Whatever options Lilith and Eli hoped to find to help her escape the Midwest and the stalker's grip, quickly disappeared. The first thing that they looked at was getting her a seat on a greyhound, but if he could keep her from getting on a plane then how hard would it be for him to stop or sabotage a bus. Elijah offered to drive her to one of the airports in either Kansas City or St. Louis. They were only three hours away and he would be back in plenty of time to get enough sleep before work tomorrow. If they used his touring bike then they would easily be able to outrun anyone following them. While Lilith certainly liked the idea, she pointed out that it wouldn't be hard to figure out where they were headed and he would have plenty of time to work his magic.
As the day wore on they soon were upstairs in the computer room with Lilith sitting on the balcony and Eli searching the internet for options. Eventually, sweltering summer temperature drove her in and she put her hair up in a loose bun that was held in place by decorative chopsticks. Going to the bathroom, she took out a washcloth and ran it under the cold water then wiped her face and all around her neck in an attempt to cool off. Satisfied, she returned to the computer room and sat down next to Elijah to see what he had found. The only option they hadn't explored was chartering a private plane to get her out of the city. This seemed the most implausible option they had come up with yet. The demoness was confident that paying off a pilot so they would refuse to fly her would be the easiest thing in the world for the 'wicked old screw'. They didn't even bother looking up rental cars.
Frustrated, Lilith went downstairs and sat down on the couch next to Mr. Jingles and absently started to stroke his back. The cat purred and beamed a happy whiskered smile at her before rolling over and granting her access to his elusive soft white belly. This was a special spot reserved only for those the feline deemed worthy of the honor. Looking at the animal, Lili couldn't help envying him. What worries did he have beyond food and water levels, or the cleanliness of his litter box?
The pair were content sitting in this fashion when Eli came down the stairs to join them. He smiled at the pair then looked out the window at the thin strip of orange in the west. The entire day had been a waste and it seemed like they were further behind than they had been that morning. At least in the morning they had felt optimistic. What they needed was to step away and clear their minds. Given the hour, Eli suggested they go get some dinner. Lilith really didn't have much of an appetite, but she eagerly welcomed the distraction.
Elijah was hungry enough for both of them and knew that the best steaks in town were at Hog-eye's Roadhouse. Pulling into the parking lot, neither were surprised that it was full to the brim with people all hungry and looking for good food. The two exchanged very little conversation through most of the meal. Lili mostly sipped her tea and picked at her food absently. Eli, on the other hand, had cleaned his streak down the bone. At his prodding, he managed to get her to eat a couple of fries and a bite of her chicken tender, but not much else. She wanted to get out of town, or out of state . . . out of the country would be better. Anything to be rid of Levi Sethos.
The waiter came over and refilled their ice tea glasses and Eli thanked him before asking for the check and a to-go box. He understood her lack of appetite, but he really wished Lili had eaten more if only to keep up her strength. He tried asking her if she was ready to leave, but she never noticed or even looked up. He wasn't even certain if she remembered he was there. She just sat there staring into space while fidgeting with that large bejeweled ring on the third finger of her left hand.
"Have you ever had that cleaned or at least inspected to make sure the settings are still in good condition? I'm not sure they can do anything about the tarnish, but I doubt you want to lose any of the stones." Judging by the patina, he guessed it was made of copper, but the gems he wasn't sure about. Their sparkle was gone and they were hard to discern from the oxidized metal.
"I'm afraid there is nothing a jeweler could do for this ring," she answered, looking down at the bauble on her finger, then added with a half-laugh "They couldn't even take it off my finger." He looked at her confused, but she didn't elaborate other than to assure him the stones wouldn't fall out.
She looked back down at the large signet ring that was inextricably woven into the fabric of who she was. It bore her symbol and with it, she could possess the soul of any human she desired by burning her brand into their flesh just above their hearts. Unfortunately, right now it was little more than a trinket on her finger since she was stuck in human form. Frustrated, she softly mumbled something under her breath in the same language Eli had heard her speak when she was leaving TSA earlier that day.
"Mind me asking what you're saying?"
"I'm sorry, I was lost in thought and I guess I didn't realize I was speaking out loud."
"What language is that?" he asked.
"A long forgotten one,' she informed him. He had noticed her unique accent the first time they met and remembered her saying that she had been all over the world. Hearing this language, he was curious just how extensive her vocabulary was.
"Translation?"
"Nothing much," Lili answered with a slight shake of her head. "Just a few choice words to let off some steam."
"Just how many languages do you speak?"
"All of them." The corner of her mouth began to curl in a smile. "If you can name the language, then I can speak, read, and write it."
"Is this something you studied?" he asked, taking a drink of his iced tea.
"No, I picked it up as I went. I'm something of a quick learner." Being a demon had given her the ability to pick up the speech of whatever place she went within minutes. A skill that was very useful when passing from one civilization to another.
