Second Trimester
Second Trimester
Zelda clenched the sheets with white knuckles, her head falling back onto the pillow as she arched her back and moaned through parted lips. Her entire body shook and she held her breath, riding the waves as she slammed her hand down on the mattress; “Enough…Lily...”
Breathless and whimpering, the redheaded witch reached beneath the sheets, between her legs, and caught Lilith’s chin, gripping onto her jaw and pulling upwards. The Queen of Hell slid up the High Priestess’ body, peppering her soft skin with tender kisses, lingering around and nibbling at her hip bone, her breasts, her collarbone, her neck, and her earlobe. Leaving Zelda groaning and wiggling, trying to get away from the dark haired seductress, her hands gripping at the demoness’ strong shoulders. Flushed, chest heaving from the exertion, Zelda pushed Lilith slightly, meeting her gaze; “I can’t keep this up, Lily. You’re like a sex demon - insatiable!”
The Dawn of Doom’s bright blues shimmered in amusement as she leaned down to catch Zelda’s bottom lip between her teeth, tugging lightly and sucking it into her mouth, biting down hard enough to bruise. Smiling against Zelda’s mouth as she yelped and slapped Lilith in the ribs with a loud *smack*, leaving a handprint behind. “Feisty, Ms. Spellman.” Lilith purred against her lover’s mouth.
The Mother of Demons was well into her second trimester, despite the fact that she was technically in the first; the Devil’s spawn was clearly not human and growing at almost three times the speed of a mortal babe. The second trimester brought the disappearance of her morning sickness and ushered in a voracious appetite for bedroom gymnastics. Not only was Zelda getting a workout, she was getting a headache!
“No, not feisty...FINISHED.” Zelda shoved Lilith onto her side of the bed, rolling her eyes when the beauty pouted playfully. “Despite what you might believe, I was not created for the sole purpose of pleasing you Lilith. I still run the Academy, have responsibilities as High Priestess, have to look after that creature growing inside of you, and manage my familial responsibilities. I can’t do any of that if you’ve got me tied to the bedposts every day - literally and figuratively speaking.”
As she leaned on her elbow and looked down at Zelda, the sheet fell off Lilith’s naked shoulder, revealing pert breasts and her sharp collarbone. Zelda couldn’t help but follow the flutter of that sheet as it caressed the Queen of Hell’s curves; flopping down on the bed and closing her eyes was the only way to end the relentless pulsing of desire between the two. Lilith could blame hormones but Zelda couldn’t explain her own wanton behaviour; she was happy to escape and avoid her real life responsibilities behind closed doors with the demoness...until she was reminded of how much she was neglecting to do so.
“Yes, Madame Directrix. I’ll try to keep my hands off of you unless permission has been expressly given.” Lilith teased, her fingertips sliding over Zelda’s bruised lip and down to roll a nipple between them; but before Zelda could scold her, she rolled out of bed and stood up.
Zelda’s hands immediately flew to her temples in shock, gasping as she pointed at the protruding belly; “That thing is growing every second! I swear an hour ago it was significantly smaller than that.”
With a sigh, Lilith caressed her round belly and patted it. “I don’t know what to tell you Zelda, my daughter is eager to come into this world.” She smiled every time she mentioned that she was having a girl; even though it meant that if Lucifer did ever get free from the Nine Circles of Hell he would not hesitate to kill her, Lilith was thrilled she would give birth to a girl. A sobering thought, Lilith turned her back and pulled a robe off a nearby chair, sliding into it and belting it around her belly with a frown.
“What is it, Lilith?” Zelda sat up, leaning against the plush crimson headboard in Lilith’s ornate bed, in the opulent room she’d created for her. Lighting a cigarette, the High Priestess squinted her eyes through the smoke as she took a deep drag and blew smoke rings into the air.
Lilith opened the thick velvet drapes and stared out at the cemetery, her eyes falling onto Lucifer’s grave Queen of Hell’s slave written across it as a reminder to the former Dark Lord that he no longer had any power over her. And yet…”I’m struggling, Zelds. Lucifer and I were together for as long as the world has existed. There was only a brief time where I was on my own before he fell from Heaven.” She turned to look at her lover, the witch who had travelled back in time and helped her through the Circles of Hell when she had been close to giving up; “There were moments when he wasn’t horrible. There were moments when he was tender, loving...moments where it felt like he truly cared about me. I both love him and loathe him.” Her eyes shone with unshed tears as she turned back to the window, “And now I’m carrying his demon spawn...and it’s a girl.”
