Though I was no longer one of the killer's targets, I was still nervous to eat anything. No matter how many bites of my breakfast I took, all I could think about was what happened with the savagescent and the horde of rats everyone needed to fight just to get food that wasn't poisoned. I could still hear the sound of my stomach growling as both it and my wounds cried out for subsistence. I could still see Amity lying listlessly in bed as she quickly withered away.
Amity. It was hard to even think about the late witch, at least without being assaulted by guilt. I don't think there was anything I could've done to help. She didn't respond to any of my shouting when I told her I needed to leave, so warning her to climb back up was out. And I couldn't have stopped the elevator from falling either. All I really would've done was watch her die. But, then again, she wouldn't have had to die alone had I been there.
And seeing her trapped inside of one of the killer's skin puppets was not any easier. The only thing that hadn't been altered in some way shape or form was her personality. She was no longer able to do abomination magic, which the witch spent the majority of her life mastering. She no longer remembered any of her friends, nor her loving girlfriend. And while she recognized her family members, she didn't remember that her siblings had grown more supportive a few months prior.
Her life had changed and only time could tell if it was for the better or not.
The sound of approaching footsteps pulled me away from my thoughts. They were very unsteady, as if the person they belonged to was staggering instead of walking.
I looked up from my omelet to find Boscha staring at the witch sitting next to me. The witch was hunched over the table, the pain from her freshly injured back ruining her attempt to stand up straight and confidently.
"Have you made any progress with Juvencus, Augustus?".
My younger friend nodded, his fatigue making the motion difficult.
"Some of his memories have started to come back, slowly that is. He's told me he's had dreams of going to Hexide, and that he's dreamt of being a goat demon".
"Then the letters seem to be working" Boscha hmmed. "But we have a bit of a problem".
"They won't believe that those dreams mean anything" Gus sighed.
"Not to mention they'll lose their memories once the hotel owners kills them again" I added just as sadly. "Has anyone brought that up to Emira?".
"We seem to be putting a lot of faith in someone who can barely talk," Boscha scoffed with a roll of her eyes.
"You mean someone who had the idea that's working right now?" I deadpanned.
"It wasn't her idea!" Boscha argued back. "It was all the ghosts she keeps talking to".
"Yes. Ghosts she can talk to after we ask her to" Gus snipped as if the explanation was as clear as day.
The only response Boscha made was the low growl rumbling in her throat. She didn't want to keep fighting, but she didn't want to admit defeat either. That meant all she could do was not say anything at all.
"Morning, Luz" a voice called from across the lobby.
"Morning, Ed" the human greeted back while she passed the front desk.
Perking up slightly I raised my hand into the air and waved my good friend over to our table. She hurriedly rushed over, though slowed her pace when she spotted Boscha.
"Hey, everyone. What are we all up to this morning?".
"Human. How have things been going with Amiyah?" The bully pushed, barely acknowledging that Luz had said anything.
Luz nervously shrunk in on herself. The faint smile she was donning turned into a sheepish grimace, her face growing slightly flushed.
I'd seen that look before. Back before her and Amity finally started dating, Luz used to get that flustered at the very thought of the Blight.
"Well, um, actually" she stammered as she twiddled her thumbs. "I talked to the killer last night".
"What did he say?" Gus asked, curiously surprised.
"What did you say?" Boscha jumped in. Distrust lined her voice in irritation.
"I told him that, despite her still being in the hotel with us, I miss Amity. I miss being able to hold her and–".
"We get it, you loved each other" the triclops snapped. "What else?".
"He told me that her love for me was still there, and that he was going to help the two of us fall back into it" Luz went on.
The word help made me sick to my stomach. According to the hotel owner, helping someone meant killing them.
"How did he suggest you do that?" I pressed, though I was afraid to hear the answer.
"He's throwing a ball in the lobby" the human answered before adding, "Well, he's calling it a ball but it's more of a regular old party with music and snacks".
"So, the killer's going to throw a party?" Boscha clarified flatly. "You realize he's just going to kill her at the end of it, right?".
"No. He's going to kill someone, I'm sure of it. But he's going to let Amiyah live for now. He wants to give the two of us some time together". Luz's voice grew stronger in her enthusiasm. The stress lying on her shoulders hadn't disappeared, but she had been given a dash of hope. "Her and I talked about Amity last night, and I think she's starting to connect the dots. If I spend even more time with her, she might be able to figure everything out".
