The theme of this chapter is in honor of the memory of James Earl Jones.
May the force be with you all.
Chapter 10
Luz Clawthorne vs. The Golden Guard
Lilith kept her office so clean, organized and tidy, it wouldn't have been all that unfair to accuse her of being OCD. Being an official of the rank that she was, she was given a rather large office space. An office space she kept together like a jigsaw puzzle, with everything being exactly where it should be. A pair of large bookshelves lined the two walls on either side, creating a sort of path that led to Lilith's black wooden desk.
Seated at her desk, Lilith usually ticked the hours away with busy paperwork. But today's project, spread out on her desk, she had been putting extra work into lately. This was, of course, her continuously in-the-works plan on how to finally get her sister to join the Emperor's Coven. The look on Lilith's face was set in a permanent scowl, as her plan to enlist her sister had been a constant failure thus far.
And being humiliated by Edalyn's pet human had put Lilith in a seemingly permanent bad mood. Since her attempt to 'negotiate' with the human after school hours at Hexside, Amity Blight had stopped showing up for training. Lilith had given Mrs. Blight a call to inform her of the matter, but she had yet to hear anything from Amity since then.
Lilith ceased her writing, almost freezing in place. She lifted up her ink quill and stared at the feather.
Edalyn's brat had not only robbed her of her apprentice, but also continued to stand between Lilith and her sister. She could not for the life of her figure out what could have possibly possessed Edalyn, of all people, to adopt a human, of all creatures. Edalyn was a lot of things, but a responsible caretaker? Aside from the care she gave her palisman, Edalyn was never really the kind of girl you'd leave your pet with while you went on vacation.
Lilith spun the quill in her fingers.
"So why did you adopt her, Edalyn?" Lilith muttered to herself. "What was in it for you?"
There was a knock on her door before it opened. "Good morning, Lilith."
"It's not even noon yet?" Lilith looked at her clock to confirm it. "Well then, good morning to you as well, Kikimora. Now, what do you want?"
"Why does it always seem like you're never happy to see me?" Kikimora stepped into Lilith's office and closed the door behind her. She was a small demon, about the size of a little kid, with red skin and pointed ears. Her 'hair' was a pair of blue, conjoined hands with clawed fingers. The fingers acted as bangs that hung over her face, hiding one eye and revealing her yellow and red eye. Being a high-ranking official of the Emperor's Coven, she dressed in a uniform that distinguished her status. A white tunic with gold trim worn over a black ensemble. The tunic's collar was really high, fastened by a golden triangle and hiding her mouth from view.
"Oh, no, Kikimora, it's always a delight to see you." The tone she used and the look on her face suggested Lilith meant the exact opposite. "Now, what do you want?"
"Your report." Kikimora approached Lilith's desk. "Why has the Owl Lady not been apprehended yet?"
Lilith narrowed her eyes. "I am working on it," she stated. "She is slippery. And despite her immaturity and misguidance, she is talented and powerful."
"More so than you?" Kikimora asked.
Lilith's expression further soured, but she held her tongue.
"The Emperor is growing impatient, Lilith," Kikimora said, waving one of her three claws at Lilith in a condescending manner. "His highness wants the Owl Lady in custody. Which is why he has assigned me to assist you in the capture of the Owl Lady."
"What?!" Lilith demanded. "I don't need your help to apprehend the Owl Lady! I know she's proven difficult to catch, but her capture is inevitable, I assure you."
"Is it possible, Lilith, that assigning you to apprehend your sister was a mistake?" Kikimora asked. "Perhaps this is too personal for you to execute professionally?"
"Rest assured," Lilith said through gritted teeth, fighting to keep her tone calm. "I have every intention of bringing in Edalyn Clawthorne."
"Well, I believe I can be of assistance," Kikimora offered. "It just so happens that I have hired the services of a mercenary who may be able to help us."
"A mercenary?" Lilith asked.
"Oh, yes. I found him in an ad in the paper," said Kikimora. "He's quite powerful, and of considerable talent and skill. He's ready to begin as soon as I give the word."
"Absolutely not," said Lilith. "I do not need the aid of some sellsword to bring my sister to the Emperor's Coven."
"Apparently, you do," said Kikimora. "I can send my guy to apprehend the Owl Lady, no problem."
"No." Lilith stood up from her seat to glare down at Kikimora. "This is my assignment, and I do not want, nor do I require, your assistance in the matter."
"Oh, come now, Lilith, even the Golden Guard needs assistance from time to time," Kikimora said. "He had to hire three civilians in order to apprehend Agrabog. And besides. I am here to assist you by order of Emperor Belos. I am here to help, whether you like it or not."
"I don't want you anywhere near this assignment!" Lilith exclaimed. "And as for the Golden Guard, he is nothing more than a–"
Lilith stopped when an idea hit her.
"...Actually, perhaps I can use the Golden Guard's help on this one."
Kikimora's eye blinked at Lilith. "What?"
Lilith sat back down and folded her hands together. "You wish to aid me in my assignment?" she asked. "Go find the Golden Guard. Tell him that I have an assignment for him."
"The Golden Guard does not answer to you–"
"As a matter of fact, he does," Lilith stated. "And I want you to tell him that I have a mission for him."
"You're sending him to go after the Owl Lady?" Kikimora asked.
"Of course not. Edalyn would chew up and spit out that talentless showboy," Lilith said. "No. I am sending him to go and bring me Edalyn's…apprentice."
"You mean that masked assistant of hers?" Kikimora asked.
"The very same," said Lilith. "Once the Golden Guard brings me the masked girl, Edalyn will come right to me in order to get her back."
"All the while, keeping me out of it, yes?" Kikimora asked.
Lilith smiled. "Your words, not mine," she said. "Tell the Golden Guard that he may use whatever means necessary, but I want her alive. No disintegrations."
Kikimora's eye narrowed. "Unfortunately, the Golden Guard cannot be of any assistance. I'm afraid he has come down with a case of wailing cough today."
"He'll power through it if he knows what's good for him and his career," said Lilith. "Now, go."
Kikimora stared hard at Lilith. "...Of course." She turned around and headed out of Lilith's office.
Lilith went back to her paperwork. "Maybe the golden boy will finally be of some real use."
Kikimora made her way down the halls of the castle, heading toward the Healing Wing where she figured the Golden Guard could be found. She had half a mind to simply forget about both the Guard and Lilith. If she had been assigned to capture and bring in the Owl Lady, Edalyn Clawthorne would have been in the Coven's custody by now. And there was certainly nothing that the current Golden Guard could do that Kikimora could not.
The Healing Ward had several rooms, filled often with injured or ill members of the Emperor's Coven. Throughout the hall, Kikimora heard plenty of complaining of one nature or another. She would never openly admit this out loud, but the Emperor's Coven really did have terrible health coverage. The dental was somehow even worse.
