"Emboldened by the dishonor Hecate had shown, Azura lifted her staff to the cotton-candy skies and shouted, "I challenge you to a witch's duel!". My shout rang through the air. The enthusiasm in my voice made King's yellow eyes attentively grow wide.
It warmed my heart to see the furry demon so enraptured in my favorite book series (or any series really). The look in his eyes, the way he sat forward at the exciting parts, it was enough to make an Azura nerd weep.
And apparently, King wasn't the only one tangled in it. Amity was captivated by the magic of literature as well.
I held onto the amulet as I read, hoping that Amity might miraculously get hooked, and we could enjoy the series together. I didn't know a lot of Azura fans in the human realm. The only people who would talk to me about it were some people online and my mom, the latter having no clue what I was talking about. And I hadn't met anyone in the demon realm who had heard of the books before.
I had just assumed that the books didn't exist there, but I supposed I assumed wrong. As I read the last line, a small squee could be heard from the amulet. And that squee was no ordinary squee. That was the squee of a fan whose head cannon just became regular cannon.
"What was that I just heard?" I asked the gem around my neck.
"What?" she asked back, obviously flustered. "What was what?".
"What was that squee about?".
"Squee? That wasn't a squee it was simply…a ghostly moan".
"The ghostly moan of a soon to be Azura fan?". When Amity sat there in silence, I pushed a little more. "Do you ship Heczura yet?".
"Okay" Amity breathed out. "Don't make this a bigger deal than it is but…I've shipped them since book one".
"So have I– Wait! Did you just say book one?!". Despite not being able to see her, I stared down at Amity completely flabbergasted. "You're an Azura fan?! I didn't even think you got these here in the demon realm! ".
"Yes. For a couple years now" the ghost answered, her voice lined with embarrassment. "Though, I think I'm the only one. Everyone else I've shown it to thinks they're garish or childish".
"Because they are," Eda groaned from the other side of her stand. "It's flowery language is an insult to witches, and it's scaring off our customers".
"Eda?" I responded as my gaze roamed from side to side. "The market's about as dead as Amity is".
Suddenly, a small shot of electricity zapped from the stone I was holding on to. It didn't hurt too bad, but it startled me for sure.
"Too soon?" I sheepishly laughed.
"What do you think?".
"This is a bad omen," Eda continued melodramatically. "There must be something horrible going on today".
The sound of footsteps quickly ended our discourse. I quickly let go of the charm, cutting off Amity's communication of the outside world.
"Hey, Luz" a familiar voice somberly called out. The owner of the voice, a raven haired witchling, trotted up to me. A younger witch was right behind her, his steps a bit more lively but still delicate.
"Willow. Gus" I welcomed. "What brings you to this neck of the woods?".
"Woods?" Gus questioned while his blue eyes lit in confusion. I'm sure Willow's did too, but her green eyes were hidden by the glare on her glasses.
"Human expression," I explained in a rush. "So, what's on the agenda for today?".
"Well, first of all, we wanted to see how you were doing after… uh… you know". Willow spoke softly, as if she was consulting a scared child.
"Right," I sighed. "I…".
How did I feel? Yes, things between me and Amity had become a lot less tense since that day, but I still felt bad for what happened to her. It didn't matter what the late witchling, or anyone else said, sneaking myself into Hexside was my idea. And good intentions or not, it led to her death no matter what way you spun it.
"And now she was stuck inside of a piece of jewelry all alone" I sighed silently. "Forced to live with the person who killed her".
"I know she wasn't very nice, but I feel really bad for Amity".
"Don't blame yourself" Gus said while Willow's gaze fell to the ground. I could see her tense and clench her jaw. "Amity was the one with the knife".
"It doesn't matter whose fault it is," Willow suddenly snapped, baring her fangs like a wild animal. Immediately realizing she lost her temper, the broader witch steadied herself. Her eyes left the ground and met mine, the hurt swimming in them extremely subtle. "What matters is that it happened and that it's done and over with".
Maybe it was because of what Amity said while fighting with her siblings, but I could practically see the grief radiating off of my friend like smoke from a fire. Even though they stopped being friends a long time ago, Amity's death had to've opened some old wounds. Or perhaps it infected wounds that Amity kept opening over the years.
