CHAPTER 4

SAIRA FOUND HERSELF in a realm she rarely visited, the Underworld. Most of the occupants were too much alike to be interesting. Her first journey had led her to its Underlord, Dis, but she could only trace him and his brother, the Twin, to a time just prior to the birth of light. They were members of the First Born. Although the two considered themselves the creators of everything, Saira knew better. She had existed long before their arrival but saw no reason to disillusion them or any of the others that believed themselves to be the creator. Manipulators, maybe, she thought, but felt she was not obligated to enlighten or disillusion First Born. Saira sought answers, nothing more.

She made a second visit shortly after Lilith appeared in the Underworld. The human's uniqueness brought with her many questions, making her tug irresistible. Dis' role in her banishment from Eden only added to Saira's fascination for the woman. The Underlord had tricked Lilith into leaving the security of Paradise simply to annoy the Twin and satisfy his own infatuation and lust.

It had been an enlightening journey, but once Lilith was with child, Saira lost interest in her and the Underlord. Pregnant demons were bitchy whiners who wanted nothing more than to make everyone's life as miserable as their own. There was no reason to believe Lilith would be different.

Although she was more intelligent and less volatile than the other inhabitants of the Underworld, Lilith was still a demoness. Dis had made sure of that when he manipulated her genes and took away her humanity. Understandably, to survive in a world of demons, she could not live there as a human.... And then there was the Twin's insistence she return to Adam. Making her a demon insured her permanent status as the Underlord's consort, or so he thought.

Saira understood Lilith's craving for knowledge but wasn't sure if her decision to stay with Dis was the best choice. Still, returning to the mundane world of the Twin would have been just another form of hell, only worse. She was far too curious to accept a world that failed to challenge her intellect. At least with the demons, she would experience new adventures and new ideas. Demons and minions were so dysfunctional and cantankerous that they were, by their very nature, teachers of life. Perhaps it was their environment. Whatever the reason, some things could never be completely explained no matter how hard Lilith looked for answers.