Archive of Our Own

 “So,” Edalyn says conversationally. “Bossy Boots got herself a new mentor, didya hear?”

It takes Lilith a second to understand who is her sister talking about, but when she does, she makes sure to keep her expression neutral. She inspects the contents of her cup with great care, perhaps even too great because now her glasses are completely fogged up. A lesser witch would probably be grateful for the additional time the ordeal gave them; a more insecure person would undoubtedly feel thankful for the distraction while wiping the glasses against the hem of the skirt. Not Lilith, though. Yes, she does what’s necessary and wipes the glasses, who wouldn’t. But she doesn’t stall.

“Indeed,” she just comments dryly. “I sure am glad. Luz is a marvelous glyph instructor, but there are things she simply cannot help with. Young Amity is a very talented witch, I noticed that immediately. A rough diamond of sorts, one could say.”

Edalyn just raises an eyebrow.

“With a bit of polishing, a couple years of studies and some more practice, I’m certain she can become a formidable witch,” Lilith continues.

The Owl Lady’s eyebrow shoots up even higher. Lilith ignores it, producing a pair of elegant tongs out of her handbag, and only then reaching for the sugar bowl. She’s been at Edalyn’s house enough times already to know her sister might be in possession of the most unnecessary and random pieces of cutlery imaginable, but never the ones that would allow her guests to drink their tea like witches, not animals. Lilith’s too well-mannered to make any comment on that. If Edalyn sees her visitors actively bringing the necessary appliances with themselves, she will eventually pick up on it and start providing people with the proper utensils.

“And practice she will get,” Lilith adds with a weary sigh.

“You sound like that’s a bad thing,” Edalyn comments, completely ignoring Lilith’s demonstration and picking up a sugar cube with her dirty fingers before putting it directly in her mouth. Lilith suppresses a shudder at the memory of the Owl Lady picking her nose just two minutes ago. She pointedly reaches for another cube with tongs.

Educating Edalyn on proper manners and social conventions has become something of a personal project of Lilith’s. If leading by example fails, there’s always shaming. For almost a month now, Lilith’s been openly wiping the rim of the offered cups with a handkerchief and examining the remains of red lipstick with open disgust. There’s no way Edalyn hasn’t noticed that, she’s called Lilith prissy at least twice this week. It’s obvious that at some point she will give up her childish games and wash the dishes properly. So far, Lilith’s efforts have been fruitless, but there are times when the Owl Lady just actively chooses to be obtuse.

“Not bad per se. Practice is a very useful part of magic. Some even call it crucial.” Lilith sticks out her pinky before she takes a sip of the tea. “But you have to admit, it’s truly a blessing that young witches are no longer required to seal their magic away with the sigils. Amity would soon come to regret her choice of the abomination track over the Emperor’s Coven.”

“Yes, Lily, that is exactly the reason why the sigils were bad,” Edalyn deadpans. “Literally, can’t think of anything else.”

Lilith does scoff, but not too loud.

“You know very well what I mean! You’re twisting my words just to make me look bad.”

“Nah, you don’t need my help doing that,” Edalyn says with a dismissive wave of a hand.

Lilith whisks away some lint that has already gathered on her dress. It’s as if one automatically became squalid the moment they took a seat in the Owl Lady’s living room. Frankly, it’s a bit disappointing that Hootsifer allows for this state of affairs to continue, but it is understandable. Lilith’s quite certain the house demon did all within his power to change the habits of his tenants. At some point, he must have given up. It’s hard to blame him, really. Who wouldn’t? Not everyone has Lilith’s conviction and perseverance.

“All I’m saying is that young Amity’s far too versatile to pursue just one interest in such a definitive manner. I saw a great potential in the girl when I noticed and took interest in her. Yes, she’s clearly inclined towards one specific type of magic, but she could be doing so much more. Before she commits, she should at least explore what other types of magic have to offer.

“Oh yeah, sis.” Edalyn smiles, and Lilith, painfully aware what’s coming, has to smother down the urge to wipe that grin off her hostess’ face. “Actually, I do remember her using some of the Construction Coven techniques back at the Covention. You were really making sure she knew there were other options, huh?”

