Retriever of the Lost Souls (Retriever Series Book 1)

by Brian

  Two days, later, Shaymo visited Lilith. This time, however, her mother wasn’t with him.

  “Where’s momma?” she said sleepily.

  Shaymo was dressed in his most elegant clothes, looking quite dapper. He held some strips of what looked like a robe made of heavy cloth in his hands.

  “She is finishing preparations for our unity.”

  “Oh. What is that?” She said referring to the robe.

  “It will protect you from the environment of my world. You will die within minutes of your arrival if you don’t put them on. I want you to think about putting this robe, this beautiful wedding dress, these gloves, this veil and these boots that cover your legs.”

  She sat up and visualized putting them all on. When he was satisfied that it covered her completely, he had her look into the mirror of her mind where she saw that her wedding dress was a deep black, made of lace and was very low cut along her chest, that accented her growing bosom. She loved how it looked on her. He then instructed her to lie down and be very still. She did as she was told and soon felt her body spiraling downward. She looked up and could see her motionless body on the bed. She wanted to cry but didn’t want to disappoint Shaymo, especially after all he had done for her. The floating lasted only seconds, and when it stopped, she reached for his hand to comfort her. Once her eyes had adjusted to the darkness, she looked around and saw black candles everywhere. She looked down at the floor and up at the walls and thought it strange the way they had the wispy appearance of smoke, but the solidness of rock. Her eyes followed the walls up as far as they could see, but there was no ceiling anywhere in sight. She turned to Shaymo, frightened.

  “It’s ok, my love,” he said. “Your mother was frightened as well upon her first visit here. Come, I’ll take you to her.”

  He led her down a very long corridor that had flickering torches on the wall to provide light along the way. She noticed how the flames exaggerated their shadows as they flickered on the smoky walls. Many doors appeared to be locked, yet there was no visible handle or hinges. She wanted to ask about them but was afraid.

  “You mustn’t concern yourself with those doors, my dear. You will learn of them soon enough. Today is a day of celebration – let’s not allow anything to spoil it!”

  He led her to an open room that looked very much like the home she used to live in with her mother and brother. There was a fireplace, chairs, couches, tables, books, black candles and a lot of food. At one end of the room stood an altar surrounded by black candles with a red one sitting in the middle of them. Wisps of smoke rose from incense that was sitting in a bowl, and on the right side, there was a gong which stood tall and formidable, while a chalice and a dagger were on the left side. Beside the red candle, she could see some rings, a crystal ball, and some rope and wondered why all these things were there. On the wall was a plaque in tribute to Baphomet, one of the gods of Darkness. Looking up, she saw banners written in symbols she had never seen before. She turned to Shaymo to ask him about them.

  Shaymo looked deeply into her green eyes and remained silent. He gently placed his hand on her right temple and held it there. Lilith was scared when she felt his energy but dared not move. She closed her eyes to allow it to flow through her. She didn’t open her eyes until she felt it dissipate.

  As she opened her eyes she realized that she could understand the symbols “Oh my gosh, I can read them! I’ll strive to speak your language so that I can feel more a part of your world.”

  “My love, it is our world now,” Shaymo said quite pleased.

  His words made her feel part of a larger family now, one that loved her and cared for her as no other ever had. She knew this was where she belonged, next to Shaymo, helping him with his cause.

  She was so thrilled with all she was seeing that she failed to notice Shaymo had left her side. As she turned to say something to him, one of the strips of heavy cloth spun with her and lifted slightly from her body, uncovering the one part that was not covered, the low-cut bodice of her dress. She immediately began gasping and choking and in an instant Shaymo was at her side making sure she was okay.

  “You must be careful, my love. They must cover you always. You are okay now.”

  She sobbed and collapsed into his arms. She had never felt anything like that before and didn’t ever want to again. Doubts flooded her mind. Had she made the right choice? What would happen if the strips came off and nobody could get to her fast enough? She wanted her mother more now than ever. Looking around the room, she saw her mother near the corner talking to some people.

