“You said people have tried to destroy Heaven and Hell before, how is that possible?” Michelle was curious about the inner workings of Heaven and Hell. It was the ultimate question and she was finally going to learn what most people desired to know.
“It’s possible to destroy both, and plenty have tried. They are physical places with angels running the operations. Take out the angels, the structures, and the systems keeping the souls in place and the souls will be free. Anarchy would rule. Others don’t want to destroy Heaven and Hell, but want to rule them, like that little girl over there and her friends. Thankfully, all of their attempts have been stopped,” Lucifer pointed to a small gaunt girl with long black hair down to her waist and eyes that knew hatred. She looked like she could barely hold herself upright.
Michelle wondered how powerful she was if she had tried to rule Hell. “How did she do that?” Michelle asked as she avoided the girl’s piercing gaze.
She never heard the answer as pain radiated through her face and body. She tried to open her eyes and get her bearings. She saw a flash of black fur mere inches from her face. Over the ringing in her ears, she heard Lucifer yelling. While she couldn’t make out the words, she understood the tone. He was furious. She carefully lifted her head off the floor and desperately tried to make sense of what she was seeing. An enormous animal was wrapping its giant claw tipped paws around Lucifer’s shoulders, as its fangs snapped at Lucifer’s throat. At least five of the Fallen appeared from every direction, punching and pulling at the monster.
The animal was as large and as thick as a sofa; its head was as high as Lucifer’s stomach. It was covered in black fur, tipped with silver-gray points. Its yellow eyes were soulless and angry. She couldn’t tell from behind exactly what kind of animal it was, but it was strong and lethal. She assumed it was the same creature that Lucifer had punched earlier, due to its size, and need for retribution.
Michelle felt a sharp burning sensation in her left cheek and saw blood on her hand when she pulled it away from her face. The grizzly bear, dog, lion thing had clawed her face, but had missed her eye. Her attention was drawn to the hissing and growling sounds all around her. The blood had gained the interest of the prisoners. While it seemed there weren’t any vampires around, there were a number of eyes locked on her face. She nervously got to her feet and looked around for the exit, in case more creatures broke free.
“For fuck’s sake, someone get control of Fenris’ mouth,” Lucifer bellowed. The monster’s fangs were millimeters from grazing the artery in his neck.
Michelle watched the powerful creature swat away two of the Fallen, sending them into the grasp of prisoners that looked even more dangerous, if that were possible. The two of them screamed as they were bitten and clawed at by prisoners who appeared mortal, but were far from it.
Lucifer was busy wrestling Fenris while more of the Fallen ran to help. Lucifer was knocked down and pinned to the ground. He tried to maintain control of the sharp talons hell-bent on slashing his chest. The teeth end of the creature was embedded in the thigh of an unfortunate Fallen that she recognized from the Realm of Skulls. She really didn’t feel too badly for him, but knew she had to do something to help Lucifer. He was the main focus of the wolf’s attack. Yes, she could finally make out the features of what Lucifer had deemed the “soulless piece of shit.” It was an enormous pissed off wolf.
Despite the Fallen whipping and beating Fenris, the giant furry monster ignored the assault and refused to let go of Lucifer. Bloody Fallen were amassing around the scene as more angels rushed in to try to contain the monster. Fenris snapped its muzzle as a warning to an angel trying to put his hands around its giant snout to close off its teeth.
Fenris was putting all of his effort into attacking Lucifer, while defending itself from the others. If killing Lucifer was its objective, then she had an idea, a stupid and idiotic idea, but one that might save Lucifer.
Michelle slowly approached the fray as another Fallen screamed out in pain and was tossed aside. She carefully crept to the back of the creature, while the Fallen kept the front of the wolf busy. Based on the name, Fenris, she assumed that the thing was male and from the back view, it was definitely a he. She wished for steel-toed boots or pointy heels, she was left with only one option. She pulled her bare foot back and kicked the monster right in the balls with everything she had.
