Samael landed a few feet from her. He sighed with relief and ogled her. “I am happy you are no longer the snake creature.”
Lilith arched a sly brow. “You know, you might as well get used to the part of me you loathe. It is here to stay.”
“You can turn into a snake creature at your pleasure?”
“I can, and there shall be moments when being a serpent shall be useful to me. I intend to transform whenever need be.” Lilith gave him a subtle wink.
He smiled. “Becoming the legless reptile allowed you to save me from the sand trap. I am grateful to you for that.”
Lilith gazed at him. He may be the desirable being through which she would work her objective. With his help she could influence Satan to do her bidding and then all would follow.
After some time, they spotted Gadreel flying in the distance, towing the calf. Her landing on the ice was tumultuous. Screaming the entire way, she landed too close to the edge of the cliff, slid, and nearly dropped the calf over the precipice.
Lilith rolled her eyes and gave a dismissive wave of her hand. “Maladroit.”
Samael cocked his head back and guffawed.
Lilith ambled away. “I wish to explore the mountain and discover the closest route to the ocean.”
Samael trailed behind her. He wrapped his arms around himself and used his wings to cover his body from the cold, as he saw her do. “My feet are numb from stepping on the ice-covered ground.” He scooped a handful of the white, powdery substance. “It is light and fluffy in my hand.” He brought it to his nose and sniffed. “It smells like fresh water.” He shoved a handful in his mouth. He shuddered and shook his head. “The unnatural coldness made me jolt, but when I swallowed it satisfied my thirst.”
Lilith continued walking and paid him no mind.
Once Gadreel set the small camel on the snow, it made a dash for its mother, slipping and sliding along the way. The large camel met her calf halfway and caressed the calf’s head with her muzzle.
Gadreel hurried to catch up to the others. “Where are we going?” She shivered. “This weather is eerie and inexplicable. We have never experienced anything such as this. My wings are stiffened by the cold. What if this white substance is meant to congeal us into ice––or poison us?”
Samael gulped and gaped at Lilith since he had already eaten a few mouthfuls.
“It is not toxic, but it shall drain our heat until we are solid frost if we do not find shelter,” Lilith said in a casual tone.
“Why stay here? Let us leave this mountain at once!” Gadreel’s teeth chattered.
“At present, we cannot fly,” Samael said. “We have exhausted our energy. Besides, our wings are painful and unyielding. We would plummet to our deaths if we tried.”
“I would like to see how far we are from the ocean,” Lilith said. “From this height, I am certain we could see the large body of saltwater.”
The other two glanced at each other and then the three continued following the shrill sound in their heads, believing it would lead them toward the ocean and the others.
The mountain was vast. Unable to fly, they hiked for many days and nights in snowy conditions. Sunset was fast approaching once again. The night would bring bitterly cold winds.
Lilith shivered and rubbed her arms. “I Sense this night would be the coldest yet.” She looked down at her feet and wiggled her plum colored toes. “I am not sure we could survive it without shelter.”
They trudged forward, cold, weak, and hungry. They could not stop to feed in the open, for they would surely freeze. Their first taste of this icy cold weather proved an enormous challenge. They continued on, shivering and dragging their numb feet in the snow, trying to find a spot where they could nourish themselves again with the camel’s milk. In time, they arrived at the entrance to a huge cave.
“We should take refuge in this cavern.” Lilith pointed to the mouth of the cave.
Gadreel inched closer to peek inside. “It looks ever so cold in there. I am not sure we should enter. It appears we would freeze, and become fixtures in the void.”
Samael stepped forward and glanced inside, shaking his head. “I detest disagreeing with you, Lilith, but I am of the same mind as Gadreel. There is an enormous amount of ice inside this hollow space and I believe we are capable of freezing.”
A smile slid across Gadreel’s face. Samael agreed with her.
Lilith scowled at them. “In Floraison, I spent many hours observing the inhabitants of the frozen side of the planet Thanda-Garam in the Black Eye galaxy. I have learned a great deal about their survival in the snow and ice. The creatures there used ice caves as shelter from the cold, and so shall we.” She swaggered to them and stood before Gadreel. “In no universe would you be right where I was in the wrong.”
