Looking for a Home

by MrSova

The sequel of: "The Entanglement" Luz and Amity take their well-deserved vacation in the Human Realm. They were supposed to rest and find closure but the long-forgotten past caught up with them.

8. Chapter 8 - Left Behind

The time sped forward, gravity caught up with the witch, and she fell.

"AMITY!" She could hear Luz's voice yelling after her.

What surprised her, was that she was certain she heard Gus yell her name too. She could not focus on that at the moment. Her eyes were still fixated on Bergstein's piercing blue gaze, laced with panic as he watched her fall.

The witch had seen her lavender hair flow forward while her body limply fell backward. The blonde man on the edge of the cliff was getting smaller and smaller. It finally hit her. She was falling off the cliff into the darkness of the night. Amity tried to turn in midair, hoping to see when would she hit the cold, concrete-hard water but it was no simple task considering the state her body was in.

She felt her heart racing when she realized the calm sheet of the lake below her was approaching faster than she would like it to. At the last possible moment, she took in a deep breath, squeezed her eyes shut, bracing for impact, and hardly managed to keep the air inside her lungs when her back hit the cold water.

Amity's hurt body was immediately embraced by the icy sensation. Every bruise and cut was experiencing the temperature of the water more intensely. She opened her eyes and blinked rapidly to adjust to the new feeling, trying to analyze her situation.

Her clothes sucked the water in and became heavy, weighing her down, dragging her into the darkness. Soon, the bright moon disappeared, and the witch realized she was going down, deeper into the lake.

"Come on, Blight! Do something!" She scolded herself, realizing she could not let herself drown, "You have a reason to live!" Amity thought of Luz and her brows tied in determination, "She will be looking for me… I need to give her a sign!" She thought and despite the feeling of pressure painfully changing in her ears, and the air in her lungs getting less and less life-sustaining, she fought for her life.

Amity wriggled in the water, despite the pain in her arms and shoulders, she pulled her knees toward her chest, and with a little bit of struggle, she managed to bring her shackled wrists to the front of her body which was immediately pulled forward. The witch realized that it was the weight of the handcuffs that was pulling her down.

"Fuck, okay, just a simple spell to open those bastards and you're home free," She encouraged herself and closed her eyes for a mere moment to regain the calmness she needed to cast a spell.

Amity opened her eyes and was worried to realize she could not see anything anymore. Suddenly, she felt her body go through a strange layer of even denser water underneath, its temperature was even lower. Before she could have reacted to this new sensation in any way, her boots made contact with the bottom of the lake.

"Okay, at least I'll have a way to jump-start my swim to the surface," She tried to find a positive in this dire situation, "Now focus," She told herself and drew a small, purple spell circle that illuminated her body and the closest surroundings.

Amity, however, did not notice the vast emptiness of the rocky bottom of the lake, she did not notice random fish swimming by, drawn in by the beauty of the light, reflecting in her golden eyes, she was solely focused on the spell to set her free.

Yet, before she could finish the spell, the witch was shocked to realize the shackles started to glow with a bright, blue light, her spell circle disappeared, and the energy she put in the spell, shocked her body, leaving an unpleasant burning sensation in her wrists.

"No, no, no, no…" Her mind raced in panic when she realized her magic was being blocked and used against her, "I should be able to get out of here!" She thought bitterly, trying to control her reactions, afraid that this was the end for her, "At least underwater, no one will see me cry… How pathetic," Her mind offered and she let herself fall to her knees, trying to conserve as much air as possible, hoping for a rescue.

Suddenly, a flash of memory attacked her consciousness and she saw a situation that seemed too familiar to be a mere figment of her suffocating imagination. She had seen the Blight Industries Laboratory, where her mother used to test the newest products. She was kneeling on the floor in front of a water tank when she felt a cold palm holding the back of her neck.

"I told you, you should be more precise when testing the products!" Odalia's voice offered a scolding, right before she put her daughter's head underwater and kept it in for as long as her small lungs allowed her to.

"I'm sorry, Mother," Amity gasped for air, coughing the water out, "I promise, I'll do better!" She pleaded but her mother was not a forgiving person. She put the auburn head underwater once again. This time for an even longer time.

"I certainly hope so, Mittens! For your own sake!" She growled, throwing her soaked daughter to the floor, and with no warning she left. Amity felt the sadness and helplessness she felt that day.

"Did that even happen?" She wondered, blinking rapidly, realizing this was just a strange vision, "Damn you overgrown bile sac," She thought realizing she was almost out of air.

She smiled faintly at the thought of this being her end. Amity was content she had a chance to experience love. The thought of Luz gave her a sense of calm even though it pained her that she would never hold her girlfriend close again.

A tingling sensation in her body let her know that her limbs were already experiencing a lack of oxygen when she could have sworn she noticed a golden light in her peripheral vision.

"Luz?" She thought and mentally facepalmed her forehead, "Of course, she would come to look for me! I would do the same!" She was angry at herself for ever doubting her girlfriend, not realizing she already thought of waiting for the rescue, "I need to help her find her way to me…" She thought and with the last of her strength she considered her options.

With a lack of a better idea, Amity faced the spot where she thought she had seen the golden light and drew an over three feet wide spell circle, hoping the light would be enough for her to be seen. The spell was immediately broken and the shackles glowed brightly, sending a painful shock through the witch's body.

Amity clenched her jaw to control the pain and stood up, hoping her masochistic idea would save her in the end. She felt her diaphragm starting to spasm, wanting to take in a breath but she fought against her survival instinct. She used the height of her entire body and drew an over six-foot wide spell circle, channeling into it all the power she had left in the act of desperation.

The purple light illuminated the bottom of the lake for a second or two, creating an eerie image, and scaring the fish away, right before it was broken. The shackles absorbed the spell, converting it into a current of torturous pain and bright blue light. It was too much for Amity.

She wanted to scream but she had no air to let out. Her instincts kicked in and her body tried to breathe in. The freezing cold water painfully flooded her lungs. The witch felt her body getting warmer, calmer, and finally at peace. All of her surroundings remained black when her mind went dark too.

"I guess… This… Is it… Luz…" The last thought went through her mind and then it was extinguished like the light of her life.

"Amity!" Luz yelled toward her girlfriend, watching the love of her life fall to her death, not caring for their secret identities anymore. Yet, what she realized was that Gus also called out for Amity, not for Amelia.

Tommy was standing frozen with the broken choker in his hand. His dull, intoxicated mind could not comprehend the situation. The fangs, the ears… Her strength suddenly made sense to him. He finally turned around and noticed he was left alone with a furious woman and two of her companions.

"I… It wasn't supposed to be like this…" He choked out and shook his head when the sound of Amity's body making contact with the water echoed across the lake, "She told me… I mean…" He did not have a chance to finish his thought when Luz finally snapped out of her stupor.

"I'll fucking kill you!" She growled and was just about to jump at the blonde man with murderous intent when both Bert and Gus held her tightly in place.

"No! Stop!" Bert tried to calm her down, "We need to call for help," He offered but Luz was done playing by the rules.

"Finally, Kid!" The Demon praised and the golden light slowly swirled around Clawthorne's feet.

"You better let me go or so help me Titan…" Luz's voice reverberated in a distorted echo while she made eye contact with the taller brunette man. He gulped in fear, pupils shrank in his green eyes, and he let her go.

"You fucking better run, Bergstein!" Bert ordered, never looking away from Luz. They all heard the bully disappear in the woods as if his life depended on it. Which actually did.

"We'll wait here," Gus offered, they both let go of Luz's body and shared an anxious look.

"Move, Kid! Witches have smaller lungs than you guys!" The Demon urged and Clawthorne did not think twice, ignoring how the two men did not comment on the magic seeping away from her body.

She leaped forward, pouncing on her hands that quickly, yet not entirely painlessly, turned into claws, and with another jump, she was soaring down toward the lake, the harpy-like wings helping her get to the lake faster. She saw her feathered, panicked face in the sheet of water, approaching her rapidly. The coldness of the water hit her hard and she needed a moment to adjust.

"Fuck! It's too dark!" Luz thought while diving into the lake, hoping she made it close enough to where the witch had fallen in.

"Listen, Kid, focus on what you need and use our connection," The Demon offered and Luz stopped in her frantic fight against the water, "That's it," They encouraged and the human extended her hand and with a little bit of struggle noticed a small, golden light erupting around her claws.

"I…" Luz wanted to exclaim in delight, forgetting she was still underwater. She managed to quickly get back to the surface and clear her lungs in a coughing fit.

"Should I comment on that?" The Demon teased and Luz could have sworn she heard them smirk.

"Shut up!" Clawthorne growled when she finally regained her breath, "We need to find her and we need to do it fast!" She added and the Demon became silent again, agreeing with their host.

Luz focused on her right hand again and engulfed it in a wildfire of golden energy. It was beautiful to look at but Clawthorne knew now was not the time to appreciate its beauty. Once she was certain she knew how to hold it steady, she dived back into the darkness of the lake.

With a hand extended in front of her, she flapped her wings against the water to dive deeper into the vastness of the lake. She was trying to remain calm, focusing on the smallest movement in the water to find Amity before it would be too late.

