She placed her hands on either side of his head “have you been well?”
“As can be expected. Ariel and Gabriel are not gentle, Raphael and Jophiel are considerate.” She was glad to hear that Raphael was considerate.
“The Council tried to curb Gabriel’s powers.”
“I imagine that did not go down well.”
She snorted “foolish decision. No one will strip Gabriel of her powers, even with her recent ventures.”
“What has been happening?”
So she told him all about Gabriel’s creatures, about the Council’s mistake, about the expansion of the empires and about Lilith’s presumed death.
“Chaos Storms are very dangerous Nuriel, this is a foolish decision.”
“I want to find out of Lilith is actually dead.”
“You are fond of her?”
“In a sense. I greatly admire and respect her, she was after all the first female Arch Angel yet she gave it all up when they tried to make her into something she wasn’t.”
“She was a wildcat that one.” He smiled in memory. She had once allowed him into her bed, it was a night he would never forget. Unfortunately, she had never extended the invitation again, he would have been insulted if she hadn’t married Samael. They had been a good pairing, as volatile as their marriage had been.
She let go of his head, and he closed his eyes. “You are most gentle.”
“I have no reason to hurt you. Stay well, father.”
“Let me know if she lives?”
“I will” She kissed him on the forehead then left to track down other Gods. Some she would use for their powers others like her aunt Artemis she would seek out to talk to.
Chapter 25
Hecate watched Samael as he continued to cut his way through swarms of Demons and Wendigos like a man possessed. And in a way she guessed he was. Medusa had filled her in when she had reappeared after helping Brigid secure a victory over mainland Malaysia. She had developed a habit of walking into battles. Though this time there was little she could do.
For all their ups and downs, their fights and their separations Samael had truly loved Lilith. She had been his soul mate, the one person he had understood almost completely and the one person who had understood him just as much. They had always been drawn to each other despite all the hurt they had caused each other because they did love each other.
To spectators and even to each other it had been hard to see. But there was no denying that she had loved him to have called out to him and Sariel as she died. She had called to him over her sisters, they would not be happy when they found out that fact. And his heartbreak seemed to have channelled itself into raging anger.
Ever since the army had crossed into Abaddon’s territory, they had slowed to snail’s pace. It was infested with all manner of Demons and unholy abominations as the Humans were want to say. It seemed the dregs had been drawn to Abaddon, and he had welcomed them all in whether they were mortal or not.
Day after day they had to fight Hell Demons, deranged Humans and Daemons, some of which wielded considerable power. Yet now the army followed in Samael’s wake, and he was relentless in his suffering. All that threw themselves at him died. Even from this distance she could see the blood and gore that covered him, just as she could hear his roars. His blade never seemed to stop moving, and his magic was always visible. Behind him was a patch of ground slick with blood and corpses.
Yet the Demons were not the greatest risk, Abaddon embraced destruction on many levels, enough to not care about the deaths of his people. Disease was rampant throughout the area between the rotting corpses, the unsanitary conditions, and his flaring magic. It was most fortunate that the Atlanteans had shared their vaccines, and all in the British military were immunised against a variety of diseases. It was the only thing that had prevented them losing millions to disease. As it was their medical facilities in South Africa had been inundated with sick soldiers. Selarine had descended on the city to study and cure them.
“What are you going to do?”
She glanced at Medusa and shook her head “there is nothing I can do. He truly loved Lilith.” She bit her lip “it is best for us all if he can channel his grief into a blood rage. Believe me, none of us want to draw his attention to us.”
“There is nothing we can do at all?”
“Only give him space and time to burn out his grief. It will take some time. Perhaps Sariel could speak to him, but even she would not dare go near him now.”
She watched Samael as he continued to cut through swarms of Demons and Wendigo. The army held back, only firing on those that strayed too close. She watched him concerned long after the sun had set
“James!”
“Hello Victoria” he beamed at her as she wrapped her arms around him, it was just as well they were in her private quarters. The court would have been most upset by such an un-queenly display.
“What on earth happened to you?” she said as she looked at his new fiery wings and at his changed sister flying about above.
“A great many things have happened Victoria. Your empire continues to grow as Indonesia continues to fall. But it is not falling very fast. The Angels have been sending reinforcements to Indonesia. It was the most populous Muslim nation in the world before we started invading. But only three islands have fallen to us, and it has taken us more time than we would like. Even a small Angel presence has strengthened them.”
“The situation could be worse. The Arch Angels had joined the fight and Gabriel has unleashed her creations on the world again.”
“I had heard as much.”
“Israel is under direct Angel control, as are Pakistan, the United Christian States of America and Turkey. We also have a strong suspicion that the European Union is under Angelic sway.”
“But that is far too close to Britain.”
She nodded “we do feel uncomfortable with the Angels potentially being just across the Channel.”
“Does that mean we are going to invade?”
“Potentially but we are quite stretched as it is. You know the situation of South East Asia probably better than I do, and we are also spread thin across Africa. Though Samael has turned into a one-man army.”
“Why has he done that?”
