"and lead us not into temptation,

  but deliver us from evil."

  - Our father prayer.

  Nicodemus looked up from the floor and saw Micah. His faced was filled with horror. A man, he did not recognize ran to him and helped him up. Nicodemus was too tired, too drained to fight back. He heard Virgil barking and whining outside, Ruth ran in and helped him up. Nicodemus couldn’t understand a word they were saying. His head hurt. His body ached. Micah grabbed his face and said something, Nicodemus’ exhaustion made nothing comprehendible, he could just gaze into his eyes. The ringing in his ear drowned out Micah’s voice and all noise. He was going in and out of consciousness trying to not fade out.

  “It’s going to be okay.” He heard the other man say, they took him out of the house. Nicodemus was being carried on Micah’s back now. He was unsure how he ended up there, he rested his head on Micah’s shoulder and passed out.

  .    .    .

  “Lot, I am the nephew of Abraham.” Lot walked over to Nicodemus and sat down next to him. His daughters walked around picking a few items up.

  “Feel free to drink some wine, you must have had a tough time here.” Paltith said. The younger sister handed him a warm plate of food. Nicodemus took a large sip of the wine and set the cup down. His body felt relaxed, and his stomach was finally able to hold food down. Lot smiled at him and got up, he went to speak to his daughters in private. Nicodemus looked around, the house was small but it seemed comfortable for a small family like his. He felt his thoughts begin to slow, he reached out to grab his cup but his arms were too heavy. Something was not right. Nicodemus turned his head slightly, and noticed that Paltith’s arm was back to normal. Had she not dislocated it earlier? Nicodemus slowly turned his head back to face the exit. He needed to leave, if he did not notice the arm then, he definitely knew it would not have healed so fast.

  Before arriving to Sodom, Micah had mentioned to be wary of the creatures that roamed the area. “No one uses their real name. If anyone asks, lie. Names hold power.” He had told Nicodemus as they got their horses ready. Nicodemus felt like an idiot once again, the old man was quick to share his daughter’s name, and even said his without any hesitation. These were false names of course. He needed to push himself up. Nicodemus felt paralyzed on the chair, his eyes were the only part of him able to move.

  Warning: Feel free to skip this scene if you would rather not read any media that contains S.A, The following, although not graphic can be disturbing or triggering for a few. Thank you. I will be leaving another mark where it ends, feel free to skip to that scene.

  He heard the three of them make their way back, Nicodemus’ heart was almost pounding out of his chest, he heard it beating in his ears. Paltith stood behind him. Nicodemus’ hair raised, what was she going to do? He felt her hands move down his shoulders, he felt her breath on his neck. Nicodemus glanced at her from the corner of his eye, he saw how her eyes met his. She leaned in and kissed his ear. He flinched back, but still could not move much.

  “My father was right, a man like you would be perfect to pass on the bloodline. Strong, tall, handsome. Your eyes, the most beautiful shade of green. What is your name?” She whispered in his ear. Nicodemus could speak, but he stayed quiet. He hated her touch. The younger sister walked to the other side of him, and kissed his neck. Her hands traced down his chest and began to unbutton his shirt. Nicodemus eyes shot down in horror.

  “Do not worry, we only need you to do it once. My sister and I will do all the work.” She licked his neck. He tried to move his head and body away but cursed when he could not move a muscle.

  “Get off me.” Nicodemus warned, his voice was soft. The girls looked up and giggled at him, Paltith reached down to his pants, she felt him and smiled.

  “Seems like you want it.” The younger sister said. Nicodemus was furious. His breaths got heavy and he turned his head to face her.

  “Do not touch me.” He had hoped to yell, but it only came out as his normal tone. Nicodemus needed to move, he needed to get up. His blood boiled, he gasped for air feeling himself only get drowsier as time passed.

