The Celestial Rose BoxSet

by Annalee Adams

  Hot breath panted through my lungs. Muscles tensed, fists balled. Was this happening? Did I do this? My mind had succumbed to the darkest shade of horror inside of me, but through a dark act, a light settled on the path before me. The man was now at peace, now seen in the eyes of humanity’s lost civilisation. He was someone, a person, and not just part of the scenery. The man was me, he was them; the crowds of shocked followers that gathered to watch over his passing. The man could have been anyone and everyone, all in the space of one fleeting moment in time. So, what was the purpose of this fated flicker of fantasy? The man couldn't be me. I wasn't the victim in that story. I was the perpetrator, the villain whose darkness had seethed under my skin and released as a blast, cascading across my soulless figure and destroying those around me. I was captured.

  Eyes wide open, sweat pulsating out of my skin, I reached up and wiped my brow. Another bad dream. Another nightmare where the darkness had won and tortured my soul until I’d ended the life of another. Could it be? Is this what I’d become?

  The stench of kerosene filled my lungs, smothering the air around me as the ashes of soulless corpses smouldered. Where was I? Was I back on Earth, laid bare amongst the dead as a ready meal for the new zombified world we lived in? It was dark around me, silent and humid with the portrayal of the aftermath of World War III. I was lying down, still bare on the slab of stone I’d found myself on. Feeling down, my guts were still exposed, half sewn up by the craziness of my sister’s irrational neurosis. I was still here, in the same place I’d died in over and over again, reborn into the same lifeless body I once wore. My light was trapped. Hell had taken me in, poured in the darkness, and prevented my light from ever escaping. How many times had I withered? How often had I succumbed to the darkness? Was it still the same day? The same week, month, or year? Heck, I wouldn’t have been surprised if a century had passed with my maternal body living within the Groundhog Day I’d been born into. Death and birth went hand in hand, over and over, time and time again. Usually we rested after death, enjoyed peace for a while. Then, when the time came, we were reincarnated, blessed to walk the Earth once again. But not this time. This time I’d been cursed to remain in the rotting shell of a body, feeling the pain of every moment, every misfiring nerve, as I died once more.

  Why did they do this to me? My own family. My heart melted, withering from the intensity of the scorching torture that my father dealt me. They said Hell was your worst nightmare on repeat. I'd agree, but I had to be honest and say I couldn't have ever imagined a life so brutal.

  Amongst the screams of my baby girl, Lilith had delved past her own level of lunacy. Throwing my child to the floor as her colouring finally pinked. She'd been choking on her own mucus, yanked out from the safety net of my womb, and thrown into the hellish chaos of the world.

  My poor boy’s first breath had been one of the dismal realities of darkness as it penetrated his skin. His tiny pale limbs hung lifeless in my father’s arms as the devil inside corrupted him, bleeding the light away.

  Was there any hope for him? All he had seen was destruction, death to the many, as Blane had walked the Earth, igniting the survivors with their final screams perishing in the air of fury and vengeance. Blane worked for Lilith. He was the first of his kind, an abysmal fire demon that loathed the sight and sound of any mortal that had ever lived. He clearly didn’t like my beloved either. Lucian had been laid out cold on the floor awaiting the blow of the Reaper's Blades. It would have finalised his body as it withered and wilted down into the depths of Hell itself. The blade was the only way to truly kill an immortal. The only weapon ever made for such a purpose. And the dark side had it, wielded it as they saw fit, threatening all our lives with the eternal ending every one of us deserved. There wasn’t any truth in good and evil any more. There was no one true light or darkness, only a mixture, a mess of grey in between. I had thought Adam was truly light until I heard him agree to condemn humanity to its peril. If I hadn’t pleaded, then where would my creations be now?

  Then there was God, the almighty. Once the true source of all light, now the source of eternal darkness. How could someone so mighty become so weak? The struggle of leaving his home world have marked his soul. It had left a gash in reality, a slithering gateway through to his heart, and the darkness had found it. There was no saving him, not after he’d condemned my life to misery, leaving me alone to rot in terror.

