Purgatorial

The whole way to my house—to my old house—felt extremely fast and not fast enough. My heart was going crazy jumping around like a Mexican dancing bean. Funny thing was, I was more scared of what I wasn't going to find there than of what I was going to find. We'd moved all of our furniture into our house in Haven Hills, but the walls, the rooms and the view would still be the same. It was imprinted in my memories. Going back there and not finding Mom, Nigel or Henry would be... painful.

"What if they're just a random couple?"

Cameron shot me a look, "I don't believe in coincidences, little bird." Shame on me for not knowing better. "Lucifer has been keeping tabs on you and your family for years, it makes sense that he'd have some plan after getting out of Hell and getting Etna back. We knew they were in San Diego somewhere. Your old house was empty... It works like a great safe-house."

I tugged Cam's hand so he'd turn left. Breath caught in my lungs. It was just across the street. A three-story house painted in eggshell white. The back of the house led into a sizable patio with a small gate, leading into the beach. I knew there was a balcony on the second floor, belonging to Mom and Nigel's old bedroom. My room used to be on the last floor, which shouldn't really be called a floor since it was just the attic.

"Let's go," I said once the light turned green. Cameron spied a look before crossing the street, me on his tail.

We walked up several steps until we reached the front door. The small palm trees adorning the stairs looked healthy and strong. Mom would've liked that. Snapping eyes on the door, then the doorbell, I swallowed. Doing this was the last thing I wanted. We'd just gotten rid of Lucas and last time we'd seen Etna, she hadn't been all there...

There were a lot of reasons why this could end badly.

Cameron rung the bell, leaving me rigid.

"What? We didn't come here to stare all day. No offense to your house, but there are better things for me to admire." I flushed deep red as his words hit home. His hand slowly dragged up my arm, curling on my shoulder. Two fingers snuck underneath the top's hem, brushing a sensitive spot below the base of my neck.

There was a stretch of time. Nothing happened. I glared up at Cam, channeling that we should walk off and leave the mystery unsolved. He was looking extremely focused, listening for something only his sensitive sense could pick up on. Another minute passed—

The door swung open.

Holy crap. I nearly jumped down a stair when steel irises eyeballed us both.

"I didn't expect to see your faces so soon." Lucifer drawled leaning a round shoulder on the door frame. His eyes became sharp like deadly silverware. "Unless you truly have a death wish, dear nephew, I don't see the point of you searching us out."

Pushing to stand in front of me, Cam met Lucas' warning with a heavily lit smirk. The smartass kind that would get him in trouble in a ten mile radius.

"Lucas Morningstar? Was that supposed to be a clever alias?"

His uncle scoffed, "How many people do you think know my name? The real one? A handful. Angels never speak my true name. Even so, they don't make a habit of walking around Earth."

Finished chewing my bottom lip, I stepped up, placing a hand on Cam's shoulder. I squeezed between their bodies and a whole lot of testosterone.

"Knock it off," I hissed looking between them, fixing my eyes on Cam for a longer period. His jaw muscles flexed. I twisted to look at Lucas who was sporting a devilish grin. "We didn't come here to fight. We weren't even looking for you, we just came here to San Diego and the person who rented you the house said... Your name."

"And?"

"There's no and." My voice rose an octave.

Lucas crossed his arms over his chest, his biceps bulged in size.

"Don't lie to the Devil, biscuit."

Heat swamped me as Cam took a new step forward, gluing his front to my back. He lifted an arm over my shoulder pointing at his uncle.

"Don't call her that. Better yet, don't talk to her." Lucas rolled his eyes. "And there is something," Cam spoke quietly, catching Lucas' interest. "I think we should have this conversation inside."

Lucifer creased a brow at him.

"I don't think now is a good time."

"Because you were getting hot and heavy with your centuries old girlfriend? Yeah, sorry to bust your fun-time, but this is about her."

"Cam..." his name dropped from my lips. Then, I noticed the state Lucas' hair was in, not just that, his neck looked reddish and his shirt was rumpled. Okay, so maybe he and Etna had been up to something before we decided to drop by uninvited. "Cam's right." I cleared my voice, trying to keep my thoughts from showing on my face.

