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Zelda found herself in her kitchen, shaking hands pouring a tumbler of scotch to aplacate her nerves. Her living room was full of students, the survivors of Faustus’ sickening ritual. Kids were all over her floors on makeshift beds, weeping and in shock.
Zelda tried to calm her anxiety, taking a deep breath that did nothing to untie the knot in the upper part of her stomach. She was gripping the counter harder than she should, the tips of her fingers going white.
When she finished the glass in one gulp and started to pour herself another one, the sound of steps startled her.
-”Hilda, I’m not in the mood. We’ll talk tomorrow. Please.”
A very different sweet voice answered instead.
-”Pardon me, Ms. Spellman, I had to check on my High Priestess, especially after the actions of the previous one.” - Lilith was leaning on the threshold, dark curls framing her tilted face, one ankle crossed over the other.
Zelda went pale.
-”Lilith… I apologise for my tone. I’m so sorry, your highness.”
The brunette smirked and approached the witch, swaying her hips.
-”Zelda, dear, I’d say we’re way past these formalities, wouldn’t you?” - Lilith leaned on the counter this time, her lower back hitting the wood. She crossed her arms and looked at Zelda drinking scotch.
-”May I?” - she signaled the glass on her hands.
-”Oh, of course.” - Zelda opened a cupboard and took an identical glass, filling it and giving it to the demoness.
-”We need to discuss how things are gonna go now, Zelda. I have a lot of thinking to do about ruling Hell and I bet so do you about the Church.”
Their conversation was interrupted by screams, some of the kids crying, one of them shouting in her sleep.
-”I’m sorry for the mess, it’s making me lose my mind.” - The redhead pinched the bridge of her nose and closed her eyes.
-”Let’s talk in a more private place, then.”
-”I’m afraid the only private place right now in this house is my room, my sister Hilda moved out so it’s just me. The rest of the mortuary is filled with weeping witches, as you can hear.”
Lilith smirked in understanding and waited for the witch, who grabbed the alcohol and started walking out of the kitchen.
They both went upstairs in silence, trying to ignore the murmurs of the kids. Zelda opened her bedroom door and held it for Lilith, who went inside and sat on the right side of the bed, taking off her high heels in an elegant manner and resting her legs on top of the unmade bed. Zelda gave her her glass and took the chair from her vanity, turning it around and sitting next to Lilith.
-”So, Zelda, how do you plan to rebuild my Church? Because for what I can see it’s just a bunch of kids left, dear.” - Lilith masked her worry taking a sip of the liquid, the pleasant burning of her throat reminding her of Hell.
The witch sighed, measuring her words.
-”We will change many things, we will have to rewrite the manifesto, it’s hard work but I’m sure we’ll get it done. We have to.”
The demoness smiled in pride, her new High Priestess was more than adequate, it seemed.
They talked about giving equal power to women, abolishing all the misogynist traditions, rebuilding a church where witches and warlocks felt safe, powerful and supported.
Zelda kept tossing on the chair, her back killing her. Lilith noticed and moved over, making room for her in the bed.
-”You know, there’s plenty of space in here for both, no need to be uncomfortable in your own room.”
Zelda doubted for a minute but “fuck it” crossed her mind, so she got up, kicked off her shoes and sat besides Lilith, much more comfortable now resting her back on the pillow. She refilled both her glasses and drank hers in one gulp, Lilith doing the same.
After a moment in silence, just staring at her glasses, the demoness resumed talking:
-”How are you copying with all of this?”
-”Which part” - Zelda scoffed - “Lucifer trapped inside my niece's boyfriend? My coven slaughtered by my abusive-on-the-run husband? - Zelda paused and sighed. - I don’t even know, Lilith. I… I have failed them all, my coven, my family… All because I was too ambitious. - Zelda took another gulp of scotch, wincing at the bitter taste. - I could have avoided the massacre, I could have helped Ambrose…”
Lilith put her hand on the witch’s forearm, trying to stop the trembling of her hand.
-”You did what you had to do, Zelda. There’s nothing wrong with being ambitious. I’ve lost so much over the centuries because I was ambitious; I’ve lost lovers, children, even myself. - This time it was Lilith who drank from her glass - But Zelda, we’ve won.”
Lilith’s crystal eyes betrayed her though. Reassuring her High Priestess would be easier if her own gaze didn’t hold so much pain. Zelda looked at her eyes, a chill running through her body.
