Devil's Spawn

Newborn: Part I

A week after the birth of the Devil's spawn, Zelda Spellman was lying next to Lilith, cradling the creature. It had taken a full 24 hours and the Cain pit to revive Zelda after she had expelled all of her energy between Lilith and Lucifer the day the baby had been borth. After the traumatic birth, Lilith had started to show signs of life but Hilda and Ambrose had kept her in a drug-induced coma wanting to ensure that her body had fully healed and that Zelda would return, before they committed to supporting a possible brain damaged demoness. Still weak herself, Zelda had spent the week resting and caring for the babe near Lilith so the tiny demoness could get used to her mother's scent.

Lying the blood-sucker on her mother's chest for some skin to skin contact, Zelda pulled the sheet back to check Lilith's incision. It was healing quickly and with a touch, the High Priestess could tell that the damage done on the inside was also healing quickly. At this point, Lilith had been in a coma a month and there was serious concern about brain damage. Zelda was confident the interior wounds had all been repaired and would be healed fully soon but until Lilith woke up, she had no idea what state she would be in. Furthermore, her demon-babe fed off of blood and flesh-bits, taking nothing else in an appetite that could only be explained as vampiric.

Replacing the sheet, Zelda scooped up the tiny demoness and jammed the fleshy part of her palm beneath her thumb into the babe's hungry mouth and laid back against the headboard. The fanged newborn sank her teeth into the already-present puncture wounds and drank deeply from its surrogate mother. She had been feeding on the remnants of her own placenta and Zelda's blood, preferring it to any other, since the High Priestess had been resurrected. To avoid infections, the redheaded witch would switch hands halfway through feeding to allow the wound to heal before the next feeding. Hilda and Ambrose would take over feedings when Zelda was too weak, using fresh medical grade blood and plasma they'd sourced from Riverdale's General Hospital, which they fed her through a bottle with an extremely strong rubber nipple that was more difficult to destroy with her sharp teeth.

"It's time to wake up your mother, little bat." Affectionately using her pet name for the devil spawn, Zelda switched hands and allowed her to continue feeding for a bit longer. The High Priestess was avoiding this moment out of fear; there were so many possibilities, Lilith could wake up and be fine, she could wake up and be brain damaged, or....she might not wake up at all. Looking down at the Mother of Demons, Zelda ached to see Lilith's brilliant blues light up again; little bat had her mother's eyes but with a hint of emerald in them, making it easy to get lost in the wide-eyed windows to her devilish little soul. Hilda and Ambrose were home should Zelda need assistance but she preferred to be alone for this moment; lying the babe in her black bassinet, Zelda reached up and shut off the valve dripping sedatives into Lilith's veins. Then she sat next to her, pulling a hand into both of hers, and waited.

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"You have to eat something Zelds, and it's time for little bat's evening feed." Hilda breezed into Lilith's room, leaving a tray of roast beef, mashed potatoes, and mushy peas with a side of garlic thyme gravy and a glass of wine on the desk nearby. She moved to place her hand on her sister's shoulder, "Anything?"

"Not yet Hildy." Zelda's voice sounded centuries old and very, very tired.

Hilda squeezed her shoulder and picked the bassinet up out of its cradle, carrying the squirming demoness down to the kitchen where she'd be fed from their blood bank supply. Zelda smiled softly as her sister left, leaving the food to grow cold, she pulled the blankets back and crawled into bed beside Lilith. Moving limbs to place herself in the Queen of Hell's embrace, she rested her head on Lilith's chest with her palm on her heart and let sleep take her.

The dew in the meadow wet Zelda's bare feet as she wandered through the Greendale Woods in the ivory and mint-coloured dress she wore during the Hare Moon ceremony. Looking down she realized she was holding a vibrant crown of flowers. Feeling compelled to continue walking into the clearing, the redheaded witch followed her instincts. As the woods opened, it revealed a dark haired figure in an intricate white lace gown, tiny buttons trailed up the back to the nape of the neck, hidden by chestnut locks. As Zelda moved closer, the figure turned around and the witch gasped to see Lilith walking towards her.

The yearning Zelda felt at seeing Lilith again made her entire body ache, she picked up the pace and hurried to stand before her, addressing her breathlessly; "My Queen!" Lilith smiled and bowed her head slightly, inviting the crown of flowers to be placed there. Zelda lovingly affixed it on her head, and whispered softly; "I've been so worried."

"Come, walk with me." Lilith held out her hand and Zelda took it, their fingers interlacing as the two witches in white moved through the woods barefoot. After a few minutes of silence, Zelda realized the expression on Lilith's face was far too peaceful - it wasn't like her - and she felt her stomach drop.

"You're in a coma, Lily. I need you to wake up." Breaking the silence, Zelda forced the pair to stop and turned Lilith to face her, that expressionless look haunting Zelda as she searched those bright blues for a sign of the Lilith she knew.

The dark haired witch shook her head slightly, "I'm so tired Zelda. It's been too long and there's been too much. I just want to sleep now. Just let me sleep. You'll be fine without me, you always are." The Dawn of Doom caressed Zelda's cheek tenderly. "Let me go."

Frowning, Zelda shook her own head firmly, "Absolutely not. Of course I will survive without you but your daughter will not. She's a lamia, Lilith, a vampire. She feeds off of blood. She'll need you to teach her how to survive and how to curb the instincts she will develop so she doesn't spend her life being hunted by mortals."

"You're the Directrix, Zelda Spellman, isn't teaching what you do?" A bit of the Lilith Zelda knew shone through as she grinned and toyed with a red curl lazily.

"No. It's one thing to ask for my help, it's another to thrust this responsibility on someone else while you simply give up. No. I will not stand for this." Zelda backed away, releasing Lilith's hand and moving out of her grasp, emboldened with her passionate speech. "The Queen of Hell bows to no one, not even Death."

At that, Lilith cocked her head, considering; "Perhaps you are correct, my fiery witch." Opening her arms, she beckoned Zelda back to her.

Trembling with emotion, Zelda acquiesced and moved into the embrace, wrapping her arms around Lilith's waist and resting her head on her shoulder. The Mother of Demons pulled the High Priestess in tight, lowering her mouth to whisper in her ear; "Hold tight to me, Zelda Spellman, your love is the light that will guide me out of the darkness...."A groan and shift in the bed awoke Zelda and she sat straight up, wiping the remnants of tears off her cheeks from her dream, "Lilith?!" Holding her breath, she watched as the Queen of Hell's eyelids fluttered and her eyes opened slowly. "Lilith!" Biting her lip to keep from throwing herself onto the witch.Lilith's eyes blinked and she squinted, moaning softly, her feeding tube impairing her from being able to speak. "Oh! Here...." Zelda slowly pulled the tube from Lilith's throat and the witch coughed, her eyes widened as she gasped for breath and looked around at her surroundings. "......wwwhhhhhh...." Zelda nodded in encouragement as Lilith tried to speak, the first syllables coming out like a sigh. Lilith's brilliant blues stared at Zelda, her frown deepening as she shook her head, "Wh.....ooooo.....who...are you?!"