Family Business
"Are you ready to tell me what the hell is going on?" Lilith asked.
"No."
"You can't hide this from me forever."
"I won't have to." Dante gazed over the old church. "Just do your job. I can't explain something I don't understand myself."
"Fair enough." Lilith looked up at the moon. "We are not far from Dracula's homeland, are we?"
"Appropriate, isn't it? If what the locals say is true, we don't have long before the residents return. Stand lookout."
"You got it." In one strong leap, Lilith was more than halfway up the wall. She kicked off to propel herself the rest of the way. She twisted in midair and landed neatly on the rooftop. She made a quick sweep of the sky, then signaled Dante with a wave of her hand. He nodded and entered the church.
"This is one place Lilith would definitely like to hang out in," Dante said curtly to himself. Human femurs, tibias, and pelvic bones hung from the ceiling in elaborate designs. Human skulls dotted the pillars. A large chalice constructed of human bones rested on the altar. Full and partial skeletons lined the walls. "I don't know what's stranger. The fact this place exists, or it was built out of religious piety."
Dante approached the bone chalice on the altar. On both sides of it were hand sized statues of a man. At least, Dante thought they were men. He picked one up for a closer look. He nearly dropped it when he recognized the demonic figure. He looked at the other one. Though it was human in appearance, Dante knew both figurines were of the same being.
"Statues? Of my father?"
*
Lilith leaned against the steeple and closed her eyes. She had no intentions of falling asleep. She breathed slowly to get herself into a meditative state. She imagined herself sinking into the rooftop.
Lilith found herself at the bottom of a frozen pond. Forked lightning from Alastor skittered across the ice. A ball of inky darkness floated above her. Ignoring the pain in her frozen body, Lilith raised her arm to touch it. The inky blackness elongated and writhed until it became human-like. It reached out with what seemed to be a hand. Her own hand passed through it. Then it spoke four words to her.
"Children of my blood." As it spoke, she felt its body merge with hers.
Lilith awoke and sat up. "That was spooky. Then again, it was no stranger than any dreams I've been having lately." A cool wind caused her to look towards the horizon. At first she thought she was seeing bats or clouds, but she quickly comprehended the true situation. Silently, she flipped over the edge of the roof.
*
Dante was placing both statues down when Lilith swung the doors open. "They're here!"
"Already?" He lingered at the altar for a moment, then jumped over it. "If what I've been told is correct, then follow me." He kicked aside a red rug. Underneath was a trap door. He slid his foot under the handle and pulled the door open. Just as he disappeared through the floor, Lilith jumped over the altar. She snatched one of the figurines in the process and fell after him.
Lilith landed in a narrow corridor carved into the ground. The only light was from a torch Dante carried. "Where are we?" she whispered.
"Catacombs." Dante turned and began walking.
"What about the trap door?"
"Leave it. They already know we're here."
Lilith resisted the need to argue, though she was reluctant to turn her back to the door. She followed Dante through the hallway. "Where are we going?"
"To destroy the nest. Then we can worry about the others."
"It's gonna be one of those nights."
"Yep."
The corridor gradually widened. Shelves of skeletons lined the walls. There were several forks in the path, but Dante never stopped to consider which direction to take. He continued on as if tracking a beacon. Lilith noticed several of the skeletons had become resting places for glowing orange orbs.
"Have we found it?"
Dante tossed the torch onto one of the skeletons. The orange orbs in its skull and ribcage burst into flames. "Only the outer edge. There's plenty more farther within."
"So, what do we use?"
"Flame-thrower." Dante transformed and folded his wings close against his back. Large flames flew from his hands and engulfed the entire wall. He gamboled down the corridor in a literal blaze of glory.
"That is the third most bizarre thing I have ever seen in my life," Lilith said to herself. She triggered her own transformation and ignited the other half of the corridor, though not with as much enthusiasm as her father. She followed his trail of fire towards the heart of the catacombs. She nearly tripped over him when she reached the main nest. Though the impact was negligible, it prompted both of them to return to human form. Lilith took one glance around. Half of the room was already ablaze. "Is this the last of the little bastards?"
"It should be." Dante watched the orange orbs erupt several at a time under the immense heat.
"What if there are more of them scattered around?"
