Demon Saviour

Lust

Marie found Titus. As Cozmel had promised, he woke up from his deep sleep as soon as the angels were all gone. Marie took me to Titus' nest behind her home. She called for Fiona and an unnaturally large crocodile crawled out of the brush. She lay down in front of Marie and yawned.

"This is Fiona. I thought you would like to meet her before you left." Marie told me.

"Thank you, Marie. For everything you've done for me. And I promise I won't let Lucy kill me." I reached down and stroked Fiona on her head. She never moved, but opened her eyes to peer at me. "Goodbye."

I walked back around the shack and stepped into the water. I heard footsteps behind me and turned. Marie took off one of her many necklaces. A long, thick twine with an eagle's talon on it.

"Take it. It will remind you of me while you are away." She slipped it over my head and adjusted the twine so that it was very short.

"I wish I had something to give you." I told her.

"Sweetheart," She held up her hand to show me the ring I had gifted her many years ago, "you need not give me a thing. You have already given so much."

I turned and walked back through the swamp. I walked until I reached the bank, then I stopped and pictured New Orleans. I landed on Bourbon Street, in a dark alley. I looked at the moon. It was so beautiful. I yearned to reach out and touch it. I walked down the street and into the first shop I found open, a small trinket shop.

"Do you know the time?" I asked as I approached the short, balding man behind the counter.

"It is... six o'clock, madam." He told me. "Can I help you with anything else?"

"No. Thank you very much, though."

I left the store and walked down the street, peeking into bars and shops, until I reached a cemetery. I turned and walked towards a row of houses. There was one in the row that was very out of place. All of them were very nice townhouses. All except the one I was planning to spend the night in. My friend Jeremiahs house was not shabby. But, it was a deep purple color with a black roof and dirt yard.

I went up to the door and knocked three times. A slit in the door opened and a set of black eyes appeared. The man behind the door, looked me up and down, then closed the slit. I heard three or four locks click before I was welcomed inside. The man, Jinn I belive, closed the door as soon as I had stepped inside. A woman with long, dreaded hair came and motioned for me to follow. We walked past multiple rooms that didn't have doors. I did not look to see what was happening. Jeremiah was one of the first demons born from lust. I would rather not see what happens in his door less rooms.

The woman took me into a room, lit with candles and lamps with red bulbs. Jeremiah sat in a large chair in the center of the room. He wore only a pair of leather jeans. At his feet, two half-naked women were making out while he watched. Lusty demons are so strange.

"Aria, my dear." He addressed me as I walked into the room. "Have you finally accepted my offer? Are you here to become one of my girls?"

"Sorry, Jer, but no." I responded and laughed.

"Oh well. Someday maybe. What can I do for you?"

"I need a place to stay for the night."

"Why don't you go home? Lucy provides you with a comfortable bed, does he not?"

"He tried to kill me."

"Now, why would he do that? He secretly worships the ground beneath your feet."

I shook my head and told him all that had happened. When I was done, he sent all of his girls out of the room. I was offered a chair that sat beside him. The smell of burning incense filled my head, just on the verge of being too much. The diamond that rested on Jeremiahs pinky flashed red in the light.

"You may stay here." He finally told me. "On one condition."

"Name it."

"You must prove to me that you truly have the legendary gauntlet. And prove to me that what you say is true, that it works."

I held up my hand so he could see the metal bonded with my skin. He eyed it and nodded. I moved to grab his arm, but he jumped and slid his chair away.

"You will not use me as the example. Legend says the gauntlet scars the skin and takes years to heal. You will not be ruining my skin. Letta!" He said and slid his chair back to me.

The woman who had led me into the room walked over to our chairs and kneeled at Jeremiahs feet. He motioned for me to use the gauntlet on her. I grabbed her arm. She flinched as her skin began to burn. She never screamed. I didn't hold her arm long, but when I let go most of the tissue was gone. Jerimiah took her arm and examined it.

"Extraordinary." He whispered. He kissed her wound and sent her away. "You may stay. I will show you to your room myself."

"Can I have a clean room please?" I requested.

"You ask so much." He complained, then laughed. "Of course you may have a clean room. Come. It shall even have a door."

He took me up to the third floor of the house. I was led into a room that had normal lights. It pained my eyes for a moment to look at them, but they quickly adjusted. The room was almost like that from a hotel. The large bed was simple, with white sheets. There was a small bathroom and even a T.V.

"I'm impressed. I didn't think you had normal anywhere within you." I told him.

"Ahh, my dear I have many surprises. Goodnight." He left.

I laid down on the bed, which was much softer than it looked, and drifted to sleep.

I dreamed about that day. I dreamed about everything that had happened, over and over, all night. It was enough to make me think, even hope, that was all it had been. One long nightmare. When I awoke in Jeremiah's hotel room, I was thrown back into my nightmarish reality.