Chapter Text
It had been a successful trip to the castle’s library. Hunter carefully balanced a stack of books in his hands as he made his way through the grand halls, in his full golden guard regalia. A few guards saluted at him as he passed, which he returned with a nod, since his arms were occupied.
Outside of his room, the uniform was a requirement ever since he’d been promoted. The Golden Guard was a symbol, not a person. Uncle impressed on him that it didn’t matter who was behind the mask, only that they were a symbol of peace and unity to the Boiling Isles, and he wore the cape with pride.
Today was no exception- even a mundane trip to the library for research meant that he had to be uniformed. Thankfully, it meant none of the guards patrolling the halls could see the smile on his face, so excited he was unable to contain his excitement. After years of thorough study, he might have made a breakthrough on his uncle’s condition!
It was a slight chance, but it didn’t involve the use of wild magic, which meant that Uncle was less likely to turn away this suggestion. For years, he’d been rebuffing Hunter’s attempts to help, saying that there was no cure, but Hunter was stubborn, and determined to make up for his shortcomings somehow. At last, it seemed like he’d finally done it.
He turned deeper into the palace, closer to where Uncle’s private rooms were. The throne room was public, but this was the place where he conducted his personal work. The path Hunter was taking to his room would bring him right to Uncle’s private study. Surely, it wouldn’t hurt to pop by and announce the good news? There was a chance Uncle might get upset, as he usually did when Hunter broached the subject, but Hunter wouldn’t give up.
He descended the flight of stairs, passing Kikimora and Lilith Clawthorne as they were coming up. The two noticed him and saluted, albeit begrudgingly on Kikimora’s part. “Golden Brat.”
Hunter had to bite back a scathing response. Kikimora didn’t bother hiding her distaste for him, though he had no idea why she hated him so much when he was just trying to do his job. Instead, he nodded at both of them, putting as much authority into his voice as he could. Technically, Lilith outranked him as coven leader, but the Emperor’s Coven was all but guaranteed to be his once she stepped down. That was looking more likely these days, considering Lilith was more focused on finding her sister than performing her duties. “Kikimora. Coven Leader. What are you doing down here? Seeking an audience with my uncle?”
Lilith grimaced and Kikimora made a noise of displeasure. “We tried, but he’s in the middle of some important work, and he doesn’t wish to be disturbed right now.” Lilith explained.
“So I’d avoid upsetting him if I were you, Golden Guard.” Kikimora added, tacking on his title mockingly at the end. “Even though you’re his family and he gives you preferential treatment, you’re not immune to breaking the rules.”
There was something bitter in her voice when she spoke. Hunter straightened, narrowing his eyes even though she couldn’t see it under the mask. “He doesn’t show me preferential treatment. We’re family, he cares about me. Not that it’s any of your business.”
Kikimora only shrugged. It wasn’t her ass on the line, after all. “Sure, if you want to bother him, that’s your own business.” With that, she and Lilith left, off to their own individual duties. Hunter sniffed, watching them leave with a frown. What was her problem? She was just trying to get under his skin, as always.
Pushing that unpleasant encounter out from his mind, Hunter made it to Uncle Belos’s door. It was already cracked when he found it, which was strange. Normally, Uncle was meticulous about leaving it closed, unless Kikimora and Lilith had forgotten to do it when they left. With his shoulder, he pushed it open, moving as silently as he usually did.
The lights were off inside.
For a moment, Hunter wasn’t actually sure if Uncle was here or not. Maybe Kikimora really had been messing with him. But then, he heard the sound of distant voices, deeper into the dark room. He couldn’t make out what they were saying, but he could hear them clearly enough to make them out. One was his uncle, and the other was unfamiliar. A child?
He knew he shouldn’t meddle. Uncle’s private business was his own, and if he wanted Hunter to know, then he would let Hunter in on it. And yet, he couldn’t help but be curious. What was Uncle doing with a kid?
He set his books down on the floor near him and crept as silent as a mouse deeper into Uncle’s room. The voices bounced off the grand hallway, until he got close enough to make out what they were saying. He ducked behind a wall and listened.
“... But when are you finally going to let me out? I’m bored, and you promised me.” That was the child.
“Soon.” That was Uncle’s voice. He sounded... impatient, almost, like the two of them had had that conversation plenty of times before. But who was this kid?
“How soon?” Came the petulant reply.