Kikimora headed for Healer Blood's office to find the Golden Guard. Healer Mary Blood, despite her somewhat gruesome-sounding name, was an incredibly accomplished member of the Healing Coven, and was assigned to be the current Golden Guard's personal physician years ago. And, to Kikimora's knowledge, was the only Healer on the Boiling Isles who had ever tended to the Golden Guard. Whether this was because of the Emperor's insistence or the Golden Guard's, Kikimora could never figure out.
"Now, I would suggest at least a week or two, preferably two, of rest and recovery." Kikimora could hear Healer Blood speak from her office down the hall. "But, since I know you probably won't listen to me, I insist you at least keep the new mask on at all times."
Kikimora arrived at the open door to Healer Blood's office. The whole room was filled with mist from the humidifiers, which began to float out of the office.
"The new mask I had custom-designed for you uses herbs and enchanted crystals, all carefully stuffed into a built-in respiratory device." Healer Blood instructed the Golden Guard. "Keep it strapped to your face at all times. It will help ease the pain and irritation in your throat and keep your head clear and stimulated. It won't get rid of the wailing cough, it will only suppress it to the point where you won't be too miserable to even stand."
Healer Blood handed the Golden Guard his new mask before she noticed Kikimora at the door. As the Guard examined the new mask, Healer Blood walked over to the door to address Kikimora.
"Ma'am." Healer Blood nodded her head respectfully. Mary Blood of the Healing Coven was a tall woman of Demon heritage, with cherry-red skin and hair as blue as the veins on one's skin, held in a bun so tight it made her hair look like it was crafted out of aluminum. The snow-white robe she wore sported a number of different pockets stuffed with different tools and utensils, and the cone-shaped claws on her fingers were perfect for performing operations.
"Lady Lilith has requested for the services of the Golden Guard," Kikimora stated. "Is he ready for assignment?"
Healer Blood chuckled. She rarely ever smiled, but when she did, she always showed two rows of sharp, triangular teeth. "No rest for the wicked, it would seem. Nor for the weary either, hmm?"
"You may go," Kikimora said. "I must speak with the Golden Guard."
Healer Blood's smile faded away as her intense, emerald-green eyes focused on Kikimora. "...You should consume more milk products." She walked out of her office and headed down the hall. "It will help you grow."
Kikimora gave Healer Blood the stink eye before walking into the office, into the clouds of mist. Amongst the fog, Kikimora watched as the Golden Guard strapped the mask to his face. With the mask properly secured, the Guard took a deep, audible inhale from the respiratory device, letting out the breath before raising his hood over her head.
Kikimora cleared her throat.
The Golden Guard turned toward Kikimora. He stepped out of the mist, revealing the features of his new mask. There was now a triangular-shaped filter intake over his mouth as part of the respirator mechanism in the mask. Every time he breathed, it made a heavy breathing sound through the mask.
"Golden Guard."
"Kikimora." The mask made the Golden Guard's voice sound a little deeper than it really was, as well as making it sound somewhat synthetic. "...I do believe you've grown an inch or two since I last saw you."
Kikimora narrowed her eye at the Golden Guard. "How are you feeling today, Golden Guard?" she asked. "I would certainly hate for you to be put out of commission by a terrible sickness of some kind."
"I'm sure." The Golden Guard's visor was now reinforced with reflective black glass in order to keep the airtight mask from leaking out any of the enhanced and enriched humidification from the respiratory mechanism. "I, of course, absolutely dread the idea of something bad happening to you…Kiki."
Kikimora's three-fingered fists clenched angrily at her sides. "Lilith has an assignment for you," she stated. "She wants you to capture and bring in the Owl Lady's assistant. The one who helps her work her stand."
"...The girl," the Guard said. "The one who likes to wear a mask."
"Just your type. You'll no doubt love this assignment," said Kikimora.
The Golden Guard walked over to a nearby table where his gauntlets lay. "Is Lilith's attempt to bring in the Owl Lady truly fairing so poorly?" He lifted his gauntlets up off the table and slid his gloved hands into them, flexing his fingers to text their feel and motion. "She's now asking me to hunt down the young girl who cleans her sister's floors and restocks her shelves in order for Lilith to find a good enough bait?"
"This may surprise you, but I actually agree with you on how…unreasonable this assignment is," Kikimora said. "In fact, I have a proposition for you."
The Golden Guard remained silent, aside from the heavy breathing, which Kikimora took as the go-ahead to continue.
"See, I have, in my current employment, a rather skilled and powerful mercenary," Kikimora explained. "He may very well be what we need to capture the Owl Lady. I propose that you, my mercenary and I go to the Owl House and bring in Edalyn Clawthorne ourselves. I have no doubt we can bring the Owl Lady into custody."
"The capture of the Owl Lady is not my responsibility. Nor is it yours," said the Golden Guard. "The Emperor has assigned Lilith that responsibility. And we shall honor his wishes as well as his orders."
"Well, yes," said Kikimora. "But, I just thought–"
"You thought that since Lady Lilith denied you any part in her assignment by asking me to go after the girl, you could talk me into giving you a shot at the Owl Lady," the Golden Guard said. "Correct?"
Kikimora blinked. "I only intend to–"
"I am aware of your intentions," said the Golden Guard. "And if Lilith does not want you to be part of this assignment, then so be it. I will bring in the girl and I will do it myself."
"We could capture the Owl Lady, the most wanted criminal on the Boiling Isles," Kikimora argued. "And instead, you're going after her teen employee?!"
"And you will stay out of it." The Golden Guard made his way out of the office and down the hall. "I have spoken."
Kikimora shook with anger to the count of three before running out of the office and chasing after the Golden Guard. The Guard tended to walk at a fast pace and was already out of the Healing Wing before Kikimora was able to glare at him from down the hall.
"You dare talk down to me like that?!"
The Golden Guard stopped in his tracks, keeping his back toward Kikimora.
"I am about fed up with you!" Kikimora exclaimed. "You walk around in that uniform acting like you are anywhere near my level, or even Lilith's! Look at you, pretending to be anything like the former Golden Guard, who was the real deal! You may play the part well enough, but I know what you really are, boy. You are not my superior, I am yours! In every possible way! And I will bring in the Owl Lady, I will bring glory to the Emperor's Coven, and if you have a problem with that, then you can–"
A red, magic circle formed around Kikimora's throat and tightened against her high collar and her windpipe. With her supply of air cut off, Kikimora's eye bulged as she desperately tried to pry the magic circle off of her neck. She fell to her knees, unable to breath or speak as her vision began to turn blurry.
The Golden Guard finally turned around, revealing the magic circle at his fingertip. "Be careful not to 'choke' on your aspirations…Kikimora."
The Guard ended the spell and walked away without another word. The magic circle around Kikimora's neck vanished, allowing her to take in big, desperate gulps of air.
When the Golden Guard was gone, Kikimora growled with fury, rising back to her feet. She looked around to make sure she was alone before taking out her golden communication mirror. She flipped the mirror open and waited for the call to be answered.
