So, there is blood and harm in this chapter. It is plot-important and not just in there because of reasons. You have been WARNED about the blood and harm. Enjoy the read since this just keeps going and I can't stop at this point. XD
Eda watched Hunter, a smile on her lips. He was practicing the glyphs Eda had shown him. Eda thought to herself.
Well, I finally got him to do something he likes… He's surprisingly good at them… He might even give Lily a run for her money with how quickly he's picking them up.
Eda looked over to Luz and King. They were still asleep on the couch. It was already eleven o'clock and she thought about sending them to bed but she just couldn't bring herself to wake them up. They looked so peaceful sleeping together. Eda glanced over to Lilith, she was reading a book. She wasn't really reading, she was watching Hunter as well. Interested in the glyphs he was making, since he wasn't actually activating them. He was just practicing drawing them, the only one he would activate was the light glyph. Lilith also noticed some glyph combos he would draw, they were combos that Eda and Luz knew. However, there were a few that she didn't recognize. Her mind buzzed wanting to ask if she could test them out and ask whatever gave him the idea to make them. Eda got up and grabbed some blankets and wrapped Luz and King in one. She handed one to Lilith; Lilith thanked her for it. Eda finally made her way over to Hunter and kneeled down to his level. She watched him for a moment noticing how dim his eyes looked from exhaustion. She asked.
"Would you like this blanket?"
"No, I'm fine… but thank you."
He didn't even look at her as he rubbed one of his eyes. He kept drawing another light glyph. Eda put it down next to him.
"Alright, I'll leave it here for you."
He's exhausted but won't admit it…Is this why he has such deep eye bags for being a teen. He refuses to sleep... Well, he sure is stubborn to refuse his own body; telling him to go to sleep.
"So, what does this one do?"
Eda picked up a combo she had never seen before. It had two light glyphs and one ice glyph on it. Hunter looked up to see which one Eda was holding. He looked at it for a moment, thinking.
"Oh, um, I don't really know. I mean I have a theory on what it'll do but I don't know if it'll work."
"Can we test it out?"
Lilith asked, enthusiastically. Hunter looked at her and frowned. He looked back to Eda.
"If you want to try it, Owl Lady, then go ahead."
"Eda, it's Eda. Not Owl Lady…. What will it do?"
Hunter's face turned red for a moment.
"Sorry…. It's supposed to act as a flashlight. The two light glyphs keep it bright, while the ice one acts as a way to enhance the range of the light. So you can see in front of you… but I don't think it'll work."
"Well, we'll never know unless we try."
Eda tapped it and activated it, the three of them watched as it fell apart. Hunter blinked, tiring to get rid of the tired feeling in his eyes. He thought about it briefly and then addressed Eda aloud.
"I told you it wouldn't work… but maybe the ice needs to be held in something to make it work. Maybe a plant glyph to create a hollow body around the ice."
Eda smirked at him.
There's the nerd that was trying to tell me about fools' blood at Eclipse lake.
Lilith added,
"Perhaps but what if you change the ice glyph out entirely and substitute it for a plant glyph? And just have the command be a plant tube with the light at the end. Like a tunnel effect."
Hunter looked at her again, annoyed but also impressed by Lilith's suggestion.
Belos sat on his throne, his head resting in his hand. He mused to himself.
"Well, it's been three hours and still no Hunter. The Owl Lady was serious about keeping him."
He heard the familiar laughter of the collector. He rolled his eyes, sighing.
"What can I do for you now, Collector?"
His voice was cold, even, calm with a hint of annoyance lacing it. The collector revealed himself.
"Haha, What are you going to do to that one? Turn it to stone, drown it? Oh, I know, destroy it with its own staff! That was funny when you did that to number.. I think.. number 72."
"Now, Collector, I can't do any of that if he's with someone else and refuses to come home. No, I think this one will be ended by his sigil."
"OOOOHH! What will that do!? Tell me, Tell me!"
The Collector cackled. Belos rolled his eyes at him, again.
"It's simple really all I do is activate it with magic and it'll start taking him over. He won't be able to move anymore and he'll suffocate. Honestly, he should have just come back. It would have been less painful that way, but then again this one never could learn anything without needing to be taught a lesson."
The collector laughed harder, asking.
