Stolen Season

chapter three: Saturnine Spell

-

Most fallen are misanthropic; they didn't think humanity is worthy of God's praise. Azazeal would not bow his head before Adam, that lesser being, who had God's favor. Thus he was banished from heaven, cast down to earth and left there to suffer. Perhaps God assumed he'd learn from his mistakes, that he would come to respect the humans during his stay. If that's the case, it was naïve and foolish to think such.

Even if time has made the fallen angels appreciate humans they still see humans are something to use. They are above these mortal beings, they were here first. Their hatred for God is vast. God abandoned them for one sin alone but humans can break the rules and spit on God's face and not be forsaken even in death.

The reclined sun left but a crimson veil in its wake. The color, although agitating and anxious to many others, was soothing to his senses because it broke the illusion of reality, made it unreal. Heaven was real to him in a way his banishment had never been. Humans to throw around, angels to corrupt, vine and satisfaction had all brought his pleasure to its peak many times and yet not could compare to the bliss of being by God's side and feeling his clemency.

His name was crossed off from God's book and his existence cursed with his own mother language, the language of angels. Before the humans there hadn't been a foul word in that language, not a single word to grasp hatred, wrath or jealousy. If heaven were truly unchanged even with its prodigious children cast down, angels would still know nothing of forsaking or despising. They did though and the way their love for God had twisted into hate for demons told it all.

Azazeal still couldn't accept his punishment. The root of evil lay in the freedom of choice of men. It is what'd tainted their kind, not the wants or needs of angels.

He stepped away from the wide windows of his lair. The bloody dawn still brought no trace of Baraqiel's return and it disturbed him. His fledgling had run off with the mother of his child after all and in the human form he'd forbidden Baraqiel to use! It was just like with Rachel; the boy caught a glimpse of a woman worthy of Azazeal's attention and then made friends with her. He came so close she influenced his sight and opinions; made him feel pity and compassion again.

"Do you think this is mutiny?" Azazeal asked his companion softly, clearly without opinion about his own question.

He was troubled for this pattern in the recent events was not the first of its kind. In the past there'd been another incident where his commands had been broken and Baraqiel had acted on his accord. That angel had been so fond of Esther he'd tried to salvage her from the evil that lay in the child herself. Needless to say Baraqiel had failed.

Perie's hands were soon around him, touching him intimately, caressing. "He is protecting your witch from the Anointed One, just as you wanted."

Azazeal pulled away from the reach of her hands, simply putting down her opinion on the matter in the depths of his mind. Asking Perie about Baraqiel was the same as asking any other woman whether his childlike enthusiasm and appearance pleased their eyes. Just like many Perie had first worshipped the ground underneath his feet until she'd been rejected and only then noticed Azazeal himself. It didn't bother Azazeal the least; he could never envy Baraqiel, who'd been even God's favorite, for he wasn't blind to the grace of his servant either.

They were friends, brothers even, and his only will concerning Baraqiel was to keep him out of trouble. As long as Baraqiel served him he could watch over his 'young brother', but should Baraqiel turn against him there were only a few powers strong enough to claim his allegiance and Azazeal trusted none other. So perhaps he was possessive in his love. The traits that had eventually made him envious over God's attention had stayed within him and were still reflected to his relationships. He wanted a bit of control, untainted loyalty and obedience, however achieving all those qualities didn't seem to sate him enough as he'd learned with Perie. She offered no challenge, and had proved dull during the endless flow of centuries.

It wasn't like that with Baraqiel, or Cassie or his other favorites. They had the ability to contradict when necessary and Azazeal always enjoyed them straying because it meant they would eventually return to his graces and that moment was bittersweet.

Perie beside him was growing restless and with good reason. Despite her abilities and stealth she was inferior to the Nephilim and after Azazeal had awakened his most trusted angels her mission had been taken away from her and she was stuck in limbo, wondering whether she still had a place by his side, or even his shadow. She already knew she'd lost Azazeal's affection over to that witch, but to lose her position as well? She didn't appreciate this release from her duty at all.

They were greeted with care when two more joined their company. Perie saw this as her sign to leave Azazeal's side and hurried out of the way, humble fear giving her an extra dimension in the arriving angels' eyes. Azazeal didn't even notice her leaving; he was too absorbed by the sight of his general and a familiar messenger.

