The Hidden Path

Love and Hate

Lilith's heart was pounding in her chest, her shirt suddenly horribly constrictive. Her palms were cool and clammy as she watched the expansive space before her grow dark, the yells and shuffling of the thousands within the shadows mirroring the restless energy in the air. She looked around, but not much could be seen beyond her immediate vicinity.

"You ready for your first show, Cirrus?" Cumulus called, clapping her hand on Lilith's back. Lilith jumped, adjusting her chrome mask for the tenth time since she had donned it. Nodding her head slightly, she turned back to her keyboards. She had practiced for the last two weeks straight, but Copia still found faults with her performance every time. She hated it, hated that he truly treated her like a child, and that she had yet to make him proud. Just the thought of him made her annoyed. The rehearsals themselves had provided a nice break from the loneliness of the castle though.

Even so, the timing of the tour was poor and far more inopportune than she had originally anticipated. Random attacks had begun in the mortal realm, the perpetrator never seen and only killing one demon at a time. They had mostly been lower demons, but recently, 3 bishops had gone missing. This was unlike any tactics that had been used by angels before. Alpha had still been away more than not, but Omega must have spoken with him as he had been more attentive to her needs as of late. Their late night post-coitus cuddles had become tactical planning. Still without much information regarding Lucifer or Eve's whereabouts, and less than a poor understanding of the pendent, their plan focused on trying to bridge these huge gaps. Despite Dew's protests, they were not staying together on a tour bus. This meant that Alpha and Lilith could explore three old temples, left in ruins shortly after the Divide. Tomorrow, they planned on visiting the first site located in Spain, their activities hidden under the guise of touring as to not draw too much attention.

"Let's do this!" Copia hollered as he moved into position, snapping Lilith back to the present. The sound of chanting monks filled the amphitheater, Cumulus doing a little dance beside her. Lilith giggled, having grown to enjoy her witty, sarcastic humor. Moments later, a large curtian that obscured the stage from the concert-goes fell, quickly pulled away by roadies. As they finished Rats and then Faith, moving through the set list without issue, Lilith felt her anxiety worsen, knowing Mummy Dust neared. Her solo had become smoother, and she was able to play with a bit more theatrics now, but that was always with just the band. Perhaps an occasional spectator would join, but now she had thousands of spectators, the thought gripping her stomach with nerves. She also was unable to watch Dew and Alpha, too busy and too far away to enjoy their antics. Cirice was a nice reprieve, but before she knew it, the time had come.

"You got this Cirrus! Go make that crowd fall in love with you." Cumulus said, leaning into Lilith. Mummy Dust began, Lilith's mouth dry and her heart racing. During the chorus, she grabbed the keytar from the stand and pulled the strap over her head. Her hands had such a tremor to them at this point, she feared she wouldn't be able to play. Creeping in the dark to her spot beside the drums, she drew in a deep breath. She had only been in her position for a few seconds when a spotlight turned on and she began, pushed on by adrenaline. Her eyes locked with Omega's who stood a step below her, Rain behind him, and Dew at the end. She focused on him and let the rest of the amphitheater fall away. His eyes were bright with excitement at watching her play, a day he had been eagerly looking forward to, even if she hadn't. Giving a bit more showmanship than she normally did in practice, the crowd reciprocated with hollers and cheers. Her right hand slid over the keys as her left managed the controls on the neck of the instrument. Omega gave her a wink as she finished her solo, taking a deep bow and creeping back into the dark as the guitarists assumed their original positions. As she finished the rest of the concert, her anxiety had eased off tremendously now that she had an idea of what to expect. In fact, she was almost enjoying herself, glancing over to Cumulus every now and again.