A/N: ... Yup. This update is a month overdue. I won't bore you with the details, but let's just say work, the heat and writer's block were the main factors that mentally drained me. I ended up adding things into this that I originally wasn't going to, though, so I have a sneaking suspicion Episode 17 is going to wind up going over 5 chapters... XD But I felt like it had to be done this way because this particular scene was never addressed in the original chapters for Covention, and summing it up in a small paragraph just wasn't good enough for me, so... yeah.
Either way, thank you all once again for the continued support regarding favourites, follows, reviews and views. It's greatly appreciated. Just a reminder that The Owlcast is also available over on AO3 if anyone wants to follow or read it over there too, which I would recommend doing because... this site has been having a lot of glitches going down with fics recently and the admins don't appear to be fixing them yet, so... I probably would. XD Hope you enjoy this chapter either way, despite it not being eventful. Next one should be though.
Chapter 56: Familiar Faces
Amidst the deathly silence that encompassed the abandoned and damaged hall of the building running the Covention, Xander Blackwood was knelt on one knee within the area before the stage, keeping his head bowed and the arm holding his staff across his raised thigh. Elisabeth and the Owl Lady had not long made their 'flashy' exit from the hall, leaving the young coven scout alone with Lilith Clawthorne.
"I can't say that I'm impressed by your recent conduct," Lilith scolded, standing in front of Xander with her shoulders squared, her arms crossed and her chin raised. "You disobeyed a direct order twice, endangered a bystander and got involved in a criminal case you're not even authorised to be near." She paused to lean forward enough that her silhouette loomed over the younger witch, her next question making her sound like a parent reprimanding their naughty child. "What have you got to say for yourself?"
Xander didn't even need to look up to know she was glaring down at him with her piercing eyes of aquamarine. The slight shudder his body gave in reaction to the cold chill that tingled down his spine was more than enough of an indication of her boring holes through his very soul. Yet the blonde didn't answer straightaway, allowing the two of them to linger in the tense silence while he contemplated his next move.
The reprimanding had been expected, though Xander had hoped it wouldn't have been the case. He realised his actions had been reckless, spurred on by his desperate impulse to rid the pressure his old man had pushed down upon him because of that rumour from Warden Wrath. But could he be blamed for it, really? He'd seen an opportunity to arrest his outlaw cousin and grasped it, just like his wretched father continually told him to do! And yet once again, he'd been felled by his annoying little cousin and her new petty potion tricks, leaving him drowning in his own foolish decision.
Though he couldn't help curling his mouth into a sneer momentarily at Lilith's scolding. The hypocrisy practically oozed from her words to the point he wanted to laugh, considering they were surrounded by the aftermath of the carnage she'd partly caused by recklessly attacking his cousin and angering the Owl Lady. Had it not been for her position as the leader and the fact her sister was a criminal she'd been ordered to capture, Xander would have expected her to be in hotter water than he was right now. Still, taking his list of offences into account, he knew he wouldn't get a slap on the wrist for this. Of course, he still had the opportunity to turn this around, didn't he? After all, behind the authority she held and the respect she'd garnered amongst the Emperor's scouts, Lilith was gullible and easily swayed by emotion. He'd witnessed that just now as he'd tried to convince her to let him go after his cousin with his saccharine spiel—that subtle hand twitch and the lowering of her head, the tell-tale sign of hesitance and contemplation brought forth by the real familiarity she'd found in his false concern for his cousin when it came down to her sister.
Just like he'd witnessed his father do many times before, it seemed his old man's manipulative tricks were effective on the so-called 'refined' and 'composed' leader of the Emperor's Coven. So, if he played his cards right, he could use that to his advantage and pull himself out of the hole he'd dug… right?
"… Well?" Lilith's stern press for an answer returned Xander to reality with a wide blink, leading him to mentally remark how glad he was that he hadn't dared to raise his head yet and had kept his mask on. "Do you have anything to say?"
Xander delayed his answer for a little longer, keeping his green-eyed gaze focused solely on the floor. But once he'd deemed the silence to have gone on long enough, the young blonde witch released a heavy sigh and closed his eyes, purposely squeezing the staff in his hand hard enough to make his fist visibly shake.
"… I apologise profusely for acting out of turn," he began quietly and slowly, his voice only just above a whisper. "I understand the severity of my behaviour and take full responsibility for it."
He waited several seconds before he dared to raise his head and open his eyes at receiving a lack of a response, taking the moment to gauge the coven leader's current reaction. Her brows had knitted into a thin line, her aquamarine eyes having widened the tiniest bit.
It was a small crack in her stern mask, but it was still a crack nonetheless; she hadn't expected him to respond like that.
