Author Note: So I know I said 4 chapters in the first one, but I've been moving things around and making changes so it's probably going to be more. It keeps growing but 7 is the max I promise. This chapter is much more chill than the first two.
Another day, another afternoon spent trapped in the Blight family home. The twins were about halfway through their punishment and they both yearned for freedom.
They were both lurking upstairs in the main hallway. Emira stood in front of a window, looking out at the forbidden expanse beyond the field they called a yard. Ed leaned against a wall to her right, the toe of one foot tapping in an uneven rhythm against the floor. He seemed like compressed spring, ready to be released and bounce around the room.
"I can't take it anymore." Ed stood up straight as he expressed his frustration, no longer leaning on the wall. "I'm going out the attic window. You in?" Emira looked over as he made the offer with an extended hand and a crooked grin.
Emira already knew how that would end. It would be the same as when she tried it a few days before, a complete disaster. Might as well let Ed attempt the escape though, maybe he would have better luck. If he didn't, it still would be funny to watch her father drag him back.
"Not today." Emira couldn't resist a smile at the mental image of Ed literally being dragged to his room. "Best of luck, watch out for the creaky floorboard." And the traps, she added only in her head.
Ed nodded, "Will do." With a wave, he departed in the direction of the attic stairs. Emira didn't watch him go, instead turning back towards the window.
There wasn't much to see out there, a couple trees, some grass, a squirrel or bird every once in a while. It was only slightly better than staring at a painting.
That changed when a short figure walked out into the field. It couldn't be Ed, that would've been way too fast for him to have escaped.
It was Mittens; that shade of green hair was unmistakable. It was hard to see her in detail from the second floor window, so Emira had to squint to try. She seemed to be carrying some kind of small object and a water bottle, but didn't have her school bag or any books with her.
She stopped under the nearest tree and put down both the bottle and object, then took up a casting stance. An abomination rose from the earth in front of her, punching the air ahead of it.
Ah, so Mittens was out there to practice magic. Even when she was free to leave the house, she stayed nearby to train. Emira would've felt jealous if this didn't provide a good opportunity for her.
If Emira offered to help Mittens train, there was no way her mother would say no. This was a great chance to get some fresh air and maybe watch Ed try to scale the outside of the house, if he made it that far.
In a much better mood than before, Emira left the window to look for her mother downstairs. As expected, she was thrilled that Emira wanted to help her sister train. She gave permission to train with her behind the house, but to not leave the property line. That was one potential loophole removed, but Emira couldn't complain.
After grabbing an additional water bottle, Emira departed the back door of the house. Mittens was right where she last saw her, but the abomination looked different now. It seemed misshapen compared to earlier, specifically like it was now only legs with no body.
"Hey Mittens!" Emira called out loudly and from a distance. She had startled Mittens with an abomination summoned once before and had been beaned with abomination goo for her error.
Mittens looked over when she called, expression unchanged as she dismissed the abomination. "What do you want?" She asked when Emira reached her, crossing her arms in front of her chest.
"Just to offer myself as a training partner." Emira dropped her water bottle next to Mittens', making note that the other object she brought had been a training wand. "If you'll have me."
"You're only doing this to get out of the house." Mittens was too astute for her own good.
Emira gave it to her straight. "Two birds, one stone."
This drew an eyeroll from the other teen. "Fine." Mittens gave in with a frown.
In contrast, a smile grew on Emira's face. "What are we working on?" She couldn't remember the last time she practiced magic with Mittens.
"Abomination magic." Mittens said bluntly, as if that answered the question properly.
"Yeah I know that's your track," Emira tried again, a little bit of surliness wasn't enough to stop her. "What are you trying to do with it?"
"I'll show you." As Mittens relaxed her posture, Emira moved to the side so she would be away from the summoning zone. After a moment, Mittens used two hands to draw a large circle. It glowed purple before an abomination appeared out of it. However, like before this was not a typical abomination. It was just a foot this time, significantly larger than a normal abomination foot, appearing out of the magic circle. It also stayed attached to the circle, unlike a regular abomination.
Emira inched closer to get a better look. "So you're just summoning one limb?" She asked, impressed at the creativity being displayed. She hadn't thought of Mittens as one to modify spells like this.
"One or two, it depends." With a lift of Mittens' hand, the abomination foot lifted and then stomped the ground. She then waved to dispel the abomination. "If I can make them big enough, they're quite useful."
That made sense. "Your full-sized abominations are still pretty small, but a whole leg that size packs a much bigger kick." Emira commented with a nod.
Mittens grimaced. "I wouldn't put it quite like that." She said sharply, and then sighed. "But yes."
"Oh, how about I make some targets for you to hit?" Emira hit her right fist into the palm of her other hand in a punching motion. "That way you can adapt each time."
For the first time that day, Emira felt like Mittens was really looking at her. Not just looking in her direction, like she had been while they talked before, but was actually paying attention to her. Though it was just a look, it carried a distinct weight.
