I fell into silence, my explanation over.
“I guess that is simpler than we thought,” Tabitha acknowledged.
“We always overthink things,” Astrid said.
“Well, these ingredients won’t be too hard to come by. You can supply the black feather and the blood. I’m not entirely sure how we go about finding a white feather though. It’s not like your blessed brothers visit you much,” Tabitha said.
“Don’t worry about the white feather, I’ll take care of it. What you need to focus on is finding out when the next dark blood moon will be.”
She saluted me. “Aye, aye, Captain.”
As Tabitha went to the bookshelf to peruse the titles, I turned to leave.
“What about the other divination?” Astrid asked. “You know, the one about your lady lover?”
I froze in my tracks and whipped around. “She’s not my lady lover. She’s a friend…an acquaintance.”
“Whatever she is, she seems important.”
“She is.”
“Then what’s the divination mean?”
“Astrid…” Tabitha warned. “It’s none of your business.”
She pouted. “But I want to know.”
“Well, it’s not for you to know,” I said firmly.
Before either of them could voice any further complaint, a loud clap of thunder sounded off in the distance. Within seconds, one of the demon servants came hobbling in.
“Master, master.”
“What is it?”
“The Six have returned. They’re en route from Elysium.”
“I’ll meet them in the throne room.”
“Yes, sir.” The demon hobbled out of sight, back in the direction he came.
I looked at Tabitha and Astrid, who were hovering over a pile of books. “Find the answer about the blood moon. I’ll be back soon.” They glanced up at me. “And don’t touch anything you’re not supposed to.”
“Roger, roger,” they said in unison.
I shook my head at their strange quirks as I entered the hallway and braced for my visitors. I was leaving behind two inept spirits to face six disappointing angels.
Quietly entering the throne room, I scanned those within before they turned to see me. Lucifer was standing tall before the others, his lean muscular form ready to face my response. He stared through black eyes at my throne, short golden hair slightly mussed from the hood that was now pulled down and resting on his back. He was dressed in all-black and wore a plain t-shirt with jeans and boots in addition to his jacket.
At his side was Leviathan, who was shorter than Lucifer but still lean and muscular. He was ready to face my wrath as well and stood with arms crossed, in a black sweater, tight pants, and suede shoes. His hood was a separate garment he clutched in his hand. He had brown hair and black eyes. The black eyes were a feature of all the fallen, since evil had darkened our souls and taken the pigment out of our irises.
Turning my attention away from my two best soldiers, I analyzed the big, burly form of Beelzebub, whose bald head glistened with beads of sweat. He kept cracking his knuckles even though he knew it irritated me and wore a hideous yellow leather jacket that looked like it had been stitched back together several times. He’d matched it with distressed jeans, a cut-off button shirt, and laced-up boots.
Mammon stood next to him smoking a cigarette, another act I deplored. He had a hooked nose and a sour expression. He was the most frightening of The Six, his body covered with piercings and tattoos. Although all of us had ink, it was nothing compared to his. Mammon’s stringy, long brown hair completed his appearance and was currently hidden by a hooded leather jacket. He wore black leather pants and a low-cut shirt that revealed a portion of his chest, also covered in tattoos.
Asmodeus loitered among their ranks, completely self-absorbed. He was analyzing his cuticles, more concerned with his appearance than anything else. Tall and slender, with wavy, long dark brown hair that was shiny and perfectly groomed, he had a trimmed mustache and a goatee and wore tailored black trousers and a dress shirt. His patterned vest and pointy leather shoes looked expensive. He carried a hooded trench coat, which I presumed was his disguise.
Belphegor was the last among them, slumped against the wall of the cave. His brown hair looked unwashed and stuck up in every direction. He was the shortest and thinnest, but with a brain for technology, he could be very cunning—when motivated. At the moment, he was far too exhausted to live up to these talents. His jeans were ripped in several places, and various patches had been sewn onto his cut-off button shirt to cover the holes. Dirt and stains marred his leather jacket, which looked like it belonged in the trash rather than on his body.
Even though each of them presented themselves differently, identical fear lurked in their eyes, revealing their failure even before they spoke.
“I see you still don’t have the bag,” I declared, alerting them to my presence.
“No,” Lucifer said.
“And why did it take you so long to return?”
“After the boy went into the apartment, we had to cover our tracks at the orphanage,” Leviathan explained.
“We also tried waiting him out, but it didn’t work,” Lucifer said.
“And where is he now?”
“We don’t know.” He looked down. “We haven’t been able to trail him.”
“Why not?”
“None of us had a chance to place a tracker on him,” Leviathan said.
“How old is this boy, exactly?”
“Eighteen,” Lucifer replied.
I laughed. “None of you were able to outsmart an eighteen-year-old?”
“He’s a weaselly one,” Beelzebub said. “Slips right through your fingers.”
“Yes, and he’s extraordinarily lucky,” Asmodeus added.
“I don’t want excuses!” I yelled, my palpable fury silencing the six angels. “There is no reason the boy should have gotten away.”