"I am ashamed to admit that I wasn't thinking straight," Xander continued, forcing a brittle tone and keeping his voice low as his tongue spun its exaggerated web; thank the Titan for his uniform including a mask! "It's been three years since I last saw Elisabeth. Naturally, she's been avoiding me and my other relatives like the plague, so I tried to be discreet with my tactics in the hope of getting her attention without scaring her off. But once she dared to fire that spell towards you…" He purposely trailed off and focused on Lilith's eyes, seeing them glisten as though they were on the verge of welling with tears. "… I couldn't just sit back and ignore things."
A tense silence descended between the two witches then, with Lilith appearing to be glued to the spot and retaining her shocked outlook. Had Xander not known any better, he would have assumed the coven leader had accidentally frozen herself with her own ice magic. Still, the look in her eyes was more than an indication that she'd fallen for his sugar-coated spiel.
It felt like forever before Lilith suddenly cleared her throat and straightened out her posture with multiple blinks to remove the lingering tears, a fist lingering close to her lips at the faint pink tint that had flushed her pale cheeks.
"But that is no excuse for your disobedience," she replied harshly, to which Xander gave a stiff nod.
"No, it isn't, Madam Lilith," he quietly agreed in his still exaggeratedly cracked tone, hanging his head once more to play up his false guilt. "I knew the risks upon deciding to confront Elisabeth and try to put her outlaw ways to rest myself, so I am prepared to accept whatever punishment you deem suitable."
"Even if that punishment was removing you from the coven scouts?" she questioned icily, leaving Xander speechless for a moment as his eyes almost bulged from their sockets.
The response hadn't been unexpected, yet hearing it aloud from the cold coven leader's lips still managed to tense his joints and dry up the inside of his throat nonetheless. It was the worst case scenario, after all, because not only would he be covenless—which was a crime in and of itself—but he'd also have his old man's wrath to deal with. The thought of having to tell him that he'd failed to capture his cousin and had been kicked out of the Emperor's Coven was already causing sweat to sprout around his face where the sides of his mask touched his skin, especially at the mental picture conjuring of Ulritch from the last times he'd witnessed him at his most furious.
The fire raging within his green eyes, the red flush of his face, the visibly throbbing veins in his neck, even the jutting of his chin as his bellowing sent saliva flying from his mouth, baring his teeth like his snarling coyote palisman preparing to chomp down on its prey—
Nope, he mentally interjected to disperse the recollection from his head, squeezing his eyes shut for a few seconds for good measure. He couldn't let that happen.
But he still had to keep up appearances for the sake of this conversation.
"… Yes," Xander eventually choked out, managing to keep his tone even enough to hide his discomfort despite his nose crinkling at the bitter taste now lingering on the tip of his tongue.
Now he was really glad he had a physical mask to hide behind.
A long pause followed, yet Xander resisted the urge to raise his head lest it break the illusion he'd attempted to conjure. That changed once he heard a disgruntled noise left the teal-haired witch's lips, daring to raise his head just enough to see her with her eyes closed, her brow etched into a deep frown and her head partially turned to the left.
"Given your actions today, I am well within my right to report you to your superior and have you removed from the coven scouts without delay," Lilith stated coldly, causing Xander's pupils to shrink at his heart skipping a beat in his chest, his throat closing up with a quiet gulp.
Was this it? Had he misread her reactions and messed up for a second time—?
"However," Lilith's low continuation and brief softening of her expression upon opening and returning her eyes to him interrupted Xander's train of thought and left him blinking repeatedly. "your act of reckless valiance can't be ignored. So, taking that into consideration, you'll be let off with a stern warning not to disobey your superior's orders again." Upon seeing Xander's eyes widen at her words and his body appearing to slump with relief, Lilith gave a loud and haughty sniff and tilted her chin to the ceiling, trying to hide the pink tint overtaking her pale cheeks. "T-That will be all!" she hastily declared, making a shooing motion with a hand. "I shall explain the misunderstanding to your superior! In the meantime, you're dismissed!"
From behind his mask, Xander let a triumphant smirk slip, because despite what she'd said, he knew the real reason why she was letting him off the hook. Still, he didn't want to push his luck any further. He truly had gotten off with a slap on the wrist this time. This was why he stood to his full height and bowed lowly from the waist, crossing an arm over his middle as his smirk faded.
"Of course, Madam Lilith," he replied calmly, making sure to add on a comment of gratitude upon righting himself. "Thank you for your understanding."
Lilith cleared her throat and averted her eyes to her left to avoid eye contact, despite the extra colour having since drained from her face. "You're welcome."