"There aren't."
"How do you know?"
"I just followed the trail of eggs. This species always lays them in a straight line."
"That is disgusting."
The eggs continued to burst in the fire. A howl from behind caught their attention. Dante sneered. "Daddy's pissed."
Lilith lightly jabbed him in the ribs. "You know the feeling."
"More than I would care to admit." He triggered his demon form again. "Finish this off and come after me." Dante disappeared through the flaming corridor. Lilith raised her arm and set it ablaze. She swept the room several times to make sure she covered everything before stepping into the flames.
Lilith dashed through the fire. A sudden rush of cold air forced her to stop and look up. The ground over the catacombs and most of the church had been ripped to shreds and tossed into the air. The fire behind her exploded with fresh life with the oxygen rush. Dante was up there and engaged in battle with several demons at once.
"Rock and roll." She leapt from the catacombs and flew upwards to help.
*
"There he is," Kerlak said as she watched Dante from a distance. "Now's our chance." She lifted the blowgun to her lips.
"Wait!" Raynok seized her arm and forced her to lower the blowgun. "Who is that?" They watched a second figure fly from the ground. The figure fought alongside Dante in the melee. "I didn't know he had a sidekick," Raynok added.
"Maybe it's an apprentice or intern."
"In his business?"
"You never know." Kerlak pulled on the chain she held. The other end was attached to a collar around Deanna's neck. Deanna sat on the ground like a slave. Kerlak leaned over her. "Do you know whom that is?" Deanna remained silent. Kerlak jerked the chain harder. "Who is he!"
"It's a girl!" Deanna responded. She grabbed and pulled against the chain to ease the pressure. "Her name is Lilith."
"So you do know her? Who is this Lilith? Where did she come from?"
The sound of rapid fire was interjected into the battle above. "I can't."
"Yes, you can!" Kerlak jerked the chain harder. "Remember what will happen if you don't cooperate."
Tears welled up. "She's his daughter!"
"Daughter?" Kerlak and Raynok asked together. They exchanged greedy glances. "Why didn't you know about this?" she asked him.
"I guess my sources were obsolete," Raynok asked. "Then again, this could be an unforeseen advantage." He placed his hand on Deanna's chin and forced her to look at him. "Who is the mother?"
Deanna's silence was answer enough. "I don't believe our luck," Kerlak said. She turned Deanna's head her way. "You and Dante weren't just acquaintances, were you, Deanna? You were lovers." Deanna remained silent. Kerlak smiled at Raynok and raised her hand. "We hit the jackpot!"
Raynok slapped her palm with his own. Then he unhooked the chain from Deanna's collar. He pulled on her arm to make her stand. "Now, go do your stuff."
Kerlak swung the chain in front of her. "Don't forget. Promises, promises."
Deanna took a deep breath, then began walking towards Dante and Lilith.
*
An hour later, Dante split the last demon's skull with his sword. Brain matter spilled over as the body fell limp to the ground. Dante dropped to one knee and inhaled. "It's finally over."
Lilith tapped his head. "It wasn't that bad. You've had to do worse."
"True, but now it's over." Dante pushed her hand aside and stood. "Let's get out of here before anyone notices the mess we made."
"What about the fire? We can't hide that."
"It won't last long. There's not enough fuel to keep it burning through the night."
"What will the locals say? This is no different from the temple I destroyed."
"Picky, picky." Dante lightly jabbed her shoulder. "Let's get the hell out of here."
"Hello, Dante." The voice caused both Dante and Lilith to freeze for a moment. Lilith's eyes widened in panic. Dante's face remained stoic. They both turned to face the woman the familiar voice came from. Lilith stared at her for a few seconds, then fainted. Dante caught her and held her against his chest. Then he looked back at the woman.
"What the hell is going on? How do you know my name?"
"Is that all you can say after all this time?" she asked.
"Who the hell are you?"
Deanna approached him and brushed his cheek with her knuckles. He withdrew like a terrified animal in a cage. "Don't you recognize me?" she asked.
"The woman I think of is dead."
Deanna spread her arms. "Am I dead?"
"No, which is exactly why I don't trust you. Who, or what, are you?"
"I understand, but you have to let me explain."