Uncle sighed. “In a few months time. Preparations for the Day of Unity have been well underway, but you must wait until then. Once I have every witch in the Boiling Isles gathered in the same place all at once, then you can come out and play.”
The Day of Unity? That wasn’t for another half a year. And what did he mean by play?
“Yay!” Cried the child. “You’d better hold your promise. You wouldn’t want to break it, would you?”
“Peace, Collector.” Uncle said in a placating tone. “I don’t intend to break it. I’ve been waiting for this day for some time myself, after all. I suppose you could call it my life’s work.”
Collector? Life’s work? Hunter was growing more confused by the minute. None of this was making any sense.
The child didn’t reply for a long time- Hunter wondered if it had been some sort of call and Uncle had simply hung up, but then something moved behind him. He whirled around, but there was no one there, except for his own shadow. It was oddly shaped, though.
And then it opened its eyes and flashed a crescent-moon smile.
“I found you! Eavesdropper!”
Hunter flinched, falling onto his back. “What the...?” That was the child’s voice, the one he heard talking to Uncle. He assumed it was another witch, but what the hell was this thing?
He scrambled backwards as the thing giggled, head spinning around where it seemed to be stuck to the wall. No, that wasn’t the right way to describe it. It wasn’t a real, solid thing. It was a moving phantom.
I have to get out of here before Uncle realizes I was listening. Uncle was kind to him, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t have his cold moments, especially on the rare occasions that Hunter broke the rules. He was going to be so angry-
Hunter’s back hit something solid.
“I thought I heard someone enter.” Came Uncle’s smooth voice behind him, and Hunter felt his heart stop entirely. Oh, no.
He scrambled to his feet, immediately assuming a soldier’s stance with a salute. Uncle was staring down at him, expression unreadable even with his mask off. Maybe if he pretended he’d just come in, Uncle wouldn’t be so mad. “Uncle Belos! I didn’t mean to hide my presence. I just came here to deliver some news about my research, and I saw the door was open. I didn’t hear anything, I swear-”
“Hunter.”
Hunter shut his mouth immediately.
When Uncle got mad, he never yelled. He was the quiet type, the kind of person who preferred to use their words to settle things. That was because, when he commanded your presence, you fell silent and followed his orders. There was no need for him to get loud.
Even now, his voice was deathly quiet. Despite himself, Hunter shivered.
“I’m sorry, I promise it won’t happen again.” He didn’t beg, but felt close to, as Uncle regarded him silently.
“Take off your mask.” Uncle said instead.
Confused, Hunter complied, unhooking the straps from his ears and pulling it off. He held it in his hand, standing utterly still as Uncle Belos stared at him thoughtfully. “It’s a shame. You’ve been loyal to me thus far. It was only bad luck that you heard what you did.”
Hunter’s breath hitched. “Uncle? What are you talking about?”
In lieu of answering, Uncle reached up and caressed Hunter’s cheek. The action was meant to be comforting, but he couldn’t help the dread that was piling in his gut.
And then, Uncle smiled.
“You know, out of all the Grimwalkers, you looked the most like him.”
Alarm bells rang in Hunter’s mind. Something was very wrong.
It was only instinct that caused him to roll away when he did. As it turned out, that was the only thing that saved his life from the spell Uncle- the Emperor- Belos fired right where he’d been standing. Hunter heaved a breath, unable to breathe. That blast would have killed him.
Belos was going to kill him.
No. There had to be some reason for this. Voice cracking in fear, Hunter looked up at his only family pleadingly. “Uncle, what’s going on? I swear, whatever you think I heard, I can keep it a secret! You don’t have to do this!”
Belos only hummed, holding his hand out as he gathered another spell in the palm of his hands. “Sadly, Hunter, I do. You all inevitably betray me at one point or another. You may say you’re loyal now, but it’s best to nip this one in the bud now.”
Hunter’s mind swam. What was a Grimwalker? Betrayal? It was all getting jumbled. Belos had tried to kill him. Belos was going to kill him, unless he ran.
He didn’t want to die.
So Hunter did the only thing he could.
He ran.
Without his staff, he didn’t have any magic, but he had training, and that was enough to get him out of Belos’s room before his uncle- the emperor could prepare another spell. He sprinted into the hall, skidding and rounding a corner just as he felt the blast of heat from a fireball hitting the door right where his head had been.
Belos didn’t give chase, but Hunter didn’t relax. He had to get out of the castle as soon as possible- he only had minutes before Belos alerted the guards to Hunter’s betrayal. It isn’t fair! I didn’t even betray him! And now Belos wanted him dead over something he didn’t even understand.