"Will you make a new one? Will you have time?"
Belos thought for a moment before answering.
"You'll see, Collector."
Hunter looked at the glyph he made with Lilith's suggestion. He didn't think it would work either. He handed it over to Eda. Eda looked at it, confused.
"Why are you giving it to me? You drew it. So, you should activate it."
He looked at it and frowned. He then looked back to Eda. One of Belos's lies rang out in his mind. He shook the thought away.
"I um… maybe later."
He put it down. Eda sighed.
He must have thought of something bad, I saw that head shake. Probably one of Belos's lies about wild magic. Alright, I'll do it just to help break those lies.
Her frown turned into a smile.
"Alright, hand it over."
He looked at her, a glimmer of hope in his eyes as he picked it back up to give to Eda.
"AAAHHH!"
He dropped it and grabbed his wrist screaming in agony. Eda looked at him fearfully, quickly grabbing the arm he was holding and pulling off his glove. She looked at it in horror. Besides all the scars she hadn't noticed before, his coven sigil was glowing black. It looked like vines were climbing down and up his arm, slowly burning him. Hunter gritted his teeth, the agony and fear soaked into his question.
"What's happening!?"
Eda felt dread wash over her as she watched the vines twist and curl around his wrist making its way up his arm slowly. Eda yelled.
"Lily, what's happening!?"
Lilith looked at the mark, fearfully. She looked down at where hers was. She stammered.
"I-I-I- don't know! I've never seen anything like this."
"Well, how do we make it stop!"
Eda snapped at her. Lilith didn't answer; she was paralyzed with fear as she watched it attack Hunter. Hunter screamed again, tears in the corners of his eye. Luz and King woke up in a panic. Luz asked.
"What's going on!? Are we under attack? Are we *gasp* Oh my gosh! What's happening to Hunter!? Eda, what's going on!?"
Luz gawked at him, looking at the black vines in horror. Eda bit her lip, as the only idea she had worried her. She yelled to Lilith.
"Lily, get the medical kit. I have an idea but…"
She looked at Hunter. He was in extreme pain, as the vines climbed up higher. Eda pushed his sleeve up to see them climbing onto his elbow and still climbing. She looked at Lilith again and yelled.
"Lily, snap out of it! I need the medical kit, now!"
"R-right."
Lilith snapped out of her paralysis and ran to get the medical kit. Eda took a sharp breath. Trying her best to sound motherly.
"Hunter, I have to get rid of the mark. And in order to do that, we have to destroy it. So, I'm going to-"
He pushed the pain aside for a moment and yelled at her.
"Absolutely not! You said you wouldn't hurt me!"
"Eda, do something! It's still moving!"
Luz yelled, panicked.
Eda swallowed down her fears.
"I know, I said that but this is different, this thing is hurting you. It's hurting you far more than what I have to do to make it stop. So, please let me…"
She hesitated for a moment, the words sticking in her throat. She forced them out.
"Let me rip it apart with my talons, from the Owl Beast. I know it'll hurt but this thing might kill you."
He bit the inside of his cheek as another wave of pain hit him. His arm burned as he felt it climb upwards. The memory of the first victims of the sigils coming to mind. Flapjack in a panic, chirping at him, telling him to let Eda do it.
"Fine! Just do it already!"
He yelled out, in agony. Eda looked as Lilith returned with the medical kit. Eda quickly turned her hand into her talons, addressing Luz.
"Luz, look away now!"
Luz did as she was told, grabbing King in the process so he wouldn't see. Eda dug her talons into his arm and quickly slashed across the sigil, causing him to yell out in pain. He pulled his arm out of her grasp and held it. He looked down at it, watching the blood ooze out of it. The mark now had four deep slash marks on it. Hunter grimaced as the burning cooled down but didn't stop. He bit his cheek again and then yelled.
"It's still burning! And is still moving!"
Eda bit her lip.
Do I have to do it again?!... No, I don't want to!... But if I don't…
She grabbed his arm again. Looked as the vines moved slowly up his arm. She grimaced as she held up her hand ready to slash again. Hunter looked at her fearfully, his eyes pleading with her. She frowned at him, pained by what she had to do.
"I'm so sorry but I have to do it again."
