The Third Throne: Angel of Darkness

by Tabitha Barret

  “Killing you in your sleep would negate all of your power. Good luck sleeping with one eye open. I see that the Bringer of the Apocalypse has grown a little big for her britches. You’re using your power to intimidate and threaten people. I didn’t think you had it in you. Just think of all the things you’ll do once you get the hang of ruling Hell. In a short span of time, you’ve managed to move up the ranks from plaything to ruler. You even managed to get the corner office. And to my surprise, the promotion comes with a new title. Lady Black, how truly terrifying. Your name will be synonymous with fear in no time and if your name doesn’t do it, your new attitude certainly will,” Hades laughed as he mocked her. The last thing he needed was for her to realize her full potential. She could bring Hell to its knees if she became a tyrant. She needed to believe that she was beneath his notice.

  “Fear doesn’t become you Hades,” Anjali turned to leave.

  “This isn’t fear kitten...Lady Black; you are nothing more than an annoyance to me and for only a brief time. You are a showpiece. Lucifer will be done with you, and you will be back to being set on fire, and frozen, and drowned, and on and on,” Hades pulled against the Celestial Bonds around his wrists, knowing it was a futile effort. The damned things were unbreakable. If only he could get his hands on her, he would show her just how scary he could be.

  “Shut up. I’m so tired of you droning on about how Lucifer will throw me away. You’re the one who tried to kill me, not him. It’s all you, so stop dragging Lucifer into this. If you have a problem with me, then tell me. Stop trying to make me think that I’m going to lose everything,” Anjali snapped as she turned to face him.

  “You are going to lose everything. This place will turn you inside out, suck the life out of you, and leave you barren,” Hades growled. The darkness inside of him welled up, begging to strike out at her.

  She paused. Hades was right. He and Lucifer were the prime examples of that. They were fierce angels who had no tenderness or love left in them. Their souls had fought against the lure of evil for too long. They were lost and devoid of hope. She was going about this the wrong way. She calmed herself and stepped forward. She moved close enough to Hades so that he could head-butt her if he wanted to. She sat down in front of him and looked into his eyes.

  “Enough, Hades,” she sighed and put her hand on his face. He recoiled, but stopped when he realized she wasn’t going to hurt him. “You and Lucifer have been through so much pain; I don’t want to add to it. It’s stupid to fight. You don’t actually believe that Hell will fall into ruins because Lucifer loves someone, you’re afraid that he won’t need you anymore. You’ve been running things and keeping Lucifer in line for an eternity. I believe you enjoy what you do. As much as you complain about it, you like doing God’s will. If Lucifer was balanced and normal, then what would he need you for? No matter what, he isn’t going to replace you. Deep down he cares about you, of that, I’m sure; otherwise, you would have died long ago. He just has an odd way of showing his affection. I certainly have no interest in kicking you out, as long as we can play well together. He needs you to do what you do best by making sure that Hell runs, as it ought to. I’m not going to stop that from happening,” Anjali spoke softly to him, trying to reassure him that she wasn’t replacing him.

  “You could never replace me. I’m not afraid of being cast aside, I’m afraid Lucifer will forget why he is here. I need him evil; I need him rampaging, most of the time. Sentiment, patience, and understanding won’t get the job done. You will destroy everything I have worked for if you turn him into a pansy. Don’t you get that?” Hades was intense as he spoke. He was desperately trying to make her understand the problem.

  “I do understand that. I swear to you that I will find a way to keep him happy and crazed, though not at the same time. He needs a reprieve from the darkness, but I understand that he needs the darkness to rule. I don’t know how I’m going to accomplish it, but I will do it,” Anjali nodded to Hades.

  Hades sighed and looked away from her. Pulling his face from her hand, he forced himself not to look down at her dress or revel in the feel of her hand against his skin. He hated to admit that there was more than one reason why he wanted her gone.

