Archive of Our Own ^beta

Sometimes the best thing starts as an accident.

Though Luz wouldn’t have guessed that at the time this was all going down.

Especially considering if things had gone normally…well, she probably wouldn’t be there to have the conversation to begin with.

Between being a bully’s number one target at school and her home being, well, her home.

Bruises and scrapes were pretty much a daily occurrence for her.

But this?

Being held underwater and just praying to whatever deity that one of them would let her go, ignoring her scrambling and attempts to fight back, what little it could do.

God, she knew no one liked her.

But this was a whole other level. If someone didn’t release her soon…

She swallows. A mistake as she accidentally ingests water in the process. 

God, wasn’t what they normally did bad enough? Couldn’t they just let her go?

But the answer to that was no. And was still not terrifying enough, since the longer she was under, the more the inevitable creep of black in her vision was harder to ignore. And the more looming possibility that they really would just let her die like this seemed to become a reality.

Why her?

Why was it always her?

Though some part of her knows the answer already. Since would anyone even care when she’s gone?

They might care if it meant they got in trouble. 

But actually care that she was gone?

No. 

Is the last thought she has before the darkness claims her.

Raine wasn’t entirely sure they had expected to find in the forest scavenging for some fresh herbs and plants. 

But a drenched teenage girl in the middle of the forest floor out cold and apparently unresponsive to Raine’s small prods to the girl’s side...yeah pretty low on it.

What in the Old God’s name was a teenager doing in their neck of the woods?

They had heard the stories whenever they ventured into town. The tales that were rightfully told about them and Eda.

No teenager would venture in here in their right mind. 

Let alone willingly pass out there. 

What in the name of the Old Gods was going on?

Something had to have happened right?

But what?

Maybe someone had knocked them out and then dragged them here?

"Best to check for a bump regardless," Raine says, running a hand through the girl's hair looking and feeling for a bump only to stop in surprise on the girl’s ears.

They were round. Very round.

This wasn’t a lost witch.

This was a human. 

Raine decided it was best to get the teen back to the house. Since even if they and Eda were easily the most dangerous creatures in the forest, leaving an unresponsive teen in said forest, especially a human teen with no magical prowess? Yeah, bad idea.

Of course, Eda has questions as soon as they get back.

“What’s with the kid?” Eda asked, raising an eyebrow at the unconscious teenager in their arms.

“Not entirely sure. I found her out cold in the forest.”

A frown crossed Eda’s face at that. “That’s an odd place for a kid to be.”

Raine pulled back the hair slightly so Eda could see the girl’s ears. “Even odder for a human child.”

Eda let out a low whistle. “Dang. Well, this is a surprise.”

“Very much so. You didn't leave the door open did you?”

Raine didn’t think so. But it was always best to check. 

They didn’t flaunt the portal door like they once had in their youth. Back in the days before Eda had started on her quest to become the next titan. 

Most days it stayed tucked away.

But it did still see the occasional use.

“No, you know I know better than to leave the door open.”

“I know. I just wanted to check.”

“Anyways, I’ve had it closed for a while. So the kid couldn’t have come through it today regardless. Wonder how she got here.”

“I thought the legends of the rifts were just that, legends.” Eda noted with a frown, fingers brushing the girl’s hair aside for a moment and still a bit taken back by the rounded ears the girl had before frowning slightly. “Why is she wet?”

“Not entirely sure. She was like that when I found her.” Raine admitted.

This entire situation reeked of something having gone wrong.

If the old tales were even remotely true, then humans usually came over when water came in contact with the supposed Titan’s Blood. But Titan’s Blood was near impossible to find nowadays. 

They would know. They had been trying to find it for years. 

So how had there been enough around to allow a rift to form?

Let alone one a human themselves could accidentally pass through without knowing.

Luz isn’t sure what she expected when she woke up again.

Considering how that last encounter had gone, she was just more happy that she was waking up again, if she was being honest.

