Notes :

First fic in english (not my main language) so if you find any mistakes, tell me.

Warnings : Hurt, angst, dark memories, possesions, despair.

Summary :Lilith feel even closer to the poet now, the way back to Devil May Cry, as terrible as it was, let her share a peaceful moment with him after the chaos and pain. But it wasn't over, right ?

Sorry for this one, we will go back to the pain... and it's gonna be a long one.

(Lilith's POV)

The training with Nero had been canceled, the young devil hunter gone on a job for the rest of the day, and with the heavy rain, there was no training possible. The only training session with V had ended up in a heated kiss and the poet had decided to pass the teaching process to the boy. Griffon was right, they couldn't behave. Whenever they were alone, since the first night they had shared together, there was a tension growing up between them, a strange energy that was driving them to the other or at least that what she was feeling on her side, sparkling under her skin with every touch...

In a bit more than a week, they grew up closer than all she thought could ever be possible, the poet had been the first to get close to her, physically, little by little at first, mostly during battle as it was impossible for her to refuse it, then in the shop, when he left some gifts for the sorceress...

V was there for her when she needed, listening to her story, his words appeasing her pain and worries, staying with her till morning... That night had changed everything in her. Not only had she slept with him that night but the other nights too, and not to mention the fact that they stayed together most of the time, never far away from each other. Not even on purpose.

"Are you alright, Lilith ?" Kyrie soft voice snapped her out of her thoughts, back to the kitchen where the girls were already working on the dinner, the meal was a bit complicated and needed time to cook.

"Y-Yeah, sorry. I-I was just thinking. I'm fine." She rushed to finish the cleaning ot the dishes, leaving the meat to the sweet woman as it wasn't something she liked.

"Thinking ? I wonder about who..." Lilith almost choke on her own saliva, "You two are pretty obvious, you know. Do you need anything ?"

Her knowing look made the sorceress blush with the implication behind her words, this was embarrassing and new.

"They cannot behave more than five minutes." The demonic familiar hissed, perched on a chair nearby, trying to steal a piece of meat, "Would you not have come by last time, I don't know what would have happen."

"Griffon !" Lilith lowered her voice to not get noticed by the poet in the living room, tone implying violence.

"Warn me as much as ya want Toots," He mocked her as Kyrie chuckled, "Just stating the truth."

"W-we just kissed !" She sighed, "Nothing else."

She heard the bird chortle but not adding anything, chewing the stolen piece of fresh meat with a knowing look. Yeah, the bird was pretty well aware of what had happen between them few hours ago.

Well almost happen...

"That's a good start. It took times for Nero to kiss me, trust me. From what I see, V is quite faster. If you need anything, don't worry, just ask." Kyrie chuckled, eyeing the poet who was reading with the children.

"None of them will do that, woman. Too stubborn. Give them time alone without interruption, so those lovebirds can..."

"Griffon !" Lilith shouted, gaining the attention of the kids and V.

The mouthy bird was back to ink the next instant, her cheeks burning as if Lekha was brushing his feathers against it and Kyrie lightly laughing

Great ! Exactly what I needed...

It the end of the afternoon, the kids were playing with the familiars under Nero's skeptical look, Shadow was petted by the kids, visibly liking it, while one of them had decided to play with Griffon, forcing the demonic bird to be a nice little baby in his coffin. Lilith internally laugh, from the furious look the bird was throwing at his master, V was behind it, no doubt.

The poet tapped her shoulder slightly with his hand, signaling her to follow him discreetly outside in the courtyard. The rain had finally stop, not that she hated it but her birds needed energy from both sun and moon right now, the faint glowing veins hadn't gathered any attentions yet with her dark asymmetric kimono and thick black lace pant but they were slowly beginning to show off more now, less faint, more glowing where the fabric wasn't covering her skin, warm and cold at the same time.

"I noticed them yesterday, they're getting more visible." V was looking at her, gaze flickering from her face to her neck, "What are they ?"

