David Sylvian – "Lilith" (unreleased track) – 1987
The house is quiet and still
Set in a valley of green
She walks in the shade of the hills
And charms the birds from the trees
Silencing questions in me
She sings in my brightest of dreams
The songs of shaman and kings
With a voice that could tear through the clouds
In the sky
See us rise on a will to power
While others still sleep
A forest in full flower
Where every river runs deep
The holy blood of saints and sheep
"Finally, I've found you" I said entering the cave.
"Great, as if father wouldn't be mad enough with Rebekah here" Niklaus grumbled.
"Calm yourself, Nik, father is busy, he won't find out where we are" I said sitting in a rock.
"He will find out. He always does"
"That is because you always tell him" Rebekah said still carving her name on the cave's wall.
"I cannot help it, he frightens me" Niklaus said. "Let me do it, before you get yourself hurt"
"He frightens us all" Rebekah shrugged, ignoring his extended hand for the knife.
"That is why we stick together, always and forever, remember?" I said. "Mother was looking for you, Rebekah, she wants help with dinner"
"Fine" she sighed. "I'll help mother"
"Yes, go tend to dinner, leave the blades to men, little sister" he said.
She rolled her eyes and thrust the hunting knife into his hand.
"Ouch, Rebekah" he snapped looking at his hand.
"Rebekah" I scolded gently.
"Oh, please, it's just a little cut" she said and ran out of the cave into the tunnels.
I stood up and put my hands on Niklaus shoulders, resting my chin over my right hand. He continued the carving, ignoring the wound on his hand.
"I'll never let him hurt you again, brother" I whispered.
"You should not make promises you cannot keep, sister. It is alright, I… don't mind" he muttered.
"I do. You are my little brother, and I'll keep you safe" I kissed his cheek. "Now, how about you carve my name? Make it an art"
"Just the best for my favorite sister" he grinned. "Do not tell Rebekah, though"
"Never" I laughed and rubbed his shoulder before stepping back. "Remind me to clean that cut for you, Nik"
"Finn, he was being a perfect gentleman" I grumbled as we walked to our home.
"Yes, and you two were alone. It is inappropriate" he retorted.
"You are not my father. Father didn't seem to mind"
"I am your brother"
"Elijah didn't mind" I glared.
"Well, we shared a womb. I think I have the right to be more protective of you, sister" he smiled.
I sighed and linked our arms.
"Yes, but you didn't have to frighten him" I mumbled.
"Do you honestly like him, sister?"
"Yes. He is a good man. I hope father agrees with a betrothal. He said he would talk to our father soon" I smiled.
"I doubt father will agree. I do not think he would let his girl marry one of the wolves" he said with a deep frown. "I wouldn't either; I do not want a life like that to you or your children"
I frowned, not ready to admit I worried about the future I would have if I married Nathaniel. I saw Elijah and Niklaus sparing, and I smiled, rushing to watch. Rebekah saw me running, and dragged Henrik to watch with us.
"Oh, look. Our sisters arrived to see my fast-approaching victory" Elijah taunted Nik, playing with his sword.
I wrapped my arms around Henrik's shoulders, as we laughed.
"On the contrary, brother" Nik retorted.
The metallic sound of the clash between the swords made my heart pound even faster, but I did not fear. My brothers would never hurt one another. I heard a sigh and turned to see Finn watching them with a scowl. Sometimes he reminded me so much of our father, that it scared me. Rebekah gasped and I turned to see Klaus had cut Elijah's belt, winning.
"They come to laugh at you" Klaus said grinning.
I laughed and applauded.
"What is the meaning of this?"
We froze and turned to watch father stride to us, mother fast on his heels with a worried frown.
"Father…" I started.
"Quiet, I did not speak to you, Lilith" he snapped and turned to Elijah. "Give me that"
Elijah hesitated, but gave his sword, the tense expression on his face matching everyone's.
"We were just having fun, father" Klaus mumbled.
I let go of Henrik and Rebekah pulled him back. But mother stopped me from stepping forward.
"Mikael, they are just being boys" she said fearfully.
"Fun?" father snapped at Klaus. "We fight for our survival! And you find time for fun? I want to have fun!" he yelled and raised the sword. "Teach me"
Nik was frozen, head lowered and I had to look away. The amount of fear father could make him feel was disgusting in my eyes. Niklaus was always brave, but a life with Mikael and anyone would fear him.
