Chronicles Of A Fallen Angel

Chapter 77 77: Demon Taking

The crowd dispersed slowly, demons and humans alike murmuring amongst themselves about what they'd witnessed. Balthazar had been carried out of the arena by his fellow demons, still conscious but thoroughly beaten. I'd made my point.

Asmodeus descended from his viewing platform, moving with the fluid grace that all old demons possessed. His golden eyes never left me as he approached.

"You fight well," he said. "Better than well. That was artistry. Brutal, efficient artistry." He gestured to my bloodied shirt. "Though you did take a hit. First blood was his."

"First blood doesn't matter if you win the fight."

"A pragmatic philosophy. I approve." He snapped his fingers, and a demon attendant appeared with fresh clothing. "Please, change. You're bleeding on my floor, and it's quite expensive marble."

I took the offered shirt, replacing my torn one. The wound Balthazar's tail had inflicted was already closed, just pink scar tissue that would fade in another hour.

"Remarkable healing," Asmodeus observed. "Divine constitution, even fallen. You're more intact than most angels I've encountered after their descent."

"I'm working on getting back what I lost."

"Clearly. At the rate you're growing, you'll be a significant power in this city within months." He smiled. "Which brings us to business. You won the fight. You've earned access to my vault. But before we proceed, I'd like to propose something."

Sarah tensed beside me. Viktor's hand moved subtly toward his weapon.

"I'm listening," I said.

"The book you're retrieving – do you even know what it is?"

"The client didn't say."

"Of course they didn't. Because if you knew, you might not be willing to retrieve it." Asmodeus began walking, gesturing for us to follow. "The Book of Raziel. An angel's grimoire, written before the Fall of Lucifer. It contains knowledge that Heaven deemed too dangerous for mortal – or immortal – hands. Spells, rituals, forbidden techniques that blur the line between divine and profane."

We walked through corridors that twisted in ways architecture shouldn't allow. The spatial magic here was more than just expansion – it was active manipulation of reality itself.

"Why do you have it?" I asked.

"Won it in a wager. An angel – a real one, still in service to Heaven – lost rather badly at cards. Pride is such a useful vice." He glanced back at me. "But I never actually read it. Angels are territorial about their secrets, and I had no desire to attract Heaven's attention by studying their forbidden texts."

"So you've just been sitting on it."

"For about forty years, yes. Waiting for either the right price or the right reason to part with it." We stopped before a massive door – black metal covered in inscriptions that hurt to look at directly. "And now someone's willing to pay two hundred thousand dollars to get it back. Which raises an interesting question."

"What question?"

"Who's your client?"

I didn't answer. Client confidentiality was essential to the Jackals' reputation.

Asmodeus smiled. "You don't know, do you? Anonymous contract, payment in escrow, no direct contact. Very professional, but also very convenient. Because it means you don't know if you're returning this book to Heaven, to a rogue angel, to a demon faction, or to something else entirely."

He had a point. We'd taken the job for the money without asking enough questions about where the book would end up.

"Does it matter?" Sarah asked.

"That depends on whether you care about the consequences of your actions." Asmodeus placed his hand on the door, and the inscriptions glowed red. "The Book of Raziel in the wrong hands could be catastrophic. In the right hands, it could tip the balance of power in this city – or beyond – in dangerous directions."

The door swung open, revealing a vault that was more treasure chamber than storage space. Artifacts, weapons, books, and objects of power lined shelves and pedestals. Each one radiated magic strong enough to feel from across the room.

"There," Asmodeus pointed to a pedestal in the center. "The Book of Raziel. Take it, and our deal is complete. You return to whoever hired you, collect your payment, and everyone's happy."

The book was smaller than I expected. Leather-bound, ancient, covered in symbols that shifted when I looked at them directly. Even from here, I could feel the power emanating from it.

I moved toward it, but Asmodeus stepped in front of me.

"Or," he said. "You could consider an alternative arrangement."

"What arrangement?"

"Leave the book here. Tell your client it was destroyed, or stolen by someone else, or lost in the fight. Whatever story makes sense. In exchange, I provide you with something more valuable than money."

"What could possibly be more valuable than two hundred thousand dollars?"

"Information." He leaned against a shelf. "I know what you're doing, Executioner. You're building power, yes, but you're also positioning yourself. Working with the Jackals for resources, making connections with the Covenant to avoid being hunted, and – if my sources are correct – you've recently been approached by the Hunters as well."

My expression must have confirmed it because he nodded.

"You're trying to establish yourself as an independent power. Someone too useful to eliminate, too dangerous to threaten, too well-connected to isolate. It's a smart strategy. But you're missing crucial pieces of information that could help you navigate the landscape."

"Like what?"

"Like the fact that the Covenant has a kill order prepared for you. Currently suspended, but it exists. One wrong move, one too-public display of power, and Catherine Morse's superiors will authorize your elimination regardless of any deal you made with her."

That got my attention.

"Or the fact that Selene Blackwater is being pressured by several vampire courts to either control you or remove you. They see you as a threat to the established order, and they're not happy that she's... involved with you."

Viktor and Sarah exchanged glances.

"Or," Asmodeus continued, "the fact that the mysterious client who hired you to retrieve this book is actually a rogue angel – specifically, one who wants to use the knowledge inside to challenge Heaven's authority. And if that happens, the resulting conflict could burn this city to the ground."

Silence.

"How do you know all this?" I asked.