Her eyes opened to a spacious chasm in the rocky wall. She was pretty sure this was the same chamber where Billy and Eddie held their altercation. Once again, like Sleeping Beauty under Maleficent's trance, Lillian found herself following the red shroud billowing across the ground. It took her through the dark gap in the wall, providing light for the way through. As she came into a clearing, she saw the corpse of a giant spider, its legs curled up towards its abdomen as it laid motionless on its back.
Was this the spider Eddie had slain?
There was an alter ahead, bathed in a small amount of moonlight that peeked through a crevice in the rock above. As she got closer, the chamber darkened, save for the pale light coming from overhead.
Past the platform she stood on, she couldn't see anything else - not even the dead spider she had walked by. That made her incredibly nervous when she swore she heard skittering sounds in the shadows.
Unaware that she was holding her breath at first, Lillian tried not to make too much movement as she turned her head to look around. It did her no good, but as there came the horrific sound of ehat sounded like chattering pincers, she swallowed with terror, then stumbled back. Her hands found the alter, igniting the ivy alight with bright, orange embers. The room became illuminated in firelight, and Lillian gasped, jumping right back up to her feet again.
How had that happened? It always seemed like any time she tried to use her Firestarter powers, it didn't work, but they always seemed to reveal themselves spontaneously. Lillian grabbed a torch on the ground, and as she did, the head of it illuminated with fire. To her greatest terror, the spider's corpse was not where she saw it last.
The skittering came from behind, and while every fiber in her being screamed at her not to turn around, she did so against her better judgment. A scream was trapped inside of her throat as she stared at the eight eyes that stared back.
Then, around her feet, the red mist began to envelope the ground. The spider's behavior changed completely. It cowered back, as if afraid that the shroud would consume it entirely. Then, with a monstrous shriek, it retreated to the shadows.
Lillian, thoroughly confused, yet overwhelmed by her fright, stared at the darkness beyond the orange glow her torch provided her. A magenta hue suddenly modified the fire.
"You've done well, coming this far."
A woman's voice echoed from behind her, alarming her and causing her to spin around. Lillian swallowed, perplexed by the figure that stood in front of her. The woman was beautiful, draped in a heavy garb of red ribbons and tulle, and though the makeshift dress left little to the imagination, Lillian couldn't help but stare. She didn't typically gawk at women, but she could feel her heart racing in her chest, practically ready to burst, just by the mere sight of this raven-haired stranger.
"You know me?" she stuttered.
"I was the one that brought you to the Circle of Lust to begin with," she said in a low purr. She took a bare footstep forward, and Lillian found herself stepping back - right into the altar behind her.
"You...?" Lillian fumbled with her thoughts. She couldn't have possibly imagined that someone else might be pulling the strings. "But Billy... he said..."
"Ah, The Firebrand. He showed a great deal of bravery when he sacrificed himself in the mortal realm. Only an individual of great strength could fight the influence that was rotting him from within. When he passed over, you could say I ... borrowed him."
"You borrowed him? For what purpose?"
"Oh, but sweet, lily flower. You shouldn't see it as borrowing in such a limited sense. You see, existence is a delicate tapestry of interconnected threads, woven together by choices, desires, and destinies. Billy's path led him to that pivotal moment, and in his sacrifice, he became a thread in that tapestry which I have helped shape, and the embroidery requires your potential, most of all."
"The hell are you talking about?" Lillian scoffed. "I have no potential."
The woman reached out, and before Lillian could recoil, she grabbed her wrist. Her grip was firm, but yet, there was something almost familiar about it. "How do you think you were able to burn the journal without lighting a match? How you were able to drive that vehicle that was on fire without getting burned?"
"I..." Lillian paused, her fingers loosening from their grip. "Are you saying that...Billy gave me that ability?"
"The Firebrand's powers were transferred to you through one way, and one way only. They were only temporary, but I think you're smart enough to figure out how."
Lillian's face grew hot, and she yanked her hand away. "You said Circle of Lust..." she recalled. "Is that it, then? Billy seduced me, we had our romp in the sack, and now I'm freaking Jean Grey?"