However, waking up on a couch covered in a blanket staring up at a ceiling with some sort of bird carved into it?

Yeah, that hadn’t been anywhere near her expectations.

For one thing, she wasn’t sure if she would wake up again. Secondly, no one usually cared enough to even cover her up. Or change her clothes she realized belatedly since she wasn’t in the soaking wet clothes.

So the whole situation was unusual before she even found herself staring up at the strange ceiling that she didn’t recognize.

Where even was she?

Better yet, who had even grabbed her and taken her somewhere?

Because last she checked, pretty much no one in Gravesfield genuinely cared for her. So why would anyone even bring her-

“Oh good, you’re awake.” A new voice interrupts her thought process.

Luz looked up to see a dark skinned person with green hair and pointy ears?

That was certainly new for her.

Luz flushed realizing she was staring. “Sorry.”

The other person gives a slight laugh that puts Luz a bit at ease. “It’s fine. I’m guessing it’s your first time seeing a witch.”

Luz blinks in surprise before saying, “You’re a witch!” Before wincing at her own volume and much quieter. “Sorry.”

A small frown crossed the witch’s face at that but it disappeared pretty quickly. “It’s fine. I figure it’s your first time seeing someone from the Boiling Isles.”

Luz gave a small smile at that. “Yeah. Where am I? Wait-”

The witch chuckles slightly. “It’s fine, I get the question. The Owl House. Though I suspect you don’t know where that is either.”

“No. The last thing I remember was-“ Luz cuts off for a moment. “It doesn’t really matter.”

The quirk of the person’s eyebrow seems to say they disagree. But they don’t push the questioning any further, thankfully. 

“Well, you’re safe here.” The witch pauses for a moment. “Well, relatively speaking.”

Luz frowns at that. “What does that mean?”

The witch gives a sigh. “Let me just get my wife and we can talk further after that.”

“So I came through a rift of water and blood into this world?”

As it turned out, the first witch was named Raine and was apparently a married outlaw to another witch named Eda. 

And that was about as much as Luz had gotten before they had gotten on the topic of how she had come to the Boiling Isles in the first place. Since, apparently, humans ending up in the demon realm was not a common occurrence.

“Or that’s how the old legends go anyway,” Eda says with a shrug. “Though Raine didn’t find you in any water.”

Or water looking substances at least.

Luz frowned thinking back to the incident before she had woken up here. “Well, I was in some water before I woke up here.”

“Yeah, you were kind of wet when Raine found you so we figured. But you really don’t remember anything?”

Luz shakes her head. “No.”

The last thing she remembered was-well, best not to think about it for the moment. 

“This is troubling.” Raine said, scratching their chin.

“Sorry I can’t help more.”

Raine gives them a soft smile, “It’s fine, sweetheart. The trouble isn’t from you.”

“Yeah, the trouble is the old Tyrant.” Eda grumbled.

It wasn’t so much she didn’t like humans.

Humans were fine.

It was what it could mean with Belos that was another problem altogether.

“Who?”

Ah, right, the kid wouldn’t know who the hell Belos was. Story time was probably in order.

Actually, Eda had an idea.

Raine did not like this.

Nope, they did not like this at all.

They know Eda has a point that this was a golden opportunity to peek behind some of Belos’ defenses. And as long as they were careful, the kid wouldn’t get hurt.

But that didn’t mean they had to like it.

“We shouldn’t be dragging more people into this mess. She’s a kid.”

There would always be people in adventiably drawn into their conflict with Belos and his false witches. That was a given of their life, unfortunately.

However, it would be preferable to keep it to a minimum if Raine could help it.

“I don’t mind.” Luz protested breaking into the conversation for a moment. “Besides, don’t I owe you one for helping me?”

After all, they could have just left her in the forest.

She felt that she owed them something in return. Raine had taken her back to the house and gotten her changed and cleaned off.

That was far more than most people she knew would do.

If she could do something to pay them back for just being there, then she would do it.

