It had been two days since the horseman's odd request and Ichabod was still no closer to finding anything significant. Two days of no sleep, no fresh air and cheap coffee as he spent his time absorbing the information of all these books in this great archive and not one had mentioned anything about Azrael that they didn't already know.
And now he only had twenty-four hours left before the appointed time he had agreed with Abraham to relay the information he had procured or as his luck would have it, the lack of information.
He was starting to reach his wits end, although he had to admit to himself he felt a slight smug satisfaction at the fact Abraham had to ask for his help, that must of hurt. But it was quickly swallowed up by his apprehension, he didn't know the reason as to why Abraham wanted this information but if he had to guess, it was for nothing good.
He had been so consumed about defeating demons and avoiding the upcoming apocalypse these past few months, he had never considered the possibility of an angel joining the war.
Is that what Moloch and the two horsemen feared?
He knew with all certainty that they were not trying to find a way to kill an angel. After all, Abraham was the Horseman of Death, he could kill any being he wanted but what other reason could there be?
Perhaps Earth wasn't their only target, maybe they would also set their sights on Heaven itself, just as Lucifer had once done.
Were they looking for some kind of weakness within the heavenly host?
'I can't believe instead of looking for a way to kill Moloch and stop the apocalypse, we are running an errand for the headless horseman'.
Ichabod peered round the mountain of books that obscured his view of Abbie, who was sitting on the opposite side of the table, rubbing the temple of her head in frustration.
'I understand, Leftenant. But if this is a chance to save my wife…'
'We've already been down this route, Crane. And she chose to stay with the horseman, twice'.
'True, but as a husband it is my duty to try at every opportunity. Besides the second time doesn't count, she left with Abraham to save us'.
'Well in any case, we're still no closer in finding out what the Horseman of Death wants with the Angel of Death'.
'Archangel'. Ichabod corrected.
'What?'
'Azrael, he was an archangel'.
'I suppose there's some kind of philosophical difference'. Abbie asked sarcastically, watching as Ichabod was preparing to go into his history professor mode.
'Archangels were the first of God's creations and therefore the most powerful. The highest ranking of the heavenly host, the word archangel is derived from the Greek word, arkhángelos, literally meaning 'chief angel'. They were each charged with their own responsibility. Michael is the commander of the army of angels who defeated the Devil, Gabriel is the messenger of God, Azrael was the harbinger of death who escorted souls to their eternal life and so on'.
'And the woman, the horseman enquired about? There's no mention of Azrael ever having a love interest in any of these books'.
'No…which begs the question; what kind of woman could fall in love with Death himself?' he pondered.
'I once asked a similar question about a friend of mine. She and I had just earned our badges, a couple of weeks later she arrests this guy, a real low life and a repeated offender. One day she caught him stealing some old lady's bag. Anyway, long story short, she fell in love with him, it betrayed everything she once stood for and she quit the force…. A good cop and a criminal, I just couldn't understand how she could ever fall for a guy like him but perhaps it's true what they say, opposites attract'.
At that a light bulb switched on in Ichabod's mind. He started digging through the manuscripts, looking for a specific page he remembered reading before he had cast it aside thinking it had no importance.
'That's it, Leftenant.'
'What is?' Abbie asked, confused to Crane's sudden outburst.
'Opposites attract and what is the opposite of death?'
He finally found the page he was looking for, placing it front of Abigail so she could study the writing.
'Life'. She answered.
'Or to be more specific, Phanuel the Archangel of Life'.
'Like two sides of the same coin'.
'Yes, of course. Without life there would be no death and without death there would be no room for new life. Two halves made whole by the very existence of the other'.
'It also says she is the angel of exorcisms, that could be really useful in a town like Sleepy Hollow'. Abbie joked.
'Indeed'.
Abbie kept reading, coming to a certain passage that instantly caught her interest.
'Crane, take a look at this'.
'What is it, Leftenant?' he asked as he made his way around the table.
'Here, it reads: Phanuel's arch-rival in the demonic hordes is Belial the Devil and father of lies. More commonly known as the demon Moloch'.
'Are you sure we should be doing this, Crane? Giving The horseman and Moloch information about an angel who could potentially help us win this war?'.
Ichabod and Abbie crept through the woods, the beams of light from their torches illuminating their way through the twisted trunks of the trees, the only sounds that could be heard were the haunting cries of owls and the crunch of fallen leaves beneath their boots, as they made their way to where they were supposed to meet the horseman.
'We don't need to give him the whole truth, Leftenant. Just enough to satisfy his curiosity and free Katrina'.
As they got closer to their destination, the air became icy cold, lightning flashed and the sound of thunder rumbled throughout the sky. The horseman was already waiting, sitting astride his white horse, clearly eager to find out what they had learnt.
'Where is Katrina?' Ichabod demanded, not seeing a trace of his wife anywhere.
The horseman once again threw the necklace at Ichabod's feet.
Ichabod moved with haste to put it on.
