*
Lilith abandoned Gadreel to the roaring river and flew to a nearby hill. A moment later, she peered over her shoulder at her friend. Her face tightened. Although Gadreel was a whining nuisance, she was her only ally in this harsh new environment. “I shall pull her from the current.” When she turned back she watched a black-winged figure carry Gadreel’s limp body away. Lilith frowned and watched the creature land on the same mound where she stood, so she hurried to take cover on the other side of the hill.
Lilith’s strong arms dragged her snake body over rough rocks and brush. She made her way up the back side of the hill. She skulked in the shadows of an overhang. She lifted her head and huffed. “I cannot allow this creature to devour my only ally.” She spiraled to face the monster. She cringed and groaned in pain as she lifted her broken tail in the air, ready to attack.
“Samael!” She let her tail flop to the ground, grimaced and then grinned as she moved toward him, arms spread wide. His features twisted in disgust, he held out his arms and staggered away.
“What is wrong?” Lilith stopped and frowned. “Do you not recognize me? It is I, Lilith.”
“Apologies, but your new form is––grotesque.” Samael tensed. “What caused this cursed change upon you?”
“What is your meaning? Were you not transformed in some way when you landed on this forsaken planet?” She crawled around him, inspecting him. “Like Gadreel, it appears only your wings were altered. They are hideous.” However, his handsome face, amber eyes, thick hair, and tall muscular body were intact. “You are desirable to me, yet you look upon me with disgust.”
Samael dropped his eyes to the ground and avoided her hollow stare. He soon set his sights on Gadreel.
Gadreel shifted and opened her eyes. Samael knelt by her side, caressing her face.
“I am pleased you have awoken and delighted you were not transformed into a hideous creature.” He cringed and glanced at Lilith shame-faced. She glared at him. He bit his lip and turned a vivid red.
“We were all transformed in one way or another.” Gadreel glanced at Lilith who still glowered and then at Samael.
The rain continued to pour. The storm grew more violent, and lightning ripped through the sky. Gadreel jolted, and Samael held her.
Lilith stared at them, her lips curled with bitter indignation. “You gaze at her the way you once looked at me. You desire her.”
Samael squirmed, looked down and licked his lips. Gadreel picked on her nails.
This must not be so, for it placed too much power in Gadreel’s hands, but how could Lilith stop it? Gadreel still possessed her original form, while she was a monstrosity. Lilith clenched her jaw and slammed her eyes shut for a moment.
“Enough!” Lilith lowered her eyebrows. “We must leave! We’ve dawdled here long enough. We need to resume our journey to find the source of the shrill noise in our minds!”
“So both of you have heard the shrill sound?” Samael asked. Lilith and Gadreel nodded. “I have been following it also. It led me thus far.”
“I am certain the sound is a distress call from one of the other fallen angels,” Lilith said. “Satan may be in danger and calling for us. We must hurry. The sound originates in the great body of water God called Ocean. This is why we must go to the coast.”
The storm dissipated, leaving behind a pleasant smell. Lilith and Samael took flight, each holding one of Gadreel’s arms. They flew away from the flooded area to a different expanse of the desert, nearly expending the small amount of restored energy the rain provided them.
Chapter 7
Survival
Lilith, Gadreel and Samael arrived at another enchanting desert terrain. Lilith explored her surroundings. “Do not allow the beauty of this place to mislead you. This environment is harsh and hostile, and our survival has become extremely tenuous.” The others nodded in agreement.
Samael and Gadreel dragged their feet in silence through the barren yet tranquil landscape. Lilith held her torso off the ground and continued to walk with her arms. She twisted from side to side, as she crawled and pushed the sand with her injured tail.
“We suffer from pain and exhaustion,” Lilith said. “I have also found that we have developed new requirements for survival that we never needed in Floraison.”
Samael cocked his head and Gadreel bit her lip and bobbed her head.