A glint of amusement flashed in Gus's good eye. He swallowed the food he was chewing and began to chuckle.
"Yeah. That's the reason you want to hang out with her" he joked with a sly eyeroll.
"I'm doing this for her" the human insisted impatiently. "Even though it's going to make losing her again even harder, I'm willing to do this to help her escape".
The witch was taken aback by Luz's sudden brashness, we all were. Even the Noceda herself was surprised by her own temper.
"Sorry, Gus. I kinda lost it there for a second" she said after taking a deep breath.
"Just be glad she didn't try to kill you" Boscha huffed sardonically.
"Oh, please. If she was trying to kill you, Boscha, then you wouldn't be standing here".
I couldn't stop myself from smiling at the sight of Amiyah strutting up the table. The look she gave Hexide's top hellhound was priceless.
"And you know that, how, round-ears? You just met her a few days ago".
"Well, first of all, in my world, pointy eared people are the ones considered freaks and that third eye of yours would land you in a zoo. And last time I saw you and Luz together she was kicking your ass. Now will you please stop harassing people and get lost".
"My pleasure," Boscha sneered after a moment. "I've had enough of you Luz-ers already and it's not even ten-o'clock".
As the triclops staggered back to her room, Amiyah yelled, "Okay. Have fun pissing and moaning about it". Her apathetic glare then softened as she turned towards us.
"Morning, everyone" she greeted. "How are you all doing?".
All Luz could do was stammer. There were a million things she wanted to say but they all jumbled together. Amiyah stared at the girl in concern which made my friend even more flustered.
"We're all doing alright" I answered for her. "Well as alright as we can be in this situation".
"Then why does Luz look like she's about to have a heart attack?".
"What?! Me?! No, no?! I just… Give me a moment please".
With each arm, Luz lifted me and Gus out of our seats and turned us around. The three of us took a few steps away from the table before huddling together.
"What do I do?" the human asked frantically.
"What do you mean "what do I do"?" I asked back.
"I need to ask her to the dance tonight, but I don't want to look stupid. How do I not look stupid?".
Gus and I shared a tired blank look. You'd think that our human friend would've learned from the couple months she spent pinning for Amity that the witch was practically obsessed with her. No matter what she said, or how she said it, she was sure to sweep the Blight off her feet.
"You don't need to say anything special, Luz. Just ask her" I reassured while rubbing Luz's upper back.
"The killer said she still has her love for you right? Then she can't say no" Gus added.
"Except she can say no" Luz argued, her voice cracking.
"But why would she? She obviously likes you". The one-eyed witch pointed towards Amiyah who still hadn't taken her wide worried eyes off Luz.
"You got this, Luz. You've won her over once. You can do it again". Right as I finished my words of encouragement, I spun Luz around and pushed her back towards Amiyah.
"So…um…Hi" the human started very ungracefully. Her face flushed red as she took in the sight of her beloved bear.
"Er… Hi. You doing okay?".
"Yeah. It's just…". Luz stopped for a second to try to calm her nerves. "I've been meaning to ask you. When you went to bed last night, the killer and I talked a little more, and it turns out he's throwing a dance in the lobby tonight. I was wondering, if you wanted to go to it with me".
Amiyah's face fell. Luz's question left her speechless, though her hesitancy made her answer clear. She was just struggling to find a way to give it without breaking the already depressed girl's heart.
"Luz," she lamented. "I…I'm sorry. I can't".
Luz flinched like she'd been hit by a powerful spell. Her knees buckled as the rest of her shook. She wanted to reply but she couldn't push any words from her throat.
"Don't get me wrong, you're wonderful. But, right now, things are just too dangerous" Amiyah continued, desperate to explain herself.
"You don't need to worry about the killer," Luz was finally able to say. "He says he won't harm you tonight".
When Amiyah didn't say anything else, Luz's heart shattered even more. She took another step forward. Her brown eyes glistened as they silently asked the human puppet for any form of comfort.
"Agridulce. Please trust me".
"I do trust you," Amiyah cried quietly. "I just don't trust him. He's going to kill someone tonight. You know that's the whole reason he's doing this. And I just can't risk being that person he kills. I'm sorry".