"Though please do take care should you encounter Elisabeth with the Owl Lady again." Lilith's brows raised at the remark, prompting her gaze to return to the blonde witch as he went to turn away from the coven leader, his next words spoken with an underlying hint of a hiss. "That flashing potion is not the only dangerous creation she has amongst her arsenal…"
Remaining oblivious to the perplexed blink Lilith gave him, Xander strode away from the older witch and out of the Covention hall with his shoulders squared and his head held high.
The young coven scout remained glued to the spot in his frozen state, rendered speechless and blinking multiple times to make sure he hadn't fallen asleep and was dreaming. It was only when he flinched involuntarily at feeling Bandit scurry his way into his cloak hood that Xander was brought back to his senses with a quiet gasp.
"M-Madam Lilith…!" he sputtered and proceeded to drop to one knee, bowing his head with one of his arms resting atop his thigh. "Please forgive me!" he continued hastily. "I-I didn't see you there!"
His words and gesture of respect made his stomach churn uncomfortably, forcing the younger witch to grit his teeth to resist any other visible reaction of disgust and discomfort from showing at the bitter taste now on his tongue.
Considering Lilith's position in the coven was above him, he had no choice in the matter, yet that didn't stop his dislike for her from crawling underneath his skin, as though his body was a host to a nest of spiders. After all, as he'd once expressed to Elisabeth, Lilith was naïve. In truth, her authority and the manipulation of others was the only reason she was seemingly doing her job properly. She had no clue what she was doing and wasn't afraid to bend the rules and use underhanded tactics to suit her narrative.
Frankly, Lilith Clawthorne was no different to Xander Blackwood, and Xander despised himself with a passion.
Amidst his inner struggle to contain his dislike, though, the younger witch missed Lilith's brows knit together as she looked down upon him, her fingers subconsciously stroking at her chin.
"You…" Lilith murmured. "Do I know you from somewhere?" The question finally prompted Xander to lift his head. The second his green eyes locked with her aquamarine ones, Lilith gaped slightly at feeling the sting of realisation slap her across the face, her hand lowering from her face. "Oh! Of course! You're the young coven scout who claimed to be related to Elisabeth Redwood, aren't you?"
Oh? She remembered who he was? That Xander hadn't expected, as evidenced by the forced blink he gave while he delayed his response. Part of him wanted to lie, considering their last encounter hadn't made a good impression of him. However, he quickly decided against it with the slight shake of his head, realising there was little point to fibbing. It would just make things worse if she managed to catch him out.
"Yes, I am," he answered calmly, being mindful to keep an even tone.
"I thought your voice sounded familiar," Lilith mused, her head tilting to the side a bit. "Though I never did get your name, did I?"
There was a slight delay on Xander's part, naturally out of hesitation on whether he should answer her. However, when the coven leader didn't press for one, he lightly cleared his throat and quickly bowed his head again, deciding to use this opportunity to escape the older witch's company while he could. He didn't fancy lingering around for any longer than necessary.
"I apologise again for my rash behaviour, Madam Lilith." He slowly brought himself to stand. "If you are not hurt, then I shall excuse myself. I must return to my patrol."
Without giving his technical superior another glance nor waiting for a verbal dismissal, Xander straightened out and twirled round on his heels, strolling off in the opposite direction with a quick intake and release of breath through his nostrils. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw Bandit poke his head out from underneath his cloak hood with a low whine, likely responding to the discomfort his owner was currently experiencing.
Luckily for Xander, however, leaving Lilith's company meant that discomfort was fleeting. Gradually, his insides ceased their gurgling gymnastics, allowing the relief at knowing he was finally getting away from that wretched witch to wash over him.
But then…
"Wait!" Lilith's hasty call from behind brought Xander to a stop and Bandit to release a screech of surprise and duck back inside his hood, her approaching strides sounding shortly after causing the young blonde to click his tongue to prevent a curse from slipping.
So close, Xander internally seethed.
"Yes?" he said monotonously, partially turning his head to peek over at the coven leader coming to a halt just behind him.
"What is your name?"
Xander's brows briefly raised with a surprised blink.
That's it? She stopped him just to ask for his name?
The urge to roll his eyes was strong, which was why he forced another blink before he gave in and did just that.
"… Xander Blackwood," Xander answered after a short pause.
Lilith's eyes narrowed with the twist of her lips, blinking multiple times as though she was struggling to process his name; how insulting.
"Blackwood?" she parroted slowly after a few seconds, prompting Xander to give a stiff nod. "Huh…" Lilith cupped her chin with a hand, her eyes glancing the young coven scout from head-to-toe once upon muttering under her breath. "I could have sworn I've heard that surname somewhere before now…"
But Xander still managed to catch the remark, causing him to face the coven leader a little more. Before he could enquire on the matter, though, she was speaking again at regular volume and moving the conversation along.
