That night Hunter slept through Chief's departure.

Well, perhaps departure wasn't the right term. The demon obviously wasn't leaving forever; hibernating was a temporary thing and for Stonesleepers it could last anywhere from a few weeks to a couple months. This was according to Chief himself, but even he'd admitted what knowledge he had was secondhand.

Originally Hunter had wanted to see Chief off for King's sake. Despite not seeing eye to eye on some choice issues he was still trying to be a decent person, and supporting an ally who'd saved his and Rascal's lives was important. After careful consideration though it was decided only King, along with Eda's supervision of course, would escort his dad to the place he would commence the stone-turning process. The place he'd chosen was the room King had hatched in. It made sense since it was well hidden and secure; moreover, King also decided it would make him feel better because he could bring Jean-Luc back to the ruins to guard him. And so he didn't get "lonely".

The next morning Eda subtly let everyone know it had been a somber affair. Not that it was hard to guess. King was currently trying and failing to act tough after seeing his dad off, which made sense all things considered. The last few days spent bonding with his father were some of the most enriching of his life. His sonic wail had grown stronger, and from what Chief said it was only a matter of time before his wings came in.

"So what're we doing today?" King asked over breakfast. "My dad told me before he left I should keep practicing my powers. If we're not doing anything can we spar? You," he pointed at Hunter. "You should join me. We could practice our sonic screams together!"

Hunter shook his head. "Thanks, but I don't think so. I'm still coming to terms with my entire body being a magical amplifier. I need to figure out what's up with that first to determine if it's safe for me to boost peoples' magic or not. I don't want to find out it drains my life force or something."

"Why don't you practice with Hooty?" Luz suggested. "He could use the company."

King rolled his eyes. "Fine, but only because he helped me give Jean-Luc a bath. Thanks for the grub, Eda!"

The moment he hopped down from his chair and left the room Amity whispered something in Luz's ear. A grin grew on the Latina girl's face before giving her girlfriend a kiss on the cheek.

"That's a wonderful idea!"

Before Eda could ask if this "wonderful idea" involved anything flammable so she could decide if she wanted to help or not, her crystal ball began flashing and screaming in the other room.

"I bet that's Lily. Hunter, as the oldest you're in charge while I'm on the phone. Don't let Luz touch my apple blood."

There was no time for him to protest before she was hurrying out of the room to answer the ball.

"So," Luz fluttered her eyelashes and peered up at Hunter goofily. It was the look of someone who wanted something. "Have you ever baked cupcakes before?"


Later that morning, once King had crashed from his cupcake-induced sugar-high, Eda called a meeting in the living room to talk about more serious matters.

"Okay, weirdos!" She crowed while Luz, Amity, and Hunter sat on the couch waiting for whatever news she needed to share. "First things first; I forgot to tell you this morning, but if you see a statue of King's dad in the middle of the island don't freak out. I made it on the off chance the island's location ends up compromised or if someone attempts to attack him while he's vulnerable. King knows it's a fake, but I wanted all of you to be aware of it too. Got it?"

"Got it!" Luz shouted.

"That's the type of energy I'm looking for from the peanut gallery," Eda encouraged. "Onto agenda item number two then. Lily called earlier to give me some important updates. She let me know she successfully created a glyph that seems to cancel out the effects of a coven brand."

At that Hunter's eyes widened. "Really?"

"Yep! She tested it on herself and said it felt like she there was a weight lifted off of her chest. Our mother used one as well and Lily said she's now able to cast any spell she pleases like she did back in school. A couple of witches in the Beast Keeper's Against the Throne tried them out too and had the same result. It doesn't get rid of the physical brand itself, unfortunately, and of course we haven't been able to test it against Kikimora's binding magic, but from what we can tell we've got a winner. Hunter, here's one for you." She handed him a sheet of paper with said glyph on it.

"Thanks." He dipped his head gratefully before carefully placing the glyph on his wrist. Without wasting another second he tapped it; the result was a warm burst of light.

Oh, he thought as said warmth flooded his entire body. It was a pleasant feeling. So pleasant, in fact, he grimaced when it faded and he was immediately left with a strange severing sensation radiating from the brand itself. It was like a rubber band which had been wrapped tight around his wrist suddenly snapped. That was weird.

"Feel any different?" Luz asked.

He shrugged. "Yes and no. Something is definitely different, but since the emperor's coven brands don't seal away magic the real test will be when we confront Kikimora again. If she's even still around. For all we know Belos may have disposed of her after her latest failure."

Amity looked slightly nauseous at the thought. "He wouldn't actually do that, would he? Replacing her is one thing, but getting rid of her…"

"She's alive," Eda butted in sourly. "I spoke to Raine while you were frosting the cupcakes. They let me know she was sighted by one of the bards last night. She's been demoted to assisting the Healing Coven's head witch, apparently."

"Belos is hoping she'll capture one of the BATs which would lure Raine out of hiding," Hunter said. "Luckily she doesn't know about those dual-track witches at Hexside." He turned to Luz. "How's that going by the way?"

"Amazing! Em messaged me to say Viney has been teaching her healing spells while Ed helps Barcus brew potions. She also let me know Jerbo's little plant abomination can swipe healing patches from the Hexside healer's office like a pro. Well, either that or Principal Bump is letting it get away with it. I knew he'd take a liking to the little guy; he is in the Abomination Coven himself."

"Shouldn't we warn him of what's coming?" Amity spoke up. "He should at least know to be careful around members of the emperor's coven. If Belos finds out he's been letting students mix magic he could be arrested, or worse."

"Don't worry about Principal Bumpy-poo. Yours truly warned him during a private crystal ball conversation the other day," Eda explained as she used a finger to make a tiny spell circle. Seconds later a mug floated from the coffee table to her waiting hand. "Ah, being able to use magic again is wonderful. Thanks, Owlbert. Back to what I was saying— I think Willow may have informed him of the situation too to a lesser extent before I managed to speak with him. Either way Raine is supposed to meet up with him today to show him how to use the anti-branding glyph. He's supposed to share it with members of the staff he deems trustworthy."

Luz beamed, wrapping an arm around Amity and Hunter who sat on either side of her. "I knew he'd be on our side!"

Eda smiled fondly before ruffling the girl's hair until it was a mess. "He's definitely changed since meeting you, Luz. Or perhaps humans just have that affect on witches."

Said human blushed, but before she could say anything her mentor continued.

"Speaking of humans," she suddenly grinned, "Hunter and I have a surprise for you!"

Hunter blinked dumbly. "We do?"

"Yeah! I took this little genius' advice and found everything we needed to construct another portal to the human realm. With his help we might even be able to make a complete one rather than one that goes to that strange in-between place you wound up in last time. Aren't you excited? You can patch things up with your mom before we perform a coup and foil the Day of Unity!"

The color drained from Luz's face in an instant.

"You what?"

Now Eda's lips turned downward into a frown. "Why the long face, kiddo? I thought you'd want a chance to clear things up before who-knows-what goes down in a few weeks. You told King and I your last meeting ended with a misunderstanding, but don't you think that makes even more important to address things? You also told us you had questions for Vee about basilisks. I thought while you were at it you can ask her about the one Raine and I will be attempting to rescue in a couple days."

Luz shook her head, her lips pinched and a hand thrown over her stomach like she was about to be sick. "I want to help, and I appreciate the gesture, Eda. I really do. It's just..."

"Yeah?"

"I don't think it's a good idea," she said in a rush. "I'm sorry. I told you what happened the last time I saw her; she was so cool with everything under pressure, but it was only because she thought I was making everything up as part of some silly game. After she rescued Vee it all caught up with her and, well, I don't think she's very happy with me. If I do end up making a working portal to the human realm I won't be able to casually visit her. She'll want me to stay."

Amity intertwined her fingers with Luz's in a comforting manner.

"What if we all go with you to talk to her? We can let her know you're needed here, and that your realm will be in danger if you're not here to help us put a stop to Belos' plans."

To everyone's dismay Luz began to tear up.

"I'd love that. I really would. But I'm worried that'll just make it worse," she sniffled. "If she learns how dangerous this realm is we'll never convince her to let me come back. And I can't lie to her again. Ugh, who am I kidding? I bet Vee told her all about Belos and the Boiling Isles. The next time I see her I'll be lucky if she lets me leave the house by myself. Going back to the Demon Realm? Yeah right. She loves me too much to allow me to walk right back into peril when she can stop me."

