The Broken Halo

Chapter 999 - 998: About Us

[What do you want to talk about regarding us?] Lilith asked.

Simon moved the empty cup aside.

[You’ve been inside me for over a year now. We’ve made agreements, fought together, and argued about almost everything. But we’ve never really defined our relationship.]

[Our relationship?]

Her voice became suspicious.

[Blackmoon, I hope you’re not about to propose. Or ask me to start courting you.]

His lips twitched.

[Of course not. Why would I do that?]

[You could at least hesitate before rejecting the idea.]

[Would that make a difference?]

[To my feelings? Certainly. I’m a beautiful woman. Men used to lose their composure over a smile from me.]

[Then it’s fortunate I’m not one of them.]

[Sometimes I wonder whether you’re a man at all.]

Simon rested his forearms on the table.

[You can investigate that mystery later. I’m trying to have a conversation.]

Lilith snorted, but allowed him to continue.

[You know I don’t trust you.]

[You don’t trust anybody. That hardly makes me special.]

[True.]

He didn’t bother defending himself. She had watched him long enough to know how little reassurance a friendly voice offered him.

[But you’ve surprised me.]

[Have I?]

[You’ve been patient with my growth. More supportive than I expected.]

Simon glanced down at the black wraps around his wrists.

[When you first appeared, I expected some hidden demand. Something you’d use to control me once I relied on you enough. I kept waiting for it.]

[And?]

[Nothing.]

He turned his hands over.

[You remain silent for long stretches. You speak when you feel like it. You’ve never tried to steal my body or harm me. And instead of keeping me weak enough to depend on you, you’ve helped me become stronger.]

Lilith didn’t interrupt.

That made it slightly harder to continue.

Simon was used to arguing and exchanging sarcastic remarks with her, so having such a serious conversation felt a little strange.

[You held the ritual together when I went farther than you told me to. I know you could have stopped helping.]

He remembered her warning about the skull. He had heard it clearly and continued anyway.

[Yet you didn’t.]

[You would have died.]

[I know.]

His answer came quietly.

He let a moment pass before continuing.

[Even our old agreement is unfinished. You asked for three demons related to the Soul Daemon, and they should be at least Supreme Archfiends. They must also be killed with the Chaos Blade. I’ve given you a Soul Mirror Demon, but-]

[And you wasted Jorra.]

Simon paused.

[I needed him dead.]

[I asked you to kill him with the Chaos Blade. Not arrange for Merath to kill him while you watched.]

[That was the opportunity I had.]

[And this is the opportunity I have to remind you why you still don’t know where that dragon’s lair is.]

His lips twitched again.

She certainly hadn’t forgotten.

[The Soul Mirror elder helped,] Lilith continued. [Then I spent the power helping you escape. And since then, how much more have I used keeping you alive?]

Simon could think of several occasions without trying.

[Don’t expect three Supreme Archfiends to be enough anymore. Not after everything I’ve done. And that’s before I charge you for answering this endless procession of questions.]

[You’re charging for those too?]

[I’m considering it.]

[I know I owe you. I’ll find other demons or Daemons connected to the Soul Daemon, and I’ll kill them with the Chaos Blade.]

[Good.]

[But that’s not what I’m asking.]

He drew his hands back from the table.

[I want to know what you want from me. And what you want for yourself.]

[I’ve told you-]

[You want a physical body again. I know. What comes after that?]

Lilith went quiet.

Simon waited. He had been confused about this for too long to let her turn it into another discussion of payment.

Restoring her body and also her soul explained why she needed power. It didn’t explain what she intended to do once she no longer needed to live inside him.

Would they part ways? Would she expect him to follow her?

He wanted to know before the answer became something he couldn’t refuse or something he would hate.

When she finally spoke, her teasing had disappeared.

[I want you to achieve my father’s goals.]

Simon frowned.

[Your father’s?]

[Yes.]

He sat back slowly.

He remembered her saying this the first time they spoke, but hearing it again made him to have several thoughts.

[When I first met you, I doubted you could do it,] she continued. [You had qualities worth watching, but that was all. After watching you for months, seeing what you’ve endured and what you’ve become... I believe you can.]

[What were his goals?]

[It isn’t time for you to know.]

His frown deepened.

[You want me to accomplish something you won’t even explain?]

[You will know later.]

[And until then, I should simply agree?]

[I haven’t asked you to agree. You asked what I wanted. I answered.]

Simon opened his mouth, then closed it.

That was true, although it did little to improve his mood.

He wasn’t going to promise her anything without knowing what it involved. But she had never forced a promise out of him before helping, and that was part of what made her so difficult to understand.

[Is that your main desire?] he asked. [For me to achieve your father’s goals?]

Another silence followed.

Simon turned his attention back to her.

[I have other things I want,] Lilith said eventually. [One of them is revenge.]

His eyes narrowed.

[Against whom?]

She didn’t answer.

[The One?]

[I’ll tell you in the future.]

Simon released a frustrated sigh.

[You’ve told me almost nothing. Your father’s goals, but not what they are. Revenge, but not against whom. I still don’t know whether I should trust you.]

Lilith sighed deeply.

[Trust, trust, trust, trust. You’re always talking about whether you can trust me.]

[Because-]

[How am I supposed to trust you when you’ve lied to me about your past life?]

His expression became solemn.

For a moment, he heard the faint sounds from the street more clearly than he had throughout their conversation.

[What do you mean?]

Lilith chuckled.

[Even now, you’re still pretending not to understand.]

He remembered the academy library, and the way she had watched him reading the history books about his past life and what happened after his death.

He had known she wasn’t convinced, but since she had not said anything since then or acted suspicious, he had slowly believed that it was no longer a problem.

[Did you really think I would believe that you were the reincarnated Demon King of Death?]

She continued before he could answer.

[You were the Hero of Earth. The Halo of Earth... Simon Carter.]