In one swift moment, Lilith grabbed a gargoyle shaped book end from the desk and threw it as hard as she could through the window, releasing all of the rage and hurt she felt inside in a guttural scream. The window shattered, chunks of glass raining down on the floor, the wind whistling violently into the room, mussing Lilith’s hair and extinguishing Zelda’s cigarette. Zelda threw back the covers and leapt out of the bed, crossing the room quickly and pulling Lilith into her arms as the witch sank to the ground sobbing, pulling her lover with her. “It doesn’t matter where he is, or what’s happening, my happiness will always be poisoned by his mere existence! I can’t even be happy to be having a daughter before I’m reminded that, aside from the Circles of Hell, the idea that I am bearing his son is the only thing keeping him from killing me...or worse, sending me back to the Circles of Hell.”
Zelda’s arms tightened around the Queen of Hell; having witnessed a portion of Lilith’s torment when Lucifer sent her to the Circles of Hell and having died there herself, Zelda understood Lilith’s anxiety. Being sent back to any of those Circles, let alone being stuck there for eternity, was a fate far worse than the peace of death. “We have to kill him.” Zelda whispered her revelation.
“What did you say?” Lilith sniffed and untangled herself from Zelda’s naked embrace, leaning back to search her face.
“You’re right Lilith. You will never be truly safe so long as Lucifer exists in one form of another. Even though he is being drowned in the Fifth Circle as we speak, he could have minions on his side, and I’m sure he’s plotting his eventual revenge.” Reaching forward, the High Priestess wiped the Queen of Hell’s tears and squeezed her hand, “We will have to kill him.”
“The Spear of Longinus.” The Mother of Demons got to her feet and reached down to help Zelda, who took her hand and went to press down into the ground when she yelped suddenly. Lilith looked down as Zelda turned her foot over and revealed deep gashes made by running across glass, her eyes widened, “Zelda Spellman. You crossed glass for me!”
“Of course I did, witch.” Zelda winced as she pulled smaller shards out of the tender flesh of her arch. Annoyed, she looked up at Lilith with a flare in her green eyes, “How long is it going to take before you understand that I care for you? Damnit, Lilith.” Despite the pain, Zelda got on her feet and squared off with Lilith, taking the Dawn of Doom’s face in her hands, and looking deep into her eyes, “I love you.”
With the strength of a demoness, Lilith grabbed Zelda by the hips and lifted her onto the desk, getting her off her feet. Stunned to silence by the High Priestess’ confession, Lilith was quiet, conjuring a bowl of water and cloth, she knelt in front of Zelda’s feet and cleaned them tenderly. Running a frustrated hand through her hair, Zelda sighed. If they were going to welcome this demon child into the world and properly defeat the Dark Lord, they had no time to pussyfoot around their feelings for each other. And Zelda Spellman was tired. She was tired of placing ambition over connection, it had been almost two decades since she’d found and welcomed love into her life, she was ready to be High Priestess, Directrix, midwife, and the love of someone’s life.
Biting her lip, Lilith looked up when Zelda sighed, feeling her heart clench in that familiar way it did whenever she felt someone was displeased with her - yet another trauma response she’d developed thanks to Lucifer. Grasping Zelda’s feet, Lilith leaned forward to rest her cheek on them, her tears of gratitude sliding along the redhead witch’s feet to spread along the small cuts, closing them up in their wake. Satisfied that Zelda’s feet had been looked after, Lilith pressed a kiss to the top of them, lingering there and trying to commit this moment to memory so she could replace all of those hoof-kissing memories with this one.
“I-....I don’t know what love looks like for me Zelds. Whatever I felt for Lucifer, I don’t want to feel anything like that ever again. I was taught that was love - well I don’t accept that. I know that I feel differently with you, I just don’t know what to call it yet.”
Feeling the cuts heal themselves on the bottom of her feet, Zelda fluidly lowered herself into Lilith’s lap, straddling the thighs of the witch who had just been kneeling in front of her. Taking the Queen of Hell’s face in her hands once more, she pulled her in for a tender kiss. Lilith pressed into the kiss, feeling the emotion behind it before Zelda pulled back; “I don’t need you to say anything, Lily. I just need you to stop doubting what I would do for you - walking on glass is only the beginning.”
Lilith smiled and hushed Zelda with a passionate kiss. Zelda’s insides swooped and she grabbed Lilith’s hand, guiding it between her legs; a soft moan of surprise escaped from Lilith as she followed Zelda’s lead. Spreading her legs, forcing Zelda’s open further, her fingers explored. The High Priestess gasped, her mouth pressing to Lilith’s ear as she whispered breathlessly, “I’ve already gone to Hell and back for you.”
