When Ella and Alexander emerged from the elevator, giggling, there were a few people waiting for them. Chloe, Lucifer, Amenadiel, Linda, and Mazikeen. Trixie was not so much tense as absolutely thrilled to meet Alexander. He immediately noticed the tension in the air and tried to joke lightly:
"If I didn't know better, I'd think someone's hamster had died."
He walked over to Linda, smiled warmly, and held out his hand:
"Dr. Linda, nice to meet you."
The therapist looked at him sternly and concluded that the relaxed smile on his face and the sincerity in his eyes were absolutely genuine. She took his hand and shook it:
"Hello Alexander, I'm as anxious as anyone to hear what you have to say."
"I bet you are, Doc."
His eyes were glued to her very pregnant belly, and he asked with fireworks in his eyes:
"And how is your precious package? Isn't it almost time for the world to be blessed with its birth?"
She put her hands on her belly and said:
"He is posturing well and should come any moment now. Babies tend to choose their own moment."
A broad smile appeared around his mouth, and he murmured:
"I can't wait..."
Before Linda could say anything, he looked up and met Amenadiel's eyes. The joy was gone from his eyes, and there was a hint of coldness in his voice:
"Amenadiel, self-proclaimed favorite son of God. How are you? Has the fall freed you from your unpleasant habit of thinking that you are always right, that you are only doing the will of God?"
The angel did not know what to say and began to stammer. Alexander, however, did not give him a chance to form a coherent sentence.
"Don't worry, baldie, I'll get back to you when you can think again. I have a much more important person to meet first."
His smile returned to his face as he walked towards Trixie:
"Miss Beatrice, it is indeed a pleasure to meet you."
Trixie jumped up with a big smile and said:
"All my friends call me Trixie or Trix."
He looked at her thoughtfully for a moment and then said:
"Trixie? That's the name of a h... euch... stripper..."
Her eyes went wide with delight as she immediately thought back to the first time she had met Lucifer. Her brown puppy dog eyes opened wide and she asked sweetly:
"What is a stripper?"
Now his eyes got wide, he cleared his throat and said:
"You'll have to ask your mom."
At this, Trixie burst out laughing, and the adults in the room watched the scene in confusion. He walked over to the house bar, grabbed a barstool, took it and joined the others in Lucifer's sitting area. The reason he sat on a barstool was simple. It made him sit higher than the others and assured him of their attention.
"Okay folks, I'm going to make this as short and painless as possible. I'll tell you who I am and then you can ask all the questions you want. I'll try to answer them as best I can, at least if I know the answer myself. If you have any doubts about what I have to say, I will gladly refer you to the Devil in our midst. Lucifer is not only the Bringer of Light, he is also one half of the Demiurge. Justice is under his jurisdiction and he knows when someone is lying. Now, if he wants to open up, at least, because in the last few years he has dropped some stitches in that respect."
Lucifer bristled in the seat where he had taken his place at a distance from Chloe. The distance between them told Alexander all he needed to know. The two of them had obviously talked, the detective had confessed to her illicit affair with Kinley and Lucifer's feathers had not yet been smoothed.
"What is it, Lucifer? Isn't what I'm saying true?"
He looked at Alexander sternly:
"I have not been a part of the Demiurge for thousands of years, not since my fall. Father has seen to it that I have not been able to tap into those powers and those of the Lightbringer since I was banished from the Silver City."
The boy nodded and a glass of tomato juice appeared in his hand. Everyone except Ella and Trixie sat watching in shock. They had never seen a Celestial manifest anything before. Angels could only manifest in Heaven or Hell. Only God, their Father, could manifest things on Earth. To Chloe and Linda, it was nothing short of miraculous to see. To Amenadiel, Lucifer and Mazikeen it was a shocking sign that this boy was no ordinary Celestial and that he must be extremely powerful to do such a thing. Ella had seen him do it a few times during the day and was beginning to get used to it. Trixie's excited voice suddenly echoed from the corner of the sofa where she was sitting:
"That is so cool!"
