Lilith, page 8
He stretched his neck, banishing the thoughts from his mind. She was immortal, for fuck’s sake. He refused to get involved with someone who would outlive him for millennia. She’d said that problem had an easy fix, but there was no way in all of Purgatory he’d let her turn him. His cousin Sam had fallen in love with a vampire a decade ago. When she turned him, Sam had lost his owl. A piece of his soul had died with his transformation, and he hadn’t been the same since. The thought of losing that much of himself made Spencer want to vomit. No way was he giving up his owl for Lilith…for anyone.
He had never replied to her speed dating statement, and a full twenty-four hours passed before he heard from her again.
Lilith: Where are you headed next? Somewhere exciting?
That was another reason he needed to squelch the emotions his owl was forcing on him. Lilith wasn’t interested in him. She was after excitement so she could heal her familiar. Spencer was simply a means to an end.
Still, he’d been compelled to confide in her.
Spencer: We might not be heading anywhere. The execs have called a conference, and I have a feeling they might be canceling the show.
Lilith: That’s awful. Is there anything I can do to help?
Spencer: Glamour the execs and everyone watching the program to make them think it’s the best show on TV.
He grinned as he remembered how long the three little dots had bounced on the screen. Way longer than it should have taken for her to type four words.
Lilith: I can do that.
Spencer: I’m kidding. Please don’t.
Lilith: Let me know if you change your mind.
“What are you grinning about?” Alan’s voice pulled Spencer from his thoughts.
He shoved his phone into his pocket. “Just something Lilith said last night.”
“Lilith?” Rebecca’s face lit up. “You didn’t tell us you were seeing her. How’s that going?”
“We aren’t seeing each other. We’re just talking. Well, texting.”
Alan laughed. “What are you? Seventeen? We aren’t dating, we’re talking,” he said in a ridiculous voice. “What are you ‘talking’ about?” He made air quotes.
Spencer rolled his eyes. “Forget it.”
“No, we want to know,” Rebecca said. “Do you like her?”
He wasn’t about to explain the conflicted emotions undulating in his psyche. Of course, while his friends, being shifters themselves, would be the most likely to understand the man versus beast dilemma, neither of them had ever met someone whom their animal wanted to claim.
“She offered to glamour everyone at the network to make them think ours was the best show they’ve got.”
Alan’s brows shot up. “That’s not a bad idea.”
“It’s unethical.” Spencer shook his head.
“And icky,” Rebecca added. “That’s the only thing that bothers me about vampires. How they can make people see things and forget what happened.”
Alan closed his laptop. “You didn’t seem to mind when Lilith gave us useable evidence for the show.”
“That was different. She saved our asses. Plus, I sense good vibes from her. She seems like a friendly, sincere woman.”
“Of course she seems that way to you,” Alan said. “Isn’t she the protector of womankind or something like that?”
Spencer’s phone buzzed in his pocket, and, almost as if Lilith had sensed them talking about her, a text lit up his screen: How did the meeting go?
He stood and stepped into the hallway while Alan and Rebecca continued their debate about vampires.
Spencer: Not as bad as I thought. They’re giving us one more chance to produce some evidence.
Lilith: That’s good news.
Spencer: It’ll be difficult to avoid crossing the line and exposing someone while still showing enough to make the network happy.
Lilith: Hang tight. I might have an idea.
Spencer: It’s fine. We’ll figure something out. I was kidding when I suggested you glamour them.
Lilith: This won’t involve any glamour. I promise.
CHAPTER 9
“Are you sure this is the right way to go?” Lilith stared at her phone lying on the table and ran her tongue over a fang. She’d asked her friends to meet her at the local coffee shop. “It seems like it would be a lot simpler if I told him we were soulmates. He would accept it eventually, just as I will.” Maybe. She still had a hard time believing that, after all these millennia, fate would create a life partner who refused to date vampires for the cursed Queen of the Night.
But her friends could be quite convincing.
