Derick was stunned. She really did care about Pete. He was sad that she hadn’t agreed to stay with him, but it sounded like he had more important things to worry about. She was right, he needed to watch over Pete. The full extent of what happened suddenly overwhelmed him as his initial shock wore off. His friend had almost died and the woman in front of him had saved him and was still trying to help him.
“Yeah, it is late. You’re right, I’ll look after Pete and keep him safe. I’m sure Josilyn is more than willing to help me. What about you? Are you going back to the inn? I could give you a ride,” Derick said half-heartedly. He didn’t expect her to say yes. Something had changed between them. He could feel it.
“I think I’ll go for a walk. I need to clear my head and calm down. You take care of Pete and I’ll see you later,” she said quietly as she put her coat on.
Derick nodded curtly and left the castle.
Annie knew they would be safe for the night. Alazar had proven his point. He may not be able to kill her, but he could still hurt the people she cared about. Dismayed, she disappeared and entered the Hall of Mirrors. She needed to figure out what the hell had happened with Alazar. If she couldn’t understand him and his motivations, she would never win the battle.
Throwing herself into her throne, she grimaced. It was one of the best and worst days of her life. On the one hand, she’d had an amazing time with Derick, but on the other, she had almost lost a mortal to Alazar, and been swayed by his power. Bastard. She could kill him for being so arrogant.
Arrogant didn’t feel right. He hadn’t been arrogant when he left. He had been upset. She had been so mad at him that she hadn’t really heard what he was saying. She had been too indignant to listen. She thought back to what he had said. He would rather be “cold and alone than give up his will to her.” She didn’t understand what he was talking about, she never asked him to hand over his will. What was he thinking? Instead of being haughty, he had been dejected. There had been loneliness in his eyes and maybe disappointment. He seemed upset that she had turned him away.
Anjali flinched. Regardless of his wrong doings, he had asked for forgiveness. He had been arrogant about controlling her, but he had been hurt when she refused to accept his apology. He had helped her stop the storm, and then was rejected by her. Here she was trying to earn his trust and instead she slapped him in the face. Alazar was mired in darkness just like Lucifer, yet she had failed to see their similarities. In Alazar’s mind, killing her would be a normal course of action. Killing was all he knew. It’s what he was created to do. If he feared becoming her servant, then trying to control her through her suicidal thoughts would be expected.
She had screwed up, even if she didn’t want to admit it. Alazar had tried to help her and she had treated him like a servant. She had wanted to punish him for his audacity. Here she was anxious about how Alazar would treat her, yet she had failed to think about how she would treat him. At the first test, she had condemned him and wanted him to learn his place, presumably at her feet. The thought made her sick. So much for thinking Lucifer was an ass for beating her when she had nearly done the same thing to Alazar. Alazar was right, he had apologized and even bowed his head to her, yet it hadn’t appeased her self-righteousness. Yes, the Predznak were supposed to be servants, but it didn’t mean that she had to treat them as such.
Apparently, being a master was harder than she thought. She realized that with Alazar and all her angels, emotions would play a very big part in their relationship. There was nothing casual about possessing someone.
Shaking her head, she closed her eyes and immediately focused on her other problem, Derick. Being with Derick had felt incredible. Everything was so simple. Time stopped and she was no longer the Destroyer, but merely in girl in love. In love? She sat up in her throne. Did she love the mortal? How tragic would that be? No, it was impossible. She couldn’t love a mortal whom she’d just met.
Thinking back to their last moments in the castle, the awkward silence between them, the uncertainty in his eyes, she knew that something had shifted in their relationship. She was saddened to know that she might have lost him for good. Her heart ached at the thought of never seeing him again. What was wrong with her? She had bigger issues to deal with, yet she couldn’t get over the feeling that she needed to fix things with Derick.
Unhappy with the problems plaguing her, she decided she was too tired to think clearly. For a moment, she thought about seeking out Lucifer. Maybe if she finally forgave him, it would eliminate one of her troubles so that she could deal with the rest. Feeling exhausted and weary, she didn’t have the strength for that yet.
