June Character Interview
Patricia Parrington ~ June 15, 2024
Hello, my lovely readers and fellow book-lovers! For those of you who are new here, I, your slightly singed host, Patricia Parrington, have the pleasure of interviewing characters from books all over the world.
Today we have here with us Lilith, the queen of Hell who appears in The Salt of Angels series by Connor Irving. The Salt of Angels is a five-book series being published by Tea With Coffee Media. Connor is a twenty-one-year-old fantasy author from the UK. He works as a carer, but his true passion lies with writing and telling the stories of characters deemed “evil.” Connor is a mythology obsessive and lover of all things fantasy.
Meet Lilith
[Patricia flops onto a slightly burnt orange suede couch.]
Welcome to Fable Features! I’m glad you were able to join us today. Ignore the burnt fabric—my pseudodragon, Scribblemore, sneezed earlier and accidentally set the furniture on fire.
[She adjusts one leg so it covers a particularly dark scorch mark.]
So tell me—what’s your day-to-day life look like?
No two days are the same for me. As the Queen of Hell and leader of an army I have innumerable tasks. I must govern my people, maintain the cities of Hell, and give instruction to all under my sovereignty. I am required to make sacrifices on behalf of my army, try to keep one step ahead of my enemies, and plot out attack after attack.
I have to do all of this whilst keeping track of my children who seem to ignore my instructions endlessly and put themselves in constant danger.
It’s exhausting being me.
Wow, what an immense amount of responsibility!
[Patricia shakes her head and runs a hand through her long green hair.]
It certainly does sound exhausting.
Was this title—Queen of Hell—something you inherited?
Not inherited, more taken.
I was welcomed into Hell by the Princes in return for having their children, the Demons that populate Hell—like I hadn’t been abused enough! But I agreed because I knew the power Hell would give me.
Shortly after the birth of the legions of Hell, I realized that my children listened to me and me alone. I waged war on Hell knowing none of the Princes would harm their children. After only a few days of attacks, each Prince signed over his part of the realm to me. Lucifer was the last and most bitter. As the others swore fealty to me as their new Queen, he went into hiding, swearing revenge.
Wow, that’s intense. You must be very courageous and powerful to attempt a takeover like that!
Speaking of power, what are your thoughts on magic?
I couldn’t live without it! From my first day in Eden I had . . . abilities. I could communicate with the animals, I was able to increase the rate at which the crops would grow, and the wind and water bent to my every whim. But it wasn’t until I fled that I unlocked my true power: raw, practically untouched energies from an unseen world that gave me the strength to make it on my own. To survive in the land outside of Eden before the Princes of Hell found me and I ascended the throne.
I have used magic every day—and by that I mean every day that the world has been in existence. It is a part of me, and I am a part of it.
I would be using magic every day, too, if I had power like that!
Are there any superpowers you wish you had? And what would that be and why?
My magic is as good as almost any superpower, however I wish I had the full extent of the Scarlet Witch’s power. She can rewrite reality as she chooses, and I know of only one being with such power. Having her superpower would make winning the war against the armies of Heaven so much easier.
True! Rewriting reality would make things a lot easier.
[Patricia leans back against the couch cushions.]
What’s the strangest way you met one of your friends?
Lucifer and I were friends . . . once upon a time. I watched as he fell from the Heavens with his brothers and his army. Out of the craters made by each Fallen Angel, Lucifer’s was the largest: a huge hole in the dusty, barren ground, hot and surrounded by white flames. I helped him out of the crater and spent hours using my magic to heal the wounds on his back where his wings had been ripped off as we shared stories of our past and our banishments from our first homes. A friendship quickly formed and was quickly destroyed by Lucifer’s jealousy both of my power and of my blossoming romance with his brother and best friend, Sammael.
I’m sorry to hear your friendship fell apart. Do you think he would ever grow past that jealousy and become friends with you again?
I don’t think so. Lucifer is not who he once was. He is a shell of his former self, consumed by anger and hatred, desperate for vengeance. Not to mention that he has tried to steal the soul of my son Astaroth a number of times in the hopes of absorbing his power which would give him the strength to reclaim Hell.
Ahh yeah. Sounds like he’s much too far from his old self.
[Patricia shakes her head then smooths the skirt of her dress.]
Who do you usually turn to for help?
My answer for this was Sammael for eons, but he has broken my trust too many times. I struggle with asking for help. I am an ancient and practically omnipotent being, I shouldn't need help with anything. In times of genuine crisis, I suppose I have the eldest of the Vampires and one of my oldest friends, Amber Alarie. Or my son, the Grand Duke of Hell, Astaroth—though as his power grows, as does his arrogance.
That would be a struggle! I’m glad you still have a few people you can go to for help.
If you had to name one thing about you that stands out from others, what would that be?
This isn’t an easy question to answer. As the first woman, all others are modeled off me; in essence I am every woman. However, I hold power most could only dream of. I am unnaturally strong and fast, my magic is almost unparalleled, and yes, though I am the base for all women, my beauty is unmatched—though many find my black, shark-like eyes and thin fangs horrifying.
[Patricia studies her guest’s face.]
I suppose I could see that. You are truly beautiful, though! Do you like how you look?
I do. I always have. I do, however, miss my wings. They emerged when I fled from Adam, allowing me to escape his advances, but when I gave up my soul to become a Demon they withered away.
That’s awful! If I’d had wings once, I’d miss them too.
Have you ever had a close encounter with death?
Several.
The first time I did die. To gain access to Hell, Lucifer and the other Fallen Angels used their power to melt away my soul, thus killing me. It was only by a transfusion of Demonic ichor that I returned to life even more powerful than before.
I am incredibly difficult to kill now. Very few people and things have such an ability and even should they succeed, I can never truly die. I can merely fade which would destroy my physical form and send my soul into an abyss for hundreds if not thousands of years until I have the strength to reform.
[Patricia’s brows raise, impressed.]
That must’ve taken some courage to go through with! Dying to access Hell, I mean. That’s super cool that you’re extremely hard to kill.
[She cocks her head, thinking.]
What does perfect happiness look like to you?
Happiness?
Oh yeah, I remember happiness . . . I think.
Once I thought that returning to Eden would be my happiness. Then I thought it would be seeing Adam and Eve dead at my feet. And lastly I thought Sammael would be my happiness.
I was wrong about it all—and I am rarely wrong.
I have now realized that I won't ever be truly happy because I don’t know what would make me so. I will, however, settle for the Alium world free of Heaven’s tyranny and protected under the rule of me and mine.
Perhaps one day I will discover what perfect happiness is.
I sincerely hope you do.
[Patricia smiles warmly.]
I appreciate you taking the time out of your day to come chat with me! Best of luck to you as you continue to fight against tyranny. And hopefully next time we meet, you’ll have found happiness.
End of interview.
Want to Read More?
Lilith’s author, Connor Irving, can be found on TikTok, Twitter/X, and on his website, www.authorconnorirving.wordpress.com. Book 1 of The Salt of Angels series, Pillars of Cloud, can be purchased here. Book 2, Pillars of Fire, will be releasing on July 2, 2024!
See Ya Next Time
Aaand that's all the time we have today. Thank you, readers, for coming. And thank you, Lilith, for letting us get to know you! See y'all next time.
If you would like to submit a character to be interviewed for a future issue of Fable Features, please send an email to linnaekconkel@gmail.com with the subject line: Fable Features.
Please note that erotica and content with excessive vulgar language will not be accepted.
If you have questions you'd like Patricia Parrington to ask in a future interview, please submit them to linnaekconkel@gmail.com with the subject line: Interview Questions.
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