“Lilith.”  Nikolai spoke the name slowly, testing it for familiarity.  But he couldn’t place it in any context.  Regretfully, he gave a small shake of his head.  “I am not knowing that story.  She is not part of my homeland’s folklore.”<br/><br/>After removing the chains, Nikolai saw that his patient’s skin had chafed and bruised beneath the merciless metal.  A soft hiss of disapproval escaped his lips.  He understood that vampires needed to feed, but this was just senseless cruelty.  Walking over to a cabinet mounted on one wall of the room, Nikolai retrieved a small jar, which he carried back to the examination table.<br/><br/>“You do not seem much like a demon to me.  If you are not minding, I will call you Lili.”  Nikolai unscrewed the jar’s lid, then used his fingers to scoop up some of the white cream inside.  “This will be stinging a little at first,” he warned, gently spreading it onto the area of Lili’s wrist that had been most damaged by the chains.  “But after the pain is gone, it will numb and prevent infection.”