As he ran, he tugged off his white cloak, tossing it aside. He wouldn’t need it anymore if he could get out of here- couldn’t stand to wear it. What had he been fighting for, all this time? How much of it had been a lie? What was Belos hiding about the Day of Unity?
He didn’t have time to get lost in his thoughts as he made his way up the stairs and ran into a group of guards waiting for him, forming a blockade. “The Emperor wants the traitor dead or alive!” One of them shouted, and the others began tracing spells in the air.
Hunter didn’t stop running, or even slow down. He didn’t stop to think about how these people had been regarding him with respect only seconds ago. Oh, Titan, how had it all gone wrong so quickly?
Just before they fired their spells, Hunter dropped low, using his momentum to slide under the legs of a guard whose stance was wide. The blockade cried in protest, but he was already off, around another corner. He was getting close to the exit now. He just had to-
The ground rumbled beneath his feet, and Hunter was thrown off-balance, falling on his face and rolling to a stop. The mansion’s foundations began to crumble and crack as something punched through the wall next to him- an abomination stepped through the rubble, followed by a familiar figure.
Hunter watched fearfully as Darius, the abomination coven leader, stepped through the hole his construct had left behind. He scoffed, brushing dust off his magenta cloak. He spotted Hunter, and his eyes narrowed. “I figured the Emperor’s brat would be stupid enough to escape through the front door-”
He stopped.
Hunter pulled himself to his feet, wiping the tears off his face. He was too panicked to realize he’d started crying. “Leave me alone! I didn’t even do anything!”
Darius didn’t make any move to stop him. In fact, he looked like he’d seen a ghost, frozen still. “Orion?” He whispered, so quiet that Hunter could barely hear him. Hunter had no idea who Darius had mistaken him for, but he didn’t care. Before Darius could snap out of his state, Hunter grabbed a nearby vase off a pedestal and lobbed it at his head. He just barely managed to block the blow, raising his arms over his head. “Ow! What-”
“I can’t go back!” Hunter cried, turning on his heel and sprinting away.
For some reason, Darius didn’t chase him. He only stood there, looking like the very foundations of his world had been shaken. Hunter wasn’t going to question it- the front doors of the castle were in sight, and none of the other coven leaders looked like they’d reacted in time.
Panicked, he threw them open and escaped into Bonesborough.
Once he was in the city, he didn’t pay attention to where he was going. He ducked between houses, ran through probably illegal magic shops selling all kinds of contraband, jumped over people that were just lying in the alleys. All that mattered was that he avoided the guards that were no doubt mobilizing and hot on his heels.
He was nearly home free, in the last stretch out of the city, when someone rammed into him from the side. Both of them went tumbling down, hitting the ground with pained groans. Hunter picked himself up, rubbing at the back of his head where it had bumped into the other person. “What’s the big idea-”
“Sorry-”
The two made eye contact, and Hunter’s words died in his throat. It was a girl, around his age, but what caught him off guard was her ears- they were rounded, nothing like any witches he’d ever seen. “A human!”
The girl pulled herself to her knees, gaping at him. “What’s going on? Where am I?”
Hunter opened his mouth to answer when he caught sight of guards in the distance. They hadn’t spotted him yet, but he had to scram before he did. He stood, barreling past the human. She yelped as he ran in through the back flap of one of the black market tents right as one of the guards shouted in alarm.
He felt a pang of guilt for leaving her alone, but the guards wouldn’t hurt her. If they caught her, they’d interrogate her a bit, but she hadn’t committed any crimes as far as he knew, so she’d be safe. But if he went back there, Belos would finish what he started, and Hunter wouldn’t return.
He couldn’t.
-
So far, today had been the worst day of Luz’s life.
First, she’d been forced into attending a summer camp she didn’t want to, and nearly had to throw her Azura book away. It had made mama happy, so she did it even though putting it in the trash felt like she was ripping her own heart out. And when she’d gone back for it, it had been stolen by the weirdest owl she’d ever seen in her life.
It looked at her like it was almost... intelligent.
And then, in her wild goose chase, she’d somehow ended up in a different place entirely with no clue how she’d gotten there. Everywhere she turned, there were horrifying monsters right out of her worst nightmares, and everything felt so... wrong. Like a fairy tale world that had been twisted until it was just miserable and scary. First, a pixie had tried to eat her skin, and then the scary lady who’d stolen her book started chasing her, and when she tried to run back the way she came, she only ran into another guy whose ears were way too pointy to be human.
