Lilith - TI3 by Fran Heckrotte Page B

about."
     
    "I find it more surprising you are so open about it. As for me, few things surprise me anymore. I have seen too much in my life to doubt most things." Yemaya said, shrugging slightly. "I must admit, I have never heard of Cambions."
     
    "We're rare. Incubi and Succubi normally detest each other. Just finding themselves in the same place usually ends up in a battle. The two species keep as much distance as possible unless we're called to a gathering . Serious dissension isn’t permitted at our conclaves."
     
    Yemaya remained silent for a few seconds as she absorbed the information. Long ago she had learned to suspend all disbelief' when it came to the existence of supernatural life.
     
    "By gathering, I assume you mean...?"
     
    Cammie laughed.
     
    "You know exactly what I mean."
     
    "I am afraid I do... an orgy. I have to admit I find it hard to believe you are a demon."
     
    "We're not all as bad as you think. You'd be surprised at how many of us want nothing more than to just live our lives... not that it was always like that. There was a time when we were ambitious."
     
    "I guess time takes it toll on everyone."
     
    "You could say that."
     
    "So, are demons really immortal?"
     
    Cammie shrugged.
     
    "Who's to say? No one knows if they'll be here tomorrow. Some of us have been around a long time, but I can't say I believe in immortality."
     
    "Why not?"
     
    "I can die. I have died."
     
    "You look pretty healthy for a dead woman," Yemaya teased.
     
    "Well, at the moment I'm very much alive.  Still, I have no reason to believe I will always return."
     
    "I would say you are a pretty good argument for it."
     
    Cammie looked down at her glass and then took a sip.
     
    "There was a time when this world was full of demons and spirits. Most are gone. No one really knows where. Every gathering is a reminder that our numbers are dwindling."
     
    "From my experience, I would say there are still plenty around."
     
    Laughing, Cammie twirled her glass playfully.
     
    "I bet you do. Anyway, I've died so many times, I don't know who or what I am anymore. I take what life offer and try to enjoy the moments."
     
    Yemaya watched the woman for several moments, trying to imagine what it would be like to be reincarnated. The thought wasn't necessarily distasteful but it was unsettling. Combine it with Cammie's so-called gift and... well... shaking her head, she didn't really know what to think.
     
    "I think I would find your situation depressing."
     
    "I do and have. There have been moments when I wanted to end it all, but then I wonder what would be the use. I'd just come back again or worse. I wouldn't come back at all. For all of my bitching, I'm not ready to give up on life. The thought of not existing at all actually frightens me a little... and I think killing myself is the key to my final destruction."
     
    "I take it you have tried."
     
    "Once, a long time ago. Not intentionally of course. I'm not suicidal. I remember feeling sad, depressed. I kept asking myself what good is love if it wasn't real, so I decided to isolate myself from humanity thinking I could just give it up. I moved as far away from people as I could and then I found out I needed them more than they needed me. Within weeks I became so sick I thought I was going to die. Then this old woman found me. She told me she understood my needs. Some of her people carried me to a nearby village. Then they just disappeared. I never got to thank them."
     
    "So what caused this sickness?"
     
    "Starvation, dependency. It appears love is like a drug. Without my fix, I have horrible withdrawal symptoms. A cruel twist, don't you think?"
     
    "Perhaps. Then again, you give something in return? Those people affected by your power may never have experienced the emotion before meeting you."
     
    Cammie laughed.
     
    "Now that sounds sadder than my story."
     
    "I am just giving you another perspective. Think about it."
     
    "Maybe I will."
     
    "Good. Can