"Dad? How did you get mom to notice you?" Amity asked, using her magic to fidget with a small glob of abomination goo. She and Alador were in his workshop in the basement of the manor. It was nearly the start of a new week; her knee had finally felt better, and Luz was supposed to return to school the next day.
"Hmm?" Alador grunted, looking around the workshop and lifting his goggles. "Ah, hello, sweetie. You're up early, aren't you?" His eyes were dark, and his stubble had nearly grown into full whiskers. His arms were stained with abomination mud up to his elbows, and he was uncomfortably hunched over his work table. A partially mechanical abomination lay on the table like a specimen waiting for an autopsy, its chest pulled open to reveal gears and magical gems.
"Dad, it's afternoon. Only a few hours before the sale. Have you been up all night?" she asked out of concern.
Alador had already put his goggles back in place and returned to work. "I'm sure you'll do fine, Mittens." he replied. "If everything goes well, I'm sure we can put an end to your punishment."
"That didn't even answer any of my que… never mind." Amity said, stopping herself. For the last several years, trying to talk to her parents about anything but joining the Emperor's Coven or her schooling was useless. Mentally labelling her father as a lost cause for relationship advice, she climbed the stairs to her room and sat on her bed. If nothing else, she could catch up on the last bit of her Lore report she had missed.
She splayed out her three texts from the Savage Ages that she had gotten from the Forbidden Stacks in the Bonesborough Library. They were written in trionic, and she began taking notes from one book and continuing as it carried on to the second and then the third. Amity shook her head, confused at whatever possessed the author to write history in such an unorthodox way. It's almost like they were trying to hide what it said.
As she positioned her notebook in her lap, the photo of Luz, Willow, Gus, and herself at Grom slid out between the pages. She caught it out of reflex, feeling its surface with her thumb before setting it aside where she could view it while completing her homework.
The Blight Industries Abomination Factory was an immense structure not far from the manor. Most of it was set aside for autonomously constructing abominations and abomination-based products, from the essential household items like furniture and kitchenware to fully equipped servants and armed guardians for anyone that didn't have access to abomination magic but had the money to purchase it. Another quarter of the building was dedicated to research and development and Alador's impressively equipped laboratory. Finally, the rest of the space showcased all the incredible items being developed for potential investors.
Amity stood on a platform in the factory's basement where dozens of abominations, racks of abomination-based weapons, and employees necessary for tasks that abominations couldn't perform remained hidden from the public. After all, if there were tasks an abomination couldn't perform, what good would they be to investors?
Beside her stood the half-mechanical, half-abomination Abomiton she had seen her father working on earlier. It was designed to be more intelligent, more resistant to external control, and could retain its form easier by separating itself into individual components. Its hands could transform independently of the rest of its body, allowing it to form tools or weapons as needed. It was also equipped with armor, making it resistant to attacks from other coven track spells such as plants or construction. It might have been impressive if Amity didn't see it with disdain. The project had kept her father busy for months, and he barely noticed he had a family, let alone when they were in the room with him.
Instead, Amity was looking at the Grom Night photo. She had brought it with her after nearly completing her report for her Lore class when she was called by her mother to get ready for the event. It had been a week and a half since she had played Grudgeby with Luz and Willow, and she had watched Luz escape the Emperor's Castle. She eagerly awaited this evening to end in anticipation of seeing Luz again tomorrow.
While her brother and sister were relegated to watching the door, she had been volunteered to present a few of the new items, specifically the Abomaton, on stage. Her mother's voice was muffled from upstairs, where she set up the crowd for the presentation, and Amity grimaced. Hopefully, her grounding would be over after the sale, and she could spend her time elsewhere again.
The basement ceiling parted, and the platform she was on lifted with a jolt. She checked her tunic and leggings for pockets and cursed, tucking the photograph under the strap beneath her shirt and sighed. "One more week of this humiliation. You can do this."
The platform rose to the stage as Amity's parents moved to the side. "We are proud to present the first glimpse of our crowning achievement." Odalia exclaimed, flourishing her arms toward the creature standing beside Amity. "The Abomaton Soldier!" she smiled, casting a critical eye at her daughter to do the same.
The audience that gathered was small, which wasn't surprising. The first night of the Annual Sale was an opening preview of what would come for the rest of the week. It was a chance to work out the remaining glitches in the presentation and give those loyal customers who showed up early an exclusive opportunity to purchase items. They applauded, and an illusory projection appeared on the curtain at the back of the stage that showed Amity going through several tasks with the Abomiton.
