Chapter 3: I was a Teenage Specter
"Well, Eda!" Luz yelled, elbowing the unimpressed Eda. "Did you ever in your life think you'd see something as breathtaking as this?"
"Uh…." Eda frowned, looking out at the view of… woods. Normal, boring human woods. "It's.. pretty, I guess."
Eda didn't want to be here. Did she mention that? She wanted to be at home, maybe in town pickpocketing. She did need more pocket change for elixirs, something she couldn't get while stuck in the human realm with Luz.
"Oh, come on!" Luz wasn't wearing a hat for once. In fact, she was dressed much less covered, even if she seemed more tightly wound here then Eda had ever seen her in the demon realm. "You like stealing! We're stealing!"
"We're looking for junk in the woods."
"Think of it like King does." Luz said, looking over at the little demon, who had surrounded himself with junk.
"I am your ruler!" He yelled, hood up over his eyes. He threw a sharp looking piece of metal at a tree. "Bow before me! No hero will best me!"
"...I don't think I could ever think of it like King." Eda said, deadpan. Luz sighed, running her hand through her hair.
"Look. I gave you a choice this morning." Luz started to say. Eda cut her off.
"I could have stayed home alone! The only options were not coming with you to work, or going to school!" She snapped, hands on hips.
"School's important." Luz said. Her voice got quiet. "I just want you to have the best you can."
"The best I can? What, being stuck in the potions track?"
Eda didn't want to talk about this. She had missed so much school after she got cursed, after she turned in the Owl Beast the first time after the duel with Lilith. Her mother kept pulling her out, worried about her being too stressed while also wanting to test whatever new 'cure' she had found. After she had run away, she had stopped going completely. If her parents would find her anywhere, it would be at school.
(Part of her didn't want to go back, because what if her parents didn't find her? The only way they wouldn't check the school if they were looking for her. Not that she would blame her, after-)
"Oh, please." Luz scoffed. Eda shook herself out of her thoughts. "You are way too good at other magic to not have eavesdropped on other classes." Eda stayed silent, not wanting to admit that she had indeed done that. "Look," Luz continued. "You need school. You need the basics. Then you can use the basics of one track with other tracks. That's not something you will get from just eavesdropping."
"Whatever." Eda huffed. She was done here. She walked back the way they came, ignoring Luz's yelling for her to come back.
"Ok!" Luz called as Eda disappeared into the house, and back to the demon realm. "Good talk!"
She sighed, turning back to watch King play. "Good talk…. How did you do it, Mami?"
xXx
"Ugh!" Eda yelled, kicking a rock hard as she walked. "Who even needs school. 'It's important for the basics', what does a human know!"
She didn't need school! It's not like she had friends or anything! In fact, the only thing she left at school was Lilith!
Eda stopped. She hoped her sister was ok. She had been too scared to go check on her. Not that her older sister needed someone to check up on her, being a fancy new coven scout and all. Some part of Eda felt that if she tried to seek out her sister, then she was giving up and admitting running away had been a bad idea.
She scowled, kicking another rock as hard as she could. This time, it bounced off of a tree, ricocheting off into the woods.
"Ow!" Came a cry from past the trees. Eda winced, and quickly hid in the bushes, not wanting to be caught.
"What was that?" She heard a boy say, sounding annoyed. "Come on! I know you're there! Come out!"
Eda stayed still and silent. After a moment, the boy sighed, frustrated. "Whatever! I don't have time for this!"
The voice sounded familiar. Eda frowned, trying to place it. After a moment, she gave up, peeking out over the bushes to the path through the trees.
"Come on! Come out!" She saw the boy, now speaking much quieter. Instead of yelling around for her, he was shaking what looked like a crystal ball. It took Eda a moment, but she did recognize him. It was Darius Deamonne, one of her old classmates from Hexside.
