The sound of my coughing sent a chill up my spine. Every time I heard it the image of Edric's blood splattering on the desk he clung to popped up in my mine. It made sense that all of the witches on the third floor would be affected by the foreign mold upstairs, but I was a human. The fact I was starting to cough, meant I'd been living in it for too damn long.
I lifted my arm to my mouth, not only to prevent germs but also to muffle the horrid sound. I stopped walking for a moment as my lungs struggled to take air in.
Eventually I made it to where I wanted to go. I knocked on the open door with one hand while I held a tray of food with the other.
"Soups on!" I called to Emira as gently as I could. The witch just gawked at me for a moment. I could tell by the look in her dull golden eyes she was confused about something.
"That's not what I ordered".
"It's just an expression" I clarified. "It means your food is ready".
It didn't look like she heard my answer. She was too busy thinking. About what, who knows? But whatever it was it had a majority of her attention.
"Luz," she said as if she just noticed I was there. "It's you".
"Yep, it's me" I responded while giving Emira a welcoming smile. "And your lunch".
"It's about time. I've been waiting for you all day". I jokingly rolled my eyes at that, putting her lunch down on the bed stand beside her.
"You just ordered it a half hour ago".
"I'm not talking about my lunch, Luz" she went on. "I'm talking about you".
"You wanted to see me?" I questioned. "Why?".
In response, the older witchling sat up. Her balance was still out of whack, but it had been getting better. She could nearly walk on her own.
"Follow me" she rasped.
Emira slipped out of the bed and onto her feet. I rushed over to her side but didn't grab onto her, lest I feel the Blight's wrath.
She hobbled to the broken balcony, the thing responsible for her horrible head injury. Opening the doors, we wandered outside. The fresh air and sunlight were no longer blocked by the red barrier. It had temporarily come down after Edric fell ill, and the killer left it that way until his next batch of guests entered the hotel at the start of next week.
"Isn't it nice out?" Emira purred. She spread her arms out like a bird sunning itself. "I've missed the sunlight".
I took a moment to let the sun's rays sink into me. I took a deep breath, letting the fresh air fill my lungs.
"Yeah," I sighed in bliss. "This is nice".
Emira closed her eyes after looking at the bright blue sky. She grimaced for a moment, the light stinging her sensitive eyes, but she then continued smiling. Part of me wondered if she wanted to be out in the sun, or if she just wanted to prove a point.
"Is this why you wanted to see me? You wanted me to get some sunlight?".
"You could learn something from the sun, Luz," she hmmed. "Just like you, it's more than a ball of light. It's a raging fire, a fire more powerful than anything on the isles".
"Are you saying I'm the most powerful thing on the isles?".
"Embrace the sun, Luz". When I just stared at her confusedly, she pushed. "Go on. Do it".
"How do I do that?".
The injured witch responded by stretching her arms out more. I joined her. My arms rose from my side and soaked in the sun. I closed my eyes as I did so. I tried to just focus on the heat welcoming me, but I couldn't.
The quiet just made my thoughts swarm. All the stress on my shoulders suddenly grew heavy again. In the darkness, I saw Amiya, her abdomen split open as her blood raced away from it. Then I saw Amity. I saw the lightless look in her once bright golden eyes. I could smell her blood that stained the carpet. I could hear the sound of the elevator crashing over and over again.
My precious lemon drop, my Agridulce, didn't deserve this! Nobody did!
The images of all the other bears being slaughtered came rushing back to me at once. Juvencus's cries rang in my ears. The sight of my classmates lying lifelessly on the ground after the savagescent incident and the kitchen raid, watching those same classmates be killed again and again while stuck in those stupid human suits, was almost too much to bear!
The feeling of the wind brushed up against me, bringing me back to the present. I opened my eyes to see the barrier still gone, a fiery determination having appeared. I turned towards Emira to find she was now looking at me, a smile resting on her face.
"We need to strike now" I shouted in realization. "This needs to end now!".
The witch next to me just laughed.
"It's about time". When I didn't respond she added, "You said "now" didn't you? Go on. Get outta here".
I made it to the balcony door before I turned back around.
"Do you need help getting back to–".
"Piss off, Luz".
