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“Yo, Short King! You in there?”
The annoyed thumping on the pale hardwood door traveled down the hall. Followed by an exasperated sigh and huff.
“Charlie’s been lookin’ for ya.”
More knocking follows. This time with a chorus of four hands out of time with each other.
“We tried. He ain’t answering. Let’s go.” Husk’s gravely monotone called from behind. Annoyance clear in the short breath forced through his nose.
“You ain’t gotta be here. I don’t need a babysitter. It’s just Charlie’s dad.”
Husk shifted on his feet. Crossing his arms and rolling his eyes away from Angel.
“Why are you here?” Cherri snorted. Sly smirk beginning on her lips. “Vaggie asked Angel to fetch him.”
The cat’s whiskers twitched as his yellow eyes settled on Cherri. Narrowing in suspicion.
“Because trouble follows whenever the both of you pair up, and he’ll have all our hides if you put more holes in the walls.”
She snorts again. “I’m not scared of old ass Alastor.” Turning her nose up at the cat who furrows his brows in return. Little bit of teeth showing through his frown.
For a moment it looked as though he wanted to scold her, but he merely turns his head away. Shifting uncomfortably.
“You should be.”
It’s the beginning of an argument between two of Angel’s favorite people. One they’ve had before, and one they’ll likely have again. At least as long as Alastor never gives Cherri a reason to regret her bravado. God, Angel really truly hopes that day never comes. Sure Al was creepy, perhaps a bit goofy at times, but he had suave, and a serial killer’s charm was not to be trusted.
If just the off handed mention by Cherri to test Alastor’s strength had Husk’s eyes nervously darting around the room for movement in the shadows then Angel would take the warning seriously. Even if he did still enjoy teasing the old radio demon. Granted Angel was sure to keep his hands to himself. Tolerant as Al was, Angel wasn’t going to see how far it would go.
Cherri on the other hand was just waiting for an excuse to whip out her bombs. Always ready for a fight, and the reputation that preceded Alastor was hard for her to ignore. Angel took a deep calming breath as he could hear the hiss behind him. He needed something to throw them off before it turned into a cat fight in front of Lucifer’s door.
Without much thought he put his hand on the door’s handle. Giving it a jostle. Surprise clearing all other thoughts as it clicked and gave way. Any arguing happening behind him was silenced at the sound of the door unlatching. Leaving the long hall quiet. Angel froze with his grip locked on the handle. The door ajar ever so slightly at the end of his long arm. He could even feel warm air rush out making him shutter.
Confused by the warmth and unsettling rise to his hackles. A light tone of music could be heard from beyond. Slow and methodic like the haunting tune of music box winding down on worn prongs. Angel swallowed, his grip on the door tightening as his brain told him to pull it shut and run away. Far away, as far as possible, but he was stuck unable to will himself forward or back. There was another sound he couldn’t quite make out through the crack in the door. Craning his neck for a better angle as if would make the noise more clear.
“Watcha waitin for Angie.” He nearly jumped, bolting his feet to the carpet, when Cherri gave a light shove from behind. “Let’s go see how the King does up his room.” She chuckled mischievously.
“You fucking crazy!” Husk growled in the loudest whisper he could manage. “You don’t walk up on another demon’s turf, certainly not the fucking King of Hell!”
A voice of reason had Angel’s racing heart slowing. Relaxing as he started to pulled the door closed.
“We’re not intruding! Charlie’s orders remember.” He didn’t need to turn around to see the smug smirk spread across Cherri’s face. “We’re just offering a helping hand by checking on her dad is all.” Her tone softened considerably. “Don’t be such a pussy.” Laughing at her own joke she gave another encouraging shove to Angel’s back. “If the door is open it’s an invitation.”
“Angel.” Husk groaned.
