Taken from the Alternative Universe Fantasy novel (the first in the trilogy) written for my partner, Heaven’s Fallen. Chapter Ten – Pandemonium, City of Dis, Hell.
Anna strolled onto the poolside wearing her shades and best bikini. Even in Hell, she caused a stir. The Angel of Death grinned smugly to herself, making her way over to the bar in her high heels. She was glad she always travelled with a bikini and her Jimmy Choos; she never knew when there would be an opportunity to show off.
She hopped up onto the barstool, pretending as if everyone wasn’t gazing at her. With a flutter of her eyelashes, she clicked her fingers to the bartender.
“Angel Azrael. I heard you were back in Pandemonium,” he said bashfully.
“I am indeed,” she smiled at the seemingly normal looking young man.
“And what can I get you?” he said, while his third arm cleaned the bar.
Anna raised an eyebrow and grinned at him suggestively. “A Bloody Mary – and while you’re at it, you can tell me what you can do with that extra hand,” she winked making the bartender blush. He winked back, leaning close to her.
“Coming right up, my lady.” At that, he moved away to make up her drink.
Anna giggled to herself, before realising who she was sat next to. Her face fell at the sight of him, all cheerfulness dissipating.
“Sraosha.” She nodded with a roll of her eyes. Couldn’t she get a moment’s peace?
“Azrael. I see you’re already hard at work,” Sam scoffed.
Anna let out a loud sigh, twisting in her seat to look out over the rooftop pool. It was bustling with the dead rich. Fat affluent men lounged topless on sun-seats, surrounded by women. Their faces were blue; marks still ringed their chubby necks.
Suffocation…
Girls like skeletons waltzed around the poolside, carrying drinks and sharing giggles everytime an attractive men walked by.
Starvation…
Just then, a young gorgeous man strolled past Anna, carrying his head under his arm. He gave her a wink and a wolf-whistle as he passed in just a pair of swimming trunks.
“Moron. Probably lost his head long before death,” Sam sniggered into his whisky glass.
“I always think it’s interesting to see how the rich die. Bulimia, suffocation, poison,” she said in a hushed voice as a man came to the bar looking perfectly normal.
“Are you sure?” Sam mouthed, checking him out for himself.
“Oh yeah. He stinks of arsenic,” she mouthed back, taking her glass off the counter and taking a sip.
Sam caught sight of the bartender gazing longingly at Anna. He rolled his eyes; this girl had a trail of broken hearts behind her, starting in Hell.
Once the man had left, they carried on chatting.
“How’s Dominic?” he asked, referring to Douma’s earth name so not to raise suspicion. No one in Hell could know the Committee were here.
“Rapidly getting worse.” Anna took a sip of her drink, pursing her lips with thought. They needed to move quickly and complete their mission before Dominic mummified. Although he wouldn’t die, he would be immobilised. That wasn’t good for any of them.
“Well you know what we need to do then, don’t you?” Sam’s eyes stayed forward, scanning the poolside. What for, Anna wasn’t sure.
As she viewed his profile, she was reminded yet again how handsome the Angel of Obedience was. His dirty blond hair was neatly groomed and gelled in place today. A shadow of facial hair covered his chiselled jaw and upper lip. She knew the strength within his strong arms and muscular torso. She’d seen the power behind every swing of his axe that cut through several demons at a time. But she couldn’t forget. No one could. Sraosha was a traitor, or at least he had been…
“It’s rude to stare, Azrael.” he glanced across at her with a wide smug smile on his lips.
She sneered in reply, flashing her sharp canines. Sam chuckled finishing off his blood laced whisky and licking his dangerous lips. He edged closer to her, the smell of blood filling her nostrils. Sam raised an eyebrow, evidently aware of the tension between them. He thrived on it.
“**** won’t leave Dominic while he’s like this. It’s up to us, partner,” he winked, sliding off the stool and strolling straight over to a big busted blonde girl on the nearest sun lounger. He perched beside her as she straightened up at the sight of him.
With Anna’s exceptional hearing, she listened as they spoke.
“Hello there,” he purred.
