Anjali touched Alazar’s cheek and turned him until he was in front of her. “I would have. I swear it. No one will ever subject you to that again. I will kill anyone who dares to lay a hand on you,” she wished that Serena were still alive so that she could crush her skull.
He shivered when he heard the cold determination in her voice and saw death radiating from her eyes. He knew that she meant it. She would have torn Serena apart and it would have been epic. He stared into her perfect blue eyes that held fury for the pain and humiliation that he had endured and relished the idea that she would kill to protect him.
He pulled her body against him and put his hands on her cheeks. Her skin was so warm and inviting. The attraction was even stronger than when they had first met. He let his hands glide down to her neck. Pausing, he tilted her head until he could see the marks more clearly. It made him mad to know that instead of the Predznak cleaning up Lucifer’s messes, his Master was now doing it.
“You weren’t created to deal with the problems of Hell. You should have let the prisoner eat Hades and Lucifer. Then all our problems would have been solved,” Alazar growled. No harm was to come to her while she ruled in Hell. He had yet another reason to kill Lucifer to add to his already infinite list.
“As much as that sounds like a great idea, and part of me would have thoroughly enjoyed watching Hades being devoured, I couldn’t do it. I protected Hades and Lucifer because it was the right thing to do. Besides, the Rusalka’s claws didn’t hurt nearly as much as being in the Realm of Fire,” Anjali grimaced.
Alazar shook his head. “You should have walked out on them once you figured out who you were, regardless of the Council’s decree.”
“I wanted to refute the Council’s orders, and tell Lucifer that I was leaving, but I knew there was a reason why Gabriel had made the deal. If nothing else, I stayed because of him. He’s the only one I trust. I don’t want to start an Apocalypse before it’s time. Being surrounded by the evil souls has helped me to understand them better. There have been too many close calls, too many accidents. I don’t want any more souls piling up in the Realm of the Destroyer,” she ran her hand through her hair and draped it over her left shoulder to hide the claw marks.
He cringed at her fortitude. After everything she had been through, she was still willing to do what was required of her. He admired her and questioned if he were worthy enough to serve her.
Moving to the wooden chair, he sat down and leaned back. He put his hands on the back of his neck and sighed. Would he be able to stand by her side and do what was required of him? He wasn’t sure.
Hearing her talk about the Realm of Fire made him remember all the times he wanted her to storm in and free him from his torture. There had been one single thought that helped him endure and survive to face yet another realm: Her.
“I can still remember the searing, burning sensation from the Realm of Fire, which is by far the worst of the realms and the one that Lucifer loved to send me to. I have to admit, I actually liked the Realm of Drowning Seas the best, as far as the excruciating tortures go,” he looked up at her and took a deep breath. She was finally here with him, at last. Why couldn’t he take her into his arms and make his vow to become her Predznak?
“Why did you like that one the best? Personally, I preferred the Realm of Frost. At least you couldn’t feel anything once your extremities fell off,” Anjali walked over to him and saw the sorrow in his eyes. She wanted to comfort him, but didn’t want him to think it was merely a ploy to gain his trust.
“There was that moment, when you finally stopped struggling to get to the surface of the water, when you finally accepted death. If you relaxed and sank to the bottom, all the screaming stopped. Your lungs burned like a bitch, but you could die in silence without hearing and seeing all the souls surrounding you. Death in the other realms never afforded you the luxury of picking your final thought. I looked forward to that moment of quiet. I could conjure any image I wanted,” he said as he gazed at her.
Anjali held her breath. His eyes were intense and burned into hers. “What was your last thought in the Realm of Drowning Seas?” she whispered.
“You,” Alazar breathed out. “I thought about you. Even though I didn’t know what you looked like, I pictured a formidable woman whose beauty knew no equal. She would rescue me from my eternal damnation, not only from Hell, but also from the constant gnawing pain that scorched my insides. Something was missing from my life and I desperately wanted to find it. I knew that you held the piece that I was looking for,” Alazar sat forward in the chair, his eyes focused on her face. He couldn’t understand why he wanted to be near this woman so much.
