In Exile (Archangel Jarahmael and the War to Conquer Heaven, Book III) (25 page)

“By your silence, I assume you agree,” Luciferael said loud enough for all to hear.

“Where is your Almighty now, Jarahmael? Or your fellow loyal Angels? You know, the ones that you fought to protect from me. They have all deserted you in your hour of need.”

Luciferael arose from his throne and cupped a hand to his ear as though he was listening to some distant sound. “What is that? I hear nothing, Jarahmael. No help! No rescue!”

Coming down off the throne, Luciferael walked over close to Jarahmael so he could whisper words that could only be heard by Jarahmael and the other rebel Archangels close by.

“You do know, Jarahmael, that there is something you can do that will prevent all of this happening to you. And for which I will give your precious Lillith back to you for all of eternity to be yours and yours alone.”

Jarahmael looked back directly into Luciferael's eyes without blinking and stayed silent.

“You have something that I want. You give me what I want, and I will release both you and Lillith.” Luciferael looked deeply into Jarahmael's eyes.

“You and I know that you were able to leave the Heavens with both the Book of Creation and the Book of Life. All you have to do to be free again and not bothered by any of my rebel army of Angels is give me those Books. All will be forgiven and you can live your life, happy with Lillith, with my blessings.”

Jarahmael looked directly back into Luciferael's eyes, shooting back a gaze that remained defiant. “I can't do that, Luciferael, even if I wanted to, as I do not have the Books. And even if I did, I would never give them to you. You and I both know the Book of Creation would give you the power to become the Almighty without waging another war. And with the Book of Life you could control or destroy all of Human life on the Earth.”

Luciferael now moved in even closer and whispered in a sinister tone into Jarahmael's ear, “I know that you have not returned the Books back to the Throne in the Seventh Heaven. Michael and I had a discussion about the Books. He believed that I had succeeded in stealing them when I was in the Seventh Heaven. I know that Michael and the loyal Angels rightfully suspect that you had removed them, but you have not admitted that to them. Oh yes, and that wonderful head of the loyal Archangels, Michael, well he has cut a deal with me. So much for your own loyalty being repaid.”

Luciferael then slid around Jarahmael's chained body and whispered in his other ear. “Michael and the loyal Archangels want me to find out where the Books are from you. Yes, that’s right! They will not do anything to release you from Hell until I have found out what you have done with those Books. They are quite content for you to be tortured here at my hands until you tell us what you have done with the Books.”

Fortunately for Jarahmael, Luciferael was standing off by his ear and could not see his eyes. Things were beginning to make sense now. Michael had grown distant right after the war ended. Jarahmael knew that he had played more of a role in conquering the rebel Angel armies than Michael did. But the Almighty had placed Michael in charge of the Heavens and the Earth, and Jarahmael thought that Michael may have felt threatened by him. Not that Jarahmael had any interest in ruling Heaven or anything else for that matter. Michael must have been afraid the Almighty would replace Michael with him. There was that nagging memory in the back of Jarahmael's mind from his private conversation with the Almighty, the day he brought Lillith before Him in the Seventh Heaven. Try as he might though, the memory would not come forward, it remained blocked. All he did know was that there was something else, some other role that he was supposed to fulfill.

“Oh yes! One more thing, remember the Humans that you worked so hard to save. I have been given the opportunity to interfere with them, let them choose to follow me rather than the Almighty. And, I get all of their souls, the new arrangements are that even the ones who believe in the Almighty come to me at least temporarily, to reside in Hades. There they will remain on hold waiting for the Almighty to make up his mind what He wants to do with them, and the rest of the souls . . . well the rest of them who decide to follow me. . . I get them for eternity to be my slaves here in Hell.”

Luciferael then stood in front of Jarahmael and looked into his eyes once again. “You are a fool, Jarahmael. No one cares for you like I do. You are a Being of Light, one of my own.”

He grasped Jarahmael's face in his hands and kissed both cheeks. “It is I who would have exalted you. You would have been one of my chosen Angels. Maybe even my first in command. But now look at you. Captured, in chains, about to be tortured for eternity! Again, so much for your loyalty to the Almighty being repaid!”

Luciferael's eyes then went dark and distant. He turned to Sammuael and said, “He is all yours. Take him back up to the First Pit near Hades. Bind him to that rock. Release the carnabus upon him. Maybe Jarahmael will wake up and come to his senses about the Books after he has suffered enough. Now get him out of my sight!”

Luciferael turned and walked back and sat again upon his Throne as Suriel and Sammuael shoved Jarahmael back towards the entry door of Pandemonium. And after a couple of steps each put their arm within Jarahmael's so they could pick him up and fly him to fulfill Luciferael's sentence on him in Hell.

Soon they were airborne and traveled back upwards through the Pits of Hell. Once they emerged from the deep bowels of Hell, they headed towards the molten river Phlegomon that separated Hell from Hades. There was a rocky area there that had resulted from earlier molten rock hardening over time. Not far from the molten river was a large rounded boulder that was more than ample to outstretch and hold Jarahmael's nine foot body. Suriel grabbed Jarahmael's left arm while Sammuael grabbed his right. They attached chains at his wrists and drove stakes into the rock to hold down his arms. They did the same with his feet. And then with a ritual curse, they put a spell on the last spike which they drove through his torso to ensure that he would not be able to rise from his bonds and which made his body take the form of flesh rather than light wave energy. This ensured that he was vulnerable to the carnabus and its flesh eating nature.