"It will pour your tea!" Odalia announced, the projection showing Amity holding an abomination-styled tea cup and plate that became overflowed by the Abomaton, cutting before it showed her dropping the cup due to the heat. "Help you keep up with the latest trends!" Odalia continued, the illusion changing to the armored creature styling Amity's hair and makeup in a ridiculous fashion. Amity's face turned red as the projection continued, and she searched the crowd for Edric and Emira. She found them at the door, snickering. "And best of all, it will defend you against any unwanted visitors! "
Mentally threatening her siblings, Amity shook off her annoyance, took her place opposite the Abomaton and raised her hands in a fighting stance. After having been in real fights now, this carefully choreographed display was utterly boring. She noticed her pendant glow a soft pink, signally her mother's Oracle abilities. "Mama to Mittens, remember our deal: Make this look good, and we'll forgive your recent lacklustre performance in school."
Amity sighed and rolled her eyes. "Yes, mom." she replied verbally. There was no mention of forgiving her for releasing the genie Odalia had enslaved, as that would likely take a far more substantial sacrifice than just Amity's time. The Abomaton enlarged its fist and slowly swung where she was standing. Amity sidestepped with little effort. "Wow. It's so fast and strong." she said, the creature taking another swing that she easily avoided. "Order now."
The audience applauded and cheered as Amity pretended that the Abomiton was a threat. The creature paused a moment, trying to line up its attack before its fist shot toward her and wrapped around her torso, lifting her into the air. "Oh no. It's undefeatable." she said, putting a hand to her cheek in mock concern. She adjusted herself in its grip for comfort as it clenched around her diaphragm. "How will I ever escape?"
The adjustment loosened the strap under her shirt, forcing the Grom Night picture she had tucked there to loosen and fall from her baggy sleeve. Amity watched as the photograph fluttered unnoticed by the crowd to the floor, and the Abomiton began to step forward as planned to deliver its captive to Odalia.
Amity gasped but didn't waste time attempting to struggle from its grip. Before the Abomiton could put a foot down on her picture, she drew a tandem spell circle that took control of her captor. Its elongated arm split down the middle, splattering purple ooze across the stage and into the crowd. She dropped to the stage, drawing an even larger spell circle that tore the rest of the Abomiton in half, spraying the stage and the public with even more abomination goo.
An eerie silence swept through the massive room, and Amity kneeled to pick up the photo. The complaints from the crowd and even her mother's scolding was drowned out by music only Amity could hear. She smiled fondly at the picture in her hand, wiping away a spot of goop that had managed to spray onto it.
"Amity! Are you even listening to me?!" Odalia shouted. Amity snapped out of her reverie, looking around like she had forgotten where she was. The crowd was gone, the remains of the Abomaton were being wheeled away on a cart, and only her and her mother were left on the stage. "If grounding isn't getting through to you, perhaps it's time we revisit some older concepts."
Amity gasped, uncertain what that meant. "But…!" she began, then decided against arguing when her mother glared at her. She again tucked the photograph under the strap beneath her shirt and looked away. "Yes, mom."
The lack of control she felt that she had in her life was becoming more and more grating. Amity walked away with her head hung in frustration. Still, she had tomorrow to look forward to. She had so many questions for Luz about her actions at the petrification ceremony and maybe feel the warmth of her hands or the smell of her hair…
"You're awfully smiley for someone that probably just got grounded until the next Titan comes along." Edric said, he and Emira falling into pace beside Amity as she left the factory.
"Ugh! What do you two want?" Amity asked, her beaming smile fading instantly.
"Thinking about a certain human?" Emira asked with a giggle.
"Don't you have your own social lives to destroy?" Amity growled back. She had to focus this next week. She had to get out of the manor and away from her family, if even for a day. She felt as though she could only be herself when she was with Luz, and it felt so good just to be able to relax.
"Whoa! I thought we had a truce!" Edric exclaimed, holding up his hands in surrender. "That's so hurtful!"
Amity rolled her eyes at her brother's hurt expression. "Sure. Right up until you decided to put the Abomiton outtakes up during the presentation."
The twins stifled a laugh together. "C'mon, Mittens. You know these boring sales need a pick me up." her brother replied.
"You mean like at Grom?" Amity asked. "I'm still in trouble for that potion you stole!"
