The sun was slanting through one of the little windows and it hit Amity at just the right angle to wake her. She blinked sleepily, let out a tiny groan and turned her face into her pillow to escape the annoying little beam in her eye. Her bed felt weird. Why were there so many blankets and pillows everywhere? Lifting her head up just enough to look around, she realized she wasn't in her bed at all. She was on a sofa, her arm hanging over the side. She followed it lazily with her eyes, still only half awake and found a sleeping Luz on the other end, their fingers laced together. And then it all came flooding back.
Her parents had found out. They'd fought and she'd run. She was in the Owl House. Luz was holding her hand! A bright flush spread across her cheeks and, despite all the heartache from the night before, she found herself grinning. They must have slept like this all night. Luz hadn't left her. She gazed down at her sleeping friend and her heart fluttered giddily. She looked so peaceful when she slept. Was it creepy that she wanted to watch forever? Probably, but she didn't really care. She rested her head on her free arm and smiled down at Luz dreamily, content to do just that. Someone quietly clearing a throat snapped her back to reality and she looked up, mortified, to find Eda smirking at her from the kitchen.
The Owl Lady was leaning against the dining table, a mug in hand. She took a long, drawn out sip as she eyed Amity with a smug smirk over what must have been her morning coffee. Amity felt the light blush on her cheeks run up her face and down her neck. Oh god she'd just been caught mooning over Luz like a love-sick puppy.
"You look a little red there, kid. Feeling ok?" It was an innocent enough question but the tone! Eda just grinned and sipped her coffee again. She glanced down at Luz and then moved away from the table, towards them. "She looks like she's gonna be out for a while. Get some more rest for now, I have a feeling that little chat we need to have is going to be a rough one for you," she said.
There was a small noise from the doorway leading to the hall and Amity spotted King stomping sleepily into the room, dragging a blanket and a stuffed animal along behind him. She watched as he silently flipped both up onto her, scrambled his way up and then settled on the small of her back in a little ball, stuffed animal and blanket clutched close. She could hear him grunt something about all the best napping spots being taken and then he was asleep and snoring in seconds. Eda snorted.
"Huh, didn't see that coming. Well you're definitely stuck there now, kid. We'll talk when everyone's awake," she laughed quietly, leaving to go upstairs somewhere. Amity watched the doorway for a moment to make sure Eda was really gone, before glancing down at Luz again. She was still fast asleep, her mouth parted slightly. Was that a tiny line of drool? She held back an amused snort and smiled at her fondly. God, how was she so damn cute?
Figuring Eda was probably right, Amity set her head back on the pillow and let her eyes drift shut. A little more sleep would be nice.
When she woke again, it was to the quiet clink of dishes being washed in the kitchen. The room was a little brighter and she felt safe and relaxed. She blinked blearily and her eyes drifted down to find Luz again. Only she was awake this time and she'd clearly been watching Amity sleep. The content little grin on her face spread when she saw Amity was awake and Amity felt her face heat up.
"Good morning," Luz said and it was so bright and bubbly sounding that Amity found herself forgetting to be embarrassed and smiled.
"Hi," she replied, trying not to sound too breathless. Luz was watching her carefully from the floor.
"How are you feeling?" She asked, a concerned tilt to her brows. Good question. Amity actually felt pretty good all things considered. It had been a really bad night but things had ended on such a sweet note and she was warm and comfortable and Luz was still holding her hand.
"I'm good," she said, a little surprised by how true it was. She knew it wouldn't last very long. They still had to have a serious talk with Eda very soon but, for now, she was ok. Luz's smile widened noticeably and that made Amity happy too.
Something shifted around on her back and she pushed herself up on her free arm to twist around far enough to look at King without unseating him. He was glowering at them from under his blanket. He whipped a paw at them, pointing in what Amity guessed was meant to be an intimidating pose. He was clutching a stuffed animal in his other arm though, so it was really just adorable.
"Hey! The King of Demons demands silence! I'm trying to nap over here!" He grumped. Luz let out a delighted cry and sat straight up, leaning over Amity's back to scoop King into her arms and cuddle him mercilessly.