  Paltith moved in front and spread his legs apart, she felt him out and got in between. Nicodemus tried hard to look away. He closed his eyes focusing instead on gaining movement in his body. Paltith leaned in closer and kissed his chest. She raised her head, trying to kiss his lips but he turned his head away. The other girl rolled her eyes. She grabbed Nicodemus’ face and made him face Paltith. As his lips were being kissed, she slipped her tongue in. Nicodemus then was able to move his arm. He raised it. He pulled Paltith in. As if breaking chains and locks, slowly Nicodemus felt his body no longer under his own control. He hated her. His eyes shot open, and watched as she melted into his touch. ‘Pathetic bitch.’ He watched as she pushed her body against his.

  His finger tips ripped apart as his nails grew longer, he felt his jaw unlock and his canine’s grew larger. He gently moved back and looked at her in the eyes. Paltith’s eyes widened when she noticed. Nicodemus was no longer human.

  “What? Seems like you want it.” He smiled. Nicodemus dug his nails deep into her back, trapping her in his grasp, with his free hand he pulled down on her hair. Her now exposed neck was near his mouth. Paltith screamed in agony, she tried to push him away. He watched as she struggled against his grasp.

  The other girl had stepped back, he fully rotated his head and stared at her. “And where do you think you’re going?” He turned back, biting down on Paltith’s neck, he ripped her skin off and spit it out. Paltith’s blood gushed out, covering his face and chest. He dug his hand inside the hole in her neck and ripped tissue before getting ahold of her bones, he grabbed onto them with two fingers and pulled her spine, snapping her neck in half. Paltith’s lifeless body collapsed on his legs. He threw her off.

  He wasn’t done yet. Nicodemus stepped over her skull and crushed it with his boot. The sister screamed, and froze near the wall. In a flash, he now stood in front of her. With immense strength he dug his finger nails into her eyes, grabbing her eyes and pulling them out of their sockets. She fell forward covering her face. Her screams got louder before he kneed her head, causing it to be pushed back and hit the wall. There Nicodemus pulled her up by her hair, as she pleaded to him.

  “Please! Let me go!” She begged.

  “No.” He said, he leaned in biting the side of her mouth. His teeth dug in before he removed the skin. She used her hands to try and push him away. Nicodemus began to laugh. He threw her against the floor. Digging his hands in the opening of mouth he pulled her jaw, snapping it in half. Nicodemus dug inside her throat before pulling her tongue out. Nicodemus lastly smashed her head with a vase on the counter. He took deep breaths as his blood-soaked boots stained the floors, he needed to get out. At that moment he felt a sharp pain on his head. He turned and saw Lot. Nicodemus grabbed a wooden board and walked forward. He felt drops of blood drip down his back, his nails had shrunk and he felt his body become heavy again.

  Lot swung a metal pan at his face, but Nicodemus blocked it, spraining his wrist with the impact. His vision faded again, he fell forward catching himself fully, this time a snap was heard and his wrist bone pierced through his skin. He heard barking. Lot walked forward, his face was red with anger. There was a smash and Nicodemus looked back.

  “Micah?” Nicodemus saw another man storm in. He could not focus, but felt a sense of relief and rested on the floor.

  “Hello, Your Majesty. We’ll get you out.”

  Summary for those who choose not to read: Nicodemus beat the crap out of demons that pretended to be Lot and his daughters.

  .   .   .

  Nicodemus felt a soft bed, he opened his eyes and Virgil laid next to him. Ruth was bandaging his wrist, she looked sad, and her hands were shaking. The smell of iron filled the room.

  "Ruth." He managed to say, she looked up and him and gently jumped on him, her arms wrapped around his neck. Nicodemus' body stiffened at the sudden touch, but relaxed once he heard her crying. "Ruth, why do you cry when I am the one with the broken wrist, silly girl?" he used his free hand and pet the back of her head. She laughed softly in between tears, and got off of him.

  "I'm just happy you're awake. Micah and Cain should be back soon. Micah is worried sick, he has not slept in two days." She sat down on the bed, running her fingers through his hair. Nicodemus could not help but still flinch at being touched. He turned his head to face Virgil.