"Is that why mom's still so mad? What was up with that anyway?" Emira asked.
"It's nothing." Amity grumbled. "Do you two have any idea what I would have to endure if any pictures of that stupid hair cut got out at school?"
"Would it be anything like if the pictures of you at a Bard Coventicle in Latissa got out?" Emira asked, summoning her scroll from the ether and bringing up pictures of Amity on stage, playing a piano.
"This kid's going places." Edric read. "And who's ?" he asked, noting the poster of the pictures.
"Who cares?!" Amity cried. "This isn't only embarrassing, it could get me in even more trouble if mom and dad find out I was in Latissa!"
"Wait, you mean this is actually you?!" Emira asked in disbelief. The picture was taken from the back of the crowd, and Amity could be mistaken for any other green hair witch. Mattholomule and Braxus were far more apparent, and both were likely to break their vow of silence with the slightest pressure.
Amity bit her lip, uncertain if she should come clean. "Yes. It's me. Boscha ran away from home and called me to go pick her up. Mom and dad were gone, so I kinda… took the abominamobile from dad's workshop."
Edric held his hands up again. "Hold up. You stole…"
"Borrowed! It's back where it was."
"You stole dad's prototype, went across the Titan, jammed with real bards on stage, and made it back? And mom and dad don't even know about it?"
Amity nodded shyly.
"Teach me. Seriously." Edric requested dryly.
"You lay off about the pranks, and we'll make sure mom and dad don't find out about your little excursion. How about that?" Emira said, laying out the deal. "Besides, it's the first evening. It's not like anyone important was here tonight."
"Fine." Amity growled, continuing toward the manor. "Just stop bugging me about Luz. She just wants to be friends, and I need to get a handle on this."
The twins smiled, drawing a line across their closed lips with a finger and making a throwaway gesture in unison.
It was the following morning, and Amity was excited enough that she had woken up early and collected a batch of faeries still napping outside in the hedges. They were known to be meaner than the pixies she had faced just before Grom Night but far less intelligent. So she had simply engulfed them in an abomination to bring them inside and got straight to work baking a pie.
She had dismissed the abomination servants that offered to help, wanting to put all of the effort in herself. In The Good Witch Azura, Book Five, Hecate mentioned that the best way to someone's heart was through their stomach, which seemed like an odd round-about concept until she realized it was about food. She decided that a sweet faerie pie was exactly the subtle gesture she needed to show Luz what she was feeling.
Amity formed a pair of large mitts out of abomination goop to pull the pie out of the oven, the tiny winged forms still writhing under the crust, and set it on the counter. "Should I give her the whole thing, or offer to share it?" she asked herself, twirling a finger and commanding the abomination mud encompassing her hands to form a protective barrier around the pie with a few slots open to vent the heat. "Sharing it might be too subtle."
Inviting the servants back into the kitchen to clean up from her haphazard baking session, Amity picked up her textbooks, was out the door, and off to school before anyone else had even gotten up. It had been a week and a half since she had last talked to Luz at the Grudgeby match and seen her on the crystal ball at the Emperor's Castle. She'd had to repress her excitement at talking to her again ever since.
The road to Hexside was empty this early in the morning, and even the nocturnal monsters known to ambush travellers were bedding down for the day. Her boots scuffing in the dirt was the only sound she could hear, and she began stepping to a rhythm until advancing into a twirling dance when she realized no one was watching.
Amity closed her eyes and held her books to her chest with one hand and the faerie pie in the other, twirling as she moved along the path. The toes of her boots cut subtle lines in the well-worn dirt, and energetic acoustic notes played in her mind as she danced until she finally reached the courtyard of Hexside and the sound of a throat being cleared caught her attention.
She froze and squeezed her eyes shut as her face flushed heavily. "You're here early, Ms. Blight." Principal Bump noted, his rough voice being oddly soothing. "Quite chipper as well, I might add."
"Principal Bump! I didn't expect you, or anyone, here this early." Amity said, all of her smooth rhythmic motions giving way to nervous, spasmodic movements. "I'm just, uh, eager to start the day. What… what are you doing here?"
Principal Bump stood at the gate to the courtyard with his hands enveloped in his sleeves and his palisman secured over his head. He approached her slowly, eyeing her suspiciously until finally cracking a small smile. "I live here, as I'm sure you're aware."
"Right." Amity admitted, recalling breaking into the school to help Boscha find potion materials for her body switch problem. "I'm just here to double my efforts. My grades have slipped a little the last while, and I'd like to try getting back on track."
