Lillith

by Jaeger Mitchells

  “And the long one?” I asked incredulously. “How the hell was she supposed to have destroyed part of the harbor? She’s a frail young woman.”

  The guild master shrugged and put his hands up for effect.

  “She told me that one of the stones in your home gave her magical powers. A big black stone. The one you wanted to sell to the guild, together with the marrow?”

  “But that was a harmless crystal! I had held it in my own hands!”

  “I don’t know, Kane. You’ll have to talk to her about it, but the two of you can’t stay here any longer. At least not until she learns to control her powers. The only safe place we could keep her, for both her sake and the city’s, was under the dome, where her magic was suppressed.”

  I leaned back into the sofa and looked up at the ceiling. How the hell had everything gone so wrong in just a few days? Lilith and Sophia, the sacrifices, and now Katya.

  “All right. There’s a place where we planned to move anyway. That was my original reason for visiting you. I need supplies and food, clothing and barreled water. For two hundred people, and it should be able to last a month. Think I could get that?”

  “Why do you need so many supplies? What’s going on?” the captain interrupted.

  “It’s time for my story now, I guess.” And so I proceeded to tell them everything, as I sipped at the sour liquid.

  “Kravnians, huh? And we were supposed to be their next target? I guess we owe you a considerable debt, Kane. What do you think about this, captain?”

  The captain’s facial features suddenly made him appear much older than I had taken him to be. His long, stalky nose seemed so off from this angle.

  “I believe him. Just look at the state he’s in.”

  “What state? You keep saying I look bad, but would I sit here if I were wounded?”

  The old man got up and motioned for me to come over. I got up and walked to the mirror. If I hadn’t known better, I’d think I was a corpse. My chest was carved up, the meat and bone showing beneath, from the whip’s lashes. So, Astaroth hadn’t healed them, only attacked her in turn. My skin was in tatters, and clotted blood hung all over my chest and arms.

  “No wonder everyone went out of their way to avoid me,” I murmured.

  “Go take a shower. We’ll prepare some clothing, food and water for the two of you. In the meantime, we’ll get our people to get what you asked for ready. Once you’re clean and presentable, we’ll get Katya and the two of you can take the provisions wherever it is you’re planning to go.”

  “I need a ship. It’s an island to the north-east.”

  “North-east? There’s only one island there that’s suited to living on. No problem. We’ll load everything on a small boat. You can take the boat there.”

  The guild master frowned and then sighed, looking like he was trying to swat away an annoying fly, as something came to him.

  “Master?”

  “All right, never mind. You’ll need a boat of your own. We’ll give you one of the more worn down ones. You can repair it once you make the trip and then keep it. But, on one condition. If it comes to battle, you, your big wolf and Katya will be here to help us. Do we have a deal?”

  “Yeah, we do. Even without all of that stuff you just gave us. We destroyed a cohort and twelve mages. Speaking of which, do you know anything about my parents?” I asked. I hadn’t told them the whole truth, as there was no need to, but maybe I could pick his brain for information.

  “Enough to know that they were trouble. Why, have they shown up again?”

  I nodded slowly. The guild master crossed his heart and sighed.

  “All I know is, they were into the wrong kind of magic. That’s why they were banished from the kingdom. Though I never understood why they left you behind, I couldn’t stop myself from getting someone to take care of you. At least from the shadows.”

  “I see. Alright then, how about I take that shower and you get me my girl. I need to rest. All I’ve been doing in the last week is fighting, almost dying and then some more killing.”

  24

  “We’ll be there soon,” the captain said as I approached him. We’d been sailing for over an hour, and from what I remembered Lilith telling me, it shouldn’t have been that far away.

  “I see. Thank you,” I replied and turned to Katya again. She hadn’t willing to talk to me, not really. I had told her everything about Sophia, the blowjob, the massacre, Lilith, Astaroth and the sacrifices. I even told her about the Kravnians and Rafan’s memory. To my surprise, she didn’t seem to have taken anything to heart, but she did tell me that I wouldn’t be getting any for the next few days. Not that I cared about that.