  It had been two days. He realized he still wore the same pants, his shoes were taken off and he had bandages around his chest. He did not want to imagine them cleaning him. His skin was still a bit stained from the blood so at least he had not been showered yet. He felt relieved. Ruth removed her hand and got off the bed. Nicodemus turned his face to look at her. She had gotten up and unlocked the door. A man with black curly hair walked in, this was probably Cain. He looked a bit different than he pictured. Cain had honey-like eyes, but his skin was the same as Nicodemus'. Cain made eye contact and did a slight bow before pulling Ruth aside. Nicodemus turned his body over and his face was buried in Virgil’s fur. If Cain needed to pull Ruth, Nicodemus had no business in their talk.

  "Has he woken up yet?" Micah asked, Nicodemus did not move, he stayed quiet and pretended to be asleep.

  "He woke up, but I'm assuming he's asleep again." Cain said. Nicodemus heard a few foot steps by the edge of the bed and his heart started beating fast. He wanted to turn around, but he was also very curious what the other would do.

  "Demus, let me help you bathe." Micah said, his voice was gentle to his ears. Nicodemus shook his head in Virgil’s back. Virgil got up and went to Ruth. Nicodemus pouted and lifted his head seeing the highest form of betrayal. Micah laughed, and Nicodemus turned his head to face him. He noticed Micah had dark circles, he truly had not slept. Micah looked tired. He leaned down and embraced him in a hug. Nicodemus allowed it. His face was covered by Micah’s hair. Micah let his body fully rely on the small amount of strength Nicodemus had left. Luckily, Nicodemus did not find the other as heavy. Nicodemus closed his eyes and hugged him back.

  Nicodemus and Micah had drifted off back to sleep. At first, Nicodemus was wondering when the other planned to get off. Soon little snores were heard in his ear. Nicodemus held himself back from laughing to allow him to rest. Ruth and Cain had offered to remove him but Nicodemus brushed them away. Ruth and Cain had now left with Virgil to God knows where. He managed to pull a blanket over them with his good hand, and closed his eyes.

  Eventually, when they woke up, Micah softly got off of Nicodemus. He felt the weight of the other slowly vanish. He opened his eyes, Micah looked at him and stared at his neck. He glared, Nicodemus arched a brow glaring back.

  "Something the matter?" He said

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  "What happened to your neck?" Micah asked. He got off the bed and tied his hair back into a bun. Nicodemus sat up and felt around. He then remembered it all. Nicodemus got up.

  "I will go bathe. Bring me a towel later." "Let me help--"

  "No, just... bring me a towel." Nicodemus headed to the bathroom.

  Inside he managed to remove all clothing, he did not realize how sticky he was until now. There was an old mirror and he was too afraid to look at himself. The water was still warm, He knew Ruth had brought some hot water in case he got up and wanted to shower. He was very thankful to her. He got a bucket and rinsed himself off first. The smell of blood rose straight to his nose, as the copper-colored water fell down to his feet. Nicodemus lathered his body in soap. He felt ghost handprints on his body, Paltith's hands traced over his shoulders and everywhere he went. He could hear her laugh and smell her scent.

  He reached out to grab a loofa, and Nicodemus scrubbed. He scrubbed and he scrubbed and he scrubbed, until his skin became agitated and red. His arms and legs stung to the touch. He fell to his knees and kept scrubbing. He hated his skin, he hated everything there was to him at this moment. Nicodemus threw the wet loofa across the room, it hit the door and he went into the bath. The water covered his entire body and only his head was out. There was a knock.

  "Can I come in?" Nicodemus did not answer. What good would it do him now? He wondered if Micah knew what had happened. He fully collapsed on his way over to the suite. He had zero memories of even being brought here. The door slowly creaked open, Nicodemus only sunk in more.

  "Demus, you need to get out soon... I heard you hit the door, are you alright?" He pulled a small, dry stool with him, and a bucket, sitting next to the tub. Nicodemus only glanced over at him. Micah sighed. Truthfully, he was not in the best of moods to speak. Not that he had any issues with Micah. The other grabbed some soap.