On his right stood Sariel, his most belligerent ally and the luminous leader of his army to come. She was not clad in heavenly amour as she'd been during her most glorious days, but instead dressed in human clothing that covered her sex from most curious eyes. Her long blonde hair was tied to a long braid and the juvenile t-shirt and jeans only increased the hypothesis of her young age. She was the 'moon of God', calm on the surface but powerful and beautiful in her wrath. Unfortunate for him though, Sariel was ultimately loyal only to Baraqiel, having witnessed the venom of Azazeal's plotting nature firsthand in the past.

Next to Sariel, clad in equal clothing of dark shades and little detail – or more commonly said a sweater and loose jeans – stood Xaphan, who was the only true demon in their presence. Mischief lived in Xaphan's eyes, leaving an expression of unimportance in his short but slim figure and his plucked hair that was pointing at all directions cut in different lengths all around his head. Azazeal knew the story behind this one though and didn't let his appearance fool him either. If he ever found another fallen angel that was as trigger happy and loved fire half as much as Xaphan, he'd be more than surprised.

Azazeal didn't stop to examine the two for long though, simply gruffed an amused "You're late" at them.

Sariel's eyes claimed his immediately and her trimmed eyebrows approached her eyes threateningly. "Xaphan was followed," she explained, not allowing Azazeal to doubt her words for a second. Beside her Xaphan shot his traitorous escort with a disappointed glare before focusing on Azazeal again.

"Considering how long I've been running between you and your friends it's really no wonder. Your deadlines are impossible!" He retorted, completing his taunting with a complacent smirk. He looked strange when paired with the alabaster skinned angel as his own skin was more golden than anything. Xaphan also had wicked eyes, their brown approaching red in the proper lighting whereas Sariel's were pure blue.

Azazeal couldn't help but wonder who could've suspected an unimportant individual like Xaphan enough to trail his steps? After all, the demon was more of brat than anything else. "Who?" He voiced his thoughts soon after.

"Wouldn't know," Xaphan answered in his usual arrogant style. "However, if we can just get on with this so I can return to the place where I belong instead of playing a mortal in this stupid plane." His suggestion was the same as always. Xaphan had always disliked humans and their plain and appeared to be happy only by his lord's side.

"Samyaza has been alerted to the progress of your plans. Lucifer is practically beaming at everyone, because he believes you'll succeed," Xaphan went on explaining upon realizing he'd silenced both Watchers by his side. He'd never taken much liking to the Nephilim or their profile but after an eternity of serving as the link between the three allies, these people were slowly growing on him, well, as much as animate things could grow on him.

"What is Samyaza's condition?" Azazeal hesitated when asking the question. He knew there was little to do until the release of their companion now, but something about Samyaza's attitude of late bothered him. The original Nephilim leader had been contained in his special prison alone for the longest time with nothing but Xaphan's random visits as his counter for time. Could even an angel survive such isolation in perfect fit? Above all he was worried about Xaphan though. That perverted boy of demon had an influence over Samyaza being his only contact to the outside world, it was certain, but how far had he gone in exercising it?

As if sensing Azazeal's doubts, Xaphan gave a reassured smile and convinced Samyaza was still in a prime condition. Then again, the word of a demon held only so little weight.

Sariel was moving restlessly beside the two. She was uncomfortable in this place, and missed her other companions after their long imprisonment. She yearned to know about Baraqiel and Tamiel, her closest brothers. Surely Azazeal wouldn't allow any danger to befall upon them?

"Fine. What about Malachi's protection? Can I count on Lucifer's aide in the matter?" Thinking of his son immediately brought Cassie to Azazeal's thoughts and her cursed presence in them remained. He couldn't help feeling unease because of Baraqiel again. What was he trying to achieve with this abduct? Was Baraqiel truly loyal until the very end?

Xaphan snorted and made a bored face. "Do you even need to ask? Even I know it's obvious, and I don't even have a part in these plans." He truly had a child's patience and a mind that started craving for fire the same moment he was no longer in any immediate danger. Azazeal didn't quite appreciate Xaphan's mordant tone of voice and was about to comment on it when Sariel grasped his wrist and moved closer to him. A warning lived in her eyes – it enough to stop Azazeal from taking action.

