The owl lady slowly walked the path Amity had taken. She took her time, for there was no rush. You couldn't rush things like this.
Eda heard the young witch before she could see her-
"BirdTube! Open this door- Now"
"NoooooOooooOoooOO~ Not until you ask nicely~" Hooty's voice was sing song.
The voice that replied was not, "I command you to open this door you- you… Giraffe!"
She was arguing with Hooty through the door. It figured.
"Aw, be nice to Hooty, he means well." Eda rested herself against the door frame, watching as the young witch continue to pull on the door.
She could have used magic. But it just went to show that she did not mean the owl house any harm.
Amity turned around, "You mean, by locking me inside his… house body."
Eda smirked, "Yesh, is that what they teach you in anatomy now adays? I think someone needs to give you 'the talk'."
The young witch seemed to shrink at this, "I've had 'the talk', thank you very much."
"Well that's good to hear." Eda made her way to the couch, sitting herself down. It had been a joke, she was sure a Blight child would receive the best education, but something Eda was not so sure of, "You may know about witch and demon puberty, but that often focuses on the body. I want to give you another kind of talk." The older witch patted the space next to her. Eda wasn't exactly sure if this young witch had anyone in her life whom she felt comfortable speaking from the heart.
Amity hesitated.
Eda leaned back, making herself more comfortable, "Look, we don't have to talk. But I am here to listen if you want to get anything out. If not, I just ask that you wait for Luz."
Amity perked up as her girlfriend's name was spoken.
Eda frowned to herself, thinking of the human cocoon upstairs, "She thinks she messed things up with you."
"Luz does?" Amity was in shock, swiftly turning to make her way back upstairs before coming to realize, "I can see how she got that impression."
She had heard Luz say she loved her. And she ran with tears in her eyes.
It was strange to her to think Luz could ever think she had done something wrong.
It was strange-
Though hadn't she thought that same thing a day prior?
"Boots." Eda spoke the now established petname, an invitation.
And this time, Amity took her up on the offer to sit.
Sitting next to the owl lady, right below her wanted poster. It was such a contrast to the woman who spoke tender words, "You are both going through this together."
Amity could not look the woman in the eye, she couldn't, not as she revealed, "I- I learned something new." The owl lady deserved to know, and maybe she could empathize. She wanted to tell Luz- Would tell Luz… but, "It's about how to get Luz home."
"Ah ha." Eda took this little piece and began to lay out the puzzle that was Amity.
"It involves sacrifice." Amity began to tear up once more.
Eda nodded, "Of course it will." It always did.
Amity shook her head, she knew Eda did not fully understand what she meant by sacrifice. This wasn't just of time or resources. This was of life, a kind of sacrifice that could not be undone. It was almost too horrible for her to think. Suddenly the coven system made sense to her in a way it hadn't before. Was that the emperor's plan? Did he know about the diary? There had to be another way.
And on top of all this, one thought clouded her mind. It had from the start, but with this new information, it had made something very real. A wish and a worry fought within Amity's head, "I want her to get home." Came the wish-
Eda listened, "But?"
And the worry- "What if she can't come back? What if we can never see her again?"
A silence fell between them, both understanding the contrasting feelings well.
"I-" But Amity could not say it the last two words of that sentence.
I love her.
It was like a spell, and she could not remember for the life of her when the last time she cast it was. But what she did know was that the magic was too wild, and she had no clue how to control it, how to have it stay.
"I'm worried that I- somewhere deep down, I don't want her to go home." Amity confessed, "But I do!" She added quickly, feeling a pang of guilt, "I don't want to feel that way. I want her to be happy, happier than she has made me. And happy for her is going home."
Eda listened, the words could be her own, "Sometimes we can't help the way we feel." The older witch offered, "What matters is what we do with that feeling." She thought of Raine. How she had pushed them away by not asking for help, for not simply speaking- not to anyone.
She had to give credit where credit was due, Amity was way ahead of her at that age. The young witch had shared so easily what was on her mind, what was bothering her. Amity seemed to be looking, looking for advice. Eda wasn't sure when she had become someone worthy of giving any sort of advice. Still, golden eyes looked to her in much the same way as Luz's brown ones often did.
Eda just hoped it wasn't too late for her to learn the same lessons that she imparted to these young ones, "That was the 'talk' I wanted to give you. Though I'm not sure if I am qualified to be giving love advice. The person I- well someone I used to date is most likely in danger now because of me."
"Eda?" Amity was floored, "You have someone you love too?! … I mean 'like', someone you like too!?" Her mind raced at who it could be and cursed her choice of words. She didn't think the owl woman got out all that much, the wanted poster above them suggested as much.
But this woman did have a past.
