by P. K. Tyler
"Fool, boy!" Ma had regained her strength. That or her anger had stiffened her resolve. "You are not ready to learn, but you are out of time. Evil has set its course against us, determined to wipe out those few of us who remain to stand against it."
Dika interrupted, her eyes equally as fervent as her sister's despite her depleted energy. "Sit down, Nikolai. We are connected by blood and by purpose, now. You promised to listen, so sit down and listen.
The story of Jesus' crucifixion, as told by the church, is filled with half-truths. Jesus and Mary Magdalene fought evil together. His parents, Mary and Joseph, helped as much as they could. But the demons of that time were clever beyond measure and some so powerful they could influence more than one person at the same time.
The territory between our world and theirs was vast in those days. Only the strongest demons could cross over to begin with, and even then it took time. So for a while, Jesus and Mary were able to hold evil at bay.
The church found out about what Jesus did. The Sin Eater represented a threat, his teachings making them question their very beliefs. Many lives were lost in the time of the crucifixions. The church hired mercenaries to eradicate as many Sin Eaters as they could find, and gave them free reign to execute anyone they even suspected.
One of them found Jesus while he battled a small group of men and women, all under the influence of a single demon. He witnessed what the first Sin Eater really did, and vowed to fight at his side and protect him from that day forward. All twelve mercenaries in the church's order sided with Jesus, including Judas Escariot.
Has the Order told you the true story behind the crucifixion?”
Nik nodded.
"When Jesus died, the balance between good and evil tipped and the boundaries between all realms weakened, those between our world and Lucifer's realms, as well as those between our world and God's realms.
Demons, from that point on, latched onto the souls of mankind and fed on each until there was nothing left but the demon. Since then, they’ve been content to devour the souls of mankind and live amongst us, if briefly. Something has changed recently. They are working together for a common purpose. This does not bode well for the world of man."
"Well, shit." Nik straightened up and scratched his head. "So ... what now?"
Vai stood, still wiping the occasional stray tear from her eye. "Nik, something's going on with the priest's sister, right?"
Nik paled. He hadn't yet told Vai that things had escalated since they last spoke. "Actually, something is going on with Zeph and Adel. They were both ... not quite possessed recently."
Vai was nodding before he finished. "Don't you see, Nik? From what Ma and Dika said, I'd say it's some powerful demon jerking their chains."
"But why? That doesn't make any sense. Why would they bother with some random priest and his sister? Unless..."
“What, Nik? What is it?”
“Adel said the demon knew my name. He used her to get to me. Maybe he was trying to possess me?”
“They can’t do that. Can they?”
“No, it wasn’t able to get to me. Not directly. It’s just using Zeph to torment me.” Because of course it was, because he didn’t live with enough torment every fucking day as it was. Even the demons could tell what Zeph meant to him, even if Zeph himself refused to acknowledge Nik's love.
Vai turned back to Ma and Dika. "Now more than ever we need to know exactly how many allies we have. How many Sin Eaters are there, like Nik and I? And how many oracles are there like you?"
Ma's hand shook as she reached out to take Vai's and pull her down. When Vai knelt in front of her, Ma just shook her head sadly.
"Vai, golubushka, you called the community in Florida. There are others scattered throughout the world, but the only other Sin Eaters we know of, or even oracles, were there."
Vai's voice cracked as she spoke. "We don't know who died and who survived. They could still be out there. They could help."
Dika shook her head. "Even if they are alive and can help, how will we reach them? You two are our only hope." Her eyes unfocused and she mumbled, "Unless..."
Nik stood up, his legs cramping from having sat in one spot for so long. "Unless what?"
Ma raised her eyebrows in surprise as she appraised her sister. "After all of these years, you are ready to try?"
Nik could feel the excitement rolling off of Ma in waves. And as excited as she looked, Dika looked equally apprehensive. To her credit, she did try for a jovial tone.
"Why not? I've always wondered what it would be like to fly."
"Wait," Nik said, "what about the demon and that...room?"
Ma was too impatient to do whatever it was Dika had thought of. "The short version is that all our history is contained in that room. Generations of knowledge. More importantly, the weapons Christ left his descendants is within."
"The weapons?" he asked.
"Yes, ..." Ma took a breath but paused. Vai stood and gestured toward the kitchen where she'd put a kettle of water on the wood stove to boil for tea.
"Okay, the Blood of Christ is exactly what the name says it is. God allowed Christ to return to our world a few days after his death, when they learned of Judas' betrayal and the consequences. Jesus waited until his mother and wife visited his burial place, and he descended. He told them what happened, and promised to leave them what little help he could.
See, they didn't embalm corpses in those days ..."
"Ew, Vai. Really?"
"Shut up and listen. It's relevant. Anyway... so Jesus took the blood from his body and petrified it.
He instructed Mary and his mother to grind the blood into a fine powder." Vai pulled a small pinch of sparkling red dust out of the pouch at her waist and sprinkled it into her cupped palm. "This dust can be used as it is against demons. But if we keep using it like this, we'll run out. So we started making weapons, but we can only make so many."
