by A L Williams
I glanced over at Gabriel as they lifted beams, pressing them against the wall and drilling them into place. Sweat was gathered on their forehead, and I found myself transfixed. I didn’t think angels could sweat.
Gabriel stepped back, examining their work and then turned, their ivory eyes landing directly on me. I whipped around and continued painting.
“Hey,” a familiar voice said. I turned to the door as Ben walked in. He wore his usual cashmere suit—did he even own anything else? He walked up to Cory and looked up with a smile. “Do you need help?”
Cory gaped at him, and a blush appeared on his face. “Uh. C-Can you hand me a bulb?” he asked. Ben nodded and leaned down, grabbing a bulb. I looked at Gabriel who had gone back to their task.
I put the paint roller down and wiped my hands on my jeans. I walked over, and Ben turned to me. “Any news on Lilith?” I asked.
He shook his head. “None of the shifters I recruited have seen any sign of her or the missing children.”
I frowned. Why was she waiting? Didn’t she want another child? I knew she wanted Gabriel. So then why? “This is taking too long,” I said.
“Impatience will get you nowhere,” Gabriel said.
I stiffened. “Who the hell asked you? Your girlfriend is kidnapping people. They are helpless. Not that I would expect a heartless bastard like you to give a damn.”
They narrowed their eyes without another word which only served to piss me off more. “Yelling at me is not going to bring them back or stop her. Do not take your helplessness out on me,” they said flatly.
No one will listen to you girl.
You’re just a lanky little bitch.
All you have is me.
Heat shot through my veins. “Fuck you.”
Cory came up beside me and reached out. I jerked away. “Hayley, please calm down,” he pleaded.
I glared at him. “They should not be here.”
Ben moved up to my other side. “What they did was fucked up, but like it or not, we need them.”
I gritted my teeth. I knew that, as much as I hated to admit it. Gabriel was necessary. They were the only way to get close to Lilith, but... Cory and Ben weren’t listening. I wanted Gabriel gone.
“Fine. Do whatever you want. I’m out.” I dashed out the door. If they weren’t going to listen to me, then I was on my own. I pulled my phone from my pocket and requested a trip to the library. Maybe I could find something on Lilith there. I didn’t know much about the bible, but I knew I had heard her name several times.
Chapter Eight
Gabriel
When the girl disappeared out the door, Corbin came over. “Your delivery needs work.”
I blinked. “I do not understand.”
He sighed. “Sometimes, it’s best to not say anything. You’re not her favorite person right now.”
Detective Skyler snorted. “That’s an understatement.”
Corbin’s lips twitched, and then he refocused on me. “You need to learn to not be so cruel in your words.” I frowned. I only said the truth. Why did it matter how I said it?
Detective Skyler walked over, and Corbin stepped aside. “I know you’re not familiar with human etiquette, but…” He paused. “How about this? If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all.”
I frowned. “How am I supposed to communicate her foolishness, then?”
He shook his head with a chuckle. “Your lack of empathy is astonishing. Maybe stop talking at people and start listening. You may learn something.” I looked at the floor. Maybe he was right; the way I said things did seem to bother the humans.
Detective Skyler turned and walked to the door, stopping and looking back. “I will let you know if I find anything.” He winked at Corbin and then left.
Corbin gaped as the door swung shut. I tilted my head. He turned to me and laughed, rubbing the back of his head. Humans were so strange. “Should we work more?” I asked.
“Yeah. At least until sunset.”
I turned and looked down at the paint roller Hayley had used, sitting in the pan full of paint. Why did that girl have to be so difficult? I picked up the roller and returned to my task.
The sun reached the mountain peaks, and Corbin locked up the shop, making sure the security alarm was set. When we stepped out into the cooling air, I inhaled deeply. The work was tiring and tedious at times. However, it felt good to have something to preoccupy my time, especially with Lucifer gone. We walked down the street to Corbin’s car, passing pedestrians who glanced at me curiously. I knew it was my white eyes. It was something that happened regularly.
“Does that happen often?” Corbin asked. I looked at him.
“Yes.”
“Must be annoying.”
I shrugged.
When we reached the car, Corbin got in. I moved to sit in the back. “You can sit up front, you know? I’m not a cab.” I nodded and walked around the vehicle, climbing into the passenger side. He started the car and drove onto the main road. We travelled in silence until Corbin said, “You still love her.”
I tensed. “Who?”
“Lilith. You’re really good at hiding behind that blank expression, but I saw the change when Hayley said what she said.”
I considered my words. Corbin had nothing to do with any of this. I did not have to tell him anything. I glanced at him as he continued to drive.
“I do.” I looked down again, releasing a long breath. “She was the only one who cared.” I tensed. Why did I say that?
“The other angels didn’t care? God didn’t care? That doesn’t sound like God.”
I clenched my jaw. “He loves all of us.”
Corbin nodded. “Yes. Yes, he does.” He glanced at me and then back to traffic. “How many angels are there?”
“Hundreds. Many before me and many after.”
“Sounds like you have middle child syndrome.”
“What is that?”
