Ramiel narrowed his eyes as he looked at Caelum. “That’s for me to know and for you to die trying to learn.” Then, he turned to Ariel and the monster that held her hostage. “Take her to the crypt.”
“Wait!” Caelum protested. He attempted to fight the devil’s trap again, pulling on his leg to force his feet to move, but his limbs felt like lead. Even his arms felt heavy and weak as if the seal was draining his energy.
“Caelum!” Ariel called for him.
“‘Caelum’?” Ramiel repeated his name, suddenly interested. “What an odd demon you are.”
“What are you going to do to her? Let her go!” Caelum hissed.
Ariel’s heart was heavy, seeing the demon angered for the first time. His jaw was set and his eyes burned with fury. The angel felt both fear and concern for him. The demon she had known to be aloof and carefree was now furious at the thought of her being taken by the monsters. Why, Caelum?
“Haha.” Ramiel smiled. “Very interesting. If this is not proof of Heaven and Hell’s allegiance, I don’t know what is! A demon fighting for the safety of—” He paused, looking at Ariel with wonder, and then at Caelum. His brows raised up, the pieces of the puzzle falling into place in his mind. “I see. That’s what they’re trying to do,” he muttered under his breath.
“What?” Ariel asked, confused.
Ramiel waved his hand and gave the order. “Take her away.”
“Don’t!” Caelum protested again, gritting his teeth under the burning pain in his muscles. He screamed as he slowly lifted one leg up, alarming the fallen angel. A vampire charged at the demon to stop him from escaping, and Caelum pulled back his free leg and kicked the monster in the stomach. It flew back against the wall, hitting its head hard before collapsing to the ground.
Caelum turned to face them again but was met with a gray skull-like face with a shadow for a body. Before he could shield himself from its power, the fear that it exuded washed over him like iced water. The demon felt himself being pulled into darkness, into nothingness. He gritted his teeth, refusing to be plunged into the void, but to no avail. The ghoul moved closer to Caelum and his face tightened, weakly fighting off the influence of the spirit. He curled his fists, but they shook and did not deliver the intended attack. He could almost feel the glee from the spirit of fear; it mocked him. Both the seal and the ghoul now fed on his energy, and he couldn’t fight off either.
“Caelum!” Ariel screamed his name again. She struggled against the tail of the gorgon but not even her wings could break its hold. The angel tossed and kicked, squeezing her hand to reach for the hidden Zound tucked behind her coat. She managed to touch the hilt, but the reptilian monster tightened its grip on her, making her lose her grip on the weapon and crushing her already injured shoulder. The white blade slipped from between her waist and the monster’s and it clattered to the floor.
“Oh.” Ramiel bent to retrieve it. “So you did kill my shapeshifters. That’s too bad.”
“Release us, Ramiel!” Ariel ordered him.
“Oh, would you two relax,” Ramiel replied. “I’m not gonna kill anyone just yet.” He looked at the wendigo and ordered, “Take the demon underground. I’ll be interviewing him later.”
Ariel fought against the gorgon’s grip and watched Caelum as he was rendered immobile under the fiendish spirit’s power, the large wendigo walking towards them. The gorgon dragged Ariel through the door opposite of the demon where a set of stairs going down welcomed them. Ariel shot a last glance at the demon, watching him being lifted by the wendigo while the ghoul remained hovering over his face, before she was plunged into darkness.
A Holy Seal awaited Ariel in the crypt under the abandoned church. The musty smell of ashes and cobwebs filled her as they dragged her to the middle of the dark room. To her left were the tombs covered in dust and ashes from the bones inside, while to her right were two torches giving feeble light. The Holy Seal shone a faint blue when the gorgon forced her to stand on it, locking her in place. A bitter nostalgic feeling came to the angel who had only recently been freed after centuries of imprisonment.
“That will be all, thank you,” Ramiel told the monster who slithered away from the area upon being dismissed. The fallen angel’s footsteps echoed around her as he moved to face Ariel. He smiled at her carelessly like a lost relative at a reunion. Ariel glared at him. “You’re cute when you’re angry, you know.”
