Chapter 15: One enemy and two allies

"This is clear. Nothing here." A scout called out, looking through some cabinets in the kitchen. Withholding the fact that he found a couple of pretty and tasty-looking turquise cupcakes. However-

"LUZ!" He didn't consider the tiny screaming demon.

Or the human that just got in front of him with an ice-bat pointing at his direction. "Hands. Off. Those cupcakes." She hissed and he backed away.

"Okay, okay! Man and those looked so good..."

As he walked away, Luz checked them again, making sure he didn't touch them, or mess them up somehow. They were far too import-

"Hey, uh..." He came back, tapping her shoulder, his voice whispering. "Are there any cupcakes I am allowed to touch, by any chance?"

She blinked at him, not really expecting the politeness. "Uh... maybe? King, what do you say?"

"Mmmm... maybe? But only the ones with the least sprinkles." King agreed, before whispering to Luz. "Should I put a paint-bomb in a cupcake?"

"We'll see, buddy." She whispered back with a mischievous glint in her eyes, before giving the scout a cupcake with yellow frosting and some red and white sprinkles on top.

"Sweet! Cupcake for Steve!" He said, still in a whisper, and practically inhaled the cupcake. "Thanks, kid. Hadn't eaten a thing since yesterday's breakfast."

"That long?" Luz exclaimed in surprise.

"Yeah... Since madame Lilith left the coven, breaks have been more sparse. And after the Golden Guard did the same, even more so."

She wasn't sure if it was because of exhaustion or not, but Luz could've sworn that there was something strange in... Steve's voice.

Like... fondness, maybe nostalgia or sadness...? She wasn't sure.

"Anyway..." But it was quickly gone. Or rather dismissed, but still slightly lingering, as his voice got even quieter. "For real now, he's not here, is he?"

"Uh, no-"

"HEY! What's going on over here? What are you muttering about here? Are you hiding something?!" Suddenly another scout popped up, in an interrogation mood.

"It's okay. I was just interrogating the human and... her dog. They don't know anything. They claim they haven't seen the Golden Guard at all around here." Steve said quickly, before she could get a word in.

"Well, all right. But we still need to keep looking. Can't be too trusting of this kind of people, Steve."

"Don't worry, I know the job!" He gave his comrade a thumbs up, before they both went back to looking around.

And he also gave one behind his back to Luz and King, much to their confusion.

A scout that seemed kind of nice? That didn't really interrogate them?

"What was that about?" King wondered, still looking confusedly at Steve.

"I don't... know." Halfway to her answer, Luz paled at the sight of a pair of blue eyes and white ears staring at her intensely from a window, before disappearing to the side. "I'll go check on Eda. Can you handle things here, buddy?"

"Sure, Luz. Go ahead."

She smiled gratefully at him as she left, barely keeping herself from bolting it upstairs. She just hoped they would be able to speak in private for at least a minute.

"Edalyn."

"Odalia?" Eda stared in disbelief at her old classmate, who kept glaring daggers at her from the moment she reached her and the captain. "What the heck are you doing here?"

"Don't play dumb with me! You know why I'm here!" Odalia got into her face, pointing an accusatory finger at her.

"I found her in your closet." The captain intervened, coming between the two witches, before Odalia poked her eye out. "She was yelling about you being a criminal and that you... stole from her? I had to tune her out after a point for the sake of my eardrums."

"'Stole' is actually an understatement, captain. She kidnapped my child!"

"Ugh... Are we really doing this again?" Eda groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"Yes, we are! I know you have my Amity and I'm not leaving this hovel without her!"

"For the last time! Your daughter is not here!"

"You are lying!"
"And you are insufferable!"
"This is an outrage!"
"The only outrage is you! Still existing!"
"How dare you talk to me like that!"

"ENOUGH!" The captain yelled, his voice cracking a little. But at least it got results.

The two witches stopped and stared at him-

"Don't you 'Enough' me! She's the one that broke in here. Even the emperor's tools knew to knock first." For about three seconds.

"As if you're one to talk! What? You don't like it when others share in the fun?" Odalia spat, but Eda simply flashed a smile. One she knew she hated.

"You know, I can't believe I'm saying this, but that was actually a compliment for them. Hooty doesn't really like it when you don't knock. Dilly-Dally."

"D-don't call me that! How dare you!" Odalia stuttered, her face for a moment turning red. "Are you seeing this?! That's a threat! She's threatening me! Arrest her!"

"If I find the Golden Guard in here, I will." The captain groaned, after clearing his throat. "So can we just put a pause in... this for now?"

"But what about-"

"Mrs. Blight. If you want to look for your child, go ahead, I don't care. But I've got strict, direct orders from the emperor himself to search for and find the Golden Guard. So, unless you don't have a problem with me telling him that you showed up out of nowhere and started tampering with my investigation, I'd like to do my job."