Trying to keep memories that are Etna's out of my brain.

Lucas looked like he wanted to shake Cameron. Demanding to know what we meant. Instead, he backed up. Taking the hint, I walked inside a house I'd never thought I'd see again. A ginormous L shaped couch greeted me, along with a plasma large enough for this room to be called a home theater. A fur rug took up the entire living room, leaving no wooden floor for show.

This clearly wasn't the house I remembered...

I heard scuffling upstairs. It had to be Etna.

"Don't touch," Lucas' said as if speaking to a five-year old in a museum. I glanced over a shoulder seeing Cameron about to run a finger over a long, thin blade. Two skinny swords were hanging on the wall across from the big TV.

Cameron side-glanced his uncle daringly for a minute, not lowering his fingers.

"They're just katanas."

"They're not yours. If you touch them I'll cut off your hands with them." Gray eyes baited dusk ones—dared him to lean his finger on one of the single-edged sword. Tension became palpable and it was clear this was bigger than the stupid challenge over the katanas.

Fast strutting downstairs made everything change. Lucas' head whipped to the living room's doorless entrance, in time of catching a flushed Etna breaking into the fold. Ah, was what I thought as my eyes scampered across the outfit she had on. It was definitely modern, unlike the gown she'd worn in her memories, or the one she'd woken up wearing—bloody and torn. She was wearing a white flowy top, skinny black jeans and ankle-tall boots. My golden eyes got hung up on the necklace around her neck, though. The chain was gold and hanging from it was a red triangle-shaped gem, its pointy end facing down.

I snapped from whatever trance when Etna moved, placing a hand on Lucas' arm. On her finger something glinted—her ring made from Ethereal crystal.

"Why are you angry?"

"I'm not angry." Lucas stated through gritted teeth, since Cameron was still hovering next to the precious swords.

A frown found its way onto Etna's face—her very un-aged face. She looked like an average twenty-year old girl. Her skin had a teeny tan on, too.

"Maybe you should take deep breaths and count to ten." I spun to face Cameron. His shit-eating grin was going to get his ass handed to him or killed. I mouthed at him to stop, turning my face into the definition of stern. Rolling his eyes heavily, Cam finally left the weapons on the wall alone, swaggering over to me. "Next time I pick the vacation local."

"This isn't a vacation—"

"What are you doing here?" Lucifer's voice—because his roar made me remember his alter ego—shook the foundation we stood on.

Etna didn't look all too concerned with her beau's outburst, making me think she either didn't care what happened to us if he lost his cool or she knew Lucas wouldn't harm us. Cameron took the lead before I could gather my wits.

"Ever heard of Cain?"

Lucas glared at Cam like he was demented.

"Of course I've heard of Cain. He was one of the first humans I ruined." He confessed easily, pride soaking his savvy attitude. Etna slowly looked away, a silent pain in her storm eyes. My heart stung as I recalled everything she knew—she'd seen every black spot in Lucas' soul, the Devil's soul, and she'd still loved him. "I convinced him to murder his brother. He's been dead for as long as humanity is old."

"Yeah, that dude's all dust. But I'm not talking about him—he's someone else." Cam pointed at his eyes. "Purple eyes. Brown hair. Narrow, long face. About this tall?" he asked, holding up his hand a little ways above his shoulder.

"Purple eyes?" silvery eyes focused on me. I swayed, feeling like I'd been put in a spotlight. "You had a dream about someone with those." I nodded, nervous. Lucas' lips were thin, stretching downwards. "I told you before—I've never heard of anyone with purple eyes."

An ushered laugh bust out of Cam. Lucas' eyes were on his faster than a speeding bullet. Cameron's delight shone through and through as he crossed his arms, shifting his weight onto one leg.

"I'm sorry, it's just too funny. I can't help it," he clearly wasn't sorry. The smirk was spreading widely. "This guy's been in Hell for years. He's even gotten some of your people working for him. That's how the Rebels crashed our party."