Where the heck even was she?
Forget being transported to another state. Luz wasn’t even sure she was on earth anymore.
Why was she here? Did these strange people plan on eating her? Was this like Spirited Away, and she was in some weird land of spirits? She didn’t have time to figure it out, because after she saw that weird blonde kid, a bunch of guys in uniform with pointed masks that reminded her of a plague doctor’s started shouting, and she didn’t want to stick around any longer to see what they would do.
Luz ran as fast as her feet could carry her, but it wasn’t enough. One of the guards spun his finger in a circle, creating a ring of light that sent a ball of fire right at her shoulder, and she was knocked to the ground again. Pain bloomed where she was burnt, and she gasped, clutching at her arm.
She tried to limp away from these monsters, but one of them grabbed her, picking her up off the ground. Luz kicked in the air, frantically trying to hit him in the chest, but the dang guy was made of steel or something! “Don’t resist, human! You’re under arrest for fraternizing with a criminal!”
“I- what?” She demanded, squirming in a useless attempt to get out from his grip. “I don’t know what you’re talking about! I don’t even know where I am! Please, just let me go!”
Two of the guards exchanged looks and shrugged. The one who was holding her squeezed tighter, enough to knock the breath out of her lungs. “Don’t try to fool us with your human tricks! You’re coming with us. Lilith will want a word with you.”
“I swear, I didn’t do anything!” She screamed, but her words fell on deaf ears. The monsters who had caught her dragged her all the way to a cart on the side of the road that she was unceremoniously thrown into, and the door slammed behind her. Luz pounded on the door, but it was no use. A few seconds later, the cart lurched to life, and she could only watch helplessly through the bars in the door as the weird tent she’d suddenly appeared in got smaller and smaller, until it disappeared entirely.
Miserably, she curled up against the dirty wood, wishing that she’d just gotten on that bus. In all the stories she’d read about regular teenagers appearing in foreign magical lands, none of them had gone like this. Those had been exciting, glamorous adventures. But right now, she was just scared.
Eventually, the cart lurched to a stop, and the guard that grabbed her opened the door, a pair of shackles in hand. Luz didn’t have time to protest before they were slammed on her wrists, and she was pulled back out into the light.
It looked like they were in front of some sort of weird, alternate-world police station in another part of town. There were still monsters crawling everywhere, and even more scary guards in masks around. The place looked as miserable as Luz felt.
“Get inside, prisoner.” The guard nudged her, and Luz stumbled, lurching forward. “Lilith will want a word with you.”
She had no idea who this Lilith person was, and at this point, Luz had no idea what to expect. A ten-foot tall dragon with four sets of wings and poison breath? A horrifying demon lady with spiders crawling out of her eyes?
She was brought into an interrogation room that looked surprisingly similar to what she saw on TV all the time. One of the guards chained her to the side of the table, and Luz was left alone. There was one of those one-sided mirrors on the wall, and she caught sight of her reflection. Luz looked horrible, covered in dirt and grime and face streaked with tears.
She stuck her tongue out at her reflection. It looked all funky in the weird glass, and despite all the terror she’d felt, she managed a giggle. It was kind of funny. She made another face, watching it distort in the mirror, making her face look elongated. That earned another round of hesitant laughter from her.
“What are you doing?”
“Ack!”
Luz whirled around so quickly that she fell out of her chair. Embarrassed, she pulled herself back up, facing the woman who’d just entered the room through a door on the side.
She was nothing like anyone else Luz had met since arriving in this weird place. She was tall and elegant, with sleek black hair and a dark dress that stood out against her pale skin. Her hands were clasped together, staring at Luz with a bewildered expression on her face. She wondered if this was the Lilith person those guards had been talking about.
“I’m sorry!” She blushed at the thought of being caught goofing off, and covered her face in her hands. “It’s just that the mirror made me look funny.”
“... So you were making crude faces in it?”
Wordlessly, Luz nodded.
Lilith looked extremely exasperated. She pinched the bridge of her nose and sat down in the chair across from Luz, putting her hands on the table. “... So, you really are a human.” She said after a moment of silence, tilting her head to the side like she was observing a difficult puzzle she couldn’t put together all the way. “But how did you get here?”
“I don’t know!” Luz threw her hands into the air, frustrated. “All I remember is that one minute, I was in my home. And the next, I’d somehow gone through this door and ended up here, and there was this woman... I wasn’t sure if she was going to eat me or not, and this place is so weird and I just want to go back home!” She wailed, on the verge of tears.
