Devil's Spawn

Newborn: Part II

All of the breath left her in a loud WHOOSH and Zelda felt nauseous. Getting out of bed, she walked around and sat next to Lilith so that she could take her hand and look into her face; "It's me Lily, Zelda."

Lilith searched Zelda's face with no sign of recognition on her own. Panic was bubbling within her, she looked around at the bedroom she found herself in, the tubes and IVs snaking in and out of her, and finally she registered the pain she felt radiating from her belly. Pulling her hand out of Zelda's, she moved the blankets and sheet away from her body and looked down at the healing scar the length of her hand. Looking up at Zelda wildly, she began to panic.

Zelda held up her hands in a motion of calm, "You're safe, Lilith. You're at the Spellman Mortuary, this is your bedroom." She paused, not wanting to overwhelm the witch. "What is the last thing you remember?" Her voice shook and she cursed her emotions for betraying her.

Moving slowly, clearly in pain, Lilith tried to sit up somewhat and Zelda moved quickly to place another pillow behind her, waiting for her response. "I-...." Lilith swallowed with a frown, with a snap of her fingers Zelda conjured a glass of water and handed it to her. "I don't remember any of this." Her hand sweeping to indicate the bedroom and motioning to Zelda also. "The last thing I remember was standing on the side of the road, waiting for a car to come around the corner..."

Zelda was overcome, she slid off of the bed onto the floor and dropped her head onto her knees, covering her face as she began to sob. The last thing Lilith remembered was waiting for Ms. Wardwell to pick her up thinking she hit a young woman on the road and take her into Greendale. Which meant Lilith didn't remember anything that had happened over the last few months including the people she'd met. In her mind she reached out for her sister, the desperation in her message was clear.

When Hilda rushed into the room, she immediately cried out with happiness to see Lilith awake but her jubilation was quickly dashed as she registered the confusion on Lilith's face and the shaking form of her sobbing sister on the floor. "Zelds? What's going on?"

"...I was waiting for a car on the highway. It was nighttime and raining. The very last thing I remember....the headlights blinding me." Hilda's face fell and she felt her blood run cold. Lilith looked up from Zelda to meet Hilda's gaze, shaking her head, "That's it. Everything after that is dark."

Hilda's hand flew to her mouth and Zelda wailed, hauling herself to her feet and moving to the door, gripping Hilda's wrist and shaking her slightly; "I can't Hildy. Please. I can't do this anymore." Then she hurried out of the room, leaving Hilda with an increasingly distressed Lilith.

"Oh dear....oh dear dear. Lilith, dear, do you know who I am?" Hilda moved slowly to sit beside the witch.

Lilith's eyes filled with tears as fear spread heatedly through her, "No. I'm sorry.... please...get Lucifer, he'll be able to help me." Hilda grimaced and took Lilith's hand, wondering where to even begin...

---

Having calmed down, Zelda found herself on the front porch with the tiny demoness, "Samhain is only days away, little bat. We shall hold a naming ceremony for you then. A tiny demoness witch should not go very long without a name lest Gryla find out and come to claim you for herself." Zelda gazed down into the fang-baring grin of the babe she held in her arms, rocking her gently on the porch swing, comforting them both.

As the High Priestess offered the meat of her thumb to the babe for feeding, she tenderly stroked the peach fuzz of hair that was beginning to grow on her head. Gazing at the sharp daggers that grew out of the tips of fingers and toes, constantly snagging on the fabric of her dress, Zelda conjured two pairs of newborn socks and put them on the lamia's hands and feet. "There you are, precious. That's better isn't it?"

"You're growing so quickly, little bat. I think you need to slow down, no? We can't keep up with you." Wiping some of her blood off of the soft cheek, Zelda stood and moved the babe to her shoulder, lightly patting her on the back until she burped happily. "Shall we go for a little walk? I need to clear my head."

Placing the babe on her hip, Zelda conjured a cloak for herself and wrapped it around Lilith's daughter, keeping her snug and warm as the sun began to set and the temperature cooled. Moving away from the Mortuary, Zelda paused briefly at Lucifer's grave and glanced down at it, "Do you know Lucifer? You have a daughter. We shall see to it that she rises in your stead to become far more powerful than you could ever dream to be."

Moving away from the grave, she pressed a tender kiss to the top of the demon-child's head, inhaling the sweet and spicy newborn scent; "Pray that you never meet your sire, child, for he will never be your father. He would seek to destroy you merely because you are a daughter, not a son, and because you belong to Lilith." Thinking of Lilith caused Zelda's heart to ache; bouncing the babe on her shoulder she walked into the woods, heading to the clearing where she'd last seen Lilith as she should be - even if it was a dream.