“You really love her, don’t you?” Alazar was taken aback by his answer.
“Yes. I would do anything for her,” Derick helped Alazar climb over a few boulders on their way back the safety of the trees.
Alazar was envious that the boy knew more about his Master than he did. He was ashamed of himself. There were so many things that he should have done differently. Looking at his only ally in the world, he decided to put his regrets behind him. He needed a fresh start.
“What is she like?” Alazar knew Derick’s version of her would be tainted by his emotions, but he needed another perspective. Lucifer was obsessed with her, while the other Predznak hated her for not claiming them or feared what she would do if she did claim them.
Without hesitating, Derick replied, “She’s amazing. She’s funny, she’s smart, she’s gorgeous, but most of all, she believes in me. She didn’t want to ruin our filming, so she stayed to protect us and helped me live out my dream, at least for a short time. She didn’t have to do either. She’s hard on herself and doesn’t believe she deserves to be happy. Of course, after meeting you and Lucifer, I can understand why she doubts herself.”
Alazar sighed. He had made so many mistakes, he wondered if Anjali could ever forgive him. Even if she didn’t, he would do whatever it took to keep her safe.
Derick looked at the bloody and disheveled angel next to him. He still couldn’t understand his relationship with Anjali. He spoke before he could censor himself. “Why does Anjali need an Angel of Death? I still don’t understand how she could possibly be the Bringer of the Apocalypse, but I would think she could manage to end the world by herself.”
Alazar nearly choked. How was he going to break Derick’s naïve little heart? He would surely leave him for dead. Despite possibly losing his only friend, he stupidly felt indebted to the kid and wanted to explain things to him.
“She’s not like me. She’s not an angel. She’s an immortal. God created her to do something that he doesn’t want to do. Anjali is supposed to start an Apocalypse when the mortals have fallen too far from grace and have completely lost their way. That’s where I come in; I’m a Predznak, or a Harbinger. I tempt the mortals to choose between good and evil. There are ten of us in total. We are supposed to show the mortals visions of Heaven and Hell and offer them a choice, but we have strayed from our intended purpose. We have let the evil inside the mortals tempt us to lose our way. We were supposed to wait in Hell for her, but we lost hope and abandoned our posts. I never met her until three days ago. She was created after I became Death. Her power is so hard to control that it took a really long time for her to come for us. You’ve met Lucifer. I had to live with him for a few thousand years without anyone to break up the fights. It was miserable, and I took my anger out on Anjali. Now I’m paying the price. I was stupid and arrogant. I have to find her and make things right. I’m ready to join with her and be what she needs me to be. When the time is right, she will use me to end every single life in the Mortal Realm,” Alazar couldn’t look Derick in the eyes. He had no idea how he was going to react.
“Well, that explains why she needs you, though I hope she doesn’t need you any time soon,” Derick didn’t like the thought of being eliminated by the Angel of Death. He thought about living in Hell. It must have been terrible for them, and even worse for Anjali. “Is that why she’s in Hell alone? You left and she had no one to protect her. Why would anyone allow her to live there?” Derick was angry at whomever was responsible for sending someone as sweet and kind as Anjali to live in Hell.
“In our defense, she’s stronger than she looks. She could destroy Hell with a wave of her hand. She’s supposed to protect us, even from ourselves,” Alazar’s voice was filled with shame.
“Yet, she allows Lucifer to harm her. She may be powerful, but she is reluctant to use her power,” Derick muttered. He contemplated leaving Alazar to freeze in the river, but he reminded himself that he didn’t know how to find Anjali without him. Besides, there were a thousand different things he didn’t know about their world. He shouldn’t condemn Alazar without knowing all the facts.
“I don’t know why she lets Lucifer get away with hurting her. I don’t know her well enough, but I swear I will not allow Lucifer to touch her again,” Alazar drew strength from the knowledge that he would torture Lucifer if he dared to hurt his Master. He hated himself for being the catalyst for Lucifer making Anjali his blood servant. He would accept whatever punishment she doled out for his inexcusable actions.