"Did you see that?" Luz thought when she thought she had seen a blue light in the right corner of her peripheral vision.

"Turn off the light!" The Demon ordered and Luz did just that. She faced the point where she thought she had seen a light in the void of the water body. She did not have to wait long for the next burst of light, "Swim, human!" Luz did not have a mind to point out she had a name since it was crystal clear they both were scared about Amity's safety.

She fixed her sight at the point where she had seen the light that quickly faded into the darkness and swam with the use of her wings, hands, and legs. Luz feared that she had lost her sense of direction when another, more powerful burst of light illuminated the lake. At first, the purple light was so bright it almost blinded her. The blue light followed soon after and Clawthorne pinpointed the source.

"Hurry!" Demon urged and Luz decided not to comment on the panic seeping off their voice.

It was not long before Luz felt her body make it through the layer of thermocline and a painful shiver went through her body. It made her realize that Amity might have been hypothermic by now. When she had not seen another light for a while, she refocused on her right hand and turned on her own light.

"There!" The Demon yelled as if they were able to point somewhere in front of the human.

That was when Luz noticed a figure kneeling at the bottom of the lake. Her heart was squeezed with fear, she carefully swam closer, her golden light shining brightly, and Clawthorne noticed that it was indeed Amity.

Her lavender hair was floating around her head, creating an unreal image of dread and, at the same time, hope. Luz moved the locks away from the pale face and felt her heart increase its pace when she realized the witch's eyes were open and still, immobile.

The fangs peeked from between the usually pink lips, now dark blue, still, presumed dead. Clawthorne extended her hand to touch the pale cheek and noticed a slight movement, realizing that Amity's diaphragm was still spasming in an attempt to breathe.

There was no time to gawk and look as Luz was starting to run out of air as well. She gently took hold of the witch, embracing her limp body, and placing the lavender head on her left shoulder, keeping her secure. Luz spread her wings and slowly began swimming up.

"Faster, human!"

"I can't! The pressure can hurt her ears if we go too fast!" Luz explained while she slowly made her way toward the surface.

Her wings rhythmically beat against the water and soon she felt the thermocline was left behind and their bodies were surrounded by much warmer water. Another few beats of wings and soon Luz noticed the moon shining above the lake. The air in her lungs was quickly depleting with the extra exercise. Finally, she broke the sheet of the water.

"Gah!" She gasped for air and her lungs painfully welcomed the life-giving gas in relief. She coughed a little bit and turned her attention back to the witch in her embrace. Amity was not moving, her head lolled to the side, "No, no, no, no…" She murmured in distress and powerfully hit the water with her wings, leaving it behind, soaring to the cliff where she left Bert and Gus behind.

Both men were still waiting for her. However, they did not expect the person to return with the lavender-haired woman in her embrace to be a humanoid harpy-like woman. They both opened their mouths in shock when they noticed an other-worldly pieta that slowly made its way to the forest ground.

"Move aside," Luz whispered in a labored, distorted voice while she landed, careful to not hit anybody with her wide wings, right before facing the cliff for better light, laying the witch on the ground, and returning to her, dry human form.

"What the…"

"Not now…" Luz whispered and Bert understood the gravity of the situation when he noticed open, immobile, gold eyes, "Come on, Baby, please…" She pleaded when she brushed the wet, lavender hair away from the cold, pale, bruised face.

"Do something!" The Demon was panicking, scared for the woman they learned to love.

Luz placed her hands on her girlfriend's chest and was about to start to pump in an attempt to revive her when she felt a sudden touch of an extremely warm hand. Or was she just extremely cold?

"Don't," Gus said plainly and their eyes met. Luz frowned, feeling anger bubbling to the surface but the young adult remained calm. He finally sighed and spoke earnestly, "CPR can burst her bile sac, use it as a last resort," Luz could not believe what she just heard.

"How do you…"

"Now it's not important," Gus replied and both Luz and the Owl Demon could not agree more.

Luz looked down at her girlfriend and lifted her chin. She leaned forward and after squeezing her girlfriend's nostrils shut, she connected their lips. Clawthorne did her best to ignore how dead cold Amity's lips were.

She then blew air in, watching the witch's chest rise and fall when she gasped for another breath. Luz repeated the process once again, trying to ignore her fear. Another breath was pushed into the immobile chest and the witch's diaphragm jumpstarted.

Amity's stomach was squeezed in an attempt to cough. Luz reacted quickly, turning the witch to her right side, toward her knees and the forest. After a few more spasms, the witch managed to evacuate the water from her lungs and fell into a coughing fit, gasping for air time after time, still too confused about her surroundings.

"What the…" Amity thought in her first attempt to comprehend her surroundings.

The witch heard muffled voices and she realized she was no longer in the vastness of the dark lake but rather on the hard ground. Her whole body ached, inside and outside. She was coughing hard, her lungs were throwing up all the water they stored.

"You should have died…" She heard a familiar, feminine voice.

Finally, she managed to crack her eyes open. She noticed someone's knees by her face but her gaze traveled deep into the forest where she could have sworn she locked eyes with an all too familiar green-haired witch with piercing blue eyes.

"N-no…" Amity murmured hoarsely, trying to move away, afraid for her life.

"Shh, shh, it's okay, you're safe," Another voice tried to calm her down. The witch coughed again and her gaze followed the source of this warm, soothing sound.

"L-Luz?" She asked with a shaking voice, barely whispering. The human nodded frantically, fighting the tears of joy away.

"Yeah, it's me," Luz gasped, a shy smile creeping onto her face, "Titan, you scared me," She admitted, trying to lighten up the mood, wiping her tears of joy away when she realized the witch winced when she moved her hands, "Let's take those off, what do you say?" Clawthorne asked and once she received a slight nod from the witch she moved her hands toward the pale wrists and frowned, "It will hurt," She added and Amity nodded once again in acceptance.

They both ignored that two men were sitting right by their side. They were too focused on each other's presence. Luz's sole priority was helping Amity while the witch did not care about anything else but her girlfriend by her side, saving her, and comforting her.

Their eyes met in the last agreement to proceed and Luz quickly transformed her hands into powerful, harpy claws, ignoring the looks of the two men, and broke the shackles in two swift moves. One for each wrist.

"AAAAA!" Amity roared, scaring the forest animals away when the pain finally made it to her consciousness. Bert surprised both of them by illuminating the wrist wounds with his phone flashlight. He tied his brows in concern and looked up at Luz.

"We need to get her some help before this gets infected," He said in a serious, yet calm voice. That made Clawthorne look down at the pale wrists. They seemed burned, the skin was red, partially peeling away, and the water bubbled underneath it.

"Keep an eye on those," Luz gave him the shackles and she caressed the witch's forehead. Amity was freezing, her teeth chattered but despite everything she seemed to be running a fever from her wounds, "Fuck, she's hypothermic… I think…" Clawthorne whispered more to herself than anyone else but was surprised with a reply.

"Take my hoodie," Bert offered, looking seriously dead into her eyes.

"What? No! You need it too!" She opposed the idea, surprised with the proposition.

"Luz, listen to him," Gus butted in and Luz was shocked to hear her real name on his lips, "I have a car parked not too far from here. I have extra blankets and clothes there but she needs to be warmed up now," He explained and Luz slowly nodded in agreement even though there was something about Gus that made her inner alarms go off.

"Then, would you mind to turn around?" Luz asked and both men blushed deep red realizing that Clawthorne was about to undress her girlfriend.

"Um, yeah…"

"Sure…"

"No problem…"

"Sorry…" Luz smiled a little bit at the flustered state of the men while she managed to lock her sight on the trembling witch on the ground.

"Hey, Amity," Clawthorne said in a warm and calm voice, "I need to take off your drenched clothes. I hope that's okay. Then we'll go home and have a good night's sleep, what do you say?" She asked and the shivering witch nodded while her lips crooked in a sheepish smile that was clearly saying 'dork' to Luz.

With that Clawthorne used the connection with the Owl Demon and summoned her wings that spread widely like a screen, separating the hurt witch from everyone else. Luz carefully undressed her girlfriend.

With a few grunts, she took off her drenched, muddy hoodie, white tank top, and bra. She did her best to ignore her wounds, cuts, and bruises. At least for now. She accepted Bert's hoodie, putting it on Amity's freezing-cold upper body, hiding her wet hair under the garment.

"Take these too," Luz did not have time to react when she felt a pair of jeans thrown over her right wing.

"We can't…"

"Shut up and hurry up," Bert snapped, "If I'm cold that means she's fucking freezing," He added and Clawthorne could not argue with his logic. Amity indeed needed to warm up.

Luz made sure the men were still decently looking away and then she faced the witch again. She looked so miserably cold, weak, and exhausted. Clawthorne quickly discarded the heavy boots, unbuttoned Amity's jeans, and slid them down along with the underwear that she hid in the boots.

She then quickly put on a pair of grey, oversized trousers on the pale hips. Afterward, Luz inspected the witch, covering her bare, frozen feet with long trouser legs, and then returned to her wounded hands.

"Here, just let me fix that…" Luz whispered, folding her wings which magically disappeared, and straightened the long sleeves when she heard the witch let out a long distraught hiss, baring her fangs.