Lilith drew in a long breath and exhaled a harsh one. “We tire easier and faster than before, we are more fragile, and we suffer hunger and thirst. I feel less and less like an angel.” She lowered her head and slumped her shoulders. “I am changing, and not merely in appearance, I sense the change in the essence of my being. The lingering effects of Floraison are diminishing. What would we become? What would we be if not angels?”
Gadreel’s body drooped. “I am having trouble swallowing.” She pressed a hand to her throat. “My mouth and throat are dry and painful.”
Samael puckered his brow and looked at his belly. He rubbed it. “My insides burn. An intense pressure fills my middle and my body aches. Such things I never felt in Floraison.”
Gadreel took a deep breath. “I am relieved I am not the only one experiencing these sensations. I, too, feel the burning and pressure inside me. It feels like something moves within me, getting under my ribs and my chest, causing me pain.”
“It is a testament to our changed reality.” Lilith wore a wry grin. “We yearn for sustenance. We are suffering the physical sensations of hunger. We have need for liquids as well, not unlike the humans God created.”
“Impossible!” Samael’s lower lip trembled and his voice had an urgent tone. “We are not human beings, we are angels, celestial beings, and we have no such needs to survive.”
Lilith smirked. “Look around you—does this place resemble Floraison in any way?” She stared at him. “We are no longer celestial beings. And if I learned anything after landing on this planet, it is that nothing is impossible. We have been transformed more than we know. We may be losing our angelic powers. That is why it took many days to begin to perceive the distress of hunger and thirst. It must be another form of punishment, and yet another reason why we must retaliate against God. We have more in common now with human beings than we do with the angels.”
Gadreel’s face paled. “What are you saying? We are becoming human?”
Lilith rolled her eyes upward. “I have said no such thing. We are not human beings, but we have acquired some of their weaknesses since our arrival on this planet. We are not what we once were. That is beyond question. But what we are now, or what we shall become, is unknown to me.”
Samael shoved his hair back away from his face and pressed a finger to his lips.
Lilith observed him. “You must accept the truth. Your life depends on it.” He nodded once, never making eye contact.
Gadreel glanced at them. Her lips trembled and her arms clenched. “We understand the severity of our situation,” she said in a flat tone.
Lilith kept a wary eye on her allies. “We must find water and nourishment before it is too late, for this state of exhaustion may precede death.”
“You are right. My body is depleted, and I grow weaker by the day, but look around us.” Gadreel indicated with her hand the barren region surrounding them. “This wilderness is arid and desolate. How are we to find food and water here?”
The others considered their environment for a moment.
“Indeed, there are not many plants but the animals we have seen manage to find food here. Are we not superior to them?” Lilith looked intentionally quizzical.
“Of course we are!” Samael scowled.
“We shall observe the animals. Behold where and how they find sustenance.” Lilith began moving as soon as she had finished her sentence.
The fallen angels divided to cover more ground. They searched for a long while, finding nothing. Then Gadreel spotted a rabbit not far from where she stood. “Lilith! Samael! Come, I have found an animal.”
They q
uickly arrived by her side, but the rabbit was swiftly burrowing into the sand.
“Grab it! Quick!” Lilith pointed at the little furry being as it briskly excavated its way under the desert.
Samael launched forth, but it was too late—the rabbit escaped below the surface of the sand. Chasing it had drained him of his last bit of energy. He lay on the sand, panting and holding his chest. The angels had nothing but their battered, scorched wings to shield them from the arid conditions and with each rising of the sun, their bodies grew weaker. The short night hours were not enough to fully restore them.
Lilith saw how frail her allies had become. She stood in a trance-like state, rubbing her neck deep in thought. Animals in the desert burrowed underground to survive the sun and heat, and to escape predators. They could do the same. They could use the sand as a shield against the burning rays of the sun.
“The sun must give way to the night, but I am not sure we can endure the extreme heat of the desert’s surface. We must take shelter now, before it is too late.” Lilith’s low hoarse voice told of her fragility as well, but she would never acknowledge her vulnerability.
