Chapter Text
The Scaley Heathen was an ugly little tavern at the edge of Bonesborough. It was small, cramped, and the food always had a strange greasy consistency, but the guy who ran it - a huge demon with six arms - had a weird thing for Eda, so they got discounts on food and drinks when she was around. The low ceilings and walls were decorated with an assortment of paintings and graffiti, giving the place a grimy feel. Or maybe it was the actual grime that covered every surface. It was hard to tell.
Luz sat in her favorite spot, the corner booth in the back half of the tavern. It was dark and secluded, but close enough to the bar that she could get free food without being glared at by the other patrons.
Her two best (and only) friends, Gus Porter and Willow Park, were seated with her. It had been a couple of weeks since she had seen them since she and Eda had been trying to lay low since their last hit at the Manor had gone south. She had been telling them the details of that exact story when she accidentally mentioned the name of their target.
“Blight Manor?” Gus’s incredulous shout was muffled when Luz clamped a hand over his mouth. A waitress set three mugs of mead in front of Luz and her companions, eyeing them warily. “Sorfy Wuz.” He apologized through her fingers as the waitress walked away.
“It’s okay buddy, I was shocked too,” Willow patted his shoulder comfortingly. She had arrived before he had, and Luz hadn’t been able to keep herself from telling Willow all about the eventful evening.
Technically, Luz was not supposed to inform anyone of the gritty details of what she did for a living, but she trusted the two witches in front of her with her life.
Also, she was their only other friend, so she didn’t have to worry about it getting spread around.
Luz released Gus and grinned, “It was so exciting! I was all like ‘Argh!’ and the soldiers were all like ‘Oh no! Don’t take our treasure!’. Eda even said that I ‘did okay’, which, you know, that's high praise coming from her! Anddd she gave me this!” Luz pulled the silver ring off her finger and held it up for them to see.
Willow let out a low whistle, and Gus reached over to pluck it from her hand and give it a closer inspection. He turned it in his hand, admiring its shininess, “This is really nice Luz, you could probably sell it for a lot of snails!”
Luz shook her head, taking it back from him, “No, Morton said that anyone who bought it would know it was stolen. See, it's got the House Blight motto written on the inside.”
Willow hummed, “Makes sense, and with everything going on lately, it's probably safer to hold onto it for a while. At least until the city guard cools down a bit.”
“Exactly! Besides, it's a gift from Eda, so I don’t think I’ll sell it at all.” She slipped the ring back onto her finger.
With a clatter, four plates of food were dropped onto their table. Luz looked up to see a familiar figure. She gasped, “Hal! Long time no see buddy!”
The balding tavern owner sighed wearily and looked the table over, “Hello Human. I have two orders of fairy pot pie, one spider salad, and one casserole surprise. That you?”
“That’s us alright! How’ve you been?”
“Fine. Who’s the fourth plate for?” He glanced over his shoulder as if the mysterious fourth person was going to creep up behind him.
Luz gestured to her companions, “It’s for my friend Gustopher here. He needs extra fairy pot pie; he’s a growing boy after all.”
Gus nodded, “That’s true, I am.”
Hal frowned, “So, Eda isn’t here then?”
“Nope, not today! Sorry buddy,” Luz reached over to pat one of his six hands comfortingly.
He quickly pulled it out of her reach, “In that case, I have customers to attend to.” He walked over to the other tables, his many arms jumping between carrying mugs of mead, picking up empty plates, and bussing surfaces.
Luz deflated, sighing. “He’s never gonna like me, is he?”
“Probably not,” Willow shook her head. “But I get the feeling he only likes older witches with a pension for crime whose names begin with the letter e.”
“Ew, Willow, gross.” Luz winced at the thought of her mentor and the tavernkeeper going out together, or worse: kissing.
Willow shrugged while Gus began to tear into one of his pies, “It’s the truth. By the way, what did you two end up spending the money on?”
“Oh,” Luz said. “The usual, you know. Food, new clothes, apple blood, and I gave my spare money to the orphanage.” She shoveled a forkful of the mystery casserole from her plate into her mouth, ignoring the weird aftertaste. “Bump and the kids are doing well, by the way.”
“That’s good to hear!” Gus said, mouth also full of food.
Willow nodded in agreement, politely ignoring the food flying from their mouths. “Are they getting enough supplies for everyone?”
