The Third Throne: Angel of Death

by Tabitha Barret

  “Oh good, you’re back, just when I had forgotten that you existed,” Sebastian rolled his eyes and he went back to his prisoner lists.

  “Not now Sebastian, I need to find someone and I don’t need your sarcasm,” Anjali growled when she approached the beleaguered angel.

  “The sarcasm you get for free, anything else will cost you,” he replied drolly. He looked past her to examine the line of souls behind her.

  “Douglas Stephens, goes by the name of Wedge, died in Romania, suicide. That’s all I need and then you can go back to being miserable. I don’t see him in the Realm of Fire. That means he’s still here or Fire was overbooked and you started him somewhere else. Which is it?” Anjali asked, stepping directly in front of Sebastian’s podium, blocking his view.

  “Neither,” Sebastian replied curtly. He pushed Anjali slightly to see around her.

  “What do you mean? You didn’t even look at your records,” Anjali huffed and reached for Sebastian’s scrolls.

  Sebastian slapped her hand away and glared at her. “No one touches these, not even Lucifer, so keep your hands to yourself. I don’t have to look, I know. I know every single soul in this wretched place. I know how they died, and where they’re located, even if they are still in line. The second they are dead and judged, they appear on my list. You underestimate my skills. It’s my job to know what goes on around here, at least when it comes to the souls. When it comes to the Fallen, I don’t care. Knowing about their affairs only gets me into trouble. Therefore, when you asked me about Douglas Stephens, I don’t have to look at my scrolls. I know he isn’t here. Now, if you’ll kindly move, I can get back to my job, my lady,” Sebastian sneered and craned his neck to see over her.

  Anjali was stunned by Sebastian’s declaration, but she believed him. He had no reason to lie to her, except to piss her off, but since he wasn’t in the mood to play she knew he wasn’t withholding any information from her.

  Panic filled her when she realized the ramifications of Wedge not being in Hell. It meant that he had been murdered. It was possible that Alazar had tied the rope around Wedge and pushed him, but it wasn’t his style. It would be pointless to murder Wedge since he would have gone straight to Heaven. Alazar would have wanted her to witness her failure every time she passed Wedge suffering in a realm.

  Her knees trembled and the world stopped. Dear Lord, Alazar was innocent and she had condemned him to death.

  She needed to stop Mark from speaking to the Council. She flat out ran from the Hall of Winds, through the Realms of Torture, and into the Hall of Mirrors.

  “Mark, I summon you!” she screamed and slid to a stop inside her hall.

  She called and called for Mark, but he didn’t appear.

  Shit, he was meeting with the Council already. Once they were in session, they couldn’t be contacted, unless she stormed into the Hall of Truth, which she wasn’t allowed to do.

  She knew Gabriel would be unreachable as well. Mark would have called all of the Council Members to convene over something as serious as the Angel of Death becoming a Rogue.

  Anjali turned and ran for the Throne Room. She needed to convince Lucifer to help her save her angel.

  Entering the Throne Room, she saw Lucifer and Hades sitting atop their thrones overseeing the judgment of an escaped prisoner.

  She ran past Vaughn, Malcolm, Vincent, and Dorian, who were standing next to the prisoner in question. Aganon and Radek were standing at Lucifer’s side.

  “He will spend time in the Hall of Torment until he learns that there is no escape from me. Break him of his will and then return him to the Realm of Teeth,” Lucifer bellowed to his servants.

  Vaughn and Malcolm bowed their heads and waiting for Vincent and Dorian to take hold of the prisoner and drag him away.

  “My lord!” Anjali yelled out. She was having trouble walking as she approached the dais.

  “Anjali, what is the matter?” Lucifer descended the dais and stood in front of her.

  “I’ve made a terrible mistake,” Anjali sobbed, taking Lucifer’s hands in hers.

  “Oh, this ought to be good,” Hades chuckled from his throne and leaned closer to hear her better.

  “I thought Alazar turned against me. I thought that he forced an innocent mortal to take his own life to spite me. I was wrong. The soul isn’t here. The boy didn’t kill himself,” Anjali rambled.

  Lucifer wasn’t sure how to get Anjali to stop shaking, so he simply nodded.

