Desecration Pt. 01: Nocturne

The stars were a barely seen glitter in the hazy night sky over her head. She looked away, out over the expanse of the city before her, or beneath her, as she was atop one of the many skyscrapers that littered this place. The sight excited her and exhilarated her. The twinkling of the man made world out shone that of the universe, if only from an earthly perspective.

A soft rustle whispered as she shifted her velvety wings over her naked form, using them as a cloak. She absently caressed the soft, dark purple flesh as she stood, mesmerized. Then she shook her head and took a deep breath. She slowly parted her wings, revealing herself to the night, and stretched them to their full wingspan of ten feet. Climbing atop the edge of the roof, she prepared to take flight, stretching her legs, her arms, and her back, working the lethargy from her supple muscles. With astonishing grace, she leaped into the air and dived down, folding her wings, allowing herself to achieve maximum velocity, the wind whipped her skin, turning her face, shoulders and breasts red. She snapped her wings out, her muscles strained against the pull, but she slowed and began to glide outward, towards home, which was another, smaller building miles away.

Alighting on the roof, she smiled at the faint glow of the sun's first splinters of light slashing the sky and bleeding over the mountains in the distance, a distance that no human could have seen. Opening a door, she slipped inside and made her way down the stairs. Reaching her landing she paused, listening. Hearing nothing, she pulled the door open and entered a dimly lit hallway that gave up none of it's details from the depths of the shadows that over powered the weak yellow light. Entering her unlocked apartment, she yawned and fluttered her wings slightly.

She left the lights off and made her way through the darkness, having long ago learned it's configuration. She stepped into her bedroom and flicked on a light, temporarily blinding her sensitive eyes. She went to a floor-to-ceiling mirror and stood in front of it, legs apart, arms at her sides, waiting for the shift. When it came, she gasped in pain, as she always did, feeling the torment laid upon her kind since before there were nations. Her wings went into spasms, feeling as though fire curled along their bones and swirled around their joints. The silver in her irises transfigured into green, her pupils dilated. Still she stood, forcing herself to witness her birthright, as she had every day since it had started. Her wings began to shrink, as they became liquid and their cells were absorbed back into her body. Her pale skin was flushed an angry red, her breasts quivered with the pain, her legs felt like rubber and she continued to hold on, never allowing herself to give in to it. Her long, slender fangs shortened, their cells also being reduced and cannibalized. The blood red color of her lips paled to pink.

The only thing running through her mind was, I am Kerri, I am a succubus, as was my mother, as was her mother, as was Lilith, my ultimate grandmother, scorned and replaced by that pale reflection that was Eve, given pain that would be passed down to all Succubi. It was the same thing she repeated to herself every morning as she shifted. Anger bloomed in her heart, it's roar tore the pain from her body. Hate careened through her spirit, freezing her memories. For, as was the case with all Succubi, Kerri held Lilith's memories, though none of that glorious being that she was. She wanted to tear the eyes from the only man she'd ever loved, Adam. Forcing herself away from the mirror, Kerri collapsed onto her bed, exhausted. She pushed Lilith's memories away, locking them back into the mind-box they normally occupied. I am not Lilith! I am Kerri, Lilith is dead, gone for thousands of years, buried only in my mind as a collection of vaguely familiar memories. Letting her weariness to overcome her, Kerri drifted off into a troubled sleep, plagued by half dreams in which she was cast from

God's love and drove from her home in Eden, away from the man she loved.

*****

Kerri came awake to the sound of her alarm blaring. It was five minutes passed eleven AM, sighing, she reached over and flipped the switch. She hated having to live by the humans' rules, yet she had no other choice. She sat up and placed her feet on the floor. Her body felt as though she'd been beaten severely. The after effects of the shift had never lasted this long before. She shrugged it off and stood, stretching and running her hands over her body, smiling at the feel of her own skin, the soft and coarseness of her red hair, the sensation of her nails dragging along her cleavage. Last night had been a good hunt, though she was sure nothing would come of it. She shook her head and went about readying for work.