Lucas' face hardened, "What?" he pushed out, a hand closing into a white fist.

Cam nodded thoughtfully, mockingly.

"Yep. That's not all, though. Since you've skipped your eternal curse in Hell, he's been taking over. Some people already call him the new Devil." He held out his hands, shrugging.

"What does that have to do with me?" Etna asked, meeting Cameron's coal eyes for the very first time.

The smugness dissipated somewhat from his face, his stance lacked a little of its arrogance. I knew this was because of me. Etna was—distant or not—my family. Cam had no beef with her.

"We're not sure," I spoke out cautiously. Etna's gaze swung toward me leaving me a little breathless. This person was my last of kin. I forced a breath. "Cain just said he needed you. He thought we knew where you guys were—"

"You do know," Lucas ground out, advancing to where I stood. Instinct flared inside telling me to hightail—Cameron was between us in mere seconds.

He gave one push at Lucas' broader chest.

"I told you before," he hissed. "Stay away from her."

He leaned close, to whisper in Cam's ear, "I could rip out your heart—right this second. You'd be dead before you knew it happened." Over Cam's left shoulder, Lucas sent me a chilling smirk.

Cam planted a palm on his uncle's chest. Lucas pulled away, enraged, staring at the hate bristling under Cameron's skin.

"I hate you." Cam said. Simply stating the obvious. Lucas' perfectly shaped eyebrow inched an inch. "But I hate Cain more," Cam tilted his head. "He's a psychopath. I'm not over exaggerating—he really is."

I took a tentative step to stand behind Cameron, closer to Lucas.

"There's something… wrong with him."

"Aside from being a psychopath with Power."

"What do you mean?"

"He can… He can use Magic."

In all the time I'd known Lucifer I'd never known him to be dumbfounded—by anything. It was Etna who expressed his surprise, though.

"That is impossible." Her words were like cement blocks being dropped in a peaceful church, causing a deafening ruckus. "Right?"

Our eyes gravitated to Lucas. He remained quiet, twisting at the waist once Etna's hand touched his back. Whatever the expression he gave her, it softened her eyes to a degree only a dumbstruck love-fool could pull off. Sort of the look I'd given Cam yesterday, all day long. Standing here with the Devil and his Twin Flame made yesterday seem eons ago or even a faraway dream.

"I've never heard of anyone wielding both Power and Magic." Lucas' bit out, looking rather annoyed with either himself or the whole planet. "Magic isn't something you can teach, like some humans think. If someone can do Magic they either came from one of the original Covens—like that Witch, Serena—or, at some point, a male or female Witch corrupted some poor human's bloodline by procreating with them."

Cameron's head gave an imperceptible nod, I don't think he even felt it, he looked pensive. Eyes riveted on nothing in particular, but they looked unsettled, like he was brainstorming over a great hypothesis.

"I'm a hybrid," his head tilted. His voice was quiet, eyes still unseeing. "A Cambion's a hybrid, too. We get Angel blood or Fallen blood, but we don't get anything from our human parent."

"A Cambion consumes their mortal parent's soul on birth. It's what gives them immortality." Lucas sought to correct.

"Yes," Cam agreed. Okay, weird moment. Were they actually acting civil? "But I'm talking about blood. Our human parent doesn't offer anything. Cain said… Cain called himself a true Hybrid. I didn't get it—just like I didn't get half the things he droned about, but…" Cam blinked before looking up, at Lucas. "His parents have to be supernatural, both of them. It's obvious his mother or father was a Witch. The other one had to be either an Angel."

"Wait," I crossed my arms as three pair of eyes settled on me. "Cain looks twenty-something. When I found out—about what you and Phillip are—you said Angels hadn't been… associating with humans. You said no Angel, besides your dad, had broken the rules in a long time. Couldn't it have been a Fallen?"

"No. I would've known about it."

"And Michael wouldn't know if an Angel got it on with a Witch?"

Lucas regarded me with something akin to adoration, like a grown wolf watching his cub try to stand for the first time.

