Chapter Text
Today was the day. The day Luz was going to try on a skirt. She carefully put the skirt on and it felt so pretty. So beautiful. So gorgeous. Prim clearly had done something phenomenal, and Luz hadn’t deserved it. She gazed at the mirror, and for the first time in her entire life, the reflection showed a girl. Not a pretender. But a girl. With hair that needed to get put back in a ponytail. She smirked and tied her hair back. She finally looked like a girl. Even if she felt wrong still, she was a girl. It was strange, and not how she expected. She gave the skirt an experimental spin and the sheer euphoria as it swooshed around her overwhelmed her. She stepped back out of the bathroom and her vision was getting blurry. Was she crying? Were these tears of joy? She didn’t know. She moved downstairs. “Well hello Luz,” Vee said.
“Trying Prim’s skirts today?” Eda asked. Luz nodded. “How you liking them?”
“I am loving it! I feel pretty!” For the first time in her entire life!
“Well it suits you definitely,” Vee said. It did?
“Looking good kid,” Eda said. “After breakfast I was thinking if I can find anything else to sell at the market. Did you lot wish to join in?”
— — — — — —
The marketplace was empty. Barren. Desolate even. “And much like Cryptic Keep,” King read aloud, “Hecate’s heart was filled with the feelings of destitution and loneliness, her yearning for companionship and friends was at war battling upon a battlefield of feelings with her feelings of hatred and dislike for Azura, her anger and fury at being bested again in single combat, all alone without anyone to help either of them duel with one another.” Huh. When did King start enjoying the books? Although, Book 2 was the worst written one (not that it was bad, but in comparison it was the worst one).
“ Why is it my life that two of my housemates like this dumb book series?” Eda wondered aloud. “It’s just flowery poetic trash and a disgrace to serious witches everywhere!” Now that was just rude. Wait.
“Do I need to give it up?” Luz asked.
“What? No! You’re allowed to like things I don’t. And you’re allowed to not like things I like.” What? But that’s not how it was supposed to go? “Kid what is your home life like?” Eda muttered. Luz hadn’t even reacted though? “Oh you can’t hide things from the master. I know a lot of things.”
“Isn’t the weekend market busier than this?” Vee asked.
“It is. Something must be happening. Something terrible. Something horrendous. Something unbelievably horrible that no one can dare dream of.”
“Oh my Titan it’s Luz!” Willow yelled, running over to her. Gus was following closely behind. “Something unbelievably awesome is happening!” What? Cool!
“It’s the annual Bonesborough Covention!” Gus exclaimed. “Wait who are these people?”
“Um,” Luz hesitated. “They’re.”
“Luz is my student,” Eda said, leaning over her. “She’s a talented young lass who I’m proud to be mentoring.” What? Luz felt tears starting to form in her eyes. “I have got to say that more to you.”
“Wait you’re the Owl Lady?” Willow asked. “Luz you study with the Owl Lady?”
“Yes?” Luz whispered and flinched inwards.
“Maybe you can convince her to join a coven!” Gus exclaimed.
“Oh for fucks sake,” Eda said, “I’m not joining a coven cause some preteen suggested it.”
“ What is the Bonesborough Covention?” Luz asked.
“It’s a big event where witches and demons gather and show off different covens for middle schoolers and high schoolers.”
“Like a job fair?”
“No one knows what that is,” Vee said. “Except you.”
“Guess I count as a no one now Vee,” Eda said, grinning. “Its similar. Only remember what I said about coven magic?”
“That it is pure and true and the Titan’s will?” Willow asked.
“Why does some dead guy’s thoughts and desires have to apply to my magic?”
“Because his death created the land we walk on?” Gus asked.
“But he’s dead,” Luz added. “Like, I already have to deal with near dead people back in the human realm trying to make my existence a misery, so why should we listen to an actual dead guy?” She pocketed her Azura book. “I’m sure the Titan was a wise and good and just person when he was alive. But he’s dead. And I don’t think the dead should tell the living what they can do with their bodies. And I did not come from a world where people have been oppressed for not conforming or limiting their options to just one particular kind to do it again! ”
“Well said Luz,” Eda said. “I’m impressed.”