He tensed. Whatever trepidation hovering over him before replace with curiosity, and now with a passible excuse he was ready to ignore caution. After all it was just Charlie’s dad. Goofy and childish cinnamon roll not all that different from said daughter. What was the worst that could happen? Charlie would probably just yell at him about personal space again, but her scolding would be worth a peek at the King’s own room. After all you could tell a lot about a person by how they kept their space.
Against his better judgement Angel leaned into the door.
“We’ll just check on him. Let him know Charlie’s concerned is all.” He lied through his teeth. Heart hammering again as the door gave way to an awfully bright room.
He squinted, fighting the urge to cover his eyes as he stepped in. Eyes adjusting to the white walls that contrasted intensely compared to the hotel’s red. Cherri crowded into his left and Husk, despite his previous apprehension, took up the space to Angel’s right.
Curiosity getting the better of all of them.
Despite being ungodly bright, like someone forgot to turn off the sun, the King of Hell’s room wasn’t all that surprising. Luxurious sure, but nothing divine or unholy. It was a typical room you would find in any high end hotel occupied by the rich and powerful. Frankly he was a little disappointed there wasn’t any immediate signs this room belonged to an angel or the devil himself.
“That’s a lot of ducks.” Cherri had some hesitance in her voice as she tip toed further in. “What’s with the ducks.”
The amount of rubber ducks pilled around the room wasn’t just an odd number of ducks. It was and obsession number of ducks. Each of them with their own unique appearance and accessories. Piled here and there, over taking the furniture in some places. It would be strange if it this wasn’t hell, and Angel had come to learn all the powerful people in hell were weirdos. It would be even stranger if Lucifer didn’t have some weird quirk at this point. Hordes of rubber ducks were on the bottom of Angel’s list of things he’d rather not find in someone’s room. If anything it was cute and just reinforced his idea that Charlie’s father was as adorable and harmless as the princess.
Husk remained hovering over the doorway. Fur fluffed in an adorable but nervous way. Too tense to delve deeper in but too curious to run away. Angel pushed further in despite his lingering unease. There was that sound he couldn’t place again. Reverberating in his bones just under the soft melody of the music box. He made careful way around the stray ducks that littered the plush carpet.
He was expecting a bed fit for a king. Tilting his head as he joined Cherri.
“Maybe angels like high places?”
They both pondered the thought. It was a big bed from what he could see. With a thick mattress that was oddly strained at the sides as if something large was occupying the center just out of view. A loft type bed to be more accurate. Rising high in the room far over Angel’s head. There was no ladder so he imagined the king just flew up as needed. The image of the tiny Lucifer in such an enormous bed drawing a snicker from him. Cherri chuckling as well as their eyes met and she shared the thought.
Under the bed in its shadow was little couch mercilessly swallowed by ducks. There was various other normal bedroom furniture about. What he could see that ducks hadn’t overrun, but to the right tucked away on the far wall with a well-trodden path clear of ducks was desk and table.
Approaching it the pair could see it appeared to be a work table of some sort. Adorned with common tools easily recognizable and some less so. A project set on the table’s center. Surrounded by tools. It appeared to have been something made of glass and thin gold, though he didn’t know what shape it had meant to be in as it lay in pieces all over the wooden top. Some shards even dotting the floor. Looking as if it had exploded or, more accurately, was crushed if the crumpled metal was any indication.
An odd sorrow tugged at Angel’s heartstring as he wondered if the king destroyed his own creation. Even crushed the strange work of glass and gold, with a single garnet centering it looked rather beautiful. What could have compelled him to strike it with such force to embed the garnet into the table top?
“Look Angel.” Cherri’s voice drew him from his musings on the unfortunate creation to the desk. “Here’s where that music is coming from.”
He followed her gaze to music player. A mahogany box sat at the desk’s edge on old thin legs. It swayed on weak legs as the cylinder turned and prongs plucked out the hollow notes. It was out of tune and worn. Ticking with old clockwork as the dais turned. Pair of silver dancers rotating weakly hand in hand. Angel leaned in, squinting at the familiar figures. The taller, a woman in a flowing dress and ornate crown. The smaller a man with swaying coattails and a more modest crown. They may have been painted once upon a time, but that seemed to have long worn away.
