“No, it doesn’t exactly inspire fear. As much as I don’t want the power to go to your head, you will be dealing with ruthless mercenaries here. You need something that will make them bow to you, as they should. They all saw your display of power. They will break their knees to bow before you after that performance; we don’t want you to lose momentum. You need a title, something that is grand and yet formidable. They will refer to you as Lady, just as they refer to me as Lord,” Lucifer shook his head as he pondered a new moniker.
“I like Lady Black. Michelle’s last name was Black. At least I would be able to keep some of my name,” if she was only allowed to go by one name, she wanted something simple that people would remember, but it needed to make a statement.
“Perfect. Lady Black it is. From this day forth, you shall be known as such. Is that all?” Lucifer pretended to be cavalier, but was practically shaking. He liked negotiating with her; she was strong and defiant. Not many made deals with the devil and actually came out ahead.
Anjali hesitated. She knew what she really wanted; even though she knew it would start a fight.
“I want to be able to go to the Mortal Realm. I swear I will return to Hell, but I can’t live here every day without losing my mind. I’m afraid it will wear on me. You said I wasn’t your prisoner. I promise you that I will find a way to balance out being in both places, but if I stay here I’m afraid I will become insane,” Anjali knew she was pleading, but she was being honest.
“No. I cannot let you leave,” he growled at the thought of her not being near him.
“I can’t fulfill my duties as the Bringer of the Apocalypse if I stay here. You have to know that. I’m not sure how I’m supposed to know when to blow everything up, but I’m pretty sure that I need to be in the Moral Realm to figure it out. I’m powerful but I don’t think I can end the world from here. You are going to have to let me go at some point,” she wasn’t sure if Lucifer was going to listen to reason but she didn’t want to fight about it. She knew she would be called upon to return to the Mortal Realm, eventually. She didn’t need him freaking out when it happened.
“Can’t you understand that I need you? I need you to help me. Without you, I’m numb and my emotions disappear. I can’t lose you,” Lucifer grabbed her and crushed her against him.
“I’m not leaving you. You’re not losing me. I know that this is my home now and I accept that. I’m not staying because you are giving me a tower and a title; I’m staying because you need me. I see what you are like when I’m with you and I don’t want to take that away from you. I care about you. I’m simply asking for the ability to visit my father and clear my head. I’m not trying to escape. I’m just asking for a reprieve,” Anjali tried desperately to make him understand.
Lucifer knew she wasn’t lying. She wasn’t trying to trick him. She didn’t technically need his permission to leave. Little did she understand that she could blow apart the blocked tunnels in the Caves of Darkness and run far away from him. He understood that she was asking because it was something she needed. Gabriel was important to her, just as Father was important to him. He missed Father every day. He knew Gabriel would be the voice of reason when his own voice failed. She would have to go back to the Moral Realm, since she was the Destroyer, but he didn’t have to like it.
“Swear to me that you will not leave me alone in the dark,” tears came to his eyes as he pleaded with her. He had never asked anyone for help before, not like this. He was admitting his weakness to her. He prayed that she would be kind to him and give him what he needed.
“I won’t. I will be here with you when you fall too far into darkness, but as you said to Hades, you need to find a balance between the happiness you feel when I am with you and the evil that is required to do your job. I will be there when you need to be reminded of who you truly are, a good angel who is doing God’s will,” she smiled at him and kissed him.
“Then I begrudgingly allow you to return to the Mortal Realm, but I ask you to wait a little while. You have finally accepted to stay with me and assume the throne. There is much preparation that needs to be done and a lot for you to learn,” he ran his fingers along the edge of her dress. He wasn’t ready to let her out of his sight.
“I will wait and learn what is needed before I leave. Thank you for letting me go,” she rewarded him with a breathtaking smile that made him yearn for her.
“I could not bear it if I were to lose you. You are everything to me Anjali. I will obliterate anyone who dares take you from me. Hades is lucky that his arms are still attached to his body,” Lucifer growled when he thought about Hades’ treachery.
