Eden Welcomes Lilith

Corvus was quietly seated in his study reading an article that was written by the very elusive Medusa. Of course Corvus knew the woman behind the nom de plume which made the article all the more entertaining. It was lovingly describing an otherwise horrific effects of a certain illegal potion.

Corvus read with interest as no gruesome details were spared. Of course, it was written intellectually, not gore for gores sake. He had summoned the author of the essay to meet with him. He wanted a verita serum - a particularly strong one at that for a certain ministry official. He would have owled her, but he figured he hadn't seen her in awhile, and Corvus liked to keep his friends close.

He turned the page and read on.

It was an extremely boring day at headquarters. Ariadne had taken to charming everything in sight while Corvus stayed locked up in his study, being sociable, as usual. As no one else was around, and there were few whose company she could tolerate in any case, she was actually somewhere other than her own private area for once. She'd actually been lying on a chaise lounge backwards in the foyer, head dangling over the edge and hair tickling the carpet, as she created more and more inventive smoke rings with her wand.

The latest masterpiece had been a miniature scale of Hogwarts, and its ghost was still hanging in the air when someone's newly-arrived presence tripped the wards and Aria shot straight up as though electrified, quickly smoothing her hair into place. There was no way she'd ever allow anyone besides Corvus to catch her in such an undignified position -- and even that was pretty iffy. In a moment she'd cleared the smoke and made a beeline for the study, both glad to finally be of some small use and annoyed at being made to deal with other human beings. If it was just Neris calling, her already boring day would be utterly ruined.

A soft rapt on the door was all the warning Corvus received before she entered.

"Were you expecting someone?" she asked, careful to keep any annoyance out of her clear blue eyes. Interrupting Corvus at work was hazardous enough without giving him an attitude about it as well.

Lilith strode through the corridors of Eden in her usual way: as if she owned the place. She glared at a few of the witches and wizards that passed her, particularly wizards that let out noisy catcalls at her. The witch supposed she might have deserved it considering she wore a tightly-fastened corset with her strapless dress and wore several necklaces whose pendants hung at a rather prominent position. One in particular was a medallion with inlays of onyx and black diamonds. However, said gems now glowed silver: she had been Summoned.

Between the magic of her medallion's summoning properties and simple assumption, Lilith decided the study would be the most likely place to find Corvus. She had just turned the last corner when the door to the study just nicely closed. Lilith couldn't help but mentally remark upon her timing, presuming that it had been Corvus just getting in. She took her time striding up to the door in order to let the wizard get settled in.

The witch refrained from the urge to simply enter. It had crossed her mind, but in the end decided to knock and wait to be invited in.

Corvus looked up from the article to be met with the clearly masked blue eyes of Ms. Grey. Something which Corvus found slightly amusing. "Yes, I was actually. Is she here already?" Corvus had given his guest a few minutes of leniency considering that fact that she favoured traveling by Thestrals than any other mode of transportation. He did see the appeal, though, he thought it would be rather inconvenient as mounting them would take more than twice as much time as either Floo or just plain old apparating.

The answer to his question came in the form of a rapping at the door.

"Ah. So she is here." Corvus said mostly to himself than anyone else. "Enter." The last word was louder.

Ariadne scarcely had time to do more than ardently hope it wasn't Neris before Corvus invited his (apparently expected) guest in. She was already slightly put off that he hadn't told her he was expecting anyone -- and a she, at that, which almost always put her in a foul mood. Given that she couldn't think of a single woman whose presence she could tolerate, Ariadne got the distinct impression that she was in for an unpleasant surprise.

As it was too late to make a run for it, there was nothing she could do except to wait, greet whoever it was at the door, and excuse herself as quickly as possible, most likely to go set things on fire, upset the house-elves, and generally make everyone around her as miserable as she was.

At the beckoning to enter, Lilith hastened to do just that. The door was charmed to be lighter than it looked. Initially the witch didn't even notice Ariadne - instead seeing Corvus examining the essay she had written not that long ago. "I see you're still keeping abreast of events in the potioneering world, Corvus. That title looks 'vaguely' familiar," she greeted the wizard with a bit of a grin and a lightly flattered chuckle.

