The Human
Luz chuckled as she stepped away from the staff. Eda leaned Owlbert against the wall and reached into her hair.
"Whelp. A deal's a deal."
She pulled out the key to the portal door and clicked the eye. The door opened behind Luz. Something squirmed in her belly as she looked at it. Something felt wrong. She looked back over her shoulder at Eda and King. The little demon looked away. Luz smiled and fished into her bag.
"Here," She offered him Azura's plastic crown, "I know it's not the same but a King shouldn't be without his crown."
King took the crown and placed it on his head, "This…will suffice."
He then marched off to command his army. Luz smiled but didn't stand.
"Oh, yeah. Don't forget this," Eda handed her back her book.
The very thing that had brought the ten-year-old here in the first place. She looked over her shoulder at the door, then back down at the pamphlet for Reality Check that she had stuck between the pages of her book. She looked up at Eda.
"Listen, I know you got your head cut off and we started some kind of prison riot," She began, "But…I can't go back. Not right now. Not to that CAMP."
"Camp? What camp?" Eda knelt in front of her, "What are you talking about?"
"Please let me stay," Luz begged, "I…I could be your apprentice! I could be a witch! Like you! Like Azura!"
"What? That's crazy! Humans can't be witches."
Luz grinned, "Maybe because none have ever tried. My foster family already thinks I'm at this camp for the summer. And Tia Camela won't know the difference as long as I answer her texts. Please? Just for the summer?"
Eda bit her lip. King grabbed her arm.
"Let her stay! She can help make snacks.
Eda groaned and fret for another moment before sighing, "I'm never going to hear the end of this. Alright, you can stay. BUT you'll have to work for me. OK?"
Luz squealed and hugged her tightly. A door somewhere else opened.
"Eda? King? We're home."
Luz leaned back, "Who's that?"
Eda stood and dusted herself off, "Remember when I said I had some roommates?"
"Oh? We're ROOMMATES are we? Is that all?"
Another witch entered the room with another demon at their side. Their skin was the same medium brown as Luz's and their hair was a short mint green, fading out to white at the base of their neck. The demon was pink, with large round bat ears and long white hair trailing down her back. The witch crossed their arms and lifted an eyebrow. The demon tilted her head.
"No one else was home," Eda stepped up to the witch and draped an arm over their shoulders, "Luz, this is my partner, Raine, and our daughter, Amber. Rainstorm, Amber, this is Luz. She's going to be my apprentice for the summer."
Raine frowned and Amber wrinkled her nose.
"Eda. A word." Raine grabbed Eda by the elbow and dragged her into the kitchen.
Amber watched her parents go before stepping up to Luz.
"So…you're Mama's new apprentice?"
Luz nodded, eyes still trained on the door. Amber turned the Azura book and nodded slowly.
"Is that their natural hair color?"
Amber lift an eyebrow, "Um…yeah? Why?"
Luz shook her head and tugged on the ends of her hair, "It's just…humans don't have mint green hair…"
Amber's eyes lit up, "Oh! You're human? I bet you know everything about the human realm! My friend Agustus is going to want to meet you!"
"Y-Yeah," Luz smiled and looked up at her, "Yeah. I know a lot about the human realm."
"Alright. Sorry about that, Luz," Raine and Eda returned, "I just had some questions. We've never had an apprentice before."
"That's ok. I've never been an apprentice before." She smiled back stiffly.
Raine smiled back, "Well I hope you don't mind sleeping on the sofa tonight. We'll set up your room tomorrow."
"That's-"
"Or she can stay in my room tonight." Amber offered.
"You sure about that, Amber?" Eda asked.
"Yeah! It's just for tonight. It'll be like a sleepover!"
Raine laughed, "Alright then. Why don't you help her get set up while Mama and I get dinner going."
"Kay!" Amber grabbed Luz's hand and dragged her up the stairs.
Luz snatched her bag again and stumbled after the older girl. Amber led her into a room at the end of the hall and flopped onto the low bed. The walls and floor were both wood paneled. However, the walls were covered in posters for musicians and books; the floor was mostly taken up by a thick red rug. Two bookshelves, one full of books and the other full of musical instruments, stood against the walls.
"Is that an ocarina?" Luz asked.
"Yup!" Amber grinned, "A palistrom ocarina. Mama and Zaza gave it to me for my last birthday. You can set up camp anywhere. Just don't touch the instruments without asking."
Luz nodded and unrolled her sleeping bag in the corner. She fished out her pillow and her photo of Tia Camela.
"Is that your mom?"
