The Third Throne: Angel of Death

by Tabitha Barret

  She saw the Celestial Sword hanging from Lucifer’s belt and knew in an instant what had happened.

  “My lord, I’m sorry,” Anjali bowed her head to Lucifer as he approached them.

  “I’m not. I would rather have her dead than in the Hall of Shadows. This way I won’t have to see her face daily, and be reminded of my failures. This is for the best. You are safe now,” Lucifer looked at her with kindness for a brief moment, and then continued walking.

  “Oh good, my lord, you found her. I thought that I was going to have to rip Hell apart to find her,” Hades said as he briskly approached Lucifer. He sputtered to a stop when he took in Lucifer’s mood and appearance.

  “Yes. I found her,” Lucifer replied grimly.

  Hades turned to Anjali for an explanation as he watched Lucifer continue down the path.

  She quickly explained the chain of events to Hades while he scowled and shook his head.

  Hades was dumbfounded at first, but recovered quickly, as only Hades could. “At least it’s one less thing to worry about. Might I suggest a bulletproof vest for that one?” he pointed to Derick and grimaced.

  “Where were you all this time?” she asked, ignoring his quip.

  “I was getting a body count, Lady Black. Aganon did a lot of damage. Lord Lucifer went to the Hall of Mercy to beat him. He healed him so that he could start punishing him anew, but was called away before he could do much more than take a swing at him. Malcolm had been instructed to take over the interrogation until Lord Lucifer returned, but Aganon grabbed Malcolm by wrapping his legs around him and head butting him. He pulled Malcolm’s keys from his belt with his toes and unlocked himself. Sadly, no one questioned Aganon when he walked straight into the Hall of Torment. He killed two of the Fallen and absconded with Maraquette before Dmitri could stop him. Do you have any idea how hard it is to find good help?” Hades ran a hand through his dark hair and huffed.

  “Where is Lucifer taking her?” Alazar’s voice was higher than usual. It was obvious that he was upset about something.

  Hades turned and squinted into the distance. “Shit. Nowhere good, I assure you,” Hades took off at a dead run.

  “What’s the matter?” Anjali asked, looking at Alazar.

  “When a Rogue or a Forgotten dies, their body is supposed to be burned, with regular fire. There is a pyre in the far back section, beyond the Realm of the Destroyer but Lucifer wasn’t headed that way. There’s a small cavern at the end of the Hall of Winds called Nezahvalan, where the Fallen are buried. It’s consecrated ground. The Fallen don’t return to Heaven to be buried. They stay here. It was always supposed to be a one-way trip. That’s where Lucifer was headed,” Alazar muttered uncomfortably.

  “You think he’s going to bury her there?” she knew the Council would be furious if they found out that Maraquette had been buried in consecrated ground.

  Alazar shrugged helplessly.

  He really did love her, Derick mused.

  “Derick, please go back to the castle, and tend to those bites. I’ll call for you when this is over,” she said quickly.

  Good luck, Derick nodded.

  Anjali headed toward the Hall of Winds, hoping that Lucifer wasn’t upset enough to break another of the Council’s rules.

  Alazar directed her past the souls filtering through the long hallway and beyond to what looked like a fissure in the rock wall.

  “Through here,” Alazar ducked into the entrance.

  She entered into a narrow tunnel that was lit with torches. She let Alazar take the lead as she followed him through the tunnel.

  After a few feet, the tunnel opened into a large, naturally occurring cave. It was eerie and cold, unlike the main part of Hell. At least a thousand stakes protruded from the ground, each holding a wooden placard with a name and a symbol carved into it. Glittering rocks throughout the cave gave off colorful shards of light. She was surprised to realize that she was looking at a gem mine.

  Alazar kept his head bent as if he were either hiding, or paying his respects to the dead. It occurred to her that he would have known all the angels buried here. It saddened her to know that he had lost so many of his family members over the years.

  At the far end of the cave, Lucifer was busy digging a hole in the dirt floor of the cavern, while Hades berated him.

