“Felipe and I would like to be excused.”
“All right, but don’t wander off too far. Gertrudis!” she called to the plump maid, who had stepped onto the terrace. “Could you ask Eduardo to keep an eye on the boys? Especially Felipe, he has a habit of wandering off, I would not want him to miss his wine lesson with his father today,” she said, raising one eyebrow at Felipe.
“Sí, Señora,” Gertrudis said.
Felipe and Alejandro kissed their parents on the cheek and ran off. Gertrudis trailed closely behind the boys, who bolted down the stairs. She signaled to Eduardo, a manservant below to follow the boys.
Eduardo looked up and waved back to Gertrudis, giving her a warm, tender smile. He followed the boys closely to a clearing of trees.
* * *
Alejandro had brought two wooden swords. He tossed one to Felipe.
“En garde!” Alejandro said, brandishing his sword.
Before Felipe could raise his sword, Alejandro was fiercely attacking him. Felipe tumbled over backwards onto the grass, his wooden sword dropping out of his hand.
Alejandro stood over his defeated brother and took his sword, placing it over Felipe’s heart.
“You’re dead.” Alejandro tossed his sword in the grass and pulled Felipe to his feet. “Now, let’s pretend you’re the general. You just captured me and I’m your prisoner,” Alejandro said, helping his brother to his feet.
“Oh, great.” Felipe rolled his eyes, just another of Alejandro’s wild imaginative war scenarios.
Felipe, who had always been tolerant of his brother’s frivolous games of war, soon grew annoyed. He desperately needed to clear his mind and he knew just the place he could go—his private hideaway just beyond his family’s land, which ran alongside the River Tajo. This was the one place where Felipe didn’t have to worry about being scolded by his father or having to play silly games with his brother. It was the one place where he could relax and be himself, and today, Felipe needed to go there more than ever.
“Okay, tie me up and make the knot extra tight,” Alejandro said, handing Felipe several feet of braided twine. “I’m double jointed and no matter how tight you make the knot, I can free myself. Go on, bind my hands and count to one hundred.” Alejandro lay on the ground.
Felipe bound his brother’s hands tightly behind his back.
“Oh, don’t forget to gag me.”
“With pleasure, little brother,” he said with a mischievous grin on his face. Felipe rustled through both pockets of his breeches, until he found an old, snot-crusted handkerchief. He stuffed the handkerchief in Alejandro’s mouth. Once his brother was bound and gagged, Felipe took off running, leaving Alejandro on the ground, struggling to free his hands.
Alejandro dislocated his shoulder and twisted his wrist, wrenching it out of the tight knot, and set himself free. He spat out the dirty handkerchief. “I did it! See Felipe I told you I could get loose,” he said, looking around for his brother. But he was nowhere to be found.
SHE’S JUST A GIRL
Sneaking past Eduardo, Felipe darted behind several trees, dodging his father’s guards. Cautiously, Felipe looked from around the tree. He spotted a soldier out on patrol heading his way. The soldier sat down at a nearby tree, resting his back against the trunk. Felipe drew in a breath. He squeezed his eyelids tight.
Eduardo ran to the soldier.
“Sergeant, have you seen Felipe? I’ve lost track of him. If he misses his wine lesson, Señor de Hayos will kill me!”
The soldier stood up. “Calm yourself, I’ll help you find him. Come, he couldn’t have gone far.”
Glad Eduardo and the soldier were headed in the opposite direction, Felipe dashed across the clearing until he came upon thorny underbrush. He crouched down. He took a quick look over his shoulders, making sure no one had followed him.
Felipe turned sideways as he made his way through a small opening in the underbrush. He stood up and gently pulled back a leathery, leafy fern and stepped inside a lush paradise. Felipe stood in a grove of dense trees. Wild ducks swam peacefully in the river, while jackrabbits rested on the river’s outer banks. On the south side of the embankment grew the tallest patch of red carnations Felipe had ever seen.
