Lost Bloodlines Ch. 07

I pressed myself close to Victoria's side and threaded an arm through hers.

"You know," I whispered, "you've got to stop doing that."

"Doing what?"

"Making me smile."

Victoria's eyes lowered and she lightly blushed. "Sometimes you just get this look on your face," she responded quietly. "Like you're trying to process everything we've been through, and it's a little too much to handle. Maybe I just think it'd be better for you to be happy."

I gave her a long look. Not half an hour ago, I could see the tension and guilt rolling off of the Valkyrie in waves from what happened on the highway, and now...it was like it was gone. There was only a teasing twinkle in her eyes and a little smile gracing her lips. I didn't know how she did it. I certainly couldn't...but maybe I didn't have to. Not as long as I had a certain plucky Nordic warrior to keep me grounded. I kissed her on the cheek.

"Thank you, Victoria." The crowd was beginning to emerge from its awed silence, monsters exclaiming excitedly at different sights and marvels in the cityscape below. I settled comfortably against Victoria's side and took in the sight with a more relaxed eye. "We certainly are a long way from a little school in Maryland."

"In more ways than one. It's been a lifetime since you let me in your office that day," she chuckled. She gazed out at the bright lights and let out a little sigh, turning her head down to look at me with sparkling eyes. "And I wouldn't trade a moment of it."

I felt my heart stutter a little bit and I began to blush. She was such a sweet girl, and every day she showed me a maturity that I wouldn't expect from her 18 years. There were times when I questioned what I was really doing with her, if this wasn't all just some catastrophe-induced mania that only felt like love to my broken mind. But then she just did these little things, and I was reminded of how real my own feelings were. I leaned up to whisper a response, but a deep tone interrupted me.

"If the lovebirds are done gawking, someone is feeling left out," Cyri rumbled from beside us, Aqua in her arms pouting cutely. Victoria gave a little laugh at the sight, and turned away from me. Cyri gratefully handed off the siren to the Valkyrie. She kissed Aqua soundly, earning a little surprised grunt. When she pulled back, I swooped in, pressing my own lips against the siren's. Aqua seemed mollified by the attention, but she scrawled something down on her board, pointing towards one of the buildings below us with flashing strobe lights.

"You're taking me to one of the nightclubs!"

"Of course we will, anything our aquatic mistress demands," I chuckled. Aqua hit me lightly on the shoulder, but she was smiling. A supernaturally enhanced voice interrupted out little moment.

"There's nothing quite like the sight of our city at night," Berith announced, and then stepped a few feet to her side, and I noticed that the floor near the glass was divided into wide rectangular boxes, each outlined by some sort of a divot in the marble that glowed softly. She stepped onto one of the boxes before speaking again. "If you will, please find a spot within one of the outlined areas, and we will begin our descent into the city."

The crowd followed her directions, my group joining Berith's platform at her insistence. When everyone was settled, she traced another symbol in the air, and I felt the ground shift slightly. With a start, the platform began to lower, and we descended through the floor and into the open air. Greenish barriers flickered into place at the sides of the platform.

"Do not be alarmed," Berith shouted, as the eight or so large platforms greeted the open air and monsters shouted in fear. She pressed meaningfully at the green barrier, which did not budge under her touch. "You are perfectly safe."

While her words were encouraging, the vertigo was nevertheless very real. As our platforms lowered farther from the entry hall, it became clear that we had been situated at the top of a sheer cliff, emerging from a mountain looming over the city below. We floated, unattached to the rough cliff-face close to our platforms. Logically, I know I could fly, and I wasn't really in any danger, but still I pressed a little bit closer to the center of the platform. Victoria was unfazed, peering curiously over the edge and Aqua looking around excitedly. I guess that made me the wuss of the trio.

The trip to the ground below took perhaps a minute, but it felt much longer. As we neared a lit platform below, I saw a small group of demons waiting for us. I glanced over to Berith. She had noticed our welcoming party as well, and by the tense grimace on her face, she wasn't pleased. She noticed my glance, and in an instant, her faced smoothed over into her welcoming smile, if perhaps slightly strained.

