Chapter 4 - Choices
LilithI walked into Teivel's bakery, a tiny little shop owned by the Johnsons. I kept glancing behind me at every turn I made after meeting that man who had all my instincts telling me to run in the opposite direction.I was so lost in my need to escape that I didn't even get his name. I had no idea who he was, but he knew who I was, and somehow I knew that wasn't a good thing. Maybe it was in the way he presented himself, or perhaps it was the way he looked at me like I was his next meal. But I just knew that if I saw him again, there would be trouble. The kind of trouble I wasn't sure I was ready for.As I pulled open the bakery doors, my fingers traced the card in my pocket, the tiny piece of paper now posing as a diminutive form of temptation. The smell of freshly baked bread and cookies filled the air, and I felt my stomach loosen a little.This was one of my safe places as a kid. It was also the business my best friend's parents owned. I let the familiar smells relax me as the store's warmth warmed up my chilled skin.I instantly spotted Kylie behind the counter. Her cheeks were rosy, and her smile brightened as she greeted the next customer in line. Her Strawberry blonde hair was pulled back in a high ponytail, but somehow it was still spotted with flour matching her apron. Kylie and I were polar opposites, with her bright personality against my dark and gloomy one, but somehow we worked.Kylie was probably only one of the only people in this small town who understood why I hated it here; she saw the dark side of Eve and her little posey more times than not.I hadn't told her I was coming; I hadn't even decided that I was coming myself until I was sitting on the train. This town brought back terrible memories, memories I wished I never had to relive ever again."Lilith Porter, my golly, call the news, for we have ourselves a miracle." Kylie practically shrieked as she spotted me and ran around the counter just as the customer left the store. I gave her a tentative smile as I braced myself for her hug.The sweet smell of baked goods enveloped me as she pulled me into a tight squeeze. I let out a weak laugh as I hugged her back."I can't believe you came. I mean," she paused, looking around before she moved closer to whisper in my ear."I know how much you hated Eve. So how are you doing? How are you holding up?" She asked me as she ushered me to the back where her mom and a few other employees were working."I'm fine," I answer, just before her mother greeted me in a similar fashion to her daughter.
"Lilith, good to see you again. I'm so sorry for your loss. I still can't believe our sweet Eve is gone. And that some monster is still out there walking free after what they did." Mrs.Johnson cried as she pulled me into a hug. I gave her a forced smile."Thank you. I'm sure they'll find whoever did it." I muttered. She nodded."I saw her that night she passed, you know. I was in the clinic with a bad head cold. She seemed on edge that night, rushing to get out of there. She looked like she was exhausted, too, with dark circles under her eyes and whatnot. It just makes me wonder if maybe I was feeling better, I could have offered her a ride home, and all of this could have been avoided. She would never have gone to Jenny's house and caught the murderer in the act, and they wouldn't have-""Mom." Kylie hissed, cutting her off. Mrs. Johnson placed her hand over her mouth and shook her head."I am so sorry, Lilith. I didn't mean to say all that. How rude of me, Kylie, take her upstairs. You two take as long as you need. I'll take care of the counter until you're done catching up.""Thank you, Mrs.Johnson," I muttered before turning to follow Kylie into her apartment."Sorry about that, shes been a rambling mess lately. Business has been booming since the Panic room opened up shop just outside of town. She and dad have been working double time to keep up with orders." My stomach turned at the sound of that name, and the card in my pocket suddenly felt a lot heavier."So you've been to the Panic room, then? Have you met the owners?" I asked as I took off my jacket."Not me personally, but my dad has. He said the place was crazy. Every room has a theme. There is a Casino and a dance club, and people from the city constantly come and go. It's been pumping up the town's morale too. More shoppers, more business. As for the owners, theyre all brothers. I know that much. However, there are rumours about how good-looking they all are. Some even joke about how they must be angels because of how beautiful they are. It's a sin really that I haven't been able to go and find out if the rumours are true for myself, though," Kylie rambled on as she opened her fridge and pulled out two water bottles, handing me one."My dad has only ever dealt with Gideon. He's the brother who manages the food that goes in and out of place. The other brothers all kind of keep to their own parts of the business. I've always wanted to go to the Panic room, but I've been too scared to go by myself." She giggled. Her smile faded, though, as she looked at me."Why do you ask, anyway?" I