8 comments/ 42432 views/ 24 favorites Joined by the Night By: Daniellekitten Soft golden flames cast the room in flickering shadows. Deep red silk and lace seemed almost as blood against pale skin turned alabaster by the wavering light. The darkness of the hand that trailed across her skin was an eerie compliment to the haunting music playing in the background. She gasped as those same dark hands pulled the tiny straps off of her shoulders, exposing more and more of her sleekly rounded breasts. The plunging neckline caught on the ruby tips and she arched in pleasure, dark eyes closing in passionate abandon, long ebony strands of hair tumbling away from her face. Her hands curved into fists, catching creamy satin sheets in grasping fingers as she sought to cope with the bliss that was singing through her nerve endings, befuddling her mind. Masculine lips traced the line of her throat, burying themselves in the juncture of her shoulder. She felt him inhale her scent, heard his moan of need as if it were a physical thing that touched her with a soft feathery caress. He pushed the straps further down her arms, only stopping when they became caught on the bindings that held her to the bed. She felt the restrictions of her arms held to her sides by the leather cuffs around her wrists and panicked, pleasure turning to fear as the fog of desire lifted suddenly. Her eyes opened and she stared around the room, a room that had been crafted into a nest of sensual delights, soft fabrics, seductively scented candles, quietly passionate music. The bed was sitting upon a platform, leaving the mattress she laid upon only inches from the floor, the leather ties that bound her to it coming from under the platform. She moved her arms, struggling now not to touch him but to get away. Her eyes darted frantically around the room, searching for a means of escape, desperate for a way to get free of the spell he was weaving with such seductive guile. Her eyes landed upon the tray that was just beyond her reach. Chocolate covered strawberries lay in decadent disarray next to a small bowl filled with luscious ripe fruits. Cheeses lay under a protective stained-glass dome, a wooden cutting board next to it, a small knife sitting so temptingly upon it. Wine glasses, half-filled, one stained with just the trace of lipstick were off to one side. The wine! It was drugged! Even now, she could feel its rich appeal, the frantic pounding of her heart rushing whatever he had given her through her system. The air seemed heavy, filled with erotic scents that weighed down her will, bending it until it was his. She wanted him. She couldn't fight it any longer. She arched against the chest that crushed down against her breasts, pressing them even more firmly against him, moaning at the contact of his hot skin against her own. His hand pushed hair from her face, traced her features, the tip of his finger brushing with seductive demand against her bottom lip until she opened her mouth for him, her tongue greeting his finger eagerly, suckling upon it. "You're so beautiful, so sensual," he whispered against her ear. His deep voice sent shivers through her, the texture of it seeming almost a tactile thing as more of the drug pulsed into her. He reached back and picked up her glass, dipping his finger into the blood red wine and running it over her lips, pushing delicately inside to let her suckle more. "Trust me, my love," he whispered, kissing her eyes, her cheeks, licking a drop she had missed off of her lips. "Trust me." His weight lifted off of her and she whimpered in protest, craving the feel of him against her, needing the pressure of his body against every erogenous zone she possessed. Her breasts ached, her nipples seeming almost impossibly swollen, throbbing with need of his mouth and hands. Her lips felt dry, her mouth empty without the taste of him there. Her skin was cold, needing his heat, her thighs lax without the support of his against them. But so much worse was the empty aching torment between those thighs. A torment that grew with every second he was gone from her. Her eyes opened once more, searching the room for him. He stood over her, his chest bare, a strange tattoo that seemed like blood tipped flames covering his shoulder and down one arm. He stared into her eyes, his hands toying with the buckle of his belt. He seemed to be waiting for something, to want something from her. "I can't take you until you ask, my beautiful lady. You must say the words." Under his searching gaze, her body grew even more tortured with need. Her thighs opened and closed, her hips arched against the softness of the satin as she grew even wetter and more swollen. There was a pain in her loins that seemed to grow the longer she fought him. His pale blue eyes spoke to her as she moaned, telling her she only had to ask and the pain would go away. She only had to ask for him and all she would feel would be pleasure. "Please," she pleaded, her body writhing against the bed. "Please." "Say the words, sweet lady. Say them," he urged, "and your pain will be gone." He undid the buckle, pulling the belt free of the loops, letting it drop against her skin. He dragged it over her body, between her breasts and down across her flat stomach, letting it slip between her thighs for a second before pulling it back and dropping it beside the bed. Desperate panting seemed to be all she was capable of, the air seemed too heavy to draw into her lungs, too filled with the scent of him. He smelled of richness, of sin, a decidedly too tempting concoction of maleness, sweat and spice mixed with desire and allure. It filled her making her want him as much as the drug had. As much as the sight of him, standing over her, his chest rising and falling rapidly with his own desire had her body arching towards him, pleading with a language of its own. His hair was long, the color of sunlight and streamed across his shoulders. His face, harsh with desire, was beyond handsome, his features indelibly stamped upon her memory. Broad shoulders and a wide chest tapered into a muscular stomach and hard hips. His legs were strong, the thigh muscles that had pressed so wonderfully against her body, hard and delineated. Her eyes roved over him as she struggled to find the words to ask for what her body so desperately needed. His pale blue gaze caught hers, his eyes demanding that she ask. "Please," she whispered again, her voice broken. "Take me." She felt his hands upon her stomach, his knuckles brushing against her skin as he grasped the fragile satin she wore. With an easy movement of his strong hands, he ripped the sleek garment in two, leaving her body completely bare to his eyes. Then he tore open the fastening of his pants, yanking them down and stepping out of them in one movement before lying down next to her again. His hands found her breasts, cupping and squeezing the firm roundness of them, his palms circling across her nipples. She gasped at the sensation, moaning as his fingers rolled across the pebbled tips, tugging upon them. Her thighs pressed together desperately, her legs moving as her hips arched, a blatant pleading for the pressure and fullness she craved. When he slid one hand down her stomach, his fingers parting the fine curls that covered her sex, she sobbed in pained pleasure, tiny eruptions building and circling through her, but never easing the blatant yearning of her body. He slipped his hand between her thighs, moaning his own appreciation as his long middle finger slid easily into the damp hot flesh, feeling the seductive walls of her vaginal sheath pull at him, weep her sweet moisture for him, cling to him. "Yes," he groaned as she cried out her need. He slipped between her thighs, holding himself away from her on his strong arms as he let the long length of his hardness caress her slit, the bulbous head rubbing with torturous irregularity against the hard knot of her clit. "Are you on any birth control?" he asked her harshly, taunting her with his body, rubbing against her, plying his soft lips over her nipples. "No," she gasped, mindless with need. "Good," he said, a pleased smile spreading fleetingly across his hard and handsome face. His hands circled her thighs, his chest for one glorious moment, pressing against her again. He pulled her legs open wider, pushing her thighs up until she was completely exposed to him, vulnerable to whatever he wanted to do with her. He leaned over her, his mouth finding hers as he pressed his cock against the delicate flesh of her opening, stretching her wider until just the head of his shaft nestled inside of her. Her hips moved, trying to force him to give her more, trying to take him into her to give herself what she needed. "Gently, darling. I don't want to hurt you," he said, kissing her lips softly as he strained to keep himself from just thrusting into her. Slowly, inch by torturous inch, he pushed inside, the wet walls of her vagina giving way to his sultry invasion. "You're so tight," he moaned, his hips twitching as he fought his own desire. "I'd almost believe you virginal if I didn't know better." Her head tossed upon the pillow as he filled her with himself until she felt as if she would burst from the fullness. He pushed against her hips, his arms holding her open while he slowly moved inside of her, pleasing himself with his movements and teasing her until begging whimpers fell from lips bruised and swollen from his passionate kisses. Every move of his hips sent heated chills spiraling from her lower belly, every thrust brought her just that much closer to the fulfillment she craved. "Yes," he hissed, watching her eyes, seeing the flush that suffused her face. "You must reach your own pleasure first, lover." He thrust hard, flesh slapping against flesh, feeling her pleasure as it pulsed through her almost too strong and unexpected for her to