She wasn’t going to be useless again. Not if she could help it.

“You really don’t.” Raine said, shooting a pointed look at Eda.

Though as much as they hated to admit it, they probably did need the help if the girl was willing.

They just really hated getting kids involved in any form.

“I really don’t mind.”

Raine massaged their forehead for a moment before grabbing Eda. “We need to talk for a moment.”

“Are you absolutely sure the information you got is correct?”

There was just something...off about the situation. Something didn’t make sense. Eda had a point.

Going after Belos’ reserves was a good idea. Considering they might not get another chance like this. At least, not for a long time if ever.

However, they were also dragging a child into this, who wouldn’t have the faintest idea what they were really getting into no matter how much was explained to them.

Coming from another world would do that.

“As sure as I am when it comes to dealing with our info chain.”

So pretty sure in other words. 

Raine massages their forehead again. By the Old Gods, they were going to have a migraine by night’s end weren’t they? “Alright, I won’t deny if that’s accurate, then her help could be invaluable. Though if it is, that raises more questions in its place.”

“Yeah, I know.”

Since if the only one who could go through the barrier were human and it had been tested before to be demon and witch proof, then were there other humans around that no one knew about?

Something was missing here but it was something to debate when they knew for sure it felt like. 

For now, it was better to refocus on the strange appearance of the human, what it could maybe mean, and Eda’s semi questionable plan.

On one hand, they understood where Eda was coming from and why they had made the plan to begin with.

It was an arms race to obtain more Palismen between them and Belos. If they could take some of the Palismen out from under Belos, it would deal a not so insignificant blow to Belos.

And they had possibly a one time chance with the girl.

But they were also dragging a human child into their fight. 

By the Old Gods, they were actually seriously considering it, weren’t they?

“If we go in we have to be careful.”

“I know.”

“And we need to make sure she absolutely understands what she’s getting involved in.”

“I know.”

“And if she gets hurt-“

“Then we leave immediately. No questions asked.”

Raine let out a sigh. At this point, they couldn’t find anything else to object to, not without the girl anyway. “Alright then, let’s go talk this over with her again.”

Breaking into the conformotorium was easy. It always was.

Breaking out was the hard part. Or were, if you weren’t a Clawthorne.

And then it was a regular Tuesday. 

First thing Luz notices is the amount of jeers Eda’s getting from the other occupants. She looks up at the older witch as she follows her somewhere deeper into the jail. “You’re really not liked around here are you?”

“Yeah, you don’t get the status of most wanted witch without ruffling some feathers.” Eda said with a shrug as they walked up to the barrier.

She was used to it by now. Came with the territory.

Her path would always make more enemies than friends in the end. And she had long ago made peace with that. 

“So this is where you wanted me to into?” Luz asked a bit hesitantly, not entirely sure what to make of the barrier.

“Yep. Go in, grab what you see and can hold, and come back out. That’s it.”

“Seems simple enough.” Luz said, eyeing the barrier wearily before asking, “What happens if you touch it?”

Eda reached out and there was a bit of a shock to the witch but nothing else happened. 

“Huh, thought the security would be more-“ Luz frowned, not sure what the right word was.

“Messier?”

“Yeah.”

“So did we at first. But Coven Guards aren’t the smartest. So they probably had to turn it down or risk losing half the coven.” Eda admitted with a snort. 

“Eda, they aren’t that bad.”

“Raine, may I remind you what happened the last time we ran into false witches?”

“Okay, I retract that statement.”

“Anyways it shouldn’t do you any harm, kid.”

Luz still had her doubts. But she’s here already.

And she doesn’t want to anger the witches by changing her mind and not helping.

If regular humans back home could be bad when they were disappointed in her, then...Luz shivers slightly. She really didn’t want to know what could happen when a witch was mad at her.

So into the barrier she went.

And much to her relief, nothing happened.

One minute she was standing on one side with Eda, and the next, she was on the other side staring at a strange pile that Eda apparently wanted her to bring back with her.

