Blasphemia II: Deus Vult Pt. 09

To find her answer, Judith sought out a newsstand and picked up a newspaper. The front-page story was a detailed account of the continued efforts to pick through the rubble of the city in search of any survivors. Prospects were, of course, dismal, but that hadn't deterred good people from trying. Other efforts were undergoing to recover art and statues, or pieces thereof. Another task force had discovered the remnants of the Templar bunker, and there was already a demand for explanation from governments the world over. But with the Pope and all the cardinals in Rome dead, and with O'Carroll gibbering in a hospital ward after Judith had forced him to confront the full measure of his sins, nobody knew who was in charge. Several fringe sects had already tried to assert their status as the new head of the Church, but to give credit to the governments of the world, none of them were buying it. Dioceses the world over were scrambling for answers, and trying to form some sort of cohesive response. Time would tell the full measure of what would happen.

Judith folded the newspaper up and tucked it under her arm, intending to read the rest later. She walked down the street to the bakery she'd visited the day prior, now with fresh pastries emanating steam on the racks out front. She bought a loaf of bread, a bag full of pevarini, and several cannolis, all of them wrapped up nicely and tucked into a paper bag. On the way back to the hotel, she ducked into a deli and bought capocollo and several large chunks of cheese to make more sandwiches. Suitably stocked, she walked the rest of the way back to the hotel, intending to spend the rest of the day eating, resting, and reading the newspaper.

At least until she shouldered her way into the room and heard retching noises coming from the bathroom. Judith dropped the bags of food by the door and drew Celerity, moving towards the small lavatory. As she drew close, she saw Luca's legs through the open door. "Luca? Are you okay?" Her voice was tinged with desperate panic.

"Blargh," came the reply. A shaky hand waved at her through the door. "Hey, Judith..."

Judith peeked into the bathroom. Luca was slumped over the toilet, shielding the contents from view with his torso. "Sorry..." he mumbled.

"Are you sick?" Nothing they'd eaten the previous day had tasted off. Unless it was the MREs.

Luca shook his head. "Made myself sick. Started thinking about everything that happened. I couldn't shake the image of...of His Holiness becoming that thing."

Judith sheathed Celerity. She knelt down next to Luca and put her hand on his shoulder. "I don't blame you. A lesser man would've likely been broken by all that you went through."

Luca groaned. "You don't need to flatter me."

"I wasn't."

He looked up at her, then waved her off. "Let me clean up real quick."

Judith left him, returning to the kitchen to unpack all the food she'd gotten. She heard the toilet flush, followed by the sounds of running water and someone cleaning their mouth out. Judith popped several of the pevarini into her mouth as she listened. The water shut off, and she heard a muttered curse before Luca came out of the bathroom without his shirt on. "Couldn't keep it off my shirt," he grumbled.

Judith stopped mid-chew at the sight of his body. Now that they were out of the dismal light of the underground catacombs, the lines of his body popped even more, drawing the eye down towards his waist. "It's...alright," she said.

Luca blushed at her gaze. He moved next to her, tearing off a hunk of bread and a piece of the cheese before mashing them together and biting into it with gusto. He made a contented noise in his throat. "Hopefully I can keep this down," he said between bites.

Judith swallowed the pevarini, the subtle chocolate flavor settling on the inside of her mouth. Here, there was nothing stopping her from making a move should she want to. There was no reason to - their lives weren't in danger anymore, and Filia didn't need to siphon power off them. But as she stared at Luca, she realized that she didn't need a reason. If she wanted to, she could, and there was no shame in it.

Luca caught her eye as he finished devouring a pevarini. "Judith?"

She took a step towards him, pressing her body into his side. Her fingers closed around his arm. "Let me take your mind off things," she murmured. Luca made a soft noise, and Judith wondered if she'd gone too far, that their coupling in the darkness under Rome had been simple necessity, a flash in the pan, nothing more than-

Luca grabbed hold of her and kissed her, not rough but not gentle either. Judith responded immediately, almost leaping into his arms as she kissed back. His hands squeezed her back tight, finger splaying on her shoulders and tailbone. Judith pressed back with her hands on his chest, hanging on for dear life as her whole body began to burn with sweet heat. In a moment of clarity, she realized it was almost the exact same feeling that had come over her when she was infused with divine power. And to think, all this time I thought it was the other way around.