"She can't really stop you though, can she?" Hunter asked, ears pinned back at the thought of Luz leaving the Demon Realm permanently. "She's just one human."

Luz wiped some tears away with her arm. "She's not just a human, Hunter. She's my mom. I already made her cry, and I messed up by telling her I originally chose to stay here. It broke her heart when I told her that. Then I messed up even more by promising her I'd stay in the human realm when I found a way back."

"You promised her you'd stay?"

Amity's voice was fragile, yet full of shock. It seemed her girlfriend left out that small detail when talking about the last visit with her mother.

Hunter wasn't faring much better. Instead of experiencing hurt in a fearful, sorrowful way like Amity was he felt himself getting angry.

"You can't!" He shouted, waking Rascal up from his nap. "You didn't like it there! You told me yourself."

"He's right," Amity added, her panic growing. "You told me not too long ago you've never been happier living with Eda, Hooty, and King while going to Hexside with Willow, Gus, and I. You don't find the Boiling Isles absolutely horrible like most other creatures here. Luz, you're a human witch who loves magic. You belong here. With me— I mean us!" She ended with a blush.

Luz laughed wetly. "I know, Amity. Hunter. Eda. I do love it here. I knew deep down when I told her I'd stay I was lying, but I panicked and I promised her knowing I'd break it anyway. Now I'm too afraid to face her again."

"Hey," Eda crouched down on her knees next to the couch so she could wipe away some of Luz's tears. "We'll figure something out. I know you love your mom to the human realm and back, so we'll figure out a way for both of you to be happy."

"But how? She wants me to go to school there, but I want to train to be a witch. Hexside is where I belong. As much as I enjoy living with her I can't just—"

"Then you tell her you want to go to school in the demon realm. You can spend the weekends and months when there isn't school with her. And maybe dinner on Woesdays," she added coyly. "We can also invite her over for dinner whenever you want once we bring Belos down. Listen, Luz. I know you're scared, but you can't just run away from you're afraid of. You've grown so much since Grom. I know you couldn't confront your fears back then, but I've learned from experience the only way to face your fear is to face it head on. That doesn't mean you have to do it alone though," she winked. "Remember what I said about us weirdos?"

Smiling a wobbly smile, Luz nodded. "You're right. We've gotta stick together."

"Exactly."

"And your plan: going to school here and living with my mom during off time. That's actually a really good idea. I love my mama, and I did enjoy living with her and spending time together as a family. It's not like I'm choosing you guys over her. I just," she breathed in deeply, "I want to be happy."

Eda ruffled her hair encouragingly. "I am so proud of you. Tell your mom that and she won't be able to stay mad at you, Luz. I know it."

"Maybe. I don't know if she'd go for your idea, but—"

"We won't know if we don't try," Amity interjected. "Besides, you've met my mother. If Eda and Hunter wind up with another functional portal I think it's about time I met yours."

"Ha-ha, me introduce my mom to my amazing witch girlfriend before I know how she'll react? That's a really funny joke, Amity!" She waited for Amity to laugh with her, but when she didn't Luz's eyes widened. "Amity?"


Hunter was in the middle of working on the portal with Eda when Hooty appeared out of nowhere screaming his head off.

"Hoot hoot! We have company, hoot!"

Immediately Hunter dropped the demon tape he was holding and reached out to Rascal. It was only after whirling around with his staff at the ready that he noticed Eda motioning for him to stand down. In the sky he noticed a large silhouette flying towards them.

"Easy there, kiddo. It's just the Bat Queen."

Somehow that didn't make him feel any better.

If I stay quiet and busy myself with working on the portal she won't notice me, right?

Unfortunately for him Rascal didn't have the same idea. The moment she touched down on the beach his palisman morphed from wood back into his bright red form. He was fluttering around and chirping excitedly in her face before Eda could do so much as say a word in greeting.

"My my, little one. It's wonderful to see you again too." The Bat Queen chuckled.

"I want you to meet the witch I told you about!"

Hunter's eyes widened when he heard Rascal's tweets. Before he could try to discretely let his palisman know through the bond a meeting wasn't necessary he was already flying over. He perched on his witch's shoulder, chest puffed out proudly as if displaying a work of art. His witch, on the other hand, could only shrink under the gaze of one of the most powerful demons in the realm.

He didn't say anything as she approached. It took all of his conscious focus to keep his ears from instinctively lowering when she gave him a scrutinizing look, but before she could say anything Eda was there to rescue him.

"Hello there, BQ!" Eda wrapped am arm around Hunter and playfully shot her a finger-gun. "It's great to see you again. This is my newest kid, Hunter. He's a bit shy, so be nice to him, okay?"

Bat Queen's brow went from furrowed to relaxed, her overall demeanor softening somewhat as she reassessed her body language. At Eda's request she tried to appear a little less intimidating than she usually did. Thankfully, it did seem to make the anxious witch Rascal sat on less tense.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Hunter. I can tell your palisman is very happy with you as his witch. Keep up the good work."

He dipped his head respectfully. "Thank you. Rascal's, well," he paused to look the Bat Queen in the eye, "he's the best thing that's ever happened to me, honesty. Thank you for taking care of him before he chose me."

"Very courteous for someone so young," she commented with a smile. "I like you."

Hunter flushed.

"Told you so," Rascal chirped as Eda cleared her throat.

"Anyway, BQ, I blew the whistle for a reason. I've got a pretty hefty favor to ask of you, but I think you'll find I wouldn't ask this much of you if circumstances didn't demand it. Before we talk business though," she turned to Hunter. "Kid, why don't you go inside and check on Luz's progress? With Amity and King helping her I'm sure she's almost done carving her masterpiece. I'll come get you once I see out guest off."

He nodded, appreciative of the method of escape.

"Sure. It was nice meeting you, Bat Queen." And to Eda: "Byeee~"

Then he teleported away. When he reappeared a second later inside the entryway of the Owl House he took note of Luz, Amity, and King sitting in a circle on the living room floor. Between them was a nearly-finished carving of a bird. Hunter found it pretty impressive considering they'd only been at it for a few hours. Luz must have been a talented artist.

She can draw circles perfectly without issue; I should've known she'd be good at this too.

"Hey, Hunter. Finish the portal already?" Amity asked. Luz was too busy concentrating to speak, her tongue poking out of her mouth as she used a woodcarving tool to carefully shave away excess wood off of her palisman's small talons. "I heard Hooty screeching. We have a visitor?"

"It's the Bat Queen. Eda's talking to her about holding a second palismen adoption day at Hexside in secret for the wild witches who had their magic taken away. As for the portal it's about halfway done. If you want to construct a small abomination head to be put in a jar we still need one. Wait, is that my stuffed animal?"

King slowly turned to face Hunter with a small "weh". Sure enough Sprig was in the young demon's arms.

"If I said 'no' what are the chances you'd believe me?"

"Nonexistent," Hunter said flatly. "Did you sneak into my room to grab him?"

"I didn't need to sneak. You weren't in the house and these two were busy making kissy faces at each other so I just walked in. I was planning on putting him back after he helped Francois conquer the dining room table, but he's so soft! Not as soft as Francois, of course, but he got hot sauce on him so he's in the wash."

The witch crossed his arms more for show than with actual annoyance. "Next time ask. You can borrow Sprig whenever you want, you know."

"I can?"

"Duh. So long as you promise to take good care of him."

King narrowed his eyes at Hunter suspiciously. "That's awfully nice of you. You know, Blondie, when we first met I didn't strike you as the type of guy to like stuffed animals. This one is really well taken care of too. Where'd you get it? Your boyfriend?"

"M-my what?" He sputtered. "I do not have a boyfriend!"

Amity hid a smile behind her hand. "Yet."

"Shut it, Blight. Go back to making kissy faces at Luz."

"No being mean to my awesome girlfriend," Luz interjected without taking her eyes away from her palisman.

So she was paying attention, Hunter thought.

"Anyway," King said, "where did you get it then?"

Rubbing the back of his neck, Hunter tried not to wince as he answered honestly. "Belos gave it to me."

"That tyrant got you something this cute?"