Wow, he did not seem to know how to use that crystal ball. Why was he even in the Oracle Track to begin with then? Had he been in that track when she left? She honestly never paid attention to him, but she had associated him with abominations when they were small. She remembered him making goo appear with his friends in kindergarten.
"Oh my titan, you aren't coming out." Darius groaned, gripping the crystal ball so tightly Eda was sure he would crack it. "I'm going to fail and then I'm going to have to explain to mom why I failed and she'll be so disappointed-!"
He cut himself off, irritated, and threw the crystal ball down. As soon as it left his hand, Eda could see he regretted what he did. With a quick twirl of his finger, abomination goo shot up out of the ground, catching the crystal ball harmlessly.
Darius sighed in relief as he moved to grab the crystal ball again, letting the goo disappear back into the ground. Eda's eyebrows furrowed. Why did he automatically go for abomination magic? Why wasn't he in that track instead?
Titan, see? This is why she hated school! Forcing you into things you don't want to do, for 'the good of your future.' Whatever, Luz knew nothing. Basics shmasics.
"Oh wow! Darius!" A girl called from down the path. Darius sighed, closing his eyes as a green haired girl walked up to him, uniform the same purple as his. Eda already didn't like this girl. Her very face seemed mean.
"What do you want, Odalia?" Darius asked, not even turning to look at the girl. Odalia! Eda recognized that name, and she had been right to immediately hate her. Odalia had always been a bully.
She glanced behind Odalia, seeing a boy who wasn't looking at either of them. Brown hair, messy with abomination goo, and goggles, Eda placed him as Alador Blight much easier than she had placed the other two. There weren't many people their age constantly covered in abomination like he was. And, fittingly, his uniform was magenta of the abomination track.
"What are you doing, just standing out here?" She laughed. "What? Still trying to summon a specter?"
"Ha!" Darius turned to face her, one hand on hip, the other holding the crystal ball up, face confident and haughty. "Please, don't mistake me for you. I finished prep for this hours ago."
"Good to hear it." Odalia's mean smile fell as she looked at him harshly. "We'll see if your big talk will hold up! I know your record of failing after all."
"Odalia…" Alador said quietly, walking past. "We're going to be late."
"Right, right." Odalia waved at Darius with fake cheer. "See you in class."
Darius kept his haughty expression up as Odalia walked past, only letting it fall into a scowl as she disappeared down the path.
"Titan, I hate her." Darius muttered, eyes narrowed. "And that hack is just-!" Eda flinched at the sudden magic overpowering the air. She realized slightly too late what was about to happen, as the ground below Darius started to bubble.
"I hate telling the future! I hate reading minds! I hate getting bad grades! Ugh! I can't stand this anymore!" Darius's eyes glowed magenta, as the ground around him turned to abomination goo. The ground below Eda, in comparison, didn't turn to abomination goo, but it did turn soft and muddy. She slid as the ground changed texture, losing her balance and tumbling down from the bushes.
"Ah!" She yelled, unable to catch herself before she landed face first onto the path. Thankfully, not in the abomination goo. That would have taken forever to get out of her clothes.
"Woah!" Darius jumped back, snapped out of his anger. The ground turned back to normal as he looked at her in shock.
She sat up, giving him a smile as she rubbed her face where she hit it.
"Heeeey." She said awkwardly, debating if she could just make a run for it.
"Edalyn?!" Darius said. "Where have you been? Everyone at school thinks you're dead!"
"Oh you know. Here and there." Eda said, jumping up. "No more of that! Let's talk about that display of abomination magic! Real strong, real excellent!"
Darius looked at her for a long moment before rolling his eyes. "We both know what track I'm in." He gestured to his uniform. "You know I'm not supposed to be even using abomination magic."
"And why not? Why are you in the Oracle Track if you hate it?" She slid up close to him, smiling as he tried to step away from her. "Come on! Tell your good friend Eda!"
"This is the first time we have ever talked." Darius shot back, stepping around her. From the distance, the bell from school started screaming. "I don't have time for this. I'm leaving."