Luz sighed. “Sort of. Bump is still letting in more kids than they can handle, but hopefully, the money that we--” She glanced around, “borrowed will be enough to help them out for a while.”
“Right.”
They ate in silence for a few minutes, before Gus stood to go get seconds. “You guys want more?”
“I’m okay, thank you,” Willow said, and Luz shook her head no. The food in the Boiling Isles wasn’t bad, and it wasn’t like she had ever had any other kind of food, but there were many things that she couldn’t eat. And foods that she could eat were often bland, odd-tasting, or just outright gross.
Because of this, Luz was lean. Not skinny necessarily, just toned. Her years of training with Eda had made her strong, but it was hard to gain large amounts of muscle without eating large amounts of food.
Willow leaned across the table, interrupting her thoughts. “Luz, can I ask you a question?”
Luz swallowed, grimacing at the flavor. “Sure, fire away.”
“Have you ever considered maybe putting your skills to good use? Not that what you do isn’t good, but what if… what if there was a better way to utilize your talents?”
“What do you mean?” She frowned, taking a sip from her mug.
Gus had come back to the table with another heaping of his fairy pot pie. He sat down and looked between the two of them quizzically, noting their serious expressions. “What are we talking about?”
“I’m telling Luz about the thing we discussed earlier,” Willow said, giving Gus a look that Luz couldn’t quite translate.
Luz’s brows furrowed, “What thing? Why are we being so cryptic?”
Gus and Willow looked at each other for a moment before Willow turned back to her and spoke in a low tone, resting her forearms on the table. “We can talk, but not here. There are too many watching eyes.”
Luz glanced around the room, checking for any unsavory figures (more unsavory than usual, at least). For the most part, the patronage in the Scaley Heathen kept to themselves; the unspoken standard was to mind your own business or risk losing a limb. Even though most of them were criminals, bounty hunters, or delinquents of some sort, they all respected the rule.
Probably because it's the only rule, Luz thought sarcastically.
It was in the early afternoon, which meant that there were not many witches in the tavern. She saw a couple of demons arm wrestling, a few sitting at the bar, and one more passed out in one of the other booths - pretty much the clientele that always circulated the little pub.
However, there was a group of three hooded figures sitting at a table facing Luz and her friends, and while they weren’t staring outright, Luz got the distinct feeling they were watching her. One of the witches pulled back his hood, revealing light green skin and an eyepatch. Their eyes met, and Luz frowned.
She nodded to Willow, standing to leave. After a moment, Gus followed them, sighing wistfully as he left his pie behind. They left the bar in a hurry, but not before Luz could wave goodbye to Hal, who pretended to not see her.
The gang went to their own spot in a more secluded part of the town: the old clock tower. The bricks and tiles of the tired structure were dilapidated at best, collapsing at worst, but it guaranteed that there would be no onlookers listening in to their conversation. But Luz locked the door to the entrance for good measure.
They climbed to the top of the tower, where light poured in from the shattered glass clock face. The old floorboards creaked under their boots all the way up. Inside was a huge metal bell that hadn’t rung since it had been abandoned, and offered shelter from any weather that might come through the open roof. Dust particles floated in the air, making Gus sneeze. Willow offered him a handkerchief.
Luz sat down on one of the torn cushion chairs in the space under the bell. The trio had dragged the chairs up the tower when they had first discovered the place. She still remembered trying to convince them to help her bring the furniture up all five flights of stairs, and almost getting squished in the process. But it had been worth the hassle (and the broken arm and bruised ribs) because the clocktower offered them a peaceful escape from their day-to-day lives.
She leaned forward in her seat. “So,” she prompted. “What were you too afraid to tell me in the Heathen? Did you kill someone? If so, don’t worry Eda’s got the perfect place to hide the body!”
“No,” Willow snorted. “It's not that. Do you remember what I asked you? About working with someone that could use your talents?”
Luz raised a brow. “You got someone that needs robbing?”
Gus shook his head, “More like, we know someone that needs people with your skillset. A group of someones!”
“We want to join the rebellion, and we think you should too.” Willow finished.
“The rebellion?” Confusion made Luz dizzy. “Why? Every rebellion in the last ten years has failed.”
“Not this one,” Willow argued. “We’ve met the witch in charge and they’ve got a real chance. This group - they could do it, Luz. They’ve got the people, the resources, and their leader is smart, like, really smart.”
