"Only by seeing ourselves in others, we can reach a real understanding. In the end, we are all the same, even if we don't look like it"
Augustus Porter was a prodigy, or so all the adults around him used to say... all the time.
He didn't believe he was anything special.
Gus had never been to the 'Owl House' alone before; he had always leaned on Willow's friendship with Luz to get close to such a place. He wasn't bothered by being the 'less-friend' of their little best friend group. He knew where he stood when the two girls became such great friends and he was just in the middle.
Girls were scary, moreover when they had such amazing magic.
Hooty was asleep, thankfully.
"Luz?" Gus called, taking out his scroll.
Luz's private chat, from Penstagram, was open and her response to his question about if he could visit her was as clear as he would get. He still tried to get this witch, even when she was such a mystery. Luz had spent so much time in the human realm that it was scary; Gus had lived his whole life wondering about humans, their ways, and inventions.
Yet Luz had seen it all, experienced them and lived through some of it!
"I need her for this…" Gus thought, opening the door.
"I'm telling you, kid! It's not like that!"
"Then how is it like?!"
Gus ducked down before a human skull could hit him on the face. He looked up to find Eda glaring at a pretty sweaty Luz, he also saw a lot of papers on the ground next to a lot of human treasures, and also there was a long ice spear in front of Luz.
"You need more concentration on the spot!"
"Two days ago I was 'far too concerned' with the spot!"
"Yeah! And now you are not concerned enough!"
"Uhm, Hi?" Gus managed to say.
"What?!" both women screamed at him.
Gus was a big boy, so he wasn't afraid to admit that he screamed and jumped, falling butt-first to the ground.
"Oh my gosh, Gus!" Luz rushed to him, helping him up. "I'm so sorry."
"Don't worry 'bout it," he said, "are you two… OK?"
"I'm OK, it's the kid who doesn't get it!" Eda shouted.
"Oh, sorry for not getting your marvelous lessons! Of course, anyone would be delighted about receiving explanations of how to do magic… with sounds!" Luz bit back. "You could maybe try to actually teach me!"
"Oh, you wanna go, kiddo?!"
"Bring it!"
Gus took Luz by the arm. "While I'm sure this is super important, but Luz, can I talk with you for a second?"
Luz growled a bit but nodded, allowing him to pull her to the other side of the room.
"What is it, buddy?" Luz asked, all bad mood gone the moment she turned her back on Eda.
"She is scary!" Gus thought, smiling shakily. "I want your help with some of the 'HAS' problems."
"With your human lovers' club? Why?"
"There is this new kid, Mattholomule. He came in with a lot of forgeries!" He explained, biting his lip at the memory. "But all the other members couldn't see through his lies, and he is now trying to get me demoted from my position as president!"
"Sounds like a jerk, that Matt-whatever you said the rest of his name was," Luz said, "so, what do you want me to do?"
"You are much better than me with human treasures, could come to Hexside and help me unmask his lies?"
Luz smiled at him but let out a sigh the very next second. "I'd love to, really Gus, but I'm in a bit of a situation right now."
"What? You were just discussing with your mom!"
"About my training Gus," Luz replied crossing her arms, "my life is a bit more complicated, than a kid taking over my playdate."
He backed off, Luz seemed to regret her words and looked away from him..
"I'm sorry, Gus. I didn't mean to say like that… it's just- I'm under a lot of stress right now."
"You wouldn't be if you just got the damn lessons!" Eda shouted.
"You know how I could do that?! If I was in Hexside!" Luz barked back..
"Why?! There's nothing for you in that dweebus factory!" Eda then looked at him. "No offense, dweebus."
"It's OK, I come from a long line of dweebuses." Eda smiled at his response.
Luz stomped her foot on the ground, though. "Well, I would love to go someday! They teach magic there, proper magic! And that's better than hearing half-assed explanations and unpacking junk in the 'Eda's coven'!"
Gus had noted the boxes around where Luz had that ice spike. Now he didn't have to wonder why those were there.
"Oh, you think you are clever huh?" Eda said, stepping closer to them.
King jumped from his place on the couch. "Oh! Fight, fight, fight!"
"Can it, King!" Eda shouted and frowned at Luz. "First off, is the 'Bad Girls Coven', and second off, I guess you don't want in on the t-shirt's order?!"
She showed them a pretty nice drawing of a t-shirt that Gus would have actually bought.
"I don't care 'bout t-shirts!" Luz said, "I need to learn magic! And they teach that in Hexside!"
"Well, yeah. But… Argh!" Eda screamed, turning around. "I don't wanna hear another word 'bout Hexside. Unless is 'Hexside's on fire' and 'let's go grab some front row seats'!"
With that and a pretty hard swing, the door was closed. And Gus could swear he heard Hooty waking up.
"You heard her, Gus," Luz said, walking and dropping on the couch. "Sorry, I really wish I could help you."
"Luz… I-I just need you to be there and say that those aren't real human treasures, I won't ask for anything else!" He begged.
"…Only that?"
"Yes!"
Gus saw Luz move in her place and then heard her mutter something that he didn't understand.
"OK," she said, "I'll go tomorrow to help you."
"Really?!"
Luz smiled. "Really, you are my friend, and this is important to ya, I can't just leave you alone if you need me!"
"Oh Luz, thanks!" He said, hugging her.
"Yeah! I'll be going to school and also saving the president!"
Gus laughed along with Luz, and they talked about the human trash in the room. Gus talked for hours and heard about all kinds of human things for even longer than that. He was always on the sidelines when Luz and Willow talked, but in that very moment, he felt a connection he would've expected from a friend sharing an interest, even when Luz didn't seem to be as interested in humans as him.
She listened to him, cared about what he was saying, talked back… she didn't treat him like he was a dumb kid, or invisible.
She treated him as a friend.
…...
You should know your day is bound to be bad when you wake up and your first thought is a straight-up:
"I hate this…"
Lilith stood up and walked to her bathroom, having the headquarters of the Emperor's coven stationed on the palace might have sounded like a dream that became reality, but the truth was the while being a newbie you'll be thrown to the dungeons, then, once you become a higher officer you'd sleep next to the kitchens.
And when becoming head of the coven, or the Emperor's right hand, you get a room.
A really, really small room.
Washing her hair and making sure her dye didn't come off was a nightmare in her two meter per two meter bathroom, she didn't have a tub, just a shower, and anybody could wonder why she would end up having a bad day regularly.
Just like that day.
"I need a break…" Lilith whispered, drinking her morning potion.
Apple blood wasn't enough for her anymore.