Dante slowly backed away from her. He lifted Lilith into his arms. "Explain nothing, because that's all you can tell me. If you are whom I think you are, then you know where to find me. If you show up, then we can talk." He turned his back to her and walked away. Deanna didn't follow him.
"I'll see you there then," she mumbled.
*
"Yeah," Lilith said into the cordless phone. "We were in Romania." She sat on the couch with her back on the seat and her feet dangling over the back. Her head rested against the coffee table. An incomplete game of Solitaire was scattered across the table.
"What the hell were you doing in Romania?" Jeremy asked over the phone.
"My dad had a job over there."
"Why does he always have to take you with him? You're a grown woman. You don't need a baby-sitter. Why can't he just let you stay at home?"
"I'm his apprentice, stupid. I have to go with him on the job to learn the ropes."
"Well, why don't you just move out?"
"There's no way that will work. Especially with our line of work."
Jeremy snorted. "I don't know why. What does he do, anyway?"
"You don't want to know."
There was a short silence. "Your dad's not a crook or anything, is he?"
"Of course not! There's nothing illegal about what he does. I don't think any country has a law about anything he does."
"Why?"
"You don't want to know that either."
Dante walked past her. His nails scratched the bottom of her bare foot. She jerked them away and rolled so she could sit up. "Get off the phone," Dante said.
"Why?"
"Huh?" Jeremy asked.
"Not you," Lilith said to Jeremy. "Wait a minute."
"The phone," Dante said. "Now."
"Why?"
"We have a guest."
"Who?"
Dante snatched the phone from her and put it to his ear. "She'll have to call you back, Jeremy. Something important has come up." He pressed the off button. "We have a problem."
"Whatever it is, I didn't do it."
"It's nothing you did. Someone is here to see us."
Lilith shrugged. "Who?"
"Me." Lilith stood and stepped aside to see around Dante. She felt her heart skip a beat. "Do you know me?" the woman asked.
Lilith stepped around the couch so she could stand in front of the woman. Then she slapped Deanna across the face. "I don't know who or what you are, but this is not funny. Don't think you are my mother. She's dead. I saw it with my own eyes."
"You get right to the point, don't you?" Deanna looked back at Lilith. "I know, which is why I'm here. I have to explain why I'm here and what's going on."
"You can tell my father, but I don't give a damn."
Dante pulled Lilith from Deanna. "Lilith, listen to me. We have to let her talk. She has something to tell us."
"She can tell you. I don't want to hear it."
"You have to."
"My mother is dead!" Lilith pulled her arm free and snatched the phone from Dante. "I don't know who or what you are," she said to Deanna, "nor where you came from, but you are not my mother. Now, whether or not either of you mind, I have to call my boyfriend back." Lilith forcefully shoved her way past Deanna and out of the room.
"I know my timing is bad," Deanna said softly.
"I don't think any timing is good timing," Dante said. "Not if you are whom you say you are."
"Why would I lie?"
"I have a lot of enemies. As far as I'm concerned, right now you may still be one of them."
"Still? When were we ever enemies?"
"I could answer that if I knew your true identity."
"What you see is what you get. What do you see?"
"An illusion." Dante sat on the couch.
"If I were an illusion, would I have come here? How would I have even known where to go? No one instructed me."
Dante picked up the cards and shuffled them. "There is no guarantee that any place I call home would be safe."
"I know," Deanna responded. "When Lilith was two, the house was attacked by a demon sect that kidnapped her. You went through hell and high water to kill every single one of them before they could let any and every of their kind know you even had a daughter. Right?" She saw Dante straighten as he recalled the memory. "It was raining the night you brought her home. You slept in her room for three months until the nightmares went away."
"Anyone could have known that." Dante arranged the cards for a Solitaire game. "That means nothing."
"When Lilith was eight, you went to her school for Career Day and beat up one of the other parents."
"That's no secret. He had it coming."
"When Lilith was sixteen, I killed her dog. In retaliation, she tried to kill me. You kicked me out of the house for two years. I never talked to her once in that time."
"Still not convinced. Tell me something I don't know."
"In Shangri-La, after Lineia stole Lilith's powers, who led you to the frozen pond that helped save her life while you ran off to fight Lineia?"
