ALL FAITHS SINS

Chapter Seventeen

Faith

“Where are we going?”

“It’s a surprise” Dillon’s eyes were glowing with excitement as he led me through the winding corridors of his castle , and castle was the only way I could describe it. With its wide flag stone floors and lead paned windows. It was a rambling structure and I was lost in seconds. There would be no way I could find my way back to my rooms. Each corridor looked eerily the same.

“God this place is a maze”

He flinched visibly and I sucked in a breath. “Did I say something wrong?”

“ No Faith , you didn’t say anything wrong , his fingers tightened around my hand. “ it’s just … never mind” He shook his head sadly and I stopped dead , our entwined hands out stretched .

“What is it Dillon? You said I could trust you but you are keeping secrets from me”

“So you don’t believe any of this is real but you want to know all my secrets” His voice lowered as he stepped back into my personal space. “Or are you beginning to believe you are really here.. in hell with me?”

“I honestly don’t know what I believe right now Dillon, if this is a dream it’s the most vivid dream of my life”

“Did this morning seem like a dream” He was crowding closer , so close I had to step backwards and my back hit the highly arched windows.

“That was probably the most dreamlike experience of my life” As soon as I said the words I regretted them . Damn me and my lust filled brain.

His answering laugh was dark, his eyes twinkling as he caged me within the prison of his arms. His lips millimetres from mine. “Dreamt about that often have you?, don’t be embarrassed about it Faith it’s normal for someone with your blood to be attracted to us. It’s literally part of your DNA and if it makes you feel any better I have dreamt of it as well, that’s why I couldn’t wait and had to kiss you” His eyes had turned almost smoky , clouded with something I just couldn’t understand. “I wanted to do more than kiss you Faith, I wanted to taste you but … if you don’t stop looking up at me like that Faith I’m going to do more than kiss you right here against this window”

My breathe left my lungs with a whoosh. “And that would be a bad thing?” What the hell was wrong with me? I was acting like a class A slut.

“No it would be a very , very good things Faith. Do you want me to kiss you again?”

“Yes” I breathed the word , hoping he could tell I was being honest with him. Hoping some part of him could see how much I wanted it.

“Good” He stepped away with a grin , taking my hand he began the long march down the hallway again with me struggling to keep up. “I’ll remember that for later”

“Dillon” This man was exasperating.

“Patience Faith I want to show you… well I don’t know how to explain it to you so I will just show you it and then we can explore outside. Maybe have a picnic”

Laughter bubbled up. “You want to have a picnic in hell?”

“You have read to much Dante I can tell. There are so many hells Faith, or what humans call hell anyway to us it’s just the dimension we live in”

“Are you human Dillon, or are you going to turn into some horrific devil on me”

He whirled suddenly. “ I am a devil Faith, we all are here so don’t let our pretty faces fool you” He smiled sadly. “But this is my real form, my mother was human just like yours”

“And your father?” I pried.

He shrugged “my father was definitely not like yours. But I have never met him, never want to either. The higher demons… well thsy don’t really mix with half breeds like us. Same as your father wouldn’t mix with you”

I blinked back in surprise. My father? How could he be talking about my father when I didn’t even know him myself. He had left my mum before I was even born and she had never recovered from it. Madness had eaten her up as the grief of his betrayal made her lose her mind. That grief had taken my mother and my childhood. Leaving me with over religious grand parents.

What would they say if they could see me now, panting after a self proclaimed devil.

“But enough of that , let me show you my most prized possession” He swung open the door and I gazed downwards into nothingness around his elbow.

Actual nothingness. Moans and whines drifted up from the inky darkness.

“Come on”

“ Dillon I’m not, there’s nothing there. You drag me through that door and I’m going to fall to my death”

“I won’t ever let that happen to you Faith but you have to trust me” He smiled down at me even as I struggled to remove my hand from his.

Heights. I didn’t like them one bit. My heart was thundering in my ears .

“If you step through I promise you it will be ok”

“How will it be ok Dillon? Is this some sort dungeon? Like they have in old castles? Are you going to toss me down there and leave me to die in the dark” Panic had a full grip on my throat making it hard to breathe.

“Oubliette?”

“How do you know .. I didn’t put you down as a history major?”

“I’m an accounting major this time round but we were around when they were popular Faith. We have been travelling between dimensions for a very very long time” He let me digest that piece of information for a split second and then tugged me to chest. “But this isn’t one of those” His grin was mischievous “this is magic” I stifled my scream as he stepped through the open door way. Hiding my face against the hardness of his chest.

I waited for the air to whoosh past my face, but my stomach didn’t somersault.

“Open your eyes Faith”

Reluctantly I did as I was told. Staring down at the grey stone of roughly been stairs that spiralled downwards where only moments before there had been nothing but air.

“What?”

“I told you magic” He tugged on my hand “come on”

“Why do you have magic stairs and where are we going?”

“My vault is down here, where I keep the most precious things I own. The stairs are magic because my brother” He paused.

“Declan”

“Yes Declan , well he is always trying to take what is mine. The stairs only materialise for me. If he tries to break into the vault he will fall. It won’t kill him but it will put him out of the game for a while, Mess up his pretty face and he is rather fond of his face. ”

The faint golden glow that had been nothing but a mist seemed to grow larger and larger as we descended. My mind whirling I let myself be led.

Magic?

Devils?

It was all to much to take it.

“I” I froze as a huge shadow materialised out of the golden glow and it took several seconds for my brain to work out that the glow was coming from the creature.

It raised its neck up high , towering upwards until its head hit the stone ceiling, sending down a plume of fine white dust.

“Is that a dragon?” I breathed out.

“Baby one yes, she’s a beauty isn’t she” He stepped forward as if walking towards a real life dragon was nothing at all. Like it was an every day occurrence.

Maybe it was to him.

To me I was still trying to wrap my brain around Dragon.

“Come on Faith, she won’t hurt you. Look at her”

“She’s beautiful” I took a tentative step forward, my eyes sweeping over her scales. And she was beautiful but … I paused. She seemed half formed. Her scales, each easily the size of my hand seemed to be made of gold and precious stones but there were huge gaps in her dazzling armour.

“What happened to her”

My grey skin between shining scales seemed rough, in parts raised with red and white mottled scars.

“She was born without scales and her mother tried to kill her, I saved her and every year I give her a new precious scale to cover herself with. She is my oldest and most loyal friend apart from my brothers”

My eyes swept over the scales. Their must be hundreds of them.

“You saved her”

He nodded sadly.

“Come and see all my treasures Faith, if you would like something” His voice was suddenly pained. “If you would like something I will gladly give it to you, I would share this all with you”

The sin of Greed was willing to share this with me?

“And if you don’t see anything, I can make you something”

“You can make me something?”

“I am Greed Faith, that is my sin. There isn’t enough gold and precious gems in the world to appease me” He shrugged , pulling me into the cavernous room with a grin . Gold crunches under my feet. “So I learnt to make my own”

Wait, what?

“You …”

“Alchemy my heart. Now tell me what you think”

I glanced around , my mouth swinging open and hanging there as I took it all in.

Gold , silver , gemstones of every colour covered every surface but the two almost sterile desks to the left. Piled high like snow drifts in places and the room went on forever.

Works of art, I was pretty sure were meant to be in museums were tossed amongst the mass of metal.

I had just stepped into a scene worthy of Tolkien, complete with guarding Dragon.

This was real… it wasn’t a dream. I swayed where I stood, suddenly faint.

“I need to sit down”