Chapter 4: Odalia strikes back
At the Owl House, Odalia was having her abomitrons ransack the place. The inside was a mess of trampled furniture and furiously efficient abomitrons crowding the place. Currently, Luz was glaring at one that was going through her clothes.
"This is ridiculous, you've been through my delicates, my silkies, my dainties and my unmentionables. How many times do I have to tell you she isn't here!" Luz scolded.
"Can it human!" Odalia snarled while grabbing Luz "Where else could she be?"
"I don't know!" Luz hissed while pushing Odalia away "All I know for sure is that she did not come here last night ¡tú infundiste silicio Karen!"
Seeing something in the corner of her eye, Luz then looks out her window to see Lilith flying towards them "Finally someone who can give me some answers."
Odalia looks out the window as well and glares "(I don't how but somehow I know that pompous busybody is behind this.)"
While flying Lilith looked down and saw with a horrified gasp Hooty laying on the snow-covered floor groaning in pain. She landed her staff and rushed to him "Oh Hootsifer my sweet prince are you alright?"
"Am I OK?" Hooty asked in a lethargic tone "Am I really, OK? Is anyone really, OK? What does it actually mean to be OK? Is OK based on personal preference or is it based on a universal truth…"
Livid at seeing her friend in his current state she dropped the bird tube and marched into the house where she saw Odalia waiting for her.
"Odalia!" Lilith snarled "What have you done to Hooty? He is speaking gibberish, and not his usual gibberish."
Odalia put on a smug smirk "Why I gave him a peace offering." Odalia opened a tin of cookies "Who could resist homemade cookies. Especially ones made with love and care and poison apples."
Now it all made sense; Poison apples have been known to sometimes cause delirium rather than unconsciousness. In such cases, the effect would wear off eventually, which relieved Lilith knowing that Hooty was in no real danger.
Odalia laughed mockingly "It was so easy getting past him I can't figure out why you had so much trouble."
Lilith stood in place fuming.
Sensing she was stepping on a raw nerve she sauntered over to Lilith "Let me guess you got a bunch of witless goons to try and manhandle him am I right?" Hearing no answer Odalia continued "Maybe if you tried outsmarting him instead of overpowering him you would have caught your sister a long time ago. Well, I suppose it is not your fault you were so terrible at your job." Odalia patted Lilith's cheek in an infantile manner.
"What are you doing here?" Lilith asked through clenched teeth, determined not to let Odalia's bullying get to her.
"You wouldn't believe the morning we had." Eda complained, by this point all the remaining residents of the Owl house had appeared, as well as a few abomitrons "Little Miss Stuffed bras over here came into our house with her wind-up toys tearing up the place demanding to know where Minty is?"
"Lilith do you know where Amity is?" Luz asked.
Looking into her wide pleading face Lilith was tempted to tell her that Amity was safe and sound, but she did not want Odalia to hear that, so she put on the stone-faced visage that she managed to perfect.
"I regret to inform you all that I have no idea where Amity is."
Odalia stared at her former rival, being an oracle witch and a businesswoman Odalia could tell that she was lying and figured she could squeeze the truth out of her "So what exactly ARE you doing here?"
Lilith stared at Luz "Luz the human told ME, that there was trouble at the Owl House."
Luz realizing what Lilith was saying caught on "Oh yes right! Remember everyone how I told LILITH on my device?" Luz pointed at her device and gestured towards Lilith.
King cocked his head in confusion "I thought Luz contacted A…"
Eda kicked him slightly.
King caught on "A…Aunt Lilith. Yes, Aunt Lilith!"
"Aunt Lilith?" Odalia and Lilith both asked.
"Yeah, since I adopted myself into the Clawthorne family that makes Lilith my aunt."
"(Oh great, I have a furry little munchkin as a nephew.)" Lilith thought with a grimace.
Odalia did not let up "So that is it huh, this is what the great Lilith Clawthorne has been reduced to? A human rings a little bell and you come running like a good little lapdog?"
"The residents of this house took me in and took care of me even though I had wronged them." Lilith said with a smile, there was smugness talking back to Odalia but there was also a hint of warmth to it "It would be an honour to fight for them."
The residents of the house smile at her remark touched by her sincerity.
Odalia rolls her eyes "Ever the virtue signaler, you always did like looking down on people." Odalia stares at Lilith's chest "Of course, it is not like there is anything blocking your view."
Lilith sniffs in contempt "Well what they lack in size they make up for in authenticity."
Everyone else in the house (including some abomitrons) gasped at Lilith's comment. A comment that really hit Odalia where it hurt.
"Why you preening little snob!" Odalia summoned her staff.
"You think I am scared of you just because I lost my magic? I have proven I can kick your butt without magic." By this point Lilith and Odalia's faces were almost touching, fury etched into them.
"Catfight, catfight, catfight, catfight!" King chanted, he looked to the others hoping they would join in, but they did not "Really we are not doing this." King said disappointed.
"Report Mistress Blight." Said one of the abomitrons. It was hard to tell if it was actually trying to diffuse the situation or just following its programming "Scans reveal that Amity Blight is not in the vicinity and bio-scans reveal she has not been in the vicinity in some time."
"Then I have no business in this shack. Good day." Odalia marched out of the house with her chin up and her chest out, the abomitrons followed closely behind her. Odalia kept up her dignified stance until she was far enough away. Once out of sight she started snarling, kicking and even side-kicked a tree causing much snow to fall off. She was glad that those peasants had not seen her little tantrum, the last thing she wanted was them thinking they got under her skin.
"Ooooo that disgusting little ape!" Odalia hissed "Ever since that filthy human came here, she has been a poison to my daughter. And Lilith (she spits) she has not stopped sticking that pointy nose of hers into other people's affairs."
