The Angels' Pride Read online

  Right now she had to go and apologise to Gabriel, which would be a trial in itself. Still she had learned a few things over the centuries of annoying Gabriel. She responded to respectability and appearances. Gabriel was always one for appearances. She was, after all, the most beautiful and most powerful Angel in all of Heaven. Appearances meant a lot to her.

  She sat down in front of her mirror, trying to think what look would ease Gabriel’s anger the most. She was stumped.

  Chapter 2

  It had been as bad as she had thought it would be. Gabriel had been in a really spiteful rage. The usual apologies had not been enough. Still it was partially her own fault, she knew just how touchy the topic of Lucifer was with Gabriel- she had been known to erupt at the very mention of his name- but she had wanted to prove a point.

  It was true after all. Gabriel worried over her brother, his defection had done something to her mind. Michael had said when loved ones hurt you their cuts and scars ran much deeper than normal ones. She guessed she understood, but she figured that she and Michael had a different relationship than the one Gabriel and Lucifer had once shared.

  She wondered how Gabriel must have felt to have thought peace had finally come to Heaven after the War only to discover that her very own brother was stirring rebellion. And that the rebellion had stripped Heaven of two-thirds of its numbers. She supposed she could sort of understand Gabriel’s obsessive wrath.

  After her torturous apology, Gabriel had decided she needed extensive humbling. It was in punishments that Gabriel’s vindictive nature was allowed full control. She had been assigned to cleaning- anything and everything, from the kitchens to the bathrooms to the armoury and library. If the sewers had ever needed cleaning or fixing, she felt sure she would have been assigned to that. Thankfully they did what they did without ever needing fixing or cleaning, which was just as well because no one knew how they worked. It would have been most unseemly for streams of sewage to cascade from underneath the Citadel. Though it did leave many unanswered questions.

  For Sariel though her punishment was more of a relief than anything else, for it allowed her to escape the mundane routine of her everyday life. She would be free from being force-fed the books on the history of the War and Fall, the grimoires on magic she couldn’t learn. Every now and then she’d be given something different if equally boring- books on warfare, agriculture, weapon making, governance, architecture- though she had to admit while the way it was written was incredibly boring, architecture itself she found fascinating.

  Now she had access to the library, she doubted that either of them would understand that their punishment would delight her so much. Now she had the freedom to peruse the shelves while cleaning them. She was excited to find out what was contained within them.

  But first, she had to report to Mary for the other domestic duties. She knew it would be bathrooms first, before kitchens and once that was all taken care of she would finally get to be in the library.

  As she had expected, she had first been assigned to routine cleaning and maintenance of waste disposal. It was disgusting without the aid of magic, but she didn’t hate it. The other Elders used magic for everything, it was their lifeblood, any that were given these tasks crumbled quickly. She was used to her lack of magic, her physical strength, and stamina probably akin to the many warriors around.

  As for the demeaning nature of it, well she was used to the pitying glances of the other Elders. What was one more step down in their eyes? She didn’t care what they thought, but interestingly enough it gave her plenty of contact time with the Lesser and Ascended Angels. Every day she had to report to Mary in the kitchens before being sent on her way. Every morning she was greeted with a smile and breakfast from her, as well as welcoming smiles from many of the other kitchen staff. They were used to whining Elders and Ascended being sent for humility, but she was no whiner, and she was there far more frequently than any other Angel.

  She had learned the most fascinating bits of information about various people around Heaven. Nuriel had had a crush on Raphael for years, Gabriel was on a rampage again, but this time had trashed the throne room when some country had officially separated religion from its government. Even Michael had gone on a rage, fighting every Angel stupid enough to fight with him. His rage was based on homosexual marriage being legalised in yet another country. Ariel continued to haunt across the Angel countries with her Inquisitors, keeping the leash of control tight.