  “I know that you are upset, but I disagree with this on so many levels, Lucifer. Maraquette would have killed everyone you ever knew just to spite you. Forget about the Council decreeing her a Rogue, you saw with your own eyes the level of depravity she was capable of. You may not have listened to the Council’s charges against her, but I read them. She was actively plotting to assassinate Raphael and Gabriel in an attempt to draw Father out and kill him. She does not deserve to lie among the angels that have given their lives to do Father’s will. You are disrespecting their memory by burying this traitor here. I don’t care what you say. I won’t allow it. I will inform the Council immediately and watch them exhume her carcass,” Hades was yelling at the top of his lungs, furious that Lucifer was ignoring him. He had half a mind to drag Maraquette out of the cave, order the Fallen to take Lucifer into custody, and set her body on fire himself.

  Lucifer kept digging with his head down, ignoring Hades.

  Hades snapped his head up and glared at Anjali when she approached, daring her to say something stupid.

  She understood Hades’ reasons for not wanting Maraquette buried here, but she also understood why Lucifer was insisting upon it.

  “My lord, please, I know that you are upset with yourself, but you can’t take the blame for her turning against God,” she spoke quietly and placed her hand over Lucifer’s arms, trying to stop his efforts.

  Lucifer looked lost when his eyes slowly made their way to her face. “I told you what I did to her.”

  “Yes, and you also told me that Maraquette was angry with God for allowing you to become the Angel of Darkness. She didn’t understand why God had created a place that could turn the Morningstar into a creature of evil. That was her problem. The Fallen lying beneath these markers made enormous sacrifices to do God’s will in Hell. She fell into Hell because of her love for you, not because of her loyalty to God. I know you feel guilty, but putting her here isn’t going to change who she was and what she did. She was angry with herself because she couldn’t tolerate Hell enough to stay with you, yet she took it out on everyone else. No matter what you did to her, she chose to become evil. I know you want to make amends by giving her a final resting place of honor because you are trying to take responsibility for her evil deeds, but you can’t,” she put her hand on Lucifer’s face and pulled him into an embrace.

  Lucifer dropped the shovel and hugged her. While he didn’t cry, he did bury his face in her neck to hide his shame.

  He lifted his head to look at her. “Only you can separate your anger and outrage from your moral sense of right. You didn’t say that just because you want her to burn, did you?”

  “No. I said it because you are overwhelmed by guilt. Once the guilt passes, you will more than likely come to dig her up, and burn her on the spot. You need to do the right thing, even though it seems wrong. Stop blaming yourself for her insanity,” she brushed the hair away from Lucifer’s forehead and kissed his cheek.

  Lucifer sighed. “You’re right. Hades, take Maraquette to the pyres and see that she has a death ceremony befitting a Rogue,” he straightened himself and quietly left the cavern.

  Hades threw his head back and ran his hand across his face. “Heaven forbid if I say the words, they fall upon deaf ears. Put them in the mouth of a pretty woman and they are gospel,” he brushed past Anjali and picked up Maraquette’s body. “Are you coming to the pyre?” he asked quickly.

  “No. I’ve seen enough destruction for one day,” she knew she sounded exhausted but didn’t care.

  Hades walked out of the cave with the body, careful not to step on any of the graves.

  Alazar held out his hand to her and smiled. She happ
ily accepted his hand and walked out of the cave.

  “You never cease to amaze me,” Alazar said when they entered the Hall of Winds.

  “How so?” she asked, making their way through the lines of wayward souls.

  “Well, in years past, that fight would have turned into an all-out brawl between Lucifer and Hades. It would have been a disaster. There was no one to step in and do what you did. That’s why there is supposed to be a third in power, though I fully expected you to convince Hades to let Lucifer bury Maraquette,” Alazar paused and intentionally hip checked Orien, the Oversee of the Realm of Thrashing Vines, into the realm.

  She rolled her eyes and glared at him for pushing Orien.

  Alazar shrugged innocently and smirked. He leaned to his left and caught a glimpse of Pete burning in the Realm of Fire. He flipped him off and forgot about the kid.