“You might have to go again…” Lilith purred against her lover’s neck as explored deeper between her thighs.
“I would go a thousand times, my Queen.”
“You want to try and fetch the Spear of Longinus?!” Hilda looked aghast, her hands covered in minced meat, using leftover man-flesh from the corpse Zelda had frozen for when Lilith needed sustenance, to make a meat pie for dinner.
“Auntie Zee, that spear could be in one of three places...potentially...or absolutely anywhere else in the world!” Ambrose was sitting on the counter, shucking peas for the pies. “When we first learned that the Spear of Longinus could be used against Lucifer, I did some research. According to history and myth, the spear is either under the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica, in the Vatican, Rome where it’s been since 1492 when it was sent to Rome by Ottoman Sultan Bayezi II to encourage Pope Innocent VIII to keep Bayezid’s brother as a prisoner; somewhere in Vienna, Austria where it was placed in a golden sleeve around 1350 and hidden in the Imperial Treasury of the Hofburg Palace; or it’s somewhere in Vagharshapat, Armenia. Or, like I said, absolutely anywhere else in the entire world.” Ambrose dropped the last pea into his bowl and jumped off the counter. “There’s no wa-...”
Zelda cut off her nephew, her hand rising in front of her with her palm up, “There has to be a way Ambrose. I will accept nothing else.”
The intensity of the moment was interrupted by the wet sound of minced meat falling off of Hilda’s hands and onto the floor. Salem meowed and hopped down to retrieve it, whipping his tail against Hilda’s ankles in gratitude as she interrupted her sister and Ambrose. “We could try a revealing spell? That may narrow it down between locations.”
“Yes, why that could work Aunt Hilda! I’ll see if I can find one that’s stronger than another or something we can combine it with to increase its power.” Ambrose looked excited as he started to head to his room.
“We’re going to need maps, Ambrose!” Zelda called after him.
“Yes. Well. Who is going to help me with this pie crust? Lily?” A master at reading the room, Hilda could sense it was time to change the topic, her sister could be a bit intense.
“Thank you Hilda.” The Mother of Demons appreciated the distraction, as she tried to process what she just agreed to do. It was one thing to give the Spellman sisters daggers she knew wouldn’t kill Lucifer, it was another to actually seek out to find the one weapon that would actually destroy him. “Can I have the rolling pin?
Hilda smiled and nodded, sending the rolling pin floating over to Lilith, sinking her hands back into mixing spices into the meat, as she stared at her sister and encouraged her to move on from the topic at hand for now. “Would you mind frying the onions, sister?”
Zelda threw a hand in the air, rolled her eyes, and grabbed some butter and a cast iron pan. Rolling an onion onto the cutting board, she began to chop manically, sniffling and wiping at her eyes when the onion burned them. Her heart was pounding as she tried to filter through her own emotions. Taking control of situations was her way of putting her guard up, of avoiding being too vulnerable. It was easy to step into the role of Protector and Leader, it was much harder to ask for help. It was much harder to admit wanting to hear “I love you” back.
Lilith draped the pie crust into the pan, cutting off the extra dough, then rolling out the covering, grabbing a paring knife to cut small details into the dough. Hilda looked over and raised an eyebrow, impressed; “I didn’t know you were such a talent in the kitchen!” She turned, dumping the spiced meat onto Zelda’s fried onions, motioning enthusiastically to her sister to keep stirring before continuing to address Lilith. “I should request your help more often!”
Chuckling softly, Lilith leaned against the counter, the simple black cotton dress she wore dusted with flour, “Ah well, there were times when Lucifer requested mortal-like dinners...so I learned to cook.” Her smile turned into a bit of a wince and Hilda reached over to pat Lilith on the hand sympathetically.
“Sister, I think I’m burning this!” Hilda spun around, Zelda really was useless in the kitchen, and grabbed the spatula from her sister. “I’ve just been standing here stirring! What could I possibly have done wrong?”
“I could ask you the same thing Zelda Spellman but somehow you have managed to burn the dinner I’ve spent all afternoon preparing. I’ll have to start again, in the meantime, please wash these pots and pans - I’m sure you can manage that?”
As the sisters bickered, Lilith’s belly heaved and shook. The world spun and blurred her vision as her hands pressed against the creature kicking and punching to get out. The Spellman sisters’ voices raised as they became more heated over Zelda ruining dinner, so loud they didn’t hear when Lilith crumpled to the floor. Her hand sweeping the table as she fell, the clattering of the pie pan on the floor catching their attention.
