Starblood Trilogy

by Carmilla Voiez

  At the time it went to press the reporters had no idea as to what had caused the police deaths and the extensive damage to the building and equipment within. Bodies were bagged, tagged and extracted from the wreckage. Officials were unwilling to make a statement of any kind. An estimated ten police officers and five civilians lost their lives.

  Satori folds the newspaper and carries it under his arm as he strolls towards his mother’s house. The gentle sun warms his cheeks. The air smells sweet and fresh. He is free. He finds himself unable to mourn the lives lost to the wrath of Paul’s demons. He warned them not to damage the vessel.

  His house key remains at the police station probably covered with rubble so he knocks on his mother’s door, hoping she hasn’t left for work.

  Marian opens the door and screeches in pleasure. ‘Oh my god! Steve, you’re home.’

  ‘Hi, Mum.’

  She pulls him into the house and embraces him. The hallway smells of fresh, rich coffee. Satori licks his lips and asks for a cup.

  ‘Of course.’ She grins and drags him into the kitchen. Filling two cups, she motions for him to speak.

  When he takes the cup and devours the coffee in silence she taps his wrist and pouts.

  ‘Well?’

  ‘Have you seen the news?’ he asks. ‘Can I get some more coffee?’

  With a look of exasperation Marian refills his cup. ‘That nice lawyer, Ms...’

  ‘Ms Wilson?’

  ‘Yeah, she phoned this morning.’

  ‘Oh?’

  ‘She told me the police station exploded. Some sort of gas leak or something. It’s chaos there at the moment. She wanted to let me know you weren’t among the bodies they found.’ Marian fusses about him, pulling at his clothes. ‘You’re not hurt?’

  ‘No. I’m fine, Mum.’

  ‘She wanted to know if I’d heard from you. She wanted to check you were safe.’

  ‘Are the police after me?’

  ‘She didn’t know, but…’

  ‘What?’

  ‘Well, it looks as though the evidence room was destroyed. So she doesn’t think they’ll be calling you back in anytime soon. Apparently without evidence they can’t hold you.’

  ‘That’s good news.’

  ‘Yeah, right. Look, Steve, she sort of said something. Can you explain it to me?’

  ‘I’ll try.’

  ‘She asked if you’d ever seen a psychiatrist.’

  ‘Mum!’

  ‘Yes, I know. It’s not the first time we’ve…’

  ‘Mum, it’s not even the tenth time… I just don’t get it.’

  ‘Well…’

  ‘I’m okay.’ He leans against the back of his chair and stares into his lap. ‘I am.’

  ‘You wouldn’t tell me if you weren’t though… Look… I really don’t want to push you away… you’re my son, my life. But… I feel responsible, you know.’

  ‘You’re not responsible.’

  ‘Perhaps if I…’

  ‘Stop this.’

  ‘Look, Steve, just let me speak, okay? I asked what she meant, but she wouldn’t tell me. All I want to know, I guess, is… look, is this about magic or have you been passing out again?

  ‘Neither really.’ Satori exhales. ‘Some of my explanations didn’t make sense to her.’

  Marian nods, her eyes hooded. ‘I know how that feels. Well, you’re an adult now. I wish you’d consider it though. You know I worry about you… Actually, Steve?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘If a psychiatrist is out…’

  ‘It is.’

  ‘I have some… friends. Maybe you could meet them.’

  Satori shrugs. ‘So did she say anything else?’

  ‘Who?’

  ‘Ms Wilson.’

  Marian laughs self-consciously. ‘I did ask her if we could sue if you were hurt or dead.’

  Satori snorts.

  ‘She said it wasn’t her area of expertise, but probably. She did say, off the record, that if I were to see you I might advise you to just lay low.’

  ‘It’s good that she phoned.’

  Marian nods then frowns. ‘One other thing though, Babes. The police took stuff from your room when they searched the house. That’s all gone too. I’m sorry.’

  Satori embraces his mother. ‘It’s just stuff. With everything that’s happened, I’m probably the luckiest bastard to walk the earth.’

  ‘I was worried. I’m glad you’re home.’

  Satori rubs the back of his head. ‘It’s not just that, Mum.’