"Is it time, boss?"
"Yes. However, there's been a change of plans," Kikimora said into the mirror. "How do you feel about kidnapping…as well as a little murder?"
The demon in the mirror laughed with a deep, raspy voice. "I feel like I oughta be paying you for that much fun." The mirror's glass brightened from the blue electricity the demon became surrounded in. "Who you want nabbed? And who you want whacked?"
With her face illuminated by the electricity in the mirror, Kikimora's eye shone with malicious glee.
Eda filled her cup to the very brim with apple blood. Then she grabbed a bigger cup out of the cabinet, poured the apple blood into that cup, and then filled the bigger cup to the very top with apple blood. She took a drink from her cup and smiled at her own brilliance.
Luz and King were sitting on the couch when Eda walked into the living room. They were looking at a magazine and immediately hid it behind their backs when Eda walked in.
"What are you little beggars up to?" Eda asked.
"Nothing," Luz and King said in unison.
Eda raised an eyebrow at the two kids. "Nothing at all?"
"Nope," said King. "We were just looking at…socks."
"Hey, why don't King and I go shopping at the bazaar today?" Luz asked innocently. "You know, for socks."
"For socks, huh?" asked Eda. "Did King turn all of your socks into puppets again for his little army?"
"How come whenever clothes go missing, you both always point your fingers at me?" King complained. "And just so you know, my army has grown exponentially. So beware."
Eda took a drink of her apple blood. "Well, I'm sorry to break it to you both, but neither of you are going anywhere."
"What?!" Luz and King both exclaimed. "Why not?!"
"Because the Emperor's Coven, that's why. And I haven't gotten an angry call from Lilith in a while, so I'm worried she's planning something." Eda looked away. "I was actually expecting a call from her today, but…" Eda shook her head. "Not important. Oh, and, let's not forget that the Golden Guard knows about you now, Luz, and he might be coming after all of us."
"I really don't think he will, Mom," Luz said. "That guy is a jerk, but he comes by it honestly. He knew I was your daughter, but he didn't try to arrest me or anything."
"Yeah, probably because no one told him to," said Eda. "Don't let the media fool you, the Golden Guard is just a fancy errand boy for the Emperor's Coven. He won't go to the bathroom without the Emperor's permission."
"...Can we go to the bazaar now?"
"No."
"Aw, come on!" King complained.
"I'm sorry, you two, but I'm not letting either of you out of my sight if I can help it," said Eda. "Lilith knows about you both now, and she knows to go after you in order to get to me."
"She knows to go after Luz." King crossed his arms and looked away. "She probably still thinks I'm your pet or something.
"That hardly makes a difference," said Eda.
King made no reply.
"Oh, come on, Mom, we know how to be careful," Luz said. "I have, like, thirty masks to choose from, and King's too cute to arrest."
"I'm not cute!" King shouted with an adorable stomp of his foot. "And besides, you can't just keep us contained in the house all day. Luz gets to go to school, but I can't even go anywhere! How's that fair?"
"As if you have any problem with sunbathing and snacking all day," Eda said. "...But, maybe I should be a bit more lenient. After all, it's me the Emperor's Coven wants, not you guys. And it's not like Lilith has actually tried to kidnap either of you."
"Uh-huh absolutely no such instances," Luz responded.
"But going out is risky for all of us," Eda explained. "You two need to realize that."
"Mom, how long do you plan to keep us within spell-casting distance?" Luz asked. "You won't even let me go hang out with Willow and Gus outside of school anymore. I know you want to keep us safe, but, maybe the best way to do that is to let us prove that we can go unnoticed on the streets."
"And if they do notice you?" Eda asked.
"I blind them with my light glyph and run like hex."
Eda gave it some thought. "...Okay, fine. You two can go. But you're taking Owlbert with you."
"YES!" Luz cleared her throat. "Uh, I mean, I will be totally responsible and careful with Owlbert. I promise."
Eda whistled up to the rafters and Owlbert flew down to Luz. The palisman landed on the girl's shoulder and cuddled against her cheek.
"Make it a quick trip, don't go sightseeing or nothing," Eda ordered. "The Bonesborough Bazaar is normally pretty safe, nothing like the Night Market. Stay in crowded areas, and don't try to take any alleyway shortcuts."
"Will do." Luz hopped off the couch and picked up King. "Come on, King of Cute, let's go pick out a mask for me to wear."
"If you want something really scary, then just don't wear a mask."
"Ha-ha, very funny."
Eda smiled as she watched King and Luz walk upstairs. Hooty moved his head up next to Eda, suddenly appearing in the living room.
"Hoot hoot. I think they're trying to get you a birthday gift," Hooty said.
"Yeah, I know they are." Eda sat down on the couch. "I'm surprised any of you manage to remember my birthday every year. I can barely even keep track of my birthday anymore."
"Why's that? Birthdays are FUN, hoot hoot!"
"Eh, when you reach a certain age, you stop wanting to celebrate how old you're getting,"
Hooty rested his head on Eda's lap. "Did you like the birthday present I left you? Hoot hoot?"
"Why yes, Hooty, the pile of dead mice you left next to my sleeping nest was the most wonderful birthday present that anybody has ever given me."
"Awwww, I knew you'd like it. Hoot hoot."
Eda never set their stand up in the actual bazaar in Bonesborough. She said it made them too easy to find, so they usually set up their stand some distance from the bazaar like all the shady shysters did. Luz understood the needed caution, but she still found herself wishing they could work in the actual bazaar.
It was a truly fascinating place, filled with sights and sounds of all kinds. The Demon Realm equivalent of what the humans called a mall, only more witch-themed. All the vendors who were actually licensed and legal shouted for the attention of passing customers, each one selling an assortment of amazing, magical items. There were even some food stands, which King was always begging from at every turn. To his credit, his cuteness was filling his tummy.
With Owlbert perched on her shoulder, Luz led King through the crowd of shopping witches and demons. King had picked out her mask for her; a purple and white cat mask Luz had painted herself a few years ago. Wrapped in her witch's wool cloak, Luz kept her hood up and her profile low.
King rubbed his tummy and let out a burp. "Being this cute is a curse, but it certainly comes with some benefits."
"So now you admit you're cute," said Luz.
"Wha…no!" King said defensively. "...You be quiet!"
Luz chuckled to herself. From where they were, she could see the clock tower in Bonesborough and the current time. It was barely even noon, giving them plenty of time to find Eda's birthday gift before the end of the day.
"Okay, let's see here." Luz pulled out the magazine they had been looking at and flipped to the right page. "Hopefully, they're not sold out by the time we get there, but I'm sure we'll be fine. We should hurry, though, just to be safe."
"You got the money?" King asked.
"Yeah, and we have just enough for Eda's gift, so no impulse buys," Luz said. "Now let's go. The shop should be near the clock tower."
