Since she was a little kid, Annabelle always had a dream. When someone asked what she wanted to do when growing up, she would answer without delay: “I want to be a mommy!”.  She always loved babies and kids younger than her and taking care of others. So the thought of being a mother and raising, maybe, five children of her own used to fill her with excitement.

But as Annabelle grew up, she realized there was something fundamental for making children, something that she couldn’t hold any interest in. Boys. Thinking that making her dream true would mean lying to herself and doing things she would hate left her in a melancholic state. Now even the thought of her dream upset her.

And still, people kept asking about when she would find the perfect father to her children. “It’s your dream, right?”, they would say.

In her sixteen years old, Annabelle was taking care of kids in the village. There were several families who worked on the farms nearby and had trouble taking care of their own children. Annabelle did it. And she loved it. She loved all those children like they were her own. Even though that was not true. At the end of the day, the parents would come back to take them home, leaving her lonely again.

***

Lyneth and Lilith were still awake that night. They didn’t even talk about what happened, walking home in silence. Lyneth had seen the Demon Queen pulverize the old man existence, but cared little. Still, they were both covered in demon blood, so Lyneth went straight to the bath. She still invited the other woman to go with her but received a cold stare as an answer.

After washing herself on the water, Lyneth thought about how Lilith had no luggage on her. Going to her room, she took a red dress that belonged to her mom, and, of course, a pair of her own underwear. In the living room where Lilith waited in silence looking through the window, Lyneth offered her the clothes, saying she should bathe as well. After a long cold silence when Lilith’s eyes didn’t move away from Lyneth, she nodded, took the clothes and disappeared into the bathroom.

Lyneth looked at the big clock they had on the wall. It was 4 in the morning. Probably none of them would go back to sleep and she was getting hungry, so she went to the kitchen to prepare breakfast. Lyneth wondered if Lilith could eat food like her. She remembered the last night her guest skipped dinner saying she had eaten somewhere else. Still, preparing food for two was easy.

While preparing the breakfast, Lyneth thought about Lilith, with her naked body, bathing just some few meters away from her.

“She'll even wear my underwear…My underwear… on her body…” she thought, feeling excited.

***

The smell of coffee, bread, and jam was all over the kitchen as Lilith entered it. She looked with a serious face at the table, an inviting chair prepared to her.

“I don't even know if you eat as we do”, said Lyneth, putting two cups on the table. “But I'm hungry, so it won't go to waste anyway.”

Lilith sat on the chair, so Lyneth sat across her, looking at her face from over her glasses and smiling. Lilith raised the cup with coffee in front of her and gave it a sip.

“You do realize your situation, right?” she said, with a cold voice. “You understand the consequences of what you did?”

Lyneth nodded, smiling.

“So what are you planning? Did you do it out ow lust for me? Do you hate your own kind?”

Lyneth took the bread and put jam over it, casually, like any other breakfast she had before.

“I don't hate them”, she said. “It's more like, they bore me. You're interesting, madam.” she took a bite of her bread and swallowed it  “And it's not lust. It's love!”

Lilith smiled. But soon her face darkened again.

“I don't know what kind of delusion you're building inside your head, little girl, but I have to make it clear to you. I had every intention of sacrificing you to get what I needed. I would let that old man do whatever he wanted with you.”

“You didn't actually want to do that.” As Lilith gave a puzzling look to Lyneth, she clarified: “You did say you were sorry.”

Lilith gave a cruel smile.

“Yes, I was sorry. Leaving you to that decrepit old man was such a waste. But that doesn't mean I would stop him and save you.”

“Maybe you wouldn't. I'm not sure, but I don't care. I was angry with you, but that kiss cleared my mind.” Lyneth took another bite of the bread and looked at Lilith’s eyes. “Nothing too bad happened at the end, so I’m okay with it. And I did let an innocent man die. No, I actually killed him indirectly. I'm not hypocrite enough to ignore it.”

“So, what do you actually want?”

“To assist you. I want to see you create a new world, even if I have no place in it. And I want to get closer to you.”

“I don't have much use for a little human girl. Well… maybe as a bait, again.”

“I'm offering myself, so you can use me however you want. I can prove to be more useful than you imagine, though.”

Lilith took a piece of bread and, without putting anything in it, gave it a bite. Lyneth watched curiously since she still wondered how different humans and demons actually were.

