Chapter 9

Zagan’s birthday was on Halloween, and the irony wasn’t lost on him that his parents had managed to have him on that day. Tonight, his mom and dad would gather everyone and hold a ritual to celebrate their son’s birth.

Over the last month, a lot had happened. After the night on the boat, he and Kelly had become a couple. Not all was happy, though. Being the smart boy he was, Tom figured out that Kate had helped Zagan orchestrate their little play. Kelly also was told, and she blamed Kate. Zagan came clean and said it was more his fault than Kate’s, but Kelly wouldn’t hear it. She felt a best friend would never do that, but a horny boy ... allowances had to be made.

Kelly’s family all but disowned her when they found out she and Tom were no longer together. Luckily, Tom’s mom intervened. She said that while she was disappointed that they would not be family someday, it was better to find out now than after they were married.

Chris and Lucy were still going strong, which made some girls upset as both Zagan and Chris became one-woman men. But honestly, the amount and quality of sex improved for both boys. Zagan was convinced that Kelly was trying to make up for years of not having any, which he was okay with.

Then, on a concerning note, Zagan had become sick over the last two weeks. Doctors could not find the problem as he experienced high fevers and his body constantly aching like he’d run a marathon. He would have night sweats and thrash around at night.

Then two days ago, he was suddenly fine. More than fine, actually. When Zagan saw himself in a mirror, he was shocked that he now had a six-pack and muscle definition like he’d worked out all his life. His doctor said he had a body fat percentage of only 6%, and 18% to 24% was average for someone his age.

Zagan was also much stronger. He discovered that when his closet door stuck, and he literally ripped it off its hinges when he tried to jerk it open.

What disturbed him the most was that he was thrashing around while he was sleeping because he was having vivid dreams of what he thought were past lives. The problem was that they involved images of winged men fighting with swords, including himself.

He also remembered someone he once considered a friend had betrayed him and accused him of something. The result was his wings were chopped off by a sword, and he was cast out of his kingdom. He ended up in what he could only imagine Hell looked like. He didn’t go insane because it all had to be made up; none of it could be real.

Thankfully, he was now better than ever. He ate like a horse, and Kelly said he was now a sex god in bed. She claimed that he’d given her incredible orgasms before the coma, but now they were off the chart.

People at school also changed; they’d started to seek him out. Zagan wasn’t used to being ‘popular.’ So, when he went to lunch, he was glad to see that Chris had claimed a table for four.

“What time is your dad’s shindig tonight?” Chris asked as Zagan and Kelly sat down.

Kelly gave Zagan a sad look. Not having grown up in a satanic family, she found much of it amusing. She’d voiced her concerns about what was to happen tonight, only to have Zagan’s father tell her to mind her own business.

“Who told you about that?” Zagan asked with a scowl.

Lucy gave him a little wave.

“What shindig?” Kelly asked.

Zagan rubbed his hand over his face before answering.

“It’s no secret that my parents are Satanists, and my mom and dad are convinced that because I was born on Halloween, I am the perfect host for a demon.”

“Seriously?! Their own child?!” Kelly asked.

“You should hear my stepdad. He has it in his head that this year will work because Zagan is turning 20,” Lucy said.

“This I have to see,” Chris said.

“You really don’t. It involves me getting naked, lying on an altar, and getting splashed with goat’s blood. If we’re really lucky, my dad will cut the goat’s throat in front of everyone, so the goat’s blood is warm when he coats me in the stuff,” Zagan said with a shudder.

“Why were child services never called on your parents?” Chris asked.

“Doyle Rothchild is above the law,” Zagan said, reminding them of the double standard of justice. “Plus, who would have the guts to report him?”

“Lucy and I will be there to support you,” Chris said, which made Zagan feel better.

“Me, too,” Kelly promised.

Zagan and what looked like half the campus had descended on a local watering hole to celebrate his birthday. He and Kelly were on the dance floor when his phone vibrated. He pulled it out and frowned.

She got close so they could hear each other.

“Is it time?”

Zagan nodded.

He caught Chris’s attention so he and Lucy could follow them to his house. When they pulled up, a limo was coming to a halt. Out stepped his mother, Nyx. She owned a curio shop that sold many exotic items no one else had. He’d always thought his mother was stunning, and she looked as good as he remembered. She waited for him as he and his friend parked.

“Mother,” Zagan said as he kissed her offered cheek.

“Zagan.”