Lilith pursed her lips. Something like irritation passed over her face before she covered it with a professional look. She reminded Luz a lot of those doctors that mama worked with sometimes, clinical and cold because the job demanded it. “That sounds like you came here through Edalyn’s portal.”
“Edalyn?” Was that the weird gray haired lady who’d been ready to munch on her like a tasty snack, and even worse, stolen her Azura book?
Her nose wrinkled. “My wayward sister.” She explained, sounding none too happy about it. “She’s the only person in the demon realm with a portal to the human realm. We’ve been trying to repossess her contraband for years now, but she’s... quite hard to catch. This is the exact reason use of such objects is banned. It does nothing but cause chaos.”
“I’m sorry.” Luz shrank down into her seat. “I didn’t mean to cause trouble for anyone.”
“It’s not your fault, human.” Lilith replied, waving her hand distractedly. “You’re just a casualty in all of this. You were originally brought in because you were seen speaking with another wanted criminal, a traitor to the Emperor, but you clearly have no clue what’s going on, or the significance of the events you’ve found yourself wrapped up in.”
If it was even possible, Luz felt even smaller than before. Lilith had a weird way of talking down to her, like she was nothing more than a pet. “My name is Luz.” She said quietly. “And what traitor? Was it that blonde guy?”
“The Emperor’s nephew.” Lilith confirmed. “He was recently promoted to the position of the Golden Guard. But today, he betrayed and attacked the Emperor. You ran into him during his escape. You were brought here under suspicion of having helped him, human Luz, but you obviously have no idea what’s going on.”
Despite the fear, Luz couldn’t help but be intrigued. A royal family plot of intrigue and betrayal? That was getting closer to a fun-filled fantasy adventure. “Why did he attack the Emperor?”
“We don’t know. All we know is that the Golden Guard suddenly went haywire and attacked his uncle out of nowhere during a private meeting.” Lilith stopped suddenly, frowning at Luz. “Not that the complexity of this matters to a human. These are witch affairs.”
They were witches! That explained the pointy ears and the magic spells. Man, Luz didn’t expect witches to be so condescending and mean towards non-magic users. Were they called muggles here, or were witches and humans completely different species?
“He didn’t look that evil to me.” Luz observed, tapping at her chin. He’d just seemed really freaked out, though he did push her pretty hard.
“It’s possible he was caught practicing wild magic. I don’t expect you to understand the intricacies of this realm, but the Emperor has done incredible work bringing order back to the Boiling Isles by creating the coven system. Wild witches refuse to join covens, and present a danger to society with their unchecked power.”
“So they’re punished for not fitting in?”
Lilith gave her a harsh glare that made her shut her mouth right as she asked the question. “They’re punished for refusing to take a coven brand and sealing their magic. Not to mention the Emperor has a personal reason to dislike wild witches. That’s why it’s such a deep betrayal that his own nephew would be caught dabbling in it.”
That didn’t sound like much of a crime to her, but Luz didn’t really know much about this world in the first place. “And that lady, Ms. Edalyn... is she one of them?”
Based on the way Lilith’s face contorted, that turned out to be the wrong question to ask. For a minute, Luz thought that Lilith was going to yell at her- or worse, attack her with magic- but then Lilith just sighed and smoothed her hair down. “Yes, Edalyn is a wild witch. The most wanted in the Boiling Isles, in fact. Her magic is quite powerful, which makes her a threat to society.”
Luz’s heart fell. If a powerful rebel criminal was what had brought her here, then it was possible that this Edalyn had disappeared already. “Then how am I supposed to get home through her portal now...?”
Lilith stood suddenly, making her way towards the door once more. “You’ll just have to wait until her capture. Once we have her in custody, we can get you back to the human realm before you cause any trouble here. Now, if you’ll wait here, I’m going to report these findings to my superior, and they will tell me if you’re free to go or not.”
“... But where will I go?”
Lilith gave her a pitiable look for a moment, but she just shrugged. “That’s not my problem. If you’re lucky, you can find someone to take you in.”
She felt ready to cry again as Lilith closed the door behind her, leaving Luz alone again. What was she supposed to do now? She had no money, or really had any idea what they used for money here, and she didn’t know anyone except Lilith, who made it clear she didn’t really care what happened to Luz.
