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Luz walked numbly through the woods in disbelief.
Left step. Right step. Left step. Right step.
She didn’t know what she was doing. But she figured it had to take her back eventually, right? It’d end eventually. It had to.
She’d stayed in front of the Emperor’s Castle for SO long. It felt like hours as she stared in disbelief, trying to repeat what just happened.
And then she’d screamed. She screamed so loudly.
Luz took out her glyphs and tried to use them, as much as she could. She blasted light, fire, ice, and plants across. For a moment she thought she could do it.
But then the covenscouts appeared, with their spears and other weapons. They told Luz to move, that she couldn’t stay.
Luz wanted to fight back. She wanted so badly to fight back.
But then they surrounded Luz, pulled her away, and shoved her back to the ground. And then they left, and suddenly Luz understood;
There was nothing she could do.
Luz trudged through the woods. It felt so dark and lonely and cold. The wind blew along as leaves floated across. She’d never been here before. It felt like the whole world she’d known had stopped and there was just this.
Eda…
Eda the Owl Lady..
Was gone.
It played again and again in Luz’s mind. She pinched herself in the arm, that old stupid trick, but it never worked did it?
Eda was gone.
Luz shuddered in the cold, or from the memory. She almost died; She could still feel herself about to be pushed through a spike, and her heart was racing and stopping all at once, it felt like she’d explode.
But that didn’t matter. Luz was alright now. And all it took was for Eda to sacrifice herself.
It’s my power, kid. And before you showed up, I spent my whole life wasting it, she’d said. And Luz… Thank you, for being in my life.
Luz wanted to laugh hollow and bitterly. Her whole life wasted? She was Eda the Owl Lady, the most powerful witch in the Boiling Isles! She was unstoppable, she was a menace. Eda was beholden to nobody or anything, not even an Emperor. Eda was an inspiration for those who cared.
And now she was gone.
Luz grabbed herself, feeling her skin prickled. She’d seen what he’d done; Murder a Palisman, split it open, right in front of her. And feed on it.
Luz didn’t know what she was doing, what she expected. It just suddenly was there and she had to deal with it, so she ran.
And now Eda was trapped with a monster like that. And so was Owlbert…
Oh god Owlbert.
Luz thought of their times together; How she’d hurt Owlbert, who felt so betrayed. She cried and sobbed with guilt and wailed aloud she was sorry, and somehow the Bat Queen forgave her. Owlbert still trusted her, still preferred his life with her.
And now Owlbert would be dead too.
What had Luz done?!
And Eda…
She said she wouldn’t die; Just that she’d turn into that monstrous Owl Beast forever. A fate WORSE than death, she’d described it.
What did Luz do.
She knew what Eda had done; She’d done everything for Luz. She told her that Us weirdoes have to stick together.
Eda had given her friends. She’d given Luz magic. A dream. A school she could have fun, and not feel like an idiot in, when Eda couldn’t have had that!
She’d given Luz a home.
Wasted her whole life; Luz couldn’t believe that. Why did Eda act as if this HAD to happen, that this was the only trade-off from Luz being in her life?!
Luz didn’t have to do this. She and Eda and King could’ve had it all. If Luz just hadn’t…
The curse! THAT STUPID CURSE!!!
And Lilith! Luz worried about her mom so much, whether she’d accept her or not. But she still wanted to go back for her because she knew her mom cared.
Luz had really thought Lilith felt the same way. She’d seen through Eda’s own eyes and body how Lilith cared, how soft and tender she’d been. How much she missed her. Luz did, too.
But she’d cursed her all along. She’d done this. Luz wondered how anyone could curse their own sister; Someone as bright and wonderful as Eda the Owl Lady?
She said she could explain, but what explanation was there?! Anymore than there was for Luz.
That’s right; A dread began to dawn on Luz as she realized why Lilith had done this. Maybe she’d regretted it, maybe she’d taken it back after all. But maybe not, if she still hated Eda so much. Luz couldn’t imagine how anyone could feel so many contradictory things, both in such huge, equal force. It must tear them apart.
But Lilith had done this to cure Eda. Eda was trapped in that castle with a cannibal of a creature, and so was Owlbert. Because Lilith wanted to help.
So did Luz. This had all happened because Luz wanted to cure Eda’s curse.
Luz beat a fist against her head. Then again. Then again. Harder and louder. She felt numb. Was it because she’d hit too hard, or had she never felt it to begin with???