Ariel did not reply. She only glared at him with her blue eyes while her hand gripped her wounded shoulder. Ramiel looked at the wound and said, “Oh, sorry about that, lil’ sis. Please.” He opened his palm to encourage her.
The angel stood still for a few moments, considering if she should save her energy instead. But while she was above the seal, her powers were limited and she couldn’t fight back. Ariel moved her hand over the spot on her shoulder and began to mend the wounds. Gold light shone from her palm, and it felt warm on her skin.
“Kinda miss being able to do that,” Ramiel said wistfully, watching her heal herself.
“What are you really trying to do, Ramiel?” Ariel asked him.
“Like I told you, I’m preparing for when Heaven and Hell wage war on us.”
“Heaven and Hell?” Ariel scowled. “You have been in the mortal land far too long and it has cost you your better judgment. This is vengeance, Ramiel. You do not fool me with your story.”
“Oh, really?” Ramiel laughed. “Then why are you bringing a demon to the party instead of the rest of the winged bastards?”
Ariel gritted her teeth. “I—” She tried to think of an answer, but the longer she thought, the more her ideas became invalidated. “I wanted to capture you myself,” Ariel finally admitted.
“Pride!” Ramiel announced the word. “See how angels are actually sinful? So proud of yourself that it has branched into greed. Greed for being the one to capture little ol’ me? To claim recognition in the eyes of those who caged you?”
“How dare you accuse me of such when it is you who are trying to bring down Heaven? To bring down our home!” Ariel said.
Ramiel laughed at her accusations. “You are blind, little sister! What did Michael do to you? Being locked away all these centuries have blinded you to what is happening around you.”
Ariel did not respond, only biting down on her lips. She refused to believe his claims. He does not hold proof, she reminded herself.
“How are the humans, Ariel?” Ramiel asked her. “When you returned, how did you find this new world?”
Ariel considered her answer. “I am not fond of it.”
“Why is that?”
“The humans are slowly destroying God’s land.”
“And isn’t it the angels’ duty to prevent that from happening?” Ramiel pointed out. ”And what about that prophet you were assigned to? What happened to him?”
The mention of the prophet shook Ariel’s façade of calm. “Maxwell Saunders was influenced by a demon. He was tricked into delivering a false prophecy and into taking his own life.”
“And there is great unrest amongst the people who listened to his last messages. They are convinced that it may very well be the apocalypse.” Ramiel leaned so close to her his nose almost touched hers and asked, “And what did the angels do?”
“We—” Ariel was about to tell him that they’d attempted to calm the chaos, but in truth, it was only her and her pathetic attempts. Not even Daniel had stayed to assist her during the unrest.
“Now, why do you think Heaven is not lifting a finger here? It would be so easy, really,” Ramiel challenged her. “The humans can’t help but think their end is coming.”
Ariel remained silent, remembering her own doubts when Raphael let what had happened slip as if it was expected. As if it didn’t pose any threats to the order they were meant to protect.
“I can tell you why, but I think it’s already obvious to you, given the look on your face,” Ramiel said. “Easier to conquer a nation that is already in chaos, isn’t it?”
> “Are you saying that Heaven let the disorder happen on purpose?”
“Let it happen?” Ramiel boasted a laugh. “More like caused it to happen. You really think those proud wannabes would let anything happen that wasn’t planned? Especially when they have blindly faithful pawns like you to do their dirty work?”
“Stop this, Ramiel. We are your brothers and sisters. We are your home!”
“A home that cast me out because of a petty squabble! A home that is plotting to destroy my new one!” Ramiel’s eyes were burning with anger, his fists clenched on his sides. “Open your eyes, Ariel! God left us and the archangels took on the role of God. They think they hold the key now, the throne of God! And what have they been doing with it? They left the mortals on their own, letting them stray away from God and create monsters. Your precious archangels don’t care anymore, Ariel!”
“Stop it. Stop these lies…” Ariel gritted her teeth, her eyes cast down. “Whatever your motives are, I do not care anymore… Just stop it.”