"Right." King kept close to Luz as they ventured through the bazaar.
It was more difficult than you think for Luz to steer clear of the stands. They were selling all kinds of cool stuff at the bazaar, from magic carpets to potions to enchanted weapons. Maybe that was one of the reasons why Eda never brought Luz to the bazaar. Because then Luz's already meager allowance would be gone in a flash. But, for the sake of Eda's birthday present, Luz stayed strong and soldiered through the temptation.
"You know, King, the present you suggested is way better than the one I considered getting her," Luz said. "She's going to love it."
"She better love it," King said. "I threw in all my savings for this gift!"
"It'll be worth it when we show her what we got her and she sees how awesome of kids she has," Luz said.
King looked down at the ground as they walked, keeping quiet all of a sudden.
Luz looked down at King curiously. "King? You okay down there?"
"I'm fine," King said. "I'm just, uh…worried they'll be out of stock when we get there."
"We got here early, I'm sure they'll at least have a few left by the time we get there," Luz said. "This'll be a cake walk. We'll be done before lunch."
"I really hope you didn't just jinx us," King said.
Owlbert hooted in agreement.
They arrived at the base of the clock tower where some of the bigger stands were set up. They surrounded the clock tower in the center of the bazaar, as if serving as the very heart of the bazaar.
"Okay, so, let's see here." Luz took out the magazine and flipped through the pages. "Which of these stands sells the thing we're looking for?"
"Doesn't it say in the magazine?" King asked.
"It just says 'the stand by the clock tower,' even though there's, like, eight stands by the tower," Luz said. "Let's just try to find the right stand."
Luz and King began to circle around the tower, looking for the stand that was selling what they were looking for. King trailed behind Luz as they circled around the clock tower.
And then, King caught a scent. He froze and sniffed the air. He looked over and saw, to his surprise and delight, a cupcake on a plate.
Without even the slightest hesitation, King pounced.
The plate moved just as King was about to nab it, and his face met the ground.
King let out an angry growl and tried to grab the cupcake again, but it was yanked away from his hands.
The plate then made a dash toward the clock tower, and King scampered after it on all fours. The cupcake disappeared through a door into the tower, and King went right on after it.
"Oh, okay, here's the one." Luz pointed at one of the stands. "Let's go, King, the line isn't very long yet… King?"
Luz looked behind her, but King wasn't there. She looked around and all over, but still no sign of the little tyrant.
"Oh, crap, where'd he go?" Luz let Owlbert perch onto her hand. "Think you can find him?"
"Hoo." Owlbert flew off of Luz's hand and headed for the clock tower, slipping through a door into the tower.
"Hold on King, I'm coming!" Luz chased after Owlbert, following the palisman into the clock tower.
Luz hesitated for a second before walking through the door. As soon as she was through the door, it slammed shut behind her and she could hear the lock click into place. Luz began to smell a trap.
Inside the tower was a constant clockwork of mechanics, creating sort of a clock melody with the sounds of moving parts. Ladders and walkways led up to the top of the tower, making the place feel eerily like a boss level. Adding to the whole 'trap' vibe that Luz was picking up on.
Luz looked around, searching for her little brother of a demon. "King?!" Luz called out. "Where are you?!"
The sound of deep, heavy breathing filled the air, as if being breathed through a machine.
Luz turned toward the sound of the breathing, leading her searching gaze upward toward the second level of the tower. "Who's there?!"
From out of the shadows, a figure in a white cloak stepped forward. The masked warlock walked up to the edge of the balcony overlooking the ground floor and looked down at Luz. In his hand, he held King in a bronze cage.
"It's a trap!" King yelled.
"You!" Luz cried.
"Luz Clawthorne," said the Golden Guard. His voice sounded altered by the strange new mask he wore. "We would be honored if you joined us."
"What the hex is up with your voice?" Luz asked.
"Wailing cough," the Guard explained. "The new mask helps me work through it."
"Seriously? Take a sick day, for Titan's sake." Luz pointed up at the Golden Guard. "And if you hurt King, I swear, a bad cough will be the least of your problems!"
"I'm sorry, Luz!" King shouted from above. "He lured me in with a cupcake! Speaking of which, can I at least have the cupcake now?"
The Golden Guard's other hand emerged from his cloak and held the cupcake up to King, who snatched it out of his gauntlet through the cage's bars and shoved it straight into his mouth.
King chewed and swallowed. "Ahhhh…I am content now, please continue."
"What do you want?!" Luz demanded. "I thought we were even after that whole business on the island?"
"I am no more happy about this reunion than you are, human," the Guard said. "But, your aunt seems eager to see you again. I am here on her behalf to bring you to her."
"Lilith sent you?" Luz asked. "Why send you? Is she still upset at me for kicking her butt back at Hexside?"
"I'm not sure what you're talking about, you'll have to fill me in later. But for now,"
He reached her hand down toward Luz. "Come with me quietly, human, and make this easier for both of us."
Luz narrowed her eyes at the Golden Guard. Owlbert flew to her and extended into a magic staff. Luz grabbed the staff and aimed it up at the Guard.
She heard the Golden Guard sigh through his mask. "You're making this difficult."
Owlbert, in staff form, flew Luz up onto the second level of the tower. She landed on the balcony with the Golden Guard and stood before him with Eda's staff in hand, ready for a fight.
The Golden Guard lifted the cage holding King up into the air and it floated away like a balloon, suggesting that it must have been a magic cage. King let out a panicked 'weh' as his cage floated in place in the center of tower, displayed in the air like a trophy for the contenders to gawk at.
"You are surprisingly resourceful, human," said the Golden Guard. "But you are not a witch yet."
Luz slammed her staff onto the floor and it lit up with magic the color of gold. "I'm not afraid of you."
The Golden Guard brought out his own staff. He tapped the butt of the staff against the floor and it lit up with red power. "Then you will fail braver than most."
Luz charged at the Golden Guard, swinging her staff at him. The Guard blocked and deflected each of Luz's attacks with such ease, it was like he knew what she was going to do before she even did it. Luz had never actually fought with a staff before, and decided that now was as good as any time to learn.
With a loud shout, Luz struck against the Golden Guard's staff, creating a blast of golden magic between them. The Guard shouted in alarm as he was pushed back against the balcony's guard rail.
"...Impressive," said the Guard. "Most impressive."
Luz aimed her staff at the Golden Guard. "I'm the daughter of the Owl Lady," she reminded him. "What did you expect?"
Luz raised her staff above her head. "Now eat this, sucka!"
She swung her staff down at the Golden Guard.
The Golden Guard rushed past Luz in a blur of red light. Luz didn't have time to react before the Guard tripped her legs out from under her and blasted her with magic while she was airborne. Luz was sent crashing into the balcony guard rail.
"The Owl Lady taught you well." The Guard aimed his staff at Luz. "But not well enough. Give it up, human. You're coming with me."
