Chapter 16 - Waver
Cain:
One moment, I’m arguing with Lucifer, and the next, everyone around me disappears. Growling with rage, I grip Hod’s arrow tightly and flash to Lilith’s apartment, but she’s not there.
I search several other places but continue to come up empty.
A sense of urgency strikes me with every minute that passes. Lucifer was beyond angry at Lilith, which means that she is probably not safe. The way Lucifer and her son so callously accused her made rage course through my veins. None of them took a moment to hear what she said. They just assumed she was doing something devious and found her culpable.
Nothing can erase the look of betrayal on her face when Lucifer revealed my true identity. She must hate me now, and I don’t blame her. I’m such a git for keeping this information from her.
There’s no denying that Lilith has somehow managed to crawl into my heart. I might have lied about who I am and the Divinity’s intentions, but I refuse to let anything happen to her.
Something about the prickly, untrusting façade she presents to the world resonates with my own feelings. We’ve both endured so much due to the actions of others and somehow managed to survive. The way she hides her pain and accepts her son’s disdain without falling into self-pity makes me want to take her in my arms and protect her. She’d probably stab me through the heart if I tried, which makes me want her more.
Unlike my father, I like strong women, and Lilith is the strongest woman that I know.
Seeing that standing around is not helping me in any way, I go to the only other place they might have taken her—Fallon’s home. When I was following Lilith, she’d sometimes watch her son from a distance. I could see the longing in her eyes every time that she’d see Fallon. However, she never approached him, which makes sense now that I’ve seen how much Fallon despises her.
Just as I’m about to knock on the door, I see Fallon and his mate conversing through the window. Using my abilities, I make myself invisible and flash myself into the home.
“So she went to the island to recover her power from the siphon? God, I’m so sorry, babe. Lilith is just so awful.” Fallon’s mate mutters angrily.
Her tone makes me want to stride into the room and strike her down. Like the others, she is judging Lilith without the facts. Though I’ve only known Lilith for a short time, I know that she abhorred the Tenebrous powers and had no desire to take them back.
Regrettably, Lilith was trying to get her life together until I came into her life. And now, the only people who gave her the benefit of the doubt have let her down.
Fallon’s lips tighten, “Do not feel pity for me. It’s my father who was foolish enough to think she had changed. Sadly, she made the situation on the island worse, and now we have to figure out how to undo what she did. Lucifer is thinking about interrogating her, but we’re unsure if she will tell us the truth, so we put her on a holding cell until the situation is resolved and we can execute her,” he mutters gruffly.
My fists tighten, and my heart stops at his words. They’re going to execute Lilith. Jaw tight, I restrain myself from rushing in and beating Lilith’s son.
“I hope that wherever Lucifer put her, she’s suffering like I did when she left me in to die.”
Fallon stops before his mate and caresses her cheek and flat belly, “Do not despair, my love. Lucifer took her to a dungeon in his fortress and cuffed her to neutralize her power.”
As soon as Fallon reveals Lilith’s whereabouts, I flash out of his home and back to mine.
Jaw tight, I devise and plan on how to get into Lucifer’s dungeons. But that’s not the obstacle that concerns me.
The real issue is that I’ve never been to hell, and I have no clue where Lucifer’s fortress is.
For a moment, I consider going back to Fallon’s house and beating the information from him, but I quickly change my mind. I highly doubt that Lilith would be happy with me using her son as a pawn. Even if Fallon hates her, she still loves him and wants to protect him.
Seeing that I might need some information, I go back to the Divinity Pantheon archives.
It doesn’t take me long to find the information that I was looking for. Before his imprisonment, the Creator shared all of the information he garnered about hell in case Lucifer ever became an enemy of the Divinity Pantheon. Inside the archives, there are sketches of Lucifer’s fortress, including the dungeons.
I sort through the information until I have enough information to get me inside the fortress.
Without a thought, I flash to Lucifer’s dungeons. I’m not concerned about any ambushes or enchantments since I can neutralize them with my Divinity powers. Once I reach the shadowy dungeons with dark stone walls and endless hallways, I sharpen my senses and listen for anything that might indicate where Lilith is. It takes a couple of minutes, but soon her screams reach my ears.
The blood heats in my veins, and my adrenaline surges as I rush toward the sound until I reach a covered wall. Lilith pounds on the wall hysterically as she pleads with Lucifer to release her and listen to what she has to say. It’s heartbreaking to hear someone so strong fall apart in such a manner.
My nostrils flare as I extend my hand against the wall and surmise that she is indeed behind the wall. Closing my eyes, I flash myself to the other side of the wall until I’m standing in front of Lilith.
Lilith gasps with shock, her eyes going wide as she gazes up at me. “Are you real?” she asks.
I nod, “Yes, luv. I’m here to get you out.”
Before I can reach for her, she flinches back and gives me a suspicious look, “How do I know I can trust you when all you’ve done is lie to me?”
