I thought back to when Lucifer and I had defeated our Elder Gods, and how we'd called upon our opposite natures to fight back. With Famine, I'd used growth. With War, Lucifer had used peace. Which meant with Death, Belial had to use life. But how? He didn't possess that gift.
No, but I did.
Lucifer glanced at the oncoming horde of undead, but our soldiers were holding them off, for now anyway. Demeter and her fae warriors used air magic and elegant swords to keep them at bay. Gabriel and the other angels shot light and flew on shining wings over the battlefield. Baal, Lilith, and Samael led the demons and Fallen forward, and among them I saw Zel slicing into shifters and gargoyles, and Cerberus tearing skeletons apart limb by limb. They were all giving us time, time enough to save our son.
I propped Aurora up on my hip, and then reached for the other's hands. They got the idea, and my family all linked hands as we circled around Death. He glared at us with purple eyes, but Belial held him back from attacking, as I'd known he would.
"What are you doing?" Death asked with a cold laugh. "You cannot stop me."
I released my Famine powers, but instead of taking energy, I gave it. I channeled life from my family and funneled it into Death, making him scream. Lucifer also released War's powers, but he reversed them, sending feelings of love and peace into our son instead of anger and hatred.
"Death will not take my son from me," I called out, as I felt Death fighting back, trying to quell my life-giving power. "I am a goddess of life, and my children carry that gift too. You cursed me to die again and again, but being reborn over and over only made me stronger. Now I give that power to Belial."
It was working. Death was weakening his hold on Belial. I saw my son's eyes shining through again. But I wasn't sure it would be enough, even with all of us sending life and love into him. Death was just too damn strong, like a black hole that sucked everything into it.
Then Aurora suddenly flew out of my grasp toward Belial, and I let out a little cry as I reached for her. It was too late though, and she landed in his arms, grabbing onto him. Belial lowered his head to her, his movements almost robotic as he caught his baby sister in his hands. I held my breath as I waited to see what would happen next. I was terrified, but I had faith too. Faith that Belial wouldn't hurt his sister. Faith that love would prevail.
"Yes, you will be an excellent host one day," Death said, and my hope faltered.
But then Aurora reached up to touch Belial's face, and they stared into each other's eyes and something passed between them. Power. Life. Love.
“Be be be," Aurora said, her voice clear even among the battlefield. Was she trying to say his name? He blinked at her, as if he wondered the same thing. She looked at him with pure baby adoration, her eyes shining with love for grumpy older brother, and that was enough to push him over the edge.
Belial threw his head back with a roar, and an inner war waged inside him, one we could do nothing more to fight. It seemed to last for an eternity, but then Belial prevailed, and all the purple glow around him vanished back inside his body. He staggered, and I rushed forward to take Aurora from him, while Lucifer caught him in his arms.
Belial coughed. “He’s… He’s gone.”
"Yes, my father is gone," Lucifer said. "But Death remains. You are an Elder God now."
"How do you feel?" Kassiel asked.
"Fucking great," Belial said sarcastically, as he pulled away from Lucifer and stood on his own.
"How is this possible?" Damien asked.
I gave a little shrug as I smiled at my sons. "Love is stronger than death."
Lucifer nodded. "Yes, love persists, even after someone is gone. It's the reason we grieve someone, or smile at the memory of them. It was the one thing Death hated more than anything else, and the reason he cursed me and Hannah all those years ago. Love is the only thing he could never kill."
"That's lovely, but would you mind stopping your undead horde before they kill my grandmother?" Damien asked, tilting his head toward the battle behind us.
"Oh. Right." Belial lifted his hands in silent command and the undead all fell, their bones collapsing to the ground or becoming dust once again.
Once they were gone, the battle was over. The remaining shifters, imps, and other traitors surrendered, and we could all breathe a little sigh of relief at last.
I drew Aurora into my arms and wrapped her tightly to my chest, dropping kisses into her wisps of blond hair. “Good girl,” I whispered. “Did you see what you did? You saved your brother.” I hugged her to me again and her fingers batted my cheek. I turned my head to kiss her little hands as Lucifer gathered us both against him, wrapping us in his arms and his wings.
He released a sigh and bent to kiss Aurora’s head. “You're both incredible."
Aurora giggled and reached for his feathers. He let her touch them for a few moments before he took her from me, and his wings folded away. I went straight to Belial next.
"Are you all right?" I asked, wrapping my arms around him and giving him a long, tight squeeze. I'd almost lost him today.
"I'm fine," he said, slowly pulling out of my pincer hold. "Thanks