Alexander winked at her and then asked Lucifer:
"Are you so sure, Lucifer? Or is it something like being vulnerable around your detective? Something you have convinced yourself of and therefore believe to be true? That pesky self-actualisatiàn thingy."
The Devil opened his mouth to answer, but the maelstrom that the boy's words had created in his head prevented him from saying a word. Alexander took a big gulp of his drink and said:
"That's what I mean..."
He sat up a little straighter and then said:
"Well, let me tell you who I am. I am Alexander Morningstar, the only son of Lucifer, the Antichrist if mankind is to be believed, and therefore the Crown Prince of Hell."
The adults seemed dumbfounded, but it was Trixie who surprised them again by practically screaming with joy and saying:
"I knew it, I'm right! Lucifer doesn't hate children because he has one himself, a son, you, Alexander."
Lucifer seemed to have recovered from the shock and said briefly:
"You may be a Celestial, but whoever told you you were my son lied, because I cannot have children."
Alexander managed a sly smile and replied:
"If it goes on like this, I'm in danger of turning into a parrot because I'm afraid I'll have to repeat myself over and over again. So once again, are you sure, Lucifer? Why can't you conceive children?"
Without thinking, he replied:
"Father has made it so that Celestials cannot procreate with humans!"
"So you are a Celestial?"
"I was a Celestial; now I'm the Devil!"
"Hmmm, if I understand correctly, you are saying that you are no longer an Angel, but the Devil, and your Father made sure that Angels could not procreate with humans. But you are no longer an angel, so why can't the Devil procreate with a human?"
The Devil was overwhelmed and could not answer. Alexander continued:
"Considering the not insignificant number of women you have spent a night with, Lucifer, and if we were to follow your line of thinking that you are no longer an Angel, then there should be dozens of children you have fathered as the Devil. So why are you so convinced that you cannot conceive children?"
Those present could see a storm of thoughts in Lucifer's eyes after these words. He did not get a moment's peace, however, for Alexander was already firing his next question at him.
"And if angels cannot conceive children with humans, then why is Doctor Linda in happy expectation, and she can bring a child into the world at any time, conceived by Amenadiel?"
The Angel beside Linda lowered his head slightly and spoke softly but clearly:
"At the time the child was conceived, I was human; I had fallen for the bad things I had done."
Alexander looked at him sternly and frowned:
"Strange, how did this fall manifest itself, Amenadiel?"
Without looking up, he replied:
"I lost my wings and my powers; I had become fully human."
No one in the room followed where he was leading with his next question:
"Who is the Archangel of Knowledge in the Silver City?"
Lucifer looked at him in complete disbelief, but answered anyway:
"That would be Laia."
"I take it that neither of you, and probably a whole group of your siblings, have ever bothered to talk to her about the genetic make-up of angels and humans?"
There was silence in the room and Alexander said:
"I'll just take that as an affirmative. We are fortunate to have our own mini-Angel of Knowledge in our midst."
He looked at Ella with a smile and asked:
"Ella, suppose tomorrow I accidentally fall into a meat grinder and lost my wings, arms and legs. Would being without limbs change my genetic make-up?"
She shook her head and said:
"Nope! Yes, you would be disabled if that happened, but your DNA would remain exactly the same. The genetic make-up that makes you who you are doesn't change if you lose your limbs."
He looked at Linda and said:
"Amenadiel may have fallen, temporarily lost his powers along with his wings, but essentially his genetic make-up remained exactly the same. He did not suddenly change species. He was an angel and he remained an angel. He was just temporarily disabled because he was incomplete after losing two limbs and his powers. The baby you are carrying, Doctor, is a living, perfectly healthy Nephilim. The first to be born in thousands of years."
Amenadiel's eyes widened at the words, while Maze had narrowed hers to slits and suddenly asked:
"The first in thousands of years? How can that be? You exist..."
He smiled at her and said:
"Very good, Maze, at least someone is paying attention in class. I know my words must sound like a huge contradiction. Linda's baby will be the first to be born in thousands of years. How I came into this world is a completely different story."
