Chapter 46 #2
On Earth, Michael said, “Satan tried to strike God down from His Throne during the war. I stopped him.” He realized now why Rosier had handed him the sword, what he meant by it, and he turned to give him a look in thanks, but Rosier was in Armoni’s arms now, face solemn and empty.
“I don’t know what would have happened if I hadn’t taken this sword back from him.
” He faced Baal again, and he stiffly added, “You said that Satan failed to kill God, but he failed because of me. And I won’t fight for God ever again.
” For Lucifer, if not for himself. ‘You’re not the Lucifer I fell in love with, but I kissed you, and I felt you, and I loved you — whoever you are.
Lucifer, Satan, devil. Live and die a million more times — my heart will follow. ’
“What about that Dina?” Baal suddenly said. “What about the other archangels?”
“The other archangels don’t believe in God much more,” Michael answered truthfully; he had been the one who insisted they follow God’s will even when they didn’t want to.
He would have to spend an eternity trying to make it up to them, as well.
He had another eternity set aside for Satan, and yet another for Joana.
Michael had long accepted his death because there was nothing ahead of him, and now there was almost too much.
“Baal,” he called again. “Please. Do it for Lucifer.”
Baal was quiet, and he looked back at his demons, who stared at him, too, with conflicted faces and uncomfortable shifts, then he turned to Rosier again.
Visibly, the regent clenched and unclenched his jaw before he licked up the last of the dried blood on his bottom lip.
Lowering his voice to almost a private hiss, he said, “I don’t trust you.
” Then, however, he surrendered, “For Lucifer, I’ll try it.
But the second that I see that we’re wasting time, I’ll feed you to God myself. ”
“I won’t stop you,” Michael promised.
Nearby, Azazel turned to his Watchers, and he said to them, “For our human loves, for our children, for everything that ever happened to us. And because of what we became — beasts like what we bore on Earth.”
“Well,” grumbled Danel, “the one leading us to the stars is gone, so perhaps suicide is our best option indeed.” And Baraqiel twitched beside him. Some laughed low, bitterly. A small moment of peace.
When Dina arrived at the coast, he wore stolen armor — the helmet, chest plate, and some coverings for his arms that the pegasus had carried on its saddles.
And now the angel reeled in his wings as he began to walk through what had once been a sea but had gone dry.
He had swam through the shallows here with two young men — one the anti-Christ and one a soldier — but now he walked through dry sand and between some suffocated fish.
Here, like at the road, there were some hints of humanity long gone — garbage, abandoned beach chairs and umbrellas, though very few human bodies.
Dina continued walking until he saw the sea floor dip and the narrow, rocky mouths that lead into the underwater caves.
They didn’t look so terrible when it wasn’t pitch dark, though the red light of a setting apocalyptic sun didn’t make the descent into Hell look very inviting either.
Dina didn’t hesitate to start crawling through it, even moving quickly.
Though hellfire had erupted out of so many gashes into Hell, this one was dark and not particularly hot.
It must have spat out its fire long ago, but once Dina traveled deep into it, the heat began to rise slow, as if he were sitting in a furnace.
‘Will I survive long enough in Hell to find them? Satan. Tadeo.’ Dina didn’t want to die, but he’d come this far.
Heart stinging in fear, Dina watched as flames swelled at the end of the tunnel, and before he could even begin his thoughts of retreat, his hand slipped, and he plunged into the inferno.
Silent still, Tadeo and Satan soon heard a new screaming nearby.
Neither of them reacted much, assuming an angel, demon, or human had fallen inside and was burning alive brutally.
But the screaming didn’t stop, it continued for many seconds, far longer than it would take for someone to burn to ash.
And so Tadeo, tiredly, lifted his head, and Satan managed to do the same, terrible body twisting.
There was a flash nearby of something, like a glass shard beneath the sun.
The devil called out to it: “Who’s there? ”
The voice was still wailing in agony, but then it forced out, “Follow me!” Dina’s words, broken and wet. “Follow me out! Tadeo! Lucifer!”
“Dina?” Tadeo called, but a burst of anger almost made him growl like a Beast. “Fuck you! Fuck you for everything that you’ve done!”
Dina said, “If you follow me, I can get you out of here— Please hurry— Please—”
Satan replied: “I can’t move.”
“Please,” Dina was still begging, and the shape of him began to bloom from the flames. “Please.” His legs were gone, finishing in burnt stumps at his thighs but the rest of him remained, hidden beneath demonic armor however much hellfire raged.
Tadeo hesitated, then he finally looked down at himself, and he saw a monster. “I can cut you free, Satan.” The devil didn’t reply. “But — you must promise to kill God.”
“I’ve always wanted to kill God,” snapped Satan.
Tadeo shook his head. “Kill Him entirely. Kill the God in Heaven, and kill the God on Earth.” Kill the God in the devil’s head. “Promise it to me.”
Satan still argued: “There will always be a God. He cannot die. He wishes He could die.” But the second that those words left the devil’s mouth, he twitched again, and then he laughed, deep, happily. “That is what He wants, isn’t it? All God has ever wanted is to die.”