handle. Her eyes closed, a keening cry coming from between her lips. "No!" he shouted, startling her, even as the walls around them shook slightly with the sound. "Look at me." Her eyes flew open as he ground himself against her, his body punishing hers as it pleasured her. She felt it coming again, that overwhelming tide of ecstasy unlike anything she'd ever experienced before. She stared up at him as it consumed her, her body rigid with it. It radiated from where he still moved inside of her, pulsing through her body in rapturous waves, forcing a scream from between her parted lips. He saw it and felt it, knew her pleasure even as his own stayed just beyond his reach. Her eyes were almost terrified as the sensations that poured through her were too intense to be understood. That fright he saw pushed at him, took him over the edge, sent him soaring in ecstasy. He could feel the hot pulses of his own pleasure, feel his potent seed as it throbbed through his cock, boiling its way deep inside of her as the tip of his spurting shaft touched her womb. Her body collapsed under his, the muscles growing lax as she lost consciousness. He grunted as the last pulse of his seed left him, letting her legs slide from his arms, holding himself up with his elbows as his head came down next to hers. Kissing her ear, breathing deeply of the smell of her arousal and their pleasure as it mixed in the air around her, he smiled sleepily. "You're wonderful," he breathed. He muttered a few guttural phrases in a dialect that she wouldn't recognize even if she were awake, feeling her relax into an even deeper sleep under him. ~~~~~~~~ Brianna Temple woke slowly, her mind fuzzy as if she'd had too much to drink. She stared at the familiar walls of her dorm room in confusion, feeling as if something had happened to her, something important, but she couldn't quite put her mind to what it was. Sitting up in bed, she felt even more confusion as the sheet fell from her body, leaving her naked from the waist up. She lifted the rest of it, staring down at her naked lower half. She never slept naked. Not here in her dorm room. It was Grand Central Station in here most of the time, people coming and going with just a quick knock on the door. She pushed her legs out of the covers and reached for her robe, standing before sliding her arms into its thick bulk and wrapping it around her small waist. "Ouch," she groaned, her body aching as if she'd been run over by a cement mixer and left for dead. "What did I do last night?" "I don't know, but I sure as hell want the dreams you were having." Her roommate stepped into the room, her arms loaded down with books. "I swear, if I ever meet a man who could make me sound like that, I'm running away with him to some quiet place and let him fuck my brains out." Christy Stevens, a long legged redhead with big green eyes and a higher IQ than Einstein, grinned and dropped the books on her desk with a loud thud. "I was moaning?" Bria asked, her pale skin flushing quickly. She pulled her long, dark hair out from under the collar of her robe, wincing as the muscles protested. "Moaning, groaning, whimpering, I think I even heard some begging in there. Trust me, doll, I was completely jealous." She stopped grinning suddenly as she watched her friend rubbing her arm. "What's that?" Her hand came out, grabbing Bria's hand in her own. She pushed up the sleeve of her robe, showing Bria her wrist. It was angrily red and chafed raw in spots, bruised around her thumb. "Oh, wow. I don't know." She winced as Christy pressed down slightly on one of the spots. "I hurt like hell today, Chris. And I woke up naked." "You don't sleep naked." "I know," Bria said, sarcasm laced lightly through her voice. "That's why it seems so weird." She held up her other arm, staring at the same kind of bruises and red marks on that wrist. "It looks like I was tied up." "Were you?" Christy let go of her arm, going over to sink down on her bed. "I... I don't think so. I remember going to bed last night when I got back from going out with that new guy from the Chem. lab. You were asleep when I came in. I put on my jammies and got in bed." Bria closed her eyes, that same niggling thought that remained just beyond her grasp bugging her. "No kinky sex games with the new Chem. guy?" Christy asked seriously. "Chris, you know how I feel about that. I... I haven't been with anyone since Jeff died." Jeff had been her high school love. They had started college here at Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti, Michigan, two years ago. During their first semester, a drunk driver had hit Jeff as he'd been walking across Michigan Avenue on his way back to the dormitories late one night. The driver had been caught five days later, Jeff's blood and hair still on the bumper of his car. Bria had almost quit school then; the only thing keeping her here was the fact that Jeff wouldn't want her to give up her dreams of becoming a veterinarian. She'd gone out with guys, but she never let one get close, not since that night two years ago. "I've heard that in dreams, if you die in your dream, you die in real life. Not that I actually believe it, but maybe your long sexual abstinence caused you to have some really kinky dream and your body, in its sexually starved state, believed what happened to be real?" Christy stood up, reaching out for the tie on Bria's robe. "Let's see if you have any more marks." "Hey," Bria smacked Christy's hand away from her robe, backing up as her friend followed her. "Knock it off!" They fell on Bria's bed, her robe parting slightly, exposing long legs and the hint of hip as they struggled, laughing. There was a knock on the door and it opened before the two girls could get up. They froze, Christy on top of Bria, her leg between Bria's thighs. "I told you anyone rooming with Christy would have to be just as freaky as she is," a male voice said. Bria pushed Christy off of her, exposing a large amount of hip to the two guys who stood just inside the door as she quickly straightened her robe. "Shut up, you two." Ryan and Mike Richardson, twin brothers who were good friends of Christy's and had a lot of the same classes that she did walked in and plopped down on Christy's bed. Chris had told Bria of some wild things the three of them had done, trying to talk her into dating Ryan who had a crush on Bria. "Yeah, quit messing with my girl," Christy said, sitting up and putting her arm around Bria's shoulders, her hand toying teasingly with the neckline of Bria's robe. "Nice, Chris," she said, slapping the laughing girl's hand away and getting off the bed. She went to her dresser, pulling out the two top drawers and searching through the neatly folded clothing. "They aren't there." She looked at Chris. "The clothes I wore to bed last night, where are they?" Christy got down and stared under the bed. Slowly she reached under, her hand hesitant as she pulled out dark red silk, rent in two. ~~~~~~~ Going to class was difficult for Brianna after finding the nightgown. It triggered a haunting memory of a man, no one she could remember seeing before. She just remembered blue eyes that gazed with such heated desire at her. She needed to find Matt, the guy she'd gone to the movies with last night. She needed to talk to him about what had happened on their date. Catching up to him after her English Lit. class, she snagged his arm, drawing him off to the side of the wide sidewalks that bisected the campus. "Hey, Matt. Can I talk to you?" Now that she'd found him, she wasn't quite sure what to say to him. Matt was tall and lean with dancing hazel eyes that never seemed serious. He had a contagious smile, slightly crooked that showed off a deep dimple in his right cheek. "Sure, Bria, I've got lab in about twenty minutes though, so maybe we could do this later?" He reached out and tucked a stray strand of dark hair behind her ear. "It won't take long, I promise." She tried to smile back at him but her mind was on the strange things that were happening to her. "Walk with me?" Matt said, swinging his backpack up over his other shoulder and offering her his arm. When she took it, he started off on the same sidewalk, slowing his long legged pace somewhat for her. "So what's up?" "Did anything strange happen last night?" she asked before she could talk herself out of it. "I mean, did anyone... God, I don't know, um, stop us or kidnap me or something?" Matt stared down at her as if she were joking. "Kidnap you? What are you talking about Brianna?" She sighed heavily, knowing she sounded crazy. But that's how she was beginning to feel, crazy. "Can't you humor me Matt? Please? Just tell me everything we did last night, from the time you came and got me at my dorm room until you left me at the door. Please, I know it's nuts, but I'll try to explain after you tell me." "Okay," he said. "Um, I came and got you around 8:00, we went to the late show, saw the movie "Mr. Brooks" which we both really liked. Stopped at the Meijer's store on Carpenter Road so you could pick up some apples. Then we went to the coffee shop outside Arborland. We got home around 1:30, 2:00 at the latest. I dropped you off at the door of your dorm room and went back to my apartment." He stopped and took her arms gently. "You were never kidnapped when you were with me, never out of my sight except for when you hit the ladies room after the movie. And you had an excellent time, which makes you want to ravish my manly form and very definitely want to go out with me again." He tried to lighten the mood and smiled down at her, sobering at her frowning expression. "What's going on?" She tugged up her sleeves, showing him the dark black bruises, the chafed marks on her wrists. Then she tugged the neckline of her shirt aside slightly, showing him something she hadn't even shown Christy, a love bite on her shoulder, just