"Well," Gus drawled "In lighter news, guess who the newest member of the plant track?".
"Really?" I asked while perking up a bit.
"Yep" Willow confirmed, becoming a bit livelier herself. "After I brought you into Hexide, he and I talked about it. I showed him a bit of plant magic–".
"It wasn't just "a bit" of plant magic" Gus jumped in. "She covered the entire auditorium with vines!".
Our friend's enthusiasm made Willow chuckle. Though her laugh sounded tired, strained even.
"Principal Bump said he was impressed and here we are," she finished.
"That's great news!" I cheered. Leaping over the table in front of me, albeit very ungracefully, I threw the new plant witch into a hug. "You'll be top student for sure!".
I felt Willow flinch in my arms. That last comment stung, but Willow didn't say anything. Instead, she returned the hug, trying to push her grief behind her diluted excitement.
I'd never come even close to understanding how Willow felt. Amity had been so cruel to the poor witchling for years. But, on the other hand, the two of them used to be the closest of friends. And the fact that Amity never wanted to sever her friendship with her just added a whole other layer to the whole situation.
Noticing how uncomfortable Willow was getting, Gus changed the subject again. He pulled out a sheet of paper and showed it to me.
"The annual Covention is today. Representatives of a bunch of different covens to help students pick one. And bonus, there's a mystery guest this year".
"A job fair for witches!" I gasped. I turned to Eda, about to explode in excitement. "Can we go?!".
"Absolutely not," she growled as she grimaced in disgust. "I never joined a coven for a reason, you know. Yes, they're like a fun club for witches, but they also suck any magical individuality from you like…" Eda quickly rummaged through her display. She pulled out an old, damaged hand vacuum cleaner. "... like this thing, which you can have for four-hundred snails".
Gus's eyes widened as he stared at the human artifact in curiosity. He went to grab the money in his pocket, but Willow stopped him. She deadpanned at the price my mentor was asking for.
"Besides. There are some witches you really need to avoid, remember".
"Right,". I sank a little. "If the Blights see me there, they'll have my head".
"You won't find any of them there" Gus pressed. "Mr. and Mrs. Blight are too busy, and her siblings wouldn't be caught dead at something like this".
"You really should go," Willow added. "It'll help take your mind off of things".
My emotions clashed like waves against a cliff. I really wanted to go. Not only would this give me a chance to hang out with Willow and Gus, but I'd get to see all of the different types of magic there was. It could've helped me discover more glyphs. And, who knows, maybe one day I could even join a coven!
But, if I went, I'd be putting Amity in danger. Gus sounded pretty sure they wouldn't be, but there was still a chance that any of the Blights would be there. There were only two of them I was hiding from. Running into the twins might've actually been a good thing, since they'd get to check up on their little sister. But if Odalia was there for any particular reason, I could only imagine what would happen to the both of us.
"Give me a second" I said while rushing into the tent behind us.
As quietly as I could, I let Amity out of the amulet. She was smart, wasn't she? She could help me decide.
When the purple flames flickered away, I was met with Amity's wide glowing eyes.
"What's going on?" she asked, worry lining her voice. The spirit scanned her surroundings as she spoke. "What did you do?".
"Willow and Gus– Wait. What do you mean "what did I do?".
The witch's concern flattened. Seeing that the situation wasn't emergent she tossed her initial fretfulness into the wind.
"You wouldn't've let me out if something wasn't wrong. Right?".
"There's nothing wrong" I huffed. "And, even if there was, who says it would be my fault".
"What do you want, Luz?" Amity deadpanned. She began to tap her foot impatiently as she crossed her arms.
"Willow and Gus say something called the covention is happening today. I really want to go but going might put you at risk of being found".
The Blight softened with a sigh. All of the irritation that was there a moment ago was washed away by my concern. Why that was, I don't know. Honestly it was kind of fascinating how quickly the grumpy witch's mood could change.
"You don't have to worry about me, Luz. My parents shouldn't be there".
"That's what Gus said, but we don't know that for sure".
"I've lived with them for all of my life." she confidently reassured. "I'm as sure as anyone can get".
"But what if–".
"Luz". Amity's voice was both firm and sympathetic, like a war hero that took up babysitting. "The whole idea of trapping someone's soul into an amulet, sure it can be done, but it's not something anyone sane would do. To everyone other than you guys, my siblings, and my mom, that's just a regular piece of jewelry".