Rising from her throne, she turned and entered the doorway to the left of the dais and walked up the steps to her private chamber. The fireplace roared as she walked through the low-lit room. This was where she belonged, not in Derick’s warm bed, happy and sated. This was her destiny, to sleep alone or with Lucifer, depending on his mood. She was not meant to be happy despite Alazar’s false images and feelings of tranquility.
Waving her hand, she changed into comfortable PJs and slid into her empty bed. As she lay down, she thought about Alazar and how he had bowed to her when her power was free. Something inside of her relished the sight, but the rest of her was bothered by it. She didn’t enjoy being treated like a servant, why should he? It was true that she needed his help and he was created to do her will, but there had to be another way. They needed to work together and respect one another. She wasn’t sure how that would work, but it sounded better than beating him into submission.
Rolling over, she felt an ache inside her chest. She had felt the Angel of Death’s power and missed it terribly. They were destined to join together; she could feel it deep down. She had to find a way to convince him that she needed him and didn’t want to rule him.
She reached out to the pillow next to her and thought about Derick. She wished she had agreed to stay with him tonight. She wondered if he missed her or if he was still upset with her. His face appeared in her mind as she drifted off. He was smiling at her and laughing a carefree laugh.
∞
Alazar appeared in the dungeon, happy to be home. It had been a difficult night. He had returned to the hallway to listen to Anjali’s fruitless attempts to pull the boy from the ledge, though he had been less than thrilled to hear a second mortal interfering with the suicide. He wished he could have compelled the second mortal as well. He was desperate to hear Anjali’s screams as she watched her friend die. Unfortunately, the screams never came. Instead, he heard her speak of the Realms of Torture. There was anguish in her voice when she told the mortal about the horrors that awaited him if he jumped. To reveal those details to a mortal was unheard of, yet she had done everything she could to stop him. There was fear, anger, and sorrow in her voice. She had actually pleaded with him to find a reason to stay in this world.
Perhaps there was more to her than just wanton destruction and death. He contemplated what it could be. As far as he understood it, she served one purpose, to kill. That was easy enough to understand.
He was still pissed that she had been angry enough to want to hit him. He should have killed her. Of course, that was harder to do than he’d bargained for.
Why did he want to be with her so much? There was a yearning inside of him that cried out to be with her, he’d felt it his whole life, but it now it was stronger. He still couldn’t fathom why he burned for her, but it didn’t matter. He would never join a woman who would punish him at every turn. He wasn’t a masochist. Serena had proven that. It seemed that he was destined to suffer under one woman or another, unless he put enough distance between himself and his Master.
He thought about packing his bags and running, which was an undignified plan, but a sane one. It was much better than the alternative, joining her. He flinched. Lucifer had asked her to join him and she had, yet when he had extended the olive branch by helping her gain control of her power and then apologizing, she had pushed him away. H
e could have let her tear down the tower and the world with it, but he had wanted to help her. Something inside of him knew it was wrong to destroy the world without a reason. It was strange not wanting to kill everyone for once. He’d never had a different purpose before.
Just as he reached the wall that led to his secret staircase, something inside of him twisted. A sharp pain grew in his stomach, as if he’d been stabbed. Looking down, he saw nothing, but the pain blossomed and invaded his chest. Oddly, he thought that he might vomit; a sensation that he hadn’t felt since drowning in the Realm of Seas when he would surface to try to expel as much water as possible before going under again.
His chest burned and breathing was difficult. He tried to walk, but was dizzy from the pain. He quickly disappeared and entered his room in the dungeon, though he almost didn’t make it that far. He clung to the wall for support. All of his bones felt like they were splintering apart as if he’d been hit by a wrecking ball. He collapsed to the ground and screamed out. His body convulsed and writhed as every inch of his body contorted and rippled, bathing him in agony. He thought for a second that Rayan was making his presence known, but even the Angel of Agony had never made him feel this horrendous.