“Hey-,” she giggled.
“What brings you to Pandemonium?” he said, peering into her dead eyes.
“My boyfriend didn’t like cheats,” she giggled sweetly, turning her head to one side revealing to Sam and Anna a bullet wound.
She rolled her eyes; always with the shotguns.
“My lady?” the bartender’s voice broke through her thoughts.
She twisted back around, squeezing her breasts together much to his delight. She spotted the bill he’d slipped her.
“Put it on my tab,” she said, “I’m in the Queen’s suite.” She stroked one of his hands before leaving.
As she walked past the sun lounger where Sam was sat kissing the girl’s neck, she grabbed him by the ear and tugged him away.
“Must you do that?” he grumbled, not even glancing over his shoulder at the girl.
“We’ve got work to do, Sraosha. Work that doesn’t involve you getting laid,” she replied.
***
Anna slipped the stake into the top of her boot. Sam loaded his weapon belt also with stakes. With his axe now smaller, he slipped it into the back of his trousers, the black leather jacket covering it all. Anna’s sword, also small, was placed into a slot inside her own jacket. The two also carried guns loaded with silver bullets, another with wooden and the third with hellfire pellets. The last thing to be placed on their belts was the wooden shackles laced with hellfire.
“Find them and bring them back here,” their Regina said firmly, standing at the window as the two did last minute adjustments to their outfits.
“Don’t worry, we’ll get ‘em, Ezekiel,” Sam said with certainty.
“Appoloin and Sandalphon have had their run. Now, it’s over and we’re coming for them,” Anna grinned, running all the ways she’d like to kill Appoloin, the Angel of Destruction, through her head.
“Good,” Ezekiel said, turning her back on the two and gazing out the window at the City of Dis below.
The two made their way to the hotel door when they stopped as Ezekiel spoke again.
“Do not return without them.”
Anna and Sam swallowed their anxiety, an emotion the two rarely felt. If they came back without the two traitors, they would face a similar fate as them. It was only fair; Ezekiel had the whole world on her shoulders. She needed trusted workers, especially when she couldn’t do it herself. Azrael and Sraosha had made a promise to her when they joined the Committee. A vow to serve and protect. This was their time to prove themselves.
Anna and Sam walked side by side down the busy streets of Pandemonium. They received stares from many people; some who recognised the Angels and some who found them enchantingly beautiful. It was the hazard of being an Angel; they could never blend in. However, from what they knew of Appoloin, he wouldn’t run from them. He was probably waiting for them. And they knew exactly where to find him and Sandalphon.
“Do you remember Oscar Goodman?” Sam asked as they paced.
“Of course I do. The guy was a drunk and a mayor, so no different to any other public figure,” Anna snorted, remembering when he had invited her back to his hotel room. She’d drunk from his blood, getting drunk off all the alcohol in his veins.
“If I’d wanted a Gin and tonic, I would’ve asked,” Anna grinned to herself.
“His show girls were pretty tasty though.” Sam licked his lips, remembering the years he and Anna had lived in Las Vegas. It had been as close to Hell as they’d wanted to get. The two had had a love-hate relationship for years. However, since she moved back to Edinburgh, they’d drifted apart. He missed hunting alongside her. She was the most dangerous killer he’d met.
“That was the agreement, not very fair though. I get the fat drunk while you get the hot juicy show girls,” Anna sneered.
“Hey, we got what we wanted. The Downtown Project was the best thing that happened to Lorem in North America,” he winked proudly.
Anna also remembered the days she and Sam had schemed and played together. They were like deadly lions, toying with their prey.
“I much preferred the game we played with Howard Hugh’s,” she giggled playfully.
“You played that bloke like a puppet, buying all those hotels just to impress you,” he chuckled loudly, feeling more at ease than when they’d first left the hotel.
“What can I say, I’m gorgeous,” Anna fluttered her eyelashes at Sam, pouting her plump lips.
“You’re lucky you didn’t end up in the Black Book for the things you used to do.” He nudged her playfully as they walked. They didn’t need to weave in and out of people; the citizens of Dis moved out of the way for the powerful Angels.
