"So what was so damned important that you needed to see me right now? I'm trying to finish my latest Harry Potter." She closed her book with a resounding snap, before turning swirling silver eyes on him.
"Dumbledore dies," he said.
She let out an exasperated groan and rolled her eyes before slamming the book shut. Placing the now useless book on a nearby table, she turned her full attention to her guest. Petite and pale, she looked as if she couldn't harm so much as a fly. But Karim had discovered that this little female, yes female because she was beyond a mere woman, this female was by far the most dangerous creature he'd ever encountered. Her presences filled the space even if her body did not. She was powerful and electric and like Celeste in so many ways.
"Fucker," she said without malice. “So, what happened? Tell me everything." She, folded her arms across her chest.
He straightened and cleared his throat not exactly sure where to begin.
She rolled her eyes again, frustrated by his procrastination.
"You were right." He sat, taking the seat opposite her. "The Dark Fae are apparently planning something."
"Of course I was right. I wouldn't have sent you otherwise,” she said matter-of-factly.
"It's a demon, I don't know what kind. She's tiny but very strong. I could feel her pushing into my mind, trying to anyway. She made me queasy, for a moment, I thought that she might succeed. By the way she spoke, the way she tried to convince me that we should align forces, I think that a plan is already in action. Her name is Lilith."
"Lilith." Nyx whistled. "Of course they would send her. She's actually the only daughter of Lucifer, or whatever he’s calling himself now. And she didn't realize you were one of the Seven? Of course not, she wouldn't have tried to influence you if she had."
"So you do know her?" he asked, a strange itchy feeling began in his neither regions.
"I know of her." The way Nyx looked, the tightness in her posture lead him to believe that this Lilith was one he should worry about. He was also thankful that Nyx seemed to understand his anxiety at the thought of someone like her being in the Collective. Not just that, but she would also be close to Celeste and that was what worried him more than anything else.
"What are they up to? What's the end game?" Nyx pondered, worrying her thumbnail with her teeth. "I wonder who is calling the shots on this one."
"Didn't your spy tell you? What exactly did he say?"
She looked at Karim and sighed.
"He didn't say much, he didn't have time. All he had time to tell me was to make sure Celeste is protected. I just wonder, how they found her. No matter what, she needs to be protected. Now that the Dark Fae know where to find her, they will probably try to get closer,” she mumbled, her wheels spinning as she tried to piece together their plan. Her delicate fingers went to her throat. She'd made a point to cloaked Celeste's presence from so many, and they'd found her. Damn it.
"You honestly believe Lilith's going to move on Ca-Celeste?"
He cursed himself for the slip. He had to remember that she was Celeste now, not his sweet Calie. Making her the target of whatever they were planning made him uneasy. Everyone knew of the Fates prophecy regarding the Caelestis and if they could turn her, they would use her for their own needs. But which would it be…destroyer or savior?
"Not if she has any common sense she won't. But then again, the Dark Fae aren't what I would call sound decision makers. Keep an eye on Celeste, get close and for heaven's sake make sure she stays out of trouble."
Karim snorted and shook his head. Celeste was a homing beacon for trouble. It was ingrained in her DNA to be a shit starter.
“At least until I can get a handle on what those cretins are planning." Nyx continued, ignoring his interruption.
"That's not going to happen. She knocked me on my ass within seconds. There is no way in hell she's going to let me get that close to her. She's already questioned my motives for being there."
"What did you tell her?" Nyx asked. That was the only tricky thing about sending Karim in as a spy. He was one of the originals, a prince of the Seven Houses, vampire royalty. His house, the House of Tyre, were only second in strength and number to the first house, the House of Judea. Like most of the original vampires, he could not willingly lie or be affected by other preternaturals. The Seven were incorruptible.
"I'm telling you she fucking hates me. She'll never trust me, she sure as hell won't let me follow her around. I am not the right person for that job. What happened to her, Nyx? Why is she so pissed?" he said.
