Gotta Have Faith

“They asked me how I knew, my true love was true…I, of course replied, something here inside, cannot be denied.”

The sunlight was warm on his face and blinded him as his eyes struggled to open, and it took him a moment to remember the situation he was in. The psychic hunter, Betty Fay, has stolen his grace and bound them together. He’s human.

“They said someday you’ll find, all who love are blind. When your heart’s on fire, you must realize, smoke gets in your eyes.”

His body was sore as he pushed himself into a sitting position, mostly likely due to the very powerful magic needed to keep him bound. Then again, being tied up for a day would damage a human’s body. He needs sleep now. And food. There was a thick smell drifting through the house along with the soft music, and the hardwood floors were warm under his bare feet as he moved towards the kitchen.

“So I chaffed them and I gaily laughed. To think they could doubt my love. Yet today, my love has flown away. I am without my love.”

She was standing in front of the stove, which is where the smell was coming from. Bacon, eggs, toast. She was already dressed for the day, in a light purple dress that stopped at her knees and left her arms bare. Brown hair was piled on top of her head to reveal the smooth lines of her neck, and it would be so easy to touch against her warm skin and wrench her head to the side.

“Now laughing friends deride, tears I cannot hide, hide. So I smile and say, when a lovely flame dies, smoke gets in your eyes. Smoke gets in your eyes. Smoke gets in…”

Her body was swaying with the music as if she didn’t have a care in the world. She knows that he’s in her kitchen, knows that he’s standing right behind her and picturing her face bubbling in the bacon grease, but she’s not afraid. Looks like his Father really did train her just right. She doesn’t fear death, doesn’t fear anything. In another life, he could respect that. In this life, he just wants to hear her scream.

“Isn’t a little too early for so many death threats? Most humans have to work up to that kind of hatred. Do you like your eggs scrambled?” Big brown eyes and a rough voice greeted him, and he lightly shook his head. Killing her will take time and planning. He can’t be too rash.

“Scrambled is fine, thank you.” He let a smile grace his face, and she smiled back.

“Much better! I like the gentleman façade. It’s a lie, but it’s so much easier to deal with than the bloodlust. Why don’t you set the table for us, Lu?” She nodded her head towards a cabinet, and he dutifully walked over to the brightly painted door. He set out two plates, found the forks on his own, and sat down in the same chair as last night.

“What does Father want from me?” They both had full plates and a glass of orange juice, and she blinked once as she lightly chewed on a piece of buttered toast.

“I’m not sure. He’s not the best with explaining things, but I think he wants you to redeem yourself. The usual, you know?” She took another bite of toast, this time with eggs piled on top of the bread, and continued on like they weren’t talking about God. Although, the psychic has a point. Why else would Father make him human and bind him to this woman?

“The world is ending.” This time it wasn’t a question. She told him what Raphael has been up to, that Abaddon and Eve are both free.

“Looks that way. Shouldn’t you be doing a happy dance about that? All of the humans are probably going to die, along with just about every other supernatural creature. Guess that includes your siblings,” she shrugged. She pointed to his food, as if reminding him to eat, and he stabbed some eggs with his fork. If he was imagining her eyeballs, that was between him and her. She’s not wrong…if Purgatory was opened, there’s no telling how many supernatural creatures were released back into the world. Eve is free, so she’ll command her children to run free. Raphael may have her under control for now, but it will never last. Eve cannot be controlled. His brothers and sisters…Purgatory was opened.

“Did any of them escape?” He chased down the too dry toast with some of the orange juice, and her brown eyes bore into his own.

“Yes, they escaped. They’re looking for you, if that’s what you’re curious about. They won’t find you. Not in time.” There was no life in her voice, and she blinked rapidly after she was finishing talking.

“Not in time for what?” She pushed her knuckles against her temples and then smoothed her hands down her dress.

“I don’t know. Does it matter?”

“I guess not. Any plans for today?”


Plans? This morning is not really going how she expected, but she should be used to life’s curveballs by this point. The devil is acting all gentlemanly and nice, but she can feel the way that his thoughts burn. Burn like ice. It makes her feel cold even with the warm sunlight on her skin. Also, what’s with having mini-visions over breakfast? Have her walls completely crumbled into nothing? Is this what her last few whatevers on Earth are going to be like? (It could be days, weeks, months…it won’t be years.) She always knew the end was going to suck, so she might as well suck it up. At least she’s pretty sure that Lucifer will let her die quickly when the end comes.

“I took today off work, just in case we were still working out the kinks of our arrangement, so we’re free for today. Tomorrow, I’m going back to work.” Cold blue eyes ran over her, and she calmly bit into a piece of bacon. Her death may be looming on the horizon, but she’s not gonna be afraid of it. She’s gonna welcome it. Betty Fay, resting at last.

“You don’t hunt anymore.” He’s not asking, because it’s obvious. No hunter wears dresses and lives in a house this open. This permanent.

