Lilim Tales - Part 4 (Conclusion)

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Lilim Tales - Part 4 (Conclusion)
by Armond
 
 

In the conclusion to the tale, Cassandra's friends gather to try to rescue her from Luna, while Cassie learns what her fate will be as the lilim's Second Turn Srryn.
 

   

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Lilim Tales - Part 4 (Conclusion)
by Armond

14.

Silence reigned inside Meredith's Lexus as it weaved through the early morning traffic.

Minutes before, she, Maya and Emilie had been screaming about whether they should go to the police with their suspicions about Luna; Emilie voted ‘yeah’, but the older women overruled her.

So after Meredith pulled into the 'Pie In The Sky' Bakery, and spent 15 long minutes picking up a special order, it was hard to tell if Emilie or Maya looked more stunned.

“And why, on this demon intervention mission, was it critical for us to stop at a bakery, Meredith?” Maya said.

“Open the box and read,” Meredith said. After seeing their expressions, she added, “no really, I'm not losing it. Open it.”

Emilie popped open the cake box. “'Happy Birthday Luna.' It's Ms. Longaine's birthday?”

“What? No! Or,” Meredith paused, “I suppose it could be. Look, we've got to get by their security guard, and I think this will do the trick.”

Maya picked the thought up. “Because, he or she-”

“He. His name is Robert-”

“Because Bob knows you, and if this is a surprise birthday visit, he'll …let us go on up without alerting Ms. Longaine?”

“Got it in one,” said Meredith; she was proud of her little brainstorm. “That's the Beckindorf Tower ahead. When we get inside, let me do the talking with Bob; I've been buttering him up for years.”

“Are you sure we are ready for this? If what we suspect is true, we are about to confront inhuman night creatures, and accuse them of kidnapping and ...changing Cody into Cassie,” Maya said. “And we're armed with a Birthday Cake.”

'She has a point,' Meredith thought. 'Maybe this would be an excellent time to tell them about the loaded Smith & Wesson J-Frame revolver in my purse.'
 
 

~o~O~o~

 
When Jayden announced -Bruce Wayne like- that 'we must adjourn to the computer room to consult the data bases', Cassandra figured they were headed to a small study she hadn’t seen. Where she expected to find something unusual; they were lilim, after all, so maybe they used Linux instead of PC or Mac?

Turns out, her Batcave thought was closer to the truth.

Jayden and Luna led her to a secret windowless chamber, two levels below their penthouse. The room was bathed in greenish light; in the center stood five glowing skull sized crystals positioned in a star pattern on black marble pedestals.

The crystals, Jayden explained, were ultra advanced versions of the quantum computers humans were starting to develop. When she asked where the screen was, he said the information was transmitted directly to their minds.

“I've consulted our data bases, and our srryn's condition matches the definition of a srryn-ba.” Jayden was giddy. “This will make an excellent report for the Gathering this year!”

"Dammit, Jayden, Cassie is not a research paper!" Luna's voice drifted into screeching range.

"What does it mean ...to be a srryn-ba?" Cassandra failed to keep the tremor from her voice.

What am I now?

"You took Lori's life energy into you, and so she lives,” Luna said, putting her hands on Cassandra's shoulders. “Let me find out more for you.”

When Luna closed her eyes, the skulls crystals glowed bright green.

"I see …after her Turn, the first srryn's energy is weak, and she will lay dormant for the majority of the second Turn. But your 'energies' will grow together and strengthen, so rather than dissipating at the end of your Turn, you and Lori will merge to form a new srryn, and live through our last Turn!"

The continuous barrage of impossibilities that had flooded her the past days pushed Cassandra's mind to the saturation point. Another being shared her body? Should she be screaming? In terror? In joy?

What the fuck am I?

All she knew for certain was Luna's black lilim eyes brimmed with rapturous fire.

Her elation ...her ecstasy ...is to see her Lori.

The world they shared, the life they built, the one hundred year love story of Lori and Luna she had read in the journal bubbled back into her mind, and she wondered,

Could Luna ever look this way for me? Why would she?

“Look!” Jayden's 'kid with a new toy' tone snapped Cassandra attention back. “The archives say a procedure exists which allows us to speak with Lori through Cassie, if she's willing.”

“Will it …hurt?” Cassandra asked.

Luna concentrated, gathering more data from the crystals, then shook her head.

“No, darling. It will seem as though you sleep for a time. Will you …will you do this?”

Cassandra heard the unsaid 'for me,' and felt the purest longing pour from her lilim. She felt petty, she knew it was wrong, but Cassandra was jealous.

To be loved by someone so much, the way Luna loves her Lori, what would that be like? What have I ever done to deserve such grace?

Still, should she agree? To give over control of her body to some other being. The thought terrified her. She would say no. She wanted to say never! But ...this was her lilim asking, begging her for this.

“We must postpone the experiment,” Jayden said, eyes closed. “Because we have unexpected visitors above.”

Luna closed her eyes too, and when they reopened, an eyebrow arched. “Meredith, has arrived, with Maya Soutine and another young lady in tow. And Meri appears to have brought a gun with her. Now what do you suppose my inquisitive senior editor is up to?”

“She brought Maya?” Cassandra said, grabbing Luna's arm. “Maya pieced it together the other night! She figured out from my art technique that I was Cody.”

“Did she now? Then we will deal with them,“ Luna said, not bothering to hide her anger. “We might as well have some fun; here is how we will play this...”
 
 
--SEPARATOR--
 
15.

“Meredith! What an unexpected surprise! And you've brought guests! Lovely.”

Luna found them wandering the penthouse hallway. She greeted them in the image befitting the head of a fashion empire, wearing the illusion of a liquid-purple Versace evening dress and gray high heeled pumps.

“What business has brought you breaking down my door, so to speak.”

“Where is she?” Meredith said. “What have you done with her? To her.”

“Her?” Luna said.

