The Angel Side Page 15

  I arrived in Hell with perfect timing. As I had hoped for, the Arches had gone to Hell, expecting me to go straight for Ra. Lilith made her move for the throne with the assumption we were allies. With all the players in one place, I would be able to put a stop to the constant war over my soul.

  Being a Wraith had its benefits. Among the tricks Lilith taught me was the ability to make myself invisible to human and celestial eyes. Demons and Angels were engaged in heavy battle making it that much easier to remain invisible. In the center of the fray, I projected a solid push of black energy, knocking everyone back and bringing the battle between worlds to a screaming halt. Some may have died from my blow, but in the moment, I didn’t care.

  Cavalier, I took to the throne as the smoke, gray haze dissipated. Those who had survived my defiant outburst had been affected with dizziness and confusion. Unsure what to do and too terrified to attack or run, the groups segregated to opposite ends taking their dead with them, waiting for me to speak.

  “Bring Lucifer to me.” I commanded after making the crowd sweat it out a bit. Confused, the Demon’s mumbled back and forth about who would go retrieve their master.

  “Bring him to me!” I pointed, singling out a Demon who seemed more frightened than the rest.

  Without question he took off running toward Lucifer’s quarters. In all my lives, I’d always lacked power and control. As Abihail, I took orders from Father and Ra. As Etta, I followed the orders of my dad and my shrinks. Having witnessed the reactions my orders caused as a Wraith, a twinge of intoxication came over me. I thought about seeing how deep my power reached by making everyone do jumping jacks or something just as silly but better judgment prevailed. I had to keep my wits about me and not be tempted by the euphoria the power induced.

  To my right, the grinding of a stone door sliding open cut through the silence. Watching Lucifer strut toward the throne with a cocky grin made my blood boil. I’d already seen his wheels turning on how to turn today’s events to his advantage, but my sitting on the throne caught him off guard.

  “The throne looks good on you, Sister. Maybe I should have a matching set made for us.” Lucifer said with a sly smile, standing before me.

  “Why would I share when I can kill you and take it all for myself?” I replied, blowing imaginary dust from my fingernails the way he had done last time we spoke.

  “Easier said than done, as you can see.” Lucifer waved his arm to the sea of Demons behind him.

  I hadn’t been the least bit intimidated. His Demons would be no match for what I was able to inflict upon them.

  “Where are they?” I asked, sneering.

  “I have many things in my possession. You’ll need to be more specific.” Lucifer rebuffed.

  “Really? We’re going to play this game?” I shouted, lunging off the throne. My abrupt anger sent a short, misty, burst at him.

  “You don’t scare me, Sister. I know you won’t hurt me. You will only end up hurting yourself.” With an air of arrogance, Lucifer fanned the fog away from him.

  During my brother’s fall from grace, we discovered being twins connected our souls and bodies. If Lucifer got hurt the wound would also manifest on me and vice versa. If I died he would die as well, but I didn’t care. If destroying him meant I had to give up my existence, it would be a small price to pay to end all the suffering and causalities of our war. Having learned how to control the strength and direction of my smoky tendrils, I shot a tether around Lucifer’s torso and squeezed.

  “I wouldn’t be so sure.” I sniped, constricting my tether tighter.

  “Enough. Release the traitor.” Lucifer gasped.

  A guard shoved Ra from the horde of Demons hard enough to cause him to fall to his knees. Irritated by the guard’s blatant disrespect, I decided to make an example of him and set the precedence I was not to be toyed with. With a slight push of my hand, the guard flew into the wall, turning to dust on impact.

  “Anyone else?” I called out, scanning the faces of the assembly. “Good.” I continued, seeing no contestants. Releasing my hold on Lucifer, I resumed my seat on the throne.

  “Gabriel, take Ra home.” I ordered.

  “Not so fast, Sister. I only brought him forward. I didn’t say you could have him. We have the matter of payment to discuss.” Lucifer sneered.

  “Payment? You expect me to pay you for what is rightfully mine?”

  “Absolutely. But I tell you what, since you’re my sister, I’ll make you a deal.” Lucifer waved his hand, motioning for a group of guards to step forward with spear tips resting on my mother Persephone and Nicor. Three sentries moved from the front revealing three small children clinging to Persephone.