  “Mommy,” she thought. “Mommy, I’m scared.”

  Her eyes were glued to her mother as she watched and waited, and when she turned around to acknowledge her, relief flooded through her.

  “Honey, you are okay. I’ll be right there,” her mother’s voice echoed in Lilith’s mind.

  Lilith walked toward her mother, being very careful not to allow the strips to come off her body again. Her mother opened her arms and drew Lilith close.

  “Great things are coming your way, honey, but you must always listen to Shaymo, for he will be your husband and you must always trust him, no matter what.”

  Walking arm in arm, they headed toward Shaymo, who was speaking to another man. He held a large book in his hands that had the same writing on it as the banners. They both turned toward Lilith and her mother, and Shaymo’s face brightened up when he saw her.

  “You are a lucky man, Shaymo. You’ve often spoken of her beauty, but I see your words hardly do her justice. She is stunning indeed!”

  Turning to Lilith, he introduced himself.

  “I am Namus, one of the Four.” Lilith was confused by his introduction as she did not know what he meant by ‘one of the four.

  When Namus spoke in a language that was as strange as the book he carried, Shaymo reached out his arm to take Lilith’s.

  After everybody took their seats, Namus placed the large book on the podium and opened it up. When Shaymo and Lilith turned to face Namus, she could feel everybody’s eyes upon her, studying her, wondering who this girl was. Lilith suddenly understood that she was the only one there that was still alive.

  Standing beside Shaymo was the man her mother had been speaking to when she arrived in the room. He looked at Lilith and smiled.

  “I am Shaymo’s paranymph, Gerranor, and am happy to make your acquaintance.” He bowed slightly to Lilith.

  Smiling back at him, she had to stifle a laugh because his voice was high pitched and whiney. She also thought his eyebrows were very pointed and quite bushy.

  Namus picked up the mallet and struck the gong with it, producing a thunderous sound, causing everyone to stop talking and begin to sit down.

  Namus continued. “Shaymo has declared this day to be a day of celebration as he has decided to take this beautiful young girl as his wife.”

  There was applause from those in attendance, and she could feel herself blushing through the strips of cloth.

  “Shaymo and Lilith are to become one this very day. In the name of Satan, I call upon the forces of Darkness and their infernal power within! Consecrate this place with the power, light, and love of Lucifer. Join us in the binding of these two who shall be as one. They desire to make their union a matter of record, so that their friends may bear witness and lend support.

  Diana and Adonis, Ishtar and Tammuz, Freya and Odin. By these and other names are lovers known. I invite the gods to come bless this union as we invoke the infernal names of Amon, Astaroth, Ishtar, Bast, Lilith, Pan, Asmodeus, and Thoth.”

  Namus picked up the red candle, raising it to the south side of the room.

  “We call upon the element of fire to come serve us, for we are Satan! Flame the passion of Lilith and Shaymo and fill them with an all-consuming ardor and lust for each other!”

  Placing the red candle down, he picked up the incense and lifted it into the air toward the east side of the room.

  “We call upon the element of the air
to come serve us, for we are Lucifer! Consciousness flow from one to the other so that this couple may share mutual wisdom along with a unified vision.”

  Placing the incense back on the altar, he picked up the crystal ball and raised it to the north side of the room.

  The ceremony entranced Lilith.

  “We call upon the element of the earth to come serve us, for we are Belial! May your strength and constancy keep them together as long as they both shall live.”

  Namus then looked at Lilith and smiled. He wanted her so badly, he could feel his own body responding, but he also knew that this one belonged to Shaymo only.

  Finally, he picked up the Chalice, filled with wine, and raised it to the west side of the room.

  “We call upon the element of water to come serve us, for we are Leviathan! Grant Lilith and Shaymo the qualities of serenity and patience, as well as a love that is as deep as the ocean. Hear me, you Watchers who lurk in the darkness. Be mindful of lovers such as these and provide them a bastion of solace and protection. Lilith and Shaymo, up until this moment you’ve been separate in thought, word and deed. As this cord binds together your hands, so do your lives become binded.”

