Chapter Forty-Nine: She's Dead

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Staying alone in Sam's house proves to be harder than I expected as I become all too aware of the blinding white that surrounds me.

I pause for a moment, seated on the chair and staring around, wondering how Sam doesn't realize how painful it is to live in his house. Why does he hate colour so much?

My phone starts vibrating again and I blink rapidly, happy for the distraction. It is Asher that is calling me. No surprise there.

"Hi, Ash," I greet him.

"You've been ignoring my calls."

Okay! No greetings then! I deserve that.

"Glad to see that you're still safe and alive. Have you seen anything strange so far? Felt anyone following you?" I deicide to skip to the important things rather than pick yet another fight with my new boyfriend.

Surely, these arguments cannot be healthy for our relationship.

Neither can the lies and secrets, Bells! How do you expect a healthy relationship with him when you are keeping so much from him?

Ash sighs deeply, but he seems to also be thinking in the direction of peace because his voice softens considerably.

"I haven't. Then again, I don't seem to notice much. I'm with Allen and Tony and some of the other boys you're not friends with yet. What conclusion did you and Sam drive to?"

The way he calls Sam's name, I can almost imagine him grimacing with disgust as it spits it out and I cannot hold in the laugh that escapes.

"Oh my God!" I exclaim between laugh. "You won't catch a virus by saying his name, you know, right?"

"I know, and I'm trying to pretend like I'm not hurt that you chose him over me, but I refuse to pretend that I don't like his face and his eyes and his hair. He just looks way too suspicious. He also looks like a sad attention seeking narcissist."

"Well, you're not wrong about him being a narcissist." I giggle lightly. "However, you have to trust me when I say that he is secretly a good person. He just doesn't like showing that side of him. Probably because he associates it with vulnerability." I shrug.

Asher hums and is quite for a while, I guess processing my thoughts. In the background, I can hear the boys talking and laughing amongst themselves. Someone shouts to Asher about spending way too much time with his girlfriend and another person is looking for a shampoo.

"So, he's just a sad and lonely person?" Asher finally speaks up and I nod in response before I remember he cannot see me.

"Exactly! However, you didn't hear it from me. My lips are sealed!" With my free hand, I make a zipping motion on my mouth.

Asher and I share a brief laugh before he calls my attention back to the actual matter at hand.

"Oh, Sam and I have come to the conclusion that our next reasonable target is Zach."

"I guess that makes sense. I was surprised to find Zach there. In fact, he was there one moment, and the next, he was gone. He was also acting weird and nervous when I saw him. Plus, in all the movies, the quiet and smart kid is usually a psychopath. Great thinking."

I beam widely, somehow feeling validated by his support.

"I have an idea though," he continues. "Someone should talk to Tiff. She's Trixie's closest friend and could possibly tell if Trix told her anything about anyone following her or something of the sort."

"Oh my God! That is incredibly brilliant!" I tell him. "I can't believe I didn't think of that sooner. Yeah, I should talk to her right away."

"Are you sure she'll want to talk to you? You're not best of friends. Also, I tried. She ignored me."

"Well, I think she may talk to me. She's dating Nat now so, she's kind of in our circle?" My scepticism makes it sound more like a question and Asher hums, though I can tell he's not convinced.

"Okay, babe. I trust you, just try to stay out of danger and call me the moment anything seems sketchy, okay?"

"I promise," is my response, then the line goes dead.

~~*~~

Sam's POV

Anger is the only thing that can describe the emotions the former Angel of Light feels as he descends into Hell, his wings flapping behind him until they come to a stop and he tucks it together.

He scrunches his nose in disgust as the scent that followed the Angel as he looks around his home at the panicking demons running around, trying to hide from Angels.

'They have no right!' The Devil thought. 'They don't have the right to walk into my home and pretend to care about what my demons are up to.'

Demons, sensing his presence rush to his feet, their faces twisted in agony and fear and he watches them, his face expressionless and he assesses the situation. The last thing he wants is for a fight to break out again. It will cost him a bunch of his demons and that would mean a lot more work for the Devil.

"Master! I apologize! We tried to stop Raguel, but we couldn't." A demoness bows to his feet as she speaks under her breath and his nose flares in anger, but he smiles at her and reaches for her disfigured face.

"I'm sure you did. You are however no match for an Angel."

"Yes, Master. However, -" The demoness trails off in fear and the Devil turns a curious stare to her, wanting to know what could be worse than an Angel infiltration and impending war.

"However?" He asks and the demoness looks away from him. "Answer me when I speak to you!" He demands, but he gets no response.

'Useless!' He thinks to himself. He's always surrounded by absolutely useless and fearful demons and demonesses. "Where's Sila?"

Sila is one of his most useful demonesses. She always gets the job done and she mostly looks after Hell in his absence. She is usually the one who greets him at Hell's gate so it is somewhat weird that she is nowhere to be found.

The Devil takes in a deep breath, but he doesn't catch her scent anywhere and the terrified demons really aren't helping him get the job done.

"Where is Sila?" He repeats the question, a little more forceful this time so they know punishment will befall them all if his question goes unanswered again.

"I'm so sorry, Master," a demon speaks up, his voice trembling. "She tried to hold Raguel back. She tried to Raguel him to wait for your return, but... I'm sorry master, but she's dead."

At the words of the demon, the Devil's anger manifests in the form of flames and the screams of the tortured souls can be heard from far away as their agony increases. His skin lights ablaze and his eyes turn to fire.

His demons scurry away from him in fear of being eliminated as when demons or supernaturals die, there is no afterlife for them. They simply cease to exist and not even Raphael can bring them back.

"Where is Raguel?" The Devil demands, his voice coming from all around Hell, yet from inside of their heads. He is no longer a human but an angered Angel who is out for destruction.

