James just watched him until he started putting his penis in. Then his face wrinkled in pain. After a bit, it eased up, and he started to moan and smile.
They continued kissing passionately while he thrust away into James. Both of their moans echoing through the cathedral.
Their moans intensified in unison as their orgasms approached. This was going to be one of those rare times they both orgasmed together. Both of them arched their backs, Rob flinging his head back as he came while James bit down on his lower neck. To their complete surprise both their chest bloomed with light. They were frozen in place as the coppery image of a six-winged woman bloomed between their nipples. Then the light was gone, and Rob collapsed onto James.
He pushed himself up shakily to study the image on James’ chest. It was smaller than a hand and felt exactly like skin.
“What do you think it means?” James asked quietly. He ran his hand over the image, captivated by it.
“I have no idea, but it holds power, lots of power.” It flared slightly under his touch.
Bright light flared behind them, and they tumbled off the altar. Once they managed to untangle themselves, they peeked over the top of the altar. What Rob saw turned his blood cold and made James stare in surprise.
An Angel floated in the air in front of the altar, his four white wings beating slowly. His eyes glowed with light as he looked around the cathedral, his gaze scrutinizing the melting crucifixes and burning bibles. He didn’t flinch when the stained glass windows shattered and began to rearrange themselves. Instead, his gaze fell upon the altar, with its sweat and sex stains. And the two pairs of eyes watching him, one with horror the other awe.
Rob’s worst fears were confirmed when he was lifted into the air by swirls of light. “Demon spawn” the Angel spat, loathing contorting his beautiful face. He raised a flaming sword and pointed at the Incubus “You will die for what you have done.”
“Stop” James yelled as he jumped up onto the altar, placing himself in front of the Angel’s poised sword.
The Angel turned his burning gaze to the Human before him and somehow managed to express more loathing “You too will burn in Hell homosexual for your unnatural ways” he roared, thrusting his sword forward. James screamed as the sword cut through his chest, shattering his ribs. The Angel looked down at his sword, surprised that he was still there before he flicked his sword to the side. James was sent sprawling across the shaking floor in a stream of blood.
Rob yelled at him trying to reach his magic. Shadows danced around him, wrapping around the streams of light. The Angel laughed as more light flooded the shaking cathedral, banishing all shadows.
“Your pitiful shadow magic is no might for the Light of Heaven.” He raised his sword up in a high arch, bringing it swinging down towards the Demon. As soon as it cut through his flesh, it would immolate him and send him straight into the depths of Hell.
“NO!” James screamed, Rob had told him about Angel magic, not that he had paid it much heed before now. Rob would be completely lost to Hell. He reached out his bloodied hand straining to reach him. Blood shot through the air, splattering across the Angel’s white armour. He didn’t notice until it burst into flames and another burst of flames sent him crashing off the altar. James stared at the flames encircling his hand. Rob stared at James in amazement before turning his attention back to the Angel.
He roared his fury as he pushed himself back up. His sword erupted into brilliant white flames as he turned back to face James. Murder and hate were written deeply all across his face. He raised his flaming sword and swung it down, flames roaring out towards James. Everyone stared in shock as they fanned across a shield before twisting around into two streams, wreathing like snakes around him.
“Do not interfere with my followers” A six-winged woman wearing red armour had appeared on the bluestone altar. Her voice sounded like the ocean’s roar across a wintery landscape. She raised a spear dancing with lightning and the two fire snakes, then drove it straight into the Angel. The fire and lightning flooded into him. He twitched on the end before he exploded in a flurry of smoking white embers. A flash of silver light flooded up the spear into her.
She turned her attention to James, she snapped her fingers, and he was instantly healed. She strode across to help him up. Rob warily rushed over to join him casting a fearful glance at her.
“Who are you?” James asked, she had to be friendly. She wouldn’t have healed him otherwise.
She smiled at him, but her only response was to tap the image of herself on his chest.
“So the rumours are true, we really did defile a place of God in your name.”
“In a manner yes. It would appear my blessing has awakened some forgotten talents of your bloodline. She took his burning hand in her own. He felt a coolness spread through his skin then the flames died. “You will need training.” She cast her eyes over Rob “both of you. You have talents that have not been seen for many centuries. Magic has long been forgotten but apparently it has merely been dormant. The blood remembers much.”
“Is the Age of Angels really at an end? Are the Gods back to save us?” Rob asked desperately. He had had several family members killed by the Angels.
It was funny Brigid thought. The Age of Gods had hardly been a peaceful period, whereas under the Angels’ rule Humanity had advanced and flourished though that was starting to fall apart. Admittedly it had taken them many centuries, and it was probably more due to the Humans than the Angels now she thought about it. But for the Daemons it had been a period of brutality and genocide. Many races had been hunted to extinction and Humans had had their magic wielders eliminated entirely.
“Yes Robert, the Age of Angels is coming to an end, and the Gods will rise again. The Lilin will no longer have to hide in the shadows, nor will any Daemon have to hide who they are.” She held out a hand to each of them “Come with me boys, there is much for you to learn.” Neither of them hesitated to grab her hands. Then they were gone leaving behind the dramatically altered cathedral, a strange mess of blood, sweat, semen and embers to be found in the morning. A few moments later their clothes disappeared.