"Remember how he doesn't know that Uriel flayed handfuls of Nephilims?" I shuddered at the mention of her. Cameron held a breath. "Plus, Virtues can't spy on everyone. Only on creatures with a certain level of Power. A powerful Dominion could've eluded their radar, just like Gabriel and every Archangel."

I hung back, "It doesn't really matter, though. Whoever his parents were they're dead. He slaughtered his entire family." And ours, I spied a glance at Cam. "Uriel told him about San Diego being the logical place for you to be in—because of the Veil. He's probably here somewhere, he left Haven Hills way before us."

Lucifer cursed in a foreign, tong-twister language. Could it be Enochian? It sounded lyrical, lovely really, I only understood he was swearing because of the fury with which he whirled, stalking over to the room's largest window. The one overseeing the patio.

Etna stood in silence, leaning forward, placing her hands on the couch's back. She looked worried, but surprisingly calm for someone who'd just gotten a second chance at life and love and was being hunted again.

"Are you going to Hell?" she inquired.

"I don't care about Hell," Lucas threw over his shoulder smoothly. "I got bored of that place long before I was trapped in it. Even when I liked it there, it's always just been a means to an end. I'm done with it now, he can have it." He made it sound like he was talking about a toy he'd gotten bored with, not an entire dimension under his hand.

"He's turning Fallens, Cambions, Vampires—whatever supernatural creature—in his favor. You're just going to let that happen?"

Lucas gave Cameron a funny smile, "What's wrong, little nephew? Are you afraid of the new Devil?" the word new dripped mockery. "Maybe you should go to Hell and be King, you certainly seem to care about who lives there."

"I don't care about them." Cam spat. "I care that he's assembling an army. Another one. He has the Rebels, he's the leader."

"Hmm, that boy must be very charismatic."

Lucifer's sarcasm made Cam's blood boil. Well, civil lasted about three whole minutes, I thought dismayed.

"That boy killed my parents." Slowly, the sarcastic smirk on Lucas' face diminished. "He ordered the attack on my family—that was him. I killed my father because of what he did." Etna snapped to attention at the drop in Cam's voice, soft and dangerous. I'd never heard Cameron say he'd killed his father so freely. Some part of me wondered, wistfully, if finally he was letting it go. Maybe Cain showing up—in that department—had been a blessing in disguise. "He did the same to Nina's family. Uriel's working with him. That's how she found out what I did. Cain wanted Michael to know I'd murdered my father because he needed us to be cloaked from Angels—from Virtues. To find her," Cam nodded at Etna. A soft pink over her cheeks, rooting from her neck. "Michael didn't send Raphael. Uriel tricked Raphael into doing it by building a copy of Michael."

"She can do that?"

Lucas turned, leaning on the window sill, eying Etna.

"She can manipulate Earth. Maybe you've heard of Pygmalion? Humans have told various tales about him. He was a sculptor, you see, in Greece. One day he carved a beautiful woman out of stone. Long story short, the most told legend is that he offered many gifts to Aphrodite on her festival day—" a wry smile tugged at one lip corner. "Of course, there is no such thing as a Goddess of love, but people believed it. Anyway, Uriel always had a knack for being... bitter. She snuck into Pygmalion's house and worked her Power on the ivory statue. She brought it to life—for a while. When the Greek sculptor arrived and saw his magnificent creation alive, he was ecstatic or so one would think. She talked, she breathed and she felt warm. Human. Obviously, they had sex." I pursed my lips. Way to be blunt, I thought. "From what I've heard they never got very far, though. Uriel made Galatea, like some call her, kill him. He was killed by the thing he loved most."

"Why?" Etna's eyes were misty with sadness, but also curiosity and passion. I recognized everything she put on display for Lucas, because I was always impressed with what Cameron told me, too.

"If I had to attribute a sin to Uriel, it would be vanity. She asked Pygmalion to carve a statue of her, but ever since he'd finished Galatea he'd never wanted to sculpt again. He made the mistake of telling Uriel there was no woman more beautiful than what he'd created. So, Uriel plotted her revenge. She heard his wish—the one he made at Aphrodite's festival. For Galatea to come alive. She gave him what he wanted, twisting it into a gory ending."

