Lilith/Cain

Gabriel and Azri sat up with difficulty as the pain that had been shooting through them faded far too slowly. "What was that?" Azri asked. "Did we get hit by a bus?"

“I think I might have died,” Gabriel groaned. “Again.”

Azri was looking past him in amazement. “Lilith?”

Gabriel turned his head, looking over his shoulder. A white skirt floated around a pair of slim legs. “How...?”

Lilith didn’t reply, her eyes on Cain. “You look so different,” she said sadly.

Cain stared at her in astonishment. “You look exactly the same.” His voice was a soft exhale.

She gestured to the front of her dress. “You mean this?” There was a tear in the thin fabric right over her stomach, a long gash exposing unblemished skin.

Cain had backed up so far at this point that he could lean against his desk. He placed his hands behind him, almost as if his legs were having trouble holding his weight. “You survived…” He put a hand to his head. “No, of course you did…”

She took another calm step towards him. “Are you disappointed?”

“Never,” he breathed. He lowered his hand. “You have no idea how much I’ve missed you.”

“You killed me.” Her voice was as dry and empty as a desert.

“I had to,” he replied. “Surely you know that I had no other choice.”

“Tell me.”

He gathered himself up, straightening his suit as he did. “It’s simple. As long as you lived, I would never be able to tear myself away from you.”

“Is that why you kept trying to leave? You missed the birth of your sons.”

His eyes went to Gabriel and Azri. A powerful but indescribable emotion built up inside of him. “....mine?”

“Yours. Twins. You don’t recognize your own eyes when they look at you with such hatred?”

He looked away from the pair, his expression grim. “It is unimportant.”

“Tell me what is more important than your own flesh and blood.”

He turned away from her, looking out the rear window. The whole of the city lay before him. “I did it for you.”

“You are not explaining properly. You are only becoming more confusing.”

“I had to kill them, all of them. Your father, your kind. Every one of them that had hurt you, exiled you, turned you into a monster.” Ire rumbled in his chest, expanding and filling the room. The lights flickered.

Lilith shifted in surprise and with the movement came a rustling, as of many dry branches rubbing together.

Cain continued, absorbed in the memories behind his eyes. “It wasn’t right what they did to you, and you just let them be. You hid away in the dark and the cold and licked your wounds.” His words grew tense, anger lacing each one, till he pounded his fist on the desk. The floor rumbled with each impact. “Meanwhile they walked under the sun without a care in the world! They were blessed and you were cursed!” He spun around to the window, his eyes fiery with rage. “HOW DARE THEY BE SO HAPPY AFTER WHAT THEY DID TO YOU?”

Lilith’s eyes travelled over his shoulder, but she was not focusing on downtown Manhattan. Instead she was looking into the past. “We were banished to the cold and the dark, but we were happy there. Together we created our own kind, our own family of sorts.”

“It wasn’t enough! You deserved to be out in the sun! They deserved to be lost and cold and forgotten!” His claws scraped the top of the desk with a terrible high pitched squeal. “The didn’t deserve to live....”

“You murdered my father?” Her voice was still, but an impossible breeze had picked up in the room, causing her dress to flutter.

“I tore him apart.” Cain’s voice was low and pleased. “He didn’t recognize me at all. He’d grown so used to absolute power. He didn’t expect anyone to be able to reach up so high. I tore him down from his throne and bloodied him like an animal.” He turned around, his gaze on the floor, as if he could see his triumph lying before him.

Lilith put a cool hand to his cheek and he jerked in surprise. She was inches from him now. “Thank you.” She pressed her lips to his cheek and he was lost once again. That grip on his heart he’d been ignoring for centuries squeezed, reminding him that he had never truly been free. He’d never wanted to be.

She drew away, drifting around the desk and to the window. He turned, transfixed. “I’m so close,” he told her. “Soon the whole world will be worthy enough for you to walk upon it.”

She trailed two fingers down the dark glass while she looked out at the city. “It certainly sparkles, doesn’t it?” A small ‘hm’ came from her chest. “Does your influence really cover the entire world, though? Even father’s reach was not that far.”