  ‘Oh?’

  ‘I saved Star.’

  ‘Sarah?’

  ‘Yes.’

  Marian shakes. Satori takes her coffee cup and places it on a work surface. ‘Come and sit down with me.’ Supporting her arm, he guides her to the living room. ‘It’s a long story and maybe you need to get to work. I’m here because I need your help.’

  Marian nods. ‘You’re on the run?’

  ‘I guess so. It’s complicated.’

  ‘Of course. So Sarah is alive?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘But her body is in the morgue.’

  Satori shrugs. ‘I’ve no idea. Maybe it vanished when she came back.’

  Marian places the palm of her hand on Satori’s forehead as if checking for a fever.

  ‘I’m not crazy. It’s just, you know, kind of hard to explain. I don’t know where to start.’

  Marian’s sigh sounds melancholy. ‘My crazy, beautiful boy.’

  Satori blushes and leans towards his mother. His voice is low and his words rushed. ‘I went on a journey. I brought her back from the dead.’

  ‘Oh Sith!’

  ‘Huh?’

  Marian’s face flushes and she coughs. ‘Excuse my French, it’s just…’

  ‘What did you just say, Mum?’

  Marian looks away. ‘Oh shit.’ She turns back to face him.

  Satori stares at her face. He sees no deception in her loving eyes. ‘I wish I could explain it all to you... But, in the meantime, I need a favour. Will you help us?’

  ‘Always, Love. What do you need?’

  He asks his mother for money, promising to return it soon. She asks no further questions and simply retrieves what he needs. The embrace they share before he leaves is long and tight. Everything they want to say is communicated by that one hug.

  ‘I’ll be back soon, Mum. Thanks.’

  Marian’s eyes are full of tears and she bites her lip as if afraid to speak. As he opens the door she waves goodbye and blows him a kiss.

  ‘I love you, Mum.’ He turns from her and rushes away, pockets full of notes.

  Wondering whether he is making a terrible mistake, he pays the deposit for a humble cottage beside the park. They can move in within the week. He is amazed at how easily he can exert his will on the world.

  They are safe. No one hunts them. Star and Satori have their fresh start. He wonders what they will do with this second chance.

  Chapter 5

  When Star awakes Satori is gone. She searches the house for something to wear and settles on a pair of trousers that she has to roll up just to see her feet, and a soft silk shirt.

  The phones in the house are all dead. She searches through Paul’s drawers and finds some loose change. Heading out into the bright sunlight, she hunts for a public pay phone.

  ‘Dad.’

  ‘Who is this?’

  ‘Dad, it’s Sarah. Is Mum there?’

  ‘What sort of sick joke is this?’

  ‘It isn’t a joke. Can I speak to Mum?’

  ‘No you cannot. Who is this? My daughter is dead.’

  ‘I’m not Dad. It was all a misunderstanding. I’ll prove it. Remember the time our house was being renovated and we had to stay with Grandma by the lake? I fell in. Do you remember? I spent three weeks with a high temperature and you punished me by throwing away that doll I loved.’

  ‘Don’t call here again.’

  ‘But Dad.’

  ‘
I mean it. I have no daughter. My daughter is dead. The shame of having a daughter who murdered a young woman, can you imagine what that did to us? Can you? All those journalists and TV cameras, my wife couldn’t leave the house for months. Our friends shunned us. People blamed us. And now you phone here and tell me it was all a…what…a mistake? Whoever you are our daughter is dead. If you phone here again we will contact the police. Do you understand?’

  Star puts her hand over her mouth and slams the phone receiver against the coin box. Shaking, she returns the receiver to her ear. The line is dead. Her father has hung up.

  She wanders through the streets. Tears drench her shirt. People approach her and ask if she’s okay. Their faces frighten her. She shakes her head and runs from them. They cannot understand. No one can, least of all Star.

  She returned for this. Binah may have been torture, but she understood the rules. Lilith was angry and she took her anger out on Star. That’s okay, because Lilith is a demon. She is supposed to be cruel. Her cruelty makes sense, and because of this, Star could help Lilith. She helped heal the demon and in return she was allowed to return home, to more anger, more hatred. Hatred that she has tried to understand for her entire life. Why do they hate me? Why does my difference from them cause them to hate me, fear me? Why does it provoke such rage?