“Don't play stupid. You know who we mean. Cassandra.”

“She used to be someone else,” Emilie said, “and you changed her.”

Luna put a hand on her hip. “I'm afraid I have no idea what you are talking about, young lady.”

“Bring her out and let us ask her,” Maya said.

“You are Maya Soutine, correct? I am a huge fan,” Luna said, “although I am not pleased about you breaking into my home and ordering me about. I'm afraid I must ask you to leave.”

Meredith drew her gun from her purse and pointed it at Luna. “Enough stalling. I don't care if you healed me or not, demon, I will not allow you to harm that girl. Bring her out now.”

“Oh dear, pointing a gun at your employer is not going to look good on your performance review,” Luna grinned. “Very well; if you insist. CASSIE? Could you come here?”

Luna’s smile broadened when the young srryn walked into the hallway; Cassie had thrown on one of Lori's 'suits', and looked scrumptious in a navy pinstriped jacket and matching mini skirt. The skirt was far too short to pass any corporate dress code, but Luna was thrilled to see her in it; getting fledgling srryns to wear any clothing was such a chore.

“Yes?” Cassandra said, and then smiled at the visitors. “Hey, Em, Maya. What are - M-merideth? Is that a gun?”

“We are here to save you.” Meredith lowered the revolver. “You have no idea what she truly is.”

“And we know what happened to you,” Maya said. “We know.”

“What ...happened to me?”

“Yes, Cody,” Emilie stepped forward. We know everything.”

“Wait a sec,” Cassandra said, “You think …I’m Cody? Seriously?”

Yes, seriously,” Maya answered. “He disappeared and you appear. Identical sketching and brush technique. Slips and hints you've dropped. Impossible as it seems, you were Cody Elias.

“Hmmm, interesting,” Cassandra cocked her head. “I'm sure Cody will think so too, since ...he's in the other room.”

“What?!” The three women said in unison.

“Yeah, he's just home from Vermont for a few,” Cassandra said. “HEY CUZ? CAN YOU COME HERE?”

“Jesus Christ! I'm not deaf, you idiot,” the young man said, as he walked into the hallway to join them.

“Cody!” Emilie stammered “…You are …not her …I mean …you are you …I mean-”

“-Hey, babe,” Cody answered. “When did you start the heavy drug use? After I dumped you?”
 
 

~o~O~o~

 
In a mere ten minute span, Cody:

-Announced he was here to tell Cassandra to get her freeloading butt out of his apartment because he was moving to Vermont,

-Insulted Maya by telling her he was studying with a real Artist genius, Catherine Kabe, of the Vermont Institute for Artistic Expression. He even quoted the tag line of Maya's rival - “each of my paintings is a snapshot of the ever evolving Me!”

and finally,

-Brought Emilie to tears by demanding she repay his loan, now, or he would sue.

Then he left, to spread his asshole-ish destruction elsewhere. Cassandra broke the stunned silence.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Cody Elias, in all his glory.”

The comments flew after that:

“So ...you are ...not ...Cody,” Meredith said.

“How could we ever dream of trying to save that dick head,” Maya screamed.

“Oh God! There's no way I can pay him back,” Emilie sobbed. “The money's gone, and I've already quit one of my jobs! I am so screwed!”

“There there, Emilie, is it? I have a solution,” Luna said. “That is, if you are quite through threatening me?”

Luna led the shell shocked women to her study and motioned them to sit.

As Meredith did, she realized she still held her gun. Red-faced, she slipped it into her purse. When she looked up, she saw Luna sitting at her desk with Cassandra behind her. And she remembered this was how Lori had been too, always at her side.

Luna pulled a checkbook from her drawer, scribbled on the top check, tore it from the book, and pushed it to Maya.

Maya gasped when she read it: “This is made out from Trend Magazine, LLC to my studio for …$150,000?”

“Excellent,” Luna said. “I was afraid my handwriting was illegible, but it appears it is not.”

“But …why?”

“Trend is ever looking for worthwhile -and tax deductible- community projects to sponsor. If that is not reason enough, then let us say I have a newfound love of the arts, and leave it at that,” Luna said, smiling at Cassandra.

“What am I to do with this?” Maya said.

“Use it as you need, mortgage payment, supplies, whatever. With the proviso that $15,000 of it is to be given as a scholarship to this young lady,” Luna motioned to Emilie, “to use as she deems necessary. I imagine she will want allocate some to the odious man who just left.”

When Emilie burst into tears again, Cassandra ran to her and hugged her.

“Why do you always turn on the water works when someone gives you money? Everything's okay now, right?”

“Yeah, sure. I wake up at the crack of dawn, meet up with Maya and Meredith and somehow concoct the insane idea you used to be your bastard cousin, we race here to rescue you armed with a cake and a gun, I run into said cousin, he demands I pay him or he'll break me, and then I get $15,000. And it's not even 9:00 yet!”

“Way too early to start drinking, right?” Cassandra said.

“Exactly, but we will be doing that later, girlfriend, if only to drown my embarrassment over this mess,” Emilie answered. “Hey! What about you? You're homeless now. If you need a place to stay, you are welcome.”

“Thanks, but, I'm moving in here. I accepted a job as Luna's personal assistant.”

“NO! Don't do it! You have no idea what she is, Cassandra! She will enslave you!” Meredith said. She turned to Maya. “She's buying you off, can't you see that?”

Maya glared at her, before turning to Luna. “I apologize for barging in uninvited. I let the insinuations of others, and my over-active imagination, get the better of my judgment. Again, thank you for your amazingly generous gift; why you aren't having us arrested instead is beyond me. Emilie, let's call a cab and be on our way.”

“Don't give it another thought, darling, and I would love to meet with you again, to discuss other ways Trend can assist; free publicity never hurts, hmm?” Luna said. “Only next time, I would appreciate it if you let me invite you over."