Odalia recalled how Lilith always had to butt in…
FLASHBACK
It was a few years ago, Lilith and Odalia were sitting in the living room of Blight Manor with Odalia glaring at Lilith.
"What exactly do you think you were doing today, Lilith?" Odalia asked.
Lilith sipped her tea nonchalantly "Whatever do you mean Odalia?"
"Don't be coy. Instead of lessons, you took Mittens out for tea. What possessed you to do that?"
Lilith's belly tightened as she remembered the state Amity was in when she came for lessons that day. The girl had been beaten to the point where she could barely stand, the image of Amity's battered body wobbling in a barely conscious slouch was forever carved into Lilith's mind.
But she needed to remain civil for the moment "Amity was in an injured state today, I felt some time off would do her good. (And seeing her battered body in a public place would force people to ask uncomfortable questions about your "parenting")." Lilith slowly puts down the teacup "That actually brings up an issue, WHY was Amity in such a damaged state today?"
Odalia wasn't disturbed by the question she went with the standard lie she used for these occasions "Well you know Grudgby is such a violent sport, kids get injured all the time."
Lilith nods "Funny you should mention that because Amity quit Grudgby following a traumatic injury a friend of hers received." Lilith glares at Odalia "So again I ask what happened to Amity."
Odalia was nervous for a moment but then she stood up snarling "Listen here lady, I have friends in high places, make any sort of accusations and I will see to it that…"
Lilith summons her staff and places it between them. She slowly gets up and walks toward her "Mrs. Blight as her teacher her physical and mental wellbeing are my top priorities."
Odalia was backing up "Oh come on she is just another student to you."
By now Odalia found herself cornered with Lilith poking her staff into her chest "I am the head of the Emperor's Coven I have the power and the right to dispose of any…" The eyes on her staff glowed a powerful blue "…undesirables."
Odalia gulps in fear "Now listen Miss Clawthorne I am sure we can work out an arrangement. You want money?" Odalia pushes aside the staff "Cause I am sure we can work out an…" Lilith places the staff back against her chest.
"Listen to me very carefully you are not to lay a finger on Amity under any circumstances is that understood?"
Odalia nods fearfully.
Lilith smirks smugly "Good, glad that is settled." Lilith took the time to lean into Odalia and whisper "I am not the same socially awkward kid you used to bully. I am the one calling the shots now." Feeling pleased with herself Lilith sauntered off.
Odalia stood in place fuming. She then started to throw a tantrum breaking whatever she could get her hands on.
BACK TO PRESENT
"I knew that trollop was planning on grooming my daughter against me, I just knew it." Odalia was utterly red-faced by this time "I will find my filthy brat of a daughter. I will not let her disgrace the Blight family name."
Meanwhile back at the Owl House, Luz was pleading with Lilith.
"Please, please tell me if Amity is alright…" Lilith placed a finger on Luz's lips silencing her. Lilith slowly and calmly goes towards some paper and writes a note.
The note says, "The house might be bugged, talk outside."
Once they were all outside, Lilith started stroking Hooty "To answer your question Miss Teacher, yes Amity is safe. I found her in the woods last night and took her to my place where my parents are taking care of her."
Luz squeals in joy and hugs Lilith "Thank you, thank you, thank you so much for saving Amity."
Lilith blushes at her display of gratitude and affection and starts to awkwardly pat her on the head "Yes well it was no big deal I just did what anyone else would have done in that situation."
Eda smiled approvingly "(This is progress, she is being genuinely humble. Not that fake humility she shows for the news.)"
"Hey everyone, I have an idea lets go visit Amity." Luz declared "She could really use some friendly faces right now, plus I would get to see abula and abulo."
"NOOOOOOOO!" Hooty having come to his "senses" wrapped himself around everyone and started sobbing "I wanna go to Lulu's house too!"
Lilith gently stroked the bird tube "I would love to have you visit Hootsifur, but we all need you to guard the house now more than ever."
"But…"
"I am convinced that Odalia has bugged the house. We need you to make it safe for everyone."
Hooty sniffled before putting on a brave face "Alright for you Lulu I will endure my crippling loneliness. I'd better start cleaning."
Hooty stretched his neck into the house and started to search for the bugs Odalia placed. The sound of breaking furniture was heard from a distance.
Eda rubbed her temples "It is going to take forever to clean up that place."
King stood in awe "Wow, Aunt Lilith it is amazing how you are able to manipulate Hooty like that!"
Lilith scoffed at such a remark "I did not manipulate him, I just asked him for a favour." Hooty was such a faithful and loyal creature it irked her how everyone at the house took him for granted. What Lilith loved most about Hooty was that she did not have to manipulate him. She did not have to deceive, suck up, bully, or intimidate him to get her way all she had to do was ask. With the exception of Steve, she had never had anyone in her life like that.
"(Perhaps if I had just asked him to let me pass, I would have caught Eda sooner.)" Lilith thought with a degree of whimsy. The irony was not lost on her, how Hooty a being that she once considered a nuisance, and a pest became the best friend she ever had save for Steve.
King who she once thought of as Eda's weird pet was now her nephew.
And Luz who was once a repugnant human invader was now her beloved Miss Teacher. She heard that Luz even started to call her "Cool Aunt Lilith".
If things had been just slightly different then all these wonderful people would be dead and it would have been all her fault… no, no, Lilith needed to learn not to dwell on such horrid thoughts. She was happy that they were alright and that was good enough.
So, Lilith and Eda hop onto their staves, with Luz and King riding with Eda.
They quickly got to Lilith's house, and she opened the door.
Her alabaster skin paled in absolute terror at what Lilith saw before her!