She shook her head, "No. That's Tia Camela. She's my social worker and the one who found me as a baby. She's the one in charge of placing me in foster homes."
"Oh. I don't think I ever had someone like that," Amber shrugged, "My first parents worked with Zaza at the Bard school so they and Mama took me in after the fire."
Luz did a double take, "Bards? Like music and theater?"
"Exactly!" Amber lit up again, "Zaza always says people underestimate bards." She scrambled over to the instrument shelf and grabbed a flute, "But watch this!"
She lifted the flute to her lips and played a short tune reminiscent of a fantasy game in the human realm. The room was washed in glowing red magic. Luz gaped and looked around as things began floating. When Amber lowered her flute, everything dropped back down.
"That's amazing! Do you think you could teach me how to do that?" Luz crawled across the floor.
Amber grinned, "If I can't then I know Zaza can. They're the best Bard on the Boiling Isles!"
"Girls," Raine appeared in the door, "Time for dinner."
"Thanks, Zaza!" Amber rolled off her bed.
"Thank you, Mx. Raine."
Raine put a hand on her head, "Just Raine is fine, Luz."
LLB
Luz stretched in her sleeping bag, looking around. She was still in Amber's bedroom.
"It wasn't a dream!" She stage whispered.
"Nope," Amber rolled over to look at her, "You're stuck with us."
"Ah! I thought you were still asleep," Luz covered her mouth with the back of her hand.
"Nah. I'm an early riser. And I bet Zaza's already in the kitchen."
Luz grabbed her bag to fish out clean clothes, "The I better get dressed and head down."
Amber nodded and rolled out of bed, tucking her stuffed bat back in. Luz scurried down the hall into the bathroom. She looked at herself in the mirror.
"Alright, Luz, this is it. Your first day as a witch on the Boiling Isles!" She slowly reached up to touch her ears, "And maybe your chance to-"
"Good morning, Luz!" Hooty burst through the window.
"Gah!" She stumbled back and tripped over the toilet.
"Hooty!" Amber called through the door, "What have we said about interrupting people in the bathroom?!"
"I just wanted to say good morning!" He wailed, retreating back through the window.
Luz took a deep breath and finished getting changed. She followed Amber into the kitchen and found Raine cooking breakfast while King played with is food in his highchair.
"Good morning, girls," Raine turned and set another plate on the table, "Luz, I didn't know what you could have so decided to play it safe. We have griffon eggs, badger sausage, and toast with mango chili jam. However, the only milk we have at the moment is spider's milk because it's lactose free and I'm lactose intolerant."
"That's ok. I'm lactose intolerant too," Luz smiled, "And I have a list of my dietary restrictions in my bag that I was supposed to give to the cook at camp. But, in all honesty, I don't know what all I can have."
Raine hummed and nodded, "Alright then. How about you bring me that list and I'll see what I can do."
"Ok. Thank you."
Raine sat beside her and filled their own plate. Footsteps on the stairs allerted them to Eda's arrival. Luz leapt out of her chair and stood at the foot of stairs.
"Good morning, Eda the Owl Lady!" She chirped.
"Who are you again?" Eda rounded the corner.
Luz deflated but Raine and Amber laughed.
"Don't worry, Luz," Raine shook their head, "She's just pulling your leg."
"She pretends not to know who we are sometimes," Amber assured her, "And I've been here for twelve years."
"Twelve years?" Raine lift an eyebrow, "I've known her for THIRTY years. Eda's not really a morning person. Just let her have her apple blood and she'll feel better."
Eda smiled and kissed their hair, "Have I mentioned you're the best, Rainestorm?"
"You could stand to mention it more often," Raine smiled back up her.
Eda downed her mug and sat beside Amber, "Alright kiddo. You're my new apprentice, yeah? Well, today that means helping make the potions deliveries."
Amber groaned.
"Potions deliveries?" Luz sat back down beside Raine.
"Yup. As you know, I run my own business." Eda explained, "On the weekends I sell human stuff that Owlbert brings in through the portal door."
"Some of it more valuable than others," Raine jabbed their thumb at the plastic sword on the counter.
Eda stuck her tongue out at her partner, "But during the week, I sell only the finest potions." She reached into the cabinet and pulled out a large black bag of potions. "You, Amber, and Evan will be taking this bag and going into Bonesborough, where you met me yesterday."
"Evan?"
The back door opened and a boy walked in. His red hair was shaved on the sides and the top was pulled into a short ponytail. He looked around the room with bright green eyes.
"You save any for me?" He asked.
"I thought your father made you breakfast in the morning?" Amber looked over her shoulder at him.