"Yeah. I've had it as long as I can remember."

"Huh. I didn't peg the emperor as a gift giver; more of a gift taker, heh."

"King," Luz warned.

Hunter sighed. After setting his staff down he walked across the room and joined the others on the floor. He sat cross-legged, his hands balled into fists on his lap. He'd told Eda, Luz, and others some unsavory details of his past, but what he was about to tell them was one of the few good memories he had.

"He's not wrong. Growing up Belos wasn't big on giving gifts, but I was special. I was the only kid allowed to run around the castle semi-freely. When I was really little he gave me Sprig so I would stop coming to him or bothering the guards when I had nightmares. He said the stuffing in my frog was magical and would keep the bad dreams away." His lip quirked up in a half smile momentarily. "Looking back on it I guess that wasn't the best way to handle that. It was tough love. Still, he did something for me when he could have done nothing."

"That's a low bar to set though," Amity said softly.

"I know that now. He wasn't the family member you've all taught me he should have been, but he was the one who raised me. Sure he raised me to use me. I don't even know for what yet; however, Rascal and I've talked about what it means that he made me in his brother's image. There's a part of Philip in him. A part of him that misses his brother and maybe even regrets what he did all those years ago," he explained. As he did so he pulled his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them. A moment later he felt his palisman land on his head and coo in support. "I'm not saying this to make a case that he shouldn't pay for what he's done. Even if we find out the Titan is responsible for the crimes Belos committed the last few centuries Philip still murdered his own brother and hurt Rascal. He'll stand trial for what he did and if I can help it I want some answers about John, but ultimately I want to help him. Like you all helped me," he admitted, scratching his cheek as his eyes fell on King, who seemed conflicted. "I hope that's okay. You never got to meet your mom because of him, so…"

Something brushed up against him as he trailed off. With a small smile he reached down to pet Ghost, Amity's palisman. Immediately she began to purr.

So adorable, he awed internally. If Rascal pulled at his hair with jealously it was because he was being a little brat.

"Hunter?"

King's voice pulled his attention away from the cat.

Hunter tensed in spite of himself. "Yeah?"

"I was the one who changed my dad's mind about killing Belos yesterday," he said. "Not you."

Magenta eyes widened. Even Luz stopped what she was doing to stare at the small demon in surprise.

"You did?"

He nodded. "I was with my dad when Hooty got him to rescue you and Rascal from the boiling sea. I was nearby and I might have overheard the end of your conversation with him," he admitted. "Listen, I know you were avoiding me because you felt guilty for what happened to my mom, but it's not your fault. If the Titan is to blame then my dad will get his long-overdue revenge. If Belos isn't a puppet, then we'll go Eda's route and put him on trial. As much as I want the one responsible for taking my mom away to suffer if it ends up being Belos then—"

"King," Hunter cut in bluntly, "if Belos hasn't been brainwashed or something this entire time then he deserves to die by Chief's hands. I mean claws. My point is there's no way around it. I was raised to respect the law and all life— well, most life— on the island, and after learning about how much harm he's caused I've come to terms with the reality he might need to be brought down permanently in order to save the island. I haven't been a kid in a long time. I know what the coup really is; it's a matter of war," he stated darkly. "If he needs to die to achieve peace and preserve all life in the realm then I'll get over it.

"But you still love him!"

Hunter flinched. Deep down he knew it was true, but that didn't make it any harder to hear out loud. Not after all the pain Belos had caused him and everyone around him. So what if they were sort of related? If he turned out to be evil the just thing to do was petrify him like the law dictated.

"I don't want my dad to take away someone that important to you, okay? Even if Belos is the bad guy," the demon continued sounding far too mature for his age. The events of the past few days had caused him to mature far too quickly. "He raised you like Eda did for me. I can't change that just as much as you can't change how you feel about him. So," he decreed while pointing a clawed paw at Hunter, "stop avoiding me, okay? We'll deal with the serious stuff when it's time. Right now I want to see Luz finish her palisman. Then I'm going to run through my list of reasons why her mom should let her go to school in the Demon Realm. If you're lucky maybe you can help me add to it."

Without thinking Hunter crawled over to King and hugged him close. The demon let out a distraught "weh" before eventually sighing, hugging Hunter back nonetheless.

"Thanks, King."

"Yeah yeah. You're welcome and all that. Now unhand me before I bite you!"

"Stonesleepers don't bite. You're more equipped for locking horns like paindeer..."

"Well I do!"


The sun had set by the time the new portal was ready to be activated.

"Do we wait until tomorrow?" Hunter asked as Eda gave it a once over. He couldn't keep the excitement from slipping into his voice. The human realm fascinated him; the thought of them taking turns introducing themselves to Luz's mom in order for her to get used to their kind exhilarated as much as it terrified him.

"It's ultimately up to Luz, but the sooner the better. If all goes well the magicless witches are getting their palismen tonight, so Raine will want to launch an attack on the castle soon so they can to stop Belos from stealing anyone else's magic. There's also the matter of that poor basilisk."

She paused, intending to pull out her scroll out to show him what little information her mother had gathered on the not-so-extinct species, when a loud birdcall nearly caused her to drop it. Hunter's eyes darted around in surprise as both Rascal and Owlbert responded with their own unique calls. Together both witches turned around to see three figures walking towards them with an orb of light between them. On either side of Luz were Amity and King, and perched on her shoulder…

"Hey, guys! I would like to formally introduce you to my palisman, Azura Lapis Lazuli Noceda! Azura for short."

The female blue jay tilted her head curiously. After exchanging more tweets with the other palismen she carried herself more confidently in their presence.

Eda gave Luz a questioning look. "That's a long name. Also, isn't Azura the main character of that ridiculous human book series you nerds love so much?"

"Yes, but it also means 'sky blue' in Spanish," she explained. "Her middle names have significance too, but I'll explain that later."

Hunter chuckled. "Sky blue? You're as bad as John was for naming a red cardinal Red."

"At least I came up with an original name. You stole the nickname I came up with for him," she pointed at Rascal, "so bleh!" She stuck out her tongue at him, and he did the same right back.

"Now now children. That's enough," Eda broke in. " Luz, come give Mama Eda a hug. Don't think I didn't notice you carved a Clawthorne specialty," she said with a smile that made her eyes crinkle. If there was a glassy sheen to her gaze it was too dark to see it anyway.

Once all the lovely-dovey stuff was done with Luz moved her orb of light to illuminate the portal. Everyone watched as her eyes hardened with confidence as she stared at it.

"Is it finished?"

Hunter nodded. "It is. Belos' portal looked more circular than the door shape your notes talked about, and instead of abomination goop he used this weird green stuff, but I think it's a little better than the first version you wrote about in your notes. Sorry if it's not."

She shook her head. "I'm sure you did your best. Thank you for helping built it." Then she turned to Eda, her hand reaching into her pocket and pulling out a plastic bag with a ripped up glove in it. "When I carved Azura I did it while keeping in mind my convictions like you told me to. I know to the other palismen me saying I wanted to be a witch didn't sound like much, but in the human realm that would have been a child's fantasy. But it's not impossible for me. Not anymore. Because I threw my favorite book, my dream in the trash Owlbert accidentally took it. I chased him and stumbled into a world full of weirdos like me. Even though I was scared I've grown to love it here. I love the people, the land, and creatures on it.

"So," she said while pulling out the glove and tearing it in half, "I decided I'm going to protect it. That's my conviction."

Without another word she walked up to the portal and placed the piece of bloodied glove against it. Eda handed her a piece of tape to keep it in place, and after they both stepped back the older witch drew a spell circle that caused lightning to hit the cables surrounding the door. Everyone watched in awe as a glow enveloped most of the door until the entire thing contorted to reveal a crooked doorway into what appeared to be luminous starlight.

Luz turned to her friends and family with fire in her eyes.

"I'm ready."


"Why does she get to go first?" King complained after Luz beckoned Amity into the portal.

Eda gave him a noogie. "Because she's her girlfriend."

"So?"

"Girlfriend rights, pipsqueak. It's a form of magic so powerful it can only be understood once achieved." Hunter raised an eyebrow at that but didn't comment. "Point is you'll understand when you're older."