He turned to leave. Eda watched him walk down the path before a thought occurred to her. She couldn't let him go and make a fool of himself.
"Leaving huh? To do what? Disappointing your teacher?"
Darius froze mid-walk.
"What did you say?" He asked, offended. Eda scoffed.
"I saw you! You can't summon a specter! All you're going to do is fail!" Eda walked back up to him, slinging her arm around his shoulders. He scowled, trying to slip away.
"Well, this has been a lovely conversation," Darius said, picking up her hand with two fingers like it was something gross and throwing it down. "But-"
"Let me help you." She blurted out with a real thought about it. Darius looked at her in surprise before scoffing.
"And what can you do? Summon a specter in my place?"
"Well, no. Can't do that." She admitted. She never got a chance to practice with an actual crystal ball. She only knew the basics. "But I do know how to act like a specter."
She drew a circle around her head, letting it fall around her. Her body changed to an illusion. Blue tinted, partially see through. Half of her was bone, the other half wrapped up, unrecognizable.
She lifted her arms up and cocked her head, making a dumb face for a moment before laughing.
"Well, whatcha think?" She asked, giving a twirl. Making sure to keep up with the illusion, she had the excess bandages fly out around her.
Darius watched her, face serious and thoughtful.
"That is a good specter illusion…" he admitted.
"See? You get an A, and Odalia can get that smug look off her face." Eda said smiling. Not that she had a problem with Odalia specifically. But she really didn't like bullies in general.
And the fact that this let her get into the school, without specifically trying to find her sister? That means nothing.
Darius huffed, crossing his arms.
"No way," he said. "There is no way I'm going along with it."
xXx
"Yes, Eber." Darius said, taking the books from his locker's mouth. "I'll be fine during my test."
Eda smiled from where she was hidden, illusioned with a notice me not spell.
Eberwolf said something in beast talk. Eda couldn't speak it well, and was only keeping up with half the conversation. Darius sighed, looking down at his small friend.
"I know what I said! I know what I texted you this morning." He said, glancing around the hall. "I fixed it on the way here."
Eberwolf looked at him, unconvinced. Darius looked around again, before looking at where he was pretty sure Eda was. Eda had to hand it to him- he was pretty close.
"Fine, I'll tell you." His voice dropped to a whisper. "But you have to be cool about it."
Eber nodded his head rapidly, tail wagging behind him. He grumbled something and Darius chuckled.
"You know, I would like to be included." Eda cut in, breaking the illusion for a moment as the hallway was clear. Eberwolf was startled, jumping back away from her. Then, the little demon frantically spoke, pointing between Eda and Darius.
"I know, I know!" Darius said, holding his hands up in surrender. "This is a terrible idea! But it was the only one I had!"
"The only one I had, you mean." Eda said. Darius gave her a side eye.
"Yes, that would be why it's a terrible idea."
The bell screamed. Darius frowned.
"Hide before someone sees you!" He said. "We really need to get to class."
xXx
"Shoddy, shoddy work." The teacher tutted, walking around the classroom.
Eda watched from her spot by Darius's desk as the teacher stood, menacingly over every other kid's shoulder, obviously judging them as they tried to look into the future.
Even Odalia didn't seem like she was doing well, visibly shaking as the teacher stood over her.
Eda took a glance at Darius. He was sure putting on the act of concentration, but to her it was obvious that he was focusing more on the present reactions of his classmates than his predicted future.
Eventually, the teacher sighed, stepping back to the front of the room. "Well, class. I sure hope that what you all saw were fails, because that is what most of you got on this portion of the test."
The class groaned. The student next to Darius, with dark skin, short dark hair, and glass, fell head first into the desk in dismay.
"But I'll give a chance to make up for it." The teacher continued, smiling. The class held their breath. "We'll be moving on to the specter portion of the test, and if the first person can summon a top tier specter, then the last portion won't count against your final grade."
