by Debra Dunbar
“How do we owe you anything?” Usurper snarled. “You suffered the elves to remain, allowed the humans in as well as the dwarves, trolls and other beings. Plus you constantly violated the treaty by coming through the gateways in direct violation of section four-dot-six-eight-three. It’s not like there have ever been angels in Hel. We owe you nothing.”
“But there is an angel in Hel,” I argued. The fact that I put him there wasn’t relevant, he was still there.
“You’ve gotten pretty good at this lying thing,” Gabe commented. I got the impression there was a warning hidden behind the mocking words. I ignored it because I usually don’t pay attention to warnings, and this was Gabe.
“Seriously. He’s not leaving, though, and I doubt any of you would sully yourselves to go to Hel and verify my statement, so you’ll just have to believe me.”
“Demons get exclusive use of Hel,” Usurper announced. “Except for those beings they allow to live there with them and this one angel. No other angels are allowed.”
It irritated me that he thought that was a concession. Not much I could do about it though. I didn’t want Bencul to go back to Aaru and rat on me for all the shit I’d done to him. The angels would take his side, even if he did glamor a human and have sex with her with the intention of having a child. Besides, he was probably dead anyway. I doubted an angel could exist for long among a bunch of demons in Hel.
We weren’t going anywhere. Might as well let that one slide. “Okay. I’ll agree.”
It was put to a vote, and, of course, the next item was more contentious.
“The demons shall not utilize the angel gates. Any demon caught doing so will be put to death,” Gabriel read.
There was that “caught” word. Gate Guardians weren’t all that skilled at catching us, and given that Gregory was in charge of that group, I imagined they’d become even more lax. Plus, any demon I really wanted here I could transport myself, without needing to use a gate.
And if I needed one of my demons to use one, there was always a Chinese food joint nearby to pick up a suitable bribe.
“Okay. I got no problem with that,” I told Gabriel.
“No demons shall be allowed in Aaru under any circumstances,” Gabriel continued on.
I fucking hated Aaru. “Sure. I’ll just Skype in for the Ruling Council meetings that are held here. No problem.”
“I have a problem with that,” Gregory argued. “Since we’re renegotiating and changing things around, I propose we make the terms of the treaty temporary and build in a way to come together once more as angels. They can still have Hel, and we Aaru, but there has to be some sort of provision for the Fallen and Angels of Chaos to earn their way back home.”
Again stirring the pot. I knew this was Gregory’s end game, what he really wanted to see, but he’d told me over and over again that now wasn’t the time. Angels moved at glacial speeds, and forcing a huge change like this with beings who’d been set in their ways for millions of years would result in disaster. Somehow he’d changed his mind and his strategy virtually overnight.
Ripping off the bandage, Cockroach, he told me through our mind-speak. Get it over with so we can move on. It will be a whole lot less painful than a hundred thousand years of tiny little changes.
Usurper curled his lip. “They’re not Angels of Chaos, they’re demons. Even that one with her black feathered wings is not what I’d consider an angel in any way, shape or form. And the Fallen are lost. They pay for their sins by being denied forever the ability to return home.”
“Isn’t forgiveness one of the highest of graces?” Raphael asked. “Are we so uncaring that we would deny a truly repentant angel the chance to return to the fold? We are enthusiastically opened-armed at the prospect of the elven migration, at their change of heart, but we wouldn’t do the same for our own?”
Usurper squirmed. “There needs to be suitable deterrent from sin, or else angels will readily succumb, knowing that they can repent and return, that all will be forgiven and that there will be no true punishment for unangelic behavior.”
Gabriel recoiled in shock. “You think so little of your fellow angels to think they’d so readily sin? I prefer to believe all of us Angels of Order strive for balance and a high level of vibration. Just because an angel goes astray or is tempted into sin doesn’t mean he is forever lost to us. How many of the tenth choir now sit beside us, models of angelic behavior? How terrible it would have been to lose their contributions because we didn’t open our hearts to the possibility of redemption.”