"Why? It's not like I'm ever going to have time for one. I'm going to be too busy ruling my kingdom to," he shuddered, "date."

"Sure you will! Just wait until you get into your hormonal teenage phase. You'll change your tune real fast," she snickered. "It's that right, Hunter?"

Said boy fought back a blush while trying to maintain a straight face. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Oh, I can explain it to you!" Hooty shouted excitedly, wrapping himself around Hunter's shoulders. "You see, H-buddy, when one creature and another member of the same species love each other very much—"

He was silenced by Hunter's hand closing his beak shut.

"Nope. I do not need to hear this. Also what did we talk about yesterday, Hooty?"

"Personal space..."

Once the demon gave Hunter some breathing room he turned his attention to Eda.

"Luz wasn't in there for very long before coming back out to get Amity," he commented. "Do you think she already convinced her mom to let her stay?"

Eda gripped the ropes in either hand distractedly. Further down them Hunter and King kept a hold of them too seeing as they were the only thing keeping Luz and Amity tethered to their realm. "I don't think so. From what she told me she was going to introduce us all first in order to get her mother to see the demon realm isn't full of heinous, bloodthirsty monsters like human myths say. Not to say we don't have those, but still. She wants her mother to meet the people she cares about before bringing up the question of splitting her time between realms. If that even turns out to be an option."

"What do you mean?"

"I was being optimistic this morning since Luz wasn't herself, yet the more I think about the idea of her moving freely between realms the more worried I get. She wants to be able to use the successful portal we think Belos has to do that, but what if it doesn't work? What if she can never go home again? It would be my fault because I let her stay with me in the first place."

Hooty nudged her cheek with his head. "Don't blame yourself. She begged to stay; no one's able to say no to her big round human eyes."

She nuzzled him back with a small smile. "Thanks, Hooty. It must be those darned maternal instincts making me worry myself rotten again. I had a dream she ended up having to choose where to stay permanently and it really messed me up."

Before she could say more King's stomach let out a large rumble, causing everyone to look at him.

"Oh! That must mean it's time for my late night snack. Not be confused with my late late night snack, or my midnight snack."

Eda raised her eyebrow at him before turning to Hunter. "Can you be a doll and fetch him some snacks as well as a box of apple blood for me? I can feel your scrawny nerd arms struggling to hold the rope as it is."

"Hey!" The scrawny witch in question complained.

"You are a little scrawny," Rascal chirped from his shoulder. "You still don't eat enough for your age."

"You just want me to be fat like you."

"It's called feathers and muscle, Hunter. Maybe you should work out more. Or grow some feathers."

Ultimately it was Hooty who decided to grab the snacks despite the fact Hunter could've just teleported into the kitchen to grab them. Still, he did appreciate a bag of Hex Mix since they end up holding onto the ropes on the dark beach for nearly thirty minutes. After one of the ropes suddenly began to lose all of its slack they quickly woke up and pulled. A few seconds later Amity stumbled out of the portal.

Immediately she was bombarded by several questions. Hunter was honestly impressed she answered them as rapidly as she did.

"I think it went fine? Luz introduced me to her mother, Camila, who was just woken up by Vee. She started crying before she realized I was there too. It was only a little awkward. She seemed to like me," she smiled proudly as she untied the rope around her midsection. "She wasn't upset about Luz dating another girl at all. I think she was more upset she has to wait to meet me in person. Anyway, she said she was really happy for Luz and I."

"That's great!" Eda grinned, taking the rope from her. "Do you think she's ready to meet yours truly?"

Amity shrugged. "Luz told me to send you in next regardless, so I hope so. Be careful when you jump in though. The in-between realm she told us about is a bit scary when you first break through the weird not wet water stuff, but you should be fine as long as you keep the rope on. She thinks the portal is more stable this time around too, so it should last longer. And before I forget she talked to Vee about the basilisks still in captivity. The ones there are Number One and Number Two," she explained. "Vee let us know Number Two was the greater basilisk who attacked Hexside while pretending to be an inspector. She's dangerous because she'll feed on a creature's magic without remorse. Number One, on the other hand, is more like Vee. He's a young one like her who got caught when the others escaped."

Eda cursed at the information. "We'll need plans for how to rescue the both of them despite such differing personalities. I'll wait until I've gotten the full debrief from Luz before letting Raine know. Knowing them they'll try to attack tonight instead of waiting for me to attack tomorrow. They've got a soft spot for kids.

"Anyway," she walked over to the portal before giving the rest of them a salute, "keep ahold of those ropes. Hooty, behave while I'm gone. Same goes for you, King."

With that she fell backwards into the portal. Its surface swam like it was make of water rather than some weird distortion of space itself.

As soon as she was gone all eyes turned back to Amity.

"So," Hooty said worriedly, "did she apologize for lying to her mom and let her know she needs to break her promise in order to be happy, hoot hoot?"

Amity shook her head, her lips tugging down into a frown. "Not yet. She told me she'll bring up the heavy stuff once she's introduced her Demon Realm family to her mom. I guess when Luz told her about this place the first time she left out a lot of the bad stuff, but Vee couldn't lie to Camila when she asked about the potential dangers of living here. I think the boiling rain thing really freaked her out. I tried to tell her it wasn't a big deal, but, well," she winced. "Did you know humans are even less acid resistant than us? A single drop can eat all the way through their bones."

King whistled. "Man, humans are more fragile than a snaggleback's ego."

Despite the joke Hunter had to shove the concern he was feeling to the back of his mind. Luz's future on the Boiling Isles was riding on their impressions on her mother, and in all honestly their little ragtag group was such a mess he was worried for said future.

Trying to calm himself, he focused on getting what information on Camila he could.

"So she took the news that you're dating her daughter well?" He asked the female witch standing beside him. "That's good to hear."

"She was a bit shocked at first, but I think it's because Luz never dated anyone before. Camila told me some stories about Luz writing something called 'self-insert' fanfiction. Luz was super embarrassed about it for some reason. Anyway, like I said once I introduced myself and told her how her daughter changed my life for the better she was really proud of Luz. I also think she was intrigued by how similar to humans and witches look," she added. "Compared to a demon like Vee I guess it makes sense."

"Just wait until she meets King."

"And me!" Hooty exclaimed.

Amity, Hunter, and King rounded on Hooty as one: "Don't ruin this for us!"

The owl-demon reared back, offended. "I won't! Jeez. Do you all really have such little faith in me?"

No one answered because they didn't want to make Hooty cry with their answers.

After roughly twenty minutes passed Eda's rope pulled taught. When they pulled her back out of the portal she returned with a strained smile on her face. She hurriedly sent King in next, telling Hooty to go with him to make sure he was safe. The owl-demon didn't need a tether since his body could be as long as it needed to, so the duo passed through the doorway with the warning of "don't scare Luz's mother too much" falling on deaf ears.

Once the demons were gone she let out a long sigh.

Hunter ears drooped a bit. "That bad, huh?"

"Not sure yet. All I can say is that Camila is definitely Luz's mother. Not only do they look alike but at first impression she strikes me as a strong, kind mother who cares about her daughter deeply. She's a veterinarian too, and if the human realm is like ours that takes some serious brains and a passion for animals and wildlife. She reminds me of my own mom in that way," she admitted, "however, they're also similar in levels of stubbornness. I can tell she's got it in her head she knows what's best for Luz. I can't help but compare the situation to when my own mother decided my curse needed curing when I was content managing it the way I wanted to."

"She cares," Amity broke in, "but she's not getting that what she wants for Luz isn't what Luz wants herself."

"Exactly. She wants Luz to be normal so she can fit in, but Luz shouldn't have to be something she's not to do that. It doesn't mean she should've brought live snakes to school though. No matter how hilarious I bet it was."

Hunter's eyes widened. "She did what? Snakes are delicacies here! She should've gotten extra credit."

"I know right? Be that as it may I want to believe I helped sway her mom's mind about our realm. I might have just made it worst though. From mother to mentor I think we'd get along better if I hadn't made a name for myself in their town as a crazy woman who tried to by coffee with a raccoon."

"What's a raccoon?"

"They're like trash pandas but way smaller and steal trash in the dead of night rather than broad daylight. They've got stripes and a little bandit masks. You'd love them."

"They're thieves."