Dante dropped the card in his hand. His eyes narrowed. "I never told anyone about that."
Deanna sat beside him. "You were the only one who saw me because I willed it so. It was the only way I could make things up to the both of you. Before, you and I had fought that night over Lilith. The last thing you said to me was, 'If you touch her again, I swear I'll kill you.' Am I right?"
Dante looked into Deanna's eyes. "Interesting, but it doesn't answer some important questions."
"Such as?"
"You died in Shangri-La. I saw your body, but Lilith saw your actual death. Shangri-La doesn't intercept the realm of Earth for another 7,000 years. Even if that weren't an issue, the only way in or out is sitting at the bottom of the Atlantic. How can you be here, alive?"
Deanna lowered her eyes. "I was sent here. I can't tell you much because my soul is endangered again."
"Oh, yes! That! Lineia stole half your soul, and it made you the bitch I fell in love with."
Deanna jumped to her feet. "It's not that simple! Now my entire soul is intact, and all of it is in danger!"
"From whom?"
"I don't really know." She sat down again. "All I remember is that I was wondering the barren remains of my homeland, and then I found myself lying on the floor between a man and a woman. They threatened to steal my soul if I didn't help them."
Dante's eyebrows lifted with an epiphany. "You're the one who called us to Romania, aren't you?"
"I had to. If they discover I've told you anything, I'm doomed."
"Lovely."
Tears welled up again. "You have to believe me. It's not what you think."
"Really? What do I think?"
"You're trying to find a reason to remain suspicious."
"I don't need to find a reason. I have plenty already."
Deanna watched him flip over and line up cards. She finally mustered up enough courage to ask, "Don't you want to know about the people who brought me back?"
"Yes, but not from you."
"Then from whom?"
"Let them come to me themselves, just like everyone else I've had to deal with."
"That can work." Deanna stood. "I suppose you want me to leave now."
"Where are you staying?"
"What do you care?"
Dante listened to Deanna's footsteps as she walked away and slammed the door on her way out. "Somebody, please give me a sign." A gust of wind blew the cards across the floor. He buried his face between his hands. "Somebody, please give me another sign."
"Are you ready to tell me what the hell is going on?" Lilith asked.
"No."
"You can't hide this from me forever."
"I won't have to." Dante gazed over the old church. "Just do your job. I can't explain something I don't understand myself."
"Fair enough." Lilith looked up at the moon. "We are not far from Dracula's homeland, are we?"
"Appropriate, isn't it? If what the locals say is true, we don't have long before the residents return. Stand lookout."
"You got it." In one strong leap, Lilith was more than halfway up the wall. She kicked off to propel herself the rest of the way. She twisted in midair and landed neatly on the rooftop. She made a quick sweep of the sky, then signaled Dante with a wave of her hand. He nodded and entered the church.
"This is one place Lilith would definitely like to hang out in," Dante said curtly to himself. Human femurs, tibias, and pelvic bones hung from the ceiling in elaborate designs. Human skulls dotted the pillars. A large chalice constructed of human bones rested on the altar. Full and partial skeletons lined the walls. "I don't know what's stranger. The fact this place exists, or it was built out of religious piety."
Dante approached the bone chalice on the altar. On both sides of it were hand sized statues of a man. At least, Dante thought they were men. He picked one up for a closer look. He nearly dropped it when he recognized the demonic figure. He looked at the other one. Though it was human in appearance, Dante knew both figurines were of the same being.
"Statues? Of my father?"
*
Lilith leaned against the steeple and closed her eyes. She had no intentions of falling asleep. She breathed slowly to get herself into a meditative state. She imagined herself sinking into the rooftop.
Lilith found herself at the bottom of a frozen pond. Forked lightning from Alastor skittered across the ice. A ball of inky darkness floated above her. Ignoring the pain in her frozen body, Lilith raised her arm to touch it. The inky blackness elongated and writhed until it became human-like. It reached out with what seemed to be a hand. Her own hand passed through it. Then it spoke four words to her.
"Children of my blood." As it spoke, she felt its body merge with hers.
Lilith awoke and sat up. "That was spooky. Then again, it was no stranger than any dreams I've been having lately." A cool wind caused her to look towards the horizon. At first she thought she was seeing bats or clouds, but she quickly comprehended the true situation. Silently, she flipped over the edge of the roof.
