Chapter 32

Devin Bowers’ wake was a whirlwind of emotions. The room overflowed with mourners, more than anyone had anticipated. Suzi stood among them, her heart heavy. She had promised to call Donald on Monday morning, a small gesture of gratitude for their trust.

As the crowd dispersed, Suzi exchanged farewells with Jo and Nick. She needed one more day before returning to her regular working hours. The urgency weighed on her—the need to uncover who had shot Ygritte and harmed Aiden. Ygritte was safe. Aiden was her priority. Obviously.

Exiting through the rear door, Suzi collided with Doyle. His leering grin made her skin crawl.

“Hey, pretty lady,” he drawled, blocking her path. “You wanting some backdoor action?”

“No thank you!” James snapped back.

“Doyle – were you dropped as a kid? Why are you like this?” Suzi said, exasperated with his constant advances.

Doyle persisted, undeterred. “You intrigue me. No one has ever told me ‘No.’ It intrigues me and turns me on.” His index finger traced her arm.

Suzi’s patience waned. “Remove your finger, or I’ll do it permanently.”

“Now, see? It’s this feistiness that I really like.” He pulled back his finger. “When will we stop these tête-à-têtes and get down to business?”

“We can stop today and get down never.”

She stepped closer, looking into his eyes deeper than she ever had, getting closer to him than she had ever wanted. She could see there was no substance to him. He was as shallow as he portrayed. After a moment, his smile faltered, revealing the shallowness beneath. Suzi seized control, crushing his resistance.

“I should have reported you to Nick long before now. Still, I had hoped you’d get the idea that I was not interested in you personally or sexually or in having anything but a working relationship with you. Now, involving Jo complicates things. Fuck with me, fine. But mess with an innocent girl under my protection, and you risk your life. Remember, Doyle, next to Nick, I fucking run this place, and I have access to the crematorium. No one will ever find your body.”

Doyle’s fear was palpable. “I… I’m so… sorry.” His stutter revealed genuine terror.

Suzi did not move her penetrating gaze, or her body, so he slunk down and slithered away from her without another word. Suzi watched him retreat down the hall. Anger still simmered within her. She’d never threatened a life before, but Doyle had pushed her to the edge.

“The power of rage is infecting you,” Judas advised.

“What do you mean?” she asked.

Judas’s voice echoed in her mind. “The rage demon bound to the blade, combined with the terror within it, overwhelms us. We must expel the blade or rebind the demon. Otherwise, it could possess us.”

“Fuck,” she said aloud.

Once home, she loved on her dog and checked her wound - it was healing nicely.

She flopped on her bed, held out her hand, and said, “Rogziel’s Blade.”

The terrifying knife undissolved into her palm, and she laid it carefully on the bed. Within a few seconds, she felt calmer and could physically tell her blood pressure was coming down. She sat on her bed, crossing her legs, and focused inwardly. Guillermo awaited—a transition she was mastering, though looking into her own eyes was still much faster.

The new personality room remained stark and unsettling. Judas stood there, her golden wings a testament to her celestial nature, but the blade that once hung at her side was conspicuously absent.

“Can we unbind the rage demon from the knife and cage it with these others?” Suzi queried her inner warrior.

Judas considered. “It’s possible. We’ve already defeated the rage demon once, so its will would likely be weakened against us.”

“Battle of wills again?” Suzi mused. “Why can’t we simply move the binding?”

The warrioress explained patiently, “Only one unwilful binding can exist. Entities can be unwilfully and willingly bound simultaneously, but demons rarely willingly bind themselves. The blade’s binding is yours—you can dissolve it at your whim—but doing so would set the demon free, which must be done in order to rebind it.”

Suzi sighed. “I wish there were a manual for all this.” She called out, “Kariel?”

The angel materialized among the collective. “Hello again, child.”

“How can I kill a demon?” Suzi’s urgency left no room for pleasantries.

“Oh, dear. ‘Thou shalt not kill,’ even when it comes to demons,” Kariel intoned.

“But angels have fallen to demons,” Suzi pressed. “This is war; there’ll be casualties on both sides.”

“True, and Celestials have also destroyed some of us angels, but redemption is our best path,” Kariel replied, her voice laden with emotion. “Speaking from experience.”

Suzi’s shock was unmistakable. “You were a demon?”

“I began my existence as a cherub - an angel responsible for guiding two souls into the other’s path so they can meet and, with luck, fall in love. I got caught up in the concept of love and found myself falling in love with a married, human man. We both violated our vows, and I was cast down and made into a succubus – a lust demon. When he died years later, he was also was judged and cast to hell to be a demon. I eventually redeemed myself and was able to return to the Holy City and am here now.”

“Zayne!” Annie announced.