Gus bobbed his head excitedly, “Yeah, and with you and Eda, they might stand a chance at actually instilling some change. You guys know all the ins and outs about those stuffy nobles! Who knows, maybe we’d be able to overthrow Belos!”
“Guys, guys,” Luz waved her hands, cutting off their explanation. “I can’t join the rebellion. Eda isn’t a fan of working with others, and I’m no good on my own. Besides,” her face darkened. “I’ve heard about what the emperor does to the witches he catches, I don’t think it’s worth it to risk something like that. Especially not over a rebellion that won’t actually end up changing anything.”
“As if what you do isn’t already dangerous?” Willow asked skeptically. “Luz, the Empire already wants yours and Eda’s heads on spikes. What’s going to change if you join up?”
“Maybe nothing, but I can’t risk that.” Luz’s thoughts filled with images of Bump and the kids, Willow’s dads, Gus’s father, and most of all, Eda and King. Her mother’s face (fuzzy as it was) arose in her mind as well, though she swiftly pushed it away
Putting all their lives in jeopardy was not worth the potential positives that aiding the rebellion could bring. “I can’t, I’m sorry.”
Gus’s shoulders sagged, and Willow’s brows furrowed. “But--”
“No!” Luz nearly shouted, realizing that she was standing. She sat back down, shaking her head, “I’m sorry, but no. Another uprising from a group of witches that are in over their heads won’t do anyone any good.”
Her friends looked at each other before Gus sighed and said, “Okay Luz, we’ll stop bugging you about it.”
Luz nodded, relieved. This is what’s best, she thought. I would never forgive myself if I let something happen to them. She refused to think of the last time she couldn’t protect someone, or what had become of her.
The next couple of hours passed without another mention of the rebellion or the Empire. They spent their time playing cards and retelling embarrassing stories. The trio laughed and teased one another, and Luz forgot all about their earlier dispute. Or at least, she tried to. Part of her (a small part, but still) wondered if her friends were right. If joining the rebellion was the right thing to do.
It doesn’t matter, she told herself.
But she didn’t believe it.
_____________________
The marketplace was bustling when Luz arrived later that evening. People crowded the streets, purchasing all kinds of goods from a variety of vendors and stands. Luz herself was picking up supplies to stock up the Owl House.
It had been a few hours since she had left the clock tower and had had the explosive conversation with her friends, but the thought still persevered in her mind.
She had been telling the truth when she’d said that Eda didn’t work well with others, but maybe this would be different for her. Maybe Eda would want to help out. Luz tried to picture Eda and King in uniform, or taking orders from a commander, and she had to hold in a smile. The idea of the Owl Lady being ordered around by anyone was enough to make Luz chuckle, much less some military commander.
She hoisted her satchel over her shoulder and pushed the image from her mind. She had a small amount of time to pick up what she needed before she had to be back at the Owl House. King had been practicing cooking lately and had made her promise to be back to try his latest creation.
There were only a few items left on her list as she looked it over, most of which were just different kinds of alcohol and cheese for Eda.
First things first, drinks!
The wine vendor was under a large, colorful tarp, run by an older witch with more wrinkles than Luz thought possible for one singular person to have. She tried not to stare (she failed), and bought two bottles of appleblood from him.
Thanking the witch, she took the bottles from him and began to make her way back over to the other side of the marketplace. She had to push past several groups of people, ducking under a giant worm with a human's face, and dodging a group of tooth fairies. It was a crowded day in Bonesborough, more so than the usual amounts of tourism the city brought in, largely due to the festival being held soon.
The Harvest Festival was in a few weeks, and it was the event of the season; a celebration of Belos and the “peace” he had brought to the Isles. Even now, Luz could see them hanging the holiday’s signature orange and yellow banners up on the sides of the buildings. She could already picture the firework shows and parties that would be held this year, remembering the ones from the years before. Even Eda, who was not a particular fan of the holiday because of its relation to their beloved emperor, always made sure that King and Luz would have something special to look forward to.
Luz smiled, remembering the fiasco that had occurred last year when King had been put in charge of lighting the fireworks. Not one of them had any eyebrows by the end of it.
Well, King didn’t have any eyebrows anyways.
The demon running the cheese cart was a small four-legged beast that only spoke in barks and growls, but she had been brushing up on her Caninese. She ordered a wheel of hogbrine cheese from him in rusty woofs and ruffs.
