by Lori Aisling
It was a lovely scene, to be sure. I, however, preferred my privacy. This place was entirely too ‘social’ for my liking. I walked past a rose garden in full bloom, the perfect flowers lending their sweet fragrance to the air. As I approached the massive doors leading to the residence of The Lord, four cherubim stepped out, blocking my path.
“How dare you sully the realm of Light with a hound from hell!” one of them screeched, his face of choice a large bull. “Seize the damned beast and destroy it immediately!”
“Stop!” I demanded. “Unless you want today to be your last for a long time, I strongly suggest you move aside and let us pass. I will be speaking with The Lord and my companion will be accompanying me. She is not Hell’s hound, she is mine.”
One of the other sentries stepped towards me, and Lucinda snarled, her viper rising to full height and eye level with me. “The beast will be dispatched or you will not pass. You do not rule here, Widow. You have not even performed the duties of your mantle for some time, you are no longer granted the respect of your mate’s title.”
“Oh. I apologize if I gave you the impression this was open for discussion.” Letting the tingles of my new-found emotion, apathy, slither through me, I reached out with one hand and let my fingers dance through the air, much like a composer guiding an orchestra. The four cherubim were ripped off their feet, their bodies swinging crazily through the air. My eyes narrowed and I felt myself smirk as I crashed them into each other before beating them against the wall repeatedly.
A crowd began to gather, and I heard hushed whispers and shocked cries as I began to break bones in the bodies of my prey. Yawning, Lucinda sat down as if this were taking entirely too long and she had other places to be.
The broken Timeless were screaming and the music they were producing was sweet to my ears. I pulled them to me, their faces spinning, blood and protruding bones ruining their perfectly pressed suits. Smiling, I bid them farewell, ripping their souls from their bodies and sending them into their own personal purgatories to wait for their next cycle. The sentence I would demand depended heavily on my results here today. Dust fell to my feet and I daintily stepped over the pile and entered through the ornate doors, Lue at my side.
The foyer was immense; numerous pillars jutted upward, several stories tall. Wide, curving staircases connected to hallways leading to parts unknown to me. It was utterly silent, and my eyes scanned the interior. “Clean-up on aisle 7!” I announced, chuckling at my own joke. I was still feeling the rush I gleaned from dispatching the cherubim and part of me, a large part, was hoping for the chance to inflict more pain.
Seeing movement, my head spun in time to witness a streaking golden glow on a collision course toward me. Lucinda threw herself into the light, and mid-air, she twisted her body to the side, arching her necks, narrowly missing the long gold blade intended to remove her heads from her body. Her viper struck and I heard a gargled scream as the deadly fangs found solid purchase in her assaulter.
The two fell to the ground and Lue sank her teeth into the throat of the archangel under her, her other head snarling, the vicious canines millimeters away from the perfect facial features beneath her. The viper was pumping toxin into her prey and I was intrigued at the beautiful green venom as I watched it course through the veins of its victim. It was the same color as my realm, as my power, and the realization pleased me. “Michael! Is that any way to treat a guest? We haven’t spoken in some time, yet when I arrive, you threaten me and my companion.”
The lead enforcer of the archangels, the one known as He Who is Like God, thrashed under the powerful hound, his muscles jerking involuntarily as the poison rendered him helpless. Words left his mouth, but they were unintelligible. “Hold him, Lucinda,” I ordered. She maintained her firm grasp on his throat, her front feet lodged into his broad shoulders. The viper retracted her fangs from his cheek and rose above him, her intelligent copper orbs watching, waiting for another chance to strike.
I heard rushing footsteps of numerous approaching parties and I raised my eyes to assess the next potential threat.
“Amara? What is the meaning of this? By the grace of God, is that a hellhound?” Azrael gasped.
“She is my hound, not one of Hell’s. Michael attacked her and she merely defended herself. We came to speak with The Lord and I would appreciate a little hospitality, Az. I was forced to dispatch four of your spoiled, irritating cherubim and I’ve been here less than five minutes.”
