Page 65 of To Crave Madly
“Yes, your Majesty.”
As we approached the main hall, raised voices drifted down the corridor. The place wasn’t completely deserted, then. I threw the grand doors open and swanned in like I owned the place. There was something satisfying about making a grand entrance. I did enjoy being the centre of attention.
The angels that made up the Council immediately ceased their conversations and fixed their eyes upon me. Normally there were twelve angels that made up the Council, but I could only see eleven. Hmm… Michael was missing. I wonder where he had absented himself to?
The angel in the centre strolled forward. He was a monolith, standing head and shoulders above the others, bedecked in a warrior’s armour which was polished to a high shine. Long golden locks flowed behind him and his silver eyes burned bright with the flame of righteousness. “What are you doing here?”
“Nice to see you too, Camael.” I cocked my head to the side and put my hands in my pockets. Such a display of disrespect would just serve to piss them off, which of course was the only reason I did it.
“I shall ask again, Lucifer. What are you doing here?” Camael strode closer, leaving the protective circle of angels behind him. The fact that they stood in a huddle rather than sat in the designated seats spoke of unease. Something must be very wrong to upset the Upper Council like this. Add to this the fact that Michael was nowhere to be seen, and I was certainly intrigued.
“You keep refusing to see me, so I thought I’d drop in for a little chit-chat.”
“We do not have time for your games. Leave before I smite thee and have you banished for a second time.” Camael rested his hand on the hilt of his sword. It was his most prized possession and for good reason. That weapon was a gift from the Divine One. It was called the Faithkeeper and it had the glorious power to smite any being from existence. It didn’t matter if the creature was mortal, immortal, indestructible or even some type of god-like creature; that weapon didn’t discriminate. If you were deemed unworthy to exist by the Divine, then that weapon would obliterate you with one mere scratch of its lethal blade. There was no other weapon like it in the Universe, and Camael was given it as Protector of the Realm. He was the Divine’s top avenging angel, leader of the Guardians and Keeper of the Faith. He was obedient, virtuous, and loyal to the Divine. If it was in the name of the Divine, then he would execute all orders to the letter without question and without hesitation.
“Don’t be ridiculous, Camael. Not even the Divine could banish me for a second time.”
He growled at me but was stopped from continuing by Jegudiel. At least I could count on him to show mercy and a little more than common sense.
“Lucifer, what can we help you with?” His wizened voice spoke of wisdom and patience, unlike Camael who was quick to judge and even quicker to smite.
“We have a problem and I think a Celestial is involved.”
Murmurs of disbelief rippled through the gathering of angels and Camael cried outrage at the notion. Jegudiel silenced the crowd with a mere lift of his hand. As Speaker of the Council, Jegudiel was the perfect combination of authority and fairness. He was the voice of reason in a sea of chaos, and I was glad for his control of the other angels. I didn’t want this meeting to get out of hand, especially since Camael was clearly itching to let the Faithkeeper have his say.
“You are mistaken, Lucifer. A Celestial would not involve themselves with matters not of this world without the prior authorisation of the Council.”
“And you’re sure about that?” I asked, taking my time to look at every single angel in the room. They looked uncomfortable and I became very much aware that they were trying to hide something from me.
“Yes,” Camael replied angrily.
“Well, I have a Sin Reaper that says otherwise.”
A sneer curled Camael’s lip at the mere suggestion that I thought he was lying. The funny thing about my lie detector skill was that it didn’t work on angels. They were sneaky creatures. They never lied exactly, but they had quite the skill at omitting the truth or bending it ever so slightly that they could get away with not lying to another being and yet still manage to not be entirely truthful.
“We have all heard about your little pet,” Camael spat.
“And have you heard that mages are being manipulated to steal the witches? No doubt to make it look like the two factions are having a dispute, but that’s beside the point. The Sin Reaper had a Celestial presence in her mind, hence my necessity to speak to the Council.”
Camael was about to answer my statement, but Jegudiel raised his hand cutting off his impending tirade. “Lucifer, I tell you again. It cannot be Celestial. The Council have not sanctioned any involvement in the Under Realm or the Mortal Plane.”
A thought popped into my brain and the question suddenly demanded an answer. “But what if it’s a direct order from the Divine? Surely that wouldn’t need the involvement of the Council?”
Jegudiel’s brow deepened into a frown, his bushy eyebrows almost touching as they descended. “I suppose it is possible, but—”
“It is unlikely,” Camael cut in. “The Divine does not act without informing the Council.”
I chuckled. “You obviously don’t know the Divine One as well as I do. Where is my brother Michael?”
“Erm, he is occupied,” Jegudiel said, a nervous tremor in his voice.
“Oh? Occupied with what?”
“With Divine matters,” the warrior angel interjected. He really didn’t like me being here and I got the feeling I was starting to overstay my welcome.
“Interesting,” I murmured. “Well, thank you for your time. It has been most… illuminating.”
I turned on my heel and signalled Darius to follow me. The citadel was still empty and the city itself quieter than I remembered it being. It wasn’t until we were stepping into the elevator that I voiced my thoughts.