Luz glanced around while she waited, taking in the sights and smells of the food carts surrounding her. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see a familiar figure watching her from behind an alleyway. She turned to get a better look and froze.
It was the demon that had been watching them at the bar.
His eyepatch and distinctive green skin gave him away. Their eyes met for a moment before suddenly, he broke out into a sprint.
Headed right towards her.
Oh shit.
Luz ran in the other direction, not waiting to grab the cheese she paid for or to find out why she was being chased. She and Eda had made so many enemies over the years that it wasn’t even a question of who, but which one.
Grumbles and shouts of annoyance arose as Luz stumbled into person after person, knocking over a table selling tapestries, and leaping over a fruit cart.
She checked over her shoulder. The demon was gaining ground, and it appeared that he had brought friends. Three more witches were behind him, all huge, and all very angry looking.
Why can’t I ever get chased by puppies or bunnies?
Luz’s lungs had started to ache, she couldn’t keep this up for much longer. Maybe she could lose them in the alleyways. The innermost parts of the city were practically a maze, and she knew them better than most. That’s it, she decided. She tore down the street, ducking into an alley, and another, and another.
Left turn. Right turn. Right turn. Another street. Another alley. Left turn.
It was working; she could hear their footsteps growing further and further away.
Just a little longer. Luz whipped around the corner of a building.
And crashed face-first into another person.
She fell to the ground, dragging them with her. The person landed on top of her with a yelp, driving the air from Luz’s lungs. As she laid there gasping for breath, Luz twisted her head to face the street, she had to work fast; the footsteps were growing close again. She stood and pulled the other witch to her feet, ignoring the stinging pain in her chest, eyes still watching for the hooded figures.
The other girl opened her mouth, but Luz shushed her, leaning around the corner of the building to see how close her pursuers were. “I’m sorry about this - just, just play along. Okay? I’ll pay you!”
Not waiting for an answer, she backed the witch against the wall, hand on either side of her head. If she was lucky, they would look like a couple caught in the middle of a make out session, not an outlaw using a stranger as a disguise.
Her pursuers thundered past, completely ignoring her.
She let out a sigh of relief. Huh! Guess my Noceda luck hasn’t run out yet.
Luz turned back to the witch, “Thank you so much for playing along, I--” She paused, choking on her words, because the witch in front of her was not some hapless civilian.
It was the soldier from the manor.
Nope, I was wrong. The luck has run dry. It’s actually a desert.
Luz hadn’t recognized her at first, both because she had been too busy avoiding getting caught by her pursuers and because, well, the soldier looked a lot different in the daytime.
She wore a lacy black dress and the sharp eyeliner that exemplified her already striking golden eyes was even more impressive in the sunlight. It was quite the opposite of the armor and sword that she had been wearing when they had fought.
There was no doubt the soldier had recognized her as well. Her eyes widened in disbelief, and she immediately shoved Luz backward into a trashcan.
“You!” She snarled, eyes flashing. “You’re the one that broke into the manor! And threw your sword at me!” She reached out again, most likely to inflict unspeakable pain upon Luz.
“What, haha! What manor? I've never seen a--" She leaned out of the way of a punch. "Okay, yes - that was me. But in my defense, that last part was kinda an accident!” Luz stumbled, trying to get out of reach from the other girl's hands. “You know, an act first, think later sort of thing!”
The soldier’s eyes narrowed with rage, “Act first? You would have lost if it weren’t for the Owl Lady hitting me over the head with a rock!”
“Whoops?” Luz held up her hands innocently, just barely dodging out of reach again. Then promptly tripped over a loose board. She fell to the ground with an ‘oof’. Luz scrambled backward, bumping into the wall behind her; the other girl had her cornered.
“Mittens?” A voice came from behind the soldier’s looming figure. “Who’s your friend?”
For some reason, this made the amber-eyed girl hesitate, eyes narrowing even further. Her fist clenched and she growled out, “She’s not my friend, Emira.”
“Are you sure? You two seem pretty cozy over there!” Someone else chimed in. Luz leaned around “Mittens” to see who was speaking.
Okay, I must have hit my head when I knocked into that trashcan, cause I’m seeing double.
The two witches behind Mittens were nearly identical, with matching dark green hair and beauty marks on their faces. They were also both incredibly attractive, with high cheekbones, sharp jawlines, and striking golden…
Wait. Luz frowned, eyes darting between Mittens(?) and the twins behind her. Are they all related to each other?