Lilith can feel her lips tighten before she schools her features back into polite indifference. This is not something worth getting mimic wrinkles.

“Need I remind you, Edalyn, that you also stooped to deceit in order to help your own protégée back then?”

Edalyn just snorts and doesn’t seem in the least embarrassed by the memory. “Well, seems I was better at it. Since, you know. I still have mine.”

“Pardon?” Lilith inquires, even though she should have known better.

“I still have my prodigy,” her sister explains with deep satisfaction.

Lilith wrinkles her nose in annoyance. “It’s protégée.”

“Pretty sure you’re pronouncing it wrong,” Edalyn claims, stretching her back. One of her bones gives a sickening snap. “And since when are you such a prodigy expert? You don’t have one.”

“Yes, Edalyn, you’ve made that part abundantly clear. Even though you keep using the wrong word.” Lilith’s irritation must have become noticeable at some point because now Eda seems to enjoy herself even more. “But putting aside that matter, what I wanted to say is, it’s really good news. Splendid.” Lilith claps her hands once to show how genuine her excitement is. “The moment I noticed the Blight girl, I knew she would go far. A talent like that indeed should be nurtured, and I sure am glad she was noticed again. She’s gifted, yes, but more importantly, ambitious, driven and hardworking. I wouldn’t be shocked if she were to become one of the most powerful witches on the Isles within the next two decades. It’s amazing. And such a great news for Luz too, I imagine. I’m really happy for the both of them!”

“And Darius,” the ever-helpful Edalyn supplies.

“And Darius,” Lilith echoes gracefully. “It’s one of the best news we’ve gotten in weeks. Now it truly seems like the young generation is in good hands.” Lilith stretches her lips in a smile. “It is an amazing opportunity, training under such a skilled witch. Great for everyone involved. It’s very important that genuine talent is being recognized, just like I hoped it would be when I started tutoring her. Young Amity’s social standing is unquestionably going to improve even further now. That’s terrific. I sure am glad.”

“Yeah, Lily, you’ve mentioned that one already,” Eda says slowly. “Listen, we don’t need to talk about it anymore. Perhaps we should talk about your sugar intake or something like that?”

“Oh, but I am perfectly comfortable discussing Darius’ new mentee! Why wouldn’t I be?” Lilith hears her voice getting a bit too high, so she covers the momentary abashment with a sip out of her cup.

She doesn’t spit it out. She’s an adult and well-mannered witch, and they don’t do such things. She swallows the tea, and only then cards her hands over her mouth in order to stop the gagging noises from becoming too loud.

“I dunno, because you just spent like five minutes adding sugar to your tea without stopping?” Edalyn offers.

Lilith stares at the half empty sugar bowl. It was quite full the last time she looked at it. She lays the tongs down delicately and tries really hard not to grimace at the sugary bile rising in her throat.

“Want me to make you a new cuppa? A strong, possibly bitter one?” her sister asks, and this time there seems to be no sting hidden in her words.

“No,” Lilith hears herself answer. “This one’s perfect. I intended it that way.” She takes another sip, and this time she’s prepared for the foul taste so she doesn’t choke on liquid sugar. “That’s how I drink my tea.”

“Since when?”

“Oh, you wouldn’t know. And besides, who’s counting? But it doesn’t really matter, does it.” Lilith dismisses Edalyn and takes yet another sip of the disgusting concoction just to make a point. She does her best not to shudder. “The important thing is, I was positively elated to hear the news. It’s wonderful, and I wish Amity the best of luck. I was just saying, it’s also a bit of a shame. She seemed like such a bright young lady. I was under an impression she was much more academically inclined.”

Edalyn sends her a long look.

“More academically inclined than getting to study abomination magic under Darius Deamonne’s tutelage, oh sister dear?” she finally asks, uncharacteristically polite.

“Well, yes, sister dear,” Lilith drawls out. “Darius is an extremely skilled witch, one of the greatest practitioners of magic this generation has seen. He’s certainly a formidable opponent and an invaluable ally. No one can argue with the fact that he’s immensely powerful.”

“But…?” the Owl Lady prompts.

