Ungodly Inheritance

7: Belief

"Because I am, but I'm also the fertility god, or spirit or fae. Or a Fallen Angel, or any number of things that I've been worshiped as or feared as over the years." Bel ran his hands through his hair. "Look, this is complicated to explain, but did you ever wonder where we came from? Us-gods, demons, angels, etc?" Emma c****d her head and thought about it.

"Hmm, not really, we were just supposed to believe you existed." Emma replied.

"Yes, exactly. Belief. That's how we're created. Or 'born'. You humans literally created us, and then turned the tables to claim we created you." Bel laughed. "But the thing with belief is, as times change, we change too. Some of us get folded into other religions, other beliefs. When that happens, we have many personalities, many traits. As the belief in our older Forms die, that older Form perishes as well. There are more people now who believe in Demons, than there are that believe in Pagan gods. Don't get me wrong, I still maintain my godly identity and can hold that Form, but this one is easier, because there is more.. power, behind it." Bel said helplessly.

"In the form of belief?" Emma cautiously questioned.

"Yes, exactly! You'll find everything to do with your family's particular gifts is going to revolve around this core theme. What you BELIEVE is possible will affect what you can do. It's like a form of energy, a.. currency.. if you will, that the supernatural world uses. The stronger your belief, the easier it is to manipulate things. There's a reason your Bible talks up Faith so much.. I've lost you haven't I?" Bel looked dejected.

"No.. it's basically willpower and confidence. I get it in a weird way. And yeah-super religious fanatic family: get the 'faith' bit. Mustard seed necklaces* and all. Nut jobs." Emma snorted, earning herself a grin from Bel.

"Sadly, without those nutjobs, I would probably no longer exist in this world. Imagine that! The thing they tried so hard to eradicate, they unknowingly sustain!" Bel slapped his thigh and Emma giggled.

"Yeah, I'd love to tell them that big bad bunch of Demons they're all afraid of are former Pagan gods and their fear is what keeps them alive." Emma shook her head as Bel laughed again.

"They'd excommunicate you!" He exclaimed, mock scandalized.

"What makes you think they already haven't?" She replied, grinning at him. Emma suddenly frowned as the reality of all this hit her. A man claiming to be a Pagan god-turned-demon sat on the end of her bed joking with her about her family. A man she just recently met, but had admitted to stalking her all her life. Worse, she'd had s*x with him many, many times already and he had proven quite obviously that he was not human. Emma felt like her head was splitting. She began to take quick uneven breaths.

"Hey, calm down sweetie, it's ok, calm down." Bel quickly wrapped his arms around her and began rocking her, holding her head against his shoulder. "It's ok baby, it's ok. I know it's a bit much. Do you want me to help you forget it for a while?" Emma shook her head, and then hesitantly nodded. Bel tilted her face up to look at him and gently brushed his lips across hers. As his breath enveloped her, she felt herself slipping into a dream state, her body relaxing.

"There you go my girl, I've got you. I promise you, no harm will come to you while I'm with you. Without you, I'm just as lost as you are without me." Bel continued to rock her as she fell asleep, letting her unconscious mind work on the problems of tomorrow. Emma found herself in the middle of a soothing massage. One that quickly turned steamy.

--------------------------------

"Since you didn't have work today, I let you sleep in." Bel was saying several days later with a lascivious grin on his face as he reclined on the bed.

"Uh thanks-but why do I get the impression you benefited from that more than me?" Emma responded. Bel shrugged and licked his fingertips suggestively before winking and disappearing from the room. Dangerous games Demons play. Emma yawned and stretched, pulling the plate of food Bel had left for her towards her. He had complained bitterly about her poor diet and had taken over cooking for her, and tended to lean more towards a heart-healthy fruit and veggie blend. This was another of his healthy concoctions. She'd never admit it to him, but they were actually really good.

"When you're done eating, I want us to practice on your blocking skills!" Bel called from the kitchen. Emma moaned. She hadn't realized being protected by a Demon meant she'd be exhausting herself learning how to block out contact from unwanted beings.

--------------------------

Emma panted and huffed. After just a few minutes of being exposed to the influences of this spirit, she was already dragging. She had always been so self-conscious about her appearance, and this spirit seemed determined to use that against her. Emma tried to block out the memories of the teasing, the way her mother had put her on slim-fast at thirteen, the embarrassment every time she was weighed. It didn't help that many years later she was diagnosed with PCOS, which was the cause of her weight struggles, and also caused her the embarrassment of extra plucking, shaving and waxing. Emma shook her head. This is why she wasn't worried about Bel's 'fertility' concerns either, she had already found out the hard way..

"Get OUT OF MY HEAD!" She snarled. She knew she'd never be thin or pretty. She'd given up that pipe dream long ago. She knew what her body was incapable of, this damn spirit didn't have to torment her with her physical shortcomings.

