Lillith

by Jaeger Mitchells

  Rafan looked down at his feet, his emotions in turmoil. Should he tell the young man about the enemy, or not? No, it’s definitely better for him not to say anything.

  “According to lady Cassandra, the enemy should be here soon. Once we’re done, we head for that town called Homitage. When we sack the place, we’re to return to our border. By the end of next week, you should be home with your woman. I… promise.”

  My heart constricted and a lump formed in my throat. They had all been human, after all, and had had families of their own. Darkness welled up inside me. Just who were these so called kings and emperors, or whatever they called themselves, to toy with people’s lives? This needed to end before any more innocent people died. But who were we to fight an empire? Just the three of us.

  Rafan sat alone in his tent, writing a letter. I couldn’t understand what it said, but he was chock full of emotions.

  “Why do we need to catch your son, lady Cassandra? Yes, I’ve overheard you speaking to the emperor’s brother. He is your blood. Don’t you want to see him in more normal circumstances?”

  “Oh. You caught me spying on you, Rafan. Excellent work, indeed. As to why? It shouldn’t matter to you. Don’t forget your orders.”

  “No, I haven’t forgotten my orders, lady Cassandra. But it just struck me as odd, that’s all.”

  Cassandra came out of the shadows and sat opposite Rafan, arms and legs crossed.

  “You do realize what’s going to happen to you and all these soldiers, right?”

  Rafan looked away, beaten. He’d known, but had hoped it wouldn’t come to that. Why throw away a general and good, loyal men?

  “Yes. I have suspected ever since his lordship announced that you would be joining us.”

  She chuckled and nodded.

  “In that case, I will tell you. That way, in your death, you will know that it was all for the emperor’s sake. That young man is my son and a living weapon. Over two decades ago, we trapped an ancient demon in my unborn child. Ever since, he’s been cultivating his strength, magic and overall power over the demon. We need to test him, see if he’s ready to join us. What better way than to send one of the empire’s most capable units?”

  “Just like that? We’re that disposable?”

  “Hey, don’t blame me,” she replied with a shrug. “Anyway, that’s basically it. His father can’t wait for us to return. Also, don’t even think of trying anything stupid. He will know if anyone moves against me. Not that even all of you could defeat me, but still.”

  Rafan sighed and shook his head sadly, resigned to his fate.

  “Very well. Thank you for your… honesty. Now, if you--”

  “We’re under attack!”

  22

  I opened my eyes, heart stuck in my throat, next to Lilith, as the image cut off. I wanted to scream, to curse, to kill. How dare they use me as an experiment, and others as a meat wall. 800 dead, for nothing! No, not exactly. I would make them pay for this, sooner or later. The first thing to do, however, was to get these people to safety and then warn Homitage about a possible attack. And to get supplies for my new village. And to talk to Katya about Sophia and Lilith.

  “So, what do you think?” Lilith asked from my right. I put on a fake smile and turned toward her.

  “Not much to think about. They need to die, simple as that.”

  Lilith opened her mouth to reply, as if about to protest, but instead gave me a smirk.

  “Very well. I like that line of thinking, if I’m honest.”

  “I need you to always be honest with me, not just right now. I might not be your ‘superior’ at the moment, but just watch me. Once I’m healed up again, I’ll catch up to you easily. And then, you can call me master again.”

  Her smirk wavered for just a moment, before she burst laughing, revealing two rows of perfectly white teeth.

  “I’ll look forward to that day. Now, how about we get some rest as well? I don’t really need it, but I’ll watch over you as you sleep. How does that sound?”

  “Only if you let me sleep on your lap,” I shot back. With a bemused roll of her eyes, she did just that.

  Morning came much quicker than I’d hoped for. Some good rest was long overdue, as the last few days had been much more taxing on my body and psyche than I’d ever thought possible. I felt rested and relaxed, at the very least, and I’d need every bit of rest to function properly in the next few days.