Luz cringed a little bit from the pain as she moved off of the guard rail. "What happened to 'sibling rivalries are beneath me'? Why are you doing this? I just wanted to buy my mom a birthday present!"
"The Emperor wants your mom in custody and Lilith apparently sees you as the Owl Lady's achilles heel," said the Golden Guard. "Sooner or later, the Owl Lady will be caught. Your smartest option is to just give it up."
The Golden Guard offered his hand to Luz. "Come with me, human. Make this easier for all of us. The Owl Lady can't hold out forever, she's going to get caught eventually. Where do you want to be when that happens?"
Luz aimed her staff at the Golden Guard, making the staff light up with magic. "The Emperor's Coven will never take my mom away!" she shouted. "Why does the Emperor want to arrest my mom so damn badly?!"
"The Emperor only wants what's best for the Boiling Isles, human. You cannot stop what he has planned," said the Guard. "The Day of Unity approaches."
"Yeah, yeah, for the unity, for Darkseid, blah blah blah, I saw both versions of the movie," Luz said. "Sure, it's ominous, but it's not really doing it for me."
"...Uh…" The Golden Guard lowered his hand. "I'm…fairly certain you're trying to make fun of me."
"Yeah, well–coin toss!" Luz flipped a coin into the air and the Golden Guard watched as it spun upward.
The coin went off like a flash bang and the Golden Guard stumbled backward, crying out in pain and shielding his eyes.
"Beware the light, bitch!" Luz mounted her staff and flew off the balcony. She flew straight for King and grabbed his cage.
"Is that really the Golden Guard?" King asked as Luz flew them up through the tower. "I thought he'd be taller."
"Right?" said Luz.
The Golden Guard suddenly slammed into Luz in a dash of red magic, tossing them out of the air. Luz crash landed onto the walkway halfway up the tower. King's cage hit the wall and broke open the door. When the cage hit the floor of the walkway, King hopped right on out.
Luz quickly rose to her feet and readied her staff as the Golden Guard landed on the walkway.
"The magic coin. There's just no beating a classic, now is there?" The Guard cocked his head in a mocking manner. "Do you do card tricks, too?"
"Actually, yeah, care to see?" Luz reached into her pocket and pulled out a notecard with her fire glyph drawn on it and tossed it at the Golden Guard.
The fireball was easily stopped by a swing of the Guard's staff, though it created an explosion and a burst of smoke that momentarily blinded him. Luz used the opening to throw an ice glyph at him and it struck against the gauntlet holding the staff. His lower arm and the section of staff he was holding became encased in ice. He raised his other gauntlet and began to draw a spell, but another ice glyph from Luz froze over his other forearm as well.
"Stay frosty." Luz threw one more ice glyph at the Golden Guard's feet, freezing him in place. "Up. Too late."
Luz grabbed King and flew her staff upward through the tower's clockwork, intent on escaping out through the top.
The Golden Guard let out an irritated growl. His gauntlets and his metal boots both began to hum and glow. The warmth they were emitting started to melt and crack the ice that held him.
Luz flew up to just below the tower's clock face and began looking for a way out. The clockwork was the loudest here, being so close to the largest gears and moving parts of the clock. One of the clock hands moved and Luz could feel a gust of air when it did. She saw a door near the bottom of the clock face and flew to it, landing on the walkway in front of the door.
Luz tried to push the doors open, but they must have been locked. "Dangit, it won't budge!"
"Well, break it down or something!" King shouted. "If you get caught, then the Emperor's Coven will have what they need to catch Eda!"
Luz threw her whole weight into the door, but it still wouldn't open. "...Wait, what do you mean if I get caught?" Luz raised her staff and got ready to slam it into the door. "Eda would turn herself in if you got caught."
"Oh, come on. You're the Owl Lady's daughter," King said. "I'm just her pet demon. That's how everyone sees me."
Luz rammed her staff into the door and the magic blast nearly tossed the door off its hinges. "That's not true." Luz picked up King and ran out the door. "You're her adopted kid as much as I am."
Luz carried King out of the tower and onto a maintenance walkway that trailed the outside of the tower underneath the large clock face. They were much higher up now than before. High enough to see most of Bonesborough.
"Well, you're the one who calls her 'mom' and stuff. And Eda doesn't ever mind calling you her daughter." King looked downward, going a little limp in Luz's arm. "Have you ever actually heard Eda call me her son before? Compared to you, I'm just the squatter that she took in."
Luz looked down at King with surprise in her eyes. "...King–"
"Human!"
Luz spun around to see the Golden Guard leap through the broken-down door. The staff in his hands glowed with red magic as he faced Luz.
Luz tried to fly away, but the Golden Guard raised his staff and grabbed her in air with his magic, slamming back down on the walkway and keeping her grounded.
"You can't run from me!" the Guard exclaimed. "And you're out of cheap tricks!"
"Nature always wins!" Luz slammed a plant glyph down on the floor and a tangle of thick green vines shot toward the Golden Guard.
The Guard aimed his staff at the vines and burned them to ash before any of them could touch him. "Okay, now you're out of cheap tricks."
Luz narrowed her eyes. She put King down and got in front of him protectively, raising her staff and readying for another fight.
"You can't beat me, human," the Golden Guard said. "Do you really insist on fighting a fight you can't win?"
Luz's staff lit up with golden light.
"Fine, be that way." The glow of the Guard's magic staff increased.
Luz let out a battle cry as she charged at the Golden Guard, slamming her staff into his and attempting to push him back. Both their masks were inches away as Luz glared into the Guard's eyeholes, seeing only the reflection of her own eyes in the glass of the new mask.
"I won't let the Emperor's Coven tear apart my family!" Luz shouted.
"The Emperor's Coven seeks order and prosperity," said the Golden Guard. "You are being childish."
The Guard pushed Luz back with a blast of magic. Luz's feet slid across the ground, but she kept her footing and ran at the Golden Guard again.
Luz went on the offensive and swung her staff at the Golden Guard, who was able to block and deflect each attack with such skill as to suggest much training. Though he was on the defensive, the Guard pressed forward, forcing Luz to back up as she attacked. The walkway didn't offer a whole lot of room, and they were several stories up from the ground. But Luz was unfazed by this, determined to win this fight.
Luz got the impression that the Golden Guard was simply toying with her as they fought, and this made her angry. She swung her staff at the Guard's head and while he dodged out of the way, Luz pulled out another fire glyph notecard and threw it at his face. The glyph exploded against his mask and he let out a cry as he stumbled back away from Luz, who smiled victoriously at the crack along the Guard's mask. Some scented steam and vapor blew out of the mask's crack.
"Ha!" Luz cheered. "Aim for the head. Best advice you can get from gaming."
The Golden Guard made a magic dash toward Luz that slammed his fist into her forehead.
The mask split into two and Luz was tossed back, going airborne for a second before crashing down onto the walkway.
"Luz!" King cried.