"You are far too critical of yourself." Bel's voice said softly from the kitchen chair where he sat watching her with a cup of coffee in his hands.

"You try-dealing with what I have." Emma growled. It's easy for you, you're beautiful." She pushed back against the spirit, the living room had been cleared, the furniture all pushed to the sides, but the damn spirit kept invading her head, making her lose ground. She was supposed to get it back through the portal Bel had opened..

"Is this beautiful?" Bel stepped into her line of sight. He had changed Form into something that honestly looked like it had stepped out of a horror movie. Bel's heavy steps vibrated across the floor and the vengeful spirit actually hid behind Emma.

"Coward." Emma spat over her shoulder. She examined Bel. He was suddenly very tall. He easily topped six or seven feet. His ears had elongated and pointed, his nose looked like that of a bat, his eyes had sunken into his face, and his cheekbones were suddenly more prominent. Bel's hair had darkened, and his skin had turned to the color of ash. Four grey feathered wings sprouted from his back, and a set of horns from amongst the hair on his head. His body was heavily muscled, his hands had turned to sharp claws, his feet to talons like that of an eagle's. His legs had fur that changed to the strange leathery skin of an eagle.  He wore a skirt of white material that came to about his knees, split on the side to allow him freedom of movement. Bel swished his furry tail angrily and sniffed.

"This is the Form humans believe me to take in the current time. Does it displease you?" Bel snarled, sharp teeth flashing. Emma hesitantly walked forward. He was frightening, and he knew he frightened her, but it was not for the reason he expected. She reached upwards and laid a hand alongside his face.

"I'm sorry." Emma said softly. Bel's face morphed into one of surprise.

"For what little one?" Bel asked incredulously.

"That we have done this to you, taken away your dignity and turned you into something you despise." Emma whispered, then flinched, afraid he would be angry. Bel just stared. Emboldened, she continued. "No, it doesn't displease me. Yes, you're beautiful. I see you Bel." She laid a hand on his chest, and leaned her forehead against his ribs. His anger scared her. Not his Form. His Form was, fascinating.. to her. Emma turned her head slightly and ran a hand down his arm, holding up his hand, turning the palm over to examine the strength and the long, sharp claws. She turned slightly so that she could clasp her fingers with his. Bel stared at her in fascination. Emma slid her hand back up his arm and concentrated on his face, tracing the contours of his cheeks, mouth, ears.

"May I?" She asked hesitantly as she reached for one of his horns. Bel lowered his head. She ran her hand from where it was nestled in his hair to the very tip, making him shiver. "Can you feel them?" She murmured quietly.

"They're like my nails, or teeth. I can feel when they are manipulated, but they're not sensitive like my skin. But it does feel strange to have someone else touch them." Bel replied quietly.

"Can I.. touch your wings?" Emma was getting a little more bold, but this felt almost intrusive, so she asked it carefully. Bel brought them lower.

"Carefully." He answered. "Don't tug at the feathers."

"I would never!" She exclaimed before realizing he was teasing her. She swatted him and then ran a light hand along the feathered surface. It was surprisingly smooth.

"So strange." She murmured. He cuffed her lightly with a wing.

"Your species dreamt me up." He scolded.

"That's not what I meant. I expected them to be stiff somehow, not this soft. It's almost like fur." Emma purred. Bel's tail slipped back and forth and without thinking, Emma caught it. This part of him was covered in fur and Emma excitedly ran her hand up and down it. It was stiff like dog fur.

"Not the wrong way." Bel exclaimed with a gasp, tugging his tail from her grasp. "WITH the fur, not against it." Bel explained at Emma's look.

"Ah, sorry, got a little excited there." Emma blushed. Bel growled and it sounded like an agreement. "Oh. OH." She blushed again. Bel wasn't nude, he did have that skirt around his waist, so she had never thought to question his anatomical makeup. Until now, when his arousal was becoming evident.

"Um.. are you even.. capable.. I mean.. are we compatible.. in this Form?" Emma waved vaguely between them and Bel growled again. "I mean, you're so much taller than I am this way and.." She gulped as he growled again. "Maybe I should stop talking." He had begun to advance on her.

"Are you asking me to take you in this Form?" Bel growled lightly. Emma eyed him critically.

"Can you?"

------------------------

*AN: To paraphrase: the Bible states that if you have faith the size of a mustard seed you can move mountains. (Again paraphrased!) There is jewelry with mustard seeds in it to represent this-if you have never seen them, mustard seeds are incredibly tiny, like head of a pin tiny. Author would like to point out she does not think you are crazy if you do have this jewelry, and is merely poking fun at her own family who frequently tells her she is going to Hell for her interests in mythology, religions, the paranormal, etc.  If they saw this story, they would probably die, but most definitely clutch their crosses and drop to their knees (and then probably hide the story under their bed to read later when no one could see).