“Do you wish to tell us where the Books are, Jarahmael?” Suriel asked, as they used Jarahmael's own swords and spear to jab his body now to make sure it was composed of flesh.

Jarahmael was in agony from the wounds they inflicted, but the pain made him more determined to not tell these rebel Angels. He was resolute that they would not know where the Books had been placed and he definitely was not going to assist them rise to power once again. He decided to go deep within his own mind and drown out the pain, focusing on his anger and hatred of Luciferael and his Auxilium, nurturing it with his thoughts.

“He isn’t going to answer you, Suriel,” said Sammuael. “He is one of those loyal Angels that will just keep fighting even when they have nothing left. He just blindly follows what he thinks the Almighty wants him to do. I am so thankful that we follow Luciferael who tells us whatever he wants us to do and always rewards us. Come, let’s leave him to the carnabus. I see the creature coming from the direction of Pandemonium. The lord Luciferael must have already released him from deep in the bowels of Hell to feed upon Jarahmael and soften him up.”

“Last chance, Jarahmael!” Suriel said as they prepared to fly off.

Jarahmael's continued silence was his answer, so they both flew off, passing by the carnabus as they flew downwards, back in the direction of Pandemonium.

The carnabus landed and looked into Jarahmael's eyes. Jarahmael had removed his mind from this rock and his imprisonment, but he could still feel pain, as it pierced right through him.

He screamed in agony when the carnabus began eating at his insides and try as he might there was nothing he could do to stop the carnabus from picking apart his organs as he lay there.

Hours passed as the carrion creature feasted upon his organs and flesh. Jarahmael felt as though the torture would never end. Finally, the carnabus stopped feeding upon him, it must be nightfall for the rest of the Universe Jarahmael thought as he watched his tormentor fly back into the cavern from whence he had come. It was not long before Jarahmael could feel his body beginning to regenerate itself, and a whole new type of pain surged through his body as his nerves reconnected. With the nerves reconnected he could feel each piece of his body’s regeneration, he could feel almost every cell scream as it grew back.

I need to find a way out of here. I can't help Lillith, confined and tortured like this,
Jarahmael thought. He could call out to the Almighty for help. But he was too proud, and besides, the Almighty did not try to help him get Lillith released when he asked Him. The Almighty did not care about him nor did He care about Lillith. Exhausted from the torture, he fell into a dreamless sleep.

This ritual went on for a week before Beelzebael arrived to talk with him. As Beelzebael arrived he motioned for the carnabus to stop tearing at Jarahmael. He approached Jarahmael and touched his wound, and it stopped all the pain.

“Good morning, Jarahmael. I have come to help you. Luciferael is extending his offer to you again. He will release you, all you have to do is to tell me where you have hidden the Almighty's Books.”

Jarahmael was thankful for the pain to be taken from him. But he had no intention to turn over either of those Books. He had seen how these rebel Angels operated and he did not want to be the cause of another war for the Heavens.

“You do know, Jarahmael, that the Almighty and your loyal brethren have deserted you. They have no intention of attempting to release you. They are glad you are here and happy to allow us to do the Almighty's dirty work, to torture you until you tell us where you hid the Books.” Beelzebael watched Jarahmael's expressions closely. “You still have nothing at all to say?”

Jarahmael just looked back at Beelzebael without making a sound. A couple of tears rolled down his cheek despite himself.
What is the point of trying to convince him?
Jarahmael thought to himself.

Then another thought flitted across his mind. Was this part of what he agreed to do for the Almighty long ago when he spoke to the Almighty, that day he brought Lillith back into Heaven? What did she agree to? He racked his mind trying to reconnect with that set of memories, but they had been long hidden from his consciousness.

Beelzebael kept looking at Jarahmael, waiting for his response. Then Beelzebael changed tactics.

“Would you like to see Lillith, Jarahmael?” Beelzebael asked, very much aware that he needed to watch Jarahmael's reaction. If the continued attacks by the carnabus were not softening Jarahmael so he would speak, then they might need to find a different tactic.

Beelzebael reached down and gathered up some of the ground of Hell, cupped it and formed it into a blue luminescent ball. He brought it over where it was fully in Jarahmael's sight, so he could see what was now going to appear.

An image of Lillith was viewable deep within the blue light. She was kept in a room, most likely in Luciferael’s palace. Jarahmael was sure the rebel Angels would not return her to the palace that opened up to the surface of the Earth. She had escaped from there once before. He was relieved that she did not look as though she were in pain or being tortured. Nonetheless, Jarahmael ached in longing when he saw her. Once again they were separated, and once again Jarahmael could not get to her. A wave of emotion flooded over him, drowning out his physical pain with his emotional pain. But it also made him sharper and he looked deep into the blue light, burning an image of the surrounding background into his mind so he would be able to find her once he was free of these binding chains.