Chapter 18 - Loss
Cain:
I gaze down into Lilith’s eyes. The deep pools of blue make me feel like I’m looking out into the beautiful Mediterranean sea outside my window. Lilith gasps into my lips and digs her ankles into my thighs, pushing me deeper into her heated depths. As my strokes deepen, I curl my fingers around her hair and devour her lips. Small cries and mewls escape her as I pull her leg higher and pound into her. There’s nothing that can explain how euphoric it feels to be inside of her. My eyes roll to the back of my head when her tight sheath deliciously tightens around my shaft. My crown throbs, and my balls tighten as I hasten my strokes.
“Fuck,” I cry out when she digs her nails into my back and sucks my tongue deep into his mouth.
After several minutes, she stills and cries out as her climax overwhelms her. My balls tighten, and I follow her into a heavenly bliss until we’re both lost in our own ecstasy.
We both fall asleep in each other’s arms instantly.
Come evening, I carry her to the tub and help her wash.
Lilith lies complacent in my arms as I pull her back to my chest and rinse her hair.
She rests her head beneath my chin and sighs with pleasure. Though she’s silent, I can tell that she’s still perplexed by what has occurred between us. There’s no doubt that she cares for me, and I care for her, but neither of us is ready to cross that boundary yet out of fear of what might happen next.
“We should go,” I mutter once we are both dressed.
Without another word, we prepare to go back to National Park.
This time we do not stop at the campground. Instead, we go straight to the waterfall. Once again, our powers wane as soon as we reach the mouth. Heart beating wildly inside of my chest, I follow Cain into the fall. Once we reach the temple, I gasp with surprise when I see that the statues are still writhing around on the ground. It’s quite disconcerting because it makes me feel like no time has passed.
While Lilith moves about the room, I use my mobile to take pictures of everything I see.
“Look around and search for anything that might be a clue,” I mutter.
Lilith walks around the statues, careful not to get within their reach and searches the room. But though the room is large, it’s surprisingly austere. There’s a variety of pottery against a wall, a large stone altar with no recognizable markings and Hod’s statue.
We circle around the statue, but there's nothing else besides the words inscribed in his crown.
I stop next to her and frown, “I think we need to look inside the darkness outside the temple.”
Lilith follows me back out of the opening until we reach the drop near the bridge. She looks beyond it to the other opening that contains the steps on the rotund wall before the fall’s opening, but I stop her and look down the stone. “Let’s look here first.”
Lilith nods and carefully squats down the narrow bridge’s opening, “Do you have a torch?” She asks.
I hand her the instrument and observe as she flicks it on and aims it down the darkness. At first, nothing looks out of place. But then, Lilith notices something several meters below the opening. “Do you see that?” She asks.
I lean closer, trying to keep close to the safety of the ledge and narrow my eyes until I see what she’s pointing at, “It looks like a carving, but I can’t see it.”
I lean back on the ledge and inspect the surrounding walls before I look back down. “There’s no other way to go but down. I’m going to have to repel down there.”
Her eyes widen with shock, “What? Are you out of your bloody mind? If the mere fact that we cannot see the bottom isn’t frightening enough, you should at least consider that we are as weak as humans. We can die.”
My expression softens as I look into her wary eyes, “I know, Lil. But that might be a clue, and I’m willing to take the chance.
Before she can argue, I pull out climbing equipment. First, I wrap the rope around the narrow bridge and use a hook to keep it in place before attaching a belay and wrapping a harness around my hips and legs.
Moving to the edge of the opening, I place several climbing cams and attach quickdraw and carabiners to safely keep myself from slipping off the wall.
Lilith watches with bated breath as I slowly repel down the wall, keeping my feet flat on the wall to keep myself from slipping until I reach the carving. I light the torch and read the carving.
Lilith watches as I carefully take my mobile out of my pocket and photograph the wall before aiming the torch around the surrounding area.
“What does it say?” She calls out.
Leaning close, I read it out loud, “Blod for makt. Død for mørket. Skriv inn nå for å ta, Blood for power. Death for darkness. Enter now to take.”
Just as I finish reading the Norse words, the bridge begins to tremble. Lilith clings tightly to the rock surface and searches around.“What’s going on?” She calls out as the trembling heightens to a harsh shake.
I cling tightly to the bridge as the stone begins to rock and loosen. The walls above us quake, making rocks and pebbles rain down on us, cutting my skin.