  “Even if you find a way to balance his moods, there is no guarantee you won’t lose your mind. Then I will have two raging lunatics to deal with. It was hard enough the first time, and no, I wasn’t responsible for Serena’s madness. She did that all on her own. She liked the power, she rejoiced in it. I had to talk her down off her power trips on more than one occasion. Do you have any idea how much of a mess she made? She killed some of my best people. She almost killed your…,” Hades bit his lip. He had to stop thinking about the girl’s cleavage and focus before he said something that would most certainly get him killed.

  “My what?” she was surprised that Hades had almost revealed something. He was usually very good at keeping his secrets carefully hidden away.

  “I was going to say, she almost killed your precious Lucifer. Now, if you don’t mind, I think I’ll take my kick to the groin. It would be less painful than listening to your infantile ramblings,” Hades needed to get away from her as quickly as possible. Better to bleed than to want to kiss her. He didn’t need to say something he would regret. He was forbidden to speak about the Predznak. Lucifer’s patience with him would end there.

  She knew Hades was lying, then again, he was still breathing. “No. No beatings. Not today. I’m not done talking,” she remained seated in front of him.

  He glared at her, trying to think of something that would drive her away in tears. He was about to insinuate that her performance in Lucifer’s bed was the reason for her sudden rise to fame but he was caught off guard.

  Lady Black, damn it, he hated calling her that, but he had no choice since her other name was off-limits. He noticed that Lady Black held in her hands a bowl containing some sort of liquid.

  “Lucifer tells me that angels can eat, though it’s not necessary, unless you’re wearing Celestial Bonds. I’m told they weaken you and make you thirsty and hungry, like the prisoners in the Hall of Shadows. Here, soup. It’s what mortals eat when they are sick or injured. It’s a family recipe,” Anjali held out a spoonful of soup for Hades to eat.

  “What in the world are you doing? Is it poisoned? Is that how you’re going to torture me? Who told you that I hate being poisoned, was it Jared? I will rip his heart out for this,” Hades growled and turned his head from the vile concoction. Though he was starving, he wasn’t about to fall for her tricks.

  “You paranoid twit, it’s not poison and I’m not trying to kill you, see?” Anjlai took the spoon into her mouth and drank some broth.

  “Then why? Why would you offer to feed me?” Hades had to give her credit for the performance. He almost believed that she merely wanted to aid him.

  “Because it’s a nice thing to do. I have a feeling no one has been nice to you in a very long time. I don’t see Katarina in here reading you bedtime stories and kissing your boo-boos,” Anjali cocked her eyebrow at him, waiting for the next barb to be thrown.

  Hades sighed. She had him there. No one was ever nice to him, though he typically frowned upon such things. “She came earlier in the week and pulled out all of my teeth. I may have accidentally, intentionally, slept with a few people. Of course, she started it by blowing Nolan, but she doesn’t exactly see it that way.”

  “Yeah, she’s a real sweetheart. Now shut up and eat the soup while it’s warm,” she held out the spoon to him again and waited. She tried to keep her face neutral, but she was happy when he reluctantly leaned in and opened his mouth.

  He rolled his eyes and slurped the soup. He waited for the burning to start, but was pleasantly surprised when it tasted good. He watched a smile spread across her face. Deep down, he wanted her to be nice to him, though admittedly, he wouldn’t know how to react. She had been right about him being jealous, but for the wrong reason. He wanted her and wanted Lucifer to forget about her.
Maybe they could form a truce.

  “It’s bearable,” he shrugged and leaned in for more.

  “Why did you really throw me into the realms against Lucifer’s orders? I know it wasn’t because of my suicide. You used that as an excuse,” she offered him more soup and waited.

  “I’m not the one who threw you into the realms,” he stiffened when he saw her eyes tighten. “Fine, I wanted you to leave, one way or another. Lucifer has been obsessing over you for so long. I knew it would only get worse once you were here. When I saw the effect you had on him I panicked. I thought if you were miserable enough, you would want to end your life. You are a complication that he doesn’t need, and I don’t want. He started spouting love poetry. Do you know how frightening that was? I had to step up my game. I was afraid he would do exactly what he did and put you into power, just as he promised Gabriel. Three people in power doesn’t work here, it never has.