Mittens mulled it over for a moment. "That would be great." Was what she settled on, which Emira was glad to hear.
"Let's get started then." Emira lifted one hand to draw a circle, casting an illusion spell. She made an illusionary crate a meter away from Mittens. It was about half a meter tall and, since it was an illusion, it would be easy to smash.
In response, Mittens moved closer to it and drew a magic circle in the air. She summoned a large abomination foot, which crushed the box easily.
Emira prepared the next target, and then the next after that, as Mittens kept destroying them. She tried to make it harder by putting some mid-air, but even that didn't stop Mittens. Her sister worked with a look of grim determination as she cast each spell in this exercise.
They trained for a while, creating and destroying, until Emira called for a break. She was starting to sweat under the heat of the sun, and she could tell by the speed of abomination summon that Mittens' magic needed a rest.
Emira sat down in the shade under the tree, grabbing her water bottle to rehydrate. "Come sit with me." She called to Mittens, who was still standing out in the sun.
Mittens stood there for a few more seconds, then turned to join her. She collapsed next to Emira on the grass and picked up the other bottle to take a long drink.
"Your abomination magic has improved a lot, I'm impressed." Emira commented, not expecting Mittens to choke mid sip.
She coughed a few times to clear the water from her throat. "T-thanks." Her cheeks were flushed, at least partly because of the choking.
"I remember when you first summoned one of those things, it was barely the size of your hand." Emira flashed a smile her sister's way. "You were so cute back then." Mittens had been young, around 5 or 6, when she first started casting magic.
"Thanks." This one was delivered dryly, sounding far less sincere.
"That reminds me, why did you go into the abomination track?" Emira had been wondering this for a while. She knew Mittens wanted to join the Emperors Coven, but that could be done from any track.
She watched as Mittens expression changed. It went from mildly annoyed, which was left over from the previous comment, to more contemplative. Emira wished the illusion track had a mind reading spell; that would make her life so much easier. She had to wait until Mittens was ready to respond.
"No reason really." She said, her gaze shifting to just over Emira's shoulder. It was a clear deflection, a statement that didn't even come close to answering the question.
Emira let it go; she remembered what happened last time she pried too hard for answers. Maybe it would be better to share something instead.
"Did I ever tell you," Emira put the cap back on her bottle as she started to speak, "that I almost joined the beast keeping track?"
"No way." This brought a small smile to Mittens' face, her eyes refocusing on Emira. "You, a beast keeper?"
Emira could feel her cheeks warm. "I know right, it doesn't exactly match my image." She chuckled. "But I'm not kidding, I considered it." She waved one hand out in a sweeping gesture as she continued. "I thought having a legion of beasts would be so cool! They could play pranks, and nobody would ever know it was me."
Mittens actually chuckled at that. "You know the beasts are unique to the witch, right?"
"I found that out the hard way, landed straight in detention." It was long enough ago that Emira could laugh about it. "Went right back to illusions after that."
"I'm sure Ed was happy to have you back." Mittens said softly, still smiling.
"He practically bawled when I came back to class." Ed wouldn't admit it, but he had always been the clingy twin. "I'm better at illusion magic anyway, it was the right choice."
Mittens brought her hands together, looking down at them. She inhaled sharply before speaking. "I've been trying to learn a fire spell." The words sounded strained. "Even though it's not abomination magic, it could be useful." Her eyes popped back up to Emira's, watching her and waiting for a response.
It would be easy to tease her about the new spell, but Emira pushed that urge away. "Have you been practicing it?" If she had, Emira wasn't sure where. Fire spells could be quite volatile, and the house was not burned down.
"Only the theory," Mittens shook her head. "Everything is too flammable."
"Hmm." Emira thought about it, where it could be safe to learn a fire spell. "What about at The Knee?" Oh yes this was a good idea. "It's covered in snow, so even if you accidentally burn something it can be put out easily.
Mittens thought about it before responding. "That could work, but it's too far to go alone and our parents will never let me."
"Ed and I can take you." Emira asserted, quite boldly considering she was currently grounded. "We can help you test out that fire spell too."
"You can't go, you're grounded." Mittens knew that fact too.
"If you ask her, mother will say yes." This wasn't guaranteed, but it was pretty likely.
Mittens conceded with a nod. "I can try." Her eyes moved away from Emira, focusing on the house behind her. Mittens brow furrowed and she rose to her feet. "Um, Em…" She lifted one hand to point towards the house. Emira turned to look that way and jumped up as well when she saw it.
Somehow, Ed had made it out of the attic window. He was currently climbing down the side of the house, avoiding crossing any of the other windows. He moved across the siding slowly, using magic to help stay on the wall.
"Look at that, he made it." Emira commented as he reached halfway down the house.
"What in the Boiling Isles is he doing?" Mittens asked incredulously.
"Getting some fresh air."
Ed made it to the ground safely, though his pride probably took a hit when Emira called him over to the field.
There was no time to escape the house; they had to discuss taking Mittens to train at The Knee.