“I was a bad girl, wasn’t I?” she purred.
“Still are,” he winked in reply.
It was then he turned his attention upwards to the swinging sign: Dante’s. The symbol on the wooden sign was simply a circle with nine rings inside.
“Looks like Dante’s given up on all those stupid stunts and gone back to the usual,” Sam observed, looking to the long line disappearing around the corner.
The two exchanged an unimpressed glance and walked straight up to the door. The bouncer was a typical Ogre. He bulged out of his black suit, the wire to his earpiece in his potato shaped ear disappearing beneath the rolls of fat at his bulbous green neck.
Anna grimaced while Sam waved politely.
“Hello there,” he said.
The Ogre returned his pleasantries with a roar, spitting all manner of things onto Sam’s flawless face.
“Now that’s just rude.” Sam wiped himself clean.
“Back of the line!” the Orge roared again, this time Anna and Sam dodged the rotten pieces of meat.
“Let’s start again shall we?” Sam said.
“He said back of the line, moron!” a man shouted from behind the velvet rope of the line.
Sam swung around to see who had shouted at him when he recognised the face.
“Mihael?” he questioned, stepping closer.
“Sraosha?” the young man asked, getting a better look.
“The one and only,” Sam joked, shaking hands with the Angel.
“What the fuck are you doing in Pandemonium? Last I heard you were-,” he started when Sam slapped his hand across his mouth. Mihael’s eyes darted back and forth from the Ogre to Sam. He nodded discreetly and Sam removed his hand, grinning from ear to ear. He hadn’t seen the Angel of Loyalty for almost eight hundred years. The dark-haired Angel hadn’t changed much.
Anna groaned loudly while the two boys hugged and began to chat. She turned to the Ogre who stood his ground.
“Do you know who I am?” She placed her hands on her hips.
“Angel Azrael.”
“Then if you know who I am, why aren’t you letting me in?” She couldn’t contain her anger. No one said no to her.
“You’re not on the list, my lady,” the Ogre replied, a hint of fear in his voice.
“What!” Anna snapped, causing Sam to turn his attention back to the matter at hand.
“You’re not on the list – my lady?” the Ogre’s voice cracked.
“Since when?!” she growled, “I and Sraosha have always been on Dante’s list since this establishment opened! Who do you think used to draw in all the punters and give him all the ideas for refurbishments?” she glared, fire growing in her eyes.
“You and the Angel Sraosha haven’t been on Dante’s guest list for at least a thousand years,” the Ogre said, gulping at the sight of the infuriated Angel.
Before smoke escaped from Anna’s ears, Sam stepped in.
“Right then, we’ll have to do this the hard way.” With a grin, he grabbed hold of the Ogre’s arms to chuck him out the way. When he didn’t budge, Sam chuckled half-heartedly. “That’s odd-,” he tried again, looking from his hands to the Ogre’s unimpressed face.
“Oh really? Have you forgotten how much Ogre’s weigh, you ass-monkey,” Anna jeered from beside him.
“Well, I’m sorry, Azrael! The guy’s right, we haven’t been here for a thousand years. Most bouncers in Vegas you can normally either chuck out the way or pay ‘em off.” Sam let go of the Ogre, only to feel the force of its arm knocking him into the nearest wall.
His body collapsed to the ground, where he groaned with pain. Anna and Mihael peered down at him, eyebrows raised.
“Nice one, Angel of Obedience,” Mihael said sarcastically, helping him to his feet.
“I would’ve accepted any offer,” the Ogre said, seemingly enjoying the argument.
“What do you want then?” Anna said, suggestively pouting and flaunting herself. She would never have sex with an Ogre but once alone, she could compel him to think they had. Simple.
However, the Ogre’s eyes were on someone else.
“He’s a pretty boy.” the Ogre pointed to Sam brushing the dirt off of his clothes.
Sam’s head snapped up to glare at the bouncer. “You think I’d sleep with you after you just chucked me into a wall?”
“I like to play rough,” the Ogre winked back.
