Gabriel stopped pacing when he heard a whimper from the bed.
Gabriel and Lucifer rushed to Anjali’s side as she stirred. She was groaning in pain and mumbling. She gasped out one word in her sleep. “Aganon.”
Lucifer flew into a fury. He would kill the whelp. He decided within a second that he would eliminate all his servants and start over again. He was done with their treachery.
“Aganon? Do you think he is responsible? How would he have access to a Celestial Sword? I was told that you do not possess any,” Gabriel’s cold eyes stared down Lucifer, waiting for him rebuff his statement.
Lucifer faltered and sighed. “It was a spoil of war, nothing more than a trophy and only one other person alive knows where I keep it. Aganon is not that person,” Lucifer sat down on the bed. He watched Anjali twitch in her sleep from the pain.
“Speak,” Gabriel was distant and deadly as he spoke.
Lucifer closed his eyes and growled. “It belonged to Tabbris. As you know, we were not allowed to kill him, even though we tried. He threatened to kill us regularly. I finally taunted him badly enough that he challenged me to a fight. He lost. I claimed his sword. It happened shortly after we fell from Heaven. The sword had belonged to Thysis who was removed from duty and was in the Hall of Shadows. Tabbris took possession of it and tucked it away for a rainy day. The paranoid son of a bitch hoarded weapons like you wouldn’t believe. I kept it as a slight to Tabbris. It was well hidden. Even I have not looked upon it in centuries,” Lucifer avoided Gabriel’s penetrating stare.
“Who knew, Lucifer? Who did you brag to? I have a feeling it wasn’t Hades. I saw the fear in his eyes and it wasn’t fear of retribution from me,” Gabriel’s words were barely audible, as he stood motionless.
“Maraquette,” Lucifer whispered the dreaded name and hung his head.
“Aganon’s original Master. Why would she have any interest in hurting Anjali? Gabriel relaxed a bit as he pondered the question.
“Jealousy? She swore that if she couldn’t have me, then no one would. She did try to murder Serena once. I almost let her. I no longer love Maraquette and her feelings about me are questionable. I will warn you that she is no longer in her right mind. I don’t know what has become of her,” Lucifer leaned his back against the bedpost and stared down at Anjali. She looked so small lying in the bed. He could feel the connection growing between them as she regained her strength.
“Do I need to intervene or should I assume you will handle Maraquette?” Gabriel sighed and sat down next to his daughter. He pulled a lock of hair from her face and rubbed her cheek with the back of his hand.
“I will deal with it. You have my word. I think it is best not to let the Council or anyone else know what has transpired. I want to take care of this personally. I also don’t want anyone to know that Anjali is truly my servant. Technically, all who serve Hell, whether Fallen or mortal servant, are in my care and answer to me, but they don’t need to know that I am her true Master. I don’t want them to believe she is a lowly servant again,” Lucifer loved her too much for anyone to degrade her. He wanted an equal and needed everyone to acknowledge that if she were to rule by his side.
“I will not speak of either matter. I know you think I’m a tight ass who abides by all the rules, but I have done things that I’m not proud of to keep her safe. I know you will bend the rules when needed to protect her. Watch over her, brother. I’m trusting that you will take care of her,” Gabriel leaned down and kissed Anjali on the forehead. He pulled a necklace from his suit pocket and carefully clasped it around her neck.
Gabriel stood and considered Lucifer for a moment. Even he could see what Anjali meant to him. He truly cared for her.
“What is that?” Lucifer asked, motioning to the necklace.
“It’s a necklace that she owned during one of her lives. I kept it safe for her, I recently gave it back to her, but it was not on her when she died,” Gabriel smiled.
“An Ankh, how clever. You are more of a sentimental fool than I thought,” Lucifer chuckled.
“I must go to the Council and explain why they are now short one servant. I regret my actions since I was not in my right mind, but I must accept responsibility,” Gabriel bowed gracefully as a sign of respect.