shrugged, taking a sip of my water. I debated telling her about my encounter with one of the brothers, but if I were to tell anyone, it would be her. So I decided to bite the bullet and tell her everything, diving into all the details of my awkward and uncomfortable encounter with of the brothers.She stared at me wide-eyed after I had finished telling her everything."We have to go," Kylie said excitedly, and I shook my head."Did you not hear anything I just told you? What part of our interaction makes you think I would ever want to see him again? He freaked me out, Ky." Kylie rolled her eyes at me."Lil, you are miserable here. Look at you; you hate that you're home. Let's just have some fun with it. You need to let loose, and the Panic room is the perfect spot for it. The chances of running into him there are slim anyways. It's a huge place, from what I've been told, and the brothers are in the city more times than not. We can just go in, check the place out, and then we can leave." I chewed on my lower lip, I didn't really want to go to this place and chance running into that guy again, but I also didn't want to go back home and have to listen to everyone go on and on about how great Eve was.'What could go wrong?' That little voice encouraged me in the back of my head once again. I sighed, and Kylie's blue eyes lit up in triumph.I seriously had a death wish when it came to ignoring my gut, but Kylie did have a point, and if what she said was true, the chances of me running into that guy again were slim, especially with all the city people who would be there."Fine, we can go, but I still have to return to the house and get ready.""Ahh, I can't wait. It's going to be worth it, Lil. I promise." We talked a bit more before deciding it was time I headed back to the house, and Kylie practically ran me out of her apartment at that, making our way through the bakery. Her mother shouted goodbye as I left, giving me a box of cookies to take home."I'll be outside your house by ten. Make sure to wear something cute." I rolled my eyes, forcing myself to swallow the lump in my throat as the anxiety of what was to come set in."See you then." Kylie gave me one more big hug before stepping back into the bakery and leaving me outside in the chill of the fall air, alone, and with my stupid thoughts once again.Chapter 5 - Panic RoomLilith"You can't be serious. Even on the day, we're supposed to be mourning the loss of your sister, you insist on going out to party. You haven't changed at all." My mother cried out as she took in my short black dress, fishnet stockings, and black doc martens. I had even curled my hair and put on a bit of makeup, not too much because it wasn't me, but enough to please Kylie. I planned to tell them I was tired and going to bed early, but that was quickly derailed when my mom walked into my room to check in on me. Instead of finding me in bed sleeping, she caught me with one leg out the window dawned in my jacket and shoes. It was sad that I, a twenty-one-year-old woman, had to sneak out of her parent's house like a sixteen-year-old sneaking off to see her boyfriend. Not that I ever did that; the boys here only wanted one thing from me: information on how to get with my sister. "I don't see how me going out at this hour means that I didn't mourn Eve. I have
Chapter 6 - Danger Lilith Kylie and I both exchanged nervous glances. The man stood patiently as we both silently decided whether this was a good idea. I bit the inside of my cheek as Kylie shrugged her shoulders. "We're already here." She moved toward the door, only stopping when she noticed I hadn't followed. The sin of a man kept his eyes on me, sending a shiver up my spine that made my skin pebble. "You leave to go back to school tomorrow, Lil. So let's make tonight a night you won't ever forget." Kylie said, a small plea to her voice as she gave me her best puppy dog eyes. The tiny little voice in my head was silent, making me face this decision alone. My eyes shifted from Kylie to the guy standing at the door. I let out a sigh, giving a stiff nod. "Alright, but just remember I have to be back by three, or my dad will send out the brigade in search of me." Kylie laughed, her shoulder shaking. "I promise you, just a few hours, and then we will go home." I stepped beside Kyl
Chapter 7 - PridePerseus I had already seen Lilith once today when Lucifer had stopped her on the sidewalk, too curious for his own good to keep his distance from such a beautiful and familiar face; Lilith's beauty was what had enraptured us the first time we came across the goddess of chaos and destruction. But this Lilith looked even more, captivating up close than the Lilith we once knew. She was almost a spitting image of the snake who almost ruined me. If it weren't for the missing beauty mark on her upper lip, I would have thought it was Lilith herself. Though we all knew it wasn't possible, not after what we did to her once Lucifer ripped out her heart all those centuries ago, it still stuck a cord to see this woman before me. Ripping out female hearts had actually become Lucifer's preferred method of killing when he was through with one of his play toys. Lucifer, who always seemed to lust after emotionally unavailable females, was a savage son of a bitch compared to the r