The longing in his voice broke her heart. She could feel the connection between them. She was drawn to him. The Destroyer side of her wanted to force him to his knees and submit, but the mortal side of her wanted to hold him and tell him that she would protect him.
The turmoil inside of him swirled as he thought about what he should do. She wasn’t the mythological killing machine that the Predznak had once envisioned. She wasn’t the force that would bring humanity to its knees. She was a girl who had suffered, just as he had. She had been left without her angels to protect her and do her will. Could he forget everything that had happened? Could he yield to her? His body and his mind were in two different places. He wanted to touch her and feel the relief she had once given him, though he didn’t want to be at her mercy. Yet, above all, he wanted to feel alive again.
Alazar extended his hand, giving her the choice to come to him. He needed to remember that his Master had to make the decision. He couldn’t force her compliance.
“Lady Black, I need you,” he whispered. He knew he was pleading, but he needed her too much to care.
She looked at his hand. This was what she had wanted, to be welcomed into his arms. Could she control the Destroyer’s need to take possession of him? Could she trust him after what had happened in the tower? He seemed different somehow, yet she was still leery. He wasn’t on his knees, vowing to become her Angel of Death; in fact, he had admitted that he wasn’t sure if he could do what was required of him. Too much time had passed; too much pain had been endured.
Her eyes moved to his face. The hope in his eyes made the decision for her. He needed her, at least in this moment. She had denied him before and hurt him. She wouldn’t make that mistake again; she wouldn’t turn her back on him willingly.
“Call me Anjali,” she said, taking his hand.
Chapter 11
Lightly placing her hand in Alazar’s palm changed Anjali’s entire world. The raw power below the surface of her skin clawed at her and begged to be released so that it could welcome Death home, but she pushed it down. She didn’t want to force him to vow his allegiance to her. It wasn’t time for that. She needed to gain his trust first and understand the bond between them. She wanted to touch him and feel his energy close to her, though it wasn’t a sexual desire. It was beyond lust or want; she needed him. He was an extension of her power, of her soul, and she cared deeply for him. He would one day stand before her and carry out her command to wipe out every living mortal in the world. He would lead the Predznak into a battle against humanity and he would do what was expected of him.
Alazar’s mind was in a haze. He was home. He saw the ethereal light of Heaven and felt the warmth and peace that accompanied the light. She was his shelter, the place where he could remember who he was and what he was meant to do. He had been away for too long. He vowed never to stay away so long again. Sanctuary. He wanted to scream it from the top of the world. Here he was safe. Here he could find happiness. It was so simple. Why had he waited so long? Why had he denied himself this pleasure?
All thoughts of leaving this woman were banished from his head. Lucifer himself couldn’t pry him from this chair and this woman. He had the vague memory of another woman attempting to bring his emotions to the surface, but her beauty was dull compared to the woman in front of him. No one else could ever make
him feel more alive. That was painfully obvious as he looked her. The blue eyes that smiled at him were more beautiful than the clearest sky. He no longer craved Heaven, he craved her. It wasn’t just because his frozen body could feel again, but because she wanted him forever. She had finally found him. It may have taken longer than he wanted, but she was here with him now.
She put her hand on his cheek and wished they could start over. “I thought about all the things I wanted to say to you the first time we met, but I didn’t get the chance to say much before we fought in the street. I’m not sure what I would have said, but it would have been more along the lines of ‘I’m sorry’, or ‘I’m glad that I found you’, rather than ‘here’s a car to face, I hope you choke on it’. I didn’t mean to throw it that hard, if it makes any difference,” she shyly smiled.
