Death Has Wings

Meeting With Death

Alice had been eating for the past hour. Timor had been by my side as I paced around the house pointlessly. I had no idea what I was doing. I just needed to keep myself busy. I needed to talk to Lucifer, to tell him that it had finally sunk in.

As if answering my plea, someone knocked on the door. I ran and opened it, unable to control my excitement. It was Lucifer. He didn't look happy. He barged past me, into the living room. I followed him like a puppy.

"You, boy, are out of control. You need to learn to hold back your anger. You've already taken two souls without Death's permission. Do that again and I'll make sure you will never see another sunrise." His eyes were crimson with rage. I could barely speak.

"I-I don't know what came over me when...I...something killed the doctor-"

"You killed him, Clark. You. Nothing else. You. How many times do I have to tell you this? Do you know how pissed Death is going to be with you? He will tear you limb from limb."

I heard footsteps coming down the stairs. I turned to see Alice holding onto the banister, standing on the fourth step up. She was in complete shock.

"Y-you...I-I...you're..." She stepped down another step. I couldn't allow her to get any closer. I stared at her until she began to look dizzy. She fell down the stairs, landing on the floor with a thud. I started to go to her but Lucifer stopped me.

"Clark, get here now. I have many things to discuss with you." I reluctantly turned back to him. "Now, I'm going to tell you about your future and maybe your past, but one thing that I am definitely going to tell you about is what is happening to you." I nodded. It was all I could do. Lucifer sat down on the sofa and motioned for me to do the same. I obeyed but I left plenty of space between us. He cleared his throat and stared at me.

"You are becoming more in sync with your...demonic side. That means that you are only one step away from becoming a true Angel of Death."

"What do I have to do?"

"Take your first request from Death."

"Is that it?"

"Don't underestimate the request. You could have to slit a baby's throat, skin it and then stuff it's heart into its intestines. Trust me, that's happened before."

The image flashed through my mind, not unnerving me in the slightest. I was used to things like this by now, having seen worse things happen before.

"So...what's the request?" I just wanted to see what I had to do in order to achieve.

"You don't get it from me, you stupid boy, you get it from Death. You'll have to go to him."

*****

The entrance to Death's residence was not like I'd imagined. Given the false fronts I'd been given before, I thought it would be cheerful and normal. I couldn't have been more wrong. The front gates were taller than two of me and rust covered the metal. The path up to the mansion was cracked and moss covered, with weeds springing from between the cracks. Willow trees lined the edges, their branches swaying in the breeze, blocking the sun from reaching me. I was alone; Lucifer had left me at the gates, telling me to be on my best behaviour. I didn't know what I was going to say at all. Maybe Death would look like an old man, or a blond haired woman, or even a ten year old? I couldn't stop thinking about all the possibilities.

I reached the front doors and took a deep breath. Something Lucifer said earlier sprang into my mind. 'He will tear you limb from limb.' Fear knotted in my stomach. I felt as if I was going to die for a second time in the same day.

Reluctantly, I knocked on the door, waiting to be greeted by a hideous creature with bright red eyes and fangs that protrude from it's cavernous mouth. I was expecting to get shredded to pieces right on the doorstep. I was relieved to find out that I didn't.

The door inched open, letting darkness spill out onto the porch. I was hesitant to step inside but I pulled myself together and went into the mansion, the door shutting behind me. I was in pitch black. The memories of the demons tightened around my chest. No sooner had I thought of them, candles lit up the space around me.

The room looked like the crypt John had first confronted me in. Cobwebs hung from the ceiling, creating a smoke-like veil. I stood frozen to the spot, staring at the coffin in front of me. It had a name carved onto it. Alfie Bailey. My father.

"You're finally here."

I wheeled around, anxiety numbing everything. A girl stood there, orange hair covering her eyes. Her skin would've been pure white, had it not been for the candles. She was smirking. I couldn't speak.

"I've been waiting for you since you could understand English. You're very special. Normally, I would only wait for a couple of days after they find out, but you're different. Ones like you only come around once in a century." She stepped towards me. "I'm going to enjoy training you."

"Training me?"

"Yes. You will need to be taught how to capture someone's soul and bring them back to me. In fact, I'll start right now." She produced a pendant from her pocket and gave it to me. It was shaped like a heart. There were black diamonds and rubies intertwined in it. It looked beautiful. I just stared at it as Death carried on talking.

"Now, when you kill someone, their souls will not automatically be absorbed into the pendant. You will have to say 'Mors me Angelus, nuntius Dei. Veniat ad me, et non erunt in pace.', which means 'I am an Angel of Death, messenger of God. Come to me, and you will be at peace.' Now, practice your pronunciation." She handed me a note with the words on. "I have to prepare something." With that, she vanished.

I stared at the paper, analysing the words. They were in Latin. The same language as what my mother had spoken when she died, the same language as Alice had spoken when we'd first met. They had said the same thing, and it took till then to realise it. Sometimes, I was beyond stupid.

I tried to recall what they had said, but I couldn't remember it all. I had the first part stuck in my head. 'Angeli dicunt tibi fili mi.' I kept repeating it until it became just a jumble of sounds, until it lost all meaning. The words seemed to fill the room, coating every surface. My ears began to ring from the constant talking. I closed my eyes and thought about what it could mean. 'Angeli' sounded like angel, but that was all I could figure out. I looked back at the paper, trying to focus on the task that Death had given me. Surprisingly, I could understand what was wriiten. It was like I had read Latin all my life.

"Have you figured out how to say them yet?" I looked up and saw a well dressed man, in his early twenties, with short but tousled black hair, standing in front of me. He chuckled. "Before you ask, yes. I am the same entity as before, just in a different form. I like to switch between bodies. It gives me a breath of fresh air...so to speak." He cleared his throat. "Anyway, have you practiced your pronunciation?" I shook my head. "Let me help you. Repeat after me. Mors me Angelus nuntius Dei."

"Mors me Angelus nuntius Dei."

"Veniat ad me, et non erunt in pace."

"Veniat ad me, et non erunt in pace."

Death smiled. "Now, say it together."

"Mors me Angelus nuntius Dei. Veniat ad me, et non erunt in pace." Death's smile widened.

"Perfect." I couldn't believe it. I had never spoken Latin before and suddenly I could pronounce it perfectly. Somehow, with everything that was going on, it made sense. "Now, follow me." He turned and walked up the stairs. I followed, not wanting to ruin his good mood.

He took me to a large room on the second floor. It had blood stains everywhere. The smell of decay swirled around me. I loved it. There was one question that I had to ask and I couldn't ask it at any other time. It was this:

"Who am I going to kill?"