  With a sigh, I looked up and was met by the sight of Lilith’s smiling face. She didn’t say anything, but I knew what must have been going through her mind.

  “Finally, huh? Why didn’t you wake me up earlier? It feels like I slept for days.”

  Lilith shrugged.

  “You aren’t that far off. You’ve been asleep for a day and a half now. There was no way to wake you up, once you fell asleep. Alpha tried, I tried, and even that girl tried, by doing kinky things to you. Speaking of which, tell her not to get too ahead of herself. After all, I’m the queen.”

  I closed my eyes and groaned.

  “Really? Come on, can’t a guy even get some sleep without being manhandled?”

  “I guess not,” she shrugged. “Anyway, two of the older folks died after you went to sleep, and no, it wasn't me. Ask your wolf, if you don’t trust your queen.”

  I didn’t say anything, or give her a strange look. There was no sense in doing that. It could only end up pushing her away. In the end, even if she had been the one to take their lives, it’s not like I cared.

  “I believe you, don’t worry. So, what happened after they died?”

  “Oh, right. I drank them dry and the others buried them in a bush. I carried the rest over to the new location. Alpha is with them, and I stayed here until you woke up.”

  “I see. That was a smart thing to do, my queen. Now all that’s left, is to get to Homitage, take care of… some things, and move to our new place.”

  Lilith frowned.

  “What kind of things? The way you just said that was weird.”

  “I need to introduce you to… Katya, my fiancé. And then we need to--”

  “What? Fiance? You think I’ll allow for two other women to constantly defile what’s mine? Think again!” she screamed and unfurled her spiky whip. With a slash, she felled the entire tree-line to my right.

  “Lilith? Calm down, okay? We’ll figure it all out once we sit down and all discuss it, together.”

  She snapped her head toward me and bared her teeth.

  “Can I bite her? Can I feed on her when I’m hungry?”

  “Sure. Wait, no. I mean, I don’t know. If she likes you, probably, yes. If she doesn’t, then you can feed on me and Sophia.”

  “No. I don’t like this at all. If she can’t stand up to me, she’ll have to be second or third in line. I’m sick of sharing!”

  “But I thought you liked Sophia?” I replied questioningly.

  She narrowed her eyes into slits and pressed a finger against my left shoulder.

  “Listen up carefully! Allowing her to do dirty things to you, for the sake of humiliating her, is one thing, but liking her, that’s another thing entirely. You think she enjoyed it when you shoved your cock down her throat? No. You think she enjoyed jerking you off as you slept? Doubtful. Don’t push me!”

  I was amazed, angry even, and I wasn’t afraid to show it.

  “I know that you’re a demon or something, and I don't mind. In fact, I want to worship you. I want to give you the world, but I will not allow you to talk like that about the other girls. If we’re to be together, and you bet your ass you’ll be with me until the day I die, respect the others as they respect you!”

  Lilith’s whip shot out and slashed across my chest, leaving a nasty gash in its wake. I didn't even fight back. Admittedly, more out of confusion than anything else. Lilith struck me again and again. Blood ran down my chest as I fell to my knees, breathing hard. I looked up into her face as she was getting ready to kill me.

  “Any last words?”
she asked, in the same, seductive voice she had used when we’d first met. I laughed, genuinely happy that she had gone so far and showered me with her love and hatred. I tried to move, but I couldn’t. Astaroth did so, instead. And he did it with a speed I had thought impossible. Before I even knew it, I stood over her, my hand rammed through her gut.

  “I told you not to damage this body, didn’t I?” Astaroth whispered, distorting my voice into a demonic gurgle.

  “Fuck… you,” she barely replied.

  “We will. Once this vessel dies, I’ll be reborn and I’ll do such things to you, that you’ll curse the day you met me.”

  Just as he’ appeared, Astaroth was now gone.

  “Idiot. Weakling. You don’t deserve… a woman like me,” she whispered and shoved me. I tripped over my own feet, and withdrew my hand from her gut. I wanted to puke, but Lilith would welcome such weakness gladly, I thought. No, I’d stay strong.