Luz was silent. All she could do was sadly stare at the love of her life. With the way her chest heaved, and her mouth quivered, it was obvious she was barely holding back a miserable sob.
"I…I uh… understand. I…I'll see you later…I guess". That was all the poor human could choke out before she rushed towards the stairwell. She simultaneously wiped the fresh tears pooling out of her eyes, her attempts to hide them being utterly pointless.
After gawking at the scene for a little longer, Amiyah quietly swore under her breath. She took a moment to say goodbye to me and Gus then skittered back towards her room. Though it was a better attempt than Luz's, the red head also failed to hide her upset.
"What are we gonna do?" Gus murmured. He turned towards me. "Do you think Luz will be able to recover from this?".
"Of course, she can, but it's going to take time," I sighed. "We should go up and check on her, but later. Right now, she needs some space".
…
For as simple as the set up was, the killer's "ball" had quite the turnout. The lobby was full of witches, all of them enjoying the many snacks Camila and Oxana had prepared or dancing on the make-shift dance floor in front of the front desk.
From his stash of human junk, the killer had found a record player along with a few records. Most of them didn't have any songs that you could really dance to, but one of them was literally titled "totally radical hits to party to". I think the songs on the album were a little outdated, since Camila kept saying she hadn't heard all of the songs on it in decades, but no one seemed to care.
Amiyah wasn't the only bear who decided not to show, but a majority of them decided to take the risk. Juvencus, who was a very pale blonde human instead of a one horned goat demon, was over near the punch bowl with Gus. He was missing an eye, as a nod to what he used to like. Just like Gus's it too was permanently shut.
Skyler had shown up too. As soon as she arrived, the artificial human hurried towards Boscha and her remaining two followers. The closer she got to the three witches; the more hesitancy grew in her loud hazel eyes. The last time she had talked to the triclops, the witch was teasing Luz about losing Amity. But that hesitancy was easily snuffed out by her sociability.
"Hey, Skyler," Bo welcomed. Her grief for her half-dead friend made her voice slightly waver but she recovered quickly. "Glad to see you could make it".
"Well, I could never resist a good party".
"Is that what you call this?" Boscha hmphed. "The music they've been playing has all been trash and everyone's just been wearing what they've been wearing all day".
I expected the blonde to lose some of her enthusiasm, but she instead started to laugh.
"Then let's make it a good party". Bravely, the bear grabbed the testy witch and drug her towards the middle of the lobby. Cat and Bo excitedly rushed after them.
"Hey". The sudden call of a familiar voice made me jump. "Willow was it?".
While I was busy watching everyone else, I hadn't noticed the lean pale teen walk up beside me. Though it wasn't her sneaking up on me that caused my surprise. I didn't expect Amiyah of all people to have come to the killer's spur of the moment get-together, especially since she said she wouldn't earlier that day.
"Hi, Amiyah. You're…here" I greeted, slightly dazed.
"I know I said I wouldn't be, but… Do you know where Luz is?".
My ears flattened as I stared at the bear. Luz's absence lingered over all of us while we all danced and mingled. But to hear someone actually talk about her made it sting much worse.
"She's upstairs. She hasn't left her room since this morning" I responded softly.
Amiyah's amber eyes shot wide. Remorse made her clench her teeth together in a pained grimace, her breath lumping together in her chest.
"Well… What room is she in?".
"I'm sorry, Amiyah. You're not allowed up there". The rueful human snarled at my answer.
"Says who? The guy who's already trying to kill me?". She let out an annoyed huff in a failed attempt to calm herself down. "He's going to be focused on everyone at the party. He shouldn't notice if I slip away".
Very gently, I led Amiyah away from the crowd with my arm. My green eyes darkened in earnesty. I made sure her entire attention would be on every word I was about to say.
"He will notice you slip away. Trust me. He has this weird human surveillance system all around the hotel. And though most of his focus will be on whatever he's planning, he is always looking for stragglers to prey on".
As I spoke, I was casted back into my bad memories. The anticipation and fear of heading down to the basement flooded through me once again. I reheard all of the reassuring things I told myself while I led the brave group of witches beside me through the darkness. And the terrifying sight of the aftermath of another one of the hotel owner's killing sprees had appeared in front of me.