“Mama’s said something similar when someone was preaching hate as she put it .” The bisexual part of Luz’s identity was not the part of Luz she was worried about.
“I think your mom and my friend need to talk. Cause the Human Realm hasn’t been the kindest to you.” That was an understatement.
“Look,” Willow interrupted, “I know you’ve been wanting to study magic.” Duh. “ Maybe the Covention will have something that you can apply to your studies?”
“Also we’d love to hang out with you,” Gus said, “but we’re supposed to go to the Covention and then write a reflection paper for Principal Bump.”
“Sounds like they’ve not changed from when we were girls,” Eda said.
“We?” Luz asked. “Who’s we?”
“Someone I haven’t spoken to in almost thirty years now.” Oh. “And also Ca-”
“Look!” Willow interrupted, pointing at a poster. “The Emperor's Coven will be there! With a mystery guest!” Ca? Cam perchance? She froze. The town had mentioned a Mila too. And froze up with the Spanish. And Prim said she looked just like Mila. What a weird slew of coincidences. Who was the human Eda knew anyway? This Cam or this Mila? It couldn’t be Mama, she’d have talked about this. Wouldn’t she? Wait. Did Luz really think she was in a fictional world where only one person had each name? No! That was dumb! If the person was named Camila, it wouldn’t be Camila Noceda. It could be literally any other Camila.
“I’ve got a guess who the mystery guest is,” Eda said, “and if I’m wrong I’ll join a coven.”
“Oh?” Gus asked. “Who?”
“The Head Witch of the Emperor’s Coven.”
“And if you’re right?”
“ Then you will listen to a reading of all five Good Witch Azura books,” Luz said.
“No,” Eda said, laughing, “a punishment for them, not me.”
“I’ll listen to a lecture on why wild magic is better than coven stuff!” Gus exclaimed.
“Deal.”
— — — — — —
Well the Covention was crowded and there were all sorts of magical displays stretched across the venue. There were beautiful banners with nine symbols drawn on them (Coven symbols if Luz recalled correctly) and witches flying on staffs. Whoa. It was cool!
“Those are the main nine covens,” Willow said, “but there’s many subcategories of covens for us to choose from. Like the Bat Coven, the Rat Coven, the Cat Coven, the Tiny Cat Coven, the Big Cat Coven, the Enormous Cat Coven, the Coven Coven, the Goo Coven, the Baking Coven, the Cooking Coven, the Cookie Coven, the Gardening Coven, the Flower Coven, the Tree Coven, the Compost Coven, the Mirror Coven, and!”
“Enough rattling the millions of covens!” Eda groaned.
“The Grumpy Old Witch Coven. Teehee.” Willow’s giggle was adorable. “ Just to name a few.”
“The main nine,” Gus said, “are supposed to come from the Divine Light of the Titan’s Eyes, which according to Emperor Belos, shone one last time when he got the First Message. They range from the boring but practical, like Construction, and Plants, sorry Willow, to the flashy and showy but rather specific like Bard and Illusion! And all sorts of ones in between, like the Potions or Abominations, or even Oracle!” That was seven of nine.
“So which ones were left?”
“Beast Keeping and Healing,” Willow said.
“Well look who it is!” the author from the Conformatorium said. “Amber told me she saw you the other day. Are you settling in okay?”
“Um yeah,” Luz said. “What are you doing here?”
“Boss wants me and the gang,” they winked, “to set up and do recruitment. Can I interest you in a Bard Coven demonstration? Or perhaps the Poetry Coven?”
“ Boss huh,” Eda said. “Does your boss know where you were?”
“They know a lot. And they know where I wasn’t.” Luz drew inwards on herself.
“Can we see some of the demonstrations?” Luz asked in a timid voice. “We’re here to see if I can learn some magic.” Or rather some more magic.