“Since we left the grasslands and landed on this desert, we have been unable to find shelter. How are we supposed to do so now?” Gadreel’s entire body drooped.
“We shall do as the animals do in this harsh environment,” Lilith told them. “We shall burrow underground until the sun sets.”
Gadreel heaved a sharp breath. “I could never do that.”
“We do not have a choice!” Lilith dragged her body toward her. “We are all capable, and we shall do it to survive.” She grit her teeth. “I for one do not intend to allow this planet to defeat me. Not before I have quenched my thirst for vengeance.”
She crept to a suitable area and began to dig a hole in the sand. She worked quickly, since it was tricky to keep the sand from sliding back into the hole. Samael moved a short distance away and began burrowing as well.
Gadreel watched wide-eyed as the two of them made their way into the desert floor. “I know I must do this.” She could not stay under the sun alone. If they could do it, she should be able to do the same. She stared at the sand and rubbed her temples as a wary smile surfaced on her lips.
She dropped to the ground and scooped sand. The same golden-brown rabbit she had seen earlier appeared at her side, sniffing and twitching its little nose. She observed it as it began digging a trench. The rabbit stopped, placed one of its front feet on her arm, looked at her and then continued to burrow into the desert. Gadreel gave it a nod and began to dig like the long-eared creature.
“Thank you for helping me,” Gadreel whispered, watching the little bushy tailed animal disappear into the sand.
“Flap your wings while you dig to bring air with you,” Lilith yelled.
The others followed her instructions and swooped air in along with them as they dug their tunnels.
“When your burrow is deep enough, lie still to consume less air. I shall call you out at dusk.” These were Lilith’s final words before disappearing into her refuge.
In the tunnel, Gadreel lay on her side to avoid making contact with her throbbing, damaged wings. Despite the pain, she thought of Samael. He seemed so weary and feeble, unlike the Principatus she knew in Floraison. “Why do I devote so much time to thinking and fretting about him? Does he think of me as much? She sighed. “I do not imagine so, but at this moment, I desire nothing more than to lie by his side.” She closed her eyes.
Samael lay motionless in his burrow. He closed his eyes and exhaled, relieved to be away from the sun’s rays. Lilith’s image rushed into his head—the Lilith he knew before she transformed into a hideous reptilian creature. Her beauty, before she changed, rivaled that of any creature. Now she was a beautiful woman whose lower body was devoured by a serpent. He shuddered as he thought of her crawling along with her hands, dragging her long, scaly tail behind like a crocodile.
Lilith lay still in her space below ground. She moaned and winced as she positioned her damaged tail with care. Her eyelids drooped and she curled into a ball. Her chest heaved, and her eyes stung with gathering tears.
“This is the farthest I’ve been from Floraison.” She writhed and moaned. “I shall find a way to survive.” She sensed a flutter in her chest and a pounding in her neck. Her breathing became shallow, so she calmed herself again. She closed her eyes. “I was once a beautiful and desirable being and I shall be that fetching angel once again. I do not know how, but it shall come to pass.”
Lilith sensed the temperature on the surface was a few degrees cooler. She crawled out of her lair, rose from the ground. “I feel no pain.” She gasped when she looked at her lower body and saw that she stood on her own two feet. “My snake tail is gone! I am myself again.” She glanced at her four wings. They remained as black as the hole she crawled out of, and covered with fixed, expressionless eyes. She lifted her shoulder in a half shrug. “Why should I be concerned? I have legs!” She jumped and twirled and kicked her leg up in the air.
“Samael! Gadreel! You may surface now. Nightfall is almost upon us! Burrowing underground like the desert mammals was a great idea. As we lay inactive in our burrows, we recuperated and regained our strength.”
Gadreel slinked from her hole and stared at Lilith in amazement. “Lilith, your legs have returned!”
“Have you noticed your wings are no longer damaged?” Lilith smiled.
“They stopped tormenting me.” Gadreel glanced at the wings. “They are no longer charred, featherless, or hanging limp but whole once again!” She flapped them several times. She caught her breath with excitement and soared to the sky with her four wings outstretched, twirling high in midair and then landed on the desert’s surface once more. She danced around on her toes, giggling, while her wings made swooshing sounds.