It was clear that Alexander was going to say more, but suddenly he squeezed his eyes into slits and tilted his head slightly, as if concentrating on something being said in the distance. The dangerous smile Ella had seen earlier in the day appeared again on his face. He stood up straight and said:
"Speaking of Nephilim, we are about to have a visit."
He turned to Linda and Trixie and said quietly:
"Whatever happens in the next few minutes, whatever is said, Beatrice and Doc Linda, you are perfectly safe, nothing will happen to you or the baby."
Alexander stepped into the open space between the bar and the door to the terrace. He snapped his fingers and suddenly he was wearing a completely different outfit. Gone were the jeans and the leather jacket. In their place he was wearing a dark brown, almost black outfit made entirely of leather. Heavy black boots on his feet. His chest was adorned with a golden breastplate depicting a fire-breathing dragon wearing a crown set with diamonds of all colors that seemed to represent stars. Over his right shoulder was the hilt visible of what was clearly a Japanese sword, a katana. His hands were covered by fingerless gloves, which he clenched into fists. He moved his shoulders and with a rustle his blood-red wings appeared. The bandages and the splint were gone. To his left he heard Ella asking:
"Alexander, what is happening?"
He ignored her as he concentrated on what was about to happen. Suddenly, everyone heard the sound of a pair of large wings, and an angel appeared at the door to the balcony. She was not as tall or impressive as Amenadiel and, like Alexander, was dressed entirely in leather. In her right hand she held what looked like a spear. The Angel locked eyes with Alexander and stepped into the penthouse, ignoring the others. Alexander smiled, but it was not his warm smile. His eyes were icy cold, making his smile look mean. Contempt was clearly audible in his voice as he asked:
"Muriel, Amenadiel's mini-me, to what do we owe the honor of your visit?"
She did not answer his question directly but said dismissively:
"You don't belong on Earth! You will come with me, or I will destroy you here and now, because an abomination like you has no place here!"
She gripped her spear with both hands and assumed a fighting stance. This did not seem to interest Alexander in the least. He deliberately ignored the angel and asked Lucifer laconically:
"Wow, Lucifer, is this your family? No wonder you can't be moved to return. They're not very friendly, I have to say, and apparently your mom and dad forgot to teach them manners."
"Silence, Hellspawn! Will you come in peace, or must I destroy you here?"
Lucifer shot up, hellfire igniting in his eyes, and he growled toward the Angel:
"This is my home, Muriel! No one will be destroyed here; get out!"
The Angel looked at the Devil with contempt and said venomously:
"Father will not allow such an abomination as Nephilim to exist. It is His will! Haven't you been punished enough, Beast, to go against Father's will again? Come on, do it; stop me so that I can finally witness him wipe you out of existence once and for all, just as you wiped Uriel out of existence, monster."
Lucifer backed away pale at the Angel's words, but in the next moment everyone stood as if nailed to the ground:
"ENOUGH!"
It thundered through the penthouse. There was so much divine power in that one word that the supernatural beings present shrank together. Alexander's eyes were no longer visible. Only a strong golden glow could be seen.
"If you cannot bring yourself to be cordial with your family, Muriel, then we will have to do it my way! I am Alexander Morningstar, Crown Prince of Hell and, until your father decides otherwise, Prince of Heaven! Kneel before your Prince Muriel!"
Try as the Angel might, she could not resist Alexander's command, for the authority of the thrones of Heaven was evident in his voice. After a few seconds, both the feisty Angel and Amenadiel dropped to their knees and bowed their heads before Alexander. Ignoring Amenadiel completely, he stood before the Angel. He grabbed her spear and pulled it from her hands with ease. He looked at the weapon with disdain and asked mockingly:
"Who do you think you are, Muriel? Neptune with a trident? I'll keep that toothpick for a while, we wouldn't want you to hurt yourself, now would we little girl?"