Like Lilith, Luz didn’t listen to Eda. Eda told her she was fine with the curse. Like Lilith, Luz had gone ahead anyway. Like Lilith, they’d sought an answer, a solution, anything in that Emperor’s Castle, where all the orders that made Eda an outcast had come from.
And it was all useless. The Healing Hat was nothing but a cheap knock-off.
And now Lilith was about to do the same; Betray Eda for nothing.
Stupid, stupid, STUPID! Luz grabbed her wrist to stop her fist and clutched it to her side, tight. It made Luz feel trapped; It made her feel like she was being held by Lilith again. That she was in that bubble again.
Luz had learned so much magic because of Eda, from Eda, and for what? Just to get Eda practically killed, WORSE than killed.
It wasn’t enough that Luz had gotten Eda here. It wasn’t enough that Eda went here and began burning away all of her magic because of Luz, when she’d stressed so much the importance of not picking fights, of saving it.
Eda was winning. She would’ve won.
But then Luz had to try helping, AGAIN. She hadn’t learned at all. And suddenly she felt herself being pressed against a spike, could practically feel it tingling against the back of her spine. Luz’s heart stopped; She didn’t want to die. But did that mean Eda had to?!
Eda could’ve done so much without Luz. She could’ve done so much WITH Luz, if Luz just hadn’t done this. How many times did Eda tell her what to do, and Luz, in her stupidity and childishness, ignore and go ahead anyway?! How many times did Eda have to save her, how much trouble did Eda get into for it until this was the final and worst time, how much had she done, WHY COULDN’T LUZ JUST GET IT?! WHY WAS SHE SO DUMB?!
The others back home were right; Luz WAS an idiot. She was a reckless, stupid idiot who caused chaos and trouble and got people hurt. No wonder Principal Hal carted Luz off like a rabid animal in a cage.
Luz avoided that, just to bring it on Eda. For a moment, when she pushed and shoved and moved Eda’s body and she flickered. She thought it hadn’t been for real. Seeing all of that magic, seeing the light of Eda’s life, fade away into pure darkness wasn’t real.
And then suddenly it was the feathers, those horrible feathers, and it was the Owl Beast. But it was also Eda’s face, snarling at Luz. Hating her. Wanting her dead.
It was like Eda wanted Luz dead, and Luz couldn’t believe she’d been scared of Eda.
But she should be. And Eda should hate her, and want her dead. Luz had betrayed her too, after Lilith had. Eda had only trusted Owlbert, King, and Hooty.
No wonder she’d been so alone. She spoke of it as a bad thing, and it was; But it was never Eda’s fault. Just Luz and Lilith.
A sister betrayed by the other. A mentor betrayed by the apprentice. Luz had learned from Eda, taken so much from her, and what had she given back? That hadn’t been all undone by this one mistake, Luz realized; She could’ve really had it all, an Eda who’d received things from her, if Luz hadn’t blown it.
Luz hated Lilith; She hated how anyone could be so jealous. That anyone could see such a bright and brilliant young mind, and want to ruin that just to feel better. Luz thought of what she’d seen from Eda, the most power and magic she’d ever displayed, possibly ever had. A celebratory reminder of all Luz wanted to be a part of.
She could’ve been so much more, if not for Luz and Lilith. Luz knew Eda was the younger sister, she knew Eda was aging faster. Her life had been shortened, and she didn’t even get to use her time as she’d have liked because of this damn coven system!
But she might’ve still had some time. If not for Luz.
Luz wondered how Eda didn’t mourn the witch she could’ve been. As a human, Luz saw magic in the most wonderful light, and that never stopped Eda as a witch. She’d had it all; The raw talent, the magic, the skill, the pure passion.
And then like little parasites and leeches, who could only think of themselves and how they wanted to be special, they wanted the dream, they ignored the bigger picture of what someone like Eda could do for everyone, for them, and dragged her down. Ruined her. Took it all away, permanently, to compensate for having less magic or even none at all. And now they’d never know. They’d never get to experience.
Luz would never get to experience Eda again. That was it, that was the last there’d ever be of Edalyn Clawthorne; Maybe Luz could find out some other things posthumously. But this was all Eda herself would see or do. Nothing new could come and it was all finite, limited, running out and Luz panicked as she clung to Eda’s memory but felt it slipping through her fingers. What were the last things they’d done, the last adventures and happy endings?! It wasn’t the grand send-off they deserved, how could anything suffice for that, and all the things Luz should’ve said before goodbye, Eda had done. But Luz hadn’t returned the favor and given her own farewell.
