“So, Belle, here’s how this is going to go,” Lucifer said moving toward the Archangel of Sloth and straddling her. “I’m going to keep lighting you on fire and healing you until you tell me why you’re here, why you joined Dred, and why you want the mirror. Do you understand?”
“Yes,” Belphegor said before shuddering. I had to admit, Lucifer had the bad ass bitch thing down.
“Good.” Lucifer nodded before leaning in so her lips were close to the woman’s ear. “Because I’d hate for something bad to happen to you.” She smiled. “You know, like getting buried in an anthill while covered in honey.”
“I would prefer for that to not happen as well,” the archangel replied, eyes fixed on Lucifer.
“Then we are in agreement.” Lucifer grinned, leaning back slightly. “Why are you’re here, Belle?”
“Dred sent us to find Gabriella’s armament.” Belphegor’s eyes flicked to me. “He hasn’t been able to break her yet because she is holding out hope he will come find her.”
“Why do you think it’s here?” and as I spoke because if it was here, wouldn’t Gabriella have given it to me?
“She said it was,” Belphegor replied, swallowing hard. “But we couldn’t find it.”
The words hit me hard. It had been here, and I hadn’t even thought to ask Gabriella about it this whole time? Man, I was an idiot.
“Why are you helping the Destroyer?” Lucifer stood then.
“He offered us a chance to win, to serve at the right hand of the Darkness itself.” Lucifer lit her on fire, and her screams filled the air for a full minute.
“The Darkness will not win,” Lucifer replied, once again healing the Archangel of Sloth.
“You haven’t seen what I have, Luci.” Belphegor looked at the ceiling. “Everything you’ve faced… it’s nothing.”
“That isn’t a reason to concede, you sniveling worm. That is a reason to fight harder, to rail against your cage.” Lucifer shook her head. “Have you become such a coward?”
“I’m not a coward, just a realist.” She took a deep breath. “Have you seen an old one, Luci?”
“Those aren’t real,” the Devil shook her head. “That’s myth.”
“It isn’t myth.” The way Belphegor said it made me think she was telling the truth, but that didn’t seem possible because Lucifer really didn’t believe her. “You think Dred is strong?” She shook her head. “He’s a fucking amoeba beneath the Empress’s toenails. Only worth note because he has Excalibur.”
“What’s so great about Excalibur?” I asked, holding up Caliburn. “This sword came from the Lady in the Lake.”
“Excalibur is the blade destined to destroy the Darkness,” Belphegor said, shaking her head. “Your sword is nice, but it is not Excalibur.”
“You're awfully forthcoming, sister,” Lucifer interrupted. “Why?”
“You lit me on fire.” She took a deep breath. “I know you. Worse will come so I may as well tell you.” She sighed. “Dred won’t come for me either. He has my mark and armament. I’m useless now.” She sighed. “Imagine being me and serving that toad. He’s the most powerful man in the universe, and he’s basically nothing before the Generals of the Dark.”
“The Generals of the Dark?” I asked, totally confused. “What is that?”
“You’ve seen the heavenly host, right? It’s the same thing but within the Darkness. It’s why Dred wants power so much. He doesn’t really care about me or you or Heaven or Hell. He just wants to kill those sons of bitches.” She sighed. “At least that’s what he says.” She met my eyes. “It’s why I joined him.”
“Is she really saying Dred is a good guy?” I looked at Lucifer. “Is that what you heard?”
“I heard it, but I do not believe it. I have felt his soul, and it is corrupt beyond measure.” She shook her head. “When you concede to the Darkness as he has, you cannot easily walk away from it.” Lucifer looked at Belphegor. “Why does he wants the Mirror of Transference?”
“To make a new realm to seal away all the generals. Once he does that, the Empress will be weakened.” The way Belphegor said those words made me think she was hiding something, and not just because she wouldn’t look at us.
“He means to make a prison world with it?” Lucifer asked, rubbing her chin. “It’s pretty smart, actually.”
“No. Something is off.” I shook my head. “Even if that was true, why does Dred want to fight the Darkness and us?”