Upon making sure the door soundly closed, Lilith realized they weren't alone. "Oh. Hello," she greeted the woman, uncertain yet unruffled. Her attention shifted back to Corvus. "You Summoned me?" Lilith absently fidgeted with a stubborn lock of her curly brown hair.

Corvus stood up from his comfortable armchair as Lilith entered the study. "Yes, I daresay, Medusa is ever a favourite of mine." Corvus gave Lilith a roughish smile.

He left the article in favour of greeting the author as he maneuvered his way around the desk to approach the witch. Upon reaching her, he wrapped one of his arms around her waist and gave a quick peck on the cheek.

"May I introduce Ariadne Grey?" Corvus said turning to face Ariadne as well. "Ariadne, this is Lilith MacDougal, an old friend of mine." He smiled at Lilith coyly.

"Charmed," Ariadne replied woodenly, taking in the arm around Lilith's corseted waist with an expressionless face that belied the blinding rage that stampeded through her veins with all the forceful destruction of an angry giant. She made no move to shake Lilith's hand, but instead excused herself from the room under the pretense of checking after the new recruits, all the while looking dead behind the eyes.

As soon as she escaped the confines of the study, she ran up to her own room, knocking into anyone who got into her way without so much of a backwards glance. She knew it was terribly immature, but she didn't care; there was no need for Corvus to rub his dalliances in her face like that. It was almost enough to make her want to run to Cygnus just out of spite. Her anger require more than a magical outlet; it was with her own two hands that she set about smashing everything in sight, reducing the entire room nearly to rubble before she collapsed in an exhausted heap, staring blankly out of the open window.

"Good to hear. Always a pleasure to delight my readers," she replied. As Corvus wrapped an arm around her waist and kissed her on the cheek, Lilith did the same to him. The witch flashed a wry smile back to the wizard at his introductions. She was tempted to say something on the 'old' bit since she wasn't that far ahead of these two in age, yet kept silent on the matter.

"A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Miss Grey," said Lilith, performing a half-curtsey, half-bow from her place at Corvus's side. Eyes the color of caramel watched Ariadne flee the room with the same gaze she bestowed Jericho when he would deliberately get himself into trouble. It was watchful, a little curious, and calculating.

"Have I interrupted something?" the witch asked as innocently as was possible for her. It seemed that Ariadne had taken off in a bit of a hurry.

Ariadne was a master at keeping her emotions at check, but her mask didn't fool Corvus. He could see the fire in her eyes. The amount of time they had spent together and his innate ability to read people had made Ariadne an open book to Corvus. Of course, anyone who knew anything about Ariadne didn't need such skills. After all it was no secret what Ariadne felt.

Corvus knew full well what he was doing. He was playing with her. Though he had to admit, the vehemence of the reaction was a bit of a surprise. He suppose he should feel some degree of guilt, but alas, he felt none. In fact he felt exhilarated.

"No, not at all." Corvus said as if nothing out of the ordinary happened. He pulled away from Lilith and prompt her to a chair.

Lilith took a moment to think. A few scenarios ran through her mind, all of them possible. In fact, the witch refused to believe that anything was impossible. Either she had interrupted something or they had recently finished their business and had come to the study for some reason unbeknownst to her. Perhaps she had been summoned for the additional task of being paraded before the younger witch... or the younger witch was meant to appear and be paraded in front of her. With Corvus it was difficult to say. And, quite frankly, that unpredictability thrilled Lilith.

A slight frown crossed Lilith's face when Corvus pulled away but quickly hoisted it into a small smile. Business before pleasure, they say - Corvus's fun just now notwithstanding. The witch merely shrugged at his response. She wasn't married to Corvus so she supposed it truly wasn't any of her business. A nod of thanks met the wizard's prompt to sit.