“Absolutely not.” Aphrodite looked at her as if she’d grown a second set of fangs. “You are not, under any circumstances, to tell him that.”
“Listen to her, Lil,” Eve said. “The Goddess of Love knows what she’s talking about.”
Lilith huffed. “Back me up, Dee. Don’t you think…”
Deirdre shook her head adamantly. “If Azrael had told me we were soulmates from the get-go, I’d have turned tail and hauled my undead ass back to New Orleans. He has to figure it out on his own, or it will never work.”
“I’ve never believed in soulmates, and it’s crap like this that makes me skeptical still. Why all the games?”
Aphrodite gave her a sympathetic look. “Because hearts are delicate, especially ones that have been broken before.”
Surely she was talking about Spencer’s heart. His ex-fiancée had been wicked to him. Of course, Adam kicking Lilith out of Eden and having her cursed for all eternity wasn’t exactly kind either. Yes, her heart had been broken too, but the scars had hardened it into a block of stone encased in ice and barbed wire. Lilith was anything but delicate.
Anyway, the Goddess of Love was perpetually single, so how could she be the authority on relationships? And Eve…her luck with the man she was made for didn’t last much longer than Lilith’s. Neither of them had ever experienced the mysterious happily ever after they claimed to help people achieve.
With Esther’s life at stake, Lilith had removed the barbed wire from her heart, and in the short time she’d known Spencer, he’d managed to thaw a few layers of ice. But happily ever after? She looked at Deirdre. “Is it worth the hassle?”
“Down to the last drop.”
Aphrodite rested a hand on Lilith’s. “He is your soulmate. I feel it in my blood.”
Who was Lilith to argue with blood? “Will you come with me to talk to Lucifer? I don’t think he’s going to like my idea.”
“He’ll despise it.” Aphrodite grinned wickedly. “But I’m sure we can convince him. I’ll meet you at the palace in ten.”
Lilith stopped by her house on the way to Lucifer’s castle. Esther lifted her head when she offered her a freeze-dried mouse, but the snake’s coloring was still yellowish white.
“I’m trying my best, my sweet, sweet danger noodle.” She stroked her familiar’s smooth scales, and Esther thankfully ate her dinner. Lilith couldn’t be sure if it was the excitement of what she was about to offer Spencer or if it was the man himself making her sluggish pulse thrum, but Esther was moving and eating, so she was on the right track.
“Come, Percival.” Lilith stepped out the front door, and her crow flew ahead of her toward Lucifer’s palace.
The ruler of the Underworld sat behind a massive dark wood desk in his office. His elbows rested on the arms of a high-backed leather chair, and he steepled his fingers as she knocked on the open door. “Come in, Lilith. Aphrodite said you have a proposition for me.”
The Goddess of Love sat in one of two black leather chairs facing his desk, and Lilith sank into the other one.
“What can I do for you?” he asked.
Lilith cleared her throat. “I’ve been around almost as long as you have.”
He huffed an incredulous laugh. “Not quite.”
She straightened her spine. “Anyway…”
Aphrodite gave her an encouraging nod.
“I’ve been all over the world, lived through nearly every century, and I have connections with some very old beings topside. People who were around back when humans believed in magic.”
“I am aware.” He made a circular motion with his hand, urging her to hurry it up.
“I met a man, an owl shifter, who’s part of an adventure show called The Hunt for Cryptids. His show is about to get canceled, and…” She pressed her lips together and glanced at Aphrodite, who patted her shoulder and whispered, “Get to the point.”
Lilith nodded. “I’d like permission to take him to some of my contacts and to film evidence that magic used to exist, or at least that people fully believed it did.”
Lucifer scowled. “You want to expose the topside supes on television?”
“Not expose them. I simply want to show them signs that supes could possibly exist. Spencer and his friends are all supes themselves. They would never actually reveal anyone’s magic.”
“Magic is kept secret for a reason.” He grabbed a pen and a pad of paper. “You said his name is Spencer? Who else works on this show? I’m putting an end to it.”