  When my mother had first come to me, she had told me tidbits about her life in Hell and the existence of my children. In spite of being our mother, Lucifer took Persephone as his favored concubine. Nicor had been my celestial father’s best friend in Heaven. Before my father had been killed during the Great Divide, Nicor swore to him he would look after her and my brother and me. Hearing of her arrival in Hell, Nicor took on a protective role over my mother which soon budded into a romance between them.

  Finding out about the affair, Lucifer moved Persephone into his quarters in an attempt to bring their relationship to an end. But Lucifer’s plan had backfired on him. The separation fueled their love for each other, and the added benefit of living in Lucifer’s quarters had been that my mom was privy to all of his secrets and plots. Once hearing of his scheme to take me as his wife and mother of his children, she tracked down the location of his precious Seers.

  No being had the ability to predict the future, but the Seers had a great track record by using their remarkable mathematical skills, history records, and personal knowledge of just about every spirit in existence. Having been correct at predicting outcomes more often than not, they were an invaluable source of information.

  Risking death, Persephone went to the Seers in the hope of learning intimate details about me and the odds of Lucifer’s plan coming to fruition, only to be told my fate rested on three tiny shoulders.

  I came to Hell with a clear concise plan, but I hadn’t taken into account Lucifer might figure out I had kids who posed a threat to him and his rule living right beneath his nose. I had yet to meet my children, but my mother’s stories had unveiled a strong maternal connection to each of them inside of me, despite the events surrounding their conception. Whatever my brother had concocted, I knew I would have to protect them above all else.

  “Come here, children.” Lucifer called to them.

  Annahail gripped her brother’s hands as she cautiously took a few steps forward then rushed to Ra’s side. Nudging the three behind him, Ra stood ready to defend them if Lucifer advanced.

  A pang of fear swelled within me as I realized Ra must have been introduced to my illegitimate children. With the issues we were facing just being a couple and unsure he would accept Demon half-breeds, I never mentioned my kids being alive and well for fear of losing Ra. I had every intention of telling him during one of our counseling sessions, but a fight erupted before I had a chance.

  “Here is what I propose. Submit to me. Take my side as my wife and bare my heirs. In exchange, I’ll give you your soul. Alastor’s bastards can live as protected slaves. Your whore of a mother and her boy toy will be banished to the Wastelands. The Arches can leave here with Rahovart intact. I’ll even help them take Lilith and her mice to the Tribunals for breaking the treaty.” Lucifer strolled up the steps. Cupping my cheek, he kissed me.

  “And if I don’t accept your offer?” I whispered, staring into is blue eyes as a flash of rage appeared then dissipated.

  “You see this?” Lucifer revealed a gold chain from under his shirt.

  Hanging on it had been two large ruby pendants encased in a thin gold pentacle. “My alchemists have figured out a way to encapsulate your essence, making it much more manageable. They can do the same to a Wraith. Refuse my offer and your mother, your children,
and your love will be thrown into the depths of Purgatory after I smash yours and Lilith’s souls to bits. Then I will take you as my whore and treat you as such. Our mother can attest to the fact that I am not a kind and gentle lover. The rest of your days will be spent praying to your God to be sent to Purgatory before, during, and after I take you. But don’t worry. By the time you pop an heir out, you’ll be so used up you won’t even feel the pain of childbirth.” Lucifer slid his hand down to my throat, guiding my ear to his lips.

  During my training session with Lilith, I hadn’t taken her warning seriously. It didn’t seem possible until I saw my essence swirling in the fragile gem.

  It would seem on the surface Lucifer may have had me dead to rights, but I had one thing he didn’t count on. As my dad, John, advised, I had my mind on the mission and left my heart at the door. I would sacrifice everyone in here as well as myself to ensure Lucifer never saw an heir and ascended to absolute power. He also lacked the knowledge that as long as I remained incomplete, he no longer was untouchable. Should my brother be harmed or killed, no harm would befall me.

  “So when’s the wedding?” I asked. Resting my palms against his chest, I peered at him with puppy dog eyes. Flashing a victorious smirk, Lucifer jerked me into him, kissing me deeply.

