Home > Reaper (Demonica Underworld #9)

Reaper (Demonica Underworld #9)
Author: Larissa Ion

Glossary


Fallen Angel—Believed to be evil by most humans, fallen angels can be grouped into two categories: True Fallen and Unfallen. Unfallen angels have been cast from Heaven and are earthbound, living a life in which they are neither truly good nor truly evil. In this state, they can, rarely, earn their way back into Heaven. Or they can choose to enter Sheoul, the demon realm, in order to complete their fall and become True Fallens, taking their places as demons at Satan's side.

 

Harrowgate—Vertical portals, invisible to humans, which demons use to travel between locations on Earth and Sheoul. Very few beings own, or can summon, their own personal Harrowgates.

 

Inner Sanctum—A realm within Sheoul-gra that consists of six Rings, each housing the souls of demons categorized by their level of evil as defined by the Ufelskala. The Inner Sanctum is run by the fallen angel Hades and his staff of wardens, all fallen angels. Access to the Inner Sanctum is strictly limited, as the demons imprisoned within can take advantage of any outside object or living person in order to escape.

 

Memitim—Earthbound angels assigned to protect important humans called Primori. Memitim remain earthbound until they complete their duties, at which time they Ascend, earning their wings and entry into Heaven. See: Primori

 

Primori—Humans and demons whose lives are fated to affect the world in some crucial way.

 

Radiant—The most powerful class of Heavenly angel in existence, save Metatron. Unlike other angels, Radiants can wield unlimited power in all realms and can travel freely through Sheoul, with very few exceptions. The designation is awarded to only one angel at a time. Two can never exist simultaneously, and they cannot be destroyed except by God, Satan, or the Heavenly Council of Orders. The fallen angel equivalent is called a Shadow Angel. See: Shadow Angel

 

Shadow Angel—The most powerful class of fallen angel in existence, save Satan. Unlike other fallen angels, Shadow Angels can wield unlimited power in all realms, and they possess the ability to gain entrance into Heaven. The designation is awarded to only one angel at a time, and they can never exist without their equivalent, a Radiant. Shadow Angels cannot be destroyed except by God, Satan, or the Heavenly Council of Orders. The Heavenly angel equivalent is called a Radiant. See: Radiant.

 

Sheoul—Demon realm. Located on its own plane deep in the bowels of the Earth, accessible to most only by Harrowgates and hellmouths.

 

Sheoul-gra—A holding tank for demon souls. A realm that exists independently of Sheoul, it is overseen by Azagoth, also known as the Grim Reaper. Within Sheoul-gra is the Inner Sanctum, where demon souls go to be kept in torturous limbo until they can be reborn.

 

Sheoulic—Universal demon language spoken by all, although many species also speak their own language.

 

Ter'taceo—Demons who can pass as human, either because their species is naturally human in appearance, or because they can shapeshift into human form.

 

Ufelskala—A scoring system for demons, based on their degree of evil. All supernatural creatures and evil humans can be categorized into the five Tiers, with the Fifth Tier comprised of the worst of the wicked.

 

Watchers—Individuals assigned to keep an eye on the Four Horsemen. As part of the agreement forged during the original negotiations between angels and demons that led to Ares, Reseph, Limos, and Thanatos being cursed to spearhead the Apocalypse, one Watcher is an angel, the other is a fallen angel. Neither Watcher may directly assist any Horseman's efforts to either start or stop Armageddon, but they can lend a hand behind the scenes. Doing so, however, may have them walking a fine line that, to cross, could prove worse than fatal.

 

 

Prologue


Somewhere in the Arabian Peninsula, thousands of years earlier…

 

 

Gabriel stared at the hut built of sticks, stones, and animal hides and wondered how a fellow angel could possibly live there. Willingly. It wasn’t as if Asrael had lost his wings and had to live in the human realm as a powerless, pathetic Unfallen, after all.

He’d just done something stupid.

And really, who hadn’t? Stupidity wasn’t a reason to isolate yourself for centuries from all living things and live in squalor.

The full desert sun scorched everything it touched as Gabriel approached the dwelling, but he barely noticed. Nothing else stirred, not even in the shade cast by the rocky outcroppings surrounding Asrael’s hut. Which was probably why he’d chosen to live here. No one but thieves and demons would venture into this desolate region, and he was well equipped to handle both.

“Asrael?” he called out. “I know you’re in there.”

There was a pause, and then a gruff, “Why can’t I sense you?”

“Because I’m controlling my emotions.” Gabriel turned his face into a hot breeze, letting it blow his blond hair out of his eyes. “Also, I drank some plum wine with a nip of flittablume. I’m so numb, you could punch me in the throat, and I wouldn’t care.”

The door creaked open on wobbly hinges, and Asrael filled the doorway. “I’m not passing up an opportunity to throat punch an archangel.”

Gabriel laughed. Asrael’s humor was still intact. And he looked the same as he had the last time Gabriel saw him, except his once short black hair was now down to his shoulders. And instead of plush, colorful robes, he now wore a pale-beige, coarsely woven tunic.

That thing had to itch.

“I knew that would bring you out of your hovel.”

“Hovel?” Asrael stepped out, his sandaled feet slapping on a mat woven of reeds. “I built this with my own two hands.”

Gabriel eyed the rickety hut and wondered how it was even standing. “I can see that.”

“Jackass.”

“See how well the flittablume is working? I’m not annoyed in the least by your insult.”

“Well, maybe you should share the flying flower juice with me, because I’m annoyed by your presence.” Asrael folded his arms across his chest. “Why are you here?”

“Why are you?”

“I live here.”

“You don’t have to.”

A shadow dulled the emerald glints in Asrael’s eyes. “I do, and you know it.”

“Asrael, you could just as easily isolate yourself in the vastness of Heaven. There are corners of our realm no one will ever step foot in. You need to punish yourself this way.”

“I’m responsible for Jaguriel losing his wings, which makes me responsible for his death. My arrogance got him killed. I should have lost my own wings for that, but for some reason, the Council of Angels chose not to punish me.”

“You accused Jaguriel of murder,” Gabriel said, “but you believed it to be true, and with reason. Everyone believed it before you even interrogated him.”

“He killed himself,” Asrael growled. “And all the Council passed down as punishment was to assign me a temporary job, processing humans who’d crossed over. It was boring, but it was not a punishment.”

Processing traumatized humans into Heaven was definitely a punishment. Torturously menial. But, personally, Gabriel hadn’t thought Asrael deserved even that. Jaguriel might have been innocent in the murder of a fellow angel, but he’d been under investigation by the Internal Corruption Investigation unit for other sins.

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