At first, Lucifer thought he was seeing a ghost. The silver hair was unmistakably hers. It shined the same way. It jumped the same way as hers when she walked. Their skin was the same pale white. But it was not her. Seraph was somewhere else. Alone, scared, and wondering where they were.

“Yea, silver hair. All the Ire’s have it.” Gust said. “You know, the Ire’s. This is Heron Ire.” Gust rose and ran to Heron’s side.

Lucifer wasn’t listening. The man, Heron’s grey eyes, ovular face, and piercing eyes matched Seraphs. They were similar heights.  

“Heron,” Lucifer whispered under his breath.

“Where have you been?” Gust asked, excitedly. “No one’s seen you in two days.”

Even his voice was smooth and songlike like hers. “I was working and checking taverns for any news about Asch.” He sighed. “Nothing about her, but my investigation found when the next theft will be. Who is this?”

Lucifer’s heart fluttered. Their resemblance was uncanny. “This is Lucy.” Gust said with a slight smile. “He’s an Eruli too.” 

Where Seraph’s gaze, while piercing, warmed his heart, Heron’s froze him. “Hello,” was all he could manage. Ferek would know what to do and what to say. But Lucifer felt he needed to say something. He needed to know.  “Do you have a sister?”

The air around Heron shifted. Lucifer felt the heat in Heron rush to his hands. “Who are you.”

“I am Lucifer. Do only Ires have silver hair? Our Seraph had silver hair.”

“My younger sister is named Aster, and she is in Perth. My older sister…” Heron closed his eyes. “Her name is Asch and she disappeared years ago.”

Gust watched them both, appearing confused. “Wait, why didn’t I know you had an older sister?”

Heron sighed and crossed his arms. The heat concentrated in his hands disappeared. “She was gone before your memory. It was the day of her sigiling.” 

“It’s the ceremony where we receive our rune tattoos.” Gust said before Lucifer could ask. In the back of his head, Lucifer kept that Gust used ‘we.’

“Tattoos...yes. Seraph had a massive tattoo that spread across her entire body. Even with it, she was so pretty.”

The air around Heron turned hostile. Lucifer felt the heat return to his hands and recalled that it’s what happened right before she-. His thought was cut off as Vera’s booming voice cut across the backyard.

“You both have a tendency to skip out on me, huh. Prepare yourself.”

Heron managed a sly smile as Vera dashed at him. “You’re still slow.” He aimed his hand at the ground next to him. An invisible blast pushed dirt and grass all over and a jumping Vera was forced to recover on her hands and feet like a cat.

“Oh c’mon. No affinities for hand-to-hand.”

“I don’t feel like losing today so, no.”

Vera reached behind her back and pulled out her 3-section staff from its pouch. “Your call I guess. Gust is terrible at sparing.”

“Hey, I’m not that bad.”

Revulsion washed over Lucifer as Heron launched himself at Vera. Lucifer ran to the wall nearest the door back inside. He knew the Backyard’s barriers well now that he’d diverted an extensive amount of Quinn’s hand-held explosive whatevers, but this was different.

Gust noticed Lucifer out of the corner of his eye and ran over. Only now, as he cowered against the wall and Gust rushed towards him, could Lucifer tell that his nervous eyes held so much kindness in them.

“Are you ok?” He asked, seeing Lucifer shaking in the corner.

“No. Can we go inside?”

“Yes.” Gust reached out his hand, and Lucifer grasped it. Gust pulled him up, and Lucifer took his elbow. Gust was gentle with him despite the fighting behind them. Lucifer’s breaths quickened as he heard Vera gasp. Panic settled in. He faintly remembers Gust walking and half carrying him. He remembers hearing that Quinn was likely in the workshop and that they would head upstairs for him to lay down.

Memories flooded Lucifer’s head. The smell of blood. Flapping wings. The ground shaking. Heat everywhere. Then rot and decay and cold. Shivering. 

“(Please, please, please, please. Be Ok. Be Ok. Be Ok. Ferek)!” Lucifer cried.

He felt strong arms around him and his head was pressed to a well toned chest. “I don’t know what to say, you’re ok. It’s ok.” Gust’s voice trembled, but it was something to cling to.

Lucifer talked into his chest. He let Gust feel warm. “Please keep talking.”

So Gust talked. Lucifer wasn’t sure exactly what Gust was talking about, but Gust talked. 

-

When Lucifer woke, Gust was gone. Gust’s ranting about college and his job, and...something else, he couldn’t quite remember, knocked him out. Lucifer still felt exhausted from his flashback. He sighed. The blanket over him was soft, but uncomfortable. He’s never needed a blanket. Still, his lips curled upwards at the gesture. Gust is a sweet boy, he thought. 

Lucifer left the room, but didn’t know exactly where he was. He followed the noise down the stairs.

“And you didn’t tell me?” Gust sounded irritated. It surprised Lucifer. He only sounded nervous to him before.

Heron spoke next. “I was jealous and embarrassed, ok. She had everything. Everyone looked up to her and I was just me.”

“Heron, you’re amazing. I don’t know how many times I have to tell you that. You’ve made so much progress for your affinity. You were respected in Perth and…”

“And I’ll never be my mother.”

“No one will be your mother, and it’s a good thing too. She was a pain.” Quinn said. “Lucifer, stop listening from the stairwell. This concerns your ‘Seraph’ as well.”

Lucifer had no idea how Quinn knew he was there, but he slinked into view. Gust and Quinn sat at the table. Heron leaned against the stairwell wall and eyed him as he sat down across from Gust. 

Gust’s eyes bounced between the three of them. He hugged himself. His arms were so toned, and for a moment, Lucifer wondered why he wasn’t the one holding Gust. “We don’t have to talk about this if…”

“Yes we do,” Heron interrupted. “I haven’t heard anything about Asch in over twenty years, and suddenly an Eruli with a horimir’s accent shows up and starts talking about someone who can only be my sister. Yes, we are talking about it.” Heron’s brows furrowed and his lips curved into a frown. Heron glared at  Lucifer, waiting for his answer. His eyes seemed to look through him. If he wanted, he could tip over the precarious state of Lucifer’s head. Seraph and Heron: they appeared so similar and yet so different.

“No.” Lucifer stuttered. “I don’t want to talk without my friend.” Heron slammed his fist into the wall. The air in the room frenzied for a moment before calming. Lucifer shirked back as far as his chair would let him. His eyes found Gust’s for a moment, but Gust stared at Heron with an understanding gaze. Lucifer felt a twist in his heart.

“Well, that’s that.” Quinn said, clapping. “Heron, if you please. Meet me in the yard. I think I’ll have you blow some steam and test a theory of mine.” 

Quinn and Heron left. Quinn placed a hand on Heron’s back before they closed the door to the backyard, leaving Gust and Lucifer awkwardly sitting at the table.