"So, I can go?" I asked, involuntarily showing the witchling my puppy dog eyes.
"As long as you don't go flinging that thing around, it should be fine". Without giving either of us a chance to reply, I sent Amity back into the amulet. I raced back out to Willow and Gus. As I jumped on top of the table I shouted, "Let's go, witches".
"Fine" Eda groaned while my two friends cheered. "But we're not staying long".
The covention was just as fascinating as I imagined. There were booths everywhere, each with witches showing off their magical talents. First there were the "main nine" as Willow called it. I'd already seen abomination and plant magic in action, and the necklace around my neck was an example of oracle magic. But there was also stuff like illusions, which Gus specialized in, beast keeping, healing, potions, and even construction magic. The construction and healing coven both used glyphs, just like I did.
Then there were other more specific covens like the baker's coven, carnivorous plant coven, menders coven. There was even one called the tiny cat coven. I don't think I'd ever be able to choose just one. There were just too many interesting ones.
"Wow! Acceptance? Comradery? A sense of belonging? Covens sound incredible!". My attention moved towards my mentor who had the biggest grumpy frown on her face.
"How come you've never joined one?".
"Watch closely, Luz" she responded while turning me towards the illusion coven's stand.
There sat a curly haired teen in an illusion track uniform. He was showing two other witches his wrist; one of them delicately waved their hand over it, making a mirror appear on his skin. From that mirror, blue magic traveled through his veins making the witchling look a little drained.
"When you join a coven, all your other magic is sealed away. From now on, that kid will only be able to make illusions. But, since I never joined a coven, I can do every kind of magic". As a way to brag, the older witch summoned a few mini spells.
Eda continued to walk forwards. Willow, Gus, and I, fully intrigued, trotted after her.
The owl lady had a good point. Joining a coven took away any other type of magic? But what if you choose the wrong one? I shivered at the thought. What if Willow never left the abomination track? Would she have to have joined the abomination coven and give up all of her plant magic forever?
But now she was in the plant track. She knew for sure that plant magic was her calling. So joining the plant coven would be great for her, right?
I glanced over at the aforementioned witch. Just like earlier, her gaze was dejectedly on the ground. It was very clear to see her mind wasn't completely in the covention center with us.
"This was supposed to be a distraction for her. I guess it wasn't a big enough one" I thought with a quiet sigh.
The presentation for the emperor's coven, the isle's law keepers, didn't help make my mind up on the whole coven thing. Yes, they got to keep all their magic, but only the most well-behaved witches could join their ranks. The way Amity and the twins talked about it; it seemed like you had to give up your entire life to be chosen.
Though, the most fascinating part of the presentation was the mystery guest. As soon as I saw Eda's reaction, I knew that witch and her had a history.
"Do you know her?" I whispered.
"You could say that" she murmured back.
Yep. Eda knew her and knew her well. And this wasn't a whole outlaw versus the head of the police force relationship. They had a deeper connection. I would have to bug the older woman about it later when I also bugged her about this sister she had.
"Wait!" I whisper-shouted. "She's your sister, isn't she?!".
All Eda could do was stare down her. A storm of emotions brewed in her yellow eyes, all negative and bittersweet.
"I will uncover your mysterious past, owl lady" I muttered quietly in determination. "Even if it's the last thing I do".
"Alright, kid" Eda grumbled as we both left the auditorium. "You've had your fun. Time to go home and wash all this con funk off".
"But, Eda," I whined. "We've only been here an hour".
"Which means we've been here an hour too long. I mean, seriously. I don't know about humans, but a witch can only take so much propaganda before we pop". My mentor started her trek to the entrance. "Meet me outside when you're done being brainwashed".
When the graying witch left my sight, I felt a small tap on my shoulder. I spun around to find a witchling, about my age, staring back at me. The way he smiled, stood, and his icy blue eyes shone, he had a cool aura glowing off of him. Yet, the most noticeable thing about his appearance was the nasty scar over his eye.
"I saw you with Willow earlier. Are you, her friend?". His voice was as smooth as butter.
"Yep" I responded, popping the p at the end.
"So, you're the one who snuck into Hexide?".
