In this book, we are introduced to the angels’ immortal enemies, The Imperium, who seek to claim control of the empire, and the angels are driven down the path of immortality as a solution to counter this threat. This book defines the two levels of immortality: the Amarendine Locket as a temporary sustainment, and blood alchemy as the ultimate means. The angels become greedy, hungry for knowledge and bloodthirsty. Pierre’s disappearance drives a wedge between the main protagonists.
Stan is now the angels’ appointed head of the Magisterium and is successfully disbanding and dissolving its hidden denominations and concealed orders, thereby removing credibility for the existence of angels in the Lorallian and protecting the Divine Coregency. A Vatican priest, Joanna, opposes Stan’s falsification, citing the murder of Argo. There is also a spy, Hilda, working closely with Joanna, and attempting to break into the angelic conspiracy. José, still tormented by Oceano’s death, makes frequent visits to a psychiatrist.
The story picks up when an unsuspecting archaeologist, Denis, unearths Oceano’s bones and reports them to the monastery. Alejandra takes up a job as a cleric for Joanna, and, through this, the murder reaches the attention of Joanna, who decides to investigate. Randolph’s Swiss army knife is found at the grave site and he emerges as the prime suspect. In desperation, he contacts Stan, who calls a group meeting. Stan suggests killing Joanna, much to the disapproval of the group. When José refuses to kill Joanna, Stan warns José and the others not to be over-sentimental. Stan reminds them that his job is to protect the Divine Coregency via whatever means. Instead, the angels break into the asylum where the bones are being held and manipulate the molecular composite of the bones so that they appear normal. The scientists conclude that the bones were twisted by volcanic activity and suspicion of the angels is averted.
Stan is fatally struck by an unknown enemy. The angels try to revive him, but the healing crystals fail, and he dies, his dying words warning the angels about an invasion from Heaven. Soon after, a librarian, Louis, replaces Enrica as the new housekeeper of the monastery. José finds Louis in possession of a pentagon device and is ordered to stay away from the chapter house, which leads the angels to think that Louis is hiding something, and possibly murdered Stan. The angels set off to kill him, but José has second thoughts, and conjures a ruby red shield to restrain Isabelle and Randolph. He decides to confront Louis on his own, who reveals that he was possessed by angels in the past, because he has memories of a past life he cannot explain, and he is not Stan’s killer. Chloe has suffered most from Stan’s death. Despite being taken into the monastery’s protection, she is abducted by Joanna and taken to a cave system in the fjords, where she is held. Isabelle comes to her rescue and confronts Joanna, who reveals to Isabelle that she killed Stan to save Isabelle from the other three angels, and that Isabelle belongs with Joanna and the host of angels known as the Imperium. Joanna recounts that, in her previous life, Isabelle betrayed the Divine Coregency and joined the Imperium, resulting in the fall of the empire and that history always repeats itself. She demands Isabelle for the location of the ‘Athanor’. Isabelle has no knowledge of it, and Joanna continues to torture Chloe as the female angels try to escape. A battle between the two ‘ice queens’ ensues. Isabelle conjures a sapphire blue shield and turns Joanna to ice, just as José and Randolph arrive on the scene. Isabelle returns to the cathedral alone and, in her solitary anguish, questions her identity. In a fit of emotional hysteria, she accidentally breaks through the rood partition and stumbles across the Athanor, which she immediately brings to the attention of the other three angels.