As quickly as I can, I climb beside her and pull her toward the first opening. Just as we’re stepping through, a large boulder covers the opening. Unfortunately, the ground continues to shake, and Lilith nearly loses her footing. I hold her tightly to me and call out through the roaring sounds of the rattling cave, “We have to get out of here before the whole place goes down. Don’t let go of my hand,”
Lilith grips me tightly while she steps across the first stone, and I hold her hand. Gripping the ledge tightly, she places her foot on the stone and carefully follows me. Stone and gravel continue to fall from above, making the treacherous climb even more frightening. Sweat dots our foreheads, and our bodies grow sore as we continue to move. A look of determination crosses my face as I stab the wall with climbing cams to keep us from falling. We’re close to the opening when I cry out with pain; blood pours from my head, and another stone crashes nearby, hitting Lilith’s shoulder, making her nearly slip off the edge of the stone.
“Hold on!” I call out through the roar of the cavern as large chunks continue to fall down around us. It takes us nearly ten minutes to traverse through an opening that not long ago took us two minutes to navigate. My back stings and my shoulder burns when several sharp rocks strike me, but I continue going until we finally reach the doorway. Just as we’re going through, Lilith skidders off the last step.
My heart nearly stops when I look back, and I see Lilith’s body about to plummet down the cavern. Without a thought, I reach for her and manage to wrap my arm around her waist. Lilith lies in my arms like a limp doll, but somehow, I manage to carry her out of the waterfall.
Holding her close, I carry her unconscious form for about a mile until I begin to feel my powers reawakening. Once I’m healed and my powers are restored, I flash us back to my home.
Lilith doesn’t stir, but I can see that she’s healed. Checking her pulse, I see that it’s steady, and her breathing is stable. Brow furrowed, I flash us back to my home and lay her on my bed. Lilith opens her eyes and gives me a mournful frown, “I feel so drained, and we didn’t find anything. What are we going to do?”
I hush her and kiss the tip of her nose, “Just rest, luv. I’m going to see if there’s anything I can find out about that inscription.”
She gives me a weary smile and closes her eyes. Once again, I find myself drowning in emotion before I go back to the waterfall. I need to know what we did to make it cave in.
Glancing up at the pristine water, I can’t tell that the cavern that Frigg magically hid within had collapsed. It doesn’t make sense to me. Was it the words I read?
Blood for power. Death for darkness. Enter now to take.
I’m so preoccupied with what just occurred that I don’t see the threat behind me until his sword is nearly beneath my chin. Jaw tight, I magic my own sword and block his attempt.
Lucifer’s eyes gleam with rage as he whirls around and tries to stab in the belly. “Where is she?” he growls.
“How did you find me?” I ask.
Lucifer shrugs, “I have my ways. Now, where is Lilith?”
I jump back and stop his strike with my own sword again. “She’s somewhere you will never find her, you git!” I cry out as I continue to block his hits.
Lucifer seethes with rage, his chest heaving, “You fool, don’t you understand what she has done?”
I shake my head. “I know exactly who Lilith is and what she has done. It’s you who are blinded by your suspicion. You didn’t even give her the benefit of the doubt before you judged her guilty.”
His lips pull back, and his fangs grow as he lowers his weapon and sneers, “What are you saying, mate?”
I warily lower my own weapon and stand stiffly before the woman I care for is a former lover. “What I’m saying is that Lilith was not looking to take the Tenebrous. In fact, she is adamant about not getting anywhere near it until I threatened to kill your son.” I state firmly.
Lucifer’s body stiffens, his eyes glowing like an inferno as he growls, “You will never touch my son!”
I shrug nonchalantly and move toward a large boulder, setting upon it without a care. I want Lucifer to see that I’m not intimidated by him. Though he is powerful, I know that I can match him, “You sound just like Lilith did when I threatened to kill the son who despises her so much. Tell me, Lucifer. What would you do if the Divinity Pantheon threatened to kill your son and you were helpless?”
Lucifer rushes forward and tries to strike me again, but I’m done with toning down my powers. Eyes narrowed, I flash myself behind him and slide a knife beneath his skin. Lucifer glances back with a snarl.
“You’re so used to being the most powerful one in the room that you tend to be careless, Lucifer.” I grit out. We’re both well-matched in height and build, but I have powers beyond his own. “Your arrogance is your downfall,” I continue. “Trust me. I learned many millennia ago that no matter how strong you think you are, there is always someone stronger. We’re all just prey waiting to be crushed by bigger prey. Even me.”
