Chapter 40

The room was cast in semi darkness. Darius had carried the unconscious woman to an upstairs bedroom where she now lay drenched in sweat as the labor was going badly.

"Maybe we should call a doctor," said Tiana, empathizing with Mioki's agony despite herself.

"No need," stated Darius, the sow won't survive the birth. It's the baby I want and it's the baby I shall have! Leave us!"

"But..." Tiana started to object.

"I said leave us!" Darius growled in a voice she had never heard before. Tiana, frightened, quickly retreated, closing the door behind her.

Darius did not need to turn around as a soft glow emanated from one corner of the room.

"Better start packing your things, Christopher. Pack light though, it gets hot where you're going."

The angel stepped close to the bed and held the hand of the suffering woman.

"Touching, but it will do no good. She's mine," said Darius.

Mioki's eyes met those of Christopher and for the first time in hours, the pain was not quite so sharp. Noticing the soft aura around him and the incredible softness and reassurance of his touch, Mioki whispered, "Are you an angel?"

He nodded, smiling gently.

"Am I going to die?" she asked.

"Yes, Mioki, the end is quite near."

"Who is he, really?" asked Mioki, casting her eyes toward Darius.

Before her unbelieving eyes the handsome, cruel man was transformed into his real form, that of hideous demon. Mioki felt terror to know who, what she was married to, for whom she had committed unspeakable acts of depravity and whose child she carried.

"Cute, Christopher, taking away my mortal form. Oh well, it doesn't matter, the sow will soon belong to me."

"Is it true?' she asked the angel," will he take my soul?"

Sadly, Christopher shook his head in the affirmative. "The sins against yourself can be forgiven, Mioki, but you have selfishly used others, hurt them knowingly."

"God, I am so sorry," she said out of genuine remorse.

"Too late for that," uttered the guttural voice,"and the baby will soon be mine as well."

"Don't let him take my baby," pleaded the woman through her pain.

"That choice is up to you Mioki," said Christopher.

"Hey, what is this?" demanded Darius. "She's mine and the baby is too and, my dear Christopher, you know what that means!"

"One moment, Darius," said the soft male voice. Do you remember the terms of our agreement?"

"Of course. I said I would take mortal form, seduce her, turn her to a life of depravity and impregnate her. Have I not done all those things?"

"Yes, you have. But what other conditions did you set?"

"That I would claim her and the baby and take them to my domain."

"And?"

"And that I would use no force, coercion or supernatural powers to accomplish those ends."

"So you came to her as a mortal and impregnated her?" asked Christopher.

"I just told you I did."

"Then Darius, the baby is not yours."

"What?" roared the demon.

"You came to her as a mortal. You changed form. This baby is not half demon but completely human."

"So?"

"So since the baby is human you have no parental claim on it. It is up to the mother to decide its fate.

"But she agreed...

"After Tiana whipped her into submission. That, Darius is coercion."

Mioki looked to the angel with hope in her eyes. "You mean... ?"

"Yes Mioki, you shall decide your baby's fate."

Darius had been so blinded by his desire to claim the angel, he had overlooked small but significant details which had cost him immediate victory. But he wasn't done yet. He morphed once again into the handsome man with whom Mioki had fallen in love. He went to her side.

"No more lies Mioki. Yes I am who you call the Devil and yes I deceived you in order to corrupt you and claim your soul. But I am lonely Mioki, I have long wanted a mate and children. You are lost already Mioki. You shall spend eternity with me anyway. Bring the child with you and I shall make you my queen. Together we will rule my realm. We shall have many more children and you shall raise them in a paradise. I shall shower you with affection Mioki and make glorious love to you each night forever. I shall bring you pleasures far beyond those you have experienced in this world. You shall want for nothing. Everything shall be at you beck and call. I said you shall live as a queen, no, not a queen, a goddess. You shall have power unequaled by anything here on earth. Your slightest wish will become reality. Together Mioki, together, you and I."

"And my baby, her soul shall belong to you?"

"Is that so bad? Bring her with us Mioki and you can be together. If she stays here you will never see her again."

Mioki turned to Christopher. "Is that true?"

The angel nodded in the affirmative.

"Why aren't you trying to persuade me?" she asked Christopher.

"Because you already know what I will say. Everything Darius has said is true. He has the power to reward as well as punish. He can and will, no doubt, make you the goddess he has promised. The price is your baby's soul. The soul that will never be able to make the choice you are making now."

Darius realized the power of Christopher's argument, sought to somehow blunt it.

"But you will be happy beyond your wildest dreams!"

Mioki looked to the demon in human form. "By condemning my baby forever?"

Darius felt her slipping from his grasp.

"Bring the child or I will see that every day of eternity you will suffer the most unimaginable torture! You thought the stallion was bad? Ha! That will only be an appetizer compared to the pain and suffering I will cause you. And not just physical. Do you think I haven't been aware of the agony you have felt concerning the death of your friend? How heartsick you have been over the depravities, the mortal sins you have committed? How about the vile self deprecation you have subjected yourself to concerning your incestuous seduction of your own mother, father and brother? I will see that you relive those moments again and again throughout eternity. Each day the heartache and remorse will intensify, tearing you apart until you cannot stand it and each day it will be worse than the day before. No relief, no forgiveness, no absolution EVER! Leave this baby here and your life will truly be a living hell for all eternity and that, as Christopher can tell you, is no idle threat!"