Page 11 of Wicked Savior
The lion heaves his massive body up and snarls at Cormal before prowling out of the room.
Cormal lifts a decanter and I shake my head. With a shrug, he pours himself a bourbon. “You set the terms for the torque, and I made sure a high price was extracted for each use. Where is Gluttony now? I assume he fucked up, and that’s the reason you’re here now.”
“He thought he’d accumulated enough power to ignore my orders and attack me,” I state softly, chuckling at the look of incredulity on Cormal’s face. “If he’s still alive, you’ll find him in The Slag. Look for a desperate human.”
The tumbler in Cormal’s hand drops to the table with a thud. Bourbon splashes everywhere. “And the envy demon, Lord Invidia?”
I shrug. “Killed by his friend, Gluttony. I staked his body out on the House of Envy’s lawn to serve as a warning.”
“How did you do it?” he asks hoarsely, fingers tight around the glass in front of him.
“The Devil created a spell to separate a demon and his magic from its host, leaving only the original species behind. Gluttony was originally human. Now he is again,” I explain with a nonchalant shrug, but my eyes sharply assess the impact of my words on the individual in front of me.
Cormal took the darkest of paths to gain his immortality. From human to… whatever he is now. That kind of sacrifice doesn’t come without a powerful reason. Now, he has an astronomical amount of power and wealth at his fingertips and rules over his domain with a tight grip. Losing his mortality, and consequently, all he’s gained, is his biggest fear. I’m not entirely sure why.
I continue with my subtle threat. “The Devil only used it on demons because he wanted to absorb their powers, but I assure you, it works on any species.” My warning is subtle, but powerful.
Cormal exhales heavily. “What do you want from me?”
“I came to kill you, but for several reasons, I’ve changed my mind,” I muse, surprising myself. “The torque is mine, but you may retain possession of it for now. It’s off the market and unavailable to everyone else. Have you used your one shot?” When he shakes his head, I nod. “If you do, it returns immediately to me.”
His chin lifts in anger, but he agrees to the condition. “Anything else?”
My hand lifts and I raise one finger. “I want you to come to the palace and share your knowledge of these people with me. It’s obvious I need to change things, but I’ve been out of touch with the masses for a while. Underworld Market is a microcosm of the rest of the kingdom. The individuals here respect you and believe that you have their best interests at heart. Although for a price.” I chuckle. “I’m giving you a chance to prove your loyalty and advocate for the people. All of them, not just your little fiefdom.”
He eyes me suspiciously, a touch of disbelief in the twist of his mouth, but eventually he holds out his hand to shake mine. “I’ll be there.”
ChapterSix
LUCIFER
My study is an embodiment of the Underworld, dark and oppressive, full of secrets and hidden dangers. Old couches, chairs, and rugs constructed from the hides of enemies are scattered throughout the room, relics inherited from my predecessor and initially kept for continuity. Yet, somehow, never changed throughout the eons I’ve been Underworld’s ruler.
A massive fireplace, large enough to roast a demon or two, roars continuously along one wall. A source of heat and light in the gloomy room. Shelves cover most of the other walls, but only one wall contains books. The rest are filled with trophies and not the kind given for achievements. Like everything else in the room, they serve a deadlier purpose. Another, albeit useful, gift from the previous ruler.
It’s grim. My personal stamp is almost non-existent. I did add a large window beside the desk to bring in a bit of light, but it’s nothing like Cormal’s magical sun, which I now have to replicate.
I run my hand across the top of the rich-looking surface of my desk. Built by my own two hands, the scarred acacia wood with its knicks and deep gouges reminds me of the time I spent with the humans, and the simple tables where we broke bread. A small tribute to the friends I met along my journey.
Time is a weird thing for those of us who live forever. Minutes and days don’t even register. Years and centuries feel the same. It’s only when centuries gather dust that the passage of years becomes noticeable.
Only once have I ever felt the passing of time.
Betrayed and cast out of Heaven, I roamed for nearly a century, every second ticking by with excruciating slowness.
Angels don’t experience physicality in Heaven like humans do on Earth or like angels do when they can’t return to sanctuary. Constantly bombarded by the unfamiliar, my body felt… everything. Hunger, exhaustion, extreme temperatures, pain, and so many others. My senses were bombarded day and night.
I struggled to function, much less find a place in my new world. The act of eating was disgusting. Finding clothing and shelter a nightly chore. But the worst was the weakness I felt in my bones. I hadn’t been stripped of all my powers, but I was greatly diminished. A shadow of my former self. Weak.
Repentant and filled with sorrow, I continued to serve, hoping he would look down and see me, love me, save me. Every day, I rose and searched for people to help. His people. The ones he created and loved like his children.
But the world was a dark place. Full of fear and mistrust. Tension was high, especially surrounding the offspring of the fallen. The Nephilim.
Still, I trudged on, finding souls of light in the darkest of places. Those who still worshipped their creator. We bonded together, held candlelight vigils, and offered friendship and forgiveness to those who sinned against him.
But when I could no longer hear his voice, it extracted a powerful toll, both mentally and spiritually. Resentment and bitterness crept into my heart like thieves, stealing the peace and love I’d held onto for so long. At night, the two emotions would swarm and settle like locusts, covering me until I could barely breathe.
Inevitably, the sun would rise, and I’d claw my way back into the light to start a new day. Day in and day out, this continued, until the day the waters started to rise.