The woman walked into Saint Mary’s Cathedral with the other Sunday worshippers, her clothes properly restrained. Long black trousers, a white blouse and a long black jacket over the top. Her hair was tied back into a ponytail. She was rather plain looking, one people would easily forget. Except her eyes, they were a stunning amber colour. She walked with purpose to the front row of the cathedral before taking a seat. The pews still held their cushions.
Her gaze examined the church. All the stained glass windows showed Brigid or her symbols. The bluestone altar had not managed to be removed, instead covered in a robe and crucifixes that had had to have been hastily made. The plant life had been stripped, but their signs were still evident.
What had once been a proud declaration of the Christian faith was now a sad vestige in need of repair.
Powerful magic had been used here. She could smell it. And something else as well.
She sat through the mass, but her eyes were rarely on the Bible she held, instead constantly flicking all over the cathedral, picking up every change since she had last been there. She was familiar with the story her people had brought her as well as being on the news. Churches all over Australia and New Zealand were undergoing similar changes. Other than powerful magic being used no one understood why it was happening. This taint was spreading, and they were at a loss as to why.
She dropped her bible, the sound echoing throughout the whole cathedral but no one moved. Her spell had frozen them all. She also dropped her illusion, once again embracing her Angel form. She marched to the altar with purposeful strides, the magic was strongest here.
She ran her hands over the altar, ignoring the radiating magic to sense what had happened. Her lips twitched when she felt the lust that stained the altar, among other things. It wasn’t just any sexual encounter, it had been two males, one of them an Incubus.
And it had been willing. Michael would be furious to learn of this defilement.
She walked around the altar, sensing the magic that had been used here. There had been four wielders of magic. There was the Incubus’ and Brigid’s so strong that it nearly masked the others. What stopped her in her tracks and sent a chill down her spine was the hint of Human magic. Human magic had been weeded out during the Middle Ages by their religions. True there had remained traces in Asia, Africa, and the Americas but they had been dealt with during European colonisation. Even the Demon races could hardly claim to be very magical, too much magic left traces for the Angels to hunt down.
But this was not some weak trace from either boy, both were far stronger than they had a right to be. Michael really would not be pleased to hear this.
Her head whipped around to face the wall. The police reports had said the scene had been covered with blood across the altar and floor. Sweat and semen had been found on the altar. What was odd was that feathers and ash had been found but no bodies. The report had confused her, but understanding dawned on her as she finally felt the last trace. An Angel.
She ran over to the wall, placing her hand against it driving her powers into it. She gasped in horror as she felt his death occur. Her knees buckled. An Angel had been killed in a House of God. This was war.
The Arch Angels were not going to like this.
She waved her hands allowing her powers to spread through the cathedral, returning it to how she remembered and cutting its ties to Brigid. Her hold was tenuous at best when it came to churches.
Nuriel swallowed. She had no good news for the Arch Angels. She squared her shoulders before ascending to Heaven. It didn’t matter how much Gabriel unnerved her, she had to deal with her. She had to deal with all the Arch Angels, it was her job requirement. But Gabriel was just so terrifying when she got angry.
Matilda ran through the orchards yelling in despair. Rachel had disappeared, she should have been in the house. She had left her there when she went to check on the cows. She should have taken her with her, but Rachel was so difficult to drag away from the animals. She just loved them so much. It had been her bed time anyway.
So she had put her to bed and left her behind. She wasn’t going to be long. Only she had come back to find the back door broken down and Rachel missing. It was her worst nightmare, Rachel’s father had found them again. She had left Gavin because of his violent tendencies and his general hatred of Australia. He was one of those Aboriginals that believed every non-Indigenous person owed him something. Like his race had anything to do with his standing in life. He wasted his Indigenous benefits on alcohol and gambling, instead of paying child support for his daughter.
His brother Nathan was the polar opposite, he was a lawyer in Adelaide. It was to him that she had run to for support with her divorce. He was completely understanding and supportive of her. He still came to visit when he could even though Adelaide was miles away. Rachel adored him, and he adored her. He taught her about her heritage which was something Matilda couldn’t do. She was an English migrant, she knew nothing of the Indigenous culture, but she wanted Rachel to learn both her cultural identities.
The divorce, of course, had not been amicable, she had slapped him with a restraining order then ran away to the country to make a new life. She had given up her promising career as a doctor to hide, throwing herself into small farming. She had struggled to make friends of her neighbours, they were a racist, conservative lot. Being a single mother of a half-aboriginal girl did not place her well in their eyes. But she had endured and tried to make Rachel’s life happy.
But she had failed.
She ran along the path screaming out for Rachel, following the many footprints on the path. Why was there so many and why were they all heading back to town? Had Gavin brought his jail buddies with him? She ran as fast as she could, following the footsteps as they headed directly back to town.
She slowed when she saw bright lights. And lots of burning torches. What was this the Dark Ages? There was a large crowd gathered in front of the church, each of them holding a torch. They were all subdued and quiet listening to someone speaking.
