Vengeance Is Mine

A To Tempt the Devil Sequel

by Wesa

Series: Brimstone

AU: TTD

Disclaimers: Brimstone characters belong to Ethan Reiff and Cyrus Voris, Warner Brothers, and now I guess to SciFi. Cassie and Lindor belong to me (Sorry, Luke).

Rating: PG-13 for discussion of the incest taboo. I try not to be too graphic, but if this offends you, then get the hell out now.

By Wesa.

"God damn it!" Zeke exclaimed, throwing down the spear he'd 'borrowed' from a museum earlier that night as Ash escaped once again.

"Please watch your language, Detective," the Devil said. "I don't want you to corrupt my son."

Zeke turned with a retort on his lips, but the sight of Lucifer pushing a pram put him off his stride. He burst into uncontrollable giggles. Laughing so hard he could no longer keep his feet, he sat down hard on the museum steps.

Luke raised his eyebrows. "I'm glad I could bring a little joy into your life, Ezekiel," he said sourly, but his attention was drawn away by the sound of fluttering within the carriage. "Hush, Lindor," he said gently. "I'm right here. Ezekiel can't harm you."

"I wouldn't if I could," Zeke said, wiping at his eyes, though he could shed no tears. "I needed a good laugh, and without Lindor I wouldn't have gotten it." The fluttering sound within the carriage resumed as Zeke spoke the infant's name. "You're baby-sitting?" he asked in amusement. "Where's Cassie?" Even though he now knew her real name was Lilith, Zeke had never gotten used to thinking of her that way. To him, she was still the same sweet, albeit crazy, young woman he'd met in the park a few months before.

"She went to check on Joe and his friends," Luke replied. "Lindor is my son, too, Mr. Stone. I'm perfectly capable of caring for him for a few hours."

"Yeah? And what if she's pregnant again, and you don't see her for another three thousand years?" Zeke challenged, gratified by the concerned expression that crossed Luke's face.

Then he frowned. "I will never lose her again," he said firmly. "If by chance she should become pregnant again, I will search until I find her. I want her near me, and Lindor needs her."

Zeke raised his eyebrows. "Because she's his mother?" he asked. "What can Cassie do for him that you can't?"

Luke scowled at him. "She's still nursing him, for one thing."

Zeke blinked in astonishment. "Baby angels nurse?" he asked. "I didn't think angels had to eat."

Luke shrugged. "God told us that because of the long gestation in human bodies, Lindor has need of the sustenance only Cassie can now provide, and that it will help heal her spirit."

"Whose spirit?" Zeke asked quickly. "Cassie's? What's wrong with her?"

"She really disliked being stuck in a human body," Luke explained, looking at him oddly. "Have you fallen in love with my wife, Ezekiel?"

"Your sister, you mean?" Zeke retorted.

"My sister, my wife." Luke shrugged again.

"I care about her," Zeke admitted. "Cassie was always nice to me." He smothered a smile as he looked up at Luke where he stood gently rolling the pram to and fro. "Would you give me a straight answer about something?" he asked.

"I've become a husband and a father, Mr. Stone. I have not ceased to be the Devil."

"Is that a yes or a no?" Zeke wondered.

"Ask your question, Detective," came the response.

"How is it that you -?" He tried again. "Why is it okay for you and Cassie -?" He paused and checked his growing embarrassment. "What about the taboo?" he managed finally. "It's incest. I mean, I do like Cassie, and it was bad enough that she fell in love with you when she was human, but to find out that you're her brother, then still marry you - And why would you want to, for that matter? She's your sister, for crying out loud."

Luke smiled. "Yes, she is. She is also beautiful, intelligent, and witty. And unlike Lindor, on the day we were born - created, rather - we were fully adult. We didn't go through a childhood together and learn to be repulsed by each other as human siblings do." He chuckled. "And after all, we are the direct offspring of God, Ezekiel. It's not as if either of us is likely to have any defective genes."

"Genes?"

"That's the reason for the taboo among humans, after all," Luke explained. "If you have a defective gene, there is a high likelihood that your sister, or even your cousin, will have it also. Two defective genes may mean that the baby you might make together would be born dead, or worse, it might die slowly."

Zeke studied Luke's face as he thought about what he'd been told. He found no trace of guile there, no amusement, and the reasoning did make sense. Very cautiously, he allowed himself to believe what the Devil had told him.

From the roof of the museum above, Ashur Badaktu listened, unable to hear everything clearly, but furious and jealous just the same. So, the ruler of Hell had found himself a new playmate already? After submitting to his lust for thousands of years before being cast aside - for what reason, she still didn't know - Ash felt used and betrayed. He had once told her she would rule at his side! And this spirit, this demon, this - this Cassie had already borne him a child? She wasted no time wondering how that could be possible, planning instead for her revenge.

She would have her revenge on both at the same time, and remove any claim by the Cassie.

She would take the child for her own, and sacrifice him to her god. He would join her daughter in death.