  There were rumours about people worshiping the Old Gods again, in ever increasing numbers. The Hindus continued to deny the Angels’ truth and clung to their dead Gods. One of the saints had accidently set a city on fire, but it was still under wraps as to who it was. Once again there was talk of sending Jesus or Mohammad for their second comings.

  She even heard details of the Surface; the Pope was a weak man, caught between the fractured powers of the Cardinals. The old Israel and Palestine conflict was flaring again. There were fights breaking out in America, Iran, and Pakistan as the Angels’ words were twisted by Humans. She had learned a lot about the religions the Angels had founded to replace the old debauched religions. She didn’t think that they were any improvement at all.

  Every day she was taken down into the bowels of the Palace to scrub dirtied walls, oil and clean magical machines and repaint sigils. It was a long tiring job, but she found the days passed quickly in the company of John. He had been permanently put on these duties after he had called Gabriel a stupid bitch and refused to apologise. He said he was happier out of her glare, and not being made to do unsavoury tasks he found reprehensible.

  At the end of her days, she could go back to her rooms, crawl into her bath and allow all the grease and muck to soak away. It was here that her small access of magic was highly useful, cleaning was a breeze no matter how grotty she got. And the time she floated in her bath allowed her to mull over everything she had learned in her days. Whether it simply be some piece of gossip about an Angel or a more significant piece of gossip about Human politics and religion. She was learning a lot about the dynamics of Heaven. Michael and Gabriel really did have near total control. The other Arch Angels except Azrael always backed them up, as did much of the Council of Elders. Azrael was only really safe because he was the eldest Arch Angel, scared nearly everyone and was absent so frequently because of his duties. The other Archs had a tendency just to let him do his own thing.

  She felt guilty, she had never really spent much time with her uncle. Whether it was him always being busy or her never getting around to it, she wasn’t quite sure. Rumour held it that he had never recovered from the loss of his brother, retreating into his death duties as a way to avoid the world around him. She would have to visit him.

  Chapter 3

  Sariel couldn’t believe that it was finally time to start her duties in the library. She couldn’t believe that several months had passed either. But both were true. She had worked her way through most of the palace, working amongst the servants who were surprisingly accepting of her. As they had mentioned time and time again, she didn’t think she was better than them. She was willing to pull her weight without moaning. There was quite a bit of resentment amongst the different levels of Angels.

  The Arch Angels stood above everyone, ironic that she was cleaning the palace, next came the Elder, the most magical of the Angels and from where the Arch Angels could only ever come. They were the living, breathing magical citizens of Heaven. Under them stood the Ascended Angels, Lesser Angels who through various means of sainthood or duty had been returned to life, blessed with more magic and gained an extra pair of wings. On the bottom were the most populous Lesser Angels, the spirits of Humans who had ascended to Heaven as payment for their good deeds on Earth. Most of them were powerless and lived at the beck and call of those above them.

  It seemed akin to the regime that the Elder Angels had originally overthrown. Not that she was foolish enough to mention that aloud.

  She had found her interest in the W
ar had ever increased as she had worked her way through the Palace. Despite many attempts to remove and cover over all traces of the Gods, there were still stunning artefacts of their legacy. Stunning murals, paintings and sculptures were hidden away in forgotten rooms, they all bore a remarkable resemblance to many of the stunning artwork gracing most of the palace. The so-called art of the Angels. Most of the architecture was clearly of the Gods’ design and magic, the Angels had only really done a rudimentary cover up of the Gods.

  And now she stood outside the library staring at the massive wooden doors ornately decorated with carvings and gilding of owls, ravens, ibis and various other species of birds. There were symbols she didn’t know and images of men and women she felt sure were not Angels, though some had wings. She was surprised it hadn’t been replaced. Was its beauty its saving grace? That it could be assumed that the people gracing the doors were Angels.

  She pulled one of the doors open, grunting at the effort. The door swung smoothly, but it was damned heavy. No wonder the Elders used magic so much, Heaven was designed for it. She wondered how the poor Lesser managed to get about with their lack of magic and physical strength.