Like flames from the angry mountain, Samael burst out of the ground. His wavy hair hung around his handsome face. He seemed more striking than ever, standing tall, every muscle on his strong body outlined by the ambient light.
He gazed upon Lilith, who stood looking proud and beautiful on two legs. She posed on the peaceful dunes, her exquisite body shimmering in the colorful radiance of the setting sun. Her long hair moved rhythmically with the evening’s pleasant, cool breeze. Her moist lips beckoned him without uttering a word. Gadreel observed with a look of horror, as he became Lilith’s once more.
He stepped toward her in a trance. “You have become the beauty you once were. You are thus pleasing to the senses and worthy of desire once more, as you were in Floraison.”
Lilith watched his chest rise and fall with rapid breaths. “I have not forgotten how you hurt me when you first laid eyes on me.” She smirked and tossed her hair over her shoulder. Samael lowered his eyes and rubbed the back of his neck.
Lilith swaggered away from him and toward Gadreel. “Behold!” With a wide sweeping gesture of her arm she pointed to Gadreel. “Does she not look pleasing to you any longer? Is her long, curly hair not glowing golden in the evening light?” She stared at him with a sardonic grin.
Samael’s neck flushed red. He shuffled his feet. “Indeed! Gadreel is pretty, but you must know there is no one who compares to you.”
Gadreel’s body sank and she lowered her doleful eyes to the sand.
Lilith stared at Samael awhile. The corners of her lips rose slowly to a sensual smile. She would use his desire to bend him to her will. He would serve her well, and in more ways than one, for she too had carnal desires to sate. “We have wasted enough time. We need to set forth to find the source of the shrill in our heads. Do you both hear it once again?”
“The shrill sound is in my mind, beckoning me.” Gadreel gazed at Samael.
“I too hear it.” Samael nodded.
“Good,” Lilith said. “We must leave now and take advantage of our healthy state and hours of darkness.”
“There is still the issue of sustenance for I still suffer the strange burning sensation in my mid
dle. We need to eat and drink, otherwise the strength and vitality we are now experiencing shall soon be spent.”
“Yes, we need nutrients to survive. We should continue following the sound while searching for food and water. Flying would consume much energy. We shall walk.” Lilith led them on their arduous trek to the source of the shrill once more.
The sun was setting, and the golden sand glittered in the diffused sunlight. Swirls of pink and ginger mixed with yellows and gold appeared in the sky. As they watched the beauty of the sun setting the angels forgot, for a moment, about their hunger and thirst.
The sun disappeared in the place where Earth meets sky, it grew darker, and the desert came to life. Many animals emerged from their shelters to hunt for food. Owls hooted as they flew through the night sky, snakes slid from their burrows and slithered to and fro, hares gamboled about, and many other nocturnal animals became active.
Lilith and Gadreel observed the desert animals and the many brilliant stars lighting the sky, but Samael only set his sights on Lilith’s beautiful form.
The females saw a hare. They ran after it to no avail. Samael laughed at their failure to catch the small animal and forged ahead.
“Wait for us!” Gadreel ran to catch up to him. He grinned and took a few more steps forward to taunt her. When he finally stopped, he began to fall through the ground. Realizing he was sinking into the desert, he shifted and shuffled his legs to release himself, but the movements only made him sink faster.
Lilith ran to him, but stopped short when she saw what was happening.
“Do not come any closer, otherwise you too shall be swallowed by the sand.” Samael groaned as he struggled to loosen his body. He was buried up to his torso. He writhed and strained only to plunge deeper.
“The––sand––is––crushing––me.” Samael gasped for air and wheezed as he continued to descend under the surface of the desert. He panted while simmering in the hot, liquid sand.
“Samael!” Gadreel stared wide-eyed and bounced on her toes, gnawing the tips of her fingers.
The Fall of Lilith Page 24