Briefly, the thought of finding Edalyn crossed her mind, but Luz wasn’t sure if that would do her any good. The lady was a criminal, even if it didn’t really seem like she’d done anything bad. But it would be hard to find her, and she might decide not to help Luz.
Before she could get even more panicked, Lilith returned to the holding room, a troubled look on her face. “The Emperor would like to speak to you.”
“What?” Luz shot up from her chair so quickly that she knocked it over, earning her another glare from Lilith that made her bush. Lilith really didn’t seem to like her.
“He’s interested in meeting a human.” Lilith said. “I told him that it was foolish and you had no information on the Golden Guard, but we don’t get humans on the Boiling Isles, and he’d like to ask you some questions.”
Luz’s head felt light. Not only had she been transported to some strange dimension of witches and demons, but now she’d be speaking to their leader. “Yeah. Okay. Sure.”
“It’s not as if you have a choice in the matter.” Lilith sniffed, but moved to unlock Luz’s chains anyways. She didn’t bother putting Luz in cuffs- maybe she thought Luz wouldn’t be worth the trouble. If she was a powerful witch, maybe Luz really wasn’t. “Now come along, Luz the human. Emperor Belos isn’t a man that likes to be kept waiting.”
-
Eda was fully prepared to run after the human who had appeared out of nowhere and taken some of the wares Owlbert stole for her right out of her hands. The demon realm was dangerous for someone so soft and squishy, and she had half a mind to tuck the kid under her arm and take her back to the owl house. A human in the Boiling Isles had a lot of uses, after all.
But when she went to chase the damn slippery brat into her tent, she didn’t find a human girl at all. In fact, the kid wasn’t even human.
He was a witch, that much was apparent, and a terrified one at that. He was wearing some kind of uniform that was all dirtied, and when he saw Eda, his eyes widened. “You’re the Owl Lady.” He gasped. “The wild witch. From the wanted posters.”
Eda’s eyes narrowed. Was this some Emperor’s Coven brat? It didn’t look like their uniform, but she was a bit behind on the times, considering she really didn’t give a shit what they were up to. But the kid made no move to attack or declare her arrest or anything stupid, so she didn’t summon her staff just yet.
“In the flesh, though I think you’ll realize those posters don’t come close to capturing the real thing. And you are?” She asked, watching him suspiciously.
The kid bit his lip, looking over his shoulder at the tarp. Then, right when Eda thought he was going to call the guards over, he dropped to his knees, clasping his hands together. When he spoke, his voice was desperate. “Please. Guards are after me, and they’re going to be here any minute. I can’t get captured, I’ll do anything. You’re a criminal, right? You can take me with you!”
Eda stared at him for a long time.
... He can’t be serious. This had to be some coven plant, or some stupid convoluted plan of Lily’s to get her to join the Emperor’s Coven after all these years.
“Yeah, no thanks, kid. I don’t really do charity cases.”
The kid’s face fell, and Eda had to give it to him- he was a really good actor. He seemed genuinely devastated as he reached out and grabbed the bottom of her skirt before she could leave. “I swear, I’m telling the truth. I can’t go back, the Emperor... he’ll kill me!”
His plea sounded real, too. Eda almost had to suppress a snort. “What the hell did a kid like you do to piss off Belos? Did you steal a piece of fruit from a vendor or something?”
The kid started hyperventilating, clutching at his chest, and it all looked so damn pitiful that Eda couldn’t help but feel sorry for it, like he was some cat that had gotten caught in the boiling rains.
Sure. What was one more roommate? She had an empty storage closet she could clean out, and she could really use an extra set of hands around the place for her potions business, since all King really did was sit around looking adorable but being useless.
Besides, she really could hear the guards running around outside, which meant he hadn’t been lying about that, and she should scram before they shut down her shop again.
Eda held out her hand, summoning her staff. At the same time, she cast a spell, packing up all her unsold wares all at once into a cloth. The kid watched all this with a bewildered expression on his face.
“... Fine, you can come with me. But you’re gonna have to earn your keep, got it? If you’re hiding under my roof, you work for me, and do whatever I bid you to.”
“Got it.” He said a little too quickly, jumping to his feet. The relief on his face was palpable. “Fine with me. Whatever you want. Just hurry up before the guards find us...!”
“Calm down, don’t get your trousers in a twist!” Jeez, young people these days were always in a hurry to go places. They were never considerate of old, cursed witches that had to move slower than them. She packed all of her human things neatly into her bag, securing it to the back of her staff with a wave of her hand. “Now, come on. Let’s scram.”
