The storm shook the house. It shook Heaven. It shook the whole world.

Caleb entered the kitchen. He was whiter than the plaster and when he saw Sina holding the blood-soaked towel, he grabbed onto the back of a chair so hard he nearly broke the plastic.

"I'm such an idiot," Sina said remorsefully. "I shouldn't have grabbed the pointy bit. I mean who'd be stupid enough to grab a knife from its blade? Me. That's who. Fuck. I bled all over your sink and ruined your towel. I hope it wasn't your favourite one or anything."

While Sina spoke, all Cal heard was a terrible sound – like someone was slamming a hammer against metal. Between the thuds, Sina's words found him as faint as a whisper.

"I'm so sorry. I ruined a perfect night."

The hammer dropped. The metal hushed. There was a moment of brutal silence before Cal groaned. "You need to get out of here," he managed to say through a mouthful of saliva pooling around his teeth.

"I'll clean up. I'll buy you a new towel."

When Cal grabbed the chair with his other hand and scrapped it against the floor angrily, Sina shook his head. "Two! I'll get you two towels."

Cal's gaze moved spasmodically over the blood as it searched for the wound hiding under the towel. "Sina," he croaked, "get out of here, now."

"Please don't get mad. I didn't mean it." Sina took a step closer, but as he did, Cal thrust the chair between them and made him stop.

"Now!"

Tears stung Sina's eyes when he saw the strained look on Cal's face. An ache curled up in his belly when he saw how white Caleb's knuckles had turned as he tried to dig his fingers into the chair. "I – I thought you liked me. Why are you telling me to leave?"

The world got darker. Hail exploded on the ground and shards of ice flew up like confetti.

Father Cal knew he should have lied. He knew he should have told Sina he no longer wanted him around because he never cared. But Sina's eyes were magnetic and Caleb remembered how good he had felt when Sina touched him. It was like everything broken had been glued back together. "I do like you," he cried out softly. "I more than like you."

"Then why do I need to leave?" A few moments ago the worst pains Sina had felt had been the burn and the cut. But those were nothing compared to what he felt now – unwelcome, unloved, broken, and horribly in love.

"Because if you don't get out of here now I..." Caleb brought his hand to his mouth. Through his palm came a muffled sound, "You need to get out." He kept his gaze on Sina. Though he wanted to look away, he couldn't. Cal lowered his hand. His words were a blur of syllables forming sorrow. "You can't be here."

A choked plea fluttered from Sina's lips, "Please..."

"I know what you are," Caleb blurted.

Sina winced. He held his bloody hand close to his chest. "I...I know you know. I told you. I'm a stripper. Not a very good one."

"No. The other thing that you are," Cal growled low.

Sina faded like a flower. "I'm not a thing," he whispered.

"Shit... What a fucked up choice of words." Cal backed away, "Forgive me. That's not what I meant." In a moment of folly, he reached out his hand but in an instant, he pulled it close to his body. "You are not a thing. You are a -" Caleb groaned. "Your blood calls to me, Sina. It's a serenade. A dangerous one. One absolutely divine to someone like me."

"What?" Blanching, Sina shook his head. "I don't know what you're talking abo-"

"I know!" Cal bellowed and the world outside exploded in hail. "And you must leave! Now!"

"No. I, I..." Sina caught himself before a tear escaped. "I want to be loved. I'm nothing bad. I swear, I'm –"

"A demon," Cal interjected. His gaze bore into Sina. "A demon. Not human. Not man."

"How the fuck do you know?" Sina looked at him shocked. "What are you, Caleb?" It was at that moment his hands went slack and the towel dropped.

"I know because of what I am. And what I am is someone who could harm you." Merely a handful of steps away, the beauty of the blood looked up at Father Cal seductively. But it was the glorious scent coming from Sina's open wound that made him fall to his knees before his guest. Blood is my alter," he uttered softly. Cal touched his forehead to the linoleum and reached a hand to the towel. The tips of his fingers nearly touched it but something inside him made him pull back. "I am shattering inside."

"What the fuck is going on?" Sina took a cautious step. Blood dripped on the floor. "I don't understand how you know but I'm not bad. Honest. I'm not like the others. I swear to whatever I'm supposed to fucking swear to. Please, Caleb, come back into the living room. Let us finish what we began. I want to be near you. I want you near me. It felt so good."

Caleb rose hastily and extended a hand to keep Sina away. The hammer returned but this time it slammed into Caleb's heart. A dull ache blossomed inside him. He didn't know how he managed to muster more words, but he did, "I want you out of here. Go before it's too late."

Looking towards Cal, Sina felt his eyes prickle with tears. "I thought you were different. I thought you liked me. I can't help what I am." Heading towards the door, Sina paused. "You know, you were right before, I am a thing. Just a fucking thing no one cares for." A tear trickled down his cheek, clear and tiny yet so full of sadness. Sina turned the handle, opened the door, and headed out into the violent storm where he was swallowed by the rain.

*Fun Fact: A Kadisin can tell who's a demon by the scent of their blood. Cal's about to lose his mind.