sorry I took so long, guys! wow, thanks for the reviews! I am so happy that I've got a fan base…

hope my update didn't sound…whiny. It was really hypocritical of me cause I hate authors who refuse work when they're not reviewed.

anyway… this chapter may be bad too…sorry.

again, I'm referring to John's past relationship with a succubus named Desdemona (Des for short). I'll write that story later, I guess.


Chapter 6-Remembering Temptation

"Hope I wasn't interrupting," John said, glancing in the directions the two succubi had taken the man in the maroon shirt.

"Just another client," Lilith replied briskly, "Now…" John felt Lilith's tail wrap itself fondly around his leg, "…what can I do for you, John Constantine?"

John coldly took a few steps back, letting the tail unravel itself. "What do you know about the Sin District?" he asked, very businesslike.

Lilith didn't seem at all perturbed from his cold shoulder. She smiled. "The Sin District? That place is filthy," she gave a laugh behind her closed red lips, "Even for me."

"Who's been butchering people down there?" John demanded.

Lilith raised an eyebrow. "How should I know?"

John reached into his pocket and held up the pendant by the string. "I've got a feeling you know."

Lilith took a step closer-closer than John was comfortable, and she knew it-and reached out, taking the stone in her hand. She didn't look at it long, undoubtedly because she knew it was her mark.

"The killer dropped it. Which means you're related," John said solemnly.

Lilith looked up at him. Her grey eyes had suddenly become very cold. But still, she smiled. She took a few steps back, to let John see all of her.

"I look pretty good for a mother of thousands, don't I?" she asked with poise.

John rolled his eyes.

"And since I watch over all of my children," Lilith continued with disdain in her tone, approaching him again, "I must know this one?"

"When you say 'watch over', it's not from just motherly love, is it?" John said taking back the amulet, "Because, if they don't have this on them,"-Lilith pulled back from him, her wings arching-"You kill them, right?"

Lilith glared at him, rage burning in her eyes. But then they softened to a devious shine. She smiled like the cat that's caught a goldfish.

"You act so high and mighty, boy?" she said quietly, "You're as damned as I."

She stepped close to him again. This time her black tail squeezed around John's waist. He tried to step away again, but this time Lilith's grip was surprisingly firm. She was right up to him now; he could feel her body against his.

John moved away, but Lilith reached out and grabbed Gabriel's amulet. Somehow, that let some of her power slip past the amulet's spell. John suddenly felt Lilith's own spell begin to come over him…

"I don't have time for this," John growled, trying to break free from both Lilith's physical and mental hold over him.

"Oh, there's always time with me," she said, breathing into his ear, "One of the perks of immortal life…"

John eyed her tail, moving up to her black wings, which were beginning to close over him. "That and the lovely accessories," he remarked.

He wanted to shove her away…but she was so pretty…what? no, she was evil…no he couldn't possibly…stop…

Lilith smirked up into his dark eyes.

"You know the only difference between us, boy?" she asked, as she wrapped her arms around him.

They were close now…too close.

Had to get away from her…can't fall to…she was beautiful…temptation…stop stop stop…the killings…who cared? things were safe here….but the monster, the amulet…it was her amulet good you gave it back…no no no not again….Desdemona…

Lilith seemed to both feel John's mental struggle…and enjoy it. She smiled up at him.

"I don't squirm," she continued, whispering into his ear, "I just…relax."

And with that, she moved to kiss him, parting her lips slightly. He opened his mouth wide, but it was to yell.

"STOP!"

He shoved her away. Lilith went falling to the floor, onto her side with a loud wham from her hip hitting the marble. She let out a cry-she'd landed painfully on her tail.

John stood there, panting. It wasn't really the anger at what Lilith had attempted to do that had given him the strength to break past her spell, but it was the pain from his memories of Desdemona and his self-hate for falling so easily to her. He'd sworn back then, when it'd all been over, that he'd never fall like that again. Never look like a fool again, never risk damnation so weakly ever again.

Lilith looked up at him. She'd bit her lip open in the fall and blood was rimming them. Her eyes weren't hateful, not fearful but…intrigued. She licked the blood from her lip.

"Tell me who the killer is," John said calmly. Like he'd never shoved her to the ground, like she'd never gotten so close, so close to pulling him into her dark web.

Lilith paused, looking at him from head to foot, as if to finally access his worthiness.

Finally, she said, "I'll tell you this much, boy. The girls that have been killed. They were 'employees' of Balthazar. That's his realm."

John's eyes widened. Then a cruel smirk came over his face. Maybe he could finally deport the bastard.

He turned to leave, but Lilith's voice wafted over his shoulder and into his ear: "You miss her, don't you, boy? Hmm… Miss her touch… I wonder…had it been her instead of me, would you have kissed her?"

She laughed softly as he swung open the doors and left her there, all alone.


The red lounge was deserted. John didn't bother to wonder where Lilith's children had all gone. He just wanted to get the hell out of here.
Downstairs, in the strip-club, no succubi approached him. But the place seemed louder than before, the lights bothersome. The all-male crowd seemed rowdier and the dancers seemed easier (if that were possible).

John made his way to the exit as fast as he could. In his hurry, he pushed past some figure in a dark brown coat, but didn't pause to apologize.

The figure waited until John had gone past before turning around to watch him go.

It was Charles Acton. He watched John with a look of keen interest for a moment.

John paused in mid-step. He felt something… He whirled around, but in the dark he didn't see Acton making his own way to the elevator.


A fire burned heartily in a grand fireplace with a mahogany frame. A man in a green pinstriped suit stood before the flames, watching them with both fascination and scorn, as if they reminded him of something nasty. His finger tapped the glass of bourbon in his hand.

There was the sound of a door opening. The man-Balthazar-turned at the sound to see Charles Acton walking towards him from the now open wooden door to the lavish penthouse living room.

"Well?" Balathazar asked. But his voice, despite the usual gruffness, was not the typical confident, smug tone his used when speaking to, say, John Constantine. Instead, it was casual…and maybe even a little submissive.

"Lilith's informed him of your business undertakings," Acton replied. His voice was quite confident, but not smug. Just in control.

Balthazar growled. "Fucking bitch. Why?"

Acton smiled curtly. "She has a certain taste in partners. You don't fit the bill."

Balthazar raised an eyebrow. "What, and the exorcist bastard does?"

Acton paused, as if unsure to tell Balthazar more. Instead, he walked over to a round wooden table, on which lay a bottle of bourbon and a glass, and poured himself one.

"He'll come here. But not tonight," Acton stated as he lifted the glass to his lips.

Balthazar walked over to him. "Why?"

Acton swallowed down some bourbon before replying in a tone that held a strange smugness. "He was a bit…shaken from his visit with Lilith."

Balthazar let out a harsh laugh. "Lilith? What hap-"

He was caught off by a look Acton threw him.

When Balthazar fell silent, Acton said to him, "I'll tell you what you need to know and nothing more, Balthazar. Are we clear?"

Balthazar paused for a moment, then cleared his throat.

"Yeah. We're clear."

"Excellent."