Chapter 3: To the Owl House

Lilith snuck towards the kitchen seeing the light on. She tiptoed towards the room. Once she was ready, she charged in with a roar and her staff held high ready to strike…Amity?

Amity squealed and curled up onto the ground.

Lilith stood confused. While living in the cut-throat life within the castle and having a plethora of enemies she was used to people trying to take her life. It was quite the egg on her face to realize it was just Amity sneaking around, nevertheless, she needed to get to the bottom of the situation.

"Amity what are you doing in the kitchen at this hour?"

Amity squeaked a series of jumbled apologies. Realizing that her staff was triggering painful memories she had Sapphire fly back to her room "Amity, Amity dear…" Amity looked up; Lilith's heart stung when she saw tears in her eyes "Amity I am so sorry for scaring you. I promise I'm not mad, I just want to know why you are up."

Amity stood up and wiped her face "I was having trouble sleeping so I was hoping you would have some poison apple tea."

Poison apples were extremely toxic fruit native to the Boiling Isles that when eaten would send someone into a comatose state, which could only be cured by immediate CPR. However, in small doses, it could relieve stress and help with sleep. Lilith developed a bit of an addiction to them with all the stressful nights doing paperwork at the Coven.

"Tell you what my dear. Why don't you tuck yourself into bed and I will make you a cup of tea."

Amity rubbed her shoulders "Look you and your parents are already doing enough, I don't want to be a burden…"

"Amity." Lilith stated sternly "Look at me." Amity looked right at Lilith "Amity, you are NOT a burden. I WANT to help you. OK?"

Amity nodded and went back to bed "Do you still like lots of milk in your tea?" Lilith asked remembering how she liked her tea.

"Yes please," Amity said.

Amity lay back into bed and Ghost started to cuddle up to her. Amity sighed heavily as she tried to get comfy. She could not sleep a wink as her mind was assaulted from all angles by contradicting thoughts.

The biggest question in the center of it all was, what was her relationship with Lilith?

Lilith's earlier confession hurt, oh by the Titan it hurt, but she was sincerely sorry and willing to own up to it, something very few adults did in her life. Lilith was never what one would call a good maternal figure, she was just less terrible than her own mother. Though strictly speaking that is a low bar to pass. As a teacher, Lilith had always been tough but fair. She was very strict and even callous at times but unlike Odalia she was never unfair or unreasonable. While Lilith's standards were high, they were always doable. When Amity messed up Odalia would just yell at Amity to do better, Lilith would do the same, but actually tell her HOW she could do better. Despite being a snob, a bully and a sycophant there were times when her softer nature would slip through the cracks and when no one was watching she could actually be kind. And whenever Amity felt scared, stressed, or upset she found herself craving Lilith's company.

Amity held her hands to her head and groaned as all the memories she had of Lilith both the good and the bad smashed into each other.

Lilith walked into the room holding two mugs of tea, Ghost hopped out of bed in order to rub against Lilith's legs "I hope you don't mind but I wish to join you."

"Uhm sure?"

Lilith sat down on the table she made with the Ice Glyph.

"(Wow it still hasn't melted? Luz's statues usually melt by now.)" Amity thought. Amity had to admit Lilith was learning at an impressive length.

The two drank in silence, at times one of them would try to say something but nothing would come out.

Amity cringed as she knew she had to say something "Listen Miss Clawthorne, I know we…well there is A LOT of baggage between us. But when I needed you, (sigh) I really, really apricate you, well apricate isn't the right word, really just thanks for all of this. Just thank you so much."

Lilith's face warmed up "You are most certainly welcome my dear. Despite the most undesirable circumstances, I am glad we got this chance to talk. Especially since we left on such awful terms. I couldn't live with myself if THAT was how we ended things."

Amity remembered with a painful grimace. Amity remembered very clearly the huge argument they had right before Lilith's battle with Eda and the following events. Lilith and Amity had not spoken since, and it seemed that was how things were going to end between them. If nothing else the current ordeal would bring them some form of closure.

"Amity I am sorry for what happened that day," Lilith said softly but firmly.

Amity nodded "I'm sorry too."

"Amity listen to me I am very VERY sorry for what happened that day."

Amity read between the lines and realized what Lilith was truly apologizing for.

"Well, I am off to bed now…"

"Please stay!" Amity shouted, she covered her mouth in shock. Lilith looked back in confusion. Amity was surprised by what she said, she never planned on saying it, it just burst out of her "Please I really want you to stay, just till I fall asleep, please just stay."

Lilith sat down with an exhausted sigh as she was on the ice table. Amity curled up and tucked herself in. It should have felt creepy having someone watch you while you slept, especially someone with a past as checkered as Lilith's.

