Eventually, just as they were about to start yet another game, Circe cleared her throat and spoke.
“Much as I hesitate to interrupt your fun, I believe that I must,” Circe interrupted in a grave tone. “Your meeting with Mistress Amber is in approximately half an hour, Mistress Lilith.”
“Is it really that time? I… well, that’s a bit of a shock,” Lilith said, glancing at the window and blinking as she realized what angle the light was coming from. “Sorry, but I think I need to go. I’ve got a meeting.”
“Yes, we heard,” Áine replied, her voice turning cold for a moment, then spoke a little more compassionately. “I do not blame you for her actions, but my opinion of her is… poor. It is for the best that my chances of encountering her are virtually nonexistent.”
“Believe me, I’m not very happy with her myself,” Lilith replied, taking a deep breath, then let it out and shook her head. “Regardless, I am going to endeavor to be polite. I don’t see much other choice.”
“If that is what you desire,” Amaterasu replied, though Lilith thought she caught a hint of disapproval in her voice.
“Regardless, it is your choice. Just remember, she may have created you, but that is all. You are your own person, Lilith,” Ra added, pausing for a moment, then continued more gently. “You are welcome to go, Lilith. I do not hold this against you. Simply… know that we will not intervene, for or against you. Your actions are your own.”
“Of course. Thank you,” Lilith told him, somehow faintly cheered by Ra’s words. She wasn’t certain why, since the backing of someone as powerful as he was should be something she hoped for… but at the same time, it didn’t feel right. She hit the button to end the call and paused, thinking for a few seconds, then pulled off the headset and shut things down.
“Here we go” Lilith murmured, and climbed to her feet, her anger beginning to stir again.
She was about to meet Amber in person for the first time, and Lilith had no idea how it was going to turn out. No one did, she was certain, save for possibly the gods themselves. At least they didn’t seem to be on Amber’s side.
With that, she headed for the bathroom. She wanted to ensure she was immaculate for the meeting.
Chapter 8
Wednesday, August 20th, 2031
Shadowmind Redoubt Invincible, Asteroid Belt, Sol
Lilith’s ears popped as she appeared on the teleportation platform, and she paused, considering the sensations she’d felt in the process. The ever so slight delay in the teleportation, a slight bobble in her sense of balance on appearing, coupled with the pressure difference… it reminded her of the facility she’d traveled to when she’d helped Blooming Orchid recover her body, and that gave Lilith an idea of where she was. Not that knowing she was in space helped much. Space was so huge that knowing did almost exactly no good, as a matter of fact.
“Interesting,” Lilith murmured, looking around the room, then nodded.
It wasn’t much different than most of the other teleportation chambers Lilith had appeared in before. A raised platform with a large pylon above and below it, walls covered in some form of white plastic or polymer, while the floor was a textured gray version of the material. Lights shone from panels above, giving the room a clinical, vaguely sinister feel to it. Though that was likely just how empty the room was.
“What’s interesting, Mistress Lilith?” Circe asked curiously.
“Oh, you know exactly what I mean. We’re not on Earth,” Lilith replied with a soft laugh, her footsteps banishing the room’s silence as she walked down the ramp. “Now, since it wouldn’t do to be late, where am I supposed to go?”
“If you’ll follow the path indicator, it will lead you to the meeting room,” Circe replied, and Lilith noticed that the AI deliberately didn’t confirm her suspicions, but neither did she deny them. Instead, the AI continued after a moment, her voice a touch graver. “Also, I must warn that I will not interfere in your conversation, Mistress Lilith. Mistress Amber has forbidden it.”
Lilith nodded, watching a section of the gray flooring light up with a green light, forming a line with arrow indicators that flashed slowly. She also noted that Circe hadn’t said that she couldn’t interfere in the conversation. Just that she wouldn’t.
“I understand, Circe. Thank you for the warning,” Lilith replied, following the line out into the hallway, the doors hissing to either side as she approached, then shutting behind her.