Odalia's hand went up immediately. "Excuse me, ma'm, but I would love to present my specter!"
"Thank you Odalia, but I fear that since you volunteered, that would be too easy." The teacher said. Odalia's hand fell and her shoulders slumped. "It needs to be someone I pick. Let's see…."
She looked around, eyes lingering on each student just long enough to make them shake. Before finally, her eyes landed on-
"Mr. Deamonne!" The teacher said, smiling and a little cruel looking. Eda frowned. Surely the teacher knew Darius had been struggling. And she still called on him, just so he would disappoint his classmates? Good thing she won't allow it.
Darius stood up with confidence she didn't know he had, head held high. Around him, the rest of the class groaned and whined.
"Not him!"
"Titan, he can never do it…."
"I'm going to get in so much trouble for this failure!"
"So, Mr. Deamonne." The teacher spoke over the class. "The floor is yours."
"Of course, ma'm." He said, picking up his crystal ball and holding it out in front of him, arms taunt. He closed his eyes and made a spell circle with one hand.
This was to make it look like a summoning, but it was actually just to make a little fog in the classroom to distract from her own illusion. Making her own spell circle, she changed illusions.
It was times like this she was so glad she had practiced illusions so much while on the run.
To everyone else, it looked like she came out of the ball, a misty spirit before forming to be a full body in front of the desk. Part of her was bone, part of her was wrapped, none of her looked alive, and all of her disguised.
Darius peeked his eyes open, smiling at what he saw. The teacher gasped, walking forward to examine her.
"Very impressive." She said, narrowing her eyes. "But does it speak?"
"Speak." Darius commanded. Eda froze for a moment before speaking in a very slow manner.
"I see…. An A in the future…." She ended with a low groan.
The teacher was silent for a long moment before laughing. "Then an A you shall get! A plus Mr. Deamonne!"
Eda glanced back. Darius was smiling, almost beaming. This had to be the happiest she had ever seen him. The teacher turned away and Eda let her illusion play backwards as she collapsed onto the floor next to Darius's seat.
Oh titan, she was out of breath. And, a quick glance to her jewel on her necklace to confirm, she had used way too much magic today.
But this was fine. All she had to do was get through to lunch. And then she was home, scot free.
xXx
After the class, Eda slipped away from Darius. She knew he watched her go, but he didn't stop her.
That was fine- it only made things easier.
She slipped into her hidey hole hallways the moment she was alone. Honestly, she was relieved to drop the illusion. Her magic felt strained, and she felt the pressure of the curse in her chest. Stupidly, she hadn't thought to bring an elixir with her, but well. She had never meant to do this today.
A day in the human realm wouldn't have strained her as much as this had.
But, it was fine. A quick glance in, see how Lily was, and then she was out of the school for the last time in her life. It'll be easy too. Even a few months gone, and a messed up school schedule before that, she knew her sister's class times by heart.
Which meant she should be getting out any time now, Eda thought, standing against the wall with an illusion on top of her, watching as students filed out of a classroom.
Any moment.
A student walked out without anyone behind him.
Any minute.
No one was coming out.
Any sec-
She tilted her body to look in the classroom. Nobody was in there but the teacher.
Eda huffed, slipping back into her hidey hole. Where was she? Lilith wasn't one to skip class.
She couldn't keep this up long enough to look around the entire school. That's fine. That's great even, really. Because she had someone that owed her a favor in the school, to ask where her sister was.
xXx
She slipped out of her hidey hole in the cafeteria. She was lucky, for once in her life. Darius was sitting near a wall, and as such, near a little door she could slip out of her.
It was really no trouble, then, to lip under the table and grab his leg without being noticed.
"Ah!" Darius yelped, gripping his juice box, half crushing it. Abomination goo shot up in a spike rather quickly next to her, making her have to dodge quickly.
"Dude!" She yelled, as loudly as she dared. "You could have stabbed me!"
