Sanctified by Mychael Black
Author:Mychael Black [Black, Mychael]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fantasy, Vampires
ISBN: 9781595965561
Goodreads: 8133521
Publisher: Changeling Press, LLC
Published: 2010-04-30T23:00:00+00:00
Chapter Five
âHow can Baâal be dethroned?â
Gabriel expected the question, but it didnât mean he had a good answer. âTo be completely honest, I donât know. Baâal isnât the strongest archdemon. There are others.
Abaddon is a place rife with contention, and coups are not impossible.â
Jesse sat down beside Gabriel, hand on Gabrielâs thigh. âAny ideas on who or what is behind it?â
âItâs possible,â Lazarus said, wandering into the room with a dusty book in hand, âthat the Maskim are at the center of our problem.â
âThe who?â
Gabriel narrowed his gaze at Lazarus as he answered Jesse. âThe Maskim -- the Seven Princes of Hell.â He leaned forward and glared at Lazarus when the mage sat down. âWhy would the Maskim be here? They have their own domain.â
Lazarus glanced up, and for the briefest moment, Gabriel remembered what he had seen in the elemental mage so long ago. The effect faded quickly, though, when Lazarus spoke. âWhy would they not? Abaddon is a rich place, ripe for their purposes -
- whatever those may be. They are Baâalâs contemporaries, and with seven of them, your archdemon wouldnât stand a chance.â
Gabriel wanted to dispute the notion entirely, but a part of him grudgingly admitted that Lazarus could be right. The idea chilled him more than any mage ever could. If Baâal succumbed to the Maskim, all of Abaddon would follow suit soon enough.
âOkay. Iâm confused,â Jesse said. âWhat the fuck is going on? I thought Hell was
âwhat a soul made it,â right? So⦠how can it have Princes?â
âEasy,â Lazarus piped up before Gabriel could even open his mouth. âIn your world, Hell is indeed what a soul makes it. But this is not your world. Abaddon is simply a country in a vast expanse of countries, states, kingdoms. Surely you didnât expect Abaddon to be the only place once you stepped through Belaâs mirror?â
âWell⦠yeah.â Jesse sagged a little and leaned against Gabrielâs chair. âToto, we are so not in Kansas anymore.â
At Lazarusâ blank expression, Gabriel laughed. âDonât ask.â He ran his fingers through Jesseâs spiky hair. âDonât worry. Stay close to me and everything should be fine.â
âHow do we get to the palace?â Jesse asked, tipping his head back to gaze at Gabriel upside-down.
âI have my ways.â
âDare I ask?â
âA portal, much like the one before.â
âAnother portal?â Jesse groaned.
âItâs the quickest way to travel in Abaddon,â Gabriel said. âThis one leads directly to the throne room of the palace.â
âCanât we just⦠I donât know, go a different way? The portal to get here made me queasy.â
âWell, we could,â Lazarus interrupted, âbut weâd risk running intoâ¦
undesirables.â
âUndesirables?â
The mageâs grin widened. âIf Baâal has been dethroned, then the culprits are surely waiting for resistance. They will be watching every shadow, every doorway. Do you really wish to meet something -- or someone -- strong enough to dethrone an archdemon?â
Jesse shuddered. âPoint taken.â
* * *
âDo you think this wise?â
Gabriel glanced at Lazarus. âDo you have any other ideas, mage?â
âGive me some time, and Iâm sure I could come up with something.
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