  “What if I end up killing the villagers?” she asked, probably feeling me staring at her. I shrugged.

  “I have no idea. Maybe we should stick to the other side of the island for now. At least until you manage to gain control of your magic. Oh, and please tell me again why you had decided to eat the crystal?”

  “Hell if I know. Don’t ask stupid questions.”

  I walked past her and leaned on the ship’s railing. The wood was worn and moss covered, dirty and in poor shape. But it was better than nothing. The hull was healthy, as were the rudders and the keel. The rest could be replaced, if need be. The guild master hadn’t even given us the worst one. It was quite large, and could easily house two hundred people. Not for long voyages, but for a couple of days, we could make it work.

  I sighed and tried to shake myself awake. How had everything gone wrong so easily? It was as if someone had cursed me, and sent all the bad luck possible my way. True, my mother had been behind some of it, but not everything.

  “Land ho!” called one of the sailors. I looked up and smiled at the sight in front of us. Alpha, like a fierce guardian, stood on the beach and waited for our arrival. He must have felt or seen us coming.

  “Took you long enough,” he said.

  “Yeah. Sorry about that. I’ve had some… problems. How is everything over there?”

  Alpha shrugged. I couldn’t quite see it from this distance, but I could feel it.

  “Better than expected. They really want to make this work, and they have a strong will to live. I hope you’ve brought food with you, though. Fish is scarce this close to land.”

  “More than enough. Katya’s here, too. She’s a dark magician or something now, so don’t piss her off. She might poof you.”

  I could feel him scanning the ship somehow, reaching out. Then, the connection snapped forcefully.

  “Yeah. She’s angry I groped her with my far tentacles.”

  “Your far what?”

  “Never you mind. Where’s Lilith?”

  I sighed and turned my back to him.

  “Gone. No idea where she is, nor do I care. I told Katya everything. She almost blew me up.”

  “Idiot.”

  “Yeah, tell me about it.”

  “All right. I’m getting some more men to help unload all the stuff. Hold that thought.”

  “I’ve missed you,” I said. It wasn’t like me, but he’d grown on me. He didn’t reply however, and disappeared off into the forest.

  “Tell him to never do what he just did again, unless I allow it. It’s invasive. It felt like he was groping me with invisible hands, all over my breasts and ass,” Katya said, breaking the silence.

  “Wait, what?”

  “You deaf?”

  “No, I’m not. He told me he’d extended his power toward you, not that he’d groped you all over!” I said angrily.

  “See, men stay men. No matter if you’re a dog or… a horny dog.”

  “Kane?” the captain called out to me. “Do you want to ride her all the way onto the beach? You can pull her up and take care of the cleaning and repairs there.”

  “Sure,” I called back and turned to Katya again. Something wouldn’t allow me to let it go, so I just went with it and grabbed her tightly. She resisted and bared her teeth at me, but I didn’t care. I pl
anted my lips on hers and kissed her firmly.

  “No matter what’s happened, you’ve always been and will always be my number one. So get over it already, please.”

  Katya tried to push me away, but I wouldn’t let her.

  “I’m not the one who cheated on you,” she hissed.

  “No, and I’m not the one who’s slept with dozens of men during the last few years!”

  I shouldn’t have said that, and I regretted it instantly, but it just slipped out. As a reaction to my words, a black ball of energy formed in between me and Katya. It grew to the size of a coconut and slammed into my chest. I lost consciousness.

  I woke up sometime later with one hell of a headache. My chest hurt and I had problems breathing. Light was my worst enemy, as it tried to slip through my closed eyelids.

  “Take it easy,” Katya’s soothing voice whispered in my ear. She put her hand under my back and helped me sit upright. I opened my eyes and looked at her. Her eyes were red and swollen, mostly from the tears she’d cried for me. Good, it had hurt like a bitch when that ball had struck me.

  “Thanks for not killing me all the way,” I joked, trying to lighten the mood. But she didn’t take the bait.

