The God's Mark

The God’s Mark

Flora Winters

I do not own Witchblade and I’m not making any money here either.

Summary: There is a demonic deity on the loose and Sara also has to deal with Jake’s homophobic ways. This story will contain boy love, strong language, explicit violence, and some original characters thrown in for yummy homo spice.

Prologue

Bid Goddess rise from mists of memory
Rise the fair Cathain

--Conchobar

“Oh, Honey-Pot,” the gorgeous monster chuckled wickedly, closing his dragon-like talons around his terrified prey’s neck, constricting the bastard’s throat until that red tongue was forced between busted lips. He didn’t want to listen to the foolish prayers to some impotent god that was forever silent. He didn’t want to listen to how sorry he was for pissing him off. All he wanted to hear was the sounds his body made as he died. “You became mine the moment you struck my fag across the face and stuck your cock up his unwilling ass!”

Those steel claws dug into that tender flesh and warm crimson blood flowed like ruby streams between them. Blazing amber red jewels gazed into the rapist’s dying eyes, sucking out his soul through those frightened pupils, tossing him screaming into a fiery abyss where all his demons would drown him in his sins.

The demonic god’s laughter was like those never-dying flames. It was loud, dark, and indescribably hot. It was like the sound a dying star makes as it perishes in an explosive blink.

He dropped the corpse to the ground with a thud, smashing in the face with his seven inch heel. What brains the sick fuck did possess now decorated the sea of white carpet and the tacky yellow wallpaper.

“Seriously, jackass,” he said, walking around the cluttered dump, running his bloody talons through his long locks of silky darkness. “Leave the decorating to the queers. My people know what they’re doing.”

He spread his large black wings, tore his way through the roof with elegant ease, and took to the night sky like a bright spark of silver starlight. There was so little time and so many fools to slaughter like pigs.

00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

A light flashed from a camera and Sara Pezzini stood at the large bare feet of the naked corpse that was tied spread-eagled to the wooden bedposts by ropes. “I walk in sin” had been written on the bottom of each foot. The muscular young man’s name was Tommy Davis. He was 22 and an art major at the local university. He also played football on the side just for fun, because of all the trophies on the dresser.

His head was resting to the side on the bloody pillow. There was a belt looped around his corded neck where he had also been strangled. She gently reached down with a gloved hand, turning the bloodied face over. His left eye was swollen shut and horribly bruised. The other one was wide, bulging, bloodshot, and off green. His nose had been smashed in, and his teeth had bitten right through his protruding tongue.

“Jesus,” a voice said from across the room. “Can we cover that mess up, please?”

Sara looked at Jake and pointed with a shaking finger. The poor guy nearly spilled his coffee. She knew that he knew better than to mess with her. He quickly left the room before she could verbally assault him with scorn and spite.

Fag was written across Tommy’s smooth forehead in a black marker, but it looked like someone had tried to wipe it away. Her nostrils flared just a little bit. This kid was killed because he was gay? The young man had been beaten, raped, and then killed. Hell, it could have been any combination of the three. Whoever had done this was fucking sick.

She walked over to the desk, looking at a picture on it. The victim had been very handsome and his boyfriend was beautiful. The beautiful young man was in front and Tommy was behind, resting his chin on top of his head. It was so adorable.

“Who called this in?” Sara asked, touching the frame.

“The victim’s boyfriend,” Lena said. She was bagging a pair of ripped jeans and a bloody shirt. “He should be downstairs.”

Sara nodded. That would explain why that horrible word was faded. She could only imagine what the poor guy must be going through. This was a fucking nightmare. She took one last look at the broken victim. She couldn’t even imagine the pain and the fear he must have felt. “Cut those ropes,” she snapped at a young looking officer. “And cover him up.”

She made her way down the steps to the living room to see that Jake was talking to a beautiful young man. The look on the guy’s razor sharp face reminded her of an Arctic wasteland. She made her way over to the icy blond haired boy. He looked calm, reserved, and on the edge of snapping into a crazed insanity at any moment.

“Excuse me, Sara Pezzini,” she said, holding out her hand to him. He had the most alluring blue eyes she had ever seen. “I’m so sorry…”

“Ashley,” he said, taking her hand. It was slightly larger than her own and very pale. It was smooth and cool. Those blue eyes burned with a silent rage. They looked cold and very icy to her. It looked as though there was a winter storm raging in them from some high mountain. “I…”

“I know this is very hard, Ashley,” she said, smiling compassionately. He had tears in his eyes that didn’t seem to want to fall. “How long have you known the…known Tommy?”