“Well I’m a good boy and no way am I playing with you. You might break me,” Sam grumbled.
“Suit yourself,” the Ogre chuckled.
Anna rolled her eyes toward Sam who was exchanging a glance with Mihael.
“Fine! But you gotta be soft with me.” Sam took a step closer staring up into the ugly eyes of the creature.
“You vamps are such bullshitters,” the Ogre spat back, grasping hold of Sam’s wrist.
All of a sudden, the doors to the club opened and out walked Dante.
Dante was a peculiar looking guy. As a Shapeshifter during his mortal life, when he arrived in Hell, he’d found that he could take any shape he wanted. Throughout the time Sam and Anna had known Dante, he had always been a Faun with sprouting horns from his forehead. During the late 20th century many called him Mr Tumnus after the character in C S Lewis’s series ‘The Chronicles of Narnia‘.
“What’s going on out here?” He opened his arms expectantly to his bouncer.
“Nothing, Sir. Just getting rid of three vamps.” The Ogre shoved Sam into Anna who let out a booming roar of anger.
Now she was pissed.
Dante turned his attention to them, his face lighting up when he recognised the two.
“Is that Azrael and Sraosha on my door step?” Dante grinned, trotting up to them on his hooves.
“Alright, Dante,” Sam beamed. He had never been so happy to see the Faun and bar owner.
Dante grasped Sam into his hold fondly, before kissing Anna’s hand with respect.
“Come in, come in-.” He beckoned them towards the door. “Louis, these people are my guests.” He frowned at the Ogre who glared as the three Angels made their way inside. “Never turn them away again.”
“Apologises for my bouncer. He’s new,” Dante chuckled heading behind the busy bar where Anna, Sam and Mihael slipped in easily as people parted to get out of their way.
Dante’s bar was filled to the brim that evening for the reopening. Nothing had changed much, besides from the layout. The pungent smell of booze, drugs, sweat and blood made up the air inside the busy bar. Creatures and people of all races and cultures mingled together, unlike how they would up above. Nymphs of all kinds giggled with Banshees. Gnomes did shots with Trolls. Dead Rubrums flirted with Sirens and Elves. A three headed woman was messily kissing a Dwarf as he sat on her lap, while her male Cyclops friend was raising his glass to Anna who winked back.
“Love a Cyclopes. Such gentlemen, only have eyes for you,” Anna said, hopping up on the bar stool between Sam and Mihael, facing Dante as he made them his famous cocktail; Toxic Waste.
“Make that eye,” Sam chuckled.
“The problem with you, Azrael, is that you couldn’t see a good guy if he was standing right in front of you,” Dante commented, pushing three cocktail glasses across the bar.
“He did stand in front of me,” she hissed back.
Dante held up his hands in defence. “Abaddon was my hero too,” he said softly, glancing down the bar to see that one of his employees, a ditzy blonde girl with only one hand, was dropping all of the glasses. “Oh now come on! Get it together, Sheila. It’s opening night!” he shouted, “Sorry about this guys. Catch up with you later.” He nodded with apologises and set off down the bar to help.
Anna felt Sam’s eyes lingering upon her profile. She snapped up, shocking him back. He grinned, taking his drink and disappearing into the crowd with Mihael on his tail. She groaned, irritated at how well Sraosha could wind her up. He was the only being on earth and in Hell that could push her buttons. Besides from one other person.
“Hello, Azrael.”
His voice was tender and loving – almost.
Anna opened her eyes and turned to see Appoloin’s face staring back at her. She clenched her jaw, every muscle in her body tightening. Her initial reaction was to reach for her weapon, but she paused. She had to play this cool. She could win Appoloin over like any man.
She twisted her barstool around to face him. Affectionately, she stroked her hands down the black velvet lapels of his suit, gazing up into his steel grey eyes.
“Hello, Appoloin,” she hummed with a pout of her lips.
“What brings you to Pandemonium?” His eyes and voice stayed playful.
“I couldn’t miss Dante’s club opening. Me and him go way back,” she said, running her tongue along her bottom lip. She watched as Appoloin sipped from his glass of whiskey and blood. He gave an interested grunt.