Samael bowed his head. “I apologize. I should have known better than to doubt you.”
Lilith stared at Gadreel, expecting an apology, but none came. “It seems you may be finally developing some fortitude. That is good––it serves my purpose, as long as you do not forget where your loyalties rest.”
Lilith stepped into the cavern, followed by Samael pulling the large camel. Gadreel guided the calf into the cave. She minced her way up to Samael. “It is warmer in the cave. Lilith was right.”
The cavity was large with many halls. “I shall search for a suitable area to settle for the night and feed.”
As they hiked further in, they were mesmerized by the different ice formations decorating the cave. There were enormous monoliths and pillars of ice, dazzling ice waterfalls frozen in motion, and aqua-blue glaciers. Icicles dangled from the ceiling of the cavern like crystalline jewels. Intricate frost plumes lined some of the cave’s walls.
They came across a huge, frozen pond adorned with ripples and swirls of aquamarine and cerulean, frozen in place. The body of water was suspended above them in the rear of the cave. Lilith rubbed her hands together and smiled an I–am–pleased–with–myself smile. “This is where I have decided we should camp for the night.”
She beckoned Samael and Gadreel to come closer. “One thing I learned while observing Thanda-Garam: ice does not conduct heat well.” Lilith passed her hand across the icy walls.
Gadreel squinted in confusion. “How is that beneficial to us?”
Lilith flounced to her and glared into her big, hooded brown eyes. “As a result, any heat generated inside the cave shall stay in the cave, with the ice not allowing its passage.”
Lilith grabbed Gadreel’s hair tightly around her fist, causing her to squeal and wince in pain. “Do not interrupt me as I express my thoughts.” She released Gadreel’s hair, roughly pushing her away.
Gadreel pursed her lips. “We were friends once. What has happened to us?”
“We no longer stand as such.” Lilith’s words were as cold as the wind outside the cave.
“Have I grieved you in any way?” Gadreel rubbed her scalp.
Lilith needed strong allies––not weak friends. Gadreel’s lack of desire for revenge against God made her feeble and pitiful in her eyes. She would have her vengeance, and if Gadreel did not decide to join her soon, she would destroy her for her fickleness and treachery.
“There is no time for attachments now, only survival,” Lilith said in a toneless voice. “We shall feed here.” She gestured for Samael to bring forth the camel.
Gadreel guided the calf to the camel. The little mammal wobbled and stumbled on its way to its nurturer. Gadreel’s lips trembled and tears welled in her eyes as she observed it. “I sense something is wrong with the calf.” No one listened. She placed the calf near its mother’s udder so it could have easy access to her teats, but the little calf stared blankly and tottered on its frail legs.
“What is amiss with the small one?” Lilith scrutinized the teetering calf.
“I am not certain––I believe it is dying.” Gadreel’s tears spilled down her cheeks and turned to soft ice. She wiped them away quickly before Lilith could see them.
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“It cannot die!” Lilith yelled. Gadreel jolted. “If the little one dies, we shall receive no more nourishment.”
“What is your meaning?” Samael narrowed his eyes and raked his fingers through his hair. “It is the large one that feeds us.”
Lilith rolled her eyes upward. “This animal feeds us because we allow her to suckle her young, but if her calf dies, she shall no longer produce the white fluid that nourishes us.”
“Than we shall take the nourishment by force!” Samael got on his knees upon the snow and grabbed the camel’s teat with his teeth. He pulled hard, trying to draw the white liquid into his mouth, but no fluid came. The camel groaned and kicked.
Gadreel ran to him. “Samael, please stop! You are hurting her and she shall injure you in return.” He did not listen to her. She approached the camel and passed her hand over the beast’s face. “Be calm. I shall try––” The camel seemed confused and agitated. Gadreel continued caressing her and she bit her on the hand with her large, protruding teeth.