The kid didn’t need to be told twice. He jumped on the back of the staff, and the two of them flew off into the air just before her tent started swarming with guards.
Eda whooped triumphantly. “Ha! You’ll never catch me, suckers!”
“Don’t say that before you’ve even escaped!” The kid snapped, prompting Eda to roll her eyes. Out of any outlaw runaway stray she had to scoop up, why did it have to be the straight-laced boring one?
“Nobody likes a backseat flier, kid.” She told him, and he shut his mouth. Belatedly, Eda realized she hadn’t even learned his name, and she couldn’t keep referring to him as kid forever. Once they were safely in the air, with the wind behind her feathers, she turned to catch a glimpse of the kid. He looked a little more at ease in the sky. “So, Mr. I’m the Most Wanted Criminal in the Boiling Isles, do you have a real name, or am I going to have to pick a bad nickname for you and stick with it?”
The kid flinched, shoulders tensing. Eventually, he let out a quiet, “... Hunter.”
“Hunter.” She repeated. “I’d introduce myself, but I think my reputation as the most powerful witch in the Boiling Isles precedes me.”
Hunter raised his eyebrows, but eventually decided against talking back to her. Good. He could take directions well, which was good if he wanted to survive doing her dirty work. Eda cackled all the way down to the Owl House.
“You know what, Hunter? I think we’re gonna get along just fine.”
-
The palace was easily one of the biggest buildings Luz had seen in her life. It towered above her, with a moat of spikes built around the front gate, towering white walls looking more imposing than inviting, like everything else here had so far. Luz gaped at it as Lilith led her inside.
“Stop staring.” Lilith snapped. “You look like a tourist.”
Luz closed her mouth, resisting the urge to point out that she was a tourist. Lilith was a lot like her teachers who didn’t find humor in a lot of her jokes and always talked about serious stuff all the time, like they’d forgotten what fun and laughter was like.
Lilith led her to the front door, where a small platoon of armed guards was waiting with some strange red demon creature in a white robe. “You’re late, Lilith. And I see you couldn’t catch the Golden Guard.”
“You know that kid is slippery.” Lilith growled.
The demon ignored her response and looked at Luz. “And I see you’ve brought the human with you.”
“Emperor Belos requested an audience.”
The demon fell silent, shocked. “Emperor Belos? But what could he want with a mere human?”
“That’s no one’s business but his own, Kikimora. Shouldn’t you be focused on capruting the Golden Guard?” Lilith said coldly. The demon- Kikimora- bowed her head and gestured for them to pass. As they left, Luz could hear her mumbling under her breath about that damned golden brat and exactly what she’d do once she got her claws on him.
“I’m guessing she doesn’t like the golden guy very much?” Luz whispered to Lilith once they were out of Kikimora’s hearing range.
Lilith pursed her lips. “Surprisingly astute, for a human.”
“I read a lot of fanfiction, I’m good at picking up when people hold mysterious grudges against one another.” Luz paused for a moment, wondering if she should talk back. She wasn’t technically a captive, but Lilith didn’t seem like the most friendly woman, and she definitely didn’t like Luz. But she’d never been the kind of person to hide what she was thinking. “Plus, humans aren’t that stupid. Anyone with eyes would be able to tell you that she hates him.”
“All our historical records indicate that humans aren’t exceptionally bright creatures.” Lilith said slowly. “You appear to be... brighter than what we’d expected, but it doesn’t matter. Either you’ll die here, or you’ll survive long enough for Edalyn’s capture so you can be sent back to your home through the portal.”
Luz tried not to feel too crestfallen. Even the fact that they were in a beautiful golden castle right out of a Lord of the Rings type fantasy world couldn’t lift her spirits. Why was everything here not the way it was supposed to be? Instead of having the time of her life and going on an epic quest, she was tired, cold, scared, and starting to get hungry. Did witches even eat? Could Luz even eat anything here?
She was brought down numerous flights of stairs, passing numerous half-destroyed parts of the mansion that were being patched by a few guards lifting and fixing everything with magic until it looked like nothing had happened at all. They must have been from that Golden Guard guy’s escape, she thought to herself. Hopefully no one had gotten hurt.
Finally, Lilith brought her to a pair of tall double doors and stopped. “This is the Emperor’s throne room. He’s waiting for you inside. Try not to embarrass yourself, Luz the human.”
