"Luz". I delicately touched my daughter's shoulder and gave it a small shake. "¿Cariño?".

The young teen raised her head. She pushed her scruffy brown hair back revealing a saddening sight. Her clammy grayish caramel skin and her baggy sunken eyes shook me to my core, yet I still tried to keep a motherly smile on my face.

"Buenos días, mija (good morning, daughter)" I whispered softly.

"Buenos días, mami" Luz yawned back. "Is there something wrong?".

"No. I was just wondering if you wanted to join me for breakfast".

Luz scowled at my suggestion. The word breakfast had hit a nerve within her, instantly putting the girl in a bad mood.

"I'm not hungry," she muttered as she laid her head back down on her pillow.

That was a lie, at least partially. She may have had no appetite, but Luz hadn't eaten anything in the last twenty-four hours. She slept for most of them, mind you, but sleep doesn't make the need to eat go away.

"That's okay" I sighed, despite wanting to argue. "But you can still come sit downstairs with me. Maybe you can talk to Amiyah again".

The mention of… what was Emira calling them again? Bears? The mention of the bear made Luz wake up a little bit more. Her head popped back up, and she even shifted onto her elbows.

"Is she awake?" Luz asked, almost excitedly.

"I don't know" I slickly purred. "You'll just have to go downstairs and see".

My oldest went to push herself up and out of bed, but she paused. Her rheumy eyes widened for a moment, like she had just been reminded of something. Then the life drained out of her while her face sunk into a dejected frown.

"Sorry, mom" she rasped after plopping back into bed. "Maybe I'll go down later".

"But, Luz. You've been sleeping for quite a while now. It'll do you some good to get up and walk around".

"And I will, later. But I don't feel like getting up right now".

I carefully sat down on the side of the bed and placed my hand on Luz's back. She tensed at my touch, her glare only growing deeper.

"Can't you get breakfast by yourself?" she spat.

"I can," I answered calmly. "But I want you to come down with me. Everyone misses you".

"I don't see why" Luz muttered before realizing she said her thought aloud.

I could feel her back go rigid as she jumped in alarm. Her clenched jaw and the sudden fear that had flashed into her eyes brought her dread out into the open. She was bracing herself for my response, for my disappointment.

"Why wouldn't we? You're kind, creative–".

"I'm a screw up," Luz jumped in with a growl. "A screw up that got her family trapped inside a hotel with a killer".

Her words made my heart stop and ache all at the same time. It wasn't the first time my eldest daughter had felt like a failure. Both the children and the adults in our hometown had been very vicious and unforgiving when it came to her imagination, and she struggled with her grades on top of that. But she couldn't've possibly believed that everything that happened at the hotel was her fault. Between the incident with the poison, the rat fight, and her final deal with the owner of the hotel, she had saved everyone who was trapped there at least once.

"Bebé, you are not a screw up, and you're definitely not to blame for any of this".

"But I am! Principal Bump would've never chosen this place if one of his students weren't human!".

Ah, yes. Principal Bump: the witch who had almost gotten my child gutted. I had heard horror story after horror story about that man, how he forced his students to fight a nightmare monster every year and how he had a giant pit of monsters that he left misbehaving students to fend for themselves in. And, of course, let's not forget the time the school's P.T.A pressured him into scheduling a field trip, so he picked a place out in the middle of nowhere that was practically in shambles, forgot to assign chaperons, and signed a contract handing his student's souls over to an obviously unstable individual.

If it was anyone's fault, other than the killer himself that is, it was that sorry excuse for a witch my Luz called a principal.

"You and your classmates staying here was his choice, Luz, not yours" I argued while stifling my anger. "He should've been more careful about where he was sending a group of school children".

"Still, you wouldn't be stuck here if it weren't for me".

"That's not true. I doubt the spell that summoned us here–".

"That's not what I mean, mom!". My daughter's cry echoed through the dust-ridden hotel room. "The reason you're still trapped in this stupid hotel is because you don't want to leave me behind!".

"I don't want to leave you behind! I love you, mija!" I pressed desperately.

