them all about himself and the Grigori. They had a right to know they might be in danger from Semjaza’s return. He set down his teacup and squirmed a little in his seat.
“Very well.” Penemuel licked his lips. “I was contacted by Azazel.”
“Another Grigori,” Chloe said.
“Right. He also contacted Kokabiel and Baraqiel, whom I think I’ve told you about.”
“Oh yes.” Susan nodded. “The two who are involved in a relationship and work in Belgium as astronomers.”
“Yes.” Penemuel took another deep breath. “As I told you, most of us were in Hell after the crisis that was the last days of Eden. I managed to find a way out, and once out, I decided to lie low and just live. Just experience things for myself, without using my powers except to hide myself from other angels. Ko and Bara came with me, and we split up and travelled the world. It was the last three hundred years that we found our vocations, if you will.”
“The Angel of Writing works in a library,” Chloe smiled. “It seems to me that would have been your vocation since the invention of the library.”
Penemuel smiled back. “I did, in fact, work in the library in Alexandria. Oh, but those were wonderful, marvelous years.” He shook himself. “In any event, we thought that Semjaza, the leader of our choir, would remain imprisoned in the constellation of Aquila forever. He was chained there by an Archangel, after all.
“Azazel also managed to escape Hell, via one of the Gates of Hell that was left open during a demon uprising before the founding of the Roman Empire. However, he always kept to himself and did as we three did. Travelled, lived, and learned. Avoided other angels.
“We all knew where each other were, to be sure; we did not want to interfere with each other. Ko and Bara kept in touch with me once I settled down here in London. They had settled in Brussels, so we three had finally found places that we called home. Azazel continued to travel until around two hundred years ago, when he settled down in Paris.
“Anyway, this evening, for the first time in eons, Azazel called out to us and told us that the leader of the Grigori, the Prince, if you will, is free.” Penemuel’s hands trembled as he stroked his cat. “Semjaza is on Earth.”
Chloe and her mother looked at each other. Then Chloe turned back to Penemuel, a frown on her face. “But… you said he was in a prison made by an Archangel.”
“Yes, the Archangel Gabriel.”
“Aren’t Archangels the most powerful kind of angel?”
“Oh yes, most assuredly,” Penemuel said. “But Semjaza is cunning, and he believes that he was wrongly imprisoned. He’s also a magician and, like the rest of us, a Watcher. So he would have used his time to his own advantage and figured out a way to break free.” Penemuel snorted. “I would not like to be around Saint Gabriel right now. I imagine him to be raging… and he was terrifying enough when he was in a good mood.” He smiled ruefully. “I fear that I’m something of a coward.”
Chloe shrugged. “I don’t think that being a coward or not is really important, Pen. What is important is that this Semjaza had Azazel contact you. What does he want?”
“Ah.” Penemuel hesitated. “He wants us to meet with him tomorrow, in Paris.”
“Will you go?” Susan asked.
“I have no choice,” Penemuel said. “I must go.”
“Who says?” Chloe demanded.
“We are the same choir,” Penemuel explained. “And Semjaza is our leader, the Prince of the Grigori. He decides what we can and can’t do, and he punishes us as he sees fit. So, I will go and see what he has to say and depending on what it is….”
“Can’t this Archangel do something?” Chloe pressed.
“Oh, I’m sure he’s doing something. I’m sure they all are,” Penemuel said. “But what can they do, realistically? They don’t know where he is. They don’t know about myself, Ko, Bara, and Azazel. We’ve become experts at hiding from
“Very well.” Penemuel licked his lips. “I was contacted by Azazel.”
“Another Grigori,” Chloe said.
“Right. He also contacted Kokabiel and Baraqiel, whom I think I’ve told you about.”
“Oh yes.” Susan nodded. “The two who are involved in a relationship and work in Belgium as astronomers.”
“Yes.” Penemuel took another deep breath. “As I told you, most of us were in Hell after the crisis that was the last days of Eden. I managed to find a way out, and once out, I decided to lie low and just live. Just experience things for myself, without using my powers except to hide myself from other angels. Ko and Bara came with me, and we split up and travelled the world. It was the last three hundred years that we found our vocations, if you will.”
“The Angel of Writing works in a library,” Chloe smiled. “It seems to me that would have been your vocation since the invention of the library.”
Penemuel smiled back. “I did, in fact, work in the library in Alexandria. Oh, but those were wonderful, marvelous years.” He shook himself. “In any event, we thought that Semjaza, the leader of our choir, would remain imprisoned in the constellation of Aquila forever. He was chained there by an Archangel, after all.
“Azazel also managed to escape Hell, via one of the Gates of Hell that was left open during a demon uprising before the founding of the Roman Empire. However, he always kept to himself and did as we three did. Travelled, lived, and learned. Avoided other angels.
“We all knew where each other were, to be sure; we did not want to interfere with each other. Ko and Bara kept in touch with me once I settled down here in London. They had settled in Brussels, so we three had finally found places that we called home. Azazel continued to travel until around two hundred years ago, when he settled down in Paris.
“Anyway, this evening, for the first time in eons, Azazel called out to us and told us that the leader of the Grigori, the Prince, if you will, is free.” Penemuel’s hands trembled as he stroked his cat. “Semjaza is on Earth.”
Chloe and her mother looked at each other. Then Chloe turned back to Penemuel, a frown on her face. “But… you said he was in a prison made by an Archangel.”
“Yes, the Archangel Gabriel.”
“Aren’t Archangels the most powerful kind of angel?”
“Oh yes, most assuredly,” Penemuel said. “But Semjaza is cunning, and he believes that he was wrongly imprisoned. He’s also a magician and, like the rest of us, a Watcher. So he would have used his time to his own advantage and figured out a way to break free.” Penemuel snorted. “I would not like to be around Saint Gabriel right now. I imagine him to be raging… and he was terrifying enough when he was in a good mood.” He smiled ruefully. “I fear that I’m something of a coward.”
Chloe shrugged. “I don’t think that being a coward or not is really important, Pen. What is important is that this Semjaza had Azazel contact you. What does he want?”
“Ah.” Penemuel hesitated. “He wants us to meet with him tomorrow, in Paris.”
“Will you go?” Susan asked.
“I have no choice,” Penemuel said. “I must go.”
“Who says?” Chloe demanded.
“We are the same choir,” Penemuel explained. “And Semjaza is our leader, the Prince of the Grigori. He decides what we can and can’t do, and he punishes us as he sees fit. So, I will go and see what he has to say and depending on what it is….”
“Can’t this Archangel do something?” Chloe pressed.
“Oh, I’m sure he’s doing something. I’m sure they all are,” Penemuel said. “But what can they do, realistically? They don’t know where he is. They don’t know about myself, Ko, Bara, and Azazel. We’ve become experts at hiding from
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