She sat up straight and crossed one leg over the other. One arm folded itself into her lap while the other decided to take the armrest. "What might I be able to do for you, Corvus?" she asked, tilting her head curiously. A single finger traced her own ruby red lips in musing. Although there were clearly limitations based on her powers and influence, Lilith added, "All you need do is say it... and it's yours."

Corvus rested at the armchair adjacent to the one Lilith occupied. Sitting comfortably back, leisurely taking his time.

Corvus favoured frankness versus the usual round-about way people talked to each other. They would touch on the weather, the news, everything under the sun before they finally got down to business. And so, with Lilith's opening, Corvus posed his request. "I need a strong Truth Serum."

"I've got someone I suspect is lying to me, and while there are certain ways one can get information from a particular individual, ways that are no doubt rather enjoyable, a more direct approach is necessary, I'm afraid."

Brown eyes eyed the wizard as he sat beside her. Even though it had been a while since she had seen him last, the sight of Corvus hadn't changed a bit. That was a good thing according to Lilith. One mere moment after the words 'truth serum' left the wizard's lips she smiled wickedly. It was one of her favorite potions to make.

Lilith's smile faltered slightly as Corvus explained his situation. Perhaps that had been why the girl was here as well? Intriguing. "Terrible to hear. I dearly hope it is not one of us you question?" she offered, eyes widening. By 'us' of course she meant the other Purists. If she weren't already sitting up straight the witch would have straightened. Instead she shifted closer to the edge of her seat.

"Consider it at the top of my priorities. If you need something now I do have other grades of truth potions? They aren't as strong, admittedly."

Corvus smiled in response to her question. Mostly because he didn't feel like answering it. Who the potion was for wasn't really her business and Corvus liked to keep his plans classified, even to those closest to him.

"I can wait until you've brewed the potion." Corvus replied. "A grade lower just won't do." Corvus as a pretty flexible wizard, however, he much preferred getting the best.

Confident business was settled, he leaned back and lightened his tone. "How is Jericho by the way?"

"The best I can give you, it is, then. As always," she replied, a wicked smile playing about her lips. Lilith was used to the wizard's tendency to refuse answers if he felt like it. She supposed the question did not require all the juicy news on the matter for a response. For a fleeting moment the witch wondered if it was her he suspected of lying, but shook it off. Lilith had virtually nothing to hide from him and tended to always be prepared to notice the symptoms of having been slipped a truth serum. A sort of insurance, if one will, much like the same technique Lilith used with her poisons.

When business seemed to clear itself and Corvus leaned back, Lilith's smile grew wider. She shifted again, this time swinging her legs onto the arm of the chair and crossing them once again like before. "Oh, the boy's right in his glory. He's recently gotten a letter from Hogwarts about having made the new Quidditch Captain! Been making trips to Diagon Alley to oggle that new broomstick... I forget what it's called. Or at least I hope it's the broom and not the little Half-blood girl that works there," Lilith answered animatedly.

"And yourself?" she inquired in return. Corvus didn't have any children as far as she knew.

Corvus watched Lilith's eyes light up as she talked about her son. He felt a hint of something that was a kin to jealousy but not quite. Corvus used his arm to support his head as Lilith gave him new information. "So Jericho's the new Quidditch Captain." He sat up and smiled. "You must give him my congratulations. You must be very proud of him."

"Actually, there was something else that I wanted to discuss with you." Corvus said folding his hands. "Of course, as his mother you can disagree, and I wouldn't hold it against you. But," Corvus paused. "I think that Jericho is old enough to join our cause. He is a most capable young wizard, and our little family would do well if he is part of it. If he accepts that is. You know full well, I do not like to force people to do something they do not wish to do." Corvus could and would but he preferred people vow allegiance to him on their own free will. A lesson he learnt from his past.

Lilith nodded with a mother's pride, her curls bobbing and bouncing well after her head had stopped the action. "I shall, of course. It would delight him even further. And I am proud of 'Rico. Very proud, indeed," she answered.