The response was immediate and swift. The wolf let out a yelping howl, whipped its head around, and growled loudly enough for the ground to quake. She now had Fenris’ full attention as she quickly backed away.
The wolf pinned her with its predatory stare as he put her on the Entré list. Her solitary warning was an ear-piercing howl before it broke free of everyone’s grip and bounded straight at her.
“NO!” Lucifer shouted as he watched the merciless wolf rushing toward his sole source of peace.
The only thought in Michelle’s mind was, “run.” She heard thick nails scraping against the cave floor as the growling and snarling got closer. She cursed herself for the stupidity of her plan, but she wasn’t about to witness Lucifer be torn apart. She was grateful for the lack of shoes as her feet gained traction on the floor. She heard snapping just behind her neck so she quickly threw herself into a group of creatures that looked like supermodels and less likely to kill her than the rows of sharp teeth on her ass.
The women ignored her as they attempted to grab at the wolf. They propositioned the wolf and shouted out their sexual fantasies involving the furry killing machine. Michelle ducked through the women and scrambled back to the safe zone of the pathway. She assumed the unnaturally beautiful women were succubae or hard-up based on the graphic things they said to Fenris. Apparently, they had no restrictions when it came to animals.
The wolf was deterred for only a moment before it swatted away the grabby women and locked his sights on Michelle. She jumped back when Fenris leapt over the women and landed at her feet. He bared his razor sharp incisors and growled at her. The growl was fierce enough to cause the prisoners around her to cower and avert their eyes from the intimidating mass of fur before her. He lunged forward, intent on biting her leg, but she jumped back fast enough so that all he caught was her dress. He shook his head violently, not realizing he had missed her flesh. She would never complain about the layered dress again.
She watched Fenris shred her skirt and was grateful she still had a leg. Lucifer and the Fallen raced toward the monster, but they wouldn’t get to her in time before Fenris turned her into a chew toy. She knew she only had one chance to stall the wolf.
Pushing aside the fear threatening to turn her into a babbling child, she searched for the courage to confront the monster, even if it only gave her a few more seconds to live.
As soon as Fenris’ head stilled, she balled up her fist and punched him square in the eye, as hard as she could. She used all the anger and frustration that had been trapped inside of her and let loose on the wolf. To her surprise, he yelped in pain and winced at the blow. She saw that her ring had made contact with his eye and that it was bleeding.
Fenris backed away and shook his head. She could tell he was having trouble seeing out of the injured eye. The gash that she left on the corner of his eye was startling since she was not nearly as strong as the beast.
Lucifer and the Fallen tackled the brute and clamped the Celestial Bonds over its front paws and back paws simultaneously.
Fenris let out a whimper and faltered. He attempted to remain standing, but his strength drained away quickly.
Lucifer stood in front of a meek Fenris and kicked him in the side of the head. “Do that again and I will walk over your hide every day in my Throne Room, while you’re still breathing. Are we clear, you mangy throw rug? Lucifer growled in Fenris’ ear as he half-heartedly snapped his jaws at Lucifer.
The Fallen scrambled to pull Fenris back to his area and chain him to the floor.
Lucifer doubled over and put his hands on his knees. He hefted in a breath and took a m
oment to calm and steady himself. He finally straightened and walked over to Michelle.
“Are you okay?” Lucifer inspected his mistress, making sure she had all her toes and fingers in place. He put himself firmly in front of her and protected her from the view of the Fallen. He didn’t want them to witness her crying if she broke down. He also didn’t want them looking at her body through her torn skirt.
“I’m okay. A little shaky, but I’ll survive,” she panted, trying to stop the world from shaking after her adrenaline rush.
Lucifer placed his hand over her ruined cheek and his eyes narrowed. She got the impression Fenris would be lucky if a boot to the head was the only punishment he would receive. She had the distinct impression that Lucifer would be eating wolf steaks in the near future.
