Sin Eater: Complete First Season

by P. K. Tyler

  In moments, they were gone.

  Nik spotted the demon he'd spit on standing up, her flesh knitting back together before his eyes. He searched the ground for his guns. Just a few paces to his left, Vai picked them up off the ground.

  Her gaze flicked up over his shoulder. "Nik!"

  She threw the gun and he lifted his hands to catch it, but the demon slammed into his back. The gun landed somewhere Nik couldn't even see. He struggled under the demon's weight and fell, face forward, onto the ground.

  Zeph stood to his right, wide-mouthed and staring in the air after Belial and Adel. "Zeph, help me!"

  Zeph blinked rapidly and shook his head, this time as if to clear it. Then he moved fast, almost like he was a magnet and Nik his opposite and they were too close together to resist the pull. He dove for Vai's sword and pulled a vial of holy water from his pocket. Flicking the plug off the top with his thumb, he slung the water at the demon.

  She screamed, but rolled with Nik, holding on tight. On her back with him on top of her, she wrapped one arm around his neck and jabbed his ribs with the other.

  Her shrieking screams pierced Nik's ears, so close to her face. A gunshot near his head deafened Nik momentarily and relieved the stabbing pain of her screaming. Her arms and legs relaxed.

  "Crazy bitch," Vai said, smoke rising from the revolver in her hand.

  Nik rolled off the demon, landing on his hands and knees, coughing though she'd only choked him for a moment. His throat hurt so bad, he thought maybe she'd broken his windpipe. He tried a slow, shallow breath, though, and found everything relatively okay.

  Another loud crack sounded and electric blue/white light filled the sky. When they could see again, Vai and Zeph helped him to his feet.

  Fifty yards away, Elemiah lay face down, a blonde head gripped in her still hand. The headless corpse of another demon lay nearby.

  Anahita sat on the ground with her legs wrapped around a demon's chest. She reached up to grip the demon's head just as the last one approached her from behind.

  Nik, Vai, and Zeph advanced as one and the demon stopped, checking the distance between them and the angel, and herself.

  She turned and ran, and Anahita's rage-filled cry sent chills through Nik as she twisted the other demon's head off.

  Blood sprayed up, drenching her hair and clothes, painting her face a solid red.

  She rolled the corpse out of her lap, then reached down toward it. Still yelling, the angel stood and picked up the headless corpse of the demon. She threw it like a rag doll she no longer loved.

  Anahita's gaze shot across the scene. She jerked her head from one side to the other, looking for another threat. Her gaze finally settled on Elemiah.

  She slipped on the blood-slick ground as she rushed toward the lifeless body of Elemiah.

  "Sister?" She dropped to her knees and wiped a bloody hand across the face that had housed Elemiah's spirit.

  Nik, Zeph, and Vai stayed a safe distance away.

  "What happens when an angel dies? Does she just go back to Heaven?" Nik whispered.

  Vai shrugged, tears streaming down her face. Elemiah had been in Ma's body, and now Vai had to not just mourn the loss of the woman's soul, but was confronted with the actual physical reality of her death.

  "I don't think she just went back. If she had, Anahita wouldn't be so upset," Zeph mused, his voice cold and distant. "If she were in Heaven, then Anahita would just see her again when she leaves us. But look at her."

  The angel sobbed, gripping the lifeless body in her arms.

  "She's devastated," Zeph said.

  Nik turned to Zeph and reached out a hand. Not long ago he wouldn't have even considered touching his best friend, but now, those walls had crumbled and he wanted to pull the man into his arms and love him enough to take away his pain.

  At the touch, Zeph flinched. He looked at Nik, eyes hard and cold. "Losing a sister can destroy you, if you let it." Zeph dropped the sword in his hand and walked back toward the house.

  Chapter Seven

  Belial sat down on the front lawn of the house they had used the night before as home base for their debauchery. He released his hold on Asmodeus gently, his hands grazing across her body.

  "We need to clean up," Asmodeus looked down at Adel's body. It was covered in blood and grime, her shirt ripped at the shoulder. "Let's get inside."

