Whispers at Witching Hour

Chapter 98

Musical inspiration: Everything I Wanted – Billie Eilish

"But I have to say my goodbyes to Auntie Lily!", Sabrina argued insistently, "Despite, Adam is my brother!"

Zelda took a step forward and put her cigarette down to her side while hissing, "Half-brother. And goodbyes won't be necessary. You're not dying, you're merging."

Sabrina would not have any of it, especially since she could not understand why her aunt was being so harsh about Lilith after having seen her be all cute and cozy with the demoness not long ago.

"Why are you so pig-headed, aunt Zee?"

Zelda's jaw dropped, not believing her niece had the nerve to say something like that to her. "I beg your pardon?!"

Sabrina resisted her intimidating stare and returned it with just as much fire. "Nope." She was her mother's daughter, after all.

To Sabrina's surprise, Zelda was the one to break eye-contact first, backing away from the challenge which was highly unlike her strong-willed aunt.

"I told you Lilith wasn't feeling too well, and she's potentially dangerous so I don't want you anywhere near her until she's back to her old self!"

"Isolating an 'unwell' new mother from people who love and support her?! That's bizarre, Aunt Zee, even for you!"

Sabrina would not let her aunt get away this easily, she wanted to see Lilith and her brother and was even more confused by all the adults around acting strange ever since the proposal. They had not let her see the two from there on and it was beyond her comprehension why they would do that.

She watched her aunts face contort as if she was about to break down crying for a fraction of a second; if she had not eyed her as she was doing, she would not have noticed. Then she turned around, tapping her cigarette, saying, "Call me what you want, I won't change my mind. The master bedroom is off limits for you!"

She left Sabrina standing in the middle of the main hall as she was off, going Hecate-knows where. Zelda should have known her niece would not obey, and any other day, she would have taken precautions but not today.

It was almost too easy, Sabrina thought as she knocked on the bedroom door. Nothing came back from inside, so she pushed the door open with care, finding a dark room with closed curtains and extinguished infinity candles, meaning the demoness had put them out herself.

"Auntie Lilith?", Sabrina called into the dark, some silhouettes emerging from the background as her eyes were adjusting.

In response to her call, she perceived a startled shuffling coming somewhere from the direction of the bed, but lower, accompanied by a chopped whimper. Sabrina took a few steps further into the room until she could make out a figure she identified as Lilith on the floor at the end of the bed.

A pale face, curtained with messy chestnut curls, met her and Sabrina frowned discovering the state of her favourite fairy godmother, who had a bundle of blankets cradled in her arms, her baby-brother supposedly.

"Sabrina?", the weak figure finally said.

"Yes, it's me", Sabrina confirmed, sitting down beside the demoness, surrounded by piles of clothes and other baby-related necessities. It was no wonder the room had taken on an unpleasant smell, except for a nuance of burnt flesh Sabrina could not quite figure out.

"Why've you been crying, Lily?"

Lilith wiggled a bit to shake some hair out of the way and get herself into a more composed posture, putting on a smile for her niece.