Eda found a pair of sunglasses for Hunter to use. It was at least something to help hide the curse until he could switch into his Golden Mask. When the kids got home with their mix of items, Luz laughed at seeing Hunter wearing sunglasses, which he shoved her by the head and said he looked cool in them. When Luz, Amity, and King were distracted by Eda, Hunter pulled Willow to the side to raise his glasses enough to show her what was really happening. She understood.

" Well. I think we should head out, Hunter." Willow announced, " I wanted to head to the grove for a bit before we go back to my house."

"Yeah, sounds good." Hunter said, turning to leave through the living room. Eda helped aid in making sure the other three didn't see him pick up the bag of elixirs as he and Willow left, but smiled to himself at the chorus of goodbyes. After walking a distance away from the Owl House, Hooty also cheering a goodbye, Hunter adjusted the glasses and gave a sigh.

" Are you ok?" Willow asked, wrapping her arm around his.

" Well…" Hunter shrugged, looking over to her. " I learned a lot more than I thought I would...do you think your Dads would be upset if I skipped dinner with them? I rather they do not know about this yet."

"They'll understand." Willow nodded with a smile, snuggling into his arm. She couldn't help but feel her smile grow as she watched his ears flick around. They walked in silence for a while until finally making off the path to head to the grove, Hunter taking the lead as always with his hand grasping Willows. Once at their location, Hunter quickly looked around before taking the sunglasses off with a sigh. "Want to talk about it?" Willow asked, at his side with a smile.

"Yeah…" Hunter hoped that maybe telling her what he learned will make his eyes revert back. The two went to sit against one of the trees, Hunter wrapping his arm around Willow's shoulders to pull her into him, he needed the comfort. " Eda...did a spell to show the inside of my ribcage and...well…" Hunter sighed, closing his eyes as he leaned his cheek against her head. " I don't have a bile sac." Willow shifted to look up at Hunter, her brows raising in surprise.

"But if you don't have one…" Willow let her words fall off, her brow furrowing in concern.

" I think Eda and I have pretty much confirmed at this point that it really is a curse." Hunter looked over to the pillow case, moving to take one of the elixirs out of the bag. " I was in the middle of an episode when Eda forced me to drink one of these. It pretty much stopped it, except for my eyes of course."

" Is there more you need to get off your chest, then?" Willow snuggled into him, wrapping her arms around his waist as she rested her head against his shoulder. He couldn't help a smile as he returned his cheek to the top of her head, closing his eyes again.

"I don't know… Eda says I might have to talk to Belos himself about this…" Hunter felt Willow stiffen slightly, she was glad his eyes were closed so he wouldn't see her frown. " I have my mask to hide this, at least, until it either goes away or I have the opportunity to talk to him when he is in a better mood. And the sunglasses, too, if I want to be in my casual wear."

"T-that's...true…" Willow thinned her lips, unable to stop the feeling of worry. Belos was manipulative, and if he lied to Hunter about his bile-sac…

"Seems you have something on your mind." Hunter said, opening an eye to the few flowered vines that grew around his boot. Willow looked up at him, then over, then jumped slightly before moving her hand to make the vines pull away. She looked back to Hunter with a light blush, who was smiling at her in amusement. He leaned forward so his face was just in front of hers. " Well, you gonna tell me what's up?"

"Hunter…" Willow felt her cheeks burning slightly, what she wanted to talk about was serious but...the way he was looking at her with that smirk and amused, yet loving, gaze was making it difficult for her to spit the words out. It was a bit frustrating how handsome he was. She sighed as she felt her ears flicking, moving to lightly push Hunter back as she furrowed her brow at him, trying to get across her worry. " When you...talk to Belos… Are you going to believe him?"

"...u-uh…" Hunter blinked a few times as she spoke. He watched as Willow frowned, looking down as she continued.

" It-Its just…" Willow thinned her lips, she didn't want to cause problems between them about Belos, but how could she keep quiet? " I-I don't want...I-..." She sighed, rubbing her face as she tried to find the courage and the words. She felt Hunter's hands grasp hers, gently pulling them down as he smiled so gently at her, lovingly.

"You are worried that since he had lied to me about this before, he will lie about the curse as well." Hunter took the words right out of her mouth. She blinked a few times before nodding, biting her lower lip as she did.

" He isn't...telling you the truth on a lot of things. And the truths he told, apparently, are not holding up...I don't want you to get hurt by him again." Willow finally let her own words out, looking up at Hunter after as he shifted to place a kiss on her lips before leaning back again.

"Don't worry. I refuse to let him get into my head anymore…" Hunter smiled. In the back of his head, though, he was starting to form a plan.

Eda decided to take a nap after Hunter left. Luz, Amity, and King were busying themselves with more research so the next door Luz creates could be more stable, leaving The Owl Lady with the opportunity to make an excuse to be alone. In reality, after she closed the door to her room, she felt her anger boiling in her, the Owl Beast boiled with it as well.

She never thought she could hate Emperor Belos more, but after the talk with Hunter, she wanted the tyrant to suffer a fate worse than death. How could he do this to the kid? His own NEPHEW? The kid HE raised! Eda turned to pace in her room, rubbing at her head. Hunter actually wanted to take up the offer, but he felt doing so was too dangerous. He was careful that no one from the Coven knew who he was sneaking out to meet, even his most trusted soldiers had no idea.

He was afraid, too, of what Belos might do to him if he talked about how he knew he was lying about his bile-sac. Hunter used to think Belos predictable, but recently in the madness that has enveloped his life, Hunter had found him to be harder and harder to read. That kid needed to get out of there… Eda half cursed herself for even allowing him to go back to The Castle after Hunter convinced her he had the start of a plan starting to form.

'Ugh...what are you even thinking about doing, kid?' Eda asked herself, running her fingers through her hair and resting them on her neck as she closed her eyes in thought. The Owl Beast raised its in her soul, squawking as it asked its question in expectancy of an answer.

' No offence, beasty, but even with your power and help I doubt Belos will let us just fly in and fly out with his right-hand man.'

The Owl Beast snorted, Eda opened her eyes to look down at it. They were sitting at her feet, staring up at her in the black void they found themselves in when meeting. It let out another few squacks up at her, tilting its head.

' So you do remember that, hu?' Eda sat down, letting the beast move its front paws into her lap. ' He wouldn't hesitate to do that to us again, I am sure…' Eda confirmed, thinking back to the petrification ceremony. She let out a sigh, pain ripping through her heart as she thought of Hunter. The Owl Beast snuggled into her lap, but kept its eyes open as it also appeared to be in thought. It let out a rumbling groan before looking up at Eda.

'You sensed what?' Eda looked down at the beast in shock, who repeated what they said. '...Similar magic to the one that turned you into a curse?' Eda furrowed her brow, the implications of what The Owl Beast spoke of where...heavy. If Hunter and Belos have a similar curse…

Then when will it rise to take Hunter's soul?

_AN_

A bit of a shorter chapter this time, since the last ones have run very long...in a few chapters I am actually going to be posting the longest chapter I have! Thank you guys for reading, once more! Please leave a comment, as always, and I love you!