  Belial followed her up the steps and into the small two-story home. He stayed close as she climbed the stairs and entered the master bedroom.

  "Go wash yourself and find some clean clothes." Asmodeus turned away and unbuttoned the top of his shirt. Belial’s feathers ruffled as he walked away.

  I don't want him to go.

  Me either, Adel, but we need to collect ourselves after the battle.

  We did well. One angel destroyed and the rest weakened.

  They won't be weak for long. The priest will heal the Sin Eater and there is still one angel to contend with.

  And then there's Zeph...

  Asmodeus shrugged off the shirt and stripped out of his pants and underwear. In the shower, the hot water washed over Adel's skin. It ran dark, black, and red mixed together and Asmodeus remembered the black/red flesh of Lucifer's cock. Blood and death had been there at Belial's conception and birth. It would be his gift to humanity. He would rule them all.

  He dipped his head into the stream of water and ran his fingers through Adel's long hair. The hot water stung like needles, cleansing away the last of the evidence of slaughtering the gypsies.

  Listen.

  Asmodeus opened his eyes when the shower door slid open. When he turned, Belial stood before him, completely nude. His black wings tucked behind his back but the horned edge peeked out over his head like a crown.

  "Mother," he said pulling Asmodeus into his arms. "I know you watched me last night."

  "I did."

  "Did you enjoy what you saw?"

  Asmodeus reached up and took the prince's face in her hands. "I couldn't have been prouder."

  He bent down and pressed their lips together. Hard. Punishing hands gripped her ass and breast.

  Our son! Adel protested.

  Only in our mind. We are his servant, whatever he needs, we shall provide.

  Belial slammed them against the wall of the shower. Water beaded up on his black feathers, wings so much like his father's.

  Asmodeus reached down and took the demon boy's cock in Adel's small hand. Thick and strong, so much like his father in that regard as well.

  Belial lifted Asmodeus up, wrapped his legs around his waist, and positioned himself at Adel's entrance. Without asking permission, he rocked up inside and bit down on her shoulder.

  They fucked with a brutal pace, slamming Adel's body against the tile wall over and over so hard, there would be bruises along her spine and shoulder blades. He thrust so hard and deep, the pain of it mixed with the pleasure, giving Asmodeus the perfect combination.

  Belial raised his head, the muscles on the side of his neck straining with the power of his orgasm as his wings opened, shattering the glass shower doors as he roared.

  Yes!

  Adel and Asmodeus reached their apex together, clinging to the demon boy's body, digging her nails into his flesh as her body convulsed upon his still hard cock.

  "Thank you, Mother." Belial kissed Asmodeus chastely as he pulled out and set her on her feet.

  "Now, find us some clothes." Asmodeus smiled as he turned off the water and tiptoed across the glass.

  Belial laughed at him and picked him up, walking barefoot across the debris with strong, sure steps. He tossed Asmodeus on the nicely made, queen-sized bed and flashed a dark smile while his eyes filled with black before tumbling onto him for another round.

  Later, they rummaged for food in the kitchen cabinets. Belial walked around in low slung jeans and no shirt, not being able to find one to put over his wings.

  "You could just retract them all the way," Asmodeus said as he slathered peanut butter
onto a rice cake. "You're not going to blend in very well."

  "I have no intention of blending in, Mother."

  Asmodeus considered that for a moment, the face of an old foe flashing into his mind. He felt his own wicked smile curve Adel's lips. "Perhaps it's better you don't."

  Belial pulled out a bar stool and sat, accepting the rice cake from Asmodeus with a nod of thanks. "What are you grinning for?" He stuffed his mouth and waited for an answer.

  "Do you remember, long ago, when the son of God was crucified by the very people he fought to save?"

  "Of course I do. Judas' betrayal changed everything for demons."

  "Before that, while Jesus was still alive, remember the mercenaries who fought beside him?"

  "Yes. They were no Sin Eaters, but they were bad enough."

  "That they were," Asmodeus stretched then walked around the bar to sit on Belial's lap. "They survived. Even after all these years, the old ways are still passed on to the sons and daughters of Adam and Eve."