*****

Night had not yet fallen as she left her office building. She hated it there, but she felt sure it would be only temporary. She had plans, after all. Checking her watch, which showed it barely twenty minutes passed eight. Kerri decided to head to her favorite hunting ground, a small tavern with the inauspicious name of Jack's Pub. She liked it best due to the group it catered to seemed to be mostly affluent, or rising fast to affluent, men. She stalked them as surely as any wild animal stalked it's prey. Not for food, but for the continuation of her species. She was told that nothing else mattered, and yet she found herself wishing for more. Nothing emotional, for nothing like that could ever form between her kind and the sons and daughters of Adam and Eve, but something beneficial, to raise her above where she was. That was why she only took powerful men. Someday one might actually prove grateful enough to turn her life around. To make her, if not rich, at least well off. It had happened before with married men, who often set her up in nice apartment buildings, like the one she now lived in, but that was nothing, she wanted freedom.

She was there before she even realized she'd moved. Shaking her head at herself, she opened one of it's double doors and walked into a cool room, with dark wood paneling and pictures of old movie stars hung on it's walls. She liked those pictures. Perhaps that was why she actually enjoyed coming here. She shrugged and went to the bar.

"Hey, Kerri, you make it home all right last night?" The bartender asked her. She smiled at him and replied that she had. "Good, you were pretty plastered." She laughed, a soft, tinkling sound that she had trained herself to use, as it never failed to pique a man's interest. She actually felt sorry for the bartender, whose name was Clark, as he gave a barely noticeable shiver at the sound, for she knew he liked her. She was even kind of affectionate towards him, but only barely.

"How about something a little less potent tonight?" She asked, though in truth alcohol didn't inebriate her kind, though she often pretended it did.

"Like what?" He asked pleasantly.

She thought about it, "How about a Mai Tai?"

His eyebrows rose in surprise, "Sure, though I thought you wanted something less potent."

She shrugged, "I couldn't think of anything worth drinking that was."

He laughed and nodded. She was glad when he walked away to make her drink. She smiled to herself as he ignored other people asking for drinks. He always made hers before anyone else's. The smile faded, replaced by a sadness that almost hurt. She looked away and studied the other people there. No one seemed promising at the moment, so she closed her eyes and waited for her drink, which wasn't long. Clark smiled at her, he was cute, in a way, she supposed, but she couldn't use him. She wasn't sure why, but she knew there was something about him that wasn't right. She smiled back and felt a brief flash of true warmth towards him as he flushed slightly and stuttered a comment that even she couldn't make out and left to help someone else.

Lost in thought, she was surprised when someone spoke her name. She swiveled on the stool and looked the newcomer over. He was tall, well over six feet, well toned, jet black hair that seemed to almost have a dark blue in it as he moved, piercing ice blue eyes, and naturally bronzed skin, he was wearing faded jeans and a black leather jacket over a blue shirt. He was quite attractive, yet something in him troubled her, so she turned away.

"Kerri?" He repeated, but she ignored him. "Please, forgive me, I mistook you for someone else."

She heard him move away and took a quick glance at his retreating back. The back of his jacket held an emblazoned tableau of the moon covered in pearlesced clouds. The surface of the moon held the vague image of an animal, possibly a wolf.

Something stirred in her memory. Or is it Lilith's memory? She shuttered and stood up, her drink barely tasted. Clark looked at her in concern, but she waved him off. His eyes hardened and he set his shoulders. Fine, what do I care? She thought. Yet he came around the bar and instead of being cold, he took her arm and led her outside, flicking a motion to someone inside to take over.

"Are you all right?" He asked her, his voice a warm whisper across her spine.

"Yes, perfectly." She replied, trying to sound indifferent, yet she was terrified to hear gratitude, even if the short reply said something else.

"That man, did he have something to do with it?"

"I..." What? He brought back dimly remembered times and places which she'd never experienced? Right. She sighed, "It's nothing, I just need to be some place."

She could tell that he didn't accept that answer, but he released her and nodded, "Fine."

He gazed into her eyes, which had begun to shift, frightening her, for it should not be starting this early, but he gave no indication that he noticed, instead he gently laid a hand to her left cheek, seemed to catch himself, then turned and left. She stood there, watching the doors, barely thinking.

She was brought back by a sharp pain in her chest, which quickly spread to her stomach.

She doubled over, nearly falling to the pavement. There was no one else around, which in itself was strange, as this was a fairly well used street. She stumbled up the steps, feeling her body becoming numb, her mind shutting down. The last thing she remembered before she passed out was the door swinging open and the man with the leather jacket coming out.