I yawned. Because all this talk of forgiveness and lost sheep was boring. If I had been in a Marriott conference room I would have taken a nap, or thrown a pastry. Unfortunately no such opportunity existed here.
Sleazy shrugged. “I’m open to the idea of an opportunity for repentant angels to earn the right to return to Aaru, but there needs to be a program put in place with milestones and measures that must be met. And at the end of a successful completion, they must present their case before the Council and a vote taken as to their reinstatement.”
Sounded a lot like the parole board in human prisons. There was no way a demon would ever go through all that shit to get back into Aaru. Actually, I couldn’t think of any demon who’d want to go to Aaru.
Aside from the Ancients. Even among them, I was sure there were plenty who were happy to give the angelic homeland the finger and never step foot in it again. And those who wanted to return wanted to do it by force, not by some convoluted program of redemption.
But there was one thing holding me back from giving this my absolute approval. Gregory. If there was a time when he left the humans and returned to Aaru, I wanted to be able to visit him. I might hate it here, but I loved him. And since he loved Aaru, I’d put up with the creepy place.
“Except for me,” I told Usurper. “I’m the Iblis, and I get access to Aaru without all that repentant bullshit.”
“Actually that’s farther down on the agenda,” Gabriel told me. “I’d suggest we leave that particular question of the Iblis’s access to Aaru until we discuss and vote on that agenda item.”
I felt a chill at his words and glanced over at Gregory. The angel refused to meet my gaze, but his hands clenched into fists told me everything I needed to know. They wanted me out—out of Aaru, out of the Ruling Council, as far away from the humans as possible. It shouldn’t have been a surprise. I’d been well aware that many of the angelic host didn’t agree with my presence and disruptive influence. I’d never really cared before, believing my archangel to be all-powerful, able to overcome any obstacle and force all of Aaru to go along with his decisions.
Maybe he was, but for whatever reason he’d decided forcing them to comply wasn’t in the best interests of the angels. Either that or he truly wasn’t as powerful as I’d thought.
I remembered what Leethu said about the fire ants, about how many could overpower one with greater skills and abilities simply by wearing them down. If they had enough to lose, and their cause was important enough to willingly sustain the losses, eventually the strongest could be broken down by the many.
I didn’t want that for Gregory. And if that meant I had to compromise and stomach some decisions that made me want to puke, then so be it. It was us, not me. And I needed to think of what was best for him as well as me. He might be ready to rip off the Band-Aid, but now I was the one who was holding back. Retreat was sometimes the best strategy in a plan to win the war. I was great at retreat. And I was beginning to think it our best option.
Hold off on that bandage-ripping, I told him.
And I needed to think what was right for the demons and other beings in Hel, for my household, for all those humans I was now responsible for, for the Fallen, the werewolves, the Nephilim. I’d give up Aaru, if it meant I could position myself strategically for success in the long term—for a future that was better for all those I called mine.
We voted, and I reluctantly raised my hand, banning anyone from Aaru who didn�
�t go through the “program” and receive approval from the Council. Except me. To be decided later. It’s not like it would make a difference to the army I was raising to help Gregory. Whether demons or Angels of Chaos were allowed in Aaru or not, a violent mob wouldn’t be welcome. Either way, we were coming in. It’s not like demons were particularly known for following the rules anyway. We’d been breaking the original treaty since day one. Might as well start breaking this one early as well.
“And our final item for today deals with the Ruling Council position held by the Iblis. There is a proposal to delete that from the treaty and open that slot up for a popular vote,” Gabriel said, not once making eye contact with me. “That would mean restructuring Aaru so that the fifth choir fell under an angel’s rule.”
“There has always been an Angel of Chaos on the Ruling Council.” Gregory’s voice was low and measured, which scared me more than his angry one. “Always. Before the treaty, before the war. To take that position away is to tear at the very fabric of our structure.”