A doe and three of her white spotted fawns taking a sip of water from the river looked up at Felipe and scampered off into a grove of trees. Felipe found a sturdy tree stump and sat down. He stared up at the clear, blue sky and closed his eyes. He basked in the sun’s rays that shone brightly all around through the tree canopy. As Felipe relaxed, he began to think about Zaybeth and her mother. They were in some sort of trouble and someone named Roberto was after them. He prayed that they would be safe at his home. After Felipe had finished praying, he still felt agitated. Normally, after praying he felt at peace, but something was still bugging him.
Felipe stood up and walked for a minute before finding a flat, smooth stone. He picked up the stone and walked over to the edge of the riverbank. He arched his hand and took aim. With a flick of his wrist, the stone sailed through the air, landing a few inches above the water. The stone bounced four times before submerging. Felipe watched the rippling water spread out in gentle rings across the river. He then realized the source of his restlessness—Zaybeth.
Whenever he was around Zaybeth, his stomach felt funny, like he had swallowed a thousand fluttering butterflies. She made him nervous, and yet, he couldn’t wait to see her. He had been around dozen of girls before, but none of them made him feel the way Zaybeth did. His heart was ablaze.
“Oh, she is just a girl,” he said, picking up another flat smooth stone, skipping it across the water. “Besides, I’m betrothed to Lilith, the gold merchant’s daughter,” he grumbled. Lost in thought, Felipe looked up into the midday sky and remembered his wine lesson.
* * *
Felipe settled down on a brocade settee in the parlor as his father poured two goblets of wine. Tomás handed a cup to Felipe.
“Now, my son. You are probably wondering why I want you to learn about wine and wine grapes. One day, you will be a statesman and you will be in the company of kings, queens and dignitaries from many lands—” Tomás was interrupted by Alejandro bursting into the room.
“Papa, I hope you haven’t started without me? I would have been here sooner, but Felipe ran off, leaving me tied up.”
Tomás raised his brow and gave Alejandro a stern look.
“Alejandro, these wine lessons aren’t meant for you,” Tomás said.
“Why does Felipe get to drink wine and I don’t? It isn’t fair!”
“All right, boy, quit your blubbering. You may have a sip of wine. But don’t interrupt.”
“I promise, Papa.”
Tomás poured Alejandro a small amount of wine and handed it to him.
“Okay, let’s get started. Felipe, please stand up. Fine red wine is like a woman. The fullness of its body, the color, the texture, the aroma, the bouquet.” Tomás closed his eyes and took a whiff of the wine in his cup. “The way she tastes, the way she dances. Here, swirl the wine gently around the cup and inhale its intoxicating aroma.”
“Papa, what kind of wine is Mama’s body like?” Alejandro asked.
Tomás shot Alejandro a harsh look.
Alejandro tried to mimic his father’s movements, but sloshed his wine too hard and it spilled over the rim of the cup and onto his hand. He licked the wine off the back of his hand, making a loud, slurping sound.
Felipe tried to hold in his laughter, but he couldn’t any longer. Wine sprayed out of mouth right into his father’s face.
“Oh!” Tomás yelled.
A servant handed Tomás a handkerchief.
He wiped his face, giving Felipe a dirty look. “You’re both dismissed,” Tomás said, angrily waving the boys away with the wine stained handkerchief.
STARGAZING
The Temple of Saturn.
Obadiah struck the gong six times, signaling to Lilith it was Saturn’s appointed hour and time to pay homage to the god. Lilith
entered the shrine and bowed. She wore a flowing, white robe. Her long hair was covered by a white, headdress. A small, ritual fire burned in a hearth. The dancing flames cast strange imagery of giants, winged serpents, and creatures from long ago against the walls of the temple.
Guided by the flickering flames, Lilith took off the headdress and disrobed. She stepped into a fountain of ceremonial water. She bathed in the sacred water, washing herself with humility just as the Daughters of Saturn had taught her. After bathing, Lilith dressed and walked to the altar. She dipped the tips of her index fingers in a bowl of patchouli oil and anointed the space between her two eyebrows, tracing her fingers to her temples. Lilith walked to the altar and bowed her head in prayer. Her eyes turned black as pitch and fluttered back in her head. Lilith’s body began swaying back and forth rhythmically to her prayer-chant. Eerie vibrations shook the walls of the temple. Lilith lifted her eyes and smiled with delight.