They looked like they were small wooden animals. Luz frowned. What did a witch need with these?

Well, it probably wasn’t her place to ask.

And if she did, it might just make her angry.

So best not to chance it.

So she grabs as many as she could carry and steps back through.

The smile Eda gives her on returning makes it all worth it. It’s not often she gets happy looks from adults.

So when it does happen, she tries to revel in it.

“Good job, kid.” Eda said, reaching out to ruffle the girl’s hair only to notice a small flinch from her before the contact.

A brief frown flickers across Eda’s face at the reaction but doesn’t ask. 

It probably was a bruise Raine had missed. 

Though some part of her already doubts it.

“What are they anyway?”

“Eh, it's a long and complicated explanation. And probably one better for when we’re not in here. But the short version: magical vessels.”

“Don’t you have one?” Luz asks, frowning, remembering a small owl she had seen on the witch before. Though it had seemed to have disappeared in the meantime. 

“Owlbert? Yeah, he’s one of them.”

“So why have him if you eat the others?” 

“I need him for other reasons.” Eda slowly says. And Luz gets the impression that this might be crossing into uncomfortable territory. “Having him, and needing to use them may not be ideal for multiple reasons. But I don’t have much of a choice.”

Maybe if things had been different.

But then, if things had been different then she wouldn’t probably have the capability to become the next titan.

It was a weary balance that was for sure.

“Sometimes the needs of the one outweigh the needs of the many.”

“Hm?”

“It’s an old human phrase. From a movie.”

Or she thought anyway. She had never actually seen the movie. 

Never been allowed too.

“Huh. Well, it’s definitely applicable here.” Eda agreed.

“Let’s get out of here before one of the guards catches up and decides to cause trouble.”

“Too late.”

Had it really been that long since they had last been here that they had managed to get rusty?

Well, she guesses so, if they had managed to end up in this situation in the first place. Really needed to expand their mission repertoire beyond what they had been doing apparently.

Since if Wrath could sneak up and decapitate her, in order to force a conversation that she would really like to forget that ever had happened, then yeah, they definitely needed to be coming by here more often.

Since it was not her definition of a good time to be held by her hair and being asked out by one of Belos’ false witches.

Seriously, who didn’t know she was taken by Raine?

Well, this guy apparently.

Well, she would entertain him as long as it was needed for Raine to get him to drop her. And then she was going to get out of here and try to pretend this had never happened.

Thankfully, as she could see Raine moving around behind him. She probably wasn’t going to have to do this much longer.

“Okay, ew. Two things right off the bat.”

“One, I seriously doubt you’re that willing to drop your work to come live in the wilds with me considering all of this.” Eda said. And if she had the rest of her body she would have been motioning at the Conformotorium.

As it was, she had to settle for making a circle motion.

“Two?”

“I’m taken.”

That was the last thing she says before Raine thwacks Wrath upside the head with her staff. 

Luz is just trying to stay out of the way of the dueling witches.

Which was easier said than done when there was a lot of magic flying around. And she had nothing to use against it.

She really needed to find a place that was safer, since being out in the open probably meant something was going to happen.

But there was nowhere to go.

Eda had her own staff. And Raine didn’t appear to have anything she could borrow.

And the walls were high and curved. There was no way for her to climb out.

She was trapped. And just was going to hope her luck wouldn’t run out.

However, a blast from the apparently named Wrath a moment later swipes part of her side, which runs her luck out rather quickly.

It’s only really practice from back home that keeps the scream contained. God, that had hurt a lot more than it looked like it was going to be.

She opened her eyes after a moment. The world felt hazy and she’s not sure if it’s just from the pain or something else entirely.

Her vision finally clears up enough though to get a clear look at Eda and Raine’s faces and there’s dual expressions of horror. And Luz is momentarily confused at first until she looks down.

Oh.

That’s quite a bit of blood.

Eda freezes for a moment at the sight of Luz bleeding. 