"Come on!" father yelled swinging the sword.
Nik blocked the attack, looking at father with wide eyes.
"Mikael" mother gasped.
Father kept coming at Nik, but Nik never did anything more than defend himself. Father disarmed him and he stumbled back. I rushed forward and got in the middle of them as father began to attack again.
"Lilith" Finn yelled.
I looked at father in the eyes and he looked down at the blade he wielded. A breath away from my throat. I reached behind me and grabbed Niklaus' hand, the one that was trying to pull me away.
"Move" father growled.
"They were just having fun, father" I said. "Please"
"You are a shame to this family, Niklaus. Your impulse will get you killed one day, boy" father sneered lowering the sword. "And you will drag your sister with you" he glared at me. "You are disrespecting me, Lilith. I know what I do to my children, and you are not to get in my way again"
He looked at the crowd that was gathering and mother pulled on his arm.
"It's enough, Mikael" she said softly.
He tossed the sword to Elijah, who caught it by the handle easily.
"We shall discuss your behavior later, girl" father said menacingly to me.
I squeezed Klaus' hand, knowing he was about to say something, and nodded. Father walked away and my other siblings opened a wide path to him and his wrath. I turned to Klaus and my hands wrapped around his forearms as he held me by the elbows.
"Are you alright? Did he hurt you?" I asked eyeing him.
"No. Oh, Lilith, you shouldn't have done that. He will…"
"I will be fine, Nik. I told you I wouldn't allow him to hurt you again"
"I hope you are happy, Niklaus" Finn sneered. "You got our sister into trouble with father"
"Stop, Finn" I said. "It is not his fault. I do what I desire"
He huffed and strode away. Elijah pulled my hair back and glared at the thin cut on my throat. The blade had only broken the skin, and only a drop of blood tickled down.
"How did you know?" I asked pulling my hair back to hide it.
"My blade had blood in it" he muttered.
I turned back to Niklaus and wrapped my arms around him, smiling at Elijah and Rebekah.
"I will be fine. We all will. That is what matters"
"Oh, Lilith, what happened?" father asked, shaking his head in disapproval. "You were so good"
"I am good, father" I protested.
"Disrespecting me and your mother? Wielding swords when you think I am not seeing? Walking alone with men?" he snapped.
"You taught me to stand for certain values, father. Loyalty. I try to learn how to wield a sword and I disrespect you because you frighten all of us. I shall not stand and watch you hurt my brothers" I said standing up.
"Lilith" mother hissed.
"What happened to you, father? You used to be a good father, you used to be someone I could trust and love unconditionally"
I cried in pain at the force of his blow, catching myself in chair. Mother jumped forward grabbing father by the arm and pushing him back.
"Enough, Mikael! It is Lilith" mother yelled. "You cannot do this!"
"Continue on that destructive path and you are not my daughter, and I will not be held responsible for my actions" father said and stormed out of the room.
Mother sighed and turned to me, helping me up. She looked at me with a guilty frown but by the shake of her head I knew it was coming.
"You should not disrespect your father, you know his temper"
"And you should not stand by and watch your children suffer on his hands" I snapped running to my room.
I heard the door creak open and Rebekah looked up, her tear-filled eyes finally spilling. I turned my head and sat on the bed, smiling sadly at Niklaus. He frowned at me and rushed to take me in his arms.
"I'm terribly sorry, sister. You could never know how much" he whispered.
"It is alright" I soothed him.
He pulled back and I cupped his face, wiping the lonely tear that escaped with my thumb.
"I do not regret anything, Nik. You should not either" I said.
"You are so brave, it is embarrassing to me" he lowered his head.
I hugged him, resting the right side of my face in his chest.
"You are brave too, Nik. You are my brother, I will always love you"
He rocked me and when I had calmed down and stopped crying he gently wiped my tears, careful with my left side, swollen from the slap I took earlier. It was not the first time I ended hurt, and I vowed to myself it would not be the last if needed.
I smiled at Ayanna, playing with the newly blossomed flower. Ayanna wrote something on parchment and then frowned, looking up.
"What is it, Ayanna?" I asked.
"Your sister" she said with a tightlipped smile.
I stood up and found Rebekah in the other room, looking at the necklaces hanging by the window. She touched one that was familiar to me, and hissed pulling her hand back. She turned to me and frowned.
