Lilith - TI3 (38 page)

"Adam wouldn't have known how to care for you any more than I did. At least Dis knew what was happening," interjected Lilith.

"I know that now, but I’m a lot older... and wiser. Poor Adam! He didn’t deserve my hatred. I still blame him for your banishment from Paradise and always will, but it was Eve that I wronged the most. Eve... innocent, naïve, trusting... the perfect wife... the perfect victim."

"Eve wasn’t a victim. She was happy. That’s why we left her alone. Do you think I would have left her with him if she hadn’t been the perfect mate for him or if he had misused her? As much as I disliked his attitude toward me, I never wanted him to suffer. Her innocence protected them. They were safe from the sorrows I experienced in the Great Battle... the losses both sides suffered. We knew pain. Eve didn’t and that's how I wanted it."

"I know but that didn't make any difference. I heard the stories, whispers spoken quietly amongst the minions of the Underworld. In the beginning I thought I wasn’t meant to hear them. Of course later I found out it was all a ploy... a way of manipulating me into serving their vindictive little minds. It started as a subtle campaign to poison my mind. They knew you and Father had no patience for gossip, particularly if it pertained to you and him so they made sure only I heard."

"Why didn’t you tell me? I could have stopped the gossip."

"Tell you! Do you think I would really ask you? You barely knew I existed or cared once Father turned me over to his nursemaids."

*  *  *

The Child was right. When Dis carried the infant from her bed, Lilith was relieved. The crying had made her uncomfortable. His assurance that the child would be properly cared for was enough. It was easier to believe him than question the strange emotions she was experiencing.

"
They weren't so bad. It was a long time ago."

"Too long."

The mental shrug showed the Child’s indifference. She continued as if she hadn’t heard the remark.

"Like I said before, they called you Adam's whore. I was furious. I knew it wasn't true but I did believe Adam tried to make you subservient to him... and I thought ‘How dare he treat my mother like that... to humiliate you and then cast you from Paradise.’ For him to think he was better than you was pure arrogance. You were equals, made from the same dust at the same time. I couldn't believe The Twin created you to service Adam and for him to think otherwise was pure arrogance... and for the Twin to allow it was unforgivable. I knew he was unreachable so I decided to target Adam."

"
By corrupting Eve?"

"Yes."

"I don’t understand. What did you think you would gain?"

"Satisfaction! He would be devastated."

"And were you satisfied?"

"Yes... at the time I was ecstatic... but it didn't last. When you and Father found out what I had done and banished me to the Netherworld, I found my success bittersweet. I heard the other demons laughing at me... and their thoughts. It was quite a revelation to suddenly realize you had been used."

"And yet you refuse to tell me who they are."

"Like I said before, it serves no purpose after all this time?"

"I don’t know. For what they did, I think they deserve some sort of punishment."

"They may have sought revenge for imagined wrongs, Mother, but it was I who did the deeds."

"True, but you were young. They knew better."

"As did I."

"That’s not the point and you know it. THEY used your innocence by deliberately distorting the truth. Nothing you can say will change that."

The Child didn't wish to argue with her mother, particularly over those who had deceived her. There would come a time. Putting the thought aside, she decided it would be easier to just agree with Lilith for the moment.

"I suppose. They made sure I overhead their gossip. I noticed their secretive looks but didn’t think much about them. As your daughter and the Underlord, I never suspected anyone would dare lie to me. They played on my ego by telling me I had the potential to be as powerful as Father... maybe more so because I had the blood of both Father and the Twin. I believed them. They nicknamed me the Demon Child. I thought it was a compliment."

"Dis and I had heard this nickname for you. We thought it was because of some mischief you had been up to or a reference about us."

"Well, there’s that, too. I did manage to make a few demons’ lives a little more exciting."

Lilith felt the smirk and chuckled. She and Dis had received several complaints about her but thought it was youthful exuberance. Besides, demons were always complaining about something and demon children were expected to be mischievous.

"So we heard."

"I can imagine. Actually, I intended it that way. I thought if I created enough trouble, one of you would take an interest. I even trespassed into Paradise a few times thinking that someone would tell you. That’s when I first saw Adam. He was very handsome."

"Yes he was."

"He was also arrogant... or at least that’s how he seemed at the time. Eve was constantly waiting on him as if he were some type of lord. I have to admit I never saw or heard Adam giving her orders but it was obvious he enjoyed the attention. He would tease her or ask her to get him things as if she were his personal servant. I found the whole situation disgusting. I knew you would never have allowed him to manipulate you that way. Even Father treaded softly around you."

"Dis knew better... and he’d have grown bored with a woman who never challenged him."

