Birthright

Amoris looked outside the church’s windows with a solemn expression. The red and blue flicker of police vehicles had been on since the head priest made the 911 call. Never before had the Testament Church needed attention like this, but tonight’s situation was too maddening to handle alone. He had already talked to the police chief about what happened, so many of the church’s inhabitants were waiting for what would happen next. Though, he doubted anything could be done by now. 

The wail of a baby snapped Amoris out of his thoughts. He looked towards the sound with furrowed brows before checking the time. He thought that another priest was tending to the orphaned child by now. They may be speaking to the police too. They should have told him if that was the case. A newborn baby needed around-the-clock care!

He couldn’t fathom why a mother would abandon her baby like this, but now it was his responsibility to tend to the innocent soul. He hurried to grab some of the prepared milk bottles one of the church inhabitants bought. The poor child must be hungry— he hadn’t heard him wail like this since he found him outside. 

The child’s cries continued to echo throughout the halls as Amoris rushed to tend to him. They made him a makeshift bed in one of the priest’s quarters. It wasn’t the ideal comfort, but it was what they could make in such a hasty situation. As Amoris got closure, pain struck through his heart hearing the baby so distressed. This crying was loud enough to ring in his ears. He only hoped that this milk bottle would be enough to calm him down. 

Amoris grabbed the door knob to the baby’s room, but he froze. A piercing chill went down his spine— a sense of dread that was only comparable to the fear of god for him. He took a shaky breath. His heart was pounding in his ears. Was it always this cold here? His feet felt frozen as he held the door knob in a death grip. 

But still, the baby cried. In the back of his mind, his rational thought was screaming at him. 'If I feel like this, then the baby must feel much worse.'

He threw open the door without sparing another second. His eyes shot open. Another wave of fear coursed through him like a tidal wave. The baby was still nestled within his makeshift bed, but Amoris could only focus on one thing. Under the dim light of a lamp, a figure loomed over the baby, brushing a blackened claw against his soft skin. It looked human, but with those sharpened teeth and demonic horns, Amoris knew better. 

“Get away from him, devil spawn.” He hated how his voice quivered. Still, he dropped the milk bottle and tried to get to the baby. 

In a jerking motion, the demon snapped his gaze towards Amoris. “Now, what do we have here?” His voice was powerful, yet raspy. Amoris hated how his heart raced faster hearing it. “I was wondering when you priests would show up. I was expecting someone much… weaker.”

With an outstretched claw, the demon grabbed Amoris’ neck before he could get to the baby. He choked on his breath as he grasped at the demon’s hand frantically. He glared daggers at the demon even while struggling to breathe. 

However, that look only made the demon laugh. “I guess you’re all weak in the end, but at the very least,” his claws threatened to pierce through Amoris’ skin, “you’re not a blubbering mess before me.”

Amoris wanted nothing more than to run away at this moment. This was a creature he had never dealt with before. Outside there were the other priests— maybe the police could do something too? But every rational part of his mind was silenced. The baby was still here. An innocent soul not yet touched by the cruelty of devil spawns like this. He would rather die than leave him here. 

“How… dare you…” Amoris struggled to get the breath to speak, “lay your filthy hands on him? I’ll send you back to hell–”

The demon slammed Amoris against the nearest wall. His grip around the priest’s neck never faltered, but he made sure to give Amoris just enough air so he wouldn’t pass out. The yelp the priest let out must be music to his ears.

“I haven’t done anything to him yet, priest. Don’t you know it’s impolite to interrupt someone when he’s working?” He leaned closer to Amoris’ face, baring his sharp fangs with that dangerous smile of his. 

“You…!”

“Do you really think this child is yours to begin with?” The demon laughed cruelly. “His soul belonged to me the second he could breathe.”

Amoris’ eyes widened in a mixture of horror and confusion. That couldn’t be possible. This demon must be trying to get into his head. With that serpent tongue of his, it was easy to assume the worse. 