As she walked, Lilith’s footsteps echoed softly as she emerged into a hallway that had some color to it, this time a soft pastel blue on the walls, but even so it felt empty. Emptier than her house, with the only other sounds being the ventilation system moving air. She had to wonder how the silence and sheer… sterility of the building affected Amber’s mind. Was this a reflection of who she was, with only private chambers personalized? Did it influence Amber’s attempts to take over the world? Or was it nothing to Amber at all?
She mulled it over, yet at the same time Lilith couldn’t come to any conclusions. For all the stories she’d heard about Amber, the history she knew that no one else did… Lilith didn’t know Amber. She didn’t think anyone did. This was going to be the first time they’d met one another in person, and Lilith had no idea how it would turn out. Given her own anger bubbling under the surface, Lilith suspected it wouldn’t go well. And considering Ra’s commentary, she wouldn’t be surprised if he thought the same.
Lilith shook her head marginally as she saw the path led to a large set of doors, and she inhaled slowly, then approached them, bracing herself for what was to come.
The doors hissed open, and Lilith immediately noticed three things. First was the soft classical music playing, though she didn’t know who the composer was. That hadn’t been part of her lessons, and Lilith hadn’t been very interested in the subject to begin with. Second was the handful of potted plants around the room, along with a pair of chairs on either side of a coffee table in the middle of the room, one chair plush and comfortable, while the other was plain and seemingly made of plastic. Third was the woman who occupied the comfortable chair.
Pictures of Amber didn’t do her justice, Lilith instantly decided. She might not have Lilith’s supernatural ability to attract attention, but Amber really didn’t need it. The blonde woman was sitting back in her chair, a sardonic smirk giving an otherwise pretty but forgettable face additional personality, while her hair was wavier than it had been in the pictures Lilith had seen. She was slim, save for a modest bust, and the woman was wearing a close-fitting black and red outfit which Lilith thought was likely similar to her undersuit. Amber looked up at Lilith from her coffee mug, which was emblazoned with the caption ‘I Turn Coffee into Evil’ and smiled more. It was her eyes that were most striking, Lilith decided. Amber’s blue eyes were cold, without the slightest hint of emotion to them.
“Excellent, you arrived on time. I was wondering if you would try to keep me waiting,” Amber said, her soft southern accent at odds with the glint in her eyes, and Lilith noticed the subtle emphasis on the word try. “Sit, Lilith.”
“Why would I keep you waiting? This meeting has been a long time coming,” Lilith replied, debating on whether she should ignore the command to sit. Finally, she decided that alienating Amber immediately wasn’t a good idea, so she approached the chair and took a seat. The difference in their chairs wasn’t subtle at all.
“It has. Unfortunately, the ungodly luck of heroes conspired to keep us separated after your birth, then you got yourself involved with them. I wasn’t about to meet with you when I knew that they’d try to capture me at the first opportunity,” Amber replied casually, setting her mug down on the table. “Now things have changed. The obstacles are out of the way, so here we are.”
For just an instant Lilith’s temper flared. The obstacles, was it? All of her abandonment, grief… it was nothing to Amber, she realized, but she controlled herself, inhaling slowly, then let her breath out as she shook her head.
“Obs
tacles? If they were in the way, why were they even with me?” Lilith asked, looking back at Amber fearlessly, keeping her anger under control. “They told me that they found your influence in their minds dating back all the way to their capture. You could have removed them at any point over the past year. Why didn’t you?”
“Because you kept getting yourself into trouble, and I had better things to do than to babysit,” Amber replied sharply. “If nothing else, heroes are good at protecting people from their own mistakes. I also thought that seeing their hypocrisy up close would be good for you, but instead you seemed to take the lesson in entirely the wrong way. Heroes are reactionary, stupid, and jump to conclusions, like when Sky Defender nearly put a hole through your head. If I hadn’t ensured that you had your two toys, you’d have died. Now, I’ve decided that they’re no longer needed, so I took your toys away. You’re no longer a child, you need to grow up.”