Trembling fingers, both hers and his, worked to undo the buttons on her shirt. Judith wore no undergarments underneath it, so as soon as the shirt was open she was vulnerable. His strong hands cupped and squeezed her breasts, and she arched up into his grip, moaning into his mouth. Luca growled, the sound coming from somewhere deep inside him, and he bit her lower lip for a moment before letting go. His hands worked to free her of her shirt, while her own snaked into his pants to cup the delicious length hiding within.

Judith half-expected Filia to pop in at any moment in her usual fashion, but the succubus was nowhere to be seen. It was just her and Luca, no intermediary. It both exhilarated and frightened her, if only a little. But the feeling burning inside her was too good to pass up. Their bodies and hearts knew what they wanted, and Judith welcomed it for the first time in a long while. She kept on kissing and clawing at Luca, and he did the same in turn. They broke their kiss, mouths seeking other places to nip and suck on each other's bodies. Luca made that animal growl again when Judith nipped at his neck, and when his mouth closed around one of her sensitive nipples Judith swore the room spun.

"Should we move to the bedroom?" Luca panted, his hair in disarray and an almost feral look shining in his eyes.

Judith shook her head. "To hell with the bedroom." She let go of him for just a moment, enough time to slide all the food she'd bought to one side of the countertop. Her fingers fumbled with the button on her pants before undoing it, sliding the fabric down her legs. "Right here. Right now."

Luca rid himself of his own pants as Judith got naked. She hopped up on the counter, the smooth stone chilly under her bare butt. It was only when she spread her legs that she realized just how sopping wet she was. Her belly rose and fell quickly in time with her breathing. "Hurry, hurry..." she panted.

Luca grabbed her and scooted her a little closer to the edge, the counter at just the right height so that his hips were lined up perfectly. He wrapped her legs around his waist, sliding his cock through her pubic hair. "Patience," he said.

"Like you're going to wait much longer."

He smirked up at her. "I think Filia is rubbing off on you."

Judith arched an eyebrow. "You're complaining?"

By way of answer, Luca lined himself up, the broad head of his cock spreading her labia. He pressed forward with his hips, and Judith cried out in delight as he entered her slowly. She felt him throbbing every inch of the way, until he was hilted inside her, leaning over her with his hands on the counter supporting his weight. "No..." he groaned. "No, I'm not."

Judith kissed him again as he began to thrust into her slowly. Her legs cinched tight against his lower back, not allowing him to wiggle away in the slightest. Their skin slid together, sweat mingling in the space between their bodies along with their scents. Judith couldn't believe she'd ever denied herself this, ever. She felt enraptured in bliss, as close as she could get to God without reaching into her soul and drawing out that divine strength. Luca was a dynamo, finding a pace that left her shuddering and staying with it. His wonderful cock hit every spot within her, making her toes curl and her fingers flex against his back. If only she could take this into herself and never let it go.

Luca looked into her eyes, his own gaze heady with lust. "You're so beautiful," he murmured.

Judith giggled, her laugh hitched slightly by another earth-shaking wave of pleasure flowing through her. "Flatterer."

"I mean it."

Judith crooned in her throat, then beckoned him with a finger. "Come here, you. Don't say another word until you come inside me."

He obeyed her command, pressing his lips to hers in a kiss that pushed her over the edge. She moaned into his mouth, tasting the savory flavors of cheese and chocolate lingering on his tongue. Her sex clenched around his length, milking him with the force of her orgasms. He keep up his pace, bearing down on her a little as he thrust deeper and deeper to sate his mortal desires in her body. Judith welcomed it - it felt too good. I hope I never find the name of whoever it was that decreed we abstain from this pleasure, she thought through the haze. I may just have to kill them.

True to her request, Luca said nothing more until he let out a long groan into her mouth, his hips settling against hers. Judith felt him cum, his cock trembling as he filled her to the brim. Her toes curled against the small of his back as the warmth filled her, coaxing a contented sigh from her lips. "Ah..."

Luca held onto her, his breath fanning over her shoulder as he came down from his pleasure high with her. He remained within her, his cock holding that warmth inside her. "God," he panted.

Judith ran her fingers through his hair. "Is good," she finished.