He pressed a hidden button on the shaft of the trident, it folded into itself until it was no bigger than a walking stick and he threw the weapon on the house bar. Alexander sat back on his barstool, took a sip of his juice and spoke:
"I have a few questions for you, Muriel, but also for you, Amenadiel. I will not force you to tell the truth. Where would be the fun in that? No, this will be a lesson in cause and effect. Look, I am going to ask you a question. If you tell the truth nicely, nothing will happen. Meaning that truth is the cause. The efect on the other hand, well. If you choose to lie, it will be fun. For me at least, not so much for you. So please try, I beg you, try to lie to me. What will happen is simple. For the one who lies, it will be as if one of God's own thunderbolts will strike in the depths of your brain. You cannot imagine it at the moment, but the pain you will feel is beyond your worst nightmare. Have you ever seen a person languishing in a wheelchair in a corner somewhere, slobbering all over themselves? These poor people's brains are not working properly and they can't communicate with anyone. Lie to me, and for centuries to come you will be mocked in the Silver City sitting in a wheelchair like a plant. Raphael will be unable to do anything to ease your suffering. You will be unable to communicate with anyone. Your brain will be so charred from the short circuit I will give you that it will take you centuries to stop drooling, and every minute of every day the pain you will endure will be unimaginable."
He looked from Amenadiel to Muriel and back, the golden glow slowly fading from his eyes.
"Now that the rules of the game are known, we can begin."
The two Angels knew in their hearts that every word Alexander had spoken was the truth. Both had known fear in their long existence. Fear of the powers of Lucifer and Michael as the Demiurge before Lucifer's fall. Fear of Michael's power for his domain was nothing less than fear itself. Fear of their Mother when she was in one of her fits. Fear of their Father and his temper. Fear of their Father and Mother when they had another violent argument. But the fear they felt now seemed worse than anything they had ever known. They could almost taste that this boy could make them suffer unbelievably and that he would enjoy his work.
"Muriel, why are you here?"
"To destroy you or to take you to heaven so that Father can decide your fate."
He chuckled:
"Hmmm, destroying me or forcibly taking me to Heaven doesn't seem to be working out so well. But I wonder why you would want to do that, Muriel?"
You could see that the Angel was trying to resist Alexander's influence, but she simply couldn't resist the power of the thrones. So she replied quietly:
"Because it is Father's will. I carry out Father's will."
"And I suppose your father told you that personally. I was under the impression that it had been over two thousand years since anyone had seen him in Heaven, that he had retired to his private sanctuary and cut himself off from the Host. So when did you see him, and what were his exact words?"
"I did not speak to Father..."
Alexander asked, pretending to be very surprised:
"What, but how is that possible? How do you know so perfectly what God wants if he hasn't told you anything?"
The angel remained silent until Alexander growled:
"I asked you a question, Muriel; you do well to answer!"
"Father made it clear a long time ago what he thinks of the Nephilim and what he wants us to do with them."
Alexander nodded and said:
"I know only too well what he and even your Mother thought of a creature like me and what their solution was in the past. But that wasn't my question. My question was how you can be so sure that your Father still thinks exactly the same way. That he hasn't changed his mind, or that he just doesn't care anymore if there are Nephilim roaming the Earth. If your father did not command you to take me to heaven or destroy me if I refused to come with you, then who did? Who ordered you to come to Earth, Muriel?"
Her eyes flashed to Amenadiel, and she said almost in a whisper:
"Amenadiel..."
Lucifer could be clearly heard growling in the silent penthouse and Ella seemed to have gone into a Spanish rage. One of her shoes suddenly flew across the room and hit Amenadiel on the bald head, she spoke in Spanish but there was no misunderstanding what she meant:
"Mi madre... Hijo de puta.... Traidor, ¡cómo puedes pendejo!"
Alexander laughed out loud, while Lucifer stared at the little Latina in shock. The boy said:
"Ella...language, there are children in the room..."
She blushed and stammered an apology. Alexander stood in front of Amenadiel, grabbed his chin, and jerked his head up so he could look him in the eyes.
