Ash and Stone (Hidden Truth Book 1)

by Rose Alexander

  I stand in the dirty alley, staring at the dumpster at the end. What in the hell is happening to my life? Yesterday, I was just an average demon trying my best to get by. Now… I’m stranded in the human world and my whole identity is in question. Well, at least one thing is certain. I’m not a defective demon, just a halfling. I take a deep breath and the smell of rotten food fills my nostrils making me gag. I don’t want to repeat that mistake.

  I turn and start walking to the end of the alley, afraid of what I might find. My experience with human souls doesn’t give me much hope for their species. Just as I reach the end, Lilith appears in front of me again.

  “I almost forgot.” She smiles and snaps her fingers.

  The cool air hits my arms again, causing gooseflesh to break out. I’m now wearing tight, dark blue denim with holes cut out in several places on the legs, and a form fitting black tank top.

  “Why can’t I keep the coat? It’s cold here.” I scowl at the new outfit.

  “The east coast is in the middle of a heat wave. You’ll stand out too much if you try to wear a coat. Humans like it much colder than we do.” She winks before disappearing again.

  Well, this made it worse. I groan before moving forward again. No use standing around in the smelly alley. As I exit, I notice the world is still. The sky above is dark and street lights break up the shadow cast over the world. Tall skyscrapers surround me, making me feel like I’m boxed in. Sirens wail in the distance, while cars rush down the road.

  I have no idea where I’m at or where I’m going, so I turn left and start down the street, hoping to find something that will lead me in the right direction. I don’t like being so unsure. It’s unsettling. What was Lilith thinking? Dumping me in the middle of the human world and leaving like I could just carry on. It’s cruel. I guess I shouldn’t expect much, she is a demon after all. Maybe I assumed she was different, given her origin story, or at least what my mother taught me. She was Adam’s first mate, but she fell in love with Lucifer instead. God cast her out of the garden and into hell where she became Lucifer’s first demon. Maybe that humanity is still present to a degree, since she can cry.

  As I continue on, there are people laying on the side of the street, covered by cardboard boxes and newspapers. Demons may be cruel creatures, but we are practical. We would never leave our own on the streets like this. I snarl in disgust at the way humans treat each other. It’s no wonder so many end up in hell to be punished. And now I’m expected to live among them?

  I keep trudging forward, hoping to find some sign of an open building. I trudge on as one block fades into the next. After an hour, I turn the corner and see a large building looming in the distance, glowing like a beacon. I start walking faster, hoping it’s open and I can regroup there. As I approach, I see it’s called a Motel 6. The large blue sign says they have WIFI here. If I can create a working computer, maybe that will help me learn more about this world.

  I approach the building and peer into the large glass door and see a woman sitting behind a small counter. The lobby is empty otherwise. I don’t exactly know what it is yet, but there’s only one way to find out.

  I straighten my back and walk through the automatic doors. As I approach the counter, the woman stands up and smiles at me.

  “Welcome to Motel 6; how can I help you?” She stares at me, waiting for a reply.

  “I’m looking for a place to stay,” I say cautiously. At least there isn’t a language barrier. Maybe that’s why Lilith decided to dump me off here.

  “Great, I just need your ID. How many nights are you staying with us?” She starts typing on the computer in front of her.

  Crap, what’s an ID?

  “I don’t have one.” My eyes widen in panic, trying to think of a good excuse. “I just got out of a bad situation and only left with some money and the clothes on my back. I have cash.”

  I hold the wad of money up to her, hoping it’s enough for now.

  She looks at me with pity and I can see the wheels turning. She’s going to turn me away. Damn it! What am I going to do now?

  “Look, I’m not supposed to do this.” She looks over her shoulder at a camera on the wall. “But I can let you stay for one night, but you’ll have to put a security deposit down. As long as nothing in the room is broken, you’ll get it back when you check out.”

  “That works.” I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding.

  “Name please?” She holds her hands over the keyboard.

  “Ash.” I reply watching her.

  “Last name?” She glances up and meets my eyes.

  Crap, demons don’t have last names. I need to think of something fast.

  “Danya.” I give her my mother’s name. It’s the only thing to pop in my head.

  She types something into her computer then looks up. “That will be $52.52 with a two hundred dollar deposit.”

  I look down at the bills in my hand, and peel off three that say one hundred on them. I hand them to her, then she hands me an assortment of bills and coins. I try to hide the shock from my face. I don’t understand this currency at all. Metal coins mixed with paper money? What’s next, plastic? She has me sign a piece of paper and I’m quite proud of myself for remembering to tack my mother’s name on at the end.

  “Here’s your room key. You’re in room one-thirty. Take a left at the hallway and it will be on the left.” She smiles as she hands me a thin piece of plastic.

  I follow her directions and walk down a long hallway full of doors with numbers that go up the further I walk. When I reach the correct room, I stare at it, trying to figure out how the key works. We don’t use anything like this where I’m from.

  I slide the card into the slot and it turns red, but the door won’t open, so I take it back out and notice the light turns green. I try the handle again and it opens. As I step into the musty room, I do a little happy dance. At least I figured something out for now.