"Edalynn?" Darius bent down to look at her under the table. "You scared me! What are you doing?"
"Hanging around." Eda said, smiling as the abomination spike fell into a puddle. She made a face and scooted away. She didn't have many clothes and didn't want stains.
"I thought you would have left by now." He said. Eberwolf grumbled something, causing Darius to look up at him. "I don't know! I'm trying to find out!"
"Look, really quick question." She shouldn't stay here much longer. She was already cutting it close as it was. "Do you know where Lily is?"
"Lily?" Darius looked at her in confusion. After a moment, the confusion cleared into understanding. "Oh! Your sister?"
"Yes!" She huffed. "What other Lily do you know?"
"I barely know Lilith!" Darius snapped. "And I don't know where she is-"
Eberwolf grumbled something, cutting Darius off. Darius went silent, listening to his friend closely. Eda really needed to learn Beast Speak. But, to be fair, would she need it after she left today?
"...Huh." Darius said after a moment. He turned back to her. "Uh, yeah. Eber said she graduated early. To be in the Emperor's Coven."
What? How did she-
Eda's only been gone a few months! Like, even if that! Honestly, Eda hadn't been keeping up with how long it had been, but surely not long enough for Lilith to have graduated early!
Unless she already had this planned before Eda had left. The thought made Eda's stomach sink. If that was true, then Lilith hadn't told her. Her sister hadn't even let on that she was getting ready to graduate early, and leave Eda alone.
…..Could Eda actually be mad about that? Eda had left first, by running away.
"Thanks." She muttered as she turned away. Darius had sat up while she had been frozen, thinking, which she was glad about. She didn't know what her face looked like, but she was sure the expression wasn't a happy one. She twirled her finger, ready to place her illusion back on to leave this school forever. "I guess I'll see you nev-"
She cut off with a wince as the spell circle she had been drawing broke and crumbled around her finger. The strain in her chest worsened, making it difficult to draw breaths.
But, this was fine. Difficult doesn't mean impossible! She just… needed to sit here for a moment and get her breath back.
"Are you sure you're ok?" Darius asked, looking back under the cafeteria table. She waved him off, leaning back and taking deep breaths.
"Yep!" She smiled. "So ok! Why? Are you not ok?"
Darius rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Can you at least sit up here? No one's going to notice one more kid in this room."
Eda hesitated before climbing up to sit at the table proper. Darius was right- just because she wasn't in uniform doesn't mean someone would single her out.
Eberwolf from the other side of the table handed her half a sandwich. Darius handed her a juice box of apple blood. She blinked, surprised as she looked down at the food now in her hands.
"Titan, just eat!" Darius said, taking a bit of his own sandwich. "You really helped me out today. Least I can do is not let you pass out."
"…I wouldn't have passed out." She grumbled, before taking a bite of the sandwich. Wow, she had not missed school food, but it was sure better than nothing.
Eber said something in beast speak, but unlike before, he signed as he talked. Eda was surprised, but thankful so she could understand what he was saying.
"What's wrong with you?" He asked. Eda huffed, tilting her nose up.
"Nothing! I'm the strongest witch in the isles, just like I always was!"
"Uh-uh. Sure." Darius rolled his eyes. "Not gonna tell us your sad, tragic backstory?"
"You gonna tell me yours?" She shot back, stuffing the rest of the sandwich in her face mid word and spewing crumbs on the table. Darius looked disgusted for a moment.
"Ugh." He wrinkled his nose. Then he gave her a long hard look, and said, "Fine. I'll take you up on your deal."
"Huh?" She said, confused. "Wait-"
"I was going to take the Abomination Track. But like I would ever want to be in the same track as that hack." Darius scoffed, looking across the room where Alador Blight was eating lunch, mostly alone. "My mother was in the Oracle Track, and always dreamed that I would be too. So when I didn't want abomination, she signed me up for this. I didn't have the heart to tell her I hated it." He took a sip of juice. "Your turn."