Despite having trouble breathing, I ran down the hallway as fast as I could. I nearly jumped the whole first staircase as I traversed the stairwell. I didn't exactly know where Amiyah was, but the first floor was a good place to look.
I burst into the lobby, passing my mother at the front desk. As I expected Willow and Gus were sitting at one of the tables talking to Amiyah. Boscha and her crew, minus Amelia who was currently lying lifeless in the basement, were at a table not too far away from them.
Amiyah's face flushed when she noticed me, her amber eyes sparkling in the lobby light. We hadn't spoken to each other after the kiss, both of us being too nervous to bring it up. Honestly, I was still kind of stunned by it. Ever since the elevator fell, I wanted nothing more than for Amity to remember the love we shared.
"Hey, Luz," she mumbled when I approached her. "About yest–".
"Hang onto that thought, hermosa (beautiful). I need to talk to you about something".
"Something more important than…". Amiyah's embarrassment made her thoughts slide to a halt. "You…you know".
"Your sisters had another vision".
"She has?" Gus asked from beside her.
"For titan's sake" Boscha griped. "Do we have to freak out over everything Emira says".
"Do you have to bitch about it every time she says something?" Amiyah snapped back, protective of her sick sister.
"What did she see?" Willow prodded. "And how will it help us escape?".
"I don't know what she saw. But I do know what I saw".
"You had a vision?" Gus asked, his remaining blue eye going wide in interest.
"Yes…no… I don't know" I stammered before jumping straight back into it. "But Emira had me bask in the sun this morning and I started thinking–".
"I wasn't aware you could do that". Boscha's scoff irritated the bear sitting next to her.
"Give her a chance to speak," Skyler pressed. That was all the triclops needed to go silent.
"We need to attack now, while the barrier's down. If we time our attack right, when the bears come back to life, then they can escape while we hold the killer back".
"But if we wait too long, we'll miss our chance" Willow pointed out, uncertainty seeping from her.
"And what about the fire premonition?" Cat added.
I brought my attention back to the bear in front of me. My gaze pinned her down, urgency making my vivid eyes glisten.
"That's what I need to talk to you about" I said, my voice filled with earnestness. "It's time, time for light to become fire and Blight and Bane to bind".
"And how are we supposed to do that?".
"I…don't know. But it's going to happen and according to all of Emira's visions, it has to happen now".
Amiyah stared at me, silent, for a moment. Her gaze looked for any direction, the weight on her shoulders clearly overwhelming her.
"We can do this, Agridulce" I went on. "It's literally our destiny".
The bear nodded, then rose to her feet.
"Let's head to the third floor. We don't want the killer to see us congregating".
"And what about us?" Gus asked.
"We'll spread our plan by word of mouth" Amiyah answered before I could. "We'll share any ideas we have today with you later tonight when the killers asleep. We can plan then".
How she could go from being a blushing gay mess to speaking so matter-of-factly, I'd never know. But I was glad to see her hesitancy disappear.
Amity had always been so confident, even when facing the man who'd eventually kill her. That didn't change after the elevator fell. She still had that same strong valor fueled by her kind heart. If you ask me, she was already an amalgamation of beauty. Amity's soul and Amiyah's spirit had truly created something wonderful.
"You guys should all do the same," I added, my pride in Amiyah turning into a courage of its own. "Sometime today make a small group and go somewhere the killer can't see you and discuss any ideas you might have".
"I don't know about that" Boscha spoke up, for once not sarcastically. "All our different ideas might not fit cleanly".
"Maybe not, but it'll make planning easier if we already have suggestions" Skyler argued, her irritation having left.
Amiyah walked over to my side and nodded, silently signaling she was ready to go. It felt so natural to have her there, as if she belonged beside me. I just felt much more…whole. It felt like I was a stronger person when I was with her.
We only waited until we made it to the stairwell to start talking.
"So, Emira's prophecy, the Blight and Bane one? How exactly did that go again?".
It took me a moment to respond. It had been a little while since Amity had first said it. Hell, it felt like an eternity had passed after our first night in the hotel.
"Blight and Bane will be melded into an amalgamation of beauty. The feeling so familiar yet entirely new".
"So that's all we have to work with?". Amiyah sighed in disappointment. "Of course,".
"Emira at first thought you would get your memories back. I guess that's kind of true".
