Azazeel stepped into the circle near Atlas. “My dear, did you happen to see all the faces of the different beings as you made your way down into the Abyss? Did you see the torture? The pain? Do you realize that for an eternity they will experience everything the Abyss has to offer? Can you begin to imagine the pain you would feel at getting every nail removed from your fingers only to have them grow back again and the process repeated? How about someone pulling your hair out, and then feeding that hair to you? Only to have hair grow from the inside, yet again on your face and other parts of your precious body? How about maggots consuming your flesh until you can no longer scream?”
I shifted on my feet, my gaze never leaving Atlas’s face. He was trying to be brave, but he was also shaking with fear.
“El may say he is a God of love, but my dear, the punishment for doing what these angels did, is exactly what they deserve. If they do not fight for me, I will kill them. They stand no chance against my army. If they fight for you, they have no guarantee they will leave this place. And if they stay here, immobile, then nothing changes, but at least they will not be tortured until judgment day. But Atlas, dear, sweet Atlas, he will meet his end soon, unless you make the choice for him.”
“If I choose for him, if I choose life,” I swallowed the lump in my throat, “then his brothers will follow.”
Azazeel clapped loudly “Ah, well done, my dear! They will of course follow, because there is one thing you need to understand about the angels. They are loyal to a fault. They will follow Azazeel into the depths of Hell. They choose him over service to El, is that not what got them in this predicament in the first place?”
“El sees all!” I screamed. “He sees what you are doing! He will stop it!’
“He has stopped nothing, my dear, and He will continue to do nothing. Why do you think you work so hard? He has angels for such things and Seekers, as well as other races of super beings. Why on earth would He stop me?”
“Because He can,” Adonis said next to me. “Your bitterness blinds you. Your pride makes you weak.”
Azazeel growled at Adonis and slapped Atlas across the face. I moved again to reach him but couldn’t.
Either way we were doomed. Why had they sent me here? Had they sent me here to die?
Chapter Eighteen
I knew I was wise enough to figure this situation out, but it felt like I had no option. Either way the Titans would fight for Azazeel. If Atlas died, they would want to avenge his death any way possible, and they would feel trapped to fight for evil. I would be a representation of the Light, and I would be responsible for snuffing his out. Because in the end, even though it was Azazeel’s fault, he would use his manipulation to make the Titans believe that the same fate would befall them if they didn’t fight for him. He’d threaten them, and in threatening them, he’d offer them salvation.
If I let him live, they would follow him into battle because he was a part of them.
The Titans did nothing alone. Everything was together.
“I’m waiting for your answer,” Azazeel said irritatingly.
I glanced at Seth. His lips were parted, and then his eyes flashed. White filled the room. I hunched down to hide my face. It was too bright to contain.
“What is the meaning of this!” Azazeel shouted above the thunderous moaning of the mountain.
Seth slammed him against the wall, thrusting his foot into Azazeel’s chest. Thanatus lunged for him but was quickly stabbed by Adonis then kicked in the head. With a yell, Seth pulled out a sword every bit as long as Michael’s, only it was still stained black. He plunged it into Azazeel’s leg, pinning him against the wall, then in a flash ran to the Circle.
The Titans quickly formed a shield around him.
Only angelic power could break the Circle, for it was made by a Fallen. The Titans had relinquished their power and had none to speak of in the Abyss. I knew it was hopeless.
So I prayed.
I grabbed Adonis’s hand and prayed. I asked El for help. Even though I was sure He could not hear us so far into the depths of Hell.
A crack sounded as Seth pushed against the shield, trying to reach Atlas. Blood trickled out of his eyes from the strain of pushing. Adonis tried to help him, but every time he touched it he was shocked. It was nearly impossible. I could see that Seth was running out of time. Azazeel had almost pulled the sword from his leg.
Another shattering crack was heard. Seth moaned. “One more time, El, just one more time.”
Light poured out of Seth’s mouth as his body convulsed and then transformed into pure white.
Large white wings broke out of his shirt; he grew another two sizes, nearly matching the Titans.
“Uriel!” Cronus shouted behind us. I gasped, covering my mouth with my hands. It could not be. If Seth was truly Uriel, truly had fallen with the rest of them, that meant he was king over Tartarus, over the Abyss. He was, in a word, a ruler of the Underworld — Hades himself.
Uriel shouted and flung his sword against the shield, shattering it into a million pieces. He reached Atlas and flung him over his shoulder pulling him behind the shroud of Titans just as Azazeel reached the inner circle.
Adonis ran to Atlas, joining Seth.
I watched as Azazeel stepped over Thanatus and laughed. “You think that is all you must do to defeat me?”