"You see? I told you you were smart."
"And what good does all this do for you?"
"Your friend knows more of the evil that corrupts the world parallel to your own. We all share the same desire - to see it eliminated."
She was talking about Vecna. Lillian, still trying to put the pieces together, had many questions. "And why do you expect any of this to work?" she demanded. "Vecna is far too powerful for any of us. They even had a girl with psychokinetic powers try to take him down, and that didn't even work."
"But he is immensely weakened."
"And why should I help you?"
A soft sigh escaped Lilith's lips, her expression one of empathy. "It is not about helping me, but rather helping yourself and the world around you. You see, his thirst for dominion threatens the very balance that sustains existence. His insidious grasp reaches across dimensions, tainting the fabric of reality. You have the potential to thwart his plans, to unravel his web of influence, and to bring about a restoration of harmony."
Lillian scoffed. "You're insane if you think I can finish the job."
"But you can. You and your companion... The two of you are a perfect match to finish the job. Have you not noticed that he is also quite different?"
Lillian paused, giving it thought. Come to think of it, Eddie was quite assertive when they stepped off the elevator.
"Let me show you..."
The woman took her face between her hands. Warn palms touched both cheeks, keeping Lillian anchored between. She wanted to pull away, but yet, she couldn't. Then, as the strange, yet gorgeous woman kissed her, Lillian's mind was going into overdrive. Visions flashed before her eyes. She saw a sweat-drenched Billy jump in front of Eleven to take a giant appendage straight through his torso. Lillian swore she even felt the pressure in her own body, as if she had also been impaled.
She relived the scene where she climbed on top of Billy in his house in the Circle of Lust, even felt the heat fill her body. She saw Eddie being attacked by the demobats, the revival...the sampling of the blood on her back...
Lillian's eyes snapped open, and she sat up with a start, her breathing heavy through the darkness of the cavern's tourist shop. Beside her, a shirtless Eddie slept soundly, his skin almost glowing in the faint light of the moon. Lillian, thankful she hadn't woken him up, tamed her breaths. Her hands shook terribly as she combed them through her messy, burgundy hair. On the floor, they had improvised a bed out of blankets and towels.
She quietly pulled off the sheets, careful not to disturb her slumbering partner. She took a moment to check the windows. Her paranoia was still in full swing. There was no way any of that could have possibly been real. She gave herself a mental, pep talk. It was just a dream. Your imagination is just running wild. Too much adventure for one day... Past the windows of the shop, there was nothing of interest aside from a deer with an amazing set of antlers on him. She wished they had a shotgun. Venison sounded like the perfect, midnight snack right now.
She took a trip to the nearby restroom, careful not to step on their makeshift pile of bedclothes. She carefully took the flashlight, only winding it to life when she was behind closed doors. After all, going to the bathroom in the dark was no easy feat. When she was done, she washed her hands, then took a moment to splash her face with some cold water. She took the towel she dried her hands with, soaking it, then wringing it out and placing it against her forehead.
She sighed deeply, looking at herself in the reflection. She couldn't help but entertain her doubts. What if any of it was true? She held her hand up, looking at the lines in the palm of her hand. Somehow, it felt sort of like an electric current tickling just underneath them. She had to be imagining it, right? Like some sort of placebo.
She grabbed the damp towel that hung on the side of the sink. As she did, a strange sound emitted from it. She gasped in alarm. Did a snake find its way inside of it? The white material fell into the sink, and the hissing instantly stopped. The faint shroud of steam rose from it, and her hand felt hot.
"Holy fuck."
That came out louder than she anticipated. Once again, her heart felt like a steamhammer against her chest.
The Firestarter powers... They only came to fruition after she had sex. Maybe it didn't matter whether it was Eddie or Billy, but she understood that now. She leaned against the wall, staring at the hot towel in the sink when she heard the door open.
"Hey, you okay?"
Lillian looked at Eddie, but she couldn't formulate words. All bruises and cuts on his face, even the ones that had been there from the demobats that previously assaulted him, were all entirely gone.