Suddenly his body was wrenched from the ground and he hung suspended like a puppet, in midair with his arms outstretched. His sight grew dim until there was only blackness. The sound of a thousand voices screaming in unison filled his ears and an image of chaos appeared before his eyes.
There before him were mortals scattering, searching for shelter. They were engulfed in flames, torn apart by projectiles carried in the unyielding winds, drowned in tidal waves crashing from every direction, swallowed by the ground as it shook mercilessly, and frozen in ice that cracked apart into shards. A river of blood filled with bodies ran through the entire landscape. The world was on the brink of extinction, while the Destroyer stood, unleashing her wrath. Only it wasn’t the mortals that lay with their dead eyes wide open, staring blindly at the carnage, but angels, Heavenly Angels. He was witnessing the destruction of Heaven.
The once brilliant blue of the sky looked more like the red glow of Hell. Angels were fleeing for their lives, but there was no escaping. Their fates were sealed and death was inevitable.
How could this be? He couldn’t understand the vision. Why had the Destroyer turned against Heaven?
He saw her in the distance. Her eyes were black and her hair snaked around her face. She was beautiful and savage with her arms raised to the skies. The storm overhead blocked out the sun and encased the smoke and flames that filled the air. All around her was death and destruction, yet she looked peaceful. No, her expression didn’t look as it did in the castle, she didn’t look peaceful. Her face was blank, devoid of any emotion. He realized suddenly that she wasn’t in control.
A figure stood behind her shrouded in black. His black wings were extended and he floated behind her, issuing commands. Heaven was falling not because the Destroyer willed it, but because the Angel of Death commanded it. Alazar saw himself standing behind Anjali ordering the destruction of Heaven. His face was cruel and menacing. He laughed at the angels that fell before the feet of the Destroyer. He showed them no mercy.
Panic swelled inside of Alazar as the pain once again overwhelmed him and consumed him. He became lost to it. His mind exploded as Heaven fell from the sky. He understood that he was responsible for this unholy nightmare. He had taken control of the Destroyer and forced her to decimate Heaven, Hell, Purgatory, and the Mortal Realm. The Predznak were warned never to try to command the Destroyer’s power. They were not meant to tempt or control her for their own purposes. She was the Master and they served her. There were dire consequences if a Predznak tried to influence the Destroyer to end the world for their own selfish reasons. There were fail-safes in place so that if a Predznak went rogue, he could never take over the Destroyer and make her yield to him. Thankfully, his vision was only a warning since his intent wasn’t to tempt her to destroy the world. He had merely wanted to keep her from claiming him, though it could have easily been the next step. He was happy that she had been too strong-willed to succumb to him.
A voice boomed inside his head, rattling his skull. It was the voice of Father, though it was unlike anything he’d ever heard. It resonated through his very soul. “Go forth with a pure heart and honor your responsibilities. Do not waver in your oath to protect your Master and serve her well. Dare not to tempt her or take possession of her for ill purposes or everything you see before you will wither and die, then turn to dust. She is meant to do MY will, not the will of the Predznak. Any who breaks this law shall suffer the consequences and face her wrath.”
It was the warning that Father had issued the day they completed their transformation into the Predznak and readied themselves for the Mortal Realm. He knew the warning had been important, though vague, but now he understood its meaning. Control the Destroyer and everything will be gone. That’s why she needed to be protected. Sadly, he had failed to protect her from Lucifer’s compulsion and subsequent abuse.
His body crumpled to the ground and he was released from the vision. The pain slithered from his body as rational thought fought its way back in. He’d been an idiot to forget Father’s warning, but the darkness that consumed him clouded over that part of his mind. He had been so angry with Father and Anjali that the warning had meant nothing to him. It was one more thing to ignore.
Alazar managed to roll onto his side though he was weak and worn out from his apocalyptic vision quest. He wept when he thought about the fall of Heaven. He knew deep down he wasn’t a Rogue because he cared about Heaven and didn’t want to see it eradicated. He certainly didn’t want to be responsible for its downfall.