“Tell them the truth, that he was under my influence and that you found out he was selling the Council’s secrets to me. Michael will throw a party in your honor for killing the traitor. I assume their punishment for bribery will be less harsh than I endured for burning Mark,” Lucifer saw the flash of pain on Gabriel’s face at the mention of Mark.
“Indeed,” Gabriel frowned.
Lucifer tapped his foot. “Between the two of us, I am sorry for what happened to Mark, but if you tell him that, I will deny it. I too was out of my mind, but I did take responsibility for it,” he replied sheepishly.
Gabriel nodded.
Lucifer watched Gabriel leave the room. After so many years of plotting and scheming against Gabriel, it felt odd to no longer think of him as an enemy.
∞
Anjali was disoriented when she tried to open her eyes and lift her head. She felt lightheaded, like she was floating. She desperately tried to remember something important, but couldn’t conjure up anything clearer than a shadowy figure standing behind her and muffled voices all around her. When she finally pried her eyes open, she saw Lucifer looking down at her with a guilty, yet relieved expression.
“What’s wrong? You look like you did something bad,” she murmured, trying to sit up. She tried to remember how she had gotten into bed.
The last thing she remembered was feeding soup to Hades. Did he do something to her? She tried to move her left shoulder, but stopped when it felt stiff. There was no pain to her surprise. Pain, there was something familiar about pain.
“You were attacked. You’ve been unconscious for some time. I was afraid you wouldn’t wake up,” Lucifer muttered. He pulled his fingers through her hair to straighten it.
Anjali thought about the shadow until it became the reflection of Aganon standing behind her. She quickly looked to Lucifer, understanding the problem. Seeing his look of fear, she knew that she had been close to death.
“It was…,” Lucifer cut her off before she could finish.
“I know. It was a killing blow with a Celestial Sword. Aganon is in the Hall of Torment professing his innocence. He claims that he can’t remember what happened. He is alive merely because I wanted your opinion on how I should kill him. I thought it was important that you had a say. Know that you were a hair’s breath away from dying. Also, know that I did something you will not be happy about and may not forgive me for,” Lucifer wanted to take her hand in his, but was afraid she would rebuff him.
“What did you do?” Anjali held her breath, waiting for the worst.
“I was forced to bind you to me and make you my blood servant. There was no other way to save you. Your ring had been removed, but it wasn’t enough to keep you alive. Gabriel was there when the choice was made and he agreed with it. Be angry with me, if you must, but I could not watch you die and neither could he,” Lucifer hung his head and turned away from her. He thought it was best to put some distance between them, lest the blast take his face off.
Anjali noticed that Lucifer was shaking. He was upset and expected her to lash out at him. While she was mad that she was now his servant, she was grateful to be alive. If Gabriel had given his approval, then she knew it had been dire. It would put a serious kink in their relationship, but she hoped they could work through this setback. The term “blood servant” sounded bad.
“I am bound to you until you release me?” Anjali asked, hoping for the best.
“Not in this case. You were too close to death. Without my power, you would have died. It’s a blood oath. We didn’t make a deal whereby I would give you something and in return, I would get your soul once you died, nor did I make a deal to save you from the realms in exchange for your service. I bound your life to mine so that
you would continue to live. You owe your life to me and the vow is unbreakable. If I release you, I would remove my power from you and you would die. As powerful as you are, you would not survive without me. You are now connected to me; your life is tied to mine,” Lucifer said over his shoulder. He was still afraid to look at her.
“So if you die, I die?” she felt sick to her stomach.
“Most likely, though in rare cases, blood servants have survived their Master’s death. You are powerful. If anyone were able to do it, it would probably be you,” Lucifer hoped it was true, but he had no way of knowing.
Anjali thought about what it must have been like for him to make the decision knowing that she would be upset. If it was the only way to save her, then so be it. Part of her wanted to be outraged and throw a fit, but the choice had been made, so she needed to deal with the consequences.
“What happens now? Do I fetch your slippers?” she was heartbroken at the thought of becoming his mistress again, but she had vowed to stay with him. She had promised not to leave him alone in the dark.