“I do owe you one. Making you my servant is an odd way to show gratitude, but if that's how you want it…”

“So you do feel indebted, even if I’m a human?”

Lilith gave a prideful smile, and Lyneth could see something even my attractive in the way she looked. Like some kind of dignified aura that she was hiding until then.

“Don't forget I am a queen. Even if you're human, you shouldn't expect a queen to forget your actions. A ruler pride recognizes even the actions of the lowliest beings.”

Finding that amusing, Lyneth just smiled as the queen finished her breakfast.

After that, they shared some small talk. Lyneth taught Lilith about the village she was in since she didn’t have time to research it before. Greenheaven was the name. It was just a small community inside the Ondan Kingdom. Since it was away from borders of the kingdom and the main activity was agriculture, most of it made for internal consumption, most people just ignored its existence. Lilith made it clear that it was the perfect place for her to start her plans.

***

Lyneth wanted to stay awake but realized she was more sleepy than she thought. So, making sure her guest didn't need anything more, she excused herself to have at least some hours of sleep, leaving Lilith on the living room examining the books her mother kept stored. Since she didn't use her room last night, there was nothing to do except to lie down and sleep.

She looked at the clock beside her bed as she woke up. Ten o’clock. Lyneth had overslept, but still had time to make lunch. She found Lilith the same place she was at dawn, sitting on a couch, an old book in her hands. It was a silly book about a prince living in an empire full of treachery plot that her mother loved to read.

“Intriguing book,” Lilith said when Lyneth showed up. “Do your people actually fight this much among yourselves?”

“It's a fiction book. But yeah, we do, actually. Demons have a single kingdom, right? I would guess it's more pacific. Well, we did fight together in the war against… your grandfather?” Lyneth said with caution, observing if Lilith would react, but the demon queen didn't seem to care.

“Maybe it's a consequence of your large number.”

“Or maybe we're just evil.” Lyneth smiled impishly.

“Is this yours?” Lilith asked, pointing with the now closed book in Lyneth’s direction.

“It's from mom. I tried reading it, but it's boring. All these books are. The only I did learn of them is to not to trust men. Did you realize it? Every female just ends up killed, slaved, raped, or, even worse, married.” Lyneth had a straight face while saying it. “Mom is the one who loves those kinds of stories.”

“Your mother looks like… An interesting woman, for sure.”

“You would understand if you meet her. She's more like a demon than human.”

Lilith gave an understanding smile but didn't say anything.

“The way you talk about her, I assume she's alive.”

“She is. I mean, she probably is. I don't know where, though. It's probably for the better. The farthest that woman is, the best.”

“I did meet your father. He looked busy but wanted to meet his guest. Seems like a decent human, at least.”

“Oh, that man.” a disdaining expression covered Lyneth’s face. “That man actually makes me confused about how human breeding works. The thought that his blood runs through my veins is nonsense. Bullshit! I used to think that maybe I’m not even his daughter. Of course, knowing my mother, that’s actually possible.” She gave a radiant smile. “But of course, I would never say that to my dearest father.”

“Maybe your real father is a demon.”

“Is that even possible?”

“Yes, it is. And it’s just as uncommon as our species hate each other.” Seeing Lyneth’s face change in serious contemplation, Lilith added: “I’m sorry, though. You’re completely human.”

“Huh? Oh, I realized that. No, I was thinking about something else.” And paused before naughty smile. “I was just thinking I wanted you to carry my children, then.”

Lilith’s face darkened. But soon it softened as she replied:

“I think you’re forgetting the biggest problem there.”

Lyneth smiled back and turned to the door.

“Lunch will be served at noon, madam”, she said, before disappearing into the kitchen.

***

Lyneth watched as Lilith devoured a plate with more food inside than she thought she could eat. She herself actually served the little portion that she was used to.

But seeing the demon queen making disappear with such pleasure the food she had done made Lyneth quite happy. She never felt such satisfaction by watching her father doing the same.

“Not bad for someone who skipped dinner last night.” She said as the demon woman threw the last bone in the empty plate.

Lilith ignored the girl’s observation.

“Are you serious about assisting me?” she asked.

“Yeah. I'm not lying, madam. I'm all yours if you need.”

The woman opened her mouth to talk, but was interrupted by a melodious voice coming from the window nearby.