Luz swallowed. All of a sudden, her throat felt tight. Alright, Luz. This is no big deal. You’re only about to meet the ruler of the entire demon realm who wants an audience with you for some unknown reason. Maybe he’s going to be some brooding cursed king who wants you to stay with him to help him find his humanity? Her mind conjured up an image of a king right from one of her romance novels perched on the throne.
The man in the throne room was... nothing like that.
He was tall, for one, and wearing a cloak so large it obscured his entire body. His face was covered with a long mask with horns sprouting from the top. The only visible part of him were his cold, calculating eyes. He sat up from his throne when she entered.
Oh, crap. Was she supposed to bow or something? Would she be arrested for treason if she didn’t treat this guy with respect? Panicked, Luz dropped into an awkward bow, nearly tripping over her feet and falling flat on her face. “Um, Luz Noceda, the human, greets Emperor Belos, sir!”
She thought she heard Belos chuckle, but she didn’t dare look up. Not until Belos said, “You may rise, Luz the human. There’s no need for any of that.”
“Oh.” Luz blushed, scrambling to her feet. Emperor Belos didn’t look amused, but it was hard to read any of his expressions from his mask. She couldn’t see any injuries from his supposed attack, but maybe he was hiding them under his robe. “Sorry. I’ve never met an emperor before, so...”
“That’s quite alright. I have some knowledge of how the human realm works, Luz the human.”
Luz gasped. “You do? Have you been? Do you have another one of those portals? Do you-”
Belos held up a hand, and Luz was struck with the strange urge to fall silent. Once she closed her mouth, Belos spoke. “Unfortunately, human, I don’t. The only portal between the human realm and the demon realm was stolen from me some time ago by the Owl Lady.”
All of Luz’s hope withered and died in her chest.
“Really?”
Belos’s nod shattered any hope of her getting home quickly.
“Don’t give up hope just yet, Luz.” He called her Luz, not Human or Luz the Human like everyone else here had so far. Like he was speaking to her, not at her. “The portal is not lost forever.”
Luz couldn’t help it anymore. She sniffled, wiping at her nose, and like a dam breaking, she couldn’t stop the tears. “I just want to go home.” She cried. Some small part of her was screaming to get it together, and that she was crying in front of the freaking emperor, but she couldn’t stop once she started. “Everything here is so confusing, and they treat me like a pet, if they’re not trying to eat me. I just want my mom!”
Belos was silent as she cried. Eventually, he closed his eyes and turned around, deep in thought. “I understand how you feel.”
Luz stopped, wiping at the gunk and snot in her eyes. “Wha...?”
“I, too, have experienced a loss of home and family. For a long time, it was only my nephew and I. But even Hunter left me in the end.” He sighed, putting his hand on the arm of his throne. “I see myself in you, Luz. The circumstances that brought you here were... unfortunate, but rest assured, I will help you find your way home.”
“You will?”
“Of course. I think we can help each other. You see, the Owl Lady is a dangerous criminal who’s been evading my capture for years. With my nephew’s betrayal, we’re one less powerful witch down than we normally are. If you’d be willing to assist in the Owl Lady’s capture, then we’d only be able to get our hands on that portal and send you home faster.”
“Me? But I don’t know how to use magic! Wouldn’t that just be a burden on you?”
Belos laughed again. “I assure you, that’s not a problem. There are many alternative methods to magic that I could teach you, if you wished. The Golden Guard’s staff also holds a certain amount of power for you to use on your own.”
“The Golden Guard’s staff?” She hesitated. “I wouldn’t want to just take your nephew’s position, especially when there are probably qualified, trained people that are much better for the job than me.”
“Nonsense.” Emperor Belos said firmly. “People here underestimate what humans are capable of, but even without training, you’re resourceful and capable of learning quickly. Within a few weeks you’ll be capable of joining the Emperor’s Coven in the capture of the Owl Lady. What do you say?”
Luz wasn’t sure if she should accept, but wasn’t this the kind of adventure she’d wanted? To learn magic and go on a quest to capture a dangerous criminal, and brave her way home along the way? Not to mention the emperor himself was offering to train her. And Luz really, really wanted to get home.
“Okay. I’ll help you find this Owl Lady, if it’ll get me home sooner.”
She couldn’t see his face, but Luz could hear the smile in his voice. “Excellent. I think you’ll be an excellent asset to us, Golden Guard.” He held his hand out for her to shake, and Luz accepted readily.
I’m going to make it home to you, Mama. Just you wait.