She sat down on her throne and contemplated his advice. He waited to see if she would disagree with his assessment, as she often did.
“Demyan said something strange to me and so help me, if you repeat this, I will deny it. He was trying to tell me that there is a group within the Celestial Warriors who are sometimes asked to work outside the law. Those were his words. If those angels are called out by anyone else, no reprimand occurs and the incident is swept aside. I believe Demyan, though I don’t know why such a group exists. Edric was trying to sneak up behind me in the battle of Portland and stab me in the back. Calin jumped between us and took the sword for me. What kind of a warrior stabs someone in the back? I never believed that Edric was innocent, even though he accidentally stabbed Calin. What if Rowan or someone else gave Edric orders to ignore the rules of engagement and kill me at any cost? Tabbris was certainly deranged enough that night and not interested in the rules since he was so quick to charge Lucifer and call for my head, which he tried to take. Tabbris silenced Demyan, just as he silenced Delilah. I want to know why,” she said, trying to make sense of what Demyan had told her.
Hades wasn’t really surprised that the warriors had a secret attack squad within their midst. “Tabbris is not to be trusted under any circumstances. Heaven believes that Lucifer and I drove him mad, but I assure you, he was already crazy. How he managed to lie his way back into Heaven, I will never understand, but it would not be beneath him to have his own agenda. I always believed it was strange how quickly the warriors were able to round up enough Forgotten Angels to imprison the Syankas. It normally takes the warriors weeks, months and years to hunt an angel, yet they managed to capture 134 Forgotten Angels in a matter of days. I reflect on that often when the Council overlooks Tabbris’ indiscretions. If they can ignore the fact that Tabbris could round up so many angels in such a short time, they could believe anything,” he replied.
Drumming her fingers on the arm of her throne, her eyes were glazed over and it seemed that her mind was somewhere else. He was about to excuse himself to give her time to mull things over, when she finally spoke.
“I have endured so much over the years, Lord Hades, too much, in fact. I have been attacked by countless enemies, falsely condemned by a faithless Council and shoved into a box for more millennia than I care to count. Anjali tried to work with her accusers to avoid bloodshed, only to have her life stolen from her. I was crippled and wrangled, forced to reside somewhere inside her subconscious, waiting for the moment when I was needed. I am tired of allowing her to kowtow to those who would prefer to see her shackled and caged. It’s time for me to take action and remind the faithless that I was never meant to be governed by them and will no longer cater to their whims, including General Tabbris, who tried to take my head without cause. I appreciate your support and your words of wisdom,” Lady Black said in a tone that sent a chill of warning through Hades.
The weeping girl who had ungraciously snorted while recounting her experiences at the hands of a miserable excuse for a warrior had vanished and in her place was the woman he recognized from his previous encounters with a being capable of killing him with a flick of her wrist. He wasn’t sure what had brought on her alter ego, but he was careful to bow his head to the Destroyer, less he show her any disrespect.
“Of course, Lady Black,” he said quickly since he had no idea what he should be saying to her.
He turned and walked out of the Hall of Mirrors as quickly as his loafers could carry him. He carefully snuck into the Annex across the way and hauled ass to the last door on the left at the end of the hallway. He burst into the room unannounced and surprised its inhabitant.
“We have a problem,” he hissed.
Alazar, frozen with a map in his hands sitting in his Barcalounger, looked like he wanted to murder Hades for running into his room unannounced.
“Speak fast,” Alazar sneered.
“I fear that Lady Black has lost herself to her dark nature. I have seen it happen time and again with Lucifer, so I know what I’m talking about. I don’t know why she has chosen now to make an appearance, but I don’t think Lady Black even knows what’s happening to her,” he said barely above a whisper in case one of her Nachtghuls was close enough to overhear him.
Alazar stood up and tossed the map on his bed. “It’s happening again,” he muttered to himself.
Hades was flabbergasted. “Again? Why was I not told of this?” he sneered.
Death’s cold blue eyes were upon him, causing Hades to compose himself immediately. Depending on the next words out of Alazar’s mouth, he might have to disregard his truce with Lady Black and summon the Celestial Warriors to attempt to kill her and her Predznak.
Sighing, Alazar crossed his arms. “I only found out about the other’s concerns since I returned home. When Anjali banished me, she sounded like the Destroyer, which surprised me. The last time she addressed me like that, I had tempted her to kill herself, so I understand why she would be pissed at me. This was different. She had lost her composure with Gabriel and ranted about the Council. Afterward, she banished me. I know I needed a kick in the ass to get my shit together, but I often wondered if banishment was warranted. I thought that maybe she had overreacted, just a bit. If the Destroyer is actually a different side of Anjali, then maybe she is the one who banished me. I don’t know much about split personalities, aside from what I witnessed happen to Solren, but it’s not easy to predict or deal with. Unfortunately, I would need Solren to help me figure out if the memories returning to her are causing this change or if the Destroyer is rebelling against Anjali in some way,” he explained.