"Wait- that is not nearly enough to match mine!" She said. Darius smirked.
"Oh, so it's a long one huh?"
"That's not what I'm saying at all-" she started to say, before someone clearing their throat behind them cut her off.
Eda's eyes widened as she saw it was Odalia. Was there any place she could run off to? Not without it being incredibly suspicious.
"I came over here to question how you did that stunt back in class." Odalia said, blue eyes narrowed. "But now I see. Edalyn Clawthorne, is it? I'm sure your parents would love to know where you are. And that you're helping someone cheat."
"You can't prove anything!" She said, ignoring the looks Eber and Darius were sending her way.
"I certainly can when I get the principal to test Darius again." Odalia smirked. "Good luck getting out of this."
The three of them watched as she walked off to joining Alador for lunch before all sharing a look of horror.
xXx
"Ok, what's the plan?" Eda asked, sitting on a desk in the empty classroom they moved to, to have more privacy to speak more freely. Darius paced back and forth, agitated, with Eberwolf following his movements.
"The plan?" Darius snapped, looking at her. "The plan is for you to leave! Go on, go jump out the window!"
"What?" She jumped up off the desk. "I can't just leave! What about you?"
"They'll test me again and I'll just… I don't know." He stopped pacing, covering his face. "Maybe I'll actually do it this time. Power of believing in myself and all that."
Eda and Eberwolf gave him the same unimpressed look. Darius glared at them, opening his mouth to snap back when the door to the classroom opened suddenly.
Eda threw up an illusion around her by instinct, just seconds before Principal Bump walked in. Odalia followed behind him, looking smug.
"Good afternoon, students." Principal Bump said, smiling slightly as he walked in. Darius looked at Eberwolf wide eyed, before turning to the principal with confidence.
"Principal Bump!" He said, giving a smile. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"
"I heard, through the vines and from Miss Odalia, that you had summoned a rather… hearty specter earlier today!" The principal said, walking over to the boys with a crystal ball in hand. Darius took it with a strained smile.
"Oh yes!" Odalia said with fake cheer, smirking behind Bump. "It truly was nothing like the more wispy specters from the rest of our class."
"And I would love to see it!" Principal Bump clapped his hands. "So, chop chop!"
Darius stared at him for a long moment, eyes flickering between him and Odalia. For the first time today, he looked a little lost, like he had no idea what to do next.
Walking over quietly, she pinched his side. He flinched, but covered it the best he could with a cough as he held his arms out in front of him with the crystal ball.
"Yes, of course." He said, twirling a finger. "I'll get right on that."
That was her own cue. Drawing a spell circle, she redid the illusion from earlier the smoothest she could, despite her tiredness. This time, she did her absolute best to not look Bump on the eye, very much not wanting him to see through her illusion.
"Wow! It is indeed very present, you were right about that Miss Odalia." Bump said, leaning in to inspect her.
"Yep!" Darius cut in before Odalia could respond. "Truly some one my best work in the track! I am going to have to get to my next period soon tho-"
"Wait just a moment young man." Bump held up a hand to quiet him. Then, he made a spell circle, summoning a very sharp looking knife. Eda did her best to keep the horror off her face. "I want to see how much damage she can take."
"By, uh, stabbing her?" Darius asked, a little squeaky.
"It is truly the best way to text if the specter would bounce back." Bump said, bring the knife up high. Eda looked up with wide eyes and horror. Was this it? Was she going to die? She wanted to go out someway cool, not being stabbed by her principal!
Before the principal could bring the knife down upon her, Eberwolf growled loudly, drawing their attention. The small demon jumped up, knocking over multiple desks and chairs, making very loud crashing sounds.
"Run!" With the knife halted, Darius rushed forward, grabbing her hand. The illusion broke around her as they ran out the door.
"They're getting away!" She heard Odalia yell before they rounded a corner. She gulped, looking around quickly before spotting what she was looking for.