  “You have to stop doing that. If you are going to live here, you might as well figure out how to deal with the Fallen,” she scolded him. “As far as Marquette is concerned, I was not about to let Lucifer put her there after everything she did. I’m not seeking revenge; I’m just following the rules, which I happen to agree with. Just because Lucifer wants to do something crazy, doesn’t mean that I’m going to let him,” she replied matter-of-factly.

  “That’s my point. I thought you would give in because you are his servant, or because you are his lover. Either way, I figured that you would help Lucifer achieve his goal,” Alazar was happy to know that his Master did have a mind of her own and wasn’t afraid to challenge Lucifer.

  “Alazar, I’m not a mindless slave any more than you are,” she put her arm around his waist while they walked. The Fallen looked at them with fear in their eyes, but quickly went back to their tasks. None of them seemed pleased to have Death back in Hell. “Aganon did terrible things for Maraquette, but it wasn’t because she was his Master, it was because he foolishly believed that she loved him. He was more than willing to kill for her for no other reason. Personally, I would need a pretty good reason to kill for Lucifer, if he asked me to. I’m sure you would feel the same way,” she shrugged.

  They entered the castle and headed for the staircase.

  Alazar quickly pulled her by the arm, once they were out of view of the guards on the first floor, and whipped her around when she reached the first floor landing. He stared directly into her eyes. “I would kill for you if you asked me to. Never question that. I doubt that I would need a reason. That’s what I do, but I understand there may come a point when I have reservations and want to refrain from killing someone. I suggest that you don’t command me to kill without just cause, because I may not question you,” Alazar said with all seriousness. He meant what he said. He would do his job, trusting that she would use his abilities wisely.

  She was stunned by Alazar’s admission. She knew that being a Master was a huge responsibility, and not something to be taken lightly, but she needed to be wary of the commands she issued. Alazar was the Angel of Death, first and foremost. If she were to wield him, she’d better be prepared for the outcome. Death was to be taken seriously, as a means to an end.

  “I understand,” she whispered softly.

  Alazar released her and his breath caught in his throat. The thought of killing for her made him excited. He no longer had to feel guilty for experiencing pleasure in doing his job, as long as his Master took heed of his warning and never tried to misuse him. If he were called upon to kill, he would do it without hesitation.

  “I understand now what God was trying to tell us after we became the Predznak. He said that we shouldn’t take lovers, meaning, we shouldn’t have girlfriends, or emotional attachments to women. He said that our loyalty and our love needed to be for our Master alone. I believe that he was afraid we would fall in love with someone and stop listening to you. Love is a powerful thing. It can change minds quickly. If our love of another prevented us from fulfilling our duties, all would fail. I think that’s why I crave you so much. You are the only one that I need. You are supposed to be my only love,” he looked deeply into her eyes, knowing what God had meant that day.

  Anjali was taken aback by his confession. It certainly explained their need for one another. Since joining her power with Alazar, she couldn’t imagine being apart from him.

  “I hope that I can be everything you need,” she said quietly as she gazed into his fathomless blue eyes.

  “You already are,” he whispered. He kissed her forehead and stepped away to compose himself when he heard voices down the hall.

  Chapter 23

  Derick stood to the right of Anjali’s intimidating Fire and Ice Throne feeling self-conscious. How in the world was he supposed to look like a badass when he had no idea what he was doing? He’d spent most of his life getting beaten up. What qualified him to stand next to the Bringer of the Apocalypse?

  “You stared down the devil, saved the Angel of Death from a Rogue Angel and weren’t afraid of the Sword of God,” Anjali replied when she heard his self-doubts. “Besides, all you have to do is stand next to my throne, and put on a serious face when someone is in the Hall of Mirrors. In the Throne Room, you will stand on the floor like Dorian and Vincent. Remember, everything you say and do will reflect upon me. It sucks, but that’s the way it works. Speak only if spoken to, though, as you know, you can say whatever you want to me in your mind,” Anjali stood in front of her dais and watched Derick figure out the best way to stand.

  “I know. It’s all a part of the show. I won’t do anything to show disrespect in front of guests, I promise,” Derick practiced different stances, attempting to look imposing.