Alazar stood up and brushed the hair from her cheek. “I’m sure you know by now that I thought you were Serena. I’m not sure what I would have said, had I known who you were before I tried to crush your throat. The attack was meant for her. I was told that she was dead. Without Lucifer around to threaten me, I saw an opportunity to kill my enemy. I don’t think I would have attacked you physically. I tried to tempt you to take your own life because I was afraid that you would enslave me. After the storm stopped, you looked like you wanted to throttle me. I wouldn’t have survived the fight, had your anger been in control of your actions. You looked like Aeries when he was out of control. I’m not a fighter like him, or Balthazar. I can hold my own against most things, but a full-blown fistfight with you would have ended badly. I undoubtedly would have been shackled and dragged back to Hell. That’s why I attacked your friend. I needed a distraction,” he explained as he stepped closer to her.
Anjali sighed and understood his fear. She probably would have shackled him and dragged him back to Hell, or rather, the Destroyer would have.
“I lost control, which shouldn’t have happened. Later, when I thought about why you had tempted me, I understood your motivation. You’re the Angel of Death. Tempting people to murder or commit suicide is what you do. You had no one to guide you and teach you that there is more to your life than tempting the mortals. I should have expected nothing less and been prepared for it. Unfortunately, being a Master doesn’t come with a manual. I’m bound to make a few mistakes, but I need to have faith in myself that all will be right in the end,” she smiled, happy to have the opportunity to fix things with Alazar.
Alazar chuckled. “You should know that I’ve never been good at following orders.”
“Well, I have never commanded anyone before. I have no idea how I’m supposed to do any of this,” she shrugged.
Alazar was surprised by her statement. Being a Predznak had been ingrained in him the moment the transformation was complete. He wasn’t sure how Anjali could be ignorant of her power over him and how to fulfill her duties as the Destroyer.
“I’m sure you’ll figure it out. You certainly knew how to unleash your power when you were in trouble, and you definitely had the punishment aspect of being a master down perfectly,” he grimaced.
“Alazar, I admit that I was outraged by your behavior, but the more I thought about why I was angry, the more I understood it. The Destroyer demands your compliance, but the rest of me wants you to decide if you can be with me or not. It’s true, when I’m angry I’m very violent, but it’s because I was created to be violent. I don’t want to hurt you. I’m not Lucifer. I’m not evil, but I’m not good either. I am destruction. I am raw power. You may not believe it, but I want to have a partnership of sorts, though I honestly don’t know what will happen if you defy me. When we fought in the street, I merely defended myself. In the tower, I wanted you to grovel for forgiveness. I liked seeing you bow to me. I don’t want to rule over you like a tyrant, but if you cross the line I don’t know what will happen,” she wanted to be as honest with him as she could.
Alazar contemplated the idea of a partnership. It sounded much better than servitude. He had no idea how it would work, but it was better than the alternative.
“I’m listening,” he said, hoping that it wasn’t a trick.
She smiled when she saw his shoulders relax. “I thought we could start by talking. There’s so much that has happened to both of us. We are meant to be together, but we know nothing about each other,” she sat down on the bed and patted the spot next to her, asking him to sit.
Alazar hesitated. This woman could hurt him more than Lucifer ever did, as she had proven when she had rebuffed him in the tower. Could he trust her?
Searching her eyes, he saw no hint of deception or deceit. He sat down next to her and held her hand to chase away his fears. Feeling her skin next to his gave him the courage to think about his horrible past. “What do you want to know?”
“Why are you hiding in a dark hole in the middle of Romania? Why didn’t you come to find me?” Anjali whispered as she rubbed the back of his hand to comfort him.
“I did try to find you. When I left Hell, I went in search of you, though my reasons weren’t exactly pure. Not knowing where to look for you, I tracked down Gabriel. I’m sorry to say that I attacked him as I have attacked no other,” he looked down at the floor, ashamed. “I took out all my rage and resentment on him. Gabriel was an inch away from death. His neck was in my hands, but he refused to give you up. He said that you weren’t ready to take possession of me. I didn’t want to hear his lies anymore. I was about to deal the final blow when he said something that stayed my hand,” Alazar’s lip quivered as he spoke. He was overwhelmed with grief and guilt.
