by Nikki Prince
Although she thought Asmoday was crazy in even suggesting that she’d try. It wasn’t an option for Eva as Lili was still out cold from whatever spell that Asmoday had put her under. Speaking of crazy, she wondered how long it would take her to get off her rocker and end up like Asmoday. No, she wouldn’t think like that. Her focus should be on waking Lili up and getting them out of there. Eva sat next to her on the bed and held her hand tightly as she talked to her as if she were awake.
“Remember when we were children and we used to go into our secret hideout that we had in the hills behind the foster home?” She pretended Lili answered with a yes and continued talking.
“Those were the days, yeah? The times when we’d run around catching frogs, snakes and terrifying our foster mother with our tomboyish ways.”
She watched the rise and fall of Lili’s chest, hoping that by talking to her she’d snap out of it. Nothing. It was as if she was sleeping beauty and couldn’t be awakened unless she was kissed. She unfortunately didn’t have the right equipment to be the Prince.
She lay down beside Lili, putting her head on her chest, still holding her hand.
“I’m truly sorry, Lili, for everything. I shouldn’t have ever cursed you in the garden.” Her thoughts turned inward, and once more she found herself in the past as she reminisced about a time gone by.
****
At the Tigris River
She’d gone looking for Lilith and Samael. Tired of playing second fiddle to Lilith when it came to Adam, she’d wanted them to feel her pain and anguish. Eva had come upon them about to make love. She’d been furious. Not only did Lilith have Adam wrapped about her little finger, but she also had the angel Samael.
“I love you, Lilith. I would risk everything to be with you.” Eva had watched Lilith smile at Samael.
“I love you too, Samael. You have given up so much for me.”
“And he is about to give up so much more.” They’d both gasped and pulled apart, staring at Eve as she stood above them with her arms across her chest.
“Who’s this female, Samael?”
“I’m Adam’s new wife, Eve. And you must be this Lilith he cannot stop talking about.” She’d spoken before Samael could interrupt.
“Eve, what are you doing here? Why aren’t you back in Eden with Adam?” Eva had smirked as Samael had covered their bodies with a robe, as if she hadn’t already seen their nakedness.
“Making sure you both get what you deserve.” Liliana had clearly looked puzzled, not knowing what was going on.
“What we deserve? Why are you speaking such foolishness? Leave us be, and go back to the Garden of Eden,” Lilith had dared to order.
“Oh, I will be going back, but not before I do what I came here to do. That would be imparting a gift to you that will ensure my happiness and give me much pleasure.”
“Eve, stop before things get out of hand.” She’d heard Samael’s warning, but she hadn’t been scared of him. His words had only fueled the fire of her anger.
“What will you do, Fallen? That’s right, Samael, you will not do anything. You’ve been left bereft of your power for the choices you’ve made. So what’ll you do?” Eve had laughed in spite of the anger she felt coming off Samael in waves. He wasn’t going to stop her. She would continue on her path. It had been the choice she was destined to make. She couldn’t hesitate, and she’d had to see it through.
“I curse you both.” She’d heard Lilith gasp and watched as she pressed herself against Samael. Finish this, Eve, she’d told herself. “I curse you, Samael, to be doomed to walk this Earth with knowledge of who you were and the awareness of the love you have for Lilith.”
“Is that all, Eve? That isn’t a curse; it’s what’s already in place,” Samael had taunted.
“Oh, don’t rush me. I’ve only just begun.” A wicked grin on her face, she waited for a moment as she saw Samael trying to soothe Lilith.
“Now let’s see. Where was I? Oh, yes. You, Samael, will know Lilith and love Lilith throughout eternity. All the same, she will never know you. You can’t remind her either. The knowledge of what she has done has to come from her.” She’d giggled and then looked directly at Lilith. “And you, dear, get the worst of it. You will not know who you are, and Samael can’t tell you. You will die, and every time you die, you will come back and be that much further from the truth. This curse will last until you remember your name and what you did to me.”
The tears that had fallen from Lilith’s eyes had actually given her pause for a moment. She’d wondered if she’d done the right thing. Again that voice in her head whispered that she’d come too far. She needed to finish what she’d started, and she was right to be doing so.
“Why are you doing this? What did I do to you?”
“Do you know how hard it is to live with a man who doesn’t love you? Who pines after another woman and compares everything you do to what she did? No, you don’t, because everyone wants Lilith! Lilith even had an angel choose to fall just for the pleasure of being between her thighs. I was the one taken from his rib, made to be his. The perfect fit for him and yet he pines for you!”
“You must be mistaken! Stop this! Go back to him, please, Eve. This is madness!” Eve had ignored Lilith’s pleading back then.
“Oh, I am going back, but I’ll not stop it. The curse stands.” She’d laughed, though even to her own ears it had sounded hollow.
“Eve, no good will come of this,” Samael had warned her once more as he held his crying Lilith.
“Maybe you’re right, but I feel better already.”