  Setting the chalice down, Namus picked up the rope Lilith had seen earlier. The ceremony had a hypnotic effect on her, and she was no longer afraid.

  Namus grasped Lilith’s covered right hand and Shaymo’s left hand and tied them together.

  “Lilith, you bring the energy of Babylon; boundless, dark, intuitive, and soft. As I bind you, blend these energies with Shaymo as you make whole your lives together. Take this cup as a symbol of your love.”

  He picked up the chalice and placed it in Lilith’s left hand.

  “Shaymo, you bring the energy of Satan; expansive, bright, logical and hard. As I bind you, blend these energies with Lilith as you make whole your lives together. Wield this blade as a symbol of your love.”

  Then Shaymo began speaking, startling Lilith, as she had not expected this.

  “I pledge my blade, as I pledge my soul, ever to your service. Like this blade, my love for you will be strong and enduring, so that our lives together will always be protected. Accept it, my beloved, for, with it, all that is mine becomes yours. Even if our paths should later diverge, I’ll always be your true friend, to love you and to lend you aid and protection. By seed and root, by bud and stem, by leaf and flower and fruit, and by life and love, in the name of Satan, I, Shaymo, take you, Lilith, to my hand, my heart, and my spirit.”

  Lilith began to cry at the beauty of his words and didn't know what to say. The words then came to her on their own. “I pledge this chalice, as I pledge my soul, ever to your service. From this cup, my love for you will pour forth so that our lives together will be nourished. Accept it, my beloved, for, with it, all that is mine also becomes yours. Even if our paths should later diverge, I’ll always be your true friend, to love you and to lend you aid and protection. By seed and root, by bud and stem, by leaf and flower and fruit, by life and love, in the name of Babylon, I, Lilith, take you, Shaymo, to my hand, my heart, and my spirit.”

  Shaymo raised his blade and dipped it into Lilith’s chalice as Namus began speaking again.

  “Babylon and Satan; female and male; darkness and light. Neither has meaning without the other, yet through their eternal interplay, their universe is born.”

  Namus took the chalice and blade from each of them. Taking Shaymo’s hand, he cut with the knife. Then, tipping the goblet, he poured wine over the cut. Shaymo cupped his hand as the wine, and his blood mixed. Namus then reached out and took Lilith’s hand, he pushed the glove down a bit and began making a small cut. She instinctively cupped her hand as Shaymo had. Namus poured the wine from the chalice into her hands, allowing the wine and blood to pool in her hand. With this part of the ceremony completed, he placed both the blade and cup once again onto the altar, then turning back to Shaymo and Lilith he grabbed their hands and clasped them together, mixing all the liquids. Much to Lilith’s amazement, not one drop spilled as their hands met. She could feel a strange sensation, almost as if she could read Shaymo’s thoughts.

  “This bond I draw between you. Whether separated in mind or body, there will be a call in the core of you, one to the other, to which nothing and no one else will answer. By the secrets of the earth and water is this bond woven, unbreakable, and irrevocable. By the law that created fire and wind, this bond unites your souls.”

  Namus picked up their hands and untied the cord.

  “Your vows are spoken before your friends, the forces of Darkness and all the gods of the Pit. These rings, like your vows, are without beginning or end. They are the physical representation of your promise to each other.”

  Lilith watched as Shaymo picked up a ring and placed it on her finger. Handing her the other ring, she put it on his finger. She was smiling widely now, unable to contain the joy she had within her.

  Namus began to speak the final words of the ceremony. “Above you are the stars, and below you are the stones. As time passes, remember that, like a star, your love should be constant, and like the earth, your love should be firm. Have no fear and let not the ways or words of the unenlightened give you unease, for Satan is with you, now and always! The bond is complete; the work of joy has begun!”