Blood gushed from the wound. Gadreel shrieked nonstop. “The soldiers––the soldiers died. I remember––the defeated soldiers who had lost blood from their bodies–– perished.” Her screams stopped Samael’s efforts to suckle and he ran to her aid. Lilith followed.
Samael’s jaw dropped and he buried his hands in his hair. Gadreel’s hand appeared almost severed in half. She was losing a lot of blood.
Lilith approached Gadreel, who was now in hysterics, holding her hand while blood turned the snow red.
“Let me see the wound.” Lilith wore a hardened expression. Gadreel’s eyes opened wide with fear and she glanced at Samael.
“Go on, show her your hand,” Samael said. “She may be able to help you. I know not what to do.”
Gadreel closed her eyes and with care extended her trembling arm toward Lilith. Lilith grabbed her hand and examined it. Gadreel groaned and tightened her jaw. After manipulating her hand, Lilith pushed it flat against the icy wall of the cave. Gadreel wailed and struggled to loosen her hand, but Lilith continued to press it against the frost.
“Help me, Samael. The pain is unbearable. I shall die of anguish!” Gadreel’s face was pale and etched with pain.
“Apologies. I am certain Lilith knows what she is doing, although her methods seem mystifying.” Samael’s body shook and he covered his eyes with a hand.
“Please let my hand go. It stings like bitter fire!” Gadreel cried but Lilith continued to press her hand against the frost, her face like stone.
Gadreel swayed. “I sense I am being drawn from this world. Black spots merge together in my vision, and soon I shall see only darkness.” Her knees buckled, and she collapsed.
Lilith let go of her hand. “The wound is sealed and the bleeding has stopped.”
Gadreel opened her eyes. The excruciating pain in her hand woke her from her stupor. She held her hand against her heaving chest. Tears ran from her swollen eyes, cold against her reddened cheeks.
Samael gazed at her with a pitying expression.
“She shall be fine now,” Lilith told Samael. “Her vital life force no longer drains from her.”
He stared at her with a mixture of admiration and dread. “Life force?”
“Yes.” Lilith raised her chin. “Your blood is your life force. We know it exits our bodies when it is broken. We witnessed it in the forbidden forests and in battle. On Earth, we seem to lose a great deal more blood more easily than we ever did in Floraison. Lose enough of it, and your life shall come to an end. The wingless creatures in my visions, which I have come to know are future humans, also have such a fluid circulating through their bodies. It gives them life.”
Samael blinked, looking confused.
Lilith sighed. “One is able to lose a certain amount of blood, and the body simply generates more to replace it. However, lose too much at one time, and the body would be unable to replace it fast enough, and you would perish like so many did in the war in Floraison.”
“How is it you come to know so much?” he asked.
Lilith gazed into his eyes, the corners of her lips upstretched into a slow smile. She leaned in and nuzzled his neck, cheeks and lips with her face and parted lips. The warmth of her breath against his skin made him shudder with pleasure. She buried her fingers in his dark, wavy hair and pressed her soft, plump lips against his. He enjoyed a tingling, warming sensation throughout his body. He forgot the question he asked. He forgot he asked a question at all.
Lilith separated her lips further and slipped her tongue into his mouth, chasing his tongue with hers, then retrieving it and pressing her lips on his once more. As she withdrew from him, he caught her arms and pulled her near again. “Please remain by my side. I yearn for this moment to last a lifetime.” His words were heavy breaths. She wrested her arms from him, and flashed a now-I-got-you-where-I-want-you smile. He ogled her. “I am captivated by your enticing ways.”
From the ground, Gadreel observed Lilith seduce Samael, as she had Satan. Gadreel’s eyes burned with hatred. Her sight blurred with stinging tears and her hands tightened into fists. She heaved a deep breath. “This negative energy is trying to unseal evil within me. I shall fight against it.” She buried her face in her good hand.
Samael heard her cries and turned away from Lilith. He saw Gadreel crying and proceeded to her.
Lilith glared at them. “Perhaps Gadreel is not as foolish as I thought. She exploits Samael’s attentions. She may have plans of her own that require his alliance. I shall remain vigilant,” Lilith said, in an undertone.
