Chapter Text
Lilith was tapping her short nails impatiently on the table. She didn't remember when was the last time she felt so nervous in a court, or even when she was in one. The wait was becoming more and more intolerable, she knew that the choice of the judge would directly affect the process. What she needed now was a complacent judge who would at least try to understand the facts before just lazily concluding them.
She was ridiculously sweating, her hands were cold, her feets couldn't stop moving and her throat was extremely dry. The room was almost empty, except for the prosecutor on the bench and the two guards at the first door. Lilith could hear tiny chuckles coming from them and it was affecting her physically and emotionally. Are they laughing at Adam's situation? Or at the lack of emotional control she was showing?
Lilith lowered her head and placed it between her fingers and, with the elbows set on the table, tried to keep sane, not just for herself, but for Adam.
Returning to a court, after all she had been through was good, but still uncomfortable. She felt that, somehow, her incredible rhetorical and argumentative skills disappeared. A weird fear was following her.
Her eyes were still closed when she realized the “tiny chuckles” were no longer tiny, they had simply disappeared. A complete silence. It was so quiet she heard Adam’s breathing beside her. Lilith lifted her head slowly, releasing the fingers and adjusting the posture. Her eyes followed from the bottom-up the feminine figure that got in the room. She seemed to be the reason why the conversations ceased.
Lilith's body froze. Her lips began to tremble and a painful memory surfaced her head.
The woman was wearing an elegant pair of black wide heels, a well-dressed toga and her long strawberry blond hair was perfectly fitted around her face and shoulders. A flashy gold necklace matching earrings was dragging all the attention to her neck and face.
Lilith didn’t mean to stare that much, but it was inevitable. The woman was literally glowing and walking as if she knew it. With a straight head, pursed lips and brows, she was absolutely aware of her attributes. Lilith broke contact by looking away and realized Adam was mesmerized too.
How had she changed that much?
The woman had two other guards around her who, at that moment, seemed extremely insignificant next to her. She walked to the bench and took the highest seat, in the middle. Lilith sighed nervously and blamed herself for not noticing the sign below referring to "Judge Spellman."
Will she remember me?
The thoughts in Lilith's head were making her anxious. What if the Judge actually remembered her? There’s no way Zelda would believe in Adam’s innocence if she recognized Lilith. She analyzed the woman’s expressions once again, her face was serious since the moment she arrived and her attitude was so superb that it could kill even the slightest amount of hope from any defendant.
“Good afternoon, everyone. Shall we begin?” Zelda said with a little sarcasm in her voice.
The prosecutor quickly approached her and handed Adam’s case files. Lilith gulped, the woman hadn't looked at her yet, and right now she was unsure what her approach would be. She expected a more likable judge.
“Well, what do we have here? Adam Masters, 31, charged with armed robbery in front of the downtown hotel. That's correct?”
“Yes, Your Honor.” Lilith quickly answered feeling her voice crack at the end.
Lilith saw the woman arch an eyebrow in her direction and look unsatisfied with the papers in her hands. Zelda bent to reach the prosecutor. They started to whisper, and Lilith frowned, what the hell was that?
She cleared her throat, dragging the attention. “Is there something wrong, Your Honor?”
Your. Honor. Those words seemed so bitter in Lilith's mouth, especially having to call Zelda that way. Again .
The judge raised her head at Lilith, looking genuinely offended by the interruption.
“In matter of fact, yes. Mentions in the process that all the hotel's cameras were inexplicably turned off the night of the theft. How convenient, don’t you think, Mrs. Demons ?”
When she finalized the sentence Lilith realized Zelda had already recognized her. The way Zelda’s voice changed when she called her name made a shiver go all down her body. And it was like the two had come back fifteen years ago. In exactly the same position.
Lilith bit her lips nervously. This wasn't about her, it was about Adam. She was there for him.
“I personally myself don’t think so. The victim must be devastated.”
Zelda narrowed her eyes and looked at the papers. Lilith wasn’t sure if answering that provocation was a smart move, but she knew her client was totally innocent. That charge was bullshit.