Cain bared his teeth in a wide grin. “I am so much stronger now than he ever was. I protect every last one of your knights, and their children.”

“What are you talking about?”

The voice was Azri’s, coming from behind them. Cain turned to him, folding his arms behind his back. Azri looked small in his red sweater and faded jeans. His expression was both confused and lost.

“What do you think protects you when you are vulnerable? Why do you think it is that no human has ever seen our true forms?”

“We have influence. A power that disguises us as humans.” Azri’s answer was prompt.

“Even when you sleep?”

“Of course.”

“What about on camera? On video? What about your corpse? What would that look like to a human?”

Here Azri faltered. “Obviously I don’t know everything about influence. I just got mine back recently, but I’m sure-”

Cain cut him off. “It is my influence that hides you all from the unblinking eyes of cameras, that guards your corpses.” He seemed to loom then, his edges growing darker, fading into the shadows. “Without me, in this day and age, you would all be routed within a month.”

Azri stared at him. Terror and awe swelled in his chest, pushing his words out. “That’s impossible… You can’t be that powerful.”

Through the glass behind Cain, dark clouds were beginning to gather. Thunder muttered to itself in the distance. Cain was a black silhouette now, red eyes gleaming. “I am more powerful than you can even imagine.”

With great effort, Azri pulled his eyes away, looking over his shoulder. “Please tell me you’ve found her. I want to leave now.” His voice was barely above a whimper.

Gabriel stood at the door, his expression grim. “She’s not here.”

Behind him Chris entered through the double doors after checking the waiting room. “Where is she?” he demanded. “She couldn’t have gotten far on her own. Where did you put her?” He had his shotgun in hand and his expression was impassive.

Lilith turned away from the glass. “You are talking about my new knight.”

“I’m talking about my sister,” Chris clarified forcefully. “And if she isn’t here safe and sound in the next minute, so help me I’ll-”

Lilith cut off his voice with a raise of her hand. He put a hand to his throat and gaped, his eyes bulging. She lowered her hand and he drew in a sharp gasp.

“My new knight is safe and sound right here with me.” She brought her hand to her chest with a fond smile. “She sleeps so soundly right now, waiting to be reborn.”

A jolt went through the three men. “What are you talking about?” Gabriel stepped forward. His eyes narrowed. “And just how did you get here so quickly?”

She put both hands at her sides and smiled gently at the trio. “She let me in so easily.”

Gabriel felt his knees grow weak. “No, she wouldn’t…” He began shaking his head.

Azri looked at him and back to Lilith. “Please tell me what’s going on.”

Gabriel pointed at Lilith. “That’s Evangeline. Lilith’s taken her over. Her influence is covering Evangeline’s body like a shell.”

“That can’t be possible.” It was Chris’ turn to start shaking his head. “Evie’s not…” He swallowed. “One of them.”

“She has a shard of Manigault’s influence inside of her. Lilith can use that to channel her own influence in. If Evangeline allowed her to.”

“And she most certainly did,” Lilith affirmed. “In exchange for all your lives.”

Cain looked over at her. “So I’m not killing them, then?” He looked back at the group. “Not even the human?”

“You won’t lay a hand on any of them.”

Cain grinned. “I don’t need my hands to kill them.”

Lilith drifted back around the desk to him. “Let them go. There’s something I need from you.”

He took her hand in his and kissed her knuckles. “Name it.”

“You’ve been the one to create all of my knights. Make her into one as well.” She smiled. “The strongest one yet.”

Cain put his other hand to hers, turning it over and exposing her wrist. “Your command is my wish.”

“Like hell!” Chris shouted. He raised the shotgun up. “You stay away from her!”

Cain’s red eyes shifted over to him. “Your lives have already been spared. Go and enjoy them while you can.”

“I am not leaving here without my sister.” He stepped forward and Cain did as well, dropping Lilith’s hand.

Azri grabbed Chris by his arm, holding him back. “We’ve already lost this one. We should get out of here while we still can.”