  “Tabbris made things unbearable. He did nothing but whine about how we went too far in punishing the mortals, yet he thought they should be eliminated. He never liked mortals. He saw no point in their redemption. He thought it was useless to torture the mortals and did everything he could to block us from doing our jobs. He came here just to prove that creating a Hell would be a waste of time, though we proved him wrong and he thankfully left.

  “Maraquette was selfish and only concerned about her own bullshit, and you seem to know about Serena. Lucifer and I make things work. You will only screw things up and I will have to clean house. I’m tired of failure. I’m tired of attempting to make things work only to have a third in power cause more chaos. If you think you can rule this place without making things worse, then you don’t understand Hell,” Hades sighed and took another spoonful of soup.

  “I understand Hell better than you think. I’ve had nightmares about this place since I was born as Michelle. Didn’t you ever wonder why I didn’t break while in the realms? Didn’t you wonder why I didn’t come crying to you, pleading with you to free me of my pain and end my life? I had suffered in all the realms long before I ever officially met you. Every night I was burned alive, skewered, stripped of my flesh, and every morning I woke up knowing I had to face it all again the next night. You merely gave me what I was used to. I lived in Hell for eighteen years, unable to tell a soul, save one. In all that time, I never understood why and I never had a way out. It was relentless. What you failed to realize, Hades, is that I was well prepared to endure the real realms. On top of that, you gave me something that I didn’t have before, a reason to fight. It was my anger and need for vengeance that allowed me to fight back. I hated you and it forced me to grow up and take control. You gave me the means of unlocking my power. The darkness inside of me gained strength every time you forced me to protect my existence. I embraced my darkness and unleashed my power, because of you. You only have yourself to blame for what I have become. Who knows what would have happened if you had left me alone. You certainly wouldn’t be sitting in here tied up, losing blood. I should be thanking you,” Anjali smirked as she witnessed Hades comprehend the truth.

  Hades was shocked but tried not to seem defeated. He could kick himself for the mistakes he’d made with her. In his attempts to push her over the edge, he had roused a sleeping Destroyer, which wasn’t exactly what he was going for. Damn, he should have left her alone. Threats would only increase her anger and her need for vengeance. He knew those temptations all too well. It would only escalate their fight if he continued in this vein.

  “You’re going to end up like the others. You already have darkness inside of you. Maraquette and Serena were Heavenly Angel, filled with love and goodness, and they couldn’t withstand the evil here. They weren’t the only ones. Lucifer tried to keep a few different mortal women at his side. He wasn’t terribly serious about them, at least not enough to put them on the throne. You don’t want to know what happened to them,” Hades grimaced. Being honest with her was the only way to make her see the truth.

  “I’m not them,” she shrugged.

  “I meant what I said before. Your life will not be easy and the path you are on will bring you much sadness. Mark my words; there will come a time when you come to me, begging me to end you. That offer has expired. I’m going to watch you beg for death and I won’t grant it. Here’s a fun fact for you; go check out the Realm of the Destroyer. I dare you to face the people who died from your little killing fits. They are stuck in Hell until a full Apocalypse is created and paradise is once again achieved. If you think you’re strong enough to survive here, then look into the eyes of the people you condemned to an eternity of pain,” Hades looked her directly in the eyes.

  “Trust me, I won’t be begging for you to kill me anytime soon. I’m stronger than you think,” she picked up the spoon and fed him more soup. She decided not to comment on his taunt about the realm until she saw it with her own eyes.

  Hades wasn’t allowed to hurt the girl, even if he wanted to. Lucifer promised to do worse than kill him if he harmed Lady Black again. He would be thrown out of Hell and forced to go back to Heaven. As much as he wanted to go home, he knew he wouldn’t survive. The grief over the deplorable things he’d done would make him beg for death. Of course, she didn’t need to know that. It was better to make the girl believe that he would lash out at her at any moment.