Beelzebub was defensive. “I had him.”
“And you lost him,” Lucifer clarified. “All because of a backpack doused in holy water. I thought you were stronger than that.”
“I am,” Beelzebub barked.
“Enough!” I stopped them. “Your childish bickering will not solve anything.”
A hush fell over the room as I thought through the predicament. “He’s only a boy. He couldn’t have gone far.”
Unease entered the air.
“What is it?”
“He’s with them,” Mammon said, knowing this news would further my outrage.
My entire body tensed. “How…is that…possible?” I tried to listen through my fury as Leviathan continued.
“We weren’t able to breach the apartment building. Couldn’t even get through the front door. There was an unmistakable sensation shrouding the place.”
“A feeling of…sanctity,” Lucifer elaborated. “One only associated with holy ground, meaning someone must have blessed the place. Since it was an apartment building and not a church, we think an archangel is behind the defense.”
I sat in my throne fuming and took a brief moment to absorb their report. “You know what this means?” I asked.
“The boy and one of the archangels must have gone off in search of the others,” Lucifer said.
I nodded. “How long has it been since you lost the boy?”
“Almost a week.”
I grimaced. “That’s too much time. The seven of them could be gathered together by now.”
“Impossible,” Belphegor said under his breath.
I stood from my seat and approached him. “Is there something you wish to say?”
“N-n-no,” he stuttered. “It’s just…it seems very unlikely they could have joined together so fast.”
“Oh, I see.” I grabbed him around the shoulder in a gesture of camaraderie, making sure not to touch his skin. “You think you know the workings of the archangels better than I do?” A red blaze ignited inside as I clamped my hand on the exposed
skin of his neck.
“No!” Belphegor shouted as the pain seared through his body.
I waited a few long seconds before releasing him. Belphegor was always the stubborn, unruly, defiant one, constantly challenging my will, so he had to be disciplined more than the others.
“Now…” I stepped away and returned to my seat. “We need to know where they are. If they responded to the call, our time is short. But if they had to go find each other individually, our circumstances are better than I first thought. We could potentially attack them while they’re still vulnerable.”
“How do you propose we find them?” Lucifer asked.
“Leave that to me.” I twirled my archangel ring around my finger. “What I want you to worry about is retrieving that bag.”
“We don’t even know what’s inside it,” Beelzebub remarked. “You only want it because the Sacrarium had it.”
My face hardened, and I stood up once more. “You all think I don’t know what’s in the backpack. The blessed think I don’t know any of their plans. But all of you are wrong. Never question my motives. I want that bag, so you will oblige and get it for me.”
Prophecy.
The thought presented itself as if it had been whispered in my ear. A blank expression crossed my face as I thought about the Sovereign Orb and what I needed to do to get my hands on its power.
“Satan, are you all right?” Lucifer asked.
“I need that bag!” I commanded, thoughts of the orb consuming my mind.
“How do you suppose we get it if the bag’s sealed and untouchable?” Beelzebub asked.
I rubbed my forehead at his senselessness. “I don’t know,” I said mockingly. “Did the idea of wearing the gloves I made ever cross your mind?”
“Oh…no. It didn’t,” Beelzebub said.
I sighed. Lilith’s glove, the one she had left behind after I tried to stop her from leaving, had special capabilities. It acted as a barrier to my Hellfire and combatted the energy of any holy object. I’d given the glove to Haborym, and she was able to create similar pairs for The Six.
“But the lock…” Beelzebub continued.
“I will deal with the lock!” I shouted.
“All right. No need to get unreasonable,” Beelzebub mumbled.
I clenched my hands into fists. “Any other questions?”
“What about the boy? What do you want us to do with him?” Mammon asked.
My anger subsided, and I leaned back in my throne. “Kill him.”
19
Jordan
Africa, Present Day
After chartering a plane and arriving back in Perth, the angels made the decision to fly next to Maun airport in Botswana, where they believed we would find Raphael. As an angel of healing, it made sense for him to be using his gift in an area that needed it. However, identifying his whereabouts would be difficult. Botswana was a big country, and there were several communities in need of medical aid.
For this reason, their plan was to arrive in the country and meet with the locals to inquire about any doctors in the area. It seemed like a time-waster, but we had no other option. So, that is what we did. Well, that is what Gabriel, Uriel, and Zadkiel did, since I was confined to the hotel, usually with at least one archangel to watch over me. Considering I hadn’t been chased or attacked since New York, I figured I was safe, but as Uriel repeatedly told me, no one was safe from the fallen. This served to scare me rather than reassure me, but he seemed so genuine in his ominous warning, I didn’t think he was fooling around, just being brutally honest.
“We’ve found him,” Zadkiel announced on his and Gabriel’s return to the room. They’d been gone for a few hours.
“You did?” I got up from the couch in excitement. “Where?”
“The Central Kalahari Game Reserve, or thereabouts.”