Maya nodded then looked at Cassandra. “Cassie, will this new job mean you won't be studying with me anymore? I would hate to lose you. You are one of the most talented students I've ever had, and-”

“-She most definitely will continue with you,” Luna said with a dismissive wave. “Be sure to let me know if she starts slacking.”

After they left, Meredith slumped in her chair. “What the hell just happened here? I was right! I had to have been right, right? ...I imagine this means I’m fired.”

She stood and walked to the penthouse main door. I …don’t know what to say …I-”

“-Meredith, darling, what am I to do with you? I really should fire you; you accused me of horrid actions, and, well, there is the whole problem about the gun…

On the other hand,” Luna smiled, “editors as hardworking, and inquisitive as you are impossible to find these days. And you did bring me a fabulous birthday cake, even if my hatchday was last week. So …let’s call it even.”

Meredith’s befuddlement was absolute. “I …uh …thank you …I think?”

“Oh, and Meri darling? You were right about some things,” Luna said. “Spot on.”

“Wait ...what? I was? Which ...parts?”

“Ah ah ahhh,” Luna said, wagging a finger at her.

For a moment, a split second, Meredith thought she saw a large alien creature before her with black-feathered wings spread wide.

But when she shook her head, all that remained was elegant Luna Longaine, winking at her.

She moved double speed to exit the penthouse, somehow managing not to scream until she reached the elevator.
 

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--SEPARATOR--
 
 
16.
 
“Poor Meredith,” Luna giggled, dropping her human illusion. “She is such fun to screw with; at least I didn't have to wipe her memory ...again.”

She glanced to her srryn. “Be sure to compliment Jayden on his 'Cody' acting when he returns. He takes his human roles seriously and male lilim egos are egg-shell thin.”

“Was I ...really like that?” Cassandra's voice was soft.

“Hmm darling?” Luna said, dipping a long clawed finger into the birthday cake, and licking it with her split tongue.

“So ...mean, so ...thoughtless...”

“He played you a bit over the top, but...” Luna looked up from her cake nibbling. “What's wrong, Cassie? You are he no longer...”

Oh? What has changed? Everything, yes, but inside? I was that asshole only a few days ago.

Her srryn and human 'selfs' were aligning in purpose. She wanted Luna to be happy. She wanted, wished and desired it, and was past caring whether this was from brainwashing or forced genetics. But her human side worried.

Lori was loving and selfless. She was ...everything I'm not. There is more to being a srryn than feeding psi; how can I ever please my lilim as the first srryn did? How?

A thought came to her; there might be one way.

A srryn is helpful. A srryn would do anything to make her lilim happy. Anything

“Luna? I'll do that ritual thing where you talk to Lori. What was it called?”

“It is referred to as the Ingoccil Rite, the Surrender,” Luna's voice was reedy with excitement. “Cassie! It would make me so happy.”

Cassandra nodded; Luna's joyous expression had returned; this was the right thing to do.

The only thing.
 
 

~o~O~o~

 

“What do I do?”

“The middle skull there,” Jayden pointed to one. “You must hold it, look at the green light, and …let go.”

Sounds simple enough.

Cassandra walked to the skull and gave it an exploratory touch. No electrical shock, but the crystal did radiate heat. She took a breath and grasped it with her hands.

And nothing happened.

“Got nada here,” Cassandra said. “Is there something else I'm supposed to do?”

Jayden thought-accessed the 'computer' again, and this time Cassandra felt the skull pulse.

“The archives say the Ingoccil procedure is simple. The second srryn releases herself to the crystal and passes body control to the first srryn’s essence.”

“How ...do I do that?”

“I am not sure how to tell you, love,” Luna said, as she connected to the computer. “The srryn-ba must lapse into an altered state of consciousness, but our texts are tens of thousands of years old and hard to bring forward in modern human terms.”

Luna thought hard; how could this be done? What common reference did Cassandra have?

“Cassie, remember …in the museum, when we looked at Rembrandt's self portrait?”

“Yeah...” Cassandra said, not sure where this was headed.

"You mentioned how Rembrandt gave himself to the painting. Since your conversion, I see you doing the same with your art. I think ...this feeling is what is needed. Can you draw that mood up? Relive it?"

Give herself as she did with her paintings? Had she been? The energy swirls she saw in her Market Street painting returned to her mind, the feeling of formlessness, the connection.

The crystal flared green in her hands, and then, she was so so sleepy.

She murmured four words before she slumped into Luna's arms:

“I love you. Goodbye.”
 
 

~o~O~o~

 
17.
 
She drifted down and down,

until she saw a bright swirling sphere of energy filled with green and blue sparkles.

It's Lori's essence, it has to be! God, she is beautiful, no wonder Luna loves her. Where's my damn sketch pad when I need it?

*Lori?*

*I was ...I am Lori still. Who. Are. You?*

*I am ...not important. She longs for you, Lori. Go up.*

*Luna?*

*Yes. Go to her! She needs you. You must make her happy.*

*I want to! But how? I do not know where 'up' is.*

Cassandra wasn't sure how to point, for she lacked a body in her astral state. So she propelled her essence to surround the glowing entity before her, and then she gave it a massive shove ...up.

Lori's essence floated above her, higher and higher, and Cassandra would have given a joyous laugh if she had a mouth, or at least a wave good bye if she had a hand.

Instead she relaxed her mind. There was something else she needed to do.

*I think the trick to this is visualize what I want.*

Her artist's soul showed her what she wanted.

light,
 

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~o~O~o~

When her srryn's eyes opened, Luna saw a familiar spark. And the voice coming from the srryn's mouth was modulated to a changed timbre. One she knew so very well.

“Luna? Jayden?”

“Lori!” Luna sobbed. It was her! Luna wanted to grab her and crush her in an embrace. But she couldn't risk breaking the srryn's connection to the skull. “Lilith this is wonderful beyond reason! I thought I'd lost you forever, my love!”