“Sure!” The author summoned a flute and played some brief notes and little multicolored lights orbited Luz and shone around her. It was pretty.
“Whoa.”
“Whoa,” a shadow of Luz said. It walked to another table before exploding into blue and gold light.
“Whoa. Again.”
“That’s the flair of the Illusion coven!” Gus exclaimed. “They like to perform with a dab of showmanship,” he vanished in a puff of smoke, “and a bit of drama.” He appeared atop the banner. And two more people dressed in blue robes appeared next to him.
“A bit of drama,” Willow said, “is Gus code for a lot of drama.”
“ Hey!” He appeared again next to Willow.
“ There’s ,” Luz started, “there’s camaraderie. Friends. A place to belong.”
“Yep!”
“And why would Eda not join one?”
“Watch closely Luz,” Eda said, pointing across the covention. There was a witch in a yellow uniform holding their arm out and another witch pulled out a glove. The glove pressed into the witch’s skin and smoke rose out of their arm and golden lines danced across their body. The witch with the glove removed it and the witch who (no longer) had golden lines on their body threw up. “From this day henceforth, that witch? They’ll only be able to do potion magic. The same is the case with everyone in any coven.”
“Cause mixing magic is wrong,” Willow said. “The Titan doesn’t like it when we mix our magic and blend it together. Even the Emperor’s Coven isn’t supposed to mix magic and blend it.” What? Wait. Emperor's Coven?
“As Luz said outside, why should some dead guy have a say on what I do with my life?” Eda stretched. “I didn’t join a coven and that is why I’m the most powerful witch on the Boiling Isles.” Willow rolled her eyes. Luz stared at the two of them.
“ Anyways,” she said. “What’s that tent?” She pointed at a large tent. “It looks popular.”
“That is the Emperor's Coven and they’re doing a presentation soon!” Willow exclaimed.
“You think they’ll give me an autograph?” Gus asked.
“Let’s find out!”
“Alright Luz,” Eda said, kneeling down and putting her hand on Luz’s shoulder. “They’re absolutely the worst Coven there is. You remember the Warden?” Luz nodded. “Yeah he’s part of that fucking Coven.”
“So we shouldn’t go in?”
“Nah. I have a bet to win. But I want you three near me when we go in there.” She paused. “Where’s King and Vee?”
“I don’t know?”
“King can handle himself, and I suppose so can Vee.” She stood up. “Come on let’s go.”
— — — — — —
The lights went down and a brilliant beam of light shone on the center of the auditorium. Principal Bump arose in the center, he grabbed what looked like a microphone only it had demon wings. “Hello Bonesborough,” he said. “I am Principal Hieronymus Bump of Hexside.”
“ We know this already!” a student yelled.
“Most of you do in fact know me, some of you have never seen me before in your life, and I’d wager some of you haven’t seen me since I became principal. Anyways, students ask me every year what the heights of magical achievement are? Is it climbing the Knee with only a light spell? Fighting an Jabberwock while suffering from the fire flu? Enlarging their head? No!”
“You sure?” a different student asked. There was a cracking sound and a muffled scream. “Ow.”
“Wow. I failed you as a principal.” He let go of the microphone and it floated next to his face. “It’s being handpicked by the Titan, chosen by his heavenly light to lead us to our salvation. Being chosen to be the best of the best, the jewel of the Coven system, and enforcers of the Titan’s will! The Emperor's Coven!” Three guys in grey and black uniforms with a grey mask covering their face and a white cloak rose out of the floor. “The Emperor’s Coven is able and allowed to do all kinds of magic!” The coven members spun three spell circles and created a ball of elemental energy in their hands.
“Wait,” Luz whispered to Eda, “who are those guys?”
“Scouts,” Eda whispered back. “They’re just mooks.” Okay. Luz could work with that information.
“They’re an elite force of witches and demons,” Bump continued, “trained to be unrelenting and efficient.”
“And totally fail at that. Ha!”