"Your work here is done, Xaphan. Leave," Sariel hissed and moved past Azazeal for a view of the window. Xaphan made faces at both of the Nephilim but didn't stay and argue. He had better things to do after all. It didn't take him but a hint of a thought until he had already vanished into darkness, satisfied to be finally able to leave the Nephilim's side. After he'd gone and Sariel was sure there was nothing else to disrupt them she turned to Azazeal again, with a gripping aura of seriousness overtaking her.

"I've been informed that the Anointed One has just visited your bride… Why did you send Baraqiel to perform such a belittling task? Is there a meaning to this?"

Somehow, had anyone else questioned his actions with such an icy tone, Azazeal would've instantly given them a painful reminder of his position atop the food chain. Sariel was a different matter though. She'd never be fully tamed and she'd never fully acknowledge Azazeal's leadership, no, she only followed because of Baraqiel. Had Baraqiel not accepted Azazeal, Sariel would've forever followed Samyaza, or maybe even given her servitude and loyalty to Lucifer. That woman didn't especially like him, or respect him. It was one of the reasons he didn't restrict her actions though.

"She needs to be protected from outside influence. Who'd be better in protecting a mortal than Baraqiel, who appreciates them so?" Azazeal responded, even conjuring up a smirk. Yes, he was well aware of Ella's resurface and had already prepared for her defeat with Ramiel's help.

"He's overqualified to look after your whore. If you had any sense left, you'd have killed her by now," she responded, her dark glare clearly stating her opinion in the matter. He wasn't offended though but rather flattered instead. He approached her, moved his hand to touch her cheek, instantly causing her to step away from his reach.

"Haven't I given you enough attention Sariel?" he asked amused and smiling. Of course he knew she could only care for Baraqiel, hell, the woman had always followed him around like a puppy. Then again her relations with Samyaza were also questionable. Sariel's eyes were emitting sparks at him now. Yes, he did like rejection in a masochistic way. A woman needed to have the strength to deny him at first, like Cassie.

"You know as well as I do that you're nothing but a neat compilation of suitable genes. When Samyaza is freed, you'll be nothing again." She finally let out her claws fully, confessing everything on her mind with a few simple sentences. It froze him for a second, for even with her frigid surface Azazeal had thought Sariel could be won over by time. Apparently the woman had far grater dislike for him than he'd ever thought. Yet it was strange for Sariel to be so hell bent on serving Samyaza after all this time…

Azazeal allowed his despise to become visible on his face. He straightened his posture gaining some additional height that put him above her. He knew he could've crushed her now, finally made her pay for her insolence and taken a great deal of pleasure in doing so. Yet he could only imagine how Tamiel and Baraqiel and of course Samyaza would react to his actions and he didn't need to complicate things further. In the end, she was one of the twenty leaders of the Nephilim, even if he'd been raised above all the others.

Only Samyaza, the true leader of the Nephilim, who was still caged by God had more influence than him. They all knew a fight for leadership would ensue upon Samyaza's return and speeding the process would efficiently weaken Azazeal's stand in that fight. No, he let go of his anger and glared at the woman in front of him. Then he grasped her shoulder before she could resist.

"Listen to me very carefully," Azazeal advised, while allowing the vision of her plight intoxicate him. She grimaced because of the pain of his nails in her flesh yet that rebellious spark remained in her eyes. She'd always loved power, been drawn to it like a moth, which quite clearly explained why Samyaza had been able to tempt her despite her iron will.

"I have withstood your insults over my judgment, my bride, and even the insolence you've so enthusiastically shoved at my face for several millennia. I will not however withstand you questioning my position and my part in this grand play we created after God humiliated us and abandoned us."

His grip grew stronger, made her whimper and grasp for her weapons. He then let her go, and watched as she gasped for air on the floor. A teardrop appeared in the corner of her eye but she gathered herself quickly, getting up like nothing had just happened. Her blonde hair had been freed from the ponytail and it now landed over her shoulders as an untamed cloud. He'd been able to shake her a bit, but she still wouldn't yield. She'd never yield to him.