“Since eighth grade,” he said, leaning back against the wall, hugging himself as if cold. “We started dating in secret our freshman year of high school and we’ve been together ever since…”

“Nine years,” Sara smiled, cocking her head to the side. “That’s…wow…”

“I know,” he smiled and he looked even more beautiful, if a little chilly. “All our friends are jealous. He’s my…”

“Soul mate?” Jake asked. Sara could hear the eye roll and the silent snicker.

“Do you two live together?” Sara asked.

Ashley nodded his head. “I just got in from work an hour ago,” he said, looking down at his feet. “I was so tired…I went straight up the steps, yelling for him to get his lazy ass up and go to class…”

Sara put a hand on his slender shoulder.

“I just,” he said, turning his face away. “I just saw him like that…I…”

“Screamed?” Jake asked.

Ashley looked right at him and tears streamed down his porcelain pale cheeks. His beautiful face suddenly twisted into a venomous mask of rage. “WHO DID THIS? I’LL FUCKING KILL THEM!” He spun around, and punched his fist right through the wall. He threw his head back, screaming as he pulled it free.

Jake jumped back a step, spilling his hot coffee all over his chest, hissing in pain. Sara also took a step back from the trembling boy. She knew he looked like he was about to lose it at any moment.

Ashley turned back around, cradling his scraped hand in his other one. His winter blue eyes were crazed and his icy blond locks were wild. He looked like he was about to tear someone’s flesh from their bones. “I…” he tried to say, and suddenly swayed on his feet.

“Shit,” Sarah hissed, racing forward, catching him before he could fall over backwards against the wall with a hole in it now. Ashley was trembling against her breast and he couldn’t stop crying. She carefully lowered him to the floor, cradling his head in her arms. “I think I need some help here.”

“Here,” Jake said, getting behind Ashley’s collapsed form. “Give him to me.”

She did so. “Take him to the sofa.”

Jake picked the smaller guy up into his arms, and Sara looked up, seeing something on the small of Ashley’s back where his shirt had rode up on him. She got to her feet, following Jake over to the sofa, having him put him down on his side where he curled up. She lifted up his shirt, seeing that there was a tattoo of some strange symbol on his bone white flesh. The ink was the color of honey in the sunshine, and it looked to be like some kind of Celtic knot.

“That’s pretty cool,” Jake said from beside her. “You don’t see coloring like that.”

Sara reached out and traced the symbol with her index finger. That was when the eye on the Witchblade began to glow. She could see a great stone altar, candles burning all around in a wooded grove, and people in flowing black garments, chanting on the floral scented wind. There was something on the altar, something winged, something worshipped. A face turned on her, and amber snake eyes burned her like fire.

“Sara?” Jake asked when she suddenly fell over on her ass with a frightened gasp. He quickly had hold of her. “Are you all right?”

She looked at the symbol on Ashley’s perfect flesh. It looked like it was glowing red as rubies. She blinked and it was just a normal tattoo. What the fuck was that thing she had seen? There were no words to describe the feeling she had felt. Would blissful terror work? Poisonous beauty? Vengeful lust?

“Tommy,” Ashley moaned, curling up into a tight ball. “I’m…”

“Honey?” Sara said, getting to her knees, moving up behind him. “Is there someplace you can go?”

“No,” Ashley whispered. “This is my home…”

“Family?” She asked.

Ashley laughed bitterly, hiding his face with a pillow. “What family would want a faggot for a son?”

Sara squeezed her eyes shut. She hated that word. She turned to Jake. “Look after him,” she said, getting to her feet. “I have to go see someone.”

“What?” Jake asked, putting his hands on his hips.

“Take him to your place,” she whispered. “He’s not safe here. The killer could come back for him.”

“But,” Jake said, looking around, lowering his mouth to her ear. “He’s gay…”

“What?” Sara asked, looking up at him. “So…”

Jake made a face.

“His boyfriend is dead, Jake,” she said, getting really pissed off now. “His boyfriend was raped, beaten, and then strangled to death…and you think this boy is going to…”

“Fine,” Jake said, turning from her. “Fine, Pez.”

“Ashley,” she said, turning back to him. He rolled over to look at her from under his pillow. “I want you to go with Jake here. He is going to get your hand looked at and look after you until we catch this bastard and make him pay.”

Ashley’s eyes looked dead. “Pay?”

Sara nodded. “Yes.”

“Will it bring Tommy back?”

Sara’s heart broke all over again. She slowly shook her head. “I’m sorry.” She turned to see that Jake was looking off to the side. What the fuck was his problem? This was a kid for Christ’s sake. “I’ll see you soon,” she said, rubbing his head, and quickly left the apartment.

What the hell was that thing she had seen in that vision? Had it been an angel or a demon? She didn’t have a clue. All she did know was that it had been scarier than anything she had ever seen before.

“What the fuck have you found me now?” She asked the enchanted bracelet on her wrist before getting on her bike.

TBC…

Please review.

Flora.