“Apparently Sraosha couldn’t miss it either.” He gestured over his shoulder to where Sam stood in the middle of the moving crowd, his eyes firmly upon them.
Anna rolled her eyes and sighed heavily, her bosom rising and falling, catching Appoloin’s eyes.
“Since when do you travel with a bodyguard? And secondly, Sraosha? He wouldn’t know what obedience was even if it slapped him in the face,” his voice quickly turned bitter.
Anna didn’t flinch. Sam had been forgiven a long time ago. She had forgiven him a long time ago. Had Appoloin been shut out for his treachery? No, because she had forgiven him. Her first mistake.
“You on the other hand have had a lot of obedience,” he grinned, running his hand down her back. Anna’s skin crawled under his touch. Appoloin leant down until his lips brushed against her ear. “Yes, Abaddon made sure of that,” he whispered, “How many spanks did the Queen of Egypt need every night from the Great Marc Antony?”
“Anything to do with my late bondtwin and my bottom are on a need to know basis. I will be the one asking the questions.” She grabbed him by the collar, tugging him down so his face was inches from hers.
Caught off guard, Appoloin appeared anxious at first. That was until the visage fell and he was grinning again.
“Proceed,” he ordered.
She gripped tighter, bearing her teeth as a threat. “What do you know of the Lorem trafficking into Hell?” she hissed.
“You’ve been reading too much, Anna,” he chuckled.
She gave up on his collar and being discreet. Wrapping her hand around his thin neck, she squeezed, choking him where he stood. Appoloin gripped the bar edge, a grin still plastered across his face.
“Answer me, traitor,” she growled.
Appoloin raised an eyebrow with surprise. “Looks like Azrael doesn’t forgive as easily as I previously thought.” He licked his lips, arrogance radiating from his every orifice.
Anna growled louder, the anger boiling inside of her. She despised Appoloin. They had once been in cahoots. When Anna had been the figurehead of Egypt and he, running from his enemies in Rome, the two had formed a strong companionship. Some talked of their friendship as a great love. It was nothing more than business.
Well, aside from a couple of nights.
“I hope you’re as good at running as you were when Pompey was chasing you,” she sneered.
“Oh Cleo, you loved my company.”
“I’ll give you a head’s start, yeah?” she said, her hand still around his throat.
“I still remember when I used to fuck you on the banks of the Nile.” He bit his bottom lip, the memory – one Anna would like to forget – darting across his eyes. So much so, Anna saw it then.
She shivered.
With a blink, she focused. “Five,” she started, glancing over his shoulder to see Sam shackling Sandalphon with Dante and Mihael’s help.
“That was after you rolled out of that carpet onto my floor,” he said, seemingly indifferent to what was about to happen.
“Four.” Anna squeezed tighter, trying to keep her mind away from those memories.
“However, all of this was before you betrayed me.” His eyes became stern, his voice cold.
“Three,” she ignored him , watching as Dante and Mihael moved the struggling Sandalphon into the back room.
“And what did you do once I was dead?” he sneered.
“Two,” she said, preparing herself for the long-distance run she was about to undertake.
“Shack up with Marc Antony – sorry, Abaddon!” his voice boomed.
“One,” she said, narrowing her view of him and releasing his throat.
Appoloin took a deep breath and one last look at Anna, once Cleopatra and always the Angel of Death. Then, he was gone. Flying out the door of the club, leaving only a trail of air behind him.
She looked to Sam and nodded.
“Let the Chase begin,” she grimaced, sprinting out after him with Sam on her tail.
She would not let the Angel of Destruction escape from justice again.
Anna ran only a few paces behind Appoloin as he sped down the pavement, barging and shoving pedestrians aside. Anna and Sam ran in his slipstream, the people still parting for these powerful Angels. Anna grinned as every foot hitting the ground brought her closer to the traitor. Appoloin glanced over his shoulder once to see Anna right on his heels.
“Isn’t it thrilling!” she yelled, letting out a sadistic cackle.