“Lyn-Lyn,” the voice said. It belonged to a young girl, looking the same age as Lyneth. Although her body was a little more chubby and her stature a little shorter. She had long waving dark hairs until the middle of her back.

“Belle”, Lyneth said, modifying her face with an angelic smile that made Lilith frown.

“Good morning”, Annabelle said, with a worried expression, while placing both her hands on the corner of the open window. “I just stopped to ask, if… I mean, I was taking care of Misses Cleant’s son, but the boy disappeared on me. It was just a moment of distraction…”

“Babysitting again?”

Annabelle nodded.

“So I was wondering if you saw him…”

Lyneth shook her head slowly.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t really see anything. I wish I could help…”

Lilith thought she saw a glimpse of the impish smile the girl always had on her face. But soon it disappeared.

Annabelle didn’t move, but turned her head to the side, looking to the streets of the village. She looked at the verge of tears, and her mouth opened and murmured, so low that Lilith was probably the only to hear it: “What can I do…?”

The demon queen raised from her chair and walked to where the girl was, taking her right hand, that was still placed on the window. Startled, the girl looked at the woman’s face, but stopped, like enticed by her black eyes.

“Maybe I can help you. Huh, Belle?”

“Annabelle” the girl murmured. Lilith turned the girl’s right palm up and squeezed her hand. She placed her own hand on the to, putting Annabelle’s palms between both her hands.

“My name is Lilith. I’m a fortune teller of some sort. A traveling fortune teller. I can read the palms of hands. So, if you want, I can help you.”

Lyneth gave an icy glare to the scene in front of her, but it went unnoticed by Annabelle, that just nodded and said a low: “Please…”

“Close your eyes. Think about the boy. Where you last saw him. Imagine his face and remember his voice.” Lilith said, closing her own eyes and pressing her hands against the girl's hand. After seconds of silence, that Lyneth watched with angry eyes and arms crossed against her breast, Lilith opened her eyes again: “The boy is close to the fountain in the middle of the village. He’s hiding behind some boxes waiting for you to find him. He’s safe, don’t worry.”

Annabelle opened her eyes and, facing Lilith’s dark eyes, turned away, her flushed face.

“T-Thanks…” She said.

“You can take your hand off, now”, Lilith said, smiling.

The girl retracted fast, her face becoming even redder. She turned away, almost stumbling on her long dress.

“R-right, sorry.” She said, and turning to the window again, smiled at the two woman inside: “Thanks...miss. Thanks, Lyn-Lyn. I’m going.” And she trotted away from them, without looking back.

As Lilith looked inside, she saw a Lyneth with a displeased face, making curls on her brown hair using her finger.

“Anything bothering you?” Lilith asked.

“Bothering me, madam? I’m your servant, what right have I to get bothered by you?” There was nothing of the usual smile on her face.

“What is that about Lyn-Lyn?”

Hearing that, the smile came back, a little bitter than usual.

“Madam. If you start to call me that, I swear I’ll start calling you Lili.”

Lilith turned to the window, from where Annabelle had disappeared already, ignoring Lyneth’s words.

“But as I was saying before. I have to go somewhere. If you actually wish to help, get ready and meet me outside the village in one hour.”

Lyneth’s face softened, and her hand separated from her hair. She looked at Lilith with interest in her eyes, and a glimpse of curiosity.

“So, where are we going?” She asked.

Lilith turned to her, looking into her green eyes. There was some kind of menacing tone in her voice as she said: “We’re going to recruit an army.”

***

Lyneth saw herself inside the dark forest once again. While Lilith wore the same dress she put that morning, and Lyneth made an observation that it did look great in her, she herself decided to wear something easier to walk among all those vegetation and bugs. She wore black shorts, going a little above her knees and a long brown shirt, covering the shorts partly.

Lilith could move with ease through all those obstacles, even though it probably was hard with what she was wearing. It was almost like the forest made the way easier for her. For Lyneth, however, even though she was watching every step, it wasn’t easy at all. She was wearing shoes for traveling, but still stumbled a lot.

The long shirt wasn't the best for that walk either, but it had a purpose. Hiding beneath it, supported by her shorts was a dagger of a medium size she grabbed in her room before going out. That was actually a gift from her mother, for her tenth birthday. Not the kind of present most parents would give their child, but Lyneth did though it could be useful, so she kept it sharp and in good conditions even though she never used it.