“The war already did that,” Usurper argued. “There are no Angels of Chaos in Aaru, and outside of her, there are no Angels of Chaos in existence. All the other angels devolved as they fell and are now demons. Why continue to hold a spot for an angelic group that is extinct?”
“Because there is one.” Raphael pointed to me. “She’s an Angel of Chaos, and she has a right to be in Aaru and to serve on the Ruling Council according to our history. As the Iblis she’s allowed to be in Aaru. And since we’re shaking things up, I vote that any Angel of Chaos should be allowed to return to Aaru, Iblis or not.”
New Guy narrowed his eyes. “Maybe if they completed the same program and were voted to be reinstated as the Fallen are—”
“Why,” I spoke up. “I’ve done nothing. I wasn’t born during the war. I never signed the fucking treaty. And I’m an Angel of Chaos. Why do I have to repent for a bunch of shit I never did?”
“Because you no longer fit in with the new Aaru,” New Guy said. “Angels of Order who have Fallen may be reinstated, but not those of Chaos. And never demons.”
“Plus there is no need for an Iblis on the Ruling Council,” Usurper added. “You shouldn’t have any input regarding the humans. You and the demons will stay in Hel and we will stay here in Aaru, plus providing guidance for the humans as we always have. An Iblis on the Ruling Council is not necessary.”
“But you do need my input regarding the humans. I’ve got all those non-creditworthy ones,” I explained. “And there is one Fallen Angel, plus the Nephilim and their descendants, the werewolves. Do you propose we throw all of them into Hel?”
“Why aren’t the Grigori taking care of those humans and putting them on the right path?” Usurper’s tone was just a hair shy of disrespectful. Actually, he’d probably crossed that line. It was hard to tell with angels. They tolerated snark much less than we did.
I jerked my head around to look at Gregory, waiting for him to launch a giant smackdown on that asshole. My angel did nothing beyond clench his jaw.
“We’ve discussed this before. To be fair, there are seven billion of them,” Raphael said. “And lenders don’t always screen their applicants as they should. I believe the term is ‘predatory.’ Because of this, there are far more delinquent payers than there should be.”
“Humans should be tested,” Usurper declared vehemently. “If these Lender Demons so easily lead human into sin, then they are weak. Testing them allows the strong to continue their positive evolution. Perhaps instead of tasking the Iblis with rehabilitation of humans with poor credit, we should remove them from the genetic pool.”
Kill them? Oh, that hypocritical bastard. “Angels should be tested,” I snarled. “Put the lot of you in Hel surrounded by demons and allow them to remove the weak from the genetic pool. Then the rest of you can go hide in Aaru and lick you wounds, you fucking asshole.”
“I’m not thrilled with the prospect of allowing the Fallen back into Aaru,” Usurper shot back. “I’d rather they be permanently banished, leaving Aaru to those who are not so weak as to be tempted into sin. And, as you know, there is no need to purify our genetic pool. There will be no more angels. That’s why we need to ensure that those who remain are on a path of Rightful Balance, and that we can devote the entirety of our time toward achieving the highest of vibration patterns.”
The room, or whatever section we were located in Aaru, erupted with sound. The Ruling Council, with their physical forms, could clearly be heard arguing over top of each other about Usurper’s statement, and behind all that was the deafening mind-speak of all the angels who were watching. I got the feeling quite a few of them agreed with Uriel’s replacement.
No more angels. Dar and Asta’s baby. What would Usurper do if he got his hands on Karrae? I couldn’t let that happen. I couldn’t let this monster throw her into Hel or banish her just because of her parents’ lack of judgement.
The calliope of angelic sound increased. I felt their presence as they pressed in on us and quickly looked to Gregory. Were they going to attack? What was going on?
“I think we’ve got quite a bit to think on for our next session,” Gabriel interjected. “The program and criteria needed to reinstate the Fallen back into Aaru, and the role, if any, that the Iblis will play in the future of the humans and on the Ruling Council. Meeting dismissed.”
Everyone vanished, and I found myself in my living room next to Gregory, staring at the back of my sofa.