  What would become of me? I was awake... I wanted to say bright eyed and bushy tailed, but looking at the state of me, I’d say I was far from that. Where was everyone? I was back on the table in the cavern. The space around was lit by lanterns with flickering candles, appearing as though we’d stepped back into the middle ages. It would almost feel romantic if my lover were by my side and I hadn’t been gutted like a fish. Shit. Lilith didn’t finish sewing me up. No wonder I had collapsed in the tunnel. I was in no state to go anywhere. Lifting my body upwards, I could smell the stench of faeces mixed with unoxygenated blood. There wasn’t a scent quite like it. It not only turned my nose, it removed the contents of my stomach as they came gushing up and out of me. I was dying again, decaying. How the heck was I even alive?

  They must have cut my intestines when they’d pulled the twins out. It was the only way my body would have been so ripe with infection, plummeting down into the sepsis pathway. The next stages guaranteed a coma, then another visit from death. Although, if I had to guess, I’d say sepsis had killed me hours ago. How long had I been out? Why did I wake up? I’d expected my light to transport itself back up to Elysium by then, for my soul to walk the tunnel of death until it reached those big, white, pearly gates. Oh, that was one problem wasn’t it? Those gates weren’t open any more. There was no way of getting home, no chance of returning to my body all healed and full of joy. Perhaps not the joy, but the healing would have helped to get me up and out of there. Shit. Was that why I didn’t truly die? Because I had nowhere to go? Instead I was laid down in a broken body, stinking of shit and vomit. No wonder they had all left me there to wither. I was no use to any of them.

  But then, where was my son? Did my abysmal father take him, too? Where could they have gone? They couldn’t have hidden anywhere, Lucian would have found them. He’d send the army to search for me. Adam would lead, and the world would be our oyster again. But would they dare to venture into Hell? I’d never heard of an angel in Hell, except for the false stories of Lucifer being a fallen angel, condemned to rule in Hell for all eternity. They got that wrong. But where was Lucifer? Shouldn’t he be here overseeing the immortal suffering of corrupt souls? It didn’t make sense. Why wasn’t Lilith concerned about the whereabouts of her son like I was with mine? Wasn’t it engrained into the hearts of every mother? It should be. Was it wrong that I felt bad for Lucifer for having a mother as warped and manipulative as her? Jeez, no wonder he’d gone and left.

  How long had I been here? Was there anyone out there? It felt like hours had gone by. The only company I’d had was my messed-up mind and the stench of my rotting body. “Hello?” I shouted out. Should I fear an answer? If someone was there, then that was good, right? It would mean I wasn’t alone, I’d have the chance of help, a way out of here. But if someone answered then... I wasn’t alone, and what if they were evil? There was a high chance of that in Hell. I was screwed. Well and truly screwed.

  “Hello?” I yelled, hopeful of an answer. Nothing but the stale silence of a forgotten life.

  “HELLO!” I screamed at the top of my rotten lungs.

  “Hello,” someone whispered. Was it true or was my mind a mirage of hopeful opportunities?

  “Can you help me?” I yelled, as politely as I possibly could when yelling.

  “No,” the male voice answered. Well, that wasn’t very polite. Then again, what did I expect? “I can’t,” he said, then yelped.

  “Why?” I yelled.

  “I’m stuck.”

  “Where are you?”

  “In a cage, where are you?”

  �
�Err... I’m cut up and can’t move.”

  “I like my chances better than yours.” He laughed. I grimaced. Who was it? “Well, that’s that then,” he said.

  “Yes, I guess it is.”

  Silence fell after that truth befell us. There was no getting out. The only other person in earshot was trapped in a cage. But if they were in a cage, it meant my family didn’t want them roaming around. So, if that was the case, they may have an ounce of light within them. Perhaps they could use that as a means of escape.