“Yes,” Kariel confirmed. “Zayne—the man I loved became the demon who possessed Spencer Isaacs. I seek his redemption.”

“I need to talk to him,” Suzi told the angel flatly.

“I can probably arrange that in the Ether, if you promise not to bind or hold him accountable.”

Kariel was bargaining in hopes that this could bring him closer to his salvation.

“I can’t promise that. He knows who shot my dog. And who took and hurt Aiden,” Suzi interjected, urgency coloring her words. “If he can provide that information, I won’t take action against him. I might even forgive his part in those incidents—if you tell me how to destroy a demon.”

Kariel pondered, her angelic gaze unwavering. “You possess the power to bind. Perhaps that should be your path. But why seek to destroy what the Lord hath made?”

Suzi scoffed, her frustration edging towards the emotional. “Are you kidding? That kind of thinking is precisely why angels are losing this war. Demons wouldn’t hesitate to end one of you permanently. They outnumber you a thousand to one. While you strive for their redemption, Miraleth claims they’re selfish and would never seek forgiveness—the first step toward redemption.”

“Repentance…” Kariel began, her voice gentle.

“Regardless!” Suzi cut her off. “I’m overwhelmed with bound demons. I can’t comfortably bind them to innocents—living or dead. I fear I accidentally left one in my husband, but I can’t reach him to check.”

Kariel’s intent gaze bore into Suzi, almost uncomfortable. Finally, the angel relented. “Like celestials and angels, demons can only be permanently destroyed by specific weapons or entities. Gabriel’s Sword and Azrael’s Touch are exceptions. Celestials heal from fatal wounds over time, thanks to their human regeneration abilities. Angels and demons, however, ‘reset’—returning to Heaven or Hell if their physical bodies are ‘killed’ without destroying the entity within. Their will and power lessen, but they eventually rebuild.”

“And my husband?”

“Your ability transcends the physical,” Kariel explained. “Beyond the Prime Plane, you can see him in the Ether and verify that he’s not possessed.”

Suzi had not thought of that, and several of her personalities began to cry. “But binding a demon to a dead body… I feel it lacks respect and dignity for the soul that once inhabited it.”

“You’re still human and attached to the physical,” Kariel countered. “Once a soul departs, it sheds that attachment. Their previous body is as insignificant to them as a bed, vehicle, or used pencil—no longer needed in Heaven.”

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A weight was lifted from her shoulders, and she let out an audible sigh. “Can you show me how to tell if Aiden has the demon within him?”

Kariel smiled, understanding. Without a word, she swept Guillermo away, replacing it with the vast darkness of the Ether. Amidst the blinding light, a soft pink bundle of energy lay curled ahead: Ygritte, asleep on the couch.

Suzi’s thoughts shifted to Aiden. They materialized in a dark outline of the hospital room, where Aiden’s weak, pool-blue aura pulsed.

“Had he been possessed, his aura would be dark, almost black,” Kariel explained.

“Then did Azailkahbil escape? Both Aiden and Azailkahbil resided in Guille—my head—when Aiden died. We revived him, and Azailkahbil vanished.” Suzi’s voice trembled.

“I see now. You believe you revived Aiden. The demon sacrificed themselves to save him.”

“Excuse me?!” Suzi’s exclamation echoed through the ethereal space.

“When you hold an entity within yourself,” Kariel explained, “they experience everything you do. Just as a demon possesses a body, the human soul remains present, often struggling to break free. Azailkahbil couldn’t endure the torment and emotions you felt. Their redemption came through self-sacrifice, granting you abundant power and will. You then transferred that energy to restart Aiden’s body.”

“My pain overwhelmed them?” Suzi’s mind raced.

“Yes. Azailkahbil—now known as Azail—resides in the Holy City.”

“Wait—Heaven?” Suzi’s amazement was profound.

“Self-sacrifice, when done for the right reasons, is a powerful tool of repentance and redemption,” Kariel affirmed. “Azail grew fond of you, appreciating your kindness. But the torment you carried became too much.”

Suzi pondered. “Can I thank them?”

“I’ll relay your gratitude. Unfortunately, once a soul enters Heaven, leaving—even to visit the Ether—is exceedingly rare.”

“So, Angels can fall from Heaven and become demons,” Suzi mused. “Both Heaven and Hell exist on the same plane. Demons, once fallen angels or corrupted human souls, can still redeem themselves. But when humans die, they’re sent to Heaven or Hell permanently. Is that accurate?”

“Almost,” Kariel corrected. “There’s more. Human souls can still find redemption in Hell or Purgatory. Repentance and forgiveness are possible. Heaven remains open to all of God’s creation.”

“Are you fu—” Suzi caught herself. “Purgatory is real?”

“Indeed. Purgatory serves as a place of elevation—a transition from the Prime Plane to the Elevated Plane. It is a place of elevation where a soul can repent and seek forgiveness, but are not sorrowful in their sins, but accepting of their faults, so are not tormented in Hell.”