Frustration dug a pit in my stomach. I felt ready to burst! Why was Luz so against the idea of me caring about her? Wasn't that what I was supposed to do as her mother?

My oldest spotted my rising emotions. Her own frustration melted like ice, leaving the teen completely dispirited. She sunk back into the weathered torn-up mattress she was laying on after rolling over.

"I'll go downstairs in a little bit," Luz sighed. "But I'm a bit too tired to do it right now".

Despite the strong disappointment I was feeling, I decided to take it. I didn't want Luz to spend another second lying in bed, it was all she ever did besides her work around the hotel. But I was too afraid that, if I pushed anymore, my child would change her mind and not go downstairs at all.

"Okay, Luz. Hasta luego, cariño. (See you later, sweetie)". Luz sadly looked back at me from behind her shoulders. Her response was as weary as she was.

"Hasta luego, mamá".

…

The lobby was quiet, as to be expected at eight-thirty in the morning. There were a few people sitting in the dining area having breakfast or their morning coffee, but none of them I recognized. The only face I did recognize was standing across the way from them, behind the front counter.

Only half awake, one of the two older Blight children rested his head in his arms which were resting on the counter. His dark green hair was disheveled and scraggly, a tell tale sign of his diminishing personal hygiene. The child still bathed and washed his clothes, I hoped, but smaller things like brushing his hair and teeth were no longer in the teen's morning routine.

I couldn't blame Edric one bit. In just a few days he had been trapped in a hotel that was falling apart at the seams, his twin sister had been badly injured and grown delirious, and his younger sister had died in a brutal and horrifying way then was forced to possess a skin suit her capture had made. And that's not even mentioning his troubles at home with poisonings and a mother who didn't value him as anything more than a trinket.

"Joven," I called to the poor witch. He nearly jumped out of his skin.

"Mrs. Camila!" Edric barked in surprise. "I didn't see you there!".

"It's alright. You're not in any trouble… unless you've done something bad I don't know about" I joked.

The Blight's chuckle was nothing but a pitiful huff. It was mainly reminiscent, as if troublemaking was a distant past time.

"Sorry to disappoint, but between running the front desk and taking care of Em, I haven't had the time to do anything fun".

His words echoed his inner exhaustion. The contrast from the energetic kid I met a few weeks back and the stress-ridden kid I was standing in front of was heart-wrenching.

"I know this doesn't help much," I sighed ", but you're doing a really great job with handling everything".

The younger witch just gawked at me. It was as if I had told him he sprouted wings (Or maybe witches could actually do that. I wasn't sure). He didn't quite know how to respond or even feel about my compliment.

"I…I am?". Edric sat and thought about what I said for another moment. "Are you sure?".

"Joven, you had saved your twin sister's life not even a few weeks ago" I continued. "And you've been looking after her ever since. I know she can't quite express it right now, but I assure you she really appreciates all your help".

"But I didn't save her. You're her healer, not me".

"We would've had no idea she was even there had it not been for you. And I'm positive we wouldn't have had such an easy time dealing with that rabbit had you not been there to help".

In spite of my praise, Edric kept holding down his pride. It was as if he couldn't wrap his head around the idea of him being helpful.

"I'm just paying Emira back for dealing with me for so long," he admitted with a deep breath out.

His words brought me back to my earlier talk with Luz. I saw her guilt-filled eyes and heard her angry shouts at herself all over again. And I felt that same feeling of desperation.

"She wasn't "dealing" with you" I snapped assertively. "She cares about you, and she was just trying to help you the best way she could".

A sympathetic smile fell on the young witch's face. He reached out his hand and gently placed it over mine.

"We're not talking about me and Emira anymore, are we?".

"I want to care about Luz," I began to vent. "She thinks that loving her is a chore but it's not! It gets very tiring sometimes, but she's one of the biggest reasons I get up every morning".

"And you're not the only one who feels that way" Edric pointed out. "You know, Luz is a really fitting name for her. I've lost count of how many witches have said she's the light of their lives".

I beamed at the young man in front of me. I must admit that my eyes got more than just a little watery after hearing that. I felt so relieved and so proud of my Luz at the same time. Hearing her new friends talk about how much she's done for them never failed at making my heart swell.