Her voice broke as she slashed her talons through the mark in the opposite direction. He gritted his teeth holding back the pained scream. The mark ruined in both directions caused the black vines to fade away, it's eerie glow dying. Eda didn't watch long as she yelled to Lilith
"Lily, disinfectant, now!"
"Right!"
Lilith handed her the bottle of disinfectant, watching the black vines fade away like they never existed in the first place. Eda opened the bottle and dumped it onto his arm causing him to scream and pull away from her. Eda's face twisted with grief as she pleaded.
"Hunter, please! I know it hurts and I know-"
"Don't touch me!"
He snapped back at her, holding his wrist. Looked at her wide-eyed, panicked, and afraid.
"Is it over?"
Luz asked. Eda looked at Hunter, hurt. Like a knife was plunged into her heart She had caused the injuries to him but not because she wanted to. She had to in order to stop whatever Belos was planning to do to him. And the fact she had to do it after she reassured him that she wouldn't hurt him, hurt more than she thought.
Please, Hunter. Let me tend to it and patch it up. I hate that I had to hurt you. The Owl Beast even hates that he had to hurt you…. Stop looking at me like that. Please let me fix it.
Luz let King go turning around to look at Hunter. Seeing the fear in his eyes pained her. She approached him. He looked at her, angrily.
"Stay away from me!"
He growled at her. Luz stopped and stared at him, her eyes landing on his arm. She could see the fizzy drops of blood coming off his arm. Her stomach twisted into knots.
He's acting like a hurt animal.
"Hunter, you're bleeding and I know that Eda had to do that to you but you gotta believe me when I say it wasn't because she wanted to. So, please let her help. I-I don't want to see you hurt."
He looked at Luz, seeing the fear on her face, fear for him. He looked away from her and down to his arm. Feeling the blood run out into his hand was making him sick. He bit the inside of his cheek, thinking for a moment. Flapjack chirping at him, worried. He looked at Eda again, watching her. Tiring to see if she was pleased with what she did but he could only see the fear and worry on her face. Looking paler than usual.
She isn't pleased with what she did… She isn't blaming me for being weak…
He breathed out and extended his arm back out to Eda.
"Fine, just be careful."
Luz smiled at him. Happy to see him accepting the help. Eda looked as the disinfected fizzy blood mixed together with the blood that was still pumping out. She got up and took his hand. Leading them into the kitchen. She turned on the faucet and put his arm under the water, watching the blood wash away. Hunter's face scrunched up in pain. Eda waited a bit before pulling his arm out of the water and again dumping disinfectant on it. She watched it bubble and fizz for a moment before rinsing it again. Once that was done she dried it off and started to wrap his arm up in a bandage. Hunter watched her cautiously, a part of him afraid that she would claw him again. While another part of him was confused.
She's actually doing what she said and tending to the wounds she made…. Whenever Belos punished me, I took care of it myself. Didn't want anyone in the healing coven to know…. This is weird. I'm used to doing it myself.
"They're all done."
Eda smiled at her handiwork. Hunter looked down at the bandages wrapped around his arm.
It's tight. She must know that in order to stop an open wound from bleeding out you need to apply pressure to it…
He flexed his fingers, the movement felt odd as he flexed.
"They're very tight. Just moving my fingers, I can feel it get tighter on my wrist."
He pulled his arm away from Eda now holding it close to his chest, hiding the bandage with his other hand.
"Uh, thank you."
Eda sighed.
"Don't thank me. I would have patched you up anyway…I'm sorry I had to do that. I didn't want to but it was the only thing I could think of to make that sigil stop."
"What happened?"
Luz asked. She had followed them into the kitchen, watching the whole thing. She walked up to Hunter and lightly grabbed his arm. He scowled at her. She pulled away and handed him a small blue band-aid. He looked at it confused.
"I know it's not very helpful but everyone here's been hurt at some point and been bandaged up. I figured if you put this one on it you can be a part of our boo-boo buddy club."
Hunter gave her a deadpanned expression.
Boo-boo buddy club?
"...Fine."
He showed her his arm, the white bandages, slowly gaining a red spot on them. Luz placed the bandage right over the forming red spot and smiled.
"Now you're a part of the boo-boo buddy club."