  “Are you the one with the babies?” He asked.

  “Yes, yes, do you know where my son is?”

  “No, God took him. You won’t be seeing him again. If God wants him then he has plans for him and will stop at nothing to follow them through.”

  “You’re not very comforting!”

  “I’m sorry, I didn’t realise I’m meant to be. We’re stuck here, may as well be honest about it.”

  “True.” I couldn’t help it though, salty tears caressed my lower lips, dropping on to my chest.

  "So, what are you in for?" The voice asked.

  "Family politics." I frowned, laughing at the absurdity of it all. Jeez, it hurt to laugh.

  "That sounds ominous," his laughter resonated through the cavern, bouncing from wall to wall.

  "So, what did you do?" I asked.

  "Married the wrong girl," he said with a softer and more heartfelt tone.

  "I wish I'd had chance to have gotten married." I grimaced.

  "Did you have someone special?"

  "I did, well... I do. He took my baby girl to safety. He'll come back for me and we'll get you out."

  "Oh, now, that would be good."

  "So, what do I call you?"

  “Anything you want, gorgeous.” He paused. “You are gorgeous, aren’t you? I can tell by the way you speak that you’re one of the better-looking girls.”

  “Err... I’m not sure how to answer that.” I frowned “But, what’s your name?”

  "Well, it would be a delight if you called me by my given name... Cain."

  "Cain? Shit, as in Lilith’s Cain?"

  "Yes, and you’ve got quite the mouth on you, haven’t you?” he laughed “Like I said, I married the wrong girl. She's gone sappy."

  "She was always a little nuts."

  "Oh, so you know her too? Is that why you're down here? What'd you do to piss her off?"

  "Be born," I laughed.

  "Ouch, harsh," he said. "So, who's the love of your life then? I'm on the lookout for a new wife." He laughed.

  Really, what was it with some people? "Hmm, well I believe you know him, Cain."

  "I do? Then do I know you?"

  "Yes, I would say so."

  "I don't recognise your voice, so who are you?"

  "Well, I'm Taylor in this body."

  "Err... How many bodies do you have?"

  I laughed. "Countless, apparently! You would know me as Eve."

  "Fuck, really? Eve as in my baby sister in law? Shit, it's good to finally meet you."

  "Yeah, Lilith kept you hidden all these years."

  "Well, she tried. I think I met you once when your big sis was hunting you... looks like she finally caught up."

  "Yeah," I grimaced.

  "So, who’s the lucky fella?”

  “Ah, that would be your old friend Lucian.”

  “Fuck me sideways. Lucian Darkwater... shit, are you sure you want to be hanging out with him?”

  “Yes, the whole getting married part entails hanging out with one another.”

  “Yes, well, clearly. Sarcastic, too, I like it.”

  “So why do you dislike him?”

  “Dislike? No, I detest the guy. He ate his own mother, for fuck’s sake.”

  “Yeah, I heard.”

  “And that turns you on? Jeez, you’re as warped as your sister.”

  I laughed whole heartedly, which hurt... again. “Thanks, but no. That side of Lucian was way before my time. He’s changed.”

  “That’s what they all say.”

  “Yes, well true. But he has, honestly. He would never hurt me.”

  “But he left you here to die?”

  “Yes, but I told him to go, to save our daughter.”

  “Those kids are his?”

  “Yes.”

  “Fuck. We’re all doomed.”

  “Hey, don’t be mean. He’s a good guy and those kids are mine, too. They have the perfect balance of light and dark. They are the future of us all.”

  “Well, if that’s the case, I’ll stay locked up here then.”

  “You’re an asshole, Cain.”

  “That is one sentiment I have heard time and time again.”

  I frowned. He was an asshole... yes, he spoke the truth, but he didn’t know Lucian like I did. We’re matched, he and I. He would never hurt me. We are in love and have been since our eyes first met. “I hope one day you find someone special, Cain.”

  “I have,” he said quietly.

  “Lilith?”