above her collarbone. "Christy said I was dreaming last night, that I was moaning and crying out in my sleep. She went to class this morning and when I got up, I was naked and had these bruises. Then Christy found a red silk nightgown under my bed that was ripped in half. I don't even own a nightgown like that, Matt." Joined by the Night Ch. 02 "No," she moaned, her head twisting against the satin covered pillow. "Please, let me go. I don't want this," she keened, her voice rising as panic and fear twisted inside of her. "I don't want you." "Hush, my darling," he breathed, coming to sit down next to her on the soft pallet, his fingers tickling across the white silk that covered her sumptuous figure. "You will want me, you will beg to be with me before we're through," he said softly. She felt the light pressure of his fingers trail across her nipple, felt it grow hard, budding under the silk that felt as another caress to her skin. It prickled with sensation as if shot with some sort of electrical charge, the current running through her and into her groin, sizzling with heat and making her grow wet against her will. "No," she moaned again. "No, no, no." Her head tossed upon the pillow, her body squirmed, trying to get away from him. "Why do you fight me? You know you want this as much as I. You crave my touch, my hands upon your soft skin, giving you pleasure. Why deny us both what we both want so badly?" He slid down further until he was lying beside her, his lips brushing against her cheek. "I-I don't. I can't want you. I d-don't even know you," she cried. She felt his fingers on her and then a tingling pain. Looking down, she watched as his nails carved slits into the thin white silk, gasping as one nail sliced into her flesh below the silk, her blood blossoming like a bright red rose against the white. "Stop!" He lifted his hand to his lips, licking the small smudge of blood off of his nail, his eyes seeming to glow with the taste of the metallic fluid. His handsome visage wavered for just a moment, showing it for the façade it truly was as fangs protruded from twisted lips, scarred flesh covering his rancid face His eyes were bloodshot and bulging, his head misshapen. "What are you?" she screamed, closing her eyes as thoughts of madness and demons flooded her mind. "I am nothing but what you seek, Brianna. I am love and kindness, understanding and sweetness." He pushed the hair from her face, his eyes once more blue and sexy, his skin clear, his lips lush and firm. "I am the man you will grow to love." "No, I don't love you. I won't. I loved Jeff." She fought with the bindings that had her bound to the bed, almost screaming as they didn't give. He lifted a hand, bringing to her lips a succulent red strawberry. "Take a bite," he whispered against her cheek. "You can't resist the smell, can you?" Her eyes closed once more, a moan of need coming from her lips. "No, I want it," she whimpered. He fed her the fruit, watching intently as she bit into it, sweet red juice coating her lips like the purest of gloss, shining them a glistening pink. Then his tongue came out, stroking over her sweetness, enhanced by the taste of the berry. "That's it," he whispered as she tried to kiss him. "Surrender." "What do you want from me?" She writhed against the bonds, pressing up against his body, wanting him so badly. He smiled, the blue of his eyes shining down upon her, admiring the picture of abject misery and need she made under him. "I want you, my love. I want all of you, your body," he whispered, stroking his hands over her and delving in the ripped slits in the silk. "Your mind." He kissed her forehead, letting his tongue trace over her eyebrow and down . "Your soul," he said as he shifted over her, his hand grasping the front of the gown and tearing it from her, his lips buried in the skin between her breasts. "Our baby." "B-baby?!" she exclaimed, even as his mouth moved to the tip of her breast, his tongue lapping at her responsive nipple. "I don't want to get pregnant." "What you want doesn't matter," he said cruelly. "What I want is what is important. You will submit in due time and then we shall be happy together. It has been foretold." His hand moved upon her skin, sliding over her soft stomach, ripples of pleasure following in his wake. She cried out as he touched her thighs, her legs parting with such ease even as she fought to hold them closed. "This is a dream," she cried, tears of terror, of passion and desperate need spilling from her eyes. "You are nothing more than a nightmare." Fingers delved between her thighs, playing in the fluidity of her desire, laughing as he pushed easily inside of her. "I'd say more of a wet dream," he quipped, rising up and pressing a kiss to her nose. "You are so delightful, Brianna. Since you give me so much joy and pleasure, let me do this for you." He moved lower before she could speak and she felt the thickness of his tongue. It swiped at the pink flesh between her legs, licking at the drops of her arousal with a satisfied moan. It was electric, every stroke made her arch up against him, every touch of his tongue upon her clit drove her higher, taking her from plateau to plateau of pleasure until she shuddered delicately against him, her cries ringing in the air above them. "Yes," he groaned, moving up her body, his thick and rampant cock rubbing along the slender curve of her leg. "That was wonderful, my love. Now, accept me, all of me." He grabbed her ankles, sliding her legs up his arms until she was caught at his elbows and bent almost in two. The head of his shaft was swollen, angry looking. It pulsed against her wet slit, delving into the pinkness of her pussy with little regard for the pitiful cries that escaped her lips. "Please don't," she moaned, feeling him stab at her with his blunt, rounded head. "Please, I don't want to get pregnant." "Yes," he groaned, pushing inside of her. "You are ripe. You're ready, Brianna. You're mine." His chest pressed her knees down toward her breasts, letting him in deeper. She could feel him, feel every ridge and vein of his erection as it slid inside her creamy folds. The same tension that had burst earlier began to coil deep within her as he moved over her. Hard, almost punishing thrusts slammed against her, harsh friction drew her deeper into the trailing web of desire that he wrapped brutally around her. Brianna grabbed the restraints in her fists, pulling on them with a strength born of desperation. She moved under him, needy and wanting, begging for the pleasure he could bring. Whimpers left her mouth with every pummeling stroke of his body, pleas filled the air as he pulled away, moving until just the tip of his thick cock was inside of her. Then he'd slam back inside, over and over until she could stand it no longer. "H-help me," she cried, the desire that slammed through her as sharp as talons. "P-please!" Sobs shook her body as she arched and writhed under him, her breasts rubbing against the heated wall of his chest, her hips undulating up against him, begging him to make her come. "Yes," he growled, his voice thick, deep, sounding of the evil that blackened his soul. "Yes, Brianna. Fuck me too." She cried out as the pleasure started, a shattering sense of heat inside her bruised womb that grew until it covered her with tendrils of ecstasy. Her thighs shook, her hands dug into the sheets, tearing at the soft fabric. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head as the unbelievable darkness took her. She couldn't breathe, she couldn't speak as her body convulsed, the muscles surrounding his thickness fluttering in a madness of rapturous sensations. Above her, he gritted his teeth, his head thrown back, his grip on the glamour that covered his true form slipping once more. If she'd seen him, if she'd been aware on any level of what kind of entity had possessed her body, her horror would have overpowered her orgasm, leaving her drooling and insane. Instead, he poured the heated thickness of his potent seed into her convulsing womb, growling and snapping almost like a rabid dog would at the ecstasy he felt. His baby would grow here, for if she weren't pregnant now, she would be after the next time he took her. His son would nurse at her breasts, as he would too. Even after his child was born from her, he would want her. He could feel it. She was delicious. His tongue lolled out of his mouth, touching her skin, tasting the salt of her sweat. He pulled from her body, slowly letting her legs down, slipping down further so that he lay between them. His chin rested upon her mound, feeling the downy softness of her curls against his once more handsome chin. "Brianna," he whispered. "Brianna, look at me." Her head turned to the side, her eyes closing tightly. A rosy blush rose from her breasts, filling her cheeks with color in the flickering lights of the candles. With a small moan, she shook her head, defiant even after what he'd done to her. "Oh, I love your spirit, your will, it will be so sweet when you finally confess your true love to me." He slid down a bit further, his nostrils flaring as he inhaled the musky aroma of the mixture of their spending. His tongue, long and sinuous, slipped from between his lips, flicking against the overly sensitive flesh. He heard her moan and felt her try to close her legs, but his shoulders held them apart. "No," she whimpered. "Please, it's too much." "Yes, if you do not look at me, I will make you come again and again until you do." He flattened his tongue, pressing it against her clit, moving it back and forth quickly until she gasped, her hands clawing at the restraints once more to try and pull her body away from his teasing tongue. He laughed at her feeble efforts, easily holding her open under him, hearing the way her breathing changed, the almost desperate clasp of her thighs as they wrapped around