“If you ever put yourself in danger like that again, I will kill you. What were you thinking? He would have ripped you to shreds, making it the single most painful experience of your life. The pain of his teeth is surpassed only by the fiery sting of his saliva. Those bitten by him pray for death,” Lucifer put his hands on her shoulders and shook her slightly, trying to make her understand the possible consequences of her actions.
“I only thought about saving you. Besides, I wasn’t afraid of him,” she spoke before she could censor herself. Crap, had she just admitted that she cared enough about Lucifer to put herself in harm’s way? She saw the immediate impact of her confession on Lucifer’s face. At first, he was confused by her answer, and then appeared quite pleased.
“You wanted to save me?” Lucifer couldn’t comprehend her words at first. They seemed foreign in his mouth. No one had ever tried to save him from anything before. They usually tried to kill him. An unfamiliar feeling raced through him. Was this what it felt like to have someone care about you, who would do something drastic to keep you from harm? It was startling to him, but he liked the feeling.
“Yes,” she didn’t know what else to say. She was embarrassed by his reaction and was still trying to sort out what it meant.
Lucifer could see she was uneasy about the Fallen and the prisoners actively gaping at her admission. He quickly glared at them and set his angels into motion. He turned to Vaughn, ripped a piece of fabric from his black shirt, and held it against her face.
“Vaughn, make sure there aren’t others wandering around. Secure the area,” Lucifer growled.
“Of course, my Lord. I will report back my findings,” Vaughn bowed and took off at a dead run.
Lucifer looked at the cut and winced. “It will heal slowly and for that I’m sorry. He is not like us and I do not have a remedy for the wounds he inflicts,” he dabbed at the cuts and cursed himself for not seeing the arrogant wolf break free of his bonds and attack. Someone’s head would be removed for the attempted escape. He quickly waved his arm and fixed her shredded dress. Heaven help anyone who looked upon her body. He didn’t need any more blood spilled.
“What is a Fenris? I mean, he looks like a wolf, but who is he, it?” she asked, taking the cloth from Lucifer and holding it against her face.
“He’s a god, a Germanic god, and he is not all that he appears to be. He’s the original werewolf, though worse than the ones in your books and movies, and he’s a total dick. He has wanted me dead for centuries. I’m sorry you were pulled into the middle of it. I captured him and he has vowed vengeance upon me,” Lucifer thought about all the different ways the fight could have ended. While he was proud of his mistress for trying to save him and was certainly surprised by her fighting prowess, he was terrified by the thought of losing her.
“You’re right, he’s a total dick,” Michelle winced from the pain in her face.
A bloody Fallen approached, bowing, and grimacing. “My Lord, are you all right? Is your Mistress safe?” the Fallen look at both of them, while trying to put pressure on his leg. He had been clawed by Fenris during the fight.
“Reese, I want to know what happened,” Lucifer pushed her behind his back and continued to yell at the injured angel.
“My Lord, I don’t know how he escaped, but I will find out. You have my word,” Reese bowed his head.
“You are responsible for this realm. I want answers!” Lucifer shouted.
Reese tried to kneel, but he couldn’t make it to the floor without crippling pain.
“Please, he’s hurt, as are the others. They need to be looked at if Fenris’ bite is as bad as you say,” Michelle said quietly behind Lucifer, so that Reese wouldn’t overhear her.
Lucifer snapped his head around and looked at her. He wasn’t used to being contradicted, but her logic did make sense. Reese would have to regain the use of his leg before investigating the incident. He sighed and tapped his foot.
“Bind up that leg and tell me who is left standing. I wanted to know who was bitten. They will have to be replaced in rotation until they are free from the fever. It will take a long time for them to heal. Once you clean up this mess, make sure all the prisoners are secure,” Lucifer turned and led her out of the hall.