  “Hades informed me that Alazar has been declared a Rogue. You’re saying it isn’t true?” Lucifer asked cautiously. He desperately wanted Alazar’s head mounted on his bedroom wall. News of his innocence burned his ass greatly.

  “I assumed it was him. The boy was swinging from the rafters and there was no reason for him to take his own life. Someone must have murdered the boy, but I don’t know why,” Anjali was borderline hysterical while she clutched tightly to Lucifer’s arms.

  Hades shrugged. “Who says that Alazar didn’t murder the boy? He’s killed plenty of people. He has been known to kill with weapons or with his bare hands,” he wanted to send Jared to follow Michael with a video camera so that he could record Alazar’s capture and watch it over and over again.

  “Why would he make it look like a suicide? Alazar would have made a huge mess if he had killed the boy with his bare hands. He’s nothing if not showy,” Anjali said to Hades.

  Hades begrudgingly agreed and descended the dais. “True enough. He would have done much worse than hang the boy. If the soul isn’t here, then I doubt Alazar was involved,” Hades sighed. He was disappointed that he wouldn’t be able to torture Alazar after all.

  Lucifer choked at the thought of Alazar being innocent. He was angry that he would have to wait even longer to seek his retribution against his loathsome brother.

  “What did Mark say when you recanted your decree?” Lucifer rolled his eyes. He turned and walked up the steps of the dais. He was depressed and needed to sit down to sulk.

  “That’s the problem. I can’t summon him; he must be with the Council now. I don’t know what to do,” Anjali looked to Lucifer for help.

  It broke Lucifer’s heart to see the expectant look on Anjali’s face. She wanted him to be her hero, which he couldn’t be, even if he wanted to.

  “Then there’s nothing that can be done. Once Michael is unleashed, there is no going back. Even if you manage to convince the Council that you made a mistake, Michael won’t care. He will personally hunt Alazar down. He won’t stop until he finds him. I know Michael. He will remove himself from communication with the Council on the off chance that they try to call him off. He has done it before. He will ignore the Council if they try to stop him for any reason,” Lucifer was damned near giddy, though he was careful not to let Anjali see his excitement. Though he usually hated Michael’s tenacity, in this case, he was grateful for it. Michael wouldn’t stop once he had been given a kill order.

  “Then we must convince him once he brings Alazar here to the Hall of Mercy. Michael must listen if we refuse to torture Alazar,” Anjali still had a glimmer of hope that she could save her angel.

  Lucifer gave her a look that said she was yet again being naïve.

  Anjali’s throat tightened as she spoke. “Michael’s not going to bring Alazar here, is he?”

  Lucifer shook his head slowly. “Michael will kill Alazar on sight. He would never allow an angel as deadly as Alazar to live. He will have permission to kill and he will do so,” Lucifer tried not to smile. He wasn’t sure if he was projecting sadness, but at least he wasn’t laughing like a loon.

  Hades pondered Lucifer’s statement. He knew that Michael often made the Celestial Warriors do the heavy lifting and track down the Rogues by themselves, only to show up once the guilty angel had been captured. He would reap the glory and escort the prisoner to Hell so that everyone could witness his victory. That wouldn’t be the case now. Michael would personally track down Alazar to make sure that there were no mistakes.<
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  “Then I have to stop Michael!” Anjali shouted. She turned to leave, but Lucifer was off his throne and grabbing her arm before she could leave.

  Lucifer looked her straight in the eye to make sure he had her full attention. “You haven’t had many dealings with Michael, so you don’t understand the way he works. He will go through you if needed. He will not let anyone or anything stand in the way of his mission,” Lucifer was agitated by the thought of Anjali trying to stop Michael.

  Hades stepped in front of her. “This is a bad idea. Remember how we talked about obtaining a new Angel of Death? That is a saner plan than facing off against the Sword of God,” Hades said. In a moment of terror, he let his concern for Anjali slip past his defenses.