his head. She no longer tried to get away, no, now she pushed against him, unable to stop as he took her up again, the pleasure pain-like in its intensity. The slide down was long, her breathing ragged, her heart beating rapidly against his chest. She barely heard his words. She didn't notice the strangeness of them as he stroked a soft hand over her cheek, breathing against her shoulder, his finger tracing a pattern over the soft rise of her breast over and over. Joined by the Night Ch. 02 It was apropos. Chaos was what Caim thrived upon. He lived for the screams and pain of those whose lives he ruined. "Will your roommate help you?" "She doesn't believe in any of this. She thinks I'm just having some powerful wet dreams that are so realistic because I've been sexually anorexic since my boyfriend was killed." She lifted a shaking hand to her face, pushing back the long strands of her hair. "She believes that my mind is playing with my body because I need to, in her words, get boinked." "Is there anyone..." Joseph trailed off, a slight blush coloring his cheeks. "Anyone who would boink me?" Brianna finished for him, almost laughing at how shy he sounded. "I guess, but no one I would want to." Her eyes shot to his face and he could almost read the thoughts she was having. "No, Brianna, you mustn't think that way. It's his influence. You wouldn't think like this if it weren't for what he was doing to you." "But he is doing it, and you said I was in danger. What if...boinking...someone else will stop him from wanting me? You'd be safe. You wouldn't want a relationship or anything afterwards. I don't think you'd be too anxious to spread around rumors either." "No, Brianna," Joseph repeated. "No, I'm a priest, I've taken a vow of celibacy. I won't break my vows." Brianna snorted. "Yeah, tell that to your altar boys." A second later it was as if she realized what she said, a horror filled expression transforming her face. Tears came from her eyes and she gripped his hand even tighter. "I didn't mean that, Father. I really didn't." "I know. I know a demon when it speaks to me, Brianna. The evil that is inside of you is strong, but you are stronger. You only have to believe in that and in yourself." He gripped her hand. "Would you pray with me?" "Pray? Here? Now?" "Where could possibly be better and why not?" he smiled back at her, indicating the church they sat in. "Prayer can soothe a soul that is lost. It can raise up the holy and heal the sick. You believe in prayer and the power it holds, don't you?" "I...I just don't know. It's almost as if God has turned his back on me. He's taken everybody I loved away from me and left me with nothing." A tear streamed down her cheek, quickly followed by another. "I haven't tried praying, but even being here in this church is so hard." "It's going to be hard, the worthwhile things always are, Brianna." He rubbed a hand across his handsome face. "Holy father," he said, reaching out and clasping one of her hand in both of his and bowing his head. "We ask for your blessings on this child, one of your own who is being sorely tested in both faith and spirit. Show her the right path, lead her into the light and away from the darkness..." "Stop!" Brianna screamed. "My arms, they feel like they're on fire." Joseph stopped, reaching out to push up her sleeves, seeing the fine red rash that was steadily spreading up her arms even as he watched. "My dear God in heaven," he exclaimed quietly. With a grimace, he dropped her hands, going to the Sacristy and pulling out the small first aid kit. It contained a salve made with hydrocortisone cream, which he grabbed and hurried back to her. "This should help the burn," he said, holding up the tube. "It's already too later, Father. It's not burning or itching any more. This Caim that you mentioned before, he has put his mark upon me." Her words were spoken with an unhappy resigned air that told Joseph more than anything else. She was giving up. She was going to let him take her, lose her life to the evil condemning her soul. "No," he almost shouted, snapping her out of her pathos. His voice echoed in the quiet of the church, and she lifted her head, her eyes going wide. "No," he said again, though his tone was gentler. "You're giving up, Brianna. You're allowing him to take you, to forfeit your immortal soul to darkness. There is no greater tragedy in this world than that." He sat back in the same pew as before, watching as she began to squirm, her face flushing. "You have to fight him and his hold over you. If not, it won't be just your soul in danger. It will be us all." "Stop, stop saying that, stop talking to me as if I hold the key to the future of mankind in my hands. You can't expect me to believe that you really believe the stuff you're telling me." She closed her eyes, dropping her hands to her lap and refusing to look up at him. "That's exactly what I'm telling you, Brianna. You stand between him and what he wants, your child. He won't let you raise it when it's born. He won't let you have it. He will come in the night and steal him away." "Him?" "Yes, Brianna. Any child of Caim will be a him. You read in the bible about Cain and Abel? Cain and Caim are very close to the same person. We must do all we can to stop him. If you are ready to listen, I've been thinking of a way out of this position." "Yes, anything, anything at all. I'm afraid to go to sleep," she sniffed. "Then come closer, child and we shall see if we can outfox the devil." Joined by the Night Ch. 03 Brianna stared at her bed, trepidation leaking from her every pore. She used to love climbing into bed at night, enthralled by where her dreams would take her. Now the idea terrified her beyond rational thought. "It's okay, Bria. I won't let him near you." Christy's hand came down upon her shoulder, warm, comforting, something concrete that she could hold on to. "We kept him away last night, we can do it again tonight." "But it's so unfair to you, Chris," Brianna said, turning under her friend's hand and stepping into her embrace. "You're taking a double load of classes this term plus you have to get ready for the internship and I'm asking you to spend your nights keeping an eye on me so some big bad boogey man doesn't make me pregnant." Christy wrapped her arms around Bria, her hands resting against her back, rubbing gently. "You'd do the same for me," she said softly, her lips brushing against Bria's ear. "Besides, this way I get all my homework done before I walk into class. My professors have been really impressed with me. You know Ryan will be here at two. That boy would walk over burning coals for you." Bria relaxed into her friend's embrace, laying her head upon Chris's shoulder. "Still...it's a huge thing you're doing for me, especially in believing me the way you have." "Honey, no one marks themselves up like you've been marked unless they got something seriously wrong with them." She gave Bria one more squeeze and then pushed her towards the bed. "Besides, there's a James Bond marathon on tonight. That Timothy Dalton was the sexiest Bond around." "He couldn't touch Pierce Brosnon with a Walther PPK and two martini olives and you know it, Chris," Bria joked, their usual argument since both girls had found out that they were James Bond fanatics. "We aren't going there. Bed...NOW!" she ordered sternly. Bria slipped under her covers, her eyes searching every corner of the room before Christy turned off the lights and picked up the remote to turn on the television. The first chords of the song Nobody Does It Better sounded until Chris turned down the television and picked up her notebook. Bria turned on her side, putting her back to the girl, facing the wall. She yawned tiredly, her eyes closing before nerves had them popping back up. "Quit fighting it, Bria. You're safe," Christy said. "Okay Mom," Bria said sarcastically, pulling the covers up just a bit. She closed her eyes, feeling that almost drugged sensation that hits just before unconsciousness. A dark shadow passed in front of her closed eyelids, a voice whispered in her ear. "Brianna, come to me." She struggled up through the layers of sleep, fright chasing her through the gray levels even as she kicked and fought at the covers that seemed almost to smother her. Hands grabbed her arms and she fought even harder, struggling under them. "Bria stop! It's me, Chris." Her eyes opened and she saw Christy sitting on the side of the bed, holding onto her flailing hands. "Chris?" she asked, than burst into tears. Her friend's arms wrapped tightly around her, hauling her up against her. "Shush sweetie, it's okay. It's fine. You're safe." "It was him, Chris. He almost had me." Christy pulled back, her pretty green eyes boring into Bria's. "Who is he? What does he want?" "Me, he wants me for some reason. Father Joseph says he wants to make me pregnant, he wants to be reborn in this world through our son." She wiped at her eyes with rough hands, angry at herself for crying yet again. Chris pushed her red locks behind her tiny ears. "Stop," she urged, reaching out and gently wiping away the few teardrops that Bria had missed. "You're going to hurt yourself if you don't watch it, girl." Bria watched with suddenly wide eyes as Christy tenderly wiped away the remnants of her crying jag. Her touch was soft, caring, intimate. When she was done, she didn't move her hand away, instead just let it stay, cupping Bria's cheek, lifting her face to the pretty redhead's. "Ah, Chris..." Bria began, uncomfortable with the look in her friend's eyes. "You can let me go now, no more tears, see?" "What if I don't want to?" Christy said softly, almost a whisper as her face dropped. She pressed a soft kiss to Bria's forehead, her lips feathering over her dark brows and down, closing both her eyes before fluttering against her cheeks. "What if I'd rather hang on?" Before