"I'm afraid you are not due to one, Lilith." Kikimora was beside her, taking a small sip from her own mug. "We have many things to get done."
"I know, I know…" she whispered, walking into the hallway.
She looked through the windows and the morning air on the landscape made her feel nostalgic.
She had seen that same image from years ago until that very moment.
"This is as high as one can get…" Lilith thought with a sigh.
She had dreamed about it... but at that moment? It all was so… empty.
Her mind went back to the times from when she was a kid. When she was a teen. Her childhood home, her time in Hexside, the time she spent in her yard or the forest.
The time she spent with her sister.
She wondered how it was possible to be so apart from the very person she thought would never leave her, how could she be so away from her sister when she knew exactly where she lived.
There was also the issue of her niece.
Lilith had been… skeptical, but after finding the birth certificate, and after hearing her sister. She couldn't dent the fact that she now was an aunt, she had more family than her sister.
And it was a kid .
She closed her eyes and tried to muster the image of Lucelyn in her mind, trying to remember her voice. But the only interaction she had to look out for was a duel where she wasn't really paying attention to her, where she had tried to…
She groaned and massaged the bridge of her nose. "I'm a horrible person…"
She needed to find a way to help Lucelyn, Edalyn wasn't going to be reasonable. She had never been, and the kid was in need of an education, more options than just… coping with her mother's reputation tarnishing her future.
"Lilith!" Kikimora called her. "We have work ahead of us."
"I'm coming!" she responded and took a long sip from her mug.
She had to deal with things one at a time.
….
"I can't believe the kid!"
"Yeah, I know."
"She doesn't get it!"
"How couldn't she?"
"Hexside is bad for her!"
"Obviously."
Eda stopped her ratting and turned to King. "And you aren't listening to me!"
The little demon raised his head from between his paws and stared at her.
"What is there to even listen to? Your complaints? Already heard all of them!" King said, standing up. "You just complain about Luz not seeing your point, of her talking back, and about her thinking differently about education than you!"
"That's-!" She stopped, all her arguments coming back to her, "…true."
"Of course it's true!"
"But what am I supposed to do?" Eda asked, sitting next to him. "I'm trying to protect her, King. Hexside takes anything that's different and turns it into mush!"
"Eda…"
"You know?" Hooty said, opening the door. "I eat insects, I turn them into mush!"
King stared at Hooty before shaking his head. "Eda, that's your experience, Luz is different, in more ways than what we could expect."
"True," Eda said.
"She needs to take on things on her own," King said, jumping to the ground. "Just as I'm 'bout to get some cake!"
Eda sighed when King left the room, standing up and walking outside the house. She took out a piece of paper from her hair. She stared at the folded sheet of paper before opening it.
"Hexside application form…"
Eda closed her eyes and sat on the ground, looking at the stupid form.
"What could they teach Luz that I can't?!" She shouted, looking at the ground. "…A lot, maybe…"
Her mind went back to her last conversation with Lilith. Luz's life was bound with hers now, her little lie had grown into an amazing mess… But the facts stood strong.
Luz was her acting daughter. Eda had a-a… responsibility.
"Ugh, that felt weird…" She sighed, standing up. "Do I really have to do this?"
"All I know!" Hooty talked.
Eda jumped and turned to glare at him. "Hooty! No surprises!"
"But I was here the whole time…" Hooty said, spinning his head.
"Whatever!" Eda sighed, getting a hand to her heart. "What was that anyway?"
"Oh, right!" Hooty got his head away from the door. "All I know is what you taught me, and I turned out just fine!" He finished, looking aside. "Oh, bugs!"
Eda stared at the house demon trying to catch flies and getting his neck twisted and knotted multiple times in less than a few minutes.
"I gotta get that girl into school," Eda said, making a spell circle and starting to fill the form. "Fast!"
She called Owlbert and flew away when Hooty attempted to get a snail from the grass.
….
"That stupid wanna-be criminal!"
Amity sighed and looked up, finding Boscha glaring at a wall.
Her history classes were done, she had time to just relax in the self-study classroom but she hadn't counted on the possibility of anyone going there on a free period.
She was wrong, and now she was stuck with Boscha.
If she was being honest, she could just walk out the room, but that would be too obvious and Boscha would start asking questions, making assumptions.
And that was never good enough.
So she kept quiet, letting her talk about whatever she wanted, and just tried to concentrate on her next assignment… until the 'Luz theme' was touched.
"She just thinks she can outsmart me! Oh, but she is going to learn…"
Amity made a face. "Just what did she do?"
"She played me!" Boscha shouted, turning to face her. "She made me play a stupid game just so I wouldn't turn her into ashes!"
"After our duel, I think you'd be the one ending like that." Amity's thoughts were cut by Boscha's little rant turning physical against the table. "Did you lose the game? Because this is a new level just for playing."
Of course, Boscha hasn't lost, she was the best at everything she tried, Amity hated it, but she had the talent and skills to brag, there was no way she had…
"What about it? She distracted me!"
…Lost.
"You lost? Like, wait. What was the game?" Amity asked, placing her books aside.
There was no way she could concentrate after hearing that.
"Throwing stupid balls through stupid hoops," Boscha said, "she distracted me and I lost, but then she just ran away when I was looking for a rematch!"
Amity was at loss for words, Boscha was Grugby Captain for a reason, and she had lost in a ball game?
She was perplexed, and she was being modest about it!
"Luz bested you? On sports?" Amity said, and Boshca went silent. "Wow… sports."
Why was Luz much more interesting then?
"She didn't best me!" Boscha groaned. "I had to catch up with her later, and when we were about to fight, she just gave up!"
How many surprises was Amity supposed to hear?
"She did?"
"Yes! She just…just…! She gave up so she could take back her stupid pet demon from the guards!" Boscha shouted, "And she said she didn't care about reputation after tarnishing mine!"
Amity giggled at that. "She sounds more mature than you."
"Don't you dare to be on her side! You are mine!"
The silence that came after that was so dense and heavy. Boscha was breathing so hard, and Amity was sure she was glaring.
"I'm not ' yours' Boscha," she said, standing up. "And contrary to what you may think, I don't owe you anything , to be called like a possession."
Boscha stared at her and blinked, she then tried to respond. "No, Amity, I didn't mean it like that…"
"I don't care how you meant it," she cut in while gathering her things. "I think you need to sit with those words for a while."
Amity walked out while Boscha still tried to call her out. She took a deep breath to try to avoid destroying her books.
How dared she to think she was something to possess?
Amity had hated that stupid idea, all her life, her mother treating her like a stupid doll was enough; she wasn't accepting that stupid idea from anybody!