She wanted to avoid staying in the same position as before, even though she agreed with being a bait again if needed. If she had a weapon when the old man grabbed her, she would stab him for sure. Maybe it wouldn't work out as she hoped, but at least she could fight. She thought there was no reason for Lilith to know about the weapon, though, so she said nothing.

After a long walk, they arrived at an unusual place. Two large rocks, one beside another, making a passage like a portal between them. Lilith stopped and looked up, to the sunshine making its way across the leaves of those tall trees and bathing that place in a golden light. Her red hair shining against the sun, her skin looking even more like it was made of gold.

She approached the two big rocks and placed her open hand on the ground between them. After minutes of waiting, she stood up and turned to Lyneth.

“It'll take some time for the power to recharge. If I'm here, probably it’ll be faster.” She leaned with her back on the rock and crossed her arms.

Still, in her place, Lyneth ran her eyes to the two tall rocks but didn't say anything. She gave two taps on a short boulder nearby, brushing some of the dirt away, and sat on it.

“So, are you going to your homeland or something?” She asked.

“We don't even have a homeland anymore.  No. We're going after an old friend.”

“One person? That's your army?”

“We're few, but one of my kind is worth more than an entire army of yours. She's not the only one I'm after, though, but she's the one we're going recruit now.” Lilith turned her eyes to the forest across Lyneth. “I'm thinking about making my base on this same forest. It has enough power around and humans are afraid of it, so it's perfect.”

“Maybe you should enslave Greenheaven, too.”

“Not like you people can be of much help,” Lilith said, giving little attention that Lyneth was betraying her own kind with her words.

“By the way…” Lyneth said, stretching the words, and her hand reaching her hair, starting to twirl it. “What was that thing with Annabelle, after all?”

“Annabelle? Oh, that girl. She was in the way, so I just wanted to make her go.”

“She would keep looking anyway, you know. In fact, you probably made her take more time than she would.”

Lilith looked to Lyneth that was making a displeased face.

“Jealous? My servant think she can decide who I should interact or not?”

Lyneth sighed.

“I mean, isn't there a law against helping humans or something?”

“No such a thing. In fact, if there's something we hate, it’s laws. We never had that kind of organization. Just a king and his subjects. Maybe that was our downfall, though, when I stop to think about it. But we don't need such things because usually, we would never betray each other like your people do.” Seeing as Lyneth’s face was unaltered, Lilith added: “But that girl. She was like you.”

Lyneth frowned.

“Like me? Annabelle?”

“She has yours… preferences. Or haven't you thought about it, yet? We're both females, but you're infatuated with me.”

“It's not that I haven't thought about it. I think I just don't care. And I don't love you because you're a woman, I love you because you're you. Other women don't interest me at all, neither do other men.”

“Hm… I don't think you can use that as an excuse.”

“As I said, I don't care. But do you think it’s wrong? Two people of the same gender sexually interested in each other?”

“It's not that common between human, but I did see many cases like that in my travels. Most human societies seem to condemn or even forbid it, but I wouldn't call it wrong.”

“Huh… too bad.”

“Huh? You wanted to be wrong?”

“It would be more interesting. I mean, I don't care to follow what other people want me to do, anyway. But, huh, you said between humans. Are demons different?”

Lilith looked away, in a contemplating stance. It looked like she was remembering a distant past.

“It’s more like, like you, we just don't care about things like that, so it doesn't feel different. We don't feel like we have to put a label on it or anything. In my vision, humans create meaningless rules that make no sense to my kind. I don't see the point in human moral. Most of the time those things don’t have any reason to exist.”

“Well, that's not what I'm interested in.” Lyneth raised from the boulder she was sitting on. In slow pace, she approached Lilith between the two rocks and held the queen’s hands. They were warm. “I want to know what your preferences are.”

Lyneth gazed into Lilith’s eyes for seconds in silence. The other woman remained in silence. She just stood there. Her eyes looking inside the two green orbs behind the glasses in the girl's face. Lilith raised her hand and her fingers brushed against Lyneth’s hair as she pulled the girl’s face closer. There was some scent emanating from Lilith’s body, Lyneth realized. Aside from her sweet fragrance, there was something like the smell of earth. It wasn’t unpleasant, though. It reminded her of nature.