"That's great! Where can we get these weapons?" Nik asked.
"Well, that's the problem, Nik. They're in the Crypt."
"Right. In that alternate dimension where the demon's trapped. Fucking great."
"We have to find a way to get back in there. Maybe whatever Dika and Ma are trying to do will work." Vai?
"We need Zeph, too. He could help."
Vai smiled and nodded. "Call him."
Nik shrugged, but pulled out his cell phone and stared at it. "That's if he can come."
She gave him an incredulous look. "Nik, has he ever not come for you when you've called?"
The answer was obvious, so he didn't respond.
As Nik focused his mind on Zeph, pulling his image into view and concentrating on the connection between them, a feeling of dread spread through him.
“Something’s wrong,” he said.
“No shit, Sherlock.” Vai glared and waved a hand in the direction of the Crypt of Archives.
“No, not just that…”
“Do you sense something?” Ma asked, her voice tired.
“I don’t know. I need to call Zeph.” Nik grabbed his jacket and shrugged it on before stepping out into the cold morning air. As each ring passed, the feeling of impending darkness swelled, until he felt in a panic by the time the priest answered.
“Zeph? Are you okay?”
EPISODE FIVE
CHAPTER ONE
Dreams of floating on the soft current of a summertime lake wrapped itself around Zeph in the early morning. He knew it was a dream, his mind half-conscious but not quite willing to be awake. This happened to him often, usually in the middle of the night. He'd lay in bed and enjoy the lazy semi-awareness until sleep pulled him back under the surface. These rare moments were the closest to freedom he ever came.
A world of water and sun where he had nothing to anchor him and no tide to struggle against. As he floated, fish jumped in the water and frogs croaked on the shore. The sun beat down on him and the tiny muscles in his jaw where he held all his anger, all his resentment, finally relaxed.
Tonight, his carefree moment of solitude struggled to hold on to him. A sound nagged at his awareness. He strained to hear it while also wishing it would go away and leave him to his dreamscape.
"Father Zelophe..." his name ended with a wail and Zeph sat straight up in bed.
He pulled a black t-shirt on over his head and tightened the string of his sleeping pants before leaving his private chamber. He strode across his rooms, now wide awake.
A small moan that mounted in volume came from the other side of his office door. Something banged against it. For a moment, Zeph thought of Nik and all the horror they'd seen recently. Should he lock and barricade his door? Should he have holy water on hand when he opened it? His sleepy mind hadn't quite caught up with his body yet and lagged behind until the banging on the door paused and a small voice called out.
"Father Zeph... Please, help me."
Nothing more was required for him to shrug off his paranoia and whip open the door.
Leaning against the door frame, Sister Delphina slumped forward wearing nothing but a white sleeping gown.
"Sister, what are you doing here?"
"Father, I need your help." She pushed herself off the door, struggling to stand.
Zeph reached forward to help her but snatched his hands back when he saw what she had been hiding. Her stomach swelled before her small body, huge and painful looking. Confusion rolled through him.
"What happened to you?" He took her elbow, careful not to touch the impossible belly protruding from her abdomen, and guided her to the couch.
"Father, I'm so sorry." Tears streamed down her face and, before he could ask what she meant, her face contorted in pain. She fisted the edge of the couch, her entire body tightening.
"What's going on?" Zeph asked, looking on in horror. Her face turned red and she stopped breathing for a moment, only to take in a deep gasp.
"It's coming." She moaned through gritted teeth.
"What are you talking about?"
"It's coming, Father. This thing... this thing inside me..." She let out a low primal moan. Her whole body rose up a few inches off the couch and then, as suddenly as it had begun, she fell back into the seat.
"What should I do? Are you– You look like you're pregnant, Sister."
"I'm so sorry. Heaven forgive me, I'm so sorry. I didn't know. I swear I didn't understand what was happening!" She reached out her hand for his and pulled him closer.
Zeph stepped near but kept as much distance as he could from the nun with the impossible problem.
"I should call 911." He snatched his hand back and turned toward his desk.
"No, Father, please."
"Why? What happened to you, Delphina? You weren't... like this... yesterday."
"It all happened so fast. I don't remember, but there was a woman, someone I knew, and a man, and then there was blood. So much blood, and the man... He..."
"Sister, you can tell me."
"Father, please forgive me. I didn't know. Please, will God forgive me?"
"God forgives all who come to him with an open heart and ask for it."
"I'm scared."
"Let me get Sister Maria."
"Please don't leave me." Sister Delphina's eyes widened. She threw her head back and screamed. The piercing sound flew from her throat, bouncing around the room, filling it with the depth of her pain.
On instinct, Zeph knelt on the floor next to her. He took her hand and wiped the hair from her face. In the time she'd been with the church, this was probably the most they'd ever touched, but in this moment of need, he felt no hesitation. His only desire was to soothe her pain.
She laid back on the couch, her back arching up, forcing her swollen abdomen toward Heaven. "Get it out," she cried. "It's killing me. Get it out!"
"You're all right Sister, You're fine." He wiped her sweat-soaked brow. "You can do this. Women have been doing this since the beginning of time. Take a deep breath."