"If I may ask: how are you related to Elisabeth?"
The question caused a lump to form in his throat, a reaction he acknowledged often happened during situations where he was forced to admit his blood relation to the witch who had ruined his life out loud. Though, luckily for him, Xander's suspicion regarding the enquiry took its hold instead, instantly dispelling the lump with the tight press of his lips.
"And if I may ask, Madam Lilith: why is that something you wish to know?"
The coven leader initially showed no reaction to Xander's enquiry other than a blink, her unfazed expression making it seem she'd anticipated the interrogative question. She broke her gaze away from the young coven scout to scan either side of the street they were situated in, continuing to speak in a hushed tone while her aquamarine eyes warily shifted from side-to-side. Not that she had anything to worry about; Xander's presence had chased away the majority of those who'd occupied it, leaving it barren and abandoned outside of themselves.
"During Covention, you said you wanted to bring Elisabeth back to the right side of the law, correct?"
Ah, yes. Lilith's reminder soon brought his own sugar-coated words to life inside of his head, the words his cousin had managed to figure out were total lies. A sudden and small chill slid down his spine at the recollection as though an icy finger was digging into his back, prompting a slight shudder to involuntarily jerk his shoulders a bit.
"… I did."
Lilith's eyes landed upon him once more with a faint frown. "And that still stands even now?"
"It does," his answer was immediate despite it being a fib, causing a silent stare down to ensue between the two witches.
Xander was left to observe Lilith's lips pursing and her frown deepening. She seemed to be pondering her next words carefully, as though she was hesitant to even say them to begin with. Yet her eyes flitted between the blonde witch's face and her shoes a few times, the older witch's back went as straight as a pole, her arms crossing over her chest with the raise of her chin. It was like someone had flipped a switch on the back of her neck and returned her to her usual stoic and cold expression.
"I've recently happened upon some information regarding the whereabouts of my sister, whom Elisabeth is currently living with—"
"What?!" Xander cut Lilith off with a loud shriek, causing the older witch's eyes to widen with a shocked blink at seeing the blonde witch lean back. Even Bandit couldn't help screeching and tumbling round inside of his owner's hood at the intense reaction, having not expected it either. "She is with the Owl Lady?!"
Were his ears playing tricks on him? Xander didn't know anymore, yet that hadn't stopped the disbelief from jolting through his body and giving rise to his voice. It should have been obvious to him considering the amount of times Elisabeth had been spotted with the Owl Lady and her unusual band of associates, especially when he'd seen them going around the Covention. But to actually hear verbal confirmation on the matter…
Several seconds passed before Xander processed the surprised look upon Lilith's face, returning him to reality in an instant. It took three forced blinks for him to realise what he'd just done. And then… he felt the heat immediately rush to his face.
He didn't need to look at his reflection to guess that his face was flushed as red as one of his little cousin's explosive potions, which is why he was mentally thanking the Titan once again that his uniform required him to wear a mask. Though he wished of all the witches his public mask wound up slipping in front of, it hadn't been the leader of the Emperor's Coven.
"… Ahem!" Xander loudly cleared his throat with a fist close to his mouth and instinctively veered his body off to the left the moment he could bring himself to, trying to unsuccessfully hide his embarrassment. "M-My apologies," he weakly stuttered, gesturing with the slight twist of his other hand for Lilith to move things along. "P-Please continue!"
From the corner of his eyes, he spied Lilith momentarily regarding him with a perplexed look. But it only lasted several seconds more before it was dispelled with a quick shake of the head.
"As I was saying," Lilith continued with forced emphasis to move the topic along, peeking over her shoulder towards the empty street behind her. "Edalyn's current hideout is apparently somewhere on the outskirts of Bonesborough. I was just on my way to confront her alone; however…" She trailed off and returned her gaze to Xander, who had since straightened out and focused his attention on her with the lowering of his hand. "…knowing Elisabeth is with her, I think it's only fair that you come along."
"M-Me?" Xander stammered and recoiled with a hand to his chest. "B-But after what happened at Covention—"
Lilith abruptly raised a palm to silence the younger witch, dissuading him from saying anything more.
"Regardless of what happened at Covention, it doesn't change the fact that you displayed resourceful knowledge about Elisabeth's magic and have proven yourself to be a skilled fighter against her. Also,"—her eyes narrowed as her next words were spoken with a hint of sarcasm—"it saves you the trouble of sneaking off from your duties to find Elisabeth yourself, doesn't it?"