Hades was furious that he didn’t know these important details, but he couldn’t blame Alazar since he wasn’t here at the time. He straightened his tie and adjusted his jacket. “Then we find Solren and figure out how to help Lady Black before Lucifer realizes what is happening. I can only imagine what he will do if he finds out that the woman capable of stripping his darkness might be more interested in leading Hell on a crusade to eliminate the Council, permanently.”
Alazar shuddered. “Lucifer joined with the Destroyer would be a very bad thing. I dare say that he would be drawn to her dark side and help her enact whatever she was planning.”
Hades stepped toward Alazar and did his best to look Death in the eyes, despite his natural fear of doing so. “Tell me that you will not follow the Destroyer if her decisions are impaired in anyway,” he said firmly.
Alazar stared blankly at him and shrugged. “I am duty bound to follow her even if I disagree with what she is doing,” he said automatically.
The world collapsed as the truth of the matter invaded his mind, spreading terror through him. Lady Black and her Predznak would be unstoppable if she decided to wage a war on the Council or worse, Heaven itself as punishment for turning her into a mortal and locking away the Destroyer for numerous centuries. He closed his eyes and prayed for a solution to their problems. If Solren were found, would he help save Anjali, or join her crusade?
Epilogue
Tabbris waved his good mornings to the guards in the Mamertime Prison with a smile. Today was a good day. Demyan was dead and his secret was safe.
He entered into the small room with the plaque identifying the names of the prisoners once held within the prison. He ran his hand over the one scratched into the bronze plate, giddy that all was as it should be.
Using his power, he moved the stone block that hid the original prisoner cells and slid into the tiny hole. The space was cramped and disgusting. He always wondered how the prisoners had survived in here. Saints and Apostles had suffered in this foul place, and so did another Heavenly creature.
He disappeared from the room and reappeared in an even smaller room, a room that no one still alive knew about. Inside this room lived the most wretched thing, in his estimation. He should have put it out of its misery years ago, but he was too delighted to know that the world was safe because he had outsmarted everyone.
Pressi
ng his face against the small bars in the corner of the room, he saw his ward strung up just where he left him. The stench was indescribable, but it didn’t detract from his good mood.
“How are we doing today?” Tabbris asked.
When the prisoner didn’t respond, he took a bucket of rainwater that had collected from the damp walls and tossed it at the filthy thing. The angel didn’t stir, but Tabbris knew he was still alive. 2000 years was a long time to remain in captivity, so he gave the wretch some credit. He often wondered if the angel would commit suicide, if given the choice. The choice would never be offered to him, but still, he wondered what his choice would be.
“Your reason for your imprisonment is known to you. It has always been known to you. You chose poorly and now you have to live with the consequences. Would you have chosen differently if you had known your fate?” Tabbris whispered.
The angel raised his head slightly, though it was hard to see his face beneath the grime and his long matted hair. He worked his throat as if to speak, but began to cough.
“You don’t have to answer. I already know the truth. In fact, I saw the reason for your demise just yesterday. She wishes for you to die a slow, agonizing death, which I will not grant you. If given the opportunity, I would kill her on sight, but it’s not up to me. Any woman who would allow you to suffer untold agony doesn’t deserve to live,” Tabbris sneered.
The angel’s coughing fit finally ceased and he raised his face enough for Tabbris to see one brown eye peering through the tangled locks of his prisoner.
“If given the choice, I will kill my master, after I make her suffer,” the angel growled.
“Good. Then we are in agreement. I hope one day that you are able to meet her face to face so that you can cut her down,” Tabbris said coldly.
The angel’s head fell from the strain of holding it up.
“I do love our visits, but it’s time for me to leave. I hope you enjoy your day, Rayan. I’ll see you tomorrow, Angel of Agony,” Tabbris smiled before he disappeared from the cell.
∞
“Seth, I need you to give Anjali a message for me. Tell her that I need to speak with her as soon as possible,” Lucifer said to his newest servant. He was concerned that their war would continue indefinitely unless he apologized. He hated having to apologize since he wasn’t sorry in the least. He vowed to make Viktor’s life miserable whenever possible, without letting Anjali know.
Seth bowed to him and nodded. This new servant was nervous and kept to himself, which made Hades happy. Hades liked it when servants minded their own business and were quiet enough to forget that they were in the room. Personally, he didn’t care about the boy, but he needed another servant with Aganon, Caleb and Radek dead.