"...I don't know... It's the first time I see this... Lekha didn't seem alarmed by it..." She had questioned her bird in the morning, before their little... game... "I couldn't ask him much upon waking... as he was healing Nuiid..."

"Ah. Yes." That damn smirk... "Can you talk with them ?"

His curious tone make her forget for a moment how cocky he had been, talking wasn't the real term. Her birds couldn't communicate like Griffon but she could understand them through the connection they shared. Something alike telepathy, sharing feelings, there wasn't really a word for it.

"I can try now, Nuiid seems to have gained some forces back. Not enough to get out of his stalemate but enough to take it himself at night." She said, gazing at her hands where the lines were there too, smaller and thinner but spreading.

Closing her eyes, she focused her thoughts on the bright bird, sensing his thoughts immediately merging with her through the connection, feeling a wave of warm fire spreading over her skin. From his own memories, it never happened to her but as he searched over the previous hosts, he found part of a possible answer in an almost forgotten one.

Blurred scenes flashed through her mind, without any sound. A small house, beautiful garden with a lovely table, what looked like three cup of tea, the silhouette of a man falling on the ground, a terrible rage spreading over the area, ice forming everywhere then darkness.

A flash of light almost blind her as the reflection of a naked young looking woman in a broken wooden mirror showed up. Same veins spreading over her whole body, more vivid, literally glowing from her skin like pure light. The girl was crying, her body hunched up over herself, shoulders shivering with her sobs, Lilith couldn't hear but the terrible sadness coming from that moment made her heart ache like it was her pain.

There was a lot of bottle on the floor, all empty, and a big book looking like a...

The vision stopped abruptly, sending her back to reality violently with a throbbing headache.

"Oww... " She grumbled trying to grab her head but not able to as strong arms were wrapped around her, V's face a few inches away from her, worry.

"Are you alright ?" He scanned her, making her sat on a dry bench and kneeling in front of her, "Is this supposed to work like this ? Is every spell you use suppose to hurt you ?"

His sudden severe tone surprised her, not only was he worry but also upset. Fortunately, it didn't last, the next instant, Lilith felt her body pressed against him, nearly falling from the bench, his face buried between her neck and shoulders, sighing.

"Forgive me, my sparrow..." His lips were brushing her skin, "I was worry that... You seemed clearly hurt for a second and the way you came back..."

"I-I'm fine..." She tried to freed her arms but failed, "I... I don't know why it ended like this... It never happened unless..." She froze, scanning the area for any trace of danger.

Nothing.

"Lilith ?" V's hands cupped her head and made her look back at him, "Indulge me."

"Unless there is a potential danger nearby. But there isn't. I don't sense anything and Lekha's feelings right now are... confused..." Remembering the last part of the visions, tears began to fall from her eyes, the young woman with the same glowing veins... What had happened to her ? "I think... I think Lekha wants to protect me from seeing something... But I don't understand..."

She told him what she had seen, watching his expression change when she mentioned the stade of the girl, how it had looked so painful for her, the bottles on the floor... They stayed silent for a long time, the moment the words had left her lips, the sorceress had knew... The reason why her bird had pushed her away violently from his mind, the terrible scene through the broken mirror, what had happened to the woman...

This wasn't fair.

She had finally found happiness, let him in and see part of herself she had promised to keep hidden. She wasn't scared about being hugged anymore ! She was even slowly accepting his look on her, thought the scar on her stomach and the meaning of it still scared her like hell but she finally had opened to someone again...

And now... She was going to...

She couldn't believe it. This wasn't going to happen to her. There was probably an explanation, something the bird couldn't remember and that they needed to fully understand it ! It has to be...

I don't want to leave him ! I want to live !

"Maybe taking a healing potion right now..." Her own voice sound so weak, "I..."

He stopped her, "We'll find a solution." His tone was steady and warm but his eyes showed her how scared he was, "That girl is probably the first witch, and things have changed since then... That healing potion might help your birds too. We'll ask the girls to find you more potions when they come back."