Xander's left eye twitched at the implication, not appreciating such a remark leaving the lips of someone he disliked, especially. Of course, he did the wise thing and kept his mouth shut, instead moving his hands behind his back to take out his frustration on one of his wrists with a tight squeeze.
"I want to give both Elisabeth and Edalyn the chance to turn themselves in without the need for escalation," the older witch continued upon the lack of a response. "Though I don't believe my word alone is enough to convince Elisabeth, which is why I believe your presence will change that." Lilith placed her hands behind her back with a downcast gaze, her next words spoken melancholically at the distant and glassy look that flashed across her eyes, as if she was recalling a far-off memory Xander wasn't privy to. "There's no way she's going to let my sister go without a fight, if what happened at Covention was any indication…"
Xander allowed the older witch to fall into her internal recollection then, giving himself time to process everything he was hearing. After all, mere seconds ago he was wishing for a solution to get his old man off his back, and now… one had dropped right into his lap without any effort whatsoever—a chance to apprehend Elisabeth and finally give his old man a reason to be proud of him.
It was too good to be true, too good, in fact, that Xander couldn't help giving one of his arms (both of which were still behind his back) a tiny pinch to make sure he wasn't dreaming. The flinch and small sting in response to this action proved he was, indeed, awake, prompting a sly smile to appear behind his mask.
Sure, he despised Lilith's company with a passion. And recalling how powerful and aggressive the Owl Lady had been at Covention, he knew he was going to have a difficult time even getting close to his cousin. But how could he forgo a golden opportunity like this, one that would mean he could go after Elisabeth without the worry of losing his forced role?
Catching Lilith jerking her head from side-to-side returned Xander's focus to the situation at hand, tuning in once she resumed speaking in a strict tone. "If you're concerned about your current duties, you needn't be. We can return to the precinct and have you reassigned for the day. So, if you would like the opportunity to—"
"I would," Xander cut her off all too eagerly, causing Lilith to cock a brow and force two blinks. Several seconds passed until he processed his brief slip of his public mask for yet another time, making Xander roll his shoulders and loudly clear his throat. "If that is agreeable with you, of course."
Xander's head and shoulders twitched when Bandit loudly shrieked next to his left ear with what he made out to be a vocal objection, only to be silenced by one of his owner's hands gently clamping atop his little furry head, muffling the rest of his noise until it ceased. Xander was aware Lilith had a staff of her own, meaning unlike his cousin, she could understand what Bandit was saying. Though despite his reaction, it didn't seem like Lilith was suspicious or had heard Bandit, as evidenced by her stern expression remaining intact and the stiff nod she gave to Xander's response.
"Very well. Come along, then." Lilith turned away and started strolling on ahead of Xander, back in the direction the young coven scout had just come from. "We have a lot of preparations to make."
But Xander didn't follow at first. He waited until Lilith had walked out of earshot before he finally released his ferret palisman's head, turning to Bandit with a scowl behind his mask as the little guy clambered out of hiding and onto his left shoulder.
"What's gotten into you?" he demanded in a whisper, prompting Bandit to reply with a flurry of small squeaks and the animated wave of his paws above his head. "Huh?! Of course I'm going!" Xander snapped back with a deepening scowl (not that Bandit could see it). "This is my chance to arrest Elisabeth without getting into trouble! Not to mention if I don't go, then Lilith will get to her first! I'm not about to let that naïve coven leader swipe that victory away from me!"
Bandit's jaw quivered at this response. He resumed waving his paws about with another rushed set of squeaks, the content of which left Xander's eyes almost bulging from their sockets.
'You don't want to arrest your cousin,' was basically what his wooden companion was saying to him. 'You know she doesn't deserve it. Stop lying to yourself.'
It wasn't until that all-too familiar ache rose within the confines of his chest that Xander could bring himself to speak, releasing a low hiss and turning his nose up to the sky with the stiffening of his shoulders.
"Quit acting like you two are best buds now just because she helped you out that once." Xander continued under his breath, finally moving after Lilith as she started to get too far ahead of them. "You know nothing about my past with Elisabeth. So, you're better off staying out of business that doesn't concern you."
Out of the corner of his eyes, Xander caught Bandit lowering his body and cowering against his shoulder, the sight of his drooped ears, tail and head intensifying the pain in his chest upon realising what he'd just done. But it was the low whine that left Bandit before he slunk his way back into the darkness shrouding the inside of his cloak hood that rendered Xander speechless, a gloved hand immediately clutching at the front of his clothes and digging his fingers deep into his shirt's material.
'You're just like him,' he'd said, causing a wave of déjà vu to smack into him and knock the air out of his lungs.