Dark eyebrows rose at news of a new matter to discuss. Lilith immediately made certain she was sitting up straight and focused all of her attention on him. She waited for what he had to say with bated breath. A mixture of pleasure and concern swam through her as his next words would clearly pertain to Jericho. Was he really considering letting the boy join? Lilith's smile seemed to split her face in two when it was confirmed, delighting in the compliments Corvus had for her 'little boy' that admittedly was no longer very little. If need be she would hog-tie the teenager and bring him here to swear fealty to Corvus...

A combination of a semi-guilty wince and a pout replaced the smile when the wizard stated the conditions. Jericho had to be willing to join, not pressured into it. Corvus had even intervened once to lecture her on this very matter as Lilith tried to force influences upon her son, and the witch remembered the 'scolding' quite vividly. The wizard before her had been quite cruel towards her that day. In the end the punishment was ineffective: Lilith was just as pushy as she ever was to people that she felt were beneath her. This of course was practically everyone, save Corvus.

"I approve, of course. He should do his part for the cause, and perhaps in joining the 'family' he'll find a decent witch to marry someday," Lilith began cautiously, hoping these words were the ones Corvus wished to hear. However, the offer was one of great honor, and thus her pride and determination soon got the better of her. "I would be honored to summon him now, or send him along tomorrow? Perhaps he could even accompany me when I deliver you the potion, but I'd hate to hold him back any longer than necessary..." The excitement was clearly written on Lilith's face.

"I am certain he would join our cause with little to no persuasion at all!" Chocolate eyes nearly darkened with a silent 'if he knows what's best for him, anyway'. Whether it had always been there or was merely the consequence of her zealous glee of the moment was anyone's guess.

Corvus was well aware of Lilith's character, especially towards her son. Though, even if he hadn't, what she was thinking was plainly clear enough on her face. She was honoured that Corvus was considering the boy - pride swelled up in her dark eyes. But she would not be able to take it if Jericho turned the offer down. She would make sure he didn't, Corvus could read it.

Jericho was her one true weakness. While she loved the boy to death, her 'disciplinary' actions left a lot to be desired. Corvus didn't actually mind this. In fact he figured it was character building, but Corvus truly wanted loyalty. One thing he learned was while fear did get the job done, it didn't do much good in the long term. Fear was limiting, but love was limitless. Love was the downfall of many great wizards. While Corvus could not feel it, he dared not underestimate it's power.

Besides, it would be quite the treat to watch Lilith fight within herself if Jericho disagreed or even hesitated.

Corvus wasn't naive, he knew Lilith was going to try and 'persuade' her son anyway. It was only in her nature. He had once tried, though, failed to change her. Though Corvus tried to project the calm and controlled exterior, he was ultimately a sadist. And he did get a rush from the power of inflicting pain towards an individual. He attempted to avoid 'disciplining' his followers - trying to implement his ideals but alas, there was just some situations where it was unavoidable. As cruel as he was with her when he felt she had gotten slightly over-board with Jericho, he knew it didn't do her much good. She may have behaved when Corvus was around, but she had freedom to do as she wished when Corvus' back was turned.

So maybe it wasn't a bad idea to remind her of his little 'disciplinary' action. "I want to reiterate," Corvus stood up and closed the distance between himself and Lilith. As she was sitting, he towered over her. Wand at hand, he wordlessly casted a Choking Hex which was pretty much equivalent to a hand clasped around an individual's neck. He brought his wand up so Lilith had no choice but to rise. "I want Jericho to come to me willingly, without persuasion of any kind, may that be magical or not, from anyone." He tightened his hold on her. "If you do not follow my wishes," his voice wasn't threatening or menacing, it was calm - a bit like the still night, gentle even. "I would be very upset."

He bent down slightly so that his face would be inches away from hers. His free hand caressed her cheek. "You don't want me to be upset, do you?"

Lilith watched as Corvus stood. She was curious to say the least. They were both unpredictable, and although Corvus didn't always show that side of him they also shared a sadistic streak. The witch wondered if she ought to rise as well and follow. Her idea vanished as instantly as it came, however, as Corvus towered over her as she sat. It left her very little room to do much of anything. Chocolate eyes gazed up at the wizard with a deceiving air of innocence. Those that knew her best would be more than aware that innocence had long left this woman.