"Awe, were you protecting Amity while she was sleeping? Who's the sweetest little demon in the Boiling Isles? I think it's you, mi pequeño gordito!" She cooed happily, snuggling the little furry demon who was trying to act indignant but it was ruined by his happy giggling. Luz had used that language again. Something about the sound of it intrigued Amity. She'd never heard anything like it before meeting Luz so it was probably safe to assume it was a human thing. She liked the sound of it though and was curious to know more but it was a little hard to focus on that when Luz was basically lying across her back while she cuddled King.
Eda walked into the room, drawn by the noise, and snorted at King's apparent suffering. "Oh good, everyone's awake," she said, drying her hands on a towel that she tossed carelessly behind her. "Not to ruin the good mood but if you're ready to talk, now is probably a good time for you to tell us exactly what happened last night."
Luz stilled and drew back, King still in her arms. She and Amity glanced at each other and Amity just gave her a helpless shrug. She hated to end the adorable display but it was as good a time as any. Amity shifted so that she was sitting and Luz immediately joined her, plopping herself down right beside her so that their shoulders were just about grazing. She noticed Eda giving her a look as she pulled up the same chair from the night before, one curved brow arched and she flushed a little. Luz was being extra affectionate and with how Eda had seen them holding hands, Amity worried she would get the wrong idea. She valiantly ignored how much she wanted for it to be the right idea.
King leapt out of Luz's arms and crawled over to plop himself in Amity's lap instead, grumbling under his breath and fooling absolutely no one. Amity smiled down at him and just wrapped him up in her arms, drawing a child-like giggle from him. He was like an oversized, grumpy stuffed animal and she found cuddling him comforting.
Luz was surprised and delighted by King's apparent desire to comfort Amity. The little guy had come a long way from feeling so insecure about friendships that he felt the need to literally shrink people to give him alone time with Luz. He might be too stubborn to admit that he wanted to make Amity feel better, but his actions were enough and it was heart-meltingly sweet.
Now that they were all settled, Amity found herself tensing up a little at the prospect of having to relive the previous night. She felt calm enough and no longer had that frantic fear clamping up her throat but she still wasn't looking forward to it. Eda noticed her hesitation.
"It's ok, take your time," she said patiently. Amity took a deep breath and let it out slowly. It helped.
"What do you want to know?" She had no idea how to start. Asking was just easier.
"How about we start with what happened to your face?" Eda asked gently and Amity grimaced. Ok maybe it wasn't easier to ask. She glanced down and away, feeling uncomfortable heat prick the corners of her eyes as the memory pushed to the front of her mind. The tears were starting early today apparently.
"My family is… they have a lot of strict expectations. They weren't happy about me not wanting to marry a man for the sake of the family reputation and father was saying such awful things about..." She froze, mouth clamped shut as she realized what she'd been about to say and her eyes darted nervously to Luz, who was watching her with concern. She pressed her lips together and exhaled through her nose. That had been too close. "A-anyway I kind of snapped and I yelled at him. A lot. That's when he…" She trailed off, still not quite able to believe it had happened at all, despite the evidence on her face. The room was deathly silent. Until Luz made a dismayed sound in the back of her throat.
"Your dad hit you?! Amity…" Without a moment's thought, Luz threw her arms around Amity and pulled her in for a tight hug that Amity was very grateful for. She didn't care that her cheek was being smooshed into Luz's shoulder or that King was probably being a little bit crushed between them. She needed a hug.
She glanced over Luz's arm to see Eda frowning in concern. "Has something like this ever happened before?" She asked carefully. Amity felt Luz stiffen, waiting for the answer too and she sank into her a little more.
"No, he's… he's never done that before. It came out of nowhere. My parents have always been harsh but they've never hurt me like that," she murmured and sighed quietly when Luz gave her a comforting squeeze.
"But they have hurt you," Eda stated. It hadn't been a question. Amity had no idea what to say to that. It was true. They had. Just mentally and emotionally.
"They threatened Willow's spot at Hexide so that they could force Amity to stop being her friend. She was just a little kid!" Luz said darkly. The venom in her voice surprised Amity. She had never heard Luz sound so furious before. It hurt to think the normally happy girl was so upset by all of this but Amity appreciated that she cared that much.
