Bitter Sweet

by Lennell Davis

  "Welcome to my humble business," he sort of purred as he came over to grasp Aaliyah's hand, but before he could touch her, she moved it back, causing him to clutch at empty air.

  "I do not wish to touch you. I just wish to see what you have," she said and the man looked off put but recovered.

  "Do you want to rent for an hour or own?" he asked dispassionately.

  "She would be coming with us," I could hear the New York slipping from her speech with every word.

  "These here would not be very good for owning, they are very used. If we had known your true taste you would not have seen this... side of our operation," he sounded as if he was disgusted with what he was standing in himself. "Please, come with me.”

  The man led us over to an elevator that was far too nice to be in this building. We came to a floor where a man with a white towel over his arm greeted us with a bow. We walked down a white marble hall with a series of doors and stopped at one room.

  "Have you done this before?" asked the man.

  "Yes," Aaliyah replied.

  "Very well." He allowed us to enter the room where two chairs sat at the center with a bottle of wine and a bowl of fruit sat between them.

  Once we were inside, the door closed behind us and we were left alone.

  "Why are we here?" I was finally able to speak.

  "I am looking for someone special. She will be a sort of attendant to you," she said, sniffing the wine and placing it back. "I have control of Lycuians coven and a few others. Their combined power was enough to track her to this place." She was running her hands along the soft leather of the chair.

  "I don’t understand..." I told her and she smiled. She lifted a small screen and it flashed to life. She handed it to me and their was a

  photo wheel and I could go through a set of pictures. They were mostly women, some girls, all scared, but dressed elegantly.

  "I will make a vampire tonight, a shadow for my Alik. Much like Ceil is for me. A child who will be loyal to a fault. So it is only right that you should be attended by one of my own flesh and blood."

  "How is that possible?" I was shocked, but when I found the girl, I knew it was true.

  "I have been learning ever since I was released. This book known as the bible. It has a lot of truth in it wrapped up in pretty words and misdirection. Eve is portrayed as some innocent girl when she took her bite of the apple, but I was neither innocent or virgin. I had children by Adam, four by the age of what would be considered twenty. Things worked very differently then and after my betrayal, Eden made a lot of changes to the humans. Still, he did not touch my line, and their power and beauty granted them much in the realm of man. As of late, they have fallen far from grace. The rich history of wealth and power squandered down to the price of one virgin girl of thirteen. She was sold by her father to pay off the last of his debts to start fresh. However, I have spoken with him and his shortcomings have been... addressed," Aaliyah's hate clear on her face.

  The girl on the screen had beautiful caramel skin, her hair a glistening black pulled back from her eyes by a band. She was not yet curvy because she was still so young, but it was beginning to show in the nearly see through dress she had been forced into. I pressed the picture and a hologram of the girl appeared in front of us and I could see that in Aaliyah's eyes, this girl was something she greatly desired, maybe even loved. She stood and walked to the hologram and almost placed a hand to its cheek, her actions completely at odds to what I had been expecting.

  "Buy her," Aaliyah almost whispered tenderly and I obeyed, inputting my bank account information into the screen’s system. It said there was an open bid placed on her and the current asking price was

  five hundred thousand. I placed a bid for an even million. Another bid posted and I countered. The bidding went on like this for about ten minutes, but I won out at five million for the young girl. Aaliyah studied the face of the young girl the whole time. As my account information was being verified, we waited. About twenty minutes later, the girl was brought to the room by a large man in a suit. Aaliyah forgot herself and as soon as the girl was over the threshold of the door, she was at her side. The large man was startled at the speed Aaliyah moved at and he recoiled, dropping the girl’s chain and running down the hall. I moved to the door and shut it. The girl was crying softly, but Aaliyah soothed her and dried the tears. "Calm yourself, dear. You are with family now." The young girl looked up into Aaliyah's green eyes with her blue ones. "No more tears. Your father has paid for his crimes with his life. Killed for the weak man he was and I will take you from this place," she said in disgust and the girl naturally moved from Aaliyah to hide behind me.

  "She already knows her place well. Protect her and she will protect you. But I must be the one to change her." Aaliyah moved and had the girl restrained and before she could scream, Aaliyah’s teeth were in her neck, cutting off all attempts to make noise. Slowly, both made their way to the ground and the girl was silent, fear drained from her eyes. She looked to me, I couldn’t place the emotion on her face. "Drink,” commanded Aaliyah as she lowered a bleeding wrist to the girl’s mouth; she obeyed. Still, the girl kept her eyes on me. Then, as the girl’s screams started, the door burst open and a hail of bullets entered the room.

  I had never been a fan of guns, they were never personal enough for what I did, not to mention vampire even a day old could dodge the bullets, but a human wasn’t fast enough. I disarmed the man closest to me, relieving him of his weapon before placing bullets in the heads of five other men.