Alejandra, Olivia and Pierre consult an oracle, Cassandra, who forewarns Olivia and Pierre that their respective relationships with the angels, Randolph and Isabelle, are doomed, but José loves Alejandra. Alejandra stumbles across a mystical mirror that depicts events in the future. In it, an older José reports to Alejandra that the world is ending, and that in order to change the course of history, Alejandra must help him fall in love with Chloe, otherwise Chloe will eventually leave (Chloe is integral to the angels’ survival). Alejandra consults both Chloe, and present-day José, with little success, but then stages an arrangement whereby present-day José finds her in bed with Felipe, in order to alienate him, and Chloe is waiting. Meanwhile, Randolph pursues an affair with Hilda, in order to investigate her, and discovers her to be a member of the Imperium, and apparently working with Joanna. Alejandra, the only one who had a legitimate connection to Joanna, discovers that Joanna was linked to a secret organisation called the ‘Guild of Enchanters’. Alejandra travels to Norway with José, Isabelle and Chloe to investigate the guild, bringing Joanna’s personal affects as an alibi. There, they are denied entry to the guild, but they meet Joanna’s husband, Michael, and children, Bert and Dagmar, who invite them to the funeral the following day. There, they meet the head of the guild who appears to be a young angel boy, William. At the funeral, the ‘Guild of Enchanters’ turns out to be a pseudonym for the Imperium, who are preparing an army of exoskeletons to invade the empire. Randolph, Olivia and Hilda arrive to discover Alejandra, José and Chloe fighting William, while Isabelle is in the army facility with Michael. Hilda destroys the core of the facility powering the army, and the facility implodes, weakening the inquisition and allowing the protagonists to escape. Shortly afterwards, the Imperium declares war on the Divine Coregency. The story jumps ahead to the midst of the war. The Imperium has already taken hold of Scandinavia and its armies are advancing into the black forest. Michael creates an artificial eclipse, weakening the angels and forcing them into hiding. Isabelle confronts Michael, and attempts to charm him, but fails. Michael tortures Hilda for the location of the Athanor, but she kills herself to protect their secret. The four mortals – Alejandra, Olivia, Pierre and Felipe – manage to end the eclipse, restoring the angels’ powers. The four angels – José, Randolph, Isabelle and Chloe – use their precious relics – the torch, the chalice, the medallion, the scythe – and elements – fire, earth, water and air – to collectively drive away the Imperium, but not before Michael has had the chance to reveal to the angels that Isabelle betrayed them in her previous life.
Cassandra predicted that the Athanor is dangerous if it gets into the wrong hands. Randolph returns to Paletine to visit an empress, Catherine, who tells him a story about how Heaven was once ruled by the ‘Divine Coregency’ who created the perfect balance of four elements (fire, earth, air and water) and four powers (religion, science, art and amenity). This balance was disrupted by a revolutionary archangel, Michael, who caused a bloody revolt. One of the Divine Coregency, Aphrodite (Isabelle’s former self), betrayed the other three to the enemy, resulting in the fall of civilisation. Hermes preserved the essences of the four and duplicated them on Earth so that they could reincarnate and re-establish civilisation in a future era. Randolph realises that Catherine, and Alejandra, as mortals, saved their lives by protecting their identities, and returns thanks. He also deduces that there is a duplicate reincarnation of the Divine Coregency. A few years later, this other coregency – Zeus, Ares, Aphrodite and Demeter – residing in Greece, are invited to make a deal with the leader of the Imperium, Michael, at a summit with the king and queen of the Lorallian. Aphrodite and Ares kill Zeus because he refuses to deal with the enemy, and seek José instead, accompanied by Demeter. Aphrodite and Ares secretly bargain with Michael so that he can have the Athanor in return for a doorway to Heaven. José and Chloe accompany Aphrodite and Ares to the summit, where Michael offers them a passage to Heaven in return for the Athanor. José and Chloe consider this option, but decline, because the Alejandra had warned José that the Athanor is dangerous if it gets into the wrong hands. Aphrodite and Ares attempt to murder José, but Alejandra uses her mirror to contact José and rescue him. Instead, they abduct Chloe, and interrogate her for the location of the Athanor, but Chloe resists. José rescues Chloe and takes her back to the monastery, where they reconcile with Isabelle and Randolph.
Cassandra predicted that a special girl will be born to the king and queen who will have the power to save the empire, the future of which is uncertain in the invasion of the Imperium. Leon knows of José’s ability to heal, and questions why José did not heal his wife, Camilla, when she is murdered by the Imperium. José, in an attempt to redeem himself, stumbles upon a fountain of eternal youth, from which the locket was forged in the rural divides of southwest France. There, they encounter Hayda Loral, who has been bathing in its waters to exonerate her from demons. José heals Hayda and learns that the precious stone can freeze time, i.e., keep the drinker physically young, but it cannot prevent an untimely death. The angels are convinced that, in order to make proper use of the Athanor, they need to follow in the new school of blood alchemy, which asserts that eternal life can only be attained through the shedding of blood. The angels agree to bestow the Amarendine Locket to King Louis in exchange for his seventh daughter. Consistent to the prophecy, this special girl will have the power to resurrect the angels. The king agrees to this and the deal is sealed.
In September 1973, Isabelle discovers through a succession of dreams that Hayda's mother a young woman, Dianne, has been buried in a garden of roses in the middle of winter. Her captor turns out to be none other than Denis who is working for the Imperium. Dianne is brought to the asylum, where the angels prepare her for the immaculate conception. Dianne tries to escape, disagreeing with the conception on religious and moral grounds. After the conception, Dianne temporarily goes insane because she believes that there is a demon inside of her, and escapes from the asylum. Randolph and Olivia rescue her from the imperial forces who are stationed outside the asylum and drive her away, while José, Alejandra, Isabelle and Chloe stay at the asylum to fight off the Imperium. Dianne continues to hallucinate, and Olivia persuades Randolph to make an emotional connection with Dianne. Randolph finally sedates Dianne, who expresses her wish to return home. Randolph and Olivia return Dianne to the chateau, where they find that the chateau has been seized by Dianne’s mother and aunt – Darnelle and Estelle. Olivia recovers some legislation declaring that the chateau is in the inheritance of the Loral family. Dianne marries Louis and through him, attains protection.