The platform settled into an indent below us, and the green barrier flickered out. From the waiting demons, a figure strode forward, arms spread. He seemed to be of the bulkier demon variety, with stout, stubby horns and no wings. He was clad in a tightly fitted suit, a crisp smile on his face. He singled me out of the group immediately.

"Mother!" he called out cordially. I heard Berith hiss something below her breath before she interposed herself between me and the newcomer.

"Consul Belial," she spoke back, with a false sincerity that even I could detect. "What an unexpected surprise!"

The demon stopped short of the platform, his smile not moving an inch as his progress towards me was halted. "Berith," he bowed his head slightly to her in greeting. "How could I miss the triumphant return of our dearest mother?"

Berith curtsied lowly. "Of course, brother, I had only thought that the reunion was to be held after she met with grandfather."

The demon's eyes glinted dangerously. "Oh, but it is. The whole family, back in one place again. I only thought it would be proper that mother was escorted directly to the palace by the best of her children."

I could practically hear Berith's teeth grinding together as she replied. "If that is what you think is best, brother." She stepped aside, looking back towards me before calling out to the crowd. "We have the privilege of being joined today by one of the co-rulers of Gomorrah. This is Consul Belial, a King of Hell." Again, the monsters broke out in exclaimed murmurs.

Belial shot me an apologetic smile before he turned towards the crowd, holding up a hand as the clamor died down. "It is my honor to welcome you all to Hell, I'm sure that each and every one of you will find a place among our legions, and lead a much more fulfilling life here as demon or goblin than you ever could as a human. All of the lost children of Lilith are welcome here."

With his brief greeting to the crowd finished, he stepped up to me, holding out a hand. I warily placed mine in his, and he fell to one knee, kissing my proffered hand lightly. "But you need no such introduction, mother. I am at your service, as always." I thought I saw Berith roll her eyes at his words.

I awkwardly winced. "Actually, ah, I'm not your mother. I'm just the poor human that she ended up in." I tapped my forehead meaningfully. "She's stuck up here, asleep right now."

While I expected my words to disappoint the demon, as they had Berith, his smile only grew wider. "A pity, that. I had so much I wanted to discuss with mother. Perhaps another time, when she is feeling more active." He straightened, brushing imaginary dust from the legs of his suit pants. His eyes glanced over my companions, and I saw them tighten as he took in Victoria and Sam's winged forms, but his smile did not crack.

Belial turned back towards Berith. "I will leave you to your duties," he spoke. "Ensure that the Turned are settled with their host legions, and that the humans receive accommodations with the Fourth." He looked back towards me, gesturing towards the waiting group of demons. "I will escort you and your companions to the palace. Lord Lucifer awaits your company."

I exchanged a last look with Berith. I hadn't spent long with the demoness, but she had been a pleasant introduction to this other world, if nothing else. I trusted her no more than I did Belial, but the devil you know, and all that. She bowed her head to me.

"I will find you at the reunion feast, Lilith. It was my pleasure to be the one to return you to your true home."

"I look forward to it."

I stepped off of the platform, my friends trailing behind me, and followed Belial away from the Turned. His fellow demons fell into place around our group, almost as bodyguards, as he led us down a ramp towards a waiting street outside of the platform area. We were at the outskirts of the city, the many lit towers rising up ominously ahead. The streetlights here were twisting pillars of glass, an orb at their tip glowing ethereally with contained blue fire. Their lights fell onto our waiting transportation, and again I felt my eyebrows raise.

Belial was directing us towards a sleek limousine, gleaming white with golden highlights running along its edges. What was unusual, however, was that it had no tires. The entire vehicle hovered about half a foot off of the ground, its underside lit by an eerie blue glow. I heard Sam give a low whistle of appreciation.

One of our guards stepped forward and opened a door, revealing a spacious interior. Belial stepped alongside the door, gesturing inside. "Your chariot, Lilith." I felt a tap on my shoulder, and turned to see Aqua's board held up.