“LILITH!” Zelda dove to the floor, checking for a pulse. Her eyes scanned Lilith’s body and she gasped to find a pool of blood forming around her hips. “Hilda! Get Ambrose!”
Zelda got to her feet, sweeping everything on the table onto the floor, the noise scattering Salem from the kitchen. Spinning around the Devil spawn’s midwife fetched a clean sheet and threw it over the table, gathering clothes and towels, water, disinfectant, and gloves for herself. Holding her hands above Lilith’s body, Zelda closed her eyes and muttered a spell, the demoness’ limp body began to levitate. Blood dripped down Lilith’s legs, falling through the air as her body was transported onto the kitchen table, and splashing on the ground. It was quite the scene to come upon, Hilda squeaked as she reentered the kitchen with an armful of herbs and Ambrose on her heels.
Covering Lilith’s body with another sheet, Zelda motioned to Ambrose, “Get blankets and keep her warm, watch her face and keep checking her pulse, tell me if you see anything, even if it’s just a twitch.” Zelda pushed Lilith’s legs up, Hilda ran around to hold one of them as Ambrose finished conjuring blankets and laying them on before grabbing the other leg and putting his fingers on her pulse.
Ducking under the sheet, Zelda’s gloved hand checked to see if she could feel the creature in the birthing canal. Shaking her head with a frown, she couldn’t feel anything. Searching a bit deeper, looking for a sign of discomfort on Lilith’s face, she pushed on the belly with her free hand, looking for the small form. “OUCH!” Zelda pulled her hand back violently, ripping off her glove and looking at the sharp teeth marks around her index finger. “She BIT me!”
Hilda and Ambrose’s eyes both grew wide. “Aunties...if the baby is capable of biting Auntie Zee….what is she doing to Lilith’s insides?!”
“She needs to come out.” Zelda sounded determined, talking through clenched teeth as she looked at the witch she’d just confessed love to. She changed her gloves and went to lift the sheet again.
“You know she won’t survive if you pull her out Zelds, even a demon child can’t survive at this stage. This isn’t your call to make.” Hilda put her hand gently on Zelda’s arm, stilling it.
Zelda was irritated to find her eyes filling with tears; “....but Lily.”
“Give me a minute, sister. I will make a sleeping potion that will put that little demon to sleep.” Hilda gently put Lilith’s leg down and went to twisting jar lids off of her herbs, tossing a pinch of this and a handful of that into a pot of water she conjured to a boil. The bitter and spicy aroma of witchcraft filled the kitchen as Zelda paced anxiously back and forth, looking to Ambrose for any signs of life from the Queen of Hell. “Her pulse is weak, Auntie. There’s a lot of blood.”
Zelda slammed her fist down on the table, leaning down to hiss in Lilith’s ear, “You absolutely will not die on me after you’ve made me love you.” Her memories brought the Circles of Hell to the forefront of her thoughts, the other time she’d see Lilith suffer and consider giving up, where she’d been invisible but able to call her name and reach out, encouraging her to continue. She focused now, on reaching deep within the recesses of Lilith’s mind, her voice beckoning the Dawn of Doom to continue to rise. Repeating the words she’d used in the Seventh Circle, “Lilith. Mother of Demons, Dawn of Doom, you are the First Woman. You were chosen! You are meant to rise to unimaginable heights. Do not give up. This is not how it ends. I believe in you.“ Her voice cracked and she rested her forehead on Lilith’s, whispering, “I don’t want to be in a world without you in it.”
Hilda spun around and Zelda straightened, wiping quickly at her eyes, then reaching forward and opening Lilith’s mouth, gently holding her head up to facilitate a clear pathway down her throat. “Slowly Hildy, we don’t want her choking on top of all of this.”
Hilda slowly poured the potion over Lilith’s lips and down her throat. Ambrose laid a hand on Lilith’s belly, feeling for movement, his other hand feeling for her pulse. As the concoction went down, Hilda and Ambrose started to chant; “Tender shepherd, tender shepherd, let me help you count your sheep….one in the meadow, two in the garden, three in the nursery… fast asleep.” Zelda joined in and the three of them placed their palms on Lilith’s belly, repeating the lullaby until they were certain there was no more movement and the Devil’s spawn was asleep.
Zelda moved back to shake Lilith’s shoulders, “Lily….LILITH!”
Wild-eyed, the High Priestess looked at Hilda, who wrung her hands anxiously, and Ambrose who shook his head and whispered softly, “There’s so much blood Auntie Zee….”