Derick nodded. He was happy to know that Alazar would protect Anjali, as long as he survived. Alazar was getting weaker by the moment, but they had to keep moving. Darkness was setting in and soon they wouldn’t be able to see where they were going. They would ultimately have to make camp. They had no food and no way to stop Alazar from bleeding and blacking out. He didn’t like the idea of making a fire to keep them warm, but they would have to risk it.
∞
Michael unfurled his white wings as the sun set over the mountain range. He wasn’t sure why he had stayed in the area, but he’d learned not to ignore his instincts after years of hunting Rogues. He took one last look around to make sure that he was still alone. Anjali would be unconscious until morning, which would give him plenty of time to reach Germany.
It felt good to stretch his wings and fly over the trees. He loved Heaven, but he was able to admire the beauty of the Mortal Realm. Taking note of anything out of place, he circled high and wide, making sure to cover as much territory as possible. It was doubtful that Alazar would be brainless enough to leave a trail of bodies for him to find, but one could hope. Alazar had always been brazen and imprudent. For all he knew, he might find a massacre with Alazar standing in the middle of it, taunting him.
The air was cold against Michael’s face, which was pleasant. It would keep him alert while he soared just below the sparse cloud line. The mortals in rural parts of the world were slaves to their superstitions and wouldn’t venture outside for much longer. If they did see something flying through the clouds, it would only force them indoors to huddle beneath their beds.
Michael banked left when he spotted a river. If Alazar were going to target the mortals, there would be groups of mortals living near the water rather than in the mountains. He prayed that Alazar was too fearful to hunt tonight, but he didn’t rule out the possibility.
Motion in the distance caught his attention. He flew ahead and circled back to get a better look. Descending to the tree level, he saw a large figure moving through the woods. It was wide enough to be a bear, but it was too tall. Its movement was unnatural. Curiosity got the better of him.
Diving down under the canopy, he landed on a sturdy branch and crouched down. He tucked in his wings and hid behind the trunk of the tree. The creature slowly approached and then stopped. He heard voices quietly murmuring.
He dropped down to a lower branch and waited. A mortal came into view, though he didn’t see Michael perched high up in the tree. He watched the man scan the ground for fallen branches and twigs. Sadly, he had stumbled upon a camper looking to make a fire. Not that he had expected his search to be easy, but he’d had a strong feeling that Alazar was close by.
Michael was about to spread his wings and make for the sky when a bright blue light froze him in place. There was no misidentifying that color light. It was identical to the blue light that sprang forth from his Celestial Sword when unholstered. Someone was chained in Celestial Bonds. His night was not a loss after all.
Quickly, Michael dropped down to the ground and ducked behind a thick tree. He peered around it and was admittedly astounded. Alazar was leaning against a fallen log. He was bleeding, frail, and wearing bonds. Someone had certainly gotten the better of Alazar, but he had no idea why someone would bind him rather than kill him. It was doubtful that one of his warriors had found him; otherwise, they would have shouted from the mountaintops that they had bested the Angel of Death, unless his warrior was dead. The shape of his wounds im
plied he’d been injured by a weapon other than a sword, most likely a projectile firing weapon. Perhaps one of the Predznak had found him first. Either way, Alazar had been gift wrapped and served on a platter for him. This was going to be so much easier than he expected.
∞
“You don’t look so good,” Derick threw down the wood that he’d found. It was harder to find dry wood than he thought. The temperature was dropping fast and soon hypothermia would be an issue. Currently, he was more concerned about surviving the night than helping Alazar avoid a little frostbite, though he didn’t want to admit it. He prayed that it wouldn’t snow. There was no way he was going to snuggle up to Death to keep warm.
Despite sweating while lugging Alazar’s useless body along with him, the cool air was starting to affect his legs and feet.
Alazar groaned and slumped over onto a damp log. “Do you know how many times I’ve died? I don’t mean real death, obviously, but deaths within the Realms of Torture, which feel like real deaths?”
“I have no idea,” Derick replied as he stood in front of Alazar. The blue light from the handcuffs reflected off his pale skin, and make him look like a glowing ghoul.
