Because de Soto had barely recognized me, I was not worried about the Uzitas either. With my tan and tattoos, I could pass for a Native. I had only to shave my beard, and I was ready.

After so many years, I expected changes to the Uzita village, but I was unprepared for the immense changes. Most notably, the Natives had taken to nudity. Their bronzed bodies were ornamented with jewelry and tattoos, and nothing more. However, their countenance was but a small part of the unease they inspired. A feral element hung around them that had not been present before.

De Soto and the Uzita chieftain negotiated trading terms. If he remembered me, he did not allude to our grisly history. After some time, de Soto indicated my translating services were no longer required.

I took the opportunity to wander the village, missing my wife. I hoped to visit our favorite spots and alcoves, but my chance to evoke fond memories of my wife never came to pass.

Despite assuming her dead, I saw her enter a tent nearby. Beyond my better judgment, I followed in after the woman. She faced me, and I nearly excused myself at having entered the wrong tent. My wife had been comely, but this woman's beauty was beyond logic. While there were stark similarities between my wife and this woman, they were not the same person.

"Who are you?" I grabbed her by the shoulders, noting her warm skin, and her parted lips.

"I am your wife," the creature lied.

"No, she's dead. You are much too—"

"Beautiful?" the woman finished for me.

"There are no words." The thing assumed I was complimenting it, and was pleased.

"Are you not going to kiss me?" A strange pull infused the tone, a command I could not refuse. Even though it was not my wife, and even though I felt an aversion, I locked lips with it in an instant.

It tasted of honey, desire, and death. Images of a sexual nature flooded my mind, along with varied depictions of blood and malice. Revulsion forced me from her embrace. The pull of her words dissipated, and I was myself again.

"Madam, I must depart." I knew she was not human, knew it as surely as I knew my wife was dead.

The creature advanced, her eyes flashing silver in the firelight.

I had witnessed all that I could stand, and I fled the tent in a manner most would attribute as cowardly. In my haste, I ran into a fellow about to enter. He steadied me with his hands, and caught my gaze, his eyes reflective pools of water.

Terror consumed me. Under the moonlight, each and every Uzita sported bright silver irises. There was...an infection. Nonsensically, I believed my contact with the woman and man had infected me as well.

From the tent, I wrenched myself from the grasp of the man (or thing), and ran. On the border of the village and the surrounding woods, I stopped to catch my breath. An instant later, two strong hands seized me from behind. I grappled for my sword, ready to fight off the thing that had followed me.

A familiar chuckle stayed my hand. "Do not fear. It is me."

De Soto.

Still panting, I asked, "Did you see?"

"Aye. I saw the deformities of nature. Rumors of this village have dominated our arrival. I had to see it for myself.

"The trade agreements—farce?"

De Soto nodded.

I wanted to know the reason behind the farce, but he had always been one to withhold answers, only revealing them when needed.

But I needed to know now: "What do you plan to do?"

De Soto's smile chilled me. "What any good Christian is bound to in such a situation: eradicate the demons."

~*~

De Soto's plan was simple.

"Fire cleanses all. Thus shall it cleanse these demons from the earth."

His confidence did not appease my apprehensions. What if we were wrong? Slaughtering over 100 innocents was not an act my conscience could abide.

De Soto sought to assuage my guilt. "Did you feel even a spark of humanity among them? Were you not repulsed by the touch of the very woman you once called 'wife'?"

My eyes narrowed, but I hung my head.

"Aye. I watched you enter the tent of the demonness. I saw your stricken face as you exited." He encouraged me to meet his eyes. "You know my proposal is the only way, the right way. What is right is seldom easy."

I could not deny his logic, but I would not relish the cleansing as he would.

That night, we rode back to the Uzita camp, wielding torches. Quickly and quietly, we set the tents ablaze as the heathens slept. Once they awoke, it was too late. Those who tried to escape were met by the end of our silver and gold-etched swords. The chieftain was among those who tried running in vain. Although, instead of running from us, he ran in the direction of my wife's tent, screaming, "Lillith! Samael! My Masters! My Loves!" His silver eyes gleamed wild-eyed in the moonlight.

I glanced quickly at de Soto, but he did not understand what the chieftain had said, or its possible importance. From behind, he skewered the chieftain, his sword shining as brilliantly as his victim's eyes. At his moment of death, his mouth opened wide, two fangs extended where two teeth should have been. Then de Soto kicked his lifeless body into the fire.

One lone tent remained intact, and we rallied around it. De Soto called for the creatures to come out. As they declined, he sent their tent afire, and someone did emerge minutes later, the woman masquerading as my wife. She was a terrible sight, as her body was completely on fire, skin popping and boiling. That is a sound and smell I will never forget. Mouth open, the creature screamed silently.

When we had finished murdering every last thing in the Uzita village, I collapsed in a numb shock. I had lost count of how many people I had slain. The image of de Soto decapitating a slew of silver-eyed children will forever haunt me. One more memory has remained, or rather, one word.

Lillith.

Who was Lillith?

~*~

There were more journal entries, but I closed the book, done for the time being.

The name Lillith resonated with me, too, because it resembled Lillitu, one of those weird gods I'd come across in my research. Clearly the chieftain had known of his daughter's transformation. Hell, he had probably even instrumented it. The question was, why call her Lillith? The Uzita's god of choice was Lamashtu. Sure, the two gals had their similarities, but it was like a Christian praying to Allah instead of God. Odd enough to raise an eyebrow or two.

Ortiz's story was too fantastical to believe. Yet, I was compelled to believe every word of it. What reason did he have to lie, to embellish in his private journal?

Lillith, Lamashtu, Ortiz, Rosalind...

The names were all connected, leading to some overwhelming question.

I knew of one man who would possibly connect the dots for me. However, he would be my last resort. Rafe might be the better person to turn to for help. He was, after all, my husband, the man I loved.

The man I loved. I was in love. With Rafe.

All of my troubles seemed to fade in light of that.

~*~

A/N: Take a stab at the little star if you liked the chapter!

Pay attention to Tery_Rambin0012, a writer who loves all things weird and sci-fi (describes all of us, really). Her novel, Astral Arden, is climbing in the sci-fi rankings, and no wonder because it involves astral projection, body snatching, and much more:

https://www.wattpad.com/story/58046894-astral-arden