"Oh? Is the pie a part of that endeavour?" he asked. "Is that a bribe perhaps?"
Amity's eyes shifted from her principal to the pie she was still holding up and back again. "No?"
"Too bad. It certainly wouldn't hurt." he chuckled.
"It's for something else." she blushed, looking away.
"I see. Well, you can assist me in getting the school ready. I've received word that Luz the human will be returning to class today. I'm sure you know how much trouble she can cause."
The corner of Amity's lips turned up in a smile, and she suppressed a laugh. "I definitely do. But, aren't you worried about what happened at the Emperor's Castle?" she asked as they reached the school's front steps.
"The Emperor's Coven has certainly increased their… promotional material across the Isles since the petrification ceremony. However they haven't seemed to be harassing Edalyn or her ward as I've seen them in Bonesborough over the last few days."
"Is she okay?!" Amity blurted. "The Owl Lady, I mean… I last saw her as that owl thing is all… Is why I'm asking."
Bump opened the door and allowed Amity to pass before following, leaving it open for the first students beginning to arrive through the courtyard gate. "I'm sure." he said dryly. "So far as I could tell, they seemed well enough, though the rumor is that Edalyn and Lilith have both lost their magic. Perhaps that's why the Emperor has allowed them their freedom."
"So Emperor Belos wasn't lying." Amity whispered to herself, recalling the image of the Emperor on her crystal ball.
"Children of the Isles!" she remembered him shouting. "The Titan has told me to spare the Owl Lady's life, but in return, her curse will strip away all her powers. Let her monstrous form be a lesson about the dangers of wild magic."
"It would appear that way, yes." Principal Bump agreed. "Now, it won't be long before these halls fill with children again so I recommend getting to class before the peace and quiet are shattered."
Amity nodded, walking to her locker as she thought about the revelations her principal had just revealed. She had dreams about losing her magic and had experienced the sensation for a short while during her time with Jinn. The thought of being cursed like that sent a shiver through her. Still, she had no intentions of defying the Emperor herself, and she shook the thought from her mind. She scratched her locker's chin, coaxing it to open and stick its tongue out, ready to receive her books until it caught the scent of the faerie pie.
"No!" she said sternly, holding the pastry out of reach while she glared at the locker's single eye. It growled at her and shook in place as it tried to escape from its mounting, but she placed a single finger on its rectangular face. "Stay." she ordered. Since she had stopped abusing her locker to get it to do what she wanted, it had become more or less cooperative, though she found that some of its impulses still required work. "This is not for you."
The locker let out an annoyed huff and rolled its eye, slowly retracting its tongue with her books. The students were discouraged from feeding their lockers actual food, as that was a job for the custodian after hours, and it tended to make them aggressive. More than one student had gone missing after a trip to their locker during class.
The creature pouted and then conceded defeat, going dormant. Amity started back toward the school's front doors, holding the small pie protectively from the jostling in the hall as it began to fill with students. A happy squeal pierced through the low rumble of students chattering on the morning of the first day of the week, and Amity looked up to see Luz, Willow, and Gus squeezing each other tightly in a group hug.
She straightened her cowl and made sure there were no embarrassing folds in her uniform before clearing her throat, checking her breath in her hand, and straightening her posture before uncovering the pie. "Hey, Luz." she said, pressing her nervousness as far down in her core as she could.
"Amity!" Luz exclaimed in excitement, releasing herself from Willow and Gus's grasp.
Amity held the pie out, trying to remain as dignified as she could. "In celebration of your return, I've brought you a homemade fairy pie."
"Oh wow! That sounds so…" Luz grinned. She looked down at the pastry, her mouth twitching oddly between a nervous frown, a grateful smile, and a strange squiggle. "Gooood..."
Amity turned away shyly, unable to keep herself from clasping her hands together as she awaited Luz's reaction. "The ingredients are... very fresh." She was happy to see that the faeries had survived being covered and were still moving slightly under the crust.
"Thank you." she said, taking the pie and returning her attention to everyone around her. "You know, after everything that's happened, I'm just happy to return to some sense of normalcy."
A squawk interrupted the reunion as the intercom blared to life, drawing everyone's attention. "You can't just barge in here!" Principal Bump said in protest to an unseen trespasser.
"Yes we can!" replied a voice that Amity found all too familiar. "We are the Parent Creature Association! Luz Noceda, Willow Park and Augustus Porter, report to Principal Bump's office now! And you too, Amity."