* * *
Isis watched Lilith as she tirelessly prayed. The role of High Priestess was a miraculous gift and Isis was pleased to see that Lilith had embraced her role as spiritual mother with much devotion. It had only been a month and Lilith had mastered Solsatihel, the language of Saturn. She had memorized the complex rituals contained in the sixty Sacred Scrolls and learned the history of the universe, including Apollyon’s rebellion—except for the part where Isis and Apollyon were married. That little detail Isis conveniently left out of Lilith’s history lesson.
Isis flew out of the shadows and hovered overhead. “Lilith, the time has come for you to enjoy the fruits of your labor,” she said, extending her hand.
Lilith stopped praying and turned around; she placed her hand over Isis’ hand. Instantly, the women vanished in a billowing cloud of smoke.
* * *
Soaring out into the cosmos—past Earth’s orbit and into the vast universe, Isis and Lilith soared faster than the speed of light through the Milky Way and beyond.
Lilith cast her eyes in wonderment. It was her first time seeing the vast universe. She marveled at the colorful, shimmering, ethereal lights of celestial clouds that made up various nebulae. Just as she stretched her arm out to touch the colorful clouds, in a flash, Isis had whisked her away to another solar system, where the two visited countless worlds. Along the way, Isis introduced Lilith to many strange beings.
The odd-looking creatures bowed in reverence and greeted Lilith and Isis.
“Salzol ShBThAI! Salzol Elidaelohim!” (Hail Saturn! Hail High Priestess!)
“Isis, everyone in the galaxy is so friendly. A few suggested that we go to Ramilsea. I was told there’s a never-ending party that has been going since time began—”
“Never go to that planet, do you hear me,” Isis exploded. “Ramilsea is no place for an Elidaelohim. You must promise never to go there.”
“I promise,” she said in a low voice. “Isis, I did not mean to offend you.”
Isis took a deep breath and smiled. “Come along, there is much more to see.”
After an endless night of trekking through the many universes, Lilith grew restless. Her eyes scanned the planet Saturn’s sixty-two moons, upon which to rest when she spotted Iapetus. “Isis, let’s go there,” she said pointing.
Isis could barely look upon Iapetus, thinking back to the night of passion she and Apollyon shared. That scoundrel!
“That moon is too small. I have a better idea, let’s go to Titan. It’s the largest of Saturn’s moons and it resembles Earth.” Lilith and Isis materialized on one of Titan’s remote islands. They walked the shoreline before relaxing on the beach.
Lilith leaned back into Isis’s arms and let her eyes gaze upon the spinning rays of gleaming lights. “Those are the rings of Saturn,” she said pointing. “That’s where the Council of Gods resides.”
Isis gave a nod.
“This is all so beautiful and fascinating! Father Saturn is so powerful.”
“Yes, and HE still has more power to bestow upon you. After tonight’s ceremony, your transformation will be complete. You will become one of us, our sister. You will have the powers to heal and the ability to walk through time and space. Lilith, you will become transcendent and travel through the veil between worlds,” Isis said.
“Isis, Father Saturn has already given me so many extraordinary powers already. I can’t imagine having even more powers.”
“Yes, but after tonight, Father Saturn will give you the gift to heal the sick and raise the dead, just so long as magick was not used.”
“That is a wondrous gift, indeed.” The wind began to pick up. Lilith spotted a large cloud moving over the lake. She turned to Isis. “About tonight’s ceremony...” Lilith’s voice tapered off, she lowered her eyes, not wanting Isis to know she was having misgivings about the ritual. “I can’t wait,” she lied.
THE VEIL BETWEEN WORLDS
Lilith spent most of the day riding her horse, Esmeralda. She was worried about the special ceremony that was to take place that night. Lilith’s mind kept replaying Isis’ words.
“After tonight’s ceremony, you will become transcendent and walk through the veil between worlds.”
Traveling between worlds did not worry Lilith half as much as the ceremony itself. Having studied Saturn’s rituals, Lilith was very familiar with the barbaric, ceremonial proceedings. In order for her transformation to take place, she would have to drink the blood of a newborn. Lilith was no stranger when it came to drinking human blood. Since her transformation, she had participated in dozens of rituals involving drinking the blood of human sacrifices. But tonight’s ceremony was different—this time a newborn was going to be ripped from its mother and killed!