  “You look too sexy like that, try something else,” she chuckled when he put his arms behind his back. He looked like he was ready for a runway shoot. “How are you feeling?”

  Derick shrugged. “I’m still getting used to the idea of seeing in the dark. It’s strange, though helpful. I could do without the screaming. I never knew Hell was so loud. Aside, from that, I’m adjusting, though I think my shoulder is still screwed up from when Lucifer threw me in Romania. All my other injuries aside from the Shade bites are almost gone, but my shoulder sort of creaks now,” he said as he rotated his shoulder.

  Anger coursed through Anjali. “I swear he will never lay a hand on you again.”

  Derick shifted. He was always caught off guard when her anger surfaced. She was a sight to behold. Something inside of him always twinged when she got really mad. It was a self-defense mechanism to stand very still when she was ranting about something.

  Embarrassed, Anjali calmed, not wanting to scare Derick. She was about to apologize when she heard footsteps behind her.

  Turning, she saw Lucifer striding into the hall. He was gripping a Celestial Sword.

  She immediately sat down on the throne, uncertain about what he was planning to do it with it. She braced herself, but didn’t speak. His mood seemed somber, so she waited for him to speak.

  “My lady, I think it’s best if I give this to you. It has caused me nothing but heartache. I no longer want to be responsible for it. This sword only brings death. Do with it as you see fit,” Lucifer presented the sword to Anjali and turned to leave.

  “Thank you, my lord. I’m sure Michael will be happy to see it returned to Heaven,” she bowed her head.

  “Don’t tell him that I handed it over. I don’t want him thinking that I’m actually following his orders. Tell him that you stole it from me,” he said over his shoulder and left.

  Anjali was shocked that he would hand over his most coveted illegal contraband. While he had other items that were accidently intentionally kept from Heaven, this one was his favorite.

  “What are you going to do with it?” Derick tensed, waiting to see if she would keep it. He hated the thing and wanted it gone. He was still dealing with nightmares of falling off the tower and seeing the blue flame hovering above his neck as Maraquette breathed against his ear.

  “I’m going to send it back to where it belongs. Mar
k, I summon you,” she called to the ceiling.

  A few moments later, the hall was filled with a bright light as the shiny, meticulously dressed angel appeared. Mark bowed politely to her and nodded his head in acknowledgement of Derick, though it wasn’t required of him.

  “You called for me, my lady?” Mark asked graciously.

  Derick raised his eyebrow when he saw the well-groomed angel. He recognized him from the council meeting, but at the time could only see the side of his face. He was none too thrilled that all the angels he’d seen were very good looking, but this one was better looking an Alazar.

  I am not swayed by their beauty, my darling. Besides, I’m picturing you naked currently, not Mark. I think he’s gay, she chuckled.

  Derick did his best not to laugh. He definitely liked this game.

  “Yes Mark, I would like to hand over the Celestial Sword that Tabbris illegally obtained from a Rogue and left behind in Hell. I’m not sure why he didn’t take it with him when he left,” she was trying to get Tabbris into trouble after their earlier encounter.

  Mark carefully accepted the sword with a bow. “I will see to it that it is returned to Michael. He will be pleased to have it safely locked away. I am sorry that it did so much damage while here,” he wanted the sword destroyed, but did not say so aloud. He knew it was the infamous sword that had nearly killed Lady Black.

  “Thank you. Please inform the Council that Maraquette is dead, along with her servant Aganon. Her body was burned in accordance with the ritual for deceased Rogues,” she knew she sounded cold, but she didn’t care. She was weary from her battles with the deranged redhead.

  Mark was stunned. It took a moment to recover from the news. “My lady, what happened?” It was odd for her to declare Aganon as Maraquette’s servant.

  She explained how Aganon had released her from the Hall of Torment and didn’t leave out any details. She wanted him to understand how close Derick had come to dying and how gruesome Maraquette’s death had been. It was better for the Council to know everything lest they charge Hell with her murder. There was no way she was taking the fall for Maraquette’s demise.