The Grigori

On the other hand, some are quite beautiful, even by heavenly standards and possessed of extraordinary gifts that were not meant for mere humans."

"Well you do know that if I knew anything about it I would communicate it immediately?" Hamaliel asked.

"I suppose. But I am telling you to steer clear of the troublemakers. The Seraphim aren’t pleased and the Angels will use this to prove that the Grigori were wrong for the job from the beginning," Sumak stated.

It began to rain and the gravity of Sumak’s words fell on Hamaliel as did her warm summer’s rain. Sumak rose and kissed Hamaliel’s forehead. She assumed her supernatural form and floated gracefully back to the heavens.

Hamaliel considered her words and made a note to keep his eye out for any suspicious activity from his Grigori brethren. The summer left as it had for several seasons before and as Sumak had promised the fall season brought heavy rains that washed away Chet’s fall harvest. By winter, Rhue was ready to give birth. Cold winter winds heralded the coming of a dreadful winter and new revelations for Chet for Rhue.

Hamaliel sat watch as Death walked about Rhue’s birthing bed. Some midwife’s had claimed to have seen Death, but Hamaliel knew that only celestial eyes could see Death’s ceremonial march at the moment when souls entered the earth. Rhue’s midwife, Krel, was a veteran, but even she was struggling to deliver Rhue’s breach baby. Chet sat anxiously awaiting fatherhood not realizing the peril that his wife and the child were facing. The labor was long and painful and the midwife nearly lost both Rhue and the baby. After several hours, the new young life fought her way past death and entered the world. Hamaliel saw Chet’s heart turn when he saw the infant. She did not carry his fair complexion. Krel knew too and they were all silent. Rhue pretended as if nothing were wrong, but in the early days when bloodlines were pure, parents expected to see their traits and their traits only in offspring. Anything else was heavily suspect. Under heavy suspicion, Rhue named the baby girl Selah after Chet’s mother.

Things were practically normal for the young family until one day Chet returned home early from trading and found the real father of Rhue’s baby at their door begging to see his child. Hamaliel felt a riff in the symphony when Chet’s heart broke that afternoon and although he attempted to whisper words of encouragement into Chet’s consciousness, Chet was resolute in his decision to leave Rhue and her child. He grabbed his things and headed off past Mount Cyrese before the sun set. Her suitor decided that he didn’t want to deal with the scandal of being with a married woman and Rhue was left to raise the girl child alone. Selah was as dark as her father and nearly as dark as Hamaliel and as beautiful as any that earth had seen. Hamaliel was taken with her since her birth and had secretly and silently helped Rhue and Selah through their first winter without Chet, and for many seasons after that.

As a young woman, Selah often went to the top of Mount Cyrese and looked into the sunset wondering what had become of her father. Hamaliel sat silently and invisibly beside her and shared her pain as she longed for the comfort that only a father could provide. None of his attempts to bring her peace seemed to help so on a bright day when leaves were falling and the seasons were changing, Hamaliel showed himself to her. As their eyes met, Hamaliel experienced a feeling greater than any that he had ever known - greater even than that of listening to the celestial choir.