Then, Dina heard neighing, turned, and he opened his eyes to see a winged horse, one of those angelic, armored ones that the demons had stolen.It must’ve run off in the chaos, the same as Dina.As it nibbled on some browned grass, he noticed it carried large saddlebags on its flanks, including an open one that hinted at onyx-black demon armor.He approached slow, and he immediately deciphered the shape of a helmet, a chest piece.It would do, wouldn’t it?
In the center of town, Baal said.“Kill God?Kill God?”
Michael replied, “There’s nothing we can do but that.”
“Even Satan couldn’t kill God,” Baal snapped.“He knew that was impossible.And I don’t give a shit whether God lives another day or another billion years.The only thing I care about is saving Satan.”
“We can’t save him,” Michael insisted, “unless God is dead.”
Someone’s throat cleared, calling Michael’s attention, and the prince turned swiftly, but the one who’d made the noise was none other than a demon with broken horns.Rosier — carefully holding Michael’s sword with both hands, offering it up at him.His eyes seemed tired, and his hands trembled.“If you’re to kill God, you’ll need this,” the stout demon whispered.
Instantly, Baal’s gaze softened.“Rosier...Where have you been?”
Rosier hesitated as Michael carefully took his sword’s handle.“Baal,” he began, then didn’t answer the question.“You should listen to Michael.”The regent scoffed.“Please.The hellfire is what killed Asmodeus.Satan may be already dead and so is that boy.So many, so many are already dead…” Just as Rosier’s voice trembled, Armoni hurried to stand behind him, laying his hand on the fruit demon’s back comfortingly, and Azazel stepped forward as well, looking at his old friend Rosier pitifully.He didn’t touch him, however, as he looked at Michael and drew in a slow breath.
Heart thumping too quick, Azazel glanced at Samyaza, whose face twitched and twitched, who was trying to reach for Azazel’s hand, who took his fingers and squeezed them.They could run, still, to the stars, away from all of this.‘But as the world flooded, we spoke of killing God, didn’t we?’And so the leader of the Watchers sighed, and Azazel said, “We will come with you too.”
Baal blinked twice.“What?”
Azazel stared; he wanted to say, ‘Because Lucifer is not God, and I’m not Lucifer.I don’t run away.’
And as if Baal had heard the thought, he laughed.He looked at Samyaza, then at Azazel, then at Michael.“What the fuck are we doing here?You still haven’t explained how we can kill God, Michael.Or are you asking for suicide?”
In Hell, Tadeo and Satan had long stopped speaking, burning in silence, wondering if the rest of time would be spent like this.There was nothing recognizable in the flames except for each other, except for perhaps those dark silhouettes below in the shape of people — the worst of souls, realizing all the horrible things they’d done on Earth.And though Tadeo was able to walk, Satan was nearly paralyzed, his many limbs feeling like they were bolted far from him to some distant walls.‘Have you ever loved someone?’the boy had asked.And Satan had wanted to snarl, ‘I’ve loved.I love more than anything that’s ever lived.’But that thought didn’t settle right.Nothing of how Satan had felt suddenly felt right.‘I’ve loved.’He tried to remember when he had.He tried to remember what it felt like to love.
On Earth, Michael said, “Satan tried to strike God down from His Throne during the war.I stopped him.”He realized now why Rosier had handed him the sword, what he meant by it, and he turned to give him a look in thanks, but Rosier was in Armoni’s arms now, face solemn and empty.“I don’t know what would have happened if I hadn’t taken this sword back from him.”He faced Baal again, and he stiffly added, “You said that Satan failed to kill God, but he failed because of me.And I won’t fight for God ever again.”For Lucifer, if not for himself.‘You’re not the Lucifer I fell in love with, but I kissed you, and I felt you, and I loved you — whoever you are.Lucifer, Satan, devil.Live and die a million more times — my heart will follow.’
“What about that Dina?”Baal suddenly said.“What about the other archangels?”