-”Then why doesn’t it feel like winning?” - the redhead’s voice was somber, almost a whisper. Green eyes bloodshot, tiredness all over her face.
Lilith took a deep breath, rolling her neck as if it would ease her own pain.
-”Because we’ve also lost so much”. Flashes of Adam’s head at the cottage living room kept crossing her mind. She wiped a tear before it rolled down her face and motioned Zelda to refill her glass.
-”You did fancy the mortal…” - the witch wondered if she was overstepping, but half a bottle of scotch in her organism was giving her an incredible amount of courage.
-”I did. Or maybe it was the idea of being loved no matter what… I have never had that, nobody ever loved me for no reason, not without wanting something in return. And even though Lucifer chose Sabrina over me, He had to take it away from me.” She choked a sob. This time it was Zelda who held her hand, caressing it with her thumb and entangling her fingers with the demoness’.
-”I knew Faustus didn’t love me, and neither did I, but I thought at least he respected me, saw me as an equal. But the minute we were alone… he…” - Zelda closed her eyes, squeezing Lilith’s hand while trying to shake away the honeymoon memories that were plaguing her brain. She then felt Lilith’s other hand caressing her face, her thumb brushing her temple very slowly, going over her tiny mole.
-"A broken High Priestess worshipping a broken Demon, how convenient” - Her watery smile mirrored Zelda’s, who opened her eyes and was mesmerized by the bluest eyes she had ever seen, blue as hellfire and even more hypnotizing. The witch approached her glass to Lilith’s, trying to lighten the mood.
-”To broken women” - toasted Zelda.
-”To broken women, dear” - repeated the new Queen of Hell.
They both drank, but Zelda spilled half the content of her glass all over her silky top.
-”Damn it. Let me change real quick.” Lilith nodded while Zelda got up the bed and turned around, starting to unbutton her blouse. Lilith stopped biting her nails and casted a quick glance at the witch, almost choking on her own saliva. Zelda’s upper back was covered on criss-cross lashings, some swollen and almost infected, while her lower back and sides were completely bruised, blue and black bruises covering most of her ivory skin.
Lilith kneeled on the bed and stared at the redhead’s injuries, who was oblivious to what was going on until the demoness spoke full of sadness.
-”Did he do that”. It was more an affirmation than a question.
Zelda froze and turned around, trying to cover herself, hugging her arms around her torso to hide the black bruises that also covered her chest and stomach. She then looked down, ashamed of her abuse, ashamed of showing weakness.
-”Why didn’t you heal it?” - inquired the brunette on a very soft tone. She was breaking at the suffering of the witch, some tears scaping her eyes and rolling down her sharp cheekbones.
-”I needed to remember that I deserve it”. - If it wasn’t the dead of night, Lilith wouldn’t had been able to hear her.
-”Oh, Zelda, no, come here.” - Lilith felt an overwhelming desire to take away her pain so she extended her hands, eyes very open waiting for the witch to come to her. -”Please”.
The redhead took tiny steps towards the bed, blinking away the tears that threatened to spill. But the moment she sat on the bed and took Lilith’s hands, tears started to flood freely. She buried her face on the demoness’ neck, crying and sobbing out loud, her body shaking while the other woman held her as delicately as she could, whispering on her ear.
-”You are safe now. With me. My sweet, sweet Zelda.” - She repeated it like a mantra over and over. Lilith found herself crying too, caressing the red hair and running her fingertips featherly all over her back. Lilith then lifted her head and kissed her forehead, lingering on the contact.
Zelda seemed to calm down a little bit, the angry sobs passed although the tears kept falling. Lilith held her head and stared at her green eyes. She then moved slowly and kissed her temple, wet lips caressing the soft alabaster skin. Zelda let out a breath, relaxing a bit more, which encouraged Lilith to move her lips lower, brushing them on the wet cheek of the witch, who was relaxing more and more in her arms. She dared then to kiss the corner of her mouth, all soft movements and delicate kisses and looked at the redhead in the eye.
They were both broken women, coming together because nobody else would understand them, and Lilith saw so much affection on the emerald eyes in front of her that the only thing she could do was lower her sight to the red lips asking for permission. The tiny nod from Zelda had Lilith approaching her lips very slowly, head tilted, making feather contact with the ones mere inches away from her. The kiss was so soft and yet so charged with emotion; scotch and cigarettes mixed with tears made the taste unique.
