“Like you said, you were born to become a weapon. For what purpose, I do not know.”
“That’s why my mother took me to the dwarven realm, to limit my power. Mordred, too. We were never meant to have the level of power they’d given us at such a young age. We were a just-in-case scenario that they really hoped never happened.”
“If it was anything like us, your power would have made you the most dangerous teenager on the face of the planet. The first time my magic activated, I leveled a house. They presumably put those marks on you so when your power activated, you wouldn’t kill half a dozen people with a sneeze. If you were anything like we were, the power came through in a rush. It took us all a long time to learn how to control it, and we hurt people to get to that point.”
“Is that why you became a doctor?” Sky asked. “Because of all the people you hurt?”
“Maybe,” Lucifer said. “Mostly it was a desire to be far away from where my magic would be used. At least to be begin with. Over time I came to enjoy my job, and I became good at it. I liked being able to heal and not just destroy. Which is something I excelled at.”
“So, Lucifer,” I said, finding the name at odds with the person I’d known for so long as someone else. “Lucifer. What are you?”
“I’m a sorcerer. An exceptionally powerful one. I no longer have to use elemental or omega-level magic, at least not in a way you know them.”
Omega magic was the second level of magic for any sorcerer. Sorcerers could learn two forms of omega magic, just like they could learn two elements. In my case it was shadow instead of light, but I didn’t know what my second omega magic would be—or even if I’d ever discover a second one. The choices were mind or matter, and over the years I’d considered the positives and negatives of both.”
“So, what do you have?” I asked.
“I can combine my magical forms into pure magic. It’s a pure destructive force. There’s no shield, or defensive use, for pure magic. It’s what those prisoners who were turned into bombs use.”
The memory of trying to contain that much magical power immediately came back to me, and I wondered just how powerful Lucifer really was. “Why can’t people like Merlin or Zeus use it, then?”
Lucifer shrugged. “I’m not sure. We never did a lot of research into it. I believe it’s the manner of my birth that allows me to use it, or at least allows me to use it before many sorcerers reach that level of competency. Other than that, I’m unsure just how many people are genuinely aware of its existence. Pure magic doesn’t create glyphs on your arms and hands like normal magic, and the color is different from person to person. Mine is a light blue; Asmodeus’s was purple. Pure magic isn’t something taught to young sorcerers. It’s something that is probably best left forgotten.”
“But you know,” I said, keeping my tone as neutral as possible.
“I understand your anger at the fact I kept that knowledge from you, but I have seen what sorcery unchecked does. I am sorcery unchecked. They created the story about nightmares being evil monsters who cause nothing but destruction, because sometimes they are just that. After centuries of everyone being told that nightmares were evil, telling the world what I knew would be quickly shot down by Merlin and Avalon, and it would reveal who I was. It’s why I couldn’t tell you, Nate. I couldn’t reveal my true identity. Not without having to answer too many questions. I’ve spent thousands of years hidden from view, ensuring I stayed away from anything that might force me to use my power. Telling you who I really am would have put you all in great danger.”
“You told Olivia,” I said. “She knows who you are.”
“Yes, she knows, although I didn’t tell her. I worked for her predecessor, and when she took over the job as head of the Winchester LOA branch, I was already there. She didn’t take the news brilliantly. Mostly because she’d heard the rumors about my past and it took me a while to convince her I was on her side.”
“You could have told me,” I said. “I’d have understood.”
“I couldn’t take that chance. Do you remember a few years ago, I went with you to Netley to see that old couple? The griffin that was there flew off, terrified?”
I nodded. “I remember.”
“Pure magic has a certain scent that griffins can detect.”
“Griffins can detect magic?” I asked. That was news to me.
“In small doses, yes. But with pure magic, there’s no small dose. Even readying a small amount forces the power to come off you in waves. Griffins don’t like pure magic—it triggers some deep-seated fear, because it’s the only type of magic that can hurt them. It bypasses their natural defense. They tolerate me in Tartarus, but that’s about as far as it’ll ever go.”
“Who else can use pure magic?” I asked. “Of the seven devils? I mean, if they’re all back, what are we dealing with?”
“Asmodeus can. His vampire abilities include an affinity to pure magic. I’m not sure, but he seems to be the one person with the most varied abilities. Mammon is a dragon who can breathe a type of pure magic. He makes Tiamat look like someone’s lovable pet.”
“And the others?” Sky asked.
“Belphegor is an alchemist, Beelzebub is an empath who can manipulate feelings of hatred and anger, and you already know about Abaddon, the necromancer. She might be more powerful than even Hades. It’s certainly too close to call. I don’t think the others are here, not yet. We’d be seeing even more widespread carnage if they were.”
“At least there are only six now,” Sky said.
Lucifer nodded thoughtfully. “Like I said earlier, there were others who were created after us. Before the Horsemen. Some will be names familiar to you, but most wouldn’t be. People have always lusted after power and will do anything to get it. That includes creating destructive and dangerous weapons they barely understand. They mistake their ability to control as their right, but most of the time that control isn’t total and catastrophe happens.”
“So, just to be clear, there could be more people born in the same way as you guys and Nate?” Sky asked. “Because that sounds like something we need to look into.”
“Most were killed over the years,” Lucifer said. “Merlin, Zeus, and the rest of the more powerful members of Avalon didn’t really like the idea of people like myself running around. One in the sixteenth century called himself Satan. I think he thought it was a good idea, or maybe he thought he was clever. Zeus took his head. He did it personally—I saw it happen. Those beings born and conceived during blood-magic rituals can become incredibly powerful, but we’re not immortal and that power is something we have to learn to use. I heard of no others until Nate and Mordred were born. And five others.”