"This way!" She said, taking over the lead and leading Darius up a flight of stairs to a dead end.
"Uh, Eda-" Darius tried to argue, before seeing her seemingly make a door out of nothing. She didn't allow him the time to question it, pulling him inside and slamming the door shut. She slumped against the wall, sliding down to the floor, panting.
Darius hesitated before plopping down next to her with a sigh.
"So, uh… What is this place?" he asked. Eda shouldn't have been surprised that was his first question, but she was.
"A secret hidey hole I found during my first year." she said, looking around. "It had tunnels all over the school."
Understanding flashed across his face. "Oh, that's why you can do so many kinds of magic. You used these tunnels to eavesdrop!"
"Yep!" She said as cheerfully as she could manage, before falling silent. Darius didn't break the silence she created, simply leaned his head back against the wall, staring out into space.
What had she been thinking? She knew that she has had some pretty poor ideas over the years, but sneaking into a school, just to look for her sister? By helping someone cheat, using magic? That she knew for a fact was difficult for her? Not her smartest move.
But this didn't affect her much, not really. She already didn't go to school. She already had a way out. Darius, on the other hand, was going to be in so much trouble. What if he got suspended because of this? What if he got expelled?
"This… is kinda my fault, Darius." She forced herself to admit quietly.
"It really is," Darius agreed. Eda gasped, hitting his arm.
"Dude! This idea was half you!"
"The idea was all you! I just went along with it." He huffed. "Though my acting did carry it."
"My acting was great, best you've ever seen!" She said, huffy. Darius scoffed.
"Please, you can never be better than me."
They went silent and looked at each other. Eda couldn't help it- the moment she made eye contact with Darius, she started laughing uncontrollably. After a moment, Darius joined in.
They laugh for a full few seconds, before forcing themselves to stop.
"We should get out of here," Darius said, laughter still in his voice, "Before-"
The lights flickered around them before going out completely. When they came back on, they were a dark red, with a matching colored pattern on the walls.
"….Bump seals us in." Darius finished with a sigh. He leaned back and hit his head against the wall. Eda didn't stop him.
xXx
Eda jiggles the doorknob, frowning. These doors have never been locked, especially once you know how to open them!
But now, with the school on lock down, any door leading to the outside was stuck, and refused to open. Eda wanted to scream.
"I wonder if they count as windows." Darius mused half hearteningly.
"What's the difference?!" Eda snapped, standing up from the locked door.
"All Windows lock, but the outside doors stay open under lock down." Darius explained. "For a time at least. So people can escape."
"Oh great, so we gotta go through the front door." Eda said, starting to walk the way towards the front door.
The two of them were silent as they walked, having nothing to say to each other. But, finally, as they made it to the central atrium, Darius spoke up.
"I know what I said a few minutes ago but… I'm sorry too." Darius sighed as they peeled out, making sure the coast was clear before they left the hidey hole of doors. "I shouldn't have let you do this. I should have told my mom I didn't want this track. I shouldn't have let Alador dictate what I do in my life."
Eda was silent, shocked at the sudden vulnerability. Her and Darius had never been close, had never really talked much, but here they are, hiding from the principal and having a heart to heart.
He was silent for a moment before saying quietly, looking away from her. "I'm…. so tired of failing. What's even the point of school if all I do is fail?"
Unbidden, her mind was brought back to the conversation this morning with Luz. Titan, she hated when the human had good advice for her.
"You know, someone once told me that school was important to teach the basics." Eda said as they stepped out into the hall. "That once you have the basics down in one subject, you can apply them to another."
Darius didn't answer, simply looked thoughtful instead of sad. Eda took it as a win, and gave him a smile before tugging on his sleeve.
"Now, come on! There's the exit!" She said, starting to run to the open door. Before they could get outside, however, Odalia jumped in the way, holding her own crystal ball tight.