"Yah yah, don't make too much of a stink about it." Eda waved it away, though her heart was still heavy to think of how Raine might be fairing in this moment, "In any case, you both are sweet kids. And I'm not going to talk down to you. I just think that when it comes to love, when it comes to life,-" She looked down at her powerless hands, yet hands that had learned a different kind of power regardless, all thanks to a human, "-when it comes to magic there is going to be change. And that's alright." The older witch smiled at the younger, passing down her own wish, "But there is always a way." And with the worry this time came a promise, "And when there isn't, you will always have us."
Us?
Eda had been through this before to a degree. She felt she had been lucky though, her parents loved her so much… to a fault really. But somehow, she had wound up on her own. It was Raine though who had challenged her. They offered their support, their love. And she hid herself anyway.
Had she learned? She had hidden her heart the same way the last they had spoken- the last time they had played music together.
Eda still loved Raine.
That was something she knew was true.
After talking with the owl beast within her, she knew she needed to accept herself. She couldn't run anymore, because what mattered was what she did with those thoughts. And what she could do with it was create something entirely different. She could create the person she wanted to be. It was never too late to begin.
Eda knew Raine was in danger, and she would be working forward. She wasn't alone anymore.
Amity was floored, seeing Eda the Owl Lady in a whole new light for the first time. Had she been… accepted by this family? Of course she had Ed and Em, but this, was new, "You are really wise." Amity admitted.
Eda chuckled, "What can I say, there are layers to me, kid."
Amity smiled, wiping her eyes. She felt tired yet refreshed.
"We'll get through this, boots." Eda promised, not sure how they would, or what would happen. The portal they made might only go one way, and Luz might leave them forever. But it wasn't like she was an oracle or anything. And Eda refused to have fear of the unknown cloud her enjoyment of the present anymore.
From the look on Amity's face, she seemed to be right there with Eda on this. She needed- no, wanted to focus on the here and now too. What they could do. She had come so far, it seemed like anything might be possible.
"We are smart witches, we can figure out something less terrible than the ones that came before us. We just have to build on that knowledge and innovate!" Eda seemed to have an idea at that, "And since you see that the Emperor's coven is a crock now, you may even want to join my Bad Girl Coven. What do you say, boots?"
It was conversational whiplash. Amity politely declined.
Eda just laughed at the hurried response, "Fine, but if you change your mind. We have a whole 1 member now and are always looking for new recruits."
A single member… it wasn't promising as far as covens went. She might as well join the Cat Coven.
But maybe Amity would think on it, joining Eda on the outside of law. It was just in this moment; everything was changing so quickly.
Eda saw it too, consoling, "I'm right there with you. Let's hope for the best. Luz will-"
As though coming as called, the human descended from the stairs. She saw her guardian and girlfriend both sitting on the couch talking, it almost caused her pause. But she was on a mission of her own.
The two turned their attention to the human, and Eda promptly stood, "Why don't you take my place, Luz." She said walking past the human, giving her shoulder a firm pat before heading off, "Ah, I need a cold apple blood after all of this."
Luz had her hands full, she had carried what she could down the stairs, "You forgot your things."
Amity stood, feeling a bit overwhelmed herself, "I-"
But she was silenced as Luz knelt down before her, offering her her boot, "You ran away without your slippers, madam."
They were boots. Amity was just a bit confused. Had Luz hit her head on something or was this a human thing?
"May I?" Luz asked, motioning to put the shoe on.
"Oh, don't worry, I can." Amity rushed to put her shoes on. Was she being kicked out? Why else would she need shoes?
After her first boot was on, an exclamation hit her ears.
"They fit!"
"Of course they do… they are my shoes." Amity was lost.
"Like in Cinderella… " And it seemed to dawn on Luz then, "A- a story from the human world. It means, you-" Luz began, blushing, "You're the one I was looking for."
So cheesy!
"Oh" Amity blushed at the relief of not being rushed off, the joy of talking to Luz, and of hearing more interesting things about the human world. It caused her to giggle mindlessly with glee.
Luz continued, feeling uplifted by that wonderful sound, "I'm sorry if I embarrassed you before. And I know we're still new to this-" She motioned between them, "But- I do love you."
"I-" …But Amity still could not say it.
"I don't want to push you." Luz assured, "You don't have to say it if you're not ready."
Luz knew her feelings were love, so she said the spell, wanting only for that feeling she held for the other witch to grow more and more with time. Because love is not stagnant.
Amity knew her feelings were love, but she was afraid by saying the spell that it might one day be broken, so- she would let her actions speak more for her for the time being. Until she was ready. And she knew by Luz's kind smile that the human would patiently wait for her, would wait until she was ready.
Amity's feelings bubbled towards the surface like a potion in its caldron, they revealed themselves in other words entirely, an action, "May I… kiss you?"
Luz nodded vigorously, "Yes, please."
It was only a quick peck. But as lips touched and faces flushed, neither could remember words.
And as they parted, something new had started to form between them, another shift. Because the world was not stagnant, and neither would they be.
There was still so much to talk about and do.
Through it all both would speak and listen, create and wish, and in the end- the spell would be clear, whether spoken or through action. They would always both know the power of wild magic.