Lilith's Cave
17 Tammuz
Sinai Peninsula, Red Sea
Approximately one moon cycle had passed since Sheva's birth, and Samael's presence loomed over us like an apparition. Holding my daughter with a full belly of milk, the echoing whispers in the cave hauntingly reminded us of our plight. A tense air made the hairs on my neck stand up.
"Samael..." I whispered, the name a curse upon my lips. He was searching for my daughter, his dark presence was slithering through the caverns.
Sheva burped loudly, a sound that echoed in the confined space. We were deep within the cave, hidden from the world, but I knew he was coming for her. I felt helpless, my powers diminished from childbirth and lack of sustenance. I had not eaten or taken care of myself since Sheva's birth, and my body was weak.
"Oh, my sweet girl." I nuzzled her, holding her close.
"Lilith!" The Angels voices called out, rising above the distant roar of the sea. "You must act now!"
My heart raced as I pressed my lips to Sheva's tiny forehead. What did they mean?
"You must create a rift... Only then can you protect her."
A rift? The thought sent shivers down my spine. "You want me to tear the fabric of reality?" I asked, my voice tremling. "What if it consumes us all?"
"Better that, than allowing Samael to claim her!" the Angelic voice replied, laced with desperation.
"But I am so weak. I have not eaten or tended to myself since my child's birth. Even after a full moon cycle, I struggle to regain my strength."
"You must try." The voice urged.
"I will." I whispered, my determination growing.
Time was of the essence.
"O ani ohevet otach!" I whispered, clutching Sheva closer. "I will not let him take you."
I positioned Sheva between my crossed legs, propping her head on my knee. I raised my hands, feeling the energy surging within me, raw and potent. The air grew heavy with silence as the waves crashed violently outside. I sensed Samael's approach—a dark, insidious force creeping through. I raised my hands, feeling energy crackling at my fingertips. I cleared my throat and screamed an ancient spell in Aramaic, my voice echoing through the cave.
The cave trembled with my words, the ground shaking beneath me. A blinding purple light erupted from my palms, illuminating the darkness, and with it, a deafening roar split the air. I shouted, pushing forward with the infant nestled in my arms. My heart raced as I glanced at Sheva one last time, brushing her dark curls with my fingers and kissing her forehead.
Then, the space before us warped and twisted, a gaping rift of light and shadows. I felt the pull, both terrifying and exhilarating. With a surge of will, I thrust Sheva into the rift, my heart aching as I did so. I wanted to be strong for her, but the pain of separation was too much. The moment she crossed into the light, the world shifted violently. The rift shimmered, pulsating with energy. Then I saw her silhouette on the other side, surrounded by a kaleidoscope of colors, the crux of time and space swirling around her.
She did not cry, a sign that I had made the right decision.
"LILITH!" Samael's scream shattered the silence as he burst through the cavern door, his wrist flicking with power.
He charged at me like a raging bull.
"Samael, please!" I begged.
"WORTHLESS CONCUBINE!" Samael roared, causing the cave to shake, the ground rising in jagged spikes, the ceiling to fall, as if he were constructing an impenetrable barrier.
In his fury, Samael grabbed me by the nape of my neck, his long fingers entwined in my dark, curly hair. He dragged me away from the rift, throwing me aside.
"Please, take me instead. I'm sorry!" I cried, pleading for mercy. "Kill me if you must, but spare my baby!"
"You mean our baby?" Samael declared, his voice cold.
Samael approached the open rift, and I grasped his leg, attempting to trip him. He fell with a crash that echoed through the cave. A sound that could wake even the oldest Gods. He then rose, his form white-hot with rage. He threw me against the cave wall, my body slamming into it with a loud thud. I fell to the ground, and he began kicking me in my deflated stomach, the very place where my precious baby had been safe just a month ago.
(The only place she would ever be truly safe.)
The emptiness consumed me, and I felt the weight of my choices. How dare he lay his hands on me?
"Lilith!" the voices cried, laced with urgency. "Close the rift! Before Samael—"
"SILENCE!" Samael commanded, silencing the voices.
"Lilith!" He hissed, a sinister smile curling upon his lips. "You've been a thorn in my side for far too long. And now, you've made a grave mistake."
I grit my teeth, my heart pounding. "You will not find her, Samael!" I shouted, my voice echoing in the cave. "She is MINE!"
"Ah, but you've sent her away." He said, stepping closer, the darkness swirling around him. "You think a rift can protect her? You fool. I will find her, wherever you hide her." He pointed a finger at me.
"We could have ruled together, Lilith...We could have had a dynasty, a brood of demon children. But you, a selfish woman, always wanting more. You could have had an easy life, endless sex and the finest riches...but no, you had to defy me... Adam too. You're just never happy with anything are you?" Samael looked at his fingernails, with my blood and skin under them.
"That's the problem with women. You're nothing special in comparison to me... Even Adam." Samael replied dickishly.
His arrogance was the final straw. Fury ignited within me, and I channeled the rage I had bottled up, feeling it pulse in my veins.
"You will not touch MY CHILD!" I roared, unleashing my power. I grabbed a sharpened stone, slit my palm, and began to draw the exact sigil in my blood, that the Angels had drawn on Sheva's birth day.
"Worthless, senile concubine. I regret the day I ever planted my seed inside of you!" Samael sneered, turning toward the rift.
"Samael, wait!" I pleaded, buying time.
He turned, his eyes gleaming with malice. "We could have talked, but you said no. She's mine now."
The cave trembled, the walls vibrating with our confrontation.
"Sneaky girl, aren't you? Nice party trick. But you're too late!" He sneered, his form flickering in the light. "The darkness always wins, Lilith. It was here before you." He blew a mocking kiss. "And it'll be here after you.... Goodbye Lilith."
"No!" I screamed, desperation filling my voice. "You will not win!"
With a final burst of adrenaline, I thrust my bloody hand toward the sigil. The light surged forth, enveloping Samael in its brilliance. He let out a piercing cry, deafening me as the luminescence consumed him. I turned away, unable to bear the blinding light, but when I looked back, Samael was gone.
"I will find you, Sheva! I promise!" I cried.
With a final surge of will, I pulled my bloodied hands from the sigil. I began to crawl toward the rift, in hopes I could still pull her from wherever she was hidden. I was not fast enough, and the rift was contracting, the light folding in on itself.
"Nooo." I sobbed. "What have I done."
As the rift closed, the cave fell silent, the storm outside calming to a whisper. I collapsed to the ground, trembling, the weight of my choices crashing upon me. But I had done it. I had protected Sheva from Samael and the darkness that sought to claim her. I longed to be with her, but for now, I was left alone with only the memory of my daughter. I would find her again, no matter the cost. Our bond was unbreakable, and I would defy time and fate to bring my baby back to me.
