The Third Throne: Angel of Darkness (24 page)

“Are you okay?” he whispered, attempting to untangle them.

“I’m feeling good,” she sighed contentedly.  She felt little sad when he removed himself from her.  Even though he was lying next to her, he was too far away.

Lucifer rolled on his side and gazed into her eyes.  She was more beautiful than all the women in mortal legends and she belonged to him. Anjali was his now.  He paused.  When had he stopped calling her Mistress?  He thought back and realized when it had happened.  He had slowly stopped thinking of her as a servant when they were in the Realm of Nightmares, but he knew that they were equals when she stripped him of his clothes.  He had bared his heart and soul to her.  She was no longer a game to him.  He was no longer interested in watching her submit to him.  He wanted her to be with him because she wanted to be, not because she was forced to.  She was no longer a fantasy; she had become real to him.

Lucifer seemed confused about something. She couldn’t tell what he was thinking and it made her nervous. She became self-conscious about what they had just done.  While it seemed like he was enjoying himself at the time, she didn’t have any experience with men.  Perhaps she was supposed to do more or should have done something differently.  She was suddenly unsure of herself.  She didn’t know what you were supposed to do after sex.  He wasn’t exactly cuddly.  She remembered that he considered her only a mistress.  Maybe he expected her to leave.  She wasn’t his girlfriend or his wife.

The reality of the situation crashed down on her.  The devil didn’t date.  He used women and then he left them.  She remembered that he had been in New York with a bunch of women. How could she compare to a harem of experienced women?  She felt cold inside and needed to be away from him to sort things out.

“I should go,” she stood and quickly looked around for her stupid dress, panicked that Lucifer would judge her and her innocence.

She was naïve to think she could take the offensive with someone like him.  He had eons of experience and she only knew him. Tears sprang up in her eyes.  As she bent down to collect her dress, she noticed the blood on her thigh.  Time stopped.  She had lost her virginity to the devil.  She became sickened by the thought.  What if he had tricked her?  What if this was nothing more than an illusion, like the Realm of Nightmares?  Maybe she was really the prisoner inside of his prison.

“Where are you going?” he sat up, confused by her mood swing.  She was anxious and wanted to leave him.  Had she just played him for a fool?  Had she used him for some reason?  Perhaps he hadn’t pleased her as he had thought.

“My room.  It seems I need to clean up,” she replied in a shaky voice.

That’s when he noticed the blood.  She now hated him for taking her virginity.  It seemed that he could do no right by this woman.  One minute she was undressing him and the next blaming him for ruining her.  He couldn’t take it anymore.  Perhaps she was becoming insane like all the others that he had tried to bring into his world.

“Go then,” he was annoyed that she was destroying his high.  He didn’t need the guilt of this weighing on him too.  He would have to deal with the ensuing sadness anyway.  He didn’t want her to see him crying, so he let her go with a wave of his hand.

Michelle dressed and ran from the room.  She stopped on the staircase and cleaned the blood off her thighs as best she could with the inside of her dress.  She made her way to the Throne Room and stopped to consider her options.  She could go back to her room and try to calm down, or she could resume her plan of escaping Hell.  Lucifer’s rejection of her stung and made the tears spill down her cheeks.  She had given herself to him, and he had treated her like a whore.  How could she have been so stupid?  The devil didn’t love anyone.  He was incapable.  It was obvious that he had tricked her and used her.  She was stupid to trust him.  She needed to get away from all of it, the torture, Hades, and Lucifer.

Deciding that escape was her only option, she ignored Dorian and Vincent and stormed out of the room.  She crossed the bridge and made her way through the rotunda.  Knowing that Hades was still out of commission, she doubted anyone else would be dumb enough to stop her.

Once she was out of the castle, she took a deep breath and tried to stop shaking.  Looking out over the realms, she knew she couldn’t take any more abuse.  She had to find a way out.

Halfway to the Realm of Fire, she remembered her conversation with Mark.  Should she take a chance and find out what was waiting for her in cave number one?  What if he was setting a trap for her?  The Caves of Darkness were nothing to mess with if Hades and Lucifer were to be believed, but then again, she knew better than to believe either of them.  If it were a trap, then it would provide her with a good opportunity to work off her aggression on something that probably deserved it.