  “I have a feeling you would stab me through the heart, if given the opportunity,” Hades chuckled, and then sheepishly took another spoonful of soup.

  “If you think that, then you know nothing about me,” Anjali gave him the last of the soup and stood up.

  “Does this mean that my sentence is over?” Hades asked hesitantly. He was still afraid she would beat the shit out of him.

  “Answer me this. When I first arrived, you were startled when you saw me. Why? Don’t bother lying to me. I saw the fear in your eyes. I’ve never heard you stutter before, even when your face was broken. You almost bowed to me. Why did you fear me?” she stared at him pointedly.

  Hades took a moment to think about his answer. He had been caught off guard by her sudden appearance in the Throne Room. He’d expected a parade in her honor, but instead, she was standing in front of Lucifer looking small and helpless in her pink pajamas. It took less than a second to realize that Lucifer had stolen, or tricked the girl.

  “I admit that I was surprised by your appearance. There was to be a formal ceremony when you arrived. Since there was no pomp and circumstance, I knew something was very wrong. I was afraid he had taken you against your will and that you would release your power and raze Hell. I didn’t want to be caught in the crossfire. When I saw your clothes, I knew that he had stolen you. I did expect Gabriel to storm the gates and take you back. I was not looking forward to that fight. Serena’s dress in Lucifer’s hands didn’t alleviate my concerns. I thought he would hand over the dress and the throne on the spot. It wasn’t until he called you Mistress that I understood the level of deception he was employing to keep you in Hell,” Hades shrugged. It cost him nothing to tell her his version of the events.

  “Yet you did nothing to stop him from lying to me. Have you always hated me, or is this something new? Did we know each other in Heaven?” she quipped.

  Hades rolled his eyes. He hated being questioned; he preferred to do the interrogating. “I never knew you before you arrived in Hell. You were created long after I left Heaven. I’d heard of your exploits and I assumed that you were cruel, unyielding, and brutal. To my dismay, you are boring, insipid, and useless to me,” Hades smirked, waiting to see her frown. He didn’t know why he delighted in making her miserable, but he considered it his new favorite pastime.

  Anjali flicked her wrist and used her power to pull Hades off the ground and suspend him in midair in front of her. “I’ll let Dmitri know that you are ready for your next round of pain, or better yet, I’ll call Katarina, so that she can tuck you in and give you a kiss.”

  The smug look on Hades’ face quickly disappeared, replaced by fear. She need
ed to remind Hades that she was no longer the confused girl in the pink PJs. She was the Bringer of the Apocalypse, not his bitch.

  Chapter 19

  Lucifer paced around the partially reconstructed Throne Room, waiting for Anjali to arrive. He wanted to discuss the renovations to get her opinion on a new dais, which was a strange thing for him to desire. He rarely cared about what anyone had to say.

  He smiled when he thought about the first time she had ascended the steps to her throne. She seemed hesitant and flustered, which was adorable, but once she took the throne and looked up, she acted like a queen. She listened to each problem and every time he asked her opinion, she reflected on the conversation and responded with a levelheaded suggestion. It was an amazing sight.

  He saw the difference from her predecessors immediately. Tabbris had looked cocky and bored. Maraquette was indifferent, and too wrapped up in her fantasies of them living happily ever after, while Serena looked like she was ready to bite someone. Yes, Anjali would make a fine addition to Hell.

  He was deep in thought when he heard a thud behind him. He turned and found his servant from the Mortal Realm Jimmy, aka Creeper, disemboweled on his floor. Not that it was an unpleasant sight, but it was a surprising one. He wondered whom his servant had pissed off this time. He looked to the doorway to see who had thrown him to the ground.

  Lucifer’s breath caught in his throat when he saw the familiar blue fire of a Celestial Sword, but was shocked to see who was wielding it. Gabriel. It took an extra second to acknowledge that Creeper had not only been gutted, but had also sustained a blow to the heart. His servant was truly dead.