“Feast your eyes on their skills, each one handpicked to lead us into a new Era free from Wild Magic!” The scouts brought their spell circles upwards and the elemental blasts merged and created an explosion of light and confetti fell across the auditorium. “And now introducing this years Mystery Guest!” The scouts vanished in a swirl of light. “You know her! You love her! Lilith!”
“Lilith?” Did Eda lose the bet?
“ Do you know her?” Luz asked.
“Very much so.” The arena darkened and a glowing blue raven shone before diving into the center of the auditorium. The stage lit on blue flames and witch with black hair, a black dress, and a white cloak and bird mask appeared.
“Beloved citizens,” the witch said, “I am Head Witch Lilith Clawthorne.” Clawthorne? As in Eda? “I am honored to return to Bonesborough to speak to you all. It wasn’t easy to be away from you all, to come from a humble beginnings of a simple beast keeper and a plant witch. ” Eda tensed up. “But I persevered! I rose to the top! So be more! The Emperor’s Coven awaits!” They made a flash of blue light and glowing bubbles of light illuminated the auditorium.
— — — — — —
They stepped out into the Covention center again. “Well!” Eda cackled. “I won the bet!” She exhaled. “But I think I want to go now. Wash the gunk off of me.” Luz nodded. “Feel free to stay, the worst they’ll do to you is just talk at you.” With that Eda walked off into the crowd. Alright no. Luz jogged up to Eda again. “Coming with me then?”
“Yeah,” Luz replied. “I think I’m getting a little tired.”
“Sister?” a third voice asked. Eda froze. Luz turned around slowly. There was Lilith and a bunch of kids getting autographs. “It’s been so long since I last saw you!” Lilith strode over. What? Well they did have the same last name so it was obvious in hindsight. They strode over to the two of them. And did a double take. “Now why would a child be following you around?”
“The same reason there’s children around you.”
“To get your autograph?” Lilith seemed to be staring at Luz and she didn’t like it. They signed something and handed it to another child. “Why would you come here to give autographs?”
“Cause I wanted to see my sister in action.” Eda knelt down to the kids’ height. “You know when we were kids, Lilith got so excited to see the Emperor's Coven in action she swooned.” What. “I had to carry her home, and let me tell you, as a younger sister that was gloating material for a week!”
“ Why must you tell people that?” Lilith muttered under her breath. She turned to the kids. “That’s all for today.” The children dispersed. “Now why are you really here? You’re a wanted criminal!”
“Wow. No hello even. Can you believe that Luz?”
“Unreal,” Luz replied. “If I saw my criminal sister for the first time in years, I’d at the very least say hi first.”
“Fine,” Lilith said. “Hello Edalyn, why are you here? There is no benefit for you to come here for unless…” she trailed off. “Are you finally deciding that its time to join a coven?”
“You wish,” Eda replied. “I won my little bet, so I don’t have to.”
“ I see. And who is this child. Is it hers?” Hers? Oh right, the mysterious human. Who probably shared a name with her mom.
“She’s my student. And she better not be.” Or else Eda would have words. As she had said.
“Your student? If anyone would be your student it would be some random human who doesn’t know your secret. Alright Edalyn, I offer you a wager you can’t refuse.” Lilith spun a spell circle and there was a blue flash by the doors. “Your students versus mine.”
“ W hen I win, I want to be free from the law for as long as you can arrange it.”
“One week. But when I win, you will join the Emperor's Coven.”
“Deal.”
Lilith spun a rapid spell circle. “The Everlasting Oath is sealed.” She grabbed Eda’s hand and the circle tightened into a shackle.
“Ah farts. Of course she did.”
“I’m looking forwards to this, dear sister.” Lilith walked off.
“What do we do?” Luz asked.
“You have a light spell,” Eda said. “Vee’s got a light spell. And a few other things. And I only have two people who could even remotely be called students.” She summoned Owlbert. “We’re going to win.”
— — — — — —
Vee was not hard to find for Owlbert, and Luz and Vee now sat on a set of boxes. “So here’s the plan,” Eda said. “Luz, you need your coat, and beanie and bat.” Luz nodded. She never left the house without the bat. “Vee I need to know if you’re up to it.” Vee nodded. “Cool. You do plan Serpent Stand.”