She shuddered; She’d felt dirty, when Lilith pushed back her hood and revealed her ears. Her wretched human ears, the first and immediate sign of what a strange and disgusting creature she was, how she didn’t fit in, how she was useless. The thing other kids her age, and even adults, would gawk at. The thing Luz tried to hide, the part of her she secretly had begun to hate.
She’d hid from Lilith at first because of her connection to Eda; Because she was afraid of how Lilith would think about her. And then Lilith had told Luz to go back to her world.
Luz didn’t think racism existed on the isles. She’d asked Eda about it once, and she seemed genuinely confused so Luz dropped it. And for a moment it didn’t matter what her skin color was, she could just be! She could just be herself, that was the point of the Boiling Isles right?!
But it wasn’t for her. She was just another lowly human, an outsider, an invader. And she’d ruined someone from this place. After everything, Lilith had been right about this.
Luz wanted to run, run all the way back home. But she didn’t belong there either. Where could she go?!
Right. The Owl House.
The woods stretched on endlessly. Luz had only a vague idea of where to go from the Titan’s skull in the distance, and other huge landmarks as a reference. But it felt like she’d made no progress, like she was in some surreal maze that existed outside of reality. Luz couldn’t even begin to imagine where she’d go from here.
So Luz just shut her eyes and looked down at the now, what was right in front of her, her feet. Left step, right step. She ignored it until she’d be there. God, her shoes were filthy and stained and dirty. She ached. Something inside of her, Luz’s guts, twisted and curled up as it felt like poison was being leaked into her heart. She coughed, loudly, violently, heaved and gagged and retched.
What would she tell Hooty and King?
Luz suddenly heard something up ahead rustle, shuffle. She glanced up quickly, then wondered why; It didn’t really matter, did it?
And she saw it; A giant, behemoth of a demon. It resembled a crab with baleful orange eyes and a jagged maw. Its claws lashed out and gnashed. And then it opened its mouth and out streamed white tendrils, like bandages, at Luz.
For a split second, Luz wondered why she should even dodge. Why should she fight back. She deserved this! She was a walking paradox, a rabid dog who wanted to help but just got someone hurt.
But then she felt rage; So, SO much rage. She felt so much anger, she felt explosively angry as her body shuddered and-
Luz leapt out of the way. It all felt so obvious, so smooth, so natural. Because none of it mattered, so she didn’t care. And she didn’t feel any fear or anything else, except anger.
Why? How?!
How- How could anyone or anyTHING do this, now?!
Luz didn’t have time for this; Eda the Owl Lady, the kindest person to her ever, the first friend who showed her unconditional love from the start. She was GONE, and this stupid thing thought that was alright!? That it could just. MOVE ON, it could just pretend it wasn’t important, that it actually mattered more!
How selfish could one be, didn’t they understand?! EDA WAS GONE! AND IT WAS ALL LUZ’S FAULT!!!
Luz flashed a Light glyph, not even bothering to cover her own eyes; Let them be blinded, like Eda’s had been clouded in darkness. The sight still haunted her.
The crab demon screeched, clutching its own eyes shut. The tendrils lashed around uselessly, and then Luz set them on fire.
Another wail of pain; Its legs’ grip on the surrounding trees faltered as it began to slide down. With calm efficiency, Luz glided through the air as her hand lashed out, and giant vines ensnared the beast. She yanked downwards, feeling more elegant and true to herself than she’d ever been.
KRSSSHHAAAMMMMM!!!!! The beast sent dust clouds flying as the earth shook, but Luz stood her ground. After everything she’d seen, nothing could move her anymore. Nothing could fill her with love, joy, or tenderness again. That it all came and went with Eda the Owl Lady, who’d felt like the one source of that; And now she’d been snuffed out, vanquished.
Luz set an ice glyph on the ground, and watched as the frost crept up the crab demon, freezing it in place. It thrashed painfully, and then it was still.
Luz stared at it with an unfeeling wonder. Trapped inside of a transparent barrier, to be paraded around for all the world to see. A prisoner in its own body. A spectacle and freakshow to point and gawk at, for whoever was unfortunate enough to see it.
