Tempting Christ

Secrets Revealed

I was not taken to the normal throne hall of the Abominations, but to a place along the Dark Stair with which I was unfamiliar. The portal leading in had no name and its interior was dark, even to my senses. Worse, I was escorted by two guardian demons dressed in thick suits of infernal armor.

Whatever the floor was made of, it was dark and soft. I tried to glide over it, but like some few other realms in sheol, that was not possible for me here. Tentatively, I tested the ground with my foot. My guards, however, had no patience for this. They dragged me forward and threw me to the ground. I landed on my knees which sank partway in.

I could see now. The Abominations were seated on thrones wrought of living, moving serpents. They were lit from below. Quickly, I glanced about the room searching for the source of the illumination.

The only light in the room was--me. I stared at my spiritual hands.

"You have failed us badly, Darius," one of the Abominations said.

"My lords. If Carnis had not poisoned me, I would have seen to the Magdalene's death. If any should be blamed for that failure, it is her."

Hopefully, they did not pay attention to Mary's words when she asked to become a follower of Jesus. My argument would not work if they knew the woman only joined up because Jesus cured her of seven demons.

"This is not the failure of which they speak." The response was faint, almost a sigh.

I remained there, kneeling, trying to ponder what other reason I could possibly be here. Sure, I hadn't succeeded in causing the Son of God to sin, but surely they expected that activity to take time?

"My lords, I will bring Jesus down. All I need is more time. Have you observed how close Judas is to being ours? If you--"

"Silence!"

The word was a thunderclap in the chamber. The floor--no the very universe it seemed--shook. My knees worked their way deeper into the floor. Was it their intent to entomb in this flooring? If so, it would be typical.

"Try again, my Fair One," invited a sly voice. I didn't know which Abomination spoke, but it was in the far end.

What was it? Surely, they couldn't know that I'd suggested they give Cassia a reprieve for her sake and not as a means to torment her more greatly? I was perfectly capable of guarding my thoughts from them or their spies.

Cassia.

Somehow, I'd felt sure she would never betray me. It surely seemed so when last I saw her. She knew I loved Mikal, though. Could she have spoken my secret? She must have. How else would they know?

Again, I gazed at my hands. I was the source of the light in this room.

I sighed. Love burned in me. I was brought to this nameless dark place as a test, to reveal the defect in my spirit. I'd heard rumors of places like this, but I hadn't quite believed them.

"You have revealed me," I said.

"Confess more. What is the name of your beloved?"

They didn't know? Had Cassia only partly revealed my failure?

Quickly, I considered my options. Could I claim some feelings for Carnis? Might I say that her poison had so deeply infected me, I longed to drink it for all eternity? Oddly, a part of me did find that appealing.

"We will know, Fair One, if you lie," the sly voice said again.

My spiritual tongue became ash. I lowered my head and tried to regain my composure.

Mikal. I'd never see her again now. Worse, she might become a target for all the powers of sheol--and it would be my fault.

Somehow, I had to prevent that. I raised my head and tried to summon my confidence. "My lords, I can still bring down the Son of God, if--"

"Silence!" Again the thunderclap. Again, I sank into the floor a little further.

And silence did follow.

It was finished. I was done.

In a low voice, I said, "there is a mortal--"

"Silence!" The universe shook, I sank nearly to my waist.

"We know that the object of your love is Cassia, Fair One." A lilting laugh followed.

It took all my self-control not to laugh. Cassia! They didn't know! Yes, this was perfect.

"We know you gave her of the wine reserved for tormenters, that instead of torturing her you showed her mercy when you visited her. You are undone. Both of you will be buried deep along the dark stair."

This was a better outcome than I'd hoped--but then, my expectations had involved something being done to Mikal.

"Let me take down the Son of God," I said. "I can do that. I've scouted the court of Herod and I have a plan to eliminate Jesus' cousin, John the Baptist. After I do this, I will tell Jesus what I have done and mock him. Surely, he will be moved to smite me in vengeance. Once he does that, he will be ours."

Silence followed.

"If, by some chance, that does not succeed, I will use Judas to betray him in some way. The man is ready, all he needs is the right opportunity."

Still, they said nothing.

"The pharisees and teachers of the law all hate him. I will stir their envy until they try to put him to death--yes, that's it! If they try and kill him, I can use Judas then--get him to betray his master for a few more coins to help the poor. With the right nudge, I know he'll do it. Surely, Jesus will hate me enough to take his vengeance then."

I waited. Frankly, I was out of ideas. "What do you think?"

"We approve. First, though, you will take your beloved Cassia to the depths of the Dark Stair where she will languish. Further, we will pluck out one of your eyes and leave it there so that you will always have her torment before you."

With that I was banished, along with one of my eyes.

For several long hours I could do nothing. Watching what they did to Cassia, how they stripped her away from the human she loved, what they did to her in her new cell along the bottom of the Dark Stair rendered me immobile.

The prophecy that I would bring great harm to one I'd tried to help ran in my ears as I wept in sympathy for the once proud spirit in whose company I'd spent so many hundreds of years.

As I watched, I learned a terrible truth: I did love Cassia.

Not in the same way I loved Mikal, maybe not even to the same degree, but the connection was there just the same.

I'd known when I was assigned to tempt the Son of God that it could bring about my own destruction. I'd not imagined what would happen to those around me or to those I cared about. Now, my only stay from meeting Cassia's fate was the short time I had left to complete my mission and the hope that I did well enough to salvage some portion of my former rank and glory.