Chapter 16
What the fuck just happened?”
“I needed to get you out of there, that’s what happened.” Gregory ran a hand through his chestnut curls. “Gabriel was kind enough to assist.”
“What’s going on?” I turned to him, feeling an unfamiliar wave of fear wash over me. “You’re the eldest, the Ancient Revered One. You’re the Archangel Michael, the most powerful of the angels. And you’ve got Rafi, and Gabe on your side along with their choirs and yours. Why are you letting this happen? And what’s all this about bandage ripping? Making everyone appear in physical form, reaffirming the fact that you’re in a relationship with an imp, proposing that Aaru be open to demons…what’s going on?”
He smirked. It was an odd expression for him. I liked it. “I’ve been fighting these angels since the moment you showed up. It’s escalating. None of us can count on our choirs to back us up if we continue to push for change. There are only two choices—one is we lock out the Fallen and the demons forever, turning the humans over to the elves and retreating to Aaru. The other is we make a stand, and fight for what we believe is truly the best future for Aaru and the angels—a future that includes a partnership with demons and with Hel. I can’t do the first. All I can do is hope that by pushing the rebels to act faster than their timeline anticipated, they’ll leave themselves vulnerable.”
Attack by a demon army—one that I hadn’t even assembled yet.
“But if you lose…you told me what would happen if you lose. You’ll either die, or be Fallen and cast into Hel. I don’t like either of those options. And I’m not sure my demon army is going to be more than a few dozen Lows armed with swords.”
“What happened to having faith in me, the all-mighty, all-powerful archangel of yours, Cockroach?” Gregory arched an eyebrow, the corner of his lip twitching as he spoke. “And a dozen Lows in Aaru might be just what we need. If you can’t have faith in me, at least have faith in yourself. No matter how disastrous a situation seems, you’ve always been able to pull it off.”
Yeah, with Gregory by my side, giving me strength. Now I wasn’t so sure if even our combined strength would prevail against all the angels in Aaru. I had a horrible feeling my beloved was going to go down fighting, and life without him wasn’t something I wanted to contemplate.
I panicked. There wasn’t anything I’d refuse to do to keep from losing him. “You said you could gain control in time. We just need to back off for ten thousand years or so. I’ll hang out in Hel for a while. You set thi
ngs right in Aaru. Then we’ll try again.”
“It’s too late for that. We look as though we’re not listening to the rest of the angelic host, not guiding them in the direction we’ve all been eagerly heading for the last three million years. There are murmurs that we three have slipped, that our vibration patterns are no longer exemplary. There are whispers that we have fallen into sin. All this argument over you and the demons is but a pretense. The real division between the angels in Aaru has once again come down to philosophical differences, only this time we’re not so clearly divided as we were when the Angels of Order were on one side and the Angels of Chaos on the other.”
Rafi, yeah I could totally see that. And I’ll admit I hadn’t done much for Gregory’s vibration pattern over the last few years, but Gabe?
“I thought this was the whole reason for putting Gabriel in charge? He’s the fuddy-duddy who is supposed to regain the confidence of the other angels.”
“Although many greatly admire my brother, they fear his loyalties are divided.”
I opened my mouth to protest, only to snap it shut. He was right. I’d seen that in the last two meetings. When things got tense, when we were attacked, Gabe always came right to the defense of his brothers, no hesitation. He’d even backed me up a few times, although I think that was less any softening of his dislike toward me and more trying to help Gregory.
“What should we do? Keep stirring the pot and fight with everything we can?” I felt miserable. Everything was falling apart. The humans would be at the mercy of the elves. I’d be dead or banished to Hel. Gregory dead, because banishment wouldn’t be a solution he’d accept. And what would happen with Dar and Asta? And the newest Angel of Order?
“Yes. We have to keep the elves hidden, push this thing to an ultimate confrontation, and fight. I don’t see another solution that doesn’t involve me, and my brothers, denying everything we’ve come to believe in.”