She scoffed and reached her locker, opening it and throwing all her books inside, there, she saw the cover of another tome. She reached for it and took the volume out, her rage subsiding slowly.
"Good Witch Azura Number 5"
"So… Luz bested Boscha, eh?" Amity whispered, smiling.
She had seen what the other teen was capable of, a duel so dangerous and then a fight with a monster were good situations to pounder the abilities of a person.
And Lucelyn Clawthorne was proving to be just… incredible.
Amity remembered Luz's red face in the library and giggled, turning around and leaning on the locker.
"She is such a dork." Amity thought while looking at the book. "But I li-"
She stopped herself there. What was she about to say?
Amity shook her head, hugging the book, and basically running to the bathroom. Once inside she left the book on the dry part of the sink and got the water running. She splashed her face two or three times before looking up.
Why was she so red?
"…This isn't good…" Amity groaned, looking down at the sink.
That was definitely not good.
….
Luz felt sick by getting so close to Hexside.
She was excited, of course. But after a near to death experience with the guy who could just send anyone if he wanted to look at the school and they could get a visual on her, which would lead to another encounter with that guy…
She was being paranoid? She didn't think so.
"Hey Luz, you coming?" Gus called her.
Luz nodded and got the hood over her head.
Hexside was almost identical to the last time she was there. Luz moved with quick, light steps, making sure to stay next to the walls. Gus seemed pretty happy with having her there. So she swallowed her angst, nothing was going to happen.
"You've already seen the school, right?" Gus asked as they passed one of the empty classrooms.
"Yeah, principal Bump got a student to show me around the first time I came here."
"Oh, who was it?"
Luz didn't have the time to respond when they ran into someone else, who didn't have the decency to apologize after sending Gus to the ground. She kneeled next to her friend and helped him collect the papers that had just fallen out of his bag.
"Uh…?" Luz thought, seeing a note with a big red rune she couldn't quite understand.
"Mattholomule…" Gus growled, taking the note from her.
She Luz shook her head and glared at the new kid… for like two seconds, he was even shorter than Gus! And were those platforms?
She was being mean in her head, she shouldn't be mean.
"Hey, you gotta be more careful, Augustus, we don't want the president of the H.A.S getting hurt," he said, cleaning the paper crown in his hands. "On his last day in office."
…OK, maybe Luz could be a little mean, even a little was far too big for him.
"This must be your 'human expert'?" He asked, looking at her.
Luz had felt the necessity of punching things, sometimes, but that was the first time she felt like punching someone so immediately. This Matt-whatever stared at her from different angles and even sniffed her!
"Seems like a regular witchling to me," he said, "though she is cute."
Luz kept herself from gagging.
"She might be a witchling, but she is still better versed in humans than you, or me," Gus said, smiling, "Lucelyn, would you mind?"
"Not in the sightless Mr. President." She took out her phone and flashed the same photos she had once shown Gus.
Matt-whatever's face turned more and more into a panicked one with each photo.
"She is, indeed, a human expert," Gus said when Luz put the phone away.
"Yeah, I've been doing this for years," Luz added, smirking.
"She is here to authenticate your treasures," Gus continued and took the crown back from him. "See you at the meeting."
Luz walked behind him, feeling happy for Gus's little movement. But a little twig of guilt ran by the back of her head. She had just pretty much attacked a guy, of course, he was mean first, but still…
"As president of the H.A.S I should feel bad 'bout dunking one of our members," Gus talked, getting her attention. "But as Gus, I feel like doing this!"
Luz repressed her laughs at the little dance Gus started doing. "Wow, yeah Gus, yeah Gus, yeah Gus. Oh!"
They both laughed at that, Luz decided that it wouldn't be that bad to leave the guy—she was going to call him Matt, that name was just too long—have that bit of pain.
She kept her eyes on her friend and the note from before poked out the side of his bag.
"Hey, Gus?" Luz touched his shoulder, making him stop. "What's with those papers?"
If someone could lose all joy in a second, Luz had just seen it.
"What papers?"
"Gus…"
"…Is nothing, really... just… some stuff from classmates."
Luz nodded and placed a hand on his shoulder. "You know I'm here to listen, too. Not only to win an argument in your club."
Gus looked up at her and smiled, nodding. Luz returned the gesture and looked ahead. She caught sight of two things at that moment.
First, she saw Boscha shoving a girl aside to get into a classroom, and second? She saw her hit her head against a locker.
"Hey!" Luz ran to her, kneeling next to the shaking teen. "You OK?"
"Eileen?!" Gus shouted, getting next to her. "You OK?"
"You know her? Wow!"
Luz backed off a bit. She hadn't expected a single eye instead of a face to meet her when the girl turned to them.
"A cyclops…"
"Eileen, are you OK? Can you stand?" Gus asked, offering her both hands.
She nodded, making a sound Luz could only describe as a shriek. Gus made her walk a few steps before letting her go. He smiled and handed her a handkerchief, waiting until she was ready to walk into class.
"Hey Gus, that was… nice," Luz said, looking at the girl go. "I didn't have to do anything."
"Eileen is part of the H.A.S and we always hear about how wrong Boscha is most of the time in their classes. I've seen her a few times like that already."
"Ouch. Why doesn't she say anything?"
"To who? Most of the people in this school would let Boscha do what she wants just because her parents along with her little gang's donate money to the school." Gus replied, looking down. "Not all of us have those chances."
"Gus…?"
He shook his head and looked at her. "We better move to the clubroom, it'll be less… 'exposed', than the corridors."
"Why did you say 'exposed' like that?"
"Luz, I'm not that dense," he replied, "I can see you are uncomfortable with being here without being a student, but relax, nothing bad is going to happen."
"...Yeah…Yeah, I know, it's just…"
"Hey, you don't have to tell me all," Gus stopped her. "You just be happy knowing I'll support you when you need me, got it?"
Luz smiled at him and raised a hand. "Got it, now, give me a high five little man!"
"You are two years older! Don't call me that!"
"Two years are two years, bro!"
…...
Lilith was in the middle of her morning load of paperwork when the news got to her.
"What?"
Kikimora laughed at her face. "As you heard, Lilith, the emperor is taking over your little… family issue , personally."
"But-But why? This is just my sister and my niece!"
"I don't have any recollection of you caring much about it if it was the emperor's order."
Lilith bit back her response and looked down at her desk. Kikimora seemed to enjoy her struggling.
"He will take action soon, so, rest assure, the little Clawthorne is bound to find her place… same as her mother."
Lilith heard the door close and sat again, holding her head in her hands. What had she done? The Emperor took the situation into his own hands? That was insane! He didn't even move a finger with all the actual work put on her with being the emperor's coven head!