But it did not. In fact, Amity felt… safe. Ghost hopped back into bed and curled up with Amity. Soon the three of them exhausted from the day's events drifted off into sleep.

The next morning Amity woke up feeling rested. As in really rested. Amity could not recall the last time she felt so refreshed. She noticed that Lilith fell asleep on the ice table and had fallen off. She was now lying on the ground snoozing in the most undignified position.

Amity had to hold back snickering at the sight of it. Although Amity had to admit Lilith looked really at peace while she slept.

Amity got up and headed towards the kitchen for some breakfast.

She saw Mrs. Clawthorne holding a huge slab of meat and cutting chunks of it off with a cleaver. After a series of loud bangs on the cutting board, she was rewarded with many thick slices of bacon. She would put the bacon into a sizzling pan with frying eggs.

Amity sniffed the air "Is that homemade bacon?" Amity asked.

Gwendolyn turned around and smiled "Why yes it is sweetheart. A remnant of the old days. It just can't compare to that cheap store-bought stuff. Oh, wait till you try it, honey."

"No need to trouble yourself I can just have something from the fridge."

Gwendolyn made a spell circle that summoned massive beast arms from the ether. The gnarly clawed hands grabbed Amity and forced her into a chair. The hands then grabbed a tiny napkin in their grotesque paws and delicately wrapped it around her neck. They then patted her on the head before disappearing back into the ether.

Realizing she had no say in the matter she sat in silence while Gwendolyn hummed to herself. Amity felt nervous, Lilith never really spoke of her mother (though they never really chatted with one another) so Amity had no idea what would please or displease her. Amity figured it would be better to stay silent.

They heard a loud whistling sound and found Dell heading outside with a snow shovel, following behind him was his yellow cardinal palisman, Sunspot.

"Dell, you are not planning on shovelling the walkway, are you?" Gwendolyn asked dryly.

"I am the man of the house it is only natural." Dell answered, in response Sunspot chirped in support.

"You know very well your old back can't handle it, I say we ask the neighbour's kid to do it."

"Nonsense honey, I may not be as young and spry as I used to be, but I still got this."

Gwendolyn scowled "Deltarune Clawthorne, in the last year you have been in and out of the Healers ward so many times they practically got a room reserved for you. And your one witch quest to fix repopulate the palismen is certainly not helping your health."

"But honey…"

"Don't but honey me…"

Amity got up "Excuse me I can do it."

The old couple looked at Amity.

"Sweetie we can't ask that of you, you are our guest. You just got out of bed, you're still in your pyjamas for titan's sake."

"It won't take long, I'll be done before your even done making breakfast," Amity said with a smile. Amity was unsure why she felt the need to impress them, Amity thought she got over her desperate need for adult approval. Then again after letting her stay with them for the night, it was the least she could do for them.

Whatever the reason she was always eager to show off her abilities, Amity summoned a mass of abomination flesh around her arm and morphed it into the shape of a snowplow. Using the mystically enhance strength she effortless plowed the walkway. Once the snow was gone, Amity conjured some fire magic and used the heat to evaporate any remaining snow or ice. She finished off by sprinkling some road salt.

In a manner of minutes, the job was done, and Amity sat back down looking pleased with herself.

Dell and Gwen clapped their hands "Impressive hard to believe you're the child of that hack Odalia."

Amity looked at Gwen aghast by what she said. "You know my mom?"

"Why yes, Odalia and Lilith were rivals back at Hexside." Gwen explained, she sniffed in contempt "An obnoxious bully, she was great at getting others to do her work for her. But as a witch, her skills were always subpar at best."

"But my mom comes from a long line of prestigious witches?"

Gwen snickered "Odalia? Prestigious? Odalia Greenhorn grew up in a carriage park with no father and a mother who…" Gwen made a chugging motion.

Amity was in shock, but when she looked back at her life it all made some degree of sense. Odalia never once spoke of her side of the family, Amity didn't even know her maiden name was Greenhorn till this very moment. Odalia always spoke fondly of the Blight family, a family she was always very proud to be a part of. But Amity had never once seen or heard of any members of the Greenhorn family.

Lilith came down the stairs with a skip in her step.

"Good morning sweet flea. You look well."

"Thanks, mother, I've had the best night's sleep in a long time," Lilith said with a stretch.

"(Even though she slept on the floor.)" Amity thought with amusement, she couldn't help but feel somewhat elated at the notion that she in some way helped Lilith sleep so well.

"You are just in time for everyone to dig in for breakfast."

At Gwen's command, everyone sat down and ate. Breakfast consisted of that thick homemade bacon, eggs sunny side up and slices of bread. The adults had coffee while Amity had kid-friendly apple blood. The four of them ate in silence, not an awkward or malignant silence like the ones at her house, but a calm comfortable silence one brought on by the fact that they were enjoying the food so much.

