent of the devil. Isn't that quaint?"

"Uh...yeah..." Azrael answered, trailing off.

He noticed that Lucius was staring at him strangely. Bothered by the looks, he coughed to get his brother's attention. Lucius withdrew his gaze and smiled in apology.

"Can I ask who picks your clothes, Azrael? You are a bit...underdressed."

Azrael reddened. He tugged at his wet jerkin, prying it from his chest. "It was the first outfit I saw. I thought it looked fine."

Lucius patted his head, causing Azrael to clench his teeth. He hated being patronized. The devil tilted his chin with a fingernail. "Well we'll try something regal next time, won't we? You're an angel. Flaunt it."

The angel pulled away. Lucius didn't mind. He had turned back to the play and was becoming thoroughly engaged in the performance. His yellow eyes glistened with delight.

Laughing behind his palm, Azrael nudged Lucius' shoulder. "You're really into this. It's so weird. I mean you're...don't know how else to put this...evil."

"Thanks," Lucius responded in a jaunty tone. He pulled Azrael closer and whispered smoothly into his ear, "But anyone can be evil. To be diabolically evil, one must have class and culture." The devil licked a fang. "Perhaps even a taste for the arts."

"I see...."

How could something as simple as a smile be so frightening? Maybe it was the fact that each word that left Lucius' mouth seemed tainted by some meaning far darker.

Lucius seemed to drink up Azrael's fear. He moved his face away from him and trailed a finger down his brother's neck, feeling at the tender spot of skin that had a slightly darker hue. Azrael scowled at him and yanked his clothing over the spot. It was obvious that Lucius knew what had caused the mark. He could hear him humming to himself.

Smirking, he set his elbow on the table and leaned the side of his face on the upturned palm. "So how goes things with that boytoy of yours? The son of Michael no less. Eye on the prize, baby brother."

Azrael wasn't afraid to answer. He only wished he had better information to report. Lucius' question reminded him of the problems he had experienced with Micael back at the Trials.

He grumbled and dropped his chin onto his arms. "Not sure. I think I upset him when I killed that Drakon today. He won't speak to me."

"He'll get over it. Creatures like us are irre-sis-ti-ble." He swept back his hair and tossed his head in a sensual pose. Suddenly, he closed his eyes. "Though you should be careful, Azrael. Young Micael wishes to be general."

"Oh I'm not jealous," Azrael argued. "I want Micael to be happy. He'll be a great general."

Lucius adopted a more grim visage. "Perhaps. But power changes creatures. Nobody is immune."

"What are you saying?" the angel questioned in a distressed timbre.

His companion shook his head and stepped out of his chair, tossing a black velvet hat on his head. "Tsk tsk, Azrael. You should know better than leaving your kitty alone with humans. They are very curious and antsy creatures."

Azrael leapt from his seat as the chair slammed into the floor. "Lucifer is in trouble?"

"We'll take care of that," Lucius replied, beckoning to the angel as they made their way from the balcony. "I wouldn't want anything to happen to the demon who bears my name."

"Consider it a sign of endearment."

"Un huh...."

When the pair returned to the inn, they found a small crowd gathered outside. There were bits of broken glass and shattered wood lining the ground and leading into the building. Blood was all over the area as well as four or so bodies. They either had their throats torn out or snapped or had been gutted.

"Lucifer," Azrael gulped.

He broke through the crowd, following the rising volume of screams and curses.

"Demon!" someone shouted.

"Kill it!" came another.

Azrael stumbled throught the mob until he passed a broken arrow lying in a pool of blood. Not far from it, his Felis cowered. He was decorated in stab wounds of various sizes and had arrow marks along his side and one still stuck in his calf. Lucifer was hissing and slashing at his assailants with his claws while blocking others with his elaborate wings.

Shrieking, Lucifer grabbed an imposing arm with his fangs and tore a gash in the skin. A knife skittered to the ground. The Felis dropped to all fours and sprang at the man, knocking him down and then stumbling away. Another arrow caught him high in the chest, missing his heart but driving him onto his back.