  "I have what I want. Now, I will burn this place to the ground for how they have treated her. Pick her up, and watch closely," commanded Aaliyah. She raised her hands above her head and

  closed her eyes and soon the death rattle reached my ears. It was like the sound of a hundred nails on a chalk board amplified and enhanced; the sound entered my body as the souls of every man, woman, and child in the building was ripped from their bodies. I tried to shut out the noise physically, but then I felt that I could do it and willed the sound to go away and it did. The room was filled with a bright light all at once. Aaliyah reached for the orb ten times bigger than the small marble sized one I saw her create in Africa. However, she did not crush this one, she drew it into herself and she seemed to glow from within for a moment before almost falling to the ground, but regaining her balance.

  "Are you alright?" I asked, moving next to her.

  "I am fine. Let us go." She moved and we left the building, a trail of bodies lining the halls. Once outside, I placed the young girl on the ground and looked back at Aaliyah who was staring at the much cleaner side of the building. "Alik, imagine this place burning," she told me, taking my hand in hers. "I want you to feel the heat licking against your skin as you watch the fires of hell consume this cesspit of disgusting animals." Venom filled her voice, but I could feel the heat on my skin and I could see black flame rising up the levels of the building to consume it until it came crashing to the ground. Then the building exploded as windows blew out and flames licked the insides as you heard and smelled all the burning flesh and filth.

  "Now it’s time for us to go. We have a lot to do,” Aaliyah said, looking back at the young girl on my back affectionately.

  Vanessa Stanton

  Chapter 38.0

  "Vanessa dear, Vanessa! Can you hear me?" shouted a familiar voice.

  "Yes, I can hear you," I replied in my head, what really came out of my mouth I'm not sure.

  "Do you know who I am, dear?" asked the voice.

  "I would if you told me."

  "It’s Lilith, dear. You have a few broken bones and a small amount of internal bleeding. I’m going to need you to drink a little of my blood."

  "Why can’t Alik give it to me?" I asked in a daze.

  "He is not here right now. I can explain more once you’re yourself. Now here, drink." I felt three warm drops touch my lips. However, this was not like when Alik did this; it was as if raw power

  flooded my v
eins. I could feel my body heal itself and it hurt. I couldn’t help but scream. "I’m sorry dear, my blood is a little stronger than Alik’s and I’m a little anxious; that affects the experience, but the pain will go away." I lay there trying to catch my breath for a moment as the pain left and I opened my eyes.

  "Alik!" I shouted, snapping up into a sitting position. I saw the penthouse form in front of my eyes.

  "Relax dear, you’re fine now so calm down," Lilith soothed.

  "Where's Alik? There was a fight. Aaliyah tried to kill me and..."

  "I know dear, I know. I’ve already been told everything."

  "By who?"

  "By me," came a deep musical voice, then a man who seemed to be in his late 40's stepped forward. He had a full brown bushy beard and was built like an athlete. His eyes were a cold black that was nothing like any vampire’s that I had seen: there were no pupils, just dark pits. "I’m Lucifer. I'm pretty sure you’ve heard of me."

  "You’re…"

  "The devil, bringer of darkness, ultimate evil; they will all work."

  "It’s not that; it’s just that you look so human."

  "What? Were you expecting a little red man with a tail and a pitch fork?"

  "Something in that area, yes."

  "Well, no. I look no different than you when I want to. My ethereal form would have you naked, throguhing yourself at me."

  "It's just your eyes…"

  "Oh, I’m sorry." He rubbed his eyes and they turned into a warm amber gold that reminded me of a fire. "Better?"

  "Much. But what happened to Alik; why is he not here?"

  "Because he is with her; it’s a shame that she found such a powerful one, too. We might not be able to stop her and that’ll be a problem," he said as he sat down.

  "Stop her from what?"

  "Regaining her power."

  "I don’t understand."

  "I thought you told me she was smart," he directed at Lilith, who didn’t respond.

  "I’m not stupid, but I am human. I didn’t even know vampires existed a year ago. So I’m still learning," I shot back, annoyed.

  "Okay, fine. You’ve heard the story these vampire like to tell, how I was kicked out of Hell once for attempting to stop an all out war between Heaven and Hell?"

  "I do," I said still confused.

  "Well, in what position would that have left Aaliyah?"

  "Devil..."

  “You are quick."

  "The thing is that this is all speculation. I haven’t seen Aaliyah in a long time. I know she not only hates me, but Eden as well, and I’d

  want me dead if I had done what I did to her to myself. Hell have seen no fury like a woman scorned."

  "Well, what is stopping her."

  "Information, I would have to guess. She also has very few followers, which is her biggest problem."

  "She has the entire vampire race,” I pointed out.

  "No, she doesn’t. Not yet," Lilith spoke up. "Vampire work on fear and power, Aaliyah, to most, is just a name we Elders spout to glorify our own power to most but the oldest. The vampire fear my power the most out of the Elders, but all it will take is Aaliyah killing the few who oppose her first before they all kneel at her feet. Ario and Ayara, as well, lend her their support, making her climb to power easier.”