  Lilith told her once that she was hiding behind a mask. In Binah she removed that mask. For the first time in her life, bound in chains, torn and bleeding, she was free to be herself, to draw on her own unique strength. Lilith respected her for that strength. Do I really have to hide myself again? Is that the price for love? With all I know, with all I’ve seen, how can I bear it?

  Holding her head in her hands, Star runs back to Paul’s house. She heads for the kitchen and searches through dozens of drawers looking for a knife. Nothing is left. The kitchen has been gutted. She runs to the bathroom and checks Paul’s medicine cabinets. In the en suite bathroom she finds a pot of loose razor blades. They stick to each other. She rubs them between her thumb and forefinger to push the top one loose. Returning the rest to the pot, she studies the slender piece of metal. My mask, she thinks as she slices the top of her thigh with the blade. Pain is my mask. Pain hides my pain. I can do this. I’m strong. Satori and I will make a home and we’ll be happy. Fuck my parents. So I’m not Daddy’s little girl. I never was. As long as Satori loves me, I can see my value through his eyes. Let that be enough.

  Chapter 6

  Four years later.

  Edensun runs across the soft earth, yelping with delight. He somersaults through the air oftentimes landing perfectly on his feet, occasionally bouncing on his bottom in fits of giggles. The twilight sky makes his skin look dark. He revels in his beauty and strength. Stretching his legs, he increases his speed. His imagination creates a hole in the sky ahead. The rift is darkness and chaos reigns beyond, air as active and directionless as his thoughts. He makes ready to leap through the hole, like a rabbit returning to its warren.

  The earth trembles beneath his feet. Sealing the hole, he looks about, guiltily. A blunt nose pushes through the grey earth between him and the now closed gateway.

  ‘Edensssun.’ The voice in his head commands his full attention.

  An eyeless face and a thick cylindrical body follow the nose. The giant wyrm curls itself in coils before Edensun’s feet.

  ‘Siloth.’ Edensun’s voice trembles. He sits beside the serpent and crosses his slender child-like legs.

  ‘You know you are sssupposssed to ssspeak to Lilith before jumping.’ Siloth’s words fill Edensun’s brain. The wyrm’s huge jaws do not move as he speaks.

  ‘I know, but…’

  ‘Lilith knowsss you find comfort in chaosss. She underssstandsss, but you mussst follow her rulesss.’

  Edensun nods. ‘I’m sorry.’

  ‘You need not tell me you are sssorry. I am only her messssssenger.’

  ‘Does she want to see me?’

  ‘Not now. She is busssy. There is much work for her to do. Perhapsss you ssshould dissstract yourssself with the charmsss of Magenta, Sssapphire and Violet. Keep yourssself out of trouble.’

  ‘Or in a different kind of trouble.’

  ‘Indeed.’

  Edensun stretches his legs and pushes himself from the ground. He changes into his demon form. His skin becomes grey and scaled, not unlike that of Siloth, and wings spread from his shoulders. Nodding at the blind wyrm, his powerful, leathery wings beat the once still air. Agitated sand rises in clouds as Edensun hovers above the desert. As if guided by a homing device, he shoots through the silver sky towards Lilith’s villa, seeking the company of her three handmaidens.

  The handmaidens rush to greet him as he lands in the garden. Exotic scents embrace him. The women’s clothing outshines the glorious blooms that surround them. Edensun doesn’t ask how they knew to expect him. Their soft hands caress his rough skin and Magenta’s lips seek his mouth. She licks his fangs, cooing gently. Violet pulls his left arm towards her. He sways on the remaining two claws, clutching at the earth for stability. Violet pulls one claw into her accommodating mouth as Sapphire walks behind him and strokes the scales on his shoulders and lower back. As she massages him she sings and her song fills him with lust and joy. It calls to his demon nature to dominate. If he had hands he would grab their breasts. If he had a penis he would thrust it into each and every hole in the sirens’ bodies and perhaps create more holes with which he might sate his lust. Instead, he growls and bites Magenta’s lip sucking at her sweet, warm blood. Soft flesh tears as he scratches the back of Violets throat with his claw. His body pulses with desire as the handmaidens croon and adore him, accepting each sensation of pain he offers them and begging him for more.

