Of Light And Shadows
Chapter Thirty Nine...

“Cheer up. At least he isn’t getting himself into trouble for breaking the stuff on the shelves,” Sellik grinned. “If he can keep Desiree happy then that’s one less hostile Witch to worry about.”

“Indeed.” Another voice from the doorway to their right made them all turn. A tall woman with chestnut hair in a tight bun stood at the entrance to the kitchen, her hands clasped in front of her.

“Lanthia, it’s been a long time,” Lucifer said, nodding respectfully.

“Indeed it has, Lucifer Morningstar.” She strode forwards, seeming to glide across the space rather than walk. She took his face in her hands and stared deep into his eyes. Jia squeaked in shock, but he just looked back as calmly as ever. Lanthia cocked her head to the side and glanced at Jia.

“It hasn’t happened yet,” she said softly. “It will.”

“What will happen?” she asked.

“This is for you only, Demon Prince,” the Witch replied. His eyes widened fractionally as he saw something nobody else could, but he nodded. “To tell is to change. What is will not be and what is not will come to pass if you reveal the truth.”

“I understand.” She let go of his face and stepped back. “We’re here in answer to our scried conversation yesterday.” He still looked shaken but his voice was steady. Mammon folded his arms across his chest, watching the exchange silently.

“The Demon politicians, yes.” Lanthia’s eyes clouded. “We will have a great deal of trouble without your help.”

“Why are they here?”

“To build an army.”

“An army of what?” Jia asked in alarm. Lanthia turned to her and gripped her shoulders.

“You can stop it,” she whispered. Her eyes were steel grey and suddenly fiercely intense as they bored into Jia’s teal hues. “You of the dark and the light. You can stop it.”

“Stop what? What are you talking about?” Her heart thundered in her throat as the Witch continued to stare intently at her.

"The war." Lanthia let go of her and blinked a few times as though clearing a fog in her head. When she straightened up her whole demeanor changed. “Lucifer my dear, how good to see you!”

“Do you remember anything of what you just saw?” he asked urgently.

“No,” Lanthia frowned. “I’m afraid a Seer Witch never remembers her visions of the future. If we did we’d all be driven mad by infinite possibilities.”

“You talked about a war,” Mammon insisted.

“I’m afraid that whatever I said while gripped by the Sight was all I can say. I don’t remember what I saw.” She smiled apologetically. “My visions are not always the most clear cut things.”

“If you see anything more would you be able to write it down?” Lucifer asked.

“Of course. I can scry to tell you what I write down, though I can’t vouch for the accuracy of what I write.”

“That would be useful, thank you.” Lucifer folded his arms across his chest, a serious frown on his face. “Can you tell me what you know about the Demons in power here?”

“I can’t speak for the rest of the world but I can say that Abaddon was the first one here. Once he began to rise through the political ranks the other Demons in the area began to follow. There aren’t many but the ones that are here are powerful. Some of them are soul eaters.”

“Do you have names other than Abaddon?”

“Yes.” She crossed to a cabinet nearby and pulled out a small black notebook, pressing it into Lucifer’s palm. “All the names and locations we know are in here. You will need to verify the information as correct but I hope it can be of some help.” Her eyes darkened.

“I’m sure it will be, thank you,” Lucifer replied as he tucked the notebook into an inside pocket in his jacket.

“Since the Demons began to gain influence, the Vampire population has increased. They’re more aggressive and they come closer to the cities. Nowhere is safe without wards. We’re in the middle of extending ours to cover the full city but it’s a slow process.”

“Satan said he sent Abaddon here to monitor the Vampires,” Jia put in. “Could he have been doing something to grow the numbers?”

“Not alone,” Lanthia replied. “The growth is too quick. Every day more of us go missing. I fear that the Vampires are being organised by someone.”

“I was afraid of that,” Lucifer muttered, rubbing a hand across the back of his neck. “Satan is up to something. That explains why he hasn’t been back for you yet, Jia. He’s been too busy.”

“You think he’s the one organising them?” she asked, dread pooling in her stomach. Lucifer nodded slowly.

“We are so screwed,” Mammon sighed. Lanthia arched a delicate brow at him.

“We might be better off if you were able to do what you came here to,” she replied. The silver-haired Demon scowled and looked away.

“What can’t you do?” Jia asked him. He looked reluctant to answer at first, but then he sighed and folded his arms across his chest.

“I’m here to help the Witches with the wards,” he replied eventually. “I came to help build ways to identify when new Demons enter and leave the city into the wards but something is working against me.”

“It works against all of us,” the Witch agreed. “Something is making it far harder to expand our protective circle. I ask that you help us here before you go back to your realm. Call it payment for the information I’ve been able to provide for you.”