All of a sudden, Appoloin changed direction.
He ran out into the middle of the road, sliding across bonnets and around moving cars and off down a side street. Anna and Sam didn’t hesitate following him.
While Sam chucked the cars out of the way, or ran straight into their path, using his weight to bring them to a standstill, Anna flew from roof to roof with agility before hurrying into the small alleyway after Appoloin.
“Keep up, Sraosha!” she shouted back with a grin.
Adrenaline was pumping through her body. This was the hunt. As if they were chasing prey. Appoloin was the innocent deer in their macabre game.
“Hah! Me! Your fat ass is slowing you down, darling!” he laughed, running up the side of the building and jumping down in front of her. He ran onwards, chuckling loudly.
Appoloin was in their sights, running through another road and into a dead end alleyway. That meant nothing however.
This time, Sam copied Anna and ran across the roofs of the cars, lorries and limousines, jumping over the heads of the pedestrians and into the alleyway. Anna just behind.
Appoloin swerved out the way of a collection of dustbins but glanced back to knock them over with his mind, straight into Sam’s path. He fell into them; the rubbish and the creatures living inside, spilling out into the alleyway. The fuzzy purple creatures, no bigger than small dogs, began moaning and squaring up to Sam as he tried to straighten their bins. Rubbish Bin Gremlins were very territorial.
“I’m sorry okay!” Sam hollered as they muttered and spluttered insults and curses.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah! Always the same with you vamps! Think you can waltz in ‘ere and knock over our homes!” one of them groaned.
Sam heard Anna’s giggle as she propelled herself over them. She grasped hold of a washing line and swung herself from one to another until she was scaling the wall on all fours after Appoloin.
“See you later, Sraosha,” she laughed, disappearing onto the roof.
Sam groaned, furious at himself. He paced angrily as the gremlins worked on picking up their bins and refilling it with garbage.
All of a sudden, he felt a voice breaking through the Templum.
Sraosha, get back. Sandalphon got free. Dante’s hurt.
Sam growled loudly, kicking the nearest bin over again. This time it was on purpose.
“Ah come on!”
“What the hell, man!”
“What do you think you’re doing!?”
“Bloody Vampires!”
They were among some of the comments Sam received as he hurried away back to Dante’s.
***
Anna wasn’t even out of breath when the chase came to a standstill on the top of a building. She could see for miles in her peripheral vision, but she was more interested in Appoloin than the views.
“You caught me.” He held open his hands, seemingly unarmed.
“Could’ve kept going, you know,” Anna grinned.
“I know,” he breathed heavily, raising his chin to her.
“Wow, is that – wait, is this you giving up?” She took a step closer, fully aware of how to get to every single one of her weapons if Appoloin tried to attack.
“I never give up,” he said through gritted teeth.
Anna snorted a laugh and raised an eyebrow to him. “You’re right. You don’t. You will go to extraordinary lengths in order to not give up. Which, some would call smart.” She took another step. “But I think it’s stupid.”
Appoloin rubbed his chin with faux thought as he stood on the edge of the building, seventy stories up. After the long run through the city, Anna had chased him into one of the hotels, up the flights of stairs and out onto the roof. Now he was trapped. Not even a Fallen would be able to jump from that height and walk away. By the time he hit the ground, Anna would be there to collect his crumpled body and arrest him.
“You think I’m stupid?” he sounded almost hurt.
Anna knew it was fake. “No.” She shook her head, moving so she was only a few paces away from him.
“Oh?”
“No, I think you’re arrogant, fraudulent, discourteous, agonisingly handsome, extremely boring and above all, a traitor,” she concluded, crossing her arms over chest to protect herself from the memories bombarding her.
“And how did you come to that conclusion?” Appoloin smirked.
*
“Abaddon?!” Anna bawled, screaming at the tops of her lungs and falling to her knees.
Appoloin wiped his sword clean, the Hellfire still crackling. Abaddon’s body fell to the sandy ground with a thump, his dying body convulsing as his blood boiled.
“Why!” Azrael cried out, her whole body aching with pain. Her bondtwin, he was dying. She couldn’t live without him.
