The Third Throne: Angel of Darkness (17 page)

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 moment 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.

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.

“Do you think my nightmares were memories of my past lives being punished in Hell?” she had never considered that her dreams might be memories.

Lucifer hesitated.  “No.  You have never been to Hell before,” Lucifer replied quickly and then turned his attention to Sebastian who was yelling at a Fallen.

Michelle was shocked by Lucifer’s statement.  How would he know that she had never been in Hell, unless he had checked her scroll?  She had trouble believing she had dreamed of a place she had never seen before.  How was that possible?  Did that mean she had been in Heaven the other times, or maybe she had been in Purgatory?

Michelle looked around, lamenting that she would never be able to leave.  Purgatory sounded like a vacation resort compared to Hell.  It made her sad to know there was nothing left for her but Hell.  She felt cold and empty inside at the thought.  She was relieved that Lucifer was being kind to her, but she was not looking forward to going back into the fray of the realms.  She looked down at her wrists in dismay.

Why would anyone want to kill themselves
?, she thought.

She felt bad as she watched Sebastian lower his head and listen to Lucifer yell at him for miscounting the outgoing prisoners.  She was trying to tune out the swearing when she noticed something bright and shiny out of the corner of her eye.  She turned and was momentarily blinded by a bright white suit.

In front of her was a very attractive man walking into the Hall of Winds.  She assumed he was one of the Heavenly Angels since he was dressed in white.  He looked young and innocent and wasn’t happy to be there.  He was tall and lean with short brown hair and narrow brown eyes.  While Lucifer was dark and sexy, this angel was sweet and beautiful.  He looked like he could have been in a boy band.  He stopped short and gawked openly at her.  Apparently, even Heavenly Angels could be perverts.

Lucifer took her by the arm and pulled her around to look at him.  “I have to deal with this.  Can you make it back to the castle by yourself?” he looked upset about leaving her.

“I can find my way,” she forgot about the shiny angel and headed back to the castle.

She was surprised when she made it back to the Throne Room without running into Caleb.  She decided to kick him in the balls the next time he tried to take her to the realms.

She was about to enter the door behind the dais that led to the staircase, when she heard someone clearing his throat behind her.

“Yeah, yeah, I know the drill, back to the realm of something painful and annoying,” she sighed and held out her arm for Caleb to latch on to.

“Not this time.  Lord Hades is requesting your presence,” Caleb smirked.

“Since when are you his little toady?  I thought that you belonged to Lucifer,” she asked as she was pulled back along the walkway to the rotunda.