“Of course,” Lucifer replied immediately. “If anybody is capable of expanding the wards with you it should be me. Do you have any idea what’s stopping you?” He turned his gaze on Mammon for the last sentence.

“I’m not one hundred percent but it feels Demonic. Doesn’t feel like dad’s magic though.” He frowned, tapping his chin thoughtfully. “I’ve come across it before for sure.” He shot a meaningful look at his older brother.

“Oh.” Lucifer passed a hand over his eyes, suddenly looking weary. “Jezebeth?”

“Bingo.”

“I can counteract whatever she’s doing to your wards no problem,” he told Lanthia. “Unfortunately if I do it she’ll recognise my power working against her.”

“If she recognises you she’ll tell Satan won’t she?” Jia asked. He nodded gravely. “Then you can’t. If he comes back here he could kill you and then we’re all done for.” She could hear the hysteria rising in her voice at the thought of the Devil returning to murder him.

“Be still.” She felt Lanthia’s hand on her arm, followed by a wave of fresh jasmine that swept over her and calmed her racing heart. “There’s strange magic in you. What are you?”

“I’m one of a kind,” Jia replied reluctantly, glancing at Lucifer to see if it was okay to tell her. He nodded almost imperceptibly. “I’m the daughter of a Greater Demon and a Seraph.”

“I see.” Lanthia pursed her lips, her eyebrows rising a fraction before her expression settled back into one of calm. “I had a feeling you were special but you are indeed entirely unique. Has Jezebeth ever come across you before?”

“No, I’ve never met her. I’ve met Satan though.”

“If he isn’t the one influencing our wards then he won’t sense your magic.” The kind Witch smiled in earnest. “You are just what we need.”

“Me?” Jia frowned. “I have no powers. I can summon other Demons but that’s it.”

“Oh, my dear. How little you know of yourself. You can do far more than that. Come.” Lanthia held out a slender hand. Jia hesitated before taking it and allowing herself to be led into a side room away from the others.

“Where are you taking me?” she asked as they ducked through a door at the back of a small hallway.

“My garden. We have a wonderfully potent ley line beneath us. We Witches draw our power directly from the earth and the ley lines allow us to channel that power with much greater ease if we’re close by. It’s why Tia’s Trinkets was built here.”

“Who’s Tia?”

“I am. It’s a nickname Desiree gave me as a child because she couldn’t say my name correctly when she was young.” Lanthia’s smile was warm as she opened a final door onto the most beautiful garden Jia had ever seen.

It looked entirely wild save for the patch of neatly kept grass that provided a walkway down the centre. Either side was lined with verdant hedges and herbs of all kinds.

At the rear the garden seemed to stretch off into a small forest, separated only by an odd circular gate. It seemed to beckon to her, calling her through to the trees beyond. The sight was beautiful.

“What is that?” Jia asked.

“A moon gate. Gorgeous isn’t it?” Lanthia was smiling again as they walked towards the stone creation.

The scent of a thousand herbs floated around them in a sweet perfume as they walked, surrounded on either side by healthy greenery and vibrant flowers.

“What’s a moon gate?”

“The humans believe it’s a portal to another world. That’s nonsense, of course. The moon gates are built in areas where our ley lines are closest to the surface. They amplify the power and allow us to tap into the magic of the earth.”

“Why are they called moon gates?”

“They’re positioned in such a way that the light of a full moon is directed through them. This is when our connection to the earth is at its strongest.” Lanthia reached out to touch the stone reverently as they drew to a stop in front of it. “This gate has been here for centuries. Everything you see was built around it after it was discovered.”

“Who put it here?”

“The Seraphs.” Jia turned to the older Witch in surprise. “Tell me. Which of the Seraphim is your mother?”

“Lauviah.”

“Ah. I thought she was killed in the Uprising.”

“She was kidnapped by the Greater Demon Abaddon during the war. He held her captive and eventually I was born.” Jia looked away, chewing her lip as her eyebrows drew together.

“I’m so sorry,” Lanthia replied softly. “I can’t imagine the horrors you and your mother have been through. Is she safe now?”

“Yes.” Jia smiled at the memory of Michael carrying Lauviah to safety. “She’s free and recovering in the Angelic Realm as we speak.”

“Excellent. Would you like to speak with her?”

“I can do that?” She whirled to face the Witch, barely able to contain her excitement. “I can speak to her today?”

“Absolutely. You have both Demon and Angel blood in your veins. Scrying between realms should be well within your capabilities.” She held up a finger. “But I expect you to try and help us with the wards afterwards, alright?”

“Anything,” Jia answered eagerly.

“Excellent. Let’s call out to your mother together.”