"Yes please," it said, as Aqua pointed happily towards the velvet-lined interior of the vehicle. I rolled my eyes, but stepped into the car. At least someone would enjoy the opulence. I, for one, wasn't particularly impressed. The lavishness of our vehicle wasn't of any interest to me, compared to the method of its levitation. Magic, of course, but I found myself growing curious about what other ways the Seats had modified modern technology with their own advancements.

When everyone had entered the long vehicle, the door closed, and we shot forward smoothly. Rather than follow the roads, the limousine gradually rose into the sky until we were cruising above the varied rooftops, headed towards the lofty interior of the city.

Belial saw me looking speculatively through the windows at the towers ahead. With a discreet push of a button, the top of the vehicle became transparent, and the magnificent sight of the city came into better view.

"Astonishing, isn't it?" he commented, his eyes passing over the cityscape.

"It is," I agreed, facing the demon king. He crossed his legs smartly from his seat across from mine. "Is there a purpose to the chaos of its design?"

He laughed lightly. "Demons are chaotic creatures at heart. We enjoy the freedom of unfettered design and aesthetic." He leaned forward, resting thick forearms on his knees. "Each tower was designed by one of your children, and now each houses the headquarters of their legion." A genuine frown crossed his face for a moment. "Even those whose patron is no longer with us."

I peered back out of the window, taking in the massive structures that grew taller with every moment. There were so many of them, most huddled together in the interior of the city, but others cropping up in the distance and away from the dense center. The ancient demon clearly got around if they equaled the number of her children. I recalled that the Goetia named 72 elite demons. There were easily that many towers spread about the city.

"And which one is yours?"

His broad smile returned, and he pointed towards the city center. I followed his indication towards the tallest spire, a thick modern structure made of steel and glass, not unlike a high-rise in a human city, if only larger in scale.

"Home of the Ninth," Belial said proudly. "You should come visit; my followers would love to meet you in person. Many were born after the Great War, and have never seen the greatest of our species before."

I nodded absentmindedly. Something told me that the 'Great War' he spoke of wasn't referencing the Entente and Central Powers. I wanted to press him for more information on this apparently monumental event that so many had hinted at, but all had refused to give me a straight answer on. However, it seems he had a different conversation in mind.

"Before you meet with Lucifer," he started, sitting back in his seat and steepling his fingers, "there are some things you should be made aware of."

"Which are?" I questioned cautiously.

"After your, ah, untimely demise, all those years ago, Lucifer became...different. Your death broke him, Lilith. Something within the fallen angel cracked, and he's never been the same since." The reverence that I had heard in Berith's voice as she spoke of 'grandfather' was completely absent from Belial's words. He spoke almost derisively, bitterly. "The stern and bold leader we had followed into war became a shadow of himself. He disappeared for years, even decades at a time, and even when he was here, he was...erratic. With you dead and him absent, the rest of us were left to pick up the pieces. I was left to pick up the pieces." He gazed fiercely into my eyes, almost as if he were daring me to explain myself.

"Why...why are you telling me this? I'm sorry, but I'm not..."

"I know you're not her. But she's in there, and perhaps she can hear me. And what I have to say is for both of you." Belial took a deep breath. "Lucifer is not the real power in Hell. He hasn't been for a millennium. He spends his days in solitude, emerging only for wasteful orgies and feasts. He leaves every meaningful decision to me. Perhaps he still remains Consul, but it is a title in name only." He leaned forward again.

"So, when you go in there, remember that he is a figurehead. A prop, for the plebeians to believe in. If you need something, do not trust his promises or the lackeys that still cling to his power. Come to me. Doubtless he would have you lounging about the palace all day in silks, keeping him company like some sad old concubine. I can offer you real power."

I blinked, the intensity of Belial's plea catching me off guard. The rest of the car was the same. Each of my friends looked in surprise at the demon's hunched form (except Draco, of course; the dragon was staring indifferently out of a window). Clearly, I did not have the full story, but I could easily recognize the mess that I had apparently just fallen into. This was politics. I fucking hated politics.

"And what if I would like to spend my days being pampered like a queen? Doesn't sound half-bad to me."

