Free The Third Throne: Angel of Darkness by Tabitha Barret Page B

their Heavenly brethren, for he cared little about the dealings in Heaven.  Lucifer was no longer welcomed there, so he didn’t give a shit about them.  Mark and the others made an annoying habit of trying to get him to report to them and keep them apprised of any situations in Hell, as if he couldn’t handle it.  He made it a point of leaving them in the dark as much as possible, unless the mess was big enough for someone to notice.  Then he would allow them to do the heavy lifting and make them feel like they were important enough to fix the issue.  They were nothing but a headache.
    Mark was the most tedious of all.  The Angel of Understanding knew nothing about Hell and what was needed to accomplish their tasks.  How could he understand something that had taken the Fallen millenniums to understand?  Mark was a fraud and made a mockery of the term “understanding.”  He loathed his brother and wished he would stay in Heaven where he belonged, out of his business.  He growled as he entered the Hall of Winds, brushing past the souls waiting to leave Hell.  He didn’t need a spy in his Hell and he certainly didn’t need a tattletale.
    As he approached, he noted Mark’s appearance and felt a pang of homesickness.  Mark was very handsome and elegant; he couldn’t deny it, even if he wanted to punch the angel in the face.  His brother was tall and lean with brown slicked back hair, and bright blue eyes.  He was a physical reminder of what he and the Fallen used to look like.  Mark appeared refreshed and peaceful while all who resided in Hell looked tired, worn, defeated, and murderous.  Mark was the before picture compared to Sebastian’s after picture.  Sebastian looked miserable on a good day with his black suit, short curly sandy blonde hair, hollow gray eyes, and two days growth on his face.  Lucifer hated being slapped in the face and taunted by the Heavenly Angels and their bright shining faces.  Despite being eager to get back to his mistress, he decided to stay a bit longer than intended just to screw with Mark and wipe that peaceful look right off his face, with his boot heel.
    “How goes it, brother?” Mark smiled and nodded to Lucifer.
    “Leave,” Lucifer growled at Mark as undiluted hatred rose up in him.  Lucifer realized he wanted a fight and he chose Mark as his victim.  He didn’t need any of his Heavenly brothers asking questions about his mistress.  He would kill them all for simply mentioning her name.
    “I can not, until I say what I need to,” Mark was offended by Lucifer’s abruptness and took a step back.
    “I’m not interested in what you have to say.  Leave!” Lucifer stepped closer to Mark to intimidate him.
    “I am not in the mood to play games today, Lord Lucifer, I’m here on official business.  Perhaps we could meet in the Throne Room,” Mark squared his shoulders and tried to meet Lucifer’s taunting glare, but couldn’t meet his eyes.
    Lucifer could smell Mark’s fear and he enjoyed it.  Mark tended to stay away longer after having words with Lucifer.  He knew Mark didn’t have the stomach for violence and confrontation so he often used that to his advantage.  Right now, he was more interested in tearing Mark’s pristine white suit to shreds to see if he would cry and run home to Father.
    “The only place you are going is Heaven.  I said leave,” Lucifer stepped up into Mark’s face and stared him down, making Mark flinch.
    “I see I’ve missed the beginning of the show.  I’m glad I got here before intermission,” Hades remarked as he entered the hall and stood at Lucifer’s right side.
    “Lord Hades, he is being unreasonable.  Is there something you can do?  I am here on official business and would prefer to talk about this matter in private,” Mark sighed.  He looked to Hades for help.
    “Oh, I think you can stay right here and share with everyone.  I enjoy watching Lord Lucifer make you squirm,” Hades watched Lucifer