He doesn’t say a word as he continues to remain stiff in front of me, “I can kill you now, but I won’t because I know that Lilith will never forgive me. Even after you locked her in that cold, dark room to await her execution, she still asked me not to hurt you or your son.”
At my words, Lucifer loses the tension on his shoulders and carefully looks back at me, “You love her?” He states.
I hesitate before I lower my weapon. Swallowing hard, I take a couple of deep breaths and carefully answer, “I do. I never thought or planned it, but I do.”
Lucifer turns and faces me, his eyes still hooded with suspicion, “I believe you,” he slides his fingers through his hair and puffs out a breath, “However, I don’t know if I believe Lilith. If she didn’t want the power, then why didn’t she tell me?”
I look down at my knife and take a seat on the boulder again, “Probably because she knew you wouldn’t trust her if she told you she was taking power to the Divinity Pantheon. Considering how easily you jumped to the conclusion that she was taking the Tenebrous power back, can you blame her?”
He gives me a conceding nod and waves for me to continue with my story.
“The original plan was for me to take Lilith to the Divinity Pantheon Rulers for execution. But then…” I look up at him, giving him a glimpse of the turmoil I’ve been experiencing since the first time I caught sight of Lilith, “…then I saw her living a mundane life and silently suffering in the shadows as she watched her son live his own…her sadness and her strength resonated inside of me,” I tap my chest, “I know what it’s like to yearn for something. I know what it’s like to be betrayed and made to suffer for things that happened beyond my control.”
Lucifer inhales deeply, “You chose not to take her?”
I nod, “At first, I excused my delay because I saw she didn’t hold the power of the Tenebrous. But I soon realized that I couldn’t bear to be another person to hurt her. Not when it seemed she had finally found some semblance of peace.”
I show him the tome, “So, I went back to the Divinity Pantheon and researched to see if I could find a way to harness the power and bargain with the rulers to release her. This tome is the only written record I could find about Hod. According to the Tome, Hod’s arrow can harness the power. That’s what we were doing when you showed up at the island. We had retrieved the arrow from Hod’s temple,” I gesture to the waterfall.
His brow furrows, “But it didn’t work. The power’s spread has hastened. In fact, the Island has been consumed, and the power is causing further destruction as we speak. It’s all over the bloody news!” he states firmly.
I place my hands on my hips with a bewildered nod, “It didn’t work, and we don’t know why. That’s why we came back here. I wanted to see what we did wrong or if there was something we missed. We want to stop it, Lucifer!”
Lucifer looks at the falls, then back at the tome in my hand, “May I see it?”
Seeing that I have all the information from the book in my head, I hand him the tome. Lucifer sorts through the pages and frowns. After several minutes, he hands the tome back, “You’re trying to find something that might explain why it didn’t work?”
I nod, “Lilith and I came back earlier, but the only thing we found is an inscription on the wall. As soon as we read it, the whole place collapsed.”
Lucifer looks at the Waterfall, “I can feel a heavy power coming from it. Yet, I feel it pulling me in at the same time.”
“If you get closer, you’ll feel it drain your power until you’re as helpless as a human. Lilith and I nearly died coming back out.” I don’t elaborate further because I don’t want him to know that Lilith is currently lying on my bed unconscious after getting pelted by rocks.
Lucifer seems to deflate further. Though the arsehole still has the same aura of arrogance, I can see that he believes he made a grievous mistake when he accused Lilith. “How can I help?” he asks.
I arch a brow, “You can probably start by telling your son the truth. Lilith didn’t tell me in many words what occurred between her and Fallon when you took her, but whatever he said to her seemed to have destroyed something inside of her.”
Lucifer looks away guiltily, “Fallon is hurt, and he lashed out.”
I shrug, uncaring of his excuses, “It seems that Fallon is a big boy who needs to learn to forgive. But I’ll leave that to him.”
He nods, “I know, and I was working on it before everything went cock-up. All I can do now is help you find out why the arrow doesn’t work. Tell me there’s something we can do?”
I raise my mobile and show him the pictures I took of the temple and the inscription on the wall. “The only way you can help me is if you can tell me what this means.”
Lucifer looks at the pictures thoughtfully, “I know someone who can help us.”
I nod, “Alright, but only I’m going with you. No offense, mate, but I don’t trust you around Lilith yet. She has already suffered enough.”
He nods, “That’s fair. This is where we are going,” He shows me the place, and we both flash there.
As I follow Lucifer, all I can do is hope that I didn’t make a mistake trusting him. However, Lilith needs me, and I’ll literally go to hell to help her. Even at the risk of my own soul.