"Raccoons are animals, Hunter, not demons going out of their way to eat witches' hard earned trash. They only steal things humans don't want."

He raised an eyebrow. "Like you?"

"Hey! I take offense to that."

"Says the witch who stole human trash for decades to make a quick snail."

"I was a wanted fugitive, brat. And is it really stealing if nobody wants it?"

"Yes!"

Their debate lasted about ten minutes, which was how long it took Hooty to bring King and himself out of the portal.

"And I thought my dad was intimidating," King stated when he joined them. "Luz's mom? Definitely one of the top ten most scariest humans in the human realm. When she saw me she grabbed a sandal and threw it at the mirror. A sandal, Eda!"

Eda crossed her arms and leveled an incredulous gaze at him. "So? I throw my slippers at you all the time."

"Yes, but this one was blue. Blue sandals mean immeasurable disappointment and I can't handle that kind of pressure!"

Hooty, on the other hand, seemed delighted. "I can! Guys, she was so excited to see me she screamed with joy. Joy I tell you!"

"No, Hooty. It was full of terror." The other demon corrected.

"Noooo. She cried tears of awe at the sight of me."

"You're mistaking those with tears of concern when she realized you are the house her daughter is staying in. Anyway," he handed off the rope to Hunter. "It's your turn. Try not to freak her out like we did."

Amity frowned. "You freaked her out? Hooty I can understand, but you're so..."

"Small and adorable, I know. The problem is in human realm animal skulls are usually underneath a few layers of muscle tissue and skin. When she saw my noggin she thought I was undead or something. Did you know humans are terrified of their dead coming back to life? That happens at a good party in our realm. Anyway, Blondie, don't mess up. Her future with us depends on it."

Hunter couldn't help feel a sense of dread at being told that.

Oh Titan he's right. If I screw this up I could ruin Luz's chance at staying here forever!

"Hey, don't listen to him," Eda reassured. She ruffled his hair and helped him tie the rope around his waist securely. Rascal flew from Hunter's shoulder to Eda's during this time as well. "Just be you and try not to lie to her. As much as I want Luz to stay here downplaying the problems our realm has won't help. Okay?"

"Okay."

She shoved him gently towards the portal. "Good luck, Hunter. Enjoy your first glimpse of the human realm."

He nodded shakily. Then, his mind at ease knowing Rascal would be safe in the Demon Realm, he stepped into the doorway.


The moment he walked through the portal his senses were thrown for a loop. One second he was standing upright and another he was on his back. A terrifying colloquy of whispers assaulted his ears as he rose up from a strange obsidian liquid only to realize it wasn't so much like water as it was a kinetic fluid. It didn't stick to his clothes or get him wet, and as he righted himself on his feet he barely felt it splashing at his ankles. What was even weirder were the various glowing cubes floating in the air around him.

So this is the in-between realm? I've never seen anything quite like it. And those whispers; is it really the Titan?

"Hey, Hunter! Over here!"

Cutting through the sound of the ominous noises filling his ears was Luz's voice. He spun around to see her walking over to him with a large cube in her hands.

"Luz?" His eyes went wide when he noticed one of the sides of her cube wasn't black like the rest of its sides. As she approached it became obvious it displayed an older woman wearing glasses. From the angle of the image he could see her upper half as well as cabinets in the background making him guess she was standing at a kitchen counter. "Is that your mom?"

She nodded, her smile more tired than it had been nearly an hour ago. "Yep! The one and only Camila Noceda. Here," she sidled up to him so that their shoulders were touching. Then she held out the cube so Hunter could help hold it with her. "It should be easier to talk her like this. Anyway, Hunter, meet my mom. Mom, meet my friend Hunter!"

The witch in question suddenly felt very self-conscious. His hair was a bit disheveled from working on the portal, and he wasn't sure how close up his face was in reference to what her mother could see. He knew his scars were on full display. Would she notice one of his eyes was fake though?

Ugh. I should have cleaned up before this like Amity did.

Outwardly he spoke eloquently after clearing his throat a bit. "It's nice to meet you, Miss Noceda." Then he stage-whispered to Luz: "How much of us can she see? Just our faces or…?"

"Upper halves, I think. She brought her big circular make-up mirror downstairs and set it up on the island after Vee woke her up."

Nodding, he turned back to the cube just as Camila responded. He took note of her accent, which was slightly more pronounced than her daughter's. Her courteous, respectful demeanor was also apparent as she offered him a polite smile.

"Aren't you a sweet one! It's nice to meet you too, Hunter. Luz was just telling me how smart you are."

The tips of his ears reddened at the praise. "I, well, I wouldn't say that's my most defining trait," he stuttered, kneading his hands together nervously. "I do like to read and learn about history, magic, and stuff."

Luz rolled her eyes. "He's being modest, mama. I've never met someone who can apply what he's read or been taught almost right away without much practice. He'd probably be a straight-A student if he went to school, though his social skills are a bit stiff."

Before he could comment on the personal attack Camila asked him a question.

"Oh. You don't go to demon school with Luz and Amity?"

"No. I'm… homeschooled?"

Camila crossed her arms. "You don't sound too sure about that."

He backtracked immediately. "Sorry! I meant to say I was homeschooled, but since I mastered magic so fast Emperor Belos— I mean, my uncle— decided it was time for me to work rather than continue my studies. Not that I didn't have time to conduct research in my free time. I did, but duties came first."

"Is it common for children to work at such a young age in the Boiling Isles?" Her brows creased with concern. "You look like you're the same age as Luz."

Scrawny, Rascal's taunt from earlier in the day rang in his mind.

He flicked an ear. "I'm sixteen, ma'am."

"See? High schoolers get jobs in the human realm all the time," Luz cut in. "Heck, I've even helped deliver potions for Eda back when she still had her potion-making business."

Camila nodded, some of the worry leaving her features. "I suppose you're right. What do you do then, Hunter?"

Again he was unsure how to answer. He knew Luz didn't want anyone to lie to her mom, but how was Hunter supposed to tell her in good conscience that he used to be a high ranking official in the group that was after her daughter? Did she even know about the Emperor's Coven or covens in general? What if he said the wrong thing?

"Hunter?"

He snapped out of his spiraling at the sound of his name being called. His ears lowered in embarrassment when he realized both women were gazing at him in concern.

"Oh, uh, sorry," he rubbed the back of his neck with a hand before dropping it to his side. "I was trying to figure out if there was a human equivalent to explain what I did. My official title was leader of the Emperor's Coven, which was a huge honor."

"And a burden," Luz added.

"Shush, you. Anyway, I did a bunch of tasks for the coven like organizing patrol routes, overseeing guard training, and completing various missions on the emperor's behalf. Wait. Luz, have you even told her about covens yet?"

To his relief she nodded. "Yep! I explained all of them briefly when I introduced her to Amity. She knows there are ten of them, nine of which are tracks at Hexside. I'm enrolled in all of them," she grinned at her mother proudly.

Hunter rolled his eyes. "You're the only student ambitious enough to be in all the tracks."

A small but fond laugh escaped Camila at that. "Leave it to my baby to be the odd one out in a dimension full of witches, demons, and magic."

Something about the way Luz's mother said "odd" rubbed him the wrong way.

"It's not that unheard of," he found himself saying defensively. He ignored the curious look Luz shot at him. "Members of the coven I was in were able to practice all forms of magic instead of just choosing one. I knew multiple types of magic too. It was poor judgment on the principal's part and an error on the entity funding the school to force students to choose one track instead of letting them forge their own paths. Before Luz changed Principal Bump's mind other students were suffering by being shoved into boxes they didn't fit in just to make life easier for everyone else," he explained. He noticed Camila wince at that. "It was stifling their creativity, their potential. Does your daughter seem like the type of person to be anything other than the weirdo she is?"

"Hey!" Luz whined, elbowing Hunter in the side.

"I meant it as a compliment, I swear! Jeez your elbows are bony," he muttered as he rubbed a hand soothingly over the now aching muscles. Then he turned his attention back to her mom. "As I was saying, Miss Noceda, I think you should know Luz is the strangest person I've ever encountered and it's not because she's a human among witches. I know she went on about how smart I am, but she discovered an ancient form of elemental glyph magic all on her own when she realized she didn't have the biological magic capabilities witches and many demons in our realm are born with. It's amazing. She's amazing," he emphasized shamelessly. Now that he'd gotten going he kept the praise coming. Perhaps it would help Camila see how much her daughter has grown while in their realm. "She's kind, strong, and sees the best in people even when their worst qualities are all they can see. And she's brave. Never have I seen someone with such weak nerd arms take on an army of Abomatons without fear. She's—"

"An army of abominable what now?" Camila gasped, a hand flying to her mouth.