  Inside was the stunning world she had only glimpsed in passing. Tall wooden shelves stacked full of books, scrolls, and tablets reaching high up into the soaring ceiling far above. Dappled light danced across the marble floors and polished surfaces of the rich and dark woods. It was a place not of stunning white and blinding light unlike the rest of Heaven. It was a place of solace, of retreat and relaxation. Her glance hinted at many sights that were not traditionally Heavenly. There were even various plants in pots, casting more shade and scenting the air with subtle scents.

  She walked casually along the main aisle to the desk she saw at the end, taking her time to absorb as much of the library with her eyes as she could. This was better than a dream, this was almost a different world. A tantalising world full of unimaginable knowledge she had never accessed before.

  The desk was a beautiful construction of owls, ravens and ibis intertwined around each other, their wings spread wide, their claws clutching books and scrolls. They had been carved from different woods, the ravens from ebony, the ibis from pine and the owls from various woods of dark, light and golden hues. It was like light and shadows poured into one magnificent wood carving. The usual gold and white of Heaven seemed sparse and simplistic in comparison.

  She was standing there marvelling at it when a young female Angel popped up from behind the desk.

  “Can I help you?” she asked eying her warily.

  “Mary sent me to assist Patrick, do you know where he is?”

  She smiled “He pretty much lives in the Archives. Head down the main aisle until you reach the doors, you might have some trouble finding him, though. He gets lost in there for days sorting through God knows what.”

  Sariel thanked her as she left, prompting a surprised smile from the girl, who ducked back behind the desk. Sariel glanced over as she walked past. The girl was sitting in a circle of books, apparently sorting through them, but she seemed to have gotten distracted with reading some of them.

  The Archives doors were just as impressive as the outer doors, but to her surprise there were a wider variety of animals, and most surprisingly she glimpsed snakes. The snake was one of the symbols of Lucifer and Gabriel had done her best to remove every trace of him from Heaven.

  These doors were clearly used far less often, moaning in protest as she pulled one open. Inside was a darker world. While the main library was all about the play of light and shadow, filled with the golden hues of polished wood, the Archives were all about shadows. The soaring shelves were all made of ebony, decorated with gold, silver or bronze. The floor was black marble, occasionally broken by crests and designs of various stones. Black marble and granite columns soared up to the vaulted ceiling, where white glass let in filtered light. She heard water running and was surprised to see fountains here and there.

  She was more surprised when she walked up the main aisle and followed it around the corner to find not only a large fountain of what could only be Gods but a massive ebony desk sitting in front of it, carved entirely with the design of serpents.

  It was a truly unusual creation, she was unused to dark features, and snakes were completely alien to her. She was fascinated by the differences of them, some were huge, others seemed tiny in comparison, some even had ornate hoods. Coils plain and decorated with stripes or diamonds twisted around each other and the desk. Their dark eyes seemed to follow her as she moved, their open mouths ready to strike. It seemed terrifyingly lifelike. The workmanship was truly astounding.

  Perhaps strangest of all was that it was warm to the touch as she ran her hands over some of them.

  “Truly marvellous isn’t it?”

  She turned around to see an Ascended Angel walking towards her carrying a stack of scrolls. He was not the typical Ascended, pale skin, dark brown hair, skinny rather than muscular. But his brown eyes were warm and welcoming.

  “Patrick I presume?”

  “Indeed and you must be Sariel, Mary has told be so much about you.”

  She smiled, “Yes it is marvellous, I haven’t seen anything like it.”

  He smiled “I bet you haven’t. It is very rare to see anything that bears a serpent or harks back to the Age of Gods.”

  “Yes, Gabriel was very thorough in removing all traces of her brother.”

  “It wasn’t just Gabriel, Michael was also very thorough at removing all traces of the serpent but of course the serpent must live on in the depictions of Eden.”

