In Exile (Archangel Jarahmael and the War to Conquer Heaven, Book III)
Page 10
When Jarahmael arrived it was already dark, so there was not any activity on the mountain that he could see, nothing that would reveal the exact location of where Lillith was being housed. Jarahmael glided over the mountainous region, trying to find a clue, something out of the ordinary, something out of place that would show him where Lillith was being kept.
He kept himself invisible as he searched as best he could in the dark, but there was nothing he could see, hear or feel that gave Lillith’s location away. Having become quite proficient at remaining hidden himself, Jarahmael took his time so he would not reveal himself to the rebel Angels, or the loyal Angels for that matter, as he was sure they were searching for him as well by this time.
Early the next morning, he hid himself in one of the clouds that was passing by the mountains. He kept himself invisible and so concealed, he could take his time and observe this mountain top carefully. He was already in position as the sun rose and watched as the morning blossomed. He saw two of the rebel Angels fly out shortly after dawn, Dominion Angels by the looks of their red tunics. He could have followed them, but was more interested in this report of a Human woman up on the cliff. There must be some Cherubim in the area, he thought to himself, I must be patient. Luciferael would not make this easy, Lillith is the key to getting at me. And, Luciferrael would not rely upon the Dominion Angels to guard her, he would use his seasoned Cherubim as they are much more proficient warriors.
About an hour after sunrise he saw movement under one of the cliff faces. Looking carefully, he could see that there was a cave tucked in under the cliff and a Human moving around outside. The Human's movements were very familiar to Jarahmael and he broke out into a huge smile. His eyes scanned the area quickly to make sure there weren’t any rebel Angels in the area, and although he did not see any, he decided to proceed cautiously. He was confident that he could handle himself with any set of Angels, but he would also have to be able to protect and move Lillith safely at the same time.
He wanted to yell out to her but was afraid it would let the rebel Angels know he was coming. Remaining invisible, he swooped down from the cloud towards the cliff face. He landed softly to the side of the cave, out of sight. He stayed very still, waiting to see if there were any Cherubim guards hiding near the entrance into the mountainside palace.
Sure enough, after a few moments he could hear at least two of them walking past in the shelf of rock that acted as an entranceway into the cave palace, just in the sun’s shadows, their weapons clinking as they passed by. Lillith emerged briefly into the sun on the rock face, her beautiful hair glowing in the sunshine, her white clothing billowing in the wind as she stood there for a few moments.
Jarahmael wanted to walk right up to her and whisk her away from there, but he knew they would not get far with at least two Cherubim guards having to be dealt with. And, if Jarahmael knew anything about Glabolas from the pursuit of the weapons cache in Heaven, there would be more Cherubim guards concealed in the crags and gullies of the rugged mountainsides around them. No, it was better to wait until dark. It would be better yet if he left the cave entrance altogether, and came back here in the darkest part of the night.
But try as he might, Jarahmael could not bear the thought of leaving Lillith here to return later. He did not want to take the chance that the rebel Angels would move her somewhere else and then he would have to struggle to find her new home all over again. So Jarahmael stood extremely still near the entrance into the cave palace all day, being careful to not make any noise. At the same time he made sure he had a good vantage point to look inside the palace and make sure Lillith was safe.
As the day was winding down, Jarahmael began to feel that he could succeed in getting Lillith out of there. He would have to get her to a safe place where these rebel angels could not harm her. He had such a place in mind. As the sun was getting close to setting, Jarahmael could see a group of six Cherubim approaching and getting ready to land. Now it was especially critical to not only remain invisible, but also silent, and out of the way.
Jarahmael was almost discovered when Glabolas stalled in the air as he prepared to land, aiming directly at the place where Jarahmael was standing. It was only Jarahmael’s quick and silent steps behind a nearby boulder that prevented Glabolas from landing on top of him.
Now he would have to wait for the Cherubim to either leave or fall asleep before he could find where Lillith slept inside the palace and get her out of there. Fortunately for Jarahmael, Glabolas must have tired of guarding the Human and after the Cherubim checked to be sure Lillith was within the palace, he and his guards decided to leave to get some rest overnight. They had been guarding her for a long time by this point, and there had not been any progress in capturing Jarahmael, and few Angels did anything at night. Besides, the rebel Angels were not the most patient of the Beings of Light.
The rebel Cherubim would not admit it, but some of them felt that trying to capture this Archangel Jarahmael was going to be fruitless, as they had seen how he could maneuver without being detected, and had been instrumental in defeating them during the war for Heaven. Some had said among themselves that had Jarahmael been on their side, they would have won the rebellion and the Universe would have become a much different place.
Jarahmael waited hours, staying where he was, even after the rebel Cherubim had left, making sure it was safe before he approached Lillith in her palace. Once inside the palace, Jarahmael moved swiftly and silently over to where Lillith slept. Reaching her, he placed one hand over her mouth and bent over her. He then moved his mouth close to her ear and whispered, “Lillith my dearest, I have been searching the whole Earth for you!”