"You are the perfect person to do it." Nyx mumbled leaving the room in a haze of pale grey smoke, her voice floating from another room in the temple. "I would have chosen someone else if I believed otherwise. Lilith- she worries me."
Karim followed the sound of her voice through the corridors, until he found himself in a hallway that looked as if it could be in any suburban home anywhere in the world. The walls were painted sunny yellow, the hardwood floors buffed to a high gloss. He rounded a corner and found a staircase, descending as the sound of her voice trailed away.
He finally found her in a bright airy living room with floor to ceiling windows that looked out on white sandy beaches. Outside he could see people playing in the surf, children building sandcastles and sunbathers basking in the heat. He moved closer, staring at the sunlight and wondering why he wasn't burning from the heat. He lifted a hand and let it land in a beam of light that crossed the room; feeling the warmth of the sun on his skin was something he hadn't done in an eon.
"How is this possible?" he asked, his vision blurring from the tears that threatened to spill down his cheeks.
"What?" Nyx looked up at him as she pulled a book from a large book shelf in the corner of the room, "Oh, the sun? This place is enchanted. Nothing can really harm you here. We are sort of in between dominions. Just think of the view as a really big TV." She gave his arm a pat, watching as he basked in the sunlight, something that he would never have the opportunity to do if he weren't in this place, under her protection.
He moved closer to the window, feeling the sun on his skin. He imagined himself out there, letting the sun bake his naked skin. He thought of he and Celeste out playing in the waves, the taste of salty water on her skin, the sunlight in her hair, and other things that he knew would never be. He felt a tightness in his chest as the ache of not having that hit him like a dagger to his gut. He would never have that with her. It was something he could never give her, unless they found a place like this, somewhere in between worlds but touching neither.
Finally, when the sky began to change from vibrant blue to dusky orange, he turned to her, his eyes still watery, but a calm settling over him.
"Back to work then?" Nyx asked, sipping a cup of tea while sitting on a large sofa, a heavy leather tome in her lap, waiting for him to get his fill. She'd made him what he was, taken so much from him, the least she could do was give him a few hours of happiness.
"What you need to know about Lilith is in here." She pointed to the book and it opened, flipping to a page, then stopping. "Apparently there are all sorts of rumors about her, like she may be a princess of hell or some sort of cursed angel. It's not very clear, but what is clear is that she is a succubus. Well, she holds dominion over all of the succubae and incubi and her father is ... Lucifer." She lobbed that little nugget at him as an aside before rushing on. "It's probably how she was strong enough to try to bend your will. I don't like this at all, Karim. From what I know of her, she’s very close to the Queen. I need you to watch Celeste, this could be bad."
"I wasn't right the first time and I sure as hell am not right for it now. What ever happened before, whatever I did broke something inside of her. I can't take a chance on doing more damage, Nyx. She has brothers and friends around her who would be better--"
"They are also corruptible. You are the only one who can really protect Celeste because you are one of the Seven and you're still in love with her. You would die before you
let any more harm come to her. She may be angry with you, but she knows you. Sending someone else in will alert the Dark Fae, and we don't want to do that until we know more. Besides, it's your duty to protect the progeny of the primordial. You will do as you're told, Karim, Prince of Tyre."
He stared at Nyx, his face tight, his fists clenched. He couldn't deny Nyx anything. He had pledged his fealty to her long ago, now was not the time for a battle of wills.
"As you wish," he said, knowing that any argument would be fruitless. He stood looking out of the windows at the sky beyond. It had turned dark and he saw the ever present moon high in the starry night sky. This was where he belonged, in the darkness with the other slinking and hidden creatures.
"She'll be at her home in New Orleans. You can find her, can't you?" Nyx knew that he could. It was one of the things he was good at. Karim was an excellent tracker, a finder of lost things. That was why she had enlisted him to find Celeste when all others had long given up the search. He was one of the few who could find her and he had. He nodded and turned to leave when she spoke, halting him in his tracks.