“You felt excluded? Like an outcast.”
I looked down at the floor. Was that what it was? Did I feel excluded?
“It makes sense. After what…”
“After what I did to you and the others.”
“Yeah.”
A loud horn pierced through the sudden silence between us. The sky faded into black as we continued. I played with my hands in my lap and then entwined them. “I apologize.” Corbin did not say anything, and I thought maybe he would not. But, then, he did, and his words shot through me.
“You’re forgiven.”
That was all we said as we turned down his street.
Once inside I excused myself and walked down the hall. As I reached the guest room, the bathroom door opened, and Hayley stepped out. She stood nude, with only a towel covering her thin frame. I could see her curves, even through the bulky fabric. We stared at each other, neither saying a word. From her damp hair and the droplets of water on her exposed skin, I knew she had taken a shower. The question was: why was I still standing there, staring?
She licked her lips, and I followed the movement, noticing the tinge of red on her cheeks. I swallowed, and the spell was broken. She grimaced and balled her free hand into a fist. “Are you going to keep staring at me like a creep?”
I did not know what a ‘creep’ was, but I was not in the mood for her childishness. “You should ask yourself the same question.” I turned, not wanting to say anything else. I needed to try what Corbin suggested if I was going to be in such close proximity to her for weeks, but she was not making it easy.
Once I was inside the guest room, a door slammed shut. I leaned back against the door, slumping. I did not need sleep, but at that moment, I really wished I did. Just a while to hide away from all of this. The human world was exhausting. She was exhausting. How did someone so feminine and delicate act so... brash?
The image of her burning gaze drifted through my mind as I pushed off the door with a huff.
Chapter Nine
Hayley
By the tim
e I reached the university library, my nerves had calmed. I walked through the double doors and towards the front counter. A librarian looked up at me with a smile. “How can I help you, young lady?” she asked.
“I need any books about a person called Lilith.”
The woman rubbed her chin, and I noticed a necklace around her neck with a crucifix. “Do you mean the Lilith of biblical legend?”
“I’m not sure. I know she has something to do with Adam and Eve.”
The woman’s eyes brightened, and she came around the desk. “Come with me. I can show you. Are you looking to follow the ways of Christ or is this for school?”
“For school,” I said quickly. The last thing I needed was to be preached to. I was thankful Cory wasn’t like that.
To my surprise and relief, she didn’t push. We continued, walking by rows of bookshelves until we reached one in the very back marked Religion. “If you like, I can help you and maybe even share some insight.”
I smiled, wanting to tell her no, but I didn’t know what I was looking for. It wouldn’t hurt to get some insight if she had any. I nodded, and she guided me down the row. We stopped in front of a section with different books of color and size. “So, what do you know of Lilith?” she asked, studying the books.
“Someone told me that she was the first woman. Created before Eve.”
“Yes, that is what they say.” She grabbed a book and walked out of the row. I followed her to a large table and sat at her side. She opened the book, and I leaned over, looking at the page. They were old, and the pictures looked even older.
“According to legend, Lilith was the first woman created. She was created in the same manner as Adam, from the soil of the garden, mankind’s original home. She did not please Adam, so God created Eve from his rib and banished Lilith from the Garden.”
I looked up as several students walked by, chattering loudly. The librarian shot them a look, and they quieted, continuing on their way.
She turned back to me. “It is said that she became the mother of demons after that, striking a deal with the devil.” I knew that last part was incorrect, but I pushed for more information.
“So why did Adam not want her?”
“She was a hermaphrodite.”
I winced. Didn’t she know that word was not appropriate. “So, she was intersex?”
She blinked. “Is that what they call it now?”
“Yes. The other one is a slur.”
She smiled. “Good to know. Thank you.” My chest warmed. It was nice to know that some boomers were receptive to change and learning something new.
“So, she couldn’t have kids?”
“Some herm—intersex people can have children, depending on what form the mutation takes. I’m not sure if that is the correct way to say it.”
“It’s alright. I know what you mean. I’m not too sure myself. I don’t actually know anyone who is.”
She nodded. “Anyway, he wanted children, and she couldn’t provide that. Plus, he may have not been attracted to her, anyway, being that she had a…”
I arched a brow. “A dick?”
She shook her head and chuckled. “Yes. Of course, we don’t know anything. This is speculation. The point is, she wasn’t up to his standards, so she was pushed out.”
“Why would God do that? Doesn’t he love all his children?”
She furrowed her brow. “Yes. We cannot know his reasons. That’s just how the story goes.”
I gestured at the book. “You seem to know the whole story. What did you need with the book?”
“There are some scattered tales of Lilith in here. I thought they might help you visualize her for yourself. Here, check it out.” She pulled herself up and smiled at me. “Be careful.”
I tilted my head as she walked away, returning to her spot at the desk at the front of the library. I looked down at the book and ran my hand along its beveled cover.
This was a start. There had to be something in here to stop her. I grabbed the book and started reading the first page.
It wasn’t until nightfall that I walked through the door of the house. Everything was dark. Cory must have still been at the shop working. I tensed, stopping just as the door closed behind me.