At my confused look, Gabriel elaborated. “We met a man in town who said he knew about a doctor helping out the Bushmen native tribe. We think the doctor is Raphael because the man told us the natives regard him as a divine presence. Their land is on the Central Kalahari Game Reserve, and some of the tribe reside there. Others have been relocated outside of the reserve but they are still close by. Either way, this seems to be our best shot.”
“Let’s get moving then,” Uriel said.
We jumped into action, repacking our things. I was finally able to journey outside with Zadkiel and Uriel while Gabriel checked us out of the hotel.
Zadkiel peered closely at a transport map. “There should be a bus arriving soon. We can take that to a town near the reserve.”
“You can read that?” I asked, indicating the back of the pamphlet, which was written in an African language.
“Yes. We know all languages,” he replied, still scrutinizing the map.
I turned to Uriel. He nodded his head in verification.
“You don’t eat. You don’t sleep. You know every language. You can drive. Yet it’s almost impossible to get all of you together,” I mused, bewildered. “Neither of you see the humor in that?”
“No,” they answered in unison.
I smiled. These angels truly amazed me. Their seriousness in moments like these made me realize what was absurd to me was completely normal to them, and vice versa.
“Do you know what bus we need?” Gabriel asked, exiting the hotel and placing his storage chest at his feet. Zadkiel and Uriel had done the same.
I was curious to find out what each of them had inside their chests. It must be important if they were willing to drag them around the world.
“Yes, it should be here in a few minutes,” Uriel said.
“Good.” Gabriel sat down on his chest to wait.
I was astonished he continued to travel in his formal clothes even as we traversed deserts and the heat. Uriel had dressed accordingly for the occasion, the cargo attire suiting him. Zadkiel had even substituted his dress pants and a sports coat for jeans and a t-shirt. As I spent more time with the angels, I was learning each had their own personality with different quirks and dispositions.
The bus pulled up to the stop, and we headed over with all of our luggage. It was a miracle we found a seat since the space was small and crowded. Everyone had the windows open as there was no air conditioning.
“Get as comfortable as you can,” Gabriel said from the seat next to mine. “We’re on this bus for almost five hours.”
My jaw dropped. “What?”
He smiled sympathetically. “I never said all this travel was going to be easy.”
I turned my head to look out the window. We passed through the center of town and approached a short bridge that took us over the river running straight through Maun. Every so often, the driver stopped, and a flux of people came and went, so many passengers crowding the seats and aisle at one point it was impossible to move. I was extremely nauseous, and there was no direct escape route if I happened to get sick. Closing my eyes, I tried to calm my queasy stomach and relax enough to sleep.
That didn’t happen. Instead, I leaned my head against the window and watched the scenery move by. Hours passed in this state of nausea fueled by the gas fumes, bumpy roads, and reckless driving. When my queasiness was at its most intense and throwing up seemed imminent, Gabriel stood to indicate it was our stop. In times like these, I was thankful to be traveling with three celestial beings. Their presence commanded attention and made people move out of the way.
We collected our things and disembarked the bus, which had stopped near a fuel station. As soon as my feet hit the ground, I knelt down and took deep breaths of fresh air.
“That was torturous. I feel terrible.” It occurred to me they probably never got nauseous since they never ate anything.
“Here.” Zadkiel handed me some crackers.
“You had these all along?”
“Yes, but eating them on the bus would have only made you feel worse.”
I took the crackers from him and nibbled on them. “Where are we?”
“Rakops,”
Uriel said.
“The reserve is that way.” Gabriel pointed west.
“Are we walking the rest of the way?” I asked.
“Unless we find a car,” he replied.
I continued to eat my crackers, hoping for a car to miraculously appear, while Uriel walked over to the fuel station behind us.
“Where are you going?” Zadkiel called.
“To see if we can get a ride down the road.”
“We could have made decent progress by now,” Gabriel complained uncharacteristically.
“Gabriel, don’t be foolish. This heat is unbearable. We wouldn’t have made it that far, let alone Jordan.”
Gabriel rolled up his shirtsleeves—something I had yet to see him do—clearly indicating his discomfort. “It is warm.”
“Yes, it is,” Zadkiel replied. “And you’re the first who’ll suffer from heat stroke solely because you’re too stubborn to dress properly.”
Uriel came striding toward us. “We have a ride,” he said, as a truck drove in our direction from behind the fuel station. “The owner is willing to take us to the reserve.”
Sighing in a combination of relief and dread since I hadn’t shed the full effect of the nauseating bus ride, I climbed into the bed of the pickup and sat down. The angels loaded their luggage and used their chests as makeshift seats. As the truck took off along the dusty paved road in haste, I braced myself against the side of the vehicle and tried to face forward in an attempt to avoid more queasiness.
Soon enough, the truck pulled up to the guarded entrance of the reserve. We all climbed out, and I was happy to be on my own two feet again. While Uriel thanked the driver, Gabriel walked to the gate and began speaking to the guard in his native language. Soon, the truck turned around and sped off, issuing a cloud of dust that made me sneeze. Zadkiel and Uriel blessed me.
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