He took in the scent of her hair and tried to reconcile her needs with his own. As long as she cared for him and continued to pull him from the darkness, he could abide by her request to return to the Mortal Realm.
“You won’t lose me and I will return to you,” she smiled.
∞
“Master, my Lady, there are fights breaking out in the Realm of Thirst. According to Lila the prisoners are threatening to riot. The thirst is not enough to keep this lot of prisoners under control,” Vincent knelt before the dais in the Hall of Mirrors.
He was careful to avoid Lady Black’s gaze. Lucifer was bad enough to deal with; he didn’t want his new boss tearing him to shreds over something minor, like looking at her. He had witnessed her power and didn’t need a lightning bolt up his ass.
“Anjali, any suggestions?” Lucifer looked at her from the corner of his eye. He hated talking about her adventures through the realms, but she understood them in ways even he couldn’t. It had been a few millennia since he’d personally tested their strength, the Realm of Fire being the exception
“My Lord, I would suggest offering them false hope. The Realm of Thirst is not a difficult torture and does not busy the mind enough. There is nothing to focus on except for your own anger and frustration. Give them a goal, something to work toward so that they fail. Present them with unattainable water, which is just out of reach, coupled with the unending desire to reach it, a compulsion so that they need to obtain it. Your riots will quickly fade,” Anjali’s expression was indifferent as she spoke. She didn’t want to spook Vincent for no reason. All of the servants had been jittery since Caleb had died.
Lucifer had explained her duties and shown her how to act while in charge, even if she didn’t have a clue as to what she was doing. He told her that, even if she wasn’t going to follow through on her threats, she needed to give the impression that she would. No matter what situation she was presented with, she had to maintain an air of authority and make sure everyone feared her, so that no one would question her. It was harder than she thought, but she had survived the week. Lucifer told her that she should act the same way as she had when she froze the Realm of Fire, haughty, self-righteous, and pissed off. She didn’t exactly follow his advice, but she did manage to keep everyone from hunting her and taking her head.
“Perfect, my dear. Vincent, tell Lila to do exactly that. If I find out that you didn’t give Lila the message verbatim, it will be the end of you. I have been entirely too soft on all of my servants, if Caleb’s actions exemplify the loyalty you each have for me. It is very difficult to find servants that can survive for more than a few weeks. You have been with me for decades, Vincent, which is a rare thing. Do not test my patience,” Lucifer waved Vincent away. He knew Aganon, standing at his side, would understand that the warning was for all of his servants.
“It will be done, my Lord. I will not fail you,” Vincent bowed and quickly dashed out of the hall.
She looked over to Aganon, who was standing tall next to Lucifer’s reconstructed Skull Throne. She wondered how many servants he’d had during his time in Hell.
“My Lord, will you find another servant to replace Caleb?” Anjali turned to look at Lucifer, who was sitting a few inches behind her to show the hierarchy. Everyone needed to know that Lucifer was still in command of Hell and that she was there to assist him.
He had created a throne that would best represent her. Half of it was made from light blue crystals carved to resemble ice shards and the other half was made from red crystals carved to resemble bursts of flames. At the top of the throne was her symbol embedded in the crystal, crafted from polished silver. Lucifer wanted anyone who gazed upon it, including the worthless Council Members, to fear the crescent moon and the sun falling from the sky, which represented the complete and utter destruction of the world, and remember that she was Father’s ultimate weapon.
“Never trust the wicked. I think I’ve learned that one. Oh, and never trust anything Hades says,” she sighed when she thought about all the heartache and pain Hades had put her through.
“I told you that you would do well here,” he was beaming at her with pride and lust.
She liked when he looked at her approvingly. It made her happy and it gave her the confidence to take on her new role.
“Speaking of Hades, I think I’ll go see how he is doing in the Hall of Torment. It’s time that I clear the air between us, or rip his wings off and stuff them down his throat. Either way, we need to come to an understanding,” she sighed and stood up from her throne.