I didn't even realize I was shivering until Amiyah placed her hand on my shoulder. Despite not knowing what chilled me, my reaction made my point crystal clear. Yet it didn't erase any of the former Blight's determination.
"I'm already risking my life by being out here. What's a little more danger?". When my pleading desperate look didn't change, she added. "I need to talk to Luz. I need to tell her how sorry I am".
"You didn't do anything wrong, Amiyah. It's reasonable to want to be more careful in this kind of situation".
"But I still ended up hurting Luz. She's been nothing but kind to me throughout this whole thing, even though she's going through a lot of her own stuff" Amiyah's voice grew weaker until it was nothing but a faint whisper. "I just want to help her back".
I sighed heavily. On the one hand, it warmed my heart to see my old friend start to get her admiration for her past girlfriend back. The killer was shockingly right. Her love for Luz hadn't diminished.
But on the other hand, Amiyah was about to do something horribly reckless when she just didn't need to. If she ended up getting herself killed right after what happened that morning… Titan. Just the thought of what that would do to Luz made my heart feel like it was crumbling.
"But you won't help her by getting yourself killed" I uttered sadly. "Wait until breakfast. I'm sure we'll find a way to get her to come down. Then you and her can talk about it".
"So, she's gonna go the rest of the night hating me" Amiyah sighed frustratedly. My solemnity was finally broken by that.
"I don't think Luz can hate you" I hummed jokingly.
"What makes you say that?".
"She talks about you a lot. She says she really appreciates all you've done for her".
Amiyah slightly tilted her head before repeating, "all I've done for her?". She took another moment to think about it. "What have I done for her?".
"You've been there" I simply replied. "Every time you stop to talk to her means more to her then you think it does".
"You… you think so?". I gave the bear a small comforting smile.
"It means a lot to you when you two talk. If it didn't, you wouldn't be out here, wouldn't you?".
The girl finally smiled. Her muscles relaxed, though left over worry still radiated off of her like steam.
"I'll tell her you showed up tonight," I continued. "I'm sure that'll get he–".
I trailed off as the room abruptly filled with darkness. Multiple hollers filled the air. Some of them were merely curious ohs and ahs, while others were fearful cries. Then there were a bunch of chaotic shuffling noises, as if someone was weaving through the crowd. The loud sounds of a struggle suddenly rang out but was soon interrupted by a shriek that was heavily distorted by the owner's breaking body.
The last thing we all heard were a bunch of disoriented footsteps, and, after a small silence, the lights flickered back on. I rubbed my irritated eyes and waited for the blinding white spots in them to leave. Honestly, it took my eyes a lot longer to readjust than it did for everything that just happened to occur.
I wish they never readjusted. I'd already had to bear the sight in front of me once, and now history was repeating itself. Small details like where we were or what she looked like were different, but the sight in front of me was almost a perfect echo of how we found Skara's body in the basement.
Just like the first time, Skyler's blood created a lake around her severed body. Most of her neck had been torn away, her head barely clinging on a mere tendon. Her face was slashed until one half of it was nearly unrecognizable.
More screaming broke the silent, most of it coming from Skyler's fellow bears. Bo and Cat were able to momentarily hold in their grief, but Boscha didn't even try to hide hers. She let out a furious yowl in grief as she fell to the floor and slammed her fist into the ground.
Amiyah was stuck frozen in disbelief for a second before she realized that the sight in front of her was real.
"No. No!" she screamed while her chest began to heave. The agony that lit up her tear-filled amber eyes was as strong as a griffin. She may not have known Skyler for very long, but Amiyah had grown very close to her in the previous couple days.
Unsurely, I offered my old friend my hand to hold. I wasn't sure she'd take it. I was just a stranger to her now. But as soon as she knew it was there, she quickly grasped onto it with her good arm and squeezed as hard as she could.
After that, most of the demons, and the bears, returned to their rooms. The party was clearly over. Whoever stayed in the lobby were mainly there to soak in their grief. I stayed by Amiyah's side the whole time, her turmoil distracting me from my own. She clung onto my hand like it was a lifeline in spite of her violent trembling.
I stayed mostly quietly for my grieving friend. With how raw her rampant emotions were at that moment; silent comfort was more powerful than anything I could've said. But I did have one thing to say to Amiyah after the whole ordeal.
"We're getting you out of here" I assured her. "I don't know when, or even how, but we will".