And now Edalyn and Lucelyn were…
She had to do something… Anything!
So Lilith stood up and got her cloak, walking down the stairs she looked at all the soldiers in the palace. Every single one of them was an elite force, someone who had mastered all kinds of magic at an at least decent level and was recognized to serve under the Emperor, all of them educated people, smart, brave…
"I'm telling you, man! They ate my sandwich!" screamed one of the guards.
The other responded, rather eagerly. "And I'm telling ya, it was you!"
…Not all of them.
Lilith got out of the palace and summoned her staff, taking flight before anybody could question her. The hot air hit her like a slap.
She hated the heat.
She could live with the cold, she actually liked it better. She could put on a coat, drink hot coffee or chocolate and it gave her a reason to have a fireplace. She could make so many things with the cold, and she enjoyed all of them.
But nobody could escape the heat. Just as she couldn't escape the guilt creeping on her throat.
She had just set Eda's life at risk, and even worse, Lucelyn's too!
"I need to find them!" She thought.
She needed to tell them to run, to fly as far as they could. She couldn't leave the decision of what to do with them to the Emperor alone! He was the wisest witch of them all, granted. But he was also the most powerful and merciless of all.
She couldn't leave her family to be destroyed.
Not again.
"Edalyn, please, please be there…" She whispered, making her staff go faster.
….
Hanging out with Luz was a rush… quite literally.
"The sports field is open?! Gus, we gotta totally look at it!"
Gus sighed and nodded. "Of course."
He wasn't really a fan of the place, sure, he was a born cheerleader, or so he was told by his family, but Hexside only had the 'Banshees', and Boscha wasn't really that fond of him.
He could only cheer during inter-scholar games, so he wasn't thrilled with the idea.
The field was fairly empty, the only two people in there being Skara and Amelia, no sight of Boscha anywhere, Luz had already run towards the benches and was waiting for him with a smile while looking at where the other two witches were.
"I came here when I had my tour," Luz told him when he sat next to her. "But the place was closed, so I only saw it through the windows."
Gus chuckled. "Yeah, the construction track had a test that day if I'm not wrong, the place was a mess."
"I guess it was that," Luz replied, "what are they doing?"
Gus looked down at the field where Skara was, apparently, trying to kick a ball while Amelia threw things at her.
"I think they are practicing for Grugby season."
"Grugby?"
"You never heard of it?!"
Luz's face was an answer in itself. "…No?"
"How is that possible?!"
"I didn't go to any school, I wasn't informed of this!"
"But there is a pro league!"
"I'm not that into sports…"
Gus was ready to start a full explanation about how impossible that was, but his little moment was cut off by the burning sensation in his side, and… was he on the ground? How?
"Sorry!"
Gus looked up, a pretty angry Luz was glaring at someone who came up to them, Gus recognized the red legging of the bard track and looked up, finding a set of ash-pink hair and grey eyes looking down at him with worry.
...Worry?
"I'm so sorry guys! Amelia just sent the ball too high and...and... I'm so bad at this, sorry, really…"
"What the hell was that?!" Luz asked, helping Gus up. "You could've hurt him!"
"I know, and I'm so sorry!"
"Oh, you are going to be sorry!"
"Luz," Gus said, holding his friend, she looked back at him. "It's OK, it was an honest mistake, I don't mind."
"What? But-!"
"It's OK," he repeated before looking at the other girl. "It's all good, don't worry 'bout it, Skara."
"I'm so glad," the bard witch said while getting a hand to her chest. "I'm really sorry, Augustus."
"I've heard you, don't worry- wait, you know my name?"
Skara looked at him with a puzzled expression. "Why wouldn't I? You are a thing going on, with your talent and stuff… you are also friends with Willow, so you come up a lot when Boscha talks."
"I do?"
"When she says mean things, maybe," Luz muttered.
"I…I can't say that's not true," Skara said, "but I also follow your Penstagram account."
Gus was sure he was gaping. "You do?"
"Yeah!" Skara smiled and practically jumped in her place. "I mean; the human stuff you post is so funny! Also, I like your illusions; you could really help out in some of my classes where we have to make costumes and stuff!"
Gus felt heat going up to his face and looked down. Nobody had actually talked to him about his account or his illusions except Willow and Luz, and even they had only seen them once, not actually praising him the way Skara just did.
"Thanks…"
"Don't sweat it! Being honest with you, I'd rather be doing stuff like that than this."
"Why don't you?" Luz finally talked again.
Gus looked at her and held back a sigh of relief at seeing Luz's usual smiley expression instead of the death glare she had just a few seconds ago.
She was scary no doubt.
"Boscha wants her group being all 'Banshees', so I have to at least be a reserve player, not everybody has the luck Amity does and gets to say no to her," Skara explained and crossed her arms while looking away. "Even thou I hate this game."
"That sounds awful; can't you just tell Boscha you don't want to play?"
Skara chuckled before looking at Luz. "I just said it, right? Nobody goes against Boscha."
"Why not?"
Gus could answer that. "Because you'll end up like Willow."
"He's right," Skara sighed, looking down. "And that's not fair…"
Luz hummed at their response. "So if you don't do what Boscha says you get bullied and alone? Some things never change, no matter where you go."
"What happened to Willow is not fair," Skara said, "she has a lot of talent, and she is certainly one of the kindest persons I know."
"And how do you know that?"
Gus had seen Skara nervous, but it was always something… small. At that moment, the bard witch seemed like she was about to uncover some kind of huge conspiracy theory.
"She helped me… before everything with Boscha even started," Skara answered, "we were kids, and I got lost after my violin lessons, my parents were busy so they didn't pick me up… I was close to the Park's grocery store and… well…"
"Willow being Willow invited you and got her dad to call yours," Luz finished with a smirk. "Is that right?"
"Yeah." Skara laughed a little. "I doubt she even remembers that, but…but people are not usually that nice to me before they know who my parents are… Willow didn't care, she just… she just helped me, you know? She is really kind."
"If you really think so, why do you help Boscha bully her?" Gus asked, crossing his arms.
"I don't help her, I hate what she does but…but I have to play along with her."
"You 'have to'?"
"If I want to keep my social life and stay out of my parent's wrong side, yes, I have to ," she replied, and her hands closed harder around her arms. "I have to… but that doesn't mean I like it, I try to distract Boscha, get her to think of other things, but for some reason, she is just…just bossed with Willow!"
"She could like her," Luz commented.
Skara and Gus exchanged a look before looking back at Luz, the brunette looked back at them without saying anything, and the silence got longer, and longer.