…Where had this been?!
Where had all. THIS, this rage, this power, this efficiency, been when Eda’d needed it most?!
Maybe when Eda didn’t need it, when Luz didn’t need it. But the one time she could do something, at the pinnacle of everything Eda had taught her, all Eda had poured into Luz and invested, and she couldn’t even return the favor!
Luz suddenly remembered it; The Witch’s Wool. Eda had been knitting it, for herself, to protect herself so she wouldn’t have to rely on magic. And Luz had really had the audacity to demand it from Eda, like she’d demanded everything, from a place in her home as a cuckoo bird parasite, to her time in Hexside when she should’ve been appreciating Eda’s tutelage more.
And Eda had gone along, an Owl unwittingly raising a Cuckoo bird. An impostor whose parent didn’t even want it, who was now pushing aside and starving the actual children deserving.
That Witch’s Wool could’ve saved Eda. Where was it?!
It wasn’t ready, Luz finally realized; Of course. If Eda had some more time, she might’ve had it prepared. If Luz had just held out long enough. Or if she hadn’t gone at all, or if she’d just picked her losses and left. If she’d shoved a GLYPH into Lilith’s bitch-ass face-
She must’ve found out from Willow and Gus. God, Willow and Gus had risked it all for Luz; They really said they’d wanted to help her, they’d actually been fooled by Luz.
And now they’d been seen by Lilith, and gotten into trouble with her. Willow had finally gotten to be in the Plant track because of Luz, Gus and her had looked forward to the Emperor’s Coven! They’d done so at the Covention!
And now Luz had probably sabotaged any future they could’ve had with it.
She didn’t know how to feel; The Emperor’s Coven was a hollow, empty sham. She’d just seen it herself.
But maybe if Willow and Gus had just gone along-
No. No, no, NO! Luz beat her forehead again as she began running along, trying not to think but there was nothing else as she screamed and yelled and raged and it reverberated through her lungs and throat, straining it as acid felt like it was grazing. Let her be heard, let all the monsters of the wilderness come for Luz’s throat! She’d kill them, or be killed herself, what difference did it make?!
What right did Luz have to decide for them, as she’d ‘decided’ for Eda?! At the very least she could’ve let them naturally figure it out for themselves, she didn’t need to get them into direct trouble with the Emperor’s Coven that she knew had no qualms when it came to kids like them!
Gus had lost the H.A.S. because of Luz; A place where he could make people feel like they belonged, like Eda had done to her. Like he’d done to Luz. He’d acted like it was okay because he made Luz belong. But now…
And Willow! Willow had finally been built back up, she’d grown past the state Luz found her in. And then Luz burned her memories, almost caused Willow’s mind to be obliterated because of what?! So she could play out her fantasies? Willow was raging with all of the grief in the world and all Luz could think of was the novelty of being in her memories. Willow called this out to her face and without any awareness, Luz had just said yes.
Well. Now Luz had known. She’d hurt Gus, broken Willow’s self-esteem with that hairclip. She’d sent Willow crashing back down, and almost roped her into humiliation because Luz really thought she could play out her Azura fantasies here.
Luz had made up for it; She’d taken all of the humiliation to spare Willow and Gus. She’d finally understood, as Amity explained to her, what kind of person she was being.
Willow and Gus really thought that was enough; They’d saved Luz, and she got to give Willow the spotlight! And share and bask in that, too.
But it was all because Luz was just a parasite. Willow was strong, Gus had a good head on his shoulders. They could’ve figured it out eventually, by themselves. Maybe they’d have met Eda the Owl Lady instead, and taken Luz’s place. They had actual magic, they had actually fought back for a bit against Lilith.
Luz imagined the feeling of that Healing Hat tearing apart in her hands and disintegrating into wisps of nothing. She wasn’t sure what she’d destroyed, but it was something with enough history and importance for people to celebrate. And now she’d torn that too.
And Amity… Amity Blight. She wondered what Amity would think of Lilith now; Her own mentor, who’d already betrayed her trust at the Covention. Would she see this and be okay? Or take a stance?!
What would she think if she’d seen Luz now? She and Lilith were practically the same, right? Pretending to help, only to get Amity into more trouble because of some selfish little undercurrent they just couldn’t ignore! Luz had gotten Amity into trouble over a loss she hadn’t deserved, she’d gotten her humiliated in public, made to look like even MORE of an undeserving fraud! Almost dead; Almost humiliated even further by her siblings, almost lost those siblings because of Luz, as well as a childhood friend, and after everything still stuck her neck out for Luz.