  “Fuck no!”

  “Who then?”

  “Aroelyn... she’s human. She accepted me for who am I, warts and all. Not that I have any, mind you. But heck, I have a shit load of baggage. We’ve been together for years. Had a child together, too. Lilith never knew. Time works differently in Enoch, as you probably well know.”

  “Since when did you like humans, Cain?”

  “What... I’ve always liked them. It was Lilith who had a score to settle with you. She hated the humans from the day she saw them.”

  “Why, though? I never understood. I created them for her, to keep her company on the lone world it was back then.”

  “She saw it as pity and began to see them as her replacements, as if you’d given up on her, and she’d been left alone ever since. I told her it wasn’t the case. I said it was her father’s doing. Adam would never give up on his twin. But she wouldn’t have any of it. Then the years passed, and she built her own home out of the mother figure she missed terribly. Lilith shaped Desamay on her own mother, your mum, so she wasn’t alone anymore.”

  “That’s awful! I didn’t realise.”

  “No, you wouldn’t have. Adam hid you away for centuries so God couldn’t find you. But he never came looking for Lilith.”

  “But he did. He couldn’t see into Enoch, only the world the humans had created out of Earth.”

  “I think that’s why Lilith hates you so much. She sees you as taking her place with Adam. He did everything to protect you, yet she saw nothing when it came to protecting her.”

  “But why did she join forces with our father? He’s the one that started all of this in the first place. The reason she feels so much pain and loss... it’s because of him.”

  “Yes, but he showed her affection. He called her his daughter and sees her as the next in line, the one who would wield the darkness until the end of days.”

  “It doesn’t make sense.”

  “Families rarely do. I warned her against it but look where that got me. God shoved me in here. I doubt Lilith even knows where I am.”

  “Why didn’t you call out when she was here last?”

  “Because your damned father is always by her side, whispering in her ear. It never stops. He’s changed her. She is pure evil now. Nothing can save her anymore.”

  “You’re probably right. No-one in their right mind would do this to another person,” I said, looking down at my blackened gut. “It’s just so wrong, all of it. Through all her cries for help, no-one came. They left her to fend for herself at such a young age. No wonder she’s held onto every person that’s shown her any kind of comfort.”

  “That’s why your Lucian still lives,” he said.

  “What? They weren’t like that.” I said, disgusted.

  “No, well, not that I know of. But they had a special kind of a bond, those two.”

  “Like family?” I asked.

  “Yes. She looked at him like a son, until she had one.”

&nbs
p; “But, I thought Lucifer was your son, too?”

  “Well, she says he is. But that woman has slept with a different being every day of the week. So, who knows?”

  “Where is he anyway?”

  “Who, Lucifer? I don’t know. He’s meant to be guarding Hell, but I’ve not seen him around for a decade.”

  “What, and that doesn’t worry you?”

  “No, the little brat is better off without me for his dad.”

  “Well, Lilith’s not exactly the perfect role model, is she?”

  He laughed. “True that. The thing is, the last I heard was he was with your Lucian, before he became all powerful and mighty as the first of his kind.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I’d hazard a guess that there is more to the tale than just their names being similar.”

  “Pardon?”

  “Lucian, Lucifer... it doesn’t take a genius to work that one out.”

  “Perhaps she just liked Lucian’s name and named her son after him?”

  “Or she could have merged the two to create one all-powerful killing machine.”

  Mouth wide open, I gasped. “That’s horrendous!” I yelled. It couldn’t be?

  “Look, lady, I’m not saying that’s what happened. I’m just saying your fella turned up big and mighty when my boy disappeared off the face of the Earth.”

  Shit. That would make Lucian a combination of the mortal boy he once was and the spawn of the darkest parts of immortal existence. If he really was more than a mortal boy before the change, if he was really combined with Lucifer, then he came from darkness, yes. But before darkness, Lilith had held the light within her. Perhaps that was why he was drawn towards it, because it’s been within him all along.