"Lilith, you've burned me" she said.
"I did not" I said looking behind me at Ayanna.
"That is not yours to touch, Rebekah" Ayanna said.
"Mother!"
I scowled, recognizing the voice yelling in desperation and rushed to the door.
"That's Niklaus" I said to Rebekah.
"Mother! Help!"
I ran and found Nik carrying Henrik's body. The clothes torn and stained red with blood. I gasped and dropped on my knees when Klaus put his body on the ground. I put his head in my lap and wiped blood from his face.
"What happened?" I mumbled.
"Oh, God" mother gasped when she finally arrived.
"I'm sorry" Nik cried watching as mother ran her hands down Henrik's chest.
"What happened?" Elijah snapped.
"The wolves" Nik sobbed.
Mother cried and screamed, begging Ayanna and I to help her. But I was new at witchcraft, my powers weren't much yet and Ayanna refused, reminding mother it was dark magic. Kol pulled me away from the body and I cried in his chest, my eyes shut tight, trying to erase the image of Henrik dead, as if it would change what happened.
"I am sorry for your loss, Lilith" Nathaniel said.
"Stay away from my sister, wolf" Klaus snapped pulling me away from him.
"Nik" I mumbled.
"Niklaus…"
"How dare you come near my sister? Your pack has done enough"
"You took him there, you knew the danger" Nathaniel said glaring at Niklaus. "His death lies partly in your hands too. And the death of my cousin lies entirely in your hands"
"What?" I gasped.
"Your brother killed one of ours" Nathaniel said.
"He attacked Henrik!" Niklaus growled.
"Nathaniel, you should leave" I said tugging on Niklaus' arm before he started a fight. "Please"
"Lilith, once your family accepts this terrible loss, I shall talk to your father, I promise" Nathaniel said.
"Don't" I said shaking my head. "Do not talk to my father, he will kill you"
"I did not cause Henrik harm" he protested desperately.
"How do you know?" Klaus sneered. "You said your kind cannot control themselves when you are in wolf form. You cannot even remember nights of full moon"
"You told him?" Nathaniel frowned at me.
"No" I sighed. "Nathaniel, please, stay away from my family. For your well-being Let's forget the betrothal. I do not blame you for Henrik… but I do not wish this fate for my children. Your fate. I'm sorry"
Niklaus pulled me close to him and we walked away from Nathaniel.
"How did you know…?"
"Rebekah told me what you told her about him" he said.
"Of course" I sighed.
"You deserve the best, sister. He is not enough for you" he said comfortingly.
I smiled, even though I did not agree with him.
Father extended me a cup of wine with a small smile.
"I am sorry, Lilith" he said sincerely. "You were right. We are family and we need to do everything we can to protect our own. Forgive me"
I smiled at him and took the cup.
"Of course, father. You are my father, and I love you, that never changed, even when we were not in good terms"
"Hopefully, that will change very soon" he said.
We clinked our glasses together and he sat by my side as we watched the rest of the family interact around the bonfire, drinking and laughing, reminiscing. Mother had a tense, small smile, and it did not fool me. But I thought she was still mourning Henrik.
I was wrong.
"There are so many girls in the village" Rebekah was saying to Niklaus and Elijah. "Some much prettier"
"Leave them alone, Bekah" I said. "If they like Tatia, that is it. As long as she doesn't destroy your bond" I told them. "Family above everything, brothers"
Elijah opened his mouth to answer but stopped, frowning. Klaus lowered his cup and snapped up. I was about to ask what was it, when I felt pain inside me. I looked down, and saw the end of a blade on my chest. It was pulled back disappearing inside me, and everything went hazy before I fell.
I whimpered and blinked a few times before sitting up. The fire was almost out. I looked around me and saw Nik waking.
"Nik" I gasped seeing the blood on him.
I crawled to him and he frowned.
"Lilith…" he mumbled. "What… Rebekah!"
I turned and saw Rebekah was out too, with blood staining the bodice of her dress. I stood in shaky legs just as the door opened. Father was dragging a girl in. I did not know her, but we lived in a small village and I had seen her with Tatia once or twice.
"Father, what are you doing?" I asked.
"You killed us!" Niklaus said.
"You have to drink" father said pushing the girl in front of me.
I steadied her and scowled at father.
"Where is mother?" I asked.
