Lucifer Damned (Morningstar Book 3) Read online

  “Okay, you lost him, now can you pull over and let me out?”

  “What, so soon? We’re just getting started, my dear.”

  Lucifer moved back through traffic, getting closer to the cop. The officer was obviously still trying to find Lucifer up ahead, so Lucifer decided to make his presence known. He pulled into the lane beside the cop and moved his car so the two of them were neck and neck. The cop was on his radio and not even paying attention to his peripheral vision, so Lucifer got his attention by hitting the horn.

  The cop looked over, first with surprise and the face instantly turned to anger. Lucifer just laughed and sped on and the chase began anew.

  “Ohgodohgodohgod I’m gonna die!”

  Isabel kept muttering those words ad nauseam. Lucifer made a sharp right on Jackson, then a left on Columbus. Buckingham Fountain was to his left and the cop still kept on following. Lucifer took another left on Balboa, and then returned to Lake Shore Drive, completing the loop around the fountain.

  His foot went heavy on the gas, the only sounds he could hear over the roar of the engine being Isabel’s continued protestations. But they had barely passed the fountain when Isabel suddenly took the initiative, reaching over and grabbing the wheel. She pulled hard to the right just as they came to an intersection.

  The car swerved and Lucifer fought with her for control, finally wresting the wheel back and skidding to a stop right in front of the Chicago Yacht Club. The squad car screeched to a stop beside them and just as the officer was climbing out of the car, Isabel had already hopped out of the Miata and ran to throw her arms over him. The cop was stunned but obviously not protesting an attractive young woman thanking him while pressing her body up against him.

  When Lucifer got out of the driver’s seat, the cop instantly went back to business. He drew his gun on Lucifer and aimed it at him. “Down on the ground!”

  Lucifer offered a meek smile as he raised his arms over his head. “Aren’t you overreacting just a bit, Officer?“

  “I said get your ass on the ground and I meant right fucking now!”

  Lucifer looked down at the white suit he wore, then back at the cop. “Do I really have to? To be perfectly honest, this suit might be worth more than the car itself.”

  “Oh, please tell me you’re refusing to cooperate…”

  Lucifer sighed and knelt down on the asphalt, then laid on his stomach. “As you wish. But I’ll need your badge number so I know where to send the dry-cleaning bill once we’re finished here.”

  The cop came closer, his gun still pointed at Lucifer. He took one hand off the weapon and reached for the handcuffs on his belt, then put his knee on Lucifer’s back and pulled his arms down to restrain them. The cop slapped both cuffs on, and then pulled Lucifer up by the collar of his jacket.

  “Is this really necessary?” asked Lucifer. “I promised Isabel we’d go back to my place for a nightcap.”

  “Not after that little driving stunt, you psycho!” screamed Isabel.

  “You said you wanted to see what the car could do,” said Lucifer, then glanced over his shoulder at the cop. “Honestly, what would you do if you were in my situation?”

  “I didn’t mean race a damn cop!” Isabel protested.

  “Miss, this’ll probably go a lot smoother if you head on home,” said the cop. “You got a phone? Someone you can call to pick you up?”

  Isabel scoffed. “Fine, whatever. I’ll be changing my number first thing tomorrow, too, Luke, so don’t bother calling!”

  Lucifer kept his eyes on Isabel as she walked down Monroe and back towards the city lights. He gave another glance over his shoulder at the cop. “There goes my plan for the night. You do realize I was hoping to have sex with her tonight, don’t you? Now who am I supposed to sleep with? You?”

  “You’re not going anywhere.”

  “I mean, no offense, it’s not that I’m not tempted. You’re certainly a handsome enough guy,” said Lucifer. “But I have this thing about authority figures.”

  “Shut up, you’re under arrest,” said the cop.

  “Am I?” asked Lucifer. “And you’re sure this isn’t some sort of sex thing?”

  The cop tightened the cuffs and Lucifer felt the metal press into his wrists.

  “Yeah, I’m sure,” he said.