Bria could answer, Christy's lips were slipping over hers, soft, seductive and sweet. Her breath filled Bria's mouth followed quickly by her tongue as she slipped inside. Bria was shocked. She'd known for years that Christy swung both ways depending upon her mood, but the girl had never hit on her seriously. This was pretty serious, she thought as the sensations of the kiss flooded her, tearing a moan of pure sexual delight from Bria's throat. The buttons on her pajama top were opened so quickly it was as if done in a dream or by some magic that suddenly made the room seemed to grow and flicker with candlelight. Christy tore her lips from Bria's, sliding to her jaw line, using her teeth and tongue and mouth to seduce the sexually anorexic girl into a carnal gallery of delight. Bria felt her top parting, felt Christy's hands slip over her flesh, her skin so hot it seemed to burn. She cupped her breasts, her thumbs rubbing with invigorating thoroughness over her taut nipples, made even more so by the forbidden naughtiness of what she was doing. When Chris leaned down, taking the tip into her mouth, Bria cried out her name, her hands coming up to hold Christy's head to her. "That's it, baby," Christy said around Bria's nipple. "Hold on to me." "We shouldn't be doing this," Bria moaned. The heat of Christy's mouth was like a fiery brand over her skin, suckling upon her nipple, sliding over the soft under curve of her breast before trailing down between her ribs. She felt Christy play with the ties that held her pajama pants up, tugging upon them with her teeth, slipping her tongue under the waistband to play with Bria's skin. Every movement sent a shock of pleasure through Bria that had her head falling back upon the pillow, her hands tangling in Christy's curly red tresses. She couldn't even protest when the ties came undone and the loose fitting pajama pants slid down her long legs, swept with a careless hand to the floor. Her panties quickly followed, leaving Bria bare before Christy's avid gaze. "I...I've never done anything like this before." Bria shivered under Christy's gaze, moving as if she would cover herself with her blanket. "I didn't think you had, baby," Christy said, a small smile playing upon her full lips. "But you did come to college to get an education, didn't you?" "Ha ha, very funny. Ahh," she groaned as Christy slid her fingers over Bria's smooth stomach and then down between her splayed thighs. "Your pussy is so pretty," Christy sighed, slipping down so she lay upon her stomach, her face mere inches from Bria's exposed body. "Large puffy lips," she said, tracing them with her fingers. "Then you sneak inside and mmm, it's all pink and wet." She looked up at Bria. "I need to taste you." Christy didn't wait for permission, instead ducking her head and slicking her tongue through the folds of Bria's sex. Bria arched against the mattress, an explosion of heat rocketing her body. Her eyes closed tightly, her hands were fisting against the soft sheets of her dorm bed. She felt every little movement of Christy's tongue as it twisted and played, sliding into her before moving upward to tickle Bria's clit. Every tiny flick sent her body careening, every well placed lick had her moaning and squirming under the talented redhead's ministrations. "Oh God, Christy," she moaned, pushing her hips up to grind against the mouth that was giving her such incredible pleasure. "That's it, lovey." Christy's lips latched around Bria's clit, two of her long, slender fingers slipping inside the girl's tight sheath. Her tongue attacked the captured clit even as her fingers began to thrust, slamming hard against the straining girl's grinding body. Bria felt the pressure mounting, the need growing until it was all she could feel. Her hands rose above her head, holding onto the head board of her bed with a white knuckled grip. She strained for that feeling, that release that she could sense just beyond her, begging for it with every whimpering plea that fell from her lips. Then she felt Christy's teeth, felt them slowly, almost painfully, bite down upon her clit. The sensation struck like a fuse, her entire body stiffening as a soundless scream left her lips. Pleasure roared through her like a tornado, sucking up everything and leaving her limp and shaking afterwards. Her eyes were closed, a small smile upon her lips, she felt Christy kiss the inside of her thigh, raising her head. Bria knew Christy wanted her to open her eyes and look at her, but she was just too content for the moment to move. When the bite came, it startled her enough that a small scream was torn from her, her eyes flying open. She stared around her in disbelief, seeing the same dark room, the candles that lit it, the low bed with its hanging draperies. Cuffs of leather slipped around her wrists like magic, holding her even as her eyes shot to the girl who still lay between her splayed thighs. "You taste so good, lovey," Christy said, moving the fingers that were still firmly lodged inside Bria's body. "Y-you're part of this, part of him?" Bria cried. "How could you? I thought you were my friend." "I am your friend, Bria. Do you have any idea what he has in store for you?" Christy's tongue swept out, licking over Bria's still distended clit, laughing as the girl shuddered with pleasure despite her terror. "Power, pleasure, money and oh so much more, it will all be yours, Bria. You give him just a little and he'll give you the world." Bria tried to deny the pleasure that Christy's slowly stroking fingers were giving her, but as always in this place, pleasure seemed to amplify, singing through her, setting every little hair on her body to stand up. "I don't want any of that, I can't believe you'd want me to give it to him. God, Christy, if you're my friend than you shouldn't want this for me either!" Christy stared up at her, her green eyes almost glowing in the light of the candles. She finally sighed, pulled her fingers free of Bria's body and stood next to the low bed. With a low growl of rage that sounded almost feral, Christy began to shake, every muscle in her body twitching and quivering as if she were in some kind of fit of madness. Bria watched in horror, hardly able to stand the sight. Christy seemed to grow, her clothing torn from her body, the skin flaying from her muscles. New skin formed almost as quickly, the muscles shifting as the shape formed. He reached up, pushing his golden hair back from his face, his pale eyes seeming like icy fire as they roamed over her soft curves. "I'd have never thought you one to act like that with another woman, my love. I have to admit, it was quite a turn on." "You...no!" Bria screamed, hating that she wanted to preen in front of his eyes, loathing that she wanted to tempt him and tease him into taking her body barely satiated by Christy's tongue. Her wrists twisted in the leather binding them, pain helping to remind her of what he wanted to do to her. She scooted as far over as she could when he sat next to her, his hand coming down to rest between her breasts, cradled in her cleavage. "You've been talking to a priest," he said, shaking his head sadly. "You've been telling tales." Bria shook her head, her ebony locks covering her face. "N-no. I-I just wanted to make you leave me alone!" "I can't leave you alone, Brianna. Your fate is mine." He leaned over her, holding her in place with that single hand pressed between her breasts. His hair fell around her, silky and cool against her heated flesh, causing her to shiver in reaction. She tried to struggle away from him, but his strength was overwhelming. "Tonight we will mate," he whispered, his mouth so close to her lips she could feel the heat of his breath. "Tonight you'll conceive my son." Tears slid down her cheeks, a sob shook her slender body. "No!" she cried again. "Bria! Wake up!" She felt herself melting away, heard Caim's roar of rage and saw as he tore apart the room, but she was too far away for him to reach. Suddenly she could feel hands touching her, hear Ryan's voice. "Wake up, Bria. Wake up, it's just a dream." Her eyes flashed open, seeing Ryan's face just above her. She reached out, wrapping her arms around his neck, holding on to him as hard as she could. "Thank you," she kept repeating even as sobs tore through her body. She didn't realize she was naked until she felt Ryan's bare hands against her back, rubbing gently as he tried to sooth her. "Oh!" she exclaimed. Ryan smiled grimly and handed her the robe that was thrown across the foot of the bed. "I heard you screaming from down the hall, I don't know how Christy slept through it all. I know I wouldn't have been able to." "Christy's asleep?" Bria asked, looking over her shoulder to where her roommate lay upon her own bed, a book opened on her lap, snoring softly. The remote to the television sat in her limp palm. "But she...I know it was... Wake her up, Ryan," she said. "Wake her up? Do you understand what you're asking of me?" Ryan glanced at the sleeping Christy and then back at Brianna. His intelligent gray eyes were wary as he looked back at Christy. "She can do some of her worst damage when she's not quite awake," he said with a sigh. Bria struggled to get out of bed, determined to wake her roommate. "Whoa, I didn't say I wouldn't do it did I?" Ryan grumbled, sinking down on the very edge of the mattress and stretching out his arm. "Christy," he said softly, pushing at her shoulder. "What?!" she shrieked, sitting up, her fist flailing out to be caught in Ryan's hand. "Hey, it's just me, hold it," he grumbled. "You fell asleep." "I did not," Christy said automatically before turning and looking at Brianna. "Oh my God, I did. I'm so sorry, Bria. He didn't..." Bria turned her head, unable to look at Christy. "I'm fine," she said faintly. "He did, oh God Bria, I'm so, so sorry." She got up from the bed, hurrying