“Exactly. Adam and Eve is what got put into the Bible and the Talmud and all the other religious literature. But there is a hidden truth that the Christian and Jewish hierarchy did not want people to know.

“Where the Christian God always fails is when he tries to take away the free will of his creations. It happened before the Garden. It happened in the Garden. And it happened for hundreds of years while he constantly fucked around with his ‘chosen people.'" Her Lips twitched in a small, mirthless smile. "Sometimes I think the entire crucifiction and resurrection was his way of giving up on humanity."

Rachel blinked, completely confused. "I don't understand."

Althea nodded.

“I'm sorry. I got a little carried away." She took a deep breath.

“My mother was Lilith, who was the first wife of Adam. God created them out of the same clay, breathed the same breath of life into their Lungs. Then he ordered Lilith to submit to Adam. To take his orders. To be his inferior." Her eyes filled with fierce pride. "She refused. For that, she was cast out of the Garden."

"So she died, right? With no one else there. No, that doesn't make any sense," Rachel said. She frowned. "You said you're her daughter. How can you be, when there were no other men besides Adam? Did Lilith wait until some of Adam's sons grew up?"

Althea nodded, though not in agreement.

“You're quick, child. I'll give you that. But I have to correct one thing. There were lots of other men around."

“But...”

“But Adam was the first man, right? According to Christian and Jewish myth, sure. But all the myths are true. Not just the Christian one. I can't explain it," she said to Rachel's confused look. "You just have to accept it. Christian myth is true. But so is the Norse myth of Ask and Embla, the first man and first woman, who were created from a pair of trees. And so is the Greek myth of how Prometheus shaped men and women out of mud, and Athena breathed life into them. And the Hindu myths. And the myths of the First Peoples of the Americas." She held out her hands, her fingers spread wide.

“It's like a river, where many tributaries combine to form one stream. There may be some ultimate truth behind all of them. I don't know. What I do know is that the world was created and mankind made flesh. So my mother had plenty of company when she was cast out of the Garden.”

“And your father?"

“Not human," she said, seeming just a tiny bit proud of that fact. "If he had been, I would have been dust thousands of years ago.

“Have you ever heard of the War in Heaven?"

Rachel shook her head numbly.

“It happened among the angels, whom God had created. There were some who had little love for mankind. They rebelled against God, seeking to overthrow him. To take the stewardship of his creation for themselves.

They wanted men to be their slaves. Or worse.

“They Lost. And the punishment for their rebellion was terrible. They were cast into Hell and we now know them as demons."

“So one of those...evil angels was your father?" Rachel shrank away in fear.