  Namus motioned them to kiss. Shaymo pulled Lilith toward him and gave her a kiss that was so intense it left Lilith dazed.

  Namus then spoke loudly and said, “Hail Lilith.”

  The rest of the audience repeated after him.

  “Hail Lilith!”

  He then repeated the words, this time saying, “Hail Shaymo.”

  Once again everyone responded.

  “Hail Shaymo!”

  “I, Namus, as one of the Four, at this moment announce that you are now husband and wife. You shall live together as husband and wife, submitting to the will of each other in your respective areas.”

  She had expected it to last longer, but she was glad it was over. They turned toward each other and kissed once more. When they turned to those in attendance, her mother ran up to her and hugged her. Whispering in her ear, she said “He will take loving care if you listen to what he says. You will never want for anything again.”

  She turned to Shaymo who looked at her and uncovered the robe from around her. She became frightened for she did not want to have that feeling of not being able to breathe again.

  “Shaymo, No!”

  “Because we now share the blood of the other, you are now able to come below when you wish and not be covered at all. You no longer will feel the weakness of dying, for you are of the blood of below.”

  Lilith was relieved. It felt good to not have the heaviness of the robe any longer. She then proceeded to remove the gloves, and the veil. She could did not remove the boots for because she did not want to go barefoot.

  Together, they walked to the cake, it was covered in black frosting and had what looked like a red drop of blood on each corner. On top of the cake was a picture of Shaymo on one side and a picture of her on the other. She was curious as to how they had got such a nice picture of her. The couple shared the first piece and then left it for somebody else to slice and serve.

  Shaymo took her aside and told her it was almost time for her to go back. After consorting with the people of below for a while she was stunned when Shaymo told her it was now time to leave, for it was almost time for her to get up for school. She was surprised that so much time had passed without feeling tired. When they got to the place she had entered, he took her into his arms and kissed her again. This time, his hand roamed down her back to her bottom, and with a firm pull, her hips were forced up against his, she could feel his desire against her, causing her breathing to increase, along with the temperature of her loins.

  “Tomorrow, my bride, I’ll come to take you as my wife. Be ready for me after school. I have already made the arrangements. Your earthly family won’t be expecting you home immediately as usual.”

  He
kissed her again, and they said their goodbyes. She felt herself floating once more, only upward this time. Her body stirred as she stretched and yawned, momentarily forgetting where she was. She sat up with a start, her mind foggy, and her head hurting a bit. She rubbed her eyes and was about to dismiss it off as a very intense dream when she looked down and saw she was still wearing her wedding boots. she heard her mother’s voice inside her head.

  “Good night, honey. I am so happy for you and proud of you for following in my footsteps. Don’t be afraid tomorrow when Shaymo picks you up after school. He will appear to you as you see him now, but to everybody else, he will be an average looking sixteen-year-old boy.”

  “Okay, momma, I won’t be afraid. I promise!”

  As she was about to inspect her boots she then heard the voice of her foster mother “Lilith! Isabella! Connie! It’s time to get up for school. Hurry or you’ll be late getting there!” All three girls got up. They began joking with one another, except for Lilith, who no longer felt a part of the family as if she was the red headed step child. She walked away and began to dress carefully because she wanted to please her new husband.

  Chapter 30

  Lilith was still very tired when she was called to get up for school. The activities of the previous night had left her exhausted. After her shower, she made her way to the breakfast table where two of her three foster sisters and foster brother began teasing her about the dark circles under her eyes. She blushed, inciting their teasing even more, as they suggested that she had slipped out through the window to spend the whole night partying. Mercifully, it was time to go to school, and by the time they left the house, the teasing she had endured was but a fading memory.

  For Lilith, the school day couldn’t go fast enough, and by the end of her fifth-period class, Shaymo’s plan began to unfold. When the bell rang to dismiss the class, Mrs. McAlister called her up to the front and asked her to remain behind for a moment.