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"Lilith," he said, knowing deep in his bones that it was her

"I aotten They called me monster, when I was the first, when they could not exist without er in her voice, ancient and terrible, as well as the love she bore her kind

"What do you want frorew farther froinable longing

Lilith regarded hi eyes They saw more than he wanted them to see

"She has chosen you, the final child of all the un to wonder if the blood would ever again be strong enough to ivenhas come round at last Lily, of all of thereat interest to o" She paused, arching an eyebrow "If you are strong enough"

He knew he should tread carefully with such a creature And yet there was sosound of Lily’s voice, he took a chance

"How is it possible?" he asked "How can a mortal woman like Lily carry your blood?"

Even in the depths of shadow, Ty could see Lilith’s mouth curve up in a bitter smile

"Do you truly want to know of the ritual? I doubt it But what came before and after, I can tell you A beautiful demon, one of the Fallen, fell in love with ift of immortality so that I could be with hier living, but without a true death, even now"

"Then how did the others destroy you? And why? No one talks about it," Ty said, knowing that this had ceased to be a dreaer for the answers only Lilith could provide

Lilith waved an elegant hand dismissively "Petty jealousies Desire for power and control Fear of my Fallen lover, Seth, when he would harm none of them I underestimated my enemies then, as so ht to preserve soave you a child," Ty said Maybe Lilith was right The sort of de he didn’t want to i would require enormous power and would be dark… very dark

"Indeed But sadly, it could have no part of his truly are impossible There was a huh, at least at first Abriefly over her fine features that ret "It doesn’t matter The blood has been passed to the eldest child, always a fees The power has always been there, sleeping, waiting for one who could awaken it I knehen Lily was born, that she was the one The first who actually manifested the mark My mark"

"You watched her?"

Lilith’s voice was sharp "I can do little but watch, these long years Though as you have seen, when II have" Her tone softened, greeary, and Ty finally had a sense of the agelessness of this woh she rehbloods he had known than of Lily There was a ruthlessness about her, a knife-edged drive to preserve as hers that he kneould slice right through anyone who got in her way

He recognized it Just as he recognized that the hu who she was Her softness, her empathy

Lily was so much more than the one who had come before her, Ty realized And Lilith knew it Perhaps that had been the plan all along

Lilith nodded "Yes," she said "I knohat you’re thinking And you’re right She is more than I was I shedthe first of the va for the parts of ths and weaknesses of both worlds" Lilith tilted her head, considering hi over her face Even here, in this place that was neither sleep nor waking, Ty saw that the h her

"You will balance each other," she said "A good match, if you can hold her If you prove yourself worthy of my prize"

All the years of ridicule pressed in on hi to suffocate him Worthy? He, a lowly cat?

"My bloodline--"