Demon Tears — Joshua Dagon

Bishop Robert Patrick had no sympathy at all for the gang of stupid boys who'd befriended the demon. They'd been enthralled, to be sure, but that didn't entirely excuse their complacency. It had taken him years to track down the demon, the skotos, but he'd finally cornered it in Los Angeles. The city, Robert discovered, was positively teeming with hedonists and homosexuals, tweakers and twits, deviants and demons. Despite the attractive, human form the skotos had assumed, Robert recognized it. The time to act had come. The demon would be put back where it belonged, contained among the treasures of the Church for the rest of time. True, matters were complicated by the crew of stupid, stupid boys. Maybe they were clueless, and therefore innocent, but it didn't matter. Robert had everything he needed: the ancient vessel of brass, the enthusiastic support of the Church, and through obvious signs and inspiration the unquestionable direction of the Divine. The final confrontation was inevitable, sweeping aside the sinful and the sacred alike. Unfortunate about the boys. Robert would pray for them. In this startling and deeply moving conclusion to The Fallen, Joshua Dagon takes his characters and his readers on an exhilarating ride generously filled with humor, excitement, personal exploration, and often surprising wisdom. For three months, Nick, Darren, and their friends have been living it up with the generosity of the fallen angel, Marbas. But another ancient and powerful demon has been chasing Marbas, with plans of her own... Without compromising his clear compassion for every one of his characters, Joshua Dagon takes an unflinching look at the perils of blind faith, prejudice, and arrogance. Demon Tears leaves us with the hope that even the most desperate of us can ultimately become more than what we are.