After that, he cleared his throat again (a bit louder this time) and moved past the two, ignoring how one of them was fuming. And not noticing the other raising an eyebrow.

"Now don't you think you're off the hook." Odalia hissed and Eda turned around to face her. Meeting a pair of eyes so cold and so intense, that she could swear she felt a chill. "I couldn't care less about the Golden Guard, but I know for a fact that you and your delinquent minions have my daughter. So, just hand her over and I'll take her and go home, no harm no foul."

"You really can't take a hint, can y-?"

"I'll pay you. If your safety isn't enough of a reward, money is no issue, I assure you. I have already put up a reward for my Mittens, in case you're not aware. And a big one at that. Give her to me now and I'll double it."

Eda held her gaze with a hard look on her face, repulsion plain and clear in her eyes.

Odalia was a business woman. And a tough one. The fact that she'd try to make a deal and throw money at the problem wasn't really a shock. But the fact that she was so certain it would work, that even despite the stern expression and the professional tone of voice, she was still hiding so much confidence or even smugness...! Again it wasn't really a shock, but it still made her blood boil.

"Let me be clear, Dilly-Dally." She said, unable to suppress a smile at the Blight's scowl. "Your daughter is not here. But even if she was, I wouldn't give her to you for all the snails in the world. I know about how you treated her, and her friends, and I'm honestly surprised that it took her that long to leave."

"What are you-?"

"What? I talk with my kids. Or more importantly, I listen to my kids. You should really try those things too, if you want a chance to have your daughter back for real. And if you don't want to try, you really shouldn't be anywhere near any of your kids."

Odalia seemed to falter a bit, her lips pulled back in an embarassed grimace.

She wasn't sure it would hit this hard, but any blow to Dilly-Dally's ego was too much. Always was.

Though it wasn't long before that icy gaze returned. "And what about you?"

"Huh?" At this, the look on Eda's face changed. It turned confused, caught off guard.

And it made Odalia smirk. "You're an ex-convinct without any kind of power. A trash-collector that's out of trash to sell. Not to mention that you need a nasty little elixir so that you won't grow feathers and tear anyone to shreds. At this point, you're barely even a witch and I'm the one who shouldn't be near children?"

"Watch your mouth, Blight...!" Eda growled and Odalia's smirk only widened.

"Why? Am I wrong? Owl Lady?"

...!

...!

"Eda?" Luz's voice stopped her, before she could call for Hooty (or throw a punch herself). "What the-?! Mrs. Blight?!"

"Ah, hello human." Odalia greeted in the fakest gentle voice. "I was just asking Edalyn about you. How are you?"

"She's fine. We're all fine. No, she hasn't seen or heard anything about your daughter. Leave her alone." Eda stepped in front of her, before she could get too close to Luz. Her eyes fierce and threatening, daring her to make another step.

"Hey! What's going on over here?" And now a scout rushed over (because of course they did!)

Immediately after, the Blight (itself..!) started giving them the baby-doll eyes. "Ask the Owl Lady. All I did was say 'Hello.' to the human and she was about to attack me."

"Oh, sorry if I don't want my student near a person that almost got her killed!"

"Well, no one is getting her killed now? Right? All I want is to ask her a couple of questions about my missing daughter. The two of them are... friends, she must know something."

"Actually I-"

"All right then." The scout cut Luz off, before she could protest. "In the meantime Owl Lady, I've got a couple of questions for you." Of course they did...

And when they weren't looking, Odalia smirked again, walking towards the girl(!). " Wonderful. Shall we do this somewhere else though? I could use a refreshment."

Luz narrowed her eyes at the witch, before turning around. "Okay. The kitchen is downstairs."

And with that the two started walking away, Luz looking behind for a moment, giving Eda a nervous thumbs up.

To which she could only reply with an equally nervous smile, before subtly kicking closed the closet door and turning her attention at the scout and their usual (boring) questions.

Have you seen the Golden Guard around the area?

Has he tried to infiltrate your residence?

Do you know anyone else who might be harboring him?

All of them answered with the same single line, with the same indifferent tone, despite all the worry and dread and anger that just wouldn't stop gnawing at her, eating her from the inside out... Right now they didn't matter. Nothing mattered but to play her part right. Even though she could see the stage falling apart.

This day just kept getting worse... Luz thought yesterday was one of the worst days ever (save for the afternoon and the night), but today felt like it was actively trying to surpass it.

Scouts running around!

Mrs. Blight!

What was next? Would Belos come knock-

"Oh, what a darling little room." Mrs. Blight's voice brought her back to reality. And it had come from... her room!

"Uh, thanks?" She replied, without stepping inside. "Anyway, you said you wanted a refreshment, so-"

"No, really. I love what you've done with it." But the witch didn't really seem willing to keep going. She was walking around the room, looking at every corner with that condescending smile. Until she noticed her looking at the folded sleeping bags in the corner (!). "Really gives a feeling of 'make work with what you have'. Shame it doesn't have a bed as well, but I suppose the Owl Lady couldn't afford one."

