“I know that look wizard.”
Merlin was shaken from his thoughts as he turned towards the voice. Lilith was gazing at him, a forlorn look etched upon here face. “What do you mean,” he asked.
“Your look Merlin,” she said softly as she gazed at her son. “It is the look of a parent who can so very close to losing a child. It is fear Merlin. Fear that the child you care so deeply for may be lost. I know that fear, I have lived with it longer than most beings that still walk this Earth.”
A long pause now hung in the air between the two powerful sorcerers. Lilith gazed sadly at her son and his friends as Merlin watched Kellie. “Tell me Merlin,” she whispered. “What do you know of my history?”
“The creation story,” he asked. “To be honest I only know a little bit. The ancient texts say you were the first wife of Adam. You refused to be submissive to him and left him. As a result a second mate was created for him. While the mortal world considered that to be the creation of man they were mistaken. Adam and I were the first magic users.”
“I suspected as much,” Merlin said. “But I’m guessing their has been much lost to history.”
Lilith sighed, nodding as she turned her gaze from Jack to Kellie. “You are right,” she said softly. “Their is much more, and now I shall share that tale so that you can understand why Jack means so much to me.”
Liliths shoulders slumped as she now thought of the pain she had experienced throughout her life. “I was around your daughters age perhaps a bit younger,” she said. “At that time the world and mortals were young. We lived peacefully, ruled by a being whose name has been lost to time. Even I can not remember his name, even though he made me what I am. We only knew him as the First.”
“So what happened,”Merlin asked. Lilith smirked as she remembered those times. “The First had a son,” she said. “Adam, a spoiled, oaf of a man.The First has given him the magic that we ourselves use to this day. At first Adam was overjoyed to be able to do incredible things, but like most spoiled children he grew tired of being the only one of his kind. He wanted a mate.”
“How were you chosen,” Merlin asked.
“The First saw my strength,” she said happily. “He saw I could handle the power he wished to bestow upon me. He asked that I be with Adam, it would mean giving up my humanity and my mortality but I accepted. The First then bestowed the gift of magic upon me. The power, the power was intoxicating. For a time Adam and I were happy reveling in our gifts. Soon though I began to chaff under Adams rules.”
“I see,” Merlin said. Lilith could only nod as she continued to stare at their children. “I was different from other mortal women of that era,” she sighed. “I believed myself to be an equal not a servant. Adam though believed himself to be superior. Honestly I always enjoyed outdoing him when we used our magic, he would become so angry. It inevitably led to fights between the two of us, fights I can say I won more often than not.”
Merlin stifled a laugh as Lilith smiled from ear to eAr. As painful as this memory was she had to admit that the times she out did Adams magic made her happy. “Yes Adam was a sore loser,” she grinned. “Eventually though our arguements became physical. Despite my proficiency with our newly acquired magic, Adam was physically stronger than me. It was then I decided to leave and made the costliest mistake of my life.”
“What was it,” Merlin asked.
“I invoked the true name of the First,” she sighed. “His name was never meant to be spoken. When I did that I gained access to the dark magic of the world, allowing me to leave. However though the spell could only be used once. The Firsts name was wiped from my memory the moment I said it. It also angered the First. No one uttered his name and no one left his care. I had insulted and humiliated not only him but his son. He decided to send his soldiers to retrieve me so that he could punish me.”
“I remember that part of the story,” Merlin said. “They eventually caught up with you.”
“Yes they did,” Lilith said. “What the stories don’t tell you though is how one of his soldiers betrayed his comrades.” Merlin nodded as he looked at Lilith. “Your second husband, Samael.” Lilith sighed nodding her head sadly as she thought of him. “Yes him,” she whispered. “The mortals of that time thought the Firsts soldiers were angels. It was understandable, they had been given great wings with which to soar through the air. Samael was one of the Firsts deadliest soldiers.”