She nodded, not really in the mood to argue about the small chance to get new healing potion for her till then. They waited a moment to go back inside, Lilith hiding her terrible discovery behind her usual happy mask till night time, like she had done in the past while the poet hid behind his book, mind working hard.

I wish I could spare him that... We couldn't even discuss about us... Does it really matter now that I will...

"Toots ?" Griffon's voice snapped her out of her dark thoughts, "Did Shakespeare scolded you again or somethin' ? You two looks down and you might fool the others, doesn't work on me."

The bird was comfortably sitting on the bed while she read her new grimoire, hoping to find something that could help her. All her knowledge had led her nowhere, the information about him in the book only confirming what she already knew or suspected.

"He didn't do anything wrong, Griffon. Don't worry." She couldn't repress the sadness from her voice but she couldn't bring herself to reveal the truth, that was already too cruel... "We just are preoccupied with the battle coming soon..."

"Listen, Mr poet and us share a lot a things from his mind" The blue bird sighed, "From his own will or not, I have access to a lot of things, he can shut things off like now but why would he need it ?" He chortled a bit, "It's not personal as he wouldn't hide it like that... I don't even think he will hide it. Kind of a arrogant side he have. Huh."

The poet entered the room next, cutting the conversation right there, hairs still a little damp from the shower with a towel on his shoulders, wearing only his black pant. Griffon launched from the bed to land on the desk next to her book, glancing at her grimoire with narrowed eyes.

"The potion seems to have worked on you but not on those lines." V's hands rested on her bare shoulders, she had changed into her new night outfit right after drinking the healing potion, feeling the red liquid immediately making her feel better, easing her fatigue and restoring her energy to almost full level. Her birds had been healed a bit too, Lekha could rest at night now with Nuiid not in a critical state anymore, the dark bird was still in stalemate but the potion had helped him restore the capacity to use the night's energy to recover on his own.

But the glowing lines were still there, maybe less visible, but not gone. She sighed, if the healing potion didn't worked, then whatever those lines were, it was incurable.

At least it doesn't hurt...

"I should ask Lekha again, now that I know..." V's grip tightened on her skin, almost bruising, "He won't hurt me. That wasn't his intention, never... He immediately healed my headache after that, excusing himself for pushing me away so harshly."

When she looked up from her book, Griffon was gone, she hadn't paid attention to when V had called him back but maybe was it better. Lilith didn't wanted to worry the familiar too.

"What would you gain ?" She felt his hands slid on her arms, slightly resting his weight on her back, "I have to admit you looked great with red eyes but I would appreciate if you just rested for now."

"Red ? Oh, yes, that's right, it usually do that when we communicate." She smiled, remembering the first time her grandmother had told her about it, those time were so far away now... "I just want to ask him if he know what this is. New form of power, spell, anything..."

She leaned backward, resting her head on him and glancing at him with a sad smile, that was all she could do, trying to know what was slowly taking over her before the end. If there was a chance to cure this, she would not hesitate. He leaned toward to kiss her forehead then slowly retreat to the bed, his hands ghosting over her skin, inviting her to follow.

Not that his gaze on me doesn't speak for him.

He let her 'talk' with her bright bird as she sat in his arms on the bed, Lekha was confused by the situation, he recognised the lines as he had seen it on the first sorceress but those memories were blurry and incomplete for he had been within her that whole moment. The difference between the two witches was that Lilith wasn't suffering at all. She sighed as she came back, not earning much about her new condition.

"You were right..." She grumbled, "I didn't earn a thing."

"But you tried." His hands traced patterns on her arms, his head gently resting on hers, "You are strong, Sparrow. So strong. But we're not certain you'll end up like her. After all, correct me if I am wrong but it was three hundred years ago, and you didn't saw her die because of this, right ?"

He was trying to reassure himself, hoping she could be saved, how cruel... But he was right on that point, she didn't saw the witch die from the glowing disease, the bright bird's actions and feelings on the other side...