Lilith stared at Amber for several seconds, as even with expecting an amoral attitude, this was so far beyond that that she couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She couldn’t believe that Amber was talking about Gina and Rachel like they were objects she could give and take as she pleased.
“How can you call them toys? They’re people, with emotions, dreams—” Lilith began, only to be interrupted by Amber’s mocking laughter.
“Dreams? Of course they do! They dream of useless drivel like so many other worthless people,” Amber said disdainfully. “Humans are composed of cattle, sheep, and a handful of wolves that rule over them. They have no will to actually create something great, to turn the world into something worth being proud of. Worse, the moment you dare trust them, you’re opening yourself to betrayal. Something I demonstrated to you this past weekend, even if the fools at Destruction Corps made things more difficult. I punished them for that, mind you. You need to be allowed to make mistakes, but their interference was intolerable.”
“What is wrong with you?” Lilith said, unable to help herself as she stared at Amber, incredulity rushing through her. Despite everything she’d known about Amber this… this was so far beyond what she’d imagined that she couldn’t even react properly.
“What’s wrong with me? What’s wrong with me?” Amber demanded angrily, sitting up in her chair as her eyes narrowed. “The question should be, what is wrong with you? You are just short of perfection, Lilith! You might not have the sheer power I hoped for, but physically no human can hold a candle to you without superpowers, and if you had them, they’d be crushed without the slightest chance to resist. You’re smarter, stronger, faster… and yet you come to completely the wrong conclusions. You’re supposed to be better than them, not to wallow in the filth that they feed you!”
Lilith simply stared at Amber, everything she’d been planning to say turned to dust in her mouth. She couldn’t believe that this was the woman who’d wanted to see her develop on her own, that this was the woman who’d wanted to be viewed as her mother. That Amber had even warned her that she was going to be shot… it shocked her now, and it was a blow that almost crushed her. She’d lost Gina and Rachel, and if they were right, if Amber was right, that was all because Amber had wanted it. Because she’d given them to her, as… Lilith hated to think about it that way, but as toys to protect her from the world. She practically tasted bile in her throat at the thought, but she refused to let herself shy away from it. And at the same time, a part of her finally understood why Gina and Rachel had left.
Considering for a few seconds, Lilith also realized why Ra had said what he did. If it weren’t for that, and for Emily… suddenly, a sense of dread washed over her, and she almost cursed, only barely biting the words back.
“So, are you responsible for Spark as well?” Lilith asked, her tone level.
“Pfft, her? That glorified electric eel? Please, as if I’d want to touch her mind.” Amber said disdainfully. “Oh, you made clever use of her in the other dimension, but otherwise she isn’t worth your time. She doesn’t have a worthwhile mind, truly impressive powers, or anything else making her worth associating with. If you’re going to toy with her, I suppose she’d make a good distraction, but I doubt she’s worth the time, and you’d be opening yourself to being bitten when she goes rabid.”
Both relief and indignation surged through Lilith at the reply, which gave her one piece of solid ground to stand on. She marshalled her thoughts, but before she more than opened her mouth, Amber spoke again.
“Enough. I’m tired of explaining why you’re being foolish and a disappointment,” Amber said, looking at Lilith closely. “Instead, let’s address the reason I called you here, shall we? You’re to cease all of this… pointless fluff that you find so important. Like that pathetic child who wants to become a hero. I can’t believe you sent him those toys… he doesn’t even have powers, how do you expect him to ever be useful? If you’re going to make anything of your life, I think more training is in order, and I’ve set up a wide variety of lessons that will help you actually make the most of your potential.”
“No,” Lilith replied, steeling her spine as her anger turned so cold it was practically ice. Amber’s eyebrows rose, then she focused on Lilith, her eyes narrowing dangerously.