She edged forward straining to hear the words. She caught snippets “witch...cleansing...good of the town...unnatural” she didn’t hear much but what she did chilled her to the bone. She continued to edge forward, pushing her way through the crowd uncaring of the vacant eyes that turned to watch her. She had eyes only for her daughter, tied up to a wooden stake sticking out of a pile of wood and trash.
They were planning on burning her daughter!
“And so the witch’s mother comes for her spawn.” Someone spat.
Her eyes flicked over the old priest, there was something wrong with him. His eyes burned with an insane fervour, but it wasn’t just that, he didn’t look right. His edges seemed to blur, she could have sworn she saw light and wings. It was as though his image was superimposed on another.
“My daughter is not a witch.”
“She consorts with Demons and uses magic she is a witch!”
She looked around in confusion at everyone numbly nodding along with him “Are you seriously buying this? Demons do not exist. Magic does not exist. This is insanity, what you are doing is murder. You are planning on murdering a nine-year-old girl based on the ranting of a deluded old man.”
“Heaven is above the law” they mumbled.
“They belong to the light, they do not consort with Demons and pretenders. They are pure. You are tainted. Grab her, she will burn too.”
She fought back viciously, but there were too many, and none of them seemed to notice pain. She quickly found herself tied up behind her daughter. They were actually going to burn them alive! This was insane. This simply could not be happening. Witch burnings did not happen in Australia. They were going to murder them because of the ranting of a deranged old man.
Her heart and mind were in a rollercoaster of disbelief and fear. Rachel strangely enough wasn’t crying, she didn’t even seem upset. She was far more composed than herself. Matilda stared around at her in silent wonder. She smiled back sweetly as though she didn’t have a care in the world.
“It is okay mummy Brigid will save us.”
She didn’t know whether to laugh or cry at her naive faith in a Goddess that didn’t exist.
“Silence whore of Satan. You will not speak your Demon’s name.”
“She is a Goddess, not a Demon, and she represents all that is just. She is real while your God is not. She gives us water so that we may live but none of you even thank her. You say her name then go back to your closed minded ways. I have heard you all invoke her name. You are just as guilty as I.”
“The witch admits it. She’s guilty.” In a blind rage, he threw his torch at Rachel.
Matilda had a moment to stare in awe at her daughter before she turned back to being terrified as all of the town started throwing torches at them. The heat was quickly intense, and it was only going to get worse.
“I’m sorry I wasn’t a better mother Rachel, and I’m sorry we’re going to die like this. But know this I have always loved you.”
“I love you too mummy, and you were the best mummy in the whole world. Do not fear, Brigid will not abandon us.”
It was strange how she flicked between adult and child when she spoke.
“Of course not Rachel, the world would mourn your loss.”
Everyone but Rachel gasped at the six-winged woman who had appeared in their midst. The flames of the pyre died, their bindings snapped off, and the vacant look vanished from people’s faces. Except the priest’s, his contorted in fury.
Brigid turned to face him “Why don’t you show your real face Inquisitor.”
She flicked her hand and the old priest collapsed, leaving behind the hazy image of an Angel. But Inquisitors were not stunning examples of Angels, their souls twisted and tainted. Their light was gloomy, their robes dark grey, their eyes cruel and dark. They did not look so far removed f
rom Demons.
He screamed as burning chains of gold wrapped around his wrists “hear me now Inquisitor and mortals. The Age of Angels is coming to an end, and the Gods will rise to claim what is rightfully ours. No longer will magic be persecuted or those who wield it. No longer will the land be raped and plundered. Hate will not spread so rapidly. It is time for the truth to be shown and the world to awaken.”
He burst into flames as he disappeared. She had learned how to send Angels to Hell, which seemed the most fitting punishment for such depraved spirits.
She turned to the townspeople “Rachel is a priestess of mine, this church is now my domain and will be tended by her. She has the power over the land and the river, to heal the damage you have done. She is your salvation and your only hope. You will listen to her commands and follow them through for they are my desires, and they shall be done. Your lives are all mine now.”
Then she was gone in an eruption of fire and lightning.
The entire town fell to their knees as they turned to face Rachel. “What must we do Sacred One?”
Rachel walked forward in a long red dress that fluttered about in the breeze. Where had she gotten that dress? She hadn’t been wearing it a few moments ago.
“First of all, we shall build a statue of the Goddess, all bibles will be burned and all crucifixes destroyed. You shall give back to the land what you take from it, and you will pray to the Goddess for your salvation and her forgiveness. You will also never attempt to harm myself or my mother on pain of death.”
Then sweet as a button she grabbed her mother’s hand and led her away confused.
Chapter 27
Sariel sighed in relief when she finally walked out from under the cloud bank. She could actually see the bottom of the stairs and what appeared to be swampland at their base. It stretched as far as she could see in the drizzling rain. She sighed in annoyance, yet more rain and it was just as cold as the Lust Level. She knew she was in the Gluttony Level, but she didn’t know what to expect. Her family had been vague on the details of Hell. She now had a feeling they knew a lot more than they had told her. And from what Minos had said she was going to run into Cerberus and the Furies in their Demon forms. That wasn’t a comforting fact.
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