Whispers at Witching Hour

Chapter 87*

Musical inspiration: Run Me Like A River – Chloe Crimson

The first morning after Hilda's wedding was not that much different because, relying on her wisdom, Hilda had thought as far as to prepare everything Zelda would need in the morning the night before. That would do for one day, but she already feared what would happen the next ones. Hopefully, Sabrina and Ambrose would remember her instructions and keep Zelda going.

They were all sitting at the breakfast table: Zelda, Lilith, Sabrina and Ambrose. And one empty chair everyone would stare at when they thought nobody was looking. Given the still tense relationship between Ambrose and Lilith, Hilda would always be the one to distract them with her cheerful babbling, gently pushing them into talking to each other – even if it was just small talk. But now it was awfully silent apart from chewing sounds and clanking cutlery.

Zelda's eyes were tied to her newspaper, Sabrina's outside the window and Ambrose's to his food until Lilith could not bear the suffocating silence anymore and decided to make some small talk.

"So, how did Hilda like my present?", she asked around the table, plastering a forced smile on her face.

Ambrose pretended he had not heard her, Zelda glanced at her from the corner of her eyes communicating something along the lines of "You know it's useless", but at least her little flame had the decency to give her a friendly face.

"Oh, she loved it! You should've seen her face when she unwrapped it!", Sabrina told her in her usual upbeat manner.

Zelda lowered her newspaper, now interested in participating in the conversation but still wearing her reserved expression. "Yes, I'd like to know where on earth you got that idea from! And you didn't even tell me, I thought you just got her a new frying pan or something!"

"Well, you know me, Zee, full of surprises", her hand caught Zelda's that was hovering just slightly above the edge of the table, and she was amazed when Zelda did not shake her off, "And there's nothing better than a good old pet imp to entertain yourself."

"While that might be true, they can also cause a significant amount of chaos and destruction", Zelda noted, giving Lilith a reproving look before tending to her newspaper again, raising her chin.

"Hashtag old married couple", Sabrina mused, noticing Lilith's and Zelda's entwined hands on the table, partly hidden behind the newspaper.

It was Lilith this time who gave her a warning look, asking her not to push her aunt too much – and to everyone's surprise, Sabrina obeyed.

The girl thought it best to change the topic slightly to avoid creating more tension. "But she was sad you couldn't make it..."

"Me too", Lilith sighed, "But as it turned out I was in fact needed in hell..."

"Totally! Lilith saved the day again – or at least played a part in it", Sabrina turned to her cousin, "Ambrose, Lilith helped us seal the yellow room to trap the Uninvited!"

"She did?", he asked disbelievingly.

"You bet. Our powers would never have been sufficient without her! Don't you think you have it in your heart to give her the benefit of the doubt?"

Sabrina batted her eyes at Ambrose, her lips forming a pout in an attempt to get her cousin to drop his act. His body language did not change a lot and Sabrina was losing hope when his gaze settled on his food again. But then he mumbled something.

"I admit she was helpful more than once."

Sabrina and Lilith smiled at each other and even Zelda could not keep the corner of her mouth from quirking up for the fraction of a second.