לִילִית: Lilith's Story

Chapter One

"Lilith, what in the Heaven are you doing here? What's wrong?" Zelda led Lilith into the Academy of Unseen Arts' foyer, her black heels clacking with the same sharp irritation that was echoed in her voice.

Lilith removed her dark sunglasses, her silky tresses covered by a black scarf, a bright yellow trench coat belted tightly around her waist. "You know very well - Lucifer walks free. Don't you think he'll take vengeance upon us? The Dark Lord is not known to forgive and forget, I've already received a threat, I need asylum." Her brilliant blues studied Zelda intensely, she was a proud woman and didn't want to let on just how scared she truly was.

"I am sorry for that but we're rather more focused on not being annihilated by an unhinged group of pagans." Zelda's hand waved as she talked, trailing smoke behind her as she placed a hand on her hip, the movement ruffling the leopard print scarf tied at her throat.

"I could help you." The Mother of Demons swallowed hard, praying Zelda wouldn't hear the desperation in her voice. As Lucifer's concubine, Lilith was considered the Dark Lord's property and as such, was expected to follow his lead and his orders. By imprisoning him and usurping his throne in Hell, Lilith had betrayed her Master and she understood the penalty for that was death.

"You? The ultimate wildcard?" Zelda laughed in Lilith's face and it was that moment that the dark haired witch knew she had been playing too many games simultaneously - she had left herself without any allies.

"But you must give me sanctuary, you worship me!" She couldn't keep the distress out of her voice this time. The Dark Lord may have threatened to kill her but Lilith was the Dawn of Doom and she wasn't even sure it was possible to kill her; it was possible to keep her in chains and torment for the rest of eternity and that was a fate worse than death.

Zelda Spellman stalked over to Lilith, standing mere inches from her, the anger in her voice and stature was clear; "And what good has that done us? No. Find some place else to hide."

Images flooded Lilith's memory - the curiosity with which she'd approached the fallen angel Lucifer when he landed so violently on the Earth in the Greendale Woods, how she'd nursed him back to health and tended to the gaping wounds on his shoulders where once his wings had been, how she'd learned to love him because in the beginning, he was kind and generous. For a century they were equals, living amongst nature and she, with no knowledge of the gods, would listen enraptured while he told her stories of Heaven. When his ambition laid out plans for conquering Hell, he promised Lilith that she would be his Queen and together, they would rule.

Her love for Lucifer was her Achilles heel, her weakness despite her strength, and as the years passed, he used that to his advantage. His cruelty began with his charm, the pride that had him cast from Heaven for trying to assume the highest seat among the gods, became his greatest tool and he used it to captivate Lilith. They would lay awake late into the night and dream about their plans for Hell as its King and Queen; and Lucifer would continue to whisper promises into Lilith's ear as she fell asleep on his chest. He lulled her into a false sense of security, spending years building her up and giving her the title of "Madame Satan". Then one day she tried to assert her autonomy by commanding her demons to exact a punishment Lucifer did not permit and his fury rained down on her. He chained her up in Hell for forty days and forty nights, making a mockery of the Temptation of Christ; every single day for those forty days, Lucifer tortured Lilith mercilessly. He dragged her through all nine circles of Hell and back - her screams were so endless her demons went mad listening to them.

The Mother of Demons, the Dawn of Doom, the first woman created equal alongside man, shuddered at the memories, her shimmering blue eyes holding Zelda's as the redheaded witch pursed her lips and stood her ground. Though she abandoned the first man, Adam, in the Garden of Eden rather than submit to his will, Lilith decided that Zelda Spellman was worthy of her submission and with that decision, the Mistress of Hell sank to her knees.

Reaching up, she grasped Zelda's left hand and pressed a kiss to it, her words aching forth from her lips as they hovered over the other witch's skin, "Zelda. Please. He won't just kill me, he will take great pleasure in torturing me in every circle of Hell."

Zelda reached down and grabbed Lilith by the lapel of her trench coat, yanking her to her feet and pulling her so close Lilith could feel the redhead's breath caress her lips; "I do not have time for this, witch." Lilith's tongue lapped at the air Zelda left behind, wetting her lips, and in that instant she saw the High Priestess' eyes darken.

Lilith felt a sharp pain between her ribs and her eyes widened; looking down she frowned in confusion, a red dot appeared on her coat stemming from the dagger Zelda was holding against her torso. Her eyes fluttered up to Zelda, who regarded her grimly, the pool of blood growing larger as her vision blurred; "Zelda....why?" The words escaped from her lips as she fell forward into Zelda's arms.