19 Argument between sisters

The aftermath of the confrontation with Ava weighed heavily on Lilith's shoulders. The emotional turbulence that had consumed her since that fateful night had left her drained and overwhelmed. She retreated to her room, the weight of her actions settling in the quiet solitude. The world outside seemed distant, as if her room was a sanctuary where she could grapple with the tangled web of emotions she found herself ensnared in.

Lilith sank onto her bed, her mind a whirlwind of regret and confusion. The room, which had once been a place of solace, now felt stifling. Every inch of her surroundings seemed to hold a memory of her and Ava, a reminder of the intimacy they had shared and the betrayal that had followed.

Hours seemed to pass in a haze as Lilith wrestled with her thoughts. She replayed the events of that night over and over, dissecting each moment and questioning her own motives. The passionate kisses, the stolen glances, the taste of desire mingling with the taste of betrayal. Her heart ached with the weight of what she had done, and the chasm between her and Ava felt insurmountable.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows across the room, Lilith's solitude was interrupted by the creak of the door. She turned her gaze, and her sister Lila entered, a mix of concern and curiosity in her eyes.

"Lila," Lilith sighed heavily, the tension in the room so thick it was almost suffocating. Her voice carried the weariness of a soul burdened with emotional turmoil, each word a reflection of the storm raging within her.

The door closed behind Lila as she entered, her steps measured, her eyes never straying from Lilith's face. The air seemed to crackle with a mix of understanding and apprehension as she took a seat, her presence a temporary balm to the palpable unease that hung in the room like a heavy cloud. "I came to check on you," she said gently, her voice a delicate balance of concern and wariness.

Lilith met her sister's gaze, her own eyes mirroring the exhaustion of a heart that had weathered a tempest. "Last night..." Her voice faltered, words clinging to the edges of her lips, as if unsure of their right to be spoken. The weight of the unspoken truth hung heavy in the air, a confession struggling to find its place.

"Last night, when Ava and I were supposed to..." Lilith's voice wavered, a tremor betraying the vulnerability beneath her stoic facade, "consummate the marriage," she finally uttered, her tone a fragile mixture of shame and trembling vulnerability. Her gaze dropped to her hands, her fingers fidgeting restlessly, as if seeking solace from the chaos within.

Lila's expression remained a mask, her emotions hidden beneath a carefully crafted facade. She listened, a silent witness to Lilith's confession, her fingers tracing intricate patterns on her lap as if to ground herself in the midst of the emotional maelstrom. Her silence was an invitation for Lilith to continue, to pour out the torrent of her thoughts and regrets.

As if the act of confession had unlocked the floodgates, Lilith's words tumbled forth, each one weighed down by the gravity of her actions. "I used the dagger you gave me..." Her voice trailed off, an echo of hesitation in the air, "I stabbed Ava with it."

Lila's eyes remained fixed on Lilith's face, the unreadable expression finally shifting as the words hit their mark. She absorbed the confession, the truth that had remained hidden beneath layers of deceit and misplaced intentions. Her silence held a complexity of emotions, a mixture of shock, understanding, and a touch of sadness.

"She didn't die, Lila," Lilith's voice carried a blend of disbelief and regret, as if the outcome had defied her expectations. Her gaze remained lowered, as if afraid to meet her sister's eyes, as if the weight of her actions were too heavy to bear.

"I thought... I thought it would end things, that it would... fix everything. But it didn't." The admission was a desperate exhale, a release of the pent-up guilt that had consumed Lilith's every thought since that fateful night. The room felt smaller, the air thicker, as if the burden of her secret had manifested physically.

Lila's response was a nervous smile, a flicker of emotion playing at the corners of her lips. The tension that had woven itself into the room seemed to ease, if only slightly, as her presence continued to provide a lifeline to Lilith's spiraling thoughts. Yet, despite the tentative reassurance, Lilith's heart still raced, anxiety threading its way through her veins.

"It all went wrong, Lila," Lilith's voice trembled, her hands clenching into fists as if physically grappling with the chaos that had been unleashed. "Ava doesn't want to see me anymore, she hates me." The words hung in the air like a bitter taste, a testament to the irreversible damage that Lilith's impulsive actions had wrought.

Lila's smile faltered, replaced by a gentleness that seemed to radiate from her very being. Her words were a soothing balm, an attempt to mend the shattered pieces of Lilith's world. "It's not a big deal, Lilith," she said softly, her voice a melody of comfort and understanding. "Even if the plan didn't go as expected, you'll probably get another chance."

Lilith's eyes searched her sister's face, a mixture of doubt and resignation swirling within her gaze. "No, Lila," she responded, her voice carrying the weight of acceptance, of a surrender to the chaotic tide that had overtaken her life. "Ava will be suspicious now, things will get even more complicated. Maybe it's best to just... stop now."

Lila's expression shifted, a spark of frustration igniting in her eyes like a dormant ember brought to life. She rose from her seat, the movement a manifestation of the building intensity within her. "Stop now?" Her words held an incredulity that bordered on anger, as if the very notion was an affront to all they had worked towards. "After all we've done to get to this point? Are you really giving up, Lilith?"

Lilith met her sister's gaze, her own eyes a reflection of the turmoil that churned within her. Her voice wavered, a blend of frustration and uncertainty woven into its fabric. "What choice do I have, Lila? Everything is falling apart, and I don't even know what I want anymore."

Lila's anger flared, a fire that burned with a ferocity born from a place of deep concern. Her words were a pointed accusation, a challenge that demanded Lilith confront the reality she had been avoiding. "I've seen you get close to Ava, Lilith. I've seen the way you look at her." Her voice carried an undercurrent of bitterness, a sharpness that cut through the air like a blade.

"I'm not in love with Ava," Lilith's response was swift, a reflexive defense against an accusation that had struck a nerve. But even as the words left her lips, doubt lingered in the shadows of her mind, an unanswered question that gnawed at her thoughts. Did she truly understand her own heart? Did she even recognize love when it stood before her?

Lila's smile was strained, a reflection of the complex emotions that swirled within her. Her voice carried an edge of frustration, a touch of exasperation at Lilith's self-imposed blindness. "Then what's stopping you? If that's what you want, just stay with your fucking demon that you're falling for."

With those cutting words, Lila turned and left the room, her exit a whirlwind of unresolved emotions that lingered in the air long after she was gone. Lilith remained alone, the weight of her sister's accusation echoing in the silence, a question mark suspended in the space between her thoughts. The room felt emptier, the air colder, as Lilith grappled with the truth she had been avoiding: a truth that demanded she confront not only her actions, but the desires of her own heart.

She remained in her room, the hours passing in a haze of introspection. "I'm not in love with Ava," Lilith repeated to herself, the words a mantra that she hoped would silence the doubts that had taken root in her mind.

The room was enveloped in silence until a scratching noise at the door shattered it. Lilith's frustration bubbled to the surface, and she swung the door open in irritation. "Can't this noise stop?" she exclaimed, her anger unrestrained.

Her annoyance gave way to surprise as she realized it was one of her wolves, the creature's eyes wide with a mix of confusion and innocence. Regret washed over Lilith, and she softened her tone. "Sorry, but I was really angry," she said, bending down to scoop the wolf into her arms. The weight of her actions hung heavy, a reminder that even in her anger, her actions had consequences.

As she cradled the wolf in her arms, Lilith's thoughts returned to Ava, the turmoil in her heart a reminder of the tangled emotions that she still had to untangle. The accusation Lila had thrown at her lingered, and Lilith found herself grappling with the question she had avoided for so long: What did she truly feel for Ava?