Part 57
She can't really be... can she?

"A coup d'état?" the writer echoed, twisting back to look at him again. "You're kidding me."

"If only I were," the angel said, his smile bemused and rueful. "Though I'm not surprised, considering she is Pride. It makes perfect sense that she wants to overthrow me and take my place."

"Why? I mean, to what end?"

"Because I'm her superior, of course. What she intends to do after is moot. Her goal is to defeat the only entity that holds any power over her: me."

Nathan would have rubbed his hands across his face if he were able, but pulled on the ropes instead. "So she's trying to what, take over Hell?"

Lumiel shrugged, then winced as the hooks shifted in his wounds. "More or less."

"Great..." Nathan leaned his head against the post. "So I'm clear, Pride is trying to conquer you so that she can take your job, only because you have it and she doesn't." He groaned. "And what happens if she succeeds?" He didn't like where his train of thought was running. Devil he may be, but Lumiel was at least bound by rules. He had a specific job -- to seed chaos and to test mankind -- whereas Superbia did not. What would happen if someone with nothing more than the desire to be the best was given the power of Lucifer?

But there was no chance for Lumiel to answer him, the sound of staggered footsteps catching Nathan's attention. Torn between pretending to be unconscious again and turning around, he decided it wouldn't make any difference either way and turned his head towards the noise.

From a door at the far end of the room appeared a gaunt figure, shambling towards them with uneven steps. Her clothes were plain and hung loosely on her frail frame, but there was an odd strength in the way she approached them. As she drew closer, the rich pink of her skin shone sickly in the florescent lighting, and porcine ears flapped against her head. Nathan noticed she wasn't wearing shoes, but he imagined she didn't need them with those hooves. Even her hands looked more like pig's feet than hands. She snorted when she reached them, wrinkling her swine-like snout and staring at the writer with piercing yellow eyes. A deranged grin spread across her lips before she fell forward, landing in front of him in a heap. Nathan cringed, the way her limbs contorted when she fell unnatural, the sound she made inhuman, and she growled with frustration as she pulled herself back up to her feet. She stumbled over to Lumiel and draped her arms around him, her smiled widening when he cried out from the weight suddenly pulling on the chains.

"Does it hurt, Be-Be?" she asked, looking like she might fall off of him at any moment. "Maybe you'll let me fix that now. Now that Ira is done and I can do what I want."

Lumiel glared at her, his eyes briefly flashing red. "Bite me, Gula."

The Sin grunted and shoved him instead, making him cry out again. "You wish! Cursed snake... I'd gladly devour you if it wouldn't hurt me more." Her gaze narrowed at him, the smirk slowly returning. "Why don't you fix my host? Fix her so I can roam, so I can consume without need. I cannot consume like this. Not easily. Not easily at all, without the hunting and the killing." The smile abruptly became a frown. "Please, Be-Be. I want my host. I want to be whole without the need. I want to consume; I don't want to need to consume..."

Nathan kept his mouth shut. Gula. Gluttony. Of course it made sense that the only thing she could think about was consuming, but what did she mean by need to consume? He caught the look of disgust on Lumiel's face as the angel seemed to fight back another cringe before scoffing.

"I cannot dictate what your host does," he said with a snobbish air, turning up his nose at her. "It isn't my fault you wound up with a host that's a foodie."

"Liar!" Gula screamed, the force of her shout making her stumble and lose balance again. She caught herself on Nathan's pole. "You liar! You cheat! My host was supposed to last. Last longer, until the corruption. But you cheated! You forced me out!"

"Ah, no. That was Avaritia's fault for causing a ruckus on Halloween..."

"YOU PROMISED US FREEDOM!"

Again, Gula's outburst made her stagger, and she fell down. As she pushed herself up, she looked at Nathan, a sneer briefly gracing her lips before she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, using him as support. "You'll let me out, right?" she asked with a sickening sweetness, her hot breath nearly unbearable against his skin. "He's trapped you too. Trapped you like he's trapped my sisters. Say you'll let me free. Promise me. Promise me and I'll promise you too. We'll both get out of Be-Be's prison."

While she spoke, Gula kept her mouth close to his back, and with her last remark she let out a snort, then suddenly licked his skin. At least, he hoped that was what she had done, because he didn't want to think about what else the hot, slimy thing that had just run down his back could be, or why she had let out a deep, satisfied moan afterward. Nathan cringed and resisted every urge to puke, casting a glance towards Lumiel.

The angel looked completely panicked.

"Ignore him," Gula crooned, her arms tightening around him. "He breaks his promises. I won't break my promise. Just let me out.  Get me out of this place. Get us both out." She kissed his neck, her teeth scratching his flesh. "Mmmm... before I need to eat something fresh..."

Out of the corner of his eye, Nathan saw Lumiel struggling with his chains.

Shit, what do I do? If I don't answer her now, she might do more than just kiss me. What's he doing? Fuck, there's no time to think this over. What do I do? What do I do?