The following day was relatively peaceful, surprisingly. That morning I had woken to Lilith being gone but her presence still lingered everywhere. Stretching, I buried my face in my pillows and they smelled of her. I couldn't help the smile I had as I readied myself for the day. I practically skipped downstairs and kissed Aunt Hilda on the cheek thanking her for my coffee. She laughed in surprise, "Well blessed morning to you, love." I plucked a piece of toast from the table, "Blessed morning, Auntie. Mom." My mother peered at me over her espresso. "What has you so chipper this morning? Are you feeling well? Should I call the witch doctor?" My mother questioned. I rolled my eyes leaning down to kiss her cheek, "Please, mother. Can't I just be happy to not be in that demon's thrall?" She hummed her agreement but still eyed me suspiciously. "Anyways, I'm off to the academy to get an early start. I'll see you both later," I waved to both of them rushing out of the kitchen. The day went by pretty quickly at the Academy between assisting with classes and running errands for the High Priest. I was thankful things were falling back into place. Before I knew it the day had passed and Sabrina and I made our way home taking a shortcut through the woods that went by her friend's house. She talked animatedly telling me about her day. Apparently her friend's uncle had been possessed by the demon Apophis. Not that I hadn't already heard considering she had interrupted Father Blackwood's Demonology lecture and I had to sit through his rant afterwards. I was forced to tell her the same thing Father Blackwood already had. Witch's can't perform exorcisms. It just simply wasn't done. Exorcisms we're a catholic rite and off limits to us. Seeing her down trodden expression I decided to change the subject. "I see you've been spending quite a bit of time with Nick Scratch," I smirked. Her shocked expression and blush was entertaining. "As friends! I have a boyfriend, 'Cole. You know that," she defended. Ah yes, the mortal boy. No match for a Spellman if you ask me but Sabrina was head over heels for him. "Just hear me out, Cous. Nick Scratch, is the most powerful conjuror in his class not to mention charming and some would even say the most eligible warlock at the academy. He's not exactly my cup of tea but you'd be a fool not to jump on his broomstick," I finished with a wink. Sabrina was blushing and sputtering now, "'Cole! That's obscene!" I laughed as we made our way up the steps to our house. "What about you and Ms. Wardwell? Has any progress been made there?" She questioned with a smirk. I held the door open for her, "A witch will never kiss and tell." She sighed as we made our way to the parlor, "Well maybe you can work some of your magic and get her off my back." When we realized three people sat on the couch both of us were taken off guard. Lilith sat between my mom and Aunt. Speak of the Devil. Or rather demoness. "How was the academy, my loves?" Aunt Hilda asked cheerfully. Sabrina scoffed at Lilith, "What are you doing here?" I assessed the situation and both my mother and Lilith in the same room did not bode well for me. I quickly turned on my heel, "I'll just be going-" Sabrina grabbed my arm pulling me back, "Oh no you don't." Lilith put on her best apologetic face, "Sabrina, please don't be cross with me. After our encounter in the mines, and having recognized the demon Apophis on that stone, I became concerned that you were putting yourself in danger." She was quite the actress and it seemed as if everyone was buying it. "Do my Aunties know what you are?" Sabrina questioned. Lilith nodded, "I've told them everything." I prayed to Satan that she hadn't told them everything. My mother was surprisingly calm so I was sure that wasn't the case. Sabrina looked at both of them incredulously, "And?" My mom took a puff off her cigarette, "I wish we could say we were surprised but this is just like Edward, isn't it, Hilda?" My aunt hummed in response. "It's insulting, of course, that he didn't think we'd be up to the task of protecting you ourselves," Mom continued. "Well, maybe you aren't," Lilith quipped. "I beg your pardon?" Mom questioned, clearly offended. Lilith was skating on thin ice and I wished she wouldn't. I found myself wanting both Lilith and my mother to get along but that seemed like it wasn't in the cards at that particular moment. "Sabrina has been finding herself in increasingly difficult predicaments since fleeing her Dark Baptism," Lilith stated, picking an invisible piece of lint off her dress. "That is a good point," Aunt Hilda reasoned. "Quiet Hilda," Mom snapped. "Aunties, Ms. Wardwell," Sabrina grabbed their attention and they all turned back to us, "Jesse Putnam is going to die if we don't do anything! And my friends will be next. And if I can't get help from the Church of Night, I'll get it from the Catholic Church down the road." All three women looked flabbergasted and I quickly stepped away from Sabrina as if I had been burned. "I'll take no part in that," I stated flatly. "Have you lost your mind? Turning to the False Church for help? Has your Aunt Hilda's excommunication taught you nothing?" My mother scolded Sabrina. I could tell that it was gearing up to be a long conversation so I dropped onto one of the nearby chairs. "I don't see what choice I have. Father Blackwood said that there is no exorcism rite for witches to perform," Sabrina explained. Lilith cut her off, "Actually, it so happens Edward wrote a rite expressly for that purpose." Of course she had it. She also conveniently