  Winking at a distraught Ra, I kissed Lucifer back, sliding my tongue in his mouth. Entangling his hand in my hair, my brother viciously twirled his tongue inside my mouth. I tried to hold back the vomit as I slid my hands up his chest, until I gathered the chain of the pendant. Feeling me grip the chain, Lucifer’s lips parted from mine as he clasped my wandering hand.

  “You lying bitch.” He whispered.

  With a fluid yank, I ripped the chain from his neck. With a pulverizing force, Lucifer punched me in the jaw, knocking me down. Yanking me up by my hair with one hand, Lucifer grabbed for the chain with his other hand when a flash of black from the right smashed into him. Staggering to my feet, I searched for Ra and the kids as the room erupted in battle. Scanning the fray, I found Lucifer and Lilith duking it out, while my mother huddled around the kids, guarded by Nicor.

  “Get out of here! Go!” Ra yelled.

  Spinning around, I found him fighting one winged through a horde of Demons toward me. My plan had gone haywire. If things went south, I figured I’d decimate Hell and everyone in it to nothing more than a pile of dust. I didn’t want to leave Ra, but I had to stay focused on the task at hand. If his life meant the survival of his world, it was a price I would have to pay and one I knew he would gladly pay, but my children were a different story.

  I thought I would be able to leave all emotion out of the equation, but seeing the fear they held as Nicor fought off an onslaught of Demons brought all the emotions I had held back for years rushing in. Turning to run to Nicor’s aid, I locked eyes with a seething Lucifer as he decapitated Lilith with little effort and her own sword. Coldly staring at me, Lucifer tackled me in a flash.

  Landing face first, the jolt caused me to lose my grip on the ruby. Grappling back and forth with my brother I attempted to retrieve it. As my hand would get close, Lucifer restrained my arm, using it to help him scramble over me for the necklace. If I kept this up, Lucifer would get the rubies. I would have to get him off of me, but the only way I knew how to might hurt everyone in the vicinity. With no other choice, I screamed at Nicor, “Block them!”

  Without hesitation, Nicor dropped, raising his shield over the kids. With an angry burst, I knocked Lucifer off of me. I expected him to come crashing down as I went for the pendant. A flash went by, taking the necklace with it, followed by a loud cry. On the ground, Nicor laid writhing in pain.

  “You will submit!” Lucifer commanded, covering himself with Annahail. Dangling in his other hand was the necklace. Holding Annahail’s neck firmly in the crook of his elbow, Lucifer pulled the ruby off the chain, smashing it on the ground. I waited to feel the remaining shard of my soul shatter, but nothing came. In his rush, he had demolished the wrong pendant. As I marched forward, Ra appeared next to me flaring his wing out, blocking my path.

  “You know all too well the pain of having your throat ripped out and spending a lifetime in Purgatory. Submit to me or your daughter will meet the same fate as you did once already.” Lucifer continued as his claws were extruded out around Annahail’s throat.

  “You touch her and I’ll kill you.” Ra roared.

  “That’s rich coming from you, Rahovart. You know as well as I do that as long as you bare the wings, or should I say wing, of an Angel you can’t touch me. But no worries. You won’t have your wing for long. I’ve already decided your punishment for your treason. You get to sit back and watch me devour that sweet wife of —.”

  “Let her go!” I interrupted, swirling my lower body, preparing to attack.

  “Don’t do it, Etta. We’ll find another way. We all don’t have to die today.” Ra warned.

  “I thought I made myself clear. Since you seem too dense to understand me maybe I should be talking to the man in the relationship. Choose one, Ra. A squeeze of my left hand will kill Annahail but give you Etta’s soul. A squeeze of my right will do the opposite. What’s it going to be? Etta or Annahail?” Lucifer tightened his grip on the last pendant.

  Looking up at Ra, I searched his face for any clue as to what he would do when I saw a flicker of an idea spark in his eye.

  “Do you love them? Do you want them?” Ra asked with a loving smile as he glanced back to Annahail.

  “Yes. I do love and want them. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. I just didn’t know what you would say, and I didn’t want to risk losing you.” I pleaded.