  "Need help? I can take care of your hair." Micah asked. Nicodemus nodded. He was not able to wash his hair properly because of his wrist, so he could put the other to good use. Micah had brought some clean water, and he got a cup and poured it down his head. Gently he massaged the soap from the top of his head to the lower ends. Nicodemus did not like his hair that much now. He turned to Micah "Can you cut my hair?"

  Micah blinked a few times processing his question.

  "Not a ton, simply up to my upper chest. You do not have to-"

  "I can. Let me grab a razor." Micah got up. Nicodemus brought his hair back, he saw the length. He had refused to cut it for so long, but now he could no longer bear to let it grow. When Micah returned he confirmed Nicodemus' choice.

  He heard the chunks of hair slap the water on the floor. Micah was super gentle and checked with him about the size. Nicodemus had remembered how much his mother loved his hair. 'Hair holds memory, so I never want to cut it off!' Nicodemus would tell his mother growing up. He did not want to remember, he did not want to think about anything anymore. Tears rolled down from his eyes, and Micah froze.

  "Demus..." He turned his face, Micah looked at him closely. No words were spoken but both seemed to understand everything. "Demus...It's not your fault."

  "It is." Nicodemus wiped his tears.

  "It is not your fault. Nothing is, there are evil people in this world. You are not one of them. You did not deserve that. No one ever does." Micah pulled him closer. Nicodemus broke down.

  "You don't get it. I should have not trusted them—Micah what good am I if I fall for stupid shit like this? I am not even man enough to forget. When I close my eyes all I see is her." Micah did not answer in that moment. Nicodemus stayed squished between Micah’s arms, he had forced himself to stop crying. There was no use in doing it.

  "You're still a man. The things that happened back in Sodom don't change how I view you, how I feel about you, and the respect you deserve." Micah slightly adjusted Nicodemus in order to finish his hair. The two of them did not speak more. It was a hard topic for Nicodemus to discuss. He was just thankful to have his best friend next to him.

  Nicodemus was left to change, Micah had brought him a change of fresh, new clothes. It was more of Micah’s style, but the pants were comfortable and loose like what he had on before. Nicodemus’ hair reached his upper chest now, it was much shorter than he was used to previously. He looked at his neck in the mirror where small purple bruises were spread all over. He was thankful the shirt was a turtleneck, he would not have to see them for a while. He heard Virgil bark in the other room. They had returned, and he had to be Emperor once again.

  Micah sat on the bed, leaving enough room for Nicodemus to sit. Ruth had prepared some food for the four of them and some leftover meats for Virgil. Cain got up to greet Nicodemus. They shook hands. Cain was quite handsome. He was a mix of Adam and Eve. Nicodemus had also noticed two moles on his cheeks, similar to the ones on Micah’s face. He had not noticed how much he was staring at Cain until the other finally spoke again. "You look like your father."

  "Do I? Most say I have my mother’s traits."

  "You have her eyes, but your father’s face. I almost forgot you were not him." Cain sat down first.

  "It has been a long time since I've seen my father, I hate to admit I barely remember his face." Nicodemus said, talking about his parents in past tense was always weird to him; to him they were still alive.

  "I understand." Cain cleared his throat. "So, about this trip. You need to find Enoch?"

  "That is correct." Nicodemus realized his previous comment perhaps hit a bit too close to home, Cain was the son of the first man and woman after all.

  "Did Samyaza tell you the risks? I know where he rests, the only thing is, if you plan to get the sword of Eden, Enoch is not an easy man to persuade. Although, he is blind, he is very powerful." Cain stated, Nicodemus no longer cared what was easy or hard. He was tired of being nice.

  "Blind or seeing, I could not care less. I need you to help me get to where he is. You supposedly know where the sword is kept too? Why have you not gotten it yourself?" Nicodemus asked.

  "Because of this." Cain unbuttoned his shirt. On his chest laid a mark, it looked almost like an old compass. In the middle was a big star that pointed perfectly in each direction. "It would set off the trumpets of Heaven if I got even close to him. I can only guide you but the flames of purification would forbid my entry."