knew just when to bring it. My mother was not as amused, "And how, Ms. Wardwell, is that information at all helpful?" Lilith continued digging through her clutch. "Always thinking outside the box, Edward," Aunt Hilda mused. Finding what she was looking for Lilith pulled it from her purse, "It so happens, I have a copy of the rite with me. If Sabrina insists on following this madness through, she should be armed with the proper tools at least." My mother looked at her in disbelief, "I'm sorry. Are you actually suggesting that my niece perform an exorcism?" She definitely was. The first witch exorcism in history. "We stopped by Susie's on our way home from the academy. She and her Dad aren't there, so if we act fast—" Lilith interrupted, answering mom's question, "She's determined to, it seems." My mother was growing furious, "You claim that your entire raison d'être is to protect Sabrina." Lilith rolled her eyes, "Well it is. And I shall be with her, of course. And at the first sign of danger, I'll spirit her away." My mother stood from the couch dramatically, "No. I won't allow it. I forbid it." There it went. She forbade it. I've always had a rebellious streak but Sabrina on the other hand had always been a bit vanilla. Which is why I was shocked by her next words, "Aunt Zelda, I'm not asking you for permission. I'm doing it. And if Ms. Wardwell wants to chaperone me, fine. But I won't be leaving that room until Jesse Putnam is free." Way to go, Sabrina I thought to myself. I wouldn't stand up to my mother for a mortal but she was starting to get the right idea. "It's a good thing Edward had me looking after you. Your Aunts, it appears, would have you perform the exorcism alone," Lilith said for the simple reason she wanted to push my mother further. I shot a little glare at Lilith and didn't miss the small smirk she returned. Aunt Hilda did a little chuckle, "No, not me. I'll go as well." Lilith looked at her surprised. I began to weigh my options. On one hand, if Aunt Hilda and Lilith were going I couldn't miss this. On the other hand, if I went, I would have to face my mom's wrath. "Hilda! Need I remind you the Church of Night expressly forbids performing exorcisms." My Aunt rolled her eyes, "Yes, but I'm excommunicated, aren't I? So, really, what have I got to lose?" My mother threw her arms up in exasperation, "Has the entire world gone mad? None of you are ordained." She had a point there. Although, I was ordained as handmaiden of Lilith so that opened so many possibilities and wasn't really an issue. I wasn't the only one who remembered that fact because I felt Lilith's burning gaze on me. My internal battle raged on. "Unlike the Catholic exorcism which draws its potency not on the priest performing it, but from the False God. Edward's rite relies on the power of the individual witch challenging the demon, and on the continuum of.. witches that predates us all," Lilith informed us while taking a sip of her tea. I smirked to myself. She was being terribly funny. There was no witch that predated the first woman herself so they would be calling on Lilith's own power and all the witches who came after her. My mind was made up when Lilith's heated gaze met mine once again sensing my amusement. "You know in that case perhaps I should go. I'm Lilith's handmaiden therefore I have a direct connection to her. It'll almost be as if the first witch is there herself," I spoke up, keeping up our little inside joke. My mom looked like she had been betrayed. Sabrina looked at us excitedly, "Well, in that case, what are we waiting for?" We all stood ready to follow this through. "Sabrina, you can't possibly trust this stranger, can you?" My mother pleaded. Lilith inched closer to me and I almost jumped in surprise when a possessive hand snaked to my lower back. Almost too low. She was playing a dangerous game and I only hoped no one noticed. "I don't see what other choice I have, Aunt Zee," Sabrina argued. It didn't seem my mother had anything left to say so we took our leave. The walk to the Putnam's wasn't too far but far enough I could get my hands on Lilith. As Sabrina and Aunt Hilda walked ahead seemingly oblivious to us I took Lilith's hand slowing her pace to match my own. "You know a warning would've been nice," I said in a hushed tone. She smirked in my direction, "What and miss that adorable look of shock on your face?" I stopped walking and she turned with a look of concern. "I'm not adorable," I protested. She took my hand glancing ahead to make sure we weren't being watched before pressing a kiss to my knuckles, "You,darling, are adorable. But that doesn't make you any less of a force to be reckoned with." I rolled my eyes as we continued walking, nudging her with my shoulder. She caught me and held me to her side, one arm wrapped tightly around me. "Lilith, my aunt," I whispered. She huffed out a laugh before pressing a kiss in my hair, "Do you really care if anyone sees? Sabrina wasn't the only reason I told them I was a witch. The only reason we couldn't be together is because everyone thought the Wardwell woman was a mortal, was it not?" She had a point. Her being a witch made things infinitely less complicated. Although she hadn't made the best first impression on my mother. I leaned up pressing a kiss to the corner of her lips, "Fine. Tomorrow we will stop hiding whatever this is. But tonight let's just focus on this exorcism." As I finished we came up on the Putnam's Farm. Their house loomed in the distance bathed in an eerie light coming from upstairs. "Here goes nothing," Sabrina muttered.