He kept a crucifix in his jacket. If he could get to it, maybe he could push away this demon and get him away from the baby. Though, the second he reached into his jacket, the demon grabbed his arms.

“Let’s not play with those toys now. I’m only speaking to you.”

“Let… go-!”

“I guess I can’t blame you for acting like this.” The demon sighed wistfully. “You priests love to side with your god no matter what, but I’m only completing a deal. Try to understand that.” His grip against Amoris’ throat lessened ever so slightly. “It’s not your fault that she decided to abandon the child here.”

Even if it was a slight difference, Amoris greedily sucked in as much air as he could in this new position. His mind fixated on this ‘she’ the demon talked about. The baby’s mother? So far, the police had no leads on where she went. 

“What are you talking about?” He tried in vain to move his arm, but the demon had a vice grip on him.

The demon chuckled. There was an amused gleam in his eyes. “Curious one, aren’t you? It’s a simple exchange.” He glanced back at the baby, before looking Amoris in the eyes. “I save her soul, she gives me another.”

Amoris’ felt his heart stop at that very moment. This could only mean one thing: a mother had sacrificed her newborn to this demon. Was he able to stop this twisted exchange? Could anything be done in the first place? He had to do something. This child wasn’t even a week old and yet… His fate was already doomed.

“It’s amusing that she decided to bring the child here of all places. Must be because of kind souls like you. Right, Father Leigh?”

Amoris gritted his teeth. The child’s cries had quieted down to a scared whimper. He could only imagine what a demon would do with such an innocent soul.

“I’ll send you back to hell–” His words were cut off as the demon choked him once more.

“Or I could give you the pleasure of a lifetime~” the demon purred. He leaned closer and closer to Amoris, their noses nearly touching. He could feel the priest’s shaky, laboured breaths against his lips. “It must be stuffy living your life here. Have you thought about letting loose for once instead of all this righteous nonsense?”

“How dare you…” The temptation of lust would never make him falter. One deal already cost a baby his life. Amoris wasn’t so stupid as to bargain with such a corrupted devil spawn. 

That response made the demon frown. He glanced at the door with a darkened expression. Most likely he knew that more people would come soon. He backed off while still holding Amoris’ throat. 

“Maybe you’ll change your mind one day. I’ll give you the time to think about it.” He smiled wickedly once more. “It would be nice to take the both of you.”

“You speak nonsense, devil spawn. All you know is filth.”

The demon ignored his insults. “Hold that child close, father. I have no use for a whiny baby.”

Amoris furrowed his brows. The demon won’t be killing this child? His confusion was read like a book.

“I don’t have to take him now. Where’s the fun in that?” The demon shook his head tauntingly. “If she wants his soul to be saved, then I can play along. I’ll take him when he’s ready to have me. Maybe you can stop that from happening.”

He threw Amoris to the ground carelessly. He looked down at the priest with a sadist pleasure on his expression. Seeing Amoris cough and desperately gasp for air? Oh, what a treat for sinful eyes…

“I look forward to seeing you again, father.” Black smoke began to pool at the demon’s feet. Amoris could only look up at him in horror as he started to disappear. “Let’s see how long your faith can hold up.”

Amoris was left panting on the floor. To his relief, the baby was still here with him. How long that would be the case was beyond him, but he had to tend to the baby now. He rushed over to his side and picked him up gently. As he cradled the whimpering boy, a sharp gasp left him.

There was a mark on the baby’s chest. Some sort of sigil glowed over his heart before it eventually faded away into nothingness. Though, even if Amoris couldn’t see the marking anymore, he knew that it was still there spiritually. It was carved into this baby’s soul. He could feel himself shaking as he held him tightly. He worried he’d lose this soul forever if he let go. This was on his conscious.

The demon’s last speech lingered in his head. Only when the baby was ready, then the demon would take him. In Amoris’ eyes, he knew that mean if he let this poor soul fall into the path of sin. As he wiped the baby’s tears away, he knew what he must do. 

He would never let this soul get dirtied by the filthy hands of corruption.