"Her… her name means "light", right?" Edric asked a few seconds after. "Cause if not, that probably sounded really stupid".

"No, Joven. What you said was just what I needed to hear. Thank you".

Slam!

"Alright, witches! Where's my kid at?!" a voice howled from the entrance of the hotel.

Standing tall in the front doorway was an older middle-aged woman with ghost white skin and a mane of long shaggy hair. She was slender but not in a scrawny way, and she looked very energetic for someone who was done graying. Both of her golden eyes shone vividly despite one of them being duller in color.

Her lively appearance made Edric perk up. He smiled, and I mean a real smile with teeth, for the first time in weeks.

"Miss Eda!".

Eda? Where had I heard that name before? Didn't Luz know someone named Eda?

Before Eda could respond, a black cat-like demon leapt onto the desk. His fluffy tail wagged excited as he faced the younger Blight. Even with that freaky looking skull on his head, he was…just…¡Ay, qué lindo!

"Blight Brother!" he cheered, causing Edric to deadpan for a moment.

"It's Edric," he corrected.

"Not anymore. Your name is Blight Brother now". The cute little cat stomped his foot commandingly. "Now where is Luz? I demand to be in her presence!".

Edric sunk, the answer to the cat's question deflated him like a balloon. He knew exactly where Luz was, yet he looked over at me and silently asked me to explain.

"She's upstairs sleeping. She says she'll be downstairs later, but I don't know when later will be".

"Well, now's the perfect time for her to get up" Eda joined in while leaning on the front counter. "What room is she in?".

"She's in room 332" I answered hesitantly, "but I wouldn't bother her. She's not really in the best of mood".

"Titan! You mean she's living on the third floor?" a new but familiar voice exclaimed.

Two witchlings raced over to us, one wearing an eye patch and the other having large scars on her arm. Unlike Eda and her cat, I recognized the both of them and were very relieved to see they were both relatively okay.

"Willow. Gus. How are you two doing?".

"My wounds are healing really well" Willow answered with a greeting smile. "None of them got infected, thanks to you".

"Thanks to you?" Eda echoed before a realization struck her. Her gaze moved over to my ears. "You're Luz's mom, aren't you?".

"I am" I nodded.

"Huh. You know now that I've gotten a better look at you, yeah, I can definitely see it'".

"Right," Willow said while stepping forward and pointing her arm towards Eda. "Mrs. Noceda, this is Luz's mentor Eda. Your daughter's been living with her during her stay on the isles".

That's where I had heard that name before. Eda was the con-woman that Luz stayed to learn magic with, the criminal with the horrifying curse. Just like principal Bump, the Blight children had told me a lot about Eda, and a lot of the things they said chilled me to the bone.

Luz may have chosen to stay with Eda, but the older witch forced her, a child, to go with her on a prison raid before she gave her the option. And then there was the whole ordeal with Luz fighting the emperor of the entire island nation in order to stop her execution. My daughter and her friends tried their hardest to convince me that Eda had been a good mentor, and she may have been. But the fact that she was a wanted criminal who was okay with involving a young teenager in her many criminal activities soured my thoughts on the woman.

Though, I couldn't ignore the fact that my oldest looked up to her. Eda had to have done something right. If she hadn't then why would Luz talk about her like she was her second mother… and why she would choose to live with her instead of living in the human realm with me.

I hadn't realized I had been sitting there, just scowling at Eda, while I was deeply thinking, until the older witch brought me back into the moment with a laugh.

"From that look, I'm guessing you've heard about my shadier side". She looked over at both Willow and Gus from the corner of her brighter eye. "Which one of you ratted me out to Luz's mom, huh".

"Amity did," Edric answered with a laugh of his own, though his laugh was subtly laced with caution. "And only Amity. I wasn't involved whatsoever".

"You know" Eda said after a second, "for someone who's related to Odalia, you sure are a shitty liar".

Odalia. There was yet another "responsible adult" who had almost gotten my baby killed. But, to give both principal Bump and Eda credit, she was actually trying to kill Luz instead of just being careless with her safety.