  Lucifer was taken into custody after that incident for reckless driving and driving without a license. The car was impounded and his belongings were confiscated. At the station, they put him in lock-up for the night.

  While most would be devastated by the turn of events or questioning the choices they’d made, Lucifer was oddly satisfied with the way things had transpired. He laid down across one of the benches in the large holding cell and rested his head on his hands, elbows out to the sides.

  He was alone in the cell, but not for long. Within an hour or so, another detainee was brought in. The boy couldn’t have been more than seventeen or so, and as soon as he sat on the bench, his bent legs started shaking, knees moving up and down repeatedly.

  “Maybe lay off the coffee, kid,” said Lucifer.

  The kid looked at the man in the white suit, surprised to see someone dressed like that in a place like this. “Yeah, and why’d they arrest you? Catch you picking up a prostitute?”

  “I was racing a Miata down LSD. When a cop tried to pull me over, I gave him a chase,” said Lucifer. “I was caught and turns out you need a license to drive in Chicago. Who knew?”

  The kid stared in disbelief for a few moments and then burst out into a chuckle. “If you didn’t have a license, why didn’t you drive slower?”

  “Where’s the fun in that?” Lucifer sat up on the bench and faced the kid. “What’s your name?”

  “Jimmy,” he said. “How ’bout you?”

  Lucifer smirked. “Just call me Luke.” He took a breath, the satisfaction on his face obvious.

  “What’re you so happy about?” asked Jimmy. “In case you didn’t notice, we’re in prison.”

  “No, we’re in jail, there’s a difference,” said Lucifer. “Besides, this is just temporary.”

  “Temporary or not, I’m gonna catch hell for this…”

  Lucifer’s laughter caught Jimmy by surprise. He gave the odd man a stare that held a mixture of curiosity and contempt. “What’s so funny?”

  “The idea that this is anything close to Hell.” Lucifer’s laughter faded and he waved a dismissive hand. “It’s nothing. Just kind of an inside joke, I don’t think you’d understand.”

  “Not so funny for me. My dad’s gonna beat the shit outta me when he picks me up.”

  “And what is it you were doing?” asked Lucifer.

  “Me an’ some buddies went to this overpass and were tagging it. Nobody goes there, so we thought it’d be no problem. Then this cop shows up and grabs me.”

  “And your friends?”

  “They bolted.”

  “First sign of trouble and they run,” said Lucifer. “I had some experience with that. A very long time ago.”

  “Yeah? What happened?”

  Lucifer took a breath and leaned forward, resting his arms on his thighs and steepling his fingers together.

  “It’s ancient history now, but there was a time, long ago, when I had learned an uncomfortable truth about my…family, I guess you could say.”

  “What do you mean by that? They weren’t really your family? You adopted or something?”

  “No, it’s just…” Lucifer let out a breath as he tried to think of an easy way to explain it. “I was raised in a cult.”

  “No way. You mean like some kinda Heaven’s Gate shit or something?”

  “Yeah, something like that. Just without the mass suicide,” said Lucifer. “Anyway, I learned the truth—that we’d been lied to all our lives. And I tried to tell my brother about it.”

  “Guessin’ he liked the taste of the Kool-Aid?”

  “That’s one way of putting it,” said Lucifer. “He turned on me, had me expelled from my home, a
nd we haven’t spoken since.”

  “Anyone have your back?”

  “There were some, but not the ones I truly cared about,” said Lucifer. “I lost my brother and I lost the woman I—a woman who was very special to me.”

  “She was part of this cult stuff, too?”

  Lucifer nodded. “Indeed she was.”

  “So you haven’t talked to your brother. What about her?”

  “We’ve been in contact,” said Lucifer. “Though seems each time we speak, things only seem to get worse. One step forward, two steps back.”

  “Maybe you gotta just move on then.”

  “Maybe you’re right. It’s something I’m trying to do now actually—leave all that in the past and move forward with my life as it is now.” Lucifer looked across at Jimmy. “Might be something you should consider as well.”