Grimacing, Etna shook her head. I knew she'd met Uriel once, the day she'd found out Lucas was Lucifer.

"So, my saint brother didn't sentence you? How level-headed of him." Resigned with whatever, Lucas asked, "How did you find that out?"

Cameron's lips parted just an inch. I saw it was painful, talking about Uriel would mean thinking about Phillip. I edged to the couch, sitting carefully. Waiting for some invisible trap to spring, trapping me. Nothing happened.

It was me who began telling the story of Cain's boundary spell, the Cambions and how he'd manipulated Dawn with a love potion, forced Vanessa to give Samantha her memories back and what happened to her as a result. No one interrupted me. Finally, I shared about Uriel and what she'd done—not in detail—just the most important parts, especially so they'd understand Michael hadn't wanted to kill us on Devil's Cove. Then…

"Phillip," my voice came out dry. "Phillip was with her. Not because he wanted to, she did something to him. His eyes were bright—glowing."

"Michael said she fed him a fruit from Heaven or something." Cameron, who'd taken up residence on the couch's arm, said. Recognition flashed in those wise eyes. Cam jerked forward, a little. "You've heard of it?"

"Of course, I have. I was an Angel once, wasn't I? In any case, I'm afraid my dearest nephew will never be the same again. Mortals who eat those fruits—"

"She injected him with it—with the fruit's juice, I think." I said, recalling my vision through Serena's eyes. "Doesn't that wear off?"

"No. It's something that can't be healed. It affects his soul, mostly. It twists what he is." Lucas mused his jet-black hair backward. It was as rich and thick as when we'd met. "Everything your brother was, is gone, Cameron. The only way to get that juice out of him is to bleed him dry, but you'd kill him."

This once Lucas didn't smile condescendingly or sound amused, he was speaking seriously, looking at Etna instead of watching his nephew. I couldn't be sure why, but I think I saw a pang of sadness cross his handsome face, it was too fast if it ever existed. Unconsciously, my hand reached for Cam's knee reassuring him he wasn't alone, I'd be with him through it all—whatever that entailed. Whatever… choice he had to make, he wouldn't be making it alone. Cameron stared at the rug under our feet, under the couch.

All of a sudden—an itch took up my veins. I knew what it was fully, my Power. It… it pushed the wall between us, finding release. I did a double take when I felt it. Cameron's head swung my way as my hand slipped, limply, from his knee.

"Nina?" he sounded far, like he was standing at the edge of a long tunnel, me on the other end.

I saw images flash. It was a... phone. A screen! Slow down, I told it, I need to see what's on it. My Power did so, happily. Helping me getting a better look at what was showing, I frowned. Or I wanted to. It was the radio app on my phone. Then, as fast as it come, it vanished. My Power was tucked safely away.

Cameron was kneeling, framing my cheeks. His eyes were everything I saw when the vision faded, but there was no time, I chided myself. I got up, almost sending sprawling and reached inside my jean's pocket, pulling out my phone. I clicked the radio app, browsing quickly until I found the station I'd seen in the vision.

A song died down and the person doing the broadcast began talking about this bands latest hits and then something shocked me into next week. Most definitely shocked everyone into next week, but I couldn't tear my eyes from the screen as the man spoke:

"Our next song is a special shout out to Cameron... from Cain."

A familiar tune began playing, it was rock. Finally, I lifted my golden gaze to gauge his reaction. He knew the song before the lyrics poured from my phone.

"Take me down to the paradise city
Where the grass is green and the girls are pretty
Oh, won't you please take me home…"

"Does this mean anything to you?"

"Paradise City... It was the first song I played." Cam confessed. His eyes dark as the spaces between the stars, lit with a lick of remembrance and it made him look younger. There was more to this song, it was personal. "There's only one person who knows that."

It wasn't me. It had to be…

"Phillip?" he nodded. "What does this mean?"

"It means," my boyfriend said, voice hard. "Phillip's here. Somewhere… with Cain."