  Anjali glared at both them and pulled her arm away from Lucifer. “Apparently the two of you have been hiding in this dank hole for too long. You have both lost your nerve. I’m not afraid of Michael or his sword. If he ignores me and attacks Alazar, he will have to deal with the Destroyer and the Angel of Death. They might have to find a replacement for the Sword of God,” Anjali pushed Hades aside, grabbed the edged of her dress, and stormed out of the Throne Room.

  “Dear Lord above, I love it when she’s on the verge of violence. I have never seen a sexier woman in all my life,” Lucifer purred while he watched his girl prepare to take on Michael.

  “Michael will kill her if she gets in his way,” Hades tried to keep the panic from his voice but failed.

  “Michael isn’t stupid enough to kill her. He would have to fight Gabriel and me. I wouldn’t wish that on anyone. Besides, Father needs Anjali and Michael knows as much. He may be rash, but he isn’t suicidal,” Lucifer sneered. “If harms her, I will rip his wings off.”

  Hades relaxed a bit knowing that Lucifer spoke the truth. Michael pretended that he wasn’t afraid of Lucifer, but deep down everyone feared the devil.

  “I am curious how this all came to be. Radek, what has my love been up to in Romania?” Lucifer asked over his shoulder to a visibly frightened Radek.

  Radek hesitated. He didn’t want to betray Lady Black’s confidence. He slowly descended the dais to face Lucifer. He bowed his head and tried his best to come up with an answer that wouldn’t get them both killed.

  “As I mentioned before, she has been hunting Alazar in Romania. She came across the mortals that call themselves Spirit Experts. She was concerned that Alazar would hurt them, so she befriended them. She needed to stay close to them in the event that there was trouble,” Radek knew he was repeating himself, but he didn’t want to say any more.

  “Yes, you have said all this before, but there is something amiss. She was emotional over the death of this mortal boy. Hades said she was upset about his death and furious with Alazar. How could she care that much about a mortal she just met?” Lucifer casually adjusted his stance to appear relaxed. He was eager to navigate through Radek’s lies, but needed to bait him.

  Radek shifted uncomfortably. “As I said, she befriended them. She feels a connection to the group. The group bonded because of their mutual experiences of being outcasts. Anjali confessed to them about having nightmares and no one believing her. They accepted her into their group,” Radek shrugged nonchalantly.

  “And she carries no feelings for this boy who died?” Lucifer asked indifferently.

  “Not that one, no,” Radek replied, but stopped breathing when he saw Lucifer’s eyes light up. He had just given away Lady Black’s secret.

  Radek’s feet were off the ground and he was hurtling toward Lucifer. He slammed into Lucifer’s open hand, and prepared to beg for mercy.

  “Tell me everything,” Lucifer growled in Radek’s ear as he choked his newest servant.

  ∞

  “You are sure that Alazar has gone rogue?” Gabriel asked. He stared intensely at Mark.

  “Lady Black herself has made the proclamation. I spoke to her in person. She summoned me and informed me directly,” Mark held his head high while he spoke. The Council made him nervous since they questioned everything he said with agonizing detail. They never accepted anything he said at face value.

  Michael was smiling from ear to ear. “Lord Gabriel, you heard Mark, the day has finally come that the Angel of Death has succumbed to the darkness. Why are you even questioning this? We knew it was only a matter of time. Even his Master cannot control him. We are left with no other alternative than to hunt him and take him prisoner,” his dream had finally come true; Alazar was about to be marked for death.

  “I am simply trying to confirm without a shadow of a doubt that one of Father’s greatest weapons has turned against Him and us. Is that so hard to understand?” Gabriel said glibly.

  “You are just upset because your precious daughter has failed in her duties. Had she had the strength to obtain him centuries ago, we would not be facing this dire situation. She has failed yet again to do what has been asked of her and now I must rectify the problem. I’m beginning to wonder if the Destroyer can do anything right,” Michael snickered. He was grateful that the girl was inept. Ridding the world of a menace such as Alazar would be a pleasure. If only she would condemn the other Predznak, then the threat of an Apocalypse would be eliminated, and he could sleep better at night knowing that mass-murdering angels no longer existed.

  “We have been through this before. She would have exacerbated the situation had she taken control centuries ago. She wasn’t ready. Now she has stepped forward to try to fix the problem, but obviously, Alazar has lost his mind. That is not her fault. He is weak and always has been. Father should never have allowed him to become Death incarnate. Someone more stable should have been chosen,” Gabriel said, defending his daughter.