"Abomatons. Artificial sludge monsters," Luz corrected hastily. "They aren't a big deal, mama, I promise. They fall apart to the sound of music. Besides, I've fought a ton of other creatures before. I'm a pro at it by now."

"Mija—"

"Trust me." She stated, her tone almost as desperate as it was sincere. "Between my newfound magic skills and the friends I've made here I'm pretty much invincible."

"What she's saying is she can take care of herself," Hunter elaborated.

Nailed it, he thought.

Sadly, Camila didn't seem entirely convinced. "I'm glad you've become confident in your abilities, sweetie, but I don't like the thought of you getting into fights even if you can handle yourself. I know how you get sometimes. You rush into things without thinking ahead; what if you do get hurt because you finally run into a problem you can't overcome? I'm not there to protect you right now. It scares me."

Luz shifted uncomfortably. Hunter couldn't help but feel guilty since it was his mention of her strength and bravery which had brought the concern up.

"I know you're scared. I am too sometimes. But maybe you don't need to protect me as much as you used to," she said quietly before her voice steadily grew to a regular volume. "Remember what you told me the last time we talked? I've matured. Things are different here than they were in school. I'd take fighting slitherbeasts and abominations over dealing with human teenagers any day."

"But Vee told she was imprisoned by an evil and powerful monster who rules that realm," Camila argued. "What if it tries to hurt you too?"

Hunter cleared his throat. "He is a human turned witch who may or may not be being controlled by a titan, which is different than a witch or demon. Vee wouldn't have known that when she told you about Belos though."

Suddenly there was a hand being thrown over his mouth.

"Dude," Luz hissed into his ear, "I haven't told her about any of that yet!"

There was no time for Hunter to lick her hand so he could tell her "well you better explain now". Camila spoke, her voice dripping with fear.

"Sweetie, are you telling me another human got trapped in there and is being possessed by some demon? Ay, Dios mío!" She performed a gesture Hunter had never seen before; why she'd mimic the shape of the letter "t" over her heart so feverishly probably made more sense to other humans, he supposed.

"Mama, no! It's not like that."

"Yeah," Hunter added. "Possession is such a strong term. Manipulated, maybe. Also like I said before a titan is not a demon. It's more similar to a giant."

"You are not helping," Luz face-palmed.

Camila cleared her throat, catching both of the teenager's attention.

"I am going to ask you both a question, and I expect an honest answer. This Belos character— he's the one who hurt Vee. The emperor. Is that correct?"

Luz bobbed her head up and down solemnly. "Yes…"

"He's still in power, isn't he?" At her silence Camila pinched the bridge of her nose and sucked in a quick breath. "This is why I'm so worried about you. It's not just because I'm your mother; knowing someone like that is in a position of power makes him far more dangerous than some wacko like Jacob. Vee told me about the experiments he did on her and the others of her kind. The cruelty she endured during her imprisonment," she shuddered, "is unspeakable. She still gets nightmares. The Demon Realm isn't safe for you if a monster like that is in charge, Luz."

"He won't be for much longer?" Luz tried. "It'll be a thousand times safer here once he's forcefully removed from the throne. He'll pay for his crimes against Vee, the other basilisks, and everyone else he's hurt along the way."

Hunter nodded. "He will. The coup will take place in three weeks, and after we overthrow him we should be able to use his functioning portal to visit the human realm anytime we want."

He hoped that statement would cheer the elder human up, but at the mention of a coup her jaw dropped. "Did you just say we? Luz, this isn't like your fantasy books! You can't just join a rebellion and overthrow the big bad guy," she exclaimed.

"Yes she can?" Hunter said. "Her mentor is the leader of the rebellion, and in all honesty we're the founding members. We've already gathered more allies than ever before to go against the emperor. We've infiltrated his prison once to rescue people important to us. She did it once all by herself to rescue Eda. Heck, Luz helped save me from getting killed by him too. Statistically speaking she's three for three, Miss Noceda."

"She did what?"

Luz sighed, stopping Hunter from answering her with a hand.

"Hunter, I think it's time I spoke to my mother alone. You can find your way back, right?"

Between his concern for his friend and his own desire to experiment with the magic of this strange place the last thing he wanted to do was leave. He dipped his head in understanding nevertheless, wishing Luz's mother a good day before giving them their privacy.

Or so they thought.

Luz won't be mad if I try my hand with those weird cube things while she finishes her conversation, will she?

He couldn't help that he overheard what they were saying as he grabbed a cube and inspected it with eyes full in wonder.

"There's a lot I need to still explain to you about what's happening in the next few weeks here, mama," he could hear Luz saying, "but what you need to know is that Emperor Belos, the one who hurt Vee, is planning to do something horrible in less than a month. It won't just destroy this world. His plan will endanger the human realm too. I have to do my part and help stop him, okay? It's what Azura would do."

"Azura isn't real," her mother stressed. "She's a fictional character from a book. You're not. Promise me you won't participate in this insane plan to overthrow him, Luz."

Hunter went rigid, nearly dropping his cube. Another promise? This one went directly against the conviction she'd come up with when carving her palisman.

Thankfully, Luz didn't seem to be backing down this time. Instead of giving in or lying she took a deep breath before answering her mother in a tone both polite and firm.

"I'm sorry, but that's not a promise I can keep. And when I told you I'd stay in the human realm after finding a way back? I don't think I can keep that either."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying I love this world. Here I have friends who accept me for who I am. I have an amazing mentor, an awesome girlfriend, and a bratty demon brother of sorts who all care about me so much they almost died getting a piece of the portal I need to see you. I'm training to be a full-fledged witch at a school for magic. You said before I was indulging in a fantasy, but this is reality, mama. Here my dreams aren't impossible. I can be the hero I always wanted to be, for this realm and yours."

"Yours? You mean ours."

Luz's response was pained. "It's not though. The human realm isn't where I belong. I want to stay here and become a witch. When I get access to Belos' portal will you please let me continue to go to school here? I promise I will come home. I'll visit you and Vee all the time, but if I stay there forever I'll be miserable. I… mom?"

The sound of Camila crying made Hunter's ears flatten.

"I suppose I deserve this," she laughed in between sniffles. "After months of exchanged letters and spending weeks together face-to-face I didn't even realize the person I was spending time with wasn't my daughter. What mother doesn't recognize her own baby isn't her baby? I'm a failure."

"No, you're not! If anyone's the failure it's me. I was out of control bringing snakes and spiders to school. And— and you only wanted to send me away because you thought it would fix my weirdness, right? You wanted things to be easier for me because you love me."

"Oh, honey. I love you so, so much, but I know now there's nothing about you that needed fixing. I thought sending you to that camp would get you used to interacting with others your age normally. After spending so much time with Vee though, who isn't nearly as rambunctious as you were, I realized what I'd been doing was trying to change you. And I was wrong to do that to you, sweetheart. A mother is supposed to love their child unconditionally. Me? I never stopped loving you, but I wanted to change you to make loving you easier. I am so sorry for that."

Now the sound of Luz's tearstained voice joined the fray, making Hunter's blood burn with the desire to stop it. He wanted to run over and wrap her in a comforting hug. The only thing stopping him was the knowledge it would ruin their moment.

"But I was wrong too," she said. "Vee made me realize how blessed I was to have a mother who loves me so much. Even if you didn't fully understand me or my hobbies you still cared about me and indulged in them every so often. I took your love for granted and it took me being separated from you to get that through my thick skull. I'm the one who should be sorry!" She cried, a bit of snot dripping down her noise as she shut her eyes tightly. "I'm sorry I ran away to the Demon Realm. I'm sorry I lied to you about where I was, and that I made you worry. I'm sorry I made a promise to you I know I couldn't keep."

"Sweetie, I—"

Camila tried to cut her off, but her daughter couldn't stop apologizing.