“I’m retired.” His laugh sounded startled and was quickly cut off, and Betty raised a brow at him. Huh, she made the devil laugh. That’s got to be something to be proud of. “Laugh it up, Luci. As far as I’m concerned, I’m still retired. This isn’t a hunting job. I’m babysitting.”

“Give me back my grace, and I’ll be happy to get out of your hair,” he said with a charming smile. Oh, he really is a charming devil.

“You’re thinking about scalping me right now. You really think I’m going to give you free reign? I said retired, not stupid.”

“We’ll see about that.” Charming devil indeed.


After breakfast, he returned to his room to change into jeans and a clean tee shirt. He was still lacing up his shoes when Betty walked inside, and he couldn’t help the glare he shot her way. Not having any doors was a serious infringement on his privacy. Just another thing to kill the psychic for later. She told him she was going outside and that he was welcome to join her, so he followed her into the large backyard. A giant dog ran up to greet her as soon as they were outside, but the furry beast stayed clear of him. At least some creatures still have self-preservation instincts.

Betty sat in the grass and laid in the sun while the dog ran free, and Lucifer watched from under the shade of a tree. She’d given him a book to read if he got bored, which was now sitting next to him, because he’d rather watch her. All she did was lay there, body lax against the grass and bathed in sunlight. Her arms were spread out as well as her legs, with her dress tucked under her thighs to keep it from blowing in the slight wind. Sometimes she smiled or sang quietly, but she mostly just laid there. It didn’t make any sense to him. None at all. He knows who Betty Fay is; he’s seen the way that she can rip into bodies. Watched her kill children and monsters alike. Someone like her shouldn’t know so much peace.

“Hey, Betty! You back there?!” The psychic was on her feet in the blink of an eye, and her dress swirled under her knees as she looked towards the house. A blonde woman, no, a blonde girl was walking towards her. A teenager. Lucifer moved to stand next to Betty, and he watched the way that the girl’s eyes narrowed in concentration. “Don’t tell me you finally decided to shack up! What’s the lucky guy’s name?”

“Lucifer.” The blonde skidded to a stop, and he raised a brow at Betty. He didn’t expect her to tell the truth, or for the human girl to take the name so seriously. The blonde’s face was turning pale and her brown eyes were open wide, and he watched the way that her fingers dug at her bare thighs. She should’ve worn longer shorts.

“Lucifer?” She was looking up at him now, and there was recognition in her eyes. She knows him, but how? The blonde stepped forward until she was standing directly in front of him, but he doesn’t know this human. “How?”

“Had a vision. All angels are confined to the Earth—”

“Yeah, I got that part. I could hear them screaming.”

“—, and that means Luci here is confined too. My job was to remove his grace and bind him to me. So, here we are,” Betty finished explaining. Is the girl another psychic?

“He’s human?” the girl asked.

“He is right here,” he said with a tight smile.

“So you can’t see who I am?” The girl was looking directly into his eyes, and he thought he could see a faint light shining under the pale brown color. “My name here is Mimi, but my real name is Miriam.”

“Miriam…you were in my garrison.” One of the youngest soldiers but still fierce, still beautiful in her glory.

“I was.”

“You fought against me.” He remembers all of the angels in his garrison that turned against him; angels that he loved fiercely and taught like they were his own children.

“I did.” He remembers seeing her in the battlefield, fighting against him, and helping to turn the tide. He taught her well and still felt pride for her, even if her strength was used against him. She’s no longer an angel though. She’s here, and she’s human.

“You fell.” She closed her eyes and took a step away from him, and he saw the chain around her neck. She carries her grace but remains as a human. Why?

“Heaven…it was never the same after the War. I didn’t want to take any more orders or feel dead inside. I wanted to be free,” she shrugged. Shrugged. As if what she did was an easy decision to make. Other angels would kill her for the betrayal she made by falling so completely.

“That’s all I ever wanted.” His voice was quiet and soothing, but Miriam’s eyes hardened and she raised her chin the smallest bit.

“No, you wanted to rid the Earth of humans. I wanted the freedom they had. We’re nothing alike.” She looked away from him and back at Betty, who’d kept quiet for the exchange. “He’s physically bound to you?”

“Yep. Like a ball and chain,” Betty said and crossed her arms.

“So he’ll be at the shop?”

“’Fraid so.”

“You’re not gonna let him murder the customers, are you?”

“Of course not.”

“Alright. Guess I’ll see you both tomorrow.” Miriam turned and walked away, but she paused just before reaching the edge of the house. “Hey, Lucifer! I hope you get it right this time!”

“What is she talking about?” Betty rocked back on her heels, and her bare arm brushed against his. Was her skin supposed to be so warm?

“You had a choice before, and you chose to defy God and start up a big war. You have a choice now too.” She looked up at him with eyes darker than Miriam’s, eyes that had no light in them.

“What choice do I have?” So far, he’s only being held captive. There’s no choice for him to make; he’s trapped here in a human body with a woman that he wants dead.

“I guess we’ll figure that out together. Hungry?” He’s going to have to play this out. It won’t be long before another war starts, and that’s when he’ll get to make his move. For now, he needs to gather his strength and wait for his moment.

“Starving.”