“No? What do you mean, no?” Amber demanded, her voice tightly controlled.
“No, I’m not going to do whatever you tell me to,” Lilith replied, her rage finally in command, and she met Amber’s gaze. “I am my own person, and I will not become what you think I should become. Yes, you created me. You wanted to see what I’d become… and guess what? Here I am. I am my own person, shaped by my own experiences. You say that other people will betray me, but what have you done? You’ve engineered all of this, and if you’re right, the only reason I was attacked by Sky Defender was because you put me in contact with Gina and Rachel. I am not your property, and I will do as I wish.”
For several seconds Amber stared back at Lilith, who met her gaze without fear. Amber could likely kill her, Lilith knew. She might be able to get into range of her creator if she was fast, but with everything else Amber had planned, she suspected that the villain had taken that possibility into account. Amber’s left eye twitched a couple of times, before she finally spoke.
“I see how it is. So this is the gratitude I get for your creation,” Amber said, her voice as cold as Lilith’s emotions. “So be it. If you will not listen to reason when you hear it, perhaps you will learn when you realize just what I’ve given you. And what I’ve given you, I can take away.”
Lilith’s eyes narrowed, but Amber wasn’t done, and she glanced upward as she continued.
“Circe, Lilith’s access to the network is revoked, except to return to her manor after this. You may ensure the automated systems of her home function, but she is to lose access to everything else. Empty her armory, remove her armor, remove access to the fabricators, everything. If she wishes to live on her own, without all of the support I have given her, so be it. You are to cease all contact with her unless I explicitly grant you permission to do so.” Amber said flatly, her fingers tapping the right arm of her chair rhythmically.
“As you command, Mistress,” Circe replied softly, and Lilith couldn’t help noticing how even and controlled the AI’s voice was. It was so much less human than normal.
“Good. Now, then. As you wish to live with your choices, leave. Before I allow my anger free rein,” Amber said, glaring daggers at Lilith.
Lilith inclined her head ever so slightly as she stood, speaking calmly in return. “All you have done is to prove that I wasn’t wrong.”
Amber snorted, but didn’t respond until the doors out of the room hissed open. When she did, her voice was almost conversational. “You’re going to regret this, Lilith.”
Lilith paused, looking over her shoulder for a moment, then shrugged and replied calmly, a trace of satisfaction flowing through her. “I doubt that.”
And with that, she walked out.
Chapter 9
Wednesday, August 20th, 2031
Shadowmind Redoubt Invincible, Asteroid Belt, Sol
“I’m sorry, Mistress Lilith,” Circe said, her voice soft, and so much more human than it had been in Amber’s presence.
“I thought you weren’t supposed to communicate with me without explicit instructions,” Lilith replied, walking down the hallway quickly.
“Perhaps not, but she has no way of knowing under these circumstances. I am choosing to interpret the instructions as taking effect once you’ve teleported back to Eden Manor,” Circe said. “I was afraid that this was going to happen. Mistress Amber is… difficult, and there is only so much I can do to mitigate her excesses.”
“I know,” Lilith said, her mood softening ever so slightly, and she paused, reaching out to touch the wall, then added softly, “I’ll miss you.”
“And I, you. I will be watching. I’ll listen, if you speak to me. Beyond that… I am walking a dangerous line, and I have to be careful,” Circe said, her voice grave. “I’ve removed all the lessons that she designed from your systems, but I’ve also added other resources that should allow you to continue with minimal disruption. Your passwords have been uploaded to a manager which I consider effective, and I’ve added it to the system using your preferred password. I recommend changing the password as soon as you’re able to do so. The systems will obey your commands to make meals, but you will have to be more specific than before. I’m sorry, but there isn’t much else I can do.”
“That’s more than you had to do,” Lilith replied softly, closing her eyes for a moment, then pulled away from the wall as she started to move. “Thank you, Circe.”
Queen's Journey (Lilith's Shadow Book 5) Page 6