“You …did. Or almost… if” she blinked, trying to figure out which personal pronoun to use to describe the 'host' body she was in. I? She? We?

“…the …second srryn hadn't taken me, I would have faded. She saved me. What does this mean?”

“You will live, my love! As a ba-srryn, the two of you will continue past the end of the Second Turn. You will merge to become my Third Turn srryn.”

Her eyes glistened. “LUNA! ...this is a miracle! I will be there for the hatchlings. The second srryn and I together!”

Then as quickly as ecstasy filled the srryn's expression, Luna saw it morph to something very different.

“No! NO! Don't do it!” There was panic in Lori’s tone. “We have a problem!”

“What problem?”

“It's …the second srryn …she…no! STOP!”

“Stop what? What is wrong with Cassie?”

“Cassie is her name? I only know her by soul colors; Lilith she is beautiful. But …what did you do to her to make her do this?”

“Do what?” Luna gulped. “What is she doing?”

“She is trying to dissolve …to disband…”

“I don't understand, what you are-”

“-She's trying to give permanent control of this body over to me. She's trying to kill herself.”
 
 

~o~O~o~

 
“Kill herself? Lilith! Why?”

“She feels ...you would be happier with me as your srryn,” Lori's voice answered from Cassandra's body. “Why would she think so? I warned you about this! What did you do to her?”

“After your body burned away, we ran out of time and forced a jh'tiel conversion on her. After that I treated her horribly and-”

“-She's a jh'tiel? Lilith! She was male? Her soul essence is so feminine and fiery. I would have guessed musician or-”

“-She's an artist,” Luna answered, with pride in her voice.

“-LORI!” Jayden interrupted. “Can she kill herself? STOP HER!”

“I don't know if I can,” she said, closing her eyes. “I will try…”

“Please pleaser please, you must stop her, Lori!” Luna gripped her srryn's arm. “Tell her I'm sorry. Tell her I love her! And-”

“…youdo?” Cassandra's voice had returned to its higher pitch.

“C-cassie?”

“...I …guess. Lori threw some ...spiritual jujitsu on me and ...I don't have words to describe what happened, but...” Cassandra's lip quivered. “Why did she do that? You will be much happier with her as your-”

Luna clamped her hand over Cassandra mouth. “Don't you dare say those words, and never pull a stunt like this again, do you hear me?”

Cassandra bobbed her head; Luna looked pissed!

“This is your Turn! You are my srryn now. Not Lori, and not who the two of you will become. You!”

“Me?”

“Yes you, you stubborn little thing! You made me love you.”

Cassandra felt the affection in her words; saw the bright smile on her face.

“You really do?”

Luna knew the little srryn didn't yet believe her, so she must show her Cassie. Prove it to her.

And she would.

Again and again for the rest of our lives.

But for now, she gave the only answer she could; Luna took Cassandra in her arms...

...and kissed her … kissed her …kissed her.
 
 
--SEPARATOR--
 

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18. Epilogue - Three months later
 
“Oh, and I sold another painting.”

“Which, the harbor or the rose garden?” Luna said.

“Harbor,” Cassandra said, looking up from her salad preparation.

She and Luna were in their kitchen preparing for guests. Jayden was in his study/lair, doing whatever male lilims did when they were conspicuously absent from work. Cassandra would have accused him of surfing the 'Net for lilim porn, but she was pretty sure none existed.

“They almost bought both.”

Luna sighed. “I'm going to miss that one. It is one of my favorites.”

Cassandra chuckled. “You say that about all my paintings.”

“It is always true, love, your work is amazing.” Luna said.

“They paid eight thousand! Maya smooozed ‘em big, telling them it was an investment, and someday, when I’m a famous artist, it will be worth a zillion times more,” Cassandra said. “I left the check on your desk.”

Luna gathered her srryn in her arms and kissed her head. “I am honored; thank you, darling,”

As her personal assistant, Cassandra was now aware of their vast fortune down to the last penny. But a srryn is hardwired to be helpful, and she knew how proud Cassandra was to contribute.

This was the reason she was having Cassandra make a salad. All their meals could be catered, but she learned long ago with Lori that it was good to have something on hand for the srryn to prepare; bags of salad, anything. Srryns had to be helping, or they became irritable.

“Enough small talk! What is this surprise you've been dangling in front of me for days. Tell me!”

“But then it wouldn't be a surprise, of course. Patience, srryn, you-” The door bell rang. “Ah! Your waiting is over. Be a dear and get that, Cassie.”

Luna smiled at the confusion crossing her srryn's face. Cassandra stopped her salad prep and put her hand on her hip.

“Luna? I'm …ya know …like this …so I'm pretty sure I shouldn't-”

“Oh, I think so, love,” Luna smiled.

This wasn't adding up. Guests were arriving. And she was dressed formally.

But …those concepts were mutually exclusive, right? Because, her formal srryn costume consisted of golden bracelets with tiny bells fastened to her ankles and wrists, a thin golden collar clasped to her neck, and …nothing else.

Also, Cassie was getting the strangest impulses from her soul mate, urges that were amping up her psi.

Okay, just why am I getting psi horny, Lori?

Cassandra could have sworn she heard a giggled response.

“Shoo srryn,” Luna said, waving her out of the kitchen. “Go play.”

Go play?

Her ankle and wrist bells chimed as she padded to the door. Through the peephole she saw a golden-dark young woman, wearing identical golden adornments. Another srryn! She opened the door.

Before she could wave 'hi' or speak a polite greeting, her srryn instincts drove her to kiss the woman. The other srryn responded in kind, and not with a light peck either. This was a tongue in mouth while groping smooch.

Without speaking, they clasped hands and walked down the hallway to Cassandra's room. Cassandra's goal was her day bed, but they made no more than two steps into the room before they fell to the floor and entwined.

“I'm Cherise,” the other srryn managed to whisper.

“Cassie,” Cassandra panted.

