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Amity hated the Oracle track. It wasn't the magic for her, and it was reflected in her grades. She understood the theoretical side but Amity was an Abomination witch through and through. The spirits were willing to talk to her and enjoyed telling her about their pasts but they refused to listen to her, to appear at her command or show her possible futures. The Crystal Ball never responded to her magic the way it should have.
The only reason she was in the Oracle track was because Mother caught her talking to an unsummoned bound spirit (ironically, they were trying to warn Amity to not let Mother learn of her ‘gift’) with no issue. It had always been planned that Amity would be in the Abomination track but that one day changed everything. The once promising Blight became another disappointment.
The only good thing that came of it was Boscha leaving her alone and Amity was able to reconnect with Willow. The two couldn't hang out at Blight Manor but, after a week of free labor, Amity was welcomed back to the Park home.
Willow introduced her to Augustus and they became a trio of misfits. An Abomination witch who couldn't make an abomination, an Oracle who couldn't see the future, and an Illusionist younger than anyone in his grade. Then their trio gained a fourth member.
---
As soon as Amity sat down, she placed her head on the table and groaned.
“Are you ok?” Willow asked.
“No.” She turned her head to face them and noticed the two blue eyes staring at her from the cauldron. They seemed to draw her in, and for an unknown amount of time she could not tear her gaze away.
“Amity?” She jolted. Augustus had called for her.
“Sorry. Lucian continues to cause me trouble.” She sighed.
“That’s the spirit you've been assigned?” Augustus asked.
“Unfortunately. He’s annoyingly stubborn.” She shook her head and forced a smile. “How was illusions, Augustus?”
She wasn't the biggest fan of the track (mostly because of her siblings) but the youngest always looked happy to talk about his magic.
“That’s right, you weren't here this morning. I want to be called Gus.”
Amity tilted her head. It seemed a bit sudden but if that was what he wanted.
“Ok? What happened this morning?” The two looked at one another and oddly enough the cauldron.
“We will tell you but it needs to be somewhere private.” Willow said after a minute or so.
Amity couldn't help but look at the cauldron. Why was it open ever so slightly? Why were the abomination’s eyes blue rather than the usual green? The longer she looked the less like eyes they looked, more similar to twin flames which faded to purple. It was like no abomination she had ever seen.
---
She was led to an empty classroom, where, after checking several times, Willow took the lid off.
The first to exit the pot was a large spectral wolf with a white lamb mask, a black hook in the middle of it. Amity stepped back at its deep voice. “You are lucky that goo can’t get in my fur. Otherwise you would be my next hunt.”
Amity glanced at her friends to see their reactions. Willow and Gus didn't seem to notice the threatening being before them.
“You can come out now.” Willow said instead. The wolf must have been a spirit then, an unbound one at that.
A hand covered in abomination goop lifted from the pot. With it came a witchoid with a wooden wolf mask that was a shade or two darker than the abomination goo.
“It was surprisingly warm.” They spoke, their voice emotionless. Both the wolf and this being had the same eyes, purple flames that turned blue.
“Sorry about that.” Willow chuckled.
“Who is this?” They asked and a shiver ran down her spine.
“She smells weird.” The wolf commented. The ‘abomination’ tilted their head.
“This is our friend Amity.” Gus introduced. The being removed their mask to reveal tan skin and brown eyes. They pulled down their hood, their brown hair a mess that did nothing to hide circular… ears.
“Nice to meet you, Amity.” The human smiled, her voice now filled with emotions. “I’m Luz.”
“You're human.” She gasped and turned to Willow. “Why is a human pretending to be an abomination?”
Willow seemed to wilt under her gaze.
“It was my idea.” Luz said. “I wanted to help Willow.”
“Be grateful that Lamb gives you the time of day.” Amity wasn't sure which was worse. The wolf’s voice or Luz’s when she became monotone.
“Luz has convinced me to talk to Principal Bump after school.” Willow fidgeted. “I’m going to join the plant track, hopefully. But I can’t do that if I get detention from failing.”
She supposed that made sense. Gus grinned, “Maybe we can get you into the Abomination track as well!”
“That would be nice.” She truly did enjoy abominations.