*****

"Wake up." She ignored the command, struggled against it. "I said wake up, you little bitch!" Her mind was forced into consciousness by a presence that paralyzed her with fear. Still, she kept her eyes closed, fearing what she might see. "If I have to, I'll rip those damn lids off to keep you from ignoring me." The voice said, it's inflections soft, pleasant. "OPEN YOUR EYES!" Even in a shout, the voice never lost it's caressing feel. The command yanked her eyes open. There was nothing, just blackness, then a light flickered and she saw the face of the man from the bar in it. He was stripped down to his waist, a smile on his lips. She was stretched out on a dais, her clothes gone, her wings spread out. Nothing held her bound.

"There, see? Is that not better?"

"Wh...who are you?" She replied.

"Knowing who I am does you little good, daughter." He placed his hands on her shoulders, bent over and kissed her forehead lightly, almost lovingly.

"Please, let me go." She pleaded.

He laughed, "Oh, no, that can not happen." He ran a hand through her hair and she noticed that it was lineless.

He's not human! She was coming close to panic.

"No, I am not." He answered her thought. His smile flashed into a grin. "Oh, you are like so much empty air for me to move through." He tapped her forehead with a long, slender finger. "Though, this..." He caressed her breasts, chuckling softly as she shivered in revulsion. He turned his attention back to her. "You really have no idea who I am?"

She shook her head and he sighed, "So long...so long..." He whispered. He covered her eyes and whispered: "Sleep."

*****

Movement in the shadows. A woman walked through them, her shape dimly seen.

"I will not be tossed aside!"

The anger, hatred, pain and loss in those words tore Kerri's heart. Is this woman-shape Lilith? She reached out, but felt nothing. Where am I?

"Your mind, Lilith." The man's voice said to her, "We must find your memories...where did you hide it?"

"Hide what?" She asked.

"What?" He snarled. "You little slut, God's secret...where did you hide it?"

The woman-shape howled in rage. The man appeared and looked into the shadows, smiling cruelly as the shape shrank away.

"As cowardly as always, I see." He looked at Kerri, "Are you as cowardly as your previous forms?"

"I am not Lilith!" She cried.

"No?" The man actually seemed shocked. Kerri was glad, for that meant he really could not read all her thoughts.

"No, I can't, your quite right about that, but I don't need to." He waved one arm into the shadows and pulled the woman into his space, where her form was clarified. Her wings beat frantically, obscuring much of her form, but Kerri could see that she was dark, voluptuous and possibly the most beautiful woman she'd ever seen.

"This is all that's left of the pitiful thing that was Lilith, nothing more than a scrambled set of images from a past you can't fathom." He told her, casually tossing the woman aside. He smiled, making her heart leap. "However, there is a shred of who she was." He whistled, a shrill, piercing treble that hurt her ears. What it did to the image was painful to witness. It shrieked and thrashed, it's face contorted. Yet it caught Kerri's eyes with it's own, pleading with her.

Do not give him what he want's, It's voice said to her, You can not possibly understand what he could do with it.

"Shut up!" The man roared at her. Her shriek became a wail, which ended with a horrendous explosion as she was torn apart. Chunks of her sprayed everywhere, on Kerri and the man, who seemed not to notice.

Not a man, not a man...Lucifer...Lilith's voice faded and was gone.

"Well, I guess I didn't stop her soon enough." The man, Lucifer, whispered, a smirk on his face.

"Not often you get to meet your maker, is it little girl?"

Kerri could not answer, for she felt something wrong inside herself, something she could not describe. She had lost something she had relied on more than she had understood. The pain, anger and rage that had so consumed Lilith that it infected her offspring for thousands of years was gone. With it, she felt, her strength as well.

"Well, are we ready my dear?" Lucifer asked.

Kerri began to whimper, fear nearly causing her to pass out, and maybe it would have, if she were awake. Lucifer smiled, yet something seemed to hold him back, a hesitation that seemed out of place in him. Then she heard it, a far off rumble, almost of thunder, yet seemingly coming from the darkness around her. Lucifer snarled and disappeared.

Kerri awoke with a sudden intake of breath. Pain crisscrossed her wings, which she could feel had been nailed to the surface she was on. Tears had streamed down her face as she was unconscious, but they had long since dried up. How long was I out? She wondered.