"I'm sorry that I love it here, that I want to keep going to school here at Hexside. And I'm sorry I can't be happy without hurting you!" She finished, her eyes flying open to lock with her mother's.

For a moment both of them simply stared at one another. Tears wet both of their faces, not that Hunter could see, but knowing was enough. He couldn't stop himself from dropping the cube he was holding and running to Luz's side.

She whipped around at the sound of his approach.

"Hunter? I thought you left!"

Ignoring her red face and puffy eyes he carefully ducked into the space between her and the cube. He hugged her tight, and after fumbling with her hold on the cube she hugged back with a quiet "thanks". After several seconds she pulled away, leaving him to remove himself from her personal space just as her mother opened her mouth.

"Luz?"

"Yes, mama?"

"I want you to tell me more about the Demon Realm. If you're going to be going to school there, then I at least—"

"Wait," Luz broke in, "did you just say what I think you said?"

Hunter breathed out a sigh of relief. "I think she did."

Camila smiled a wobbly smile. "You will visit me often, you hear me? And I suppose Vee can keep going to school in your stead since she's explicitly expressed never wanting to go back to the Demon Realm ever again anyway. She's also made so many friends here as you it would be a shame to take that away. Same with separating you from your friends, and that adorable girlfriend of yours."

Luz's eyes filled with tears once more. It made Hunter uncomfortable, but knowing his second closest friend wasn't going to leave forever made it bearable.

"Thank you, mama. Thank you!"

"You can thank me by staying safe until we see each other in person next. Oh, and by telling me all about the Boiling Isles. Vee said something about the island being formed from the body of a titan? What is that, again?"

A pair of brown eyes suddenly landed on Hunter, who flushed at the attention.

"I'll just be going now," he said lamely. He made to walk away before he was yanked back by the collar of his shirt.

"Hang on a second. You overstayed your welcome, and now you pay the price. Give my mom the overview while I let everyone else know the good news. They've probably been worried sick the entire time I've been in here."

He cringed. "Hooty did mention regurgitating his lunch if he had to wait much longer to know if his boo-boo buddy was going to be leaving permanently or not."

Luz made a face. "Yeah, I'm going to spare them the sight of that right away. Be back in a minute."

Then she was gone, leaving Hunter alone with Camila.

Oh no. What do I do? Do I just start reciting history, or…?

"Hunter?"

He froze, ears going low before slowly perking back up to attention when he realized Camila had asked him a question.

"Y-yes?"

"You said you used to be the leader of the Emperor's Coven, didn't you? Does that mean you worked for this Emperor Belos person? And correct me if I'm wrong but I thought I heard you refer to him as your uncle."

He nodded, albeit guiltily. "I did. It's... sort of a long story. Before I met Luz I wasn't the best person; I was raised by Belos as his nephew only to find out he created me using a spell just to be used for his master plan. I used to do whatever he told me for his approval, but Luz, Amity, and the others made me realize I didn't need that. Miss Noceda, your daughter saved my life in more ways than one. If anyone's strong enough to take down the emperor and save our realm it's her."

This time the woman's smile reached her eyes.

"Then it seems I made the right decision. Can you promise me one thing though, Hunter?"

"Of course."

"Please make sure my baby stays safe. She can get a bit carried away sometimes, especially when she's emotional, but you seem more level-headed."

He nodded. "We'll all do our best to protect her. You will see her again, in person," he clarified. "I promise."


Hunter groaned, rolling over onto his side with a curse. His brain wouldn't shut off and he didn't know why.

"I think you should ask Eda for another sleeping drought."

He frowned at his palisman's suggestion. Not because the suggestion wasn't a good one, but because that meant his palisman was still awake.

"Sorry, buddy. She gave me the strongest one she could brew without leaving my brain foggy all day tomorrow," he paused, "or I guess I should say today. Anyway, if I ask for another one she'll basically have to knock me out. If she has to do that for me to sleep she might make me stay here during the attack on the castle."

"Hunter, your body needs rest. A witch's state of health and mind effects their magic, so if you want to confront Belos at the top of your game you have to take care of yourself."

A bitter laugh escaped Hunter at that. It sounded slightly crazed, likely from the lack of sleep, which made his palisman worry further. "You think I don't know that? If I could sleep for longer than two hours I would, but I can't. I can't tell anyone either. Not with the Day of Unity only five days away."

And especially not with us launching our attack the day after tomorrow, he thought.

Rascal flew from his perch on the dresser to the pillow tossed haphazardly near the top of Hunter's head. "Warm spider-milk then."

Hunter hummed thoughtfully. "I can try that, I guess. You do know you can always sleep with King or Luz though, right? I know you can't rest with me tossing and turning all night. Why don't you sleep with Eda and Owlbert in their oversized nest? Or," he tacked on with a tired smirk, "cuddle with a certain little blue jay like you did all day yesterday?"

For that he got a sharp peck to the head, but after all the teasing he'd received from the bird he didn't care.

"I don't need sleep, remember? Please, Hunter. I'm worried about you. This is the third night you've been like this. You've been sleeping less and less every night; your eye bags were nearly gone too," he chirped remorsefully. "Is it the nightmares? Are they acting up again?"

"No, Rascal. I'm not avoiding sleeping, I assure you."

"Then what is it?" He was quiet for a moment, and then: "Wait. Is this because of the comments Uno made during training the other day?"

At the mention of the newly recruited basilisk Hunter's mood soured exponentially.

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"I think you do. You should talk to someone about it, Hunter."

He sat up suddenly, and his head spun from the sudden movement. His blood-shot eye burned as he glared at his palisman.

"Well I don't want to! Can we just drop this? I'll get that spider-milk or whatever it is you wanted me to try. Please," he clenched his teeth briefly, a wave of exhaustion coursing over him from his own outburst. Here he was on the second to last night he had to get a decent amount of sleep before the big coup d'état and he was so tired it almost hurt to be conscious.

"I'll drop it," Rascal relented gently. "But only after a short flight together. It'll help calm you down. Trust me."

He raised an eyebrow at his palisman, who merely cocked his head to the side as if daring his witch to argue with him. After a moment he sighed. A flight under the stars did sound nice. He wondered if Rascal had felt the itchiness building up under his skin. Usually being in his room made it easier for him to relax; however, something about being in such a small space tonight was setting him on edge.

"It's a good idea," he eventually said, dragging a hand over his face to wake himself up a bit more. Then he reached up to scratch Rascal's chin, sending a thrum of warmth through their bond. "Yeah. Let's go."

A few minutes later he was hovering a few feet above the boiling sea. The steam that wafted up from below warmed his bare arms, a welcome feeling when the cold breeze of the night drew shivers from him.

Hunter had always enjoyed flying. It often helped him clear his head, and with the Day of Unity less than a week away it had been hard to stop all the scenarios of how they could fail from plaguing his mind. Combined with his newfound worry courtesy of a certain bratty basilisk he was constantly feeling overwhelmed. He was sure this was why his interactions with everyone the past few days had seemed more stilted than normal, like he was on autopilot.

Call him crazy, but being one of the figureheads of a group planning a revolution was hard. Saying they were going to overthrow Belos was one thing. Actually preparing to do it was a logistical nightmare.

For starters there had been the need for a place to call their base of operations. Not just for the residents of the Owl House, mind you, but for everyone in their little owl-themed rebellion. Raine's safe houses across the Boiling Isles weren't an option anymore due to increased patrols and search warrants being issued by coven scouts. It didn't help that their numbers of rebels in waiting were steadily growing either. Gwendolyn had opened her home to a few wild witches in need of somewhere to go, but after gaining more than thirty recruits during the mission to rescue the basilisks from Belos' control alone Eda had been forced to make a decision.

It had been a tough one for her and King considering the best option for everyone was pretty obvious. What better place to hide witches and demons wanted by the emperor from getting captured than a secluded island the emperor himself didn't know the location of?

They'd taken precautions, of course. Bringing outsiders to the island put Chief at risk regardless of how well he was hidden. Swearing an everlasting oath to keep the island's location a secret was a prerequisite before anyone was allowed to know its location. Raine made sure to vet those Eda took in as well just to be sure no one was secretly working for the emperor. Lilith helped too, truth potions having been one of her specialties back when she was in charge of the Emperor's Coven.