Louis goes temporarily insane and holds a siege at the chapter house, taking everyone hostage until they can explain his possession; how he was in Greece, and how he knows how to operate the pentagon device. José heals him, and, through this, he starts to remember Chloe from his previous life. Alejandra has grown closer to Eduardo, who has returned from his travels, but she feels guilty for José, unaware that Chloe is helping José to remember her. Isabelle is made headmistress at the Alpine College, and a night ball takes place. Felipe takes Chloe to the ball and they kiss, but Felipe feels like his heart is not in her and lets her go after José. José takes Alejandra to the ball, and she expresses how much pain Chloe has put her through, also leaving him. After she witnesses José and Chloe kissing, she decides to leave and runs into the arms of Eduardo.
Pierre is reported to have been killed in a car crash. Alejandra, heartbroken, and Felipe, believe that Pierre was murdered by an angel, which causes a rift between the angels and the mortals. Alejandra investigates this murder and discovers an encrypted code from the asylum to Pierre’s girlfriend, Grace. Alejandra, Olivia and Randolph travel to the asylum where they track down a translation of the emerald tablet, written by Pierre and sent to Grace shortly after his death. Through this, they deduce that Pierre possibly faked his own death. José, angered by Alejandra’s investigation, sleeps with Chloe and she becomes pregnant. The baby cannot survive on Earth because the toxicity of humanity is poisoning it and the angels realise that they need to activate the Athanor and return to Heaven. Alejandra and José reunite and track down Grace, but reveal she wasn’t Pierre’s killer. On their way back, José realises that Alejandra never slept with Felipe, and they kiss. Alejandra notices a similarity in behaviour between Pierre before he died, Olivia’s mother, Sophia, and Felipe. While the angels prepare to step into the Athanor, Alejandra and Olivia visit Felipe, who recalls a suppressed memory concealed in a fountain showing that Chloe killed Pierre. Alejandra relays this information to the angels. Chloe, busted and with no other option, ascends to Heaven without the other three angels, leaving José, Randolph and Isabelle stranded on Earth once more.
Stan is now the angels’ appointed head of the Magisterium and is successfully disbanding and dissolving its hidden denominations and concealed orders, thereby removing credibility for the existence of angels in the Lorallian and protecting the Divine Coregency. A Vatican priest, Joanna, opposes Stan’s falsification, citing the murder of Argo. There is also a spy, Hilda, working closely with Joanna, and attempting to break into the angelic conspiracy. José, still tormented by Oceano’s death, makes frequent visits to a psychiatrist.
The story picks up when an unsuspecting archaeologist, Denis, unearths Oceano’s bones and reports them to the monastery. Alejandra takes up a job as a cleric for Joanna, and, through this, the murder reaches the attention of Joanna, who decides to investigate. Randolph’s Swiss army knife is found at the grave site and he emerges as the prime suspect. In desperation, he contacts Stan, who calls a group meeting. Stan suggests killing Joanna, much to the disapproval of the group. When José refuses to kill Joanna, Stan warns José and the others not to be over-sentimental. Stan reminds them that his job is to protect the Divine Coregency via whatever means. Instead, the angels break into the asylum where the bones are being held and manipulate the molecular composite of the bones so that they appear normal. The scientists conclude that the bones were twisted by volcanic activity and suspicion of the angels is averted.