  Belial's lip curled at the mention of the first father's whore of a second wife. He and Asmodeus both took a moment of silence to revere the true first mother, Lilith.

  Then Asmodeus cleared his throat and began again. "They call themselves the Old Order now. They aren't much of a threat, unless one of them gets their hands on a Blade of Christ."

  "And how would they manage that? The gypsies have the Blood of Christ weapons, and they won't even speak to an outsider, much less ally themselves with the church."

  Asmodeus stood and paced the kitchen floor as he spoke. "Everything has changed. I've kept an eye on the Old Order and the Sin Eater all these years."

  "Wait, why not just kill them?"

  Asmodeus smiled. He was, above all else, a master strategist. "The Romani have a favorite saying, one that's been repeated often enough throughout the ages: Blood only flows one way. We thought the line of Christ had died down to all but this one. The gypsies haven't openly honored what they call a Bino Wuzhokh in generations."

  "But they have one now, we saw her."

  "Yes, Vai," Asmodeus tested her name on his tongue. "And, if the gypsies are to be believed, then that 'blood only flows one way' saying has come to pass. Nikolai's blood, the blood of Christ, has led him to another who is like himself in a way no one else is. Like mercury, they are drawn to one another."

  "You think they're fucking?"

  Asmodeus laughed. "No, the Sin Eater prefers the sin of sodomy, and a Priestly sodomite is a sinful feast for sure."

  "Who is this priest?"

  Shit. Asmodeus needed to maintain clinical detachment. He could not let himself show weakness for a man. Any man.

  "His name is Zelophehad, after the Hebrew who died following Moses with no sons to carry on his name, only daughters. A strangely fitting legacy."

  "You seem somehow protective of this priest."

  Asmodeus! What will he do to my brother? What will he do to me, to us?

  Hush, Adel. I can't think!

  A memory of her father flashed through their mind. His nightly teachings. Her resentment of Nik. Her despondent anger with Zeph.

  That's it!

  "Asmodeus?" Belial stood and gripped Adel's shoulders. "What's with you and this priest?"

  "The woman whose body I'm in? She has a special request. She wants to be the one to kill him." It was close enough to the truth. If they couldn't bring him into the fold, they had to be the one to kill Zeph.

  "He deserted her when she was a child, left her to an abusive father who tormented her nightly. Even the worst incubus in the second circle of Hell would have been impressed with his depravity."

  "Ah, say no more, Mother. I understand. The priest, Zeph, is all yours. Now, back to the matter at hand. There’s no reason to attack the Romani again. But if this Old Order is dangerous...."

  "There are several groups of Old Order churches scattered around the world, but the one in this city is the only one I'm concerned with. Nikolai Grekh has ties with them."

  "So?"

  "So he also has ties with the Romani—with the other Sin Eater—who have Blood of Christ weapons."

  "Ah," a light of understanding shone in Belial's eyes. "So if the Sin Eaters bring the Blood of Christ weapons to the Old Order—They can kill me?"

  "Not if we kill them first."

  Belial smiled, every insidious dream gleaming in his menacing gaze. "Lead the way."

  Chapter Eight

  Zeph followed Nik, Vai, and the angel through the path in the trees back to Ma's house. The world seemed bright and too green. A light drizzle fell, misting everything. He felt like he'd stepped into some kind of fantasy world gone horrifically wrong. Men had magic that they paid a terrible price for and demons walked the Earth.

  And, if Nik was right, Adel was now one of them.

  Nothing had ever shaken his faith more. It would be easier to believe God didn't exist than to give up hope for saving Adel. The problem was he couldn't save her. It had to be Nik or Vai, a Sin Eater. Neither would even try.

  The world got brighter as they stepped into the clearing where Ma's house sat. Nik finally broke the silence.

  "It's raining but the sun's still shining."

  Vai and the angel shared a humored but wistful look. Vai said, "Ma would have said, 'The devil's beating his wife.'"