Holding his hand and brushing her thumb along his wrist, she quietly listened. Gabriel had told her that his fight with Alazar had been the battle of a lifetime, but he never revealed why Alazar hadn’t killed him. “What did he say to you? Why did you spare him?”
He smiled at her, trying to hold back the tears. “He told me that you would be worth the wait. He said that you were unlike anyone I had ever met before, and that you would be everything to me. You would understand me as no one else could. He promised that I would never feel alone and never feel empty again. However, if I found you before you were ready, all would be lost. You wouldn’t be strong enough to be what I needed. I believed him. I didn’t want to feel lonely anymore and I feared ruining that forever. So, I left him there on the cliff. I renewed my patience and waited. Unfortunately, the darkness was bearing down on me. It felt so much better to give in to it. I retreated into the darkness so that I didn’t have to feel anything anymore. I was on autopilot, until I fell over the edge and started pushing the mortals beyond their limits and crushing them in an effort to feel something other than the numbness. I’m ashamed of what I have become,” tears fell uninhibited down Alazar’s cheeks.
Anjali brushed the hair from his forehead and kissed his cheeks. She embraced him and held him closer. She had an overwhelming need to take care of him, to take him into her safekeeping. It was an interesting notion since she had trouble taking care of herself, but she had a brief glimpse into what being a master was really about. Not a master like Lucifer who only cared about what a servant could do for him, but a master that looked after their servant, knowing that they were important and vital to their own success. It was more like a symbiotic relationship, deeper than asking someone to make food for you and clean your laundry. You needed this person to achieve something much bigger than yourself, and in return you cared about their well-being and their happiness.
Alazar sighed and nuzzled her cheek, taking in the scent of her hair. He smelled the smoky scent of Hell at first, but under it, he found her. She smelled like honey.
Rubbing his back, Anjali thought about everything that Alazar had been through. She wanted to take away his pain and show him that he could be happy.
“Gabriel should have told you the truth. He should have confided in you rather than ignore you. He can be overprotective of me, but I understand why he does it. I’m not happy that he allowed you to suffer for so long, but
he believed he was doing what was best for me. I’m sorry he put you in that position. I don’t blame you for what happened. I would have kicked his ass too, but I would ask that you refrain from doing it again. He is my father and has done his best to take care of me,” she saw Alazar’s stunned expression, but ignored it. “I’m not happy about the way you were treated. The Council should have helped you in some way, or at the very least, allowed you to leave Hell. I don’t know why they kept you there, but I believe they feared what you would do in the Mortal Realm without someone watching over you. I understand why you allowed the darkness to take over. It would have been easier to feel nothing than to feel the constant agony of Hell. I wish I had been there. That’s all I can say,” she grimaced. She was angry at Gabriel for leaving Alazar and the other Predznak to fend for themselves.
What had he done to deserve this woman? He had just admitted to trying to murder her father and she forgave him in less than a heartbeat. Her compassion knew no bounds.
“Thank you for understanding. I wasn’t in my right mind at the time,” he tucked her hair behind her ear. “Why did Gabriel keep you from us?” he felt relieved to finally ask the question that had been burning in his mind for centuries.
“He told you the reasons; he just lied about the part where I had agreed to stay away. Based on your reaction to seeing my mortal deaths, I’m assuming the Council never told you that I was sent into the Mortal Realm to live as a mortal so that I could learn from their sins,” she replied. She could never understand the Council’s reasons for keeping her angels in the dark for so long. She wondered why the Council always treated them so poorly.
Alazar shook his head. “They rarely told us anything. Gabriel was usually their mouthpiece. Father sent us into the world to tempt, and the Council ordered us into Hell to wait for you, but Gabriel handled the rest of the communications. He only told us that you weren’t ready. He never mentioned where you were or what you were doing. I had no idea that you were forced to live like a mortal. What was it like to think that you were one of them?” Alazar couldn’t comprehend how she had survived living as a mortal, having seen their plights and woes.
The Third Throne: Angel of Death Page 30