Lucifer snarled and ripped the arrow from him. He tried to roll over as someone jabbed a piece of wood through his thigh. The demon screamed. An inhumane sound.

"Get away from him!" Azrael roared as he lunged forward. He grabbed the closest human by the throat. "Who do you think you are?"

"That thing's a demon," the man choked.

"Did he attack you?" the angel demanded.

"Look at him!" the man yelped. "I wasn't going to wait for him to come at me."

"So you attacked him because of how he looked?" Azrael hissed. He threw the man ten feet from him and then glared at the rest of the group. "I hate judgmental people!"

The humans that didn't run away in terror gawked at Azrael before pointing their weapons at him.

"He's one of them!" one cried.

Azrael lifted Lucifer into his arms. "Az," the Felis mumbled, nuzzling at him. "Lucifer tried to be good. Lucifer stayed quiet. Those men broke in. They attack Lucifer. I'm sorry, Az."

"Sssh. We're going home now," Azrael soothed his demon as he unfurled his wings, splitting his clothing.

He rose into the air. As he did, an arrow whizzed through the sky and sank into his upper left wing. Had he not been battered in the Trials, he might have been able to stand the attack. But his body was still recovering and the pain of the arrow brought it all back to him. Azrael plummeted to the ground, dazing himself.

Lucifer untangled himself from Azrael. He shook the angel. "Az! Az! Az can't sleep now! Those men are angry. Az!"

"Shut up, demon!"

A man kicked him in the face and he rolled to the side. As the demon tried to recover, another man snatched Azrael's wrists and held them behind his back. The first man stood over Lucifer's groggy body as a third man raised a blade to Azrael's throat. Azrael moaned and tried to struggle. He was disoriented and woozy. There was no way he was getting out of this.

"Time to die, devil," the man holding the knife gloated. He pressed it into the angel's neck.

An ominous laugh rang throughout the area, echoing from every corridor.

"Wrong guy."

The group all turned. Lucius was standing in the center. He took off his hat and bowed as his black angel wings burst from his back. Lucius dropped the hat and straightened his back. Still cackling, he stretched out his wings to their full length.

"This is the devil!" he roared.

Lucius raised a hand over his head as a flaming black sword appeared in his grasp. The man by Azrael didn't even have time to scream before the sword slid through his neck. Blood poured over the others and they tried to run. Lucius' sword made short work of them as well. He tossed his head dramatically, bathing in the rain of blood.

Terrified, the rest of the crowd tried to escape. They were engulfed in a wave of white flame. As the screams sounded in Azrael's numb ears, Lucius grinned and retreived his hat from the floor. His wings disappeared and he looked just as he had when Azrael encountered him in the theatre.

He wiped at the blood that had splashed over his cheek. "I never get tired of that."

Azrael just stared at his brother in horror, unable to breath. Lucius sauntered over to him and helped him to his feet. He removed the band in Azrael's hair, letting the mass spill over his chest so the blood would drain out. Then, he stooped down and lifted the knife. He held it before the angel's trembling eyes.

"Never underestimate them, Azrael. Humans can be very fickle creatures." He snapped the blade in half. "No wonder He put them under His projection." He unfastened his doublet and handed it to his brother. "You need to work on releasing those wings. I won't always be here to offer you spare clothes."

The angel didn't respond.

His brother mussed his hair. "I really enjoyed our reunion, baby brother. Let's do it again sometime. I'll let you choose the location."

---

Azrael was shaking with cold, as he past through the gates and headed for his home. Lucius had to have chosen the coldest lake around. It hadn't mattered at the time. He had just wanted to get all that human blood off him. The smell still clung to him, though he knew that was just in his mind.

Even though he was an angel, Azrael knew he was glad that those humans were did. They had deserved to die. But Lucius had been cruel. He had made a game out of it. His brother truly did enjoy the thrill of the kill.

Nonetheless, he did want to see him again. Lucius told him things. He made them make sense.

Azrael gagged again as he thought about the masacre by the inn. Nobody else in the village remembered what happen. Lucius had toyed with their minds. He was probably protecting Azrael...and himself. Azrael shuddered at the idea of what the angels would do if they ever found out that he spent a night on the town with the worst killer of them all.

