Let It Slip

Part XX

Zelda handed Ambrose the note with a jubilant smile on her face, "So we wait for twenty-nine days, problem solved!"

Ambrose grimaced, folding the letter and putting it in the pocket of his billowing kimono, "I doubt it's that easy, Auntie. I haven't seen Samuel in three hundred years and his feelings for me were never reciprocated. To me, it was a little bit of fun - I was young and reckless. Not to mention, Samuel Mathers is mad. A stark raving lunatic. How else do you think he came up with the Order of the Golden Dawn? Why do you think he's kept up with my request after all these years? No sane person would pine for someone for hundreds of years!"

Zelda hadn't felt the desire to smoke since she'd landed in Hell, assuming it was a perk of having died, she now felt an overwhelming need for nicotine and realized with a soft snort that it was the stress of being with family that maintained her nasty habit. Moving quickly to a nearby cupboard, Zelda dug deep and found a stale pack of cigarettes, lighting one immediately as she began to pace.

"Ambrose, I'm sorry but fake it." Zelda Spellman was back, the sharp tone of her voice bringing a beaming smile to Hilda's face even as Ambrose looked miserable. "This is bigger than your ego - without his help, we are unlikely to find Alukah. Yes, the Archives are full of records and it's possible she's in there but it will take us months to work through all of those catalogues. Samuel is our Golden Ticket."

Ambrose opened his mouth to whine and Zelda quickly thrust her arm out, hushing him with a finger against his lips, "This is not up for discussion. Do you want to see Sabrina again?" Ambrose nodded, his lips pursed in a pout; "Do you want to save the world?" Again, Ambrose nodded, "Then you'll act like you are head over heels for the fool and get the information we need."

Ambrose tried to hide the smile but could not, "Yes, Auntie."

Hilda clapped her hands, "We have twenty-nine days to enjoy ourselves as a family, let's begin with a large dinner tomorrow night. Zelds, would you invite Lilith?"

Zelda was glad Hilda wasn't facing her so her sister missed the look of emotion that passed over the elder Spellman's face; gratitude and relief both mixed with the ache she felt any time she thought of the Queen of Hell. Feigning nonchalance, Zelda cleared her throat, "I will see if she's free...."

"Wonderful! What does she eat?" Hilda began pulling recipe books down from above the refrigerator.

"Err...." Zelda's eyes caught Ambrose's, "....men."

Hilda paused, her mouth falling open as Zelda hurriedly continued, "...I'm sure she'll be happy with whatever you decide to make, Hildy. Now, it's been a long few months and I just realized that I have the opportunity to rest my weary bones in my bed. Please excuse me?"

"Yes, yes sister, of course! You go on upstairs and rest. Ambrose and I will start cooking; we have so much to do we might be up all night!" Ambrose groaned and traded his kimono for an apron as Zelda took her cigarette to bed.

Walking intentionally through the Mortuary, the home she had thought she'd never see again, Zelda put one foot in front of the other slowly, wanting to savour this opportunity. When her hand curled around the banister, the memory of falling down the stairs rushed into her mind, making her shake. Choosing to hurry upstairs, fighting against the feeling that she would fall backwards, Zelda stopped at the top and glanced down. Seeing the outline of her own body, twisted and broken, Zelda felt bile rise in her throat and she spun away from the sight. It had only been a few short months but she couldn't imagine making the same choices now.

"Amazing what a little encouragement from the Queen of Hell does to a person's confidence..." Zelda muttered to herself as she turned the knob to her bedroom.