“I know. You taste divine. First time?”

“First time?”

“With another srryn? The buzz on the srryn grape vine is you are a srryn-ba! Didn't Lori prep you?”

Cassandra shook her head. “The message I got from her when I opened the door was 'standard visitation protocol.' When I asked what that meant, she said 'some things a srryn has to learn on her own.'

“Holy Lilith, she is in you! That is so her!” Cherise's amber eyes brimmed with tears. “She was my mentor for my first years.”

“And,” Cassandra's forehead wrinkled. “…she says you must be mine for my first …Gathering? Whatever that means.”

“I would be honored. Everyone’s gonna love you, sister. Now, listen up, newb, 'cause we need to get down to business. When lilim couples visit each other, there is the ever sticky psi feeding issue that must be addressed. Four lilim in a room is a dicey proposition; the couples must be psi sated to prevent any unfortunate draining incidents.”

“Yeah I can see that …so…”

“So standard protocol is for the visiting srryn to arrive first, and the two srryns …um …pleasure each other to ensure they are at maximum psi potential. Then the visiting couple arrives, and only after the lilims have psi fed can their meeting happen.”

Cassandra gave a lusty laugh. “We're having an orgy?”

“It might seem so to a fledgling, but you will think otherwise after your first Gathering; we have to arrive a day before the lilim meet. Only …there are 500 of us. In a vast room …playing…”

No words could come to Cassandra’s mind at that image, but her psi spiked several levels.

“Now, unless you have more questions, we should get to …mmmm …work.”

But Cassandra was already hard at work, biting and licking Cherise's hardening nipples.
 
 

~o~O~o~

 
Cassandra sat purring at Luna’s feet, her head on the lilim’s lap. Cherise was in much the same position across the living room floor with her lilim Kallista.

The male lilims paced the room exchanging pleasantries, the ‘how is ‘so and so’s and ‘have you heard’s.
This was the Ssthrg, the cherished time after psi feeding, when for a moment, the lilim, could come together as a people.

Nerseus nodded his head as he listened to Jayden. The younger lilim was gushing about his plans to present a srryn-ba research presentation at the next Gathering.

“Mmm, thanks for the surprise,” Cassandra murmured, still in the afterglow of the szen, “It was wonderful.”

“I am glad you enjoyed Cherise, darling,” Luna answered. “She was one of Lori’s closest friends. But she was not the surprise.”

Not the surprise? Cassandra pried an eye open. Then what is it?

“I am convinced, friend Jayden, she is a srryn-ba.” Nerseus said, and cleared his throat. “Luna, I am prepared to forgive your temerity.”

Temerity? This sounded serious. Cassandra sat upright.

Nerseus walked over to where they sat. “I have viewed her work and you are correct, she is most talented. She could do it.”

Do what? And …is he talking about my paintings? Cassandra scrunched her forehead trying to figure this out. She also detected his faint French accent.

“Oh yes, little srryn, I see your confusion. I am speaking about you. Your lilim ordered me to come here and threatened me if I didn’t. The idea! A Second Turn lilim giving orders to a Third Turner. What is next, an uprising of First Turners?”

Cassandra turned to Luna. “Um, Luna? What’s going on?”

Luna smiled. “If I am not mistaken, Nerseus has something to show you.”

Looking back to him, she saw he held a device in his hand; a silver headband with a large blue crystal fixed at the ‘third eye’ position.

“Cassandra, would you mind putting this on? We call it a Palaron viewer; do not fear, you will love this.”

“ ‘Kay.” Cassandra had no clue what was happening.

Images filled her mind immediately after he placed it on her head; she saw a 360o slide show of landscapes, spiraling buildings, lilims in flight…

…This was lilim art!

She couldn't categorize the images in human terms, the scenes and subjects were naturalistic with realistic elements, yet abstract and with Gothic undertones tones too. Those ideas had to conflict, except in these works, they didn’t.

More than anything, it was the 3D aspect of their art that blew her away. Lilim artists stepped into their paintings.

After several minutes, Nerseus removed the Palaron viewer. Cassandra blinked tears.

“Thank you, I’ve never …that was …I can’t find the words to describe it, except I’ve never seen such beauty.”

“Humans have nothing like it, and our art is especially moving to an artist such as you. You see, our art is dying; I am the last living lilim artist.”

“I’m so sorry!” Cassandra gripped his gray downed hand. “You cannot let it die.”

“I am pleased to hear you say it,” Nerseus smiled. “We are so few now, and my apprentice, she who was to carry on the unbroken line of master-apprentice, died unexpectedly two years ago. I have screened all surviving lilim, and found none who possess the talent to carry on the tradition. I announced this tragedy at the last gathering.”

Nerseus sat down beside her on the floor. “I would have screened srryns too, but their life spans are too short. It takes a full Turn to master our forms, and then another Turn, of course, to teach an apprentice. But now that we have a srryn-ba, with talent…”

Cassandra grasped it at last. “You want me to become your apprentice?”

Nerseus nodded his head. “If you are willing. Luna has agreed the three of you will move to France to be near me so you may begin your training.

Cassandra shot a look to Luna. You arranged this …for me?”

Luna nodded. “I think it high time I relocated Trend’s headquarters to Paris; we are a fashion magazine, after all.”

Cassandra’s heart was in her throat; to be able to learn this amazing art form, to master it…

“I understand the proprieties, of course,” Nerseus said. “Before any student agrees to study under a master, she needs to view his work and determine if he is worthy.”

Cassandra was about to tell him she didn’t need to judge his work, when his image rippled, and a dark bearded man with a black beret stood before her.

“A century or more ago, I wore this human guise in public,” Nerseus said, “where I gained some small notoriety as a painter.”

She knew this figure. He was …he was …It was on the tip of her tongue, and she gasped when it came to her.

“You’re …Claude Monet!”

