The Third Throne: Angel of Darkness (43 page)

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Gabriel looked out over the cliff, searching for the best way to tell Anjali about the Predznak, so that he wouldn’t scare her.  “You will have to subdue and tame ten angels.  They were once Heavenly Angels who had different responsibilities than they do now, and like Lucifer, they volunteered for the honor to become Harbingers.  However, unlike Lucifer, they had to undergo a transformation that would turn them into a Predznak, and then fall from Heaven to reside in the Mortal Realm.  For this reason, they are considered Fallen Angels.  The Predznak are the most dangerous angels imaginable.  Their power, like yours, knows few bounds when combined with their Master.  You will need to treat them with caution.  Even when you think you have them under control, you will still need to keep your wits about you.  They are devious and cunning.  Do not let them get the upper hand,” Gabriel warned.

“I understand,” Anjali listened carefully and tried to remember everything her father said.

“The Angel of Distrust, Haydn, will be a challenge for you.  He will try to turn you against everyone you have faith in.  If you listen to him, he will make you hate everyone you hold dear because you no longer trust them.  He has no friends and few allies.  He was the first to turn against the other Predznak.  He will be difficult to convince of your intentions,” Gabriel looked into his daughter’s eyes, mad that she had to fight her own angels, all because he wouldn’t let her embrace her destiny.

Lucifer walked into the Annex and passed Haydn’s door on the left.  He always thought Haydn was aptly named.  He spent more time “hiding” in the shadows stalking people and spying on them than roaming out in the open.  He was as paranoid as they came.  He was cocky, sadistic, and ruthless at interrogating.  They could have been best friends, if Haydn had any friends.  He could turn lovers, friends, and family against one another until there was nothing but bodies lining the floor.  It was best to keep a healthy distance from Distrust; otherwise, you would be standing alone, fighting without an ally at your back.

“The one I am most wary of is The Angel of Vengeance, Balthazar.  He is skilled in battle and never loses.  He lives by his own set of rules and doesn’t believe he needs a Master.  Be careful not to betray him, or he will never let you out of his crosshairs.  He is brutal and won’t stop once he locks on to his target,” Gabriel warned.

Lucifer passed Balthazar’s door on the right.  He had always kept close tabs on Balthazar, when he resided in Hell.  He was the most thorough warrior he’d ever laid eyes on, but he was obsessive about his targets.  He focused on one temptee and systematically taught them how to destroy their enemy and anyone they ever knew, until he or she had killed scores of people, damning their soul to Hell.  The fallout was massive.  Lucifer appreciated his results, even if they were long in coming.  Balthazar could take years to fully corrupt someone, but when he did, they sought vengeance on a grand scale.  If anyone personally betrayed him, that person, and anyone who knew the Godforsaken person, suffered greatly.

“You will need to find The Angel of Agony, Rayan, as quickly as possible.  All who face him suffer unimaginably.  The pain and misery that he inflicts is unbearable,” Gabriel shook his head as he thought about what Rayan was capable of doing.

Rayan’s door was on the left and one he rarely visited.  Rayan could make the happiest person on earth want to slit his own wrists, throw himself from a building, and then set himself on fire.  He was a master at creating searing pain, depression, misery, and despair.  Lucifer had suffered at his hands once, and that had been enough for him.  Lucifer had tried to recruit him as a punisher in the realms, only to realize that he went beyond what was needed to torture the souls in Hell.  The prisoners should consider themselves lucky that he hadn’t kept Rayan as a punisher.

“The Angel of Desire, Zacharael, is more dangerous than you will think.  He will make you forget your mission and lead you down a path that will end in your ruin.  Desire isn’t just about sex; it’s about wanting things to make yourself happy.  You will crave things you never dreamed of and you will leave everything behind to obtain these things.  It’s about instant gratification for silly things, material things,” Gabriel shuddered when he thought about Anjali trying to win Zacharael over.  He prayed that she was strong enough to resist what most couldn’t: lust, greed, frivolity, and sex.

