"Birth is painful. At least it was for me. Not physically, but emotionally. Thrust from my wet, warm world into the bright red glow of my mother's, I felt myself snatched up, bundled into a soft, dry blanket and handed off into large, powerful hands. Before I realized what had happened, Father took me away from Mother. I never had the chance to feel her touch or hear her voice, hear her first thoughts about me. It was the most important day of my life, and I was robbed of the most basic of needs. I never knew, really knew my mother until several millennia later."
"And your mother is?"
"Lilith, of course. I assumed you knew. You do know who she is?"
"Yes. So that's why you seem so familiar. Long ago, I followed her thread back to her beginnings. She's a creation of one of the First Born."
"First Born? You mean the Twin?"
"That's what you call him. He and Dis are First Born. Only a handful of them are still around. So, you're Lilith's daughter. She was pregnant with you when I left on another journey. I guess that's the part of you that seemed familiar to me."
"You should have stuck around. It got very interesting after that."
"So it would seem. Unfortunately, those were busy times for me." Saira momentarily thought back to the era of Lilith's creation. The Twin wasn't the only one experimenting with life. The worlds were evolving, and so were the inhabitants, thanks to other First Born. Shaking off the memories, she said, "Please continue."
"Where was I? Oh, yes, my childhood. My parents visited me whenever it suited them. Occasionally, Mother came to my room to ask my nursemaids how I was doing or if I needed anything. I don't know how much time passed before she actually walked over to my bedside, but I remember staring into brilliant black eyes and feeling lost. Then one day she smiled. It was faint but it made me feel warm and, at the time, loved. Soon I realized it was wishful thinking. Mother may have been fascinated by me, but she was incapable of real love. Satisfying her intellectual needs and sexual appetite was more important. It would be a long time before she experienced anything deeper."
"Love is a difficult emotion, especially for demons."
"Tell me about it. Father was no different, but I hated him less. Perhaps it's because I didn't expect very much from him. He had never shown any real interest in me. I was more a curiosity. After a few visits and instructions to my nannies, I rarely saw him, so I didn't miss his absence, but Mother... my mother... I so wanted her to love me, to feel her arms wrapped gently around me as she cradled me against her breast. I needed to hear the steady beat of her heart, feel the warmth of her breath as she leaned close to place light kisses on my brow or cheeks. The nannies were kind to me in their own way, but they weren't my mother. They weren't Lilith."
Saira knew exactly what the Child meant. There was only one Lilith. Loneliness was an emotion Saira understood well. She had experienced moments when she longed for the closeness of friendship. Unfortunately, her travels never allowed her to stay in one place for very long. Contact with others was fleeting at best... and so she remained silent, waiting for the Child to continue.
"I remember my first steps. From that moment on, none of my keepers could control me. I would make my escape at every opportunity and wander the Underworld. Everyone knew me and avoided me except for the few who wanted to use me for their own devious ambitions. They were the ones who encouraged me to be myself, to ignore the rules established by Father, and take the revenge I craved for the disservice done to my mother by Adam and the Twin."
"I see. Do you have a name?" Saira asked, wanting to distract the Child from the emotions rising to the surface. She already knew the answer but chose not to disclose the extent of her knowledge or her ability to read thoughts.
"Caelene. Mother named me Caelene."
"It's a nice name."
"Yes."
* * *
Caelene went on to describe how she had tricked Eve into eating the fruit from the tree of knowledge and then convinced her to get Adam to eat one. When Dis and Lilith learned of the deception, they banished her to the Netherworld for thousands of years. No one tampered with the Twin's experiments without Dis' approval. Although at odds, he still retained a respect for the genius behind his reclusive sibling. Only recently had Lilith been able to release Caelene from the "void of nothingness." Now free, she needed to decide her future.
Saira nodded in sympathy. She had always refused to visit the Netherworld. She thought it an empty space but now wondered whether she was mistaken. If Caelene had existed and survived there, perhaps others were suffering the same fate. It would be an interesting journey, but not today. Until she found a strong enough thread to lead her into that void, she would have to wait.
"It's an old story," Saira said. "Older than time itself, and the humans have rewritten the tale of Adam and Eve until it's more myth than fact."
"Maybe. Only time will tell." Caelene hesitated then continued. "I remember Mother's reaction when I first stepped from the mirror. She stared at me as if in awe. Later she told me what she was thinking and how she felt."
Saira politely listened while monitoring the Child's actual memories. Like a movie on fast forward, the images racing through the Child's mind filled in the unspoken words.
* * *
You are beautiful,
Lilith thought, but received no answer. The Child had been a part of her for so long it felt strange when she could no longer feel her presence. Emerging from the Netherworld had changed everything. She could no longer mentally communicate with her child.
Reaching out, she took her daughter's hand and turned her toward the mirror. She placed her hands on the Child's shoulders, and the two made eye contact with their reflections.
"Look,"
Lilith whispered.
The demonesses gazed into the mirror, mesmerized by the image staring back at them. Lilith towered over the Child by several inches. Where her mother was tall with long, dark hair, the Child was short with waist-length, wavy red hair. Lilith's skin glowed a pale golden white while the Child's was a faintly tinted rose color. Her brilliant green eyes met her mother's coal black eyes in the reflection in the mirror
.