Clawthorne ignored how Bert jumped away in fear, focusing on her girlfriend's gaze. Luz accidentally touched Amity's hurt wrist and her reaction was just an instinct. The witch's ashamed and frightened gaze confirmed that.

"It's okay, I'm sorry I wasn't more careful," She added and spread her welcoming arms.

The witch did not have to be asked twice. Amity nodded, accepting the embrace, and the human's hands tightened on her body. The witch let out a quiet, stuttering from shivers purr, feeling warmer already, understanding she was finally safe now. Luz never shamed her girlfriend's body's natural reactions.

"Let's take you home…" Bert said softly, picking up Amity's wet clothes, and Luz got up with the witch curled up in her arms, shaking from cold and fear. Her purr died down immediately.

"Lead the way," Clawthorne said, never looking away from her girlfriend, carefully analyzing her behavior.

Amity was clearly distressed. Her eyes roamed her surroundings frantically, despite her eyelids being barely open. Her fingers clung to Luz for dear life while her ears kept twitching unevenly in anxiety. Her breathing was labored, shallow, and irregular, despite clear attempts to calm herself down.

"It's okay, you're safe now," Luz tried to calm the witch down but it was not bringing any effect, "Shh, shh, I promise youʼre okay now," She continued to mutter words of comfort all the way to the parking lot.

Luz did not notice when they suddenly came to a stop since Amity was still panicking in her arms. Clawthorne shifted her sight from her girlfriend and her lips parted in shock. They came to a stop in front of the old European camper van. In the darkness, the color was not clear but the chrome elements reflected the moonlight ominously.

"Get in," Gus said when he slid open the side door. Bert jumped in, quickly searching for anything to wear, throwing Amity's wet clothes in the sink.

"Oh, so nice!" He exclaimed when he finally put on some chinos and a thick flannel shirt.

"Don't be shy," Gus urged Luz in, "Thereʼs a bed to the left, get her under covers and warm her up," He added and Luz did as suggested.

"Wow…" Luz whispered when she walked in.

The inside of the camper van was tiny. While Bert was already seated in the passenger seat, warming up, and facing the inside of the living area, Luz walked in with the witch in her arms. She had to hunch all the time, feeling suffocated by the small living area. She ignored everything and moved toward the cot where what was supposed to be a bed looked more like Eda's nest.

"It's okay, let's get you warm," Luz cooed and laid trembling Amity under the covers.

"D-d-donʼt!" The witch gasped in panic when she felt the human moving away.

"Don't worry, Iʼm not going anywhere," Luz said softly, "I need to let go of you so I can sit behind you to cover you from the window and face the guys, okay?" She explained and after a moment that Amity needed to comprehend the words, she nodded in agreement, loosening the hold on Clawthorne's clothes.

The human let go of her girlfriend and tucked her under the covers. The witch kept watching Luz's every move, making sure she would not disappear, fighting her overwhelming exhaustion.

Once Clawthorne was sure the trembling body was secure, she took a step over and sat behind the lavender-haired woman, resting her back on the van's wall, and she pulled Amity into a tight embrace hoping to help her warm up, uncovering her wet hair to let them dry.

In the meantime, Gus closed the doors and shut the window blinds. He then started the kitchenette and boiled some water. Bert was watching him silently, analyzing his expression. He seemed worried about the young man who still did not want to say what was bothering him.

"Damn, she's still cold…" Luz realized when she checked the temperature on Amity's back, worried the witch could not stop shivering, "Can we warm her up?" She wondered when an idea popped into her head.

"We should…" The Owl Demon had an unsure voice, "I can heat you up and heal most of the injuries you experience but I don't know if that's not because you're my host…" They added and Luz frowned.

"One way to find out…" She thought with determination.

"Just… Try not to hurt her…"

"Before we go back to not understanding each other… Thank you for taking care of us. Despite our history, I'm grateful," Luz thought and then closed her eyes to calm her breath and focus on the task.

Clawthorne opened her eyes and looked at the shaking witch curled up in her embrace. The lavender head lay on her left arm, the eyes were barely open, and the parted lips kept trembling, letting out labored breaths. Luz brushed some wild strands of hair away from the beat-up, bruised, pale face, and smiled softly.

With another deep breath, she focused her inner energy the way the Owl Demon guided her in the lake. She focused on warmth and healing, visualizing the outcome she was hoping for. When she did so, the warm feeling surrounded her and she noticed a bright, golden energy erupt from her body, dancing around both her and Amity like wildfire.

The witch tensed in her girlfriend's hold. The magic coursing through her body warmed her up but hurt at the same time. Amity whimpered and dug her nails into Luz's arm when she felt her cuts and bruises sting and burn when the Demon's magic seeped in, helping her heal.

"What the hell…" Bert gasped when he realized the two women hugging in the back of the van were surrounded by a truly magical glow.

"It's okay," Gus whispered calmly, finishing up his work by the kitchenette, "Here, that's for you," He said, handing the brunette man a cup filled with warm liquid, "Once you've warmed up, get the keys, and get us out of here," He added and after Bert nodded in agreement, he grabbed another cup and carefully approached the back of the van.

"Hmm?" Luz murmured questioningly when she noticed Gus standing by the bed, trying to not lose her focus.

"Here, help her drink this," The young man said calmly, presenting a large mug filled with hot liquid. Luz took a deep breath to delicately decrease the flow of energy, afraid she would hurt her girlfriend before covering her head with the hood again.

"What's this?" She asked, shifting her sight to the mug.

"Not caffeine if that's what you're worried about," He replied snarkily and noticed Clawthorne's shocked look travel up to his dark eyes.

"How do you…"

"Just get her to drink this," He snapped, interrupting the question, forcing the mug into her hold. Luz sniffed the liquid and realized she knew the smell, yet she could not name it, "It's not poisoned for fuck's sake," Gus grumbled, taking a seat in a dining area next to the bed, watching the lavender-haired woman carefully.

"I was just curious," Luz scoffed and then looked down at the witch, snuggled close in, recovering from the healing pain, "Amity," She whispered, trying to get her girlfriend's attention, "Here, Baby, drink this," She continued in a reassuring tone. The witch slowly lifted her head, removing the hood and her half-lidded, pained eyes looked at the mug.

"H-h-hurts…" Amity whimpered in a trembling voice, her broken lip quivering.

"I know, I'll help you," Luz reassured and held the lavender head, helping her get the tiniest sip of the drink, "I always will…" She added more to herself and slowly poured another sip into the pale, broken lips.

With each sip, the witch seemed stronger. She was halfway through the drink when she grabbed the mug possessively with both hands. Her gulps were small but frequent. Luz tried to help her girlfriend hold the large cup but when she tried to pull it away to correct her hold, the witch's nails elongated and her damp hair ruffled on instinct, warning Luz to back off.

"What the hell is that?" Luz asked Gus in shock. She had never seen her girlfriend like this before.

"Spider-milk with a touch of fire-bee honey," He said as if it was the most normal thing in the world. Luz's shocked expression was telling otherwise.

The silence that filled the van was unbearable. It let Clawthorne know that Amity was done with her drink and was now curled up in her embrace, sleeping soundly while the mug was still secure in her grasp.

Luz looked down and inspected her girlfriend. The witch was warmer, calmer, and her breathing was even. Her ears twitched delicately when Clawthrone retrieved the mug and put it on the mattress before Gus took it away.

"Who the hell are you?" She asked under her breath. She did not know whether she should feel safe or threatened but somehow she felt both at the same time.

"We'll talk when Amity wakes up," Gus replied dryly, leaving the women in the back of the van, and taking his place in the passenger seat in the front, "Get us out of here, Al," He addressed the brunette man who woke the vehicle's engine to life.

"Hold on, Noceda, it's a bumpy road ahead," Bert warned, and ignoring Luz's groan of objection, he drove off.

Luz could not argue, the road was indeed bumpy. She had to hold Amity tightly close to prevent her from being hurt. Despite being asleep, the witch frowned and winced in pain at every sudden move of the vehicle.

She whimpered, her ears twitched, and she dug her nails into her girlfriend's arm while Clawthorne caressed the lavender hair, soothing the sleeping woman until they made it to the even surface of the interstate road.

From that point, it was a smooth trip but Luz still could not tear her sight away from her girlfriend. She eyed the bruise forming on the porcelain face and felt that something was not adding up about the whole situation. Her heart beat hard against her chest and she could feel the strange feeling spreading across her body.

"Kid, calm down," The Demon whispered in her head, "Youʼre just hyping yourself into the pit of anxiety like you always tend to do," They pointed out and Luz had to admit they knew her quite well, she groaned in response.

"Weʼre here," Bert said, stopping the vehicle. Luz decided to ignore the fact she never told him where to go and yet here they were, in front of Luz and Amity's Human Realm home.

Gus slid the side door open while Bert turned off the engine and Luz untangled herself from the blankets while her girlfriend's hold tightened on her shirt. She fetched the keys from her pocket before getting up, carrying Amity in a bride-like embrace toward the front door.

"Can you open the door?" She asked, extending the finger holding the keys.

