Chapter 4 (Part 2)

As the end of January approached a week later, Artimese and Dalin watched the world slowly crumble into Chaos. The Death toll reached nearly a thousand, with nearly ten thousands humans having only contracted and survived the disease meant to kill them. Artimese sat glued, tears pouring down her face while Dalin glared at the screen.

"You said you couldn't blame him for being angry. Does this seem fair?" Dalin asked, waving a hand to the screen.

"All those people. Children, elderly, people our age," Artimese sniffed.

Seeing her crying, he calmed a moment and reached a hand out to touch her arm.

"We have to find a way to stop this Dalin." Artimese stated twisting to look at him.

Dalin shook his head at her as she looked at him with desperation. "We can't help any of them. This disease will wipe out anyone like us. And if it doesn't, the Angels will. The only thing we can do is protect ourselves."

The front door swung open as Lust stepped in with groceries on his arm. Seeing the faces of both Dalin and Artimese, he frowned, "What is it?"

Artimese wiped her eyes, "I just… People are dying and we are sitting here protected and doing nothing. Shouldn't we try to save as many people as we can?"

Lust sighed and put down the bags before moving to Artimese leaning over the back of the couch as he pat her head, "The only important thing is both of you surviving this."

"How many survived before?"

"None."

Dalin turned on his father, "So what makes you think you can keep us alive?!"

"Dalin calm down." Artimese pleaded.

"No, he wants us to stay trapped here. While people die as you said, saying that, but no one has escaped the Cleansing before. How are we supposed to survive?!"

Lust looked between both. Both fresh adults, yet at the same time not adults. It pained him for a moment, and he took a deep breath, collecting his thoughts before he finally spoke. "It has been over a millennia since a Virtue and a Sin have birthed children. Let alone birthing them within the same generation. Your odds fare far better than those of other Nephelims and Cambions. You have myself to protect you, as most low-level demons cannot protect their own. I am not so weak."

Dalin scoffed as he stood up, throwing on his jacket and glared towards his father. "I do not believe that you are so strong you can fight off God himself."

"I didn't say I could…"

"Then I will not sit here waiting for him to come find me." With that, Dalin started towards the door.

Lust reached out to grab Dalin's arm only for Dalin to shrug him off, the front door slamming shut behind him. Sighing, Lust sat down next to Artimese, rubbing his face in despair.

"Why don't you go after him?" Artimese asked.

"I have never forced him to do as I asked. It is a waste of energy and would only make him hate me as he does his own mother."

Twisting her head hearing about Dalin's mother for the first time, Artimese pursed her lips before finally offering her thoughts.

"Why doesn't he talk about her? Did she pass?"

"She is very much alive. Likely relieved that he has finally left her home."

"I doubt that. Mothers love their children do they not?"

Lust sighed, reminding himself that she has never had a mother or father. "Not always."

Artimese looked at him, confused.

"Let me tell you about her. Since you are so curious." Lust offered.

Twisting her body to face him and give her full attention, Artimese dragged her legs to her chest, resting her chin on them and waited patiently.

A faint smile came upon Lust's face as he recalled the past. "Allison was beautiful when she was young. A wild fire of a girl, too. She grew up in a strong Catholic family, yet as she hit her teen years, became a young adult, she was like hellfire."

Artimese chuckled, listening to Lust's description.

"I showed up on a motorcycle, Allison had just stormed out of church." A wry grin. "It was easy to get her to ride with me. From there we were inseparable for a short time." Sadness etched his voice. "Unlike the angels who are granted human lifetimes on Earth, they only grant us a year. I induced in her, her lust for freedom, for a life outside of the church."

"She must have loved it."

"She did. After following all the rules given by the church, I offered her Freedom for the months we were together. It had not been my plan to impregnate her, or to fall for her."

"Dalin's mother sounds amazing."

Lust chuckled. "Yes. She was, as I said, hellfire. I had to leave her, however. I had found her at the end of my time. I left Allison pregnant and not sure of what was going to happen to her or to our child. In her fear, she turned back to the church. By the time I could return, Dalin was six. I explained everything, but it did nothing to win her back for me. Instead, she went a little crazy. So devout she was, Dalin had to grow up with a mother who hated him for who he was. Who believed she had borne the anti-christ. But yet loved him too much to bring herself to end him."

By the end of his explanation, Artimese was crying. "He grew up being abused?"

"Yes. Emotionally and Verbally. She couldn't put her hands on him. It went against who she was. Yet, she made sure he knew he was an abomination in her eyes."

"What did you do?"

"I came as often as I could. I could never stay long. But I would come in short bursts so that he knew he had someone on his side. The damage had been done, however. Without me there all the time, he grew up resentful."

"You are not happy about that?"

"Remember, I had told you. We as Demons are not all pure evil. We can be good just as Angels can be evil."

"I still don't understand what you mean by that…"

Lust pursed his lips, trying to think of a way to explain to her what he meant. "Think of what is happening now. The Angels believe they are doing what they are doing for good, however, would you agree?��

"No. It's horrible. There is no good in killing people for something they cannot control."

"Exactly. Good and Evil are in the eyes of the beholder. As Lust, I bring forward people's deepest wants, whether they be for good or bad. A good person can Lust after something that is good, such as a deep inherent need to travel the world to help others."

"I never thought of it like that…"

"Lust is an all-consuming thing. It is not just wrapped around sex or power as many would have you believe."

Artimese nodded, feeling as though she was finally getting some clarification on the world. Her eyes traveled to the door as she frowned. "I think I should find Dalin…"

"He put himself in danger of leaving this house. You will be doing the same."

Artimese smiled lightly to Lust, "All the same. He has rescued me on occasion. I think it's time I did it for him."

With that she moved to the door pausing with her hand on the handle "Will you be here when we return?"

"I do not know. I have done all I can to protect you both at this point. I must return to Abbadon." Seeing the look of confusion on Artimese's face, "Hell. If you will."

Nodding, she opened the door and hesitated again. "Thank you…" she offered, looking back at him with a smile before exiting the house.