If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

Lyneth could feel Lilith’s warm breath on her face, so close their faces were. She looked at the woman’s pink lips and remembered about that very night. About how soft they were and how good she felt. She leaned forward…

A loud hiss started to sound around them.

Lilith moved aside and pulled Lyneth with her by the hand. As they moved away, a plumpy mass of dark shadow started to form on the place they were before. It covered the entire space between the two rocks, making some kind of ethereal curtains.

With a cold “let's go”, Lilith released Lyneth’s hand and walked through the smoke, disappearing inside it.

Lyneth took her hand to her mouth, putting her fingers on her own lips. She sighed and a bitter smile came to her face. Dragging her feet, she followed behind Lilith, through the thick smoke.

***

It was a weird feeling walking through that portal. Lyneth couldn't see anything inside the black smoke. She felt as if her body was being crushed at first, although there was no pain. When she finally felt whatever was crushing her body to start dispersing, the smoke started to disappear, allowing her to see through it.

She was still in the forest, but it felt different. The new forest looked darker and the trees taller and trickier, had a more ominous feel. Even the weather looked different. It was humid, even though it hadn't rained for days. Lilith had her arms crossed, leaning against a tree, looking like she was waiting for some time.

“I forgot how hard it is for those not used to it.” She said and started walking, without even asking Lyneth if she was fine.

Walking through those woods was even harder than before. As Lilith probably waited for Lyneth to catch up with her, now Lyneth wondered that she wasn't more than a burden for the demon queen. The humid path didn't help and at times she found herself slipping through it, but keeping her balance before falling to the ground.

Lilith, on the other side, walked skillfully through it, even though her long dress should've been a bigger hindrance. She was still slow, probably taking care so she wouldn’t be too far from Lyneth.

It was so dark because of the thick treetops above them that it was hard for Lyneth to see in front of her. Her glasses getting fogged by the humidity just made it worse. She could still use the bright red of Lilith’s hair as a guidance, though.

Lilith halted in the middle of their walk. She spun in Lyneth’s way, raising her right hand. The girl felt her body being pushed back by an invisible force. She hit her back on the trunk of a big tree and left out a yell of pain. Soon she realized what was happening, as the place she had been thrown from getting hit by a big lump of something resembling dark brown strings. It made a hole where it landed and strew earth everywhere. Lyneth would’ve been crushed by it, had Lilith not pushed her away.

The mass of strings started to move again, retracting up, to the top of the trees. Following with her eyes, Lyneth realized the strings were attached to a human form standing on the branches. As the hair became shrink to its normal form, or at least as normal as a hair with the same length of an adult can be, the human looked down to Lyneth. After, her eyes turned to Lilith, and she leaped from the branch, hoping to the nearby tree and disappearing into the darkness formed by the woods.

“Is that your friend?” Lyneth tried not to look as scared as she was, but her voice was shaky.

“I don't think so…” Lilith still had her cool temperament as she examined above. “But definitely related. Let's follow her.”

Lyneth didn't know how they would follow a girl who disappeared into the darkness above but stayed in silence. She did her best to keep the pace with Lilith, who wasn’t making effort to wait for her anymore. She managed to sprint through the forest until her feet got entangled on a root and she fell on the floor. She used her hand to prevent a worse hit, and her palms got dirty with mud and blood. Without wasting much time, she ran to the direction  Lilith had disappeared.

At first, she was lost. She took out her glasses and examined the forest around her, finding clear signs on broken branches and feets forms on the mud. Branches and thorns scratching her skin, making her bleed from several small cuts.

She found Lilith soon after, in a more open space. Putting her glasses back, she approached the demon queen. Just then she realized the figure standing in front. The girl was taller than the two of them, her hair of a brown color darker than Lyneth’s. Her dirty garments were clearly old. Just a piece of cloth covering her chest, leaving her belly exposed and another around her waist, looking like some skirt reaching to her thighs. And, of course, there was the length of her hair. It was as long as the girl's own stature, with its points dirtying itself on the mud in the ground.

“Go away!” She ordered, glaring menacingly at the two woman.

Lyneth tried to give one step forward but stopped as the girl’s hair started to move in a pattern of waves, looking alive. Those dark strands formed a circle on her head, like some kind of mane

“Go… Away!” She yelled again.