****
Present time Asmoday’s jail cell
She’d been such a bitch. It was no wonder Liliana didn’t have much to do with her once she found out the truth, and she really couldn’t blame her. That was just one example of the dirty shit she’d done to Liliana. The worst of it truly, as it had begun the vicious cycle.
She whispered softly against Liliana’s chest the words that she should have uttered long ago. “I’m sorry, Lili, truly sorry, and I know I have a long way to prove it. But I will prove it to you.”
She could hear the steady beat of Liliana’s heart, and it was soothing music to her ears. Every beat of that very human heart reminded her that it wasn’t over yet. Asmoday hadn’t won as long as their hearts still beat.
If she got them out of this—no, change that. When she got them out of this, she’d do whatever it took to show Lili and Samael that she was sorry. The life that she’d led up until she’d been changed to human was a travesty, a complete sham of a life. She wanted to be with Clay and to enjoy what she hadn’t before. No more plotting so much that she didn’t have time to enjoy life. If she were given another chance after this, she’d make the most of it.
So much time spent being greedy and wanting what someone else had. Where had that gotten her? It had taken her on the track to nowhere and fast. On the outside things had seemed great, but in truth if she looked inside of herself she’d hated what she’d become. It wasn’t being a demon that was the bad thing, for all demons played a part in the way life flowed.
It was the things that she’d done knowingly to her sister and to Samael. There were so many things that she missed out on because of her choices. Kamuel was right, too long had she listened to the snake. Epiphany of epiphanies, she now knew that snake in the grass had always been Asmoday and unless she made her stand this time, it would just continue to go on and on.
“You’re going to lay on me all night?”
Lili! She sat up and took in Liliana’s face. She didn’t seem any worse for wear at all.
“How are you doing? Are you okay?” She touched her face, felt her forehead to make sure she didn’t feel hot. Lili batted her hands away.
“Of course I’m fine. Still seem to be stuck in this godforsaken place with you. But I’m fine. I feel more rested than I ever have in my life.”
“You’ve been out for a while.”
“How long’s a while?”
“A few days. But I’ve been keeping watch over you and no one’s bothered you.”
“No one’s bothered me?” Lili placed emphasis on the ‘no one’. “You mean a demon hasn’t touched me? ‘Cause this isn’t home anymore, even I can see that.”
“Yes, that’s exactly what I mean. I have a confession to make.”
Lili smirked. “Oh? What would that be?” She’d crossed her arms over her chest.
She wouldn’t let this escalate into something that it wasn’t, so she let the snide remark pass and finished what she was saying.
“I’ve been having dreams for quite a while. Dreams of a snake, a demon and the like, and I fear it’s my fault this has happened. I should have told Clay. Shit, I should have told either you or Samael. But I thought I could handle this all on my own.”
Disbelief crossed Lili’s face first, and then what Eva could assume was anger did as well.
“You mean to tell me that you had some inkling about all this and you said nothing? Not even to Clay whom you’re living with?”
“It’s not like that at all, Lili. I mean the dreams came. I thought at first they were just silly dreams of the past and some erotic dreams because of frustration. But I didn’t really think at first that it was something to worry about.”
“Did you just hear yourself? You said at first. This means there was a point when you finally thought something was wrong, Eva!”
“Lili, haven’t you ever done something that you regretted and you wanted to make amends? Or have you always just been perfect?” She was tired of being cut down; she’d stand up for herself. She hadn’t wanted all of this to happen, but by god she wasn’t going to be treated badly because of this either.
Lili stopped to stare at her, and her demeanor softened. “I’ve done things I wasn’t proud of, yes.”
“I didn’t hide this with some sort of agenda in mind, Lili. I honestly believed that I could figure out how to stop the dreams. Hell, I even thought it was because I’d been a demon that the dreams were somehow just memories or subconscious … I don’t know. Either way I thought I could handle it.”
“But you couldn’t.”
She put her head down and sighed.
“Yes, I know that now and all I am trying to say is that I’m sorry and that if I can I will get you out of this. No matter what happens to me, I will get you out of this.”
“Look at me.”
Eva lifted her head, keeping her eyes intent on Lili. She was scared of what she would see there, but found that Lili’s eyes were swarming with tears just as hers were.
“I’ve been angry with you for a long while. I wanted you to feel the same pain that I’ve felt. But that isn’t right for me to feel like. I know that, and I’ve had to ask forgiveness for that. I don’t want to fight anymore, and I’m scared of letting you back into my life.”
“Lili, I…”
Lili shook her head. “No, let me finish what I’m saying.”
She’d been about to apologize again, but it seemed Lili needed to get something out.
“I said all that to say this. I love you, and that hasn’t ever stopped. However, it doesn’t mean I will allow you to hurt me or Samael again. Please don’t fuck this up, Eva. If you do I have to cut you loose. Get it?”
Oh she definitely got it. This was her last chance, something she’d known all along but now it was there out in the open. It wasn’t an idle threat. It was the implicit truth.
“Yes, I got it, Lili. Please hear me out.”
“Go ahead. You heard me out, so now it’s my time to chill out and listen.”