  She frowned in confusion, why would Michael bother unless Gabriel had demanded it. It seemed like it would have been a more personal goal of Gabriel’s to remove all trace of her brother.

  He looked at her funny thinking her confused “The serpent is an integral part of our history. Adam was the first man born solely into the Angels cause. He was born in Eden, our citadel on Earth. Lucifer and others were tasked with tempting him and his offspring to see how reliable they were.”

  “Was that what led Lucifer to his Fall? By tempting Humans, he himself was tempted.”

  He gave her an assessing look “That is not a bad theory. You would do well to mention it to Gabriel, it will certainly put you in her good books. She will readily agree with your assessment.”

  “But you do not?”

  “No. But then I am well read on my history. I may not have been there, but others were and have left extensive journals in the archives. Journals that the other Arch Angels would be furious to learn about.”

  Sariel leaned forward her eyes wide with curiosity “Journals the other Arch Angels would not want me reading? I haven’t been told the whole truth have I?”

  He studied her for a moment, searching for something. Whatever it was he seemed satisfied. He propelled her down various aisles so fast she was instantly lost. He led her to a forgotten derelict corner. Dust coated everything, the wood more grey than black. The poor fern sitting next to a bench looked the worst for wear.

  He stopped in front of the shelves, his hands hovering along the books until he found what he was looking for. He pulled out a black journal with a unique crest on it- a serpent on Venus.

  “This is a copy of one of Lucifer’s Journals, he kept extensive records of his life. I suggest you read it.” He clicked his fingers, and a box full of cloths and polish appeared. He smiled “just in case anyone comes looking for you.”

  “Like Michael or Gabriel?”

  “Exactly. Now I shall leave you to read. Once you finish feel free to read any of the other journals around.” She watched him walk away before turning her attention to the book. It was a copy, the product of a copy spell, everything would be exactly as the author wrote. A shiver ran down her spine as she ran her hands over the cover. Lucifer’s Journal, she couldn’t believe it. Gabriel would kill her.

  She sat down on the bench and opened it to the first page, written in a neat masculine hand was
Lucifer and underneath he had drawn a serpent on Venus. It seemed to be his personal crest. Excited and more than a little apprehensive she turned to the next page filled with neat line after neat line. She settled down and lost herself for hours in his journal.

  She put down the last of his journals on the pile next to her, her hand shaking slightly as she wiped away stray tears.

  She had lived a lie her entire life. If the journal was to be believed, then Heaven was built on lies, pride and blood. Even if only half of it was true, then the history of Heaven she had been told was nothing like the truth.

  Heaven had existed before the Angels, being made by the Primordial Gods and Goddesses of Air and Sky. Their children the Gods had come into their inheritance as the Primordial Gods had disappeared one by one. They ruled Heaven and Earth as they saw fit. The Angels had been their servants but more shockingly their bastard offspring. All Angels were descended from the Gods.

  Whose bloodline ran in her veins? Would she ever know now that all the Gods had been killed or imprisoned in the Underworld?

  That was another shocking fact. The Gods had not all been killed, the Rulers of the Underworld had been trapped within their own domains, and many other Gods drained of their Lifeforce and thrown into either Hell or Tartarus.

  Heaven was not of the Angels’ creation, and neither was Eden. Heaven was the creation of the Sky Gods and their brethren, the beauty worked upon by generations of immortals- Primordial Gods, Gods, Angels, and Nymphs. They had been born to it, just like the Sky Gods. As for Eden that had belonged to one of the Mother Goddesses as a meeting place for their kind, for them to share experiences. It had once been a place of creation, now it was hidden away by the Angels.

  More shockingly were the Angels’ religions on Earth. They did not follow the Angels, they followed a non-existent God. An omnipotent God, who saw all. Little did the Humans know that God was an acronym for Governance Over Divine, the initial title for the Governing Council. She wondered how Humans would feel to find out they did not have an omnipotent God looking out for them but a bickering mass of Angels. God’s messengers. How had Gabriel put up with that for so long?