The Grigori

And they met there for many evenings after and Hamaliel told Selah of the wonders of this world and the glories of heaven and she seemed happy for the first time since he had known her.

But Selah’s heart was as unsettled as her father’s and she longed for all that this world and the heavens could offer. Hamaliel, driven by love, guilt and curiosity, continued to meet with Selah in secret not knowing that love was a blind and shallow pit that fools often fell into. On the anniversary of her eighteenth year, Hamaliel brought her harmony from the celestial choir and she kissed him to show him her great gratitude. Nothing on heaven or earth could have prepared him for the super-natural physical response that he experienced and he came into her and they made love on Mount Cyrese until the morning.

At daybreak, Selah rushed away realizing the gravity of her actions, for by now, even humans had started to hear of the terrible stories of women who had given birth to the children of the Grigori. They had both let their emotions get the best of them and all of heaven and earth would sit in judgment.

It wasn’t long before Rhue realized that Selah was with child. "Who is he?" Rhue questioned frantically, not wanting to bring any more shame on her name. At first, Selah was evasive and in her youth thought mere words could mask the truth, but time revealed her dishonesty.

"Mother, he tricked me. He tricked me as the Grigori have been tricking all the young girls," Selah lied. Selah stopped going to Mount Cyrese leaving Hamaliel alone, confused and hurt. He still went there every day hoping that she would come, but she did not. He watched attentively as she walked about getting larger and larger with child. Hamaliel had begun to neglect his other duties and was beginning to receive negative attention from some of the more senior celestial hosts.

Sumak went to warn him first, "Why Hamaliel? Why?"

"I did not mean for this to happen," hoping that she would understand, but Sumak was solemn and unforgiving. Hamaliel had terribly embarrassed them both.

"They will come to destroy you. Perhaps your record may save you, but it is doubtful." She warned. "It is an abomination. They will come to destroy you and they will leave Selah cursed for the rest of the days on this earth. She will be banished from her home and forced to wander about the vast lands." Her words fell on Hamaliel like a heavy stone and he found it hard to breath.

"What shall I do?" he begged and she looked at him with tears in her eyes and the heavens gave up a magnificent rainstorm even though the sun continued to shine.

They sat soaked in silence for several seconds before Sumak gave Hamaliel a kiss on the forehead and vanished. Hamaliel noticed that she had left a small satchel that appeared to have been filled with stones. He snatched it up and prepared to open it when suddenly the skies cracked open. Hamaliel knew instantly that his judgment day had come. He grabbed Sumak’s small sack and fled. Being a Grigori, he knew the earth’s hills and valleys better than humans or angels.

Hamaliel’s exodus came just as Selah was about to give birth and the sharp staccato in the universal song made it obvious to him that the time had come. Selah’s labor was an extraordinary event. The old midwife, Krel, attended Selah as she had her mother before her and her mother before her.