“We can go as soon as I get a change of clothes!” Luz said happily.
“I think I have an extra uniform in my locker.” Amity offered.
“Perfect!”
---
Life became easier upon joining the Abomination track. Her grades seemed to improve overnight, to the point Mother couldn't argue her choice to transfer, not for lack of trying. And she had Luz to thank for it all, the strange human seemingly haunted by a wolf.
As Amity went about cleaning up the kid’s corner a soft hum echoed around her. She turned to find the very two who lingered in her mind.
“That ending was boring.” The wolf huffed. “Where was the hunt?”
Amity was still uncertain if Luz could see what was in her shadow, and this seemed to continue as the human didn't seem to react with anything more than a smile.
Luz pushed herself away from the half shelf she was leaning against. “Not a bad story, but maybe something… scarier next time?”
The wolf seemed to nod along. “Lamb is right. Ready them for the chase.”
‘Chase?’ Amity thought curiously but tried to focus back to the human. “What are you doing here, Luz?”
“Eda wanted me to return some books. What about you?”
“I work here.” She said in a matter of fact voice. “If I perform well, I get some extra credit. At least that’s how it worked when I was in the Oracle track.”
“I see.”
Luz messed with her mask, which was tied to something at her waist. A comfortable silence surrounded them as Amity tried her best to continue her work. The human began to hum again as she waited for the Blight.
“Hey, Mittens!” Please, no. Not them and not now. The library was supposed to be safe, where Amity was safe. At least Luz was kind enough to remain mostly quiet. Accepting her fate, Amity turned to face her siblings. Edric held out that embarrassing pink rabbit lunch bag. “Mom says to stop forgetting your lunch.”
“And who’s your little friend?” Emira’s eyes locked onto the human’s form.
“Stop calling me that.” The youngest Blight scoffed as she snatched the bag from her brother. “And leave her alone.”
Luz walked up to them and stared at the twins for a moment.
“Hey there, Cutie.” Emira winked and Amity noticed the light tint on the human’s cheeks. The sight of it made something ugly bubble in the witch’s chest.
“I see red.” The wolf circled Luz, who seemed to blush more and put on her mask.
“My name is Luz.” Her voice had gone back to giving nothing away.
“Nice to meet you, Cutie.” Emira leaned in close. “I’m Emira and this is Edric.”
Ed leaned against Em with a ‘charming’ smirk. “We’re Amity’s older siblings.”
“You can leave now.” Amity hissed.
“Agreed. I doubt you find the library entertaining.”
“Are you sure you're Amity’s friend?” Edric questioned.
“You seem too cool to be one of Mitten’s friends.” Emira agreed.
Luz gave them a blank stare before turning to Amity.
“If you are finished, I would like your help in finding a book.”
“Oh, uh, yeah.” Amity fiddled with her skirt.
“Goodbye.” Luz took the witch’s arm and dragged her away. She didn't seem to let up until the twins were well out of sight.
When the human finally let go, Amity straightened and cleaned imaginary dust off herself. “What’s the book you needed?”
“Hm?” Luz lifted her mask and gave Amity a grin. “Oh, there’s no book. They just seemed to be causing you trouble.”
If it had been anyone else, Amity would yell at them for helping her when it wasn't needed. For some reason she felt grateful as a nice warmth filled her being. A part of her that sounded an awful lot like Mother, still wanted to curse out the haunted human. She locked that part away deep in her mind.
“Thanks, Luz. Those two are nothing but trouble.” She sighed and rested her head on the shelf behind her. “Knowing them, they are likely causing chaos to ‘liven the place up’.”
“I can keep an eye on them if you want.”
“But our hunt!” For a second, Amity thought Luz looked at the wolf but she wasn't sure.
“If you already have plans, I don't want to derail them.” She tried.
“It’s fine. I’ll help you then do what is needed.”
Amity nodded, hoping the wolf would not resent her.
---
The twins had told Luz of how they were going to break into the library later that day, and Luz told her. The plan was simple, the human would sneak in with the older Blights, try and keep property damage low, meanwhile Amity would stay at the library to catch them in the act. If she also made sure her hidden items in her study were still hidden, who would blame her?