over to plop down on the side of Bria's bed as she normally did, not noticing the flinch that Brianna gave. "Are you all right?" "I'm fine," she managed to repeat through gritted teeth. "You don't remember any of it, do you?" Christy seemed taken aback by the sudden question. "Remember what? I fell asleep, you saw me over there." "You were there," Bria hissed. "You..." She turned her head again, unable to finish. Her heart beat hard against her chest, her face was flushed with color. She rubbed her arms, chilled and shivering, unable to get warm. Betrayal ripped at her emotions, worse than anything that Caim could have thought to do to her himself. Letting Christy... do that to her and worse, making her enjoy it hurt more than any of his brands or bruises ever could. "I... what? What did I do?" "You rap...raped me," Brianna whispered, looking up in time to see Christy flinch back, her hands coming up as if warding off a blow. "I did what?" "You raped me." "I wouldn't...I would never..." Christy rose from the bed, her green eyes shocked, staring from Ryan and then back to Bria. "I couldn't do that to you, Bria." "You wouldn't stop, Chris. I told you no, I did," Bria said, sounding a bit unsure. "I didn't want what you did to me." "Then how come you sound as if you're trying to convince yourself, Brianna. I've known Christy for years. She's never and would never force herself on anyone. She doesn't have to and you know it." Ryan wrapped his arm around Christy's shoulders, holding her still and supporting her when she sagged against him. "She's been your friend for years and you should know the same thing. What's going on?!" "Brianna is being seduced by a demon who wants her to have his child so that he can be born back to this world through his son," Christy said, the words dropping from her lips. Ryan laughed. "No, really. Don't you think it's time I should know?" he asked when he controlled himself. "Yes, really," Bria said, startled by how easily Christy betrayed her word of keeping her secret. "He's done all of this." She pulled up her sleeves, reaching over with one shaking hand to pull down her robe and expose the brand on her breast that was still bright red. A new bite mark showed there also, a red outline of teeth in a welt that was already bruising. "Christy did this." "I did what?" Christy exclaimed, moving closer to see the mark. "When did I do that?" "A few moments before Ryan came in, right before you changed into him." Bria pulled her shirt back up, holding it together at her throat and backing away from both of them. "I have to get out of here. I can't stay here any longer." She grabbed her purse, slipping her feet into her shoes. "You can't just go out there, it's not safe," Christy said, holding out her hand but pulling it back quickly when Bria flinched away. "At least let one of us go with you." "It's not any safer in here or with either of you," Bria snarled. "Just... Just leave me alone." With that, she turned and hurried out of the room, the door slamming loudly behind her. Joined by the Night Ch. 04 Brianna stared up into his eyes, seeing the sincerity and kindness in them. It was almost more than she could take. With a small cry, she took a step backward, her hand going to her forehead as a wave of dizziness spilled over her. Matt reached out, grabbing her arm and hearing her cry of pain. "What is it, Bria?" "N-nothing, really. I'm just a bit dizzy," she managed to say, wishing she could melt against him. "When was the last time you ate?" he asked, looking into her wan features. She managed to chuckle, food hadn't been top priority for her recently. Meals had been barely picked at as the worries of what awaited her in sleep tore through her. "I haven't been very hungry the past few days," she said as he led her to another of those benches that lined the paths through the campus. "Well, it's catching up with you." Matt sat down next to her, lightly holding her hand. "How strong are you going to be if there's something you have to fight?" "Y-You believe me?" Bria asked, her eyes flashing to his. He sighed. "I believe what you tell me, I know there is something going on. Demons and angels sound a little corny but..." "Oh thank you," she cried, throwing her arms around him. The burning sensation was instantaneous and unmistakable. Brianna pushed away from him as quickly as she'd grabbed him. Matt grabbed her hand, pushing up her sleeve to stare in horror at the bumpy red rash that covered the skin of her arms. "What is this?" he asked. "His warning," Brianna answered sadly. "I can't touch anyone, well anyone but my roommate and I think she's on his side." She pulled her arm away from him, watching as the red blotches faded as soon as he quit touching her. "See," she said, holding up her arm so he could see the now blemish free skin except for the horrible bruises around her wrists and the burns from the bindings he used against her. "Can you get up?" he asked, careful not to touch her again. "Why?" she demanded somewhat angrily. It wasn't Matt she was angry with, it was this Cairn. "We could head down to the basement of the student union. The kitchen's still open and food is free at this time of night." "Free? How do you know that?" she asked as she pushed herself off the bench and stood still waiting to see if she'd be dizzy again. "Hey, growing boy here, we find anyway to keep the food pumping in." He made a muscle and she laughed as he wanted her too. He regarded her a little warily, his hands out but not touching her, just making sure if she was going to faint, he'd be able to cushion her fall. "Cool, let's go." They made their way to the big building that not only housed all the deans' offices but was also where the Student Union, the bookstore and the cafeteria were. The first time Brianna had been here, Jeff had been at her side and they were making all kinds of plans about their future. He'd been her first love, her true love. He was the reason she'd gone to Eastern. "Hey," Matt said gently, waving his hand in front of her face. "Where did you go?" "Oh," she flushed a bright red and put her hands up against her cheeks. "I was thinking about the first time I came here." "With Jeff, right?" "Yeah," she said softly. "Jeff was a great guy, Bria. It was...It was a shame what happened." "You knew Jeff?" "He was in half my core classes my first year here. We played some hoop together between cram sessions." He ducked his head as they reached the bank of elevators that would take them to the basement. "The first time I saw you was with him. I thought the guy had all the luck." "Then that drunk driver..." she said, her eyes turned up to Matt's when the elevator door opened. "Yeah," he said, holding the door for her. He followed her in, touching the "B" button for basement and leaning against the back of the car. Just as the doors began to close, an arm reached between and they bounced open. A man dressed in black walked inside, the doors almost catching on his heel. "Wow, they aren't supposed to close like that," Matt said. "Are you okay?" "I'm fine, son." Bria looked up at the familiar sound of the man's voice. "Father Joseph? What are you doing here this late?" "I've been looking for you, Bria. Your roommate called me. She's frantic with worry. She said that you believe she's working with Cain." "She was there, Father. She was in my dreams, doing his bidding." "Brianna, you know of Cain's power. You know of his ability to get to you in your dreams. You have to believe he can manipulate those dreams to make you think terrible things of the other people in your life." "Does that include you, Father?" Matt asked the question as he stared around the elevator car, his hand gesturing to the seams where a bright red glow could be seen. It grew hotter inside the car, the seams beginning to melt away. Bria screamed when the car gave a sudden lurch, the sides falling away. They were stuck in the middle of a gorge, trapped upon an elevator sized piece of rock. "Ah, Josiah, I had thought that my warning would be enough to have you leave well enough alone," a voice called. "It's him," Bria almost screamed, reaching her hand out to grab Matt's arm. "It's him, he's out of my dreams." "Yeah," Cain said. "Ain't life grand?" "You two stand back," Joseph said, taking the two steps to the edge of the platform. "He can't hurt you, Bria, if you don't let him." "No, but I can and will kill the little human she's with," Cain growled, standing up from the huge chair of bones he'd been sitting upon. It was built like a throne carved from human bones, skulls placed on the ends of each arm rest for him to put his hands on. Now his hands were held together in front of him, a red glowing and spinning orb forming between them. "No Cain. I won't let you hurt these children." "One of those children will be pregnant with my child before this night is done and you'll be dead, Josiah." "You can't kill me, Cain. You know that." "You haven't been home in a while, have you?" "What do you mean by that, Cain? What do you know of my home?" "Heaven isn't what it used to be Josiah. There's unrest and upheaval, two of my favorite things. God's powers are being questioned by too many mortals. He isn't the all mighty that he used to be without the belief of his little flock of humans." "You're lying again, Cain. I would know, I would feel it, in here," he said, planting a fist against his chest. "Would you? Would you really? Maybe you just need to take your true form to feel it?" Cain smiled, his face looking angelic even in the red glow of the spinning ball. With a shouted oath, Cain threw the fiery orb. Joseph stood his ground, firmly planted in front of Bria and Matt. The orb flew the distance between the two, hitting the priest directly in the chest. Fire spread over him, consuming his clothing. When it went out, where Father Joseph had stood, was now an