“Never,” Lucifer growled and turned to her. “I would never lower you to such a status. The only reason I want you to fetch my slippers is so that you can throw them at my head in jest when I say something inappropriate, while you’re naked. This does not change who and what you are, nor does it change what you mean to me. You are still Anjali, Bringer of the Apocalypse, third in command of Hell and you will stand at my left side. Nothing will change that. No one will know, aside from Gabriel and Hades,” Lucifer was close to tears. He was shaking, consumed with panic that he would lose her.
Anjali went to his side and hugged him. She couldn’t stand to see him so distraught.
As she held him, memories of the attack came rushing back. She felt the sword pierce her chest and the intense burning that followed. The floor was hard and cold. She stared at her reflection in the mirror, unable to move. Having died once, she knew what to expect, except this time it was different. She was afraid. She knew she would die alone and was terrified by the thought. When she had died a mortal death, she hadn’t been afraid. She had been confused, but she had been willing to die to join the voice that needed her.
This time, her impending death felt empty and bleak. There was no hope for a better life. Then, a warm surge of energy penetrated the ice inside of her. It was familiar and it beckoned her. The fear left her and she followed the energy back to its source. She recognized Lucifer’s power. She heard him call out to her. She heard him command her to rise. Standing on the brink of death, she had made a choice. She knew it would have been easier to let go, just as Hades had said, but she wasn’t ready to leave Lucifer. For a second time, she chose him.
“Thank you,” she whispered. She brushed his hair from his face and stroked his cheek.
“What?” he gasped. He was confused by her gratitude.
“Thank you for saving me. I remember some of what happened. I heard you calling to me. Your power was like a beacon of hope for me. I knew I wasn’t ready to die. I choose to follow you home. I can tell you didn’t want to do this, but I’m glad that you made the decision to save me. Yes, part of me is angry that I’m your servant, but it doesn’t change how I feel about you. I’m grateful that you made such a difficult decision and I accept what you did,” she smiled at him, hoping that he understood the choice she had made.
Lucifer’s mind exploded and he felt dizzy. She followed him home. She wanted to be with him. He leaned down and kissed her mouth, her cheek, her jaw, her neck, her ear, any part of her that he could find. She wanted to be with him.
Lucifer laughed, lifted her off the ground, and spun her around. He put her down and stared at his precious gift. “You know that things will not always be easy,” Lucifer brushed her lips with his thumb.
“I’m more than aware of that. I promised you, it will take more than a Celestial Sword through the chest to keep me from your side,” she sighed as she looked into his eyes.
“You don’t know how pleased I am to hear you say that,” he kissed her with every ounce of passion in his body.
While she was happy to be alive, a feeling in the pit of her stomach churned at the thought of being Lucifer’s servant. “Lucifer, I appreciate that you saved me, but I must warn you, I will not allow you to command me to end the world. I will follow your orders when it comes to Hell, but I refuse to bow to your will when it comes to starting an Apocalypse. Something deep down is screaming at me, telling me that I alone must make that decision, not you, regardless of your power over me. If you command me to end the world, I will fight you. I can’t explain how or why I know this, but I believe it to be true,” she stepped back and stood up straight. Regardless of his reaction, he needed to understand that she still had a will of her own as the Bringer of the Apocalypse. She would do whatever it took to keep Lucifer from unleashing her power against her will.
Lucifer was surprised by her change in demeanor, but understood what was happening. She wasn’t meant to be ruled by anyone. Thankfully, as he had told Gabriel, he had no interest in watching the world burn, so long as she remained by his side. “I understand. You alone must make the decision. I swear I will never interfere with your destiny. As you said, you will need to follow my commands when it comes to ruling Hell, but starting an Apocalypse is not within my right. I accept the consequences if I cross the line and try to command you to bring about the end of days,” Lucifer bowed his head.
She let out a breath and relaxed. “Thank you for understanding.”