Lucifer chuckled when he saw Zacharael’s door.  Zacharael was considered the most beautiful angel, a title that had once been Lucifer’s when he resided in Heaven.  Zacharael could make a person want to do things they would normally never consider.  People lost their minds and threw away their money, happiness, and their lives, all for a moment’s pleasure.  He ruined the mortals around him and took delight in doing so.  Lucifer smirked when he thought about how he had bested the asshole just before he left Hell.

“You have heard about the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse from stories and rumors, but I am telling you that they are real and they are the worst of the Predznak.  The Angel of Anger, Aeries, also known as War, is a strong warrior.  Without your power, he can convince the mortals to start fights or skirmishes, but once joined with you, he can create global wars that will tear the mortals apart.  Never underestimate him and never take your eyes off him or it will lead to your undoing,” it was imperative that she take precaution with him.  He feared Aeries the most because he had seen firsthand the carnage that came from his sword and fists.

Lucifer rolled his eyes at Aeries’ door.  The angel had a worse temper than he did and his fists were considered lethal weapons.  The psychopath could literally tear armies apart and lay siege to any place in the Mortal Realm, if he desired.  He and Aeries had fought constantly in the beginning, until he banished him from the Throne Room.  He secretly feared that Aeries would wage war against Hell and take over.  Thankfully, Aeries had never tried, though he knew he would have succeeded.  No one who opposed Aeries lived to brag about it.

“Elrick, The Angel of Hunger, also known as Famine, is the second horseman.  He is smart and charismatic.  People tend to like him and listen to him.  Do not be fooled by what seem to be sensible words.  His gift isn’t about starvation.  It’s about need.  He thrives on pushing people to kill for what they consider theirs.  Do not let him invade your mind, as he is insane,” Gabriel grabbed Anjali’s shoulders and shook her to make her understand the level of threat that Elrick posed.

Lucifer stopped when he approached Elrick’s door.  Though he hated the angel, there was something about him that made him likable.  He was the most charming of the Predznak though one of the most lethal.  Whereas Zacharael’s power was about want, wanting foolish things, dangerous things, Elrick’s power was about need.  He preyed on a person’s need for basic necessities.  He tempted people to kill for food, water, shelter, and security.  Zacharael could cause a riot over expensive shoes; Elrick could cause mass panic and hysteria over the thought of losing food and water supplies, and shelter, which would lead to death.  He brought Doomsday planning to a whole new level.

Gabriel hated to mention the next Predznak.  He was the most despised and no one liked to speak about him.  Even mentioning his name aloud made the other angels anxious.  It was like invoking the boogeyman.  “Beware of The Angel of Fear, Tristan.  While he isn’t a horseman, he should have been.  He can scare the devil himself.  No one enjoys being in his presence, not even me.  All who have gotten too close to him have taken their own lives to escape the thoughts he puts into their heads.  Unfortunately, he has been greatly affected by his own temptation.  It will be a challenge to obtain him,” Gabriel subdued a shiver and even felt compelled to look over his shoulder.  He stood firm and reminded himself that Tristan wouldn’t dare confront Anjali without a good reason.

Lucifer quickly walked, though some would consider it running, passed Tristan’s door.  The most feared angel in all of Hell should have been him, but in truth, it was Tristan.  Lucifer hated being around him.  A person could lose their mind when Tristan spoke of their greatest fears.  He would take a silly or unreasonable thought, like the roof collapsing and crushing you to death in your own home, and turn it into a real fear by using suspicion, dread, paranoia, panic, and mania.  Tristan once convinced him that his throne was going to eat him.  It took him a week to be able to sit in it without cringing.  It was no wonder that Tristan was good at punishing the prisoners in the Realm of Nightmares.

“The Angel of Illness, Solren, is madder than a hatter and the third horseman.  He is truly deranged.  I would tell you to avoid him, but it is important that you find him.  Treat him delicately since he suffers from multiple personality syndrome.  You never know which side of him you are speaking to,” Gabriel loathed talking to Solren.  It was worse than conversing with five people, all with different opinions, trying to tell you their side of the story.