Not from really the sight of it, to be honest. She’s seen enough of it to desensitize her for a lifetime. She had to in order to get where she was now. 

It’s more who it’s coming from. 

Eda’s not going to kid anyone, she’s the most wanted witch on the Isles. Number 1 enemy to Belos. There aren’t many who hold her fondly.

And she doesn’t mind.

Since in the end, it won’t matter when she becomes the next titan, she tells herself.

However, as part of the whole process, she had to drop more principles than the average witch.

Like a lot of things she made peace with that a long time ago.

But that being said, she has not all of them. She still has a couple of them.

And hurting a kid?

Yeah, that was a big no in her book.

The only thing that made it worse was that it had been her own suggestion that had caused this. So some of the anger was at herself.

She should have listened to Raine the first time.

Well, she can’t beat herself up, but she can take out the ones that had hurt the kid at the very least.

And the Beast side was very definitely wanting to give them a piece of its mind.

“Raine?” There’s a dangerous edge to her question.

“I’ll take care of her, you take care of them.”

That’s all the permission Eda needs as she lets the Beast take the reins.

Luz isn’t sure what is going on anymore.

One minute she’s trying to register what happened by seeing Eda go after the warden guy, seeming to change in a way her brain couldn’t fully understand. 

And the next, she’s realizing her legs are giving out from underneath her.

Only to have someone reach out and grab her before she hits the floor. “Easy, I’ve got you.”

Luz blinks again before finally realizing who's holding her. “Raine?”

“The one and only.”

“Hurts.”

“I know, I’m sorry. Just hang on and we’ll get you patched up, okay?”

“Okay. Where’s Eda?”

Raine jerked in the direction they had come from and Luz had last seen the witch. Though now, there was some strange winged creature engaging the warden. 

Wait...“That’s Eda?”

“Uhhm.”

“Why did she go like that?”

“We don’t take well to those who go after children.” Raine said in a clipped tone.

There’s confusion in Luz’s voice and a bit of denial. “She transformed because of me?”

“Yes.”

“But why?”

“Because again, he hurt you.”

“But I’m me.”

Indeed. It was probably telling that Luz didn’t think she was worth the trouble and not in a good way. But they didn’t have time to contemplate that.

“Look, we’ll explain later. For now, we’ve got you to worry about.”

“I’m sorry.”

“About what?”

“Getting blood on you.”

Raine stares for a brief moment as an angry thought swirls through her head. I swear to whatever Old Gods there are -

Raine cuts their own train of thought off. They can get angry about this later. “It’s fine, sweetheart. Where the blood is going on me is far less the concern.”

And stopping the bleeding was.

“Funny.”

“What is?” Raine asked, glancing back up at the girl. Though she doesn’t seem to really be talking to them.

“Didn’t think I would ever have someone try to kill me twice in the same day.”

What in the name of the Old Gods.

Luz is completely unaware of the raging war she accidentally caused Raine, while she is just trying to, at least, stay awake. 

“Well, I am going to make sure neither of them succeed.”

Raine decides they can figure out what in the Old God’s name Luz meant later. Getting her patched up until they could get home to the stronger supplies was higher priority.

“Thank you.”

“It’s the least I can do considering it’s our fault that you ended up here anyway.”

They were going to be kicking themselves for a while after this weren’t they?

Luz didn’t really notice the inner turmoil of the other witch. Just trying to take in how nice it was to actually have someone patch her up, who didn’t somehow make it more painful in the process.

It felt too soon to call it being cared for but part of Luz couldn’t help but wonder.

Was this what it felt like to have someone actually care about you?

By the time they're done...well, Wrath wouldn’t be an issue to anyone again. Let alone a worry about asking someone out who had been long since taken.

And Raine knows the Owl Beast well enough to know that they are feeling rather proud of themselves, judging by the look they’re getting as it trots up to them. 

“Can you please let Eda come back out?”

And now they had a pouting Owl Beast on their hands.