I heard a growl and turned my eyes to Metatron. The insufferable man was positively steaming, his jaw clenched tightly as he stared at Lue and her newest squeaky toy. “Call off your damned beast, Death. Unless you are wanting a full-out war, you will not walk into our home and threaten us.”
“I’ll call her off when I know we are welcome and will not be assaulted. Since Callon’s disappearance, I have been bullied, accused, harassed, and attacked. I will no longer be a victim. I’m on the hunt now, and I will find my prey.”
Jeremiel approached, palms in the air. His blue eyes beseeched me, honesty and truth written in their depths. “My God, Amara. We thought you were dead! You have been gone for so long, and no reapings have transpired! What happened to you? Where have you been?”
It was impossible for me to be mad at him. The man was such a sweetheart. Looking back, I couldn’t believe the imposter was able to fool me so easily. There was simply no way to fake Jer’s honest emotion. “I was poisoned and almost died. If not for my hound, I’m not sure-”
I was interrupted by Jophiel's shriek. “You bitch! You wretched, evil, conniving, cunt! You will call off your mangy beast this instance or I will-”
“You’ll what, Joe?” I snarled. “I’m done taking orders from any of you. This is my game now. My rules, my party. Unless you want to challenge me, I suggest you back down.”
“I told you! I warned you all of her insanity! This was nothing more than a power grab. She wants to rule the realms and the bitch is crazy. Can you not see that? She has been gone for how long? And now she shows up with one of Lucifer’s beasts! It’s simple to ascertain where she’s been all this time while the souls are suffering, unable to move on. She’s been shacked up with The Dark! We all know our brother- he’s weak to temptations of the flesh and she no doubt has used her cunt to control him. I won’t be surprised when evidence soon shows she is the one responsible for Callon’s death!”
Anger flooded me with her accusations concerning my soulmate. She knew not what it felt like to have someone so connected to you ripped from your life. I looked at her standing on the broad staircase in her crimson, slinky, designer dress and heels, perfect waterfall curls cascading down one side of her neck. Suddenly, I saw a very vivid recollection in my mind and I burst out laughing. “Have any of you ever watched the old cheesy movie, Who Framed Roger Rabbit?” I asked. I was met with confused, vacant stares, so I continued. “There’s a character in the movie named Jessica Rabbit. She’s this over-the-top sex symbol, but she’s a cartoon, so would you really be that hot for her? She was depicted wearing this sexy red dress with a slit up the side, her tits shoved up to her neck, spewing cleavage a foot long. Yes, she was gorgeous. But again, she’s a fucking cartoon. She was a redhead, not a blonde, but do you understand what I am getting at here? The resemblance is uncanny!” I looked at Joe and burst out laughing again, pointing at her. “She’s Heaven’s Jessica Rabbit! Tits and sex appeal, but nothing more than a pointless cartoon!” I wheezed, laughing myself to tears.
I heard the whooshing of air as Jophiel launched herself at me, painted crimson nails headed straight for my face like daggers. I threw my hand at her, tossing her into the closest marble wall. Focusing on the spot under her face, I battered the misguided archangel until I managed to shove her entire head inside the wall. She kicked and bucked, but was unable to free herself.
All laughter gone, I focused on the men in front of me. “Now it’s time for the grown-ups to talk. When it’s time for the striptease, we’ll call in the wh
ore. But for now, she can wait patiently for her fifteen minutes of fame.”
“Jesus, Amara. What happened to you? You used to be so…”
“Weak? Pathetic? Gullible?” I finished Metatron’s assessment before he found a chance to insult me further. The angel cast a guilty look at the kicking and struggling Jophiel, but made no attempt to help her.
“I was going to say ‘sweet’,” he mumbled.
Ignoring him, I placed my hand on Lue’s head- the one which was snarling and dripping drool all over Michael’s face. The hound immediately released her hold on the archangel, stepping back to sit calmly at my side. Beaten and adequately chastised, the enforcer slid backward on his butt, putting as much distance between himself and my guardian as possible.