  I find the light switch, flipping it up and taking in the room around me. It’s pretty plain. There is a bed in the middle with nightstands on either side. A long hip high dresser under a television across from it. Next to the window is a small table with two chairs and on the wall is a large plastic box. I walk over and examine it. There’s a dial with low, medium, high, and off, and another that is blue on one side and turns into red on the other.

  What in the world does this do? I turn it from on to low and cold air blows out. That isn’t helpful. As I look closer, I notice the dial is turned to blue. I wonder if it will blow out warm air if I turn it to red? Only one way to find out. I turn the dial to red then turn the other one to low again. I smile and close my eyes when I feel the warm air hit my face. Reaching down, I turn the dial to high and stand over the warm stream as the chill finally leaves my body. Maybe it won’t be so bad afterall.

  I sit at the table and close my eyes, picturing a computer capable of accessing human internet. Hopefully the intent is enough to make it work. When my eyes open a smile spreads across my face. A sleek new laptop is sitting on the table in front of me. I wasn’t sure if my powers would work the same way here as they do in hell.

  I open the device, set it up, and connect to the motel’s WIFI. I pull up the internet and search for more information on humans. Their internet is so convoluted, I’m not sure if what I’m reading is fact or fiction. My head spins as I go over site after site. I decide to change tactics and focus on my immediate needs. I need to secure a more permanent residence. This place isn’t going to do me much good on a night by night basis.

  I search for houses and find that buying one would take conjuring a lot of cash and most people use credit for everything. Well, shit. This is going to be more difficult than Lillith made it seem. I close the laptop and groan in frustration. A yawn escapes me so I decide to try and get some rest. I set the alarm on the bedside table for an hour before check out time, then slip off my shoes, and crawl into the bed.

  3

  Ash

  Bee
p… beep… beep…

  I pry my heavy eyelids open and a sharp searing pain makes me immediately close them again. What in the fresh hell is that? Blinking my eyes open and closed a few times, they finally adjust to the bright lighting of the room. I mash the buttons on top of the alarm until it finally silences it’s blaring call before rolling out of bed.

  As I enter the bathroom to get ready for the day, it hits me hard. I am stranded, alone in a strange new world with nothing but the clothes on my back. If I were to believe the stories, Lilith is sadistic, even by demon standards. Is she really looking out for me, or is it a sick game she’s playing? The sad thing is, I may never find out.

  How the hell am I supposed to search an entire world for information about my creation? I might not know much about the human world, but I do know it’s huge and there are billions of them. Why else would we have so many torture facilities? Hell is small in comparison.

  I’m fucked.

  After I clean up the best I can, I conjure a hair band, and tie my hair out of my face. It will have to do until I procure everything I need. Normally the things I conjure don’t last long. The laptop had already vanished from the table, but it was the wad of cash still in my pocket that had me confused. I’d watched Lilith conjure it so it should have disappeared already. How is it possible that it’s still here?

  Focus, Ash. You need to get a life sorted out here instead of wondering about the mother of all demons.

  Stepping back into the room, I look around, wishing Lilith would have given me a little more guidance. This blows. As I reach for the door to leave, I feel a shiver go down my spine and spin on my heel.

  Lilith is sitting on the bed, smirking up at me.

  “What are you doing here?” My eyes widen. I hadn’t expected to see her again, if I’m being honest.

  “Just checking in to see if you survived the night.” She chuckles as she stands up. “At least you were a little resourceful.”

  “Why did you really dump me here? Is it because you were bored and are playing head games with me?” I put my hands on my hips and stare her down.

  I don’t care who she is at this point. She already stranded me here, killing me wouldn’t be any worse.

  She raises her eyebrows. “I already told you, you’re a halfling and will be killed if Lucifer finds out. It’s against everything we believe in to allow you to live.”

  “Then why are you helping me?” My shoulders sag. This has all been too much. I need a rewind button.

  “I am the Mother of Demons.” She shakes her head a small smile playing at her lips as she pats the bed next to her. “Come, sit down. Do you know how I got that name?”

  “I think it’s obvious. You are Lucifer’s mate.” I shuffle next to her and sit down.

  “That’s only a small part of it.” She looks down at her feet. “Do you know the creation story? We don’t teach it in hell, but your mother knew.”

  “No.” I shake my head. I know a version from my mother, but is it what Lilith will tell?

  She has my full attention. What kind of bombs is she going to drop on me now?

  “In the beginning, God created the human world and everything in it. But it was empty so he created humans in his own image. The first one, was a man named Adam. Adam was lonely so God granted him a mate… me. But I was full of my own ideas and wasn’t obedient, so I was cast aside. That’s when Lucifer found me.”

  “So you really were a human?” My eyes widen and I look at her in a different light. I always thought the stories exaggerated that part.

  “The first version of them anyways. God decided to change them a bit after he cast me out.” She chuckles to herself. “Anyways, Lucifer challenged his father. He didn’t believe my treatment was fair; after all, I was just what I was made to be. God didn’t like that and that’s why Lucifer was cast out and Hell was created. I was changed in the process… made to be something other.” She pauses and reaches up and rubs the black horns that wrap around her head. “What God didn’t know was I still retained the power of creation, on a smaller scale. I was pregnant with Adam’s child when I arrived in Hell and she was the first demon.”

