The Seed || A Madam Spellman Story

Cleansed by Fire, and Born Again

"And this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ."

1 Peter 3:21

__________

"Wake up, Zelda."

Tension released from Zelda's body from the peace emanating off of whoever was trying to wake her. It made her want to do the exact opposite, having, even in her lack of nightmares recently, not had this much serenity in a while.

A body shifted closer, and a hand went from her shoulder to her hair, trying to coax her from her rest.

"Wake up, my High Priestess. We are running out of time." The voice became clearer in Zelda's ears. Smooth like honey, drawn out like the smoke from one of her cigarettes. Addicting in every sense of the word.

"Lilith?" Through hazy vision, the witch peered up to icy blue eyes that warmed, uncharacteristically, as they met Zelda's grey ones.

"I'm dreaming?" The demoness chuckled softly, shaking her head in the negative.

" I'm here to give the answers you seek. But we must be quick about getting them. There's only a small window of time we can perform the ritual in."

Zelda sat up, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes and trying to focus on the woman in front of her, her goddess who had visited her in the middle of the night. Zelda prayed she would not be loose-lipped in her exhaustion.

"I'm sorry, a ritual?"

"It will make more sense when we arrive at the river, you're going to have to trust me," Then, after a pause, "You told me you trusted me to do what was best."

For a brief second Zelda saw the same insecurities in Lilith's eyes she had seen during their celebration post the building of the new Church. They searched for something in Zelda, a raw answer about the question she just asked. An effect of having such crystal-like eyes, they served as a mirror that the witch wasn't sure she was supposed to look through but was also keenly aware she may have been invited for that very purpose. That weird mix of openness and secretive actions Lilith reserved for her High Priestess that was present every time they met.

"Where's this river, my Queen? I'll go with you." The other woman's smile was as genuine as Zelda thought it would ever get with so many secrets she knew was behind her. Assured in the witch's words, Lilith brushed her hand against Zelda's cheek gently.

"Well then, let's go to Hell."

__________

Hell was not what Zelda was expecting.

Or, at least, not this part of it.

She had seen the entrance, burning hot where the condensation met in billowing smoke. But here, there was only a dry mountain pass with twisting and treacherous paths connecting directly to a-

"River of fire," Zelda began. "I was unaware of this one's existence." She had read her Satanic bible so much she remembered the smallest details about the five rivers of Hell, the myths that were connected with them. The only other river of fire was the Phlegethon, and the topography was described much differently then what the redhead saw in front of her.

"Yes, my High Priestess, you are as enlightened as always. It's true that the main rivers, well their Greek names anyway; the Styx, Acheron, Phlegethon, Cocytus, and Lethe, are all the ones that show up in Lucifer's stupid little book. But this river, my river, came before the others. It was born from my rebellion, and even now, the flame that flows down the mountain stream is the same fire in every witches' blood."