Understanding dawned in Lucifer’s eyes. “He is using the power of the Darkness to become strong enough to crush our world. The Empress allows it because even if he had all your strength, he is nothing.”
“Yeah, I got that part. That’s why he is the bad guy.” I nodded. “He’s helping the Darkness.”
“Dred could have killed you, Arthur, but he didn’t. Surely you wonder why?” Belphegor said, and I had to admit it was true. I had wondered.
“It crossed my mind.” I met her eyes. “Do you know why?”
“Because you make things easier for him. With the Darkness focused on you, on what you’ve done, he can move freely. Lay his trap and spring it. Then when they are all locked away, he will kill you and claim this world for himself.” Belphegor shrugged. “It’s simple, really.”
“So, he’s still a douchebag.” I sighed. If I understood this correctly, Dred wasn’t really working with the Darkness. He was merely using it to gain power before he double-crossed it. The thing was, I’d faced him, and I didn’t believe that for a second. I just wasn’t sure why.
“It’s a good plan,” Lucifer said, looking at me. “Makes a lot of sense.”
“No. It doesn’t.” I let out a slow breath, trying to order my thoughts. “The Empress bargained for Dred. She wouldn’t do that for someone that doesn’t matter.” I shook my head. “That means he has to matter a lot.”
“Of course he matters,” Belphegor said. “He’s Dred.”
“He can’t matter and not matter,” I snarled, and as I glared at the archangel, I realized something. Everything about this was all wrong. I took a deep breath and pointed at Belphegor. “She spilled the beans after three seconds of torture, Lucifer. Does that seem like what would happen?”
“Well, yes. Belphegor is notorious for—”
“That’s exactly my point.” I rubbed my face. “I think he wanted her to tell us all these things. She talked too easily for Dred to have taken her into his confidence. We know Dred has been working with the Empress of Darkness for Millennia. Does he really seem the type to lay out his schemes to her?”
“No. He doesn’t.” Lucifer looked at me. “What do you think? I can see your mind whirring.”
“I think he did want the mirror to set a trap, only I don’t think it’s for the generals or anything.” I met Lucifer’s eyes. “I think it’s for us.”
“For us?” Lucifer asked, confusion filling her face as she flicked her gaze to Belphegor. “Why would he do that? He could have killed us many times over.”
“No. He can’t. Not really.” I shook my head. “He can’t kill you guys because ultimately he wants your Marks and Armaments. We know that.”
“Even if I believe he could kill you,” Lucifer said with a shrug. “Why would he trap you?”
“What happens if I get trapped in some crazy time void like your training ground with all my armaments and everything? There’s essentially no more Builder, no more armaments, no more marks. In short, he is a lot more likely to win if I’m locked away and not dead.” I sighed loudly. “It’s why she’s here to find the armament, I bet.”
“What do you mean?” Lucifer asked, coming toward me.
“She’s bait.” I looked right at Belphegor. “Do you know where Gabriella is and how to get to her?”
“Of course,” the Archangel of Sloth replied. “Why would I not?”
“That’s why,” I said, gritting my teeth. “Because once she tells us where Gabriella is, we’ll have to go after her, and then we’ll get trapped.”
“Arthur, wait,” Lucifer said, coming after me as I stormed out of the room. I was so angry I could barely think.
“No,” I snarled, whirling on her. “I will not wait. Everything I did was to save Gabriella, and that asshole played us. I bet this was his plan from the beginning. The whole reason he came here. He didn’t care about Gabriella’s armament. Not really anyway. He just wanted me to go after her.” I shook my head. “The whole thing is a trap.”
“It was always a trap, Arthur,” Lucifer said, reaching out and grabbing my chin, forcing me to meet her eyes. “You were always going to go after her. That was never in question.”
“This isn’t that.” I took a deep breath. “What if he only captured Gabriella because he wanted to trap me?”
“I don’t think that’s true.” The Devil shook her head. “He wants the Armament. He wants them all. I could feel it in him. Capturing you will be a bonus, after all, then he will get all your Armaments.” She stroked my cheek. “Do not feel as though you are responsible.”