They spent ten, maybe fifteen minutes there, no exaggeration… OK, yeah, maybe just two or three, but still.
"That's…That's not possible... right?" Skara asked.
Gus tried to chuckle, but it came out like a cough. "Yeah, yeah, impossible…"
"It is thou?" Luz asked, making them look at her again. "I mean, she is super obsessed with everything Willow does, with all the people who hang around her and doesn't want people finding out how cool and cute Willow is…"
"Willow is pretty cool…" Gus mumbled.
"And like, super cool or whatever… her smile is really cute, too," Skara commented.
Being fair, Gus would've thought about Skara's words, but the notion Luz just brought up was far more intriguing.
He couldn't dwell on it, though.
"Skara we need to keep practicing!" someone yelled at them from the play field.
"Shot! I'm going, Amelia!" Skara then bent down and took the ball, looking at them again. "I'm really sorry, about the, well, y'know, the ball and all the 'hitting-you' thing… and, it was… it was nice, talking to you."
"Same! Maybe we can hang another time?" Luz replied, smiling.
Skara was, apparently, as surprised as him by that invitation. "Y-Yeah, sure! Sure!"
"Great! I'll look at your account and message you, OK?"
"Yeah, perfect! Oh! And, Lucelyn?"
"Yeah?"
"Thanks, for saving my friends the other day," Skara added with a smile. "You rock!"
The voice from before called again. "Skara!"
"Coming! Bye, guys!"
Gus watched Skara walk away and then looked to Luz. How could she make friends that easily?
She was a mystery altogether.
"Hey, don't you think we should get moving?" Luz asked, looking at him. "I think we've been here a while."
Gus panicked, looking down at his demon-alarm, they were going to be late if they didn't get to the floor of the meeting in less than fifteen minutes!
"We have to go, now!"
Luz nodded at him. "Then let's roll!"
"Roll?! We need to run!"
"I… it was… doesn't matter, let's go!"
Luz took his hand and pulled him along the way through the doors and the first-floor hallways, letting him go only when they reached the second floor. They were standing awkwardly next to a wall, the hallway fairly empty making their little stunt somewhat… safer?
Ugh, Gus was so tired he was even beginning to think weirdly.
"That was fun," Luz said while stretching.
"That was crazy …" Gus whined, trying to recover his breath. "How do…How do you move so fast…?"
"Practice a lot, Eda kinda makes it a necessity," she replied and Gus stared at her.
He caught the instant her face changed, and she was… distant, not sad just… absent for some reason.
"Hey, Gus?"
That got him to snap back into reality, thankfully. "Yeah?"
"You think Skara will be OK?"
He considered his reply carefully.
He didn't know Skara per se . Sure, he knew of her by rumors, and the few times he saw her with Boscha, and he also learned a lot from the school gossip, so he knew about the musician witch that held up the best instrumental position in every play and concert.
Like Boscha and Amity, Skara was the 'top society' in Hexside.
"She'll be fine," he finally said, "Skara is tougher than you think."
"I'll just have to take your word for it. She seemed sweet… not like Boscha at all."
"In that you are right," he replied with a little laugh.
"Damn right I do!" Luz smiled at him before looking at a metal door. "Wow, we got to the plant track room? We ran a lot…"
Gus looked up and stared, he ran all that distance?
"Let's say hi to Willow!" Luz said, taking him by the arm. "I'm sure she would be happy to see us!"
"Yeah!"
Gus moved with Luz to the door, looking through the small crystal window at the insides. He would never get used to the sight of so many deathly plants in a single place, so close.
Willow waved at them when they found each other's eyes, and she seemed to want to walk up to them. But her teacher called her out.
"Now that I think about it," Luz muttered, getting away from the door. "Shouldn't you be in class?"
He stopped all movement at that moment.
"Yeah… 'bout that…"
"Ugh, that kid Augustus did it again."
"Won't he ever learn to shut it?"
Gus' eyes opened and he moved behind Luz, hiding. He looked ahead in the hallway and saw two boys with his same uniform color. They both were frowning.
"What is their deal?" Luz asked, looking at them.
Gus held her by the wrist. "Nothing, let's just go, like, now?"
"But-"
"Please, Luz," he cut her, and the hallway was starting to get smaller. "Let's just go…"
Luz looked at him and he looked down.
He just had to go and ruin the fun times, didn't he? Just like always, for everybody…
"OK, let's roll," Luz said, walking back from where they came from. "And that's a human expression."
Luz took him back to the upper floors, they were close to the H.A.S classroom when she took him by the shoulders and shoved him inside an empty room, closing the door behind her.
"Luz?"
"Why didn't you tell me they bully you?"
Gus felt as if she had just hit him in the guts.
"What are you-?"
"Don't try to fool me," Luz said, and the sharp look she was giving him made any attempt he was constructing die. "I know that kind of reaction, Gus, why didn't you tell me? Or Willow?"
Gus stared for far too long and looked down. He gripped the strap of his bag with both hands. Why was the room becoming so small?!
"It wasn't important."
He waited for the burst, the scream of it being important, the sudden rage from Luz part about him being selfish and what-not.
But it didn't come. He faced silence.
"Luz?" He asked, raising his head.
He didn't expect the tears on the girl's face.
"Luz, what's wrong?"
She sobbed and rubbed her face. "You are, dingus."
"Ah?"
"How can you say it's not important if you are not OK?" Luz continued, "I know it feels like that… and hell, I understand you, but hearing it really makes it feel like a stupid reason…"
Gus gaped; feeling like the room had stopped closing. "What do you mean, Luz?"
Luz laughed and leaned on the door, sliding until she sat on the ground. She looked up to him with a smile, but that was not a happy expression, not at all.
"It hurts, right?" She asked, "not like a punch, nor a cut… is more like a sting, right?"
"What-?"
"And it's like the needle goes deeper with every word."
Gus stopped his question and stared at Luz, her smile passed from that sad picture to a knowing smirk. But it didn't matter how much he tried to see the same Luz that just ten minutes ago was laughing, he couldn't find her. That girl in there, in front of him…
Was almost a reflection of himself.
"…Is more like a burn," he said, looking at his feet, "it doesn't really hurt , but… you can't… you can't escape from it, it's just there…"
"Stinging," Luz completed. "And you can't scratch it, nor put something on it… you just need to cope with it."
"Yeah…"
Gus walked until he was beside Luz and turned, leaning on the door and sliding to be sitting next to her. They both stared ahead, through the window maybe, but he wasn't really looking at anything.