“But I think we can all agree that skilled is not the same as knowledgeable.” Lilith manages not to scoff. “And between the two of us, there’s a huge difference between studying magic and—” She hesitates, but decides to be frank. “Doing tricks.”

What is it today with Edalyn’s eyebrows? She raises them so often, at this point it would be less time consuming to just avoid lowering them altogether.

“Oh, don’t give me that look,” Lilith says. “You know very well Darius is a truly astounding practitioner of magic, yes, but his grasp on theory leaves much to be desired. It’s a miracle he can perform translocation at all, given the gaping holes in his erudition. Not to mention his abysmal lack of interest in the history of magic.”

“Ah yes, Lily. Gaping holes, that’s probably how he got to be a Coven Head at such a young age.”

Llilith scrunches her eyebrows. “Is that supposed to be some kind of innuendo?”

She often doesn’t understand Edalyn’s sense of humor, but it seems to have an awful lot to do with jokes about copulation. That won’t do, especially given that Lilith also became a Coven Head at a fairly young age.

“Nope, not this time,” her sister claims. “Just simple irony.”

Lilith frowns. Edalyn’s not sniggering, and she usually sniggers when she refers to sex. It’s not Eda’s fault. Her emotional development must have been stunted then she was cursed, and she’s been forever stuck at the most juvenile phase, poor thing.

“Very well then,” Lilith says warily. “It would seem you’re purposefully ignoring the point I’m making just to focus on every word of even the slightest criticism I might utter. All I’m saying is, Darius, being as incredibly talented as he is, took some shortcuts and neglected the theoretical and historical aspects of the art that, I have no doubt, he has nonetheless mastered.”

“Yeah. But the thing is, you see, he wouldn’t get to be where he is if he really didn’t know those things. I don’t know anyone else who can translocate like that, Lily. Never seen you do that, by the way. That had to require studying, you can’t just trial and error your way through turning yourself into a liquid and disappearing from the physical plane, you know?” Edalyn hesitates. “I mean, you can, but only once.”

“Har har,” Lilith comments dryly.

Edalyn shrugs. “I just don’t think he gets lucky every time he does that. He must have spent years nerding over textbooks. You know, like a nerd.” Then she smiles, exposing her tacky golden fang. “Though now that Odalia’s out of the picture, he probably does get lucky a lot.”

Lilith gives her sister an unimpressed look.

“Now, that was innuendo,” Edalyn proclaims proudly. “But Darius being ignorant? I don’t buy it, o sister of mine. But I understand this is a hard to swallow pill — and let me tell you, I’m great at swallowing.”

Edalyn leans in and nudges Lilith, winking. Lilith very carefully doesn’t move a muscle.

“Though now that I look at you with your tea, I think you might be better at swallowing stuff than I was giving you credit for. Or, dare I say… as I pegged you for?”

“That’s enough, Edalyn,” Lilith says, keeping her voice very level.

“There’s more where that came from!” the Owl Lady assures her gleefully.

“There’s not a shred of doubt in my mind,” Lilith remarks before making the grave mistake of taking a sip from the cup she’s still cradling in her hands. Her coughing fit lasts for almost an entire minute, though the good thing is, it distracts Edalyn long enough for her to stop further embarrassing herself with infantile sex jokes.

“As I was saying,” Lilith eventually speaks, her voice a bit hoarse. She’s going to drop the subject immediately after that, but there’s still one point she needs to make. “I am overjoyed for Amity’s sake. And of course she would wish to make her father’s new partner happy. She wants to form as many ties with him as possible, it’s only natural. Good family relations are crucial in youth’s development.”

“Uh-huh.”

“And one has to admit, it must be a welcome change. Odalia was not the best influence on her children.” Lilith pauses briefly. “Even though Amity did seem a bit more focused back then.”

“You mean: miserable?” Eda mutters, and pours herself a new cup of tea. She takes a sip and gives a satisfied grunt. “That’s the stuff. Ya sure you don’t want something less, weeell— less gross?”

“No, I am perfectly fine,” Lilith says airily and, in effect, she has to take another gulp of the horrid liquid. Now that it’s no longer hot, it’s even worse. Lilith meets Edalyn’s gaze and holds it while swallowing. She slowly extends her hand, grabs the tongs and drops another sugar cube into the cup, her expression dispassionate and her eyes never leaving her sister’s.