With a shudder, she obeyed, taking in breath after breath, until her face relaxed and the tension drained from her body.
"I have to call for help now."
Delphina's grip on his hand tightened.
"There's no help for us now, Father. We're all doomed." Her eyes rolled back in her head and her mouth went slack as she passed out on his couch.
He screamed in frustration, slamming his hand down on the floor with a loud slap. "What do I do?" He ran his hands over his head, gripping the hair he'd allowed to grow too long. He pulled, trying to will his mind to kick into gear.
A low sound, like the buzz of electricity or a swarm of bees, filled the room. The overhead light flickered and Delphina moaned.
Zeph grabbed the phone of his desk and tried to dial 911. With each press of the button on the console, he heard a click and then a hollow silence. "Come on," he muttered, pressing the button on the phone and listening for a dial tone.
Silence.
He dropped the phone to the ground and came back to Delphina. She moaned and turned her head to one side.
"Sister, what have you done?" He touched his hand to her forehead again only to snatch it back. Delphina's skin burned. Not a fever, not a simple rise in temperature. It actually burned. A layer of skin on Zeph's fingers had melted away and a blister formed from the heat.
"That's it. I'm calling Nik," he said to no one.
In his bedroom, Zeph tried his cell phone only to find that it too had no signal. In the middle of the city. Something was interrupting the phones.
After checking on Delphina one more time, but this time without touching her, he rushed out into the hall. He ran, his bare feet slapping against the cool concrete of the old church floor. At the entrance of the hall to the nun's quarters, the darkness in the air seemed to thicken. He couldn't see to the end of the hall, unusual, even in the dim nighttime light.
"Sister Maria?" He whispered, knocking on the first door he came to. "There's something wrong with Sister Delphina. I'm sorry to bother you, but... Sister?"
He pushed the door open slowly.
On the floor, the slight old nun lay face down, unmoving.
Zeph rushed in and grabbed her inert body. "Sister? Sister?" He turned her over and checked for a pulse or breath. Anything. He pressed on her chest in a halfhearted attempt at CPR, but all he felt was the crunch of bones breaking in her inanimate chest.
"What's happening?" He screamed at the cross hanging on Sister Maria's barren walls.
Tears streamed down his face and he picked up the old nun’s body and gripped her against his chest. They'd been together since before he took his place as the parish priest. She had been there for him when he was younger and Father Thomas took him in. She had been there to care for him after his father beat him, and after Thomas died.
Grief weighed him down and he was tempted to fall apart under the pressure, but the image of Delphina's face scrunched up in agony, begging for his help, kept him going.
"I'm sorry, Sister Maria," he said, laying her gently back on the floor. "I'll come back."
He closed her room with a soft, final thud.
No one else would be here. Only the two nuns resided at the church with him. He looked up and down the hall full of unused rooms, unsure what to do next. The impossible had come to his doorstep, his peaceful parish in the city. This was Nik's calling, not his. He didn't have any idea what to do.
As he started back towards his rooms, he noticed a dim light coming from under the door of one of the vacant rooms.
"Hello?" He knocked lightly on the door. "Is someone here?"
"Zeph?" a tired female voice replied before Adel opened the door. "Why are you up?"
"Adel, oh thank God! You're still here. I thought you went home yesterday."
"I did, but I couldn't sleep, felt too exposed after everything that happened. I used the key Sister Delphina gave me to come back and crash for the night. I didn't want to bother you. Is it okay that I'm here?"
Zeph shifted his weight from foot to foot
trying to patiently wait for her to finish talking. "Come with me."
He took off ahead of her, swiftly walking as fast as he could without running back to his rooms.
"What's going on?" she called after him.
Zeph knew his behavior was erratic, he knew that after everything he and his sister had been through the last thing she needed was him showing up at her bedroom door all freaked out, but he was so profoundly glad she was there.
He stopped in front of his door and waited for her.
On the other side, a moan that sounded more like a dying cat that a woman rang out.
"What’s going on?" Adel put her hands on her hips and stared at her older brother.
"You're a girl, right?" he asked, completely aware of how stupid the question was.
"Seriously, Zeph?"
"Okay, I know you're a girl, but you know about girl things, right? Like babies and vaginas?"
"I think it's possible you've lost your mind. What do you care about babies and vaginas?" Adel's eyes narrowed.
"Well, Sister Delphina came to my room tonight."
"Zeph, if this is some kind of sex thing, I'm going back to my room."
"Priest!" he pointed at himself.
"Doesn't seem to matter when Nik's around,” Adel sneered.
"Just look." He swung the door open.
Sister Delphina lay on her back on the floor, her night dress bunched up over her hips as she moaned and rolled from side to side. Blood ran down her inner thighs, soaking the carpet.
"Delphina!" Adel's eyes went wide. She rushed in and knelt down next to the nun. She touched her forehead, somehow not burning her flesh on contact, and checked her pulse. She pulled open one of the nun's eyes and stared into it for a moment before shaking her head.
"Why haven't you called the hospital?"
"The phones are dead."
"Your cell phone?"