"But I don't remember being Amity other than those other dreams". Amiyah's shoulders sank as she refused to look at me. "Emira says I'll never be Amity again. But I'm supposed to be! What else would the Blight part of that mean?".
"Well, you're still a Blight, right?" I asked as we entered my hotel room. "Emira's still your sister. Edric's still your brother".
"Yeah, I guess". I led Amiyha to the side of my bed with my arm. We both sat at the edge of it, the mattress falling a little under our combined weight.
"But you're still Amiyah Bane".
"Am I?".
"That's who you've been for nearly a month now".
The bear went silent. Her thoughts were so tangled up she could no longer put them in words. Despite the low amount of light in my room, I could see her amber eyes glistened in sorrow. What the killer did to her was such a large change of direction in her life, and she had to come to terms with it while dealing with said killer. She had to put coming to terms with that on pause so she could live up to that one prophecy.
"What about the fire thing?" the teen asked, possibly changing the subject. "Everyone says that's about you".
"Light shall become a blazing flame" I uttered. "That's about me. My name means light after all. But how I turn into a "fire lit by grief" I'm not sure".
"Who says it hasn't already happened?".
Confusion made my breath hitch. It couldn't have been that easy.
"What do you mean?".
"Well look at what you've already done, Luz''. Amiyah's voice was as soft as silk, the small smile on her face like a comforting blanket. "You gave up your own freedom for all eternity just so your classmates wouldn't have to stay in this place any longer. And you helped all of us bears get our memories back".
"But Edric was the one to show you the truth" I argued. "And Emira's the one who thought of the pen pal thing".
"But you wrote all those letters, right?".
"I'm not the only pen pal, but yes. I wrote all the letters to you" I admitted. The girl next to me let out a "ha!".
"I knew it had to be you," she cheered. "You're Y.F.H".
"Your favorite human" I confirmed. "Though, I'm not quite sure that's true".
"I haven't met many humans, apparently, but I already know you're my favorite".
Both our faces went red. Amiyah broke her gaze, shifting it to the side. I let out a nervous chuckle as my hand went straight for the back of my neck.
"We're supposed to be thinking about an escape plan".
"No, Luz," Amiyah said after a moment. "We need to talk about yesterday".
"Alright" I began anxiously. "So…You…um…You love me?".
The bear stammered a bit before answering.
"I…think I do. I trust you. You make me feel safe and happy. Each moment I spend with you is precious to me".
Her words made my heart swell with joy. A few stray tears pushed their way out of my eyes. I hadn't felt so relieved since the day Amity agreed to be my girlfriend. To hear her say she loved me again was enough to bring me back to life.
I adored everything about Amiyah. The light in her beautiful amber eyes, the sound of her voice, that sweet soft gentle voice, all of it made me happy in a way nothing else could. And she felt the same.
I loved Amiyah, and Amiyah loved me.
"Agridulce," I choked as a lump of joy climbed from my belly to my throat. "You don't know how much that means to me".
"I think I do" she hummed as she grabbed my cold calloused hands with her own. They were so warm in comparison. "You mean just as much to me".
"Amiyah?". My heart was going a mile a minute. "Would you…uh…do you wanna be my girlfriend again?".
She beamed at me. Her certainty made her perk up, a giant smile forming on her face. My smile was just as wide. I'd waited so long for this moment, and now it was actually happening!
"Of course not!".
The shrill cry from the hallway pulled our attention away from one another. Standing impatiently at my door was everyone's least favorite hag. She must've sensed her daughter was happy and just had to ruin the moment for her.
"And what do you mean by "again"?!".
Right, nobody ever told her or her husband. I guess all lies come out eventually.
"So, funny story. Me and your daughter were sort of dating before she died".
"And we're dating again," Amiyah added. I squeed and wrapped my arms around my girlfriend.
"No, no, no, no. You can't be serious. You want to date a criminal?".
"Aren't you a criminal?" I smoothly questioned. "Or is child abuse not a crime here?".
"I don't know what Amity told you, but I have never harmed any of my children" Odalia scoffed, totally offended.
"That's a barn full of bullshit! Do you or do you not make your daughter skip meals and stay up half the night?" I growled. "And let's not forget about the attempted child murder".