"No wonder it took you an eternity to sire an offspring, Azazeal," she said. "You just couldn't get enough of humans, enough of humiliation and stalling so you might prove how you're worth something to the Nephilim."

He was tempted to grab her again, but he knew better. The ice queen was plotting something already, savoring the mental image immensely. "Unfortunately you can't screw every angel in the Nephilim with your charm and in the end you're just be the parvenu you were when you joined us."

She marched out, upholding perfect grace and royalty in her movement and appearance when she fled their battlefield. Azazeal felt weary. He'd known the Nephilim would start to fall apart at this point but he'd hoped none of Samyaza's loyal ones would be too strong. Perhaps a foolish wish, but he knew he had nothing until Malachi was fully grown up and he would most certainly be threatened at this point if they were to get rid of him.

The fallen and demons, even the angels in heaven, had all been tainted; all were deceivers, who had opinions and persona unlike God had intended. What was true loyalty anymore? What was pure love when God would not respond to it? There was no replacement for the wound the Creator had cut when abandoning them. The only thing that made it heal was the sight of his son, the miracle God would've never wanted to exist. Azazeal knew he would never abandon his son, never drive him away, or disown him. He wouldn't repeat the sins of his own parent.

Just then he thought of Baraqiel again, but not because of Cassie or Sariel. Baraqiel had been God's favorite, the one taught everything, the one God had never intended abandoning even during the darkest hour. Still Baraqiel had turned his back on God, refused his lineage and joined the ranks of the deserted. Even if Azazeal loved his son, it wouldn't be enough for Malachi could still leave him one day and refuse his father.

Azazeal sat down now, rubbing his face and leaning against the chair's back. The child wasn't here anymore; his crying didn't wake him up at night. Already Malachi was safer when not with his father. Was this shadow the shadow over his future?

-

Thelma could not even begin to express her distrust towards this Ella, who'd just stepped in town and was suddenly taking part in their lives like she was obligated to interfere. So she was a witch? Big deal, it didn't mean she or Cassie needed her help. Besides Ella's attitude wasn't helping her any, in her attempt to appear trustworthy. The bitch had the nerve to order her around! - Like she was her puppy or something. So clearly Thelma ignored Ella's orders and stood still, rather focusing on the sight of Felix's corpse.

She'd never liked Felix; he'd been more of an awkward nuisance than anything but Cassie, being the nice person she was, hadn't minded him at all. Showing kindness to that creep had naturally misled him and made him develop that ridiculous crush on her. It must've been why the Nephilim had eventually killed him. Now his death wasn't something Thelma had wished for despite her dislike for the poor sob. No one deserved a death like that, another death like hers. But apparently Azazeal was hell bent on keeping Cassie for himself and eliminating all competition. Sadly the thought only made her feel increasing agony as she remembered her own fate that somewhat echoed this tragedy.

Cassie couldn't go on living like this. She'd suffocate trying to steer clear from people if she feared the Nephilim would try and harm them. It was too cruel to inflict such pain on her repeatedly, simply inhuman! It proved Azazeal was nothing but a jealous and possessive man, just the type Thelma had tried to protect her friend from all these years. If Cassie didn't love her then at least she should've been able to love someone, who treated her right!

She tore her eyes away from the body and faced Ella was observing her with an expression of absolute boredom. "Are you ready to listen to me now?" the red head asked still sounding more than self-absorbed but Thelma let it slide, clinging onto the hope that maybe Ella had some answers. She for one needed to know whether Cassie was alright and if she needed to start worrying over her existence again.

"Spill it out, I know you're just dying to enlighten me," Thelma remarked, closing the space between herself and the sullen witch. She'd decided by herself to try and appear as unmoved as possible in front of that dominant tease. It was the only way she could squeeze what she needed from Ella as quickly and painlessly as possible. Hell, she might even enjoy acting this out.

Ella's smile was skew. "Your friend there doesn't seem as independent from Azazeal as you two have led me to believe," she stated coldly, knowing the ghost just needed to be frightened a bit to get her co-operative. Jealousy would rid her of any resistance in no time.