“Seems a bit unfair, but better than Hell,” Suzi conceded. “Angels and demons exist in the Elevated Plane and Ether, while humans and celestials inhabit the Prime Plane and Ether. Can I ascend to the Elevated Plane with enough power and will?”

Kariel’s expression bordered on disbelief. “Honestly, I don’t know. It’s draining even for us of the Elevated Plane.”

“But as a celestial, I can amass greater will and power than some demons,” Suzi pressed. “If they can descend, I should ascend. Everything in balance, right?”

“In theory, yes,” Kariel acknowledged. “Celestials have a formidable will and you’ve subdued demons already. Once you hone your skills, you might even be able to overcome the Sheer Will of some angels. But transcending your physical body into the Elevated Plane? I don’t know. It could go catastrophically wrong if it fails.”

“Not my physical body—just consciousness, like here in the Ether,” Suzi clarified. “What do you mean by ‘catastrophically wrong’?”

“Projecting consciousness alone could be even riskier,” Kariel cautioned. “The physics of the Prime Plane and Ether don’t apply to the Elevated Plane. I don’t know what effects the Elevated Plane would have on a human body, let alone a human mind on its own.”

“When an angel or demon enters the Prime Plane, they become exposed in the Elevated Plane and the Ether—vulnerable,” Kariel explained. “I would assume the same holds true for a human transitioning to the Elevated Plane. If attacked in the Ether, you’d be defenseless. Losing would be worse than death for a celestial. Your body would starve but continue to regenerate, but your consciousness would be disconnected and roam the Ether forever. Angels or demons, on the other hand, return to the Elevated Plane.”

Suzi shuddered at this revelation. “Okay, let’s shelve that idea for now. When can I talk to Zayne?”

Kariel’s light flickered, and a dark red-encased entity emerged from her blinding white aura.

“I am here, Celestial. And I must say, Kariel’s description of your colorful beauty doesn’t do you justice. Your aura alone is both inviting and intimidating.”

“Wha—Were you—How?” Suzi’s mind raced, grappling with the unexpected.

Kariel clarified, “I removed Zayne from Spencer Isaacs and have kept him within my light.”

“So, you can sneak him into Heaven?” Suzi’s tone edged toward accusation.

“No. I haven’t returned to Heaven since. We’ve remained in the Ether until you summoned me.”

“You’re keeping him like I keep these demons?” Suzi probed.

“Yes. It takes immense will, and I don’t know how much longer I can maintain it. But I hope it’s enough to lead him toward repentance and forgiveness.”

Suzi considered. “Zayne—if you tell me who shot my dog and took my husband, I’ll forgive your actions in those events.”

“Thank you, Miss, but there’s much more that must be forgiven,” Zayne’s intangible voice echoed.

“If these other parties face justice, it’ll contribute to your redemption,” Kariel assured him.

Suzi thought for a moment and pressed, “Zayne, do you love Kariel?”

His bodiless aura bore down on her. Kariel’s fluctuated between bright white and a bright white with a faint pink hue.

“’Twas my love for her that damned me. But yes, I still feel strong emotions. After being a demon for so long, I question if it’s still love.”

“Kariel, do you love Zayne?” Suzi turned to the angel.

Kariel seemed startled by the question. “I love all of God’s creations.”

“Not that. Do you love Zayne—the man he used to be, the soul he could still be?”

After a pause, Kariel admitted, “Yes. Of course, I do.”

“Zayne, even as a demon, you can feel. You remember love. God is forgiving and full of love,” Suzi urged.

Zayne’s dark red aura wavered to a deep purple.

“Do you want to be with Kariel?” Suzi probed.

Kariel’s aura held up their hand. “We cannot be together. Our past indiscretions cost us. We shouldn’t repeat them.”

“But Zayne is no longer married. He’s free to choose now,” Suzi pointed out.

“I’m an angel again, devoted to my Lord. Swearing devotion to Zayne might lead to my fall,” Kariel confessed.

“Even if you’re his path to redemption?” Suzi challenged.

“No one knows what the Lord deems an affront. An angel and a human might be acceptable, but an angel and a demon in love would most definitely be a blasphemous abomination.”

“Fine. Zayne, take my hand.” Suzi extended her imagined aura, hoping Zayne could perceive it.

He reached toward her consciousness, and she felt his presence within her aura.

“Tell me who shot my dog, who took my husband, and who beat him to death.”

Zayne resisted, and Suzi felt it. She pressed her consciousness against his will, and the battle ignited. Zayne struggled, but Suzi knew that since he had recently been torn from his host, his will and power would be depleted. His resistance waned before Kariel even realized what was happening and could intervene.