"Well, yes I guess that's a good example," she agreed. "They did stuff like that a lot actually." Eda's frown deepened and she crossed her arms, leaning back in her chair.
"Your family sounds like a real piece of work," she said, her voice laced with disdain. Amity could only shrug in agreement from within Luz's arms. She felt King squirming a little and reluctantly pulled away from Luz so she could look down at the little guy. He stood up on her lap and thrust his paws into the air angrily.
"Don't worry, cupcake crusher, you're an official part of the boo-boo buddies club now! Your fellow members will exact revenge upon your enemies. Cruel, unfeeling revenge! He will kneel before the King of Demons!" He shouted, his voice rising with glee and his eyes darkening at the thought of the carnage. King had to be the cutest demon she'd ever seen.
"Right!" Luz agreed loudly. "Boo-boo buddies for life!" She and King shared a very serious high five and Amity couldn't stop herself. She laughed out loud and tugged King back down into her arms.
"Thank you, but you don't need to do that," she said, chuckling at the ridiculous pair. "He's not worth it. Besides, I already kind of unintentionally used an abomination to get him back." Eda perked up at that.
"You attacked one of the hoity-toity upper crusts with an abomination?" She asked, looking at Amity with impressed respect. "A runaway and a criminal. I like this girl's style. You've got good taste, kid," she added, smirking at Luz who grinned at her widely.
"I know right?" She agreed. A bubble of laughter burst out of her and Amity found herself blushing under all of the genuine praise. She'd never been showered with so much of it before. She rubbed at her neck self-consciously and a winced when her hand grazed the bruise on her jaw. Oh right. She'd forgotten that was there. Eda saw though and sat forward in her chair.
"Let's get you fixed up before we talk about anymore plots of revenge, shall we? That looks like it smarts," she said sympathetically. It didn't really, not unless she touched it; but Amity was glad to be rid of it. It was an unpleasant reminder of the worst night she'd ever had. Eda stood and stepped closer, bending over a little to get a better view.
"May I?" She asked, reaching up to Amity's chin but not quite touching her. She appreciated the sentiment and smiled lightly, giving Eda a nod. The Owl Lady tilted Amity's head up and to the side, peering at her bruise and lip closely. She let out a small 'hmm' and smiled, satisfied with what she'd seen.
"It doesn't look too bad, just a little bruise and a fat lip. Easy enough to fix," she said, stepping back and letting Amity relax her head back down. Her first instinct was to be indignant at the choice of phrasing but she ignored it. Eda never seemed to mean anything cruel by what she said. She just liked to tease and banter with King and Luz, and now her apparently.
It was a nice change of pace for Amity, watching the three of them good-naturedly ribbing each other and laughing together. She enjoyed the friendly, cheeky spirit behind it all, even if it did make her blush sometimes. Was this what normal families were like? The thought tugged at her heart and she felt an old, familiar longing well up inside her. She thought of Edric and Emira and suddenly missed them terribly. Had they noticed she was missing? Would they care? Things had been better between them ever since the incident at the library but she still sometimes felt unsure. She wondered when, if ever, she would be able to see either of them again.
Her thoughts were interrupted when Eda tried stepping towards her to draw the healing spell circle but Luz was leaning in closely and King was still on her lap. The two of them were blocking her in a little bit. Eda huffed at them in annoyance.
"Would the two of you mind?" She asked expectantly. Neither moved. Luz only leaned in closer, her face all twisted.
"It's not going to hurt is it?" She asked anxiously.
"Relax, Luz, I know what I'm doing," Eda scoffed, rolling her eyes. Luz let out a little whine and wrapped her hands almost possessively around one of Amity's. Oh that damn fluttering again. Amity's cheeks lit up again and she looked up at Eda nervously. It was very sweet that she didn't want Amity to get any more hurt but Luz wasn't exactly helping here. Eda was eyeing them suspiciously and she straightened up, setting her hands on her hips.