“I know you normally like to stay out for a little while longer, but tonight’s not really the time.”

Normally, in a situation like this, the Owl Beast would stay out for a bit. Get some snuggles and then hand control back over to Eda in the morning.

However, today was far from a typical day. 

The Owl Beast gave an annoyed huff at that.

“I know, but I need Eda back for the time being. She’ll be able to help more with our other situation.”

There’s another whine but finally the Owl Beast relents, handing control back to Eda and shifting back.

“How’s the kid?” Eda asks as she walks up. 

“I think she’s in shock.”

Luz hadn’t really said anything in a while. And while she was at least stable for the moment, it was better to be getting out of the Conformotorium sooner than later.

Preferably before Belos decided to cause problems as word got out about Wrath’s death.

Eda hummed at that, touching the girl’s cheek for a moment, not missing the slight flinch again. Not completely out of it then but still not quite like the girl that had been keeping them company earlier. “It’s quite the day to have for a human.”

“I think most witches would be shocked after a day like ours as well.”

After all, they didn’t exactly live a normal life. Even by the Boilings Isles standards. 

Eda hummed in agreement. 

“Back to our place again then, I take it?”

“Seems like the best plan.”

“You feeling okay there, sweetheart?”

Luz had mostly moved out of her state of shock, or at the very least was responding and talking to Raine.

They had gotten back to the house and Raine had taken the girl upstairs to start treating the injury when Luz had finally spoken her first words in a good half hour as her eyes stared at her bloody sweatshirt.

“They’re going to be so angry about this.”

Raine pursed their lips, trying not to make a comment about the noticeable fact that Luz seemed to be more worried about their reaction to the clothing rather than her own injuries, if all the previous behavior was any indicator.

By the Old Gods, who was in charge of actually raising this child? Because this should not be her first concern.

The more they noticed, the more tempted they were to ask Eda to let her stay with them. Make up some excuse until they knew things were okay.

Because this wasn’t sitting right with them.

“Don’t worry about it too much. I’ve gotten rather adept at getting blood out of clothes.”

Luz gives them a confused look. “How?”

“Eda.”

That shouldn’t be enough of an answer but it is.

“Oh.” Luz says. “Do things like today happen a lot with you guys?”

“Probably not as much as you think. We have two basic rules. Don’t involve innocents and don’t involve children. Sometimes, unfortunately, the former’s line gets crossed but we try to stick to them.”

“That’s good.” Luz says. “Was that why you didn’t want me to get involved earlier?”

“Yes. Now I need you to take your shirt off.”

Luz noticeably hesitates for a moment. “Do I have to?”

“Yes.”

“But you have magic. Do you need to actually see the injury?”

“Yes, and it’s still easier to treat what I can see.”

Luz bites her lip for a moment before finally taking her shirt off.

Raine’s not entirely sure what they had expected when they had asked Luz to lift her shirt so they could get to the rest of the injury and check for anything that might be missed beneath the obvious.

However, the patchwork of bruises and cuts somehow caught them off guard.

Some of them were definitely from today’s events.

There was no doubt about it. They were too fresh to be anything else.

However, some of them were definitely older than that.

If Raine didn’t know better, their first thought would be that the girl frequently got into fights. But her personality and lack of experience with fighting both told them otherwise.

Which left one other alternative answer.

And Raine really didn’t like the implications.

Because there wasn’t much that could make them extremely angry. But someone intentionally hurting a child for any reason was pretty high up the list.

And the more they were seeing with Luz, the more they were sure something wasn’t right back home.

“I’m not very popular back home.” Luz says slowly.

“I can see that.” Raine notes.

Though this seemed to go beyond just the scope of being popular.

But if Eda was any indicator, calling it any abuse would just get flat out denial from the girl.

So broaching the subject was going to have to be done carefully.

“You know, Eda had a similar issue back when she was your age.”

Luz looked surprised at that. “Really? But she seems so powerful now.”