“Lucifer, no.” Lilith’s chest turned into a trampoline for her heart, which bounced a few times before getting stuck in her throat. Why did she listen to Aphrodite? She should have just done it and dealt with the consequences later. Lucifer wasn’t even aware of the show until she opened her big mouth.
“I swear they’re not causing any harm. They interview people who believe in cryptids, and then they film themselves trying to find them. The show’s host is a sasquatch, and you know those are the most elusive beings of all. I just want to help them out so they don’t lose their jobs.”
“They can find employment elsewhere.” Lucifer set his pen down.
“Spencer can’t. It’s a long story, Luce, but I need to help him. Esther’s life depends on it.”
Lucifer cocked his head and looked at Aphrodite before focusing on Lilith. “Your snake’s condition has improved since you met this man?”
“He’s her soulmate.” Aphrodite crossed her legs, clasping her hands on her knee.
Lucifer let out a deep belly laugh. “You should have led with that. I couldn’t for the life of me ascertain why you’d be so intent on aiding a simple shifter. An owl at that.”
Lilith ground her teeth. There was nothing simple about Spencer, and his owl was the most beautiful animal she’d ever seen. “It’s been a hard fact for me to swallow as well, but I can’t deny the urge to help him.”
“Why doesn’t he move to Purgatory with you? Your soulmate won’t need employment, just as you don’t.”
She grimaced. “He doesn’t know it yet. He’s fighting the pull, and this is the only way I can get close to him.”
He steepled his fingers again. “I see. And which of your contacts do you plan to start with?”
“I want to take them to Andrei.” A man she’d turned centuries ago, her old friend lived in a delightfully gothic castle in Romania. Perfect for their show.
Lucifer laughed so hard he nearly busted a gut. Tears welled in his eyes as his body rocked with amusement, and he wiped them away before they could fall. “You want to take your soon-to-be lover to your old lover’s home? Dear Lilith, I’m not sure you’ve thought this through.”
She’d considered that when the idea first formed, but they needed something big to keep their show on the air, and Andrei could provide it.
“Very well. You have my blessing.” Lucifer waved a hand, dismissing her. “Don’t screw this up.”
Her jaw tightened. “I won’t.”
“Actually, if you can fail in grand proportions akin to the apple debacle, you may screw up all you like. It’s been a while since I’ve been blamed for epic debauchery on Earth.”
Lilith rose, narrowing her eyes. “Thanks for your permission.”
CHAPTER 10
This was a bad idea. Spencer sat in his car, clutching the steering wheel with one hand and fisting the other on the console. If Alan hadn’t been looking over his shoulder when Lilith’s text came through, he could have told her no thanks and been done with her.
Instead, Alan had grabbed his arm and said, “Tell her we’ll be there.”
Texting with Lilith was one thing. A distant thing. When the warm fuzzies started expanding in his chest, he could put his phone down, walk away, and distract himself from the unwelcome emotions. Seeing her face to face again would be an exercise in willpower he wasn’t sure he could sustain.
He inhaled deeply, trying to calm his racing heart, but the damn thing felt like it had grown hummingbird wings. He checked his hair in the rearview mirror, got out of the car, and paced toward DeLux Café.
Alan and Rebecca met him at the door, but he couldn’t make himself step inside. Now, in addition to the rapid flapping inside his chest, a swarm of angry wasps had taken flight in his stomach. He froze at the entrance, turning on his heel, and Alan slammed into him, making him stumble.
Spencer stepped aside and gestured for them to enter. “You guys go talk to her. I’ll wait in the car.”
Rebecca flashed a knowing smile. “She wants to talk to you.”
And therein lay the problem. She’d been texting him all week, asking him questions about himself, showing interest in him, disarming him. He had to keep reminding himself her interest was fabricated. She wanted to go on another expedition, and that was what this meeting was about.
“She’s using me.”
Rebecca rolled her eyes. “She’s helping you.”