"Did something happen last night that you two want to tell me about?" She asked, her serious tone softened by the smirk tugging at her mouth. Luz let out an embarrassed squawk and they were both desperately sputtering denials but Eda's smirk only grew.
"Uh huh. Going to pretend I believe that," she said, chuckling at their very obvious discomfort. Luz let out a groan.
"Really, Eda. She's my friend, I just don't want her to get any more hurt!" She said desperately and Eda took pity on her. Sort of.
"Sure. Well you're gonna have to give me some room if you want me to heal your friend, Luz," she said, the slight smug edge to her voice making Amity's red cheeks only grow hotter. Luz backed up to give her space, defiantly holding onto Amity's hand and glowering at Eda, silently daring her to say something about it. Amity just wanted to sink into the sofa cushions and disappear.
"That'll do, I suppose," Eda said, not quite able to hide the laughter in her voice. She looked down at King and raised an eyebrow. "That means you too, King. The two of you are smothering the poor girl," she added and unceremoniously plucked him from Amity's lap, dumping him onto the floor. His high pitched angry squeal made Eda snicker, muttering "so tiny, so cute," under breath.
With Amity no longer surrounded by overprotective idiots, Eda leaned down and drew a large blue spell circle just in front of her chest. As it closed, it twisted itself into a ribbon that raced down to Amity's feet. It spiraled up her body and she could feel all the little scrapes vanish as it passed, leaving no trace they were ever there. The light bruising on her jaw and her split lip both healed instantly as well and she let out a little breath of relief. She instantly felt a million times better.
"See?" Eda said to an awed Luz. "You were worried about nothing you big baby." Luz wasn't listening though. She was staring at Amity's freshly healed face with wide, wondering eyes.
"Magic is so awesome," she said, grinning widely. Amity snorted at her friend and rolled her eyes.
"Dork," she laughed. Luz only grinned wider and shrugged, gladly accepting the title. She shifted closer so that she could put a protective arm around Amity and King took that as his opportunity to hop back up onto her lap. Apparently they were determined to smother her a bit more. She didn't mind in the least.
"You're being awfully cuddly for a demon," Eda said, smirking down at King who folded his little arms and turned his head away defiantly.
"She makes for an excellent throne!" He declared huffily.
"Right, it's definitely not because you've grown a soft spot for her," she snorted, sitting back down in her chair again. "So, where were we?"
"Revenge!" King shouted out imperiously. Eda actually nodded and leaned back.
"That's right, we were discussing your parents. What happened after this?" She asked, motioning to Amity's face. The memory of the next parts of the night made Amity shudder and she was very glad that Luz and King were both wrapped around her at this point.
"He said he was going to send me to the Conformatorium," she said quietly. It disturbed her how small her voice had sounded just then. The thought of it still terrified her. She swallowed the lump in her throat and continued. There was just a little left. She could do this. "He was going to lock me in my room. That's when I summoned the abomination and he yelled at me to leave. He was so angry…" She scrunched her eyes up, trying not to cry. She'd done enough of that the night before. She gratefully leaned into Luz when the girl stiffened and suddenly pulled her much closer.
Eda sat silently in her chair and stared at Amity in horror. "He wanted to send you to…" Her voice faded and Amity looked up to meet her eyes. Eda's face was set in a grim frown. "Well you can't go back home, that much is clear. I'm not about to send you back there so your parents can try and 'convert' you," she spat out, sounding disgusted at the very idea. Even Luz looked beyond horrified and there was no way she had been on the Isles long enough to have heard those particular rumors about the Conformatorium. Amity wandered if they had something similar on Earth because Luz looked legitimately frightened at the word 'convert' and was holding Amity like she thought she might vanish into thin air if she didn't cling to her tight enough.
"I don't have anywhere else to go though. I'll have to go back won't I?" She asked timidly. It was the last thing she ever wanted to do but what choice did she have? Camp out at Hexide forever? Or in her little library safe room? Live on the street, maybe? The idea certainly appealed to her more than Blight Manor. She felt her eyes moisten and she swallowed again, hard.
"Eda she can't go back to Blight Manor!" Luz yelped, her voice cracking with desperation.