Lucifer was up and grabbing her wrist before she could step off the dais. He pulled her close and whispered into her ear. “Will you actually rip off his wings and shove them down his throat?” he was purring with excitement at the thought.
She looked up at him with enormous eyes and breathed the word, “No.”
Lucifer smirked and released her arm, sending her along her way. He was excited by her dark side, but was always surprised when her compassion decided her course of action. Yes, she would do very well here.
Anjali entered the third floor hallway as the Fallen averted their eyes and dove for cover when she walked past them. They were all fearful of her since ninety percent of them had tortured her in the realms. They knew they were technically innocent, since they were given the order by Hades, yet they were smart enough to know that Lucifer wouldn’t care about logistics and would kill them disobeying his original order. She chuckled to herself as she watched them bow to her and suddenly become very busy. She knew they didn’t respect her, but they were apprehensive of her. She could live with that, so long as she didn’t have to be punished by them again.
Walking down the hallway that led to the Hall of Torment and the Hall of Mercy, she tried to figure out what she was going to say to Hades, or better yet, what she was going to do to him. As much as she wanted to rip out his tongue, she figured Lucifer would have covered that torture already. What could she possibly do to Hades that hadn’t been done to him by Lucifer or the Fallen?
Walking into the Hall of Torment, she nearly collided with Hades, who was hanging from the ceiling in chains directly in front of the entrance. His hands were bound together in blue glowing restraints, and strung above his head. It reminded her of a store window display. He looked like the poster boy for misery and despair. She had never seen someone as battered in all her life.
Her heart went out to him, until she remembered that he had nearly killed her. Whatever she had planned on saying or doing to him no longer mattered. Though she could still feel his sharp blade against her throat and the sensation of warm blood rushing down her chest, she almost forgave Hades when she took stock of his injuries. He had wronged her, yet she didn’t want to see him in such agony.
Lucifer was using him as an example to the other Fallen. Step out of line, and you will take his place. It looked like it was working since there were no other angels being tortured in the first few rows. The only ones being tortured were the souls, located halfway down the hall, and the prisoners from the Hall of Shadows, who were hanging on the walls. Even the back row reserved for servants was vacant.
“Lady Black, to what do I owe the honor?” Hades croaked out the question. It was clear he had sustained damage to his throat. He sounded weaker than usual and less condescending, though he was still snarky.
“I’m told that you used to be the Angel of Endurance, which is a lucky thing since I usually don’t leave survivors once I unleash my power, according to Lucifer. I see you heard about my new name,” she stood in front of him and tried to find his features underneath all the blood and bruises. His matted hair was hanging down, covering his eyes that were nothing more than slits in his swollen and broken face.
“News travels fast. Sorry I missed your coronation; I was a little tied up. Lucifer practically stamped your new name across my stomach,” he started coughing uncontrollably and wheezed up blood bubbles. She assumed his lungs had been ruptured. “You came here to gloat. How kind of you. I can almost respect that.”
Anjali looked over at Dmitri, the Overseer of the hall. He was a tall, muscular angel who looked like he knew how to use every weapon locked inside the metal gates in each corner of the room. His black leather outfit was complemented by his dark features and added to the general menace of the hall.
He looked at her with curiosity, but quickly turned away to finish sharpening an axe.
“No. I didn’t come here to gloat, I came to talk, but I can’t talk to you like this,” she sighed and mentally kicked herself for what she was about to do. “Dmitri, take Hades to the Hall of Mercy. I wish to interrogate him.”
Dmitri hesitated for a moment, but complied quickly when he saw the resignation on her face.
He unchained Hades, but left the Celestial Bonds on him. Grabbing Hades by the scruff of his expensive shirt, he dragged him across to the smaller, though even more menacing, Hall of Mercy and tossed him brusquely into the middle of the room. He bowed to Anjali and left the room.
“Where do you want him, my Lady?” an angel appeared from the corner of the hall and stood next to Hades, waiting for her to decide which torture apparatus she wanted to use.
