Chapter Seven: The Crest
1125 Words
"Daddy, is that a real gun?"
"Hey princess! How are you?" Lucifer is trying to distract her while trying to put away the gun and lock the secret compartment.
"I'm fine, Daddy; was that a real gun?" She asked again.
"Ohh...you mean that gun...yesss! That was a real gun, he replied, wide eyes inhaling hissing sharp breath.
"Have you seen your mom, Pumpkin? he asked snapping his finger, as if some sort off precision. "It's almost dinner time," he tried changing the topic.
"No, I haven't. I just returned from school now."
"You most definitely just did...!", noticing for the first time her backpack and lunchbox. He felt nervous. Elysa can be curious and a little bit insistence to deal with. That part she took from her mother. He's definitely in for it—for a very long conversation, something tangible yet reasonable to convince her with it.
"Can I see it?"
"See what? You mean dinner...?"
"No, daddy. I meant the gun." She nodded towards the direction of the save.
"The gun?" He asked again, as if he was to make sure he heard that right.
"Yes, daddy, the gun," she nodded, smiling knowingly.
"You mean that gun in the compartment...?" He asked guiltily again.
"That's right, Daddy," she said, still smiling with arms crossed on her chest.
" Alrighty! Elysa, you know how your mom can be with these things."
"It will be our little secret daddy; I promise, mom won't hear a thing about this." She pleaded with adorable eyes, one she knew her dad couldn't resist.
"Alright..! Fine." He resigned.
"Yayee! She applauded,
"Pinky swear to Daddy that Mummy won't hear of it", he said, pointing his pinky finger forward. Elysa took the finger with hers, and they stamped it with the thumb. Elysa giggled; the secrecy of it gave her the chills and the thrill combined.
He brought out the gun from the secret compartment, removed the bullet case from the gun, totally disarming it. Before presenting it to her. He handed it to her.
"It's heavy!" Elysa exclaimed surprisingly.
"Yes, it definitely will be for you." He replied, kneeling beside her, he used his palm to support hers in holding the gun, to avoid it slipping off her hands.
"This Elysa is a Black Finish Compact Dessert Eagle Mark XIX.357 Mag.".
"What does this mean?"
Elysa asked, pointing to the crest, a golden image of an eagle with the word '"Velut Aquila Ad Alta" engraved beneath it.
"This is the Latin word Elysa; it says, "As the Eagle to great heights," Lucifer translated.
She looked confused. Lucifer gave a low chuckle and said.
"In simple words, Elysa, it's a symbol of resilience and freedom."
" You engraved this?" she asked with curious eyes
" Yes Pumpkin, I did. Something sort off my crest", he replied, pinching the tip of her nose playfully.
" Now a family crest?"
" Sorta..!" he shrugged.
He felt crazy explaining that to a 7-year-old. But Elysa has always been older, far more intelligent, and more mature than her age, and this has always amused him. Her reasoning was adult-like; she had never whined, thrown tantrums, or cried unnecessarily, unlike girls of her age.
"Daddy..!". She cut into his thoughts.
"Yes, baby." He replied, stroking her head.
"Are you a bad man?" She asked in a low voice.
"Why did you ask that princess?".
He was somehow taken off guard with the question; he hadn't expected it. But with a girl of her curiosity, it wasn't a surprise.
"You and Mummy always say to me that whoever holds the gun destroys and is a bad person."
Lucifer smiled and pulled her closer, taking the gun from her. He held her gently by the shoulders.
"Come here princess. Look into my eyes, angel."
She looked.
"What did you see?" he asked.
She stared into her father's deep blue eyes.
"Affection". She mumbled.
"Look again," he said, "this time around with clarity and purpose.
She looked again, this time more deeply. Finally, she took in her father's overall facial look, he has a finely chiseled jawline, a perfectly sculpted, sharp nose, and piercing blue eyes. He looks perfect. She felt proud that this 6'2 inches, blue eyes, handsome, wide chested, and strong stature of a man is her father. She had gotten her blue eyes from him, she glowed. He smelt sweaty from the day's work, his dark hair still arranged. Every single strand in place. She could hear her female teachers described her dad as ' The Hot gentleman, with an aura of a bad boy vibes!'. "Mom is so lucky!" she thought, giggling loudly.
"Don't get distracted, Elysa.".
"The will to protect...!" She responded.
" What?"
"I see the will to protect in your eyes, Daddy; you're not a bad man," she said, hugging her father.
Lucifer dearly held on to his beloved daughter, with eyes dilated.
"Elysa, whenever you're confused about a person's intention, look intently into their eyes the answers are always there, the eyes never lie."
"Alright, daddy." She hugged him tighter. "Elysa will always keep guard over you, daddy", She whispered in his ears.
His heart leapt in pain.
"You know Elyse?"
" Yes! Mummy said she's my guardian angel and I'm putting you in her care; I love you daddy".
"Thanks, baby. Daddy's proud of you!" Whispering that into her ears, he kissed her hair. She was just like her mother—loving, caring, daring and protective!
"Who was that stranger that just left a few minutes ago? " taking her head off his shoulders she asked again with curious eyes and a seriousness, which almost made Lucifer laughed.
"Ohh... You mean that man? He's daddy's old friend", he replied smiling
"There was a stranger stalking me today at school; was that also one of your friends? "
"Someone stalked you in school? Did you see who it was? "
He gripped her hand as if someone would snatched her from him any moment. He was tensed.
'A Stalker!' Could it have been Nicklaus?! If it was him, Elysa could have easily identify him!" he thought. " Who could it be?" " The Spy! Could it be the spy Nicklaus spoke off?!" Different questions rail through his head.
" No. Except I noticed he was dressed in all black from head to toe," thoughtfully she added. "He wore unusually very dark glasses and had a strange crest on his black blazer, two daggers crossed with a symbol that looks like a Circle with a pair of wings embracing a skull and two crossed swords beneath it", she described. Hurrying over to her dad's sketch book, she drew the symbol.
Lucifer held his breath.
"The Omerta!"
They are here already!!
- Writer
