Hunter Academy

Chapter 38: Heavens Child

I am apprehensive of calling my father. Before I dial, I go back to Celia and check on her. I'm afraid. So very afraid that she'll disappear if I leave this room for even a second. I lay beside her, looking but not touching.

The power of love bestows responsibilities, but not rights.

I have no right to her heart but I am blessed to love Celia with my own. I have no right to her time but I am honored to share moments. It is for me to do what is best for her, and not seek fulfillment of my own desires at an expense to her wellbeing.

"It is for me to seek what would make you happy, what would be best for your soul. Just know that when you tell me of your pain, I hurt too, how can I not? Anyone who abuses you is no friend of mine and I owe them nothing. You must know I love you, I just...can't tell you so."

I kiss her once more and rush to the phone.

"Dad." I say, unable to keep the emotion from my voice.

"Lilith? What's going on?" His voice was soothing, a part of his power I know, but it calmed me down.

"It's my familiar. She's, well I'm not quite sure what's wrong with her. But somethings wrong."

I hear a chuckle from the other line "You've grown attached to her Lilith."

"Yes. Is there something wrong with that?"

"No! Not at all. Just pointing it out. But I'm not G-." He choked on his words "I'm not Him. I need symptoms."

"She's losing her senses. First, it was smell. Now it's taste. Her sense of smell is nearly gone." I feel panic rising "I don't know what's wrong. First, she had an attack. Some sort of possession, but not from an evil entity. I cast a sleep spell, and throughout the night she woke up in moments of clarity. She acted so differently. It was unlike her. And now this. I don't know if I can keep going." I can't keep my voice from trembling.

Just the thought of me losing her is sending me through a rollercoaster of emotion.

"Lilith. Calm down. She'll be fine."

"Will she?"

Instead of answering he said this "How very odd of you to be experiencing such complex emotions."

"What do you mean?"

"We divine beings aren't known for understanding emotions very well. We think of them as clear cut, though emotions rarely are. So I'm surprised you could even begin to understand emotions as complex as the ones you're feeling."

"But Celia-"

"Is also a divine being, I know. But she's been around hunters for as long as she can remember. She never knew her parents."

"Did you know them? Her parents I mean."

"Well...they're dead now of course. I knew her father very well. We were quite close. The mother I knew, but she didn't like me at first. We grew quite close before they died. I never got to meet Celia. As soon as I saw her I knew that they were her parents."

"So she does have demonic blood?"

My father falls silent for a minute "No. She doesn't. If she is who I think she is, then no demonic blood runs through her veins. Only the blood of traitors."

"What of their names?" I need this, for Celia. The pain of thinking she was abandoned by her parents could be put to rest. If I can't help her with what's she's going through now, I can at least aid in this.