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Chapter 23 - Moloch

Aro nodded in gratitude and kissed her hand. "Grazie."

Bella was deeply touched, but she lowered her eyes and shook her head. "I don't know, Aro. This sounds so dangerous. I want to help, I really do. I mean, Moloch sounds like a serious asshole. But I don't think I have the power to be able to fight someone like him, let alone the Devil."

"Yes, it is dangerous," Aro replied, his body stiffening. "That's why I'm asking. I cannot take out Moloch by myself. He's much too powerful. For so long now, I've always considered him an evil that cannot be exercised. But now that I have you, I think we could do it."

"But how?" Bella asked. "I mean, this is serious shit. It's Biblical evil."

"Yes, it's a bit daunting." Aro leaned back, his expression grim. "And unfortunately, I haven't completely worked everything out yet. I know that Moloch will make an appearance during the Summer Solstice. His followers will make a human sacrifice and he will then grace them with his repugnant presence. While he is here, I think with your shield, we might be able to trap him."

Bella felt a tremor go up her spine. "But Aro, I've never even tried that."

"We'll work on it," he insisted, clasping her hand. "You're a fast learner, yes. Don't be shaking your head at me. I've seen it."

His belief in her made her squirm. "I need to learn more about Moloch."

"What do you want to know?"

The way he looked at her so earnestly made her feel like a heel for even thinking of backing out. "Does he really have the head of a bull?" She felt silly asking this, but she was starting to realize anything is possible.

"To be honest I don't know," Aro replied. "I doubt it. Angels are supposed to be beautiful."

"Like vampires?"

Aro nodded.

"But didn't you see him one time during the ceremony back in Carthage?"

"I did. However, he was not in his own body. He took over the High Priest."

"Oh great," she grumbled sarcastically. Now she had visions of The Exorcist running through her mind. "Are you saying he can just jump into anybody at any time?"

"Yes and no. The devout cannot be touched. Of course, we vampires are damned, so we do not fall into that category. However, there are techniques you can use to stop him. I will teach you," he assured her, squeezing her hand. "However, I suspect that your shield protects you anyway. As I said before, Moloch is very dangerous, but there are limits to his power."

"How can you tell when he's inside somebody?"

"It's hard to explain. I can feel his presence, which you most likely will not feel. But that's not all." Aro paused as if trying to find the right words. He then pointed his finger. "You can see it in the host's eyes. It's very subtle. In fact, I doubt humans really see it, or if they do, they don't register it. But vampires can see it, and what it looks like is a person with elongated pupils, somewhat like a cat, but different, more human. Of course, Moloch tries to hide this, so the eyes immediately go back to normal, but he doesn't seem to be able to keep it up because it keeps popping out. Euric once told me their pupils are different because they live in darkness."

"Darkness?"

"Yes, when Lucifer started the war of the angels, God cast him and his followers into Tartarus, delivering them into chains of darkness, to be reserved until judgment. At least that's what Peter wrote in the Bible—"

"Tartarus? Do you mean Hell?"

"Oh yes…sorry," he murmured, waving his hand. "Tartarus is an old Greek term. It was a deep abyss below Hades that was used as a dungeon of torment and suffering for the wicked and as the prison for the Titans."

"The Titans being the fallen angels."

"I suppose you could say that. Most people don't realize that Hell was created for the fallen angels. It was not created for humans."

"But the Church says-"

Aro lifted his hand. "Yes, I know. Carlisle and I used to debate about this, but it's not really stated in the bible. The bible says that whoever believeth in him shall not perish, but have eternal life. The wages of sin is death, not eternal suffering. The wicked do not immediately upon death descend into hell. They sleep in the grave until Judgment Day, where they will then be cast into the Lake of Fire, the second death, which is a much different thing."

"Are you saying that no humans are in hell right now?"

Aro nodded "At least that's what the Bible says. Who knows. But Tartarus, or Hell, is a tangible place that exists, and it's underground, inside the bowels of the Earth."

"But that's impossible."

"Is it?" Aro asked quizzically, lifting his eyebrows. "There's quite a lot of evidence that points to a hollow Earth. Telipinus even claims to have found the entrance to this dark underworld years ago around the North Pole. For years he's been talking about eventually going down inside to investigate."