The girl (Emira?) placed a hand on her hip, her brow raised skeptically. “If she’s not your friend, then who is she?”
Mittens whipped around to face the older girl, “She’s- it’s - ugh, just leave me alone!”
While Luz couldn’t see the soldier’s face, she could see that her ears were turning a dark shade of pink. She stood unsteadily, leg aching where she had landed on it, and braced herself against the bricks.
“Oh, she’s cute!” The boy twin chirped, tapping a finger to his chin. “You’ve got good taste Mittens.”
“Aw, thanks,” Luz couldn’t help but blush, the twins were both really pretty after all.
Mittens’ eye twitched, and Luz was intrigued by how quickly her face was darkening. “She’s not cute Edric, and you two need to leave us alone!”
“And why’s that?” Emira smirked. “If she’s not your friend, then what is she? You couldn’t possibly be working right now - not after you promised us you would take the day off. ”
“You don’t understand! She’s the one who--”
“Oh, we understand plenty,” Edric interrupted, looking at his nails. “It’s alright sis, go ahead and arrest her. Do your job!”
“Just don’t blame us when Mom finds out about that diary you’ve been journaling in,” Emira yawned, also looking at her nails. “Or all of the delicious little details you wrote about that book series you like so much.”
“You- you wouldn’t.”
“Oh, we would.” The older boy smiled deviously. Then, in a flash faster than Luz’s eyes could capture, Mittens was on him. He screamed and flailed, falling on his butt with a massive thump.
Luz watched, mouth agape, as the other twin cheered her on. She shook herself, weird family dynamics aside, she needed to get out of there before Mittens turned her anger onto her.
The walls on either side of her might be close enough for her to climb - if she could ignore the incessant pain in her thigh. With a grunt, she used the trashcan as a jump point to launch herself high enough to grab the ledge above them. She pulled herself up and over, escaping onto the overhang. Behind her, the sounds of wrestling and screaming hadn’t stopped, if anything they had gotten louder.
Luz breathed a sigh of relief, peering over the edge to see that Emira was pulling the smaller girl off of Edric, or at least, she was trying. Mittens seemed to have a clawlike grip on the boy.
Luz shuddered, she did not envy him, but at least it wasn’t her.
Turning, she raced across the rooftop, and threw herself onto the street a few blocks down from the violent scene, not stopping until she couldn’t hear the sound of their struggle anymore; even then, she only slowed to a jog. She decided to take the long way home, sending a silent apology to King for missing his dinner. But if she led those bounty hunters back to the Owl House or, even worse, that soldier, then there wouldn’t be any dinners for them anymore, ever.
By the time she had reached her home, the sun had been long gone, and a crisp chill had set in. The stars twinkled in the sky, and the double moons gave her just enough light to see by.
The clearing that the Owl House was set in was on a ledge overlooking the entirety of Bonesborough, and much of the Boiling Isles. Behind the house was a huge forest that was filled to the brim with terrifying monsters and mindless demons. A perfect security system for outlaws that didn’t want to be found.
Thank goodness Hooty’s asleep, Luz thought to herself. The house demon was another aspect of their security system, and a useful one at that! But he was just so… creepy.
With a creak, Luz opened the door to the Owl House; the smell of smoked meats filled the place, making her sigh.
I’m gonna have to make it up to King big time.
Eda was lounging on the couch, mug in hand. She glanced up at Luz’s entrance, “Hey kiddo, I was wondering when you were gonna show up. You know, you missed King’s dinner. He was pretty torn up about it.”
“Is he still awake? I wanted to apologize,” Luz frowned, glancing around the living room for the little demon.
“Nah, he went to sleep ages ago,” She seemed to notice Luz’s disheveled appearance for the first time. “What happened to you, anyway? I thought you wanted to taste test his food or whatever.”
Luz rubbed the back of her neck, “Actually Eda, I couldn’t make it because something happened at the market.”
The Owl Lady’s body language shifted, going from that of a disinterested roommate to a concerned mother. She looked Luz up and down, probably searching for injuries. “Is everything alright? Do you need to hide a body? You know, I’ve got the perfect place for--”
“No Eda it’s not that.” Luz kicked off her boots and sat down with a huff. “It all started at the Heathen…”
She told her mentor everything that had occurred that day; from the demons at the bar, to the chase in the market, to the soldier finding her during that same chase, and her escape. She conveniently left out the parts about the rebellion, figuring she could tell Eda later.