Derick could hear the wistfulness in Alazar’s voice. It was hard to think about Alazar dying. The Angel of Death should be impervious to the effects of death. Looking at him now only proved that even the strongest creatures in their world could be hurt, which didn’t bode well for Anjali. Though she supposedly held the power to destroy Hell with a wave of her hand, she was still able to suffer.
“1,460,570 times, though it wasn’t always the same kind of death. Lucifer liked to mix things up. Oddly enough, there is no realm for being shot in the chest. I’ve been torn apart, poisoned, beaten, and set on fire, but never shot in the chest. If I ever see Lucifer again, I’ll suggest adding it to the list. Trust me, it’s a real bitch,” Alazar chuckled darkly, which turned into a cough.
“You’ll never see Lucifer again, Alazar,” Michael said, stepping out from behind a tree.
“For that I am grateful,” Alazar sighed. He couldn’t lift his head to see who was speaking, but he knew his brother’s voice all too well. “Aside from that, you are the last person I want to see.”
Derick froze. Though he couldn’t clearly see the man standing to his right, he could make out his general size and shape, including his large wings. He was solid muscle and tall. Even without a weapon, he would be hard to fight.
Derick held out his hand to stop Michael. “You can’t take him. There’s been a misunderstanding. Alazar didn’t turn against Anjali. He’s trying to find her to make amends. The one you want is Maraquette. She lured my friends and me to Romania so that she could kill us. She’s trying to use me to get to Anjali so that she can kill her, and make it look like Alazar did it. She wants Lucifer to be her lover again. She’s one who put the Celestial Bonds on Alazar and had him shot,” Derick quickly summarized the problem, hoping to sway the angel from taking Alazar.
“Save your breath, Derick. It’s over. He doesn’t care. He’s going to kill me regardless of the truth, and I can’t fight him like this. Michael, you should be ashamed of your victory over me, though I’m sure you’ll tell everyone how I fought to the bitter end. I hope you burn yourself on your sword when you take my head,” Alazar replied weakly. “A word of warning though Michael, leave the boy alone or face the Destroyer’s wrath. He holds her favor,” Alazar awkwardly pointed in Derick’s general direction. He knew he didn’t sound very convincing, but he owed it to Anjali to protect Derick.
Michael stepped toward Alazar. “I care nothing for the boy or the wrath of the Destroyer. I do not fear her. As for you, she condemned you to death and I’m not interested in your lies. I must say that I am curious about the bonds. Where did they come from?” he wasn’t about to allow Alazar to escape or fool him. He may be weak, but he was still a threat.
“The kid already told you, Maraquette is trying to kill Anjali. If you believe nothing else, Michael, know that she’s crazy. She’s the one you were hunting in Toronto, Prague, and Brisbane, the one who attacked the mortals in the churches and burned them to the ground. She’s pissed that Lucifer cares more about Anjali than her. Once the Destroyer is dead and she gets Lucifer back, she will sit back and watch Heaven tear itself to pieces, or so she believes. She hates Father for allowing Lucifer to become evil and sadistic. She’s no longer a Forgotten. She’s become a Rogue,” Alazar’s vision was getting worse. The world seemed hollow and dreamlike. He was going to lose consciousness soon, which would be a blessing. He wouldn’t have to feel his own death.
“Thank you for the information, Alazar. I will look into it, once I deal with you,” Michael lunged forward and grabbed a pliant Alazar. He had expected a fight, but apparently, Alazar was truly injured.
“Don’t!” Derick ran at Michael, but was swatted away as if he weighed nothing. He landed hard on his ass and hit his head against a rock when he fell backward.
“You have been declared a Rogue by the Council and sentenced to death, Alazar. I am here to issue the deathblow,” Michael’s voice was authoritative and rang true.
Alazar really didn’t want the last words that he heard to be Michael’s pompous speech, but he couldn’t do much about it.
“You’re just pissed because you lost your Angel of Determination and no longer had my awe-inspiring speeches to help you win your battles,” Alazar quipped as he leaned against Michael, unable to support his own weight.