He lost his balance and stumbled backwards a little before he caught his footing, both of his hands now gripping tightly at the material of his clothes as Elisabeth's teenage and brittle voice rang clearly from inside his head.
'Father wanted me to be nice to you because he believed you were different. But you know what? He's wrong! You're just like him!'
"Xander?" Lilith's concerned call propelled the young witch back to his senses with three forced blinks, his head whipping towards his right to see the older witch a good distance away and partially turned to face him with knitted brows. "Is everything all right?"
Xander could still feel the ache in his chest, yet he no longer paid it any heed. Giving his body, head and hands a quick shake from side to side to brush off his momentary shock, the blonde witch approached Lilith with long strides and held up a palm.
"Sorry. Thought I had a pixie on me," he lied, his tone failing to convey that niggling pain still taunting him.
"So long as you're fine," Lilith replied with a slight nod and the relaxing of her expression.
She waited until Xander had reached her left side before she turned around and resumed her walk, with the young coven scout following beside her all the while. Xander didn't hear a single peep out of Bandit in the meantime, though he could feel where the little guy had curled up against the back of his neck.
It was rare the two of them ever argued, but even when they did, Bandit refused to leave his side. That thought only prolonged that annoying ache, with Xander keeping his gaze ahead and his thoughts occupied on his upcoming task in an attempt to distract himself. After all, the pain would go away eventually…
… right?
The Owl House was quiet. Too quiet.
Lizzie wasn't sure how long it had been since she'd heard Eda and Luz head out the front door; however, she was sure it had been long enough that someone from the remaining inhabitants still inside the cottage should have made a noise by now outside of herself. Yet during the time she'd spent sat upon her mattress and staring intently at the open doorway to her room, she hadn't heard anything. No creaking floorboards, no pitter-pattering of paws in the hallway, not even a 'hoot hoot!' from Hooty nor an adorably evil titter from King.
'King and Hooty are not quiet creatures by nature. Unless they're trying really hard to be sneaky, something has to be up.' The blonde witch allowed her eyes to trail away from the doorway to her fiction book lying beside her on the mattress, her brows furrowing a little. 'Yet is it concerning enough to force me out of the bedroom?'
Lizzie's pondering was disturbed by a non-verbal answer to her internal question in the form of a loud gurgle erupting in the depths of her stomach. She hunched forward and wrapped her arms round her bubbling and empty gut with a quiet groan, acting as a painful reminder of the breakfast Eda was keeping for her downstairs.
'I'm going to have to check on them, aren't I?'
She once again answered her own rhetorical question with an irritated sigh and forced herself to her feet, knowing if she went downstairs to eat, she couldn't just ignore Hooty and King in the process. Thus, with her hunger and concern having prevailed over her inner turmoil, Lizzie reluctantly headed out of her bedroom.
As she headed down the hallway to the stairs for the first floor, she allowed her gaze to wander on the way in case either King or Hooty happened to be lurking about somewhere, to no avail. Going downstairs and entering the hallway of the ground floor yielded the same results, and by the time she was pausing in the doorway to the living room and giving it a quick scan from left to right, nothing changed. She was met with an empty and undisturbed room and a closed front door, leaving the blonde witch raising a brow and scratching at the side of her head.
Hooty, Lizzie assumed, was probably still in his usual hole in the door or doing something outside since it was closed (because where else would the resident house demon be?) But before she could even question where King was… crinkling from a packet and loud crunching sounds echoed around the hallway.
With the twitch of her ears, Lizzie's head immediately whipped in the direction of the other end of the hallway, specifically where she knew the kitchen was. Her confusion dissipated in an instant, her body slumping forward like a puppet whose master had loosened their grip on her strings as she reluctantly dragged herself to her original and intended destination.
'Never mind. Found him. And based on the noises I'm hearing I can already guess what he's up to…'
And those suspicions were soon confirmed when Lizzie finally rounded the corner and came to a dead stop in the kitchen's doorway, her eyes drooping at the kitchen floor upon beholding the sorry sight she was met with.
Lizzie felt as if she was a detective walking in on a crime scene to what she could only describe as a 'food massacre'. The doors of the kitchen cupboards were wide open, revealing barren shelves partially shrouded in shadow and striped of their insides, barring any cobwebs lingering in their corners. An array of colourful tins and packets laid strewn across the wooden floor, their liquefied or solidified contents spilled or scattered messily around their 'bodies'. And then there was King, plopped down on his bottom in the middle of all the chaos, with his head tilted back and his eyes closed. He was holding a large green packet with a yellow stripe and depiction of a brown ring and onion on it between his paws and above his mouth, pouring its entire contents into his maw like a plug hole in a sink draining water from a tap.