“The other archangels don’t believe in God much more,” Michael answered truthfully; he had been the one who insisted they follow God’s will even when they didn’t want to.He would have to spend an eternity trying to make it up to them, as well.He had another eternity set aside for Satan, and yet another for Joana.Michael had long accepted his death because there was nothing ahead of him, and now there was almost too much.“Baal,” he called again.“Please.Do it for Lucifer.”
Baal was quiet, and he looked back at his demons, who stared at him, too, with conflicted faces and uncomfortable shifts, then he turned to Rosier again.Visibly, the regent clenched and unclenched his jaw before he licked up the last of the dried blood on his bottom lip.Lowering his voice to almost a private hiss, he said, “I don’t trust you.”Then, however, he surrendered, “For Lucifer, I’ll try it.But the second that I see that we’re wasting time, I’ll feed you to God myself.”
“I won’t stop you,” Michael promised.
Nearby, Azazel turned to his Watchers, and he said to them, “For our human loves, for our children, for everything that ever happened to us.And because of what we became — beasts like what we bore on Earth.”
“Well,” grumbled Danel, “the one leading us to the stars is gone, so perhaps suicide is our best option indeed.”And Baraqiel twitched beside him.Some laughed low, bitterly.A small moment of peace.
When Dina arrived at the coast, he wore stolen armor — the helmet, chest plate, and some coverings for his arms that the pegasus had carried on its saddles.And now the angel reeled in his wings as he began to walk through what had once been a sea but had gone dry.He had swam through the shallows here with two young men — one the anti-Christ and one a soldier — but now he walked through dry sand and between some suffocated fish.Here, like at the road, there were some hints of humanity long gone — garbage, abandoned beach chairs and umbrellas, though very few human bodies.Dina continued walking until he saw the sea floor dip and the narrow, rocky mouths that lead into the underwater caves.They didn’t look so terrible when it wasn’t pitch dark, though the red light of a setting apocalyptic sun didn’t make the descent into Hell look very inviting either.
Dina didn’t hesitate to start crawling through it, even moving quickly.Though hellfire had erupted out of so many gashes into Hell, this one was dark and not particularly hot.It must have spat out its fire long ago, but once Dina traveled deep into it, the heat began to rise slow, as if he were sitting in a furnace.‘Will I survive long enough in Hell to find them?Satan.Tadeo.’Dina didn’t want to die, but he’d come this far.Heart stinging in fear, Dina watched as flames swelled at the end of the tunnel, and before he could even begin his thoughts of retreat, his hand slipped, and he plunged into the inferno.
Silent still, Tadeo and Satan soon heard a new screaming nearby.Neither of them reacted much, assuming an angel, demon, or human had fallen inside and was burning alive brutally.But the screaming didn’t stop, it continued for many seconds, far longer than it would take for someone to burn to ash.And so Tadeo, tiredly, lifted his head, and Satan managed to do the same, terrible body twisting.There was a flash nearby of something, like a glass shard beneath the sun.The devil called out to it: “Who’s there?”
The voice was still wailing in agony, but then it forced out, “Follow me!”Dina’s words, broken and wet.“Follow me out!Tadeo!Lucifer!”
“Dina?”Tadeo called, but a burst of anger almost made him growl like a Beast.“Fuck you!Fuck you for everything that you’ve done!”
Dina said, “If you follow me, I can get you out of here— Please hurry— Please?—”
Satan replied: “I can’t move.”
“Please,” Dina was still begging, and the shape of him began to bloom from the flames.“Please.”His legs were gone, finishing in burnt stumps at his thighs but the rest of him remained, hidden beneath demonic armor however much hellfire raged.
Tadeo hesitated, then he finally looked down at himself, and he saw a monster.“I can cut you free, Satan.”The devil didn’t reply.“But — you must promise to kill God.”
“I’ve always wanted to kill God,” snapped Satan.