  “So you are literally the Mother.” My mind starts racing. Why did they never teach that to us? Is it for the same reason we are shielded from the human world? Maybe had I gone into soul collection I would have learned more. Her story is different from the one my mother told me, but not by a lot. Maybe she was taught a different way on purpose.

  “I am. I always wanted lots of children, but Lucifer couldn’t give them to me. As humans progressed and grew across the world, I learned that I could visit and have more children. I birthed in total fifty demons then they in turn had their own children. Danya was my last child born.” She looks down at her hands and a single tear falls from her eye. “Lucifer wants the younger generations to think that he created them on his own, so it was forbidden to tell their children of their creation. That’s why Danya was never allowed to tell you who her parents were.” Lilith looks up, her dark eyes dulled with pain.

  “So you are directly my grandmother? Is that why you are helping me? What makes me special?” I stand up and start pacing the floor, unable to wrap my head around all of this new information.

  Lilith is my grandmother. How old is my mother? How did no one notice?

  “You can ask your questions instead of wearing a hole in the carpet,” she says, her eyes tracking my movements.

  “How long have we existed? How old was my mother? How did no one notice you creating the demons?” I spit out my questions in rapid fire.

  “My first child was born so long ago I couldn’t tell you. They lived for ten thousand years before they perished at the hand of an angel. Danya, my youngest was born five thousand years ago. That’s when Lucifer forbade me from creating another. There were already so many demons he didn’t need me anymore. No one noticed because it was a carefully concealed secret. My original children are very loyal. My first sons are the seven princes, but my daughters never received such positions.” She raises her lip in a snarl. “For all that he did, he still holds a lot of the same views as his father, whether he would admit it or not.”

  “What do I do now?” I slump onto the bed next to her. “If I can’t go home, I’m stuck here. How am I supposed to determine who my father is? This world is huge and I don’t know anything about it.”

  “I dropped you in the only city I know that Danya visited. The clues must be here. You’re only a young thing, so your father should still be out there.” She rests a hand over my own. “As the only child she ever had, you’re the last piece of her I have left. I can’t lose you too.”

  “I want to survive.” I nod. “But what do I do?”

  “Find a place to live, we can go shopping for everything you need, then you need to trace your mother’s steps. I’m gathering information now, but it may take some time. When we get you settled, I will send over everything I can.” She stands up and a sad smile grows across her lips. “Just be careful. If anyone learns what you are, both sides may come after you.”

  “Thank you for everything.” I rise to my feet and Lilith wraps her arms around me.

  “Now, go check out and I’ll meet you outside.” She winks before vanishing.

  I gather myself and return to the front desk. A different person is working, but they seem to know my situation. After making me wait for them to check the room over, they return my deposit and I’m on my way.

  As I exit the sliding glass doors, I see Lilith leaning against the big blue Motel 6 sign.

  “I grabbed a newspaper, let’s go apartment hunting.” She holds up the stack of papers.

  I follow her as we wander through the increasingly crowded streets. She couldn’t be away from Hell yesterday, but now she’s here helping me again. What’s changed? She has to be the most confusing creature I’ve met in my life. After what seems like hours, we stop in front of a six story building directly across from an old gothic style church with four
stone gargoyles perched across the roof.

  “Across from a church?” I stop to glance back and forth between the building and the church. “Is that smart?”

  “It’s the best place to hide... in plain sight.” Lilith shakes her head and winks. “We need to at least check it out. No one would think to look for you here because of the church.”

  “Am I safe being this close?” I glance at the building.

  “As long as you don’t possess anyone or try to steal their soul without a permit, I’m sure you’ll be just fine.” She chuckles.

  I shrug my shoulders as I follow her through the door into the dimly lit hallway. To the left, we enter a doorway that has a paper sign reading office on the glass plane. A petite older woman sits behind a tall desk with horn-rimmed glasses perched on the end of her nose. Her salt and pepper hair is perfectly coiffed and her clothes look to be from four decades ago, at least by Hell’s standards.

  I glance at Lilith out of the corner of my eyes. Does she really expect me to blend in here? I already stand out like a sore thumb.

  “Excuse me.” Lilith smiles sweetly at the elderly woman. “We saw you have an apartment for rent and we would like to look it over for my daughter.”

  Lilith puts her arm around me and pinches me when I stand there looking baffled.

  “Yes, please.” I smile awkwardly. Damn it, am I doing this right?

  The woman scowls over the desk, her beady grey eyes inspecting me.

  “We typically appeal to an older crowd. We’re a quiet community and most younger people don’t like to adhere to our rules.” She takes her glasses off, breathes on the lenses, then rubs them with a small rag from the desk.

  “Ash is an incredibly quiet young woman. She isn’t into the social scene, which is why we were looking in this neighborhood. She’s very pious so being close to the church would be a blessing for her.” Lilith lays it on thick while I nod my agreement.

  This is so surreal. I never in a million years would have imagined the Mother of Demons would be telling a human I was religious. If I wasn’t in this predicament, I would be laughing right now.