Eda had gone and given up everything for Luz. What would happen to anyone else who kept doing the same?! They were the actual heroes, unlike Luz… or Lilith, who wanted so badly to be a hero to someone, anyone else, especially Eda. Because they were too weak and needed to feel bigger than others. Loud and bright and flashy, looking so proud.
But so fake and pretend, leading everyone to doom. It wasn’t enough for Luz that she got so much from Eda, it didn’t matter to Lilith how powerful she already was, there always had to be more, and now there was nothing. They really thought they knew better than the greatest witch who ever lived, the wisest witch there’d ever been. But Luz was too stupid to get her lesson.
At some point, Luz hadn’t realized, her footsteps slowed. Her run dwindled into a jog, as her arms stopped pumping through the air, and more apathetically waved through it. Luz felt herself burning out; All of the energy and passion she’d had for the isles. All of the grief.
There was just ache; Emptiness. A hollow, meaningless emptiness. Luz ran and screamed and cried to distract herself, but now all that was gone and it was just the realization of what she’d done.
Then a glimpse of something golden, Luz’s heart stopped;
But no. It was just the sunrise.
Ah, she thought bitterly. So time HAD passed. The world would move on. The stars and planet would keep spinning and turning. And eventually people would move on, and this would all be gone.
Luz didn’t want that to happen. She didn’t want to lose her memory of Eda, all the times she’d been there for her, brought Luz back up. She didn’t want to act as if Eda no longer existed, and dishonor her for a final time.
Luz just wanted Eda back. It didn’t matter if Luz deserved her cranky old mentor or not, she wanted Eda back anyway. She’d give anything, even, to have Eda be angry at her one more time, all the rage in the world for what had just happened, rather than feel nothing at all.
She’d felt a bitter startle when Luz recognized it; The same trees, the same bumps. The same smell and air. She heard the sounds of the boiling seas crashing against the cliffs.
She was getting there; Closer. And closer.
What would she tell King and Hooty?!
Luz was not the only one for whom Eda meant everything; Now she’d inflicted this upon them as well. It wasn’t just Eda and Owlbert suffering for Luz’s mistake, it wasn’t even just Luz. They’d welcomed her in too, and this is how she’d thanked them.
And then Luz saw it; The desolate tower, the weather vane of the Owl House over the trees. She saw all of the unearthed dirt from Hooty’s defense against Lilith’s attack. Lilith, Loathsome Lilith. Luz saw the weapons scattered, the teapots, and she felt something vile curl up inside of her.
If only Lilith had just been dealt with then and there. Then they wouldn’t be in this mess.
But Luz could blame Hooty all she wanted; In the end, she knew exactly what SHE could do, because she couldn’t control Hooty. But the one person she could’ve controlled, and Luz just kept letting her go free and wild. No wonder Mama had agreed to muzzle her.
It was really hard to believe it’d been a full 24 hours since that morning. And then it’d be more hours as Eda slipped by her, and Luz wondered if she and Owlbert were still alive. They were probably dead, weren’t they? When they'd started that day, they really thought they'd won, it was just another incident and they could go back to the routine as always, and Lilith was just Eda's persistent sister.
Even when things got serious, they could've won all over again. But Eda only had to lose once.
Finally Luz went out into the same old clearing, and her heart skipped a beat; She’d made this walk from Hexside, from Bonesborough, multiple times. And there she’d seen Eda holding King, and he’d open his little arms out wide for her. Eda would smile, and suddenly Luz would feel like all the world was right and made sense as she’d run up to them. And then they’d just be there together, and that was all the world needed; For them to be together.
But Eda wasn’t there. And neither was King.
They were separated.
The Owl House stared down at Luz with its single, unblinking eye, almost judgmentally. It had been a home, for Eda. But not anymore.
It had been a home, for Luz.
But not anymore.
Hooty was asleep; So soundly, obliviously asleep. But there wasn’t any Lilith or covenscouts behind Luz, Hooty wasn’t waiting for them. The morning wouldn’t repeat and Luz wouldn’t get a second chance to redo it all over again, knowing what to do this time, learning from her mistakes.
What’s done was done and couldn’t be taken back.