"Don't worry, Luz, she won't," she said seriously, turning to look down at Amity. "You just escaped one mad house, kid, I'm not gonna make you go back there so they can send you to another one."
"Where do you think she is right now?" King scoffed and Amity cracked a small smile. Just like that, the thick tension in the room was broken.
"Can it, Mr. Wiggles," Eda said, rolling her eyes before turning them back to Amity and smiling at her. "You know, I try not to make a habit of picking up strays but you've got moxie. I like that. You're just the sort of witch we're looking for around here. And these two knuckleheads clearly like you," she added, motioning to Luz and King.
"I dooooon't! She's mean!" Hooty's grating voice called from the other side of the closed door and Amity grimaced at the sound.
"Your opinions don't count, Hooty! Can you idiots stop interrupting me? I'm trying to do a thing here," she groaned.
"Rude! Geez! Hoot!" Hooty's voice faded and it was blissfully quiet again. Eda pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed, grumbling good-naturedly about her pack of morons.
"Anyway, like I was trying to say," she said pausing to glare around the room in case anyone else wanted to pipe up. When no one did she continued. "I'm happy to help you with any other arrangements if you'd prefer, but if you're up for it, you're welcome to stay here. I can't do much for you in the way of the law, what with my being a wanted criminal and all, but I can offer you a safe place to… well a place to stay." Amity was floored. She could stay here? Hope bloomed in her chest and she sat up out of Luz's arms, surprised at the offer.
"Eda! For real? You're gonna let her stay?" Luz asked excitedly. She looked ecstatic and turned to Amity with a huge grin on her face. Eda just smiled at her warmly.
"Only if she wants to. I think she's had enough of people dictating her choices to her, right?" She asked, giving Amity a knowing look. Amity had no words, too shocked to reply as she stared at Eda in wide-eyed surprise. Where was the famed 'Evil Owl Lady' she'd heard so much about from her parents and their friends in the Emperor's Coven? Eda was offering her something she'd never dreamed of having. A real home. Not a dark, lonely manor with empty quiet rooms and cold glowering looks. A warm, cozy house filled with laughter and affection and Luz. She worried though, that her being here would complicate things for Eda.
"But… my parents could try to make things difficult for you. I don't want to cause you any more trouble," she said hesitantly.
"Bah, they'd have to find me first. I've hidden from the Emperor for years, your parent's don't stand a chance. Besides, you can't possibly be any more trouble than this one," she exclaimed, nodding at Luz, who laughed and gave a guilty little shrug. She'd definitely caused plenty of trouble since moving into the Owl House.
"I... I don't have any money," Amity added quietly. Why would anyone offer to take her in like this for nothing? Surely she'd need to pay rent or something along those lines and she hadn't exactly had time to pack anything when she'd left. Eda snorted and folded her arms, leaning back in her chair.
"Eh, what's one more freeloader to add to the pile? Maybe you can keep these two idiots out of my hair while I'm working," she said, casually shrugging a shoulder. "You don't need to worry about the details, kid. I know your track record with adults hasn't been great recently, but you're too young to have to worry about all of this. Let me handle it."
"What do you say, Amity? You could join the Bad Girl Coven!" Luz said giddily, leaning in and looking at her eagerly. Overwhelmed by Eda's generosity and kind gesture, Amity had the sudden urge to hug her. So she did, unashamedly. She set King hastily onto the cushions beside her and threw herself into Eda's arms, hugging her for all she was worth.
"Thank you…" she whispered breathlessly into Eda's shoulder, her voice shaking with emotion. Luz gave an excited "yes!" She was jumping excitedly next to the sofa and grinning from ear to ear. Eda cleared her throat and gave Amity an awkward pat on the head.
"Great, another hugger," she chuckled. "Seems like we've got a deal, Amity." She sat back on the sofa and wiped at the tears that had gathered in her eyes, smiling happily. Luz flopped down next to her, landing on her knees and bouncing excitedly. The sight made Amity laugh and the two of them grinned at each other. Eda turned serious at this and leveled them both with a look.
