The safest place to speak to him about this, coincidently, would be Hell. Yahweh was all-seeing, but He couldn’t seem to see what happened under Lilith’s roof.
I jerked my head at him and led him to the pearly gates. He followed me without question, shooting a dark look over his shoulder on our way out.
I led him far enough down the path to Hell that I was sure we wouldn’t be overheard. However, I stopped before we crossed the border. He was not permitted to cross into Hell, and if he decided not to come with me, I did not want to damn him.
“Okay, tell me. What’s up?” Shem asked, his green eyes flashing with a dark sort of excitement. I bit my lip but couldn’t stop myself from grinning. The rebellion Lilith had stirred inside me was raising its ugly head, and Ilikedit.
“I cannot serve Yahweh anymore.” I watched Shemhazai’s face carefully, interested to see how he would react.
At first, he did nothing. He froze in place and searched my face. Then, just as I had hoped, a deadly smile curled across his mouth.
“That is the most interesting thing you have ever said to me, Ramel, and you’ve said some fuckinginterestingshit lately.”
I laughed and shook my head. I loved how Shem spoke. It had been difficult not to let it rub off on me when we had been in Heaven. It occurred to me thatthere would be no need for me to monitor the way I spoke in Hell. Lilith would love me no matter what I said or did.
“If not Yahweh, who will you serve?” he asked.
I didn’t hesitate. “Lilith.”
Shem’s eyebrows rose into his hairline, and he cocked his head to the side. “I was not expecting you to say that,” he murmured. He tossed a look over his shoulder, back the way he came. I waited a moment as he seemed to be making some sort of decision in his head. Finally, he turned back to me.
“Take me to meet her. If she impresses me, I will back your petition to leave Yahweh. Fuck, maybe I’ll come with you.” He winked at me, and I smiled.
“I was hoping you would say that.”
I took my friend’s hand and led him down the road to Hell, ignoring the fact that I no longer cared if it were paved with good intentions.
Alexa, play ‘V.A.N’ by Bad Omens
Year: 3663 BC
“Cats choose us; we don’t own them.”
—KRISTIN CAST
Shem grew quiet as I led him deeper into Hell. His amused expression turned pensive, and I watched with glee as his wide eyes drank in the starry sky and the endless sea of black. He didn’t comment, but I could tell he was enthralled.
Lilith didn’t come to greet us, and I knew she would be waiting where I had left her. I was sure she was still relaxing and enjoying the afterglow of the time we had spent together.
Shem quietly took in the manor and slid his hands into his pockets as I led him to Lilith’s bedroom. Swinging the door open, I gestured for him to go inside before following him in.
Lilith rolled over in the midnight bedsheets, barely covered in an ebony robe made of silk. They stared at each other in silence for a long moment, and I watched as Shem’s eyes slid over her body, taking in the way the silk peaked over her nipples and her subtle, exposedcleavage.
Lilith slipped out of bed, tightening her robe around her as she swayed toward us. A muscle in Shem’s jaw pulsed as she moved forward, her eyes never leaving his face. She smiled, and a zip of pleasure shot through my heart at the sight of it.
“Hello, you must be Shem,” she said softly. He looked her up and down and cocked his head to the side in consideration. She began to circle him, and he moved with her, always keeping her in his line of sight.
I was enjoying watching them feel each other out. Shem was much more guarded than I was. He had more life experience and knew how dangerous Lilith might be, but the way they circled each other didn’t necessarily feelhostile;it felt more like a game.
“Ramel has said wonderful things about you, Shemhazai,” Lilith purred, and the corner of Shem’s mouth twitched. He glanced at me, then back to Lilith. She slid closer to him, and he allowed it.
“He says that you are also a disciple of Yahweh,” she continued, taking another smooth step closer. Lilith made no sudden movements as if she were approaching a wild animal. Shem tensed but still did not back away. He gave her a slow, even nod, his green eyes shining with excitement. I, too, was on the edge of my seat. I never knew what to expect with Lilith, and the air was filled with anticipation. I wanted to see what she might do.
Slowly, she reached out and laid her fingers on Shem’s cheek. I watched as the skin on his neck turned to gooseflesh, and my mouth began to water.
They both stood completely still for a long moment and then Shem minutely pressed his head into her palm, accepting her touch. She smiled and ran her fingers into his hair, rubbing his scalp gently just over his ear. He shut his eyes and shuddered with pleasure beneath the methodical rub of her gentle hands.
“Why would Yahweh trap such a stealthy predator in the feathered body of something that so closely resembles prey?” she asked, her voice barely a whisper. Shem’s eyes shot open, and I watched his pupils dilate at her words.
