Wrath
When Carmilla woke up it was to the sounds of gut wrenching screams. Everything was all muddled, but she could definitely hear someone screaming nearby. She sat up in a daze, her eyes adjusting to the red sky above her. She looked around and recognized the field behind her compound. I’m home,praise Lucifer.
The screaming would not stop and belatedly Carmilla realized she recognized that voice. Panic seized her heart as she ran towards the voice. “No, no, no, no, por favor, no!”
She stopped on the outskirts of a crater and looked at the horrifying scene before her. It was Sera, contorting and twisting as her body rejected her angelic powers. Her halo had fallen off already, it lay dull and lifeless on the ground. Her saintly white robes had turned red and black to match her new home. As she yelled in pain, Carmilla noticed her teeth were getting sharper, and horns were now beginning to sprout on her forehead to resemble the halo she once adorned.
The last thing to change, to Carmilla’s horror, and the cause of all of Sera’s pain, her white, angelic wings. They were gone. Instead, she had black feathered wings sprouting from her back. A few had fully sprouted, the black feathers gleaming with drops of golden blood. The others were slower to form, causing Sera to scream and howl as her bones cracked and adjusted to the new additions.
Carmilla’s heart broke at the sight. This was all her fault. Sera had fallen. She had been cast out of Heaven because of her. And now, here she was, writhing in pain, paying for Camilla’s sins.
Even though Carmilla wanted to run away and hide, she knew she couldn’t leave Sera there. For better or worse, Sera was stuck here, and it was Carmilla’s duty to help her, even if the former angel hated her guts.
Carmilla jumped down into the crater and gently approached Sera. “Shh, it’s okay, mi cielo, you’re okay.”
Sera groaned and desperately clawed at the dirt as her wings continued to grow. “Carmilla?”
“Yes, cariño, I’m here. I’m not going anywhere.”
Sera blindly reached for her hand and Carmilla did not hesitate to take it and bring her closer. The former angel nuzzled into Carmilla’s neck and Carmilla could feel her hot tears streaming down her cheek. Sera squeezed her hand hard as pain rippled through her body, but Carmilla did not wince. She was determined to see Sera through this.
After what felt like an eternity, Sera finally settled down. She released Carmilla’s hand and wrapped her arms around her waist. Carmilla gingerly set her hands on the small of Sera’s back, careful not to hurt her.
A few moments later, Sera had fallen asleep. Passed out from the pain. Carmilla gently lifted her up and walked to her compound. The doors slid open for her automatically and she made her way through her empty building up towards her room.
Kicking the door open, Carmilla walked straight towards her bed and placed the sleeping woman into it. She contemplated leaving, but she didn’t want Sera to wake up alone. Mind made up, Carmilla got into bed with her and pulled Sera’s head to lay on her shoulder. The fallen angel stirred, but only nuzzled in deeper.
Carmilla didn’t know what to say, so she merely whispered, “You’re alright, now.”
Sera whispered back, “Tell me. Please, tell me.”
The demon’s heart broke in two at the anguish in Sera’s voice. “Lo siento, amor.”
Sera broke and sobbed into her neck. “It hurts, Carmilla.”
“I know, amor, I know, but it will be alright. Take your time. I’m not going anywhere.”
Sera lifted her now red eyes to her and Carmilla’s own involuntarily widened in surprise. Carmilla hadn’t been able to see them before now, but the transformation had taken the lilac hue away and been replaced with scarlett red similar to her own. Her feathered eyelashes had turned black and she now had new black markings on her face that highlighted her white freckles.
“Really? You still want me? Even like this?”
Carmilla wanted to cry. The overlord was shocked Sera could even ask that. If anything, it was she who should be asking Sera that. “Sera, the fact that it’s my fault aside, there is nothing in this Hell that could make me not want you.”
“But I look different, I feel different.”
Carmilla shrugged. “It’s true. It might take some getting used to, but Sera, amor mio, if it matters, I think you look beautiful.” Sera averted her eyes, a faint blush creeping up her cheeks.
Then, her brows furrowed and she glared at Carmilla, surprising the overlord. “Don’t blame yourself. If you blame yourself then you’ll stay because you feel like you have to, and I don’t want your pity, Carmilla Carmine, I want you to stay because you want to.”
Carmilla nodded her head emphatically. “I do want to.”
“Well good. Because as much as it hurt, I don’t regret what I said. Between Heaven and you, the choice was clear. If those bigots cannot accept it then fine.”