What if Mark was telling the truth?  What if her father really was Gabriel?  She knew if she didn’t go, she would always wonder.  She decided to take a chance and see if Mark was being honest with her in his shiny white suit.

She doubled back and took the long way around the realms.  She passed the Hall of Shadows, hoping that no one would notice her.  She followed the narrow pathway along the walls until she reached the entrance to the Caves.  Luckily, she had avoided any of the Fallen.

Michelle entered the Caves and tried to get her bearings.  The walls had fire scones every few feet along the inner walls.  Along the walls were archways that had been filled with large stones.  They must have been the blocked off access tunnels to the surface.  She had no idea if anyone could get through them, but if anyone could do it, an Archangel should be able to find a way.

She walked along the far wall near the light, hoping to find a tunnel that wasn’t blocked.  Her heart stopped when she saw something out of the corner of her eye that she couldn’t identify.  A second later, a shadow quickly ran past her, and then another passed behind her.  Soon she was being swarmed by black shadows.  The shadows thickened and took shape.

Zombies.  Thousands of zombies.  Thousands of zombies, teeth bared, claws extended, were coming at her.  There was nowhere to turn.  They were everywhere.  They grabbed at her arms, legs, and face.  Teeth tore through her arms as flesh was rendered forcefully from her body.  Blood began soaking the ground at her feet and she lost her footing on the rock floor. She was pulled down to the ground and swarmed.  She could feel each bite and tear.  She screamed out and quickly lost all sense of time.

Hands were quickly pulling her back to her feet as she swung wildly trying to free herself.  She had her eyes closed and was thrashing around trying to hit anything that she came into contact with.  It was slow in coming, but she thought she heard a noise over the growls of the creatures.

“Michelle!” a voice called out.

Michelle opened her eyes and saw Uncle Bob.  She whipped her head from side to side looking for the zombies.  They were alone in the cave and the only noises were the muffled screams from the realms outside.  The zombies were gone and she was healed.

“Uncle Bob?” she gasped, out of breath.  She took a second to restart her brain.  She blinked away the tears caused by the painful zombie bites and calmed herself.  She was happy to see her uncle after all this time.

Uncle Bob looked the same with his black hair and blue eyes, though, instead of a smile, concern and weariness were etched into his handsome face.  He looked older somehow and tired.  His trademark dark suit was disheveled, though she could have done that with her zombie flailing.  His eyes looked haunted, which disturbed her.  She knew that look.  It was the same look that the souls leaving Hell had.  He had obviously felt like he was in hell since she’d died.  Guilt quickly replaced all the other emotions that were warring inside of her.

“Michelle?” Uncle Bob could barely get her name out.  His voice shook and he seemed unsure if it was really her.

“Yes.  It’s me.  What are you doing here, Uncle Bob?” she smiled at him and grabbed his arm to make sure he was really there.

“I’m here to take you away from this dreadful place.  Please hurry; we must go before Lucifer finds you.  I’ve scared away the Shades for now, but they will return.  Are you okay?  I’ve done my best to heal you,” Uncle Bob was trying to pull her further into the cave but Michelle stopped him.

“No.  I’m going anywhere until I know what’s going on.  I don’t know who or what to believe anymore.  For all I know this is giant set up and Hades is waiting somewhere with a camera for when the zombies come back,” Michelle stood her ground.  As much as she wanted to leave, she needed to know it was safe.  She needed to know that Uncle Bob was on her side.

“It’s all right, calm down.  You must have been through a lot.  I understand your wariness.  I was afraid for you.  I sent an emissary, but things didn’t go as planned.  I didn’t care what I had to do to get here, I was going to make it, but I was worried they would find you and stop you.  I didn’t stop to consider the condition you would be in; I only wanted to get to you,” Uncle Bob steadied himself and stood up straight, a bit formally.

“It’s been rough, but I’m still standing.  What are you doing here?” Michelle was happy to see a familiar face.  She wanted to hug him, but she needed answers first.

“I’m not quite sure where to begin.  Mark has told me some disturbing things.  I need to know if they are true, but first, you must see and understand the truth,” Uncle Bob took a deep breath and focused on her for one more second.  He wanted to remember her smiling at him before she started to hate him forever.

Michelle watched Uncle Bob with curiosity.  She wasn’t sure what he was doing. 