*
Dante was placing both statues down when Lilith swung the doors open. "They're here!"
"Already?" He lingered at the altar for a moment, then jumped over it. "If what I've been told is correct, then follow me." He kicked aside a red rug. Underneath was a trap door. He slid his foot under the handle and pulled the door open. Just as he disappeared through the floor, Lilith jumped over the altar. She snatched one of the figurines in the process and fell after him.
Lilith landed in a narrow corridor carved into the ground. The only light was from a torch Dante carried. "Where are we?" she whispered.
"Catacombs." Dante turned and began walking.
"What about the trap door?"
"Leave it. They already know we're here."
Lilith resisted the need to argue, though she was reluctant to turn her back to the door. She followed Dante through the hallway. "Where are we going?"
"To destroy the nest. Then we can worry about the others."
"It's gonna be one of those nights."
"Yep."
The corridor gradually widened. Shelves of skeletons lined the walls. There were several forks in the path, but Dante never stopped to consider which direction to take. He continued on as if tracking a beacon. Lilith noticed several of the skeletons had become resting places for glowing orange orbs.
"Have we found it?"
Dante tossed the torch onto one of the skeletons. The orange orbs in its skull and ribcage burst into flames. "Only the outer edge. There's plenty more farther within."
"So, what do we use?"
"Flame-thrower." Dante transformed and folded his wings close against his back. Large flames flew from his hands and engulfed the entire wall. He gamboled down the corridor in a literal blaze of glory.
"That is the third most bizarre thing I have ever seen in my life," Lilith said to herself. She triggered her own transformation and ignited the other half of the corridor, though not with as much enthusiasm as her father. She followed his trail of fire towards the heart of the catacombs. She nearly tripped over him when she reached the main nest. Though the impact was negligible, it prompted both of them to return to human form. Lilith took one glance around. Half of the room was already ablaze. "Is this the last of the little bastards?"
"It should be." Dante watched the orange orbs erupt several at a time under the immense heat.
"What if there are more of them scattered around?"
"There aren't."
"How do you know?"
"I just followed the trail of eggs. This species always lays them in a straight line."
"That is disgusting."
The eggs continued to burst in the fire. A howl from behind caught their attention. Dante sneered. "Daddy's pissed."
Lilith lightly jabbed him in the ribs. "You know the feeling."
"More than I would care to admit." He triggered his demon form again. "Finish this off and come after me." Dante disappeared through the flaming corridor. Lilith raised her arm and set it ablaze. She swept the room several times to make sure she covered everything before stepping into the flames.
Lilith dashed through the fire. A sudden rush of cold air forced her to stop and look up. The ground over the catacombs and most of the church had been ripped to shreds and tossed into the air. The fire behind her exploded with fresh life with the oxygen rush. Dante was up there and engaged in battle with several demons at once.
"Rock and roll." She leapt from the catacombs and flew upwards to help.
*
"There he is," Kerlak said as she watched Dante from a distance. "Now's our chance." She lifted the blowgun to her lips.
"Wait!" Raynok seized her arm and forced her to lower the blowgun. "Who is that?" They watched a second figure fly from the ground. The figure fought alongside Dante in the melee. "I didn't know he had a sidekick," Raynok added.
"Maybe it's an apprentice or intern."
"In his business?"
"You never know." Kerlak pulled on the chain she held. The other end was attached to a collar around Deanna's neck. Deanna sat on the ground like a slave. Kerlak leaned over her. "Do you know whom that is?" Deanna remained silent. Kerlak jerked the chain harder. "Who is he!"
"It's a girl!" Deanna responded. She grabbed and pulled against the chain to ease the pressure. "Her name is Lilith."
"So you do know her? Who is this Lilith? Where did she come from?"
The sound of rapid fire was interjected into the battle above. "I can't."
"Yes, you can!" Kerlak jerked the chain harder. "Remember what will happen if you don't cooperate."
Tears welled up. "She's his daughter!"
"Daughter?" Kerlak and Raynok asked together. They exchanged greedy glances. "Why didn't you know about this?" she asked him.
