Page 41 of Bellamy
Vepar was stretched out on the chaise lounge. He reminded me of a cat basking in the sunlight. Though, we didn’t have sunlight. Only darkness. I recalled the break of dawn on the dock… of how it had shone on Bellamy’s face, caressing his sharp jawline and making the swirling hazel of his eyes pop.
“We need to discuss Penemuel,” Belphegor said from his seat at the table.
My image of Bellamy faded away. If only my connection to the Nephilim could be so easily erased.
Penemuel had joined our ranks earlier that year, along with Vepar, Purah, and Xaphan—the latter now deceased. They were fallen angels who had fought beside Lucifer during the first war thousands of years ago.
Where Vepar conjured storms and Purah controlled zombies, Penemuel had the power to corrupt humankind through his literary works. Mind control through the written word. He hadn’t been seen or heard from since the battle.
“Simple.” Asa sat in his high-back chair, his right leg slung over the arm. “Find him and kill him. That’s what we do to traitors.” His eyes flickered to me on the last part.
“Pen has always been soft,” Vepar said, examining his nails. The ends of his silver hair slowly twirled, caught in his personal forcefield of wind. “Even when Lucifer reigned, Pen wanted to teach humans how to read and write rather than corrupt them. He got his shit together after a few years.” He sighed. “Seems he’s reverted to his old ways. Such a waste of potential.”
Purah took a drink of his blood-laced wine and cackled under his breath. “Penny is weak. Not built for war like us. Yes, sad, sad waste of power.” When he smiled, blood filled the gaps in his sharp teeth.
“Indeed,” Belphegor said. “I had high hopes for him. Mind control can be a powerful weapon, the ability to corrupt so many people with mere words. Even I have to touch someone directly to get inside their mind.”
“You can’t track Penemuel using a freaky angel connection?” I asked.
“No.” Belphegor shook his head. “I can sense him if he’s nearby, but I can’t track his life force. Only the cursed sons have that ability. Their bonds run deep. Deeper than even Lucifer imagined.”
“Let’s stop speaking of my father,” Asa snapped, rising from his chair. The vein near his temple throbbed. “He was foolish and weak. Getting himself locked in a cage by those brats. It’s almost embarrassing to be his son.”
Belphegor’s jaw tightened. And for a very brief moment, his eyes were murderous. It quickly faded, like all other emotion that came from him. The man was a brick wall. “My point is, we can’t track Penemuel through a mind link or blood bond like the cursed sons can. Which is the only reason he’s still alive right now.”
“Penemuel will be dealt with,” Asa said, tone hard. “But first, I want my sword. So then I can drive it through his chest.”
“Speaking of…” Vepar sat up, the necklace he wore jangling as it slid across his golden skin. “Care to fill us in on why you allowed our most valuable prisoner to escape? Belphie was so close to breaking him.”
Belphie.The nickname was funny when paired with the scowling angel at the table. The two of them had been screwing ever since Vepar joined our ranks. They had seemed close right from the start—perhaps they’d been lovers thousands of years ago too.
“It’s not your place to question me,” Asa told him.
“Actually, boy, it is,” Vepar responded. “I’m one of your advisors, am I not? So allow me to advise you. You’re on that throne because you have the Morningstar’s blood running through your veins. But now it’s your responsibility to prove you belong there. You can’t rule an entire realm and command armies with your daddy’s reputation alone.”
I braced myself for the explosion of anger that was sure to follow. Vepar spoke the truth, yet Asa didn’t always want the truth. He wanted praise. When it came to Lucifer, he had deep insecurities as well. He feared he’d never live up to him.
That explosion never came.
Asa took a deep breath and expelled it. “You make a fair point. Lust was close to breaking, but Belphegor informed me that break might never come. His spirit was still too strong. And though cutting him up into tiny pieces would’ve been quite pleasant, it wouldn’t have gotten me any closer to Light Bringer.” He looked at me. “You were failing too. He would’ve never confided in you. So I formed a new plan.”
“Care to share what that plan is?” Vepar asked.
“All in good time,” Asa answered. “That’s all I’m willing to say for now. But rest assured. I’ve seen how this plays out. As long as we play our cards right, everything will fall into place as it should.”
That piqued my interest. It caused a knot of worry too.
“I had a vision,” Asa continued. “It happened last December when we were searching for Gusion’s key. I visited a seer for an answer to the key’s location, and she showed me something else instead. Something better. I saw all seven of those Nephilim die. They lay on the ground. All dead. And at the center of that vision? Light Bringer glowed bright.”
My stomach rolled. He’d seen Bellamy’s death.
“So you see?” Asa smirked. “One way or another, I’ll get my sword. It’s only a matter ofwhen. How it happens may change, but if I wield Light Bringer, all paths lead to that wonderfully dark night when the cursed sons draw their final breath.”
“You trust this seer?” I asked. “Many are known to deceive. She could’ve just told you what you wanted to hear.”
“The seer’s vision was the truth,” Belphegor said, a hard edge to his voice. “I was present when she showed Asa. I then tapped into her mind to see the truth for myself.”
“Ah, yes.” Asa looked over at him, still smirking. “You saw your darling son die. It’s why you’ve tried so hard to get him to switch sides and join us. But you can’t change his fate, Belphegor. He and the rest of his so-called brothers will die by my hand.”