“Stop this, child,” Kariel demanded.

Zayne crumbled under the weight of Suzi’s will. “The vessel’s name is Jasper Berry,” he revealed. “The demon possessing him is a greed demon named Rotic’al. He shot your dog after she bit him. He also took your husband and was responsible for his beating. Bortis, the pride demon, controls a vessel named Jose Alventez. He tortured your husband.”

Suzi’s anger flared. “Is that everything?” she asked.

She fully exerted her will, sensing Zayne’s resistance breaking away. His aura darkened to a murky green.

“STOP!” Kariel’s aura blazed bright white with an angry red hue. “I don’t want to force you.”

“No,” Zayne cried. “I was also responsible for some of your husband’s injuries and leaving him in the park to expire.”

Kariel’s aura weakened with shock, and Suzi recoiled from the news, releasing Zayne from her Will’s grasp. An idea formed—an audacious plan that could help her in the long run.

Suzi regained her composure. “Thank you, Zayne,” Suzi said. “I am a woman of my word. I forgive you for your transgressions against my husband. In fact, I want to express my thanks by giving you something.”

She extended her aura’s hand again. Zayne hesitated but took it.

“Zayne, demon love of the angel Kariel,” Suzi intoned. “I bind you—"

“NO!” Kariel exclaimed.

“—to Kariel’s light until you find redemption or until my will expires.”

A red-gold band slid from Suzi’s aura, encircling Zayne’s wrist and then Kariel’s waist. Kariel realized what was happening and tried to resist. Suzi barely finished the thought of the word ‘expires’ before she was flung back into reality. Her consciousness slammed into her body, the headboard cracking the sheetrock behind it.

Suzi anticipated the next move. She grabbed the knife from the bed, held out her other hand, and jumped up.

“Miraleth’s Pellet,” she invoked.

Before the pellet could fully materialize, Kariel manifested in the room. She hurled Suzi against the wall, dislodging the knife. But the pellet continued to form.

“What have you done!” Kariel’s anger flared.

Kariel lifted Suzi by the neck with ease. “Remove your binding, Celestial,” she commanded. “I can and will break your will.”

Suzi dropped the pellet, which hit the floor like a 30-pound rock. It transformed into the lead cannonball she had seen earlier. She grasped at the invisible force choking her, but it was futile.

“We both know… you aren’t going to kill…” Suzi struggled, “me and that… is what you will… have to do.”

Angrily, Kariel flipped Suzi’s body on to the bed and released her will. Suzi bounced and nearly slid off the opposite side. She jumped up and held her hand out, as if that was enough to stop Kariel’s pursuit.

Kariel’s presence filled the room. More intimidating than ever, her green eyes blazed with anger.

She was far more imposing than her previous forms—whether the rebellious punk kid in Guillermo or the blinding light in the Ether. Now, she revealed her true self: a female angel, wings outstretched, spanning wall to wall, twice as wide as her height. Suzi couldn’t tear her gaze away from those magnificent wings.

“Remove your binding!” Kariel’s demand echoed.

“Listen, Kariel,” Suzi countered. “Zayne bound to you serves a purpose. He can’t corrupt you, and you can guide him toward redemption. You said it yourself: you can’t be together, but now you are, without violating your vows to God.”

Kariel’s presence softened, her eyes less fiery. “You don’t understand,” she said. “Being bound to a Holy vessel causes discomfort and pain for a demon. As long as he’s bound to me, he’ll suffer. And with a demon tethered to me, I can’t re-enter Heaven.”

“Oh, shit,” Suzi muttered. “I hadn’t considered that. You hid him in your Ether aura. How long did you think that would last? Eventually, you’d return to Heaven, and he’d return to Hell. But couldn’t you both live in the Ether?”

“Theoretically, yes,” Kariel replied. “But redemption must be his choice. It can’t be forced. And I have duties in Heaven.”

“What better way to sway him than to remind him of the right path?” Suzi pressed. “You’re the woman—or angel—he loves.”

“Angels don’t manipulate,” Kariel insisted. Her presence waned, her light dimming, wings retracting. She seemed less intimidating.

Suzi frowned. “Well, they do. You, as a cherub, manipulated people into falling in love.”

“No,” Kariel corrected. “We encourage, guide, and inspire.”

“FINE!” Suzi snapped. “Two sides of the same coin. Encourage him, guide him. It’s a win for both of you.”

Kariel’s glow softened to a night-light hue. Her wings vanished, and her form remained neutral. “The Lord may not approve,” she warned.

“He gave me this ability, right?” Suzi retorted. “He can break my will or remove the binding if He wants. I’m just trying to help. Getting a demon off the battlefield benefits the good guys.”

“This is a dangerous game, you play, child,” Kariel murmured.

Suzi quoted, “All is fair in Love and War.”