“Back to business. I’m here to visit with The Lord. Please go get Him, or tell me where I can find Him. I’m not leaving until I speak with Him.”
The four angels looked at each other nervously, none of them willing to break the silence.
“Well?” I pushed. “Seriously, you guys. What’s it going to take for you to realize I’m no longer playing games with you?”
Jeremiel was biting his bottom lip when he looked at me, fear and anxiety transforming his features. “You can’t talk to Him, Amara. He’s missing.”
Dog Lover
Now I was the one speechless. I stared at the four archangels, slack-jawed. “What do you mean He’s missing? For how long? What happened?”
“We were hoping you had some answers for us,” Metatron admitted. “Our Lord has been gone since you disappeared. It seemed a highly unlikely coincidence, you must admit.”
“You thought I had something to do with it? I assure you, I did not.”
“What happened to you, Death? Where have you been?” Michael asked, nervously watching Lucinda. He was still too weak to pull himself from the floor, but I could see the color returning to his features as the toxin in his blood became benign.
“I was poisoned. I called a meeting with Jeremiel in my old human realm and a man showed up who looked exactly like him. The imposter dosed my coffee with a toxin but I was able to escape before he could restrain me.”
“I think I can fill in the blanks. You escaped to hell, where Lucifer nursed you back to health. Does that not seem ironic?” Azrael questioned.
“Not really. I understand your centuries-old battles with him, but Lucifer has been the only member of the Timeless who has proven to me his realm means more than the power struggle between the factions. There are condemned souls from his prisons scouring the mortal worlds as we speak, looking for me. He has his hands full dealing with the treason amongst his ranks. You have the same disease here, mark my words. That much should be obvious if The Lord is missing. Additionally, someone knew I was meeting with Jer and was able to intervene.”
“We all need to talk. Will you stay and sit down with us, tell us everything that happened, and allow us to work with you?” Jeremiel asked.
“Of course, that’s why I’m here. I want answers. Lucifer and I have reason to believe Callon was dosed with the same toxin as me. If that’s the case, there’s a chance he could be alive and I will do anything to get him back, and I do mean anything. With The Lord missing, I’m sure there is a connection between the two. I will gladly stay if you will agree to my stipulations.”
“And they are?” Jer queried.
“Everyone will keep their hands off of my hound. Don’t even think about threatening her. She is mine, and I will avenge her with the same determination as I would anyone I’m bonded to. My second demand is for her,” I nodded my head at Joe, “to stay right fucking there until I leave. I won’t tolerate her any longer. Should she decide to attack me again, I will kill her. Are we clear?”
Metatron stared at the ground, his hands in his pockets, refusing to answer. Jeremiel nodded his ascent, and Michael simply shrugged, but Az took it a step further when he smiled and responded, “you have no idea how many times over the centuries I wanted to do that exact thing.”
Extending my hand to Michael, I winked at him. “Get up, big guy. You’re fine, she was only playing.”
Hauling him to his feet, his eyes met mine and he attempted a half-hearted smile. “I was wrong, Amara. I apologize. I will not attempt to injure your beast again.”
I smiled back at him and began to follow the rest of the angels into the depths of the castle- house- whatever they called it. Lucifer was so right, I was actually looking forward to the grin on his face when I told him this tale. It’s not what I did to you. It’s what you allowed me to do to you, his words were clear in my mind. Timeless were not mortals, and like he said, we don’t do subtle.
We walked through an arched, marble doorway and continued down a long hall. Rounding a corner, a lovely woman stepped onto our path. Her eyes immediately zoned in on Lucinda and falling to her knees in front of my hound, the lady squealed in glee. “Oh, you beautiful baby! Look at you! I bet you are the best girl and take such good care of your mama, don’t you?” She spoke to Lue in the same baby-talk many mortals used on their pets, causing my eyes to roll and Lucinda’s heads to cock to the side, as she studied this new person.
“Amara, I believe you have met most of the archangels, but not all. This is Ariel. Ariel, this is Amara and her….friend,” Jeremiel introduced.