"I guess my sources were obsolete," Raynok asked. "Then again, this could be an unforeseen advantage." He placed his hand on Deanna's chin and forced her to look at him. "Who is the mother?"
Deanna's silence was answer enough. "I don't believe our luck," Kerlak said. She turned Deanna's head her way. "You and Dante weren't just acquaintances, were you, Deanna? You were lovers." Deanna remained silent. Kerlak smiled at Raynok and raised her hand. "We hit the jackpot!"
Raynok slapped her palm with his own. Then he unhooked the chain from Deanna's collar. He pulled on her arm to make her stand. "Now, go do your stuff."
Kerlak swung the chain in front of her. "Don't forget. Promises, promises."
Deanna took a deep breath, then began walking towards Dante and Lilith.
*
An hour later, Dante split the last demon's skull with his sword. Brain matter spilled over as the body fell limp to the ground. Dante dropped to one knee and inhaled. "It's finally over."
Lilith tapped his head. "It wasn't that bad. You've had to do worse."
"True, but now it's over." Dante pushed her hand aside and stood. "Let's get out of here before anyone notices the mess we made."
"What about the fire? We can't hide that."
"It won't last long. There's not enough fuel to keep it burning through the night."
"What will the locals say? This is no different from the temple I destroyed."
"Picky, picky." Dante lightly jabbed her shoulder. "Let's get the hell out of here."
"Hello, Dante." The voice caused both Dante and Lilith to freeze for a moment. Lilith's eyes widened in panic. Dante's face remained stoic. They both turned to face the woman the familiar voice came from. Lilith stared at her for a few seconds, then fainted. Dante caught her and held her against his chest. Then he looked back at the woman.
"What the hell is going on? How do you know my name?"
"Is that all you can say after all this time?" she asked.
"Who the hell are you?"
Deanna approached him and brushed his cheek with her knuckles. He withdrew like a terrified animal in a cage. "Don't you recognize me?" she asked.
"The woman I think of is dead."
Deanna spread her arms. "Am I dead?"
"No, which is exactly why I don't trust you. Who, or what, are you?"
"I understand, but you have to let me explain."
Dante slowly backed away from her. He lifted Lilith into his arms. "Explain nothing, because that's all you can tell me. If you are whom I think you are, then you know where to find me. If you show up, then we can talk." He turned his back to her and walked away. Deanna didn't follow him.
"I'll see you there then," she mumbled.
*
"Yeah," Lilith said into the cordless phone. "We were in Romania." She sat on the couch with her back on the seat and her feet dangling over the back. Her head rested against the coffee table. An incomplete game of Solitaire was scattered across the table.
"What the hell were you doing in Romania?" Jeremy asked over the phone.
"My dad had a job over there."
"Why does he always have to take you with him? You're a grown woman. You don't need a baby-sitter. Why can't he just let you stay at home?"
"I'm his apprentice, stupid. I have to go with him on the job to learn the ropes."
"Well, why don't you just move out?"
"There's no way that will work. Especially with our line of work."
Jeremy snorted. "I don't know why. What does he do, anyway?"
"You don't want to know."
There was a short silence. "Your dad's not a crook or anything, is he?"
"Of course not! There's nothing illegal about what he does. I don't think any country has a law about anything he does."
"Why?"
"You don't want to know that either."
Dante walked past her. His nails scratched the bottom of her bare foot. She jerked them away and rolled so she could sit up. "Get off the phone," Dante said.
"Why?"
"Huh?" Jeremy asked.
"Not you," Lilith said to Jeremy. "Wait a minute."
"The phone," Dante said. "Now."
"Why?"
"We have a guest."
"Who?"
Dante snatched the phone from her and put it to his ear. "She'll have to call you back, Jeremy. Something important has come up." He pressed the off button. "We have a problem."
"Whatever it is, I didn't do it."
"It's nothing you did. Someone is here to see us."
Lilith shrugged. "Who?"
"Me." Lilith stood and stepped aside to see around Dante. She felt her heart skip a beat. "Do you know me?" the woman asked.
Lilith stepped around the couch so she could stand in front of the woman. Then she slapped Deanna across the face. "I don't know who or what you are, but this is not funny. Don't think you are my mother. She's dead. I saw it with my own eyes."
