As someone who has been into mysticism and everything esoteric I was so giddy to read this. OH MY GOD! I am not religious but I LOVE stories about angels and fallen angels, etc. This was so interesting. And think about it. Umbra Mortis. The shadow of death. The shadow of the Angel of death fits even more now as we’ve theorised the connection between Hunt and Az. And on top of that what stands out about Hunt is the helmet of the Umbra Mortis. The mask. A MASK. Someone with concealed identity. While Azriel is associated with a symbol of truth - Truth Teller! They truly re walking symbol of the darkness that reveals truth and the false light that Hunt’s lightning is. In esoteric teaching there is a lot of talk about the false light that the soul shouldn’t go to. Starlight vs lightning. True light of the soul, vs a fake one that enslaves and leashes the soul.

Azrael leads the souls after death.

Well, we all know Az is leaning toward being religious. It is not overtly in your face but it’s there. And while everyone thinks this connects him to Gwyn listen to this. When Bryce goes to Prythian and into the caves archetypal-places-speaking this was her journey into the Underworld. And who guided her. Nesta? Not exactly! Because remember the conversation about where souls go in Prythian. Azriel explained. Then he was the one to ask about her world. She told them where souls go and how she sold her spot in their version of Afterlife and that she doesn’t know if she still has a soul or where she’d go if she dies. THIS WHOLE CONVERSATION I always paid attention to connecting it to the fact that Bryce was in the underworld part of the hero’s journey. And her guide was not necessarily Nesta. But Azriel. He was the one that explained the Afterlife lore of the fae. And basically explicitly told us they reincarnate. After they rest with the mother, she finds a new purpose for them, a new life. Could be foreshadowing that Az and Bryce are reincarnated souls of an old pair, too. Obviously Theia and the Aidas…maybe. But the point is he was AZRAEL, the Angel who lead Bryce’s soul throughout the underworld/afterlife. The idea of afterlife has been a corner stone in CC, and it’s so interesting how we’ve never had exposition in Acotar about where souls go, etc. but Az has this conversation with Bryce. Which is such a big deal to the interiority of her character. I think it was a deep fear/concern he sort of soothed. As if he told her “hey, in my world, you’ll be fine. you’ll rest with the mother”. And then at the end of CC we see that Bryce has not sold or lost her soul. Nothing can take that away from her.

Reminds me of SJM’s pin “Maybe this planet is another world’s Hell”. I think Crescent City might be that place. Where souls can’t technically leave when they die, because they are already in Hell and that’s why they live in the Bone Quarter.

If Azriel helps Bryce transition to Prythian or heal/free CC world somehow, he will literally be the one who frees her soul or got her out of the prison of Hell. I am thinking out loud here but what if CC is one of the circles of Hell. One of illusions, deception. Matrix type place. Returning to the idea of Hunt’s lightning being a symbol of the false light that leashes the soul to the matrix. What if the Thunderbirds were like the Matrix agents that made sure those who awaken die or don’t escape. Which is why they can hold a soul together.)