Chapter Seven
The next day, after school had let out, Willow found herself at the Bonesborough library. That morning, after her arrival at Hexside, she had slammed into the realization that she couldn't talk about her revelations with her friends while at school — it was far too public, and the students too attentive to anything that wasn't their business. Sure, she had talked a little bit with Amelia, but a classroom was different from the hallways or the cafeteria and she shared none of her classes with her friends, not even Luz.
So she'd kept up a facade of calm during the day, even as her secrets had seemed to claw at her insides with the desire to be out in the open. She had also, however, arranged for a meeting at the library for them all, with Amity working and Gus being free from the HAS for the day. After a quick scroll message to Lady Feronia saying she would be an hour late to the coven house, she could finally focus on business.
"Attention, attention," Luz called in an over-the-top stuffy voice with an actual gavel in her hand, "this meeting of the Name-Still-Pending resistance force has now come to order."
"Luz, please be quieter," Amity drolled. "This isn't the most soundproofed room."
Said room was the secret hideaway that Luz had told Willow and Gus about after the Otabin incident, the one that Malphas the head librarian had reportedly given to Amity to use. Amity had taken her chair at her desk, while Willow and Gus sat on the carpet.
"Right, sorry," Luz said, rubbing the back of her head with a smile. "Anyway, let's get this show on the road. Any volunteers to go first?"
"I'll go," Gus piped up, rising to trade places with Luz. "First off, the defenses to the Looking-Glass Graveyard are officially complete, and the Keeper has allowed all of you to visit if you want."
"Oh, cool!" Luz said, stars in her eyes.
"No, Luz," Gus sighed with a faint smile, "you can't see if the galderstones amplify glyph magic."
"I know," Luz replied brightly, "but I still want to see the place."
Gus shrugged and looked at Amity. "Also, Head Witch Caroll approached me for an apprenticeship." Before anyone could respond with surprise or shock, he continued with his hands raised palms-out. "And I turned him down. But I did recommend Emira, so you may wanna keep that in mind."
Everyone was quiet for a few moments as they processed this. After enough time had passed, Amity sighed and stood to take Gus's place at the front of the group. "Speaking of head witch apprenticeships," she said, "I should probably be a little more open about mine." She proceeded to go into detail about her meetings with Head Witch Darius, up to and including his duel to test her skills. As well as the package he'd given her containing her apprentice uniform. And her title.
"That's the most ridiculous name I've ever heard," Luz chortled.
"It's not like I picked it," Amity grumbled.
"Do you have any idea when Darius will present you to the court?" Willow asked.
Amity scoffed. "Sort of. His exact words were, 'As soon as can be arranged'." She shrugged. "So probably any day now." She blinked as something in Willow's tone tickled her intuition. "Why? Is something wrong?"
"Uh, well …" Willow said, brushing her hair out of her face. "You remember when I told all of you about my introduction to the court?"
"Yeah, you said Belos made Hunter duel you," Luz said, her tone filled with venom toward the Emperor.
"And you think he may make Hunter duel me," Amity surmised.
"Maybe?" Willow shrugged. And with that, Willow gestured for Amity to step aside. "I might have the most to say, as it turns out," Willow said, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose with a finger. "First, something about the coven seals …" Willow described the reveal of the Bard head, Raine Whispers, and the forced sleep they'd been put under that was derived from their coven seal.
"Dios mío," Luz whispered, then grabbed Amity's arm and turned it to reveal a bare wrist.
"I'm fine, Luz," Amity assured. "Darius mentioned that he wanted to put my tattoo on in front of the Emperor." Amity suddenly turned the faintest hint of green. "That's not gonna be fun, is it?"
"If he hurts you …" Luz growled, "!… le arrancaré la cabeza y se la meteré en la-!"
"Okay, easy on the killer mojo, Luz," Amity said, though her cheeks were pink from the clear protectiveness in her girlfriend's voice. "I've said it before, I'll be fine." Her expression sobered. "Besides, I doubt anyone as control-freakish as the Emperor would let anyone but his highest officials use that kind of a binding."
"That sounds about right," Willow said. "Although, it's been kept a real secret up to this point. Even Lilith didn't know anything about it."
"Lilith?" the others asked.
"Oh, right," Willow said with a chuckle. And then she told them all about Lilith's visit to her home to warn her away from Hunter. And the information she had gleaned from that visit.
"Lilith thinks that Belos had the bindings woven into the coven seals from the earliest times as a failsafe for the Day of Unity," Willow explained. "He's been keeping it very close to the chest so that no one would see it coming." She shivered. "Even Lady Feronia and the other coven heads didn't know about it, including Mx. Whispers." Her eyes brightened and she dug around in her bag. "Which reminds me," she said before handing Luz a sealed envelope, "give that to Eda, please."