'You will have her once I am satisfied with the information you have for me'.
Ichabod took a deep breath and began explaining what they had learnt at the archives, leaving out the little detail that Phanuel and Moloch were sworn enemies. All the while he studied Abraham's face, he had never seen his former friend so engrossed in a singular topic before, almost as if there was some deeper reason to his new found obsession.
Abraham listened intently, so this woman was an angel?
That may partially explain how she was able to touch his face. However, he had chosen not to mention that event to the witnesses when he had asked them to gather the information, nor the fact that he had had any contact with her at all.
But the fact that she thought he was Azrael?
It was ludicrous.
He almost felt like laughing at the absurdity.
He was born human, with human parents and he had had a perfectly normal human life. Until he died and made a deal with a demon to become the horseman of Death, that is. But other than that, there had never been a moment in his life that would indicate he was any kind of supernatural being, especially an angel.
No, it could not be true. It must be some kind of foolish attempt to try and divide his loyalties. A trick and nothing more.
And yet he could not deny the feelings that were growing within him with each passing day, every time he thought of her, it deepened. But he didn't know what to call it, love felt like such a mediocre word for what he felt.
He had even found himself back at the meadow, where he would stay throughout the night until the faintest glow of the sun could be seen, all in the hope that she would be there. But she had not shown up and he couldn't help but feel disappointed and after he would return home.
He remembers loving Katrina and desiring her love in return, and yet for these past few days he had hardly seen her. And he had found to his astonishment that he did not miss her. Instead he had opted to stay in the stables with Daredevil. He couldn't face Katrina, knowing she would have a dozen questions for him, questions that even he did not know the answers to.
As Ichabod came to an end, Abraham realised there was still one question he still did not have an answer to.
'Why did he leave her?'
'I do not know. There was some vague reference of another angel coveting Phanuel and after that, there was no more mention of Azrael'.
The horseman felt an uncontrollable rage surge through him, it almost felt instinctual as if his subconscious was responding to a memory long since forgotten. The mere thought that someone had had the audacity to desire what was his made his blood boil. Daredevil reared his head, suddenly becoming fidgety as if he could feel his master's discontentment.
'Abraham, I have kept my side of the bargain, it is time to honour yours'.
'I'm sorry, old friend' Abraham reached back for his shot gun, aiming it directly at Ichabod before pumping it 'but old habits and all'.
'Azrael stop!'
The three of them turned towards where the shout had come from, their eyes landing on the form of a woman. She had seemingly appeared out of no where, surprising the witnesses and the horseman.
'Uhh, did she just call the horseman of Death by the angel of Death's name?' Abbie asked Ichabod, whispering softly so only he could hear.
'Phanuel' Ichabod whispers back in astonishment.
'My love, spare the witnesses lives and I shall come with you willingly and you will have all the answers you seek'.
Abraham considered her offer for a moment, wrestling with the idea of killing the two fools and taking the angel by force but he quickly chose against it. He found that the last thing he wanted to do was upset her.
He holstered his shotgun and held out his hand towards her.
'No, wait. You can't go with him' Abbie warned. She couldn't believe this woman…no, this angel was offering to leave with the horseman willingly. Especially since this horseman was a servant of Moloch, he may already know that they are enemies and if that was so, God knows what he may have plan for her.
'It's alright, he won't harm me'. She answered Abbie, smiling warmly at her before looking back at the horseman. She took the necessary steps to reach him and placed her hand in his own, allowing him to help her onto the back of his horse before galloping off towards his home.
Ichabod and Abbie stood there dumbfounded, neither one of them could quite comprehend what they had both just witnessed as they watched the pale rider and his prize disappear deeper into the woods.
'Okay, what just happened?' Abbie asked, hoping Ichabod had some logical answer.
'I feel Abraham had more knowledge than what he revealed. The way he looked at her, he has definitely made her acquaintance before this night'.
Ichabod had noted that Abraham had looked upon this angel almost in a similar way as when he looks at Katrina but there was something much more. It was as if she was the only being in the woods to Abraham in that moment.
He and the Leftenant could have danced a jig and he doubted that Abraham would of even noticed.
'I meant her calling him Azrael and my love'.
Abbie couldn't help but feel a little disdain that an angel, the Archangel of Life no less, had called the Horsemen of Death, "my love". He was evil incarnate. How could anyone love him?
'I think she was insinuating that the horseman and the angel are one and the same. Which isn't as far-fetched as it may seem when you really think about it'.
'I don't know. A horseman of the apocalypse, an angel of God, they're poles apart'. Abbie argued.
'Are they? They're both Death personified. They both have the power to kill any being they choose, immortal or otherwise. The only true difference is what they represent. Azrael was one half of a scale, keeping balance over life and death, only bringing death to those whose time on Earth had come to an end. The horseman kills mercilessly, bringing chaos and destruction wherever he rides, signalling the end of times'.
'Still seems a little improbable'.
'You're forgetting, Leftenant. All demons were once angels'.