"Sure," Gus replied and opened the doors in no time.

Luz walked in, careful not to bump Amity's head on the door frame.

"I never thought Iʼd come back here…" Bert whispered and it did not escape Clawthorne's attention.

"Listen," She said, facing both of them, "I really want to thank you for helping us today but…"

"Don't force yourself," Gus said, noticing how bad Clawthorne looked, and for the first time he offered her a smile, "We can talk in the morning," He added.

"Yeah, you need to sleep off those drugs, and weʼre not going anywhere," Bert agreed and Luz nodded at that, feeling exhaustion creeping in on her.

"If you want, upstairs thereʼs a bunk bed in the first room on the left," She said and then faced the living room, "Weʼre going to stay in the living room," She added and walked away from the men.

"Wouldn't you prefer to go to bed?" Gus asked, surprised by Clawthorne's choice.

"I just… Feel that would be best…" She added and plopped on the couch with Amity still in her hold.

"Okay then, see you in the morning," Bert said, taking Gus with him, feeling strangely confident about the surroundings.

Luz could hear them whisper but she could not focus on them anymore. She was concerned with her well-being and Amity's injuries. When she felt slowly drifting away, she thought of an idea. Clawthorne fetched her phone and typed in a quick message.

Luz:

There was a complication at the Bonfire.

Amity got hurt and weʼre back home.

Dani:

I'll come by in the morning.

Luz did not have the energy to argue against the idea. She let go of the phone and let her eyes rest for a moment. The events from the past hours replayed behind her closed eyes. She felt herself drift further away into slumber.

She finally laid down, covering them with a fuzzy blanket and soon the last thing she felt was Amity's hold. She tightened her embrace, protecting the witch she loved, the witch she almost lost that night.

"Danielle? Why are you…"

"Albert?!" The doors closed and steps echoed through the entrance hall, "What are you doing here?"

"I… Um… We gave them a lift yesterday…" The man stuttered nervously.

Amity growled when the voices echoed in her head, aching so badly she was afraid she would vomit. She felt a familiar warmth and scent surrounding her and the lean arms offered her a stronger embrace, making the witch clutch the flannel shirt with her fists, balling the material, afraid to be taken away.

"Where are they?" Danielle asked impatiently.

"Theyʼre on the couch, still sleeping everything off," Gus whispered and a longer silence occurred. They could hear the steps approaching the living room.

"So what happened?" Danielle whispered. It was still too loud. Amity's ears twitched, making her growl in annoyance and everyone fell silent for a moment, "I woke you up, didnʼt I?" Amity let out an affirmative groan and hid her face in Luz's embrace, "Sorry. Luz texted me yesterday that you were hurt," She explained and the witch sighed heavily.

Amity moved slightly away from her girlfriend and whimpered in pain. The sensation of her wounds returned to her consciousness and she turned around to face the older woman. The witch rubbed her eyes and slowly cracked them open, trying to comprehend her surroundings.

"¡Dios Mio!, what the hell happened?" Danielle exclaimed, hurting the sensitive, slanted ears when she noticed Amity's swollen and bruised face.

The witch could not answer. Her mind was flooded with flashbacks of the night before. The games, the drinking, the abduction, the drowning. A single tear left her eye when she thought back to how scared she was to never see Luz again.

"Iʼm not… Sure…" She replied honestly, her voice low and groggy.

"Amity," Danielle asked, getting the witch's attention, "Can I check if youʼre not seriously hurt?" She asked, kneeling by the couch.

Amity slowly sat up, letting her feet off the couch. Luzʼs hands still remained on her stomach, and another groan escaped the pale, broken lips when she felt an ache in her bruised ribs. She put her right hand on the left side of her torso and immediately winced.

She sucked air through her teeth, snarling when she felt the stinging and burning pain in her wrists. The headache was not helping when she was slowly starting to comprehend every aching, beat-up muscle fiber and bone mass.

"I'll be fine, thanks…" The witch dismissed the woman, feeling she would be better once she healed herself. She removed Luz's hands from herself and braced herself to get off the couch.

"Amity, donʼt be stubborn," Danielle pleaded but patiently moved away, preparing to catch the younger woman if the need arose. The glare the witch sent her was cold and deadly.

"She's nothing like the warm woman I met yesterday," Danielle thought, worried about the witch.

"Theyʼve been through a lot yesterday," Bert said softly, hoping Danielle would be more forgiving.

Amity ignored their chat and slowly started to stand up. She leaned forward on the coffee table for additional support and with a low, pained growl she straightened her posture to slowly walk toward the kitchen.

Each step brought a jolt of pain but she did not have time to think about herself. She remembered that Luz was drugged and beaten up too yesterday. She needed to take care of her girlfriend.

"Amity," Gus got her attention, "What are you doing?" He asked in the friendliest voice he could muster. It did not save him from the furious glare the witch sent him.

"Brew," She growled and continued her actions.

Suddenly she hissed and dropped the kettle, alerting everyone. The jolt of pain from her wrists paralyzed her. Her hands shook like in delirium when she rolled up the oversized sleeves to inspect the wounds.

"What the hell am I wearing?" She just realized the clothes covering her body were not hers, diverting attention from her wounds.

"Those are my clothes," Bert explained with a smile.

A sudden flash of memory surprised the witch and she recalled how the man selflessly sacrificed his comfort for her safety. Amity's angry expression faded, ears slanted in shame, and she looked sheepishly to the side.

"Thank you," She whispered weakly. Her mind was working overtime, trying to comprehend everything. Those men actually helped save her.

"Those men…" Her gaze diverted back to Gus and her ears twitched anxiously.

She analyzed his facial features. The shape of his eyes hidden behind the glasses, the roundness of his nose, the small smirk… It all seemed familiar to the witch. Comforting and frightening at the same time.

"I know you are proud and stubborn," Gus tried to approach the witch again, "And understandably worried about Luz," He guessed correctly, "But let us help," He pleaded.

"Yeah, we'll make some breakfast," Bert offered with a smile and Gus nodded at the idea.

"In the meantime, let me take a look at you," Danielle tried to convince the witch.

"I…" Amity tried to find any argument to not accept their kindness but she was so extremely tired.

Her eyes traveled from one face to another and then finally to her hurting wrists where the burned skin was peeling off and the puss-filled bubbles broke, staining her clothes, bringing even more discomfort.

"Fine…" She sighed in defeat and Danielle immediately picked up the black bag with her medical equipment, "Just don't burn anything," Amity warned the men while the older woman walked over to help her toward the bathroom, "And if you don't know what something is just ask or don't touch!" She added in a hurry, unknowingly allowing Danielle to guide her out of the kitchen.

"Don't worry, Mom, we'll be fine!" Bert promised with a wide grin while he already made himself comfortable behind the counter.

"And don't touch Luz's cleaver!" She added but was too far away to notice Bert's grin when he found the wide knife in the drawer.

Danielle helped Amity into the ground floor bathroom, not feeling too confident about walking the hurt witch up the stairs. The older woman closed the door behind them while her patient walked over to the sink and used it as leverage.

"Dammit," Amity whispered in a pained voice when she turned on the bright light above the sink, blinding her for a moment, and making her ears twitch. Once her eyes adjusted to the brightness, she looked at her face, "Wow," She gasped, understanding Danielle's reaction earlier.

Her porcelain-like, pale face was bruised all the way from her left cheekbone toward the ear on one side of the bruise and to her nose on the other. It was already deep purple and swollen, making it hard to ignore, underlining her eye socket. She lifted her right hand to inspect her face closer and noticed a reflection of her wrist in the bright light, she frowned.

"Can you tell me what happened yesterday?" Danielle asked quietly, watching the witch inspect her face.

"Bergstein," She replied dryly, rolling up her sleeves, "He got me abducted to beat the shit out of me with a metal folding rod…" She concentrated and drew a bright, blue spell circle, "Fuck…" She hissed, losing her focus while her spell-casting hand shook, and her breathing hitched.

"Amity?" Danielle worried about the witch whose spell broke and she fell forward clutching her chest, growling in discomfort, "Are you okay?" The woman did not know what to do, she wanted to help in any way but she had no idea how.

"Iʼm gonna be okay…" Amity groaned breathlessly, "Yesterday…" She swallowed hard, leaning on the sink, "I used too much magic…" She straightened up again and Danielle's eyes widened when she noticed a bloody stain spreading on her back.

"Amity, youʼre bleeding. Please, I need to take a look at your wounds," The woman worried even more. The witch felt helpless, she knew she needed to trust the woman.

"She was nothing but kind so far…"

"Okay…" Amity agreed in defeat.

"Okay?" Danielle was not sure she heard right.

"Yeah…" The witch looked up, breathing heavily, "I…" Her legs wobbled and Danielle caught her in time, helping her to the floor, glad the witch was so light.

"I got you, I got you," The woman cooed soothingly, "Let's start with those wrists, okay?" She asked once the witch was secure on the rug on the floor. Once Amity nodded in consent, Danielle brought her bag closer, opened it, and fished out an overhead lamp with a magnifying glass, "Can I see your hands, please?" She asked for permission to inspect the wrists and Amity nodded again, allowing the touch.