  ”I see it as we have two choices, we can delay her rise by killing Ario and Ayara. Or I assume as she has stolen one of yours that you wish Aaliyah dead, which is the only sure way to keep things as they are?" asked Lucifer.

  "Don’t you have the backing of a demon army?" I asked.

  "No," he said, taking a long sigh. "The day I cast Aaliyah into that little box guarded by that sprit Pandora, I was labeled a traitor to my people and forced out as I was weak from fighting Aaliyah. It was a long time before they stopped their search for her and elected a new Devil in my place. Since then, Hell has stayed silent, content with its new leader and power of its realm."

  "Oh, I’m sorry," and I was. He sounded so defeated when he said that.

  "I’m over it. I have a comfortable existence on the earth and so long as I do not bother the humans too much, Eden leaves me alone

  as well. I haven't had a problem until now, and of my two options, I see killing Aaliyah as the only viable one. It’s what I should have done in the first place." He then turned to Lilith, “And your son is the only one who knows where she is."

  "I haven’t been able to contact him or track his phone." Lilith looked lost.

  "Well if you do find him, let me know,” said Lucifer, standing and stretching. "I have a God to track down.”

  "Wait, what about me?" I shouted.

  "And what about the vampire?" Lilith asked as she looked up.

  "I don’t really care. I would have been content to let you rot at that dock, little girl; your soul would be feeding the empire of Hell," he said to me. “I felt Lilith would be more talkative with you still alive, however, she is a broken woman now. As for the vampire, I don’t care. Let them do their thing so long as the humans are still around. I like the humans more."

  "What about Alik?" I asked.

  "My only target is Aaliyah, but if he stands with her, I will kill him as well," he said bluntly, retaking his seat. "I wanted to know what it is he does, his combat skills, especially how dedicated he is to Aaliyah. Has she taught him anything? And things like that."

  “My son is unmatched in our world with a sword. It leaves him very suited to being an assassin of sorts. Maybe a contract killer would be a better description, but he works exclusively for me. He can kill anyone or anything, I would say he is second only to Aaliyah and me in speed, but that could have changed. I haven’t sparred with him in a long time, but last time we fought seriously, he injured my leg easily without taking anymore damage than a light cut to the cheek. He will not die easily. I taught him all I learned from Aaliyah and you know

  how she fights,” Lilith recited mechanically, but there was some pride in there as well.

  “Is that what she meant by ‘she could be better’, that you did not teach June anything?” I asked.

  “Yes, I wasn’t going to pass that to another; I knew Aaliyah would come back someday and take one of them from me, but despite that, I began to love them. June is a skilled assassin like her brother, but not his equal in any standing. June is a negotiator as I have trained her to be. She is meant to lead, not kill that is Alik's job.”

  "Maybe two daughters would have been a better idea." I said.

  "Aaliyah does not discriminate aginst females when it comes to her choice in lover. I learn that long ago."

  "What has Aaliyah taught him?" asked Lucifer again.

  "One thing that had him scared," I said, remembering our conversation."Aaliyah had him pull the soul out of a vampire that threatened to kill me. He said it scared him because it felt so good that he wanted to do it over and over again.“ Lucifier’s expression was guarded and I couldn't tell what he was thinking. "You can’t kill Alik; this isn’t his fault,” I finally shouted at Lucifer. He did not respond.

  I was frozen, trying to ingest what losing Alik completely meant. Being human suddenly felt like being weak and stupid. When Lucifer did speak, he addressed Lilith, continuing to ask her questions. Then I remembered Sam had been following us, was she all right? I reached into my pocket for my cell phone, hoping she would forgive me for ditching her.

  "Sam, is that you?" I asked in relief.

  "Hey Nessa, what’s up?" I could hear music in the background.

  "I’m just calling to apologize for ditching you."

  "Oh, I figured you and Alik wanted to be alone."

  "What’s that noise in the background?"

  "Oh, I’m at a rave. I met up with some street racers and we came to this party." Here I am feeling bad for leaving her and she’s enjoying a party.

  "Okay, cool then. Call me when you get home, okay?"

  "Alright, have fun you two." I could hear her smile. "Who is up for Jell-O body shots?!" I heard h
er shout before the line clicked. Sam would at least be away from all of this.

  I listened for a moment to what Lucifer and Lilith were talking about, and then I made up my mind "Okay, so where are we going?" I asked Lucifer, cutting into their conversation.

  "We?" Lucifer laughed, pouring himself a glass of brandy. "There is no ‘we’. What help can you be in any of this? You’re human, after all."

  "That doesn’t matter; you’re not leaving me out of this."

  "Lucifer, we can’t leave her out; she’s too much a part of this,"Lilith said.

  "You seem to be including yourself in this as well, why?"