"It doesn't take much, does it, to turn you like a leaf in the wind? You fall, you lose your wings, and suddenly you're enlightened; you see the mistakes you've made, and you want to do everything to make up for them, to get back in your Father's good graces, and regain your wings and your strength. From the moment you regain them, you forget everything and carry on as before, as if nothing had happened. Tell me, Amenadiel, who is in charge in heaven when your father is absent?"
Reluctantly, the angel replied:
"Michael..."
"Quite right, yes, the General, the Prince of Heaven. And if God has a message, to whom would He entrust it, do you think?"
"Gabriel..."
"Quite right again! You seem almost smarter than you look. Have you happened to have a conversation with Michael or Gabriel or both at the same time in the last two millennia? A conversation that would show that God has told them that His will has changed. That he had reversed the deal he had made with Lucifer all those millennia ago in the time of Job."
Amenadiel did not look at Alexander and said very quietly, almost in a whisper:
"No."
"I know this deal was made a long time ago, and you are not the brightest, so let me refresh your memory. The deal between God and Lucifer was about mankind being able to pursue their own free will. The meaning of the deal was that your Father would leave mankind alone and no longer try to push them in a certain direction by means of another flood or something as stupid as that. God, your Father, gave Lucifer dominion over the Earth at that time. Are the memories coming back, Amenadiel?"
Alexander released the angel, stepped back a little and continued:
"This is where it gets interesting, Amenadiel. Lucifer is my father and the King of Hell, which makes me the Crown Prince of Hell. Lucifer no longer wishes to be King of Hell and has hung his crown on the hook. This means that in the absence of the King, I, the Crown Prince, am the absolute authority in Hell. A position I automatically claimed upon my arrival here, and I am determined to take the crown and throne of Hell as soon as possible. Hell and the demons need a king, and that king is me. And now for the best part, something that you, Muriel and the rest of your little group of zealots will not like at all, but to which you have absolutely no objection. The only one who could change it, who has the authority to do so, is God. So if you have any problems with what I am about to tell you, go and complain to your daddy and ask him to break his deal with Lucifer so that the big evil Antichrist can no longer be mean to you poor little angels. God has given Lucifer dominion over the earth as stated, but that deal was made between God and the King of Hell, in other words the deal is between God and whoever is on the throne. Lucifer is no longer the King of Hell, so the deal is now between God and me. All he has to do is come to Earth, look me in the eye and say that the deal is no longer going to be honored."
Alexander drained the rest of his glass, looked at the two kneeling angels, and spoke sternly and icily:
"Until God shows up and breaks the deal, I, the son of Lucifer, have dominion over Earth. You are hereby banished from Earth; you and your zealots are no longer welcome among humans. I could have banished you both to Hell, without your wings or your powers, to serve as playthings for Hell's worst demons for a few years, a few decades, centuries, or millennia, however long it would take me to remember that I dropped the two of you in Hell. Unfortunately for the demons and myself, I have to send a message that no Angel will be able to misunderstand. Muriel, I am sending you back to Heaven, and you will not be able to leave the Silver City until your father decides otherwise, or until I reverse my punishment for you. The same goes for you, Amenadiel, but when you get there, you will find that you will no longer be empowered, and you will no longer be able to use your wings. From this day on, you will be an example to every Angel who looks at you while you are walking somewhere instead of being able to fly, of what happens to an angel who thinks he or she can violate the agreements God has made. What happens to an Angel who makes assumptions about God's will, because assumption is the mother of all fuck-ups! You will be a fallen Angel in heaven. The once proud self-proclaimed favorite, the strong warrior, you will be a walking joke in the Silver City!"
Everyone in the penthouse was staring at him with wide eyes, and the fear was more than evident in Amenadiel's eyes. Finally it was Linda who almost stammered:
"But the baby could be born at any moment."
Alexander took a deep breath through his nose, looked at Linda, and spoke softly:
"Believe me, Doc, you will be glad when God's so-called favorite is out of your life."
