The Sin Of Lust Part 03: Revelations

And so, unseen, they went to Alexandre's haven under the Cathedral, hoping to learn morre about the deaths.

Alexandre explained the whole thing to Antoine. People were killed by a demon all over Paris. They were sexually abused, and then they were disposed of. He needed his help to contact the victims of the killings.

"Are you ready to do it?" asked Alexandre to Antoine.

"I'm ready since I was in my mother's womb. Nothing I can't handle after all... It's not as if they went to Hell or anything like this." said Antoine, confidently.

"Well, they WERE killed by a demon, I'd be carfeul if I were you. We never know what wretched curse that demon might have thrown upon his victims."

"Don't fear the big bad demon. I've seen much worse in my long life. Now, if you please, I'd like to have complete silence while I concentrate. Hold your breath if you must."

"Really funny, Antoine. Now is not the time for jokes."

"You're too seroius, Alexandre. Here we go! Now, pay attention, the dead don't repeat themselves twice.

Antoine closed his eyes and concentrated. He didn't need magic formulae, nor components or sacrifices, living or dead. He was a master in the art. A master, maybe, but an awkward one.

"I don't mean to interrupt you, Antoine, but shouldn't you first cast a protection spell or something like it?" Alexandre inquired.

"Shut up Alexandre, I'm on to something" said Antoine, irritated.

Both men stayed silent for a couple of minutes. Then, abruptly, Antoine sreamed, like agonizing, and fell to the ground, sweating and shaking. Quickly, Alexandre catched Antoine before he touched the ground and helped him to get to a sitting position.

"Are you all right, Antoine?" asked a visibly worried Alexandre.

"Just half an hour ago you wanted to kill me and now you care about my well being? How touching!" laughed Antoine.

"Your pride could have led you to your doom, Antoine. Why weren't you more careful, for God's sake? What happened?"

"I wasn't carfeul enough, I admit it. I never thought the souls of these people could be trapped in Hell."

"In Hell? But why?"

"Why? Well, because this demon of yours isn't any ordinary demon."

"Clarify, please."

"Well, if the dead are right, your fight won't be an easy one. Give me your book about demons, the De Praestigiis Daemonum. I'll tell you more after I make sur I'm right." Antoine browsed the book, obviously looking for something precise. He stopped upon a page, smiled a disturbing smile, and said:"Well looks like your demon is no other than R'Ach'idh, the king of mischief. Very dangerous, renowned for tormenting mortals just for fun. Seductive, brilliant and VERY strong. I think you'll need help for this one."

"Sacrebleu! I didn't expect this. A succubus, or incubus, I can handle, but this?"

"The best is yet to come...Didn't you say men were sexually abused too? Because I was told another name; Sa'Mii'ra, R'Ach'idh's consort or more accurately, fuck-friend."

"Watch your tongue, Antoine! You're in God's house here, so show Him more respect, lest you regret it."

"I've got better things to do than regret right now, thank you very much. And you've got better thing to do than worry about swearing when you got two powerful demons on the loose in the city. Unlike you, they're active in the day as well as in the night. And they're certainly not going around in their true appearance. You have to be quick if you want to get ahead of them."

"But how did they get here? Random mischief? There's got to be more to it than it seems. Did you get a physical description?"

"Yes. R'Ach'idh is tall, hansdome and strongly built. His hair is black and his skin is light brown, with a golden hue. Same skin color for Sa'Mii'ra. He is said to be very masculine, but with a sarcastical or cynical look. Careful for this one, he's really violent. Doesn't seem like it when talking, but when need be, he can be really destructive. Sa'Mii'ra is shorter than R'Ach'idh, very thin but muscular. Not men-like, but sexy-like. Truly feminine in everything. Apparently, she's a manipulating bitch. With only a look, she can make you do everything she wants. Their main weapons are physical appearance, smooth talk, and sex; they can seduce, convince and blow you before you realize it."

"I don't like the way you say it, but I get the idea. I'll be really careful. Even get some help."

"What would you do without me, huh? I wonder sometimes. I was wondering when you'd need my help again before you called me..."

"When I can do without your help, I take care of my business myself. Let just say I don't fully trust you since that time when you made me sleep a century too much. I'm sure you did it on purpose. You never liked me, you just feared me. We could have been friends, maybe, weren't you so stubborn and jealous."

"You're right. I do feared you. And there were reasons to be jealous. You, an ugly as an ass vampire, could get the more beautiful women I ever saw. I didn't care Anne was a vampire. She was so beautiful, so graceful. You didn't deserve her. She wouldn't be dead by now if you did! If you really deserved her, you would have protected her better than this! She died because of you!"

"You're wrong! She died because of your jealousy! You let her die! I didn't arrive in time and I won't ever forgive myself for this, but I'm not responsible for her death! Because of your inaction, she died! You let her life in the hands of destiny! You didn't know if I'd arrive in time and since you couldn't save both you and her, you left her here to die! You saved your own egoist skin and let her die! If you had only tried to save her, then I would have taken care of things when I'd arrive instead of arriving and finding her alone, dying! Lucky for her, I could find a priest to give her the last sacraments and to absolve her of her sins. At least now, she's in Paradise and not in Hell! YOU should be dead, not her! I always protected her with all my strenght. You only protected yourself. I even saved your skin so many times, I don't keep count of them anymore! You never did anything for Anne and me. We took you along in our travels and adventures. We protected you when the Church was after you. The only thing you ever did was give us that elixir of yours to make us go through the witch hunts unharmed. I gave you the permission to hide with us in MY haven. But curiously, you and Anne both woke up a century after drinking it, but I woke up TWO centuries after. You just hoped to get away from me with Anne. You thought that if I were gone, then she'd love you. That I was an obstacle. Well you thought wrong. She stayed by my side all this time. She protected me, even when you wanted her to come along with you, far away from here, to the New World! You knew I couldn't find you in America. You wanted this to happen. But since your plan didn't work, you didn't felt guilty when you left her to die! Your sin is grave as much as my wrath. Ask for my forgiveness, be sincere about it, and I'll give it to you. Millenias from now, maybe, but I will."

"Ask for your forgiveness?! I don't want your forgiveness! You ugly bastard, if you think I regret what I did, you're wrong! She only got what she deserved. I could have given her all she ever wanted, but she only wanted you. You with your holy words and that big sword of yours! I was handsome at the time, not like now, WE WERE ALIKE ME AND HER! We loved beauty, art... I sang to her, composed songs and music for her! AND STILL SHE REJECTED ME! Well too bad you weren't killed with her; I would have gotten rid of you both. Are you happy now? You know everything. Hate me now, I don't care. I hate you too anyway. I hate you, this place, your God, everything that reminds me of you I hate it! And I promise I'll get you one day. You may be powerful, but you're not a god. I will kill you one day I swear!"

And then he ran away, Alexandre not moving. He didn't try to stop him, or to call him back. He knew that from now on it would be war between the two of them. He didn't like it, but one day, it would me one or the other; one would die and one would live. But he had more important matters at hand. He had to stop the demons from harming anyone else. He'd pray for Antoine tonight. Maybe God would show him the error of his way... Maybe he would ask for forgiveness... Maybe...Or then again, maybe not...