Yet, after all he had witnessed, he still didn’t think he could give himself over to his Master. He knew he would be the one doling out the carnage with her standing behind him, pulling the strings. He couldn’t allow himself to be under someone else’s control, not again.
Unable to move his arms or legs, he lay on the floor sweating and panting. The last thought he had before he passed out was if I can’t run from her, control her, or kill her, what options do I have left?
∞
“My lady?” a voice called out, pulling her from her dreams of a dark figure hovering behind her, just out of reach.
She opened her eyes to see Radek standing in the doorway of her bedroom.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, rubbing her eyes and sitting up.
“Lord Lucifer is demanding your presence,” Radek said quietly.
“Of course he is,” she said, rolling her eyes and stretching.
She was out of bed, changed, and halfway through the Hall Mirrors before Radek could catch up with her. She debated how much she wanted to tell Lucifer about her Alazar problem, and whether or not she was brave enough to mention Derick. Admonishing her cowardice, she decided she wasn’t ready to tell him about Derick.
“Lady Black,” she heard Mark’s voice from behind her as she approached the end of the hall. She doubted he came bearing good news.
“I’m sorry, Mark; you’ll have to take a number. Lord Lucifer is yelling for me and you know it’s not worth his wrath to make him wait. Stay here please, if you don’t mind. I doubt it will take long,” she left before he could say another word.
Walking into the rotunda, she was careful to check her surroundings, lest she run into Hades again. Fortunately, the area was empty and she proceeded to Lucifer’s tower. Though empty, there was a strange noise echoing from the rounded walls. She listened intently, trying to figure out where it was coming from. It sounded like Hades was entertaining company. Not needing a full frontal of Katarina, or God forbid, Hades himself, she kept walking toward Lucifer’s tower. What made her nearly trip and fall into the corridor was the sound of someone giggling, someone male. Regardless of the cost, she had to know what in this world would make Hades giggle.
Turning on her heel, she doubled back to the Hall of Misery
. Hades rarely had sex in the hall where anyone could see him and if he did, Jared was posted at the door to keep everyone out. Jared was nowhere to be seen, which made her curious. Whatever was going on could be of value to her since she could always use leverage against Hades. Lucifer and Mark could wait one more minute while she investigated.
She motioned for Radek to go on ahead. “Tell him I’ll be there shortly.”
Radek grimaced, but nodded and headed for the walkway that led to Lucifer’s tower.
Odd, she thought when she heard the giggling again. Maybe she was losing her mind after all. That’s when she heard what sounded like a string instrument being played, like a lyre. She ventured into Hades’ domain, searching for the source of the music. She walked in and saw Hades standing on his dais swaying along to the music, though he was difficult to see in the dimly lit room. The two fire pillars in front of his dais had been extinguished.
Hades’ suit jacket was strewn across his throne and his tie was untied and hanging loosely around his neck. The top two buttons of his shirt were undone. Anjali had never seen Hades look so informal. She wished she had her camera.
He was cuddling up with a woman wearing a flowing white dress that shimmered in the torchlight from the far walls. It turned a light blue iridescent color when she moved. She had long white hair down to her waist and a body that should be outlawed. Hades was focused on the woman and grinning like an idiot.
The female was clearly not an angel or a mortal, though not necessarily evil. It didn’t matter to her whom he spent his time with. For all she knew, he had plenty of females that he entertained. Of course, knowing Hades, he probably had some kind of deal with the attractive prisoners from the Hall of Shadows. She was repulsed by the thought. He was probably exchanging sex for a reprieve from their chains, which was forbidden.
“Well, this is the last thing I expected to see today. Please tell me she is an old friend from the Mortal Realm or I’m going to summon Michael here to witness your debauchery. He can dole out your punishment, while I watch,” Anjali smirked as she stood in the middle of the hall. She would have threatened to summon Lucifer, but the odds were good that he not only knew of Hades’ indiscretions, but was probably guilty of them as well.
The Third Throne: Angel of Death Page 25