"What's in here?" Luz asked, moving to unseal it. Willow grabbed Luz's hand with a grip that was gentle enough not to hurt, but firm enough to stop her.
"Something for Eda," Willow stressed, her tone firm and glasses flashing.
"'Kay, got it," Luz said with a nervous grin. Willow smiled back and released her friend, letting Luz pocket the envelope. "So Willow, how's Hunter actually doing?"
Willow's smile wavered. "He's doing … not so well," she admitted. "Belos is working him too hard, and we can barely see each other." She curled in on herself. "I miss him so much," she whispered, "and I know he misses me too." Then her cheeks pinked and her lips curled into a small, soft smile. "But he sent me a love letter," she added quietly.
Luz gasped, her hands clapped to her cheeks. "Oh my gosh! That's so cute!" She giggled. "I pegged him for an old-fashioned nerd the minute I saw him! And I was right!" She shot up from her seat on the floor and danced in place. "I was right, I was right, I was right!"
"Does Hunter really have so little time off?" Gus asked.
"Yes," Willow said. "And I'm not exactly swimming in freetime either, these days." She looked at her friends. "I'm sorry about that, by the way."
"Don't apologize," Amity said, placing a hand on Willow's and curling her fingers over it. "You're doing what you believe is right." Amity's neutral expression thawed just a bit into a faint smile. "And I know you and Hunter will figure it out."
"You say that like you know it for a fact," Willow said.
"I do consider it a fact," Amity said softly. "Because I know you, Willow. You won't give up on the people you love." One side of her grin lifted a bit higher into a lopsided smirk. "And you've got Hunter wrapped around your finger. That idiot won't give up, either."
"Amity!" Willow scolded, though her giggles softened it.
"Aw, my girlfriend's such a sweetheart!" Luz cooed.
"She got that from you, no doubt," Gus snarked.
"Spread that around, Noceda, and you won't have a sweetheart girlfriend for long," Amity said, crossing her arms with a pointed smile.
"Nah, you love me too much," Luz said easily … then her smile dropped in horror. "I-I mean, uh-! I didn't-! I just-!" Luz rambling was interrupted by a kiss on her cheek.
"I know what you meant," Amity said softly.
"Ugh," Gus groaned, rubbing his eyes with the heels of his hands. "Do you two have to do that?"
"Don't worry, Gus," Amity said easily, "you'll find someone who makes you feel the same way soon enough."
While Amity and Gus continued to banter, Luz looked to Willow, who was watching with a sad smile. She felt guilt coil in her belly and sat next to her first best friend. "Is there anything I can do to help you and Hunter?" Luz asked.
Willow's smile grew just a bit at those words. "I don't know, Luz. The main problem is our 'work' schedules." She sighed. "Hunter messages that he is often bogged down by research in the EC archives, and I've got my apprenticeship with Lady Feronia."
"Research for what?" Luz asked. "Wild magic?"
"In between other things," Willow said. "He doesn't get into the details, but the archives are apparently really convoluted and lacking in certain subjects. Even at fifty years old and with the backing of the Emperor, it takes time to build a respectable collection."
Luz mulled that over before the very place they sat struck her. "What if he requested to do his research here?" Luz asked brightly.
"What?" Willow asked in surprise.
"The Bonesborough Library is older than the Savage Ages," Luz explained. "They've got one of the largest collections in the Boiling Isles, if not the largest. Hunter could request to do research here and meet you to spend time together." Her bright smile curled into that feline smirk of hers. "And if Amity's okay with it, you could 'rendezvous' here …" She glanced at her girlfriend, who leveled an unimpressed look in return. Then Amity looked at Willow's wide, hopeful eyes and sighed.
"Sure," she said with a shrug and faint smile. "We're just going to have to coordinate Hunter's research with the book club."
"Is that what they call it these days," Gus asked, forcing an aged, wizened tone of the elderly as he stroked his beardless chin. "In my day they called it 'shifting' with your 'better half'."
Luz blinked at the references, but Willow squeaked with pink cheeks and Amity's face turned red as a tomato, her eyes flashing dangerously. Gus smiled and ran for the doorway with Amity hot on his heels before she stumbled to a walk. "No running in the library," she mumbled mechanically and began stiffly walking as fast as she could through the library to catch her younger friend.
"Should we go help him?" Luz asked.
"Gus is crafty and doesn't listen to the rules. He'll be fine," Willow said surely. Then her amused smile slipped. "Then again, Amity isn't the type to give up." The friends looked at each other for a moment before bolting for the door to stop Amity from quite-possibly murdering Gus.
They ended up succeeding, but just barely.
"I want the rest of the contingent ready to move within the hour, Captain!" Kikimora barked.
"Yes ma'am. They'll be ready," said Captain Cisor, marked by the tusks on her faceplate and the feathered plume on her helm.