"Cassie doesn't want to be near him ever again, so I suggest you stop insinuating such. She's seen what he does to people around him and knows what a sick prick he is. It doesn't mean he'd stop trying to hurt her though, no, he has the child for leverage," Thelma responded, crossing her arms across her chest. She didn't like Ella taking the higher ground to Cassie at all, seeing as she hadn't done anything to prove her superiority just yet. Besides no one insulted Cassie with her around!

"I see," Ella sighed, tilting her head as if she was admitting her defeat. "I bet that is why she just saved a Nephilim from certain death and escaped with him."

The blonde man's face flashed before Thelma's eyes again and then the position he'd been in when they'd vanished. A Nephilim? He had to be the one that'd killed Felix and followed Cassie around, which would also mean he'd been ordered to look out for Cassie. Strangely the thought felt correct. The man had been in front of Cassie, shielding her from Ella's attack, hadn't he? Oh, Ella really had nothing on her!

"You attacked Cassie!" she raised her voice threateningly, only making Ella shake her head. There really was no taking sense to these girls; they were already head over heels in the mutiny against God!

"I suppose you haven't noticed that she's aiding renegade angels in waging war against Heaven!?" she hissed back, more than aware she had nothing to apologize for. After all she was on a mission from God, an Anointed One fighting demons that sought only to make this world into their perverse image. She had every right to hunt down that girl and fucking spank her for her stupidity.

"She was fooled into it!" Thelma defended her best friend fiercely.

"Not this time. This time she knew exactly what she was doing. She knew he was a demon, and I a witch and she chose to aide him." In her mind Ella could only compliment Baraqiel for yet another successful mindfuck he'd performed on Cassie. The girl she'd met before had been aware of her abuse and willing to do anything to stop Azazeal, and yet she'd yielded before Baraqiel and been turned into an ally anew.

Thelma really had no reply for this accusation. She couldn't defend her friend without knowing why she'd done what she'd done. Hell, even she was confused as to why Cassie had saved that rather hunky looking demon without seeing his fine features first. Perhaps the demon had brainwashed her after all? Used some kind of mind control mojo? Fear was rising within her again; if the Nephilim was a servant of Azazeal's would he hurt Cassie? There were no guarantees.

Ella moved by her side, circling her in a predatory manner. "You're seeing it too now? Seeing through the beautiful lie, the shell, and realizing what he is inside?"

Ella knew this demon before hand? Thelma looked at her, worried more than anything. "Well tell me if you know! Who is he?"

"He's name is Baraqiel and he's a Watcher of the Nephilim, one of the twenty leaders under Azazeal's command. He was a favorite of God before he fell and now he's one of the most deadly allies of Azazeal."

He was also a powerful presence: youthful, seductive, trustworthy and convincing. There was terrible power in Baraqiel, and Ella had felt it. They'd dueled for days, carrying on by simple spirit. No, Baraqiel wasn't just any fallen angel, his status was legendary and his servitude desired among the many dukes and Satans in Hell. Perhaps even God willed his return to Heaven.

"Will he hurt her?" Thelma asked, preparing for the worst. Ella simply shook her head. "It shouldn't be beneficial to their goals."

By now they'd gone on and on by believing their part in the angels' plots would be over soon but truthfully Thelma didn't see this game ending soon at all anymore. Azazeal had wanted a son to release the Nephilim from their prison and now he had one. What more could he want from them?

"What do they want? Azazeal has his son, his people are free! Can't they just lay low and enjoy life?"

Ella smirked at the question. "They hate humans, Thelma. They hate you because God loved you more. So simply put they want revenge."

Which was the truth in a nutshell. What lay outside the nutshell was far more complicated. Malachi's birth had just started their masterplan and put things in motion. Then there were the other wildcards to consider: Gods angels and interference from the Anointed One, maybe even the true demons of Lucifer. Even the ranks of the Nephilim were divided and would be broken to units should the true leader of the Nephilim ever be freed from his prison.

"That look means trouble, doesn't it?" Thelma whined, frowning at the sight of Ella's saturnine appearance. Surprisingly Ella laughed. "More than you can even imagine. The Nephilim plan to raise hell, literally! …And I'm the only one who can stop them, so I'd appreciate a little help."

