“You have struck down one of the Lord’s faithful.” His eyes settled on me.
Not willing to be bullied, I stood my ground. “I can’t imagine God would be real happy to know your angel was cavorting with demons.”
Gabriel didn’t look surprised. “God is forgiving. And in these difficult times, I have no doubt He would reward those who serve His desires so fervently, be they angel, man, or demon.”
“The end justifies the means, huh?” I could feel my anger getting the better of me.
Scarlett stepped in. “We know not God’s will, Gabriel.” That had to hurt for her to admit. The archangel laughed. “No, you do not know His will. You whose bloodline is tainted by the Devil’s seed could never understand His holy plan.” He sneered at her. “Do not speak to me, for your very voice curdles the blood in my veins. You are a demon in all but name.”
That wounded Scarlett deeper than any blade ever could. In one sentence, Gabriel had taken her pride from her, wounded her to her very core. Despite how much of a pain in the ass Scarlett could be, Gabriel had no right to speak to her like that. It made me angry.
“Your God is gone, His relevance with Him.” I stepped toward Gabriel. “His plans and desires don’t mean shit anymore. Had He cared, He would have told us what He wanted instead of leaving us to figure it out. So don’t go being all self-righteous like you have a clue, some secret insight into what God wants. We all know damn well know you don’t. You’re as much in the dark as everyone else.”
Gabriel matched my forward step with one of his own. His hand settled on the pommel of his sword.
“Spawn of Lucifer. Do not presume to speak of that which you cannot understand. God shall be a part of the faithful forever. It will be in His name I carve the tongue from your blasphemous mouth.”
Rahim stepped between us. I could tell that was the last place he wanted to be. I had to give the guy credit for stepping up though. “Had you intended to strike us down, it would have already been so.” He gestured to Katon, who grabbed my shoulder and pulled me back. I didn’t resist much. “So saying, why have you come?”
“You are wise, wizard.” Gabriel’s hand slid away from his sword. The smile crept back to his lips.
“Armageddon is a foregone conclusion. God has seen fit to bring it about and so it shall be. After which, there is to be a new Genesis, a rebirth of all which is good, righteous, and pious. I would rather not be forced to destroy the misguided among you because of a misunderstanding. You and your people, with but a few exceptions-” He turned and looked at me. “-are good people. You do what you believe to be right, but unintentionally, you work against God. I am but His servant, yet I know His will as if it were my own. He would be merciful to you, and as He would be, so will I.”
“And God desires the end of world?”
“It has long since become obsolete. The humans wage war under the guise of false gods, false beliefs. They pervert His holy texts with their petty schemes and defile the planet as well as each other. They commit atrocities in the name of God, which cannot be forgiven. They ravage the land, murder the children, and rape the tenets of His holy faith. Could He desire anything less?” He paused a moment, waiting for an answer. None came. “The time has come for a reckoning.”
Rahim drew in a deep breath and let it out in a whistling sigh. “What would you have us do?”
“Stand aside. Let the demons bring about their own end and allow Armageddon to move forward. This age is past. What stands before us is the true glory that God has promised. We will bask in the light of our Lord as Adam once did, knowing no evil, shame, or desire. At the end of our existence is yet another, more befitting our status as servants of the Lord.”
Son of a bitch! It was right then I realized how Asmoday had been able to capture an angel for his little science project.
Gabriel had done it for him.
“You speak of treason yet you hand over one of your own to Asmoday in order to further your cause.”
Rahim and Scarlett hissed in unison as what I’d said sunk in. It made perfect sense. I’m sure we were all surprised I was the one to figure it out. Gabriel’s eyes narrowed. “Glorius serves willingly. He understands his sacrifice will be the catalyst that brings about Armageddon. He was honored to give up his life so God’s will could be realized.”
“You sent Glorius to Asmoday?” Scarlett screamed at him. “He’s being tortured!”
“Glorius serves God. His pain is nothing compared to that of the world. It will soon end, ushering in a new age unburdened by sin. He will be revered, as was Christ. He accepts this. He would have it no other way.”
Scarlett just stared, unable to speak. I could, but for once, I decided not to. I didn’t have anything good to say.
Rahim took the opportunity to step in. I could see by stiffness in his shoulders, the slight hunch in his stance, he was getting ready to fight. While I had always respected the man, his willingness to stand up to Gabriel earned him the ‘Biggest Balls of All Time’ award.
“With all due respect, I cannot deny my heart, nor can I ask it of those who stand by my side.” He bowed, but his eyes never left Gabriel’s. “With God gone, I cannot in good faith follow the word of any who claim to speak for Him. It is to His word alone I must cling to and I have not yet heard His call for the end. I’m sorry, but I must stand against you.”
“So be it, wizard. I know you to be a man of faith, but you have been led astray. I will look for you at the end of days where you will be given one final chance to stand up for your convictions, however errant they may be.” He nodded to Rahim. “It will be an honor to face you on the field of battle.”
In silence, Gabriel lifted the body of his angelic companion and cradled him in his arms. Despite all our bluster, no one moved to stop him. He looked to us and I could see the disappointment in his eyes. He bowed his head and his mystical wings spread from his back. With one powerful flap, he sprung into the air, a cool breeze whipping about us in his wake. In a blink of an eye, he was out of sight, obscured by the dark night. I could hear the collective sighs of those around me.
“We’re fucked.” I said it, but I knew everyone around me was thinking the same thing, albeit probably less crudely.
Scarlett waved her hands about like she was having a seizure, clearly having a hard time coping with Page 120 all we’d learned. She turned away and I thought I heard a sob. I didn’t have time to check on her before she too leaped into the air and flew away. Once she was gone, I turned back to Rahim and Katon.
“So, is my assessment correct?”
Rahim didn’t respond, but Katon laughed. It was one of those laughs you usually associate with people who have lost their minds. I think Rahim was kinda surprised it didn’t come from me.
“Gabriel’s involvement with Asmoday definitely ups the stakes,” Katon answered after he’d gotten his chuckles under control. “Even if we had Baalth’s full cooperation, we’d still be underpowered. I’ve yet to find where they’re keeping Glorius, so they’ve still got a card in play. For that matter, I’m not even sure taking him out would make a difference now. If what Gabriel said is true, he could just as easily find another angel to sacrifice himself.”
Rahim interrupted. “Keep looking for Glorius. While I don’t know about what, I got the sense Gabriel wasn’t being entirely truthful. There’s some other piece to the puzzle we aren’t seeing.”
“Angels lie?” I scoffed.
Rahim ignored me. “Katon, return to the hunt. If we can at least delay their plans, it will give us the opportunity to seek out a more permanent solution.”