Her eyes never leaving Lue, Arial waved her hand at me. “Where in all the realms did you find a hellhound to bond to you? I have never...in all my years...and she’s so big and beautiful! Aren’t you, honey? Yes, you are!”
Looking at Jer, he shrugged at me with the whole ‘I told you’ look. I remembered him explaining Ariel's lack of interest in anything mortal or Timeless, her only loyalty being to the lesser creatures of the realms and their plight. “She was a gift from Lucifer,” I answered. “She’s truly a magnificent beast and a true friend.”
The little archangel finally rose to her feet and met my eyes. “As it always is. The creatures of the realms get no respect or courtesy. Just now, I’m headed to one of the destructed planes. Of course, since there are no souls to benefit the factions, no one cares about the animals and reptiles left there. Just yesterday, I saw what I am sure was a rabbit. I’m returning to attempt to save the poor baby. Not that anyone in this place cares,” she huffed, tossing a glare at Metatron, in particular.
I was surprised at how different this dainty angel was. Just a waif of a thing, she stood a full head or more shorter than me, her long, blonde hair kept in braided dreads held by a tether at the base of her neck. She sported rosy cheeks and pink, bow-tie lips, untouched by a drop of makeup. Unlike the other Timeless of this kingdom, her clothing was simple. She looked more like a college kid headed to a toga party in her plain, linen tunic, than a member of the Lord’s army.
“Remember, Death. Pets are a lifelong commitment. You have been blessed with a truly one-of-a-kind miracle that cannot simply be done away with if you tire of her,” the tiny girl lectured.
“Lucinda is more than a pet, I assure you. We have a familiar bond. I can feel her, here,” I replied, tapping my chest. “It was nice to make your acquaintance and I, for one, appreciate your loyalty to the beasts. I was quite the advocate myself, in my mortal life.”
“Ariel, we are gathering in the meeting room to discuss the pressing ‘issue’ at hand,” Azrael relayed, using air quotes. “Would you care to join us?”
“I’ll pass. I don’t care what y’all are doing, and you know that.”
“Ariel, honey, the Lord is missing. We could use all the help we can get to figure this out and get things back under control,” Jeremiel whispered.
“I know! You keep saying that, but I just don’t care. I have my duties to conduct, and they don’t involve chasing after one Timeless or mortal crisis after another. He’s probably on another sabbatical, balls-deep in a harem of blessed souls vying for his attention. I don’t need to remind you of the Era of Women, do I? The collapsing realm fought a deadly virus that systematically wiped out
the entire male gender, leaving a population of nothing of lonely women. Where was our Father during that time, huh? This isn’t my first trip around this rock, boys, and it isn’t yours, either. Stop being so dramatic.” With a wave of her hand, she dismissed us, only giving Lucinda a sweet smile and a cooing as she wandered off, “You be a good girl! Be a good pretty girl!”
I looked at my four companions, speechless. Michael smiled and hid a laugh behind his palm. “She’s a piece of work, I know. I swear, she gets nuttier the more centuries pass,” he said. “But she is 100% dedicated to her role, I’ll give her that.”
“I can see that. Wow. Ok, back to the yellow brick road to attempt to save my mate and the wizard?” Four sets of confused eyes stared at me and I shrugged as I continued down the hall. “It’s a classic, boys. Catch up.” I did realize something as I pondered my latest odd acquaintance: Lucinda didn’t growl at her. Not once.
Get Back to Work
Seated around an oval table which appeared to be a solid slab of copper, the light reflecting harshly on my pupils, the four archangels told me what they knew of the Lord’s disappearance. Similar to Callon’s vanishing act, he was present one minute, and gone the next. There appeared to be no rumors, whispers, or gossip concerning the situation. To avoid wide-spread panic, the angels decided it was best to keep the entire ordeal secret, not letting the other residents of the realm in on the status of their missing God. Only the archangels knew, and Jeremiel seemed particularly distressed at the lack of urgency many of his siblings were showing to the cause.
“Now that we have filled you in, give us the details of your experience. You don’t appear to be surprised at the mysterious abduction,” Michael said.