Angel backed away from the box with a hm to himself. Maybe he was feeling a bit guilty seeing something that was probably a very personal item.
He turned away. Coming face to face with Lucifer’s hat hung from a rack on the wall. His coat was there too and it had Angel glancing over the room again. Was Lucifer here? Nowhere that Angel could see, and there was no noise other than the music box and that breathy sound that made his hackles shift whenever he stopped to listen for it.
Was he sleeping? He made another glance up at the bed. Surely they’ve made enough racket he would have heard them by now, right?
“Oooo, check it out.” Cherri gave him an elbow to the arm. “I’m the king of hell.” She laughed.
Angel turning to see her tugging Lucifer’s ridiculous hat onto her head. He shared in her amusement. Considering for a moment if he could get the hat from her and onto his head when his eyes glanced over the hat’s brim. Noticing the obvious absence of the gold crown that normally adorned it.
“Sorry you ain’t no king without a crown, Cherri.” He snickered as she pulled the hat down to frown at the crownless space.
The pair glanced around room. Their eyes looking for the golden shine of the kings crown. Angel wasn’t sure if he’d dare put it on but he was curious nonetheless. Finally they locked onto the wall rack again. Cherri’s brow furrowing in confusion.
“Hat snake?” She stated as if questioning the very words leaving her mouth.
Angel agreed it was an odd combination of words. Looking up to a shelf just above where the hat had been. Coiled there under a vase with poppies was a golden snake. If Angel was honest he didn’t think much of the snake normally adorning Lucifer’s hat than being a funny play on the king being the snake from the garden, but looking at it now and having it look back was a bit strange. It appeared to have been made of gold and yet here it was staring him down and flicking its tongue.
Hesitantly he reached out but stopped abruptly when the metallic creature curled it lips. Revealing a menacing set of golden teeth, more like that of a crocodile than a snake. Yanking his hand back he and Cherri took a large step away from the serpent. Angel slapped her hand still holding the hat and franticly waved at the rack. Thankfully she understood his wordless gesture and gently set the hat back in its place. Then they both held their breath as the gilded creature returned its head atop its coils. Stilling unnaturally as its eyes closed. As if it had never been alive.
“Maybe that’s enough snooping.”
Cherri nodded and they looked for the path with the least number of ducks between them and the door. Which was surprisingly Husk was missing from. His dark fur was easily spotted opposite the room where Angel could see him rise up after picking something off the floor. The cat’s wings twitched and his tail stiffened. Fur once again fluffing out as he slowly turned to face them.
Angel locked on to Husk’s wide eyes. He looked unsettled. Grasping at an object Angel couldn’t place at first, but reality was a funny thing. In the cat’s fist was the sharp end of a quill shaft. Which any other time might have made him laugh and tease the old tom cat, but this was no laughing matter. This was a beautiful scarlet feather. Which might not have been out of the ordinary considering Lucifer is an angel and angels have wings which have feathers.
Feathers he could assume shed from time to time if the odd grey one Charlie coughs up occasionally means anything. This feather however was nearly as large as Husk’s torso. Causing alarm bells to ring in Angels head. It was the same color as the King’s primaries but outrageously huge. Nearly as big as the short king himself! There was no way it was his, yet here it was in his room, on his floor.
Angel’s eyes darted around. Looking for more red in the sea of yellow. To his horror there were more hidden among the piles of ducks. Some red and others white. Matching the plumage of the king’s wings.
Silently they all agreed it was time for an exit, but all at once the room seemed to become field of landmines. Angel flinched back as he realized his foot was about to come down on one of the ducks. Panicking at the thought the noise would wake the slumbering monster looming over them.