The finality in her tone shocked Carmilla. She was speechless. No one, in her first life or afterlife, had ever defended her like this. No one had ever chosen her. Her daughters got stuck with her and because of that they were sinners in Hell. But Sera, the High Seraphim, who had everything to lose, chose her.
Carmilla leaned in and crashed their lips together. She poured everything she felt into that kiss, hoping Sera would understand. Sera returned the kiss fervently, chasing after her lips as they parted.
Carmilla nuzzled their noses together. “Well, now that neither of us are going anywhere, how about some rest, hmm?”
Sera nodded, her eyes already slipping closed. “Yes. We’ll deal with everything tomorrow.”
Carmilla stayed awake long after Sera had fallen asleep. Her mind raced with all the implications of today.
Sera was no longer High Seraphim. Sera was now a citizen of Hell.
Carmilla groaned. They’d have to tell Charlie and Emily. Carmilla would have to help Sera navigate Hell. She was exhausted just thinking about it. Carmilla would just have to take it one day at a time.
The next few days were a whirlwind. Sera had refused to look in a mirror since she woke up, and vehemently rejected the idea of going to the hotel to tell Charlie and Emily. Upon the 5th apology to cross Carmilla’s lips on that third day, Sera had kicked her out of her room, telling her not to come back until she could look at Sera without feeling any pity.
Normally, Carmilla would kill anyone who treated her this way, but seeing as Sera was going through an existential crisis because of her, Carmilla would let it slide. For now.
So, while Sera wallowed in self-pity, Carmilla took it upon herself to go see Charlie and Emily. She told them the whole story, not leaving out a single detail. Emily was heartbroken to hear her mentor had Fallen, and had quickly teleported to Carmilla’s compound to go comfort her. Carmilla knew Sera would be even more pissed off at her, but the fallen angel deserved some comfort from someone who could give it properly.
And while Charlie was devastated by the news and what it could mean for her hotel, she was incredibly proud of Sera for standing up for Carmilla. She had winked at Carmilla and asked for a double date soon. Carmilla had responded, ‘when Hell freezes over’ and had promptly left.
Wanting to hold on to some peace for a little while longer, Carmilla went to work. She locked herself up in her office and put her kingdom in order.
A few hours later, a timid knock sounded at her door. Carmilla looked at the clock, the only people who could be knocking were either her daughters or Sera. And seeing how she had seen her daughters earlier that day, it could only be the former angel.
Carmilla stood up and called out, “Come in.”
The door slowly swung open and Sera took a few steps inside before stopping.
Carmilla smiled at her. “How was your day, querida?”
“Thank you for sending Emily.”
“Had a good chat then?” Carmilla sat on her couch and made sure to leave ample space as an invitation to Sera.
Sera took her up on it and sat on the other side as she nodded. “Yes, we had an illuminating conversation. I was too afraid to tell her, to show her what I had become, but she took it better than I had expected. She’ll continue to oversee Charlie’s project and she suggested I help out at the Hazbin Hotel, something to keep me occupied.”
Carmilla’s heart plummeted. “And will you be staying there?”
Sera studied her. “I–” She cleared her throat. “I was hoping I could stay with you? If you’re amenable?”
Carmilla sighed in relief. “Of course you can stay.” Her eyes narrowed. “As long as you refrain from kicking me out of my own bedroom again.”
Sera flushed. “I apologize, dove. I wasn’t in a good place. But seeing Emily helped.”
Carmilla slid closer to Sera and took her hands. “I’m glad, amor. And if there’s anything I can do to help, let me know.”
Sera nodded and curled up next to her. They stayed there for a little while, enjoying each other’s company. After a while Sera broke the silence. “I looked in the mirror.”
Carmilla’s breath hitched. “And what did you think?”
Sera took a deep breath to collect her thoughts. “That no matter what I look like, I’m still me. I’m still Sera. I love taking walks and smelling fresh flowers and the color purple and–” She sighed. “I love you, Carmilla. If standing up for love is what gets me kicked out of Heaven, then I didn't want to be a part of it anyway. So, if you can stand the sight of me, well, I’d very much like to stay with you.”
Carmilla had stopped breathing, everything after the love confession was muddled. Never in a million years did Carmilla think she would find her chance at love in the afterlife, much less a former angel who had stood up to God for her. Carmilla felt truly blessed.
The rest of the sentence caught up to Carmilla and she scoffed. “Can’t stand the sight of you? Mi amor, sigues igual de hermosa como el día que te conocí. A change of style and feathers will not deter me. I want you as you are. I– I love you, too.”