"Oh, please. Will you ever let that go?".
"Stop hurting your children and I might consider it".
Amiyah lightly bumped me on the arm, her mini scowl telling me to behave. She then bravely faced her mother. A familiar look of apathy fell onto her face.
"Do you need anything from either of us?".
"It's time for your lesson" the older witch stated.
Amiyah's posture became rigid. Her back straightened while she grew more attentive.
"Oh". She turned to me apologetically. "Sorry, Luz. I have to go".
"Lesson? What is she teaching you" I pressed.
Worry rose from within me. I could only imagine what the wicked witch was telling her child. What skills did she even have to offer? How to manipulate your loved ones? Making your family hate you 101?
"I'm teaching her the power of the soul. As you know she is simply a ghost inside of an inorganic object".
"You have ghost powers?!".
Excitement flowed through my veins. I had seen oracle students summon spirits during classes at Hexide countless times and some of the stuff they could do was just plain amazing. You had your normal ghost stuff like phasing through things and telling the future, but they could also do things like create huge balls of fire and cut their foes with the sharpest nails possible!
"That's what we theorize," Odalia responded. "But she's yet to successfully use them".
"That's what the training's for" Amiyah pressed. "I'll get it eventually".
"Do you mind if I watch?".
"Amiyah doesn't need the dis–".
"Sure!" Amiyah answered, an excitement of her own forming. "It'll be nice to have some support.
The glare I received from Odalia as Amiyah rested her hand on my shoulder was priceless. She may have been a strong witch, but our love gave her a run for her money.
The three of us headed down to the second floor, to the nook with the entrance to the elevator shaft. The sight still stabbed me despite all of the glyph lessons I had held in front of it. The red stain on the floor made the whole scene play in my head over and over again.
Amiyah started her training by sitting on said blood stains. She put her hand up against the frame of the elevator doors. She then closed her eyes and softened her breathing.
"What is she doing?" I whispered.
"In that traumatic moment, her soul left traces of its agony. She's trying to rekindle her soul's strength by experiencing its echoes".
"What do you feel?" Odalia asked the bear after a little while.
"I can hear screaming. Just like always".
"Anything else?".
Amiyah took another minute to soak in her surroundings before answering.
"I feel fear, but not a fear of dying. I'm worried about someone, someone who's in danger. I don't know where they are or what's happening to them but the very thought of them getting hurt…Luz".
"What?" the older witch and I questioned in unison.
"I'm worried about Luz. She's missing and I can't find her".
"Good". I scowled at Odalia as she continued. "That strong emotion. Your worry, your agony…your love. Feel its energy well inside of you, then let it out".
Amiyah stuck both of her hands out, palms up, and held them together. She gritted her teeth together in deep concentration. Her eyes scrunched shut as she locked away her other senses.
Then a purple light appeared in the elevator.
The sound of my elated gasp brought Amiyah back to the present. It took her a moment to process what she saw in front of her, and as soon as she noticed it the tiny flame in her hand flickered away, but the bear eventually realized what had just happened.
"You did it" I cheered. "You actually did it!".
Despite my celebration, Amiyah seemed disappointed in herself.
"That won't be enough to stop the killer" she sighed as she rose to her feet. She gazed over at her mother, sadly waiting for her disappointment. But that never came.
"I'll be damned" her mother quietly gasped, her surprise making her collected apathy melt like snow.
"Look at that". I pointed at the momentarily stunned woman. "Even your mom's impressed".
"I wouldn't say "impressed". You've still got a long way to go" she huffed. But she then smiled at her daughter. Her once icy eyes slightly glistened with her pride, which she of course was trying to stifle. "But I guess it is possible. Well done".
Despite the very, very, rare occurrence of her mother praising her, Amiyah still looked unsure.
"We don't have time for me to have "a long way to go". I need to learn how to control that power by the end of this week!".
"No, you don't" I pushed. I grabbed my girlfriend by her shoulders and gave her a determined, white-toothed smile. "It only takes a spark to start a fire, and that right there was a spark".
"And fire will set us free," Amiyah murmured.
"That's right! We will be free again!". I then faced Odalia, my enthusiasm slightly annoying her. "I think I have a plan, but I'm gonna need your help".