Lili settled her back against the wall and drew her legs up to hug them close to her body.
“I know I fucked up royally. I will get you out of this. I love you. I know it’s hard to believe after the shit I pulled. I know I have a long road ahead of me for you to believe what I’m saying is true. I’m willing to do so.”
Lili didn’t say anything. She just took ahold of Eva’s hands and squeezed gently. Eva would take that to mean Lili had heard what she had to say and that they’d take things slow.
“Now, Vestis has left us some food. You need to eat. You haven’t eaten anything the last few days.” Asmoday was a demon who liked the finer things that the earthly realm held, and it showed in the amenities that their “jail” held.
She reached over and grabbed the water bottle and ham sandwiches that had been left for them. She was surprised she didn’t have to pull maggots off them, but again she knew Asmoday was keeping them healthy for a reason. It wouldn’t do for the prisoners to get sickly before he could dangle the prize before his adversary.
Both women settled back on the makeshift bed and ate in silence. Who knew how long they were going to be there. At least now she didn’t have to worry about her and Lili going at it while they were in this predicament. They were quite possibly on the road to recovery and mending their relationship.
Chapter Eighteen
Asmoday had settled in a large throne in the bowels of hell with Vestis at his feet and several other minions of hell flitting about here and there. A cacophony of sound filled the air as several of the demons fought amongst themselves. With a growl of impatience Asmoday vaulted from his seat and roared until there was utter silence, which in itself was a major feat seeing as it was hell.
Demons scattered and cowered before Asmoday, and finally when he had their attention he hunkered back into his seat. The chair was large, but even so it was dwarfed by Asmoday’s large stature. It also allowed him to stare down at the others.
He’d picked each demon for the task at hand and had to say he was quite pleased with those he’d chosen. They were at attention standing in a somewhat perfect line. Asmoday smirked. This was how hell should be—all demons should bow before his greatness. It was time to make sure that all the demons in his command were behind him a hundred percent. And if they weren’t? He’d kill them.
“Now that I have your attention, there is a matter we need to discuss. There are two demons that are looking for the women I have. I want them brought to me if you find them. Subdue them, but do not kill them. That’s my job. Do you all understand?”
There was growling, snarling with a lot of bellowing, but Asmoday knew that even the dumbest of demons knew what he wanted and would follow that order. After all this was his house and what he said was what everyone did.
“But, Master, if they are demons, why would we have to fight them?”
It was the demon Abadan who spoke up. He was one of the lesser night demons of hell. The other demons backed up, leaving Abadan to stand before Asmoday, whose sharp gaze pierced the demon and made him back up in fear.
“For one, it’s because you do whatever I fucking tell you to do. Secondly, they are our enemies; they are coming to take what is mine. But the pleasure of their death is all mine. Got it, Abadan?”
Abadan hissed, shifting his eyes left and right as if to see if any of the other demons would take up for him. When no one said anything, Asmoday smirked.
“And we are waiting for what, Abadan?”
“I got it … I fucking got it!”
Asmoday was on the demon quickly, his hands wrapped about the demon’s neck, his face inches from the trembling fiend. Asmoday tightened his fingers on the demon’s throat, watching him struggling and grabbing at his hands.
“Please, Asmo, please. I’m sorry. I won’t do it again, Master,” Abadan said between gargling gasps as he clutched franti
cally at the hands that held him in such a tight grip.
“Now you tremble in fear.” He sneered at the cowering Abadan. “I will fucking rip your head from your body if you ever talk to me like that again. You’d better recognize who I am.” There was a cacophony of sound as the other demons began making snorts, grunts and growls.
“I know, Master, I know. Forgive … forgive!” Abadan’s dark eyes were almost bulging from his head, and he was starting to froth at the mouth as he thrashed desperately.
“I should kill you, Abadan, for your insolence.”
Asmoday had the other demon up in the air with his feet dangling off the ground, a sure sign of his power to all who wished to oppose him. He looked at every last demon in the line.
“Which one of you other motherfuckers wish to start some shit?” When no one said anything, he snapped his teeth together triumphantly and brought Abadan face to face with him.
“I will let your ill temper pass because if I were a freaking pathetic peon like you I’d be pissed too. Now shut the fuck up and get back in line.” He tossed Abadan to the ground hard, hearing him cry out in pain and then scramble to his feet. Asmoday growled, giving the other demon a flash of his jagged teeth. Abadan skulked back into formation.
“Now that we got that shit straightened out, and you all know who’s boss here, it’s time for you to get out there and do what I need done.”
Asmoday made sure he looked every demon in the eye, including Vestis, who had moved to stand with the others. They lowered their gazes either in respect or out of fear, as a demon of a lesser station was apt to do. Even Vestis lowered his eyes and cringed before him.
Asmoday couldn’t stop the snigger that fell from his curling lips as no one made an attempt to usurp his power. It was the main reason that Luc had named him one of his generals. With one last look at the others Asmoday strutted back over to his throne and flounced down into it.