Lyneth didn't dare to move, but Lilith looked unperturbed.

“I'm looking for a female.” She said, without leaving her place. “Her name is Arielle.”

The girl leaned her head to the side and said, with a soft voice: “Mommy?”

“You're that woman daughter, huh? Makes sense. Where is she now?”

“Mom… dead. They killed mommy!” She said pointing to Lyneth. Her face deformed by anger and sadness. “They cut mom’s head off. I saw it. I didn't save mommy. She was in bed. She was sick.” She buried her head in her hands.

“So she's dead,” Lilith said, more to herself than anything. She looked at the girl and gave a step forward. At the same instant, the girl’s hair moved by itself and thrust in the demon queen’s direction. As it moved, it became even higher in length, like sprouting from the girl’s head. Lilith raised the hand and with a gesture made the hair bounce upwards.

“Do you think you can hit me, children?” She said, her eyes turning red.

Startled, the girl ran away, her long hair disappearing behind the trees. Perceiving the girl fleeing, Lyneth made way to Lilith’s side.

“Are you letting her go?”

“Don't worry. I know exactly where she's going.”

After some small walk, now with Lilith not having the same urgency on her steps, they arrived at a house in the middle of the forest. It was a small house, made of old wood. Cloaked by the shadows and branches of the thick trees around it. The light brown door was almost the only thing seen through it.

They walked close to it, but Lilith stopped in front of the door. She scrutinized the house with her eyes, her hand on her chin, deep in thought.

“As I expected,” she said, crossing her arms in front of her chest. “I can't enter.” As Lyneth looked at her with inquisitive eyes, she added: “There’s a barrier blocking me.”

With caution, Lyneth raised her hand and touched the door. There wasn't any reaction.

“You won't get affected,” Lilith explained. “This barrier has no effect in humans. Otherwise, she would still be alive.”

“So what? She made this to protect herself from other demons?” Lyneth asked, remembering that Lilith told her how rare it was for demons to betray each other.

Lilith shook her head.

“I think she wanted to protect her daughter. Not from demons. No. It was from… something else. So, little girl, now it's the time to prove your worth. Open that door to me.”

Without questioning, Lyneth put her hand on the handle and turned it, making the door open with a creaking sound. When the space through the opening was big enough, she felt hands on her back and a push that threw her inside the house. At the same time, a wave of hair held her by her body and arms pulling her inside.

The girl then held Lyneth’s arm with her right hand, and the strength was something a human couldn't even dream of escaping from. If she wanted, she probably could break Lyneth’s arm with a little squeeze. But at least, she unrolled her hair from the girl’s body.

Lyneth realized how that hair was covering the entire little house. Coming out of the girl’s head, it went through the table, to the utensils, through the door leading to the room at the back. It was like the entire house was wrapped in those strands. It was more than ten times bigger than the length she saw before.

Looking at the entrance, Lyneth saw Lilith smiling, her arms crossed, standing outside the house.

“Go away!”, the girl hissed and held her free hand against Lyneth’s neck. “Or I'll tear her head off right now.”

Lilith smirked.

“And why would I care about what happens to that human? Go ahead. She's disposable.”

The girl made pressure on Lyneth’s neck, not enough to harm her yet. The grip on her left arm was starting to hurt.

“It would be smart to listen to me first, though.” Lilith continued. “If you want them to pay to what happened to your mother, I invite you to come with me.” And after a silence, she concluded: “I want to bring our empire back.”

“Empire? I don't know what is that! I just want mommy!”

While a little scared about her fate, Lyneth realized how that girl, even in that adult body, with that stupid strength, was shaking like a kid.

“Go away!” The girl yelled again,  almost crying.

She released the grip on Lyneth’s arm to clean the tears off her face. That was what Lyneth waited to happen. Before the other girl could even understand what was happening, Lyneth grabbed her long hair close to the root in her head, making sure all the girl’s strands were inside her palm. As fast as she could, she took the dagger off her waist and sliced between her gripped hand and the girl’s head, cutting through all her hair in one movement.

The girl gave a startled scream and tried to grab her strands of hair, touching up her head in a useless action, since Lyneth had thrown it in the floor already. The girl’s hair now at a length above her neck.