Her eyes slowly dragged themselves between Corvus’s gray eyes and the wand in his hand. What was it he wanted to reiterate? The thought was startled away from her when it felt like his hand clasped over her throat. It was a choking hex, she surmised for he hadn’t laid a single hand on her. “Corvus...?” Lilith questioned, wasting precious breath as her voice strained to work. A flick of his wand rather effectively forced her to have little choice but to stand. Her heart and attempts to breathe were quickened by fear and a measure of excitement, but mostly fear.

While Lilith knew it was useless she clawed at the invisible hand at her neck as she heard every word Corvus spoke. “M-My Lord...” she tried to reply agreeably, her voice rasping beneath the spell’s grip. A noise issued from the back of her throat in startlement when the choke-hold became stronger. ‘Upset’ would not be a good thing to make the younger wizard and Lilith knew it; just as Jericho knew it was unwise to upset her.

Despite being choked, when Corvus bent and their faces were but inches apart Lilith’s eyes darted to the wizard’s lips and she half-heartedly shifted so he might take her lips in his if that was what he wanted. Irises the hue of warm chocolate fluttered closed against the touch. They snapped open again at his question, and Lilith shook her head in a vehement no. “N-No! Of course not, My Lord...” she gasped.

“Please... I can’t breathe...”

"Good." Corvus was satisfied that she would do as he wished, but he didn't let her loose.

Corvus retained his hold over her for a moment longer half emphasizing his point, half savoring the power he held over her at the simple act. It would be so easy to tighten the grip on her neck and let her body convulse as it so desperately sought out air. Asphyxiation was such a rush. The awesome power one held over an individual's life, knowing with just a tad bit of added pressure one could end it. Grey eyes darkened.

Roughly, he crush her lips with his and by doing so hindered the flow of oxygen in her system. Corvus released his magical hold on her and replaced it with a physical one. The hand that was gently stroking her cheek, now held the side of her face firmly. He pulled away abruptly, finally letting her catch her breath.

Then his general disposition changed, as if nothing whatsoever had just happened.

"Would you like to have dinner with me tonight?" It was a good-natured request. Not at all forceful. The kind of request, one would and could refuse. "If you have other plans, I understand." He even sounded like he actually meant it.

Lilith waited to be released. He was pleased with her answer it seemed. Why didn't he let her go? The witch dared not vocally plead further - too much more pressure on her throat and Jericho would be left an orphan. It would be too easy for Corvus to simply end her if he wished. Yet it was an intoxicating sort of rush being in this delicate state smack dab between life and death. Especially when it was Corvus that held her. Surely he wouldn't kill her? He required the potion... and he still occasionally required her. Perhaps 'required' wasn't the right word for the wizard could certainly find another willing witch to please him in her stead... But Lilith liked to think she was wanted enough to be spared from Death's clutches.

Although it only served to hinder her desperate attempt to breathe Lilith let Corvus take what he wanted from the crushing kiss, reciprocating it as much as she could for a woman being choked and distracted by the will to live. If she could only hold out long enough he would release her. Lilith had to believe it. She almost thought she would be released when the magical hold eased, but was mistaken for his hands took magic's place. A surprising thought crossed her mind just as Corvus suddenly pulled away and released her.

The witch gasped gratefully for air. She closed her eyes and placed a hand on her chest to ensure that she was actually breathing. A pink splash across her pale cheeks was clue enough that despite the near-asphyxiation Lilith had enjoyed that kiss. Chocolate eyes opened and revealed that they were a twinge brighter for Corvus. And then she noticed the wizard's disposition had once again changed. The way he switched so abruptly, yet not really changing that much in verbal disposition, fascinated the witch.

"If you would have me, I'd gladly join you," answered Lilith, her voice breathless and a little weakened despite her attempt to hide the latter. "Jericho's a big boy now: I'm sure he knows well enough how to see to himself."