"Saying he's not like his mother is a compliment, really" I grumbled, spurring another chuckle from the woman beside me.

"I see I'm not the only witch Bossy Boots' snitched on".

Just as she finished speaking, Eda was pushed to the side by an overwhelmed older man. His pale skin and golden eyes matched that of Edric's, who the witch now had wrapped tightly in his arms, and both of their hair was frayed and ruffled. I had met him before, though even if I hadn't, it was still clear to see that he was Edric's father.

"My son!" he cried. "You're alright!".

"I wouldn't say that" his son grimaced back.

As quickly as he had thrown Edric into the hug, he pushed him out. The look that he gave the young witch was panicked, which was a stark contrast to how calm the man had acted while he visited his kids a couple weeks back.

"Are you hurt?" he questioned.

"No, but–".

"Edric!".

"I may be very soon".

Rounding the corner that the angry "Edric" had come from, was one of the man's other children. His youngest, and only human, daughter was marching up to the front desk, her amber eyes and bright red hair mirrored the fire within her.

"Alright, Edric. I know you know what's going on here and… and… you've gotta be shitting me". The teen gawked at the older man in confused awe. "Dad?".

"Hello, Mittens" her dad welcomed as her new appearance made his heart crack a little. "It's great to see you again".

"Amity!" Willow and Gus shouted in unison before Amiyah could say anything else. They trapped her into a tear-filled group hug as the two witches hurtled their apologies at the poor unexpecting bear.

"I'm so sorry I left you behind!".

"We've missed you so much!".

"Had I known there was an elevator in there, I would've waited for you to climb back up!".

"I'm sorry about every bad thing I've ever said about you! And I mean everything!".

"You're one of the best friends I've ever had, even after all the bad things you've done!".

"I swear I'll never take you for granted ever again!".

Amiyah looked completely stunned, but I could tell she was deep in thought. Her eyes flicked around like she was searching for something in her own mind, then widened when she finally found it.

"Amity's the name of the girl in the elevator!" she exclaimed to herself before squeezing her way out of her old friend's arms. She turned to Edric and slammed both of her hands onto the desk. "She's your sister, isn't she? And, since you're the witch version of Omar, that would mean…Spill it, Edric! What the hell is going on here?!".

Instead of answering his little sister's question, the younger witch answered Willow and Gus's inaudible one.

"She's lost a lot of her memories," Edric explained with a sigh. "And the memories she hasn't lost have been altered".

"You mean, he's changed her memories" Alador choked. He looked over at his youngest daughter in complete devastation.

"Who changed my memories?" Amiyah pressed. "And is that why Luz wants me to keep a journal?".

"I know you want the truth, Amiyah" Edric stated as he shook his head slightly. "But you wouldn't believe it if I told you".

"Try me".

"Okay. You're my dead sister's soul who's forced to haunt a fake skin puppet".

"I've seen and heard a lot of crazy things while staying here" Amyah began exasperatedly. "But that has to be the most insane thing I'd ever heard anyone say. Do you really expect me to believe that?!".

"No!" Edric snapped back. "That's why I said you wouldn't believe me".

While the two siblings continued to bicker, Eda leaned over towards me and whispered, "you said she was in room 332, right?".

I was reluctant to say anything. The last thing I wanted was for Luz to stay locked up in her hotel room all day because people were pressuring her too much. But, on the other hand, she'd been really excited to see Eda again, well as excited as she could be.

"She is. I was just about to go up there now–".

"Great". Eda gave me a pat on the back in attempts to get me to move. "Lead the way".

"Hold on," Alador called out. "What room is Emira in?".

It was hard to hear the poor girl's name anymore. All that ever came to mind when you heard it was the awful large gash on the side of her head. She'd been doing slightly better, her speech wasn't as slurred as it used to be, and the strengthening potions the hotel owner had lent us made her pain meds last longer. Yet, her head wound wasn't getting a lot better. It was healing very slowly, as to be expected with her not being able to leave the dirty musty upstairs.

Before I could answer, Edric quickly spoke up. I'm not sure if he was more eager to see his injured sister, or to get away from his angry one.