Yeah, help. It was tricky, because helping Ella just might mean turning against Cassie should Ella be correct about this Baraqiel having seduced Cassie to the dark side or whatever. Still the end of the world sounded like a bigger betrayal than trying to bring some sense into Cassie's deluded head. The girl had been through enough for the past months. If Thelma could help vanquish the Nephilim from Cassie's life forever, it'd be enough.

She felt very decisive all of the sudden, rejuvenated really. Even Ella noticed the difference and nodded approvingly. "If I do this," Thelma started making sure Ella truly caught the seriousness in her voice, "You'll have to tell me absolutely everything you know about the Nephilim."

"Fine," Ella agreed, pleased that finally something was going well. "I will tell you everything you want to know once we've relocated to a better suited location," she promised, noticing that they were still in much too close proximity to the corpse. Should they be found like this, there'd be simply too much additional trouble. Thelma realized this as well and they quickly changed the scenery, closing themselves inside the walls of Ella's room.

Thelma didn't stop to admire the decoration or ancient looking artifacts that surrounded the place, no; she needed to absorb whatever Ella had to tell her as quickly as possible so she might've found a way to help Cassie. Ella relaxed, laying over her bed and removing her boots now that she had the chance to do so.

"So, you promised you'd tell," Thelma challenged her new ally almost giddily. "What does Azazeal want?"

"Azazeal wants power; he wants something to replace God with. I'd imagine leading the Nephilim and having a family would suffice that need. However he also wants revenge against God for his abandonment." Ella checked upon Thelma's doings, to insure she was really listening instead of focusing on looking for food in her room. She'd noticed the ghost seemed to support a never-ending appetite.

"He has allies in Hell and plans to somehow attack heaven; bring about the End of Days and survive victorious."

"What about Cassie?" Thelma asked, turning to look at Ella. The witch had already said Azazeal wanted a family, but did that include the mother of his child?

Ella however wasn't as worried as Thelma was. "She should be fine, if Azazeal wishes it. However our only concern isn't Azazeal. You see, even with Malachi, he is replaceable. There's a power struggle going on, and it'll decide, who'll get to rule when the war is over. Should it be Azazeal, Cassie should be fine. Should it be anyone else in Hell, both she and Azazeal are doomed to die, because they might influence their own child and render him incontrollable."

Thelma felt astounded. "Are you saying that Malachi is the key to this End of Days? That it can't happen without him?"

Ella nodded lazily. "Precisely the reason Azazeal was encouraged and supported by so many in his desire to acquire an offspring. He was the most suitable one for the purpose."

"In other words all we need to do is defeat Azazeal and then pretty much all of Hell or… kill Malachi?" Thelma reasoned, horrified with the thought of having to sacrifice Cassie's child to ensure existence as they knew it. No, there had to be another way! There just had to!

"You're forgetting the Nephilim. They aren't just mindless beasts following Azazeal. You see originally they were led by an angel called Samyaza, who was locked away into an even more terrible prison, because he was much more dangerous than any of his subordinates. Some of the Nephilim still follow him and should he be freed, he'd be another dangerous contestant in the war."

Ella didn't know much about this Samyaza, just whispers and rumors from the Nephilim she'd destroyed and half-truths from the angels she served. There was reverence when they referred to him and fear. Obviously Samyaza was a worthy advisory even to God, having been one of his most powerful angels.

Thelma shrugged. "Damn, Azazeal's almost sounding like a good option with all that background information!" She'd thought knowing these things would bring more clarity to her thoughts but instead things were even more confusing in her head. How was she supposed to save Cassie if the only way was to kill her own son!

"Not all demons want this. There are some who view it better to keep things the way they are than making God angry again, so we might find strange allies in our quest," Ella comforted Thelma, upon noticing how torn the ghost looked. Thelma had sat down and was staring at the floor now while she fought her distraught quietly. Ella almost felt sorry for her. No matter what Thelma decided to do, she'd end up bringing grief to her friend and disappearing from existence herself. It was a no win situation.

Thelma gazed out of the window, full of information for the time being. Even if the Nephilim didn't want any harm to befall on Cassie, Azazeal's failure to gain control would ensure her death. Wasn't there any way to protect her friend now?

-

A/N: Seeing as Hex isn't entirely true to the Enoch's fallen angels, I've also taken liberties. So if you know something isn't as you think it is, I'm probably aware of the change and have changed it on purpose.