Chapter Text
Just think how just the phrase "I love you" can turn your mind, make your heart beat faster, completely change you and your life. Divide it into two time periods: before and after. It is very important to say or hear these words in time. Or it will be too late later.
It's been a long time since Lilith and Zelda had a fight in the woods. Many tears were shed. Not a few nights were sleepless. Zelda continued to look after Lady Blackwood, while Lilith continued to teach at the mortal school. No matter how much they tried not to show it, they couldn't. Or it was bad.
The more they pushed each other away, the more they became attached, and they were drawn to each other. It was impossible to ignore. Lilith tried to get in contact with Zelda. She called her every day, hoping to hear a voice that was painfully familiar. She couldn't hope for more than that. But no one answered the phone. Lilith knew Zelda well, and she would soon calm down and they would be able to talk it over again. For now, all she could do was continue to monitor her and her family with mirror magic. Lilith could spend the whole day at the mirror, watching only one Zelda. It was even calmer this way. But the desire to touch only grew stronger every day. As November drew to a close, the demoness broke down and came to the Spellman house. Knocking softly on the door, she could only hope to exchange a few words with Zelda. But to her misfortune, Hilda opened the door.
"Hilda!", Lilith started to exclaim, but was only met with a suspicious look instead of a greeting.
Hilda started to close the door, but Lilith quickly realized and put her foot in the doorway before the door closed.
"Hilda, let me discuss this with your sister! It doesn't take a lot of time!"
Hilda looked at the blue, full of hope, eyes opposite. You don't have to be a witch to see the desperation in a person's eyes. But the blonde Spellman remembered her sister's instructions perfectly.
"I'm afraid I can't help you", she sighed languidly.
"But listen...", before Lilith could finish, the door slammed in her face.
Lilith swore under her breath and slammed her fist down on the door, pressing her head against it as if she wanted to snuggle up to the red-haired witch. But she came to her senses when she heard the familiar click of heels coming toward her. The body immediately ran warm and in the abdomen pleasantly fluttered in anticipation of the meeting.
"Zelda!", Lilith exclaimed, and turned her gaze to Zelda's beautiful black-lace robe. She looked as beautiful as ever.
"It's too late for guests now. Why did you come?", Zelda replied rather coldly and indifferently, as if a stranger were standing in front of her. Zelda didn't seem to care. But this is not the case. Deep down, she still loved Lilith. But it brought her unbearable pain. She could have forgiven her, but her inner voice wouldn't let her. Her heart wanted to do the opposite: hold the repentant demoness to herself and never let her go again. But Zelda had already suffered too much for her.
"We need to talk."
"I think you'd better go. I didn't wa…"
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!", it came from the second floor. The scream was so loud that it made Zelda worry and forget about Lilith's presence here. Zelda recognizes that cry out of a thousand. It was Sabrina. Something bad has happened! Zelda ran up the stairs and came face to face with Hilda.
"What's wrong, Hilda?"
"I thought you knew."
Then Sabrina came running out of the room, all nervous.
"What is the matter?", Hilda and Zelda asked in unison.
"When I solved the puzzle, the Acheron Configuration, it set a demon free, and now it is loose!"
"What kind of demon?"
"I don't know! A demon- demon. A scary demon!", Sabrina's voice trembled.
"Calm down! If the entity came out of the Archeron Configuration, it can be put back into the Configuration! Where's it?
"I mast have left it in my room."
"SPELLMANS!", Sabrina's voice came from her room.
"Follow me! Quickly! Quickly! Downstairs!", Zelda ordered,
and now the three of them were walking quickly down the stairs.
"Sabrina, what the devil is going on ?", Ambrose came out of his room, putting down his reading.
"Not the devil, Ambrose, a demon! In the house!"
"SPELLMANS! You're his family, aren't you? My captor's kin. You smell like Spellmans!", the demon hissed with hatred.
Zelda started to step forward, but then she felt a gentle arm around her from behind. It was Lilith. She managed to get into Sabrina's bedroom and get the damn configuration out of there.
"Trust me, Zelda " , she whispered in her ear, passed the configuration to her, and soon appeared behind Zelda in front of the evil spirits that Sabrina had foolishly let out.