Chris shrugged him off roughly. “I’m not leaving Evie here.”

“Would she really want you to die like this, though? You’d just be wasting her sacrifice.”

Gabriel was on Chris’ other side, looking at Cain. “You two go. I’ll stay here. There’s no point in me leaving without Evangeline.”

Azri gave him a wounded look, but grabbed onto Chris’ arm again. “You heard him, let’s go!” He used his strength this time and pulled Chris back a few steps.

Chris struggled mightily. “Evie! Wake up! You can’t let her do this to you! EVIE!”

“She can’t hear you,” Gabriel told him. “She’s too far under.”

“Then I’ll be louder! Loud enough for her to hear me!” He pulled against Azri’s arm, his boots digging into the carpet. “EVIE! EVIE! SNAP OUT OF IT!”

Lilith’s dress rustled in an unfelt breeze. “How foolish.”

Gabriel cupped his hands around his mouth. “Evangeline! It’s time to go home!” To his surprise Lilith’s form wavered.

A buzzing sound could be heard. Chris jumped, his hand going to his pocket. He pulled out his phone and read the screen. “Mom’s okay.” His voice was weak with relief. “Mom’s out, Evie! Arthur saved her!”

Lilith’s form wavered again. She raised up both hands and her white dress snapped back into place. “That is enough.” Her voice grew stern. “Do you all really want to perish here?”

Azri shook his head, but Chris and Gabriel’s expressions remained stony. “Evangeline! You don’t need to do this! It’s over with!”

“Evie! Wake up! I know you can hear me!”

Chris jabbed Azri in the side. “You too,” he growled.

Azri gave one last look at the exit before resigning himself. “Angie! It’s time to leave! Wake up!”

“Evie!”

“Evangeline!”

“Angie!”

Their shouts overrode each other till the words blended and only her name could be picked out. Lilith took a step back. Her hands went to her chest, this time in pain. A black stain spread over her pristine dress, stemming from her heart.

Gabriel looked closely, and could see an ebony shard glittering at the source of the wound. Influence had no physical form, so Lilith’s own illusion abilities were reflecting its power.

“EVANGELINE!” he shouted. “It’s time to go home!”

Lilith’s lips parted and a voice that wasn’t hers escaped. “Mom doesn’t need me there. She has Arthur.”

“Our home, Evangeline!” Gabriel cried. He stepped forward.

Cain was immediately in front of him. He loomed like a shadow and Gabriel found himself thrown into the window. The glass cracked under his back as a powerful force crushed him against it.

He fought for enough air to speak. His eyes were on Lilith. “Our crappy apartment… here in the city…” The pressure grew, till he felt his ribs creak. “We have a spare bedroom now… You know I always wanted a bigger closet…”

Cain’s concentration was on Gabriel. Chris took his advantage to unload both barrels of his shotgun into the vampire’s back. Cain’s black suit jacket and red shirt were shredded. The skin showing underneath was unblemished.

“What in the-” Chris began, but was cut off as he was thrown to the side. He crashed into Azri and they both hit the floor hard.

“That was a stupid idea,” Azri groaned. “Let’s just lay here and pretend he killed us.”

“Not a chance.” Chris got to his feet.

“You’re insane.” Azri regained his feet reluctantly.

Chris spared him a sharp look. “You’d understand if you had a real family, and not whatever this is.” He gestured to Cain, Lilith, and Gabriel. “Evie let Lilith in to spare your life, too, you know.” A shadow crossed his face. “She’s always doing things like this.”

A loud CRACK! cut through the air. Both men turned to the sound. The glass behind the desk splintered. “Gabriel!” Lilith melted away, revealing Angie as she leaped forward.

She reached him in two bounds, just as he broke through the window. Without a second’s pause she dove after him. She grasped him around the waist as they both hurtled out of sight.

Cain was at the window, looking down. His expression was cold. He pressed the tip of his finger to a crack in the remaining glass. “This is not nearly as sturdy as the contractor led me to believe,” he commented.

He turned away from the window, his red eyes on Chris and Azri. “Two down and two to go…”