He laughed, and slowly pulled out of her. Cum flowed out of Judith's cunny, dripping down the inside her thigh onto the counter below. "Good thing I thought to move the food," she said.

"It would've been a little disgusting," Luca said, leaning on the counter.

"Filia would've gone for it."

Luca made a face. "Speaking of our succubus friend, where is she?"

"She said she had to go back to Hell to report to her master. Told me not to worry."

Luca nodded, bowing his head. Judith lifted his chin with a finger. "Talk to me."

The librarian looked out the window behind them, to the gently flowing waters of the canal. "I feel compelled to return to Jerusalem. The Templars there will want everyone on hand to deal with this crisis." He made a face. "But I want to remain by your side."

Judith put a hand on his cheek. The first hints of stubble prickled against her palm, the result of him not having cleaned up his face for several days. "If that is what you wish to do, then go. I can take care of myself. Who knows, it may be in my best interest to join you."

Luca perked up. "It would?"

"It just might. There are plenty more Before Gods out there. Yog-Sothoth may have just been the beginning. Jerusalem may very well be another target. With the Vatican gone, we're vulnerable." Judith sat forward, cupping his face with both hands. "We of the faith must stick together. The Church isn't enough anymore - we must seek our own path going forward."

He nodded. "I'll go out later and see if I can get into contact with the detachment there."

"Why later?"

Luca got that look in his eye again. "Because right now I want to make love with you again."

Judith felt an eager flutter in her heart. "Well, by all means."

Luca's plans to contact the Templars in Jerusalem were put on hold as he and Judith spent the rest of the day never going too far from the bed, letting the Venice air cool their hot bodies in between bout after bout of lovemaking. By the end of the day even Judith was exhausted, her stamina depleted fully, but in a good way. She fell asleep with Luca's arms around her waist.

When she blinked awake, Luca was dressing quietly. "Morning," he said.

"Good morning," Judith yawned, sliding to the side of the bed. "I'll go get us some more food."

"No, stay." Luca gently patted her hip. "I'll get us something while I'm out. Hopefully I can get through by phone. I remember the extensions at least." He made a face. "I think."

"If not, we'll just have to go there ourselves," Judith said, kissing the back of his hand. "How long will you be?"

"No more than an hour or two." Luca bent over and kissed her forehead. "I'll be right back."

He left, leaving Judith alone in the small room. She burrowed back into the sheets, intending to catch another few hours of sleep while Luca was out. But her mind and body were awake, and sleep eluded her. With nothing better to do, Judith slid out of bed and stretched her body on the floor. The simple motions spurred her tired muscles back into life, and she worked up a sweat with the workout. For the first time ever, Judith didn't recite Bible verses during the workout. She no longer needed them to focus.

It was as she was bent over at the waist that a dark portal snapped open behind her and Filia stepped through. The succubus stopped short and raised an eyebrow. "Well hello there."

"Filia!" Judith straightened up, her hands flying to her rear. "You're back!"

"Told you I would be." Filia made a circular motion with her finger. "Turn back around, I was enjoying the view."

"Not until you tell me what happened."

"Fair's fair, I guess." Filia looked towards the kitchen. "You have any food left? Also, where's pretty boy?"

"He went out to contact the Templars in Jerusalem," Judith said, setting the rest of the loaf of bread from the day before in front of Filia. "And to find us something to eat for today."

FIlia nodded and chowed down on the bread, as well as the remaining cheese and meat from the day before. The succubus looked more vibrant, as if returning to Hell for a day had been the equivalent of a spa treatment. Her shadows were a deeper shade of black, her skin flush and healthy. "Jerusalem might be a good place. Things are in motion."

"What do you mean?"

FIlia took a long time to answer. "Let's just say that Yog-Sothoth's mere appearance was enough to throw a lot of Satan's plans out of whack. Have you seen a newspaper in the last couple days?"

Judith nodded, gesturing to the scattered sections of yesterday's paper on a chair in the sitting area. "It's all about Rome."

"We'll have to pick up an international newspaper as soon as we can." Filia pinched the bridge of her nose. "Because some shit is going down in America, and Nico's being sent over there to do some cleanup duty."

Judith nodded. "Was he displeased that you couldn't keep His Holiness alive?"