Sera beamed at her, her now black wings expanding in joy. She leaned in and Carmilla met her in the middle. They both sighed into the kiss, a sense of normalcy finally returning to their lives. But deep down Carmilla knew it wouldn’t last. Nothing in Hell was ever normal.
It was a few weeks later when the incident happened.
Sera had been the hot topic on all the major news channels and thus had been unable to leave the compound until it all died down. Everyone and their mother wanted to know how the High Seraphim had earned her spot in Hell. Carmilla had a million missed calls from the Vee’s who wanted private interviews and the like. And every day, outside her windows, Carmilla could see a massive crowd of demons demanding her head for shacking up with an angel.
Of course, Carmilla would send an underling outside with a flamethrower and the masses would quickly dissipate.
Rosie had reached out with her sympathies, but Carmilla hadn’t been able to schedule their tea yet.
Finally, a new thing had caught everyone’s eye and Sera was finally free to roam as she liked. Thankfully, she could still teleport at will and would usually teleport to the hotel to help out and then return home.
The only time she ventured outside those two places was with Carmilla, for no one dared to face Carmilla Carmine and her very lethal ballet slippers. Or so they thought.
They had just had dinner and decided to walk back home when it happened. Some hellborns were walking towards them with a dangerous gleam in their eyes. Carmilla rolled her eyes and stood up straighter. Sera tightened her hold on her hand.
“Carmilla…”
“It’s all going to be okay, Sera.”
The hellborns surrounded them and Carmilla glared at them. “Don’t you have some waste dump to get back to?”
The three demons sneered at her. “Fuck you, bitch.”
One of them took out a knife made out of angelic steel. She was pissed it was angelic steel. Not because it could harm her, but because it was absolutely fatal for Sera. Carmilla bristled in anger. “Really? You’re going to use my own weapon against me?”
“It’s what you deserve, traitor.”
“Yeah, angel-fucker.”
Carmilla clenched her fists and her eyes glowed red. “Do you really want to test your strength against an overlord of Hell?”
One of the demons looked frightened, but the other two apparently had nothing to lose, for they kept taunting her.
“Rumor has it you’ve gone soft.”
“Did playing house make you soft, Carmine?” He taunted. Both demons howled in laughter, the third one joining in apprehensively.
Behind her, she could feel Sera shaking. Carmilla, mistaking it for fear, turned to try and urge her to teleport them away. Carmilla was no coward, and she would never run from a fight, but she would do anything to protect Sera.
What she saw made her pause. Sera’s eyes were glowing and her wings had been fully expanded, making her appear as a giant owl of death. Sera wasn't scared, she was angry. Carmilla was enamored. Behind her, she heard the third demon take off in a sprint.
Sera gently pushed Carmilla aside and hovered over the two demons taunting them. “You know, that wasn’t very nice. But like our lord and savior, I will give you the opportunity to repent.”
The hellborns were a bit spooked by Sera’s new appearance, but they still brandished their knives at her. “Oh yeah? Or what? Are you going to pray me to death?”
Sera smiled, but it was weird. Her eyes were narrowed and her teeth were sharp. Carmilla felt goosebumps. “Oh no, didn’t you hear, I no longer pray. Now, if I want a problem taken care of, I have to get my hands dirty.”
The first demon swung and Sera flew up, evading his attack completely. When she swooped back down, she grabbed him by the lapels and flew up high. His partner, too astonished by the sight, did not even try attacking Carmilla. And good thing too, because Carmilla could not take her eyes off of Sera.
Even from so high above, Carmilla could hear Sera’s voice as it boomed across the skies. “In the name of Lucifer, I hereby condemn you to your second death by means of fire.”
Carmilla could hear the pathetic cries of the demon as it tried to struggle out of Sera’s grasp when, all of a sudden, he erupted in flames. And just as quick as she had snatched him up, Sera let him fall. The burning demon screamed and cried out as the flames ravaged his body and he quickly made his descent into the ground.
Carmilla’s eyes widened as she saw him fall, it looked like he would land right on top of her. But before she could worry, Sera had snatched her up in her arms and had flown them up to see the demon’s demise from above.
He landed with a sickening thud and continued to burn long after he had died. The other demon, shocked by Sera’s actions, looked up at her in fear. Sera smiled that off putting smile and with a snap of her fingers the other demon had lit up in flames.
Carmilla looked at Sera in shock, but Sera merely placed a kiss on her forehead and shut her wings around them, teleporting them home.