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.