Monarch of Darkness, Arsene

Sensing something off about Mephisto, something I couldn't put my finger on, something within me reeled.

"Leave," he said sharply, turning to Michael with razor-sharp eyes far in contrast to the lazy ones he typically held. There was no mischievous glint, no tricks, no friendliness. There was only a man looking at an enemy.

"I've never seen him like this," Tene whispered gently over the tip of my ear. "How scary. What do you think would cause such a reaction?"

"Honestly. I've no idea. People like Mephisto rarely get angry. They tend to get more annoyed than angry. It could literally be anything." Looking at the back of this stranger I knew to be Mephisto, I backed away with Tenebene hooked to my back, and Shadowed Stepped away.

As badly as I wanted to see this battle between Fallen, I valued my life.

Emerging from the Darkness in a damp forest near the edge of the Eben Forest back on Iluthath, a weary sigh rippled out of me.

"Why do you sigh?" Tenebrae asked, using my divinity to maintain her current state.

"I'm so weak."

"But you have the power to stand at the peak if you so wish. Pride and Wrath are yours to command, as is my night. Not to mention Mother, the Weaver of Night." Tenebrae loosened her hold and stepped in front of me with a smile that felt oddly warm. "But you wish for more, don't you? It's not enough to be strong. You want to be supreme."

My lips grew arched. "I'm a greedy person."

"I know," She whispered, inching closer. " Lilith, me, Freya, Zanris, Ezra. How many more will you strive for?"

"All dead woman. All but you. Only you will survive." I, calmy said, watching as a glimmer filled her dark eyes. She smiled, tracing her fingers over the edges of my cheeks till they touched the tip of my jaw.

"I'm immortal. A true immortal." She said sharply. "I'm not going anywhere."

Feeling the soft touch of Tenebrae over my cheeks, the heat of her soothing breath, I moved a little closer, stopping centimeters from her alluring lips.

"Why are you afraid of the one called Bezaliel?"

Eyes widened, a look that made my insides turn cold flared as she bowed her head, but with a finger over her chin, I lifted her gaze to meet with mine.

"We are to wed. And I'll be damn if I'm to find out you are shagging some Fallen."

Swatting my finger away, a scornful grimace tugged at Tenebrae's lips. " Do not insult me, Arsene. Bezaliel… Bezaliel is my apprentice. He's my first and only disciple. He is the reason humans and even demons, for that matter, fear the dark. Bezaliel is a lone soul I found and nurtured. He was but a child attuned to the emotional states of others. Seeking solace in the Darkness, as nothing could exist within the night." She sighed and turned to me. " Ever wondered why fear seems to follow my darkness?"

I shook my head, and she found a little smile.

"That child changed with the fall of the Angels alongside the death of his fellow brethren. He became colder, angrier, and unforgiving in a way. And to add fuel to the fire, the more he interacted with humans, the colder he became. He became Fear incarnate. He represents its corporeal nature, and with his innate grasp of Darkness festering to the core of his being, Bezaliel became known as the Fallen Seraphim of Shadows."

"That doesn't explain why you seem fearful of him."

"Fearful? I feel for the boy. He is like my child. I raised him. Taught him how to fight, survive, and be one with the Darkness. I taught him so much. I don't think there is another that is as proficient with the Darkness as he. But his true path didn't reside in Darkness but in Fear. But such a path is filled with madness. And it was that same madness that caused his downfall from heaven."

"You said he was heavily attuned to the feeling of others. Can you explain that?" I asked, a little confused as to why such a thing would contribute to his fall.

Tenebrae went silent for a moment and nodded. " When you laugh, the joy fades after a few minutes, correct?

I nodded, finding no fault with her words. " Well, for someone like Bezaliel, that feeling will never fade. He will retain your joy for all eternity. When Lilith was tortured back in Midgard, that anger and fury you felt were transmitted to him and now runs through his veins for all eternity."

"That's…"

"Cruel? Horrific? Bezaliel is a product of his surroundings, much like many kids. But in his case, due to his innate empathic power. What he experiences is something no one can grasp. The torment he carries can't be shared nor shown in the traditional sense. Since his fall… this was the fifth time I have laid my eyes on him. And each time that I do, he seems horrifically different."

Life truly isn't fair. Damn.

And here I thought we Snows had it bad. But I wonder how powerful he truly is. For Mephisto to call him from seclusion, he must be powerful. I wonder if I could—

"Don't even think about it." Tenebrae coldly snapped, appearing inches from my nose with plummed cheeks. "Bezaliel will see right through you. There is no using him. I'm sure Mephisto paid a big price calling him over."

"My wifey has zero faith in me. Come now, Tene. Surely you should know I tend to do the impossible."

"Ever heard whispers in the Darkness, ever felt goosebumps suddenly touch your skin when you're in perfect weather? Fear and Darkness are the lifeblood of Bezaliel. Adding his Empthtic abilities that are practically unmatched, and you create an enemy that is everywhere and nowhere.

"We'll have to see on that front. I'm interested. Although, I find it weird that Bezaliel never caught feelings. A beautiful woman like you, caring for him day in and day out. Is he gay?"

Giggling away, Tenebrae shrugged. " How would I know? Bezaliel was so troubled as a child. The last time we met, he was too ashamed to even look at me."

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