The Angel Side (23 page)

“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 your
s
and Lilith’s
soul
s
to bits. Then I will take you as my whore and treat you as such.
Our m
other 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 wo
n’t even feel the pain of child
birth.” 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 m
yself
to ensure Lucifer never saw an heir and ascended to absolute power. He also lacked the knowledge
that
as lo
ng 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
.
R
esting 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 wing
ed
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 focus
ed
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 attempt
ed
to retrieve it. As my hand would get close, Lucifer
restrain
ed
my arm, using it to
help him
scrambl
e
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
D
emon 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. D
ull 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.
R
ows of sharp, pointed teeth and large blood-red eyes filled
in his
sucked-in face
as
f
our curled, blood-stained horns
extended
from his head,
fram
ing
his
hideous
d
emonic
features.
Rahovart the Demon had taken over Rahovart the
Arch’s
form.

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

W
ith 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 f
lash Ra appeared behind Lucifer. Jerking Lucifer’s head upward, Ra sho
ve
d
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 Arch
e
s
,
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 all 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.

When I first saw Etta in Hell I knew she
’d
show
n
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
a
ngelic 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 a
bility to remain true to myself; t
rue to my core belief
s 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 order
ed
Hell’s chief physician
,
Zepar
,
to look after her.

Seeing Zepar’s hesitation to help, I thought of asking another but he
had been
the best at healing in the Underworld. I didn’t blame him for not rushing to Etta’s side. He had every reason to hate me and want me dead. When I had been known as Rahovart the Heir, Zepar’s son had been thrown in the cells to be tortured
before being banished to the Wastelands for having relations with one of my concubines. When I caught his wife trying to free their son, I threw them both to the Susman. But being a good soldier, he came to Etta’s aid.

“If she dies, you die with her.” I admonished Zepar, wary of his reluctance as I carried Etta’s limp body to the infirmary.

F
or a moment I watched as Zepar and his assistants frantically rattle
d
around the potion room. As much as I wanted to sit by her side as she fought for her life, I had to attend to the imperative matters of the power shift. Confident he had taken my threat to
heart,
I
expected
Zepar would find a way to save her life. I returned to
the
throne room to a mass of chaotic chattering.

Persephone approached, handing me a hand
ful
of red dust. I found it hard to believe someone’s soul would fit in the palm of my hand. My breath hitched as I fought back the tears welling up. I had to keep a strong façade if I wanted to accomplish the tasks set out before me.
Sucking back the sorrow rising inside, I put on my ‘big boy panties’ as Etta would
have
put it.

“Silence!”
I commanded, bringing a sudden hush to the room. “Generals…dismiss your legions to their usual duties.” I continued.

Upon my order, the generals dismissed their men, taking the wounded with them. Once the room had been cleared, the generals took formation at the base of the steps.

“Arch
e
s, John
,
please step forward.”

The Arch
e
s approached with indignation. Gabriel, with obvious resentment written on his face, folded his arms across his chest, shaking his head at my new role.

“Something on your mind, Brother?”
I asked.

“Don’t you dare call me
brother!
Do you realize what you’ve done?
And for what?
You betrayed us again!” Gabriel screamed as Michael put his arm around him.

“I did it for all of us. In time you will see. I’m sorry. I didn’t intend to hurt you, Brother.” I pleaded, making my way down the stairs toward Gabriel.

Gabriel turned away from me. Jerking his hand from his chest, I force
d
Etta’s dust into his hands.

“Take this to Father.” I said.

“Why should I help a Demon?” Gabriel sneered
.

“Because this Demon is still your brother
and still loves you
. Nothing has changed except my appearance. Be sure Father gets it. Maybe he can put it back together.”

“And if he
can
, then what? You dangle it in front of her the way Lucifer did to ensure she never leaves you?”
Gabriel snipped
.

“What Etta chooses to do now is up to her. I wouldn’t impose this fate on her.”

Gabriel searched me for a sign of deceit. I assumed he found none when he embraced me.

“I love you
,
Rahovart. Please, don’t choose to become my enemy. I don’t want to but unlike
with
Lucifer,
there is
no rule
which
states I can’t kill you.” Gabriel whispered in my ear as he squeezed me.

“Never happen, Brother.” I replied, slapping my hands on his shoulders.