Or at least from what she had seen of the duel…

It was hard to imagine someone hurting someone like Eda in the way things kept happening back on Earth.

“She is.” Raine agreed. “And she always was. But her power when we were younger wasn’t always held to the same regard as it is now. ”

Well, arguably, it still wasn’t in a way.

However, the issue then and the issue now were completely separate.

Belos was at the center of the lack of respect among other witches.

When they were teens though...things had been different. 

And Raine inwardly hoped it wasn’t a repeat situation with Luz.

Since it was bad enough for one person to go through it.

Let alone two.

Hopefully, the scrapes and bruises weren’t from home. 

They really prayed to the Old Gods that wasn’t the story with the girl. 

Even if that hope felt minuscule considering what else they had seen today.

Luz ends up beating Raine to ask to stay though to the witches initial surprise.

“I was actually wondering if I could stay here and learn to be a witch.” Luz rushed out, trying to inadvertently stop the witch from sending her home when the topic had come out. 

Honestly, she just was looking for an excuse not to go home. Not necessarily learn how to be a witch.

Though that definitely held some appeal.

It was just the first excuse that popped into her head that sounded believable.

When she got back they were going to be mad. Not because of the water incident. Not because of the bullies. Or even that she was missing, really.

Just because she was gone and they didn’t know where she was.

Which for maybe a normal house, that would be because they cared. But back at her house that was never why.

She just wanted some place to stay where she felt welcome. Where it felt like shadows weren’t going to make her jump out of her skin or that she was on high alert to just make someone accidentally angry.

Not home.

Never home.

There was only one home and it came with pain.

Best not to call this that.

However, somewhere to stay with two people who seemed to at least notice her well being? At least didn’t ignore her? Who at least looked worried when she had gotten hurt earlier?

Instead of just annoyed?

Yeah, she could see that.

“Well, we could use the extra hand around if you really don’t mind.” Eda said before adding at the look Raine gave her. “What? It’s not like taking Belos down is going to be easy.”

“That’s true.” Raine agreed. And while they wanted Luz to stay, they weren’t entirely sure if having them stay for the sake of helping them fight was the best idea.

However, Eda only knew part of the story they did. And, for the moment, until certain details became more certain, Raine was probably going to keep it that way.

“If you want to stay, I won’t say no. But you have to understand we live quite a dangerous life. Even by the standard of the Boiling Isles.”

“Yeah, I know I saw. But I still want to stay.” Luz said with a shrug.

At least here, even if she was in danger, people seemed to care about it, which was more than she could say for back home. 

And honestly, part of Luz wondered if it could be any worse than back home. After all, she had started the day with someone trying to drown her, arguably.

The swift look she gets from the other witches tells her she had said that last part accidentally out loud.

Eda’s the one to find her voice first. “What the fuck, kid?”

“I told you I wasn’t well liked.”

“I know but-“ Eda cuts off for a second, taking a deep breath trying to reign in her own temper. “That’s a whole other level of not liked.”

Best not to mention there were other incidents involving her home life then.

Raine has a contemplative look as they start to ask. “Luz, was that your caretakers-”

“No-“ Luz cuts in rather quickly before Raine can even finish the sentence. “Sorry, but no. These were some classmates of mine.”

The situation with them was a whole other issue that she didn’t want to open up at the moment.

Not around a pair of strangers.

Strangers who cared, admittedly. But still, strangers.

“Still messed up.” Eda muttered.

Luz gave a weak smile. “You’re telling me.”

“That’s why you were out cold when I found you.” Raine realized belatedly, finger raised to draw a spell circle.

It took a second for Luz to realize what they were doing. “Wait-“

Okay, good news was Luz was most likely not in danger of drowning at a later point. Though, by the Old Gods, the girl had been through more than they had initially realized.

Whatever it was. Even if it was just the bullying. 

Though Raine was starting to doubt more and more that was the case.

There was too much evidence pointing in a hauntingly familiar direction. Most likely, Luz’s classmates were just part of the problem.