"T-thank you…" The witch whispered weakly, watching the concentrated gaze hidden underneath the glasses, "And sorry…"

"It's okay," Danielle interrupted, "Something bad has happened to you…" She added understandingly while she cleaned the burns and applied some soothing cream, making Amity hiss and the strange sensation, "Want to tell me more?" She asked, making the witch chuckle.

"So human Healers use distraction too, huh?" Her ears perked up right before slanting again, "So Bergstein somehow got his hands on the magic-blocking shackles. They change the magic charge into electric current," Amity explained while she watched the human cover her wrists with gauze and delicately tie a bandage, securing her hands.

"I take it you had a good reason to hurt yourself like that?" Amity nodded, sniffling a little, and letting out a shaky breath.

"When Luz showed up… He said she wasnʼt supposed to be there, drugged… I was confused…" She rumbled nervously, "They fought…" Danielle lifted Amity's chin, interrupting her story, to inspect the witch's face.

She could not get over the way the golden eyes reacted to the light, their color so enchanting, so demonic, yet also so familiar. The cut was not deep so with a few little dabs of disinfectant, she let go of the witch.

"Please, lift the hoodie," Danielle asked.

She delicately turned the rug on which Amity was sitting to face the back of the young woman. The witch slowly took off the hoodie and kept it in front of herself, covering her chest. The doctor sighed heavily once the pale back was fully on display.

"Somethingʼs wrong?" Amity asked, worried by the silence.

"He did a real number on you," Danielle said, not really explaining herself, "Why didnʼt you fight back?" She asked, taking a closer look at the cut that was still leaking puss-mixed blood.

"I couldnʼt," Amity said dryly, nibbling on her cut lip nervously.

"Iʼm gonna touch you now," The doctor warned.

"I knew I wouldnʼt be able to stop myself," She continued while Danielle cleaned her back, "I have a part of me that… That hurts people," She added and her fists balled the hoodie she held onto, "My mother made me hurt people…" She added and tears uncontrollably rolled down her nose, dripping on her legs, "She made me hurt Luz…" Amity felt Danielle's hands stop their work, "I think she made me hurt Gus too…" She voiced her concerns out loud for the first time ever and Danielle continued her work.

"So yesterday?" The doctor helped the witch return to her story while she was cleaning an even deeper cut on the left side of her back.

"Yesterday…" Amity gathered her thoughts and took a deep, shaky, calming breath, "They fought and Luz was beginning to lose…" She tried hard to remember those last minutes before everything went dark for her. Danielle noticed how the tips of her ears twitched nervously, "Bert pushed him off of her and…" She hesitated, remembering what transpired next, "He bumped into me. I lost my balance and… He tore off my Concealment Stone…" She gulped, straightened up, and turned slightly around to look at the woman. Danielle stopped her work, lifted the magnifying glasses, and looked at the witch's distressed expression, "Danielle, he knows about me. He saw me…" Amity's voice trembled.

"What happened next?" The witch looked through the woman when she recalled the events.

"I fell…" She whispered, her hands tightening on the hoodie, "I fell and I drowned… But I knew Luz would be looking for me so I needed to signal her somehow…" She explained and pitiful sobs shook her back. Amity clenched her eyes shut, disappointed in herself.

"She must have been so scared…" Danielle thought, watching the young, bruised woman try to control her tears.

"A-a-and then…" Amity whispered, shooting her eyes open, tears waterfalling down her cheeks, "I… I woke up… Coughing up water…" Another memory flashed before her eyes, cutting her sobs short. Pupils in her golden eyes shrank in fear, focused on the brunette's face, and roamed frantically.

"Amity, what's wrong?" Danielle asked quietly but the witch was not hearing her. Amity moved away and with a grunt, she put the hoody back on and with a pained whimper, she got up, "Where are you going? You're not ready yet," The older woman tried to plead but the witch stumbled at the closed door with a loud thud and held onto the doorknob for a moment.

Amity took in a deep breath, wiped the tearstains from her cheeks, and exited the bathroom, leaving Danielle behind, who hurriedly hid her equipment and followed the distressed woman.

The witch limped rapidly into the kitchen where she found the young men preparing the food, setting up plates for everyone. While Gus was mixing something in the pot, Bert prepared vegetables and sandwiches.

"Ready for some…" The brunette man's cheerful expression faded when he noticed Amity's feral look, "W-what's wrong?" He asked with a fear-filled voice.

"Where did you hide them?" Blight asked in a silent hiss, sending chills down the man's spine.

"W-what do you mean?" He stuttered, shrinking under the gaze of the smaller woman.

"The shackles, where are they?" Amity clarified and held to the counter, feeling a sudden weakness overtaking her body.

"V-van, they're in the van," Bert explained and the witch nodded just to turn around without another word.

"The van's open if you're wondering," Gus called behind her but he was ignored. The front door shut behind the witch with a loud thud making Luz stir on the couch.

"Luz?" Danielle made it to the couch in no time watching the woman frown in her sleep.

"She'll be sleeping for some time," Bert said quietly, "If I'm not wrong she overdosed on Adderall yesterday," He added and saddened a little bit. Danielle was about to ask another question when she heard the loud thud of the sliding door closing.

"Not my fucking van!" Gus hollered and was about to run to yell at the witch but the older woman halted him.

"I'll go," She said quietly, frowning in frustration and the young man nodded.

"She does seem to trust you," He agreed, "Just yell if you need us," He added and Danielle was out the door in no time.

Amity slowly walked toward the campervan, careful not to trip. She opened the sliding door of the pastel, dark-green vehicle and entered the living area. Another memory flashed before her eyes but she shook her head and focused on her goal.

The muddied shackles were lying on top of the pile of her drenched clothes, reeking of mud. She picked up the entire bundle, ignoring the discomfort in her hands, and left toward the garage.

"It can't be…" She thought looking at the blueish-silver-colored metal staring back at her tauntingly, "Maybe it's just a coincidence? Our Realms leak into each other, spreading garbage…" She tried to reason but her instincts flared up the alarms.

Amity walked into the garage and threw the clothes on the floor with a wet plop and then she put the shackles on her working station. Just as she was turning on the lights she realized the oversized hoodie was just getting in her way. She approached the small wardrobe where she kept her spare work clothes and discarded the garment.

"Amity?" Danielle asked softly, trying not to startle the young woman.

Amity froze in her movements for a moment. She stood half-naked, her cut and bruised back facing the older woman. The witch ignored the interruption and put on a white, short-sleeved work tee. The material quickly absorbed the liquids escaping the unhealed cuts.

Once dressed, she walked over to her workstation, and without any word or acknowledgment of the other woman's presence, she put on her father's goggles. Then with some struggle, she put the shackles on the stand, clipping them immobile under a strong beam of light. Danielle watched her with worry and awe. Amity worked fast but carefully.

Despite the visible struggle against the pain in her bandaged wrists, the witch's movements were swift, graceful, and precise. The way she held her tools, the way she quickly dismantled the object, placing the parts in the correct order on the side, made Danielle admire her surgical precision and discipline.

"Fuck!" Amity suddenly growled and the precision screwdriver dropped to the floor while the witch grabbed her forearm, sucking in the air through her fangs in pain. Danielle noticed how her whole body tensed and the pale toes curled at the foot of her work stool, not too far away from where the screwdriver fell.

"Let me," The brunette said softly, kneeling by the witch's side, and picking up the tool.

She looked up into the golden eyes hidden behind the purple-colored glass of the goggles. Amity's ears twitched nervously when she looked into the green ones, clearly the chaos of thoughts going through her head. The pale fingers clenched the screwdriver and Danielle let go of the tool.

"Thank you," Amity whispered and quickly returned to her task.

"Can you tell me what are you looking for?" Danielle asked patiently, pulling in a small, wooden stool to sit by the witch and watch her work.

Amity's ears twitched when she gulped nervously, thinking whether she should open up or not. The brunette was losing hope of receiving an answer when suddenly the witch sighed heavily and parted her lips.

"The magic-blocking shackles I mentioned earlier are my parents' company's invention… Well, my father's invention," Amity said quietly as if she was sharing a shameful secret, "When I woke up yesterday… When Luz saved me…" She continued, removing another layer of the shackles, and fetching an even smaller screwdriver and a magnifying glass on a stand, "I think I saw my mother in between the trees…" She said and her hand froze mid-movement, trembling nervously. Amity let out another breath before continuing. She turned the left ocular of her goggles and looked at the inside of the shackle through the magnifying glass, "I thought it was just my trauma manifesting in my suffocating mind but some things were just…" She suddenly stopped, added another magnifying glass, and let out a feral growl, "That bitch…" She hissed and without any warning she got up, taking the dismantled shackles with her and rushing toward the inside of the house as fast as her hurt body let her.

"Amity!?" Danielle barely had any time to react when she realized the witch was already by the front door.

Amity limped into the house, barely holding herself up. She leaned by the wall, shackles dangling from her hand. She shook her head to regain focus and looked around the room. The breakfast seemed ready, and Gus and Bert watched the witch carefully.