  Ma's house was filled with more of her people. Women held children in their laps on the sofa and at the kitchen table. The rest of the children sat on the floor in the front rooms. In the next room, the back door stood open to allow a cross breeze from the front. The men stood in lines in the small room, and through the door into the next room as well.

  The line ended at the entrance to the Hall of Christ.

  Nik paused, glancing at Zeph then addressing the angel.

  "We don't have time to split hairs over tradition. Zeph needs to come in with us."

  The angel gave him a quizzical look. "Why shouldn't he? He is your other, isn't he?"

  Zeph's face heated, and he could think of nothing to say. Nik just shrugged like the situation didn't bother him at all.

  Vai opened the door to the alternate realm and they entered carefully. There was little chance another demon had infiltrated the sacred place, but they were wary nonetheless.

  The room looked almost like a massive library, one with rows and rows of books and tables scattered throughout. Zeph ran a hand along the spines of ancient texts written in Hebrew, Babylonian, and older more cuneiform styled lettering. He wanted to pull them from the shelves, decipher them with a Rosetta Stone or study the ancient languages as they were originally written.

  The wealth of knowledge hidden here! He would give anything to have the time to learn the secrets held within.

  “Come, priest,” Anahita called to him. “There is no time for scholarly aspirations. Nothing in these texts will help you battle Belial.”

  Zeph nodded and set the book down, wondering if perhaps there was something contained within that might help him at least save Adel.

  He followed the angel through the massive space, along stacks of books until they reached an area filled with shelves holding rolled up scrolls, small leather pouches that had seen better days, and any number of weapons.

  Nik stood looking at a shelf filled with a number of newer, modern items. He strapped on a shoulder harness and grabbed two guns and a box of ammo. Ejecting the slide, he loaded first one gun then the other. One bullet peeked through the top of each clip: a silver bullet flecked with red specks.

  Vai pulled a harness over her head and threaded her arms through loops at the top. She pulled the straps at the bottom together and clasped them closed at her waist, cinching the belt tight. Several metal rings lined the belt. To these, she attached what appeared to be miniature grenades, slipping the rings themselves into the belt loops. In one smooth move, she'd be able to grab and activate each tiny weapon. She had fourteen total.

  Zeph stared silently, mouth gaping open.

  "Isn't that dan
gerous, Vai? What happens if, while fighting, some of those are pulled but fall near you? How long do you have to get clear?"

  Vai grabbed a long sword with shiny red streaks off a high shelf and pulled it clear of its scabbard, inspecting its length. She answered without pausing or turning. "It's blood dust. Won't hurt me."

  She strapped the sword, back in its scabbard, onto her back and reached for a heavily studded mace.

  The angel had disappeared around the bookshelves.

  Vai called out to Zeph. "Look around. Arm yourself."

  Zeph had no idea how to use a gun, and he doubted he'd hurt anyone but himself with a sharp weapon of any kind. He could fight hand to hand, but seriously doubted they'd have a pair of boxing gloves ready for battle. Aside from a punching bag, he had never hit anything or anyone.

  Except for today.

  Nik.

  A feeling of shame washed over him, threatening to pull him down even further into his grief. No! Not grief. He hadn't lost Adel yet. She was still there. They were wrong. They had to be.

  Maybe his task would be to heal instead of hurt. Nik, Vai, and the angel could handle Belial, and he would focus on catching Adel. Yes, that was it.

  He looked around for some kind of trap or something... a rope lay neatly coiled up on a corner table.

  He had to get this thing with Adel settled, finished. Had to save her so he and Nik could, once and for all, put their cards on the table and move past the indecision. That was the worst in all this, the uncertainty.

  Zeph grabbed the rope, then went over to the table where Vai still stood, strapping the last of her weapons onto leather straps crisscrossed over her chest. More of the tiny blood dust grenades lined the top half of each strap, another dozen or so on top of the ones on her belt. Three small, crimson daggers hung from the loops of each strap for a total of six of those. The red-spiked mace hung from her left hip, and a dark machete with red streaks hung from her right. He looked on the table for more of the tiny grenades, but couldn't see any.

  "Got any more of those little blood dust bombs?"