  “I’m sorry. I’m in way over my head with all of this. Monsters, magic, talking wolves, demons and goddesses? I’m just a woman! Why did I have to get caught up in all this insanity?”

  I tried to find a good response, but couldn’t, so I said what was in my heart and on my mind.

  “The Kravnian army is invading all of the neighboring kingdoms, including ours. I didn’t tell you earlier so as not to alarm you, but Al, me and… Lilith, fought a cohort of them, along with thirteen mages. One of those mages had probably been my mother. She’s monstrously strong, and is a monster in her own right. She outright killed me with a dark beam of magic. If it hadn’t been for Astaroth, I would be dead now.”

  “Oh god! Why didn’t you tell me right away?”

  I shrugged and let go of her arms.

  “Imagine a group of soldiers attacked the madam’s place. All of you would have died within moments. Or been raped, tortured and then killed. Now, you have real power. If they attacked you as you are now, you could blow a score of them away with ease. Don’t you think it was worth it?”

  “Are you two done? The villagers are waiting for the two of you,” a young voice to my right said. I looked around, only to spot Ian. His face lit up as I spotted him.

  “So you’ve kept them in line, huh?” I asked and offered my hand to the young boy. Katya got up and followed me.

  “Yes sir! We’ve been working extremely hard and have made great progress, thanks to your friends.”

  “Oh, I see. How about you take us to the new village?”

  Ian ran ahead of us as we jogged along a small river. The forest was dense and full of life, game and colors. Every so often, we came to what looked like a resting spot. A small clearing with a brazier made from stone. Fires were maintained along the river, showing us the path.

  “It’s so we don’t get lost,” Ian said. “We got about five more to go. That’s about 250 feet to go, master. We’re halfway there.”

  “Lead the way, kiddo,” I replied, as we moved from clearing to clearing. Katya was silent. I could almost feel her boring holes in my back with her gaze. I guess we would need a few days to get through this crisis. Or a few weeks.

  Ahead of us, dozens of lights flickered in the cool night air. Music and song welcomed us as we stepped clear of the tree-line. First, I was in shock, and then in awe. Dozens of smaller huts were already erected, with slightly larger ones strewn about. At the center sat a fountain, and not even twenty feet north of it, a longhouse. On the far edge of the clearing, a strange looking tower was under construction. It was three floors high already, and a fourth was under construction.

  All of the villagers stopped and stared at us as we walked up to the fountain. Someone had carved it out of a large piece of marble and dug a deep hole to get clean water. Now that was a sight for sore eyes. Fresh water whenever you wanted it.

  “Kane!” Sophia called out as she ran toward me from out of the crowd. She placed her arms around me and kissed my neck. “You’re here.”

  “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Katya said venomously as she grabbed Sophia’s wrist. The other woman cried out in pain as Katya ripped her free of me.

  “Hey! That’s enough!” I yelled. Katya turned to me, her eyes on mine, narrowed into tight slits.

  The villagers turned to stone. No one dared to move or speak, as they watched the confrontation.

  Katya had every right to be angry, but at me, not at Sophia.

  “Her name is Sophia, and she’s my third. Don’t hurt her, or anyone else, without my approval!” I hissed into her ear.

  “Whatever. She can sleep on the floor.”

  I let go of Katya’s wrist. She was still starring daggers at Sophia, but she stayed quiet.

  “Greetings, my friends! I’m happy to see you all well and in good spirits! You have done a great service to me, and to all of us, to our community!”

  “Long live King Kane! Long live Queen Lilith!”

  My heart skipped a few beats as I tried to rewind what they’d just said. From the midst of the villagers, a long legged, winged goddess walked toward us. Her long hair danced in the wind, as her red, glowing eyes stared right back at me.

  “My king,” she said, and knelt before me. “I have helped prepare your servants as best as I could. I’m sorry to have kept this a secret, but I wanted to surprise you. However, it was me who ended up surprised in the end. You have quite a strong… woman, by your side there.”