"You get right to the point, don't you?" Deanna looked back at Lilith. "I know, which is why I'm here. I have to explain why I'm here and what's going on."
"You can tell my father, but I don't give a damn."
Dante pulled Lilith from Deanna. "Lilith, listen to me. We have to let her talk. She has something to tell us."
"She can tell you. I don't want to hear it."
"You have to."
"My mother is dead!" Lilith pulled her arm free and snatched the phone from Dante. "I don't know who or what you are," she said to Deanna, "nor where you came from, but you are not my mother. Now, whether or not either of you mind, I have to call my boyfriend back." Lilith forcefully shoved her way past Deanna and out of the room.
"I know my timing is bad," Deanna said softly.
"I don't think any timing is good timing," Dante said. "Not if you are whom you say you are."
"Why would I lie?"
"I have a lot of enemies. As far as I'm concerned, right now you may still be one of them."
"Still? When were we ever enemies?"
"I could answer that if I knew your true identity."
"What you see is what you get. What do you see?"
"An illusion." Dante sat on the couch.
"If I were an illusion, would I have come here? How would I have even known where to go? No one instructed me."
Dante picked up the cards and shuffled them. "There is no guarantee that any place I call home would be safe."
"I know," Deanna responded. "When Lilith was two, the house was attacked by a demon sect that kidnapped her. You went through hell and high water to kill every single one of them before they could let any and every of their kind know you even had a daughter. Right?" She saw Dante straighten as he recalled the memory. "It was raining the night you brought her home. You slept in her room for three months until the nightmares went away."
"Anyone could have known that." Dante arranged the cards for a Solitaire game. "That means nothing."
"When Lilith was eight, you went to her school for Career Day and beat up one of the other parents."
"That's no secret. He had it coming."
"When Lilith was sixteen, I killed her dog. In retaliation, she tried to kill me. You kicked me out of the house for two years. I never talked to her once in that time."
"Still not convinced. Tell me something I don't know."
"In Shangri-La, after Lineia stole Lilith's powers, who led you to the frozen pond that helped save her life while you ran off to fight Lineia?"
Dante dropped the card in his hand. His eyes narrowed. "I never told anyone about that."
Deanna sat beside him. "You were the only one who saw me because I willed it so. It was the only way I could make things up to the both of you. Before, you and I had fought that night over Lilith. The last thing you said to me was, 'If you touch her again, I swear I'll kill you.' Am I right?"
Dante looked into Deanna's eyes. "Interesting, but it doesn't answer some important questions."
"Such as?"
"You died in Shangri-La. I saw your body, but Lilith saw your actual death. Shangri-La doesn't intercept the realm of Earth for another 7,000 years. Even if that weren't an issue, the only way in or out is sitting at the bottom of the Atlantic. How can you be here, alive?"
Deanna lowered her eyes. "I was sent here. I can't tell you much because my soul is endangered again."
"Oh, yes! That! Lineia stole half your soul, and it made you the bitch I fell in love with."
Deanna jumped to her feet. "It's not that simple! Now my entire soul is intact, and all of it is in danger!"
"From whom?"
"I don't really know." She sat down again. "All I remember is that I was wondering the barren remains of my homeland, and then I found myself lying on the floor between a man and a woman. They threatened to steal my soul if I didn't help them."
Dante's eyebrows lifted with an epiphany. "You're the one who called us to Romania, aren't you?"
"I had to. If they discover I've told you anything, I'm doomed."
"Lovely."
Tears welled up again. "You have to believe me. It's not what you think."
"Really? What do I think?"
"You're trying to find a reason to remain suspicious."
"I don't need to find a reason. I have plenty already."
Deanna watched him flip over and line up cards. She finally mustered up enough courage to ask, "Don't you want to know about the people who brought me back?"
"Yes, but not from you."
"Then from whom?"
"Let them come to me themselves, just like everyone else I've had to deal with."
"That can work." Deanna stood. "I suppose you want me to leave now."
"Where are you staying?"
"What do you care?"
Dante listened to Deanna's footsteps as she walked away and slammed the door on her way out. "Somebody, please give me a sign." A gust of wind blew the cards across the floor. He buried his face between his hands. "Somebody, please give me another sign."