"It wasn't your fault," Nyx said after a long silent moment. Karim's shoulders tightened and he turned his head to look back at her.
"I don't even know what happened to her. She won't tell me and I feel horrible. Was it truly as awful as I imagine?"
Nyx placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, her swirling eyes like the clouds before a thunderstorm, her perfect mouth tight. She took a deep breath but no words would come and Karim realized that even for her, the wounds were still fresh.
"What happened to her, Nyx? Tell me." He could hear the pleading tone in his voice, and felt his heartbeat quicken. "Please, I need to know."
She touched his cheek, her voice as soft the grey of her eyes. She could feel his hurt and he could feel hers. Was the truth so devastating that even Nyx wouldn't speak of it? Had his selfish act really broken her? What, for god's sake, had happened? His chest hurt and he felt sick when she began to speak, only to have the wind knocked out of him.
"It is not my truth to tell, agápi,” she said solemnly.
***
Lilith's head hurt, and her stomach felt queasy ever since the vampire had run out on her. She had never experienced such pain while trying to take control of another. She'd never failed either. She didn't know if it was due to the binding on the compound or something that was unique to Karim. No matter, she had news to report and she needed to get back home now. There was much to discuss and very little time. The vampire, he was going to be a problem, she knew from the moment he pushed her out of his head.
She slipped out as quickly and quietly as possible, making her way to the compound’s upper level before she was missed. She did have to avoid being spotted by the vampire, but only once. She watched with curiosity as he debated with himself before he stepped off of the edge of the broken stone bridge disappearing into the foggy ether. For a moment, she thought to follow him, to try to figure out how he'd bested her. But decided against it. He could be returning to his clan for all she knew and the last place she needed to be was in a den of vampires.
The thought alone made her skin crawl. Instead she decided to go to an equally abhorrent place. She was going to see the Dark Queen. How she dreaded speaking to that female, but as with most things, it was a necessary evil. She tugged the hood of her white fox fur coat over her head before strolling into the wooded countryside in search of the portal that had brought her to the compound several hours ago. "Here we go, into the woods,” She sang softly before she disappeared into the atmosphere.
She knew she was close even before the fog cleared. It was the smell, the cloying overpowering scent that always seemed to cling to her clothing and hair. It wasn't an altogether unpleasant smell, it was a more unique and rather pungent aroma, a combination of violet leaf and bergamot, which on their own were quite nice, but together made her slightly ill. Home, she thought rather ruefully. It had been home for an eon, but now she always felt like an unwelcome guest.
Before she could lift her hand to twist the knob, the door was opened by a rather serious looking faun, a man with the horns, ears, legs and hooves of a goat, but then all fauns had the dower face of a sad goat to her. He looked down at her with dark egg sized, expressionless eyes. He wore a dark suit, his fur brushed away from his long face until it shown, his horns shorn to near stumps atop his narrow head. The effect was both unnerving and comical, to say the least.
"She is expecting you," he spoke in a deep monotone that was just a step above a grunt.
"Of course, she is." Lilith sighed, handing him her coat as he allowed her entry into the main foyer. She frowned as she looked around the place, her eyes going up to the new chandelier. Yet another tasteless monstrosity that had been added to the once understated elegance of the home. She sighed and shook her head at the blinding brightness of the crystal encrusted atrocity. It was like staring into a disco ball. Well, she supposed, taste wasn't something we were all born with.
"Come with me, madam," the faun grunted, his hooves clattering on the marble floor as he led the way.
She found herself staring as he tried to maintain his footing on the ballroom floors. It was a task that seemed to have his entire body clenched in concentration. For a moment, she felt sorry for the poor guy, this was not a life he was meant for. He belonged outside, frolicking in the woods, not trussed up like a circus chimp trying not to face plant on the hall floor. It was completely unnatural. Then, the Queen was not known for being the most understanding or sympathetic being.
