Page 110 of Babalon

Ahh, my Lord, you finally bless me with your presence.

“I’ve done what you have asked.”

You are not done yet. You have more souls to claim, you do not leave until every soul I sent you to collect is accounted for.

“Yes, my Lord. Is there anything else you require of me?”

No, Lulu. You’ve done so well, my sweet boy.

Mother.

Her voice causes me to close my eyes. The warmth from it, how it blankets me and hugs my heart from the inside out. I ache to join her, to leave this existence behind like I left my father. The same way I ostracized myself from society and went on about my own path— one led by darkness.

“I miss you, can I see you soon?”

You do every day, my boy. I love you, Lulu. Forever until the stars die.

Breathing out a harsh exhale, I can hear Nadia starting to rouse. The way she breaths, slow and deep, until her eyes flutter open and they became panic filled.

The other inmates down here with me have been waiting so patiently for our little Nadia to wake up before doing anything to her. I think I will hang off to the side and watch while they play with her. They’re just as curious as to where Kace is hiding out too. Little do they know that I have dealt with him. He wasn’t part of my plan but seeing him with her sent me on a rampage and I can’t focus with him existing.

The AB is doing this to get paid from a big-bad that lives on the outside of these walls and until they deliver him, they do not get paid.

I choose not to participate in this little interrogation, as my skills are a bit too rusty, but it’s entertaining to watch. I can’t help myself when I look over at her and see her heavy head lifting, defiant as always, so resilient.

“Nadia, I’m not going to ask you again, you need to tell me where Kace is.” Clark growls.

“I told you, you piece of shit, I don’t know anything. I am looking for him just as you are. Why do you care anyway, I thought I was the job. Eye for an eye, remember?”

“He has to watch, it was part of the deal, and if I go back on the deal, I’m dead, you stupid bitch.”

Clark reaches back and swings, cracking Nadia across the face as I scoot down a few steps. Watching him abuse her doesn’t bother me, seeing people harm and be harmed is my idea of a movie night. Matter of fact, it calms me. The pleading, the need to hear someone’s breaths perforated by gagging on their blood, is one of my favorite things ever.

It’s heavenly.

“Dick! I don’t know who you made your deal with but I can tell you right now, you’re not going to find him. If I knew where he was, I’d be right there with him. Not sitting here getting beat on by some low testosterone infidel.”

“Oh, yeah, that’s right. Because you bend over backwards, forwards, sideways, any direction he wants you to. Don’t you, Nadia? The videos I have of it are nice, by the way. They’ll make for a good court case before they throw you in Bluitt and forget about you.”

She falls silent at that.

Hmm.

Sitting there, chewing on her bottom lip, she looked away from the man. From where I am sitting, it looks like she’s sucking on the swollen bit of flesh. I wonder if he busted it and that’s blood filling her lovely mouth.

She’s always been defiant, ready to fight people for her own reasons, and for those who have less than her, like some sort of vigilante, but that no longer matters now that darkness has smeared its way across her heart.

Truth is, the Lord promised me I could have her for the exchange of as many souls from Darkwater as I could provide. I prayed for her to return to me, from an early age, then he came to me giving me what I needed to get her back. Unfortunately, God will be short one soul until I am ready to send it packing. She is my prize for years of work, my consolation for dealing with all the trauma I faced in life.

Which I cannot wait to tell her all about— it’s time to bond again, Nadia.

I can’t contain my grin when she lifts her chin and glares at Clark, then she wells up a ball of spit and hurls it at him. Yes, her saliva is marbled with crimson, and for all that is holy, my penis twitches at the filthy act.

“Nasty skank,” Clark snarls, taking a handkerchief from a pocket and wiping her spit from his uniform. What a tool. Who carries a handkerchief anymore, for one, and for two, he is wearing black, it won’t stain. Trust me, that’s why I wear black every time I use someone for flaying practice.

“What is the governor giving you for Kace? Notoriety, a pardon, a free pass at some underground sex ring?”

“The root of all evil, of course, money.”

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