The Hidden Path

Rehearsal

There was a light tapping on the marble floors that, accompanied by the dull rustling of moving bodies and occasional throat clearing, was about to break Lilith's patience. She had sat in the expansive hall for nearly two hours, presiding over testing for clerics and newly appointed clergymen. She was shocked by how archaic the system seemed to be. Before her sat a handful of demons with paper tests, as if this was the SAT. Sam sat beside her, her head resting in the palm of her hand, her other hand rhythmically tapped on the wooden armrest of her chair. Lilith glanced down at the timer on her lap for the hundredth time to see it finally reach 00:00. Jumping up, she eagerly cleared her throat and plastered on a smile. Stepping forward, she clasped her hands together.

"Thank you, my Children. Testing has now finished. Leave your supplies and they will be collected. You will be notified by the priest of your realm if anything further is needed." Lilith called, her movement triggering a sudden crescendo of sound as the test takers righted themselves and gathered whatever belongings they may have brought. Lilith watched as they filed out, sighing once the door closed behind the final person. Turning, she was greeted not only by a wide-eyed Sam, but also the gleaming moss green eyes of a devious man. His lean, black-clad form was reclined in her chair, the hint of a grin seen in the creases around his eyes and the touch of white below his chrome mask. Lilith frowned, crossing her arms across her chest.

"Good afternoon, your Highness." Dew sang in his light tenor voice.

"Hello Dew. To what do I owe this very...unexpected...visit?" Lilith asked, her tone tight and incredulous.

"Well, I have been thinking about our conversation last week." He answered with clear excitement. Lilith knitted her brow, her eyes flickering to Sam.

"What conversation, Dew?" She snipped.

"About Nihil!" Dew exclaimed. Lilith drew in a quick breath, looking over her shoulder as Dew continued to speak. "I looked through my own library and I couldn't find anything! Not only that, but he also became very prominent quickly after the Divide. No others were prominent enough to be named until 200 years later." Dew finished as Lilith moved to him.

"Will you not speak so loudly!" Lilith chided, now standing directly in front of her chair. Dew looked up at her, his eyes dancing with glee. "I suggest you forget about this, Dew." She whispered.

"Oh, is this a secret?" Dew grinned. Lilith huffed, rolling her eyes in frustration.

"It is not for you to concern yourself with." She hissed, glaring at his still wide grin.

"I think I will concern myself, your highness. Why is Nihil not described if he was with the first 13? Why is he not the 14th?" Dew continued and his tone was no softer. Sam looked over from Dew to Lilith, her interest peaked as well. Lilith groaned, rubbing her fingers along her temples.

"Listen, I am just trying to learn about the history of the Clergy. If I ran across anything, it was purely by accident." Lilith said tersely. Dew hummed, standing from the chair and stretching.

"You are a very bad liar, your Highness." He teased, slipping his hands into his pockets. "I did mention to Nihil that you had taken a keen interest in his past and learning about the Clergy. He graciously offered to have you shadow him." Dew continued casually. Lilith's entire body stiffened, her breath suddenly strained and difficult to find. The hot fingers of panic ran down her spine, dropping her stomach and sending her mind racing. How was she going to keep their mission secret now? They had made minimal progress toward learning anything, and now Nihil was sure to know they were onto him. Drawing in a quick, thigh breath, Lilith forced a smile.

"I appreciate your assistance, Dew. I would be honored to be in the presence of The Old One for any amount of time. Though, don't you think such a task would be an imposition on him? He is already stretched thin no doubt." Lilith tried to maintain a diplomatic, cordial tone.