Dizzy from the impact, Luz struggled to lift her head up. There was a bruise in the center of her forehead and spots dancing in front of her eyes.
"Aim for the head." The Guard stepped closer to Luz. "Very good advice."
He used his staff to move Luz's hood off of her head, finally getting a good look at the girl.
"...Huh," the Guard said. "You have really weird ears."
"And you're a butt-face," Luz said. "I'd use harsher language, but I have my little brother with me."
"It's fine, I get the intended message." The Golden Guard aimed his staff at Luz and King and the two of them became wrapped and tied up with rope. Owlbert came to life and tried to fly away, but a wave of the Golden Guard's staff placed a metal cage around the palisman that fell to the floor next to Luz.
King struggled in vain to break free from the ropes. "I knew you jinxed us, Luz, I knew it!"
Instead of struggling to break free, Luz just looked up at the Golden Guard accusingly, but also with some desperation in her eyes.
"Why are you doing this?" she asked. "You let me go before. What changed?"
"...You were not my priority during that mission," the Golden Guard said. "This time, you are."
"Is that all you are? Just a servant who obeys his master without question?" Luz asked. "You do realize you are tearing a family apart by doing this, right? You proud of that?"
"...No. I'm not," the Guard answered. "...But this is how it must be… I'm sorry."
"Yeah, you're really sorry," Luz said. "In fact, you have got to be the most sorry, pitiful automaton that I have ever met, or ever will meet. And I thought Lilith was bad."
The Golden Guard's fist clenched at his side. "And, just like that, there goes my sympathy." He stepped toward Luz. "You're coming with–"
And then suddenly, without any warning, the Golden Guard lit up as if he had gotten the chair. Tendrils of electricity danced all over him, causing him to glow and scream in pain and agony. When it finally ended, he slumped forward, falling onto the floor and revealing the assailant who had struck from behind.
Luz and King gasped in horror at the fallen Golden Guard. They then grimaced at the very sight of the demon that attacked him.
The large demon let out an evil laugh in his deep, raspy voice. "Kikimora wasn't kidding! The Golden Guard really is a pushover!"
He was tall, muscular and broad-shouldered, and yet had managed to sneak up on the Golden Guard with surprising stealth. His skin was green and scaly and he wore dark leather armor that was covered in slime and algae. His entire head was like an electric eel extending from the hole where his neck should be.
His toothy maw grinned as he kicked aside the Golden Guard's limp body. "Pathetic," he hissed. "You'd think the Emperor would've hired some real talent to slave around."
"Wh-who are you?" Luz asked.
The demon laughed and sparks of electricity danced across his body. "Call me Dread. Pleasure to be making your acquaintance."
"Why did you do that?!" Luz demanded. "I have the sneaking suspicion you're not here to rescue me."
"Heh-heh-heh. Smart girl." The demon called Dread stepped over the Golden Guard and towered over Luz and King. "I'm what you might call 'hired muscle.' That's just one of my many talents, though. I actually have my whole resume somewhere on me." Dread patted his pockets with his clawed, webbed hands, but then frowned and shook his head. "Eh, you know what, it's not important. I'm good at my job, let's just leave it at that."
Luz and King glanced at each other.
"Anyway, I was paid to bring you to the Emperor's Coven." Dread reached one lifted Luz up by the ropes that held her. "So let's get going. If we leave now, we can beat traffic."
"I'm not going anywhere with you!" Luz shouted.
Dread barred his teeth at Luz. "Sorry, missy. But I'm not giving you a choice on the matter."
Luz spit onto Dread's face.
The large demon growled angrily as he wiped off Luz's spit before glaring into her defiant eyes.
"You need to learn some respect, girl." His grin was wicked as he held his claws up to Luz's face. "And I happen to be," His claws lit up with electricity. "a very thorough educator."
"Luz!" King cried.
Luz leaned away from Dread's electric claws as much as she could. The terror caused tears to build up as she prayed to be saved.
But then Dread let out a scream and his body went rigid. He dropped Luz on the floor and his body erupted with electricity, lighting up his body with blinding light. The look on his face was pain and panic in the boatload.
The Golden Guard, with the extended claws of his gauntlet sunk into Dread's back, lifted the demon up over his head with surprising strength.
Dread flailed his arms and continued to scream above the Golden Guard's head. The electricity the demon was producing shocked the Guard to his very core, revealing his skeleton with each powerful current of electricity that flowed through him.
Despite this, the Golden Guard made slow steps toward the edge of the walkway, with Dread struggling and writhing above him. The onslaught of electricity continued to light up both the demon and the Guard. The Golden Guard did not submit, however, as he held the monster above the guard rail.
"Powerless pretender!" screamed Dread.
The Golden Guard tossed the demon over the side of the walkway.
Down and down he fell, screaming, flailing, and glowing with tendrils of electricity. Until he hit the bottom, and met his end.
With the deed done, the Golden Guard, with his entire person smoking and a few patches of burnt cloth on his cape, dropped. It appeared difficult for him to even move, but the Guard rested his back against the walkway's guardrail, propping himself against the rail like a dead man left behind.
When Dread had dropped her, he had accidently cut into Luz's rope a little bit with his claws, and Luz was able to break free from her ropes because of it. She untied King from his binds and picked up the cage Owlbert was trapped in.
"Okay, cool," King said. "Let's go, Luz."
"We can't just leave him like this." Luz looked over at the Golden Guard. "He looks really hurt."
"Leave him, he just tried to kidnap you," King argued.
"Yeah, but…" Luz sighed before walking over to the Golden Guard.
"Luz, come on!" King complained.
Luz knelt down in front of the Golden Guard and examined his mask. The crack along the mask was worse than before. The amount of vapor and mist that blew out of the crack and the lack of the heavy breathing suggested that the mask was now broken. Either that, or the Golden Guard was dead. He didn't move, and he didn't appear to be breathing.
"Is he dead?" King asked. "Can we go?"
Luz stared at the Golden Guard's mask. Very carefully, she reached her hand toward it.
Luz's wrist was suddenly grasped in the Golden Guard's gauntlet and she let out a frightened yelp.
"Don't…touch."
The Golden Guard's voice sounded awful. Like, 'convince your boss to give you a whole week of sick days' awful. Dread's electricity must have destroyed the mask's respirator device or whatever it might've had. Luz wasn't sure how the mask worked, but it was obvious that it wasn't working anymore.
Luz pulled her arm out of the Guard's grip. "Why did you do that?" she asked. "He was going to bring me to the Emperor's Coven. You would've gotten what you wanted."
The Golden Guard took shallow, hoarse breaths. He raised a shaky hand toward Owlbert's cage, drew a magic circle with his gauntlet, and a weak spell shot toward the cage. The cage broke apart, setting the palisman free.
"You…should go," the Guard rasped. "I…give up. Go home, human."
"I'm not just gonna leave you here," Luz said. "You might be a jerk. But, I officially owe you one now."