Bella laughed. She couldn't help it. It sounded so ludicrous. But Aro wasn't laughing. "You know he's full of shit, don't you?" she stated. "The only thing inside the Earth is a molten core."

Aro shook his head. "That's only a theory. That's what humans do. They teach people these theories in school as if they were facts, but the truth is, we know very little about what is inside the Earth. Just recently it's been discovered that there are large bodies of water nearly four-hundred miles down beneath the Earth's surface. Several years ago, the Russians were drilling into the ground and found fossils of lifeforms eight miles down. During the winter, birds and insects that live in the most extreme latitudes in North America do not fly south. They fly north toward the Pole, and when these animals have been given tracking devices, they lose their tracking signal. Where do these birds go? No one knows. There are so many unanswered questions."

Bella didn't quite know what to say. She had never heard about a hollow Earth theory before.

Aro chuckled, gently touching her cheek. "Young people today, they think the Earth has been completely explained, but in reality, it hasn't."

"You're not planning to do an expedition to Hell, are you? she said flatly.

Aro laughed. "Oh my dear, you should see your face. You're practically scowling at me," he teased, pulling her toward him, giving her a kiss. "What are you saying, you don't want to go searching for Lucifer's abode?"

"No, I don't," she retorted.

Affectionately, he patted her thigh. "Have no fear. Exploring the underworld sounds like quite an adventure, but that is not how I plan to capture Moloch."

"So you want to wait until Moloch possesses a human body."

"Yes."

"And then you want me to trap him?"

"Yes, after I've set him on fire. Without you, he'll just jump into another body."

"Have you seen him jump into vampires?"

Aro hesitated. "Yes, I have."

This was unsettling because it meant that no vampire could truly be trusted. Maybe this was why Aro didn't trust the Volturi? "The Summer Solstice is only a couple of weeks away. That's not a lot of time," Bella argued.

"This is true. I don't want to rush this. Maybe we could just attend the ceremony and gather information."

This was a big relief for Bella. Yet she still felt overwhelmed. A deep sadness was spreading over her and seeping into her bones. She had never been prophetic, but all this talk of the devil and fallen angels made her feel like something horrible was going to happen. She reached out for Aro's hand. "Why are you doing this, fighting so hard? After all, we vampires are damned. It won't save us from the Lake of Fire. So why is it so important?"

Aro's expression turned grave, and he withdrew, letting go of her hand. "That's a hard question to answer, and I'm not sure I can explain it to you. I've been alive for so long. And for so many years, I've felt this insidious malaise upon the Earth. Like a demonic residue that is saturating everything. It makes me angry." He stopped for a moment, his eyes glassy, his fingers curling into fists. "No, I'm not just angry, I'm outraged. I'm also appalled to be a part of it. You have no idea how much I loathe Moloch and Lucifer for their hideous plans. Anything I can do to thwart them is a welcome endeavor for a man who has lived a very long life that has been filled with nothing but endless death." He gazed into her eyes. "Does that make sense?"

Bella nodded and gave him a sad smile. But she could tell there was something else. Something he wasn't telling her, but she also knew his words were true. "What I don't understand is, why doesn't God just take Satan out himself. Why does he let him exist?"

Aro leaned back against the pool edge. "Yes, I've wondered that myself. And there is no clear answer in the Bible, so anything I say is just speculation." He paused. "You know the Romans never just killed their enemies. They'd march them back into Rome and parade them around. They make an example of them. So maybe that is what God is doing to Lucifer. He making an example of him. Showing the world the devil is not all that powerful and letting the other angels know," he said, wagging his finger, his eyes narrowing. "This is what happens when you defy my will."

"I suppose that makes sense."

"But then again," Aro argued, "maybe it's part of the plan. If humans can overcome evil, it truly glorifies God."

"Are you saying that humans have to prove themselves to be given the gift of eternal life?"

"Possibly. Although Jesus saved them from this fate. Yet you'd think that God would want the best for his kingdom. After all, nobody wants to populate their paradise with a bunch of ne'er-do-wells who can't even stand up for their creator and are tempted by the slightest provocation."

"But two-thirds of the world are probably ne'er-do-wells," Bella argued.