He’s alone with Gabriel. I remained still, fighting the urge to go to the shop. Cory would not let me hear the end of it if I did. I didn’t trust Gabriel, but I trusted Jamie, and he said that Gabriel was fine. I exhaled and dragged myself to my room. I threw my backpack with the heavy-ass book on the bed.
I had spent several hours reading and still hadn’t gotten to anything about Lilith, but it was about the creation of Eden and mankind in more of a scientific way. Maybe I just needed to keep reading, and I would get to her eventually. My patience wasn’t great, even on a good day, but there wasn’t much else I could do.
I undressed before heading into the bathroom. After all the work at the shop, I felt grody.
Once my shower was finished, I dried off and wrapped myself in a towel. When I looked up, Gabriel was standing at the guest room door staring at me in what could only be explained as shock.
I watched their eyes trail along my body, and my skin tingled. My heart hammered in my chest. I wasn’t sure how long we stood there staring at each other, but I was transfixed on the way they stared at me with such intensity. The last time they had looked at me, their eyes had been filled with rage and indifference, but now... there was something... something there that I couldn’t place. It wasn’t lust. I knew what that looked like, but it was... interest.
When I regained my senses, I balled my hands, and it went downhill from there. “Are you going to keep staring at me like a creep?”
“You should ask yourself the same question.”
They turned and stepped inside the guest room before I could respond. Anger rushed through me, and I ran into my room, slamming the door behind me.
Chapter Ten
Gabriel
The Tree of Life stood at the center, towering over the garden. A gentle breeze brushed my cheek as I strolled through the foliage, my armor catching a glint of sunlight. I ran my hand through my short hair, wiping away the gathering sweat. The scent of spring water filled my nose, and a melody caught my attention. I followed the song, leading me to a clearing.
A nude, pale figure sat on the ground, gazing at the Tree of Knowledge that stood in the distance. Their legs were folded beneath them, accentuating the lean muscles. Their back was arched and head thrown back with parted lips. When I realized she was the companion created for Adam, I backed up. She moaned, and, in my haste, I kicked a rock.
She glanced back with blue eyes, like the water near the lake in front of her. She studied me, and a wide smile spread across her face. When she turned her body, my eyes travelled over her small breasts, hidden behind her draping hair. I eyed her groin, where her hand was wrapped around her penis, growing thicker by the second. I shifted and looked away, warmth spreading up my face.
“Like what you see?” she asked.
I tensed and looked back. A giggle fell from her lips. She released herself and jumped to her feet, her breasts bouncing as she moved. She sauntered over and inspected me. “Who are you?”
“Gabriel.”
A wide smile spread across her face. “I am called Lilith.”
The sun flooded the room in golden light, a week later. I glanced at the window as the drapes swayed with the wind. I laid in bed, thinking about when Lilith and I first met. It had been a strange encounter, but one I would never forget. She was brash and confident. Something I had never seen. My curiosity had only grown from there. She was still the same person, but something was different. She was colder. Harsher.
I swung my legs off the bed, and I stood, adjusting my clothes, and walked out of the room.
When I reached the living room entrance, voices travelled through the room from the kitchen. I followed them.
“It should only be a few more days. Most of the repairs were done by the cons
truction company hired by the insurance agency. We’re having a good time,” Corbin said.
I peered around the wall that separated the kitchen from the living room and found Corbin and Hayley sitting at the table. The air was filled with the sweet aroma of syrup and bacon. My mouth watered. I did not have to eat, but I enjoyed the food.
Corbin looked over and smiled. “Good morning.”
I walked in as Hayley peered at me. “Morning,” she muttered. It was a surprise she spoke to me without hostility. I approached as Corbin got up. He grabbed a plate from the microwave and walked it over, placing it in front of me. I looked down at the pancakes, eggs, and bacon neatly placed on the dish.
“I thought you would probably be hungry,” he said.
“Thank you,” I replied, making eye contact with Hayley. She looked away.
We ate in silence as the cars drove by outside the window, and the wind drifted in. When Hayley spoke, I almost jumped. “Have you heard anything from Lilith at all?”
I shook my head. She huffed and flopped back in the chair. “This is getting ridiculous.”
“She wants children. The boy is probably fine,” Corbin turned to me. “Right?”
“I believe so.”
Hayley scoffed. “Believing isn’t going to keep that kid alive.”
I shot her a glare. I was tired of her attitude. From the corner of my eyes, Corbin watched me. I swallowed my words and instead said, “I wish I could give you a better answer, but I can’t. I am doing the best that I can, and that is waiting for her to come to us. We have no idea where she is. If I did, I would be the first one there.”
Hayley looked down at her hands. “Would you?”
I blinked. What did that mean? Had I not proven that I was trying to help? I regarded her as she looked back up. The doubt and distrust in her gaze stabbed me deeper than I expected. She did not feel safe in my presence. We remained silent, staring at each other.
“Well, I am going to go take a shower,” Corbin said, standing from his chair. “Are you two going to remain civil?” I nodded, not taking my eyes off her, and she did the same.