The room was filled with racks, iron maidens, wooden stockades, and tables and chairs with handcuffs attached. Every surfaced was stained with blood. She ignored the rows of pliers and metal spikes on the walls, trying not to vomit.
“I’ll take it from here, Vadim. Leave us. See to it that we aren’t disturbed,” she replied curtly to the sinister looking angel. He would think that she was crazy for what she was planning to do.
Vadim was confused by her request, but bowed slightly to her and left them alone in the room.
She waved her hand, allowing Lucifer’s power to flow from her, just as she’d practiced. She removed the dirt and blood from Hades’ face and hair, while lessening his pain and swelling. As one of the Heads of Hell, she had the power to heal him completely, but she wasn’t willing to be that kind to him.
She looked around the frightening room while waiting for Hades to roll on his side and sit up. She decided it was best to keep his hands tied behind his back; otherwise, they would have to repair this section of the castle too.
“You do know that you’re supposed to seek retribution while I’m locked up, don’t you? Apparently, Lucifer didn’t explain the rules to you. You should be taking a swing at me, not mending my broken bones,” Hades tsked at her, yet again invoking his patented “you poor stupid child” look.
“I know how things work in this room. Who says I didn’t heal you just to re-break all of your bones one by one?” she gave him her best evil glare. She wanted to see his fear for just a second. That alone would be worth all of her pain.
Hades gulped and leaned back. “He’s right, you’ll fit right in. If I may, leave the face alone. I hate looking unattractive. I’m very vain if you haven’t figured it out,” Hades closed his eyes, waiting for the first blow, accepting the retribution.
�
��Relax I’m not here to hurt you. I told you, I came to talk,” she leaned against the wall and watched the confusion play across his face. He slowly relaxed when he saw that she wasn’t going to kick him.
He quickly regained his bravado.
“Sure. Go ahead and talk, I have nothing but time, and nothing better to do,” Hades rolled his eyes and waited for her to start yelling.
He appreciated the reprieve from the grueling pain and was grateful to have feeling in his fingers again, but he didn’t trust that she wouldn’t strike out at him.
“You and I are going to have to find a way to work together. I’m not leaving and I have asked Lucifer not to kill you, so we are going to have to call a ceasefire,” Anjali knew the conversation would end up in a fistfight, but she had to try something.
He’d been waiting for this fight since Lucifer appeared before him, telling him that he would live to see another ass kicking from the Destroyer. “You’re asking for a truce? Really? How quaint. I constantly have to remind myself how young and naïve you are. You truly don’t understand the inner workings of Hell and you certainly don’t understand me. No deal darling…Lady Black. You will simply have to watch your back until the end of days, or the end of your days, whichever comes first,” Hades smirked, waiting for her to pout.
He had underestimated her power when he tried to take her head. He knew he needed to find another way to be rid of her. If he couldn’t kill her, then he would demean and abuse her until she fled from Hell in tears. She was still young and inexperienced. She wouldn’t last long, just like Maraquette and Tabbris. He just needed to find the right kind of torture, something she couldn’t withstand.
“Is this what you did to Tabbris and Serena? Did you get inside their heads and break them? I’m not interested in your threats, Hades. Between the two of us, who do you really think would survive a serious fight? Oh wait, you already know the answer to that, unless you enjoyed being a lightning rod. If I were you, I would make a mental list of all the tortures you made me endure and remember that I can conjure up the really terrible ones without a realm. My power alone can drown you, burn you, freeze you, and crush you, any time, any place. You don’t even have to leave the comfort of your bed. I can pull your entire tower down around your ears before you even wake up from your pitiful dreams. You threatened Tabbris until he was paranoid and scared enough to run home. You and I are not equals and we certainly aren’t on the same playing field. Can you destroy the world with a wave of your hand?” Anjali growled. She watched Hades consider her threats.
The Third Throne: Angel of Darkness Page 33