  “Fucking bitch. You can either bend to my will, or you can die. I don’t care if I’m weaker than you. From the moment we met, I’ve wanted your flesh and your life. If I can’t have it, no one else can, either!”

  Lilith chuckled and dropped to the floor, having a coughing fit. As the wound closed, she walked up to me and laughed.

  “See? Was that so hard? Beat me, curse me, fuck me. Do whatever you can to this body. Make me feel again! Make me love again!”

  I don’t know why I did it, but my hand shot up by itself and slapped Lilith across the face. I had never hit a woman before, but she deserved it. She deserved my anger and my rage.

  “Make you hurt? What the hell is wrong with you?!”

  “I’m a demon! That’s what’s wrong with me!” Lilith yelled back and slammed her fists into my chest. I turned away from her, unable to figure out a reply. Then I got it.

  “Legally, you’re still bound to me, as I hadn’t ‘really’ died during that battle. Is that right?”

  Lilith frowned as I caught her off guard.

  “I guess so. Why?”

  “Renew the pact we made. That way you’ll be showing me that your word means something and that this thing between us can go somewhere.”

  Lilith took a step back and bit her lower lip, narrowing her eyes again. She studied me, but I refused to give anything away. I’d had it with these demons and their games. Now it was time to beat them at their own game.

  “And if I don’t want to?”

  “Then you can fuck off!” I yelled angrily and pressed my hand against the wounds on my chest. She winced and stepped back.

  “Just like that?”

  “Just like that!”

  I could see she wasn’t quite hooked, yet. She was old, and had gone through things I couldn’t possibly imagine, but I had one thing on my side: power. If nothing else, Astaroth made for a good bargaining chip.

  “Will he… come after me?”

  I shrugged nonchalantly.

  “I have no idea. He told you something in that cavern of yours. You should know better than to defy his will. Anyway, I need to get this over with. Homitage shouldn’t be too far off, so no need for you to take me there. Goodbye, Lilith.”

  I turned and walked away from her. I even added a slight limp, to emphasize the wounds sustained from her attacks earlier. With each step that I took, I felt like I was losing her. She didn’t call out my name or tell me to stop. She didn’t run or fly after me. When I stopped and turned back after ten steps, she was gone.

  23

  Homitage was in sight, on the horizon. My heart raced from the knowledge I’d soon be seeing Katya again. I had missed her far more than I wanted to admit. After all, she was my first and only love. Lilith was something special, but could there ever truly be love between us?

  I walked up to the guard captain whom I’d had to bribe last time. He turned away from me hurriedly and let me pass without a single question. It struck me as odd, but I didn’t dwell on it too much. Whatever was going on, I didn’t feel like dealing with scum like him anyway.

  The streets were bustling with vendors and new merchants I’d never seen around here before. Add in the refugees, and it was hard to make any progress towards my home. If not for them parting for me to pass, I would’ve gone mad with impatience. I sighed and breathed in and out multiple times, trying to calm down. Lilith’s loss was affecting me much more than I’d like to admit. There was a void that I had no idea could even be filled. Katya was just human, after all.

  Smoke was coming out from my home’s chimney. She must have been cooking or baking something. A strange urge to see her and suppress any thoughts of Lilith came over me. After all, if she didn’t want me, it was her loss.

  “Katya?” I called out as I entered through the front door. She wasn’t on the ground floor, yet food was on the stove. Strange. “Katya?” I called again. Still no reply. I hurried up the stairs and checked the attic, again, no Katya.

  “Whatever. I’ll go see the guild master first, “I murmured and made my way toward the harbor, past the busy pedestrians and guards. The drawbridge was up when I arrived at the ‘castle’ as I’d liked to call it. Until now, it had never been that way. Something very bad must’ve happened, even worse than the incident with the snake handler.

  “Halt!” one of the ten guards called out as I approached the ditch. “The bridge is up for a reason!”

