Page 238 of Crimson Promises
“An angel?” Zerachiel questioned.
“Yes, Zera, a fallen angel,” Azrael confirmed. “The very one we had condemned to Earth centuries ago.”
“Why would any of this be of note to us, Azrael?” Cassiel asked the question poised on my lips.
“Because of what had happened to me a few days before that,” Azrael looked haunted.
I listened intently as Azrael recounted the events within the Threshold of Whispers. My gaze steady. I could feel the room grow tense with the sheer weight of what was being revealed.
The mention of theilliciumdagger, a weapon infused with Chamuel's essence and possessing a power formidable enough to kill even an archangel, had my fingers twitching involuntarily. It was alarming that such a weapon existed and was made accessible to a fallen angel. The implications were far-reaching and too dire to ignore.
Chamuel’s face paled as his relic and its corresponding trials directly threatened one of our own.
Azrael's recounting grew increasingly intense. His aggressive stance, his words echoing Bennett’s audacity, filled the chamber with palpable tension. I could envision the scene, sense the weight of the dagger in Bennett's hand, feel the centuries of pent-up rage, and imagine the looming potentiality of witnessing an archangel's end.
Each revelation added layers of complexity to the already intricate tapestry of Heaven’s politics. It was a lot to process.
I gripped the edge of the table until my knuckles were white. In the last few months, Bennett expressed an intense obsession with Aurora’s safety, unlike before, and was intentionally vague about her connections in Arch Cape. Now I knew why. His commitment to the revenge that had once fueled him so deeply had begun to soften. Something else had captured his interest.
It wasn’t until my earlier conversation with Aurora that I learned he had turned his interest on mydaughter.
Cassiel’s gaze swung my way as she arched an eyebrow at me.
I rearranged my face to an insipid expression. Everyone in this room needed to think that I was impartial. No one could ever put together that Bennett and I had worked together. Moreover, if we had an agreement, the fallout would be murderous.
For every word Azrael spoke, a myriad of thoughts swirled in my mind. Bennett's choice to let Azrael live resonated deeply, even in the face of overwhelming temptation. It revealed layers of Bennett's character, indicating growth, restraint, and a shift in perspective.
Maybe my daughter didn’t fall for such a complete imbecile.
Azrael's words, however, struck a nerve. "We do not follow the rules, fallen angel; we are the rules. We create them, enforce them, and change them at our whim. How have you not realized that yet? We answer only to the Almighty. Separate from that, we are power itself." I found myself musing on our responsibilities as archangels and The Originals. We were indeed the enforcers, the architects of order, yet the sheer arrogance in that statement was a sharp reminder of the thin line between divinity and hubris. Azrael often crossed that line.
Uriel couldn’t help but interject. “Az, how were they able to transport you there.”
“All I can share is my body remained here, but it was as if my mind was astroplaned to where I was summoned. It was not a pleasant experience.” Azrael tapped his chin. “There was one other thing of note: a mortal was standing behind Bennett Caelum. It seemed to be his paramour, but nothing I would consider worthy of our time. But the rest, I think those questions should be directed at Chamuel since it was a trial to seek the use of his relic.”
My blood turned to ice.What did Azrael know? Did he truly believe Aurora wasn’t a threat? Would he seek to use her against Bennett?
“I wish I had an answer for you. When we imbue a relic with ouraurum, the object becomes sentient. While I designed my relic to be incredibly difficult to access, nothing is impossible.” Chamuel’s eyes darted away. There was something he wasn’t sharing. Deep lines formed on his furrowed brow, and the corners of his mouth pulled downward in a tight, uneasy frown. “For whatever reason, Azrael, you were central to proving this fallen angel’s pure heart. That was one of the requirements for the trials. How or why you were summoned, I cannot answer. I deeply apologize for any inconvenience it may have caused you.” His jaw was clenched, the muscles twitching subtly, and his skin had a certain pallor, making him appear more drawn. Every so often, he would bite the inside of his cheek or swallow hard as if trying to keep down the heavy weight of his conscience.
“Thank you, Chamuel, my brother.” Azrael held his hand over his heart as if he wouldn’t hold a grudge against him for the next century. “What I left the situation the most unnerved about was how an unconnected, desolate fallen soldier knew how or where to access Chamuel’s relic?”
The room went eerily still.
I held my breath, waiting for Azrael to direct his angry gaze towards me. I wouldn’t go down without a fight. Not after Aurora finally learned about my existence.
Chamuel shrugged his shoulders.
My brothers and sisters looked at each other around the table, each sizing the other up. None of us had gotten over Lucifer or the seeds of discord he sewed.
“There is only one truth. We are all fools for not having figured it out sooner.”
Consciously, I forced my limbs to relax.
“Lucifer, of course. The fallen angel is in collusion with Lucifer again. He would be the only one who would know the location of Chamuel’s relic, that the flower blooms only under the light of a dying star, is a transport key to the Threshold of Whispers. I doubt any of my noble brothers and sisters would aid a fallen angel to try and gain ultimate power. We all saw how well that played out for an archangel last time.”
My eyes rolled so hard inside my mind I was surprised they could still find my sockets. At least four others suspected Azrael’s true motives. He was arrogant enough to think that his underhanded dealings went unnoticed by members of the Council. But we all had our secrets; I was no exception, and I wasn’t willing to throw accusations to start civil unrest and put myself and, therefore, Aurora under scrutiny.
Sachiel narrowed her crystal eyes that shimmered like the clear water she so vigorously protected. “We haven’t heard rumblings from Lucifer for thousands of years. What makes you think that he would waste his time on a nobody fallen angel?”