A restless purr reminded him of why he wanted to get back to the labyrinth so fast. Lucifer was injured. He needed some place secure so he could heal.

"You're gonna make me drop you," Azrael cautioned the demon, shifting the way he held him. Lucifer tightened his arms around his master's neck.

His flapping stopped when he noticed someone standing within the entrance of his maze. The figure was watching the skies. There was a look of desperation and worry in his eyes. His wings were drooping against the ground.

"Where are you?" the stranger whined.

Landing, Azrael took a few steps toward the figure. It turned and he gasped.

"Micael?"

Micael gave a relieved smile. "I didn't know where you had gone."

"I had some things to work out," Azrael replied, setting Lucifer on the ground.

The Felis growled in his sleep and crawled to the edge of a wall. He curled up as his body changed back into the feline. Within moments, he was deep in sleep again.

"He looks hurt," Micael noted.

"He'll be fine. We just ran into some trouble. Nothing I couldn't handle."

"You went on another adventure quest? Without me?" Micael asked softly, his voice shaking.

"I didn't really think you'd show up tonight. Not after...."

"I'm sorry."

Azrael was stunned into silence. The other angel closed the distance between them and wrapped his arms around Azrael's shoulders, touching their cheeks together. He let his eyes fall shut.

"I know you didn't mean to kill the Drakon. It would have killed you if you hadn't. I know that. I saw how hurt you were," Micael spoke as he placed his hand on the back of Azrael's head. "I thought about what happened after I left. I thought about what would have happened if you tried to incapacitate the demon in your condition. It was impossible. You would have died. I don't want that." He pulled back, tears in his eyes. "I came here to tell you. But you were gone. I thou-thought you had left for good."

"I was a little upset," Azrael whispered as he brushed some tears form Micael's face with his thumb. "But I would never leave without saying goodbye, Micael. I just had other stuff to do."

Micael grabbed Azrael's hand and gazed into his eyes. He looked so scared. "So we're still okay?"

"As long as that's what you want," Azrael replied, not knowing what to make of this.

Was he that important to the angel?

As important as Micael was to him?

Kicking at the ground, Micael jerked away and paced along the path. "I shouldn't have been so arrogant. You were set-up. Michael, Gabriel, and the other Elders. They hurt you and then made you fight something deadly. I think they were still trying to kill you. I can admit that. That the noblest of our kind attempted to kill a fellow angel. That they resorted to deception." He whilred back to Azrael. His eyes begged the angel for forgiveness as his voice crackled. "But I couldn't accept the fact that my best friend killed a demon in self-defense! I was being stupid. I was so damn attached to my precious ethics that I completely forgot about the circumstances. I had no right to just leave you."

Azrael tried to act tough. His facial features hardened and he batted at his loose hair. "It's nothing. Everyone else does."

"Not me!" Micael rushed over to him and grasped his shoulders roughly. "I'm not like them. I'd never abandon you."

Azrael had no words. He leaned up and kissed Micael, delving deep into the angel with a new sense of passion. He didn't want to waste this moment. Micael sucked at his tongue and kissed the angel back.

When they finally broke away from each other, Azrael felt like his whole body was on fire. He draped his arms over Micael and let himself fall against him, using the hold to keep him from hitting the ground. He moaned and drew a trail of nipping kisses down the other's collarbone.

"I love you, Micael," he murmured in his bliss.

"Angels don't love, Azrael," Micael reminded. The tone was thick as he drowned under the angel's kisses.

"Ah, you know what I mean." Azrael placed another kiss near the edge of his lips, suckling for a moment.

Micael's eyes fluttered as he managed to push Azrael away. He kneeled down and gathered up the dozing Lucifer and started to walk farther into the maze. "I'm tired. Let's go inside."

Azrael dawdled for a minute. "Are you sure it's sleep you're really looking for?"

"Come 'ere!" Micael sighed. He seized Azrael's wrist and began to drag him behind.

The other angel quit resisting.