  “That much I can see for myself. But I need to get inside. Tell the master of the guild that Kane is here to see him.”

  The guards looked at me suspiciously, as if I was speaking a language they didn’t understand. One of them made a strange motion with both hands over his face and chest. I frowned and crossed my arms.

  “You don’t understand Krafnian?”

  “Have you looked at yourself in the mirror lately?” he asked and moved his right hand to the hilt of his sword. “Need any help doing so?”

  Something in me threatened to boil over. Why were they all looking at me as if I were a monster or something?

  “No. I need to see the guild master. For one thing, there’s a lot of money at play, and secondly, we’re close friends. So I’d appreciate it if you could lower the bridge.”

  The guard walked over to the shack and came out with a small, round stone.

  “Captain? There’s a certain Kane here to see the guild master,” the guard said into the stone. To my surprise, the stone started glowing and I could hear a familiar voice.

  “The one with the big wolf?”

  The guardsman looked around and shook his head as if the captain could see him.

  “No, but--”

  “Yes, captain. The wolf stayed home this time. I need to see the guild master. Can I come in, or do I need to climb the walls?”

  “Bah. Always rash. There’s a reason for the bridge being up, you know?”

  “So?”

  The captain went silent for a long moment. I could hear him breathing through the stone, which angered me even more.

  “Promise me you won’t do anything stupid. If you do, we’ll let you in. Give me your word as a man.”

  I frowned at his request, but didn’t think much of it.

  “You have my word.”

  The guardsman didn’t even wait for a response from the captain and waved a flag toward the drawbridge. Within seconds, the cogs and levers started turning and the bridge was lowered. I quickly went in.

  “Captain?” I asked and offered my hand. He had been waiting for me inside of the portcullis.

  “Kane. Follow me.”

  Without another word, the captain turned his back to me and led the way. I followed him, having no idea on how to navigate in the maze that the guild base was. Guards and personnel moved out of our way, more out of fear than respect, if I had to guess.

  “Did you come here in such a state on purpose? Or did you just forget?”

  “What do you mean?” I asked.

  He shook his head, but didn’t look back at me. Whatever, I thought. A scream pierced the silence. I stopped and looke
d at where the scream had come from.

  “No! Let me out!”

  “K-Katya?”

  The captain moved in and drew his sword, all in a heartbeat. The blade was pressed against my neck, just hard enough to pierce the skin.

  “I had your word as a man. Don’t do something we’ll both regret,” he whispered. I could feel the power emanating from him. “First, we see the master, then we can talk about your lover.”

  I growled as my anger stirred from deep within me. My hand shot out and grabbed the blade.

  “I will hear him out only because I respect both of you. If you’ve harmed her or done anything to degrade her, I’ll raze this castle to the ground,” I said, furious. My heart threatened to burst from my chest and strangle the man, but knowing me, I doubt they’d have done anything if they’d had no good reason for it.

  “Let go of my blade,” the captain said coldly. I complied and stormed past him, shaking the blood from my hand. The guild’s master was waiting for us outside of his room, a worried expression frozen to his face.

  “Kane. Please, hear me out. If you think that we’ve wronged you afterward, you can do whatever you like. And what the hell’s happened to you? You look like you’ve fought a war, my child.”

  Seeing the frail, old man standing in front of me, holding himself barely upright, either from fear or desperation, I broke. The fight left me, as he spoke truth. He would never do anything to hurt me or the ones I cared for.

  “I have. And I don’t feel like fighting another, so please, tell me what she’s in for before I lose it completely.”

  “Come, join me and the captain for a drink.”

  I sighed and followed the old man into his room. Three glasses had already been prepared and filled.

  So he knew I’d be here. How interesting, I thought.

  “Why is she locked up?” I asked, as I sat on the brown leather sofa and took a sip of the orange liquid. It sizzled on my tongue but tasted cold and sour. I coughed and put the glass down again.

  “She destroyed… part of the harbor, to give you the short story.”