"Really, you think so?" Aro shook his head and laughed, but then his gaze turned melancholy and he brought his hands together. "It might be something simple though. Something that most people probably don't consider. It is written that Lucifer was the most angelic of angles. He was beautiful, talented and divine. He had a beautiful voice and sang in the choir. His name meant "bearer of light,' which came from God's light shining upon him. In fact, he was so gifted that he wanted to be a God himself. That's why he turned against his creator. He knows on the Day of Judgment, he will be cast into the Lake of Fire. Therefore, he wants to destroy God's creation in revenge. However, God may have delayed his execution for the simple reason that he loves him."

Bella was stunned. She had never even considered that, but then again she hadn't really considered the Bible that much.

She was about to ask another question, but then Aro held up his finger letting her know not to speak.

Down the hall, Bella could hear the sound of a door opening and then footsteps. Next came the sound of a heavy door latch being opened and creaky hinge.

The woman that walked in was dressed in a silky robe of pale pink and she wore her sandy blonde down, letting it fall over her shoulders. "What a surprise," she said, her expression making it clear she wasn't surprised at all. "Aro and his paramour are here. Who could have known?"

Aro glared at her, clearly annoyed. "What do you want, Athenodora?"

"Well, I hope you don't mind if we join you." Athenodora smiled, walking over to the cabinet, pulling out two towels. "Come on in, Sulpicia dear. No reason we all can't have a friendly bath together. I know you're dying to meet Aro's new mistress."

Bella stiffed in apprehension. Finally, she would meet Aro's wife.

However, the woman that walked into the room was Corin, and she bowed her head. "I'm sorry to inform you, Mistress Athenodora, that Mistress Sulpicia decided not to bathe after all. She has retired back to her room."

Athenodora scowled at them, and she pointed her finger at Aro. "See what you've done. That poor girl is so afraid of you, she won't even enter the room. You're a horrible man."

Aro rolled his eyes in annoyance and walked out of the pool, drying himself off, dressing quickly. "Athenodora," he said menacingly. "If you continue to upset Sulpicia in this fashion, I will have you barred from the East Tower." He then turned to Bella and apologized. "I'm afraid I must attend to her, my dear, but I promise I won't be too long. Please go back to our room and we will continue our discussion there."

Bella nodded in compliance, getting out of the pool.

Aro gave Athenodora a stern look as he walked out.

Corin followed him

Now Bella was alone with Athenodora, which was extremely uncomfortable. Drying herself quickly, she pulled on her jeans.

Athenodora just glared at her. "Oh yes, run and do his bidding, whore. Maybe he'll throw you a bone."

Bella's fingers curled into a fist, but then she stopped herself. No, be good, she told herself. She didn't want to cause trouble for Aro. So she just ignored the woman and continued dressing, putting on her t-shirt. However, when she walked by Athenodora, the woman hissed at her.

"You're nothing but a common harlot, a Jezebel, whose blood is too filthy to drink. If you even think of trying to seduce my Caius this way, I will rip your head off."

Now Bella was pissed. Stopping, she turned to face her. "Oh you can try," she said threateningly. "But we both know where that will go."

This apparent challenge seemed to enrage Athenodora. She raised her hand and moved in to slap her.

But Bella was having none of it. She raised her shield and then pushed back on it, which in turn shoved Athenodora backward into the pool.

Athenodora's eyes were wide with shock.

However, Bella wasn't finished. She continued to push until the blonde was forced underwater and then sealed the top of the pool trapping her inside.

Furiously, Athenodora beat against the translucent shield, kicking at it with her feet, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't get it to budge.

After a few minutes, Bella finally released her. "Stay away from me," she warned.

Athenodora glared at her with hatred.

Bella stormed out, her hands shaking. But they weren't shaking in fear. No, Bella was far from scared of Caius' shrewish wife. She was shaking from rage. How dare that bitch call her a whore! She wanted to throttle her.

Of course, Aro would be furious.

The thing was, Bella was starting to realize that her power, which she had previously considered just a defense mechanism, was now becoming a weapon.

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Authors Note: One of the things that happened to me while doing research for this story, I've learned a great deal about the Bible that is not often taught in Sunday School. And this has changed my point of view. Consequently, I can't emphasize enough this story is fiction. Yes, it has a lot of niblets of truth, but it's fiction . I highly recommend doing research on the Bible. It's very enlightening.