"I'm sorry..." She whispered, head low, "I'm sorry you have to..."

He stopped her, hugging her tightly, lips brushing against her ears, "You should be focussing on yourself, being angry or crying would be normal in this situation but you are apologizing to me ?"

"Crying wouldn't lead me anywhere. Nor being angry. It won't change the fact that... I will..." Her voice break but no tears came, she couldn't end her sentence.

"You won't die." Lilith felt him hug her tighter, the fabric rubbing on the scar on her stomach, slightly hurting, "We will find a solution, I promise you."

Tattooed hands moved to her face, grabbing her chin to make her look at him, he looked confident, driven even if this was impossible. Their lips met a few moment later, kissing with intensity, leaving her aching for more when it ended.

I should tell him how I feel, before it's too late...

She couldn't bring herself to speak those simple words during the whole week, even if he already knew it somehow. The training with Nero had occupied most of her days, she had find it hard at first, adjusting to new techniques in a short amount of time wasn't really the problem, it was more her lack of concentration due to her new worries.

V had asked her to stay away again, but even with this new threat upon her head, she was more determined than ever to fight the dark mage. Hearing his probable implication in the disappearances of the wizards here and there hadn't surprised her, just upset the sorceress a bit more. The necromancer was untraceable, hiding very well his presence whenever he had to capture another victim or 'helper'.

He's certainly gathering more power to complete his transformation... Sacrificing those people...

The new fighting style she had learned was clearly different from her ordinary techniques but could play the difference against him if needed. Of course she knew the others were not going to let her fight him, she wasn't stupid and had heard them discuss about it while thinking her asleep. The poet was the only one to say it directly to her, not hiding things anymore or at least, not important things like that.

They hadn't talk a lot about the glowing lines, the sorceress had hid them under a spell to not worry the whole crew, they were just enjoying their time alone reading, searching, relaxing in each other's arms when it was too late to do anything else but talking about it was out of the way. It only lead to fear, uncertainty and despair for the witch and she wanted to lived those last moments with as less pain and sadness as possible.

Vivid visions and fragments of memories from the first witch had plagued her this whole week, leaving her confused and disconnected from her body. Lekha himself felt this way about his host whenever they tried to communicate again, the brighter the glowing lines were, the stronger the confusion and the feeling of being someone else was.

Lilith had dreamed of the first witch, seeing everything with her eyes, how her reflection were almost identical, except for the eyes, wavy hairs and more athletic body of the first host. She had seen the beautiful garden with so much variety of plants and flowers, wondering how one woman could take care of it all alone.

But the woman wasn't alone, or at least, she had someone she loved. It felt strange for Lilith to sleep in the poet arms and to dream about sharing a cup of tea with another one on the garden's witch table, the woman's feeling for the man crushing the little sorceress and making her feel guilty, like she was betraying the summoner. It wasn't really her, Lilith knew that but every scene playing in front of her eyes, every feeling she could experience was like her own, driving her more and more crazy and confused.

It felt like she was the one angry when an argument began with the man's father, a tall man with long blond hair attached in a low ponytail falling in his back, wearing dark blue mage robe and a ring on his left hand. Lilith had seen that ring somewhere, she was certain of it but couldn't place where... She didn't liked the man at all, not understanding why, was it coming from the first host or herself ?

Her distrust of the man proved her she was right, showing her the man's son laying on the floor, his cup of tea broken, intense rage and despair took control of her as she heard the witch's voice calling her loved one's name in vain, his father blaming the woman to have poison him although they had served the tea the mage had brought.

He was the one who poisoned tea ! He killed him ! Not her !

Her power had overflowed, waking up the poet who tried to bring her back to reality. She immediately apologized, searching for any wounds or burns caused by her power on him, sighing with relief when she didn't find anything.

"I-I'm sorry ! I'm so sorry..." She whimpered, unable to look at him in the eyes.