In the midst of these happenings, the little camel drew its last breath. No one seemed to notice. Later, the mother camel moaned and whimpered. When the fallen ones glanced her way, they saw the animal mourning her calf. The cries the camel uttered were the saddest sounds they ever heard.
Gadreel’s body drooped and she hung her head. “Poor little creature.” Her tone was flat and sad.
“We should consume it.” Lilith licked her bottom lip.
Gadreel cocked her head, wide-eyed. “What? You cannot mean––” She raised her eyebrows in disbelief and pressed the back of a hand to her mouth.
Lilith clapped her hands on her hips. “We need nourishment to survive. The small animal’s carcass can provide us with a substantial amount of food.”
“But Lilith, consuming animal flesh is surely forbidden.” Samael stared at her.
“Why?” Lilith asked, without hesitation. “The rules we lived by in Floraison no longer exist here on Earth. We are different creatures now, and we make our own rules.”
“In Floraison we ate fruits and vegetables on occasion for the pleasure of it,” Gadreel said. “I understand that on Earth we need sustenance to survive, but we were taught that animals should be cherished.”
Lilith smiled. “We rule over these animals now and we shall do what we please with them.”
She strutted to the small camel’s carcass and lifted it from the ground. The large camel snapped at her several times, and finally latched onto one of her wings with its large teeth and held on tight.
Gadreel and Samael watched with horrified expressions as Lilith willed her serpent form and struck the animal with her tail until the camel surrendered and retreated.
Lilith placed the stiff calf on its back upon a flat surface of the cave. Her nails grew into sharp talons as they had in the jungle. She ripped the calf’s soft underbelly open and began to gorge on its insides.
Samael rubbed his throat and inched toward her. He grimaced in disgust watching dark blood run along the sides of her mouth. Her neck and hands were coated in it too.
Gadreel turned her face away and gagged. “Are you enjoying that?”
Lilith raised her chin. “No. It is revolting, but it appeases my hunger, and strengthens me.”
Samael knelt and pulled the calf’s heart out of its small chest cavity. He lifted the organ to his nose and sniffed. The smell reminded him of his dead comrades in the war. He stuffed th
e structure in his mouth.
“Gadreel, you must eat.” Samael spoke with a full mouth and a sour look on his face. “This planet is harsh, and we have yet to locate the others. We must still travel a ways to find the source of the shrill. Eating shall make you stronger and fit for the task.”
Gadreel shook her head, her lips curled in disgust. She went to a small corner of the cave to lie down. Even with her four large wings wrapped around her body, she still trembled on the cold floor.
The camel hobbled to her and lay on the icy ground beside her. Gadreel flinched and her body tensed. “Please do not hurt me again.” She almost sprang to her feet to get away, but the animal lay still against her and generated much warmth with its large body and thick coat. She relaxed and fell asleep.
The other two angels filled their bellies, leaving the carcass nearly void of edible material. Lilith peeled the skin and fur off the remains. She tore the hide into four pieces, two large and two small, and placed the skins flat on the cave’s floor. Afterward, she was ready for some needed rest.
She and Samael searched for Gadreel. When they found her, their mouths fell open.
“She lies with the animal that almost bit her hand off!” Lilith clutched her full belly and guffawed. “Behold, she sleeps well.”
Samael shrugged and watched Gadreel sleep.
“She is using the beast’s body heat to keep warm,” Lilith said. “In my visions, the humans huddled together in ice caves such as this one to share each other’s warmth at night. You and I should do the same.”
“I agree. I am tired and need my strength to resume our journey tomorrow. Come, I shall keep you warm.” Samael lay down next to Gadreel and beckoned Lilith. He pulled her close. Lilith placed two of her wings underneath her to shield her from the snow and ice, and her other two wings rested over them. He lay on one of his large wings and wrapped the other over the two of them. Together, they created a cocoon of warmth.
“I sense we are much closer to the source of the shrill sound,” she whispered. On the morrow, they would resume their journey to find their allies—to find Satan—and then she would be well on her way to having her vengeance on God.
The Fall of Lilith Page 26