Uncle Bob held out his arms and closed his eyes.  A brilliant light encompassed him, making it hard to see him.  Once the light dimmed, she saw the man standing in Uncle Bob’s place.  The dark suit had been replaced by a pristine white suit that had its own glow.  The man staring back at her looked 20 years younger with shoulder length black-blue hair that waved around his face.  His eyes were sky blue and brilliant.  Then of course, there were the ten foot white wings that protruded from his back.  The white feathers were unearthly.  Some were small and fluffy and others were long and hearty.  He was a sight to behold.  The word ethereal paled in comparison.  She felt honored to be in his presence. 

“My darling, I am the Archangel Gabriel, the Messenger of God.  I am your father and you are my daughter, literally my gift from God.  I have wronged you in so many ways,” tears were streaming down his beautiful face.  “Can you ever forgive me?”

“I’m sorry, can you repeat that last part?” Michelle was stunned.  He had wronged her? How was that even possible?  He was the one who had looked out for her and cared for her when no one else had.

She took a moment to accept that Uncle Bob was really her father, which wasn’t all that difficult.  She had always known there was a deeper connection between them.  He related to her as no one else could.  The angel part was still throwing her for a loop, though a number of things suddenly made sense.

“I will explain everything to you, I promise, but first I need to know that you are all right.  I need to know everything that has happened to you.  Do not leave one detail out, please.  It will help if I know the truth,” Gabriel squared his shoulders, ready to finally hear her explanation of the events that had shaken his world.  He held back his emotions, knowing he had to temper his reactions to the particulars, so he wouldn’t go into a rage and scare her.  He was dangerously on the edge of losing his composure as he thought about all the horrors she might have encountered in Hell.

Michelle wasn’t sure where to begin.  “I always felt like I was weird and different, you know that.  I couldn’t relate to most people.  You and CJ were the only ones who understood me and cared about me.  I’m ashamed to say that I kept things from you, important things.  I didn’t want you to think I was insane.  You made me feel like I was normal,” she paused, afraid to tell him the secret that she had kept from him for so long.

“My darling, please tell me.  I need to understand.  It has been difficult without you, not knowing what has become of you.  Please, continue.  I will listen as I always have,” Gabriel dreaded the impending words, the words that would explain her death, but it would hopefully ease his pain.  It was obvious that it was difficult for her to speak to him.  He smiled encouragingly as he waited patiently for her to gather her thoughts.

She hesitated, then whispered, “I had nightmares every night.  I dreamed of a place where people were punished and screamed out in anguish.  I suffered with them each night, trying to escape what I thought were demons.  I thought I was losing my mind.

“To make matters worse, I was able to see or feel the sins of the people around me.  It made me not want to trust people because I knew what they were capable of doing.  Weirder still, I could see spirits roaming around.

“I was afraid to tell anyone, aside from CJ, so I learned how to make a game out of it.  It was the only way to get through the day.  I was so afraid that people would find out what I could do.  I thought they would take me away from you and lock me up.  I was afraid to tell you and let you think that I was damaged,” she bit back a sob, which turned into hysterical laughter.  “Of course, being crazy would have been better than dying and ending up in Hell.”

Gabriel exhaled and reached for his daughter to comfort her.  He was stunned by her confession and took a moment to process the information before speaking.  Guilt and anger warred inside of him until he finally settled down.  An odd feeling of peace overcame him and he smiled at her.

“You are not damaged, never think that.  I would never judge you for something you couldn’t control.  I am very angry at CJ for not telling me, but that is another matter,” Gabriel wiped a tear from her cheek, happy to be near her.

“Please don’t be mad at him.  I told him I wouldn’t be his friend anymore if he told anyone.  I made him swear,” she shrugged.

“I can’t blame the boy.  He would have done anything to make you happy,” Gabriel straightened out the hair on her shoulder as an excuse not to look into her eyes as he spoke. “Is that why you killed yourself, to escape the nightmares?” Gabriel asked an even voice.

“No.  I had found a way to cope with the nightmares.  I hated going to sleep but I somehow made it through my day.  It helped knowing I had CJ to listen to me.  Seeing you made the pain go away, at least for a little while.  I felt safe when you were around.  That’s why I asked you to stay that night.  I had this feeling I wouldn’t have the nightmares and I was right.  For the first time ever, I had a peaceful sleep.  Of course, the headaches started right after that.  That’s how it began,” she hung her head when she saw Gabriel’s expression.  He had looked happy, until she mentioned the last part.