“I suppose you’re right,” I said, taking a deep breath and trying to calm myself. “If he’d originally wanted to capture me, he would have already had the Mirror.”
“Exactly.” Lucifer smiled at me then. “I think you’ve scared him, and that’s why he’s changed plans. Think about it.”
“What do you mean?” I asked, confused. “He has millennia of skill and training and almost all the armaments.”
“Sure. He’s got six Heavenly Armaments and two Hellion ones.” Lucifer shrugged. “But you have five Hellion Armaments, and with the Achievements you’ve gained, your single Heavenly one is worth as much as both of his.”
“That’s still one less, which is a lot less.” I shook my head. “It’s not enough to save Gabriella. Especially if I’m walking into a trap.”
“That would be true except for one thing.” She pulled me back toward the room and pointed inside. “If you take Belphegor’s that gives you six and a half.”
I stopped. She was right. In my anger, I’d completely forgotten. While she had given the Mark and Armament to Dred, if I could break her bond with Dred, I could still get her Mark. Maybe the boost in power would be enough?
“Six and a half marks anyway, but I guess beggars can’t be choosers.” I nodded to Lucifer. “I’m going to go back in there, while I do, can you do me a solid?”
“Um… okay?” Lucifer’s eyes filled with confusion. “What do you need me to do?”
I told her, and she stared at me for a long moment. “I will do my best, but I do not know if Michelle will agree.”
“Just try.” I shrugged. “I think you might be surprised.”
“And if she says no?” Lucifer asked, looking down at her shoes.
“She won’t.” I smiled. “Trust me.”
“You’re a man, you can’t be trusted.” Lucifer rolled her eyes at me. “But I shall try, anyway. It is time Heaven and Hell became united in this fight.”
“Good.”
With that, I made my way back inside and stared at Belphegor who was still tied to the same chair. Only instead of threatening her or anything, I pulled up my own chair and sat down in front of her.
“You’ve returned.” The Archangel of Sloth looked at me. “Why?”
“We both know Dred is going to leave you to rot.” I waited until she nodded. “Give me your Mark.”
“It won’t do you much good without my Armament, and Dred has it.” Anger laced her words. “The bastard doesn’t even use it because my Armament is a pair of boots and he likes Raphael’s better because it has a healing ability.”
“I would like to use it, and I will use it if you help me get it.” I shrugged. “Or you can stay tied to that chair for pretty much ever.”
“If I give you my Mark, you must free me.” She looked at me. “Otherwise, you can go fuck yourself.”
“After I return safely with Gabriella, I will release you.” I touched the spot over my heart with my index finger. “Promise.”
“And should you perish or become trapped during the attempt?” She watched me carefully.
“Then you’ll still be released.” I shrugged. “But hopefully, with your help that won’t happen.”
“You do know I cannot give you my Mark while I am still bonded to Dred.” She sighed. “This conversation is pointless.”
“I can break the bond with him,” I said, standing. “Tell me where it is, and I will break it.”
“How can you do that?” she asked, looking at me like I was a very strange bug.
“Raphael showed me how to do it in Heaven. Granted, that was for the Heavenly ones, but something tells me that this will be even easier, since I’m the one you should have marked in the first place.” I smiled. “Not that I’m annoyed or anything.”
“It is on the small of my back,” she said, leaning forward as much as she could. “He will know when you break it. He knew when you broke Samael’s mark.”
“I’ve been wondering about that?” I circled around and knelt down behind her. “What happened because of that?”
“He can still use the Armament, and is still empowered, but he can no longer draw from her in times of need.” Belphegor smiled. “It made me wish you had gained Uriel’s Mark because then he would be forced to use mine.”
“He would need more Legitimacy to use it.” I reached out and touched the small of her back, and as I did, I felt a spark of cold wrongness emanate from her flesh just as I had with Sam. Only this was way worse. With Sam, the Mark itself hadn’t felt wrong, just tainted. Everything about this one felt wrong.