"Your hair. It's so long." Running her fingers across the top, Lilith noticed the small protrusions just above and to the right and left of her forehead.
Few from the Underworld had horns. Only those carrying the bloodline of the most ancient of demons had them, and even they had disappeared over time. The same would probably have happened to the Child's if she hadn't been imprisoned in the Netherworld. Then again, her sire was the eldest of the demons, and as his direct descendant, it was possible that she would keep them forever.
* * *
"I was stunned when I saw Mother after all those millennia. For the first time I realized how truly beautiful she was. With long, dark, shiny hair and black eyes, she epitomized the sultry seductress most
demons envied or wanted. Even I appreciated the
sensual aura that surrounded her. Lilith could have had any demon she desired if she had been ambitious."
"I can believe that," Saira said.
"When Father walked into the room, I was nervous, not sure what he would do or say. Mother had freed me from my prison without his knowledge, although he had granted her permission to try. I doubt he believed she would succeed. Anyway, he was very tall and muscular with dark red skin, the ultimate male, strong, virile, and arrogant. For the most part, his only virtues at that time were his deep affection for Mother and his sense of humor. Dis may be the supreme ruler down here, but he has a soft spot for Lilith. He finds it hard to refuse her anything, although he tries to bluff her into believing otherwise. Unfortunately for him, she knows him too well. His weaknesses give her the advantage."
"I imagine that must have frustrated him back then." Saira knew how much Dis hated to be "bested" by anyone.
"Oh yeah, constantly. Anyway, he stared at me for a few moments. I knew he was assessing my worth. Mother put a stop to that by threatening to show up at all of his orgies. She's good at thwarting him when she wants to. He quickly gave up and left."
Saira laughed. Taking on Lilith was never a good idea, even for the Underlord. "A wise decision, especially for Dis."
"Actually, I expected as much. She's very formidable when she wants to be, and at that moment, she was the loving, protective, powerful mother I ached for. I actually regretted having deceived her to gain my freedom."
"And does she know about your future plans?"
"No, at least I don't think so. Knowing Mother, though, she suspects something."
"You may be right. Even back then she was extremely intelligent for one so naïve."
Saira was about to continue when she felt a tug pulling at her. Something was happening elsewhere that needed her immediate attention. Reluctant to leave such an interesting woman, she sighed. "Someone calls to me. Regretfully, I must leave now."
"Is that how it works? These callings?"
"Unfortunately. They come when they come. If they're strong enough, my curiosity compels me to investigate. Do you mind if we continue with this later?"
"I also have things to do. Do you know when you'll return?"
"For you, it will seem as if I never left. I can return at this exact moment, so don't let me interfere with your plans."
Before the Child could reply, Saira was gone, leaving her alone with her thoughts and her memories and her plans. Caelene was glad her uninvited guest couldn't travel into the future. Putting those thoughts aside, she decided to check on her pet. Cerberus wasn’t prone to excitement but something had upset him, and she needed to calm him down.
D
AKOTA WAS WORRIED. When they arrived home after the performance, Yemaya took a quick shower and went straight to bed without saying anything. Sliding under the sheets next to her, Dakota found her lover had already fallen asleep. She closed her eyes, hoping her ancestral spirit grandmother would sense her anxiety and visit her. Within minutes, she, too, drifted into a restless slumber.
"I be right here, chil'," the familiar voice of Granny spoke. "What be troublin' yah?"
Opening her eyes, Dakota saw both her great-great-grandmother and Mari, Yemaya's ancestor, sitting beside her. Relieved, she gave both of them warm hugs.
"Oh, Granny, I don't know, but I think something went wrong during Yemaya's performance tonight. She's acting strangely."
"How so?" Mari asked.
"She seems preoccupied. I asked her about it. She said she was just tired, but I know better. I can sense it. And tonight she went to bed without even saying goodnight. That's not like her."
"Maybe she be just that. Yah knowed the two of you don't get the rest yah needs, between all that travelin', and her performin' and such... and I ain't even goin' into yer beddin' activ'ties."
"That's not it. And I sure wouldn't be criticizing us about our sex lives, considering you two never stop, from what I hear."
Rolling her eyes, Mari intervened. "Dakota, I think you're overreacting to what Maopa said. You know she wasn't criticizing you."
Dakota's green eyes suddenly filled with tears. "I know. Sorry, Granny."
"No need to be apologizin', chil'. I knowed yer worried. Maybe Mari can call her here ta see what's up."
Moments later, a very tired looking Yemaya appeared next to them. She looked slightly confused and didn't say anything for a few seconds.
"Grandma Dakota, Mari, is something wrong?" she asked, regaining some of her composure.
"That be what we be wond'rin', deary. This here grandchil' of mine be worried yer ailin'."
Yemaya shifted her gaze to her lover but failed to make eye contact, an action the two spirits quickly noticed. Before the Illusionist could answer, Mari placed her right hand on Yemaya's left cheek, catching her by surprise.
"What bothers you, daughter?"
"I have no idea. Just a feeling. I think I've been overdoing things and need a real vacation."