"My mom never took it seriously," Luz commented after a few minutes. "She did care, and talked and… hell, what didn't she do? But it never helped, it only…"
"Made it worse, so you stopped talking," Gus completed then, "you stopped getting home with new 'bad news' and started talking about the 'OK news'."
"I didn't mess up the school group project."
"The teacher told me I was good."
"I got an 'A' plus in my last paper."
"I managed to get two spells today."
"The nurse liked my gift."
"Today I didn't start a fight," They both said.
"Every day it becomes easier to say 'I'm OK', and it just gets clearer that you are not, but they don't notice," Luz finished.
Gus nodded and looked at his friend. "I didn't… I never…"
"Thought I was like you? I didn't think of you being like me, either."
"That is just… sad?"
"In a way, I guess."
"Oh…"
"Yeah, oh…"
Gus moved his hand to his bag and took out the note Luz had seen. There, written in capital red runes shined the message from his classmate.
"You never told what that means," Luz said, "I know many runes, but I can't read that."
His lips twisted. "It's written wrong, but that's kinda the point."
"It is?"
"Yeah… it says 'A broken mirror'."
"…What does that mean?"
"It's a thing in the illusionist track. You are supposed to reflect your own, distorting it is what the magic is about… a broken mirror is someone who doesn't…"
"Have the magical talent?"
"Haves the 'self' to reflect," Gus corrected, "it means you don't have a personality, you don't have anything on you…"
He ripped the note and threw it away.
"It means you are nobody."
"Gus…"
"They are always like that, always mocking me… always leaving me behind… that's why I started to use clones."
"Clones?"
"I don't like to be in class," he said, "so I made an illusion clone to take it for me… I study the notes and just… present the test."
"Wow, and they haven't caught ya?" She asked, and he nodded. "Wow, you are good."
"I moved a couple of grades like that… nobody can leave you behind if you are leading…" He laughed a little and took the crown from his bag. "That's why being president of the H.A.S is so important to me… I make sure that nobody is left behind, nobody gets to be…"
"Invisible," Luz finished, nudging him with her shoulder. "You did great, you know?"
"It doesn't feel like that…"
"But it is like that, I couldn't do half of what you did. Gus, I'm not that brilliant, I was a weirdo where I was before and I'm just so happy and glad you and Willow are my friends being here…"
"We are happy to have you around too, Luz!"
"I know, and it's great but you know, right? Is… It's hard to get used to it…"
Gus sighed. "Tell me about it… I'm surprised Willow put up with me."
"Willow is the same as us," Luz commented, "Boscha has made sure of it."
Gus nodded, he knew of it, it was the main reason he hadn't talked about his problems with Willow, the girl already had enough on her plate… as did Luz, and him.
"How come we all have the same problems?" Gus asked, staring at the air in front of him.
"Destiny playing a pretty bad prank?" Luz offered,
It sounded right enough.
"Hey, Gus," Luz said, leaning on him. "Talk to us, to Willow… to me, please."
Gus nodded, slowly. "Then, you two can talk to me, right?" he asked, "I'm your friend, too."
"I'll try if you do."
"Deal."
"Deal."
They laughed at that, staying seated for a few more minutes in silence. Gus looked through the window again, the room wasn't as small as before.
"You don't need to be president, you know?" Luz said.
"Mmm?"
"I saw what you did for Eileen, you were kind, attentive… you don't need to be president to do that… you are a great person Gus. You don't need a crow to remember that… Willow and I are always going to be there for you."
"…Thanks, Luz."
"No problem, now, stand up, stand up!" she said, doing so. "We have an election to win!"
Gus followed Luz, and they both got into the club classroom. Mattholomule was already there with the rest of the club.
"She says to be a human expert but those are lies!" he screamed and looked at them. "You, Augustus, were you bribing the 'human expert' to vote my treasures false?! How could you?!"
"What are you talking about?" Luz asked.
"Don't try to play dumb, I know you were forging the verdict!"
The rest of the club was turning with Mattholomule words. Gus stared at him, his movements were all so… desperate.
"He almost seems… scared?" Gus thought while looking down at the crown of the president of the club.
"You don't need to be the president of a club."
He smiled at the memory of Luz's words.
"What is so funny, you liar, cheater, loser-!"
"You win," Gus said, passing him the crown, "you can be president."
"…What?"
Luz placed a hand on his shoulder. "Gus?"
"Is OK, Luz," Gus said, smiling at her, before turning to Mattholomule. "Congratulations on your victory, have fun."
"Wha…What is this?" Mattholomule asked.
"I'm giving you what you wanted."
"But… But… Why?!"
Gus smiled and looked at Luz, shaking his head. "You seem to need it more than me." He turned to the rest of the group. "It has been an honor to be your president."
He made a salute and turned, walking outside the room.
He felt so… free in that single moment.
He turned when he heard a crash and a cry. Luz walked with one of the happiest expressions he had seen.
"What happened?"
"He tried to flirt with me, in a pretty… lame way," Luz said.
Gus stared and then burst into a fit of laughs. "I can't believe it."
"You better." Luz scoffed. "He could at least try to ask nicely, not… that, he even tried to kiss me."
"Don't wanna hear."
"I don't want to remember," Luz said, patting him on the back. "Now what, Mr. no-president?"
Gus smiled. "Get to see what Willow is doing?"
"I like that plan."
….…
Eda dropped the form on the desk and took a seat. She waited for about five minutes before the man sighed and raised his head.
Eda smirked when he looked at her. "Hello there, Bumpkins."
"Edalyn…" he said, "to what do I owe the displeasure of your visit?"
Eda shook her head and whistled, taking a pencil and balancing it on her upper lip, she also put her feet on the desk and smiled at him.
"I gotta admit, is extra weird being here without you screaming at me 'bout starting a fight or stealing."
"I can fix that, easily." Bump replied and made a spell circle and Eda was thrown to the ground. "Just tell me what you want Edalyn."
Eda stood up and looked at him in the eyes before letting out the most, humiliating, horrible, and 'sure-never-gonna-say' words in her vocabulary…
"I need you to let my kid in here."
"Here?"
"Hexside."
Bump did seem surprised. "Excuse me? You, the 'Owl Lady', renegade witch, the same woman who left Hexside all those years ago… Wants her kid to study in the same school she abandoned?"
"Yeah, pretty much."
"…Sorry, but I have to be skeptical of this, Eda."
"You saw what she is capable of, right?"
"Four spells, nothing special."
"Five, she got the one to call her scroll."
"Any witch can do that."
"With wild magic?"
"If she can do wild magic, why do you want her to attend here?"
Eda bit back her response.
Talking about Luz being targeted by the Emperor could only go one direction.