“Lyneth!” she heard Lilith screaming from outside. “Get away from there, now!”

Lyneth looked at the floor and realized the strands of hair were suffering a weird reaction. They were shaking, like boiling in hot water. Not just on the floor, but in the entire house.

While the demon girl was still confused, Lyneth grabbed her by the hand and pulled her along, running to the house entrance. As she put her feet outside, she heard a loud bang and the impact threw her forward, in Lilith’s arms. She looked behind. Through the windows, door, roof, and through some holes made in the walls, the house looked like a box of black needles. Some objects were thrown outside by the explosion caused when the strands expanded.

“Just like her mother. When a strand of her hair is cut, it explodes, becoming some kind of piercing needle. It's pretty sharp and probably would leave you full of holes weren't you fast enough.” Still holding Lyneth’s body against her, Lilith looked at the dagger on her hand. “I didn't know you had that.”

Lyneth glanced on her hand holding her knife and on her other hand, still holding the other girl’s, now kneeled and shaking behind her. She released the girl and buried her face in Lilith’s chest.

Lilith pushed her away, although a little gentler than she expected.

“Don't try your luck.”

Lyneth smiled and fixed her glasses, bent on her face after the contact with Lilith’s body.

“Thanks. That warning saved my life.” She said.

“Don't be stupid. Why am I being thanked for protecting my property? Also, I couldn't let the one I came for be destroyed.” She looked at the girl who was sobbing on the ground. “Even though she's not exactly the one I came for…”

Lilith approached the girl and offered her hand. The girl just watched in suspicion. Lilith rushed her again and got her hand grabbed. She pulled the girl from the ground.

“Now, if you'll listen to me…” but Lilith stopped, as the girl escaped from her grip and sprinted behind her, in Lyneth’s direction.

As Lyneth saw it, remembering the strength that the girl had on her arm, she shut her eyes, expecting to at least survive the attack. But the impact she felt on her face was almost imperceptible. It would probably hurt more had she punched her own face.

She opened her eyes. The girl's hand was touching her face. She tried to hit again, now on Lyneth’s belly. Not even a sting.

“Just like your mother,” Lilith said behind her. “Losing your hair makes you lose your strength, too.”

“Hmm…” Lyneth made and looked at the girl's scared eyes. A cruel smile crept across her face.

Lyneth kicked the girl’s legs, making her fall with her butt on the ground. As she tried to raise, Lyneth pulled her dagger and pressed it against the girl’s cheek, drawing a fillet of blood. More tears coming out of her eyes.

“Now you stay put and listen what madam has to say.”

Lilith approached them. She moved the dagger in Lyneth’s hands away from the girl's face but still gave a little nod thanking her. She kneeled in front of the girl and wiped the blood on her face with her fingers.

“Let's start again? My name is Lilith. An old friend of your mother, as well as your old king's granddaughter.” She paused before adding: “And your future queen. What's your name?”

After a silent moment, that took for the girl to calm down, she answered:

“Kiril…” she then raised her finger and pointed behind Lilith, where Lyneth was.

“Don't worry about her… Kiril. She's my servant and I won't let her hurt you anymore. Instead, I have a proposal to make. I wanted your mother, actually, but you look just as worthy. Let's rebuild our empire, Kiril.”

Kiril gave Lilith a confused look, not saying anything.

“Say, child. Did you count how many years you are alive?” Lilith asked.

“Mommy said we lived here for fifty years.”

“Fifty?” Lyneth said, making Kiril glare at her. “Don't you mean fifteen?”

“She probably means fifty”, Lilith answered. “I know it's too long for you humans, but by our standards, she's a little more than a child.”

“Hmm… I wonder how old are you, madam…”

Lilith ignored it.

“Two hundred years ago, child, we had an empire. An empire just for us, where we were free to do as we wanted. Where even humankind was in our hands. We lost it. But I'm the one who can bring it back. And it's exactly what I intend to do. Let's take our world back, Kiril.”

“This world… ours?”

“I can't do that alone. Humankind builds strength in union. We should do the same. I want you to become my general, Kiril.”

The girl stood in silence. She kept glancing from Lilith to Lyneth and back to Lilith.

“Or you can stay,” Lyneth said. “Stay. Be hunted and lose your head now that you are even weaker than us, hideous humans.”