My heart fell to my stomach. He didn't seem angry about the ordeal. He actually looked excited about it. But any mention of what happened poured salt into that still open wound.
"Yeah" I uttered while shame sat on my shoulders. "That was me".
The strange, speckled witch gave me a large white toothed, which were as sharp as a shark's by the way, smile. He excitedly offered me his hand.
"Hot damn" he cheered. "It's nice to meet you".
"Er… you too?" I greeted, very very confused. I tried my best to smile while shaking his hand but instead I just looked like I sat on a cactus.
"The names Katif. And you are…".
"I'm Luz, the human". That made his eyes widen in surprise.
"A human?" he repeated. "How'd you wind up here?".
That was quite the long story. I was basically kidnapped after chasing a wooden owl who stole my book out of the trash. Then, the woman who abducted me took me to a prison to get a burger queen crown. And then I caused a prison riot after the warden literally cut that women's head off.
But I wasn't about to tell a random stranger that. So, I settled with, "Just walked through a portal door".
"Well, glad you're here, Luz. You really did us all a favor".
"I… I did?". Now he didn't say it really ominously, but I had a really strange feeling that the favor he thought I did wasn't a good one.
"Yeah. Amity's dead cause of you, isn't she?".
I knew I wouldn't like his answer, but… ¡Mierda! My jaw nearly dropped to the floor.
She was mean. The first time I ever saw her she was making fun of a witch who used to be her friend and she threatened to cut me open. But how could anyone be happy about what happened to her? She didn't just die. Her death was slow, terrifying, and bloody!
"How is that doing you a favor?!" I questioned, not hiding my horror. And in response, the teen started chuckling!
"Trust me. It was a huge favor. That witch was a hellhound to the core, believe me". Katif's merriment evaporated. He pointed at the splintering scar over his left eye. "See this here? The two of us trained under Miss Lilith together, and one day, while the two of us were sparring, she sent a chunk of hardened abomination goo straight toward my face. And while I was bleeding out on the ground, she just stared at me like I was trash. If anyone's trash, it's her hateful ass".
"I know she wasn't the nicest witch, and I'm sorry about your eye" I began. "But that doesn't mean she deserved to die".
"Course it does," Katif laughed, humorlessly this time. "She was nothing but a pain to everyone. I bet there's not a single witch here that misses her".
"What about her family?!".
"Screw them too! The Blight's are nothing but a bunch of rich ass criminals".
No matter how long I incredulously stared at him, he didn't back down. This witch wholeheartedly believed that Amity deserved to die, and he was happy about it!
"Don't tell me you're defending a witch like her" he growled through his teeth. My shock lit into a protective anger.
"As a matter of fact, I am". I dauntingly stepped forwards; my chest puffed out.
"Why are you vouching for her? You didn't even know her!".
"That doesn't matter! Amity had to mean something to someone! She wasn't this evil mastermind from a 1940's cartoon! She was a living person who just lost their life!".
"You didn't care about her when you killed her! Why do you care so much now?!".
That didn't just sting, that stabbed like a cleaver. I didn't hate Amity! I didn't want her dead, especially now!
Over the time she'd spent with us, Amity started to show her softer side. She wasn't a heartless monster. She was an angry kid who didn't get treated right. She was a student forced to give up everything for a dream she never wanted. She was the witch that helped me fight Eda's beast form and discover a way to do magic.
Amity Bligh was my friend. And if there was any way I could go back, if I could save her, I would in a heartbeat. No matter how many lives she made miserable in the past.
"You're right," I admitted. "But that doesn't mean I don't care about her now. It's the least I can do after I took her life".
My valor made the miffed witch roll his eyes. His deadpan rivaled that of Amity's.
"Titan. It sounds like you're challenging me to a witches' duel".
I wasn't thinking, or at least, I wasn't thinking clearly. I was too high on my own self-made heroics. Under my anger was a fiery excitement that clouded my senses.
"I am".
"What?".
"Katif whatever your last name is, just like The Good Witch Azura said when facing down her rival Hecate at the Bog of Immediate Regret... I challenge you to a Witch's Duel!".
The gray witch's amusement returned. His eyes lit up while he started to laugh.
"You're kidding?". I didn't respond. I only glared up at him threateningly. "Okay, bring it on".
