Page 26 of The Morning Star
Tasma nodded, taking another drink of milk. “Caramort claimed he already had killed a few dozen incredibly inept angels who, unbelievably, were just clueless, strolling around the human world. He said it was like shooting fish in a barrel, but it had gotten to the point that there was no real status in nabbing those angels any more. Seems killing them was commonplace and so ridiculously easy that a Low could probably do it. He wanted to take on the more savvy angels, the higher-level ones. Even Grigori. It wasn’t just the increased bounty on them, it was the status in having killed an angel that actually posed somewhat of a challenge.”
“Was Caramort going to target Grigori enforcers?” If so, it seemed like I’d found my man…or demon. But what about the transmutation? Or the weird Samuel-esque energy signature? Did Caramort have talents beyond that of a run-of-the-mill mid-level warmonger? And if so, why the heck would he need Tasma?
The Ancient chuckled. “It would be suicide for a mid-level demon to try to take on a Grigori enforcer solo. Although I’ve met many demons who were predisposed to such a thing, Caramort did not strike me as one. That could be why he was attempting to enlist an Ancient to be his partner.”
“Could you do it? Kill a Grigori enforcer? Transmute him?”
“It would be an even match, and I’m afraid I would be at a disadvantage as they have kept their fighting skills honed, where I have spent my time in Hel concentrating on other matters. As far as transmutation…that is not my skill. I would seek to destroy the physical form in another way so that he could not create a new one in time.”
Hmm. Caramort? Or Remiel? Or maybe both. Perhaps Remiel was behind this whole thing, and Caramort was just trying to add a few choice wings to his collection. Once I was done with Tasma, I’d need to see if Remiel was still in Hel for a quick meeting.
“Who is offering the bounty?” I asked, hoping he didn’t say Samael.
“We didn’t get that far in the conversation.” Tasma shook his head. “Caramort was cagey, no doubt worried that I’d ditch him and go straight to the source. Once I made it clear I wasn’t interested, he clammed up completely.”
“Do you have any ideas who might be behind it? What Ancient has the power to take on Grigori enforcers, can transmute, and has enough of a grudge that he’d offer bounties on angel wings?” I asked him.
He chuckled. “As far as the latter, any of us. Any of us who fought in the war, who suffered the banishment, is carrying around a grudge. I might not stick my neck out to hunt down enforcers on my own, but there are a few angels I’d probably pay to see dead.”
“But who has a grudge against not only Grigori, but against the angels as a whole? That transmutes and has got enough power and influence to back this up?”
“Remiel, Piersel, Bechar, Gediel, Asmodiel, oh and quite possibly Nebibos or Malphas. And maybe another dozen or so Ancients that I can’t think of off the top of my head.” He gave me an insipid smile. “The Ancients are all awake, and many are emboldened by Remiel’s success in retaking Aaru. They believe our time has come, that we can finally have our revenge for what happened two-and-a-half-million years ago.”
Great. Basically it could be any of the Ancients, although my money right now was on Remiel. I’d try to see the Ancient, but if he wasn’t in Hel, then my next course of action would be to find this Caramort and beat the ever loving shit out of him until he told me who it was. But before I left Tasma, there was one more thing I wanted to know.
“How about Samael?”
He blinked, then shifted uncomfortably in his chair. “What about him?”
“You didn’t mention his name. I’m pretty sure he can transmute and kill a Grigori enforcer blindfolded. And he’s got a huge grudge against the entire angelic host.”
“No one has heard a word about Samael since the fall.” Again, he shifted in his chair, turning his gaze toward one of the Lows. “We all assumed he was dead.”
“Is there any Ancient that can fake his energy signature? Because there was an incident across the gates that had a calling card that bore a resemblance to Samael’s energy.”
Tasma caught his breath. “I…I don’t know. I’m sure it’s possible. There have been many over the last two million years who have claimed to be Samael, but most of them were idiots just trying to get a band of demons to follow them. They’d last a few weeks until one of their household killed them, or a curious Ancient went to see what all the fuss was about and killed them.”
“But an Ancient impersonating Samael?” I pressed. “Has that ever happened? Someone with the power and skill to pull it off?”
He smiled. “Why would one of us do that? We have a reputation. We have status. The effort it would take to pull off such a hoax, especially with the other Ancients, would be enormous. And there’s no reason for it.”
Unless they weren’t trying to fool other Ancients, just four archangels who had been living with a whole lot of guilt for two-and-a-half-million years.
My thoughts began to stray the other way. Maybe this was Samael, who’d slumbered in spite of what Doriel had said, and who had suddenly awoken to see an opportunity for revenge before him. He wasn’t an idiot from what Gregory said. If he’d heard what Remiel had found, or not found, in Aaru, he must have known what happened to the angels, and that they’d be sitting ducks, in corporeal form in the human world.
“So have you heard any rumors of Samael awakening and assembling an army? Do you think he could possibly be behind this bounty?”
Tasma mused on that one for a minute, stroking one of his Lows’ furry back as he thought.
“I haven’t heard any rumors, but the scenario is plausible. If Samael was alive, I’m sure revenge would be at the top of his agenda.”
“But then why wouldn’t he gather the Ancients who were in his army before? Why put out a bounty and pull together a gang of mid-level demons? Why not announce to all of Hel that he was back and ready for action?”
And why not take his sword back? I felt the weapon nearby, at the ready for me, and I had the impression that this sword didn’t serve two masters. But what did I know? I’d not had the thing in my possession for very long.
Tasma met my gaze for a moment. “We lost the war. We failed him. If he hasn’t contacted any of us since the fall, there’s probably a good reason why.”
Ouch. But was Samael’s ego so overblown that he seriously thought he could wipe out the angels and take the human world without the help of anyone but a group of mid-level demons? Unless his goal wasn’t the annihilation of the entire angelic host.