“I’m not lying, Ariel,” Ramiel said in a calmer tone. “They removed part of your memories, didn’t they?”
Ariel looked up in surprise. “How did you—”
“They didn’t kill you nor rip off your wings. And yet they tell you that you committed a crime. Didn’t it strike you as odd at all?”
“Michael protected me,” she simply said. “He let me live.”
“Michael?” Ramiel laughed. “The Michael who cast out his own beloved brother to Hell showing mercy to some random angel who committed a sin? What made you so special?” He chuckled. “That is what they're doing, isn’t it?”
Ariel eyed him questioningly. “What do you mean?”
“If only you remember, Ariel. If only you remember what happened centuries ago—” Ramiel looked her in the eye and studied her, an idea sparking in his mind. “Perhaps there is a way for that. If you would side with me… Ariel, if you truly are not part of their schemes, join me and put a stop to this! I will help you regain your memory and exact revenge on those fools that betrayed you. Together, we can stop them before our Father arrives!”
“Betray Heaven?” she said in disbelief.
“They’re the ones who first unsheathed their swords, not us!”
“I will not turn my back on Heaven because of your shallow claims, Ramiel,” Ariel told him. “I am not like you who sides with these creatures of the mortal land to bring war to our home.”
Ramiel pursed his lips tight, looking at her. He pulled back, regaining his composure. “How funny is it that the tables have turned, huh?”
“What are you talking about?”
“I am siding with the mortals, and you refuse to,” Ramiel said, a smile forming on his lips, “when long ago it was you who were so fond of them. Rather, you were fond of one of them.”
Ariel narrowed her eyes. “What?”
“You loved them so long ago. Enough to turn away from your duties,” Ramiel told her. “But now you despise them, because of what the angels told you.”
“I don’t—”
“Of course you don’t remember,” Ramiel said. “That’s the reason they took your memories. They probably fed you lies about how your memories will lure you into temptation. That remembering will cause you to commit your crimes again. Don’t they say that you learn from your mistakes? How can you learn from them if you don’t even remember?”
Ariel looked down at her feet. The words he spoke swirled around her mind. No… She still refused to believe him. I don’t want to remember…she repeated in her mind.
“Do you want me to tell you, Ariel? Do you want me to tell you what happened the last time you were on this mortal land?” Ramiel offered. “I was there you know. I was there when they took you away in shackles. Gabriel had her Zound against your throat, so tempted to have your head, as they dragged you back in Heaven.”
“Don’t!” Ariel screamed. Her knees gave in and she kneeled before him, gripping her hair as if to shield it from the returning memories. “I don’t want to remember…” she cried. If I do…. I’m scared…
“Stop resisting, Ariel!” Ramiel commanded her. “Stop refusing to see the truth! Your blind faith is what will destroy you and the world you love!”
“No!” Ariel screamed again, whimpering in fear. Pain shot through her head and she bit her lip.
Ramiel looked down on her, disappointment in his eyes. “Maybe it’s best if you remember on your own.”
Ariel remained silent. She lifted her face to meet his eyes. Hers were filled with tears and fire while his kept the sense of purpose. He walked around her and opened the wooden door. “Take her up in the tower.” He gave an order and Ariel caught the hissing sound of the gorgon from before. “Please do not resist anymore, little sister. I’d rather not have them hurt you any further.”
Ariel glared at him, her eyes piercing daggers. The same gorgon from before slithered towards her and wrapped its scaly tail around her waist. The monster pulled her off the seal whose glow disappeared when the angel vacated it. Ariel did not have the energy left in her to fight. She felt broken and drained. Her world did not make sense to her anymore. It had crashed down on the angel.
The gorgon pulled her towards the door but was halted when Ramiel spoke again. “You put your faith in Michael because he spared your life, didn’t you?”