"Don't be stupid."
"Oh, shut up." Luz picked up her staff and Owlbert took his place atop it. She readied the staff for flight, hovering it horizontally in the air, before kneeling down and helping the Golden Guard up.
"Hurgh. Why do you have to wear armor made of gold? It's freakin' heavy!" Luz leaned the Golden Guard against the hovering staff, letting him use the floating staff for support, before walking over and picking up the Golden Guard's magic staff.
Luz had expected the magic of the Guard's staff to feel artificial and fake compared to a palisman staff like Owlbert. But to her surprise, she felt a pleasant flow of power from the staff. If anything, it felt like the power of several palisman staffs being contained in a single staff. Weirdly enough, the feel of the magic reminded her of her glyphs for some reason.
"Now let's see here." Luz aimed the staff at the Golden Guard.
"Careful with that, you–"
The Golden Guard's hands began wrapped in rope, tying them to the palisman staff.
Luz chuckled before walking over and sitting side-saddle on the palisman staff. King ran up and climbed onto Luz's shoulder.
"Take us down, Owlbert."
The palisman staff floated up off the walkway, lifting the Golden Guard with it. He hung by his arms from the staff like a hanging meat, too sick and injured to offer up the many insults and objections he had.
Luz floated the three of them all the way to the ground at the base of the clock tower. Surprisingly, the heart of the bazaar was empty. Perhaps seeing a scary demon fall to the ground and go splat scared everyone back to their homes.
Luz let the Golden Guard's feet touch the ground before hopping off the staff. She got ready to support the Golden Guard's weight before the staff shrank down into Owlbert and the Guard slumped onto Luz.
Luz pulled the ropes off of the Golden Guard's hands and offered him his staff back. He took the staff and used it to support himself.
Luz stepped away from the Golden Guard. "Are you going to be okay?"
"Worry…about…yourself," he answered between hoarse breaths.
"Would it kill you to just say 'thank you'?" Luz demanded. "Seriously, it's two flippin' words."
"I didn't–" The Golden Guard coughed weakly for a second before finishing his sentence. "...need your help."
"Oh, whatever," Luz said. "You know what? If you can't swallow your pride, then maybe you can just limp home, you–"
"Excuse me."
The group of four, including Owlbert, turned to see a portly, bearded, demon man with blue skin and dark horns approach them. Luz recognized him as one of the vendors who had been manning one of the stands by the clocktower.
"Aren't you the Golden Guard?" the demon man asked the Guard. "My word, you look terrible. Should I call someone?"
"Contact…the Emperor's Coven…" the Guard rasped.
"Will do, Sir, right away," the demon man replied. "I'll need to grab my Crow."
Luz noticed a box tucked underneath the man's arm and her eyes went wide. "Hey!" She pointed at the box. "That's what I was going to get my mom for her birthday! How much for it? I have money!"
"Oh, no. This one's for me." The demon man patted the box with a smile. "I sold out today, but I kept one for myself. Shame we all had to close up shop early, but, demons falling from the sky tends to scare away the customers."
"What?! No! Please!" Luz begged. "Come on, it's for my mom! It's her birthday!"
"Sorry," the vendor said with a shrug. "I'm afraid this one is simply not for sale."
The Golden Guard raised his hand in front of him and extended the gauntlet's claws.
"Then make a donation."
With frightened eyes, the demon man gulped loudly. "Ah…y-you know, perhaps that would be the charitable thing to do." The box shook as he handed it to Luz. "Take it, free of charge."
"The system works!" King cheered.
"Eh, please, come with me, Mr. Golden Guard sir," the vendor offered. "You can rest in my shop while I make a call to the Emperor's Coven. I even have an elixir that will help your throat and whatever may ail you."
"Thank you," said the Guard.
"Oh, you tell him thank you, but not me?!" Luz demanded.
Choosing to ignore Luz, the Golden Guard began to follow the vendor to his shop, making slow progress due to his condition.
Luz looked down at the box in her hands. "...Hey, wait!"
The Golden Guard stopped, but didn't turn around.
"...What's your name?" Luz asked. "You know, your real name?"
"...To you…I am the Golden Guard." He turned around to look at Luz. "…We are not friends, human. You should keep that in mind for your own sake."
The Golden Guard turned around and followed after the vendor. Luz looked back down at the box in her hands. Once again, the Golden Guard reminded her of Amity. He wore armor and kept on a mask, both figuratively and literally, letting no one know what he was thinking or feeling, showing only strength and attitude.
And yet, perhaps much like Amity, the Golden Guard was a good person deep down, despite who he was and where he came from. Amity had to put on an act to please the people around her. Maybe the Golden Guard did the same?
But he was different from Amity. The Golden Guard was dangerous. He was the Emperor's most loyal disciple. Luz knew that if the Emperor ordered it, the Golden Guard would drag her kicking and screaming to his master's feet, whether or not he felt bad about.
But then why save her from Dread? Why deny the Coven their ticket to the Owl Lady's capture?
Luz let out a sigh and turned around. "Let's go home, King."
"Sounds good," said King. "Who knew going shopping could be so dangerous?"
"Hey, listen, King. About what you said up on the clock tower." Luz looked over at King. "Is…that really how you feel?"
"...I mean…" King hopped off of Luz's shoulder. He looked away and rubbed his arm in embarrassment. "...Look, you're the one Eda sent to school. You're the one who she's teaching witchcraft to."
"Are you saying you want to go to school?" Luz asked.
"Oh, Titan no. School sounds like a nightmare," said King. "It's just…" He crossed his arms. "...It's hard not to feel like…like you're her favorite. Like you're the one she considers to be her kid. Not me."
"That's not true." Luz knelt down and placed her hand on King's shoulder. "I'm not her favorite. Eda loves us both equally. We're both her kids. And she's our mom. Not just mine, and not just yours."
King looked up at Luz. "I know you're probably right. It's just…" King looked downward. "It's difficult to convince myself that."
"We're a family, King." Luz scooped up King and gave him a hug. "That can't be too hard to believe, can it?"
King returned the hug. "No," he said. "No, I guess not."
Luz stood up and placed King over her head. He clung to her shoulder like a friendly racoon, looking like he was expecting to be carried all the way home.
"Ready to go?" Luz asked.
King pointed his little claw to the sky. "Onward!"
"Hoo." Owlbert extended back into a staff. Luz readied the staff for flight and flew King and Eda's gift to home.
Eda paced back and forth in the living room, waiting for King and Luz to get back. Hooty watched as she went back and forth, counting the number of times she made a trip from one side of the living room to the other.
"Fifty, hoot…fifty-one, hoot…fifty-two, hoot…fifty-three, hoot,"
"Be quiet, Hooty," said Eda. "...Maybe I should go out and look for them," she suggested. "I never should have let them go out on their own, they probably got caught–"
The door opened and Luz walked into the living room with Eda's staff in one hand, a box in the other arm, and King on her shoulder.