Belial just snorted. "Please. I am an exceedingly good judge of people. My readings remain one of my most common requests from summoners. I can tell that becoming a toy to that broken shell of an angel is the last thing you want." Of course, he was right, damn him. I was surer than ever that the 'madman' who had been the cause of the transformations was none other than Lucifer himself. Interestingly, none of the demons thus far had suggested such a thing, but Belial's characterization of the angel certainly pointed towards the possibility. A broken man with immense power mourning the loss of a loved one? What wouldn't he do to return her?

I indeed had no intention of falling under the influence of such a person, especially if he caused all of these terrible events to occur in the first place. However, that didn't mean I couldn't recognize a blatant power grab when I saw one.

"Perhaps you are correct. I will take your words under consideration," I answered carefully. Something inside me pressed, and I found myself continuing. "But I will not be used as a pawn in your political games either." Belial's eyes sharpened, and he leaned back again.

"I had no such intention, I only..."

"Sought to gain the public support of the mother of all demon-kind as soon as she returns to the fold?" I shook my head. "I don't know what it is you want from me, and I don't know what Lucifer wants either. But as of this moment, I trust neither of you farther than I can throw you. Which I suppose might actually be a considerable distance. But my point remains."

Belial didn't respond, continuing to study me speculatively for a few moments more. When he finally spoke, it was with grudging respect.

"It seems my mother chose a canny host. Your stay with us will be an interesting one, of that I am assured."

With his words, the car began to lower, and I glanced out of the window once more. During his pitch, we had passed into the city center, and towers crowded thickly around us, blocking off almost any sight to the rest of the city from our low flight. We had reached a clearing of sorts, the dense buildings and towers opening into a square of green foliage, lit by more flickering lights along scenic pathways. In its center, rising up on a hill, was an archaic Roman villa. While the building was low, no more than two stories, it was very wide. It must easily hold a hundred rooms around its spacious inner courtyard.

"And with that, our time together has come to an end," Belial spoke as the car lowered to an open space on the path before the villa. One of the other demons opened the limousine door and waited outside. Belial gestured towards the open door, his tense expression returning to the cheerful smile he had held earlier. "I'm sure your host is waiting anxiously for you inside."

I nodded to the demon, and ushered my companions out of the vehicle. When we all stood out on the stone path, I turned around, facing the demon through the open door.

"Thank you for the ride, Consul Belial. As well as your advice."

His grin widened. "Think on what I said, Lilith. We'll speak again soon." With that, his bodyguard returned to the car, the door closing, and the vehicle taking off into the dark sky.

For the first time in what felt like forever, we were alone. Sam, Cyri, Victoria, Aqua, and Draco all stood around me in silence, the sound of the surrounding city muted in this private space. The white walls of the villa rose ahead of us, lights shining out from many of its rooms, but not another figure in sight. For a few moments, we all just looked around, processing our new environment.

Until Sam, of course, broke the silence. "Soooo, that was sketchy as fuck."

"Yeah, no shit." I replied tiredly.

"What exactly did you get us into?" Cyri asked, her massive arms crossed over her barrel chest. "Victoria said there'd be magic beds. I'm getting more of a Game of Thrones vibe. I'd like for the political intrigue to stay on TV, thank you very much." Her analogy was more apt than she knew, given Berith's causally offered incest. I shuddered lightly.

I tried my best to smile encouragingly at the worried faces around me, but I didn't think it was very effective. "Okay, I know this seems a little worrying, but at least we're not in prison anymore, right? I mean, look at this place!" I waved a hand vaguely in the direction of the neon city all around us. "This is worth at least a few plotting demons, right?"

"That remainsss to be ssseen." Draco muttered. I sighed in response, dragging a hand down my face and looking pensively at the open gates of the villa.

"It's too late to back out now," I spoke at last. "I don't care what it takes, I'd trade away my soul for a warm bed and a full night of sleep right now."

Aqua's eyebrows shot up and she quickly scrawled something on her board. "Please don't sell your soul! It's your fourth best feature!" I rolled my eyes, and rubbed away the writing on her board with a thumb.

"Funny. A fair response to my own sad attempt at a joke, though." I looked around to the rest of them. Political quagmire or not, we were still together. Mostly. That had to mean something. I took in a deep breath.