  “Well, that goes without saying. Regardless, Mark has made it clear that the Destroyer made the proclamation herself, so there is no reason to doubt Alazar’s rightful Master. If she believes that he has gone rogue, then he has indeed gone rogue. I will leave immediately to seek him out,” Michael rose from his chair.

  Marishka cleared her throat quietly. “You are not interested in hearing this directly from Anjali’s mouth?”

  “Mark is her liaison. Are you now questioning Mark’s truthfulness?” Michael scoffed and pointed to Mark, whom he had questioned viciously on more than one occasion.

  “Claiming that an angel has gone rogue is a serious accusation. I wanted to make sure that there has been no confusion,” Marishka replied.

  Michael rolled his eyes, but it was Adrian who answered. “I agree with Marishka. I would prefer to hear to it directly from Anjali.”

  Before Michael could reply, Raphael spoke for the first time. “Mark is Anjali’s liaison. If he says that Alazar is no longer under her control and that she has condemned him, then I do not need to hear any more. Let it be known henceforth that the Harbinger of the Bringer of the Apocalypse, the Former Angel of Determination, Alazar, now known as the Angel of Death, has been classified as an enemy of our Heavenly Father and all the domains He oversees. Alazar’s status will be changed from Predznak to Rogue and will be sought out and brought to justice,” Raphael’s voice rang loudly throughout the Hall of Truth. It wasn’t often that Raphael made a final decision for the minority of the vote, but the matter was clear-cut. Gabriel’s vote would have been discounted due to his relationship with Anjali, leaving a tie, so Raphael ended the argument quickly. He didn’t want Alazar running free for a moment longer.

  Gabriel hung his head, refusing to watch Michael gather his Celestial Warriors. He practically skipped from the room. He didn’t understand why Anjali hadn’t come to him first to apprise him of the situation, but he assumed that she had her reasons. Perhaps she was ashamed that she couldn’t obtain Alazar. He needed to see her at once and find out the truth.

  ∞

  Cursing the morning light, having tossed and turned all night, Derick groggily handed pieces of equipment to Pete as he unloaded the van. He was still reeling from the news of his friend’s death and the knowledge that his potential g
irlfriend was not who he thought she was. No, he refused to think about what happened with the woman claiming to be the Bringer of the Apocalypse. He had avoided that problem all night.

  “I still think we have a chance at putting together the footage we have and making this thing work. Cassie is still willing to produce the show. I know it will be hard dealing with Wedge’s death, but I know he would have wanted us to finish this. It’s all that he talked about,” Pete lined up the equipment cases on the curb by the back entrance of the inn.

  “I don’t know if I can do it. He’s on the tapes. You know he makes verbal notes when he sets up the recording equipment. I don’t know if I can listen to his voice. I miss him,” Derick sighed and slumped against the van.

  “Then let’s do this for him. Let’s show the world what Wedge wanted them to see. I’m sure there is some kind of evidence of spirits on those tapes. I say we run through them like we always do and see if we find anything. At least his death won’t have been in vain. We came here for a reason and we aren’t done yet. Besides, the police asked us to stay for another day in case they have more questions. They’re pissed that Morgan took off before they could finish questioning him. I really don’t want the Romanian police harassing me. We’re stuck here, so it’s not like have anything better to do,” Pete put his hand on Derick’s shoulder.

  “Did Josilyn call Wedge’s family?” Derick asked, not looking at Pete.

  “Cassie did. She is the one responsible for the shoot. She feels terrible for not being there when it happened. His parents are going to make arrangements for him in Tulsa once they release him from the morgue,” Pete hung his head.

  “This sucks,” Derick whispered.

  “I know, but we can’t sit around sulking. Besides, Annie is still here. I know you aren’t going to leave without her,” Pete counted the cases to make sure they had everything.

  “She left, Pete. She’s gone,” Derick wanted to vomit on the sidewalk. He didn’t know how much more he could take.

  “I doubt that. She cares about you. She’ll be back,” Pete smirked.