  Nicodemus understood: God had punished Cain. He could not be killed by anyone or himself. He was meant to be lost and wander the earth for his entire life. If anyone had tried to kill him, they would be faced with something worse than death. He was not sure how it would have worked out if Samyaza or his mom went. What was their plan? Brutal force seemed to always work.

  "I am also not the only one who knows where it is." Cain said "Enoch is respected by the seven seats, as well as the four princes. The reason I alone cannot enter is because I was the first to murder, it is a mortal sin. Those that could not be forgiven by god."

  "Seven seats?" Nicodemus had heard of that title but was not fully sure what it meant or who they were.

  "I have heard of the four princes." Micah blurted out.

  "You have?" Cain and Nicodemus both turned to Micah.

  "Correct, I do not know their names, but they were the four angels of the Lord. They were also the founders of The Holy Kingdom of Alvonia. Power, Skin, Spirit and Blood."

  "How do you know so much?" Nicodemus was both impressed yet curious why he was full of so much valuable information.

  "I studied them, again, I know a lot of the history of the world before the Infernal Divine war. Back home we keep a few of the scrolls that were written by the prophets themselves. I was not always allowed to go in the library, but when I was able to sneak in, I did!"

  "You're Alvon?" Cain asked, Nicodemus understood how that would be confusing, After all, Avernita and Alvonia have been in a cold war for years. Their people practically hated each other. Nicodemus felt very indifferent about Micah when they first met, but now he did not want to think so much about where their relationship was heading. Nicodemus instead changed the subject.

  "Who are the seven seats? Do you know them personally?"

  "I do not, the Seven are older than I am, than my father was. The world is much older than you think." Cain began to tell the story of creation. Nicodemus knew most of it. Adam and Eve, the temptation with the fruit of knowledge. He explained how in the beginning the world held so much more magic and beauty to it. The nephilims, dragons, and beasts that once roamed the land. Once the great flood took place, the majority of them died off. The new world still held some of its magic, until the Infernal Divine war.

  Nicodemus loved this, hearing the stories he has read about, told by someone who was there was a one of a kind experience. Micah and Ruth also sat down in silence listening along. Cain talked about Lucifer, how when he led his army against God the Earth shook. He remembered Micah had explained that when the land collided and created the Levan Shiamin's Mountains. Enoch rested on the top of the mountain, and Eden was in a middle valley. Nicodemus now knew where they were headed.

  "Do you know much about my mom?" Nicodemus regretted it as soon as he asked.

  "What I know would serve you no good. I know as much as you, Your majesty." Cain was apologetic. Nicodemus knew it was a long shot. Samyaza was the one who knew his mother best, and he could not speak. He got up and began to get ready for bed.

  "Well, we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow. Cain, perhaps you can tell me more about the seven as we travel?"

  "Under one condition. I have something to ask of you." Nicodemus turned,

  "Very well, is it money you want?"

  "No, I will ask for it in private. It is the same thing I asked of your mother."

  "If my mother agreed, I can’t see why not. If this is an imperial matter, we can talk about it in the morning. Assume I say yes." Nicodemus did want to know what he was planning to ask, but he was too tired to think. Sure, he had slept for two days straight but that only covers half the sleep he was able to get before his mother passed. Cain stayed quiet and prepared his space on the couch for him to rest.

  The five of them would be sharing a room. Ruth and Virgil called all the pillows and a spot on the floor. Cain took the couch, and Micah would share the bed with Nicodemus. Nicodemus got a blanket and wrapped himself up, leaving enough space for the other. Micah took care of turning the lanterns off. The night was still young, but they all agreed to call it a night. Micah was first to pass out. Then Cain, Ruth and lastly Virgil’s soft snores were heard. Nicodemus was afraid to sleep, he was at peace with everyone around him but thinking of what was ahead of them kept him up. He hadn't told Ruth about the pills, she hasn't asked either. He looked out the small window trying to keep his breathing silent.

  "Demus?" Micah whispered, Nicodemus turned to look at him.

  "Hi."

  "Try to sleep, don't think too much right now." Micah reached out to caress his face. Nicodemus smiled and nodded.

  “Okay. Goodnight, Micah."

  "Goodnight.”