“I’ve lost too many brothers since you stepped down as Determination, I’ll admit it. Your replacement isn’t nearly as inspiring as you were. You should have never left us, Alazar. Things would have been much better for you,” Michael showed a rare moment of sadness, which stunned Alazar.
“One favor before I die, take these bonds off me and let us find out if you’re stronger than Death,” Alazar chuckled darkly, wishing he was at full strength and able to back up his threat.”
“You know I can’t do that,” Michael replied, his voice like steel.
“Yes, I know, because you’re afraid I will win. If you won’t stand against me in battle, then at least let me feel the wind on my skin one last time, brother, for old time’s sake,” Alazar whispered as he clutched Michael’s arms for support.
“Very well,” Michael spread his wings, turned Alazar’s back to his chest, and secured him around the waist. He launched them both into the air and was gone.
Derick helplessly watched them fly away, dazed from the blow to the head.
Alazar looked up at the horizon and watched the moon slowly rise. It brightened the sky enough for him to see, even without his night vision. The cold air that whipped past his face was refreshing. This was how he preferred to die, as close to Heaven as he could get.
Michael slowed his speed and hovered over a lake to gaze at the reflection of the moon shining across it. He wasn’t sure what Alazar had done to deserve a killing blow, and he didn’t care, yet despite what everyone thought of him, killing his brothers and sisters brought him no joy. He knew it was required of him and it would save the lives of others, so he did what he was required to do. He gave Alazar one moment to reflect on his life as he shifted his arm and drew his sword.
“Thank you, Michael,” Alazar watched the moon climb higher into the sky. He knew he was about to die and accepted it. He chuckled when he thought about the deal he’d made with Maraquette. The irony wasn’t lost on him. He had promised to kill Michael for her and here he was about to lose his head to Michael’s sword.
“It’s time, Alazar,” Michael held his sword with his right hand, preparing to end his brother’s life.
“Tell Anjali that I love her and that I’m sorry for what could have been,” Alazar whispered.
Alazar closed his eyes and searched for the Destroyer’s power, knowing the bonds wouldn’t allow it. He wanted to feel her power one more time. He pictured her face and smiled. Hating himself for failing her, he prayed that the other Predznak would come to
their senses and join with her.
Michael knew it wouldn’t take much strength to remove Alazar’s head. He didn’t want Alazar to suffer so he took aim and lined up his swing, wanting to make a clean hit.
A gust of wind knocked him off balance, forcing him to readjust Alazar’s weight. Thunder overhead resounded through the air and reverberated off the lake. Michael was confused by the sudden appearance of storm clouds materializing out of a clear sky.
Alazar’s eyes snapped open. His skin tingled as rain drops fell from the sky. This was not a natural storm and he knew instinctively what was causing it. “Master,” he smiled to himself.
Lightning bolts arced all around them. Michael had never seen such a light display. He had to move constantly to avoid being hit. The steadily forming clouds opened up and drenched the sky with water. The heavy precipitation weighed down his wings at a shocking rate.
“Sorry Michael, but this is where I get off. Thanks for the ride,” Alazar threw his head back into Michael’s nose and was gleeful to hear a snapping sound.
Alazar fell through the rain soaked air and rejoiced in the feel of the air rushing past him. His Master was near and Michael would finally see what she was capable of. He almost felt sorry for his brother, almost.
The lake enveloped him, warming his skin a bit. He was too weak to kick his legs to reach the surface. He held his breath and allowed the force of his fall to drag him under. Peaceful silence greeted him and he was calm. He knew he would succumb to death under the water, but at least he would recover from it, unlike a sword to the neck.
Drifting slowly to the bottom, he exhaled his breath and waited for the burning to overtake his lungs. He imagined Michael trying to escape the power of the Destroyer and laughed when he thought about him defeated and bitter. His Master had come for him. He paused when he realized that she might have been aiming at him with her lightning bolts. Perhaps it was a bad thing she had come for him.
The Third Throne: Angel of Death Page 48
