Chapter • 50

♱ •⋅ 1750 B.C. ⋅• ♱ •⋅ Calisto ⋅• ♱

When I awoke, Asra still slept beside Loren and for a moment I wished to remain there, only to allow myself to stay; just to lie there looking at the two while waiting for one of them to awaken, but I realized I could not.

He could not because a village that had the attention of the king was invaded again, he could not because there were angels in the territory of Lucifer and for a moment I thanked her for not being there.

Lucifer didn't deserve what they were doing to his home. She didn't deserve what they did to her and what they were trying to tarnish her name - she was, like Quinn, someone who truly cared about those damn mortals.

It was cruel.

Really cruel.

Her father, her creator - had thrown her away by supporting her sister, had plucked her wings as the last act of cowardice and thrown all her brothers against her.

Lucifer was condemned to save Loren, to bring me Quinn's last memory.

I felt my chest tighten.

She didn't deserve it and all I could do was take care of it, was get rid of those angels, the pope, what was left of the Vatican - so that she would finally have peace. So I wouldn't have to face those who looked at her with such contempt.

I sighed and without allowing myself the luxury of looking at Loren and Asra one last time, I got up.

My feet already knew the way and soon I was standing in my room, in the room that Lucifer had prepared for me - an almost exact copy of my room in the palace.

I snuck into the closet and into the bathroom, a long bath; at least that I deserved.

30 minutes - that's all I allowed myself to have in the end and when I put on my clothes, there was already someone knocking on my door.

"Enter" I said and the doors opened at the same moment.

"I apologize for interrupting you, but I knew you were already in your room then..."

I sighed.

"Speak at once, Azrael."

The dark eyes of the fallen faced me and he placed both hands behind the body.

"What do you intend to do? All we found was what was once known as the hiding place of those men, from what we saw... Your Majesty and the Duchess... killed them all."

"Impossible" I thought, but as Asra had told me a while ago, I kept it to myself.

"Right" I said "did you find any clues about the pope? Or how the hell did the angel get in?"

Azrael slid one hand through his hair, throwing his reddish-brown hair back with frustration.

"I believe that in the case of the angel, majesty, it is a small mistake with regard to security."

"Mistake?"

"Yes, after all angels and fallen have a similar aura and also a similar energy, so... if the angel is not proficient in healing, he can certainly pass for a fallen. Before this was just a theory..., but now it's a certainty."

I stared.

"Are you telling me that this is present in the barrier of all territories and no one even thought to tell me?"

"We... thought you knew, sire," he stared at me "we didn't think the barrier was so fragile, actually, but from what we saw, our suspicions were confirmed."

Right. I couldn't be mad - it was my fault after all.

It wasn't as if Azrael could do something without a certainty in mind and it was Quinn who created the barrier; I closed my hands in fists as I remembered.

Quinn...

She had built those barriers to protect our people, perhaps... if I had not touched them, if I had not changed them when Lucifer and the others fell -, none of this would have happened.

"Shit..." I stared at Azrael and cursed myself again and again as I thought of the words I was about to say "call... Samael, we need your help."

Azrael's eyes widened wide.

"The... the what?"

"You heard what I said."

"But majesty... Samael..."

"I know."

I couldn't help but feel my stomach turn.

"But we need him."

Azrael grunted.

"I prefer death, please... kill me."

"No" smiles "if I have to endure it, so will you, my dear commander."

"You really hate me, don't you, Calisto?" He shot me with those deep black eyes.

"There are those in our plan who believe that I nurture for you a sincere friendship" I mocked "then how could I hate you?"

The fallen one sighed.

"What about the rest?"

"We will see calmly, first, take care of the people of the villages and look for all the other 8 territories, look for villages, cities, towns and any place that has a civilization, Look everywhere and find out if any more has been invaded and demanded something like tributes in the king's name."

Azrael nodded his head.

"I will do it, sir."

I slipped my fingers through my hair, throwing them back.

"Great, now... tell me, where's the girl?"

Azrael faltered for a moment and then stared at me.

"The girl?"

"The Saint" I spoke, giving more emphasis in referring to her that way - by the title that would soon be yours, which would soon take as divine crown before our entire plan of existence.

"She's in the dungeon, as you ordered," he said and I knew Azrael had felt despised when I forbade him to put her in one of the rooms. The truth was that he was too good for someone who was considered a demon.

"Take her to the briefing room after dinner, I'll settle the loose ends of the territory today and then I'll question the girl as soon as night falls."

The fallen nodded and with a brief reverence withdrew.

That would give Asra time to prepare, give her time to tell me how to get information from that woman and especially - leave me close so that something like what happened last time, would not happen again.

I sighed.

I would not let that "saint" hurt Asra again, even though restrictions had to be made, even if she bled as seals against sacred magic were placed on her body.

The truth was, I didn't care about that girl.

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