“The word is that Lilith was killed by the Angels and in his grief he has fallen into a blood rage. Thankfully he has not attempted to attack Heaven or the Angels’ other strongholds. But we are all concerned about him, and I am worried about Sariel.”
“Why, what has happened to her?”
“Nothing that I am aware of, last we spoke she was going to Iceland to assist Tiamat with her next litter. However, Amsterdam was subject to a severe Chaos Storm, so much so that all the Divine have fled the area. It could only have come from Sariel.”
“So either she knows, or she was there.”
“And if she was there, what happened?”
“Exactly. We have heard nothing from her and nothing more from Amsterdam.”
“It would seem the Angels have gained some revenge for the loss of their numbers.”
“Is that how you gained your wings?”
He told her about the battles he had fought in Indonesia and of him and Zelaris killing the Angels. He told her about the vivid nightmares he had and how he saw the Angels’ faces again and again. How he had given up, and that Zelaris had made him complete his duties. He told her of the pain and of the changes. How even his people looked at him with fear now. He told her how Zelaris had kissed him and how it seemed as though it had never happened. Of how Sophia had grown when she had absorbed the Angels’ power too. All the while Sophia sat on his lap contently being stroked by her brother.
“Well, I have some news that will make you laugh.”
“Oh?”
“Sorcha is convinced you’d make a good father to Aisling’s child.”
He snorted “as complimentary as that is I don’t think it would work.”
“Oh no, she has give
n it much thought. There are spells to temporarily adjust sexuality so you would be able to get her pregnant.”
He stared at her appalled “are you serious?”
“She certainly seems to be. I’m a tad worried, she seems a little obsessed with finding Aisling a mate. It makes me wonder why. She glosses over it, but I feel like she knows something is coming.”
“The Fae have powerful seers in their midst.”
“So does Hecate, she has the Oracle.” And so she told him all about her honeymoon, her pregnancy and the prophecy that Cassandra had given her.
“Hmm, it certainly seems like something big is coming.”
“But what and when?”
“Well clearly the War of Heaven is only going to get worse, and I imagine if Sorcha seems a tad obsessed then it might be relatively soon.”
“We shall see soon enough I guess.”
“Indeed, we shall.”
Agrat opened up the incubators and pulled out the tray of Petri dishes. They were thick with colonies of bacteria, bacteria of dangerous diseases she had obtained from Abaddon’s territory. She was pleased with the success, Lilith had taught her well. The rest she had obtained from microbiologist’s and epidemiologist’s minds and journals. When it came to diseases, she felt that she was quite superior, though she would defer to any Mother Goddesses or Gods of Death.
She placed the tray on the bench and looked around her laboratory. It was an unusual addition to her palace but one she was most pleased with. It was her new hobby, her new drive and it would assist her plans to eradicate much of the Angels’ power base.
Without faith, they would be much weaker.
But she had a while to go in her discoveries. Thankfully she didn’t have to be anywhere near as patient as Human scientists did, magic assisted the speed and success of her experiments.
Her thoughts wandered as she opened up the Petri dishes and swabbed the colonies before putting them into solutions. Quick flares of magic turned the solution the colour of the colony as they multiplied rapidly. The solutions she then sucked up into syringes.
Could Lilith really be dead? Of all of them, she was the most powerful, a fact the three of them rarely ever admitted and never out loud. But they knew it to be true, she had always excelled at anything she had set her mind to. She had been Inanna’s favourite handmaiden and her most consistent lover. Such success with Inanna should have meant Ereshkigal abhorred her but in the strangest twist of fate, she had taken her in exchange for Inanna’s freedom. Lilith had willingly served Ereshkigal, and while it wasn’t known Agrat presumed they had been lovers.
Gods and Goddesses were rarely ever chaste, and most servants were more than willing to have sex with their masters, it could mean advancement or if a child was produced political clout.
Lilith had served Ereshkigal for a long time then ventured around the Underworld, she had disappeared for a time before reappearing to become the first female Arch Angel. The rest of them had never reached such heights, but then they had not utilised their Angel side as much as Lilith had. Though Naamah had been mostly Angelic in her disposition, they were all Succubi, which in the eyes of the younger Angels was abhorrent.
Lilith had caused such controversy in Eden, and the fallout had caused such devastation to the Angels’ plans. Lilith had borne Adam’s children who would not conform to the Angels and Eve had borne Samael’s who also would not conform to them.
She had disappeared and only briefly reappeared to give her child into Michael’s care. She had never been seen again until after Hell had been unleashed. She had somehow survived outside of Hell and avoided being killed in the process. She was canny, cunning and brilliant in her powers. It just seemed so strange that things had finally caught up with Lilith. She wondered what had killed her in the end. She also wondered if she was really dead.
Lilith did have a remarkable ability to get herself out of trouble. But she had felt that flare, had felt the connection disappear. They had all felt it. Eisheth seemed quite distraught, apparently she had mended bridges with Lilith, while Naamah seemed morose, for she had not mended bridges.
