Whispers at Witching Hour

Chapter 73

Musical inspiration: Which Witch – Florence + The Machine

With every movement of their lips, Zelda felt herself being pulled deeper into the world of Mambo Marie, into her magic. She was slowly losing control, feeling drunk on whatever Marie was providing, needing more.

Her hand wandered from Marie's cheek down her neck to her cleavage, brushing softly lower and lower. She suddenly felt such a need to touch the priestess, as if of magnetic force. At the same time, she wanted to be touched by her, subconsciously expecting healing powers seeping from her soft skin. She abandoned Marie's chest, kept kissing her and reached for her hand to guide it between her own legs, but Marie pulled back.

She broke the kiss but kept caressing Zelda's cheek, looking at her affectionately. "Non, Non, ma chérie. Your sanctum belongs to someone else. I'm only here to kiss you better."

Zelda looked at her, puzzled, and slowly becoming aware of what she had done. Her eyes watered but she tried to tell herself it was a heartbreak for a heartbreak. They were even now.

Marie pressed a soft kiss to Zelda's forehead as she rose from her seat and headed for the door. In the frame, she stopped.

"You should go home now; to your family. Good night, Zelda."

Zelda looked after her, smiling with a mix of sadness and calmness through her blurred vision. Marie was right, she should go home now.

~

Lilith started preparing Sabrina for her coronation, feeling a bit humiliated by how the Dark Lord had diminished her as if she were some simple chambermaid when she had been the one dealing with hell's business all the time while Sabrina had been away playing with her mortal chums.

She had not wanted to leave Zelda like this, she knew she was needed there, but what other options did she have? Especially since Zelda was glad Sabrina had someone to look out for her in hell and admittedly, Lilith had started to care for the girl's safety as well since they had been spending quite some time together.

"You are the glory and pride of Satan. The face of the Hell-bound hordes", Lilith stated, covering her face with make-up.

Sabrina remained silent, feeling more excitement than she could bear, but also a certain amount of apprehensiveness. She was now a Morningstar while the other Sabrina could go back home to her aunties...

She thought about the still unresolved mystery of her aunt's relationship with Lilith and what the thing about the baby meant for that. Did her aunt know about it? Or was she the only one? If so, should she tell her?

"Lilith?"

"Yes, Sabrina?" Lilith bit her lip in concentration, trying to get the eyeliner right.

"So, you're pregnant, right? What about auntie Zee?"

Lilith retreated from Sabrina, interrupting her task to sit down on a nearby chair.

"You really won't let this go, huh?"

Sabrina grinned cheekily and nodded. "You know me, Lil."

"Unfortunately, I do, my little flame", she leaned onto her forearms on her thighs and folded her hands, "See Sabrina, your aunt wanted to wait until things were a bit more... calm. Yes, she knows about the baby, I actually just told her a few hours ago. Didn't go too well..."

Sabrina searched her face concernedly, not liking the tone of her fairy-godmother's voice one bit. "Why? What happened?"

Lilith felt she was overstepping a line, it was their private business but at the same time, it felt good to talk to someone about it. She had kept quiet for Zelda's sake for so long...

"Nothing for you to worry about, my dear. We'll work it out. Now, you have far bigger things to prepare for."

Lilith swatted her thighs and got up to continue her work. They did not talk much after that, both having their respective train of thoughts to mull over. Sabrina grew more nervous, which Lilith noticed getting her all worried for the girl.

When the preparations were in their final stages, Lilith's mark started to itch, causing her to repeatedly rub the spot. It got worse; to the point she could hardly focus on the task ahead. Automatically, she jumped to the conclusion that Zelda was unwell, making it painful for her to not rush to her side immediately. It did not even come to her mind the mark's reaction could be to something other than distress...

She had to push through the discomfort as the ceremony was about to begin and she was needed here just as much. The Dark Lord could not be trusted, even if she was his daughter. Sabrina was shaking slightly and had a few troubles with the heels as she was usually wearing flats.

So, Lilith silently took her hand and they walked to the door side by side where they then stopped.

"I'll have to go now. This path you'll have to walk alone I'm afraid, but I'll wait for you at the end, with your father."

"Can't you walk with me?"

Lilith chuckled warmly with a tiny tear nesting in the corner of her eye. "No, you're the Queen. This is your moment and yours alone."

She would be lying if she said it did not hurt; a sixteen-year-old half mortal witch would get to be Queen of Hell in her place, but strangely she felt... proud. Proud of her little flame, proud of what she – they – had accomplished together. Her time to shine would come soon enough. This truly was Sabrina's moment.

"Lil? I'm sorry you were denied your crown."

Lilith's heart jumped with a sudden spark of emotion. Though it did not change anything, she appreciated Sabrina's words, smiled gently, and pressed a small kiss to the girl's forehead, careful not to smudge her make-up.

~

Hilda, Ambrose, and Zelda were sitting at the kitchen table, all bothered by the lack of a certain cheerful and bubbly presence in the house. Zelda was lost in her thoughts, smoking, and trying to process her actions. She knew it had been wrong to kiss Mambo Marie, but at the same time it had felt so comforting she honestly considered doing it again at a given time.

Lilith's betrayal sat deep, but Marie had been right, she still loved her and would never give her up no matter how good of a kisser the voodoo priestess was. Also, witches had always been polyamorous, so where was the problem? Her heart belonged to Lilith, and she wanted a life with her they could not have; at least not how things were right now. What were a few comfort kisses in comparison?

Then Sabrina surprisingly appeared in the kitchen, acting as if she had not just left to reign hell.

"Aunt Zee, do you really think I'd miss a family dinner?"

"Sabrina, what are you doing here?", Zelda exclaimed in a serious tone, yet unable to hide her joy about seeing her niece.

"What about your responsibilities in Hell?", Ambrose added skeptically.

Sabrina went on to explain her questionable decision to leave hell on its own, staring into disbelieving faces that did not buy the whole deal could be this easy.

"Oh, besides, all our business with Hell is done. It's not like we'll be crossing paths with those guys again, right?"

Sabrina tried hard not to smirk at her aunt Zelda thinking about her and Lilith's relations. The oldest Spellman was not convinced by her niece's speech and unsure about where this was going; her narrowed eyebrows pointing that out.

"Oh, Lucifer, Lilith, Caliban, who needs them?"

Zelda felt called out by her niece's remark, swallowing hard. I do.