Zelda then moved her own hand from her stomach to thread it on the dark curls of the demoness, moving her lips unhurriedly, sucking the other woman’s lower lip into her own.
Lilith caressed her cheek, separating from the witch and smiling. She put her forehead against Zelda’s and closed her eyes.
-” Let me heal you, Zelda.”
The witch looked down, ashamed.
-”I’m going to heal you because you don’t deserve this, you don’t need to keep the damage that monster inflicted on you.”
Lilith was tracing the shape of one of her darkest bruises, one that covered a great part of her ribs. Lilith hid her anger, having lived that kind of abuse on her own flesh before. She pecked Zelda’s lips lovingly and looked her in the eyes.
-”I’m going to skin that poor excuse of a man alive. I promise.”
Zelda forced a smile while some tears rolled down her cheek, which Lilith collected with her index finger. She moved quietly over Zelda, making her lie down delicately over the silk sheets.
-”You don’t have to do this…” - the redhead whispered.
-”Please, allow me.”
The witch just nodded and rested her head on the pillow.
Lilith posed her hands over the witch’s chest and started to recite a spell, the bruises fading from her skin in seconds. Lilith kissed softly the previously marked skin, a tear sliding on Zelda’s chest. Planting a few more kisses there, she slid down the bed and started to heal the witch’s ribs, the angry bruise lasting longer because of the severity of the injury. She resumed her kisses, this time velvet ones over Zelda’s ribs. The witch then started to run her fingers through the demoness’ dark locks while she started to heal her stomach. Lilith lifted her head and smiled; the redhead had her eyes closed and her head tilted back. Taking her hand, she disentangled it from her own hair, kissed it and got up to eye level with her. Zelda opened her eyes, a blush on her cheeks, and tilted her head slowly, her gaze fixed on the red lips in front of her. She then placed her hand on Lilith’s cheek and kissed her languidly. Lilith responded to the kiss but stopped it soon.
-”I still need to heal your back. Turn around, darling.”
Zelda nodded and did as was told, turning around and laying on her front. Lilith straddled her rear and sweetly moved her hair to one side, needing space to work.
-”I’m going to unhook this, okay?” - she felt Zelda humming and proceeded to unclasp her bra, sliding the straps down the witch’s shoulders and lifting her torso carefully to discard it. Lilith couldn’t resist and kissed Zelda’s neck, eliciting a purr from the redhead.
Lilith then started to work on the angry wounds of her back, concentrating on the spell to make the flesh close and have the once immaculate skin good as new again. It took her way longer than the bruises on her front but in a while the skin under her hands felt soft and perfect. Lilith ran her hands over the now silky skin and lowered her head, planting soft kisses all over Zelda’s shoulders. When she reached her neck, the witch turned around, trying to capture her lips on her own.
-”Let me reposition, dear.” - Lilith lifted her leg and sat beside Zelda, who was once again laying on her back, her breasts now exposed to the chilly night.
-”Thank you, Lilith, You didn’t have to…” - half whispered, her voice breaking.
-”It’s fine, I wanted to. “ - Lilith felt a blush creeping up her neck at what she wanted to say next. -”I’m really uncomfortable on this dress, so if you don’t mind…” - Zelda blushed as well and nodded, proceeding then to unzip her own skirt, sliding it down her legs and discarding it on the floor. She grabbed the covers and pulled them over her, peeking at Lilith, who was undressing in front of her mirror and was now in her underwear, breathtakingly beautiful in a dark red lacy bra and matching panties. The witch patted the bed inviting the demoness to join her and bit her lip, watching Lilith folding her dress and leaving it at the chair by her vanity. As soon as the brunette got into bed, Zelda embraced her waist and kissed her. The brunette parted her lips allowing her tongue to taste Zelda’s completely, caressing the side of her naked breast in circles approaching her nipple dangerously. Their tongues kept caressing each other, soft hands roaming over soft bodies with love and affection. Both women slowed down, exhaustion taking over her bodies, languid kisses replacing passionate ones. Zelda’s eyes were closing, her body shutting down. Lilith caressed her cheek and whispered in her ear “Rest, my sweet Zelda”, and kissed her temple.
-”Will you stay here with me, my Queen?”
-”I’m not going anywhere, love”.
Lilith embraced her, the redhead’s face buried on the demoness’ chest. Lilith kept tracing invisible patterns along the witch’s back, leaving occasional kisses on her forehead, until sleep took them both.