"You have to drink blood to survive" he said taking his hunting knife and cut into the girl's wrist. "Drink!"
I froze, looking at the dark red liquid. It looked divine.
"Lilith, no" Nik said fearfully.
"Drink!" father screamed pushing her wrist to my lips.
I tried to pull back, but the sweet taste had already reached my tongue, and I could not stop myself. I closed my lips around the wound and sucked, drinking the sweet blood as if it was wine.
It was extraordinary. The blood ignited something inside of me. I had never felt so powerful, the experience was intense, and it seemed natural to me. And that scared me.
My mother explained to us what happened, what she and father did and why. My brothers didn't seem to mind much. We would be indestructible, we would live forever and we would never again fear anyone or anything. But as a witch, I knew. I knew it would bring consequences. We could not live forever without a price. The spirits, the nature would not accept it.
And I was right.
We were strong, we were fast. Our senses were heightened, we could control people if we wanted. Niklaus and Rebekah thought we were gods. But even gods had limits.
Nature fought our existence. The sun, that gave us life, became our enemy. We had to stay indoors for weeks until our mother found a solution. A stone, and a spell solved that problem and we were free to walk during the day. We could not enter other houses without being invited, and news spread about us, so most people would lock themselves up. They feared us. My favorite flowers, the kind that grew at the base of the white oak tree, burned us and people used to prevent us from compelling them. And the white oak tree, the tree that gave us immortality, could also take life from us. Father burned the tree down. The werewolves could fight us, but without the full moon, eventually, we always won. I was no longer a witch, a servant of nature because I was an abomination of nature.
But it was one day, walking around the village with Kol that I discovered the darkest consequence. Pumping hearts echoed in my ear, I couldn't focus on anything but the people around me. I had been the first to taste blood to complete the transition, and I would be the one who missed it first. Hunger, like I had never felt before. I had jumped on a man and drained him dry before I realized what I was doing. Kol couldn't stop me, and even though people ran away from me, screaming, I still killed a girl, who was standing, frozen, watching me with wide fearful eyes.
Perhaps, the worst part of the bloodlust was what it triggered. Soon, my siblings couldn't control themselves either and all of us killed people.
And with that, all delusions of a peaceful eternity, ended.
The next full moon, Klaus went through the pain of changing into a wolf. I was the one who helped him, held him, and made sure he wouldn't hurt anyone. Finn had left me behind with him, running to tell father. And it was me, the next morning, after comforting Klaus, that had to stop my father from killing him.
"Shh" I whispered running my fingers through his hair. "It will be alright"
He sobbed, still shaking from pain and fear.
"Mother lied" he said.
"It does not matter, Nik. You are still my brother, I still love you"
"I'm not your brother"
"Nik, nothing will change how much I love you. You are my family. Always and forever"
He seemed to calm down a bit and I stood up.
"I will get you clothes" I mumbled.
I was walking out of the cave when I saw Mikael running to me.
"Where is he?" he screamed.
"Father…"
"Where is the bastard!"
I blocked the cave's entrance, and he glared at me.
"Move" he growled.
"Don't hurt him"
"He is my greatest shame. This family is forever tainted with your mother's betrayal" he roared, his eyes changing. "And I shall erase that"
My matching hazel eyes mirrored his, and I bared my fangs at him.
"I kill you" I growled.
He grabbed me by the throat and threw me against the rocks.
"How dare you?"
I kicked him off and tackled him to the ground.
"Leave my brother alone, father. Or I will not be held responsible for ripping your heart out" I growled.
He pushed me off him and gave me a glare that would make me run and hide, but I was not scared of him anymore.
"You will regret this, Lilith"
"Never"
Those were the last words I exchanged with him.
By the end of that day, the whole village, all werewolves had been killed. Mikael had exterminated Niklaus' family, blood covered every surface and walls.
"I know you think she didn't love you, Nik" Rebekah mumbled.
I continued rubbing her arm up and down and looked at Nik, who only stopped for a second before throwing the last of the dirt on the grave. He let go of the shovel and stared at the ground.
"But she did" Rebekah continued.
Nik nodded once.
"I will never turn my back on you, like her" Rebekah said giving him a small smile.
"Nor will I" Elijah said approaching.
Letting go of Rebekah, I grabbed Nik's hand, looking at him in the eyes.
"We stay together as one, always and forever, brother" I said.