  Ra stood silent, as he swiped my bangs from my eyes. I knew if anyone would be able to save and protect my children, it would be Ra. Unsure of what he was thinking, I decided to further plead Annahail’s case.

  “Ra, I talked to Lilith. I can live without the last part of me. I don’t need it. With my kids being Demon’s I can draw what I need from them. I’ll hide out in the Wastelands, and you can tell Father I bare no threat to him. Please, I know she’s not yours, but—”

  “Shh.” Ra cut me off. “I’ll be your Demon side.” He continued as he raised his sword and brought it slicing down with tremendous force upon his wing.

  As if time had been slowed, I gawked in horror as his body took shape of the Ra I first met in the attic two years ago. Before his wing had touched the ground, Ra’s six-foot build cackled and popped as it grew two more feet in size. Dull black and dingy grey scales covered his entire eight-foot tall muscle-packed form. Eight six-inch long, thick black claws protruded from each hand. Rows of sharp, pointed teeth and large blood-red eyes filled in his sucked-in face as four curled, blood-stained horns extended from his head, framing his hideous demonic features. Rahovart the Demon had taken over Rahovart the Arch’s form.

  “What the….” Lucifer cried out in disbelief.

  With all his might, he threw the pendant down on the ground, shattering it into hundreds of tiny pieces. As if the wind had been knocked out of me, I gasped for air, doubling over onto the ground. Unable to move, I reached out to Ra.

  In a flash Ra appeared behind Lucifer. Jerking Lucifer’s head upward, Ra shoved his sword through Lucifer’s mouth and down of his throat. As Lucifer’s body fell, I swore I saw a glimmer of peace pass through his eyes. As his soulless body hit the ground, the battle lulled.

  “Bow before your new king, Rahovart!” an anonymous voice shouted in the distance.

  The clanging of armor pierced the silence as Demons took to one knee in unison. My dad, the Arches, and their troops stood looking around the throne room, dumbfounded by the display.

  “What have you done?” Gabriel cried as he noticed Ra poised with pride and confidence next to Annahail, Botis and Uphir before the throne.

  Ra had sacrificed everything he ever wanted for my children. If I’d had the ability I would have stood next to my family with my head held high. I wanted to jump up and kiss him, thanking Ra for al
l he’d done, but a blazing fire coursed through my veins as my center pulsated at a rapid speed, leaving me writhing in pain.

  “Etta!” as if he read my mind, Ra appeared next to me, dragging me into his lap.

  “I’m okay. Thank you for—” I whimpered.

  “Don’t speak. I’m going to get help. Zepar! Come forth!”

  “Ra. Stop. It’s my time. Promise me you’ll take care of them.” I forced out as a fierce bovine Demon rushed to me. Agonizing in pain, darkness took over, and my surroundings faded to black, again.

  Chapter Thirteen Ra

  When I first saw Etta in Hell I knew she’d shown up with one thing in mind; kill Lucifer, even if it meant sacrificing us all. Bound by celestial laws, Lucifer had been banned from entering into battle with an Angel and vice-versa. No matter what scenario I played in my head, they all ended with me damning myself to Hell for the rest of my days. The only way I’d end it all would be to give up my wings, permanently. With so much at stake, it seemed petty to consider guarding my angelic status over the souls of so many.

  I would not be returning to Heaven, which seemed to have been my fate all along. The day I allowed my emotions to cloud my judgment, Hell’s flames have been licking my heels. Blinded by rage and jealousy, I committed an unforgivable sin, killing my wife Abihail.

  I fell hard to the depths of Hell, but it wasn’t my time there had taught me I didn’t have to be a monster though I may be a Demon. It was my time on Earth with Etta that showed me how no matter the vessel my soul traveled in, I had the ability to remain true to myself; true to my core beliefs of honor, commitment, and hope.

  Gauging the odds, I knew I ran the risk of losing Etta if I killed Lucifer. I hoped with her spirit separated, her life wouldn’t be attached to his. Once I witnessed Etta fall, I regretted my choice. Not wanting to be wrong about a decision with such dire consequences, I ordered Hell’s chief physician, Zepar, to look after her.