I take a deep breath and nod, “I know, I’ve lied to you, Lil. It’s just… I never expected anything like this to happen. Whether you believe me or not, I never planned for this attraction. I didn’t lie when I told you about my father and my brother’s betrayal. That was all true. I might be Adam and Eve’s son, but I didn’t set out to seduce you for that reason. I know that it was wrong considering who I was, and there were so many times that I wanted to tell you the truth. But I didn’t know how to even approach the subject without making you hate me.”
I move close and carefully extend my hand to her, “I tried to keep my distance, and I reasoned that it was only sexual, so it wouldn’t matter anyway. But you have to believe me when I say that what I feel is genuine. Despite all the things standing in our way, I care about you, luv.”
Lilith looks down at my hand and shakes her head. Tears gather in her eyes as she mutters, “Tell me the truth, Cain. Did the Divinity Pantheon send you to kill me?”
Swallowing hard, I nod my head. “Yes, they did.”
At my admission, Lilith seems to grow more distant,
Then I definitely cannot trust you, can I?”
I shake my head when she moves away. “Look, Lil even—”
“Don’t call me Lil!” she growls angrily. “We are no friends, Cain! We might have fucked, and you might say you care for me, but I know that I am nothing to you but a means to your redemption.”
I flinch at her icy tone. She seems so detached at that moment. I guess what she sees as my treachery has driven her past the edge. Not only does she no longer trust me, but now that Lucifer has also turned on her, she feels like she’s alone. I want to fly myself for the damage that we’ve all caused. Just as Lilith was building a peaceful life for herself, I come along and chip away at the little confidence she had gained.
It’s on me now to redeem myself to her, and at that moment, I vow that I will restore that trust.
Swallowing hard, I give her a careful nod, “Alright, I…I get that you don’t trust me, Lilith. But no matter what you think, I am going to help you. Please, let me help you.”
Her nostrils flare with suspicion, “How do I know that you won’t just turn me into the Divinity Pantheon?”
For a moment, I consider simply denying it, but I quickly realize that she wouldn’t believe me on my word.
“I already know where the siphon is, and I have the arrow. If turning you in is what I wanted to do, I would have just told the Divinity rulers where the siphon is and let Lucifer execute you. But I haven’t because I want to help you. I want to make things right. Now are you with me, or do you want to spend your remaining days sitting here until Lucifer and your son execute you?”
At my reminder that her son and Lucifer want to execute her, she winces. For a moment, she stiffens and puckers her lips, making me think that she’s going to deny me. But then, she gives me a stiff nod and says, “Alright, I’ll go with you, but just know that whatever was between us is over now. We’re done.”
I give her a cocky smile, “We’ll see.”
Before she can reprimand me, I wrap my fingers around the cuff and rip it in half.
Lilith looks at the broken pieces and asks, “How did you do that? Lucifer told me the thing was made out of celestial metal.”
My lip quirks, “I hold the power of Divinity Pantheon rulers. Celestial metal is nothing against that.”
With those words, I flash us out of the dreary cell and back to my home.
Lilith gazes around my home and frowns, “Where are we?”
I point to the window and watch as she walks to it and looks out at the beautiful turquoise ocean, clear blue sky and Mediterranean mountains surrounding the stone homes mounted on hills.
“We’re not in France,” she states.
I shake my head, “No, I only went to France to find you. We’re on an island near Greece. I bought it several hundred years ago from a poor farmer. No one will find us here, not even the Divinity Pantheon.”
Lilith turns and faces me, the sun glowing through the shutters shining around her like a halo, “What do we do now?”
By the set of her shoulders and closed expression, I can see that she’s strung tightly. Seeing that she needs to decompress before she snaps, I carefully answer, “Let’s get something to eat, and I’ll show you around before we come up with a plan.”
At first, I think she’s going to argue. But then she gives me a stiff nod and follows me as I usher her through the house with its high ceilings, white walls, natural wood floors, and picture windows. The sun gleams off every part of the house, and the sounds of the soft ocean waves, give off an aura of peace and relaxation. It’s only when we reach the courtyard with its sienna parquet floors and open roof in the center of my home that she seems to finally relax.
Before she can rebuff me, I take her hand and lead her to one of the comfortable lawn seats and gesture to a tray placed on a nearby table. While she was distracted, I magicked a spread of cheeses, fruits, pastries and tea to the table.
I kiss the back of her hand with careful precision and release it before I begin to serve her. I can tell that she’s puzzled by my behavior, which is why I didn’t admit the full extent of my feelings for her. I’m sure this is the most vulnerable she has ever been with anyone, and she’s probably freaking out. I imagine that if I admitted to the full extent of my emotions, she’d probably run screaming.
When Lucifer took Lilith, I felt like I had lost something vital, and I wanted to kill him and anyone who tried to hurt her. Though I’ve only known Lilith for a short time, I had realized that I’m already in too deep emotionally. That’s why I need to harness the power and keep her safe. Even if it costs me my redemption and my life.