Hunter rolled his eyes. Eda smiled at them.
Awe, Luz you weirdo. There's no way he would… actually he might want that. He said he had no friends so Luz doing that may have been the best thing to do in this terrible situation.
Eda sighed and started pushing the two of them back towards the living room.
"Alright, everyone is treated for their wounds so let's see if Lily knows anything about coven marks. I need to know more about them if that thing starts moving again after it heals."
The teens looked at each other wide-eyed at that last statement. Both thinking.
If it starts to move again!?
Eda pushed them to the couch tiring to make them comfortable. King asked.
"Luz, what happened?"
He then looked at Hunter.
"And you, why is your arm all bandaged? Why were you yelling? Eda, why were you so upset?"
Luz patted King's head, reassuring him.
"Just an accident, King, so don't worry everything's okay now."
Eda chimed in.
"Yeah, everything's okay now King. I wasn't upset I was just worried."
"But what about his arm?"
King pointed to Hunter. Hunter suddenly got an idea as he answered King.
"This was punishment for insulting the powerful King of demons. So, um, sorry for earlier today…"
Luz cocked an eyebrow at him, slightly amused.
So he does have some sense of imagination…. Even if what he said isn't about King…. He really meant to say Belos did this to me…. But I don' think he wants to tell them to King.
King looked at the bandages and then back to Hunter. He knew it was a lie but he didn't want to push Hunter for the truth. King thought if he did then Hunter might yell at him again.
"Oh, well I accept your apology and hereby decree that you will no longer have to be hurt for any misdeeds against me, King."
"Uuhh…Thanks."
Hunter answered. Eda cleared her throat, regaining everyone's attention. However, she was impressed at Hunter's apology. She didn't think he would actually apologize to King. Eda turned her attention to Lilith who was picking up the papers on the floor from Hunter's glyph practice.
"Lily, do you know what happened? Cause you actually seemed afraid."
Lilith stopped what she was doing and looked at Eda, afraid.
"No, I don't. I've never seen that in all my years of being the coven head. It looks… terrible."
She looked at Hunter. Pity in her eye.
"I'm sorry for everything. I didn't-"
He leaned into the couch and crossed his arms, looking at her annoyed. He didn't want her sympathy and he could feel the adrenaline wearing off and the exhaustion setting in.
"Save it. I don't want an apology from you."
Lilith frowned but nodded at him. She looked at Eda.
"Eda if the sigils can do that, maybe that's why Belos wants every witch to have a sigil before the day of unity."
"But the sigils can do something else, right? I mean I know when he used them the first time the people became all white-eyed and comatose. Maybe what happened to Hunter was a side-effect or a different spell?"
Luz added. Eda sighed.
"Look according to everyone. A sigil shows what coven you're in and as you know or maybe you forgot."
Eda looked at Luz when she said that.
"It seals away all other magic. If you have a bard sigil you can only do bard magic."
Eda glanced at Hunter, worried. His reaction to what happened to him made it clear that he didn't even know a sigil could do that.
Hunter didn't even know about the sigils coming to life and attacking the person that's marked. What else did Belos hide from him and everyone?
"Well if mine did that then, I'm guessing on the day of unity Belos will use the nine coven heads as a conduit for the draining spell and take everyone's magic. I can only imagine what it'll do to a witch with magic…. It may have been weakened since I don't have any magic."
Hunter chimed in, causing everyone to look at him. He could see them all looking at him wide-eyed, it was making him nervous.
"What? I just figured that out…. Doesn't that make sense? We know the day unity is going to be…"
He looked at King recalling what Eda said about him being younger than Luz and him.
"Really bad."
Hunter looked away from everyone sheepishly, hiding a yawn. Eda hummed for a moment.
Anyone with a sigil and magic can have that happen to them. So for someone with magic, it may act faster…. Was that thing supposed to overtake him in a matter of minutes? I guess it's a good thing he was here and not alone…. And that he doesn't have much magic… I don't care what he says he has to have some magic to use his staff. There's no way his pailsman is that powerful without him having some kind of magic. Luz can't do any spells with Owlbert, she can only fly with him, but Hunter… He can do, actually spells. I heard about his fight with Amity at Eclipse Lake.
Eda pinched the bridge of her nose.