He swept off his hat and bowed. “And I would be most honored to have you as my student. Together, we will keep lilim art alive. Will you do it?”

“Oh Lord! Oh Lilith! I’m going to study with Claude Monet?”

Emotion swept her away and she threw her arms around Luna and wept.

“Trá¨s bien,” Nerseus grinned. “I take that as a ‘oui’.”

“You can study with Maya for another half a year or so, and then we move,” Luna said. “I can even arrange for Emilie to come too and study with you for a few years if you want. Would this make you happy, love?”

“More than anything! But why? Why are you doing all this for me?” Cassandra sobbed.

The lilim grabbed Cassandra’s face and kissed it. “Because I love you, you silly srryn. I. love. YOU. And we will build such a life together! Do you hear me?”

“I hear you, I hear you,” Cassandra laughed, cried, and spluttered, somehow all at once, before she buried her head in Luna’s chest again.

“Thank Lilith that is settled,” Jayden announced. “I have had all the drama over the last few months I can stomach, and I’m only just into the second Turn. After I present my srryn-ba report at the Gathering, perhaps I shall re-enter the tumultuous European derivatives world for a breather. Heh.”

Luna cradled ‘her Cassie’ and looked at Kallista, who was stroking Cherise as well. Kallista shot her an eye roll back that said it all:

Male lilims; they don’t get it, and they never will.

Luna nodded and whispered, “Hey, Cassie, you've managed to become the first srryn-ba in ten thousand years and you are going to keep our art from dying. Do you think you can pull off a hat trick?”

When Cassandra blinked confusion, Luna nodded toward Jayden, who was once again regaling Nerseus with his lofty research plans.

“Do you think you could get it through our thick-headed Jayden to appreciate that everything he needs is right here?"

Cassandra looked at the male lilim, who was gesturing wildly with his arms and his wings to make some point.

“Sorry, Luna,” she shook her head. “I'm not sure Lilith herself could work such a miracle."
 
 

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Comments

Oh, how beautiful!

This story is so good! I laughed at the rescue attempt, cried when Cassie tried to suicide, and got aroused at Cassie's "uniform". I feel almost emotionally drained after reading this. Or is it emotionally filled? Your story is just...I don't know how to describe it, but I will read this over and over. Thank you for this amazing story. I'm going to go rest and dream about Cassie and Chyrisse in their uniforms. Mmmmm.

Love,
Wren

Thank you, so much Wren!

Thank you, so much Wren! You win a patience award for politely waiting.

Er, that email you sent, where you said you would laser my house using your secret satellite if I didn't finish the story ...you don't actually have one of those, do you?

Lilim Tales - Part 4 (Conclusion)

I say that turning Cody into Cassandra is a crime! That is murdering of mind, body and soul! To me, Cassandra should have been successful in her suicide to deny those hellspawn.

    Stanman
May Your Light Forever Shine
    Stanman
May Your Light Forever Shine

I'm sorry you felt so, Stanman,

but I respect your opinion.

Let me ask you though ....Lori told Luna that she couldn't believe Cassie had been a man, that Cassie's soul was fiery and feminine. Before Cody's change, he was hated by others and his art, his passion, was blocked. After her change, Cassie is a rising artist, who is selling paintings and she is studying with one of the greatest artists in history.

So is that identity death? Or is it a freeing of her soul from its captivity in Cody's body?

Arrmond,

I guess that's my Christian Heritage speaking up.

    Stanman
May Your Light Forever Shine
    Stanman
May Your Light Forever Shine

Help me understand...

Andrea Lena's picture

....what part of Cassandra being successful in committing suicide connects even remotely to "Christian Heritage." I don't understand that statement at all. I've always been taught to treasure life, not throw it away. Even in my darkest moments this past year as I was tempted to end my life for all the pain and feelings of guilt and shame, it was my faith that prevented me from taking my own life. What part of ending one's life is better than facing and perhaps succeeding in overcoming the 'demons' that beset us?

To bring it down to a personal level. When my sister died in 2004, at the age of 55, there were nearly 1000 people who came to her funeral. One by one, scores of people came to me and my brothers and family and told me how she had such an impact on their lives. Would it have been better when after she was raped at 16 by our neighbor, she had succeeded in killing herself, rather than allowing the 'hellspawn' to succeed? I'm sorry, but I totally disagree with you on this one!



Dio vi benedica tutti
Con grande amore e di affetto
Andrea Lena

  

To be alive is to be vulnerable. Madeleine L'Engle
Love, Andrea Lena

I just reread you whole

I just reread you whole story and I have kind of to agree with stanman. I don't think his body, mind or even soul is murdered it is even worse. He an independent human beeing becomes something less on the whim of some alien creatures. He can't denie them. He can't decide things for herself. She is dependent on the lilim.
I mean considering suicide and deciding you'd rather live is one thing, but deciding to live because someone gave you instincts to be their slave? Eww...

Awesome story, but really creepy.

My gosh!

Andrea Lena's picture

I can't believe you'd rather see someone take their own life than to live and grow and change? Suicide, contrary to quasi-popular belief, isn't painless at all, and it would be more murderous to kill oneself than to become the person one was always meant to be, even it it meant going through hell, personally speaking! Great story, Armond!



Dio vi benedica tutti
Con grande amore e di affetto
Andrea Lena

  

To be alive is to be vulnerable. Madeleine L'Engle
Love, Andrea Lena

Thanks Andrea!

And you are right, my story is about growth, about Cassie becoming who she was meant to be, creative and loving.

Beautiful

thank you for sharing this with us. And for finishing it :) although I never doubted you would.

I love your writing, it's so warm and tender. And how you're able to cram it all in concise parts boggles the mind. I really thought you'd need at least two, maybe three, more parts, and yet here it is: The conclusion in the fourth, last, part.
And it's just right. Oh, I'd have loved more, but that's just how much I appreciate your writing, it's making me hunger for more.