And Amity was enjoying the food immensely, everything tasted… real. Not like at home where the food tasted, well she could not put it into words. But the food was so overpriced, bought at rich stores where all the rich people buy their food because other rich people buy their food there. She could somehow taste that pomposity in the food. But she didn't taste anything like that in Gwen's cooking.

Amity was enjoying the food so much that she lost her composure and ate too much too fast causing her to let out a quick little burp. Amity blushed and covered her mouth offering a meek "excuse me".

The table was silent for a moment before Gwen let out a huge burp "Better out than I always say." The two of them giggled.

Lilith rolled her eyes and prayed to the titan they would not have a burping contest, like the ones Gwen and Eda used to have when she was little. Weirdly enough those embarrassing memories gave her a sense of nostalgia, it reminded her of a time when they would eat together as a happy family.

Before everything fell apart.

"(You mean before you ruined everything you spiteful little bitch!)" Lilith had to keep these dark thoughts away this was supposed to be a happy time.

A happy time.

It was not until Lilith came home that she realized how much she missed eating with her family. In her youth, she considered eating with people to be a chore due to her introverted nature. But after several years of eating alone in her living quarters, she came to realize how much better it was to eat with company.

"So, Amity when would you like me to take you to the Owl house?" Lilith asked.

Amity was taken aback by the question, although there was no malice in her voice or face Amity could not help but shake the feeling that Lilith was trying to get rid of her.

"(What are you thinking Amity, you WANTED to go to the Owl house, why are you upset that she is offering you a ride?)"

"I'm OK whenever you are." Amity said sheepishly. Amity couldn't understand why but Dell and Gwen seemed happy with her answer. Were they happy that Amity was going to leave soon? Or were they actually happy at the idea that she might stay with them? The latter was ridiculous there is no way they could have gotten so attached to Amity in such a short time.

"Well, when you are ready, just come to me. I have the whole day to myself." Lilith said warmly. Lilith wanted Amity safely at the Owl House as soon as possible. But she did not want to just throw Amity out, Amity had always been a very sensitive child and doing so would cause great damage to her psyche which was already crumbling due to recent events.

"Really don't you have a job?" Amity did not mean to sucker punch her, it was just a curious question. She was hoping that she did not inadvertently strike a nerve.

Lilith sighed "No, I have yet to gain new employment." Leaving the Emperor's Coven made Lilith a pariah, and despite her impeccable credentials, everyone blatantly refused to hire her. It was a revolting irony that not even a year passed when had the most coveted position on the Isles and now could not even get basic work.

Suddenly Ghost rushed in carrying something in her mouth. She hopped onto the table and carried it to Amity. Lilith saw it a recognized it as the toy Amity and Luz communicated with. Amity read whatever gibberish counted as a message and paled.

"What's wrong?" Dell asked concerned.

"Luz is in trouble!"

Everyone gasped at Amity's remark "Something is going on at the Owl house."

Lilith gets up in a huff "I'm going there right now." In a rush, Lilith went to her room got dressed and went to the door as she was putting on her winter clothes. As she was about to leave, she saw Amity also dressed and putting on her winter clothes.

"I'm coming with you." Amity confessed, "I wouldn't be her super awesome girlfriend if I stood around and did nothing."

"Oh no your not. This could be dangerous." Lilith retorted "You are staying here where it is safe."

"But Lilith I can help!" Amity objected.

Acting on instinct Lilith reached out and gently stroked Amity's cheek. This calmed Amity down almost instantly.

"Don't worry everything is going to be fine." Lilith said softly.

Amity was enjoying her affectionate gesture so much that she was lost for a moment "But what about Luz, Eda, King?"

"I promise I will protect them all."

"Even… Luz?"

There was an awkward air after Amity's question. Lilith sighed got down onto her knees and placed her hands gently on Amity's shoulders "Amity what I did that day on the bridge…was evil there is no other way to describe it." Lilith hung her head in shame, the confession was opening wounds she tried so hard to keep closed, then she smiled "But despite everything I did to her she still welcomed into her home and into her life, if I allow any harm to befall her, I will only disgrace myself further. My redemption lies in keeping her safe."

Amity was amazed at seeing Lilith bare her soul, unable to conceive of anything else to do she hugged her "Please come back."

Lilith looked to he parents and they smiled and nodded.

Knowing that Amity was in good hands, Lilith hopped onto her staff and flew towards the Owl House.

Lilith flew with all haste, she knew she had to protect the denizens of that little house.

Eda the sister who gave her a second chance.

Luz the human she wronged.

Hooty the first real friend she had in so long.

King… King. Well, King deserved to live too.