“You really don’t have to do that, Lily.”

“Oh but I wish to,” Lilith assures her. “In any case, you are of course quite correct. She’s far too focused on external validation, be it good grades or just verbal praise. It seems like she struggles finding self-worth in anything else, have you noticed? It’s quite sad. It must be said, Amity’s focus and ambition did not stem from a healthy upbringing. Her relationship with her mother appears… strained.” Lilith lets out a soft sigh. “Well, that’s the problem with mothers, isn’t it? No matter how hard you try to satisfy them, they don’t notice.”

“Uh-huh.”

“You can work hard and excel, you can be the best at what you do, oh you can be the best there is. If your mother doesn’t want to notice, she just won’t.”

“Uh-huh,” Eda says, addressing the ceiling.

“When I found her, poor Amity was dyeing her hair not in order to express herself but just to conform to the expectations! Can you imagine?”

“Uh-huh.”

Lilith pauses.

“Are you even listening?” she asks irately.

Edalyn takes her gaze off the ceiling. “Uh-huh,” she says. “Yeah, Lily. Mommy issues. Got it”

“Yes, quite so.” Lilith nods, pleasantly surprised with her sister’s attentiveness. “She does need a proper mother figure, poor thing. Someone who respected her and saw her potential from the very beginning. Someone who would nurture her academic curiosity instead of jumping straight to the parlor tricks.”

“Uh-huh.” Edalyn narrows her eyes at her, and then sends her a beaming smile. “By the way, Lily, love that dress of yours. Very black and very classy, wouldn’t wear it personally. Since it’s classy. But suits you, and I mean that as an honest-to-Titan compliment.”

Lilith lightens up. “Why, thank you, Edalyn!”

“Did they have something like that, but in red? I mean, I would still need to shorten it, you know I can’t walk with these things flapping around my ankles, but I love the style.”

“I can give you the address,” Lilith offers. “I believe I did see some burgundy among the options.” She examines the lace at her cuffs and nods to herself in satisfaction. “I should still have their business card somewhere. But have you noticed what she’s been wearing lately?”

“Who?”

“Young Amity, who else?”

“Of course it’s Amity. Who else indeed.” Edalyn rolls her eyes.  “But yeah, Luz won’t shut up about it. Very stylish. She’s rediscovering her true self or something like that, I hear. Lot of capes and asymmetrical lines, Luz keeps showing me pictures. Says it’s hot.”

Lilith makes sure her disgust isn’t noticeable. “It certainly has a … flair,” she says carefully. “But such bold fashion choices are not doing her any favors, especially with that eye color. Such amounts of pastels just wash her out. With her complexion, she should be wearing black. If she wants some bold details, she could certainly go with jewel tones, the way she used to. She looks … interesting, and it’s very important that she likes the way she dresses. She’s doing that for herself, after all. I can’t help but worry, however, about how she’s going to be perceived. Some people might say a respectable witch doesn’t dress like that.”

Edalyn gives an ugly snort. “What people?” she asks.

“Some.”

“Yeah, because respectable witches always happen to look like librarians, eh?”

“I’m fully aware your comment was mean-spirited,” Lilith responds serenely. “But I’ll have you know librarians are indeed extremely respectable.”

She takes a sip from the wretched cup. She immediately regrets it.

“Look, Lily,” Edalyn says, shifting in her sit almost uneasily. “I think it’s gotten cold by now. Do you want me to make some more? You know.” She makes a wide gesture, probably trying to present the offer as more alluring. “Steaming hot, dark, unsweetened tea?”

“Oh no, there’s no need.” Lilith looks into the cup miserably and ligers for a second before she forces herself to bring the wretched vessel to her lips again. The taste’s definitely getting worse. How is it getting worse?

“Suit yourself.” The Owl Lady shrugs. “Soo, I’ve been to the Night Market last week, and well, fuck me sideways, you’ll never guess what Tibbles was trying to sell!”

Lilith makes a soft sound of encouragement.