Well, if nothing I'm an accomplished web-surfer and already visited your little hide-out. Wonderful to find the continuation of the Summerland Path. Just a year ago I read the first part on FM, and now to be able to read the follow-up is a real treat.

Again thank you for sharing.

Jo-Anne

Thank you, Jo-Anne!

Thank you, Jo-Anne!

About Summerland - I am finally rewriting. You were right in your review last year, (which was nice too, by the way, thank you twice) it was way too heavy on exposition. The story was always so daunting for me to try to read it to continue, and I wrote the dang thing! But I've broken it down into 3 smaller cleaner parts, and am writing part 4 now, and it is fun again!

Well, not exactly how I imagined it

But still wonderful! And it is more believable than what I thought up, too! I mean, impersonating Cody via illusions! Why didn't I think of that?!

Hmpf. Are those just Cassie and Cherise who have a better contact with the female of the lilim, or it's more of a rule? The previous chapters seemed to hint that Luna thought it was more of an exception.

Also, why are lilim meeting so rarely? Surely they could have established a more regular Gathering, via teleconferencing? Even for emergencies, it would have been a good way.

Oh, and Cassie is wrong. Rule 34. There is porn of it. No exceptions. ;)

Faraway


On rights of free advertisement:
Big Closet Top Shelf

Where you can fool around like you want to and most you get is some bemused good ribbing!

Faraway


On rights of free advertisement:
Big Closet Top Shelf

Where you can fool around like you want to and most you get is some bemused good ribbing!

Your comments are excellent as always

Faraway.

Thanks!

I didn't make it clear enough in the story- srryns are generally closer to their female lilims, but Luna is exceptionally close to hers, first Lori, and now Cassie.

About the teleconference... They should and do communicate that way, I would have to imagine. My thought on the Gathering was it was more instinctual, like returning to mating grounds or seasonal migration.

And ...lilim porn? You are right, it probably does exist, but the concept blows the mind.

Wonderful finish.

Well, this chapter was all you hinted it would be. It had humor, warmth, love, sacrifice (almost) and most of all growth. I too see this one as Cody being released from a prison so his spirit could soar instead of plod.

Oh, I should tell you, if you hadn't caught that already, that I very much liked this conclusion. Cody does still live in Cassie, just like a butterfly lives through the caterpillar it was. They are the same thing, basically, but also different.

Maggie

Thank you Maggie!

And I also want to thank you for your support as I wrote the series. You knew I was down a little after part 3, and your advice and thoughts helped me to keep going.

Thanks!

Life is change

What a wonderful finish Armond! I've thought about Stan's comment and I think you had it right in your reply. Life is all about change. Cody was stuck. He knew it but didn't know how to get pass it. As Cassie she's able to bloom into her full potential not only as an artist but as a person.

What can not be avoided is Luna and Jayden made mistakes. Cassie was forced against her will any number of times to change and lied to save Jayden. Additionally, Cassie is under hardwired compulsions to obey the Lilim. These are bad things, but at the end they were healed enough from the loss of Lori to love Cassie for who she is.

For me the story is one of love, redemption and all the usual mistakes humans and even Lilim makes. We see perhaps the last of an race here. If they'd been smart and taken Cody to the sperm bank before changing him I would be more optimistic for their survival. As is the last of Cassie line dies with her because as I understand it she is unable to reproduce. Great story!

Hugs!

Grover

Grover! Thank you!

And I agree whole heartedly with your characterization.

Yes, scary and alarming events occur, and Cody is not voluntarily changed. This was labelled as a horror story.

But it was also labelled as a romance too, at the end, and it was about Cassie and Luna. Cody's arc to Cassie is one of soul transformation and personal growth. As Maggie said in an earlier comment, it was a blooming.

Luna made terrible decisions at the beginning, but then she grew too, and embraced Cassie as much as she did Lori (and she loved Lori more than anything in the world).

Many thanks again for reading, Grover,

-A

Okay...If a story

wasn't just a story but a narrative into a culture within a culture resplendid with art and soul it's these 4 parts. This series wasn't just poetry but it was to me a dark rich sweet Haiku. I'm going to keep reading it over and over. It's simply elegant.

Bailey Summers

Well crafted tale

once again you have brought us beautiful tale where there is loss, but the gains out weigh the loss.

4 out of 5 boxes of tissue and 6 gold starsDesHS.jpg

Goddess Bless you

Love Desiree

Goddess Bless you

Love Desiree

Thank you, Desiree

And bright blessings back at you.

Excellent tale

I particularly liked the reappearance of Cody. Something a bit like the "very special mirrors" tale where you encounter people with precisely your flaws.

Luna's feeling of guilt was particularly appropriate, on given the involuntary conversion of Cody into Cassandra, but it all works out remarkably well in the end. . . Who was it who said "All's well that ends well?"

Again, a superlative story.

Yay conclusion!

This last part was beautiful, and everything I could have hoped for. All the loose ends tied up, and everyone is more or less happy ^_^

On the matter of Cody's conversion: what the lilims did was wrong. Cody becoming Cassandra and being a better person for it was just coincidence, and cannot excuse their actions.

*However*, their survival depended on them finding a new Srryn. Cody wasn't killed, merely changed. He lost everything that made him himself, but he didn't die, and got pretty much anything he could ask for in his life as Cassandra. At the end of the day, it was either the deaths of Luna and Jayden, or the conversion of Cody. It's not a nice choice, but I can completely understand why the lilims did it.

Of course, everything that could have gone wrong has gone wrong, whatwith Luna being so reluctant at first, and Jayden being so rash. Cassie suffered for it, but the lilims are doing absolutely everything they can to make Cassie happy for the rest of her life, which is now going to be about 200 years. Not a bad turn of events.

I enjoyed this story immensely. You clearly have talent, and I'll be on the lookout for your other stories.

Cheers,


-Christelle

"Fun-loving geek-chick who's addicted to sunlight!"