She woke up startled and initially struggled against him, but when she heard his voice she looked up at him with her eyes wide and in shock. He picked her up in one flowing movement, one arm on her back behind her waist and pulled her tightly against him. Her stomach was abnormally large, and he took note of it but paid little attention to it, he was so excited that he had finally found her.
She leaned her neck up to kiss him, tears streaming down her face. “I thought you were dead!” she whispered, crying yet joyful that he was standing there in front of her.
“There is so much to tell,” he whispered back, twirling her around mid-air. “But now is not the time. Where are Luciferael and the rebel Angels?”
“Back in the Underworld, I would imagine. They built me this palace that allows me access to the surface of the Earth, since I am now with child. Luciferael is not happy that the child I bear. It is not his, but yours,” Lillith blurted out.
“My child?” Jarahmael said the words, and they filled him with a warmth he had not known before.
“Yes, your child, Jarahmael, from the times we were together before you disappeared protecting the Heavens,” Lillith said, her tears running even more quickly down her face.
“Thank the Almighty all the more that I have found you then,” he exclaimed.
“It has been terrible without you, Jarahmael. Luciferael and the other rebel Angels told me you had been destroyed.”
“They did believe that for a while, Lillith, but I was the one who finally defeated Luciferael before he was cast out of the Heavens by Michael.”
“I never knew how it all ended,” she answered. “I was devastated when I heard you were gone, Jarahmael. Nothing else mattered.”
There was a lot for Jarahmael to think about and he was filled with joy holding Lillith once again. But he also knew that it was dangerous for them to stay there.
“We need to leave, Lillith, before one of the rebel Angels or Luciferael reappear.”
“Yes, Jarahmael, take me away from here. I want to be with you. I have always wanted to be with you.”
“And so you shall be!” Jarahmael said, feeling invincible as he lifted Lillith up in his arms.
She reached down and broke off some of the branches from the Tree of Life that she had brought with her and tucked them into Jarahmael’s tunic.
As he carried Lillith in his arms, his wings providing long slow bursts of thrust as he traveled through the Earth's air, all the while the question that ran through Jarahmael's mind was how best to deal with Lillith now that she was with child. The Almighty had been allowing animals and lower life forms to procreate, but had never envisioned the Angels procreating through some mating ritual, at least not as far as Jarahmael knew. The Simians had been procreating, but their well-being had not been a large part of Angelic concerns or duties before Adam and Lillith and then Eve arrived. It was also part of the plan for Humans. But it was never discussed about Angels procreating in the same way, nor had there been any attempts made by the Beings of Light; they did not have any knowledge about these things. Well, except for him and Michael, who had witnessed both Simians and Humans. Could this be part of a larger plan? Regardless, Jarahmael was going to have to learn much more about dealing with offspring.
Should I go to Adam and Eve for help with this? They should be able to assist in the birthing process and in raising the child. Eve and Adam had already begun to bear offspring, two boys named Cain and Abel. Jarahmael had heard about Eve’s child birthing experience, and knew that it had been painful. Of course, Eve had been cursed by the Almighty, but he did not know what effect the curse would have on Lillith, if any, and what he would do if she had the same painful difficulty.
But he was also concerned that Adam and Eve may be constantly observed or questioned by the loyal Angels or even the rebel Angels for any information concerning him. The rebel Angels, after all, did not follow the commandment of non-interference. On the other hand, if he placed Lillith among the more primitive Humans, the child would stand out as being Angelic and possessing a higher consciousness than that of a Human. It may make it impossible to conceal the child or allow it to develop to its fullest potential among the more primitive beings.
He decided it was best to keep Lillith hidden with him until the child was due. He would then sneak Eve out of her cave to assist Lillith when the time came for the child to arrive. He and Lillith would hide underneath the second Sphinx, as there was little reason for the Cherubim or any of the other Orders of Angels to search for either of them there. It was not a permanent solution but it would do for now, at least until the child was born.
He knew he would have to be extremely careful. Luciferael and his rebel Angels knew that Lillith was with child and they would multiply their efforts to find her, as her pregnancy may make it easier to find them both. And after the child was born, it would be easier still to capture them as the three of them would not be able to travel and hide as easily. Jarahmael stopped his worrying as they approached the plains of Aegyptus and he landed gently in the sand.
“I recognize this place!” Lillith said to Jarahmael as he set her down. “This is the statue with your friend Cerebriel’s face and the other one with that female Angel’s face!”
“Yes, that’s correct, Lillith. I think we shall be safe here, for the time being at least. I will try to find another place for us to live after you have our child,” Jarahmael answered, stroking her hair.
“I am so happy to be back with you, Jarahmael. I missed you even when they told me you had been killed or destroyed,” Lillith said to him as the two of them looked up into the sky. The deep darkness of the night was broken up by the twinkling of the stars, like pinholes of light breaking through a black dome.
“I am sorry that I had to leave you, Lillith. I thought you were safe up in my palace, and would not be discovered. How did they find you?”
