Zelda presses up against the tall tree, her breath uneven and shaking just as much as her hands. The adrenaline is running through her body, shooting up her blood pressure further than she thinks her body can handle.
As hard as she tries to quiet her heavy breath, she doesn't quite manage to make the throaty sound vanish on her own and enchants the ungraceful noises that leave her mouth to be inaudible for the time being. The small cloud of smoke that appears with every exhale is the only thing giving away she's there at all.
Her heart hammers away in her chest and she wills it to calm down quick enough to not be heard by the huntress on her back, probably already closer than Zelda knows.
She can't risk her hearing her racing heart. Her chest heaves and falls with every breath and she closes her eyes, pressing harder into the hard wood that's cooling her hot and sweaty back, giving her the release she so desperately needs. She swallows the thick lump in her throat, knowing if she has to run for it again, she'll need all the energy she can get, so she tries to relax her burning muscles a bit.
She presses her eyes shut even harder and concentrates on the rustling of leaves and breaking of sticks not far away. She knows she's close, too close.
She could discover her hiding spot any second now and Zelda would have to bolt if she wanted to withstand a chance against the force that she definitely underestimated at first. She thought she would be up for the challenge, but she isn't. She is far from it.
She clutches the soft item in her hand, praying to the Dark Lord that she'll make it out of the woods and back into safety before she's discovered and probably executed like a lamb lead to the slaughter.
She watches the birds flee around her, probably sensing the thick tension in the wide and open space. She can't blame them. She's on the run too after all. Zelda's only chance now is being faster than her, smarter than her and luckier than her. Luck is what she desperately needs.
"I know you're hiding somewhere," she hears the sugarcoated, crisp voice echo through the silence of the night, a stark contrast to the chill and silence of the starless night.
"Come out, dear. I won't bite," she almost sings and Zelda finds herself smiling at the poisonous sweetness of the voice that makes her knees go weak and pulse race her thoughts. How alluring she can sound and yet how dangerously close to death she brings her.
Her breath and heart rate finally calm down enough for her to dare a glance around the corner, not knowing where the danger is currently positioned, as the rustling noises have long stopped. She sees a flash of brown tresses and presses back against the tree immediately.
She's close. Close enough to smell her but somehow Zelda must have done a pretty good job at destroying her tracks or she'd be long dead already.
How infuriated the brunette must be at the lack of ginger curls in her hands that would just love to be painfully ripping at them. Yeah, she definitely has to run for it.
"I'll be nice," she hears her voice another time and it sends chills straight down her spine, making her entire body jolt in excitement and fear. She doesn't know what she should do next. Staying is dangerous but running would be even more fatal.
And in the middle of a Friday night, underneath the brightest full moon since her second century of eternal, well almost eternal, life, Zelda Spellman has an idea. An idea that makes the corner of her lips pull up into a smirk that would put every other smirk in the corner.
o.O.o
Lilith finds herself scanning the area around her, anger and fury boiling deep within her poised soul. How dare that woman?
She growls, a growl coming deep from within, and tries to reach out to the surely frightened presence but the silence of the night is driving her screaming mind insane. All traces have vanished ever since she ran into the woods. Lilith doesn't even know if she's remotely close to her and it's frustrating her beyond anyone's imagination.
Lilith doesn't let anyone get away with this. She'll get her revenge, burning every single part of the ginger's soul down and relishing in having the flames reflecting in her blue orbs that are a mirror to her stone cold soul.
She grits her teeth and cracks her knuckles, ready to pounce at the slightest sound, the slightest indication that she's close to her target.
She hears the rustling of bushes and her head snaps around, almost breaking at the intensity of the movement. Her eyes try to make out a figure in the darkness that seems to swallow her whole but she just can't get anything into focus, no matter how hard she tries.
"I know you're here somewhere," she whispers to herself and the vein on her forehead pops out, a clear sign of fury and blood thirst. That bloody witch has to suffer and she won't show her any mercy once she has her begging on her knees.
The wind carries the ringing of a bell close by to her ears and her eyes twinkle wickedly at the realization that she's being mocked. Lilith is anything but being toyed with... She won't have that.
"Where are you?" She hisses in a low tone, her steps cautious and body ready to throw herself at anything that moves next. She knows she has her laughing behind a bush, probably already celebrating her victory. Not today. Not when Lilith has a say in this...
Her body is tense, her mind working on overdrive. How could she have missed her? It's bothering the brunette that the witch managed to trick her. She shouldn't even be breathing anymore.
Against her better judgement, her feet take her towards the direction of the bell, her stomach churning at the imagination of every possible outcome of this situation. There is only one she'll accept though. A ginger head rolling at her feet.
She can feel the presence nearby, close enough to watch in the safety of the darkness that provides a heavy barrier between hunted and huntress and far enough to not bother with being subtle about it. She can hear that clear laugh echo through the night, swept away by the wind and it infuriates her even further.
She is not laughed at ever.
She feels her nails dig into her palms and doesn't care for the pain spreading through her hands. She can't believe the audacity of that bloody witch and her body moves on instinct, her logical part of the brain no longer has a say in her actions.
She takes incautious steps into the direction of the sounds even though she should know better than that. She should have seen it coming but she didn't.
Within seconds she hears the snapping of twigs above her and just sees a mess of fabric rush towards her, knocking her to the ground.
Her head bangs against the stone hard dirt and Zelda has her hands in a tight grip before she can even think about what actually happened. Zelda is smirking at her in victory as she struggles against her restraints. Zelda is brushing a strand of hair out of her face as Lilith realizes how she was tricked into walking straight into her trap.
She growls.
"You'll be dead once you move away," Lilith hisses and Zelda can see the fire burning behind those ocean eyes. She doesn't feel threatened at all.
"I think I have something you want," she says and waves her closed hand in front of Lilith's face, watching the face contort in various forms of anger. She knows she's walking a dangerous line here but the feeling of defeating her after such a long time is worth taking the risk.
"You'll regret that," Lilith spits and Zelda just feels that strong pull towards those awfully kissable lips and before she knows it she presses a tender kiss against those ridiculously soft lips, feeling Lilith grow weak in her tight embrace.
The brunette feels as if Zelda is taking her the air to breathe and her lips reply eagerly, demanding more than just the brush of skin against skin. Zelda teases her ever so slowly by licking her lips but not indulging in the sin letting it glide into her hot and waiting mouth would be.
She pulls back and watches the demoness roar underneath her. She loves the sight of her so unraveled, so needy and she watches a while longer before she shoves the small plush teddy into Lilith's face, stands up and walks away.
"Here you can have him back," she says and disappears into the night without another word.
Lilith watches her go, shocked and surprised at the sudden change of events. Her mind doesn't pick up on what has happened fast enough to come up with a threatening reply, too shocked.
"You'll pay for that!"
"For what? Stealing your teddy bear? Come on..." Zelda's laughter fills the crystal clear night and Lilith rolls her eyes in annoyance. The anger ebbs away and is replaced by relief at the reappearance of her beloved bear.
"Mr. Pebbles isn't just a bear..." She hisses and knows that Zelda is rolling her eyes at the silly statement somewhere in the night. She gets off the ground, taking off into the same direction as Zelda disappeared to only seconds earlier.
"Right..."
"He has feelings, too," Lilith complains and clutches the bear tightly against her body. She won't let go of him ever again.
"This has to be the biggest turn down ever," Zelda laughs and Lilith just huffs in frustration. Both of them walk back towards their house in silence, enjoying their hunt through the woods probably more than they should.