"Mom?!" she exclaimed in surprise. Why? How?! It wasn't bad enough that she was grounded, but now her parents were going to harass her at school as well?!
"Amity?" Luz asked. "Any idea what this is about?"
Amity stared at the intercom a few moments before she shook her head. "I don't know." Did Ed and Em tell their mother everything? About her trip to Latissa? The details of the Grudgeby game? Her crush on Luz?! What could her parents want with Willow, Gus, and Luz anyway?
"We should probably go find out." Willow said, swallowing nervously before meeting Amity's worried look.
The four students made their way slowly and quietly to Principal Bump's office, and Amity knocked lightly. "Come in." Odalia said from behind the door before Bump even had the chance to speak. The students filed in sheepishly. Oddly, Amity was the only one that had been sent to the office before, and Willow and Gus were clearly feeling very out of place. Odalia stood beside Principal Bump while Alador was toying with an artifact from the shelf behind the desk. He replaced it and took a position opposite Odalia as the students each took a seat.
"Good morning, Mr. and Mrs. Blight." Luz said as Amity, Willow, and Gus remained quiet as they were well aware of the Blight matriarch's reputation. "Is there something wrong?" she asked when the adult's expressions remained neutral.
"The abomination situation, the destruction of detention, the rampage of Grom." Odalia listed, watching as the student's expressions soured even more. "These are but a few of the incidents that have endangered Hexside students, including our daughter." she continued, and Amity narrowed her eyes at her mother in disbelief that these events and her well-being were suddenly an issue. "So, the PCA has decided to..."
Odalia cleared her throat to bring her husband's attention back to the present. He was currently inspecting the movements of the adorable spike-tipped tail of Principal Bump's palisman as it rested over his head. "Oh, right. Um, these 3 are bad influences and must be executed." he said, likely reciting the script Odalia had given him.
The three students gasped in disbelief, but Amity's face fell like she was about to be sick. They couldn't. They wouldn't! Of course, they could and would. She could feel any remaining color in her face drain out, and despite her efforts to argue, she couldn't speak.
"I mean expelled." he added, gaining far more opposition to his correction than his original mistake.
Luz jumped to her feet, and Gus gasped. "What?!" came the response while Willow shrunk into herself, likely reliving the moment she had been removed from Amity's home during her birthday. Amity glowered at her mother, and Odalia clasped her crystal necklace.
"Take this as a lesson mittens." Odalia projected into her daughter's thoughts via her glowing oracle pendant. "A Blight always upholds their end of the deal."
Amity's rage flat-lined, and her murderous expression vanished. All this time, over six years, she had kept her distance from Willow to keep her parents from punishing her for being Amity's friend and having weak magic. It was her fault that her friends would be kicked out of school. She knew the consequences of making friends with other kids that her parents hadn't approved, but she had decided to befriend Luz and Gus and make amends with Willow.
Principal Bump heaved a sigh and closed his eyes for a moment before speaking. "Sadly, I have no choice in the matter. Luz, Willow, Augustus, effective immediately you are no longer students of Hexside."
"No!" Luz shouted, looking from Odalia to Alador. "But us... Good... Amity, tell them!" she pleaded, turning to Amity for help.
Amity felt all eyes in the room on her, but all the excitement and feelings she'd had over the last week now felt like they'd turned to ash. She wanted to argue with her mother and accuse her of controlling every facet of her life to save face. Still, she felt beaten and defeated sitting in the principal's office under her mother's judgemental gaze. She shrunk in her seat, silently looking up at her mother and begging for her to stop.
Odalia glared back and nodded approvingly at Amity's silence and inaction. "Good. Now, you'll be taking double the classes to make up for lost time. Actually, I'm appalled that you're not in class right now. What are you thinking?"
"Right, sorry." Amity said, standing from her seat. She recalled her nightmares of becoming another abomination to be controlled. Her mother snapped her fingers, and the door to Principal Bump's office burst open, revealing two of the Hexside Guards dragging students to detention over the last few months. One hooked their staff around Gus and Willow's waists, pulling them back toward the door as they shouted in protest.
The other guard caught Luz around her chest with its staff, causing her to flail her arms in an attempt to grab the desk to keep from being dragged off of it. "No wait, no!" she shouted before being pulled toward the door behind her friends "Amity!" she called, reaching out her arms for her. "Amity!"