“Hence him being referred to as the Angel of Death,” Merlin said. Lilith nodded in response as she continued her story. “Yes,” she said. “What they didn’t know though was how gentle he was. Even when I was with Adam I found myself gazing at Samael. He was strong, handsome, compassionate. I was still just a girl, a girl who loved the man because he was the exact opposite of the man I was betrothed to. When I fled Samael followed, not to capture me but join me. When the others attacked Samael came to my aid. He saved my life, I thought that would be the end of it. That Samael and I would spend eternity to together. I was wrong.”
Lilith rubbed her eyes, wearily staring off into space. “The First was furious,” she said sadly. “Not only had I humiliated him but Samael did as well. He, he came to us personally. His power was too great for Samael and I to handle. He bound me to a tree as he tortured and murdered Samael in front of me. After watching my love die he turned to me. Placing a curse on my womb. Any child I bore would either die or be so monstrous that they would be little more than animals. I was heartbroken, so I sought revenge.”
Merlin watched as a dark smile now spread across the demon witches face. “I snuck back into Adams home,” Lilith growled. “Adam and his new mistress Eve lived in paradise. I was angry, The two of them were happy, powerful, and immortal. I decided to use my magic to take that from them.”
“What did you do,” Merlin asked, having an idea of what was to come. Lilith turned smiling at Merlin before continueing. “You know the story Merlin,” she smirked. “Adam and Eve ate the apple and gained wisdom. The scribes of that time though were mistaken. I didn’t give them wisdom, I took their immortality. They would age like every other being now. Where do you think the phrase with age comes wisdom came from, The First had taken children from me, I returned the favor. He would watch as his son aged like every mortal and died.”
“How did you escape his wrath then,” Merlin asked. Lilith sighed heavily. “I broke his spirit,” she said softly. “After I fled he spent his time trying to restore his sons immortality. He need not bother with me. My womb was cursed, I would either watch my children die or bare creatures of unimaginable terror. Neither one of us had won, we decided to let the other wallow in misery and misery is what we lived with.”
“How many,” Merlin asked quietly. Lilith could only shrug sadly, thinking of the children she had been forced to bury over the eons. “More than I could count,” she sighed. “I tried so many times to have children only to watch them die or become creatures of legend. Creatures that were destroyed in front of me by the hero’s who would have tales told of them.”
“Is this why you practice such dark magic,” Merlin asked. “To spite those that have taken your children?”
“At first yes,” Lilith stated. “After a millennium or two I gave up on having children. I removed myself from the mortal world. Like many of the others I remained away from the mortal world. This world had broken my spirit and darkened my soul. I wanted nothing to do with this world, that is until your daughter destroyed Morgan LeFay.”
“But you hated Morgan,” Merlin said. “Why would you care what happened to her?”
“I didn’t care,” Lilith spat. “Morgan was one of the youngest among our kind. I watched time and time again as she was able to get away with things that would led to severe punishments if I did it, Morgan was a spoiled child but her death was an opportunity for whoever was willing to step forward.”
“Jack,” Merlin said.
Lilith nodded, once more staring at the honey haired teen boy. “Yes him,” she sighed. “It was almost too perfect. I promised the others I would rebalance the scales. By doing this I would be left alone and I would get that which I desired most, a child.”
Merlin could only run his chin thoughtfully as he pondered what Lilith said. Lilith was cunning, she knew that if she tried to have a child without permission the curse would destroy that child. By making her intentions known she was able to find a loophole. This child, unlike her previous ones, would be protected. She would care for the boy until he was able to assume Morgan’s position. “Quite clever Lilith,” Merlin said. “You were able to beat back an ancient curse by being selfless in your desires. Now you finally have the child you have desired since time began.”
“You are correct wizard,” she said. “I finally have the child I have been denied for eons. Jack is my son, the thing I have desired since before any of you existed. I shall make sure he is protected always. As much as you care for your daughter, I care for my son. Remember my tale and my suffering before you make a move against us.”
Merlin could only nod as Lilith walked towards her son. The demon had been brutalized for more centuries that any of them could imagine. Attacking Jack would be a death sentence, still Merlin needed to deal with Lilith. The witches presence alone was dangerous. While he may have pity for her, he could not let her evil go unchallenged.