"See that they are." Kikimora flicked her wrist as she looked over the plans for the rest of the mining equipment being transported to and set up upon the Knee, the commissions for members of the Construction Coven that were sworn to secrecy before being brought in on this mission, and several other finer details of the task Emperor Belos had given her.
She was to acquire Titan's Blood for the reconstructed portal.
The enormity of such a task had weighed upon Kikimora for the last week and a half since she had been granted whatever resources she needed to make it happen. She'd had the task of planning an excavation site based on ancient records the Emperor's Coven had collected over the years, acquiring modern mining equipment and having it transported to the pinnacle of the Knee — there were no doubt remnants of older mining equipment already there, but why would she use inferior models with the Emperor's favor on the line?! — hiring the construction workers, arranging for scouts and Abomi-tons to act as escort …
It had been so much to do, but she'd made it happen. And now was the time to get the mission truly underway.
As Kikimora passed her rolled plans, carefully protected in map cases, to one of her Abomi-tons and hopped onto the shoulder of another as they moved to escort her to the airship hangar for final loading of personnel, she allowed herself to smile behind her high collar.
An expression that died a gnashing death at the sight of the Golden Guard walking down the hall.
"Kikimora," the Golden Guard said as she passed, and she grit her teeth at the phantom pains in her ribs from their last "encounter." He'd humiliated her over that little Hexside hussy of his. Then her grin returned at the thought of where she was headed — a mission personally given by the Emperor.
"Golden Guard," she replied sweetly, motioning for her escorts to halt. "Such a shame you couldn't join me at the Knee. The Emperor said you might be too indisposed to complete it." Her grin widened from cruel to almost mad at the subtle tensing of his frame. "That must sting, hmm?"
"Good luck," he said, the arrogant sneer still heavy in his voice from behind the mask. "You'll need it to find Titan's Blood. For all we know, it ran out centuries ago." He scoffed. "Now, if you'll excuse me, there's a convocation I'm almost late for."
Kikimora stared in shock at the Golden Guard's back as he sauntered further down the hall and made a quick turn. A convocation, an assembly of the court … And Belos had neglected to tell her?! Kikimora seized her mount's head and ordered the Abomi-tons to double-time to the hangar.
This was a splash of cold on her pride. A realization. She still had to prove herself to Belos … and she would not fail!
"Weh!"
King smiled to himself, his eyes crinkling as the skull-like shape of his head hid any upturn of his lips, as another massive stone shattered under the force of his shout. The field before him was littered with the remains of similarly shattered boulders and toppled trees.
Ever since that crazy night when Hooty had tried to help him discover what kind of demon he was — not to mention bumbling his way through helping Eda bond with the Owl Beast and getting Luz and Amity to finally get together — he'd been practicing with his new power as much as he could. He had a feeling he would need the practice soon.
King may have been young, but he was no fool. He knew things were growing tense.
The Golden Guard, the right hand of the Emperor whom they had all defied, was Willow's boyfriend, and Willow herself and Amity had gone undercover to try and learn what they could about Belos's plans. It was risky, like perching upon the open maw of a Busco demon as it sunned itself to see if you could leap clear before its massive jaws clamped shut and bit you in half.
King hadn't had very good starts with his relationship with Willow, Gus or Amity — what with the latter smushing his cupcake in a display of mean-girl attitude towards Luz or him falling for Tibbles's trap to shrink Willow and Gus. But that incident at the carnival had led to supportive friendships with Willow and Gus, and Amity's clear devotion to Luz had warmed her to the small demon.
And now King felt the double edge of the sword of care: fear. Fear for the wellbeing of those he cared about. Sure, Gus was safe, though the fact that he had been sought out by a coven head implied a concerning eye on him. But with Willow and Amity in the belly of the beast … Well, Luz wasn't the only one worried for them. And Eda was worried too, even if she hid it a little better.
But with the pressures at play, the balance couldn't hold. King was sure that eventually, perhaps very soon, something was going to give and chaos would break loose. Which was why he had spent as much time as he could spare out here in the woods, honing his newly-discovered power. He chuckled as it occurred to him that it was only after he'd moved past his delusions of demon-kingship that he'd uncovered any kind of real power.
And he would use that power to protect his family.
"Okay, focus, King," he said, reorienting on another tree. "Can't go crazy with training like Eda almost did," — it was crazy that Hooty had been the one to snap her out of that — "but Belos is coming sooner or later. And I'll be damned if I'm gonna hold my family back!"
King took a deep breath and released his power with a "Weh!"
Willow held her hands clasped before her, adorned in her Silver Belle attire and standing at Lady Feronia's right hand and slightly in front of her, as if to act as a barrier against unwanted approachers. She took slow, deep breaths to keep her composure in the Emperor's throne room, the beat of the Titan's bile sac an ever-present background noise.