Gabriel nodded encouragingly.  “You have always been a strong woman and because of that I have been out of my mind trying to figure out why you would voluntarily take your own life.  Tell me about the headaches.”

Michelle grimaced, but she owed him an explanation.  “They started shortly after you left.  They lasted for weeks and they were crushing me.  I felt terrible and painkillers did nothing.  While I was sitting in the nurse’s office at school, I heard a voice.  There had always been a voice, but it was stronger.  I know now it was Lucifer calling to me.  He told me that I should join him, that he was the only one who could understand me.  I ignored him at first, but the pain got worse.  The headaches were consuming me.  I couldn’t think straight.  Between the pain and his hypnotic suggestions trying to make me submit, I lost track of time,” Michelle hated thinking about the bathroom and how much pain she had been in.

She could see the strain on Gabriel’s face as she spoke.  It made her realize that she had been insensitive to what he must have been through when she died.  She had never considered how hurt Uncle Bob and CJ were when she killed herself.  It was clear that Gabriel was in agony.

Gabriel’s mind was ready to snap.  Lucifer had contacted her.  The truth tore through his brain like wild-fire, causing him to tremble with rage.  The only thing that kept him from storming into Hell and murdering Lucifer was the shaking girl before him.  She needed him and he was going to stay with her for as long as he could.

“Your family and CJ told me about the headaches, but not the voice,” Gabriel whispered, though there was an edge to his voice that scared Michelle.

“I’m sorry for leaving all of you, but I have no real memory of inflicting the damage on myself.  I didn’t want to die, but I had accepted death.  That’s the only way I can explain it,” Michelle couldn’t look at Gabriel.  He was staring at her, focused on her every syllable.  She was mortified and fearful that Gabriel would be angry with her.  She was afraid of what he must think of her.

“I am so sorry I wasn’t there.  This is my fault.  I should have prepared you better,” Gabriel dropped her hands and started pacing about wildly, rambling to himself like a crazy man.  “It seems I made all the wrong decisions.  I apparently led him straight to you when I stayed the night.  He found you through me.  I will kill him for contacting you.  He was forbidden.  However, as angry as I am with Lucifer, I’m more upset with myself.  There are so many things I have kept from you.  I’m afraid you will hate me once you know the truth.”

She was a little frightened by his intensity and confused by his statements.  She had never seen him angry before.

“I don’t understand.  What do you mean Lucifer wasn’t allowed to contact me?  How did Lucifer use you to find me?  What have you been keeping from me?” Michelle was more baffled than before as ice curled through her stomach.  Something was very wrong.  She searched Gabriel’s face, no longer certain she could trust him.

“I promise that I will explain everything, but first, tell me what has happened since you arrived here.  Tell me what the monster has done to you,” Gabriel looked like he was ready to slaughter someone.

She took a few steps back from him and let everything tumble out, uncertain of what she should say first.  “He made me wear this dress.  He told me that I was his servant. I was thrown into the realms, by his servant Caleb…” she was cut off by Gabriel mid sentence.

“His servant?  The realms?  This is unacceptable!  I will tear his domain apart!  I will crush his skull with my bare hands!” Gabriel’s eyes were practically red with rage.  He was clenching his fists as if he was picturing Lucifer in his grasp.

“Uncle Bob…Gabriel…father, you’re scaring me.  I don’t know what’s going on,” she took another step back.  She didn’t want him to be upset.  She needed Uncle Bob, her rock.

Gabriel immediately stopped and took a deep breath.  “I am sorry.  I am not upset with you.  Lucifer has told you nothing but lies.  Please, allow me to explain,” Gabriel was infuriated that his daughter had been tortured.  He would deal with Lucifer later.  He reminded himself to be calm for her.  She was the one who had been wronged.  Seeing her tears broke his heart.

She watched him calm down as he put his hand carefully on her shoulder.