They both shared a small glance and then looked back at the hurt, lavender-haired witch just in time for Danielle to join them, slamming the front door behind her, startling Luz and waking the human up.

"W-what?" Clawthorne mumbled, slowly coming back to reality.

"You…" Amity gasped, looking at Gus through her fatherʼs goggles.

"Whatʼs wrong, Amity?" Danielle asked, looking at the witch and then back to the groggy Luz, slowly sitting up on the couch.

"Amity?" Luz asked as well, her voice low and groggy, trying to comprehend her surroundings and the current situation.

No one knew that Amity's goggles had a function to see beneath the Illusion. Her left ocular has seen everything as it was. She leaned against the wall and watched the young, dark-skinned man in front of her. His pointy ears slanted in fear, watching her anxiously, not sure about her intentions.

"Augustus…" Amity gasped, pushing the wall away, regaining her balance.

"Gus," The man corrected her, stiffening when he heard the name.

"Augustus Porter," Amity repeated, glaring at him.

"Wait… The Human Appreciation Society, Augustus Porter?" Luz said quietly with visible shock. She slowly stood up to get closer to Amity who was clearly going through something.

"Gus Parker," The man corrected the witch again while Bert watched him with worry.

"Stop hiding behind the Illusion," Amity hissed, taking off her goggles, placing them on her forehead, watching the young man, not entirely sure what was happening.

"Youʼre angry at me for hiding behind the Illusion?! How about your demon-girlfriend would stop hiding behind the Illusion and then we can talk!" He snapped, finally letting himself feel the frustration that was brewing inside him.

"Don't you fucking yell at me…" Amity hissed with a visible strain on her self-control.

"Or what?!" Gus yelled, the Illusion immersing his features disappeared, revealing his pointy ears and sharp, long fangs.

"Come on, Gus, calm down," Bert approached the young witch man, unphased with his appearance, clearly aware of his companionʼs origins.

At the same time, being completely out of the loop, Luz came forward to support her girlfriend, no matter how much she did not understand the current situation. She felt she needed to be there for Amity, recalling what had transpired last night.

"Youʼre gonna tell me again that 'The Blights associate only with the best'? Huh?!" Gus yelled at Amity and the witch visibly cowered at the saying.

"Don't you fucking dare quote her…" Amity hissed, pointing her index finger at him when suddenly she felt dizziness taking over.

Luz disregarded everything except the feeling of panic, dread, and fear the witch felt, coursing through their shared Bond. She jumped closer toward the two witches and realized that Gus drew a spell circle that tugged on her crimson Concealment Stone.

"No, no, no," Luz did not realize when she became the object of this argument.

"You want honesty?" Gus hissed angrily, baring his fangs at Amity, his spell still tugging the Concealment Stone that Luz tried to hold onto, "Then no more Illusions?!" He growled and with one swift move he broke Clawthorne's necklace.

"No! Please!" Luz squealed pathetically.

Danielle watched her with sorrow in her heart. She knew what her new-found ward was hiding but it should be her decision whether or not to reveal her wounds. Amity had no time to react, she barely had a chance to blink when the Illusion disappeared with a poof. Gus and Bert gasped when they noticed Luz's real self.

"Youʼre… Human?!" Gus was the first one to break the silence while Amity stumbled toward her girlfriend, dropping the shackles on the floor, cradling Clawthorne's face, and trying to calm her down.

"Of course, sheʼs human! What the hell were you thinking, exposing her like that without her consent?!" Amity growled, snarling, baring her fangs in defense of her confused girlfriend. Bertʼs mouth fell in shock while he eyed Luz's true features. Danielle sighed, watching the 'kids' interact.

"Don't look at me…" Luz whispered, feeling overwhelmed by the men eyeing her intensively while Amity defended her.

"It's okay, you have nothing to be ashamed of, look at me," Amity pleaded, looking at Luz's distressed face, caressing her cheeks reassuringly, feeling her girlfriend's shame and fear. The lavender-haired woman looked at Danielle, hoping she would understand a silent plea to come over and help calm Luz down.

"What the hell happened to her?" Gus whispered in shock, his voice filled with sympathy and fear of hearing the answer.

Amity growled with irritation hearing the question, her nails lengthened uncontrollably, and her hair ruffled when she snarled and turned to face the young man, sending him a deadly glare.

"What the hell do you think happened to her?!" Amity roared, facing Gus, still snarling, the last bits of magic she had escaped her body. The witch clutched her chest in the surge of pain, almost falling forward but her glare never wavered, "Fucking Odalia happened to her! Just like to you and me!" Amity hissed, trying to catch a breath to calm her racing heart down.

"You have no idea what happened to me!" Gus hollered, surprising Bert with the blueish aura of his magic, erupting from his body.

"Oh, that didn't happen in a while…" Albert whispered worriedly, watching the witches.

"You fucking manipulated me! Pretended to be my friend! Tortured me!" Gus stopped to discard his shirt, revealing his scarred chest.

"It's not real!" Amity thought, recognizing the patterns of the cuts from her dreams, her offensive expression faded in an instant.

"Then you discarded me, stranding me in the strange world! Cut! Broken! Alone!" Gus kept going, letting out years of frustration out of his system, "I was, fucking, twelve years old! I was a kid when I had to survive in a world where anything and anyone different is chased away or killed!" He went on, ignoring the distress Amity was in. Her sight never left the man's chest.

"N-no…" The female witch squealed, breathing heavily, her hand clutched her chest harder, feeling the pain from the strained, almost entirely emptied bile sac.

Neither Amity nor Gus noticed how the humans surrounding them behaved. Danielle helped Luz calm down, assuring her that she was safe. Bert watched them both carefully, making sure they felt comfortable with him in the room while all three of them watched the two witches having the first attempt to talk things through.

"So now you work with her?!" Amity suddenly growled, shocking everyone. Gus stopped talking in an instant, sending Blight a questioning gaze, "Those shackles were manufactured barely two months ago! Bergstein said he was paid to beat me up! Luz was drugged…" Amity stopped, taking a few deep breaths, her lungs felt as if they were not receiving any air, "Blight Industries were closed two months ago… When Odalia was banished from the Boiling Isles… But paying people to do her dirty work, beating people with rods and staffs… It's her memo…" Amity gasped in an explanation, feeling exhausted as if she had run a marathon, "So tell me, Augustus, why should I not consider you her lackey and contact in the Human Realm since you helped her so much back then?" She finished her thought, not realizing how the younger witch dreaded hearing the older Blight's name.

"You almost fucking killed me and you dare to accuse me of working with YOUR mother?"

"She's NOT my mother!" Amity hollered, taking in gasps of air.

She did not notice that Danielle managed to calm Luz down and they were both watching Amity carefully, both scared for her. While Luz was the only one who knew Amity's real self, Danielle finally saw the face the witch had been hiding. She finally realized the lavender-haired woman was strong, powerful, and truly scary, but afraid more than the death itself of becoming her mother.

"Oh, yeah?" Gus taunted, not understanding his offensive behavior, "That's why you let her cut me with your hand?" He asked, looking at the roaming golden eyes, "Is that what happened to Luz? You hurt her too?" He continued and Amity felt herself back up a step or two.

Blight's ears slanted in fear, and she moved another half a step away from Gus. Her golden eyes ran toward Luz who looked at her with love and devotion. However, Amity's gaze traveled down to her girlfriend's chest where there was proof that she did indeed hurt the woman she loved. The pale, bandage-covered hands began to shake and there was nothing more she could have done.

"I…" Amity gasped, her panicked sight traveled from Luz's chest to her hazel-brown eyes, to Danielle's green ones, and back to where her girlfriend hid her scars, "I didn't mean to… I…" Her breathing hitched and became shallow, and uneven.

"Oh, yeah… Like you didn't mean to bully me…" Gus kept going, not thinking his behavior through. He wanted and needed this confrontation. He was thinking about it for years but something seemed off.

"I didn't!" Amity yelled in a higher pitch, grabbing her lavender hair, tugging it painfully, and moving further away from Gus.

"Okay! That's enough!" Luz intervened in the need to protect her girlfriend, standing in between the two witches, "If you don't know how to talk, you will not talk!"

"Oh yeah? Or else what?" Gus hissed, drawing a spell circle in the air, "Human?" He taunted. His ears slanted in shock when he realized the scarred human smiled viciously.

"Or else I stop keeping the Owl Demon in control," She hissed in return and watched the shorter man understand his lost cause, "Good," Luz hissed, "Now calm the fuck down and consider how many years have passed."

"Yeah, Gus…" Bert suddenly joined, trying to help, "The Noceda I know would never be with a bully, you know?" He said and Luz had no time to correct him on her surname when she heard a sharp, raspy gasps behind her.

"Amity, breath with me," Danielle tried to get through to the witch but she was not hearing anything.

Amity's mind replayed the only memories of Gus she retained. The day at the park when she had to pretend to taunt him. The day she dreamt she cut his chest. She was not even sure if that was a real memory but it hurt as if it did happen. The possibility of having many more memories removed from her consciousness frightened her.

"Amity, look at me," Luz pleaded, taking hold of the pale shoulders, and carefully approaching the witch but Amity could not focus her sight. Her eyes roamed across the room, lost in her trauma.