“Empty Palisman staffs! Empty!” Edalyn cries out. “He claims that now that the Spring’s coming, the Palismen will soon want to be nesting. So they’ll just land on those and stay there!”

“That is indeed preposterous,” Lilith admits.

“You know how much he asks for a staff like that? A thousand snails! A thousand! Seriously, not ten snails, and I wouldn’t give him even that much. But a thousand!”

“Yes, Edalyn, I heard you the first time.”

“And some of those are not even proper Palisman staffs, they’re just poles. He claims they’re made with some special technique that makes sure a Palisman that sits on it remains in that position indefinitely, can you imagine?”

“No I cannot.”

Edalyn smirks at her, and Lilith wonders when was the last time her sister brushed her teeth.

“I told him to put his snails where his mouth is and stick it up his ass. If he can’t take the staff out, then it probably really works.”

“I assume he wasn’t willing to conduct this sort of experiment in public?” Lilith says with the strangest mixture of disgust and amusement.

“Alas, nope,” the Owl Lady admits, sounding genuinely regretful. “Even though I offered to help!”

“I’m sure you did, Edalyn.” Lilith smiles, and maybe it’s a bit condescending, but her sister rarely minds that. “Palismen are not to be taken lightly, they’re crucial to the ways one develops their magic. Young Amity uses her Palisman to a great advantage. It’s a shame, really, that she’ll have to give it up.”

Edalyn’s expression drops for some reason.

“Afraid you lost me, Lily,” she says. Then her smile reappears, and she slams her palm against the table. “Almost forgot! You know who else was there at the market?”

“Well, Darius doesn’t have a Palisman,” Lilith explains patiently. “Or at least I’ve never seen him use one. It does figure, in Belos’ court only the most valued witches were allowed to keep their Palismen.” She ignores her sister’s eye roll. It’s not the first one, and at some point, they just become meaningless. “However, it means the techniques Darius is going to teach Amity are not going to take Ghost into account.”

“I’m pretty sure they can figure something out.”

“Frankly, I cannot imagine how,” Lilith carries on. “He has little to no experience with this kind of magic, and he’s depriving Amity of a powerful tool.”

“Yeah, well.” Edalyn grimaces. “I think Darius isn’t doing so bad himself, even without a Palisman.”

“This is different.”

“I don’t see how, Lily. He’s a really strong witch, not as good as me back in the day, but still pretty darn good. Definitely best at what he’s doing. And, you know. He actually has magic.” Edalyn waves her hand. “So don’t worry about them. How they train is their own business.”

“I was merely expressing concern for the wellbeing of the girl my niece fancies,” Lilith protests.  She lowers her voice conspiratorially. “It’s imperative that young Amity has the proper knowledge and the proper social standing in the future. Let’s be honest, it’s her that is going to be the breadwinner in their household.”

Edalyn stiffens. “I beg you fucking pardon?” she says, and her voice — oddly flat — doesn’t match the words.

Lilith pauses. She might have gotten a little bit carried away.

“I just meant—” she starts saying but, unable to come up with the rest of the sentence, punishes herself with another sip from the cup in her hand.

“You meant what?” the Owl Lady growls.

“I meant Luz is a wonderful and bright witch full of unconventional ideas,” Lilith manages to choke out through the nausea.

“Yes she is. And?”

“And—” Lilith hesitates. “And I’m sure she’ll land on her feet, whatever’s thrown at her?” she offers with a smile that she knows very well that looks nervous.

Edalyn relaxes a bit but keeps staring at her for longer than it’s comfortable. “Alright,” she says eventually, and then she stands up and starts pacing the room. Lilith’s eyes follow her movements for a minute until Eda stops and turns around with a serious expression.

“Hey, Lily, remember when you asked me to tell you if you were spiraling?” she asks.

Oh. So that’s what it’s about.

“Yes,” Lilith admits. “And I have regretted that ever since. I have never seen anyone overuse a privilege to such an extent, Edalyn. I’m not spiraling. I’m not going back to my old ways, whatever they were.” As if she were able to do so, even if she wanted! “I was merely expressing some concern for young Amity, and it was brief and respectful. You, on the other hand, seem unable to let the subject go.”

