Lilith (Demonology I)

II

  "It was 1996, and I had just moved from Canada to Huntington Beach. I had no money, and no knowledge of American customs. That all changed when I met your mother.

  "She wasn't exactly what I thought an American girl would look like. Red hair, green eyes, she was more like an Irish girl. But that didn't change much. She had an other-worldly aura. She was way out of my league, but that didn't stop me from trying. 

  "We met on a college campus. We were both teachers there, and she showed me around on my first day. I was nervous around her, I felt like a teenager with a crush all over again. She was well aware. But she didn't mock me for it. She hinted towards having some affections for me, but didn't say it upright at first. We had known each other for two weeks before our first date.

  "Since it was the late 90's, most of pop culture revolved around rock and metal, and Korn had just released their second album. I was always more of a Boston fan, and wasn't really into the screaming and aggression, but your mother was, and it grew on me. I bought us tickets and backstage passes to their first show after the album's release. I was a bit uncomfortable, since we were in our 30's and most of the fans at the show were rowdy teenagers. Your mother was right at home, though, and she helped me loosen up. We met the band backstage and she got her guitar signed by them, you probably can't see it anymore, since it's probably been smudged a million times.

  "After the concert, we started talking more, bonding over music. She would play me the classics, and it would never cease to make my day. Eventually, we got close enough to a point where I was brave enough to pop the question. She said yes, but hesitantly, like something was holding her back. At our wedding, my family's side of the chapel paled in comparison to her's. There had to have been at least fifty people there for her, while I only had my immediate family and some cousins. When I asked her about it, she just said 'I had a lot of cousins,' and left it at that.

  "When we moved in together, I noticed strange things happening around us. I would wake up late at night to hear her talking to someone downstairs, but when I would check on her, she would be alone. Whenever I would bring it up, she would dismiss it as my imagination. But I knew what I heard. I wasn't imagining anything.

  "A few months later, she got pregnant. And the strange activity got worse. Eventually, I demanded to know what was up, and she gave in. She wasn't what she had claimed to be. She wasn't like me, and she wasn't like you. She wasn't human. She wasn't even close. The other-worldly aura I had noticed wasn't just my imagination. It wasn't just her rosemary smell. It wasn't her unconditional kindness. She was an angel. A high angel, she explained to me. Which explained the abundance of guests at our wedding, as she was a member of the Council of Angels. I couldn't believe it myself, but she proved it to me.

  "She unfurled her wings for me. They were incredible - pure white with an iris glow. I was captivated in that moment. If I could live it over and over again for the rest of my life I would. Because it was one of the last good moments we would share.

  "We spent the last few months leading up to your birth in captivity. Your mother had broken multiple laws by marrying me and becoming pregnant with you. Our punishment was being decided, and it looked like the end for us. Then - quite literally - we were given a godsend. Her sister, also a member of the Council, let us out in order for you to be born safely. She helped us escape to somewhere safe. You were born in the middle of nowhere, as we were constantly on the run. After you were born, your mother had to go. If she stayed with us, we would just be put in more danger. The Council would be able to find her anywhere, but not us. We're of mortal blood, so we can't be detected by them.

  "The last moment I had with her was unforgettable. She was devastated. She knew that she was only getting herself in trouble when she decided to marry me and have you. She knew she was risking it all. But she did it anyways. She started to cry as she held you, knowing she'd never see you again. But it was over almost instantly. She didn't let herself get attached. She just kissed you on the forehead and flew away. It was over just like that."