Page 239 of Crimson Promises
My expression remained stoic.
Azrael strode back into his wing-backed chair. He crossed his ankle over his knee, looking perfectly at ease. His gaze slipped to Lucifer’s empty chair sitting at the head of the table before returning to Sachiel.
Cassiel cast me a side-long glance. I wasn’t the only one who noticed Azrael drooling over Lucifer’s vacant seat.
“I’ll tell you exactly why, Sach,” Azrael said.
Sachiel pursed her lips together at the nickname we all know she detested. I choked back laughter.
Uriel’s chest silently rose and fell as he stared, fascinated at one of the lines of the marble’s veining.
Azreal continued droning on. “Because of something called Crimson Promises.”
That phrase made every muscle inside my body go taut.
“Crimson Promises represents a blood oath taken by those who aligned with Lucifer throughout The Great War as a condition to enlist in his legion. The mark consists of three slender, parallel lines etched onto the inner left wrist, intersected by a bolder stroke. Below, in flowing script, it declares: 'Libertati vel mortis'—'To freedom or death.' At a cursory look, it might pass for a mere tattoo, yet I've learned its significance runs far deeper.”
“What does it mean? A form of communication?” Gabriel leaned his forearms on the table, completely enraptured in Azrael’s information.
Crimson Promises, I had never heard of that before. Why wouldn’t Bennett mention it? That’s a big piece of information to omit.
“No, it is essentially a contract, and once both agreed, the soldiers were inked with the symbol. I’d wager handsomely that most of the imbeciles never read the fine print.” Azrael folded his arms on top of his crossed knee. His eye shone brightly. He was elated that he was bringing something to our attention that none of us had ever heard of.
“People were desperate for a way to achieve equality. They believed in the person they were fighting for. They didn’t assume they would be selling their soul to another archangel,” Cass commented. She had always been sympathetic to the plight of Ordinaries in Heaven’s society. She had sided with Lucifer in many of his arguments before the Council, claiming that creating hierarchies would sow dissent instead of prosperity.
“Those Ordinaries that made that oath to Lucifer will forever be bound to him unless Lucifer denounces or breaks the vow himself.”
Raphael spoke up for the first time since the conversation came up. “So, what you’re saying is that Lucifer has an unwilling army he can tap into any moment he chooses to? And he has doers to complete his bidding on Earth since he cannot leave Hell. Of the ones that are alive anyways.”
We all knew Lucifer was cunning and intelligent. The most brilliant of us all—Uriel was the only one who came closest as he was the patron of wisdom.
“That isexactlywhat I am saying,” Azrael sneered.
Is that why Lucifer had kidnapped Aurora? To have her on his side for a war? But then, he let her go. None of this makes any sense.
I didn’t carry the title of Defender of Heaven or protector of the innocent lightly. My gut told me there was much more beneath the surface of the information Azrael was sharing. And my gut was rarely wrong.
Zerachiel twirled her platinum blonde locks around her fingertips. “How did you come across this precious information, Azrael?”
“You’ll just have to trust that I have my sources.”
“Azrael, with information as important as this, you know the policy. You cannot protect your sources in this case. Not if Lucifer is contemplating starting a war.” Uriel always was a stickler for the rules. Fortunately, he frequently understood my position on matters, as I tended to adhere strictly to the law, with one slight exception.
“A group of Gifted were patrolling one of the Sublime Nocturne locations in Las Vegas when they positively identified one of Lucifer’s demons. He was brought in for questioning. The demon was obsessed with all the temptations of sin the Vegas strip offers. He was desperate to find a way to stay. I would only consider his request if he gave us something I could use.
“The demon claimed it was a secret Lucifer carried close to his chest. Very few of his top-tier generals knew about it. But the demon had some relations with a scorned lover of Lucifer who had overheard a conversation between him and one of his most trusted generals. Alas, here we are with information that could give us the upper hand again.”
“Lucky for us,” Cassiel muttered.
I held up my glass to swallow my second urge to laugh during that hour—a rarity. I preferred to keep my opinions to myself. Tradition, fealty, truth, and honor were the codes I lived by. I often did not have time to engage in humorous moments. I wasn’t sure if it was the burden seeing Aurora lifted for me, but I felt lighter, unlike myself.
“And how does this Bennett Caelum fit into this all?” Gabriel asked.
“Bennett Caelum wore the mark.”
Chamuel gasped.
“And?” Gabriel pushed.