"Alright, this is a lot and it's late. We're all going to bed and we'll discuss it in the morning."
Lilith looked at Eda, surprised.
Eda really!? She doesn't want to find out why it…. Probably Belos's doing…. Well, it is almost midnight. We should go to bed.
"Eda's right. We should rest and discuss this in the morning."
Luz yawned.
"Yeah but-"
"No buts we're going to bed even if some of us can't-"
Eda stopped as she looked at Hunter surprised. He had fallen asleep in a matter of minutes. Eda whispered
"He's asleep."
"What was that?"
Luz asked. Eda looked over to Luz and then to Lilith. Eda pointed to Hunter saying quietly.
"Hunters asleep…. He fell asleep. It's the first time since he got here that he fell asleep on his own. No stress causing him to pass out, just natural sleep."
They glanced over at him, seeing that he was asleep. Luz cooed an idea popping into her head. She went upstairs. Eda thought to herself.
I can't believe he fell asleep…. Then again he has been exhausted for hours, he just stubbornly refused to obey his body's need for sleep… He actually looks at peace…. Maybe he'll actually sleep tonight.
Luz came back with her sleeping bag. Eda raised her eyebrows in surprise.
"Luz, what are you doing?"
"Well, Hunter's asleep and you're not going to move him. So, I figured, we'll have a sleepover in the living room."
King hopped down onto Luz's sleeping bag and curled up on it.
"Yeah, that's a good idea Luz."
Eda was about to protest but could see that Luz was also tired. Luz looked at Eda, a pleading look on her face. Eda sighed in defeat as she went over to the couch and lightly shook Hunter. He woke up, barely.
"Wha?"
"Lay down, sleeping while sitting up can't be good for you."
Hunter cocked his head, doing as he was told. Retorting barely.
"I'm not asleep."
"Sure you aren't."
Eda replied as she grabbed the blanket she had placed next to him and placed it over him. Eda looked at Luz.
"Alright Luz you two can stay down here but if anything happens you call me immediately. Got it?"
Luz nodded her head as she curled into her sleeping bag. Eda made her way over to Hooty.
"Hooty, you better keep up with all the defenses you got. And don't you dare fall asleep."
"I'm sure Hootcifer won't fail us, Eda. Right Hootcifer?"
"You can count on me."
Hooty called out. Eda looked at him and eyed him as her and Lilith ascended the stairs.
Eda hummed as she looked at Lilith.
"Lily, I don't like them being down there. Even if we were down there with them I still don't want them down there. I don't like it."
"Edalyn they'll be fine. Hootcifer is on patrol and he won't let anything happen to them. He's a very capable demon, bird, worm thing."
Eda sighed heavily, pulling on her hair.
"I know but still. Belos wants Hunter and probably Luz too. He already sent that message, so who knows what else he'll do…. He already tried to kill one of them, twice."
Eda held up two fingers as she scowled at Lilith. Lilith looked at Eda, concerned.
"Eda if you're that worried then just stay downstairs. Or bring them up to their beds."
Eda sighed.
"It's not that simple."
Lilith cocked an eyebrow at her, waiting for her to explain. Eda crossed her arms.
"Look, Hunter told me he only gets three to four hours of sleep normally. And he did sleep for three hours today but he also had a roller coaster of emotions today. So him falling asleep on the couch, by choice, was surprising. And I can't just pick him up and put him to bed. He's clearly touch-starved and any kind of contact without his approval freaks him out…. I didn't want to wake him and then have him not go back to sleep, he needs the rest. And Luz looked excited to do her sleepover idea…. I didn't want to disappoint her. I just want them to have some kind of normal day after everything that happened. Especially Hunter; that one is more traumatized than Luz."
Lilith gave Eda a hug, showing her support.
"Oh, Edalyn, you care so much for both of them. It's nice to see you care so deeply for others…. We'll figure something out."
Lilith let go of Eda and started heading for her old room. Eda grabbed her shoulder stopping her.
"Sorry, Lily but I gave your room away to Hunter and I don't think we should touch anything in there."
Lilith scowled at Eda.
Why does it seem like he receives everything I used to have?
"Alright, Eda. Where would you like to have me stay?"
Eda smiled at her and led her to her last spare bedroom.