Edalyn puts a hand on her hip, cocks her head, and raises an eyebrow.

“You’re the one that keeps bringing it up!” Lilith protests, and she feels a surge of anger at the pity in her sister’s expression. “Darius this, Darius that, Darius has powers because he was never cursed, what a great mentor Darius is. I agree, I already said I agree! I said I’was happy for them, what else do you want from me?” It’s unfair. How does Lilith always end up as the selfish, inconsiderate one? “I’m really glad, and it’s a great opportunity for Amity. Very exciting!”

The Owl Lady doesn’t say anything. Lilith reaches for the sugar bowl just to do something with her hands.

“She deserves all the best, and I’ve known that since I started tutoring and nurturing her. And Darius is an expert in the field she has chosen. It’s picture-perfect. For both of them! I’m elated!”

“Uh-huh.”

“I’m thrilled, I really am. Absolutely ecstatic. All I said was that perhaps Darius, just like any other person, might have some limitations. That’s it. Nothing more. Nonetheless, I couldn’t be happier. Truly.”

“I see,” Eda says, though it appears like she does not see.

“So what if he can’t help Amity with Palisman magic and doesn’t know history. He has other qualities, I’m sure they’ll prove to be more than enough. Maybe he’s a little standoffish, yes, but he can be also charming when he wants to. He’s a very nice man. When he decides to be, that is. Well, yes, he might be a little bit vain, but who isn’t?”

“Vanity’s a terrible trait,” Edalyn supplies. “Truly makes people blind to their own shortcomings.”

“Exactly!” Lilith exclaims before she hears her sister snigger and really understands what she’s just said.

Oh Titan below. She feels hers cheeks burn the way they used to back when she was fifteen and got an answer wrong in front of the entire class.

“Knock it off,” she snaps at Edalyn, unable to come up with anything else. She keeps her hands busy. “Are you enjoying yourself?”

Edalyn gives her a one-armed shrug. “Honestly? Not as much as I thought I would.”

“Oh, but it must have been so much fun, setting me up like that!” Lilith exclaims cheerfully, even though she can hear a hysterical note in her voice.

“Lily—”

“All this incessant nagging, refusing to drop the subject, continuously bringing it up and coming up with new ways to get me talking again whenever I was ready to change the topic.” Lilith smiles radiantly in order to stop herself from screaming. “Oh, how amusing!”

“That you did all by yourself. Look, Lily—”

“Is that why you brought me here? To revel in my failure?”

“Lily.”

“Very mature. ‘Oh look, here comes the former Coven Head Lilith Clawthorne! She’s lost her position, prestige, and her magic. Let us watch her react to another loss! What will she do? Surely it’s going to be entertaining.’ How delightful!”

“Lily!” the Owl Lady finally raises her voice, and now there’s a warning in it.

“What?!” Lilith yells back, and she’s no longer trying to be civil about it. “What is so urgent? What else do you want from me? Do you want to discuss all the rejection letters I received? Make a comment on my hairstyle? You cut it, Edalyn, you made it like this!” She seethes. “What else? You want to tell me I’m getting wrinkles? Oh believe me, my dear, I know. I do have a mirror, which, by the by, is something that can’t be said about you. At least with absolute certainty.”

“Lily,” Edalyn repeats, but this time she sounds unperturbed. The deadpan’s the worst part. If there’s going to be a shouting match, the least Edalyn could do is actually shout. She doesn’t get to be calm, not after riling Lilith up like that. “Your cup runneth over,” the Owl Lady observes wryly instead of meeting her sister at her level.

Lilith falters, momentarily losing her cart of thought. She looks at the cup she’s been cradling in her right hand. It is indeed running over, and that’s because there’s a stack of white cubes protruding from behind the brink. At some point, the sugar must have stopped dissolving. The sticky liquid is pouring out and onto the table she was leaning against on her elbow. Not only that, the substance is slowly dripping onto Lilith’s lap, and it’s going to be impossible to remove the stain. This was a brand new dress. Cost a tenth of her monthly earnings.

She’s holding the tongs in her other hand. She puts them down slowly, and instead of the clanking sound, there’s an awful plop when they land in the puddle.