She was led down the hall to a sitting room where she would wait to be seen, her eyes roaming the ever changing decor. The last time she was here the theme had been sort of an amalgamation of post modernism, shabby chic and classic styles that made everything look like a gaudy mess. She had never understood how someone with so much personal style had allowed that gauche styling of their home. Today, she thought it was closer to what she'd expected when the Queen had decided that this would be her new residence.
Lilith hadn't cared at the time, having long ago forgone the realm of the Dark Fae for the sultry decadence of New Orleans. What she had taken offense to was the way the Queen had removed the charm of the place with her expensive trash.
The decor reminded her of castoffs from some low budget 80’s porn. Shiny and white, with gaudy silver accents, neon throw pillows that held a strange sheen. From the white furniture to the white shag carpet, the entire place proved that money didn’t cure bad taste.
"Lilith, I hadn't expected you so soon." The woman breezed into the room, her distinctive hair hanging to her shoulders in loose waves. Her hair was snowy white, from the roots, but slowly faded to an almost black on the ends. It was even more striking against her usual uniform of all white clothing. It had become her signature. The only color came from her jewel encrusted Manolos. Her make-up was non-existent and not needed. She looked at Lilith with sharp pale blue eyes while crossing the room with a slow easy stride. Smart and ruthless, she could also be benevolent and gracious, and in some cases, even seductive when it suited her needs.
Behind her stood a male, quiet and contemplative, but very alert. He did not speak, only stood, waiting, and watching with shrewd intelligence. His skin was a pale blue and reminded her of faded denim, his eyes obsidian and he was also impeccably dressed. One of her guards, Lilith supposed, or a new bedmate for the Queen. This one was different from the mates she usually chose. He was slight of frame, wearing black slacks and a black shirt opened at the collar. He watched Lilith suspiciously, his face expressionless. He was giving Lilith the creeps.
"I'm honored that you would meet with me, my Queen." She bowed low, her eyes on the intricate Persian rug. The Queen snorted, sitting in a high backed chair, crossing her legs at the ankle, then snapped her fingers.
The male who'd hung at the entrance moved to a bar at her back and began to pour a drink. He moved with a speed and elegance that was unnerving, his eyes never le
aving Lilith as he worked.
"Cut the shit, Lilith. Why did you return so quickly? Did they kick you out?"
Lilith reclaimed her seat, smiling as she did.
The male handed Lilith a drink, before turning to the Queen. She took what was offered, her eyes never leaving Lilith as she did. It was as it always was, the male was just another prop, an accessory that made the Queen feel more desirable.
"No, they found me quite charming. I do have charms, you know."
"As limited as they are," she agreed, "So, did the great and powerful Arbor Kent deem you worthy? I guess not, you wouldn't be back so quickly if she had." The Queen's smile was evilly wicked and turned her face into a sinister mask.
"Actually, I never got that far in the process. It seems the Commander of the Grey took offense to the other prospect, knocked him right on his ass."
"The Commander of the Grey?" The Queen lifted one perfectly arched white brow, before sipping her drink, trying her best to remain calm.
"It was a vampire of all things. A Persian named ... Karim." Lilith sipped her drink, slowly, deliberately letting her words to hang in the air.
"Karim?" The Queen repeated, she was easing forward in her chair, her fingers gripping the glass in her hand until her knuckles turned bright red. Lilith took great pleasure in making the Queen squirm in her seat. The Queen sat back, absently running her finger around the rim of her glass, her white eyes dancing with excitement.
"Did you see her? Was she there?" The Queen's voice was tight, almost a whisper as she forced the words out. "Did you speak to her?" She asked, her emotions playing across her face as she tried to reign them in.
"I didn't get a chance to speak with her, but I saw her."
"And?" She was practically jumping out of her skin.
Lilith had never seen the Queen like this before and in all honesty it was making her a little nervous. She heard the crackle of the glass the woman held, as it began to splinter. Tiny droplets of dark ruby blood dripped down her hand marring the sterile furnishing and puddling on the toe of her immaculate shoes. She paid no notice, her face tightening as she listened.
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