THE PRIEST OF SANTA MARIA

  { PT.  7 } - Kristoff's eyes widened; his black dilated pupils covered their entire sockets. He raised the knives in the air. The reflection of the flames set the blades on fire. They flickered in his eyeballs. This kill is sanctioned by God. You carry an abomination, and you must die. Angelica maintained her composure, her fearless gaze focused on eyes that looked like empty sockets, ablaze. She looked across at his hands futilely quivering with determined force, yet Kristoff's arms remained suspended in the air. He stared at them as if they were alien, trying to move them with all the strength he could muster. He turned his dumb-founded gaze on Angelica. What are you? he managed to say before he found himself taking off through the air. Firmly attached to his hip was Christiano, ramming him with all the might of a bull. They landed several feet away on the sloping ground and wrestled in a tangled embrace as they tumbled down the deck. Christiano! cried Angelica, watching h...

  { PT.  6 } - Christiano! Angelica groped his shoulders. What's the matter? Christiano! She shook him as his mouth opened but no words found their way to his tongue. He grabbed at his left shoulder as he dropped to his knees. Christinao! Behind him, Kristoff wore a mordant smirk. He pulled the knife from Christiano's back and kicked him aside, making an easy path within reach of Angelica. Christinao writhed on the floor, his spine twisted and his hand attempting to reach the spot--as if it might alleviate the pain. Get...on the...boat. The words strained through his throat. Angelica tried to rush to him, but Kristoff stood in her path. He brandished his blade at her before proceeding to pull out a larger knife with a lethal serrated edge. With a blade in each hand, he flashed pearly white teeth that reflected the orange flicker of flames. Before I separate your head from your body, you will renounce your bond with Satan? My bond is with the Almighty. He bent his head to one s...

  { PT.  5 } - The sharp-edged missile missed their heads by a micro-second, wedging itself in the decking where it remained a blazing torch. Kurush slipped through Christiano's grip like melted butter, and his body slid towards the mouth of a hungry ocean. Christiano's hands grasped at empty air as Kurush's descent continued. He stretched his torso across the deck and propelled himself in the same direction. As his body slid down the sloping deck, he stretched his arm as far as he could and just managed to grasp one of Kurush's fingers. With his other hand, he clasped his wrist and began to haul him up. Frya and Angelica knelt by his feet and clamped their arms over his legs until Kurush was back in the safety of Christiano's grip. I have him. He's fine. Now, get to the lifeboat. I'm right behind you. The women reached the bright orange vessel. Are you all okay? The weary voice of Achilleus approached them from another angle. His right foot dragged behind h...

  { PT.  4 } - I don't know, but right now, we need to move that body out of the way before my father and your husband burn or suffocate to death. Hurry up out there! Christiano's tinny voice echoed desperately through the door. Angelica placed her arms beneath the dead man's shoulders, and Frya took hold of his legs. Together they pulled his body to one side. Christiano pushed the door open and with Kurush still slumped over his shoulders, he stepped onto the deck. He welcomed the influx of oxygen, albeit smoky, which filtered its way to his lungs and relieved him from the slow suffocation of the corridor. Fire raged from the cargo holders. Miniature explosions detonated from all directions. The sky, ablaze with light, could have been mistaken for the burning furnace of hell. We need to get to the lifeboat, yelled Christiano, and no sooner had he finished speaking than another blast erupted from one of the cargo holders. A large fragment of metal torpedoed through the air....

  { PT.  3 } - When they finally reached the top, an explosion of mass proportion sent a crippling tremor through the vessel. Seismic vibrations rumbled through their bodies as the ship wavered from side to side, enough to send them bouncing against the railings behind them. Frya grabbed the handle and pushed on the bulkhead door. Its weight felt like a ton of scorched metal. It's stuck, she yelled. Angelica pushed the door with all her strength. It relented but an inch. There's something on the other side. Behind them, the fire crawled towards them as if its conscious purpose was to seek out and devour the living. Sounds of whipping, crackling and buckling grew ever closer as did the rise in humidity and the diminishing oxygen. We don't have much time left, yelled Frya. Christiano stepped forward and gave the door a kick. The obstacle on the other side moved slightly before bouncing back. He followed with a succession of hard kicks--giving little chance for the object to r...