“Now for the matter of the throne.
It is common knowledge, should Lucifer fall,
Etta
is to sit in power. Should harm fall upon her, the throne goes to her male offspring. Now I know Lucifer intended it to mean his children
,
but
it
is not the situation we find ourselves in. Etta has three heirs
;
the oldest
is
an eight year old female. I see the problems this poses
,
so I have decided Annahail, Botis
,
and Uphir shall equally rule under the guardianship of Persephone and Nicor until they are of proper age.
Any objections?”
I paused
,
giving each a chance to voice their objection.

“Very well then.
We are done here. Generals, you are dismissed. Arch
e
s
,
you may return home.” I said
,
turning back toward Persephone, Nicor
,
and the children.

“Wait! What of the war hammer?” Uriel called out.

Nicor’s actions that day had been more than enough proof he would put his life above my children’s. He had no intention of using his war hammer or scutum against the powers of Heaven.

“Tell Father Nicor will keep the weapons until the heirs reach an age which no longer requires our protection and
they
will only be used
for
such.” I said, glancing over my shoulder at him.

“We’ll see what Father says about it.” Uriel chided.

As the Arch
e
s left, a sharp pang pierced my chest. I would never know the joy of flashing with my brothers ever again. I would miss the horseplay, the joking around
,
and
t
he comfort knowing they always had my back. Now, I would be forever their enemy. I prayed with the hope and promise the children held, I would never have to face the Arch
e
s in battle.
The pain subsided as I knelt down to inventory the children for any possible injuries they
may
have suffered.

“You didn’t mention yourself in your speech.” Nicor said
as I check Annahail’s throat.

“I can’t stay here. I’ll put you and the kids in more danger.”
I replied as I hung my head.

When I returned to the Angel side, I
betrayed any allegiances I had in Hell, putting a target on my back. If I stayed and named myself guardian over Annahail and her brothers, I feared my enemies would hurt one of them in reprisal for my crimes. To ensure their safety and ascent to the throne, I would have to leave them with those who still had allies strong enough to lay their life on the line for them.

“Don’t go.” Annahail tugged at my
chiton
.

The short time I spent with them,
we
had developed a strong bond
.
Though they weren’t of my blood, they were mine and
I would strike anyone who dared
to
say
anything
different. I didn’t want to leave the three behind
,
but I had no other choice. Seeing how Nicor and Persephone put it all on the line for their grandchildren, I knew they were in good hands.

“I have to, sweetie. I won’t be far away. This isn’t goodbye. It’s see you later. You can come visit me anytime you want. But don’t worry
;
I’m not leaving just yet. Why don’t you and your
brothers go play
,
and I’ll go check on mommy.” I said, crouching down
next
to her. Annahail flung her tiny arms around my neck squeezing as tightly as she
was
able to.

“Thank you.” she whispered as she let go.

“Why don’t you take them to their new room
?
” I said to Persephone as I stood.

“We can assign you a protection detail. Are you sure about this?” Persephone questioned.

“Believe me
,
it’s for the best. Once I settle in I’ll let you know where I’m holed up at. Now go let those kids play.” I said
,
waving Persephone and Nicor off.

Alone
,
I stood in the room, taking a breath. I hadn’t the slightest idea
where I would go once I left. I doubted John wanted a Demon living with him again
,
and the Wastelands were too dangerous to be hanging out in the open. Glancing around the room, I’d been taken aback by the amount of life lost this day
.
So many fought and died. Sitting on the steps, I cradle
d
my head in my hands, allowing the tears that had built up for so long flow. No longer having the ability to pray, I secretly wished this would be the last massacre our worlds
would
face.

“It is a sad day when we lose so many, no matter the side they fight for.” Father’s voice echoed.

“Father?”
I exclaimed, jumping to my feet.

“I received your message. I must say I’m proud of you, Son.”

“Proud of me?”
I asked, unable to hide my confusion
.

“Yes. You have proven time and time again you will go to the edge and jump off for the sake of others.”

“
I took a huge jump this time. So, w
here does it leave us?”
I replied
.

“It depends all on you, Rahovart. I have been told Etta may or may not live and with the powder I received, she is not whole. Even if she lives, she may be forever trapped as a Wraith.”

My heart sank. Did Father c
ome to eradicate the one thing H
e
believed to
threaten him
the
most? I’d protect Etta against Demons, Arch
e
s
,
and sometimes
even
herself
but if it came down
to psychically fighting Father, I
was
afraid I’d lose before the word go.
My only chance would be to
try
and
appeal to his softer side.

“She loves you so much. She would never do anything to hurt you. Father
,
I assure you, she is no threat to you.” I pleaded.