Amity was in the back, getting a snack, when a scream that sounded like Emira echoed around her. She was quick to find the source and stumbled upon the group. She hid behind a shelf and watched, ready to step in when needed.
“What is that thing!?” Edric pointed at the wolf spirit. Could… could they see him? But they couldn't before.
“Who are you calling a thing?” The wolf growled.
“It talks!” Emira paled.
“You can see Wolf?” Luz tilted her head except something was off about her. She seemed to be surrounded by a white aura. Now that Amity thought about it, the wolf seemed to have a dark shroud around himself too.
Wait. ‘You can see Wolf?’ Did that mean Luz could always see him? Then why ignore him the way she did?
“How could we not? It’s huge!”
“Call me it again, and you’ll meet my fangs. If you are Lamb’s or not, it doesn't matter.” Wolf threatened.
‘Why does he keep calling Luz ‘Lamb’?’ Amity thought to herself.
“Easy now, dear Wolf. Their time will come.” Luz patted the wo- Wolf on the head. He seemed calm enough. “I believe you came for something?”
The twins looked at each other and nodded. “Right. Let’s go.”
---
Amity was a goner. Those idiots she called siblings had first tried to steal her diary (thankfully Luz and Wolf stopped them) and now because of them she was going to become as flat as paper. Otabin, a monster of himself, had already sown her arm into the page. This really would be it? She didn't even get a chance to thank Wolf and tell Luz she had always been able to see him. What a shame.
“Da da ta data.” The soft hum echoed around the kid’s corner.
“Luz?” She gasped, desperate to find the human but she was nowhere to be found.
The humming came to an abrupt stop, a low growl Amity recognized as Wolf took its place. Otabin stood tall, his grip on the giant needle tightening.
“Something lurks in the dark.” He said. “I will make sure they disembark.”
“You took something that didn't belong to you.” The voice echoed, and Amity wasn't sure it even had a starting point.
“We don't like when people take what’s ours.”
Chills ran down Amity’s spine and she worried for a brief moment she was going to die.
“I have taken only a friend, now face your end!” Otabin would regret that.
“Run, now!” Wolf leapt from the shadows, his teeth aimed for Otabin’s throat.
The pink demon managed to just barely move his sewing needle into the way. Wolf bit down on the metal and thrashed violently. A figure landed before the witch, blocking her view of the fight. She nearly screamed if not for her recognizing that wooden mask.
“L-Luz?”
“It seems you were captured by the wrong hunter.” Luz pulled out a slip of paper, unfolding it.
“What?”
“No one is allowed to steal from us.”
A knife appeared before the strange being. She took it and began to free Amity. Luz caught her friend and was quick to get them moving.
“Luz, what is-” She tried to peek over at the two fighting.
“No time.” Luz jerked her forward. “The hunt has begun, you cannot interfere.”
‘The hunt?’ She got a look at Wolf and Otabin. The rabbit was on the ground, cuts all along his body. Wolf opened his massive jaws and- Amity looked away, tried to ignore the sound of tearing paper.
“Dear Titan.” She muttered. To think Luz knew and allowed such a spirit to follow her.
“Life is temporary.” Blue flames stared at Amity. “His even more so. Besides, he was in pain, an abomination of his former self.”
She supposed she was right. Otabin would vanish before the night’s end. She kept telling herself that.
---
“I never want to experience the Wailing Star again.” Amity stretched as morning light warmed her skin.
Luz closed the library door behind them, the white glow that surrounded her having vanished along with the star’s magic. “At least you can use it against the twins.”
“I suppose.”
Amity sighed, thankful for the two who saved her. Wolf moved away from Luz, sniffing at Amity.
“Your new friend is fine, Lamb. Still smells weird but fine.”
The witch knelt and carefully placed her hand on Wolf’s snout. “Thank you for saving me, Wolf.”
He huffed, “Think nothing of it.”
“Wait,” Luz walked up to them confused, “the Wailing Star is gone. How can you see Wolf?”
Amity chuckled nervously trying to think of something.
“You are like him!” Wolf circled her as he came to the realization. “A bridge to the spirits.”
“What?” Both girls said at once. The wolf seemed annoyed by it but who could blame them after the night they had?