"Batibat, is that you?"
"Who else are you? You're not a Spellman!"
"You know me, Batibat."
"Oh, Batibat," Hilda said, holding Sabrina close.
"Who is it, aunt Hilda?", Sabrina asked.
"Batibat is the demon of nightmares. If she puts us all to sleep, we're all dead"
"Mother of demons?"
"That is right."
"You abandoned me, Mother! You left me to rot inside the Configuration!"
"Yes, but listen to me now you! You will not lay a finger on any of them,and only then will I move you to a more suitable place where you will like it."
"Or what?"
Lilith turned her gaze to Zelda, who was very agitated right now, but she didn't show it outwardly. Lilith held two hands out in front of her and shouted an incantation in Latin,"Turpis et infernis in terris pariunt adiuro vos tamen hoc graecas munus!"
Zelda joined Lilith, and together they imprisoned the rotting Batibat back in the puzzle. Everyone stood in stunned silence and looked at Lilith, then at Zelda. Lilith, on the other hand, looked only at Zelda. Hilda, thinking it best to let them talk in private, led Ambrose and Sabrina out of the hall.
***
Hilda went up to Sabrina's bedroom and decided to spend a little more time with her niece to make sure she was all right and could sleep. Covering Sabrina with the blanket, Hilda sat down on the edge of the bed and kissed Sabrina gently on the forehead, just like she always did when she was a child.
"You scared Zelda and me, honey."
"I didn't want it to happen."
"I know. But in the future, to prevent this from happening again, promise me that you will not touch anything without our knowledge! It can be very dangerous!"
"Yes, I promise! I hope aunt Zee won't be too mad at me for this."
"She's not mad at you, dear. And I'm not mad. We're just worried about you. You must understand us."
"Of course. I do."
"Where did you get this Configuration , by the way?"
"I got it in the Academy. Father Blackwood gave me this."
"Well. I hope you didn't take anything else from him?"
"No, but I recently found some unusual book in our house. I thought it would help me solve the Acheron Configuration but I was wrong. There's nothing there at all."
"What book was that? Show it to me."
When Hilda opened the book, there was really nothing there. But only an experienced witch can understand that this was not the case. A spell was placed on the book, allowing only the owner to see what was written there. It was the highest magic, the highest degree of protection. Hilda ran her hand over the black leather binding and found a faint mark. Perhaps if she find out who it belongs to, Hilda will be able to find out more about what secrets this book may hide.
"I'd rather take this book from you. There might be something dangerous in there. But okay, everything went well today, although we were all very nervous. Can I bring you a сup of tea?"
"How can I refuse? Of course I will, aunt."
Hilda nodded happily and went into the kitchen. When she went downstairs, she saw Zelda and Lilith sitting in the living room, and she went quietly into the kitchen without being noticed. After making Sabrina a fragrant hot tea, Hilda searched through various books for a similar label to the one on the cover of the mysterious book.
"Wicked Satan! What is it?", she asked when she saw that the mark was Lilith's.
***
When everyone finally left,Zelda and Lilith stayed in the living room. And after a few minutes of silence (although Lilith could have waited longer, it was not important to her, it was even a pleasure to be silent), Zelda decided to start the conversation first.
"Thank you for saving us. I hate to think what might have happened if it wasn't for you."
"You're just very lucky to have me around. And if you let me, I can continue to protect your family. You have no idea how much I've missed you, Zelds."
"I'm very tired today, Lilith."
" Do you want me to stay?"
" Yes, please. I don't want to be alone."
"You're not alone."
Zelda pulled Lilith to her and wrapped her arms around her body, snuggling tight. You could hear the heartbeat, and the languid exhalations, inhale the spicy scent of her perfume, which had not changed at all since their first meeting. It was as if they had been plunged back into the past. It was as if the long time they had been apart had never happened.
The book Hilda found really belonged to Lilith. It was her diary. Lilith used to write about the events of history in her diary, but now she only writes about one story. About their story with Zelda. A love story. Where the first page spread was written in beautiful handwriting "With love, Lilith".