Either way, no matter what it was, it had been going on for years.

And no one had done anything about it. 

Still best not to tell Eda that yet. Not until they knew more for certain. Because then they would have a beast loose in Gravesfield. 

As it was, they may have shown their hand a bit too much by their reaction because their wife has a dangerous glint in her eye. 

“Eda, no.” Raine says knowing where their wife is already going. “Save it for later.”

Better to turn the anger into energy to find more Palismans then have humans get involved in their mess.

Well…Raine glances back at Luz who is watching them uncertainly more than this one already was.

“Is that why you don’t want to go back?” Raine asks. “Because of things like that?”

Really, they aren’t expecting a no. Not after earlier. But they just want a confirmation from Luz.

Luz slowly nods. “No one cares back there.” Luz says crossing her arms.

As scary as getting hurt and being attacked had been, Eda and Raine had shown more care for her than she had seen from anyone else in, well, she wasn’t sure how long if she was being honest.

As scary as beast Eda had been, there had been something about knowing the witch had gone like that because of her . Because she was angry that she had gotten hurt.

That made her feel cared for in a way she hadn’t felt in God knows how long.

Funny how, apparently, a pair of strangers had been able to do that.

Raine has a calculating look on their face that Luz isn’t sure what to make of before they give a long sigh. “Alright, if you really want to stay here then you can.”

“Thank you.”

“I’m surprised you went along with this.” Eda says after Luz has disappeared into her room. “I thought you would be a bit more against it.”

Raine shoots her a look at that.

“Well, more against it before we found out whatever the hell happened with the bullies.”

After all, Raine had two rules when it came to them fighting Belos.

Leave innocents and children out of it as much as possible.

And technically, earlier had broken that rule in hindsight.

Though the situation with the kid, the fact that Raine had found her after someone had nearly tried to kill her and the fact that the kid had been so matter of fact about it too, along with Raine’s reaction to whatever their spell had shown them implies this might not have been the first time something like this had happened. Yeah, they somehow might end up being the better option. Even standing against a tyrant like Belos.

“I’ll admit, I still have one or two reservations dragging a child into this mess. Despite the questions, I have at the moment about her life on Earth.” Raine admitted reluctantly. “But…”

Eda quirks an eyebrow. “But?”

“There’s something off about the situation. Beyond what we already know with her bullies. Though, I will say that was my tipping point on this whole situation.”

“Off like how?”

“Like how she was able to get here in the first place. When was the last time either of us heard of a story involving a human ending up in our world?” Eda opens her mouth to say something. “That doesn’t involve a certain door of yours.”

Eda clicks her mouth shut with a frown. “I’m not actually sure. Ages probably, to be honest. Which is telling. Do you think it’s got to do with Belos?”

“I think it’s highly possible. But it’s still too early to tell.” Raine’s frown deepened.

“So you want to make sure she didn’t come here because of his meddling?”

“Yes.”

Though it wasn’t the only reason they had been for her being around. There was something off about the situation Luz had come from. But they don’t know enough about humans to know how much of a problem it was.

Yet, at least.

If it was a witch, Raine would be undoubtedly labeling it abuse, but considering the history with the bullies...by the Old Gods, they needed more information. And it was infuriating.

Because it feels like they're dismissing a situation and they're not. They just don’t know enough.

“That makes sense. Though, Rainey, I feel like you're holding something back.”

Of course she would pick up on it.

“I have some concerns about her that are unrelated to Belos. Until we know her story, or things become clearer, I would prefer her to stay here.”

“You think she has more problems than the bullies.”

“I am not sure and that’s the problem.”

“Alright, well, I was never against someone getting out of a bad situation. Regardless of why it happened.”

Raine knows. After all, that was why she had let them back into their life even after their own mistakes.

Thank the Old Gods for that.

Just hopefully, their own fears wouldn’t be as bad as they were worried about.

Though, they still weren’t hopeful.