“Your invisible hallway worked very well, Jarahmael. There were other Angels that had landed in our palace, looking for something and they were unable to detect me. It worked even when Luciferael and his other Angels flew in, although they were more interested in your mirrors. None of them could see me nor did they know I was there. You should be proud of what you made to conceal me,” Lillith said, smiling at him.
“Then how did they discover you, Lillith?” Jarahmael asked with a puzzled look on his face.
“They didn’t, Jarahmael. It was only when they were talking about how you had been destroyed in one of the battles during their rebellion, that it made me think that was the reason you had not returned for me. I was stranded up there, Jarahmael, and I was waiting for you,” Lillith added.
“I did not even think that Luciferael would ever be in my palace, Lillith. Nor did I think the ruse I used to escape the rebel Angels would be the thing that would make you reveal yourself. I am touched that it made you that upset,” Jarahmael said, smiling as he thought about how much she cared for him.
“I did care that much for you, Jarahmael, and I still do!” she said as she reached out and held his hand.
“How did you end up in Hades with Luciferael?” Jarahmael asked as he picked her up and held her closer to himself, so glad she was within his arms’ reach.
“Luciferael seduced me, Jarahmael, and became my lover,” Lillith said nonchalantly. “That is not important now,” she said as she in turn brushed her hand through his hair.
Jarahmael felt as though a sword had been put through his belly when she said that to him. He could not help himself but became silent as he put her down on the ground and started to back away from her feeling wounded.
“Did I say something wrong?” she asked, concerned by his reaction.
“No, Lillith. It just hurts that you were with Luciferael in that way. I doubt he cared much about you at all, other than as a distraction.”
Lillith now seemed hurt herself. “Luciferael did take care of me, Jarahmael, when no one else did. I was trapped up in the Seventh Heaven and neither you, nor your colleagues, nor the Almighty made sure I was safe.”
Jarahmael looked at her as he thought about what she had just said. “I could not get to you, Lillith, and still protect the Heavens from the attacks by Luciferael’s rebel Angels. For that I am truly sorry. I cannot blame you for what you did with Luciferael, but it still hurts me,” he responded, tears glowing in his eyes.
Lillith looked at how hurt Jarahmael was and realized she could not tell him that Luciferael had taught her a spell that allowed her to grow wings and fly. He would never be able to take that news. Then she thought about what she had to do right after the rebellion, how she had to remain hidden.
Lillith continued, “And then Luciferael had to save me from your other Archangels when I was in the Garden of Eden, he snuck me out of there after he told me that the Almighty and his loyal Angels were coming to capture or destroy me.”
“I doubt that the Almighty or my loyal brethren would have destroyed you, Lillith,” Jarahmael said softly.
“Then why do we continue to hide from them, my dear Jarahmael? Shouldn’t we be welcomed and blessed in the Seven Heavens and the Garden of Eden, once again?”
Chapter 23
A NEW DEAL
The following morning, Sammuael flew up through Hell and into the caves that wound up through the Earth’s surface and into Lillith's upper palace. Ascending through the palace’s stairwells, he expected to find her at the cliff face where she would stay during the day. He called out to her a number of times as he approached but received no answer. She must be out walking, he thought.
As he looked around the palace, he found the Cherubim guards and asked them where the Human woman had gone. Nowhere that they knew of; they had arrived early that morning and assumed she had been asleep in one of the lower levels of the palace. Now alarmed, they began to search the entire palace for any evidence of her disappearance.
Sammuael needed to find her. She was the link that would give him Ja
rahmael. He also knew that Luciferael would not be pleased if he returned empty handed, so he decided to take the risk of being observed and flew out to search the local countryside. This independent nature of Lillith’s is becoming intolerable to deal with, he thought to himself as he pushed harder against the air to burn off his own frustration.
He searched angrily for a great distance without finding her or any clue as to her whereabouts. Could she have escaped? She did have wings, he remembered. Wings that Luciferael himself had given her. But where could she have gone? She had not been on the Earth itself for any length of time, except for that short time when she had left Adam before the rebellion.
We never found her that time, Sammuael thought. And we had searched. Had to deal with that idiot creature Serpentalia, glad I don't have to do that again! Jarahmael had found her first, but he never told any of us where he had found her. Why is it that everything that I have tried to do or Luciferael has tried to accomplish has been opposed in some way by Jarahmael? He really needs to be captured and neutralized!
Tired of searching for this Human, Sammuael decided it was best to return to Hell and inform Luciferael that Lillith was missing again. Better to get it over with, he thought as he flew back.
Luciferael was holding a meeting with some of the other rebel Archangels when he arrived, deep within the Seventh Pit of Hell.
“Ah Sammuael returns,” Luciferael commented as Sammuael landed in the entranceway of the replica of the Heaven’s Throne Room, the Pandemonium Palace so named by Mephistophael.
Stiffening himself up for a rebuke by his lord, Sammuael looked at Luciferael directly and began to speak as he made a slight bow. “My lord Luciferael, I regret to inform you that Lillith is gone. I could not find her in her palace or in the neighboring countryside. I searched extensively but there was no sign of her or clue as to where she may have gone,” Sammuael finished with his eyes still looking downward, afraid of how Luciferael would react.