She turned and sat on the couch. Her mind was in turmoil as she reflected on the attack. Why had Aganon so ruthlessly attacked her without provocation? She had no idea why he would do such a thing. If he could lash out and kill her without reason, then it meant that she needed to be more cautious of her surroundings. She had almost died twice in one week, which didn’t bode well. It seemed that Gabriel had been right to hide her and keep her from her destiny for so long.
“I don’t understand why Aganon would do this to me. I mean, I never did anything to him. I’ve hardly spoken to him. Do you think that Hades ordered him to do it? I swear to Heaven above, I will have no mercy on Hades if he orchestrated this,” she frowned, trying to come up with a reason for this betrayal.
“No. I believe that Hades is innocent, for once. I wish I knew what Aganon was thinking, though I’m sure I will be able to beat it out of him before he draws his last breath,” he sat down next to her and played with the sleeve of her dress. He intentionally kept Maraquette’s name out of the conversation. He needed more proof of her involvement, and wanted to personally hunt the bitch down and kill her.
Anjali knew how talented a liar Hades was, so she didn’t cross him off her list. Perhaps that was why he had made a truce with her. It cost Hades nothing to make a deal with a girl about to be murdered.
“How do you feel? Are you still in pain? Are you completely healed?” Lucifer looked for signs of distress on her body. He was thankful that Gabriel had fixed her dress so that she wouldn’t have to see where the sword had stabbed her.
She moved her arms and legs, shifting and stretching, checking for any signs of trauma. “I’m a little stiff, but I’m okay,” she smiled.
Lucifer let out a breath and closed his eyes. “I never want to come that close to losing you again.”
“Okay, I’ll try to avoid your servants for a while. They seem to be hazardous to my health,” she grimaced, when she thought about Aganon and Caleb.
“I will grant you the power to rule over my servants, so that this never happens again. They will have to obey you, just as they would me,” Lucifer wanted to put her in a glass box and keep her safe, but at least she could now command his villainous servants.
She nodded her head. She had no interest in fighting with him about this new gift. Power over his cruel servants was the best perk of all.
She hung her head when she thought about what she had become. The Destroyer, ruler of Hell, was once again a servant of the de
vil. What would her father think? Of course, she already knew the answer. He had sanctioned it, which begged the question, why was Gabriel present during the attack?
“You said that Gabriel was here. Did you summon him when you saw that I was dying?” Anjali was surprised that Lucifer would reach out to her father for permission to make her his servant, since he hadn’t cared about Gabriel’s permission when he broke the contract.
“He came to confront me. He was angry with me for a number of reasons, as you can imagine. He killed Creeper, the servant whom I paid to find you. He had followed Gabriel, knowing that he would have to visit you eventually. Gabriel killed him and sought vengeance against me. He was out of his mind and rightfully so when he reached the Throne Room. He came here with the intention of killing me. He had his sword drawn against me, but I convinced him that, while I have made many mistakes, I never harmed you. I told him that I love you. Thankfully, he took mercy upon me. I swear to you that I did not harm him. When I saw him, I realize that it was wrong of me to keep him from you. He cares very deeply for you. I was explaining what had happened to Hades when we heard you scream,” the anguish on Lucifer’s face spoke volumes.
Her heart when out to Gabriel. He would have done anything to punish Lucifer for taking her away from him, but somehow he found the strength to forgive him. She wanted more than anything to see him and make sure he was all right.
“I want to see Gabriel. I want him to know that I’m ok,” she hoped she would be able to see Gabriel at least one time to show him that she was healed.
“He will be allowed access to you, I promise. You have the power to grant individuals direct access into the Hall of Mirrors. I think it best that you speak to him. I’m sure he will be hard on himself after all that has transpired. He returned your necklace to you. You should see him, but later. Right now, I need to be close to you. You scared me very badly and I need to feel you against me,” Lucifer allowed all his fear to drain away as he pulled her into his arms and felt her heat against him.
She was relieved that Gabriel hadn’t killed Lucifer, but she needed to hear her father’s side of the story, before she accepted that he had killed a servant.
The Third Throne: Angel of Darkness Page 37