As they waited in formation — with the representatives from the Plant Coven third in line along the Emperor's right, between the Construction and Oracle Covens — Willow kept her head still as she swept her gaze over the coven heads on the opposite side of the entry. Eberwolf perched on a rat-worm, Cernunnas the head healer, Ludwig Caroll of the Illusion Coven, and Cicero Nikolai of the Potions Coven.
Willow was sorely tempted to glance to her right to see the head oracle Pythus Mawe, or to the left to see Heph Starrett of the Construction Coven. Not to mention even further to the left to see Darius, to try and see if Amity was with him. Upon entering, it had not escaped her notice that there was no envoy from the Bard Coven, with the cover story being a prolonged illness that had afflicted Raine Whispers.
But she dared not draw attention to herself in the stiff atmosphere, even by turning her head.
Finally, the main doors to the throne room swung inward to admit Emperor Belos, everyone in the room looking at him. The Emperor loomed over all who stood in his throne room, his posture perfect as he made his way along the carpet between the coven heads with absolute confidence emanating from every movement. Willow fought ever harder to stay still, even though every fiber of her being yearned to try and see the Golden Guard … her dear Hunter. She caught a few glimpses, but nothing more. And she could feel his gaze searching for her, too. Belos ascended the steps and sat upon his throne, the Golden Guard moving behind the high seat to take his place at the right hand side.
"Once again, we gather at the summons of a coven head," Belos intoned. "And I have a feeling I know just what to expect." He lifted the fingers of a hand in a permissive gesture. "Darius, what news have you for your fellow coven heads?"
"News and an introduction, Emperor Belos," Darius said with a flourish. He traced a spell circle that was mirrored on the ground, and a mass of Abomination clay rose from the second, larger circle before retreating to reveal a woman — or, rather, a teenage girl based on her height and build.
The girl was dressed in a uniform resembling a fitted ball gown of deep purple, the bodice cinched tight, rising to her chin, and decorated with chainmail while the shin-length skirt flared, the hem decorated with spikes that accentuated armored, buckled boots. Chainmail opera gloves rose to the pauldrons that suggested puff shoulder sleeves, while metal vambraces covered her wrists. Finally, an orchid veil covered her hair and the back of her neck to settle across her shoulders … and her face was covered by a triangular mask carved with waves and whorls around narrow, canted eye slits.
"My Emperor and fellow coven heads," Darius boomed, "I present my own apprentice: the Amethyst Artisan!"
Silence met the head witch's declaration, the Artisan herself dropping into a curtsey to the ruler of the Boiling Isles. The Titan's bile sac pulsed at an unchanged rate until Belos finally commented, "Yet another masked witchling," in a very dry tone.
"But of course, my Emperor," Darius replied, his voice faintly strained. "Why put the effort into grooming a replacement if they cannot serve for as long as possible."
"And you thought it prudent to keep this a secret until now," Head Witch Caroll asked, stepping forward ever so slightly, "why?"
"Surely you of all people would understand a flair for the dramatic, Illusionist," Darius sneered.
"Drama does not bring us closer to the Titan's will," Belos said coldly, his grip tightening on his throne's armrests as the great bile sac above them began to speed up. "I do hope you did not pluck a child off the street to try and follow the lead of myself and Lady Feronia."
"O-Of course not, Emperor Belos!" Darius said, sweat rolling down the side of his face. "I am utterly confident that my apprentice could defeat any witchling presented to her!"
There was silence for a time, until … "An interesting proposition, Darius," Belos said, a faint touch of amusement coloring his cold voice. "Perhaps … this confidence should be tried." Belos held his hand up as the Golden Guard stepped forward, the motion enough to halt his right hand man. He stood up from his throne and approached the rise of the throne platform, the hem of his robes even with the edge of the steps.
"Lady Feronia," he said, "would you be so kind as to have your Silver Belle give this 'Amethyst Artisan' a proper welcome?"
Chapter sever, everyone! Hoo-Hah!
*Luz's Spanish, via Google Translate, means: "My God," and "I'll rip off his head and cram it up his-!"
*Gus's slang that made Willow and Amity blush are Irish and British respectively.
*Captain Cisor - the same captain from "Eclipse Lake" - has her name come from the word incisor, or canine tooth. It's what the tusks of various animals are.
*A Busco demon is basically a giant snapping turtle that sleeps with its mouth open, waiting for unsuspecting prey to wander in before its jaws clamp shut. A common game for adolescent witches and demons is to "play chicken" with them. They're named for the Best of Busco, - also a giant snapping turtle - an urban legend and/or cryptid from Alabama.
I wonder how many of you saw that ending coming. Let me know what you all thing in a review, they make me so happy! As always, may your own works bloom and flower. And have a great day!