He moved up behind the kneeling Amenadiel, took his neck in a holding grip, and snapped in a contemptuous manner:
"Look at her, angel! Look at her, or I'll break your fucking neck right now!"
The sweat of fear was visible on the Angel's head, and he looked at Linda as ordered. Alexander said:
"Tell her what you had in mind for the baby when it was born, and you could feel its divinity with certainty!"
Still under the influence of the power of the thrones, Amenadiel could only speak the truth.
"I wasn't sure if it would be a normal human baby or a Nephilim. If it was certain to be a Celestial, then Muriel would take it, and I would raise it in Heaven, away from humanity, for Celestials are not allowed to mix with humans. I would not let mere humans corrupt my child."
This revelation shocked everyone in the penthouse. Maze had jumped to her feet, quickly drawing her daggers and preparing to attack Amenadiel. Alexander looked at her and said quietly:
"Please don't kill him, Maze, I beg you."
The words seemed to shock the demon and she stood her ground. She looked him straight in the eye and asked:
"You have the power of thrones in you, why don't you order me not to kill him?"
"Because I have no desire to be your superior, your king, to command you. I want us to be able to look each other in the eye as equals and tell each other the truth."
She looked at him, not understanding, and asked quietly:
"Why?"
He released the angel and stood before her, placing his hands on hers and saying:
"For thousands of years you have stood by my father's side in Hell. You have protected him through rebellions and wars. You did it because you were loyal to your king in Hell. If Lucifer were not so retarded, he would have told you millennia ago that you were not only his best friend, but his family. I will need your help so incredibly hard in the future, Maze. But I refuse to summon you to serve me. The only way I can and will accept your help once I ascend to the throne of Hell is if it is offered freely. If you will stand by my side as family, and not as a de facto slave to the throne."
Alexander's eyes glowed gold again and the power of the thrones resounded in his voice:
"Mazikeen of the Lilim, from this moment forward you are no longer at the service of the throne of Hell. You are free to do as you please, to go and stand where you please, without accountability to the throne. On Earth you are as free as any human being. In Hell there is only one person higher than you, Mazikeen, I the King, but I will never command you, only ask you. There will be a secondary throne in Hell, and it will only obey you if you wish to ascend it, Princess Mazikeen of the Lilim."
She looked at him with wide eyes and stuttered softly:
"Free... I am free? You will make me Princess and give me power over Hell if I take the secondary throne?"
He just nodded with a gentle smile. Tears formed in her eyes but quickly disappeared as her gaze fell on Amenadiel. She stepped away from Alexander, who did nothing to stop her. She put the tip of her dagger to his throat, and the fear in the Angel's eyes was clear. He knew the demon all too well and feared his last moments had come. Instead of cutting his throat, she gave him a hard punch that broke his nose. She turned to Alexander:
"My King, I claim this Angel as mine alone. If he ever returns to Earth, I will gut him like a fish before dragging him into Hell with me!"
"You are the Princess of Hell, Mazikeen. Close your eyes, concentrate, find your connection to the throne, and make your claim."
She did as he said and stood motionless for seconds until a malicious smile appeared around her mouth. She turned back to the Angel and opened her eyes; it was clear that she had found her connection to her throne, the Hellfire in her eyes showing in all its intensity. Her gaze met Amenadiel's, and she said:
"If I were you, I would stay in heaven from now on, Amenadiel; otherwise, you are mine! And if you even dream of the baby, you better wake up, get down on your knees, and pray for forgiveness because not even heaven will be able to protect you when I come for you!"
Alexander snapped his fingers, and Amenadiel and Muriel disappeared from the penthouse. Everyone looked at him with wide eyes. He looked at Trixie, winked, and asked:
"Hey, half-pint, what do you think of pizza and chocolate cake? Looks like the grown-ups have a zillion questions."
She smiled back and asked:
"What kind of chocolate cake?"
He wrinkled his forehead and said:
"Triple chocolate, of course, with chocolate icing. Is there any other kind?"