“I would like you to meet everyone,” he said as he made introductions.

She dismissed Kelly, Chris, and Lucy with a look.

“Walk with me,” Nyx said to Zagan.

Lucy took everyone in so they could prepare for the night’s ritual.

Once they were alone, Nyx finally spoke. The last they’d talked was at the start of the summer when she’d refused to allow him to move in with her.

“Tonight, I expect you to present yourself as a man, someone worthy of taking up the Rothchild mantle someday. I expect that there will be no hysterics when you are finally joined with a demon.”

“That’s not fair. I only cried one time, when I was ten and dad had gotten blood in my eyes,” Zagan said in a measured tone.

“I’m just saying that your father has invited many special guests to witness the ritual.”

“Yes, Mother,” Zagan said.

She finally smiled and nodded.

“I’ll see you in there,” Nyx said, leaving him to his thoughts.

Kelly looked around the ritual room. It was in the basement and looked like it came off a Hollywood movie set, complete with an altar. All the guests wore black robes and masks and circled the room. Before they came downstairs, Kelly noted that there were the former governor, titans of business, and celebrities mixed into the crowd.

Once everyone was in place, Zagan’s parents came in with a goat between them. Nyx held the goat as Doyle chanted something in what Kelly assumed was Latin. Then she flinched as a knife appeared, and the goat screamed. Nyx forced the goat’s neck over a stone bowl to catch the gushing blood.

This suddenly became much too real.

Nyx and Doyle took the blood and drew a sigil around the altar. Lucy told them it was the sigil of Baphomet and its purpose was to draw a demon into her stepmonster and contain the evil presence. The sigil was a combination of the serpent Leviathan, the goat, and the inverted pentagram or pentacle.

Once the sigil was completed, Doyle led everyone in a chant while Nyx left and got Zagan. Kelly couldn’t believe he willingly followed his mother, who announced he was their human sacrifice. Zagan let his robe fall and stood tall in his nakedness. He was magnificent, Kelly realized with an inner pride.

Zagan was led to the altar, where he lay down, and then Doyle and Nyx dipped their hands into the blood and began to cover him from head to toe. His skin glistened red, making Zagan appear like a nightmare in a horror flick.

The chanting intensified as Doyle began to read some gibberish from what looked to be an ancient book. Then there was a loud cracking sound as the room plunged into darkness, and Zagan screamed.

It felt like he’d been struck by lightning. Every muscle in his body locked as his back arched. Zagan could feel a demon try to worm his way into his being. That was when his memories came flooding back. He was Zagan, The Fallen. A general of a demon army in the service of Lucifer.

He reached out, took the demon around the neck, and snapped it. The room now reeked of sulfur as a link to Hell had been opened. Then Zagan felt a familiar presence: Abaddon. He was another fallen who was in charge of the Abyss, the bottomless pit.

Abaddon’s deep chuckle was enough to send most guests scurrying for the door. They could feel in their bones that a great evil was in their presence.

“Hey, dick breath, what are you doing here? You usually have your nose so far up Lucifer’s ass that the lump in his throat is your nose,” Zagan said as a greeting.

“Careful, brother, or you will soon learn who your better is,” Abaddon said, his voice sounding like two granite boulders grinding together.

Before anything more could be said, Zagan moved. He sensed danger and feared for Kelly. Great golden wings ripped out of his back, and he had her in his arms when a tremendous explosion rocked the house, and the ceiling began to collapse.

Zagan had enough time to say to Kelly, “Run!”

Chris grabbed her and Lucy and pulled them both from the room as Zagan turned to face the real threat: Michael. Michael was God’s enforcer, who he sent when he needed an angel to engage in warfare. Michael stood and unfurled his wings, lighting the room with bright-white heavenly light.

Zagan noted that Abaddon’s wings had also appeared and were coal black. Abaddon shielded his eyes and hissed at Michael.

“I see that you now have wings. God has sent me to collect them,” Michael said as he drew his sword.

“That’s not quite true, deceiver,” Abaddon said. “God and Lucifer made a bet for Zagan’s soul. His wings indicate that it has not yet been decided where he will reside.”

Zagan took that in. One of God’s chief mandates was free will. Being reborn must have given him a chance to return to Heaven. But Michael could never allow that, or Michael’s role in exiling Zagan all those years ago would become known to God. Michael had been jealous of Zagan. He’d accused Zagan of being one of those who beget children with women, thereby removing his rival to become God’s hand of justice.