Hooty yawned, and his beady, black eyes perked up; He sensed Luz and was already awake. “Oh Luz, there you are!” He cheered, completely unaware. Did he expect Eda to round the corner at any moment, just right behind, tired from the curse but not burnt out entirely?
“Hi Hooty.” Luz muttered in a daze. She didn’t know how to explain it, all Luz knew was to just go through the motions. She felt numb, selfishly so; They’d just have to wait and realize for themselves as she had.
Luz opened the door, the familiar wooden handle, and for a moment imagined the other side; Maybe Eda would still be there. She’d be there, like nothing happened, and it was all some horrible dream. Or she’d wink, reveal she’d found some way out. Maybe it had worked out, maybe Lilith was right and Luz had overthought it. Maybe the Emperor did cure her curse and all of this pain and grief and tragedy was something meaningless they could all laugh over. Just a big misunderstanding that no longer mattered. This Owl House would still be a home for everyone, for all the misfits and weirdoes who’d managed to stick together no matter what.
Instead there was just darkness and Luz’s heart sank. She knew.
The light from outside swept across the darkness of the living room, taken up by the shadow that was Luz. Luz could see herself across the floor, and scanned, as her eyes began to adjust to the lack of light.
And then she saw it;
A giant cake on the table
And right besides it…
A cloak woven of familiar, azure threads.
The Witch’s Wool Cloak.
That’s where it’d been.
It’d been finished all along, and-and Eda. She’d forgotten about it in the blind rush, when she found out, because she cared. She’d cared so much for Luz that suddenly Luz blinded her to everything else, she was all that mattered in the world.
And in the end, Luz was what ended Eda’s.
The top of the cake burst, and King emerged just as Luz had been wondering about him. He gasped. “Surprise! The cake is me!!!!” He squealed joyously, delightfully. His eyes were closed, from all the darkness inside the cake; Then he opened them and realized there was still more darkness, not the light he was expecting.
Well. He’d gotten Luz at least. But then King saw nothing past that; No Eda. And then he just looked confused, like it hadn’t even been apparent yet. “Hey, um… Where’s Eda?” He inquired, like this was just another one of their mild confusions, their silly adventures that Luz had to update him on.
And then it dawned on Luz.
The way King had been so patiently, faithfully waiting, in total darkness.
The cake.
The ribbon on the cloak, whose red struck out blindingly to her now.
After asking for it, after having gotten so much from Edalyn Clawthorne, after taking it all from her.
This whole time, Eda had changed her mind. Not knowing what Luz was about to do to her, what gift Luz thought she was also exchanging with her. This cloak meant to save herself had been given up, and repurposed as a gift.
For Luz.
Of course Eda had stopped caring about her safety. She’d already made that decision by the time she’d arrived at the castle.
For Luz Noceda.
And suddenly it all came back to Luz; It hadn’t gone out, it’d been there all this time. Just waiting, waiting for something to bring it out. Luz had strangled and smothered it in its sleep, but now it’d resuscitated. And that thing she needed to do so badly, that she just couldn’t, that she wondered why she couldn’t, before deciding it was fine because she had other things to do anyway. Because she didn’t need anymore pain, and couldn’t bear it any longer.
Now it came to her; The tears.
Luz felt her eyes and vision water, as the light blurred. All of it coming up from the heart, and emerging from the windows to her soul to be seen and felt and heard properly.
Luz fell to her knees, broke down, and sobbed. A witch’s hat and cloak, wasted on her. A witch, the most powerful of all, wasted on Luz Noceda.
She cried. Badly, powerfully. As she felt King and Hooty uncertainly, tenderly, come up to her in support, not knowing any better. It didn’t help, as this place that had welcomed Luz so many times just felt like an empty box torn of the person who’d given it warmth.
As Luz Noceda sobbed, wreathed in darkness and exposed in the light to be gawked at as an oddity, she finally understood; In all her attempts to heal, all she could do was hurt. That was all Luz Noceda was good for; Hurting the people around her.
What could they do? What else could Luz do!?
…Well. As she cried and wrenched her heart out, onto the floor as King and Hooty did their best to embrace her, and yet she felt nothing. Some bitter and painful, yet meaningful and purposeful curled up inside of Luz. Something cold and sharp and dark.
It was a strange sort of peace, but now that Luz had come to terms with it, she’d decided;
If all she could do was hurt people.
Then she may as well hurt those who’d done this to Eda.