"That's true. Anyway, corrupting Eve was easier than I thought. The irony was I was able use both Adam and the Twin to achieve my goal. After enlisting the aid of several demons, I managed to sneak into Paradise and spy on the happy couple. It sickened me to see Eve with Adam. Often she would bring him luscious fruits from nearby orchards and place them next to him as he reclined near the lake. Adam always smiled and thanked her but I thought it was just symbolic. Sometimes he would toss a few pieces of fruit into the lake and tell her it didn’t taste right. Eve would jump up and go find some replacement fruits. Adam never seemed to notice the work he caused by throwing the fruit away. I thought she was degrading herself and decided it was time to teach him a lesson. That’s when I came up with my plan."

A knock on her office door interrupted them.

"Come on in, Kali."

"Can we continue this later?"

"No problem. I’m not going anywhere."

Kali walked in looking somewhat flustered and a little sheepish.

"Hey boss. Just reminding you I need the night off. Cammie wants to take me somewhere."

"You two are really serious about each other, aren’t you?" Lilith commented.

"I’ve waited a thousand years for her to realize I love her. I guess she’s finally starting to believe it’s real."

"I’m glad. Go and have some fun. Besides, I’ve hired a couple of extra girls. The place has grown so much we need the help. It’ll give all of us a little breathing room."

"That’s great! Anyone we know?"

"If you mean Yemaya and Dakota, the answer is no."

Kali looked disappointed. Once she had realized Cammie wasn't interested in Dakota, she had decided she liked the human.

"Damn. They’d have been good for business and they fit right in."

"In your dreams. Those two have enough to do without getting involved with a bunch of demons and whores."

"Well a girl can hope. So who are these girls?"

"Jouvart and Mudada."

Kali choked as if she had inhaled something awful.

"You've got to be kidding me! Why do you want those two? The last thing we need are demons who specialize in sexuality and lewd behavior," she said, sounding thoroughly disgusted.

"Oh, please. This from 'the' Destroyer! You’ve managed to mellow some over the millennia. They probably have too."

"Lilith! Have you watched any television lately... or picked up a magazine? They're worse than ever! Half the planet is fornicating and the other half is bitching about it and moral values... as if they were acting any different. We both know all of them are closet fuckers."

"Really, Kali. You can’t blame Jouvart or Mudada for that. Even they don’t have the power to influence people whose moral convictions are pure."

"Oh... well, now, there’s a word you can apply nowadays."

"My point exactly. Besides, they’ve promised to behave at the club... and I seriously doubt they would want to piss you or Agra off."

"Yeah... or you. Well, since you’ve already hired them, I guess I’ll just wait and see. Jouvart will certainly be popular with the girls. The demoness of sexuality should fit right in. As for Mudada, some will probably enjoy her lewd jokes as long as she keeps them tame."

Lilith chuckled. Mudada knew more jokes than anyone she had ever met. Most were popular amongst demons but she doubted the clientele at the bar would be as impressed. They didn’t have the same sense of humor as the Underworld inhabitants.

"We’ll see. Now, if you’re taking the night off, you might as well get a move on it. I’m sure Cammie is getting impatient."

"Yeah. Call me, though, if there’s a problem."

When Kali left, Lilith decided to get some rest before opening for the evening. Although sleep wasn’t necessary for the demoness, it was something she enjoyed whenever the opportunity arose. Occasionally she would dream, but never like humans. There were never clear images or events... just colors moving slowly across her vision accompanied by music... beautiful, soothing music flowing gently through her mind, wonderfully relaxing but never any that she could remember or duplicate once she awakened. Perhaps that was why her dreams were so special. She suspected they were the residual effects from her creation and the time spent in Paradise. Being transformed into a demoness couldn’t change the circumstances of her birth only those of her existence.

F
REDDIE WAS PISSED. Two of his enforcers were dead; one of his whores had been taken away, and all Jimmy could say was the Sisterhood’s two main bitches were behind everything.

"How could those bitches take out Lenny and Stumpy?" he demanded, pacing up and down the room. "And where were you? How come they didn’t take you out too?"

"They told me to take Candy and the other whore to the hospital. I guess that’s why." Jimmy didn't tell Freddie about the invisible hands. He knew he'd be wasting his time.

"And you just gathered them up without a word and did it, eh? You let two fuckin bitches tell you what to do after they knocked off my best enforcer? Tell me, Jimmy, why shouldn't I kill you here and now?"

Jimmy didn’t have an answer. Shaking his head, Freddie snapped his fingers at two men standing by the door.

"Get him out of here... and call the rest of the guys in. I want them here by nine. We’re going to pay the
Sisterhood
a little visit later on tonight. I think it’s about time I let them know they can’t fuck with me or my whores without paying a price."

"What do you want me to do with him?" asked one of his bodyguards.

"Shoot him!"

Jimmy could feel his bladder explode releasing its entire contents. Looking down, he saw the stain spreading between his legs, down his pants and puddle on the floor. All he could do was stare at it, humiliated.

"Jesus Christ!" exclaimed Freddie. "What the Hell did they do to you? You used to be one of my best men."

"Sorry, boss," mumbled Jimmy too embarrassed to even plead for his life.