Maybe.
“Well, sure sounds like bounty hunters to me,” Eda said, scratching her chin. “Not good bounty hunters, but still, bounty hunters.”
“You think they just wanted to turn me in for a reward?” Luz asked.
“Maybe! That, or they wanted to get to Mama and they didn’t know how.” Eda wiggled her eyebrows.
“I’m just gonna go with them trying to turn me in.” Luz shook her head. “And the soldier? Honestly, what are the odds that she was the witch I happened to run into!”
“I dunno kid,” Eda shrugged. “Sounds a little unbelievable to me, but I’m not the one writing this thing. Anyways, the important thing is that you got away. And you weren’t followed! Wait, you weren’t followed right?”
“No, that’s why I missed King’s cooking. I took the long way back.”
“That’s my girl! Foiling the enemy and looking great while doing it! However,” Eda pinched her nose. “You don’t smell great. In fact, you kind of smell like you’ve been rollin’ in garbage.”
“Probably cause I did,” Luz sighed. “I’ll go take a bath.”
Eda sipped from her mug, “Make sure you scrub between those human ears of yours!”
“Alright, alright, I will.” Luz rolled her eyes, stifling a smile. As much as the Owl Lady liked to play at being aloof, Luz knew that she cared deeply about her.
That night, while she laid in her room listening to King’s thunderous snores, she thought about the events that had occurred that day. Her mind was scattered between images of Willow and Gus and the idea of the rebellion, but surprisingly, the thing that dominated her thoughts most was of the face of the soldier from the manor. Mittens, or whatever her name was.
Rich people have such odd taste…
______________________________________________________________________________
Across the city at that exact moment, a young man in a golden suit of armor was pacing back and forth in front of Knight Commander Clawthorne. His white cape swished behind him, angry footsteps echoing across the chamber.
“So, you’re telling me that not only did you fail to capture the Owl Lady, but she robbed one of our largest supporters blind while you were… doing what exactly?” His voice was young, but laced with the cold anger of someone much older than him. Eyes that were hidden behind a slitted mask turned to glare at Lilith, and though he was shorter than her by a margin, she still stiffened under his gaze.
“Golden Guard, as I’ve said before, I was working on battle plans. I have been painstakingly--”
“Ah, yes. Battle plans,” He sneered. “Tell me, what good are your battle plans if you can’t capture the one witch that has been a thorn under the Empire’s skin for years.”
“Please, just give me another chance. I’m closer than ever to catching the Owl Lady and her apprentice!” Lilith didn’t like to beg - she thought herself above the practice - but she was as close to begging now as she had ever been.
The Golden Guard shook his head, “The Emperor is a patient man. He’s given you several opportunities to prove yourself, but you are pushing his limits with your failures. How many times will you beg for more chances? How many times will you fail us?”
“I won’t fail.” Lilith tried forcing some steel into her voice, but her desperation would have been apparent to a blind man. “I have a new plan, I know how to capture Edalyn.”
“I sure hope so,” He said, boredom evident in his tone. “Because if you can’t, then your deal with the Emperor is off, and you can kiss your sister’s healing goodbye.
“This is your last chance, Knight Commander. Do not make the Emperor regret his long-suffering tolerance of your personal quest.”
“I- I won’t, I swear to you.”
“That’s good. Because if you fail, not only will you lose your sister’s chance at forgiveness, but also her life.” The Golden Guard smirked at Lilith’s shocked expression.
Hunter enjoyed this, being in charge. It wasn’t often that Belos allowed him to carry his personal messages out, but when he did, Hunter ensured that his orders were followed to a tee.
He owed Belos that much, at least. The Emperor had taken him in when he was just a boy - too young to remember his life before. But he remembered enough to know that Belos had raised him up from nothing, turning him into the perfect soldier. He owed Belos more than just his career, he owed him his life.
He dismissed the Knight Commander after that, her armor clinking until the doors slammed shut behind her.
Lilith Clawthorne was a failure, there was no doubt about that, Hunter thought with a shake of his head. He couldn’t imagine putting the life of some outlaw (sister or not) above the Empire. He would never allow himself to disappoint the Emperor the way she did.
Hunter refused to fail. He would do whatever it took to prove his worth to his uncle.