  He gives them more, unafraid of Lilith’s wrath when she sees her broken servants. He knows from past exploits that they will take a few days to repair the damage he does to their bodies, but he does not care. Let Lilith’s whip tear the skin from his back, he too will repair and grow stronger until he becomes a man and can give these women what they really want from him.

  His saucer-wide eyes gleam as he sees the wounds he inflicts. Torn mouths press against his skin. Blood coats his scales and shredded breasts push harder into his mouth as the handmaidens moan with pleasure. He rolls onto his back and lifts each claw, offering them as seats for the women to mount. Without hesitation they thrust themselves down on the vicious scimitar finials of his arms and leg. They bounce on him, shaking their hair, panting and groaning ecstatically as they ride him. He watches their features in wonder. Their beautiful faces contort with the pain and pleasure he provides. He services Lilith’s servants and all the while his razor-toothed mouth grins.

  Chapter 7

  The room is almost empty, but for the soft blue light which washes every surface and colours the air. Huge windows grace one wall. Azure light dances across the others as if reflected by crystals. The floor is tiled and the cool ivory stone shimmers like granite in sunlight. In the centre of the room stands a long table covered in lilac silk. Upon it a beautiful woman with auburn hair reclines on her stomach. A dark haired youth rubs her shoulders and back while soft music fills the perfumed air.

  ‘Lilith,’ Edensun says as he rubs scented oil into her back.

  ‘Yes, my child.’ Her voice is a purr.

  ‘I think it’s time I made the journey.’

  ‘So soon?’ She sits up on the silk covered table.

  Edensun nods.

  ‘I understand, Edensun. We all have our paths and they must not be denied. Pour me a drink and we’ll discuss your plans. How will you find her? What if she doesn’t want you?’

  Edensun passes Lilith a tall glass of green liquid. Ice frosts the walls of the glass. She takes a sip and shivers deliciously. Her pupils dilate. ‘Won’t you join me?’

  ‘Maybe later,’ he answers. ‘My thoughts are chaotic. I need to concentrate. There are too many possibilities to reconcile.’

  ‘But you understand the basics. You
know who the key players will be, your allies and your enemies?’

  ‘I think so, Lilith, yes.’

  Lilith takes another sip. ‘So tell me. How do you imagine this will work?’

  Edensun sits down beside her. ‘I need to sever the ties Star has in Malkuth then she will see only me and want to join us.’

  Lilith smiles. ‘To whom is she tied?’

  ‘Her friends, my father mostly.’ Edensun rotates his shoulders and straightens his back.

  Lilith nods. ‘I never expected those two to make it a month after leaving here. They’ve surprised me, but their bond is weaker now. I don’t think he presents you with a problem.’

  Edensun frowns. ‘But they face adversity together. My mere presence could bring them closer.’

  ‘There is one who has left the stage. If she should return, she will help you. She brings discord to their world - the one who is two.’

  ‘You mean Freya?’

  Lilith smiles at the mention of her protégé’s name. ‘Yes, if you find a way to reunite her with the key players she’ll help you weaken the bonds between them all. There is another who might sever all links between Satori and Star.’

  ‘Who?’

  Lilith’s smile widens. ‘The woman who Star killed long ago. The lover of Satori.’ Her index finger follows the rim of her glass, making circles.

  ‘If she’s dead how can I use her?’

  ‘Satori has the power to cross the borders between worlds. Find him and guide him. He can bring her back.’

  ‘Will he though?’

  Lilith nods. ‘If he is angry enough at Star, I believe he will. His arrogance has always been his weakness. Star drives him to the brink of madness and he will need to be mad to try it.’

  Edensun mirrors Lilith’s nod. He moistens his lips as the goddess takes another sip of her chartreuse brew. Saliva gathers in his mouth and he regrets his decision not to join her.

  ‘So, you need to recruit Freya and Raven somehow. Do you know how you will do that?’

  Edensun strokes Lilith’s throat and shoulder. ‘Give me time. I’ll dream the answer.’