“Her familiar is sick, and she thinks going on an expedition with us will be exciting enough to save her.”
“Men can be so dense.” Rebecca palmed his shoulder. “She’s a powerful immortal who can do anything she wants. The possibilities for her to find excitement are endless, yet she’s choosing you. She likes you. Now, wipe the crud out of your eyes and see her for what she really is.”
“We have to hear her out,” Alan said. “I don’t think another Bigfoot sighting is going to be enough to save our show.”
Spencer gazed across the horizon. The sun setting behind the buildings painted the sky in shades of deep pink and purple. A car horn blared from the intersection a block over, and a couple stepped around him to enter the café.
It would be fine. Hear what she had to say and leave. He was a big boy; he could manage that.
“All right. Let’s do this.” He crossed the threshold and made his way toward the stairs.
His friends followed him down the flight and through the thick, red velvet curtain. He’d never set foot in the Underworld before; most people hadn’t unless they came to this café. The average topside-dwelling supe couldn’t find the entrances to Purgatory, and that was by design. They couldn’t have any old being wandering in willy nilly.
He spotted Lilith at a booth along the far wall, and his breath caught. Her long red hair flowed in thick waves over her shoulders, and her pale, flawless skin reminded him of porcelain—fragile, which he was certain Lilith was not.
The hummingbird sensation in his chest settled as his owl took notice of her, and his feet carried him toward her before his mind realized he was moving. He stopped at the table, letting his gaze wander over her form. She wore a black silk dress with thin straps and a matching choker around her neck. When his gaze met hers, her eyes brightened with her smile.
“Good afternoon, Spencer.”
His name on her plump, pink lips turned his skin to gooseflesh.
“Hi, Lilith.” Her name tasted like honey on his tongue. Oh, hell. Whatever her intention with this meeting, he couldn’t deny the attraction. Against his better judgment, he slid onto the seat next to her while Alan and Rebecca took the one across from them.
She held his gaze for a moment before turning to his friends. “Thank you for meeting with me.”
“We can’t wait to hear your idea.” Alan leaned his arms on the table. “I’m sure Spencer told you our show is in trouble.”
“Yes, he did, and I think I can help.”
“Wait.” Spencer cocked his head. “How are you even here with the sun still up? I thought most vampires were dead to the world during daylight hours.”
She smiled slyly. “I’m not most vampires.”
No kidding. She wasn’t even most women. She was gorgeous, smart, and sexy, and she smelled of mint and lavender. Delicious.
“There is no daylight in Purgatory, so I can be awake—and sleep—whenever I choose. It’s one of the many perks of living in Lucifer’s lair.”
“What’s it like being in the dark all the time?” Rebecca asked. “How do you keep your body regulated? I think I’d go crazy.”
“It isn’t dark all the time. Lucifer controls the ‘skies’ and creates the seasons for us. Purgatory has become quite pleasant since he found his soulmate. We have roads and shops much like you have up top.”
“I’d love to see it.” Rebecca rested her forearms on the table, leaning forward. It appeared Lilith’s magnetic effect wasn’t reserved for Spencer.
“Perhaps I can give you all a tour sometime.”
“That would be amazing.” Rebecca bit her lip. “One more question, and then we can get down to business.”
Lilith glanced at Spencer, her gaze dipping to his mouth before she returned her attention to Rebecca. “Shoot.”
“You said you’re not like most vampires, so would you burn in the sun? Is that part of your curse?”
“That was two questions.” Alan playfully elbowed Rebecca.
“Sorry. I’ve got a million more.”
Lilith pressed her lips together, amusement dancing in her blue eyes. “I’m happy to answer them all. It’s been a long time since I’ve met anyone new.” Again she glanced at Spencer, and his throat felt like he’d swallowed a massive cotton ball.
“Sunlight does not affect me the way it does other vampires, and yes, it’s part of my curse. I lose my power when exposed to the sun; I get fatigued, but that is the extent of the effect.”