The very thought of drinking the blood of an infant made Lilith’s stomach turn. Her thoughts shifted to her younger sister.
“Sarah was sacrificed in order for me to become the High Priestess. Every time I gain power, someone has to die. It just isn’t fair!” Lilith looked up to the heavens. “Why, Father, did you find favor with me and not with Sarah?” she asked, kicking the sides of her horse harder than she meant to. The mare galloped faster down the trail.
There was a slight chill in the air and a rumbling sound echoed through the land. Without warning, Esmeralda stopped galloping and reared up onto her back legs. Lilith scrambled to hold onto the reins.
A haunting voice spoke on the wind. “You are fair-minded and born in my season.”
* * *
It was nightfall high atop of Mulhacén in the Sierra Nevada Mountains at the Temple of Saturn, and the scent of burning flesh filled the air. Inside, worshipers dance to hypnotic drum beats. Obadiah, Abraham, Nashiema, and the fifteen temple elders were dressed in black, hooded robes, and stood around the altar where a pregnant woman was about to give birth. Midwives comforted the woman as she let out violent screams.
The Daughters of Saturn flew around the altar, leaving streaks of white and purple luminous radiation around the woman. Isis stopped flying and hovered with outstretched arms.
“By the six ancient elements, I evoke thee, God of the Cold Abyss. Fill our burning, soulless lust with thy power. Come unto your daughters and to your faithful servants,” she prayed.
The Daughters of Saturn chanted. “Father Saturn, you are the Black Sun, the dark star, the god of death, destruction, and decay. Dark and cold is your touch! Father Saturn, we ask you to accept the blood of this newborn and grant your Elidaelohim the power to walk between worlds.”
Gabriel, Abraham’s nineteen-year-old stable hand, joined the worshipers chanting and dancing. His long dark hair had been fashioned into a ponytail, and it swayed as he danced wildly. Overhead, a winged figure arose from the circle of light. Gabriel stopped dancing to examine the winged, she-demon more closely—it was Lilith.
It was the first time Gabriel had seen Lilith transformed into Saturn’s High Priestess. She was the perfect blend of awesome, magickal power and feminine beauty. Lilith was magnificent and Gabriel was awestruck. His heart skipped a beat a
s her black wings fluttered.
Lilith held in her right hand the rod and ring of Sumerian royal authority and gold scythe in her other hand. Upon her head, she proudly wore a gold, stepped crown. Dressed only in a sheer, white, flowing gown, her serpent coiled tightly around the lower portion of her abdomen. A giant owl swooped down from the hexagon skylight, circling around her talon feet.
Slowly, Gabriel lifted his blue, iridescent eyes to Lilith. If only she would look into his piercing gaze, then she would know he was in love with her. For as long as Gabriel could remember, he had loved Lilith. After seeing her as the High Priestess, he loved her even more.
The gold necklace glimmering around Lilith’s neck diverting Gabriel’s attention—it was the heart-shaped locket she always wore. The locket served as a sharp reminder that Lilith was engaged to Felipe de Hayos. Gabriel tore his eyes away from her.
* * *
Lilith stretched her wings outward and thrust the golden scythe upwards.
“I, Lilith, your Elidaelohim, stand humbly before thee, Father Saturn. Thy power is ageless and unstoppable. You, who have existed before the beginning of time, spoke the universe into existence. Hail, Father Saturn!”
Isis’s eyes trailed up to the heavens, “O, thou are death, chaos, and darkness. Come to your Elidaelohim. Come to your daughters. We turn our eyes toward you, waiting with open mouths, and open hearts.”
Asira prayed with outstretched arms. “Father Saturn, we call to thee. Your icy powers run through our veins.”
“I call to the north, to the west, to the south, and to the east. Arise! Father Saturn. Come to your temple,” Isis commanded.
The temple elders burned patchouli oil in their lanterns, filling the temple with the earthy fragrance, while the worshipers danced wildly to the beat of ritual drums.
Asira and Dusana hovered over the woman in labor. The woman was panting and breathing hard from labor pangs. She let out a loud scream as she was about to give birth.
Eye of Saturn (The Daughters of Saturn Book 1) Page 6