“Huh, would you look at that,” she comments weakly, and then, to add insult to injury, her lower lip starts to quiver.

Edalyn wavers, her expression softening.

“Oh, Lily,” she sighs, crouching next to her sister. “We’ll get that cleaned, it’s no biggie. Just please don’t drink that thing anymore. I think at this point it might kill you dead.”

For the lack of a better reaction, Lilith chuckles miserably.

“You must think I’m such a silly gruese,” she finally mumbles, looking away.

“Naah,” Eda hums, but before Lilith can breathe a sigh of relief, she adds, “Luz is. I mean, the expression silly gruese implies someone being at least a bit adorable. I think the word you’re actually looking for here is petty.”

Edalyn’s eyes widen a bit at the sound of Lilith’s sniffle.

“Oh no, please don’t do that!” she cries out, and pats Lilith’s knee awkwardly. Her palm gets immediately covered in the sticky substance. “It happens to everybody. The important thing is, one eventually gets their head out of their ass. And you do!” She pauses, unable to herself. “Well, sooner or later. Most of the time. At least some of the times.”

Lilith doesn’t say anything, afraid she’s going to burst into tears. She’s already made enough of a spectacle of herself.

“Besides, there’s plenty nerds in the boiling sea. Yeah, Amity’s really into abominations. So what? Hunter loves glyphs and all that theoretical crap, and he’s super into history of wild magic. But I bet he doesn’t know half the stuff you know about the sanctioned one! He could use your help.”

“Me and Hunter are not exactly on speaking terms,” Lilith admits glumly. “And to some extent, partially, I might be a little bit to blame for that.”

“Yeah, so were we,” Edalyn reminds her, thankfully ignoring that last sentence. “But look at us now!” She gestures between the two of them. “All chummy, sisterly and shit. Talking about clothes. You can win him over, and I’m pretty sure it’s not gonna take much. I dunno, give him a book. He’ll make passionate love to it and cuddle it afterwards. You two can bond over the experience.”

Lilith grimaces, but she does wonder briefly about Eda’s idea. Young Hunter is a talented and driven witch, one that has probably had enough training for a couple lifetimes. He could certainly use some help with the non-conventional ways of spellcasting and the less practical aspects of magic. Lilith knows all too well how much the Coven undervalued knowledge that couldn’t be used directly in combat. The boy did what he could with what he was given. More than he could, in fact. Granted, he might not be pleasant to be around, but his knowledge has always been impressive. Well, for a child.

“Darius fancies himself Hunter’s custodian, I believe,” she says slowly. “He seems quite protective of the boy. Possessive, even. He wouldn’t be very happy with the development.”

“Well, screw Darius. All the more reason to snatch Hunter from right under his nose, amirite?”

“He would be furious.”

Edalyn bares both her fangs in a wide grin. “That’s the spirit!” she hollers, and nudges Lilith in the ribs so hard Lilith momentarily loses her breath.

She yelps and instinctively curls up, but Edalyn’s laughter is infectious, so she ends up giving a small, sensible chuckle as well.

“Heck, I’m feeling generous today,” the Owl Lady declares. “Want a hug?”

Lilith doesn’t want a hug. What she wants, no, what she needs is to have her magic back. Have people respect her and young witches actively want to be her students. She was the head of the most prestigious coven of them all, commanding an army, head held high and with her face on every recruitment poster. People recognized her immediately. They looked in awe when she was passing by, quick to get out of her way, and oh, how powerful she was back then. She used to be someone, and now she’s sitting in her sister’s living room next to a cup of stacked sugar cubes, wearing a stained dress she couldn’t really afford. So no, Lilith doesn’t want a titandamn hug.

But it would do.

Still, “I appreciate the offer Edalyn,” she says because she might not have much at the moment, but she still has her dignity. “But no, thank you. I’m perfectly alright.” She extends her pinky and very carefully brings the cup to her lips. It means spilling its contents along the way, but that’s inconsequential. The dress is already ruined either way. Two wet sugar cubes land on her lap. She takes a sip while her taste buds scream in agony, and then she ostentatiously smacks her lips in appreciation. “Though perhaps you could be a dear and pass me the sugar bowl?” she asks very politely.