"Not so fast!" She yelled, drawing a magic circle. Eda tensed, ready to dodge. "I'm not letting you go so easily!"
A specter, an actually real wispy specter, flew out of her crystal ball, rushing at them. Eda raised her hand to make a spell circle, but Darius stepped in front, stopping her.
"Darius?"
Darius drew his own spell circle, making an abomination come out of the ground. The specter hit it, causing it to split in half, but it simply reformed around the specter, keeping it trapped for a time.
"Get outta here!" He said, summoning another abomination to stop the next specter that Odalia sent their way. Eda wondered how he could make such well made abominations at the drop of a hat, before realizing that he really took her words to heart. He was using the Oracle Track's method of keeping specters together after they were damaged, only this time on big piles of goo.
"What?" Eda scowled. "I'm not leaving you."
"I may get detention," Darius said, twirling his finger. Abomination goo appeared under her feet. She gasped, trying to step out but only starting sinking. "But you'll get sent back to your parents. And I'm guessing you left for a reason."
The goo under her feet rose up and swallowed her quickly, before she even had a chance to give a startled scream.
And then, before she even had a chance to register what was happening, she was put back out onto the ground, this time outside the school. She took a shaky, deep breath, looking up at the giant, heavy closed doors in front of her.
For a moment, she thought about bursting in and helping. But Darius was right- the worst that will happen is Darius getting detention. Anything she tried to do to help would only make things worse. So she did what she did best.
She ran.
xXx
"Whoa, what got your robes in a twist?" Luz asked as Eda slowed to a stop in front of the Owl House, out of breath and panting. Luz frowned, taking a closer look. "Also, was your jewel always two toned?"
Eda looked up at her, startled, before looking down at her shirt. And indeed, her little yellow jewel she used to keep track of her curse was starting to bubble up black. She moved her mouth silently, frozen on what to say.
"Uh, Eda? Titan's corpse to Eda." Luz waved a hand in front of her face. Eda looked up at her, the past hour of events finally catching up to her. She felt shaky. She almost felt like crying. She felt-
Guilty. She felt guilty for leaving Darius back there to get in trouble. Especially when this had all been her idea.
"Luz, I…" she started, quietly. "I think I messed up-"
"Eda!" A cry cut her off. She whirled around, recognizing Darius's voice.
"Darius! Eberwolf!" She cried as the two students slid to a stop in front of her. "How did you get out!"
"Get out of what?" Luz questioned from behind her.
"You won't believe it, Eda." Darius said, so excited he was nearly jumping in place. "Everything is perfect now!"
"Er- you're right. I don't believe it."
Eber started grumbling, hands coming up to sign part way through. Eda had never been great at Sign, but she thought she understood the gist of what he was saying. "Principal was impressed by Abominations!"
"Yeah, he's letting me switch tracks!" Darius's excitement turned smug, as he twirled his finger. Eda watched, amazed and happy, as his purple uniform lightened in a magenta color right before her eyes. Eberwolf snickered and grumbled something without signing. Darius sighed. "Don't ruin this by bringing Blight into this!"
She gasped, waving her arms. "Darius! That's so great!" Turning, she crossed her arms, smirking. "See? I told you everything would work out."
"Those words never came out if you mouth." Darius said, deadpan, as Eber started whining softly. Eda frowned.
"What's up with him?"
"Oh, uh…" Darius scratched the back of his neck awkwardly before pulling out a piece of paper. Eda did a double take. On the piece of paper was a picture of her, blue illusion magic clearly breaking as she ran. Under her picture, in a bold font, said the word, "BANNED."
"You're kinda, sorta... banned." He continued, not looking her in the eye.
"I left you alone for one day! One day Eda!" Luz said. Eda knew she was going to get a scolding that night, but she couldn't bring herself to care.
She grabbed the poster with a smile, looking at the picture closely. It wasn't the best shot of her, but it would do!
"Yes!" She cheered. "My first wanted poster!"