Speaking of Lilith, her presence had grown as of late due to another need Eda hadn't considered. With the influx of rebels taking up residence on the island they realized there was something much more important that they needed other than somewhere to sleep. That problem had been avoided thanks to Willow; the landmass was now dotted with several short-term abodes shaped from the very plants of the island, and in those new tree-houses and tents the rebels spent their time when they weren't training. Training, because Eda had forgotten not all witches were as well versed in combat as herself and the other residents of the Owl House. And who better to train new recruits than someone who'd done that before?

In other words Lilith was back, much to Hooty's delight. And to say training was progressing smoothly due to her presence would've been an understatement. With the brains and discipline needed to teach so many magic-users in such a short span of time she was honestly the perfect choice to figure out their forces' strengths and weaknesses. When it came time to talk strategy some days before the takeover would take place her, Eda, and Raine's plan turned out wonderfully much thanks to her.

Hunter had to admit their plan was flawless on paper. They'd formed the rebels into smaller groups fit for attack, stealth, defense, or distraction. Each one was well-rounded and had a witch who knew magic that could get them out of the castle if things got ugly. They made sure to plan who would be the best match for possible coven head witch interference, and to his surprise they'd even found a place for their second youngest recruit.

Number One, dubbed "Uno" by Luz when she found out the basilisk didn't have a name, was roughly twelve years old. He was young and honestly terrible when it came to controlling the glyphs he'd been taught to cast, but he still wanted to fight. No one had the heart to tell him he couldn't. King was only eight and he would be part of the attack, so age wasn't the issue. After all he'd already been through so much.

The aftermath of the mission to rescue him and Number Two had not been pretty. Between Eda, Raine, and the other BATs as well as Vee's insider information the end goal of stopping Belos from stealing more witches' magic had been achieved. Technically. How well they'd achieved it, however, was an entirely other story.

Lives had been lost. They'd tried so hard to avoid it, but between Warden Wrath, the large number of coven guards, and the unfortunate addition of basilisk Number Two wanting to remain under Belos' service the situation had turned deadlier than most had been prepared for. One thing had led to another; in the end two wild witches, one palisman, three coven guards, and a single out of control basilisk marked the casualties of the mission.

Uno was, understandably, shaken by the whole ordeal. When he'd gotten out of his funk though he was at Raine's heels demanding to help, saying he'd do anything to be part of the group that would see Belos brought down. And how could the bard say no to such a brave kid? They didn't, obviously, and the next time Eda came to bring more recruits to the island he was one of them. It ended up being a great decision too. While he wasn't the best with glyphs he was a master of impersonation much like Jean. Warden Wrath? Kikimora? A regular coven scout? Mimicking them was child's play for the basilisk, and on a stealth team with other witches who could cover for him he fit right in.

The only problem was that he absolutely hated Hunter. He hadn't at first, but when word got around that he used to be the Golden Guard and that he was likely related to the emperor Uno had challenged him to a fight out for his blood. It was a huge mess for all sides involved; of course he didn't want to think about it. In fact he wished he could scrub the entire encounter from his memory.

I guess Rascal was right, he thought as he coasted over the water. His eyes fell closed after a few minutes. Maybe I should talk to someone about what Uno said.

Finally somewhat at peace with himself he felt his body begin to sway on his staff. Rascal veered back towards the Owl House instinctively, adjusting his flight pattern to make sure his witch didn't fall into the boiling sea a second time.

Unfortunately, Amity hadn't gotten the memo.

"Hunter?" Her concerned voice made him jolt upright. He almost fell off his staff as he scrambled to get a better hold of it. "What are you doing out here at three in the morning?"

"I could ask the same of you, Blight," he accused. The ball of bright light floating in her hand made him wince. "Shouldn't you be cuddling with your girlfriend?"

Amity frowned. "Luz is still fast asleep. I only woke up because Ghost let me know she heard you sneak out."

"First of all, your cat is a cute but furry menace. Secondly, you can go back to bed. I was just getting some fresh air."

"Why? You're outside helping Lilith train all day everyday. Well, you won't be tomorrow since it's our rest day before we leave the day after tomorrow, but still. Is something wrong?"

"I'm having trouble sleeping," he yawned as if to emphasize his point.

Amity sighed. "Hunter, I already knew that. We all already knew that. Something else is wrong; it's been obvious since Uno attacked you." She flew closer to hover at his side when she saw the scowl appear on his face at the mention of the name. "I knew it. What he said is getting to you."

"So what if it is?"

"He's wrong, you know. We know you're not anything like Belos."

"I know that."

"Do you? You wouldn't be losing sleep if it wasn't eating away at you. You shouldn't let them, okay? Uno grew up in captivity and was forced to use his powers to hurt others; he didn't attack you out of hatred. He did it out of fear. Luz, Eda, Lilith, King, and I all talked to him separately to tell him how different from Belos you are. He's coming around slowly, but it'll take time. It's neither of your faults. It's Belos'."

The scarred witch felt his stomach churn with guilt. When he replied it was so quiet Amity had to strain her ears to hear it.

"I didn't mean to hurt him."

"We know you didn't. He tried to kill you and you defended yourself."

"I should have just teleported away."

"You reacted," she argued. "You didn't have time to think clearly. Forget what he said and give yourselves time. Once you help bring Belos down he'll have no reason to keep treating you so coldly."

"I think I'm afraid of him."

Amity blinked owlishly. She hadn't been expecting that. "Come again?"

His face began to turn red from embarrassment. "I'm afraid of him, okay? He's a basilisk; he eats magic in a way far too similar to how Belos used to drain palismen magic. I'm— my heart is a galderstone. He's been changing shape like it's a carnival game and sucking magic from the enchanted junk in the basement without a care. I was already on edge around him because of that, but I didn't say anything because he was just having harmless fun. When he tried to take my magic to get the upper hand on me in that fight? It felt like I was getting my heart ripped out," he croaked. "I never want to feel like that again."

"You won't. He made an oath to Lilith not to steal anyone's magic without their consent ever again. Not even an enemy's."

"Oh. I... didn't know that."

"Now you do." Then Amity wrapped her arms around him, something Luz had taught her did wonders for reigning him in. True enough the physical contact made him deflate instantly. He hugged her back, his panic ebbing away.

"Better?" She asked after flying a foot away.

Magenta eyes looked past her pointedly.

"Yes. Thanks or whatever, Amity."

"You're welcome. You think you can give Uno a second chance now?

"I guess so. I'm still annoyed with him for what he said during the battle strategy meeting though. He doesn't have the right to tell me I can't be there to talk down my own," he hesitated, "family member. Maybe I am Belos' brother's clone, and maybe I am emotionally compromised, but it's not like I'm going to let it ruin the mission! I know it might come down to doing whatever it takes to stop him. I'm not going to 'chicken out'," he mimicked Uno's voice rather badly.

"Again, he was just speaking from fear. You know how the mission to rescue him went. Badly. Katya, Amber, and Derwin almost died because he tried and failed to talk that greater basilisk into not taking their magic. If it hadn't been for Raine we might have lost them."

A huff left Hunter at that. "I guess he is only a child. Still, when he walks around looking like the prince from Luz's The Good Witch Azura fan art everything he says just rubs me the wrong way. Why can't he just walk around in his basilisk form?"

Amity stared at him for a long moment before a smirk slowly grew on her face.

"Aw, is someone secretly upset because he accidentally spoiled the fact that in book five you find out Malin Gael, the mysterious soothsayer, was actually the prince of the kingdom all along?"

Hunter blushed at the accusation. "No!"

"I don't know," she went on, "you were only on book three when he transformed into him and Luz started gushing spoilers at him."

"Spoilers don't bother me."

"May I remind you that you refused to talk to Luz for an entire day when she accidentally let it slip that Azura and Hecate get together?"

"Oh please. I saw their relationship coming the entire time."

"Liar," she replied knowingly.

"Anyway," he said with another yawn, landing on the beach outside the Owl House. Amity touched down a second after him. "I'm going to pass out for the next twelve hours now. Byeeee~"

She rolled her eyes. "Remember to bring the cloak Eda knitted for you upstairs this time! Witch's wool is valuable and Ghost may or may not have gotten cat fur on it."

"Your palisman did what now?"