With her hands clenched into fists and her eyes narrowed in anger, Luz walked inside, ready to pull her out if she had to. "Actually, I don't mind. The sleeping bags are perfectly comfortable."

"And you need two, why?"

"The other one is King's. We like having sleepovers sometimes, not that it's any of your business. Now, shouldn't we keep going?"

"Not yet. Human." A purple glow came from her necklace as she spoke, but it actually made the room seem darker. About as dark as the look in her eyes. And before Luz could say or do anything, the door behind her was slammed closed. "First, I need to have a word with you."

"Is this about Amity? We told you! She's not he-"

"ENOUGH with the lies! I know she's here! Where else would she be?!"

"I don't KNOW! I don't know and it's your fault! You're the reason she ran away! All you had to do was accept her for being her own person! Like how a parent is supposed to do! It's no one else's fault that you just can't live with the fact that your kids are their own people with their own choices! Amity has the patience of a saint for putting up with you for as long as she did!" Luz yelled at her, perhaps a little louder than she should've.

But honestly, she didn't really care. She had it growing and pent-up for so long. Every time she noticed Amity being taken aback by a compliment or an embrace. Every night she found her awake and distressed because of a nightmare...

And it seemed that Odalia felt it. It was clear in how she slightly backed away, mouth agape and eyes wide for just a second. Before the darkness inside them returned, stronger than before.

"You dirty, disrespectful little brat...! No one ever talks to me like that! Is this where my Mittens got those ideas of rebellion?! Are you trying to turn her against me?!" She was moving closer with every word, until Luz's back was against the door.

"I was trying to make sure she's happy! When's the last time you did that?" The girl snapped back, the defiance on her face increasing and her hands ready to reach for the glyphs in her pockets.

"Luz? What's going on in there?"

But apparently she didn't need to use them, as Eda's voice brought this staredown to a halt.

Now wearing the most smug smile she had, Luz opened the door without hesitation, much to Mrs. Blight's shock, to meet (a really pissed) Eda with the captain and all the scouts that were upstairs.

"Yeah, Mrs. Blight what's going on?" She asked, crossing her arms after walking outside next to Eda.

For a moment, the green-haired witch didn't answer. She just stood and stared at everyone, without changing her expression or her threatening posture, before realizing it and letting her guard down.

"I was just doing as we agreed. I asked the human some questions and from what she told me, I can tell she and the Owl Lady are still suspects of my daughter's abduction. They even threatened me. You should arrest them. Now!" She said, her tone ever demanding.

Eda and Luz glared at her, but before they could say anything, some of the scouts went towards them when-

"Hold it." The captain suddenly raised his hand and they stopped, as everyone turned to look at him in surprise. "Did I tell you to do anything? No one is getting arrested."

Odalia's jaw dropped. "Excuse me?! Are you serious?! Are you forgetting how it is?! They're the criminals! I'm the victim here! I-"

"You broke into their residence, made false accusations against them, harassed my scouts while they were in the middle of an investigation and, from the looks of it, also harassed a child. Now who would you say is the criminal here, Mrs. Blight?"

She opened her mouth to speak, but this time no words were coming out. She just kept looking more and more frustrated that she couldn't find them.

"This time, I will not report this, but only because there was nothing for us to find here. But if I ever hear again that any of the previously listed things was repeated, I will have no choice but to press charges. Understood?" He waited for her to respond with a begrudging, through gritted teeth 'Fine.', before adressing the scouts. "All right, we're done here. Go tell the others downstairs that we're leaving and someone escort Mrs. Blight home."

"Yes, sir!" They saluted and started leaving along with Odalia, who glared at Luz and Eda.

And while Luz did flash her a mocking grin, waving her goodbye, Eda eyed the scouts and especially their captain with confusion, or rather suspicion. But she was forced to conceal it, when she noticed him coming this way.

"Thank you, for your cooperation. And I apologize for the disturbance." He said, after a small coughing fit, and reached out for a handshake.

Was this guy new or something? "Yeah, sure. Wouldn't be the first time." She shook with him, this time not hiding the confusion, holding her hand into a fist when they stopped.

She opened it only when they left and the door behind them closed (finally!). Inside it was a piece of paper. And it said:

Be careful with your penstagram and your crystal ball. They've been watching.

"EDAAAA!"

Oh no...

And yet another chapter comes to a close (Again with a 2 day delay :P to me)! And I end it on a cliffhanger because I can! So, uh... TTT aired last month... and I am fine... Totally absolutely... It didn't make me scream, or cry. I assure you... And I'm not fooling anyone, I'm still freaking shattered! And pretty excited about where it will go now! Anyway, this is the part where I say goodbye for now and I'll be back next month with flangst galore (if it goes according to plan)! Please leave a review and stay safe. Byeeeeee :)