“Did I hear correctly that you needed to speak with me?” Anjali asked as she entered the Throne Room. Seth was only halfway through the room, so Anjali must have already been on her way. Lucifer took that to be a good sign, unless she had come to set him on fire.
Lucifer waved Seth out of the room when he seemed unsure how to proceed. He didn’t need his servant seeing him on fire.
“Yes, I wanted to address what happened earlier,” he replied.
Anjali stopped in front of the dais and held up her hand to stop him from speaking. “I wanted to thank you, Lord Lucifer,” she said brightly.
He was confused by her cheerful tone but was hopeful that he had been forgiven. “Are you thanking me for sending Viktor to find you?” he asked cautiously. He wasn’t sure what had quelled her anger, but he was grateful for it.
She smirked and raised her eyebrow at him. “No. I have no interest in talking about the mortal,” she said dismissively. “I want to thank you for freeing me from my mortal prison.”
Lucifer stopped breathing. He wasn’t sure exactly what she was talking about, but he feared that she meant her imprisonment in the body of different mortals for centuries. He had no idea what was prompting her to thank him for causing her to commit suicide by tricking her.
“Of course, my dear. It was time for you to return to your people,” he said, testing where her mind was at.
“Indeed. It is my belief that the Council never intended for me to remember who I was or fulfill my destiny. That will all change now. I assume that you will fight on my side?” she said, taking a step forward. Her expression matched the one he saw in the mirror most mornings. It was the look of determination and confidence that he would use to crush his enemies and any who opposed him. It was a sort of mantra that he said to himself to prepare for whatever came at him during his day.
“Of course you have my support, but who will we be fighting?” he asked cautiously. He was uneasy about the way she carried herself. This was not the doe-eyed woman who criticized him for throwing Mark into the Realm of Fire and treating his servants poorly. This was a woman who would watch the world burn in order to achieve her objectives.
“You were the only one who wanted me, the real me. Everyone else was content to lock me away and never think about me again. Even Gabriel refused to let me out, even though he had made the contract with you. You were the only one willing to break the rules to return me to my former glory. Now it is time to remind the Council and the Heavenly Angels that I was never to be silenced and removed from my duties. They will learn their place in all of this with your help and they will think twice about trying to silence me again. They want to call me the Destroyer, so they will face the real Destroyer,” she smiled cruelly.
Lucifer rarely felt afraid; it was an emotion he preferred to use on his enemies. Feeling fear meant that he was facing an opponent that he could not lie to, manipulate or kill. The Destroyer was such a person and in her current state, she was certainly one to be feared.
It took great effort to show his approval and interest in her plan rather than his concern, but he accomplished the task. While her words tempted him to stand by her side and watch the Council kneel before them, deep in his heart he knew this was not the right thing to do. If he stood by her side, he would become a Rogue.
“They will certainly understand their mistake and learn never to do it again,” he nodded.
She seemed pleased by his answer. She turned to leave, but stumbled to a stop. She looked around the room for a second and whipped around to look at him. “Why did I come in here?” she muttered to herself. She suddenly appeared lost and bewildered. Looking up at him, she squared her shoulders. “I’m still angry with you. When I find the words to express exactly how mad I am, you’ll hear from me again.” She stormed out of the room without another word.
A chill went through him as he pinched the back of his hand to confirm that this was not a dream. Anjali didn’t remember the conversation they’d had two seconds prior. The woman who left the room was definitely not the same woman who had entered it.
A sense of urgency rose up inside of him. Something was very wrong with Anjali and he did not know how to fix it without making things worse.
“Gabriel, I summon you!” he shouted to the ceiling.
Coming Soon
The Third Throne: Angel of Illness
After centuries of being cut off from her memories of her past lives, Anjali finally has full access to her life as the Bringer of the Apocalypse and the hundreds of lifetimes as a mortal. Now, she is having trouble deciding who she wants to be. Is she the scourge that the Council has feared since her creation or the woman who will use her love and compassion to fairly judge the mortals when it is time to start the Apocalypse?
Solren, the Angel of Illness, has lost his way in the world and must rely on an old friend to help him through the dark days when his mental breakdowns keep him from carrying out his duties as a Predznak. His mind keeps playing tricks on him and telling him that his friend is not what he appears to be, but can he trust his instincts? How can he help Anjali heal her fractured mind when he is suffering from the same problem? Will they both drown in their mania or will they find a way to mend their minds before a notorious enemy destroys
everything?
About the Author
Tabitha Barret graduated from Rutgers University with a BA in English. She married the guy from her Creative Writing class and together had two amazing children. They live together in a quiet town in New Jersey with their four insane dogs. She is currently working on her award winning Paranormal Romance series, The Third Throne, as well as other romance books. Visit her website at http://www.tabithabarret.com for information about her new and upcoming books.
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