Cherri squeaked in place of the duck as Angel bumped her into the desk and they all shared a horrified flinch as the lid to the music box came down with a slam at the jostling. The three froze at the departure of the melody, though it did not leave them in silence.
Now he could recognize the sound as the slow breathy wheezing of a beast. Something large based on the depth of the tone and how the rumbling made his bones vibrate. There wasn’t much time for Angel to consider what he now knew to be snoring as it stopped as abruptly as the music did. Cut off by a snort and low growling breath. The sheets could be heard shifting as a blanket clad hill rose above the bed.
The sun seemed to rise in the room as the cover drifted down the form. Forcing Angel to shade his eyes with a hand. Attempting to see painfully though parted fingers. Another grumble vibrated the room as wings unfurled and a long neck stretched to nearly the ceiling. Tips of horns just grazing a dangling apple decoration. He was forced to avert his gaze do to the brightness. The creatures form appearing as though made of liquid light. Golds and whites churning like the surface of a star in the shape of a dragon.
The bed groaned in protest as the creature turned. Wings fluttering though they made no noise. Though they were in the shape of birds wings he couldn’t make out any feathers or scarlet hue. Just more star. From the corner of his eye he could see Husk diving for the floor as a tail swung down from the bed. This his eyes could focus on. Black tail void of light as it met with the body with jagged lines like smoldering coals. There was more that he could see as it turned more. The hands and arms matching the tail almost as if the star’s extremities had long cooled, leaving them ashen.
Another throaty growl rumbled from the beast’s chest and Angel snatched Cherri’s hand, pulling her along with him. The room shook as an ashen hand came down. Crushing a pile of ducks flat. Bearing the creature’s weight as it leaned over them. Looking back over his shoulder was a mistake as the creature’s head turned to face him and their eyes met. Angel hadn’t seen the sun since his death but he remembered the burning sensation in his eyes from staring too long.
They shared a stare. Angel’s eyes welling up with tears from the effort. He could make out what appeared to be two pairs of eyes on its long face. Though the eyes were looking at him it was as if they were unfocused. Narrowing, struggling to see Angel and not through him.
The right claw came down dangerously close to Cherri and for a moment he though they were both dead as blinding teeth were revealed in an opening maw, but as the creature shifted its weight from one arm to the other a chorus of ducks filled the room. This made the beast jump. Drawing its left hand in with a flinch and swinging its head around to the ducks as if they were offended. It was a gift horse and Angel didn’t need to see its teeth. Dragging Cherri along as the trio bolted for the door.
He thought he might’ve heard the music box start again followed by a contented grumble, but Angel dared not spare a glance as she slammed the door shut behind them. Hall filled with nothing but their panicked panting. They didn’t remain to see if Lucifer would follow. Rushing from the door and into a lift as quickly as they could. As far from the dragon’s den as possible.
The doors pinged, opening to the main lobby where a surprised Vaggie startled. Good eye going wide as she looked over them.
“What the fuck, are you guys ok?” She jerked back as they pushed out into the lobby. Still watching them wearily.
“Yup totally fine.” Angel ran a hand through his hair finding it damp. “Everything’s great. Never been better.” He chucked weakly as the others chimed in with their own assurances.
Vaggie’s brow raised in suspicion, but she didn’t press the matter further. Perhaps she would another time, but thankfully not now when they were all so tense. Instead she moved on to business. Which might have been worse given the subject.
“Then were you able to get Lucifer’s attention?”
Angel froze. Stuttering in a poor attempt to conjure a lie on the spot. Clearly deepening the angel’s suspicion as her eye once again darted between the three. However just as Vaggie was squaring up to drill them on their whereabouts, Charlie came stomping down the staircase in an excited rush. Hands outstretched as she threw herself onto the smaller angel.
Vaggie grunted, dropping her clipboard, but maintained her stance. Being sturdier that she looked. They made their escape to the bar hall as Charlie began exuberantly rambling in a way only her girlfriend could decipher.