King clearly didn't know she was there, yet Lizzie did nothing to announce her presence. She watched King gluttonously devour his snack and then open his eyes to toss the packet to the floor, staying quiet even when he yawned and patted his tiny paws against his furry stomach.
"Whoo! Now that was a feast fit for a king!" King brushed away the crumbs and other bits of food caught in his fur before he stood up, placing his paws to his hips as his pink eyes glimpsed over his eating reign of terror. "And now, I shall have a nap fit for a—"
Pink eyes finally locked with the drooped and dull green of the blonde witch blocking his way to the living room, silencing the little demon instantly and causing his pupils to shrink with the stiffening of his body.
"… Ulp," was the only thing he managed to say with a thick swallow, the realisation that he was in for the scolding of a lifetime only just dawning on him.
Instead, after an intense ten seconds of staring between the blonde witch and the little demon, Lizzie sighed loudly and pinched the bridge of her nose, raising her other index finger and bending it to make her fingertip glow a bright green. She drew a small spell circle in the direction of the food on the floor, prompting a glowing green outline to sprout up around each individual item. King took two steps back and forced three blinks at witnessing the spilled food and other rubbish suddenly levitate off the floor.
"Where did Eda put my breakfast?" Lizzie asked calmly, returning King's attention to her with the shake of his head.
"Uh…" he uttered after a few seconds of delay, briefly sideways glancing the foil covered plate on the worktop beside the fridge and then returning to Lizzie again with a slight squint. "Over there," he answered carefully, lifting a claw to point for good measure.
Lizzie gave a stiff nod of acknowledgement and walked towards the fridge, moving her index finger to guide the floating food over to the bin and plonking it in there with a swift downward jab. "Thanks."
All the while King speechlessly watched Lizzie go, his eyes further narrowing when she pushed a palm against the cupboard doors to shut them with an echoing thud on her way.
King already knew Lizzie wasn't acting like herself from the conversation he'd had with Luz and Eda this morning, but as he observed Lizzie collecting her food without so much as a glance in his direction, the little demon was starting to see why Luz and Eda were so worried. Lizzie always told him off whenever he disobeyed Eda, even going so far as to make him clean up his own mess if he made any. Yet this time, she hadn't even tried. Not only had she gone ahead to clean up herself, but she looked and sounded like she was too mentally drained to say anything to him. And for some reason that didn't sit well with King, if the sinking feeling in his stomach was any indication (unless he'd overeaten and his body wasn't reacting to it well). Yes, he didn't like being told what to do or told off at all, but it didn't change the fact that Lizzie doing either was normal around here, which meant her not doing so wasn't normal.
"… Hey," King began hesitantly, lifting two of his claws close to his abdomen to fiddle with as Lizzie side-stepped to the cutlery drawer and pulled it open with her free hand, the other steadying the plate on her palm. "Are you…" He trailed off with a faint frown, pausing for a couple of seconds before forcing the next words out of his mouth. "…feeling okay?"
He knew it was a stupid question to ask, especially because it was clearly obvious she wasn't, but what else was he supposed to say?
"I'm fine," Lizzie lied without sparing King a look or stopping what she was doing, momentarily clenching her jaw at the bitter taste now attacking her tastebuds as she reached a hand into the drawer to grab a knife and fork. "Why do you ask?"
"Oh, you know…" King awkwardly looked off to the side, specifically eyeing the now closed kitchen cupboards. "'cause you don't seem mad."
"Why would I be?" Lizzie remained oblivious to King clutching at his tummy with widened eyes, taken aback by how casually she'd replied to him with an answer he had not expected. "It wasn't a big mess and I dealt with it. No use in fussing over something trivial, right?"
King's grip tightened on his stomach at the dull ache settling within it (whether from the food or the current situation, he wasn't sure), his pink eyes glued to Lizzie's back as she pushed the drawer closed and started to turn to face him.
"Anyway, if you need me, I'll be—" She halted at hearing a loud sniffle come from the little demon, finishing her sentence in a quiet and breathless tone at struggling to take in the sight of him staring up at her with wide, watery eyes and a quivering jaw. "…upstairs…"
At seeing the look of surprise that had befallen the blonde witch, King averted his teary gaze and held his arms in front of his face, attempting to hide his sudden show of sadness with the wild wave of his paws. "Don't look at me!" he croaked out an octave higher than he intended and squeezed his eyes shut, forcing the tears to flow down his bony cheeks. "I have a tummy ache!"