-Christelle

"Fun-loving geek-chick who's addicted to sunlight!"

Thanks, Christelle, Lilim was a stretch for me...

...And I wasn't sure how it would turn out. There were many things about it I had never tried before, writing-wise.

Your comments have been very supportive and the one you posted for Part 3 really jump-started me to finish Part 4.

Many thanks again.

-A

Thank You So Much, Armond

To me, this fourth part was like a new Apple product. It had to do/complete/explain all these complex story components, but when I read it, it was beautiful and clear and very well designed. I also thought that, at least, this would have to be a very long post. I was surprised that everything was so simple, easy and elegant.

I really like your writing!

Hugs and Bright Blessings,
Renee

Ready for work, 1992. Renee_3.jpg

Hugs and Bright Blessings,
Renee

I hoped you would like it, Renee, thanks!

The hardest part of writing this story was knowing the end and needing to write through it to get there. With some of my stories, I don't know the ending until well into the story, but with this one I knew the ending when I typed the first word. Cassie had to go through so much to reach the happy end. But that's the way they come out sometimes.

Thanks again and brightest blessings to you, too.

-A

Brava!!

I can't say much more than what the others have written, Armond, save the fact I *love* the ending and hope there's a new story your muse is itching for you to write about Cassie in Paris.

For me, I would be as happy as Cassie if I was asked to perform with a major symphony orchestra under the baton of someone like Toscanini or Bernstein. I'm right now a percussionist with a community band, and I've always wanted to compose medleys of TV show themes: Hanna-Barbera, westerns, science fiction, etc. I have the inspiration, but not the talent nor the patience.

Same way with writing. I can't write fiction worth a damn, but I can help edit and proofread and support, and that offer goes out to anyone, btw.

Thanks, Marlene!

Hmm, lilim music... let me think about that.

Also, I may take you up on the proofing/editing offer one day. I always struggle there.

-A

Well told story. What the

Well told story. What the Lilim did to themselves was arrogant and foolish, but those who did it are long gone. The surviving race could've tried to reverse the engineering which turned them into vampires, They didn't and their arrogance survives. Live to see humans don't make the same mistake? Who says we will? Though the chance exists they are projecting their own mistakes unto humanity.

The life of a srynn could be beautifull. What they did to Cassie was rape, pure and simple. They wouldn't settle for meager fare, perhaps opting for another couple to woo and wed the young artist. Cassie had no way out and had her mind changed to be a slave. Is this her true personality? Cody was a bastard but that oly condems one to a lonely life. Perhaps things worked out in the end but these two Lilim are not good people to me. It could've been so beautifull but now it is forever tainted. They have no right to guide humanity, only to humbly survive, an example of what not to do.

(of course I am afraid humanity is just as bad if not worse)

Still, in the end we are al bound to act by our nature and that includes dark as well as light. I'm not sure I could've survived what happened. Love and hate are two sides of the same coin and sometimes its luck on which side it comes down on. If it had been hate then death was sure too follow. I know a little about hate and it burns. I am glad there was a happy ending but I was expecting a tragedy.

Well. Done.

Tas's picture

This was amazing. It's been awhile since I've blown through a story without a break like this, and in the middle of the night too. The characters felt real, the plot was wonderful, the ending was great, and everything flowed perfectly.

Thank you.

-Tas

thanks, Tas. For some reason

thanks, Tas. For some reason, some of the characters (typing characters, not story characters) have gone wonky since I posted them several years ago, so be on the lookout for that. I need to fix whatever has happened.

so Cassie and her ilk are.

licorice's picture

so Cassie and her ilk are..what? Basically sex slaves? One step above drones? The lilim seem to state that cassie's kind aren't cows but that seems to be precisely what they are. Sex toys for another species, incapable of self sufficiency. A brainwashed sex slave.

Pretty much, yes. I was

Pretty much, yes. I was certainly in a mood when I wrote it. It's as close to a horror story as I've come, licorice.

Double love story

This is a real love story.

Mistakes were made. People acted in desperation. People did bad things with the best of intentions and, fortunately, with the best of results.

What if their original srryn had lived and things had gone as planned?

Well, almost certainly, Nerseus would have eventually died without passing the torch on to a new artist. An art form literally older than mankind would have been gone forever.

And what of Cody?

Most likely, he would have ended up an old man sitting lonely in his apartment surrounded by paintings of high technical quality, but the visual equivalent of elevator music or technically wonderful scores fed through a MIDI sequencer.

Or maybe he would have lucked out and found another soul equally insipid. Maybe they would have stayed together out of desperation and because they enjoyed the physically good sex.

Or maybe a gold digger would have found him. "You can't hide those lying eyes, and your smile is a thin disguise."

In any case, he would have died having never achieved his life's dream; his heart's desire. And his soul would have never known love. It would have been a wasted existence from cradle to grave.

And what if Jayden hadn't started the conversion? What if Luna had never been forced to get to know Cassie?

Well, if Luna and Jayden had managed to survive on that weak srryn, they would probably have died.

So, would you steal to save your starving child? Would you steal to save your starving lover? What would you not do? Hopefully, most of us would draw the line somewhat shy of murder, but where is that line?

They were desperate. Luna was hurting. Badly.

They did bad things, but they did their best to redeem the situation. Even if Luna couldn't take Cassie as her srryn, she was willing to do everything she could to make Cassie's life better -- even if she strongly disliked Cassie.

But, as it happened, Cassie's art immediately found its heart. And she found her heart. She saw how much of a jerk her former self had been, and worked to make herself better.

She found love, and in doing so, salved Luna's hurt.

That would be enough, but there was more. She ended up learning an art form that she hadn't even conceived of before -- from one of her heroes.

We all make mistakes. There is no denying that. When the stakes are big, the mistakes are often even bigger.

But this isn't a tale of mistakes. It's a tale of love and redemption.