"I do have one rule, though. No funny business under my roof, got it?" She said, waving a finger between Luz and Amity. They both froze and went several shades of red each. There was no mistaking what she'd meant. It was that knowing tone again. Luz made a strangled sound and they looked at Eda in embarrassed horror, mouths agape.
"Eda!" Luz croaked indignantly. Amity couldn't say anything, the loud, high pitched screaming in her head short-circuiting all forms of higher thought. Was her face on fire? It felt like it was on fire.
"I mean it," Eda stated firmly. "You two may just be friends," her tone spoke volumes about how much she believed that. "But I don't want to walk in on any teenage shenanigans in my house. Doors will be kept open." Amity let out a high-pitched groan and hid her face in her hands, leaning into them with her elbows resting on her knees. A quiet place to go die of embarrassment would have been lovely just then. She could hear King laughing hysterically at them and Luz was still blankly trying to choke out some sort of reply but it was all just coming out as garbled broken nonsense. Amity's ears were burning and she didn't even want to know how red her face was. Eda just laughed and stood.
"Good. Now that that's settled, I have some potions to brew." She gently swatted Luz upside the head as if to restart her malfunctioning brain and Luz yelped, staring at her in surprise. "Luz can get you settled in one of the rooms. I think it's safe to say neither of you will be going to school today. If you need anything, find it yourselves, I'm not a maid service. And remember! Doors. Open." With that, she waltzed off to do whatever it was she was off to do, leaving Luz and Amity to sit in deafeningly awkward silence on the sofa, Kings belly-aching laughs the only sound in the room.
Amity pushed her fingers into her hair and stared at her knees, lips pressed in a flat line and eyes wide. Had that just happened or had all the blushing and gay panic finally given her some sort of aneurism? Luz was sitting stock still next to her, barely breathing. She peaked past the wrist that was blocking her view and her eyes met Luz's wide, shocked ones.
They stared at each other for a second in silence, both so red in the face they were practically the same colour. Neither said anything as they stared, trying to comprehend what had just happened. She couldn't believe Eda had said it. The moment had been so ridiculous that Amity felt her lips tug at the corner and she bit back a little scoff that burst out of her mouth; a snort escaped Luz and then she cracked the tiniest of smiles too. She wasn't sure which of them lost it first but they both came undone and suddenly they were collapsing on the sofa and laughing uproariously along with King. All the nerves flooded out of her and Amity felt unbridled joy for the first time in ages. It took forever for them to calm down and, when they did, they were both wheezing for breath, stomachs aching and wiping tears from their eyes. She couldn't remember the last time she'd laughed that hard. Exhausted, she flopped back onto the sofa with Luz, both still chuckling occasionally, totally content to just be embarrassed together.
King hopped down from the sofa and looked up at them gleefully. "That's probably as good a welcome as Eda has ever given anyone. Welcome to the Mad House." He declared.
"Owl House!" Eda called from the kitchen and the girls both snorted out more laughter. King waved dismissively as if Eda could see him and trotted off, likely to go nap or steal Luz's phone again, leaving Luz and Amity alone in the living room. Wiping away the last of her tears, Amity looked at Luz and grinned.
"Should we really be skipping school?" She asked. She'd never skipped a day of school in her life. Luz swatted her hand through the air casually.
"Relax, you could use a day off," she replied. "When was the last time you just sat around the house all day and did nothing remotely productive?" Amity thought about it for a second before shrugging.
"I've literally never done that," she said flatly. Luz popped up off the sofa and pulled Amity up by the hand, dragging her happily to the hallway that lead upstairs.
"We'll fix that right now. Let's go, I'll show you how to be a lazy, waste-of-space teenager. I'm something of an expert," she said, proudly puffing up her chest as she grinned at Amity over her shoulder. "But first, we need to find you your very own room in the Owl House!" Amity very much doubted Luz had ever had a day were she was lazy and she vehemently disagreed with the idea of her being a waste of anything. But spending the day alone with Luz sounded fantastic, so who was she to argue. Especially when it meant getting to do it every day after that too.
Please excuse the unedited quality of these early chapters lol. I'm working on editing them slowly but I'm focused on writing new chapters. I'll come back and edit the early ones at some point!