angel, his wings spread wide. His hair, once dark, was now a golden blonde, his eyes the blue of the sky on a clear spring day. He seemed to be lit from within, a bright white pureness that glowed around them, leaving Matt and Bria in his warmth and goodness. "Father Joseph?" Bria gasped, remembering how she'd propositioned him when she thought him a man. "Oh, I'm so going to hell." "My real name is Josiah," the angel said, turning his head to smile back at the two kids. "I was flattered, Bria." "Flattered by what?" Matt asked, looking between the two. "Nothing," Bria said quickly, then screamed. Cain appeared between Josiah and the two college students, a fiery sword in his hand. "The sword of judgment, Josiah," Cane shouted, twirling the blade once above his head before thrusting it at the angel. "The only thing that can truly kill one of your kind." Josiah jumped backwards, almost knocking the two kids off the rock. "How did you get it?" he growled. "That sword belongs to the Him." "I told you, Josiah, things are changing up there. You have to know I speak the truth since I do have the sword." He slashed it through the air, leaving a trail of flames that was impressive to watch. Then he attacked the angel once more, thrusting and slicing while Josiah tried to stay out of the way. He was nicked, the sword slicing through the golden aura that surrounded him. Josiah went down to one knee, his breathing ragged, his eyes filled with pain. "I won't let you have her, Cain. She is an innocent." Cain scoffed, shaking his head. "No woman is innocent, not since Eve gave Adam the apple in the garden that He made especially for them has a woman held innocence in her soul. This one is as fouled as the rest." "Then why choose her for having your child?" Josiah asked, his voice growing weaker. "She has the strength to contain my son. Not too many women would be able to do that." Cain stood over the angel, raising the sword above his head. "Good-bye Josiah. I shall miss you, brother." Then he gave a loud shout and plunged the blade into the bowed back of the angel, right between his wings, the thrust so hard that it went straight through his body and out the other side. Josiah screamed, falling to his hands and knees on the rock. He looked up at Cain as the demon kicked him in the side, knocking him off the stone platform. He fell, not making a sound. Cain smiled then turned toward the terrified girl that Josiah had tried so hard to protect. "I'll give you a choice, Brianna. You come with me willingly and I will send him back and erase all knowledge of this from his mind. You'll become my queen and bear my child, he shall be safe. Or...I can kill him now and take you, willing or not. Of course, you'll be willing before I plant my seed in you, and you know you will. You crave the pleasure that I can give you." "No," Bria gasped, shaking her head. "I despise you." Cain just smiled. He held out his hand, his fingers beckoning. "Don't tell me that you didn't get pleasure when I bathed you in the ruby wine, licking the drips from your taut nipples and the valley of your naval, Bria. I heard every single sigh, every moan and gasp." His smile grew and he gestured with his hand across the large expanse of sky. Bria gasped as she saw herself as she'd been that night, tied to his bed, her body naked, pale and quivering with pleasure as he suckled upon her nipples. She heard Matt's sudden inhale and knew he was watching the same thing. Closing her eyes tightly, she tried to block the sight from her mind but it played there as well, triggering feelings of lust inside of her. She squeezed her thighs tightly shut, knowing she was getting wet. "Ah, even now you can feel it, can't you, my dear? Say the word and I'll send your friend back into his world, unharmed. Then you and I can get into the serious business of creating our child." He stepped closer to the two scared college kids, running his hand down the side of Bria's cheek. "If not, I'll just tie him up and let him watch. Would that turn you on?" "No," Bria moaned, trying to step away from Cain but she was on the edge of the abyss. "Don't touch me! Leave me alone!" "I can't do that, Bria. You are fated to become pregnant this night. It's written in the stars," he said, sweeping his hand above his head once more, an expanse of black velvety sky full of trillions of pin points of light appearing. As Bria watched, the pin points rearranged themselves, spelling out the words: Bria Will Be Pregnant Tonight. She groaned as Cain laughed uproariously at his own ill suited humor. "I'm sorry," he said between fits of giggles. "I just couldn't help myself." "Try," a voice said from behind him. Cain whirled, his eyes going wild as he saw Josiah standing behind him, a flaming sword in his strong hands. "You are such a liar, Cain. That sword you used wasn't the true Sword of Judgment, just a cheap imitation. You know only the true sword can kill demon or angel. I think you might want to get your money back" "You can't trust anyone now-a-days," Cain griped. "Everyone lies, even your own minions." He sighed. "I guess I know one demon that won't be getting his Christmas bonus this year." Josiah held the sword in front of him, slashing it through the air as if to get a feel for its size and weight. "It's not the real sword, Josiah," Cain said. "You can't kill me with it either." "The one you used wasn't the true Sword, this one," Josiah said softly as he moved closer to the demon, "is." With a shout, he impaled Cain upon the end of the sword, watching as the demon grabbed at the blade, surprise upon his face. "Y-you k-killed me," he stuttered, surprised as well as pain flashing across his face as black blood began to run from his mouth and the wound in his chest. Josiah pulled the sword out, watching as a spout of flame followed the sword. With a move almost too fast to see, he jumped over the burning body of the demon and grabbed both Matt and Bria, wrapping his wings around them protectively. Around them, the entire fabric of the earth seemed to be crumbling and falling, raining down upon them. Huge slabs of rock fell into the gorge, stars seemed to come down from the heavens, bursting like over-filled water balloons. The rock beneath their feet, tipped then broke in two. Bria was ripped away from Matt and Josiah, screaming as her body hurtled out into the nothingness that was surrounding them in blackness. * * * "Does she remember any of it?" Sharon Blass asked Father Joseph as they watched a carefree Bria walk beside her new boyfriend, Matt, swinging their joined hands and laughing at something Matt said. "I'm not sure. She says not but there is something in her eyes that tells me she might be lying. I just don't understand why she would. Cain's gone, he's dead. He can't hurt her. The prophesy didn't come true. She isn't pregnant." He reached up and scratched his head. "I'm just not sure," he repeated. Sharon Blass cupped her hands in front of her, breathing into them as if they were cold, despite the heat of the sun that beat down upon them. "I know what you mean. She doesn't seem like the same kid." Father Joseph nodded, his eyes upon the couple as they disappeared behind one of the buildings down a path that led to Fraternity Row. The loud cawing of a bird caught his attention and he watched as it flew to the ground, coming to land almost at his feet. For an instant, Joseph swore the bird's beady eyes glowed red. Then he dismissed it, flinging his arm out to send the bird scuttling away. It flew, circling them once as they sat upon the bench then heading back toward Fraternity Row. * * * Hard muscles flexed under the stroking of her hands, a soft moan wafted through the air, followed by a quiet sigh of contentment. "You make me happy," Matt whispered in her ear, rolling to his side to pull her into his strong arms. "Thank you for giving me a chance to work things out." "As if you gave me much of a choice," Bria scoffed. "I seem to recall a very determined person standing outside my door for hours until I would talk to him." "Determined? Is that your nice way of saying I'm stubborn?" "Of course," she giggled, trailing her finger in tiny circles on his chest. She sighed again, closing her eyes. "Are you still not sleeping, Bria?" Her eyes popped open and she looked startled for a moment. "How did you know?" "Christy." He gently held his fingers against her mouth. "She's worried about you, baby." "I'm fine," Brianna said, moving his fingers with her hand. She sat up in the bed, turning her back to him. "I don't need a keeper or a boyfriend who is only with me because he's sorry for me." "Whoa," Matt said. "Back that horse up, baby. Who said anything about being sorry for you?" "You're talking to Christy about me behind my back, what else am I to think?" "Maybe that I love you and only want the best for you?" he said, sliding over in the single bed until he sat behind her, pulling her unresisting body into his embrace. His arms held her tightly, warming her as the air in his room at the Frat house was chilly. "You love me?" she asked quietly, almost afraid of the answer. "I have for a long time, Bria." He hugged her tight. "You don't have to say it back. I know you still grieve for Jeff, that you still love him, but maybe there's a little piece of your heart that I might occupy?" "Jeff is dead, Matt. I know he'll never be coming back. I've held onto him long enough." She turned her head, kissing him, her lips lingering against his. "I do love you," she whispered. Matt's shout of joy echoed around the room, making Bria laugh. But he cut her laughter short, dragging her back down to the bed and finding her mouth. Passions flared even more brightly between them now, for they shared not only their bodies but their hearts as well. Matt's hands shook as he caressed her silky skin, his eyes flamed with the emotions he felt for