"It's alright, you are safe now. Whatever was hurting you in this nightmare is gone." V was holding her close, kissing her forehead and stroking her back with his hand, "You are safe, Sparrow. You are safe."

Those visions, those sensations and feelings were scaring her, making her feel like she wasn't the same person anymore, almost as if another person was slowly creeping inside her head, bringing thoughts, memories and sensations that she wasn't supposed to have or feel... This hadn't been a nightmare, it wasn't a vision from Lekha's memories nor Nuiid's, no, it was the first witch herself...

She stayed silent for a long time, still unable to look at him, the spell she used to hide the glowing veins had dispel during her sleep and they were visible once more, gleaming in the darkness of the room, more vivid and a bit bigger but still not like in Lekha's vision. This was frightening her too, the veins were getting stronger, approaching the one in her first vision but still without the pain... What was this and why ?

"Lilith ?" V's voice brought her back to the present, again, his hands on her face, eyes searching for her with worry clearly visible in his jade orbs, "What is happening to you ? Please, talk to me."

She stared at him a few second, detailing his features by passing one of her hand on his face, hating to see those glowing lines lighting up a bit his skin. She smiled sadly, tilting her head as she tried hard to commit to memory every feeling, every sound, everything.

"It's ok, you can leave. You don't have to stay, I'm strong, I can take it." She whispered, putting a finger against his lips to prevent him from saying anything, "I can totally understand. Plus... I don't want you to see this... I mean... Their getting bigger, stronger... Almost like the one in my vision... And we'll fight the dark mage soon, so... Just promise me one thing..." She smiled despite the tears falling from her eyes, despite the pain shattering her heart, "Do not get too sad over me. I know it's harsh and cruel of me to ask that but... I'd like you to live for me... Do things you love and try to find happiness again, someone else even, I would be glad..."

His lips crushed on hers, silencing her in a sad and desperate kiss, the sorceress felt his tears fell on her face, mixing with hers on their lips, his strong arms around her shoulders, keeping her close, as if he was afraid that she might disappear the next instant, but she didn't want that. All she wanted was to live, to stay with him, to tell him how much it hurted her to utter those terrible words... That she was terrified...

"Don't say such things, Lilith, never." His tone was broken, barely audible, "I can't do that. I can't leave you. Not now, never. I promised you something, I'll keep my word. This is not a disease, it is something else. You have been acting strangely the whole week, the visions had stopped after you got the dark bird but now they are back, Your father has probably cast another spell on you during your battle..."

She shook her head, "It's impossible... The witch had the same things... Please, don't use that title with him... He doesn't deserve it at all."

"Lilith, I had to call you by your name at least five times, your eyes were blue, bright blue, glowing with magic and you didn't looked like yourself..." This startled her, "The way you looked at me... Sparrow, it was like you were someone else... If you know something, let me know."

"I..." She shook her head again, confused, hearing lekha's faint howling in her head, the bird seemed as confused as her, "I don't know... I feel... Not myself... Since those things... I have visions of her past... fragment of her life... Her feelings... It feels like they're mine yet not at all... It's like she's there with me but that's impossible... She died three hundred years ago..."

It was impossible, even if the dark mage was a necromancer, he couldn't bring back a soul gone after that much time, it was too late...

"Unless..." She murmured, "Unless her soul had been captured or contained in an object but... No that impossible... He wouldn't be that lucky... And why would her soul be kept in something ? I don't know how she died but..."

"Maybe she tried to find a way to cure herself but failed and had no other choice but to separate her soul from her body..." The poet replaced his arms around her, trying to calm her down, talking of him was always making her uneasy.

"That's impossible." She frowned, "She couldn't have done it herself ! Soul's magic is extremely hard to use, even more alone, almost impossible to succeed, even as a necromancer... It would take more than a lifetime to master this art and it's impossible..."

Lilith heard the question forming in his brain, "Lekha doesn't understand this either. He is as confused as me. He feels her too, even though it's impossible..."