Reese was surprised by the change in Lucifer’s demeanor. He had expected to spend the rest of the week in the Hall of Torment for the incident. He had a feeling that Lucifer’s Mistress had something to do with Lucifer’s change of heart. He would have to send her a fruit basket to show his gratitude.
Michelle was happy to be out of the Hall of Shadows. She didn’t like the way all the eyes followed her every movement. She was unnerved by the attention and vengeance fueled stares they were getting.
As they approached the castle, they heard someone yelling for Lucifer.
“Master, Sebastian is in need of you,” Aganon ran up the pathway from the realms, out of breath.
“Of course he needs me. The angel can’t tie his own shoelaces without help. Very well, I will meet with him in the Hall of Winds,” Lucifer waved Aganon away and turned to Michelle.
“You should go back to your room and rest,” Lucifer didn’t want to point out that she was still shaking from the attack. He knew she would be exhausted after her near miss with death. He nearly had a heart attack. He was surprised that his nerves were holding steady.
“Like Hell. I’m not ready to deal with what just happened. I’m staying with you,” she replied. If she stayed with Lucifer, there was little chance of her breaking down and crying.
“Very well. Come; let’s see what disaster awaits us in the Hall of Winds,” Lucifer tentatively reached out and took her hand in his.
She was a little surprised by the gesture, but somehow felt safer with him holding her.
She needed to distract herself from the feeling of Fenris’ breath on her leg, so she asked the first question that came to mind. “What are the Caves of Darkness, aside from a place that you don’t want to go? I don’t know their purpose.”
“We carved out the caves by hand when we first arrived here. They used to be access tunnels to the Moral Realm when reapers would bring the souls through the closest points. The entrances were hidden all over the world. Over time, there were too many people and the entrances became noticeable to the mortals. They were also difficult for the Fallen to police for escapees, so we created one entry point in and out for the souls. We sealed up the tunnels and put the Bhakşaka in the caves to prevent escapees from using the tunnels. If someone actually got past them and managed to unblock a tunnel, they would have to get through countless traps and mazes inside the tunnels,” Lucifer explained as he walked hand in hand with his woman. He glanced sideways at her repeatedly, thrilled to be touching her.
She shivered when she thought about the kinds of traps Lucifer would create with his twisted mind.
The Fallen all avoided eye contact with them as they walked along. They gave Lucifer a wide berth and redoubled their efforts to punish the wicked. They seemed afraid he would yell at them for slacking in their duties. Their handholding didn’t go unnoticed.
They entered the Hall of Winds and made their way through the lines of people waiting to get into and out of Hell.<
br />
Michelle looked at the people leaving and wondered why they didn’t remember the suffering they had endured in Hell. “Why do people forget that they have been here? Why not remember everything that happened so that they don’t commit crimes again?”
“We erase the memories of the mortals so they don't lament the loss of their previous lives. Imagine being a king or a prince and in the next life a poor immigrant. People would become depressed and lose their minds. It does happen that they retain some sense of memory or personality, but they rarely remember the specifics. It comes across as déjà vu or believing it was a dream they once had. Despite not retaining their memories, the reward of Heaven or the punishment of Hell stays with a person. It manifests in what mortals consider their conscience. If they have recently been in Heaven, they tend to live with a feeling of joy or peace. They are more likely to live proper lives and avoid too many temptations and criminal activities. It's the sense of wanting to do right. Mortals fresh out Hell tend to be motivated more by fear of repercussions. Their minds may move in the direction of evil but that feeling of dread will stay their heads, hopefully, if we have done our jobs properly. Hell is a punishment for the life that they already lived. We want them to start over again and try to do better because Father wants them to attain a Heavenly reward. They are free to choose their path in life, but we are here when they choose incorrectly,” Lucifer pulled a stray hair from her face as an excuse to touch her cheek and feel the silkiness of her hair.
Michelle was embarrassed by his touch and blushed.
The Third Throne: Angel of Darkness Page 17