Kiril clenched her teeth.

“Can I kill them?” she said, pointing to Lyneth.

“This one is mine and you can't kill her. But humankind will be our enemies in this war, so you can kill them. No, you must kill them.”

Kiril remained silent. She just nodded and offered her hand to Lilith. The two stood up and the demon queen caressed the now short hair of her new general. Watching it, Lyneth sighed and went to grab Lilith’s arm, holding it against her own body.

***

As they were near the village, Kiril started to get agitated. She tried to run to the forest’s interior, but Lilith held her arm.

“What's your problem?”, Lyneth asked, annoyed.

Kiril glared at her.

“Your kind” she hissed. “Full of them!”

“Yeah, well, it's a human village. That's expected.”

Kiril then glared at Lilith.

“It's temporary.” the demon Queen answered.

The girl tried to run again, but this time it was Lyneth who grabbed her and hauled her, throwing her body in the hard ground.

Lyneth pulled her dagger again and gave a step in Kiril’s direction. Lilith just stared in silence.

“Now you hear me…” Lyneth started, grabbing the girl by the hair, making her groan in pain.

Then Lyneth remembered where she was and looked around to see if anyone was there.

There was someone.

Lyneth released Kiril’s hair, letting her fall again on the ground, and looked to Annabelle, looking at them with a horrified face.

“Lyn-Lyn? What…?”

But at that opportunity, Kiril raised from the ground and jumped in Annabelle’s way. Lyneth tried to grab her again, but it was too late. She ran and threw herself against Annabelle… hugging her body tight… hiding her face in Annabelle’s chest and crying.

“Mommy! Mommy!”

“W-what?” Annabelle made, confused. Her hand instinctively caressing Kiril’s short hair, trying to calm her down.

Lyneth and Lilith just looked at the scene in confusion.

“Say… does Annabelle looks like your friend?” Lyneth asked.

“No. Not at all.”

“Lyn-Lyn?” Annabelle asked again, as confused as the two women. Lilith opened her mouth, but it was Lyneth who said first.

“This girl is a demon.” She said with a serious face. “So is Lilith behind me. In fact, Lilith is the queen of all demons.”

As Annabelle looked confused, Lyneth gave two steps, getting closer to her.

“She could burn this entire village in a blink, you know. Better not to tell anyone about her. You care about all those children, right?”

“Get her away from me!” Kiril cried as Lyneth’s approached.

“What did you do to this poor girl?” Annabelle asked, still caressing the girl's hair.

“I said she’s a demon, right? Actually… she looks rather fond of you. Say, take care of her for us, okay?”

“What?”

“Just take care of her until her hair grows back. Oh, but don’t even think about cutting it again.”

“Her hair, I don't…”

“Just go!” Lyneth interrupted her in a cold voice, making Annabelle shiver.

She didn’t felt like arguing back, it just wasn’t like her, and she never saw Lyneth like that. Slowly she turned and started to walk away, taking Kiril by the shoulder. She still looked behind one last time and murmured a low “Lyn-Lyn”, before disappearing into her house direction.

Lilith approached Lyneth and put a hand on her shoulder. Lyneth turned to face the demon queen’s face. She smiled and asked, in a confident voice:

“Have I proven my usefulness to you, madam?”

The demon queen just looked at her without saying anything. Lilith grabbed Lyneth by her waist roughly and pulled her body close, joining their lips in a fierce kiss. She used not only her lips but her tongue, too.

Lyneth couldn’t understand if the reason was that she was in the passive position now, or maybe without the adrenaline and not being angry her body reacted differently, but that was nothing like the kiss she gave Lilith in the forest. She felt her knees falter as she felt Lilith’s tongue pushing aggressively against her own. If the queen wasn’t holding her tight, she probably would fall to the ground.

Lilith pushed her away. Lyneth staggered and her back hit against a stone column that marked the village’s entry. Her face bright red and her hand half-covering her mouth.

“W-why?” She said. Talking was hard. She felt her entire bold waving and burning.

“You were way too confident. It was starting to annoy me. You’re just a little human girl and my property. Don’t get so full of yourself and know your place.”

Lilith turned and walked away, leaving a breathless Lyneth behind, still leaning against the column. The girl touched her lips again and, remembering the moment, felt her heart beating strong on her chest. It would take some time for her to calm down.