Tempting Father Hardy

But that was not the worst of it. No, not even close. The worst of it was the wings. Great, leathery, bat-like wings, spread wide behind her. They flapped lazily back and forth as he stared at them, undeniably real and terrifying.

She walked towards him and his whole body shook in dread. "Why slave, you look positively terrified," she purred. "I have to say, I rather like it. It suits you."

"Get thee behind me, Demon," he said unconvincingly.

She laughed. "A minute ago I was behind you. You seemed to rather enjoy it."

"Please, Lord, protect me from evil," he whimpered.

"Oh slave, it's too late for that. Far, far too late. 'I renounce God and all his works! I renounce his Son! You are my Mistress now, my owner, and I give you my soul,'" she quoted, and it was his own voice that issued from her lips, his words hitting him like hammers. "You said that, slave," she went on in her own voice, "You gave me your soul, willingly."

"I didn't know," he managed to whimper. He fell to his knees as she reached him. "You... tricked me. Lord, protect and defend me from this evil. Please, I beg you..."

"'Of my own free will, I renounce God,'" She said, mimicking his voice again. "You think he'll listen to you after that, slave? You think he'll protect you from me now?"

"My soul..." he whimpered. "I am damned."

"Yes, that you are," she said. "Don't think too badly of it, though. It's just... you're changing teams. That's all."

"Please, Mistress, will you promise me one thing?"

"Probably not," she said, "but ask anyway."

"Michael... will you leave him alone now? If you have me, can't that be enough? Please, I beg you... don't ruin that young man's life."

She threw her head back and laughed. "Oh slave, you do amuse me. Have you really not worked it out yet? Are you that naive?"

"What do you mean?"

She shook her head, still giggling. "Oh you poor thing. Slave... there is no Michael. There never was."

He stared at her in shock. "But... the whole thing..."

"Just a story my dear," she said. "Invented out of whole cloth."

"But... you lied? Why would you lie?"

She crouched down in front of him and her arms went around his body, holding him to her. Even now, as she was, he couldn't help but find her beautiful. He knew that he shouldn't, but he couldn't help it. "My dear slave, haven't you grasped it yet? Lying is what we do."

She caressed his back softly, the sharp talons gliding over his skin, scratching just slightly. "It won't be so bad, slave," she said softly, "you've been denied the delights of life for so long. Now you will experience them all. You will live a long life, under my protection, and every single day you will feel me inside you."

"But hell..." he whimpered.

"Oh, don't believe everything you hear about hell," she said. "It's just a place, like any other, with good parts and bad parts. I have a rather nice home there. You'll see. We'll visit."

She reached behind her and produced a metal ring out of nowhere. It was smooth black, the outside circled with strange symbols in a soft glowing red, symbols which wouldn't quite resolve to his eyes. They seemed to slowly shift and change, second to second. The inside surface was lined with a thick layer of soft black rubber, and a small black ring hung from the front, with a three foot black chain hanging from it. She did something to the ring and it split open, the ends curling apart although there was nothing like a hinge or lock visible.

She seemed to hesitate. "I really do like you, you know," she said gently.

"I... I like you too, Mistress," he said, and was almost surprised to realise it.

"Then I give you a choice. Understand that I don't have to. You have renounced God and given yourself to me, and that's all I need. But I want more, slave. I can have your compliance, but I what I want is willing compliance. So tell me that you do not want to be mine, and I will release you."

"Won't you get in trouble?" He asked.

She thought about that and nodded. "Probably. But I've been in trouble before. I'm good at what I do, slave. I'm valued for it, and I'll survive it if you choose to be free of me. But if you do choose that, you'll never see me again. And I have no idea how the man upstairs will look at you."

"Never see you again?" The thought was appalling.

"Never."

"And if I choose to be yours?" He asked.

"Then you will be my obedient slave, for the rest of your life. And you will be my obedient slave after that."

He met her gaze. "I choose you," he said.

She smiled, and for the first time there was no cruelty in it. "I'm so glad."

She closed the metal ring around his neck, and it sealed itself whole again. She took the end of the chain. "Welcome to slavery," she said.

"Thank you, Mistress."