"Kerri!" A man's voice called to her, "Kerri!"

Her throat was dry, so she could barely even manage a moan. The voice was strong, seeming to shake the very cavern. She knew who it was immediately. It had to be Clark. I knew there was something about him.

"I wouldn't count on him too much, my dear. Even he is not a match for me." The devil whispered softly, menacingly.

"I know you're in here, Lucifer! SHOW YOURSELF!" With that command the very rocks around them sundered, as though a mighty sword had cleaved them. Kerri was surprised to see the night sky twinkling far above, through the crack. What could have that kind of power? As if in answer he was there, a shining figure wreathed in white robes, trimmed in pale, almost white, gold. He held a dancing and leaping flame in one hand and a shield in the other. Stretched out behind him were dove white wings, his hair was circled by a plain leather ring, his eyes burned with anger.

"Once again, brother, we face one another." Lucifer said, not unkindly.

"No, this time will be different, for I came not to fight you, but to take her." He gave a nearly imperceptible flick of his shield towards Kerri. "Let me have her, and there will be no need for us to quarrel."

Lucifer laughed, "Yes? Do you have the strength to stop me? You very nearly didn't all those eons ago."

"That was only due to my weakened heart, which had nearly allowed you to lead me astray." Clark returned, striding a few feet forward.

"Do not come closer." Lucifer drew himself up, brandishing his own dark blade, which seemed a shadow come alive, his full, horrific glory was shown then. His mighty gray wings burst from his shoulders, his clothing caught fire and burned, to be replaced by armor that was a hard sight to behold, as it held the abyss within it. A bright, twinkling crown flashed into existence on his head.

"I did not want this." Clark said, sadly.

"Then you should have never came, Galadin." Lucifer retorted.

"She is my charge!" Clark-Galadin-shouted, "Long have I watched over her lineage. I will not see it come to ruination through you, as it did once before. Not after it had been redeemed."

"Redeemed? Such as this?" Lucifer demanded, "How can that be?"

"I love her..." Galadin replied, nearly too softly for even Kerri's ears to catch. He skirted around the room, keeping Lucifer before him. Once he came to where Kerri laid, stretched out, he cried and waved a hand over her. Where his hand passed, she felt her strength return. Finally her wings were free and she quickly stood, backing away from them both. Galadin seemed pained at her reaction to him.

"See?" Lucifer said, his voice sad and seemingly concerned, "Her kind can not love, they know not what it is, my dear brother. They'll never be redeemed, by your love, or anyone else's." Lucifer clapped his hands and whispered something.

Kerri screamed as she suddenly felt herself being ripped apart. It felt as though each molecule that made her up was being pulled apart. She crumpled to the floor.

"NO!" Galadin cried, running to her, "Why?" He demanded of his once brother.

"There are more of them out there, I can get what I need from them." His beautiful face was contorted by rage, hunger and a deep sadness. "Best of all, however, is that it will hurt you."

"I won't allow it!" Galadin shouted.

"You can't stop it, you have not the skill nor the power." Lucifer replied.

"I do...if I choose it." Galadin said.

"You must be kidding?" Lucifer's eyes had gone wide, "You would forever be condemned."

"No...I was given a choice, take her, or eternal life...I have now chosen, and God accepts." He placed his arms around Kerri's shuddering shoulders, kissed her hair and whispered: "I am sorry I could not have done more for you..." As these words came from him he began to glow even brighter, his eyes blazed, the flame of his sword extinguished, heat began to radiate from him, an immense, powerful heat that could sear away the earth itself, yet it harmed Kerri not, as it began to sift into her. She could feel his love for her, the love of his God. It took her breath away, it burned away the dark things in her soul and began to heal her. The glow and the heat continued to increase, his clothing burst into ashes, his shield melted from his arm, his wings wilted and seemed to shrivel, his whole body was burning away as he saved her. Yet still he held her, his tears falling from his eyes evaporated before they ever came close to her, his hair was gone, and still he held her, filling her with his strength, his power and his deep, soulful love. Kerri began to weep. She could no longer see him he was so aflame in white. Then he expired in a bright fountain of multicolored sparks, which quickly came to her and sank into her skin.