Lucifer cringed when he passed Solren’s door.  Solren was the reason that plagues spread quickly throughout the world and why mortals needed therapists.  While he couldn’t create an actual sickness, his power lay with the mind.  He caused people’s minds to breakdown and could drive anyone insane.  He used his ability to wear people down and make them complacent and uncaring when it came to preventing diseases.  It was a kind of hysteria and it cost millions their lives.  He could convince a germophobe to lie in a sewer and rot, or the sanest man that he was plagued by phantom dogs that could speak to him.  His illusions were deadly, though he had to give Solren some credit since he was the one who had invented the means to torture the souls in the Realm of Nightmares.  He both admired and hated Solren.

“The leader of this unique group is The Angel of Death, Alazar.  He is also the final horseman.  I will be very blunt and tell you that he is an ass.  He is selfish, self-absorbed, and can kill you from across the room without a single weapon.  Never be complacent around him, or it will be your downfall.  He cares nothing for the mortals and does as he pleases.  He will be hardest to gain control of, but you must find him,” Gabriel feared that his daughter might not survive a round with Alazar.

Lucifer clenched his fists when he passed Alazar’s door.  Lucifer was angry that he had led the Predznak out of Hell, but was glad to be rid of him.  He was arrogant and snide.  He feared nothing and could kill with a single look from his mesmerizing ice blue eyes.  Alazar was one of the most dangerous angels ever created, and Lucifer would be the first in line to spit on his grave and do a jig on it when he died.  He had a feeling that even Anjali’s limitless patience would wear thin when dealing with Alazar.  It was quite possible that she would be forced to take his head, before he tried to take hers.

“The last Predznak is Sacha, the Angel of Deception and he will be nearly impossible to find.  He has evaded everyone who has hunted him.  I swear the angel can hide in plain sight on a sunny day.  He will lie, cheat, and make a fool out of anyone stupid enough to get close to him.  Do not let your guard down around him,” Gabriel looked away from Anjali.  He hated knowing that she had to possess each of the lunatics, but it was her destiny.

Lucifer approached the last door on the right.  Sacha, the arrogant son of a bitch who believed he could simply waltz into his domain and kick the shit out one of his Fallen, needed a lesson in manners.  Lucifer kicked open Sacha’s door and lunged into the room.  He was ready to be attacked, but found nothing but dust and soot assaulting his senses.  He looked around the room and found that nothing had been disturbed.  He could clearly see the lack of footprints or scuff marks in the soot that covered all the furniture.  No one had been here in centuries.  It seemed that the game was on.

Anjali tried to picture each of the Predznak and remember what they were capable of, but somehow she kept them all straight in her mind.  “How will I know where to find them or who they are, if I do stumble upon them?  How do I become their Master?” there were a thousand questions buzzing in her head.

“You will figure it out when the time is right.  Remember that you were created to be their Master, so no matter what they do or say, you will find a way to make them serve you, as they were meant to.  You will know what to do when you find them.  As to where they are, I cannot help you.  It has been a long time since I have seen any of them,” Gabriel stopped and turned his head as if he were listening to something in the distance.  “Duty calls, I’m afraid.  Now that Lucifer has allowed you to leave Hell, you will be able to visit me anytime.  Simply call for me and I will do my best to come to you or send an envoy in my absence.  I am so proud of you, my darling daughter,” Gabriel hugged her and smiled just before he vanished.

Anjali looked out over the cliff at the mountains in the distance and contemplated what she should do.  She had no idea where to find ten angels or what to do when she did find them, but she had faith that she was destined to use them to bring about the end of the world.

As she stood up to leave the cliff and return to Hell, movement from the corner of her eye caught her attention.  For a split second, she thought she saw her English teacher, Mr. Timmons, standing on a bluff, watching her.  She shook her head and reminded herself that she was in Norway, not New Jersey.

She didn’t want to leave the sunlight, but she had promised Lucifer that she would return to him.  She closed her eyes and entered the Hall of Mirrors.

∞

Lucifer had ordered a thorough search of Hell, but Sacha was nowhere to be found, not that he had expected to find him.  He was sure that Deception was long gone.  He was disturbed by the thought of Sacha prowling around, causing problems in his Hell.  He needed to figure out why he had dared to return, though he knew it had to do with Anjali.  The problem was he didn’t know what Sacha’s intentions were.