Chapter 3. Getting Acquainted

Adam was gone all day again. It had been seven full moons since their last perfect night together, and Lilith wondered if Adam would only please her if she persisted in explaining what she needed. Today though? She was too tired even to try. She’d fallen into a fitful sleep waiting for him to come home, and when he got back, he expected Lilith to spend the entire evening with him. After caring for the children, Lilith was too tired to function. Even with Aset, an immortal witch, brought to Lilith to help, Lilith was too tired to move. She couldn’t will her body to make love to Adam.

“Baby, I’ve missed you. It’s lonely hunting all day, and I want to be with you tonight.”

“And I’m tired. I tended to the babies all day. I’ve been poked, prodded, and wearing caked-on spit-up. All I want to do is bathe and sleep.”

Adam cupped her cheek. She peered into his eyes, which were soft and full of sympathy—a welcome change to receive it rather than to show the fondness she held for Adam.

“Of course, my darling. Do what you have to. I’ll tend to the babes and put them down for their evening nap.”

She patted Adam’s hand, which was still on her cheek.

“Thank you, Adam. This means so much.”

“Certainly! After all, you need a break. I will have Aset help me.”

“Aset has been helping me all day, too. She’s also tired.”

“I’m sure she won’t mind a few more minutes.”

Adam walked off before Lilith could say anything more. She knew Yudi made her for Adam as his perfect match, but there were times, especially now, when Lilith felt that was so far from the truth. Lilith knew she couldn’t put it off anymore. She had to talk to Yudi.

#

“I don’t understand it, Yudi. You made me from the same earth as you did him, and he views me as an object he possesses.”

“Perhaps he needs more time to understand what you are asking of him?”

“Yudi, if I am the same—if I am his equal—then I deserve a respite from my babies once he returns from a hunt. I require sleep as much as he does, but he seems to think hunting is more tiring than caring for helpless, small beings. The children are ours, yet he has nothing to do with them. He claims I am the one you created to care for them because I produce milk. That’s not a good enough reason to have me up all day caring for the babies and then all night caring for him.”

The words spit from her like a waterfall as Yudi listened to her plight with softening eyes.

“Also, even if I wanted him to hold the babies so I could take a well-deserved nap, his touch is far too rough. His touch is very brutish sometimes.”

“I can talk to him, Lilith. Part of the reason I made you both from the soil is so you’d be equals. I believe you can work this out if you’d explain your concerns to him.”

“I’ve tried, but every time I say something, there’s a look of defeat on his face. It pains me to know I’m the one putting it there.”

“I’m sure there are times he feels bad for hurting you, too.”

Lilith let out a long breath.

“Yes, he does—hence the sense of defeat in his eyes. I’ll try to talk with him again.”

“It will get better,” Yudi said as he placed his palms on her shoulders. “By the way? Why are you covered up?”

Lilith hunched over.

“I don’t like how he looks at my naked body when he returns from hunting. It’s as if he wants to ravish me the instance he pulls me into his arms. It makes me uncomfortable sometimes—I mean—not all the time. I’m glad he finds me desirable, but his needs are overly domineering. Especially on lengthy hunting excursions.”

“I understand. I will talk to Adam about that as well. This is paradise, after all. He shouldn’t take long to hunt since the game and fruits are plentiful.”

“Thank you, Yudi.”

#

She watched behind a nearby boulder as Yudi put Adam to sleep and opened Adam’s chest. Yudi then fashioned another woman from Adam’s rib.

Lilith hadn’t been gone that long—just half a day. Sure, she had gotten into a fight with Adam and stormed off, but that didn’t mean Yudi had to make Adam another lover! Why would Adam do this? Why would he think our companionship was over? It made no sense!

She pressed a hand to her heavy chest. It felt like the boulder she’d been hiding behind was lying squarely on it. Not only was it hard to breathe, but her heart seemed to leap from her chest. Tears pricked her eyes and became a steady stream, and she didn’t want to stop them from falling. It wasn’t until she was sobbing uncontrollably that she noticed Yudi was in front of her.

“Why would he do this to me? Why has he fallen out of love so quickly with me?”

Yudi placed a firm but gentle hand on Lilith’s shoulder.

“I’m sorry, Lilith. I’m so, so sorry.”

“Why doesn’t he love me enough to work through this issue?”

“Lilith, I don’t know how to put this delicately. I’m a god who is devoid of human emotions. All I can say is he chose Eve instead of you because she is just as human as he is.”

Lilith sucked in an uncontrolled breath and looked into Yudi’s dark brown eyes to search for the answer he was trying to provide her with. Unfortunately, she came up as empty as her chest cavity was now that Adam had broken her heart.

“I don’t understand.”

“Lilith, you aren’t human. You are a goddess. I didn’t realize it until you ran away from Eden.”

“I wasn’t gone that long! I just needed to think, so I kept walking. Once I realized I was on the earth plane, I turned around and came home. So, what are you talking about?”

“When you left Eden and kept running, you ran from the earth plane into the Underworld, another realm of existence. Only gods and goddesses can walk between realms or planes. It should have made sense to me before. You should have been compatible with Adam. Loved him so much you’d listen to every need of his and neglect your own. Do not blame yourself or Adam for this breakup. Blame me if you have to. Once I gave you the power of unconditional love, I unknowingly made you into a goddess. Your babies will be born demigods. Therefore, they cannot stay in Eden. Demigods cannot look after Adam and Eve’s human children. I will make your babies become witches since they will be immortal like Aset and Djet. All will stay in the Underworld for now.”

“You can’t do that!.” She didn’t mean for the words to come out as a command, which was why her next came out as a whisper. “Don’t punish them for your mistakes.”

“I can and I will! Your children don’t belong with humans because they’re unnatural! So if you wish, you may be with them in the Underworld.”

Yudi’s brown eyes darkened to black coals as he spat out the words, and Lilith couldn’t understand why.

“But we did nothing wrong! Why can’t you just let us be?”

“Lilith!” He let out a breath and raked his face with his hand before continuing to speak. “This is the best I can do until we sort everything out. Please go to the Underworld and take Djet and Aset with you. I know they aren’t your children by birth, but I had made them with you in mind to help you.”

“When can I see my babies?”

“Eve will take care of them for now. As I’ve said, I need time to sort this out.”

“But they are my babies!”

“Yes, but they are also Adam’s, and I won’t deny him the right to see his children any more than I’d deny that right to you.”

“But you are letting Eve take care of them? How is that fair?”

“Lilith, I admit this is a mess I didn’t foresee. Please give me some time to fix it. You’ll have Aset and Djet with you, and I’m placing you in charge of creating the seven planes. That should keep you busy until I sort everything out.”