“May I ask you, Mr. Masters, why a hotel in the city center? I’m looking at your payroll and I don't understand why would a man like you stay at this hotel? Or even nearby this area.”
Adam was ready to speak when Lilith held his hands and interrupted him
“He wasn't nearby the hotel, much less hosted in it. He’s being mistaken for someone else, Your, Honor.” Lilith couldn’t contain the outrage in the voice. Zelda was shamelessly trying to make Adam frame himself.
As she answered the question the woman gave an exaggerated sigh and parted her lips ready to make a harsh comment to Lilith.
“Thank you, Mr. Masters. ” The judge hissed the last part keeping her eyes fixed on Lilith, “Mrs. Demons, are you claiming that your client was not at the hotel on the night of September 12?”
“Yes, Your Honor!”
A small smirk formed in Zelda’s mouth making Lilith’s body tense. Lilith broke eye contact feeling insecure about herself. She knew Adam wasn’t in the hotel, she was telling the truth. Had she missed something?
“That’s pretty unfortunate for him, maybe for both of you,” Zelda said with certain amusement in her voice. “Because the witness’s portrait and the recognition point directly to Mr. Masters.”
Lilith sensed small anger possess her, why Zelda was having fun with it?
“My client as well has a witness, to give him an alibi and to prove his innocence!” Lilith felt that her voice came out louder than expected.
She started to move impatiently in the chair, she knew that case was practically won. Adam could respond in freedom until the investigation of all witnesses.
As she waited for the final sentence she noticed how outraged Zelda looked. She saw the woman angrily toss the papers aside, her lips were trembling and her eyes were wide open trying not to miss any detail.
Lilith covered her mouth in an attempt to hide a smile. What she also couldn't help but notice was how attractive Zelda became over the years. She always saw Zelda as a beautiful woman, even on that damn night, she admired her. Everything feels so different, yet so similar to fifteen years ago. Now they are both in the “same level”, but seeing her today made Lilith revisit events that she constantly tries to forget and the fact that Zelda has not been affected by them in the same way made her angry.
“Adjournment. And… provisional detention." The judge said sharply and hit the hammer hard on the table.
“What? You can’t do that. He's innocent! There’s nothing against him!”
Lilith stood up feeling out of control. Her heart suddenly went from 50 to 100. This was absurd. Why adjourn a case like that? It could easily be solved with the testimony of all witnesses today . Why keep him arrested?
Lilith watched the woman sign the section files and get up. Was Zelda making that situation personal?
“Mrs. Spellman!” She growled walking towards her.
Two guards approached instantly blocking Lilith’s path. Zelda signaled with her hand that everything was fine, causing the men to retreat.
“Mrs… Demons?” Hesitated.
“Zelda, you can’t just hold him like that, considering only unilateral recognitions and witnesses.”
The woman blinked twice at Lilith. She was speechless. Then Lilith realized. Zelda . She had called her by the first name.
“ Mrs. Demons ,” She smirked and leaned over like she was about to fess up something. Lilith took a deep breath feeling Zelda’s perfume interrupt her thoughts. “I don’t know if you noticed, but today’s session is already over.
“Wait! You’re not even listening to me!”
Lilith felt her veins stick out her neck, the whole atmosphere was unstable. Her hands moved quickly and grabbed the woman’s arm, causing Zelda to face her again. The guards held Lilith's arms tightly, pushing her back.
Zelda slowly turned heels. She was skeptical. Jaw clenched, narrowed eyes and parted lips. Lilith thought she would catch on fire and burn alive with that look.
“What is your problem? How disrespectful!” She hissed, “Do that again and and I swear I’ll send you back to the place you should never have left. Again .”
Lilith watched the woman comb her hair before being escorted by the guards to the exit.
What a bitch.
Why she did that? Lilith was hundred percent sure that Zelda had taken it personally, she had no hard evidence against Adam, the standard procedure was to reschedule another trial session with the defendant at liberty.
She sighed heavily, feeling a tension settling on her shoulder. She would not let that woman ruin her life again. That was her case, a won one, and no judge with a superiority complex would take it away from her, not even Zelda.
This was her turn to win.