"She's here…" The lavender-haired woman finally squeaked, "She came back to kill me, to kill you…" She looked up at the hazel-brown eyes, fully convinced that Odalia was back and about to kill the love of her life, "I can't protect you… I'm too weak… Pathetic…" She began to spiral into the pit of despair.

"Amity, I promise, we're safe," Luz tried to reassure her girlfriend who suddenly dropped down to the floor.

"Amity!" Both Luz and Danielle exclaimed, helping the witch down, her breathing increased, and she could not control her emotions.

She felt weak, pathetic, exposed, and scared more than ever. Just yesterday, she feared she would drown and never see Luz again. Today she realized the threat of her mother's revenge was more real than she would ever dream of. Once again, she felt as if someone dragged a rug from underneath her feet.

"Amity, you need to breathe slowly," Danielle pleaded, watching the young woman fall into a panic attack.

"Amity, please, like Eda taught us, okay?" Luz added, applying pressure to the witch's shoulders, rubbing her firmly, trying to ground her while Blight was taking deeper and deeper breaths, despite feeling less and less oxygen in her lungs, "Please, look at me. We're breathing together," Luz offered, not knowing what else to do.

Amity looked into the hazel-brown eyes and despite her best intentions, she could not calm her breathing down. Quite the opposite. Her mind raced, punishing her for everything. The witch had seen how she stabbed her girlfriend, how Luz pushed her away to save her life, getting herself impaled. She had seen how she endangered this amazing, warm person with her presence.

"I should have died…" Amity squealed, trying to crawl away from Luz and Danielle, her mind not present in the now anymore.

"Amity, no…." Luz felt her eyes sting with the rush of tears but she could not stop her girlfriend's panic attack, "Amity…"

"Get away…" Amity gasped, not looking at her girlfriend, "You'll… Only… Get hurt…" She managed between gasps before her mind finally shut down. Her body fell limp in Luz's grasp and she lost consciousness.

"No, no, no, no, no…" Clawthorne mumbled, looking at the witch. Her breathing turned faster, opposite to Amity's which finally started to calm down. Luz brushed the lavender hair away from the bruised face and let her delicately down on the floor, "You just couldnʼt talk calmly? You had to push her?" She growled, facing the younger witch, glaring at him with pitch-black eyes.

"I-I… I didnʼt mean to…" He stuttered, suddenly afraid of the human.

"You have no idea what happened to her in the past six years," Luz continued angrily, "You think you had it bad because you were stuck here?" Gus roamed her furious face, "She was stuck with Odalia with no one to help her," She added, huffing angrily.

"Edric?"

"Dead!"

"Emira?"

"Disowned."

"Willow?"

"Oh… Don't get me started on Willow…" Luz growled, her dull fang growing out, matching her fake one in length.

Gus began to cower in fear, noticing the random feathers appearing on the womanʼs body. Danielle shared a look with Bert and they both noticed how Luz's hands elongated, fingers turned into claws while a low, distorted growl escaped her throat.

"Luz, you need to calm down," Danielle tried to reason with the young brunette but she did not hear her.

"She came to you, to share her fear that your abuser is here and you attack her like that?" Luz continued and did not even realize her shoulder popped out of the socket until a pain paralyzed her. An animalistic, distorted howl surprised everyone, Luz fell to her right knee, realizing she was too far gone.

"Luz?" Danielle asked with fear sipping from her lips. Clawthorne turned around, a pained expression contorting her face, she looked at her girlfriend's unconscious form, secured by the older woman, "L-Luz?" She repeated, noticing ears changing their shape, covering, and feathers.

The cracking of her bones increased its pace while her sight never left Amity's figure. Luz had no strength to fight the Demonʼs anger anymore. She tried to quickly discard her shirt and tee but she never had a chance.

Her ribs expanded painfully, and a scream of agony filled the house. Her legs followed the process, lengthening, breaking, cracking, ripping jeans, and covering in feathers. While to Luz the process lasted all eternity, to everyone else, within seconds an Owl Demon-human hybrid was filling up the space of the living room.

"L-Luz?" Danielle squeaked, pulling away, scared of the beast approaching her on all fours.

Enormous claws left dents on the floor. Bert tried to approach the woman but Gus kept him away, afraid of the beast growling in a low voice. Her wings fluttered a little bit while her pitch-black eyes still fixated on the unconscious witch.

Before anyone else could have thought another thought Luz pounced forward, scooped her girlfriend off the floor, pulled her away from the older woman, cradled her securely, and ran upstairs with a screech.

"What the hell just happened?" Bert was the first one to break the silence. They all shared a look and Danielle finally found the courage to stand up.

"I'll check in on them," She offered in a dumbfounded whisper, and without any other word she went upstairs.

"So thatʼs what she had in mind when she said she was a Mystical Beast herself," The woman thought when she walked through the corridor leading to the guest room where Luz and Amity made their home.

She peeked in and noticed Luz in her Demon form, lying curled up on the bed, loud purrs erupting from her chest while Amity snuggled in close, protected by a strong wing while the constant flow of gold magic surrounded them, slowly healing the witch's wounds.

"Um, Luz?" Danielle asked hesitantly. The Beastʼs head turned to face the woman and the purrs died down immediately, lips snarled, showing off long sharp fangs, letting out a growl, "It's okay, I just wanted to check in on you," She took a reluctant step closer in. Luz's giant paw, as big as the witch's back, pulled her closer in, protectively, "It's okay, Iʼm not going to hurt her. Will you allow me to check in on her wounds? She had a rather nasty cut on her back," Danielle explained and waited for the Demon to give her permission, hoping they understood her.

"She's not that scary…" Danielle thought watching Clawthorne's reactions. Her feathery ears slanted and perked up, considering her options, "Kinda cute… Gah! Stop vetting, López! Sheʼs your ward, not a pet!" She scolded herself right in time for Luz to remove her paw from Amity's back, letting the human know she understood what was said to her.

"Okay, Iʼm going to check the cut on her back now," She informed Luz, her hands nervously reaching out toward the witch, not sure if the golden energy would hurt her or not. A sudden owlish trill of encouragement erupted from the Beast's throat and her wing delicately pulled the human closer, "Um, yeah, sorry… Just nervous," She explained with a nervous chuckle and finally got hold of Amity's tee.

Danielle lifted the material delicately and realized that most of the bruises she had seen barely an hour ago were almost gone. She moved the tee even higher and inspected the place where she cleaned the cut. The wound was closed already. It seemed as if it was healing for over a week at least, not just a couple of hours.

"Wow…" Danielle whispered in awe and then put the tee back, covering the witch's body, "Can I check her wrists?" She asked, looking up at the Demonic being, waiting for permission.

Another trill escaped Luz's throat and she bumped her head on Danielle's forehead in an act of trust, making the older woman chuckle. With that, the doctor reached out to Amity's hands which were clutching the feathers, refusing to let go of her girlfriend.

Danielle only smiled at that and removed the bandages without detaching the witch's hands from her safe spot. When the air hit the fresh wounds, the older woman had to rub her eyes in amazement. The burns were scarring up nicely, and no puss-filled bubbles were visible anymore.

"So let me get this straight," Danielle said out loud, "It's like youʼre speeding up her own healing abilities?" She asked and Luz nodded, "But Luz-Luz could not do it herself, you had to transform to help her?" Another nod confirmed her hypothesis, "So…" She hesitated for a moment, "Do you want me to get you your elixir?" Luz shook her head energetically, "No…" Danielle lifted her left hand, "Or not yet?" She raised her right hand as well. Clawthorne pointed toward her right hand and the brunette smiled, "Okay, so you want to heal her a little bit longer?" Luz nodded, amazed at how easy it was for Danielle to communicate with her, "Okay," Danielle smiled in relief, "Then let me help, I'll get you some food, deal with the boys…" Luz let out a growl and her ears slanted in anger, "Come on, theyʼre both traumatized, no one taught them how to talk things through," Danielle tied her hands and raised her eyebrow while Luz looked away and puffed, knowing the woman was right, "Thatʼs the spirit!" Luz looked back up at Danielle. Her words were too Eda-like for her liking. The woman smiled again and let her hands down, "Now, let me get you something to eat, a couple of elixirs, and let me deal with the hormones downstairs… Okay, that sounded bad," She facepalmed herself while Luz snickered, "Not talking about it anymore," She said, leaving Luz and Amity alone to heal.

The purrs soon returned to the bedroom and Danielle smiled while she closed the door behind, leaving them slightly ajar. She was surprised at how easy it was to deal with everything.

"So witches are real, magic is real, Demons are real, other realms are real, and my sort-of-a-daughter-since-yesterday is a Demon but hey, all is cool, López!" She smirked at her thoughts and before she knew it, she made it back downstairs where Gus and Bert were waiting in the living room.

"How are they?" Bert asked worryingly.

"Iʼm so sorry I snapped," Gusʼ ears slanted in shame, his hands nervously tied together, and Danielle inspected his features. The young man looked like a scorned boy. The woman sighed heavily and sat down on the couch.

"It's okay, boys," She said, letting out another breath, "They were hurt, you were hurt, and this conversation will take time, patience, and possibly moderation…" Danielle said, looking at the men in front of her.