She walked over to a containment tank and looked at the person within. They were asleep, their eyes flicking back and forth in dreams. They would never open again. She stabbed the syringe into the IV tube and injected concentrated Tuberculosis. Several other syringes containing the same solution injected themselves into other IV tubes.
She set the monitors to record then waved her hand. Another set of syringes rose into the air and floated over. They injected their deadly solution of Bubonic plague into their victims.
She repeated the steps over and over for Typhoid, Typhus, Streptococcus pneumonia, Cholera, and Tetanus. Each time she set the monitors to record the symptoms and body rhythms.
From a refrigerator she pulled out another tray, smiling as she fingered the vials within. She carried the tray over to another bench, she waved her hand and another set of syringes jumped up into the air and sucked up the contents. They flew over to their perspective victims, injecting their toxic contents into the IV tubes. Magic wrote the name of each virus along the containers; HIV, Influenza and Yellow Fever.
She had obtained all of them from her visit to Abaddon’s territory. There were other strains she had obtained from laboratories she had raided. Her research was leading her to risk trying to obtain the ultimate prize when it came to diseases, but she would see how she would go.
She cleaned the benches and equipment down, it wouldn’t do for one of the Daemon races to inadvertently be exposed to any of the diseases. Her biological attacks would be against the enemy, not her own empire. The Angels would not know what hit them.
Chapter 26
Eisheth rocked her children in her arms, they were growing fast as the immortal Divine did. Soon she would not be able to fit them both in her arms, but then they would start talking soon. The interesting stage of their development was about to begin. They would start communicating, and their magic would start expressing itself in small ways. The faster they mastered their powers the quicker they would mature. She was going to ensure that they would grow quickly, Heaven needed as many enemies as possible to make it fall.
She knew all this because of Lilith. She had had no clue about children until Lilith had told her all about it. And she would know having two Angelic children and countless others. She too had had countless others, but she had never raised them. These were her first fully Divine children, she wasn’t quite sure what to anticipate.
Because of Lilith she did.
Her children would never get to see what an incredible aunt they had. They would never meet their midwife.
She placed them down in their cradles, ignoring the intelligence that stared back at her. She walked out onto the balcony, trying to hold back the tears. She couldn’t believe Lilith was dead. Of them all, she was the most cunning, the most worldly and the most powerful.
But then she had had more enemies than the rest of them. Lilith had risen high in the ranks of the Angels so she had fallen further. She had made many enemies with the conservative Angels, more so than the rest of them because she had been so powerful. A Fallen Arch Angel was a much greater prize than her Fallen sisters.
Still it was a huge shock. How could Lilith have been killed?
She was so smart and cunning, perhaps her pride had been her downfall. How many Divine had been brought down by their pride? Countless she felt sure, it was an epidemic amongst the Divine. Yet Lilith had never been overly arrogant, indeed often the three of them had been far more conceited than Lilith.
It just didn’t make sense, or perhaps she just didn’t want it to make sense so she could hold onto some hope. But there was none, Lilith was dead, she had felt her flare and fading power. The Angels had finally caught up to one of their own. How long until they came for her?
If the greatest of the Lilin’s Sacred Mothers had been killed, how long until they hunted down the rest of them? Would they hunt down Samael or A
smodeus?
She walked to the very edge of the jutting out bastion no longer managing to contain the tears she had held back. She looked down on the city below and the setting sun on the western horizon and started to sing. Her haunting dirge filled the air with mournful tunes that carried far along the walls. Silvery tears flowed freely from her eyes as she sang goodbye to her sister.
All who heard her dirge were deeply moved for she sung with pure emotion about Lilith’s incredibly varied life.
Naamah glanced again at the golden scroll sitting on the table. It sat before her, the King of Thailand, his queen, their heir and the Prime Minister. She knew exactly what it said. It had been read to the entire parliament, it had been read out on national television to the populace, and she had read it many times herself.
It was an Imperial Declaration from the British Empire stating their intention to annex Thailand. Because Thailand was a majority Buddhist nation, they were being offered the option of surrender, an option not offered to countries with Angel Religion majorities. They had but two options before them, surrender and lose face while being incorporated into a much larger empire. Or they could refuse and fight a battle everyone knew they were going to lose. All one had to do was look at Britain’s recent track record to see what would happen. Their Goddess had held Ireland and Australia to water ransom until they had capitulated. They had annexed Ireland and Iceland with the greatest of ease. Canada had signed into the Covenant before even the British Parliament had, then had successfully annexed Alaska and Greenland. Samael had forced South Africa to join under a horrible death toll. Since then the empire had been expanding tirelessly northwards annexing all in its path.
In their corner of the world, it was no different. Australia had been ransomed, New Zealand had signed in knowing they stood no chance. An almost bloodless invasion of Singapore had annexed it to the empire before the empire had become embroiled in two bloody expansions into Malaysia and Indonesia. Even with the losses and time it was obvious that Britain would win. Indonesia was still holding out on the majority of its islands, but Malaysia had fallen to the Red and Blue Guards.
A Gluttony Of Faith Page 28