"Truth is…" How easy was it to lie by saying that? "Lucelyn has such potential… potential that I can't explore myself, she is a brilliant kid and… and she wasn't with me the first years of her life."
"Oh?"
"I'm a criminal, Bump, you know that. And the world knows that, too. I couldn't possibly keep her safe with all the stuff going around me. I wanted her to have a life where she could be proud of her name."
"So you sent her away?" Bump asked, leaning closer to her. "Doesn't seem like you."
"Having the kid changed a few things 'bout me." She smiled at the recognition of it. "Something went down, won't tell you what, but it was bad, and Luz came to live with me. Now she can take care of herself, I know this! But… But she needs more than her mom and a talking house and pet demon."
"She does, doesn't she?" Bump said, a smile taking place on his lips. "And you think Hexside haves what she needs?"
"I know it has what she wants," Eda said immediately, "friends, people to grow with, and classes with more theory than anything I could teach her… She needs this, Bump; she needs this place so she won't…"
"End like you?"
"So she can be better than what I've always been," Eda accepted. "She is worth the chance."
Bump looked at her, his eyes studying her from head to toe, just like the first time she got into trouble all those years ago.
"Come on." She moved closer, decided to push. "I was one of your smartest and most talented students, minus my attitude; you know my kid will crush your courses if she wants."
That seemed to make the trick.
"Very well Edalyn, I'll consider Lucelyn for our next semester in Hexside."
"Yes!"
"But before even doing that," he said, "there is still much to answer for."
Eda's mood dropped. Of course, it couldn't be that easy.
"Oh, come on Bump! I know you loved my kid when she came without my consent! What could she have done?!"
"Oh, I'm not talking about Lucelyn."
Eda then saw how Bump dropped a ton a huge block of papers and carpets in front of her, sitting back in his chair.
"I'm talking about the necrotic experiments, the graffiti, the scams, the cheating, Miss. Jenkinmeyer teeth. The troubles you caused when you were here, Eda."
She stared at the pile for a few seconds before her mind kicked back into function. She just wished she had said something more.
"Uh, I thought there'd be more."
She really did like the kid, didn't she?
….
"Willow, are you sure this is OK?"
"To be honest? No. If anybody else asks? Yes!"
Luz laughed hard at that, poking the giant plant.
It roared and almost ate her.
Luz sprinted outside the plat track room before the teacher could see her and left Willow to deal with the plant—her friend had asked for it—while she ran to Gus, who made an illusion to cover them and avoid the small mob of angry students that left the room. Willow came out after them with the teacher.
"I don't know what happened, professor-"
"I know Willow, I know," the teacher said, shaking their head. "I'll dismiss the class for the rest of the day, you treated the plant pretty well, I may never grow tired of your progress."
"It's not, that amazing…"
The teacher patted Willow on the head. "You are remarkably talented witch Willow. I hope you can see it some time."
Luz looked at Gus and smiled, he did the same with her.
They waited until the teacher was far enough down the hall. Gus dispelled the spell and they both walked to the slightly red Willow, hugging her.
"What is it, guys?" Willow asked, pushing them.
"You are such a good girl!" Luz said.
"We couldn't be prouder!" Gus added.
Willow smiled at them. "…This is not saving you from any stupidity you did."
"Damn," Luz and Gus said.
Willow broke in laughs alongside them and they started to move. The rest of their walk was filled with talk about classes between Willow and Gus, Luz hearing attentively at their voices. She closed her eyes for a moment, allowing her mind to wonder, what could it be like? What could it be to have friends to talk about classes? To study the subjects she really did enjoy? To have someone waiting to hear all the good things that happened during her time out?
She never had that.
"Camila always tried…" Luz thought, looking down.
Camila, her mom… the woman who always tried to make her fit, to change her so she could have a normal life… who loved her deeply.
"This is not the time for this." Luz thought, shaking her head.
Her eyes fell on a wall full of photos, plates, and medals.
"An honor wall?" Luz said, stopping her walk.
Luz stared, looking at the multiple students' photos. She caught sight of Amity as the top student in class matters, she also saw the captain of the 'Grugby' team featuring Boscha, and then the best musician in the year being Skara.
"I didn't know they were, like, a holy trinity here," Luz commented.
Willow walked next to her. "Yeah, they are pretty much Hexside's royalty."
"Boscha is the one that takes up to the role the most," Gus added.
Luz's mind went back to a few days before, her 'talk' with Boscha had been weird, and the desperation was too much for Luz to even begin to understand her. Boscha had been so scared of losing, so terrified of not being the best at all she did…
"So this is a part of it. huh?" Luz thought, studying the picture a bit more.
"It's no use to stare at it," Willow said after a while, "it doesn't change who they are."
"We already saw all that the school has," Gus said, "and you knew more than me in some areas, whoever gave you the tour, they made sure you wouldn't forget soon about it."
Luz smiled at that. Amity's smiling face flashed in her memory. Why couldn't she just be that happy girl Luz saw, but apparently, no one else had?
"…Luz, didn't you say Eda hates Hexside?" Willow asked.
She looked at her. "Yeah, why?"
"She is standing over there with principal Bump."
Luz may or may have not hurt her neck when she turned maybe a little too fast.
But it was worth it when she saw Eda there.
"What is she doing here?" Luz asked, smashing herself next to a locker.
Gus got next to her. "Why don't you go and ask?"
"Is a joke, right? You saw how she reacted when we just talked about Hexside! If she sees me here…"
"I think you'll get surprised," Willow said, taking her hand. "Come on, it can't be that bad."
"Yeah, we'll be with you all the way," Gus said, pushing her ahead.
"Wha-? Guys, wait!"
Luz felt the pressure gaining on her, her heart racing. Was she about to have another lecture from Eda? Would they fight? Will she have to face disappointment from her? Or…?!
"…I washed up all the graffiti, apologized to Miss. Jenkinmeyer for stealing her teeth, caught all the wild 'brainy', too," Eda said, "now we should be good."
"Good? Good 'bout what?" Luz thought; all her emotions from before stopping.
"It will be really exciting to have another Clawthorne as a student here," Bump said, "I just hope she took after her other mother, or this could've been a bad investment."
"Don't ya worry, she is going to crash your students in no time!"
"That's partially what I'm afraid of."
"Eda?" Luz finally spoke.
Both grown-ups turned at the little group, Luz looked at her—surrogate—mother in the eyes. What was happening there?
"Hey, kiddo!" Eda said, "Guess who got ya into Hexside?!"
"What?!" Luz replied, looking at principal Bump. "But… but… But she hates it here, and she is a criminal!"