"He did but I'm a growing boy." He shrugged, "And Monday is potion delivery…day?"
He blinked at Luz. She blinked back.
"Who's that?"
Raine shook their head, "Luz, this is our nephew Evan. Evan, this is our new apprentice Luz. She's going to be helping you and Amber with the deliveries today."
Evan blinked and took a bite of toast, "Cool beans."
When the food was done Amber and Luz cleared the table and Eda helped King out of his highchair. She and Raine began working on the dishes and Evan heft the bag of potions over his shoulder.
"You two keep Luz from getting eaten," Raine warned.
"I won't!" Luz shouted.
Evan and Amber exchanged a look over her head. Luz skipped ahead a few feet.
"So, you're Eda and Raine's nephew?" She turned to look at Evan.
"Uh. Yeah. My Ma is Aunt Eda's sister and Pa is Titi Raine's brother of choice." Evan shrugged.
Luz nodded and jumped when a red cardinal flew down from the trees and landed on Evan's shoulder.
"Don't freak out. This is just Flapjack. He's my palisman."
"Palisman?" Luz tilted her head.
"Like Owlbert to Mama," Amber explained, "They attach to their magic staves and help with their magic. Evan just got his a bit early."
Luz nodded again, not knowing what else to say. They soon made it into town and Amber and Evan showed her the ins and outs of potion deliveries. Amber took the lead after Luz accidentally insulted a centaur and Evan just laughed when she nearly got eaten by a doorbell. Eventually, they all sat on the curb to eat a quick lunch.
"I expected being a witch's apprentice to be a lot more fun," Luz admitted, "Or that I'd be able to blend in, even with my ears. But everyone still knows I'm different and that just seems to make them all want to eat me…"
"It CAN be fun," Amber insisted from behind her, "It's just that potions delivery days are sooo lame."
"Trust us," Evan said, "We've been at this for a long time. It's just got its low points."
Amber sat on her other side and handed her a notdog.
"Listen," She said, "As soon as we finish the last of these deliveries, we'll do something fun."
"Yeah. Titi Raine always says 'the sooner we finish, the sooner we get to relax'." (1)
Luz nodded again and bit into her notdog, "What's even in this?"
"Best not to ask questions," Amber shrugged, "If it makes you sick we just won't feed you any more of them."
"Hey! Augustus!" Evan scrambled to his feet.
A younger boy, no older than eight, was across the street with a man that could only be his father. Both father and son crossed the street before Augustus tackled Evan, causing Flapjack to flutter around. Evan laughed before turning back to Amber and Luz.
"Luz, this is my best friend, Augustus Porter and his father Perry." He introduced, "Augustus, Mr. Perry, this is Luz. She's staying here for the summer as Aunt Eda and Titi Raine's apprentice."
"Human!" Augustus gasped, pointing at Luz's ears from his spot on Evan's shoulders, "You're human?"
Luz touched her ears, "Um, yeah. Oh! Is this the Augustus you mentioned last night, Amber?"
"Sure is," Amber stood and ruffled his hair. "Augustus here loves all things Human."
Luz smiled, "I had a foster brother named Augustus once. We all called him 'Gus'."
"A nickname? A HUMAN nickname!?" Augustus lit up and nearly fell off Evan's shoulders. "Yes! Please! Call me that!"
Even Perry starting laughing at that.
"I take it you three are doing the potions run?" He asked.
"Yeah," Aber shrugged, "But we're nearly done. I was thinking we would show Luz the finer points of Bonesborough after."
"Really? Dad, can I go, too? Please?"
Perry rolled his eyes, "If it's ok with Amber I don't see why not."
"That's perfectly ok, Mr. Perry." Amber waved him off, "I've already got these two. What's one more."
"Alright. Just drop him off at the house when you're done or have your parents message me about what's going on."
"You got it," Amber grabbed the bag of potions once more, "Let's go, kiddos."
Evan glared up at her, "You're only two years older than me."
"I know, kiddo."
They continued with the last few deliveries. Gus had no qualms about all the questions he had for Luz along the way. Until they entered the gate for the last house.
"Wow!" Luz lit up at the sight of the magnificent castle.
It was something like out of a fairytale.
"I didn't think there were houses like this in town like this." Even tilted his head, "This is more like the houses out by Amity's place."
Gus rubbed his eyes.
"Gus? Everything ok?" Amber looked down at the younger boy.
"Something isn't right here," He whimpered, "It looks wrong."
"Wrong?" Luz stopped and turned.
"Do you think there's an illusion here?" Evan put a hand on his friend's shoulder, "Can you dispel it?"
