Let It Slip

Part XIII

Zelda had known from the moment she decided to contact Baron Samedi that there would be a price to pay but she had always assumed that offering her own life would be a sufficient sacrifice. Now, faced with Lilith's ultimatum, she realized how naive she had been to think that her life would be enough to satiate the ravenous appetite for wickedness that prevailed in Hell and places like it. Looking down at the weapon she held, her fingers traced the tip of the blade and a thin red line appeared. Quickly thrusting the wound into her mouth, the taste of iron dull on her tongue, she was reminded of her mortality as it throbbed gently between her teeth.

"I...." Zelda looked up at Lilith, high above her perched on Hell's throne, "I am nothing but a mortal now, Lilith. I don't know if I would live up to your expectations."

Lilith admired the way the chiffon floated gracefully against Zelda's frame whenever she moved slightly and she curled a finger at the woman, "Come to me."

While Zelda wasn't used to obeying brusk commands, she was in Lilith's domain and she had no power here. She felt both helpless and intrigued at what it would be like to release her fate into the hands of the very First Witch. Arching her brow and holding Lilith's gaze, she used the butt end of the Bec de Corbin to herald her ascension to the throne, with each deliberate tap that echoed through the throne room she expressed to Lilith that she would do her bidding. As she settled just before the Queen of Hell, Zelda felt compelled to sweep her right foot behind her and dip into a shallow curtsey before straightening back up.

Biting the inside of her cheeks to keep from smiling as she watched Zelda move towards her with grace and authority, the once leader was now being led and the curtsey finish was the icing on Lilith's cake. Unable to stop herself, Lilith reached out and hooked her fingertips beneath the hem of Zelda's neckline, following it slowly downward as if attempting to smooth out any wrinkles, the back of her nails dragging sensuously against the redhead's supple skin. She watched as Zelda tensed when her fingers met with the point of the v between her breasts and both women took a breath.

"You will be granted powers...." Lilith's thumb slid over the chiffon as if she were feeling the fabric, the sensation electric against Zelda's skin, "...temporarily. If you succeed and I am pleased, perhaps I will allow you to keep them."

As Lilith's hand fell away from her chest, Zelda released the breath she'd been holding even as she leaned forward unconsciously wanting more of her touch. Deliberately placing the Bec de Corbin between herself and Lilith, curling her hands around it and widening her stance, Zelda made the decision - once again - to free fall into her new life. Her shoulders rolled back and her spine straightened with pride, relieved to know she would once again be able to wield her power and she would not take that opportunity for granted.

"As you wish...." Her brilliant emeralds held the intensity of Lilith's blues as she spoke with the calculated consideration of a chess player moving their pawns, "....my Queen."

Holding Zelda's gaze, Lilith smiled slightly at the title the woman bestowed upon her. Her right hand raised and a deft snap rang out; "There you are, once again the High Priestess of the Church of Lilith, but also the collector of souls for Hell. If you fail to do what you have agreed to, I will know and your powers will vanish, leaving you vulnerable. You may already be dead but you are not impervious to pain."

"Before I go...does the Group of Fifty include my sister?" Zelda held her breath.

Lilith studied the witch before her and narrowed her gaze, "No. As your sister, Hilda had just cause for coming here and wanting to rescue you. As family, I can forgive her disrespect and dismiss it as an emotionally impulsive assumption.... but I cannot ignore that an entire army of witches who had no business being here, came with the intention of waging war on me. That I will not allow."