"I'll take you to her, dad. In fact, I can do it right now".

"But…we're in the middle of talking" Amiyah stammered incredulously.

"Yep. And now we're at the end of talking" Edric quipped while walking away from her and the counter.

Shoving past Amiyah's sibling directed cursing, everyone followed Edric into the left hallway and up the two battered flights of stairs. I had been living on the third floor for more than a couple weeks, yet it still felt alien to me. The lighting made the walls seem closer than they actually were, and the air felt just as tight. The cobwebs all around the room made it feel like there was something crawling up your back when there really wasn't, all the while the empty shells of the spiders who made them lifelessly watched you.

I was the first one to walk into Luz's room. I made sure to knock on her door as I stepped inside, giving her a small warning that someone else was there.

"Yes, mamá" Luz huffed as she sat up. "I was just about to go downstairs".

"Well before you do, there's a few people who want to see you first" I cooed.

With a big step to the side, I moved out of the way of the doorway and revealed Luz's two guests. Her instantly lifted spirits practically flung her out of bed. She let out a surprised, but happy, howl as she slid across the ground and scooped Eda's talking cat into her arms.

"King! Eda! I thought I'd never see you again!".

"Nope," King said as he rolled on his back and silently asked for belly rubs. "You're stuck with us".

"Yeah, kid. Us weirdos have to stick together, remember" Eda added while she sat on the floor right beside her.

Luz stared at her teacher for a moment with wide appreciative eyes. Then, when King and Eda least expected it, Luz grabbed the both of them and held them as tight as she could. King got smushed in the middle of the mentor and apprentice and started to make the cutest little noises I've ever heard anything make.

Luz and Eda let go of each other in order to set King free. The teen then rose back to her feet and trotted over to me.

"Mom, this is–".

"She knows," Eda stepped in lightheartedly. "Your girlfriend did some blabbing, and now your mom doesn't like me".

"What!". The look of fearful disappointment on my daughter's face made my heart lurch. "Why not?".

"I didn't say I didn't like her, mija" I responded while sending a glare towards Eda. "I just don't think she's a good influence".

"Jokes on you," Eda chuckled. "I don't want to be a good influence".

"Eda!" Luz scolded before frantically turning back to me. "Don't listen to her. I've learned lots of stuff from Eda".

"I know you have, Luz" I admitted, almost in defeat.

My worry about Eda and the trouble my baby had gotten into because of her didn't fully disappear. But I couldn't ignore the way Luz lit up as soon as she saw her mentor and King. It was if Eda knew exactly how to raise her up, embrace her. She knew exactly what to say to make Luz feel like she belonged.

I had just met Eda. I supposed it was a bit unfair to judge her based just off of some stories Luz and her friends told me. After all, the stories I had been told about Amity were also pretty damning, yet the young witch was very kind and even honorable. Maybe if I sat down with Eda, chatted with her a little bit, I would feel a lot better about her.

Jokingly I added, "Es por eso que no he traído la ira de la chancla sobre ella. (That's why I haven't brought the wrath of la chancla down on her)".

Luz's snicker nearly brought tears to my eyes. She was happy. God, it had felt so long since I'd seen her happy!

"¡No, mami! ¡Nadie se merece eso! (No, mami! No one deserves that!)".

"Goops and Willow are waiting for you downstairs" Eda informed as she slowly rose from the floor. She popped a ton of her joints before finally standing up.

"They came back?!" Luz shouted excitedly. "And also, it's Gus, Eda".

"Do you think now is a good time to get some breakfast?" I asked coyly.

"Just let me get dressed, and I'll meet you guys down there" Luz responded without any hesitation. All three of us were nearly shoved out of the door. We could all still feel the excitement beam off of her from the otherside.

"You're one lucky human, you know," Eda suddenly said as we walked through the stairwell door. "I would kill to have a daughter like her".

It was quite the tone change for Eda. She had grown much quieter, more motherlike. I couldn't see it very well, since I was behind her, but I thought I saw a glimmer of fondness in her eye.

"And you're one lucky witch" I said back with a small smile on my face. "Your apprentice is the greatest witch I know".