Chapter 8 - Sore Loser LilithI felt like I was in a lucid dream; maybe it was from all the alcohol I consumed or from the lack of sleep I got while being here, but I swore I felt magic in the air. It felt like static electricity as it brushed against my skin, making my hairs stand on end. The carnival music filled my ears, and as we stepped through the red curtains, I had to pinch myself to make sure it was all real. All sorts of games were laid out before us, from bottle toss to fishing for ducks. It wasn't at all what I was expecting, especially not when Perseus had said that this room was the best. I had my doubts, but as I looked over at the ring toss, one of my all-time favourite games, I had to give him this. Pride was on the top of the list as over-the-top and most exciting. My blood was practically vibrating with excitement until Persues looked at me with those blue eyes, eyes that seemed to be made up of sins, and a glint of excitement flashed across them. Maybe I was na
Chapter 9 - Twilight Zone LilithSamuel reached out for my wrist, gripping it tightly so he didn't lose me to the crowd that swarmed us when we exited the tunnel leading out of the room of Pride. I didn't fight him as he weaved us through the sweat-covered bodies; all seemed lost to the music. I hadn't noticed it before, but as I took in the expressions of the people we passed, many of them looked like they were seconds away from passing out from exhaustion. Their skin was so pale, and their movements were sluggish. I swore I saw blood staining one woman's toes as she danced, which could only have happened if she had been stuck in her high heels for days without rest. A body bumped into me, and I was forced to look away from the strange people, moving around the person who was clearly so lost in whatever drugs or alcohol they had been consuming to even notice our encounter. "Where's Kylie?" I shouted over the music. Nothing sounded the same as it did before my head hurt, and I co
Chapter 10 - Deja Vu Lucifer "You idiots," I growled as I stormed into my office. Five of my brothers were seated in front of my desk. The sixth one, Winston, was nowhere to be seen. Typical of the hot-headed asshat. Though, in hindsight, it was better that he wasn't here. Another Lilith related had him rolling with anger, and the chaos he made in his wake wasn't worth the headache right now, not after what had happened last night.I reached my chair, rolling toward my desk and resting my elbows on the surface. The cherry oak table top was handcrafted for me as a form of bribery by one of the souls who was hoping to reduce their sentence. I gladly took the desk and then added an extra three centuries to his five-hundred-century conviction for trying to bribe me into letting him go early.It always brought me great joy to see the hope fade from my victim's eyes. Because of that loss of hope, I had given my brothers strict orders to leave Lilith alone until I returned from my trip. Ev
Chapter 11 - Obsession Lilith I lay on my bed staring up at the ceiling, the dome-shaped chandelier casting shadows on my walls. The sound of people talking and light music had now faded to nothing, the funeral reception ending just over a couple of hours ago. My cheeks now aching from the constant smile I had to force on my face whenever someone came to speak to me. Even though the day went smoother than I had hoped, I couldn't shake the feeling that the nightmare from last night wasn't actually a nightmare. Too many things didn't add up, like how I knew who Lucifer was even though I had never met him before or how I constantly felt like someone was watching me. I also couldn't shake the annoying sense of Deja vu that had rooted itself in the back of my mind. As time slowly ticked on, I found myself questioning more and more things. And all the answers pointed back to the one thing I dreaded more than anything: that once I closed my eyes and fell asleep, I would wake up to relive
Chapter 12 - PreyLilith My stomach turned, my blood running cold, as sweat beaded down the back of my neck. I sprung from my bed, my hand covering my mouth as I ripped open my door, barely dodging my dad as I made a beeline for the bathroom. The door slammed behind me, and I slipped up the toilet seat, throwing up whatever was left in my stomach from the night before. The world felt like it was spinning on its axis as I continued to dry heave. I pushed off the toilet, my back pressing against the cold wall as I slid to the floor. I tuned out my father as he banged on the door, demanding I answer him. His voice was laced with concern, but I was too disoriented to answer.How was this happening?How was I here again?I had to leave, get out of Teivel as fast as possible. Though a small part of me wanted to laugh at the thought that this was another trick planned by Eve like she was still somehow fucking with me from the afterlife. My mind was filled with the images of Perseus with