Ariel lowered her head and did not speak, but it was enough to answer Ramiel’s question. “You should think twice when placing your faith in someone.” Ramiel’s eyes were serious when he looked at her again. “This much I want you to know, Ariel. Lucifer was the first angel.” Ariel’s eyes shot up to his, surprised with his revelations. “When God ordered Michael to banish him out of Heaven, Lucifer could have easily defeated Michael. Such a curious event it was, really. Sad that you weren’t created yet when it all happened. The first angel was cast out of Heaven by the younger brother who revered him. Don’t you find that very curious?”
The story brought unwanted thoughts to Ariel’s mind, and she didn’t want to figure them out. Seeing her silence, Ramiel ordered his monster to continue, and the gorgon took her away. Ariel caught a last glimpse of Ramiel, and her eyes widened at the sight of his sadness before she was taken away.
Chapter Seventeen: The Angel’s Soliloquy
The musty scent of mold, rust, and rotten wood dampened his mood further when he was thrust into the dark storage room in the unfinished tunnel under the church. One wonders why there is such a tunnel here, Caelum thought, looking around. A devil’s trap was spray-painted on the floor, expectedly, and boxes of Hell knows what were far beyond his reach. Two werewolves flanked the door to his prison, their grunts the only sounds the demon could hear.
What could they have done to Ariel? Caelum worried. The image of her fearful face when they’d taken her to the opposite door from the one he’d been dragged through was etched in his mind. Her eyes had fixed on him when the ghoul had hovered over his face, creating an impenetrable darkness. Caelum couldn’t shake the idea that she was scared for his sake. My, my… What has become of us? he thought with a weak smile. He also couldn’t deny the fact that he worried for the angel as well, though he had his doubts that they would do away with her. Otherwise, they would have done it in front of him in the sanctuary of the church.
He paced at the very edge of the seal and plotted how to destroy it. Scratching it with his bare hands wouldn’t do, as the attempt would only burn him. He remembered breaking free from the seal on the altar, but he’d been on top of his game. Now, however, the ghoul had drained him of his energy. Caelum calculated that he would sooner find himself on the floor than free.
Caelum turned his attention to the door where he could hear the beastly guards. And smell them… Caelum frowned bitterly at the stench of wet fur and drool. He wondered if he could still create an illusion in their minds and cause them to run amok. Or maybe provoke them to attack him and destroy the seal instead. Wouldn’t hurt to try.
But before he cou
ld make his attempt, footsteps echoed from the tunnel outside. He heard muffled voices from behind the door before it opened with a creak.
“Visiting hours already?” Caelum greeted his guest.
The fallen angel stepped inside, hands in his jeans and a smirk on his face. He looked like a regular thirty-something fellow with a square jaw and small forehead. But the energy he exuded was definitely angelic. “Comfortable?” Ramiel asked him.
“Quite,” Caelum replied. “Should I be worried about our common female friend?”
“Don’t worry about her,” Ramiel assured him. “She’s safe in detention. For now, let’s talk.”
While the demon and the fallen angel talked in the lowest part of the church, Ariel was trapped on its bell tower. The sun was high in the sky when Ariel looked up at it. Hot rays peeked between the clouds and reflected on the large bell behind the angel. She thought of her home in the world above, and she thought of all that had happened after her descent to Earth. The questions in her mind, and the doubts in her heart. She loved Heaven, and she loved Michael, her savior. But Ramiel’s story echoed in her brain.
Lucifer could have easily defeated Michael, he’d said. The first angel was cast out of Heaven by the younger brother who revered him. Don’t you find that very curious?
“No…” she whispered to herself, her head lowered to see the Holy Seal sketched on the stone floor beneath her feet. The bell tower was an open cage overlooking the cemetery. She could see Heaven above her and the sorrow of the dead below. The mortals’ suffering had grown so much since her imprisonment. And she did wonder how the world God has created had reached this state when the angels were tasked with protecting this land and its inhabitants.
Easier to conquer a nation that is already in chaos, isn’t it? Ramiel’s voice spoke in her mind again.
Conquer was the word he’d used, not destroy. But what will the angels gain if they conquer this land? God is already returning!
The Damned and The Pure Series: Books 1-4 (The Damned and The Pure Series Box Set) Page 17