No, he couldn’t leave her!
She crawled across the blood covered sand, the thick black smoke stinging her watery eyes. She wailed in pain, grasping at Abaddon’s writhing body.
“My love!” she called out, touching his once handsome face that had now crumpled into something hideous and ugly as his forms crossed over; half-dark and half-light. His chin, neck and chest were wet with blood which poured from the long slit across his throat. She could see the Hellfire burning away at his insides, every second bringing him closer to death. It was a slow and painful process, and although her Abaddon was strong, nothing would make this death any easier.
“Why?! Why would you do this to him?! He was your friend! Your brother!” Azrael shrieked, scowling up at Appoloin as he loomed over them.
She clutched Abaddon, willing him to hold her back. He would never return to her. It wasn’t like dying in Cycles. His blood couldn’t be saved and kept for the next. His entire being and soul would die today, on the battlefield after the Great War. He didn’t even get to die an honourable death.
Instead, he was murdered by one of his own brethren.
“He was a traitor, Aurelia.” Appoloin touched her shoulder softly.
Azrael felt sick to the stomach. She felt Abaddon’s pain; the burning sensation throughout his body that crippled his mind, heart and soul. She felt the light leaving him.
“No,” she wept, stroking her bondtwin’s face and holding his limp hand.
“Yes, Azrael. He had to die,” he whispered into her ear.
Soon, Azrael’s body was succumbing to her bondtwin’s pain. Unlike him, she wouldn’t die but she would want to. Without one another, they were nothing. She had to witness the agony of her soulmate being ripped away from her, tearing their connection in two. Her heart would harden without Abaddon there to love her, guide her and fight with her.
Azrael would realise the true meaning of being alone.
“It had to be done,” Appoloin whispered, cradling her wilting body.
Like a flower, she fell into his arms, folding in on herself as the torture became too much. Abaddon, her love, her bondtwin, her soulmate, was gone. For eternity.
And it was Appoloin’s fault.
*
“Oh please, you don’t still blame me for that, do you?” Appoloin laughed humourlessly.
Anna opened her eyes from her memory, Abaddon’s crumbling body still a vivid image in her mind. “Every second of every minute of every hour of every day. I was a fool to believe you. To have ever trusted you. Now, justice will be served.”
At once, Anna pulled the Sword of Justice from the inside of her jacket. It lengthened in an instant to its true form, the fury pulsating through her and into her weapon. In defence, it swung itself toward Appoloin making him step backwards.
With only a cut to his perfect cheek, he toppled off the edge of the building leaving only a wail in his wake.
His body smacked against the ground, every bone in his body crumbling. Vehicles came to a halt, pedestrians gasped and tried to get a better look as the Angel of Death walked out into the middle of the road and loomed over Appoloin.
Through cracked eyelids, he stared up at to see a female figure standing beside him. She crouched down, blade still in her grasp.
“Why-?” he tried but no longer had the energy to speak. It had been knocked out of him as soon as his body had pummelled the concrete.
“It had to be done,” Anna said, taking the shackles from her belt and placing his limp wrists into them. “Appoloin, Angel of Destruction, you are hereby under arrest for charges against humanity and the Conclave. You do not have to say anything but it may harm your defence if you do not mention when questioned something which you may later rely on in the Blood Trial. Anything you do say may be given in evidence – but I very much doubt you’ll even be able to breathe for about two hours,” Anna sneered, locking the handcuffs tight.
***
“Sit up, shut up, don’t move – in any order you like, not that you have much choice. You lost your rights when you broke the law.” Sam perched on one of the dining table chairs, flicking his stare back and forth from Sandalphon to Appoloin who was clicking his bones back into place.
When Sam had returned to Dante’s, he’d found the Ogre from before with his hand around Sandalphon’s neck awaiting his arrival. Sam thanked him with the compulsion they’d had sexual relations. It pleased the Ogre very much. Dante had a minor head wound which Mihael treated quickly. Sam thanked them all for their service to the Conclave and returned to the hotel with Sandalphon, soon joined by Anna with Appoloin who had fixed his legs first.