Gus shook his head, "I-I can try."
"An illusion?"
Gus formed a spell circle and the whole castle glitched in and out of focus. Flapjack twittered. Luz jumped and scrambled back.
"What the heck was that?"
"The house is under an illusion," Amber crossed her arms and reached into the bag for the last package, "Adagast. I don't recognize that one. He must be new."
"I'm willing to bet he's trying to get to Aunt Eda. Let's just put the package inside the door and take Luz to the Parks' garden," Evan looked around again.
"But…" Luz looked around the magnificent illusion.
Amber sighed and put a hand on her shoulder, "Trust me, Luz. Nothing good is inside this place."
"Crazy houses always belong to crazy people," Gus continued to rub his eyes, "And there's probably not a good reason he put the illusion there."
Amber set down the package and ushered her friends along. Luz looked back over her shoulder. Evan smiled and looked down at Gus.
"Don't worry, Luz," He said, "We're going to take you to someplace that's amazing without having to use illusions."
They led her through town to a small shop. A bell on the door jingled as they entered.
"Hello!" The witch behind the counter waved cheerfully, "Welcome to Park's Gardens!"
"Hi, Mr. Gilbert!" Evan waved back, "Are Mr. Harvey and Willow in the garden?"
"Oh! Yes they are, kids," Gilbert smiled and lift the bar so the four could walk past.
"Thank you!"
Luz waved over her shoulder and gasped as she turned forward. The garden out the back door of the shop was bursting with color. Plants covered nearly every space except the walkway. There were twinkle lights strung over the lattices and a few fountains scattered around the plants. And, towards the back of the garden, at a table, was a shorter man and a girl about Luz's age. She looked so much like Mr. Gilbert but was clearly just as close with this man. He caused another flower to sprout and tickle his daughter. She giggled and created a spell circle. A small amount of purple slime lifted up and collapsed nearly as quickly. The girl frowned.
"Hey, Willow! Hi, Mr. Harvey!" Evan and Gus waved.
The man and girl turned and waved.
"Hi, guys!" Willow lit up, purple slime forgotten.
Harvey smiled as his daughter leapt over the table and over to her friends. Willow stumbled to a halt when she saw Luz.
"Oh. Hello."
Amber smiled and put a hand on Luz's shoulder, "Willow. This is Luz. She's staying with Mama, Zaza, and I over the summer to train as a witch. Luz, this is Willow Park and her Papa, Harvey."
Luz waved shyly at Willow and Harvey. Willow grinned and waved back.
"Luz has seen some of the worst Bonesborough has to offer so we thought we'd show her some of the best it has to offer," Evan explained.
Harvey laughed a deep belly laugh, "Well then, Luz. What do you think?"
"It's amazing, Mr. Park," Luz said, still looking around the garden, "Did you use magic to grow all of this?"
"Most of it, yes." Harvey leaned on the table. "Willow and Evan help from time to time and my husband builds all the terraces and fountains."
"Really?" Luz looked at her new friends.
Willow nodded, "I'm not really supposed to do plant magic since I'm in the Abomination track at school but I still try to help here in the garden."
"And I can't really do magic the normal way," Evan pulled a slip of paper out of his pocket, "So I do magic like this."
He touched the picture on the paper and a small violet grew in his palm. Luz's eyes grew wide.
"How did you do that? Can I do that? Will you teach me?"
The others laughed again, Flapjack twittering and flapping his wings from Evan's shoulder. Harvey stayed at his table while Evan showed Luz his plant gliff and his ice gliff. Willow showed off the little Abomination magic she could muster. Gus showed off more of his illusion magic and Amber played her penny whistle, washing the already colorful garden in a magnificent rosie glow.
"Looks like everyone is having fun back here," Gilbert teased as he entered the garden.
Amber lowered her whistle and smiled up at him.
"Closing up the shop, Hun?" Harvey stepped around the table to kiss his husband.
"Yeah. It's about that time," Gilbert kissed him back.
Luz lit up but Amber frowned.
"Is it really that late?" She asked, looking up at the darkening sky, "I have to get Gus and Evan home. Thanks for letting us hang out here, Mr. Harvey, Mr. Gilbert."
"It's no problem, kids," Gilbert waved her off.
"We enjoy having you all."
"And I like seeing you all when Gus and I aren't at school." Willow hugged Evan tightly.
Luz watched as she tucked her notebook into her pocket. Evan helped Gus to his feet. Both boys hugged Willow.
"I can take Gus home, Amber." He offered, "We live closer together and you and Luz need to get home before dark."