"Raguel left, Master. Just before you arrived."

The Devil doesn't wait for direction. He spreads out his wings which are now engulfed in flames, flaps them and disappears from the sight of Hell. He would have to deal with the demons that escaped later on, but right now, the only thing on his mind is finding and stopping Raguel.

Without stopping, he followed the scent left behind by the Archangel. He wondered if God was in on it. Perhaps God sent a lowly Archangel to mess with his home because he had been interacting with humans for far too long?

No! That's impossible. The Devil knows his Father better than any other creature to exist and he knows that God wouldn't do something as childish as such just to get back at him. God wouldn't hurt a demon just because He wants to teach the Devil a lesson. No! He knows his Father takes on more sinister punishments than that.

Raguel did this because they wanted to, and the Devil was going to make sure the Archangel paid dearly for it, even if it cost him his life.

He is quick to find the Angel hovering around a city, seeming to be in search of something. Upon sensing the Devil's presence though, Raguel straightens up and turns to the Devil.

"Archangel Raguel," the Devil mocks. "Known to humans as the Angel of fairness and redemption."

"Also, soon to be leader of the Archangels," the Angel mocks, taking on a feminine appearance to match the Devil's human form. The Angel appears as a tall and broad woman with sun-kissed skin and the sharpest jawline ever. Her dark eyes peer into the Devil's very existence and her thin lips stretch into a smirk.

She flaps her powerful pairs of wings - two of them, her dark hair flowing behind her and the Devil shakes his head.

"Barachiel may be a Seraph now, but remains the leader of the Archangels. You are a lowly nobody."

"I may be, but I possess more power than you, the Devil." She laughs. Her voice is deep and assertive at a futile attempt to intimidate the Devil. However, the Devil laughs in response, finding her words amusing.

"You think walking into my home and killing my worker makes you powerful, Archangel? You belong to the weakest rank of Angels, barely stronger than the Guardians, and you think you are stronger than me, an Angel with the ability to see the face of God himself? The mightiest, most beautiful being ever created?"

With every word he speaks, the fire around him burns brighter and though Raguel tries to appear as though she isn't frightened by the Devil, he notices her move away from him at an attempt to create space between them.

He is quick to close the distance and he grabs her by her face, burning through her skin and causing her to scream out in pain.

"Why did you go into my home? Your job is here on earth and I am sure God didn't grant you permission to step into Hell."

The Angel squirms in discomfort, not liking the turn of events.

"Demonic possessions have increased since," she spits out. "Your demons are going rogue because you're not around to keep them in place. It is my job to make sure they stay in line. It is my job to protect the humans -"

"So, you thought coming to my home and killing my demon was doing your job?" The Devil shouts in anger, the fire burning stronger and the sun coming out, unconsciously being summoned by the Light Bringer

"Someone had to keep Hell in check!" She spits at him and screams when the Devil quickly spins her around and grabs a hold of a pair of her wings, his hand causing it to catch on fire.

"You can't kill me, Lucifer. You aren't allowed to. Father will -"

"You think Father will come to your aid? You think Father cares about your existence? Go on then! Call out to Father." He pushes her away and she tries to flap her wings, but it is badly damaged, she starts to fall. Lucifer is however quick to catch her by the hair.

"God! I have your lowly servant here. Your servant who wandered into MY home, killed MY only useful and reliable demoness and caused a couple of demons to wander into the human world, putting your oh so beloved children in danger!"

With the way Lucifer worded it, Raguel realized just how much she messed up. That wasn't her intention. She was just trying to do her job... At least, that's what she told herself.

The truth is most of the humans have ceased to recognize Raguel, choosing to turn to Michael when they needed protection. Just because Michael was favoured by God and given the ability to defeat the Devil himself, Raguel lost the respect she had in Heaven. She just wanted to prove her worth.

She was warned. Yes. However, she had had run-ins with the Devil before and he had never been violent. She figured it was because he was no longer an Angel. She figured he was stripped off his powers like the other Fallen had. Now, she realizes just how much she underestimated him.

"I should put an end to your pathetic life right now!" Lucifer sneers at her, his free hand raised, a ball of fire forming in it, but he stops when he senses the presence of another Archangel. One that he actually likes.

"Hi Raguel, Hi Lu."

Lucifer turns the battered Angel so they are both facing the annoyingly cherry Angel who is staring at them with slight interest in his green eyes.

"I warned you, Raguel. Don't worry, Lu. I knew this was going to happen so I trailed after her. Sila wasn't really dead yet, so I healed her. She's fine." Raphael flies towards them and grabs Raguel by the arm, healing her wings in the process. "However, I have extremely bad news for you. You better run. You better hide. Michael is going to be here any second and he's going to kill you."

Raphael sounds quite serious and Lucifer releases his grasp on Raguel who flees the scene immediately.

"Why would he -" The fire dies down and he feels it. An extreme pain in his chest, where the human heart should be. His wings stop working for a second and he loses balance and falls a few feet before catching himself.

"Angel. Where's... What's..."

He finds talking a little difficult and the Archangel sighs sadly.

"That's what I'm trying to tell you, Lu. Az is on his way to her now. She just died."

The thought that maybe, just maybe God is out to hurt him crosses the Devil's mind just before he speeds off in the direction of the child.

~~~

Hi everyone.

I am super duper sorry for the late update. I've been going through a depressive episode and needed some time to myself.

However, I am back and I am better and my birthday us tomorrow, being May 4th. Yay! Am I excitedly typing? Yes! Yes I am.

Also, don't kill me for this update. I know we all love Bells. I do too so I'm super duper sorry. It hurts me too.

Who likes Raguel? Lol

Remember to vote and comment.