Now, the interrogation had begun.
“And what is it that we’ve supposedly done?” Appoloin groaned as he clicked his shoulders and collarbone back in place, his arms cuffed behind him as he sat on a chair beside Sandalphon.
Anna paced the room, biting at her nails hungrily.
“Don’t play innocent, Damien– is that what they call you in this life?” Sam chuckled.
“I have honestly not a clue as to what you’re referring to, Sam,” he sneered in reply.
“An innocent man doesn’t run,” Sam snapped back, getting to his feet.
He glanced at Sandalphon who kept his head low. Sam crouched in front of him, peering into the guilty eyes of the Angel of Power.
“Your friend isn’t as good as you at playing innocent, Damien. He stinks of guilt.” Sam gritted his teeth.
“Then maybe you should ask him what he’s done because I have not a clue,” Damien pouted, looking rather pleased with himself.
All of a sudden, Anna ran at him with one of the chairs, knocking it over his head and sending him flying sideways, breaking a couple more of his bones again. Damien let out a yelp of pain followed by a small chuckle.
Anna brought the chair back up again. With her hands on the back, she glared into Damien’s face, desperately trying to see into his soul. That was if he had one at all.
“You won’t be able to read my mind. Just because I haven’t been alive as long as you doesn’t mean I haven’t learnt to hide my thoughts.” Damien inched closer, their lips a breath away.
Sam grunted, struck with sudden disgust. He moved Anna away and copied her stance over Damien.
“Not as nice,” Damien smirked.
Sam slapped him, not because it would hurt the Angel, but because it would make him feel better.
“Listen to me, Appoloin, because I’m only going to say this once. You have been trafficking young Lorem down to Hell. For what reason, I do not know. With you, it could be any of the sick things I’ve assumed. So I need you to tell me who, where, why and to what extent,” Sam demanded.
Appoloin looked from Sam to Anna, smirking the whole time.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said, his eyes alight with excitement.
Sam sighed heavily, stepping away. He had reached the end of his tether.
Pulling the stake from his belt, he plunged it deep into Appoloin’s shoulder. His screams echoed throughout the room. Damien toppled over, bringing the chair with him. Sam propped him back and returned to his position.
“I don’t know about you but I’ve got all night. We can keep playing this game if you want until we get our answers.” Sam pointed another bloody stake into Appoloin’s eye.
“I do not fear you, Sraosha. You have been weak since Rome. Ever since Perpetiel and you have been separated you have become a shell of the man you were,” he said with such hatred it hit home to Sam.
He thought about his bondtwin, shackled in the cells beneath the Basilica di Santa Maria on charges of Lorem trafficking. He felt nothing for the Angel of Success anymore.
Sam wrapped his hand around Appoloin’s throat, pushing his head back and peering into his eyes. “And you, Appoloin have become a cold hearted bastard ever since Lucifer plunged his sword into Raziel’s pregnant belly. You are not the man you were,” he spat, stepping back and burying his stake straight into Damien’s other shoulder.
“Damien?! Damien?! With a name like that you’ve chosen your side!” Anna yelled, pacing over to stab him with another stake.
His shrill yelps of pain struck their ears. He begged for mercy but the two Angels had none. Death and Obedience, working as one. They speared him with a chair leg. They burned his skin with wooden whips to his cheeks. They tightened his bounds, all the while Appoloin moaned and screamed.
“Stop!” Sandalphon yelled from the seat beside him, tears streaming down his cheeks.
Sam paused, yanking Anna back from the attack. The two stared at Sandalphon waiting.
He gulped, glancing from a battered surprised Appoloin to the two Angels.
“It was me,” he breathed heavily.
Sam and Anna exchanged a shocked expression.
He’s lying – Anna growled in the Templum.
Wait, Azrael.
“And I’ll tell you everything,” Sandalphon croaked.
Damien’s sore jaw dropped. Anna stared in disbelief. Sam couldn’t believe his ears.
Heaven’s Fallen Copyright © 2015 Jodie May Mullen