They both sighed at the same time, this was going nowhere.

"We should go back to sleep, we will think of it tomorrow with the others, others pair of eyes might be helpful." She let him kiss her again, "But never say that again. Never."

His hands cupped her cheeks, firmly making her look at him, the expression on his face could kill her. "I will never leave you, my sparrow. Never. I cannot find happiness if you are not with me, Lilith, I cannot find anyone else like you." His voice was soft, whispering against her lips "You are unique, the only one I need and want by my side."

"V..." Her own voice sounded so weak...

"Hey ! Ya awake in there ?" Dante's voice came out of nowhere, breaking whatever was happening between them, "Better get up and come downstair. Time to go. Big bad mage finally came out and wants to fight ! Your battle clothes are before the door Lilly and Nico have things for ya."

Why can't I have one moment with him alone without being interrupted ! Damned !

Why was there always something or someone interrupting them ? What was the point ? She groaned, upset at the whole universe. It seemed to amuse her partner as she heard him chuckled.

"I rather like you upset than resolute to die." He looked as frustrated as her, "We will continue this later. I promise you that too."

She was about to argue with that but he stopped her, putting his fingers on her lips, "You trust your instincts, they never proved you wrong when you listened to them, and you keep telling me that you have to go, even more now that you have this. Why don't you trust yourself now ? What are you feeling about this ?"

"She was..." She began...

"Lilith. I'm talking about you, not the witch in Lekha's vision. You are not her." She was yanked forward, sensing his body pressing against her, his arms locking her in a tender but strong embrace, "You are different from that girl, even if she was a sorceress like you, even if you feel her sometimes, it might be because you, now, possess the two birds, we don't know and right now, we are running out of time. What are you feeling about this ? About you ?"

"..." She didn't answer, still confused with all the emotions gathering inside her, the thoughts, the memories... Her instincts were unsure about the ending... But she had to go, that was certain, she had to fight along them, face the man that had done so many terrible things... She had to stop him, to put an end on this. "All I know is that I have to go... For once... I don't know much more than that..."

"Let's go then. I'll stay with you, no matter what." He kissed her, a small kiss, as if to seal a deal then both of them got out of bed to prepare for the battle. While he changed into his battle outfit, Lilith slightly opened the door, finding her clothes folded on the floor, the hall was silent and empty but she could hear voices coming from downstairs, everyone was there.

Even if they were closer than before, V didn't look when she changed her clothes, only helping her when she was almost fully dressed. Her old corset had suffered against the giant riot and had been changed with a reinforced new one, fitting her, reinforced black pant. Her high boots and leather gloves had just been cleaned and she had now shoulders leather armors to replace her vest. The whole clothing was marked with minor magical protection, faintly gleaming all over the fabric.

"This look more protective than before. You even have a small magical protection." V inspected her new protection, pointing something on her back not covered by her corset or her hairs, "Where did you get that scar ?"

His finger was on her shoulder blade, right side where Lekha's mark was now. What was that again ? A demon for sure, but it was a really old one... Oh yeah...

"First mission on my own... Without granny, I mean. I was... eleven maybe... A small one, free of demon from what we had heard and perfect for me... Well they probably didn't saw that there was an arachne in the basement I had to clear..." From that day, she began to fear and hate those things, demonic or not, "I got hit by one of it's forearms... Huh, I hate those things..." She repressed a shiver, just remembering the fight was enough to create goosebumps on her skin.

"Eleven ? That's pretty young..." V's hand caressed the thin scar and the sorceress felt Lekha's wings spread over her skin, "Hum ? Is this..."

"Lekha. He's spreading his wings under my skin, you feel it ?" She smiled, at least her bird was in good terms with the poet, "He does it often, to wish me goodnight, to greet me in the morning, whenever I feel sad or down... We should let's go, they're waiting for us and it seemed that Nico wanted to see me..."

V nodded, capturing her lips one last time before going downstair to meet the whole crew.