“You, my beloved child, were created by God and given to me for safe keeping.  I did everything I could to keep you protected, waiting for the day when you were ready to fulfill your true destiny.  You are a reward, a gift to me for doing a very difficult task.  God created you from a piece of me and breathed life into you.  He took a piece of His light and granted you immortality.  He bestowed upon you His love and compassion for all His creatures.  Then, He gave you a mission, a task that you would carry out in His name.  For this reason, He didn’t create you as an angel, but as a unique being with her own powers and abilities.  He wanted you to do His will but not be His servant.  Your name is Anjali, and you are the Bringer of the Apocalypse.  While there have been many who have tried to bring about the downfall of man, you are the one that was created by God to carry out the deed.  You were created as the final punishment and the ultimate reward for the mortals,” Gabriel smiled brightly, obviously proud of her.

Michelle felt hollow and numb.  Everything she knew was a lie.  “How is this possible?  How I can destroy the world?  I’m just a girl.  I’m mean, I’ve done some strange things, but this can’t be real,” she shrugged helplessly.  She no longer knew what to believe.

Michelle rocked back and forth unconsciously, overwhelmed by fear.  Apocalypse?  How was she going to bring about the end of the world?

Gabriel placed his hands on her face to let her know he was with her.  The vacant look in her eyes worried him.  “Before I can answer your questions, you need to understand your purpose in this world.  I was going to explain all of this during our trip to Norway,” Gabriel paused to gather his thoughts.  “When humanity is on the brink of destroying itself because evil has taken over the hearts of the mortals and they no longer love God enough to abide by His rules, then all will be eliminated.  God created you to literally stop the world once the mortals fall too far from His grace.  Inside of you, there is an unfathomable power that allows you to create storms, earthquakes, and floods.  You have enough power to make the moon and the sun fall from the sky.  You will destroy every living soul and decimate the Mortal Realm until nothing is left.  When God allows the heavenly souls to return to the world, they will have to create a new society, a new paradise.

“Once an Apocalypse is started, Purgatory will cease to exist and all the mortals will be vanquished, their souls will be sent to either Heaven or Hell, including the spirits stuck in the Mortal Realm. The Heavenly bound souls will learn what they can from God and bask in His love.  The wicked will be punished in Hell until they are ready to enter the new world, free from their sins.  You are the one who will help make that a reality.”

Michelle looked down at the ground and tried to listen to Gabriel, but couldn’t breathe.  “Floods?  Storms?  How am I going to do that?  I can’t even leave Hell,” she muttered to herself as her stomach twisted.  She trembled, imagining the world splitting apart in a torrent of storms and disasters.  Even though the images were terrifying and unbelievable, she knew deep down Gabriel spoke the truth.

He hugged her and held her close to him.

“I know this is a lot to take in.  I wanted to explain this time and again, but I couldn’t find the words.  I wanted to save you from the pain of knowing what was expected of you.  Forget about Lucifer’s lies, you must have faith that you can do this.  I assure you, once it is time, you will accomplish this task, and moreover, you will want to,” Gabriel understood how hard it was for her to hear the truth but it was time for her to know.

Michelle felt like she’d just been kicked in the gut.  “Why?  Why me?  I don’t want to kill people.  I don’t want to end things, even if it’s for a good cause,” Michelle began hyperventilating.  She looked to Gabriel for guidance.

“It is what you were created for and I am proud of you.  I love you.  However, I must warn you.  Your power can be hard to control and even I do not know all of your abilities yet.  I have spent more time trying to keep you hidden and safe.  I’ve never allowed you to explore your power and test your limits.  It has not been an easy journey for either of us.  It is clear that you prepared yourself, without realizing it. The nightmares you spoke of, I believe they were visions.  You saw and felt what a soul must endure while in Hell as a way of understanding what happens once you condemn the wicked.  I’m hoping it was your subconscious teaching you to be patient and keep you from judging the mortals too harshly.  As for seeing spirits, you will be the one to free them from their earthly prison, and condemn the evil spirits to Hell so that they might finally repent for their sins.  The most important ability is your gift of seeing the sins of the mortals, which will help you know when it is time to end the world.  I’m glad you were able to make a game of it as a way of coping since mistakes have been made in the past, and many have suffered,” Gabriel looked away, afraid to continue.

She had the impression she did something unforgivable based on his expression.  “What happened?  Something bad happened, I can tell.  What did I do?” she tried to keep her hands from shaking but it was useless.