"Iʼm willing to do that," Gus said a little bit too loudly, "I mean… The moderation, to help us talk…" He explained, sitting down on the floor, ears still slanted. Bert sat in the armchair and watched the younger man, "She was my best friend at one point in time…"

"Is that the witch you told me about?" Bert asked and Gus nodded slowly, letting him know that there was more to this story.

"I'll be happy to help," Danielle said softly, rubbing her face, "If you have no plans for the rest of the weekend, youʼre welcome to stay here until they feel better… I canʼt promise they would be willing to talk, though."

"Iʼm willing to take the risk," Gus said with a hopeful gaze. The older woman looked at his face and smiled after a while.

"Okay… Let them sleep it all off and then we can try," Danielle suggested and both men nodded in agreement, "So that breakfast you made…" She pointed toward the kitchen.

"Yes!" Bert stood up, "Eat up, take some sandwiches upstairs, and weʼll wait here as long as necessary," He added and the woman smiled.

"Thank you," Danielle said with a small smile and she looked at the food she was served. She had no idea she was so hungry.

As soon as Danielle finished her meal, she went upstairs only to realize that Luz finished healing her girlfriend and was now lying close to the witch, making sure she was not in harm's way. The doctor's heart swelled when she put the food-filled plate on the nightstand and looked at the sleeping woman.

Amity was still clutching the brown feathers, afraid to ever let go while the strong wing was covering her, making sure she was warm and comfortable. Danielle had the strangest feeling as if the image of a large Demon snuggling with a much smaller, pale witch was perfectly normal and it was nothing to worry about.

"Elixir!" She reminded herself and went to the bathroom only to return with two vials of the golden elixir in no time.

"Hey, Luz," She whispered, trying to not disturb the sleeping witch. The Demon opened her large, pitch-black eyes and looked at the older woman, letting out a questioning trill, "I brought the elixirs if you're ready for them now," She explained and noticed the feathery ears slanting anxiously.

Danielle looked at the Demon and noticed how Luz's body tensed when she looked at the vials. Her breathing increased and her scarred brow twitched while she gulped nervously. The woman squinted her eyes and she recognized this kind of behavior.

"Does… Does it hurt you to turn back?" She asked, afraid to know the answer.

She understood that transforming into the Owl Demon hurt Luz but she did not even consider that it worked both ways. Luz nodded in confirmation but leaned forward to grab one of the elixirs.

"Okay, let me help you," The woman added and retrieved the vial from Luz's grasp.

Danielle opened the cork and poured the contents of the first vial into the Demon's throat. She thought it did not do anything so she already grabbed the second one. A sudden whimper escaped Luz's lips and they shared a look. The older brunette quickly poured in the second elixir in time for the transformation to increase its pace.

Luz rolled to the side when she felt the cracking of her ribs, forcing Amity to let go of her. It seemed as if someone squeezed her bones, decreasing their size so they would fit the human-sized body. The legs cracked loudly when the bird-like knees turned in the opposite direction. Her hands shot with pain she could not recall since her first transformation.

"A… A-a-another…" Luz gasped hoarsely, spitting on her chin when her tongue regained its human shape and flexibility.

Danielle's pupils shrank in fear and she darted toward the bathroom to get yet another elixir, understanding that the potions were not potent enough to help Luz transform back painlessly. When she returned from the bedroom, she was greeted with the most horrific image.

"D-Danielle?" Amity whispered in a terrified voice.

The witch sat on her heels, keeping her girlfriend's deformed body close. Luz's naked form was mostly human while her hands, feet, and back still had trouble returning to their original shape. The shoulder blades were sticking out, stretching the skin painfully where the wings could not fully reform.

"What the hell is going on?" The witch was barely holding her tears in, trying to comfort the trembling human in her grasp.

"She turned and healed you," Danielle explained quickly, walking over to Luz and giving her another vial of elixir to drink. Amity protectively held the human close, covering her naked body with a quilt.

"AAAAA!" Luz suddenly roared in agony, the forearms cracking loudly, echoing through the room, making Amity's ears twitch when she shared the pain with her girlfriend, and sending shivers down Danielle's spine.

"Come on, Luz," The older human woman cooed, "It's gonna be okay, drink this," She added, placing the vial by her lips. The sudden, rushing steps echoed through the corridor.

"What's going on?!" Bert exclaimed. He did not have a chance to sneak a peek when Amity drew a purple spell circle in the air.

"OUT!" She roared at the men, summoning the abomination, and slamming the doors shut.

"Sorry, we were worried!" Bert's muffled words were heard from the other side of the door but the lavender-haired witch could not care less about them while she tried to ignore the pain she felt as Luz was regaining her original shape.

"That's it," Danielle cooed, retrieving an empty vial from the full, quivering lips, "Glad to see you're feeling better," She addressed Amity whose brows just frowned.

"Adrenaline, I shouldn't be awake," She said dryly and watched her girlfriend's trembling body regain its natural form in her grasp while she caressed her curly hair in a calming manner, "You just couldn't let me heal on my own…" She whispered and was not even surprised to see the human crack a pained smile, showing off her white-gold fang.

"Regret… Nothing…" Luz croaked, barely keeping her eyes open.

"Dork…" Amity whispered, letting her tears roll down her cheeks, "Danielle, would you please, get me some of Luz's pajamas? The left side of the wardrobe, middle drawer?" She asked and the woman did not need to be asked twice, "I don't deserve you, Luz," She added, leaving a small peck on the tan forehead, not realizing that Danielle heard her but decided to ignore her words, giving them a sense of privacy.

"Here," Amity accepted the clothes and did not need to ask Danielle to turn around while she clothed her girlfriend's body.

"Thank you, Danielle," The witch whispered, helping Luz onto the pillow and under the covers, "You didn't have to stay or help or…"

"I know," Danielle interrupted, "I wanted to," She explained, sitting on Amity's side of the bed, "Despite finding out just yesterday that I was supposed to take Luz in, I would never turn my back on you guys," She added and smiled at the emotion-wrecked witch, "I'm really grateful you let me in," She added and that did it for Amity.

Her golden eyes filled with tears, ears slanted and twitched anxiously, lower lip quivered, bitten down by a fang. Her hands clenched Bertʼs jeans and her back was shaken with a muffled weeping. She could not stop. She clenched her eyes shut, letting down the waterfall of tears while her back was shaken by sob after sob until she could not hold back and began to cry.

"Hey, hey, Amity, itʼs okay," Danielle cooed, not knowing what to do, what was appropriate, or what would the witch be okay with, considering she did not like being touched, "I can only imagine what you went through," She whispered and was surprised by Amity placing her head on the womanʼs shoulder in search of support. Danielle's eyes shot open in shock but she reluctantly placed her hand on Amity's back, "Whatever happened, youʼre not alone anymore," She added and the witch wailed like a child, and she hesitantly scooted in closer, desiring to be comforted but being too ashamed to ask.

"Iʼm s-s-sorry…" Amityʼs voice shook and she did not know when her hands left her tights to hug Danielle, further shocking the woman. Yet, the human just smiled, happy the witch trusted her enough.

"Shh, shh, itʼs okay," Danielle cooed, rubbing circles on the witchʼs back who cried her heart out, balling the human's shirt, "I get it, I really get it," She continued and for the first time ever decided to open up, "I was born right after the Dominican Civil War. The country I grew up in was a mess and my parents… Letʼs just say there was a lot of violence and it was 'kill or be killed'… Or at least that's what I was told," Danielle whispered, holding onto Amity tightly who cried even more, feeling finally understood by someone, "My mother was ruthless, making me hurt people, not listening to anything I said… So I ran…" Amity hid her face in Danielle's shirt and cried her eyes out, listening to the human's story, "I used to have a brother, you know," The woman had no idea why she mentioned him, it had been so long since he crossed her mind.

"D-did he kill h-himself too?" Amity found her voice but did not dare to pull away.

Danielle stiffened, realizing how much in common they had. They held each other tightly, the brunette let out a few tears in memory of her late brother while Amity started to lose her voice, her sobs turned into hiccups and soon died out.

The witch fell asleep in the safety of the other woman's embrace, exhausted with emotional turmoil, increased healing, and sharing her girlfriend's pain while her hands still held Danielle close.

"Iʼm so sorry you had to go through all of this… No one deserves this pain," The older woman whispered, helping the witch under the covers. She managed to untangle Amity from her back just so the witch would find her way to Luz and snuggle in close, "Cute…" She smiled, wiping the tears away, "Hold onto each other, donʼt repeat my mistakes," She added and straightened her clothes before exiting the room. She opened the door only to find Gus and Bert sitting on the floor by the door, "I thought you went downstairs…"

"Edric… K-killed himself?" Gus choked out, realizing that he judged Amity too harshly.

"Go to sleep, boys," Danielle recommended with a tired voice before she went to sort herself out in the bathroom.

"One week… One fucking week that turned my life upside-down…" Danielle thought, looking at herself in the mirror. She then smirked and looked at her green eyes, "I wouldnʼt change it for the world," She closed the tap and went to sleep as well.