Stan is fatally struck by an unknown enemy. The angels try to revive him, but the healing crystals fail, and he dies, his dying words warning the angels about an invasion from Heaven. Soon after, a librarian, Louis, replaces Enrica as the new housekeeper of the monastery. José finds Louis in possession of a pentagon device and is ordered to stay away from the chapter house, which leads the angels to think that Louis is hiding something, and possibly murdered Stan. The angels set off to kill him, but José has second thoughts, and conjures a ruby red shield to restrain Isabelle and Randolph. He decides to confront Louis on his own, who reveals that he was possessed by angels in the past, because he has memories of a past life he cannot explain, and he is not Stan’s killer. Chloe has suffered most from Stan’s death. Despite being taken into the monastery’s protection, she is abducted by Joanna and taken to a cave system in the fjords, where she is held. Isabelle comes to her rescue and confronts Joanna, who reveals to Isabelle that she killed Stan to save Isabelle from the other three angels, and that Isabelle belongs with Joanna and the host of angels known as the Imperium. Joanna recounts that, in her previous life, Isabelle betrayed the Divine Coregency and joined the Imperium, resulting in the fall of the empire and that history always repeats itself. She demands Isabelle for the location of the ‘Athanor’. Isabelle has no knowledge of it, and Joanna continues to torture Chloe as the female angels try to escape. A battle between the two ‘ice queens’ ensues. Isabelle conjures a sapphire blue shield and turns Joanna to ice, just as José and Randolph arrive on the scene. Isabelle returns to the cathedral alone and, in her solitary anguish, questions her identity. In a fit of emotional hysteria, she accidentally breaks through the rood partition and stumbles across the Athanor, which she immediately brings to the attention of the other three angels.
Alejandra, Olivia and Pierre consult an oracle, Cassandra, who forewarns Olivia and Pierre that their respective relationships with the angels, Randolph and Isabelle, are doomed, but José loves Alejandra. Alejandra stumbles across a mystical mirror that depicts events in the future. In it, an older José reports to Alejandra that the world is ending, and that in order to change the course of history, Alejandra must help him fall in love with Chloe, otherwise Chloe will eventually leave (Chloe is integral to the angels’ survival). Alejandra consults both Chloe, and present-day José, with little success, but then stages an arrangement whereby present-day José finds her in bed with Felipe, in order to alienate him, and Chloe is waiting. Meanwhile, Randolph pursues an affair with Hilda, in order to investigate her, and discovers her to be a member of the Imperium, and apparently working with Joanna. Alejandra, the only one who had a legitimate connection to Joanna, discovers that Joanna was linked to a secret organisation called the ‘Guild of Enchanters’. Alejandra travels to Norway with José, Isabelle and Chloe to investigate the guild, bringing Joanna’s personal affects as an alibi. There, they are denied entry to the guild, but they meet Joanna’s husband, Michael, and children, Bert and Dagmar, who invite them to the funeral the following day. There, they meet the head of the guild who appears to be a young angel boy, William. At the funeral, the ‘Guild of Enchanters’ turns out to be a pseudonym for the Imperium, who are preparing an army of exoskeletons to invade the empire. Randolph, Olivia and Hilda arrive to discover Alejandra, José and Chloe fighting William, while Isabelle is in the army facility with Michael. Hilda destroys the core of the facility powering the army, and the facility implodes, weakening the inquisition and allowing the protagonists to escape. Shortly afterwards, the Imperium declares war on the Divine Coregency. The story jumps ahead to the midst of the war. The Imperium has already taken hold of Scandinavia and its armies are advancing into the black forest. Michael creates an artificial eclipse, weakening the angels and forcing them into hiding. Isabelle confronts Michael, and attempts to charm him, but fails. Michael tortures Hilda for the location of the Athanor, but she kills herself to protect their secret. The four mortals – Alejandra, Olivia, Pierre and Felipe – manage to end the eclipse, restoring the angels’ powers. The four angels – José, Randolph, Isabelle and Chloe – use their precious relics – the torch, the chalice, the medallion, the scythe – and elements – fire, earth, water and air – to collectively drive away the Imperium, but not before Michael has had the chance to reveal to the angels that Isabelle betrayed them in her previous life.
Cassandra predicted that the Athanor is dangerous if it gets into the wrong hands. Randolph returns to Paletine to visit an empress, Catherine, who tells him a story about how Heaven was once ruled by the ‘Divine Coregency’ who created the perfect balance of four elements (fire, earth, air and water) and four powers (religion, science, art and amenity). This balance was disrupted by a revolutionary archangel, Michael, who caused a bloody revolt. One of the Divine Coregency, Aphrodite (Isabelle’s former self), betrayed the other three to the enemy, resulting in the fall of civilisation. Hermes preserved the essences of the four and duplicated them on Earth so that they could reincarnate and re-establish civilisation in a future era. Randolph realises that Catherine, and Alejandra, as mortals, saved their lives by protecting their identities, and returns thanks. He also deduces that there is a duplicate reincarnation of the Divine Coregency. A few years later, this other coregency – Zeus, Ares, Aphrodite and Demeter – residing in Greece, are invited to make a deal with the leader of the Imperium, Michael, at a summit with the king and queen of the Lorallian. Aphrodite and Ares kill Zeus because he refuses to deal with the enemy, and seek José instead, accompanied by Demeter. Aphrodite and Ares secretly bargain with Michael so that he can have the Athanor in return for a doorway to Heaven. José and Chloe accompany Aphrodite and Ares to the summit, where Michael offers them a passage to Heaven in return for the Athanor. José and Chloe consider this option, but decline, because the Alejandra had warned José that the Athanor is dangerous if it gets into the wrong hands. Aphrodite and Ares attempt to murder José, but Alejandra uses her mirror to contact José and rescue him. Instead, they abduct Chloe, and interrogate her for the location of the Athanor, but Chloe resists. José rescues Chloe and takes her back to the monastery, where they reconcile with Isabelle and Randolph.