Lizzie couldn't bring herself to say anything at first, her brows knitting together as she observed the sniffling and weeping demon trying to wipe away his tears with his paws. Considering what she'd observed with Luz earlier today, the blonde witch suspected that there was more to King's tears than what he was insinuating, especially as he'd not long been questioning her about her behaviour. Still, she knew she couldn't walk away and leave King like this, regardless of the reason or her current mood.
Though before she could even work up the courage to say anything… the front door of the Owl House slammed open, sending short and faint vibrations throughout its foundation that caused the blonde witch to straighten up and close her mouth with a wide blink.
"WEH!" King cried as the noises literally startled him and almost made him leap out of his fur, the latter of which stood on end.
The little demon flung himself towards Lizzie and clutched at her closest ankle for dear life before the sound of heeled footsteps were heard darting towards the kitchen. Seconds after, Eda the Owl Lady appeared in the doorway with an unusually wide grin on her face, her staff resting against her shoulder.
"Ah, King, there you are!" the Owl Lady exclaimed. Glistening golden eyes soon switched to Lizzie when she noticed her standing there, with the blonde pursing her lips and squinting upon glancing her technical employer from head to toe. "And look who's decided to leave her hermit hole!"
Despite Eda having revealed herself, King continued to grip tightly onto Lizzie's ankle, leaving the younger witch to take the lead in the conversation (and ignoring the 'hermit hole' remark while she was at it).
"You're unusually chipper today," she remarked upon allowing her eyes to settle on the Owl Lady's face once more.
"She's caught a case of 'grudgby fever', that's why," King replied dryly, his eyes drooping when Lizzie looked down at him with a raised brow.
'Ah, that's right. I remember Luz telling me that grudgby season was—'
"Wait…" Lizzie said once King's words had properly processed in her head, the latter of which tilted to the side with the crinkle of her nose. "You're into grudgby?"
"Into it?" Eda repeated, only to wink and click her tongue with a hand placed to her sternum and a smug smile. "I was Hexside's star player!"
"What?!" Lizzie shrieked, unintentionally loosening her grip on her plate and almost causing it to slip from her grasp in the process. She squeaked and quickly tightened her hold on it again, only continuing once she'd brought the item close to her to avoid another mishap. "You played grudgby?!"
"Sure did! And Luz has gotten me all nostalgic, so…" Eda pointed a finger towards the pair. "Whaddya say we head into the living room and I tell you more about my gory days?"
"Hard pass," King answered instantly, pausing to let a small yawn slip with a heavy blink. "There's a nap waiting for me."
"Yeah…" Lizzie began reluctantly as she held up the plate in her hand a little more for Eda to see, purposely avoiding eye contact to stare at her boots. "And I actually only came downstairs to get my breakfast, so—"
"Oh, stow it!" Eda interrupted with a dismissive wave, straightening up and walking towards the pair after resting her staff against the nearby wall. "You can eat and listen at the same time! And King, you're gonna be napping in the same room anyway!"
Lizzie and King were already backing up at Eda's approach, with King even raising his paws in surrender for good measure.
"Doesn't mean I'll be paying attention!" he protested.
"And I also still have some potion work to do for the next delivery," Lizzie meekly added on. "So, really, I should be heading back upstairs—"
Sadly, Lizzie didn't get to finish what she had to say. True to her name, and before either the blonde witch or King could comprehend what was coming, Eda the Owl Lady swooped her way in between them in a red, grey and white blur, hooked her left arm round Lizzie's shoulders and scooped King up with her right one, her actions causing the pair to yell out of alarm (and King to slightly flail his arms and legs around the moment he was airborne).
"Ah!"
"Weh!"
"No buts, freeloaders!" Eda proclaimed as Lizzie was pulled against her left side and King was held against her right side, her golden eyes flitting between the two with a sly smirk and a hint of sternness entering her tone. "Unless you want another punishment for trying to hide the fact that King once again cleaned out my kitchen cupboards…"
Lizzie's brows raised with a wide blink at this revelation, while King's pupils shrunk with the slight raise of his shoulders.
"How did you know?!" King shouted, only to end up following Eda's head when she jerked it towards the kitchen's bin, where the evidence of his earlier feast could be seen peeking out.
Lizzie, meanwhile, took in the overflowing bin with drooped green eyes, quickly catching on to how Eda figured everything out.
'I think the curse has sharpened her eyesight.'
"Aw, nuts!" King grumbled and allowed his body to go limp in the older witch's hold, making Eda's smirk widen.
"Glad to know there are no objections!" Eda commented sarcastically. She gently yanked Lizzie towards the kitchen doorway while carrying King with her, her smirk dimming down to a proud smile at knowing her plan was clearly working. "Come on then! There's a lot to get through!"