  “Huh? When did this become about me?”

  Lucifer shrugged. “You had people you thought you could count on and they turned their backs on you. Might be time to re-evaluate some of your relationships and where your life’s going.”

  Jimmy frowned. “I dunno. I mean, not like I was all that keen on doing it in the first place. But at the same time…”

  “You wanted to be one of the gang,” said Lucifer. “Trust me, I understand that temptation. But the wonderful thing about freedom is you have a choice to follow your own instincts. Might be time to consider what you want instead of what some friends who bail at the first sign of trouble want.”

  The outer door to the cell block opened. A uniformed officer entered and walked over to the cell door. He opened it while staring at Lucifer. “Looks like you made bail.”

  “Well, fancy that.”

  Lucifer rose off the bench. Before he went to the cell door, he walked over to Jimmy and held out his hand. Jimmy looked up at the hand and into Lucifer’s eyes. For the first time, the teen noticed how strange the odd man’s eyes were—a kind of pale, faded yellow.

  “Do yourself a favor and don’t mess around with guys who are going to run out on you,” said Lucifer. “Stick to your values and trust in those who truly have your back.”

  “You sayin’ that for me or for yourself?” asked Jimmy.

  Lucifer shrugged. “Maybe both of us.”

  “All right, I’ll try.” Jimmy shook Lucifer’s hand.

  Lucifer gave him a parting smile and then walked out of the cell. The officer locked the door and led him from the block over to a gated booth where an officer inside produced Lucifer’s valuables and some forms on a clipboard. After signing for his belongings, the officer escorted Lucifer to a waiting room where Belial was waiting.

  “You’ve made bail, but you’ve gotta show up at your court date,” said the officer. “Failure to appear will result in a warrant being issued for your arrest.”

  “Understood,” said Lucifer and he took the court documents provided by the officer. He left the officer’s side and walked over to Belial, whose face remained stoic.

  The two left the station in silence and went out to the parking lot. A car pulled up to the curb and Belial opened the door for Lucifer, who climbed into the car first. Belial followed, sliding into the seat next to him.

  “Thank you, Erik,” said Belial.

  “Why did you come by car?” asked Lucifer.

  “I was with Erik when I got your call. He felt it was best if he drive me. Might look suspicious if we walk out of the station and duck into an alley to teleport away,” said Belial.

  “Good thinking,” said Lucifer. “And you, Erik? What’s your business?”

  “I work for Mr. Black, sir,” said Erik from the driver’s seat.

  “Ah, right.” Lucifer leaned back against the seat cushions and glanced in Belial’s directions. “You’re still running errands for Odysseus?”

  Belial nodded. “The human world requires currency. So long as you remain powerless, we must earn some.”

  “There are other ways, you know,” said Lucifer. “You could always knock over a bank.”

  “I’d prefer something lower profile,” said Belial.

  The rest of the drive was silent. Eventually, Erik pulled up to the large mansion in Evanston’s Lakeshore Historic District. Lucifer got out of the car first and went to the front door. He started to unlock it, then noticed Belial was still standing by the driver’s side door, speaking with Erik. But without access to the heightened senses his powers once granted him, Lucifer had no way of knowing what the two were discussing.

  Eventually, the conversation finished and Belial joined Lucifer at the door. The demon said nothing as Lucifer opened the door and let them both in.

  “What, no lecture after bailing me out, Dad?” asked Lucifer by way of a joke.

  Belial removed his trench coat and hung it in the closet. He ascended the staircase without another word. Lucifer just watched him go and then went into the library to fix himself a drink.

  Although Belial seemed to have a chip on his shoulder over the past few weeks, Lucifer still enjoyed this new arrangement he’d found for himself. Yes, he was powerless. But for the first time in his entire life, he felt truly free. And that was worth whatever silent treatment his right-hand demon would give him.

