Black Magic Women

100

Zelda and Mary walked down the stairs, their hands intertwined. Zelda could feel Mary's hesitation through their bond and squeezed her hand reassuringly. She hated feeling powerless in any situation, so not being able to help her beloved was tormenting her all the more.

I am right here. By your side.

Mary smiled at Zelda shyly and squeezed her hand back. The brunette was thankful for how strong Zelda was for both of them. Despite her having taken the greater damage from their most recent encounter with Mary's past, the ginger witch stood up for them and made Mary believe in herself when she had long given up on her place in this world.

They could hear the chatter coming from the kitchen, where Hilda and the rest of their family were probably eating whatever meal of the day Hilda had magically conjured up. It was a miracle to both of them how Hilda was still in a state of mind, where she could keep her family fed.

The nearer they came to the door of the kitchen, the greater the distance seemed to Mary. She could feel her feet become heavier and the steps become harder with each time she lifted a foot. Her legs were shaking underneath her wobbly form and she came to a sudden halt, deciding the distance between the door and herself was far too great.

Zelda hadn't caught the sudden drop in Mary's mixed emotions and signals. The brunette had been all over the place, her feelings and emotions bubbling out of her mind and washing over Zelda with an intensity that almost made her want to block Mary out, but she knew she couldn't and didn't want to do that.

Yet it was too much for her to spot the small little voice inside of Mary's head that was screaming at her to stop and turn around and so she kept walking when Mary didn't until their hands were nearly forced to separate.

Her head whipped around and her ginger curls followed its sudden movement, smooth like a curtain made from the finest of silks. She looked at her lover, alarmed and searching for any confirmation that something wasn't right but all she found on her haunted face was a sheer form of terror and apprehension from what stood before them.

Zelda knew that Mary was insecure about her place in the family; had been ever since they made their surprise announcement, or more or less had been caught by members of her families until they could no longer deny that there was something, far stronger than just a casual fling, going on between them, but she hadn't known just how much it troubled the woman.

Of course, she had just told her about her conversation with Ambrose and Hilda, but she seemed relieved, almost at peace with it, when she had finished talking about it, so Zelda hadn't taken it as seriously as she maybe should have. Now the reality of what Mary had been telling her was catching up with Zelda far quicker than the ginger would have liked.

Do you want to go upstairs? I can just go in, grab a plate of food and come right back up. You won't even notice that I am gone until I slide right back underneath the blanket with you.

No, we - I - need to do this... together.

Are you sure?

Zelda looked at Mary, unsure of what to do. She didn't want her to feel like she was obliged to join them for dinner. She could feel the brunette shutting her out, finding it hard to read her emotions. What had been an overflow of information on Mary's part had now turned it a deafening silence between them and when Zelda tried to enter her mind, she was outright refused entry.

All she could go off on was the terrified look of pure panic on her face and the way her legs didn't seem up to the task of holding her upright. How vulnerable and fragile she looked, made Zelda almost carry her right back up the stairs and force her to stay inside of their room until she had come back with some food for the both of them, but there was the smallest bit of determination on Mary's face that made her hesitate.