"You're a gem, Evan!" She hugged him tightly, "Just be careful. If anything happens to either of you your parents will kill me."
"Yeah, yeah." Evan waved her off.
"See you at school, Willow," Gus waved.
"Amber, Luz, before you go," Harvey twirled his finger and produced a small bouquet of red, orange, and yellow flowers, "Take these for your parents. I've owed them these for a while."
"Snapdragons!" Luz lit up.
"Yup," Gilbert took the flowers from his husband, "They're Raine and Eda's favorites."
Luz took the flowers and burrowed her face in the soft petals, "They're my favorite, too. Tia Camela would get them for me every year on my…kinda birthday."
Amber grinned and led the rest of the kids out the door. Evan and Gus waved again and hurried off toward the houses in town. Luz continued to play with her gliffs as they walked, careful of the snapdragons in her hands.
"Hey, Amber…" She broke the silence, "How did you and the others know that that Adagast guy was bad news?"
Amber shuffled slightly, "Evan and I have seen some things. I don't doubt that you've heard about Mama's…reputation. And, like Gus said, people don't usually have good reasons to illusion their entire house like that. People like that have tricked both Evan and I before. They make you think you're special or that they can make your problems go away with just one magic spell…but it doesn't work that way. Besides, if we all waited for someone to make us special, we'd die waiting. So we have to make our own prophesies and our own future. I'd rather be 'ordinary' with Mama and Zaza than special and alone."
Luz hung her head and hid her face in the snapdragons again, "Yeah…That's no fun…"
Amber smiled and draped her arm around Luz's shoulders, "Whep, as long as you're here, you'll never be alone. Us Clawthorn branches are a tight knit bunch."
Luz smiled up at her. The sky was still painted with the pinks and oranges of sunset as they neared the Owl House.
"You two are back late." Hooty chirped.
Amber shrugged, "We got caught up at the Parks's."
She pushed through the door without another word to the house demon. Luz trot in behind her before Hooty could try talking to her.
"There you are," Eda bareilly looked up from the potions book she was reading on the sofa, "Rainstorm was starting to get worried."
"Don't act like you weren't, too, Eda." They shouted, stepping in from the kitchen with a pink apron reading 'Kiss the Bard' thrown over their usual clothes, "Oh. Snapdragons!"
"Hm?" Eda looked up, "Ah! Looks like Harv is finally paying up!"
"Mhm!" Luz handed over the flowers, "He and Mr. Gilbert said they're your favorite."
"That's true." Raine took the flowers.
"More of an understatement, really."
Luz giggled. Raine took the flowers into the kitchen and came back without their apron.
"Come on then," They put their hands on their hips, "We'll show you your new room and then we'll do dinner."
Luz blushed, "You didn't have to put a room together just for me."
"Of course we did, kiddo," Eda stood and put a hand on her shoulder, "You'll need a room if you're going to be staying here."
"That's right," Raine led the way up the stairs, "It's not much but…"
They opened the door across the hall from Amber's room, next to King's rarely used bedroom. The walls and floor were the same wood paneling as Amber's, though they were bare, lacking the posters and rug that decorated the other room. The room itself was only a little smaller. The small bed was pushed against the wall underneath a round window. There was a wooden crate for a bedside table and an empty bookshelf was against the wall at the foot of the bed.
"You can put your stuff in this chest over here if you want," Raine offered.
"And you can decorate it however you like," Eda said, "Posters, rugs, whatever."
Luz looked around the room, eyes wide. Then, she dropped her bag and latched onto Eda and Raine.
"Thank you!"
"You're welcome, Sweetheart." Raine chuckled.
Eda wiggled out of Luz's hold and grabbed her partner's hand. "We'll just leave you to get settled. Come down for dinner when you're ready."
Luz nodded and squeezed Raine one more time before turning to grab her bag. As soon as the adults left the room she set the bag on her bed and began pulling things out. Her photo with Tia Camela went on the crate by her bed, her Azura book on the bookshelf. Her clothes and sleeping bag went into the chest Eda had pointed out. She left her blanket in the bag for now but pulled out her stuffed fox before opening the window and sitting on the bed.
"This is it, Trix," She whispered, "I'm going to be a witch!"
She hid her face in the worn fur of the stuffed fox to muffle her squeal. Then she looked out the window again.
"And…I feel like I belong here. On the Boiling Isles I mean. Maybe my parents are here too." She looked out the window at the boiling sea. "I have all summer. And I'm going to use it to become the best witch I can be. This place is smelly, and dangerous, and gross…But I think I'm going to like it here."