“That is also true.” Belphegor shrugged. “He has not yet completed the demonic achievements, and I do not think he will bother.”
“Why is that?” I asked, surprised.
“Do you really think he will rebuild Hell or outfit it to face the Darkness?” she asked, laughing. “He is the Destroyer, not the Builder.”
“That’s a fair point,” I said, wondering what the other achievements for Hell might be. For all I knew, they would be easier to get.
Still, I didn’t care about that now. I had to focus on breaking Dred’s bond with Belphegor. Then I could gain her power and go after Gabriella. Shutting my eyes, I reached out toward the Mark she shared with Dred. As my fingers touched her skin, I felt a surge of energy flow from my fingertips into Belphegor. Unlike with Sam, I actually knew what I was doing though, so instead of trying to tear it free, I merely unraveled the edges.
It was easier than I expected because as my power touched the spot on her soul where the bond had formed, the mark seemed to dissolve. I took a deep breath. No wonder Raphael had insisted I gain full legitimacy before I remove any of their marks. The way this was going, I had more than enough power to rip this free.
Then again, that was because I had one hundred percent legitimacy versus Dred’s twenty-five percent. When I wanted to remove the angels’ marks, I’d be battling against an equal force, and they wouldn’t be acclimated to Hell as Sam had been.
As I continued to draw Dred’s energy away, I replaced it with mine, slipping my own bond in its place so by the time it was done, it was like rubbing away the flaky skin after a sunburn had healed. That isn’t to say it was quick.
“All done,” I said four hours later.
“It’s strange,” Belphegor said, looking over her shoulder at me. “I expected it to hurt a lot more.”
“I told you I knew how to do it,” I said, shrugging. “And you have to remember something. You’re supposed to be bonded to me.” I touched the small of my back. “There’s something to be said for legitimacy.”
“Yes.” She nodded. “I have to say, I feel better than I have in a long time.” She smiled. “If I’d known bonding to you would feel this good, well…” she sighed. “What’s done is done.”
“I do want to know something though,” I said, moving back to the chair and sitting down. I was tired, but not as tired as I thought I’d be. “Why
did you go to Dred instead of to me?”
“What do you mean?” she asked quizzically. “When Belial and I awoke a few months ago, Dred was already there waiting. We didn’t even know you existed. He offered us power, strength, and the chance to have revenge upon Heaven. After so long asleep, it seemed like a good deal in exchange for having to do very little.” She frowned. “Only it wasn’t as he made it out to be. After he used our power to defeat Michelle, we became less than nothing to him. Had we known he had joined forces with the Darkness, we never would have helped him, but by the time we found out, it was too late.”
“I believe you,” I said, standing. “And thank you.”
“I hope you succeed,” she replied as I moved to the exit. “But you’re much nicer than he is. You’ll need to work on that.”
40
“Arthur, is this really your plan?” Michelle asked the moment I walked out of the room. She stood there with one hand on her hip while she pointed at Lucifer with her other. “Because this sounds a lot more like her plan.”
“No. It’s my plan.” I looked over at Lucifer. “Unless she’s told you a different plan.”
“I have not.” Lucifer shrugged. “She just called me a liar and said I was insane and then marched over to talk to you.”
“You expect me to work with her?” Michelle raised an eyebrow. “Are you mad? I threw her out of Heaven.”
“I do expect you to work with Lucifer. It is the only way this ends well.” I took a deep breath, hoping she’d agree. “Think about it. No one else will succeed but the combined forces of Heaven and Hell.”
“Arthur, your plan involves storming Dred’s stronghold. It’s insane.” Michelle came closer. “You could die, or worse, be trapped for all eternity.”
“Which is why I’m trusting you, both of you really.” I glanced from her to Lucifer. “I don’t know if you care about me or not, or even Gabriella, really, but I know you care about Heaven. This is the only way to save it because if we don’t stop Dred, he will win.” I met Michelle’s eyes. “Do you want him to win, Michelle?”
The Builder's Wrath (The Legendary Builder Book 4) Page 22