Filia waved a hand. "A little, but ultimately we stopped Yog-Sothoth, and that's the real thing that matters. Satan's been playing the long game for a long time. He knows how to adjust a plan and roll with the punches." She tapped her fingers on the table. "He's given me a choice of what do next."

"Between what and what?"

"Go back to Hell and wait for him to find something else for me to do." She looked up at Filia. "Or run with you for a little while. I can't go help Nico with his mission because the two of us in close proximity would radiate Infernal power like a beacon, and what he's doing requires him to be able to fly under the radar. So, I guess..." She shifted a little. "If you'll have me, I've always kind of wanted to see Jerusalem."

Judith leaned over the counter towards her. "You're not defacing any monuments."

The succubus held up two fingers close apart. "Just a little bit?"

"Do you want to start an international incident so soon after all this?"

Filia's mouth flattened into a line. "Good point." She blinked. "Wait. You didn't say no."

"Why would I?" Judith walked to the end of the counter, putting her hand on FIlia's shoulder. "I never would've survived if it weren't for you. Neither would Luca. As...surreal as it is for me to say this, you've earned my trust."

Filia blinked, then looked around the room. "Who are you and what have you done with the real Judith?"

"I'm serious!" Judith protested, giving the succubus a playful shove. It barely made her move, which only made Filia laugh. "Why you!"

She tried to grab Filia, only for the succubus to dart back with another laugh. A challenge was written on her face. Judith narrowed her eyes with a grin, and chased after Filia like she was a hyperactive puppy. The succubus darted around, using her wings to propel herself around the room and keep herself just out of Judith's reach. "Gotta work harder than that to catch me, big bad Templar!" she called.

"Give me a minute," Judith retorted, her fingers closing on empty air. She pivoted on her heel and kept on Filia's tail, chasing the succubus into the bedroom.

FIlia made a beeline for the bed, turning around and "accidentally" falling onto the bed. "Oh no," she drawled, running her hands up her body to cup her breasts. "I've fallen down and am terribly vulnerable right now. I hope a strapping lady Templar doesn't have any naughty thoughts in her head about - yip!"

Judith pounced on Filia, pinning the succubus to the bed with her body. She shut her up with a fierce kiss, reveling in the feel of Filia's plush lips against her own. The succubus laughed deep in her throat, kissing back eagerly. She wasn't shy like Luca was, her lilac fingers yanking Judith's shirt up her torso as her legs grapevines around Judith's lower body. Judith hummed and ran her ran down the back of Filia's thigh, squeezing hard as she reached the perfect ass at the end. "I've got plenty of naughty thoughts," Judith panted.

"Again, what kind of pod person are you and where's the real Judith?" Filia snickered.

"Alright you," Judith growled, finding a sense of dominance growing within her. She'd had enough of Filia's nonsense. "This time you're going down on me."

Filia arched an eyebrow. "As if you could make me."

Judith answered the eyebrow with one of her own, then flicked the internal switch on her holy power. Her eyes flared with golden light, strength of faith imbuing her limbs. Filia was caught completely off-guard. Judith rolled them over, her grip firm on Filia's shoulders. "Don't forget, Infernal, I can measure up to you now."

"Holy fuck this is hot," Filia said in a tiny voice.

"I'll still let you tie me up," Judith said, brushing a lock of Filia's hair away from her eyes. "But right now I want us to be on a level playing field."

Filia licked her lips, then dipped her head and nuzzled Judith's belly. "I smell Luca," she murmured.

Judith immediately felt sheepish. "I...didn't shower since yesterday."

"Fires, that's why you smell heavenly." Filia's fingers were almost frantic in their efforts to take Judith's pants off. "I'm getting a double dose, hell yes."

Judith wriggled her legs to help Filia get her naked from the waist down. Filia nuzzled the inside of Judith's thighs, the light contact raising goosebumps. "Just one thing though," the succubus breathed.

"What's that?"

Judith's eyes flashed as she looked up the length of Judith's body. "You ever heard of the phrase 'topping from the bottom?'"

With that, she dove in with a will, kissing Judith in the most intimate of ways. Judith's breathing hitched for a moment, the contact unfamiliar and alien at first. After the first few lathes of the succubi's tongue, Judith grew more comfortable, and let herself sink into the sheets as Filia went to work. She bundled a pillow behind her head to make herself more comfortable.