  Katya couldn’t stand it anymore. I could see it in her eyes, the way she breathed hard and trembled in fury. She stepped up to Lilith and waited for the taller woman to get up. Lilith obliged her and stood firm.

  “If anyone’s to be his queen, it’s me, you snake!”

  25

  Before anyone could become an unfortunate casualty of the ensuing battle, I pulled Katya back and kissed her on the lips in front of everyone. I motioned for her to be quiet and walked over to Lilith.

  “The ritual. Now,” I said and held my hand out toward her, unyielding.

  She winced, but nodded and did the same thing she had back in the cavern. We were done with the ritual before Katya even had a chance to react. Then, I kissed my demon queen and told her not to move as well. Now, there was only one woman left to either take in or shun. I wasn’t about to just give her up, however.

  “Master, no. You already have two of us!” Lilith pleaded weakly. She knew I’d forced the contract on her, and that I could make her do anything I wanted, yet she had still made it.

  “Silence, Lilith,” I snapped and turned back to Sophia.

  “Do you want to become my third woman? Or do you want to serve the village instead?”

  Her cheeks turned bright red and she started stuttering. It was rather cute, but embarrassing as well, making some of the villagers chuckle or call for us to hurry up.

  “Y-Yes. I want to be yours, if the others will allow it.”

  “Why does it matter if they allow it or not?” I asked, having no idea what she was playing at.

  “I don’t want to fight them over you. I’m your slave, your… whatever you want me to be. If they accept me and my brother, we’ll cook, clean, take care of you… and even them, if need be. What do you think, my ladies?”

  I looked first to Katya. It was obvious that she was taken aback by the young woman and her proposal. Lilith, however, looked satisfied and even calculating. Had she set this up? Somehow, I hoped she had.

  “Katya?” I asked and squeezed her shoulder slightly. She shook her head as if she’d been in a trance.

  “Yes. I mean… if she’s that devoted to serving you… who am I to say no?” She sounded unsure, mostly out of confusion than anything else.

  “I agree as well,” Lilith said and stepped up to my right. Katya was ann
oyed by this,it was apparent in her glower. I knew there would be hell to pay later on, but whatever. As long as I had Lilith back, nothing else really mattered.

  “Miss me?” Lilith asked, through our mental link.

  “Not really,” I lied.

  “Liar. You won’t be getting any from me tonight, just so you know.”

  “Oh? And if I order you to come to me?”

  Lilith went quiet. She’d already forgotten what she’d signed up for. Not that she’d mind, I knew that much. She’d love to be ordered around, hurt, and so on.

  “I see. Very well. We all need to sit down and come up with some rules, once the party is over. For now, we should enjoy ourselves, no?”

  “Where’s the music? Where’s the song?” I yelled. The entire village burst into motion. Women and men alike danced, sang and brought us food and drink. They didn’t look like the beaten slaves we had liberated mere days ago, no, they almost looked like strong and proud fighters.

  The celebration went on deep into the night, but we decided to retire much earlier than most. I had been told that three floors had been fully built and furnished, while the fourth one would be done the next day. At first, I couldn’t figure out why we’d need so much space, but once all three women were seated opposite me, I remembered. Had Lilith planned this?

  “So, what’s the plan?” I asked as I sipped at the strange, bitter-sweet liquid in my cup.

  “Me and my brother will take the first floor, my lord,” Sophia said. “It’s the largest, and well suited for the two of us. Also, when we cook, clean or… do other things, we won’t bother or wake the three of you.”

  I looked around the room, and noticed it was quite spacious indeed. The kitchen and living area was easily twenty by fifteen feet, with two separate rooms on the right wing. The stairs were located at the entrance, for practicality, they’d said. The kitchen wasn’t too furnished, yet had everything we needed. A large dining table, recently made. Cabinets, a large water bucket and chairs. The living area had a large, round coffee table, two sofas of sorts and a couple of chairs. Two closets, a clothes stand and some carvings.