Cassandra predicted that a special girl will be born to the king and queen who will have the power to save the empire, the future of which is uncertain in the invasion of the Imperium. Leon knows of José’s ability to heal, and questions why José did not heal his wife, Camilla, when she is murdered by the Imperium. José, in an attempt to redeem himself, stumbles upon a fountain of eternal youth, from which the locket was forged in the rural divides of southwest France. There, they encounter Hayda Loral, who has been bathing in its waters to exonerate her from demons. José heals Hayda and learns that the precious stone can freeze time, i.e., keep the drinker physically young, but it cannot prevent an untimely death. The angels are convinced that, in order to make proper use of the Athanor, they need to follow in the new school of blood alchemy, which asserts that eternal life can only be attained through the shedding of blood. The angels agree to bestow the Amarendine Locket to King Louis in exchange for his seventh daughter. Consistent to the prophecy, this special girl will have the power to resurrect the angels. The king agrees to this and the deal is sealed.
In September 1973, Isabelle discovers through a succession of dreams that Hayda's mother a young woman, Dianne, has been buried in a garden of roses in the middle of winter. Her captor turns out to be none other than Denis who is working for the Imperium. Dianne is brought to the asylum, where the angels prepare her for the immaculate conception. Dianne tries to escape, disagreeing with the conception on religious and moral grounds. After the conception, Dianne temporarily goes insane because she believes that there is a demon inside of her, and escapes from the asylum. Randolph and Olivia rescue her from the imperial forces who are stationed outside the asylum and drive her away, while José, Alejandra, Isabelle and Chloe stay at the asylum to fight off the Imperium. Dianne continues to hallucinate, and Olivia persuades Randolph to make an emotional connection with Dianne. Randolph finally sedates Dianne, who expresses her wish to return home. Randolph and Olivia return Dianne to the chateau, where they find that the chateau has been seized by Dianne’s mother and aunt – Darnelle and Estelle. Olivia recovers some legislation declaring that the chateau is in the inheritance of the Loral family. Dianne marries Louis and through him, attains protection.
Louis goes temporarily insane and holds a siege at the chapter house, taking everyone hostage until they can explain his possession; how he was in Greece, and how he knows how to operate the pentagon device. José heals him, and, through this, he starts to remember Chloe from his previous life. Alejandra has grown closer to Eduardo, who has returned from his travels, but she feels guilty for José, unaware that Chloe is helping José to remember her. Isabelle is made headmistress at the Alpine College, and a night ball takes place. Felipe takes Chloe to the ball and they kiss, but Felipe feels like his heart is not in her and lets her go after José. José takes Alejandra to the ball, and she expresses how much pain Chloe has put her through, also leaving him. After she witnesses José and Chloe kissing, she decides to leave and runs into the arms of Eduardo.
Pierre is reported to have been killed in a car crash. Alejandra, heartbroken, and Felipe, believe that Pierre was murdered by an angel, which causes a rift between the angels and the mortals. Alejandra investigates this murder and discovers an encrypted code from the asylum to Pierre’s girlfriend, Grace. Alejandra, Olivia and Randolph travel to the asylum where they track down a translation of the emerald tablet, written by Pierre and sent to Grace shortly after his death. Through this, they deduce that Pierre possibly faked his own death. José, angered by Alejandra’s investigation, sleeps with Chloe and she becomes pregnant. The baby cannot survive on Earth because the toxicity of humanity is poisoning it and the angels realise that they need to activate the Athanor and return to Heaven. Alejandra and José reunite and track down Grace, but reveal she wasn’t Pierre’s killer. On their way back, José realises that Alejandra never slept with Felipe, and they kiss. Alejandra notices a similarity in behaviour between Pierre before he died, Olivia’s mother, Sophia, and Felipe. While the angels prepare to step into the Athanor, Alejandra and Olivia visit Felipe, who recalls a suppressed memory concealed in a fountain showing that Chloe killed Pierre. Alejandra relays this information to the angels. Chloe, busted and with no other option, ascends to Heaven without the other three angels, leaving José, Randolph and Isabelle stranded on Earth once more.