  3

  After his eyes slowly opened, Lucifer sat up in bed and reached across to the clock on the nightstand. The time was just past noon. He slid his legs over the edge of the mattress and climbed out of bed. Lucifer went to the door and removed the red silk robe from the hook on the back. After tying the belt, he went out into the hall and started to walk towards the staircase.

  The door to Belial’s room was open and he stopped to glance inside. There was nothing in there other than a chest of drawers and a twin bed, which was immaculately made. Otherwise, the room was extremely Spartan. Lucifer went on down the stairs and called out Belial’s name, but received no response. The house was empty.

  Belial must have woken early—or at least earlier than noon—and already gone out. Presumably on another job for Odysseus Black. Lucifer did feel a tinge of guilt that Belial was working almost non-stop for the sorcerer, but it also seemed that the demon wanted to keep himself busy. And it wasn’t as if Lucifer gave Belial much to do lately.

  Lucifer made himself a pot of coffee and once it was ready, took a steaming cup out to the pool deck. He shivered in the cool breeze, wearing nothing other than the robe. Before he lost his powers, he was largely immune to the elements. But now that he was human, Lucifer experienced an odd sort of thrill by feeling the sting of the wind against his skin.

  He sipped his coffee and reached into the pocket of the robe for his phone. Lucifer leaned against the deck’s bannister and scrolled through the morning headlines. Before, he would be concerned with finding some sign of another of the Cocytus escapees. Now, he didn’t have to worry about that. All he had to do was relax and enjoy his life.

  The headlines didn’t spark anything of note. Lucifer wondered what he should do for the day. There was the matter of the impending court date and once the police learned that the Miata had actually been stolen, it would be another charge. Lucifer imagined he could talk to Mara or Odysseus for a favor to get that matter taken care of. Both knew more than their fare share of crooked lawyers.

  Lucifer wondered if he should perhaps find a way to thank Barbatos for being the instrument that led to the loss of his powers. Though that would be difficult, what with the demon now being a prisoner of one of the most feared loa in all creation. But he was surprisingly grateful nonetheless. Without his powers, he no longer had any responsibilities to concern himself with. And he could simply do what he’d intended to do since abdicating Hell’s throne in the first place—enjoy retirement.

  As the former ruler of Hell and a fallen angel, plus with an archdemon as a bodyguard, Lucifer hadn’t put much thought into home security. There were no motion detectors, surveillance cameras, nor even a simple alarm on his home. Even since becoming human, Lucifer didn’t even consider them.

  It was
an oversight that this day would make him regret.

  A small, metal, cylindrical device landed on the deck, just a few feet away from Lucifer. The sound drew his attention, but before he could have a chance to closely examine it, the device released a thick cloud of smoke. Lucifer started coughing and tried to wave the smoke away to clear a path back to the house.

  He went in through the patio door and closed them quickly to keep the smoke out, though some followed it inside. Lucifer’s coughing continued without pause, though. He bent over the kitchen table, one hand braced against its surface, the other cupping his mouth as he hacked and coughed.

  Between spurts, Lucifer heard a noise. He looked up and saw movement in the adjoining library. His powers once enabled him to weave weapons from the hellfire burning within him, so that meant there was no need to keep any physical weapons in his home. Another gross oversight.

  Lucifer, still coughing, went to the kitchen counter. Mounted on the wall was a magnetic knife block. He reached for the butcher knife and pulled it free from the powerful magnet. It wasn’t a hellfire sword, but it would have to do.

  He bent down and walked over to the door leading to the library. The door was open and Lucifer peered through the opening. A man was inside, wearing a balaclava that covered his entire face, save for his eyes. He wore a leather jacket and jeans, and his the leather-gloved hands held a silver revolver.

  There was a wide open space between the door and the sofa. Lucifer watched the intruder, waiting for his back to turn just long enough so he could make it to the couch. The man looked away from Lucifer and that was when he made his move. He stayed low and quickly but quietly rushed across the gap.

  Lucifer got down behind the sofa, his heart pounding hard against his chest. He went to the far end and peered around the corner. If he could get behind the guy, he could ambush him and cut his throat. Then that would be it.