"There you two are!" Eda exclaimed. "What took you so long?"
"Uh…long line at the stand," Luz lied. "You wouldn't believe it."
Eda narrowed her eyes at the bruise on Luz's forehead. "Did someone punch you?" she asked.
"An angry shopper," Luz lied again. "Shopping for bargains is a lot more dangerous than I thought it would be."
"What did you want to buy so badly?" Eda asked.
King hopped off of Luz and the two of them presented the gift to Eda.
"Happy birthday!" the two of them shouted.
"Hoo," went Owlbert, spreading his wings.
"I said 'happy birthday' first, hoot hoot!" Hooty shouted. "I said it this morning, hoot hoot!"
"Awww, you two shouldn't have." Eda had already seen it coming, but it still warmed her heart all the same. "How much did this cost you?"
"We got it for free when we threatened the guy's life," King said.
"King!" Luz exclaimed.
"Okay, fine, we didn't threaten his life," King corrected. "This guy we met threatened his life for us, and got it for free."
Eda blinked. "...Uh…okay…we may need to have a talk later." She opened the box and pulled out the gift.
It was a silver goblet. At first glance, it didn't really look all that fancy. It was a large cup, with finger grooves worked into the metal handle. The metal was clean and smooth. Eda could see her reflection in the goblet.
"What's this?" Eda asked.
"It's an ever-filling goblet," Luz explained. "You put whatever you want in there, and it keeps on refilling."
Eda stared at the goblet curiously. She pulled a flask out of her hair and poured some of her emergency apple blood in there. It wasn't much, and yet the goblet magically filled the whole cup with apple blood.
Eda's eyes widened. Eagerly, she drank from the goblet.
"The trick is to not finish the whole thing," Luz warned. "Leave a little bit so it'll fill back up."
It pained her to do so, but Eda didn't finish the whole drink, instead leaving just a little bit left in the cup. It proved to be a rewarding restraint though, since the goblet magically refilled with apple blood, returning to the full amount before Eda drank from it.
Eda's eyes sparkled, looking like she was about to cry with joy.
She placed the goblet on the living room table before wrapping Luz and King in a tight hug, nearly crushing the two of them in her joyful grip.
"I. LOVE. This gift," Eda declared. "You two are the best kids I could ever ask for." She placed a kiss on Luz's cheek before placing a kiss on King's nose.
"It was King's idea," Luz admitted. "I was gonna get you a cool hairbrush."
"Well, then," Eda picked King up and held him above her head. "This officially makes you my favorite. You know, until Luz can somehow top this gift, though it doesn't seem likely."
Eda gave King a hug, hanging the little demon's head over her shoulder. King was all too happy to return the hug, and Luz smiled happily at the two of them.
There was a knock on the front door. "Eda? Are you home, little witchlet?!" they heard Eda's mother call from outside. "I'm here to wish you a happy birthday! I bought you this adorable sweater that I think will look lovely on you!"
"Everyone hide," Eda whispered.
"I heard that, dear."
Lilith marched down the hallway to the Healing Wing. The steamed look on her face was enough to get everyone to immediately move out of her way.
"That vendor certainly knew his remedies," Lilith heard Healer Blood say from her office. "Just keep breathing in this incense and you should be fine by the end of the week. And this time, take the week, please."
Lilith entered Healer Blood's office and saw her hand the Golden Guard a burning bundle of herbs. As the Golden Guard breathed in the smoke, Healer Blood looked over and noticed Lilith standing in her office.
"I need to speak with the Golden Guard," said Lilith. "Alone."
Healer Blood bowed her head respectfully. "Of course." She looked over at the Golden Guard. "Let me know if it gets worse, but you should be fine."
Healer Blood walked out of her office to give the two Coven officials some privacy. Lilith glared at the Golden Guard as he put down the burning herbs and picked up his usual mask.
"Where is the girl?" Lilith demanded.
The Golden Guard put his mask back on. "With her family," he answered, pulling his hood back over his head. You could still hear the illness in his voice, but it was sounding much better than before.
"She is not Edalyn's–" Lilith grunted in irritation. "You were supposed to bring the girl to me! What happened?!"
"A mercenary tried to kill me and take the girl," said the Guard. "He said he was taking her to the Emperor's Coven."
"Kikimora," Lilith growled.
"My thoughts exactly," said the Golden Guard. "But the mercenary is dead, so we can't prove anything."
"Some good you turned out to be!" Lilith snapped. "You had one job!"
"I think the human may have mentioned something about besting you at Hexside?"
Lilith's cheeks turned a little pink for a second. "This is pointless." She turned around to leave. "I'll send you back after the girl after I've come up with a plan."
"No."
Lilith stopped at the door. She looked behind her with fury beginning to burn in her eyes. "What did you just say to me?"
"You heard me," the Golden Guard said. "If you really need help bringing in the Owl Lady, then fine. But you are going to leave the kid out of this."
"How dare you." Lilith stormed up and glared into the Golden Guard's mask. "I am the Emperor's Head Witch, not you. I worked, and I worked, and I gave up everything for my rank! I will give the orders, and you will do as you are told!"
"No."
Lilith's fists clenched at her sides. "Listen to me very carefully, boy. I am–"
"Not my superior," said the Guard. "And you do not give me orders. I answer to the Emperor, and only the Emperor. The only reason I agreed to go after the girl was because I wanted to make sure your scheme went down without her getting hurt."
"I have no intention of hurting the girl," Lilith said. "It's Edalyn I'm after!"
"Is that why you tried to nab the kid at her school?" the Guard asked.
Lilith narrowed her eyes. "What concern is she of yours?!"
"She's just a kid. I can't stop you from eventually tearing apart her family, and I understand that it needs to happen. But I can make sure you don't get the girl hurt in the process," the Golden Guard said. "She's a girl who loves her family. For Titan's sake, I found her shopping for a birthday present to give your sister."
"Birthday present?" The anger in Lilith's expression was replaced with surprise. "Today is Edalyn's…oh…"
Lilith turned away from the Golden Guard. "...That's…that's right." Her voice was much softer now. "Today…today is her birthday. I…I forgot."
The Golden Guard's masked face stared at Lilith.
For a while, neither of them said anything. Lilith just stared at the wall while the Golden Guard stared at Lilith.
"...Leave the girl out of it." The Golden Guard grabbed his burning herbs and headed out of Healer Blood's office. "And leave me out of it, if it can be helped."
If she had even heard what the Golden Guard had said, Lilith made no reaction. She just continued to stare at the wall with a sad look on her face.
Lilith then ran a hand down her guilt-ridden face before walking out of the Healer's office.
I debated for a while whether or not to make Dread a recurring bad guy, but, no, he's dead. Dead and gone.
I plan to eventually bring back Healer Mary Blood though. If you liked her, then don't worry, she'll be back.
Until next chapter!
Spoiler: I introduce Raine in the next chapter.