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as though, just for a moment, he could not believe what he was doing. His eyes met hers, so black it looked as though she stared into the terrible dark path where only hours before she had refused to journey to transmute a little boy's sickness. It was not anger or hatred she saw in Jamin’s eyes, but a vortex of anguish so deep she thought it might swallow her alive.
    She retreated from those hungry black eyes, the same way she had retreated from healing Namhu's illness. Jamin’s lip twitched with disappointment. His spirit-light shifted from deep fuchsia to an angry red.
    "It's not your heart I want any longer," Jamin's voice hardened with hatred. "But his ."
    He whirled to stride over to the Evil One and handed him the knife.
    "We had a bargain," Jamin said. "You rid my village of the demon and I would deliver to you his wife."
    With a solemn nod, the Evil One took the knife and held it towards the lizard king. Ba'al Zebub held out a small vial and dripped a putrid green liquid out of it onto both sides of the blade. The Evil One tilted the knife this way and that until the entire surface glistened with a thin, oily sheen. With her goddess enhanced eyes, Ninsianna could see a putrid, green darkness emanate from whatever he'd used to coat it, as though the thing itself were comprised of puss.
    With a start, she realized what they were about to do.
    “No!” Ninsianna fought the grip of the two tainted Angelics with all of her strength. The Evil One’s purpose in capturing her had become terrifyingly clear.
    Pains cramped in her abdomen, reminding her that too much exertion would put her baby at risk. She was overpowered. She must focus on the weakest link. She called Shahla’s name and was rewarded when the mind-damaged young woman looked at her with a puzzled expression.
    “Shahla!” Ninsianna pleaded. “Don’t do this. Mikhail tried to help you! We are your people!!!”
    “Come, my love…” the Evil One enclosed Shahla in one of his magnificent white wings. “We have work to do before we can be together. You do want to be together, don't you?”
    “When I am done, you will carry me into the heavens to be your queen?” Shahla asked.
    “Of course, my love,” the Evil One crooned. He caressed her cheek and pressed his lips to hers until Shahla’s knees buckled with desire. "But first we must make sure the Emperor's watchdog does not steal any more of your babies."
    "You will give me another baby to love?"
    A pang of guilt resounded deep in Ninsianna’s gut. She had refused to plead intervention on Shahla's behalf when the woman had gone into premature labor and been happy when the baby had died, taking all insinuations that Mikhail was the father with it. Ninsianna could see the putrid green tentacles the Evil One had sent into the weak spots in Shahla’s spirit light to manipulate her, the wound she had helped inflict by refusing to use her gift to console the broken-minded woman.
    The Evil One’s eerie silver eyes met Ninsianna’s as though he knew what was going through her mind, taunting her. The thought intruded into her mind even though she fought to keep him out.
    'See, Chosen of my daughter … you are no different than me…'
    Shahla quivered beneath the Evil One's touch like a virgin about to go to her bridal bed.
    "This baby really shall have wings," the Evil One whispered just loud enough for Ninsianna to hear.
    With her goddess enhanced vision, Ninsianna could see the lies take root in the fertile soil of Shahla's delusions as he preyed upon her unrequited love for Mikhail. Piss-puke-putrid green claws of seduction slithered past his lips to wrap their viperous tentacles around the mind-damaged young woman's spirit-light. He pressed the knife gently into Shahla's hands and closed her fingers around it.
    “Don’t listen to him, Shahla,” Ninsianna shouted. “He is the Evil One sung about in the ancient song!”
    Shahla hesitated a second time.
    “Bring her to Zepar,” the Evil One