her. Brianna accepted him into her body with a glad cry, her arms clasping him to her. Her feet slid up the length of his legs, wrapping around his hips, pulling him even deeper inside of her. She met his every thrust with one of her own, their bodies slapping together loudly in the quiet of the room. As dusk turned to true dark, their bodies shuddered in a climax. Brianna smiled, one full of a wickedness that hadn't been there before Cain. She felt Matt's seed fill her womb, sighing in pleasure for she knew he'd gotten her pregnant. Now they were truly joined by the night. Joined by the Night He took her hand, staring at the marks on her wrist. "I've never seen a dream do anything like this, and if the nightgown was real, someone must have been in your room last night. Did you call the police, or campus security?" "And tell them what? I had a date with you, was wiped out when we got back and went to bed. The next thing I know, I'm waking up, still in my bed but the pajamas I wore last night were gone, I can't find them anywhere and I'm naked." "They could take blood tests, find out if you've been drugged. If you were moaning, maybe you were having some kind of bad reaction to a drug. There are security cameras, they could see if you left your room last night. You need to call them, Bria. If you want, I can skip this lab and go with you." He pulled her close, hugging her gently as she rested her head against his shoulder. The next thing he knew, he was flying through the air, landing about four feet away in the grass next to the sidewalk. Brianna stared down at him as he looked up at her in shock. "You could have just said no, Bria," he said, feeling a little hint of anger as he got up and brushed the grass off his jeans. "I didn't do that, Matt. Honest." Her eyes were wide with shock. "Well, I didn't send myself flying." He glared at her for a second. "I have to get to lab," he said finally, turning and walking away from her. She watched him leave, feeling frozen to the spot. She couldn't figure out what was happening to her. One minute she'd been feeling comforted in his arms, grateful for his help, about to accept his offer, and the next, she was standing, feeling him torn from around her, watching him hit the ground. She hadn't pushed him, had she? He turned once before he was out of sight, hesitating for an instant, then she saw him shake his head and turn back towards his class. Brianna knew she was on her own. She walked into the security office twenty minutes later, her arms wrapped protectively around herself. Eastern Michigan University had a decent size security system, set up primarily during the late 1960's, early 1970's when a serial killer by the name of John Norman Collins had been making the rounds of the Universities here and in Ann Arbor. Co-eds had been disappearing off campuses and reappearing dead in deserted fields all over Washtenaw County. It had been upgraded throughout the years, new technologies installed and learned until it was a force of its own. Walking into the office almost felt like walking into a police station. It made Brianna nervous. "Can I help you?" a stern faced older man sitting at a front desk asked Brianna nicely, as if noting her hesitation. "I'm not sure. I'm not sure if..." she hugged herself a little tighter and tried to smile. "I don't know if a crime occurred or not. I just..." He held up a finger, dialing the phone in front of him and speaking into it. Then he got up and held the small gate that divided the waiting area from the actual offices. "Go on back to the second door on the right, Miss. One of our investigators will be there to help you." She slid through the door being careful not to touch him and hurried down the hallway he'd indicated, peering nervously into the second doorway. It was a small office, an older lady sitting at a desk. She looked up from the file she was looking at when she heard Brianna and stood, gesturing towards the chair across from her desk. "Come on in. My name is Sharon Blass." Brie stepped over the threshold of the door and then stopped dead in her tracks. An excruciating pain, starting in her groin and emanating outward in waves of blinding, heated agony engulfed her. She gasped, bending over at the sudden pain. Sweat broke out on her forehead, prickly heat engulfed her face. She became nauseous and inhaled deeply. "Are you okay?" Sharon stood up from behind her desk, starting around it to reach the girl that stood so unsteadily, her face turning white, her hands clenched around her middle. "No," Bria moaned. "Don't touch me." She backed away, hurrying out of the room. She turned and ran towards the swinging door next to the receptionist desk, bursting through it with enough force to have it slam into the wall, leaving a dent in the already stained paint. She hurried out the front door, almost running by the time she reached the sidewalk outside. By the time she was two hundred yards from the front door of the security office, she felt fine, as if the pain had never been there. There wasn't even a twinge leftover. Sinking down on the first bench she passed, Bria buried her face in her hands and wept. Strong hands came down upon her shoulders, squeezing gently, comfortingly, before releasing. Someone sank down on the bench next to her and a handkerchief was put into her hands. "Come on," a gentle male voice said. "It can't be that bad." Bria lifted drenched brown eyes to the face of the stranger next to her. For one moment, she was startled by the almost unreal beauty of his face. Longish black hair trailed to his shoulders, eyes that were a startling blue, the color of corn flowers and morning glories were framed with thick black eyelashes. His features looked as if carved by angels determined to create perfection in the male form, including perfectly cut dimples that capped a mouth made to smile. Her eyes traveled over his face as if mesmerized, coming to a stop at the white clerical collar that surrounded his neck. "I'm Father Joseph Christophe," he said, smiling at her reaction. "And I'm a fantastic listener if you'd like to talk." He held out his hand for her to shake. Bria reached out slowly, taking his strong hand in her own shaking one. He held it for a moment, his eyes traveling to the marks around her wrist that her movements had uncovered. "I..." she said, trying to untangle her hand from his. He held on, his thumb brushing gently over the raw marks. He turned her hand over, seeing the deep bruise under the ball of her thumb. "Is the other one the same?" "Yes, but..." His eyes closed and his lips moved quietly for a few seconds, then he abruptly let her hand loose. He looked into her eyes, cocking his head to the side. "Are you okay? I saw you rush out of the security office. Did you report whoever did this to you?" "I don't know who did this to me," she muttered angrily. "I woke up with these." She wiped at her eyes with the clean white handkerchief, swiping away tears of pain and illness. "I don't know what is going on." "You don't remember who hurt you?" Father Joseph asked, incredulous. "My child, those are pretty black bruises, it had to have hurt." "That's just it." She looked up at him with panic filled eyes. "I went to bed in my own room last night and woke up with these. My roommate told me I was moaning and crying out in my sleep. Could I have done these to myself?" Father Joseph, his blue eyes shining with worry, took both of her hands in his. He rubbed his thumbs across the back of her hands, searching her eyes. His narrowed as if he'd found something but wasn't sure what. "What's your name?" he asked suddenly. "B...Brianna Temple, Father. Please, do you know what's happening to me?" "I know that name," he said quietly, still holding her hands. "Why do I know that name?" he asked almost as if speaking to himself. "Father?" Bria looked up, seeing the concerned face of Sharon Blass above her. "Sharon, just the lady we need to see. Bria, this is Detective Sharon Blass of the campus police. She deals with these kinds of crimes. I think you should tell her your story." He felt the girl begin to shake, her hands pulling against his, as if trying to flee. "N...no, I'm f...fine. P...please, father, let me go." She struggled, growing more panicked with each second as she felt her skin start to burn, the priest's hands causing the pain to grow even worse. "Please!" she half screamed, half moaned, finally yanking her hands away, getting up and running from the bench. Father Joseph sat where he was, watching her, his blue eyes growing dark. There was a blackness about the girl, an unnatural darkness that caused a shiver of fear in his heart. "Sharon, do you know who she is?" "No Father. She came into my office about ten minutes ago and then flew out just like she did here. There's something off about this," she said quietly, sinking down on the bench next to the handsome priest. "Did she give you her name?" "Yes, Brianna Temple. I've heard it before somewhere, I'm just not sure where." His brow furrowed in thought as he watched the girl turn the corner and disappear around one of the buildings on campus. "Her wrists were bruised, chafed raw in places. I'd say she'd been tied up." "Her demeanor seems to indicate some kind of attack," Sharon mused. "God, I hope we don't have another rape. Can't these college boys keep it in their pants?" "I certainly hope that was a rhetorical question," he said, staring at her from under his thick lashes. She laughed. "Yeah, yeah it was, father. I guess I'll be keeping an eye on Brianna Temple." She stood, letting her hand rest against Father Joseph's black shirted shoulder. "Thank you, Father." "I didn't do anything but sit on a bench, Sharon." He glanced up as she left, but then went back to staring at the building that Brianna had disappeared around, a thoughtful expression upon his face. To be continued...