"And she is, also, your mother," the principal said, "who just cleaned all the messes she left behind after twenty-five years, she just fixed most of Hexside!"
"So that's why the prediction graffiti was gone?" Gus asked.
"Ah, that was a good one," Eda said, "it told you who would be hosting the next test and you could learn how to cheat it…"
"It was really a problem, Eda." Bump muttered.
"Besides, Bump here already told me he won't be telling the emperor's coven we are here," Eda told Luz, patting her head. "So don't worry."
"You… you won't?" Luz asked, looking at principal Bump in the eyes.
"I'm the principal, not a snitcher," he replied, almost looking insulted. "Hexside is safe for you both… besides, losing the Clawthorne bloodline would be so depressing. Even as counterparts, the Clawthorne sisters were each, one of the best students in Hexside history."
"Eda was a 'best student'?" Gus and Willow asked alongside Luz.
Eda glared at them. "Hey!"
"Her grades were exceptional!" Bump responded with a grin, moving his hands around. "It was her… behavior, what left much to ask for." He sighed and looked at Luz. "You have the talent, I've seen it, and you also have to fill up the expectations, all in all. I'm happy to inform you, you'll be enrolling in Hexside next semester."
Luz gaped, her mind going at all the things she had just heard and stopping in the last line.
"Enrolling in Hexside next semester."
Luz jumped into Eda's arms. "Yes! Yes! Yes! Thank you, Eda!"
"That's amazing, Luz!" Gus and Willow said and jumped at her once she let go of her mentor.
"She is indeed interesting," Bump commented to Eda when Luz stopped her little rant with her friends.
"I told ya," Eda said, "anyway, it's been far too long for me to be in here, lets go home, Kiddo!"
Luz's smile grew bigger.
"Yes, mom!" She said, "Bye guys! See you tomorrow?"
"Bet on it, pal!" Gus said.
Willow smiled at her. "Wouldn't miss it for the world."
Luz nodded and turned to go with Eda. The woman placed a hand on her shoulder while they were walking. It wasn't until they were pretty far away from the others that Luz dared to speak.
"Are you sure about this?"
Eda scoffed. "No."
"Then, why?"
"Because it's what you want. And I know you are too smart to fall for that, one coven thingy." Eda pulled her closer. "And you could even show them a little of the way we do things in the bad girl coven."
Luz left out a giggle. "I'll try."
"Good, now, let's get home before King starts wondering if he could die from starvation for not having a snack."
Luz nodded and scooted closer to Eda, closing her eyes and letting the woman guide her. She was going to go to school, she had friends waiting for her, she had someone who was doing things for her without gaining anything and just because Luz wanted it.
She had a… a family, a home to go back to.
She was still looking for her parent, she was still uncertain of so many things…
But she was OK with it… she just wanted that moment to last, even if just a little.
She wanted that happiness to last just a bit longer.
….
Eda was happy to fly away from Hexside, her mind already free from the complications of getting Luz to be accepted in. Also, her little to no-existent conscience was a bit quieter now she had done some amends.
That didn't help her mood when she saw Lilith discussing with Hooty.
"Tell me where my sister is, you stupid house demon! Or I'll burn you down!" She heard Lilith scream.
But Hooty didn't budge. "Naha, not a snitcher."
Eda smiled at the demon's remark, that thing couldn't shut it, but he wasn't a liability at least.
"This is important!" Lilith shouted, "Lucelyn is at risk!"
Eda tensed.
"What is she talking about?" Luz asked.
"Don't know, kiddo. But I don't like it." Eda said, landing. "Lily!"
Her sister turned and Eda had counted the times after her teen years when Lilith had been like that.
Completely and utterly terrified .
"Edalyn, thank the Titan-"
"What are ya doing here, Lily?" Eda cut her off. "And what do you mean of my kid being in danger?"
Lilith reacted as if Eda had hit her. Looking away and crossing her arms. Eda studied her sister. She was trembling, hands gripping her arms so hard that the fabric was tensed, her eyes going from one point on the ground to her.
"Lilith, what happened?" Eda pressured.
She felt a tug in her side and looked at Luz. "She doesn't look so good Eda…"
"I know, and that's what's bothering me."
Eda walked closer to Lilith, the little details becoming more and more obvious. Her hair was a mess, her expression was far from her usual calm demeanor and even her nails were ruined.
"You ate your nails again," Eda said with the worry settling in her tone.
Lilith looked at her hands. "I… I did…"
"Lily," Eda called out, she tried to do it softly. "What happened?"
Lilith took a couple of sharp breaths before getting a hand through her hair. She then looked at Eda in the eyes, the fear, uneasiness, and agony. All of that was second to the resolution in her gaze.
"…The Emperor took the case with Lucelyn," Lilith said, "personally."
…What?
"You are joking, right?" Eda asked with a shaky smile, something was creeping inside her. "I can't believe you would come out here just so you-"
"Edalyn," Lilith interrupted her, "he took the situation in his hands."
"No! No, no, that man has never even bothered to move from his castle since he got the power!"
"He has a reason now."
"Which one? Is my Kid!"
"Is my niece too!"
"He doesn't care!"
A new voice whispered in her ear. "Oh… but I do, 'Owl Lady'."
Eda tensed, her entire being paralyzed from a moment to the other.
"You brought him here…" Eda said, realization hitting her.
Lilith stared at her. "Edalyn?"
"You brought the bastard here!"
Eda turned and from the ground, masses of shadows came out, multiple parts of them turned into chains, holding in her place. Eda pushed her magic through, calling Owlbert.
"Eda!"
Luz was being swallowed by the shadows.
"Luz!" She shouted back, moving, the chains burned .
"Edalyn!" Lilith screamed. "Edalyn, stop!"
"Never!" Eda responded, "I'm not leaving her! I'm not giving up on my kid!"
"Eda! Help!" Luz cried out, both of her hands seemed to be held down by the same chains that held hers. "Eda! It hurts!"
"Luz, I'm coming!"
She couldn't move, the shadows grew wider, darker, and stronger.
She couldn't move, Luz was disappearing slowly into the ground; her cries were just as bad as Eda's worst nightmare, a desperate voice trying to reach her.
She couldn't move, the shadows enclosing her with a swift movement, trapping her.
"Edalyn hear me please!" Lilith's voice came from behind her.
She growled and finally broke the chains. "I don't have anything to hear from you!"
Eda jumped ahead, her hand was stretched, ready to hold Luz… and there was a third voice, the same from before.
"Thank you, Lilith, you have completed your task."
Eda then was hit on the back of her head, the shadows got a grip on her again, trapping her.
And just like that… Luz was gone.