“Of course,” she replied.
“Luz? You are going to take something with you into combat.” Um? Owlbert landed on her shoulder. And hooted. “He’s going with you.”
“Isn’t that cheating?” Luz asked.
“Yep! But in a way she can’t prove.” Owlbert hooted some more. “Look. She needs to learn how to use a palisman anyways, you were already going to have to help her with magic.” He hooted more. “Look I don’t want my palisman to get ‘borrowed’ so that a bunch of kids who don’t know how to do anything with a palisman crash into a giant forest and damage you.” He cooed in response. “Nor do I want my palisman to get lost in the sea because the kids don’t know how to use a staff. Therefore! You’re going to help where I get to guide.” He nodded and became a staff in Luz’s hands. “Now using a staff means, you’re going to spin him around in a circle, and his magic will react with the environment and your magic, and create the effect needed.”
“Seems simple enough, but I don’t have magic?”
“Hmm true.”
“Unless your diet is giving you a minuscule amount of magic,” Vee said. “I’ve found that certain foods help my magic hungers. And Eda’s cooked a few of them for you too.”
“Like those peppers, or draconic dumplings.” Whoa. “And the sherbet. But all Palisman have a lot of magic within them. Just trust your instinct when you use them.”
— — — — — —
The arena had three witches standing next to Lilith, and two not witches standing next to Eda. Luz was one of the not witches. And she had a cloak covering her face up. Apparently it was standard procedure? Her face was supposed to be covered. “Beloved citizens!” Lilith called. “The Emperor's Coven is proud to sponsor an impromptu demonstration of the types of witches we seek every year. In the Emperor's Coven’s corner, Vincent Destre of Latissa!” They twirled a cloak off to reveal a witch with purple eyes and red hair. And big black boots (and a different uniform then Hexside, although it had purple sleeves). “Nicole Phobos of Patella!” Another witch took their cloak off, this one was dressed in a white uniform with green sleeves. They also had blue hair tied into two twin braids. And icy blue eyes. “And finally, Amity Blight of Bonesborough!” The crowd erupted in cheers.
“Versus,” Eda said, “Vee of Bonesborough!” No one cheered. “And Luz the Human!” Luz tore her cloak off. She heard some minor gasps. Owlbert was perched again on her shoulder. Give the order and I will be your staff. That was in her head. Today. Only today. And only for this. Was Owlbert talking to her?
“Begin!” Vincent charged towards Vee. Luz was told to not worry about whoever was dumb enough to fight Vee, so she charged forwards. Nicole spun a spell circle and a giant flower rose out of the ground and swallowed them. And an abomination head went hurtling towards her. Amity gave her a sympathetic look before spinning a spell circle and her abomination fell apart creating a goo trap . Nicole launched themselves out of the ground, hurtling towards Luz with another spell circle in their hands. Luz reached for the air, and Owlbert appeared in her hands, and with a good twirl of his staff, a blast of golden light threw the witch to the ground.
“Abominations!” Vincent said. “Seize!” A gooey purple arm caught her and she couldn’t let go.
“This will make my uncle see how glorious I really am!” Nicole exclaimed, summoning another spell circle and a flower aimed itself at Luz’s face. There was something within it. something faint. But a pattern. The flower lunged forwards, Luz ducked, and it began to eat the face of the abomination. She traced the light glyph onto the arm of the abomination and wished. Owlbert hooted. And the abomination dissolved into light. The palisman made the glyphs stronger! A battle of attrition? A bunch of vines ensnared Luz. “Really. I thought this was a threat.” Nicole walked up to her. “But all I see is proof that you’re a no good disgrace to witchkind. A failure of a human. Don’t they have their own magic? Where’s yours? Oopsy! You don’t have any.” Vee tackled them and threw them to the ground.
“You couldn’t survive Glandus,” Vincent said, summoning a blade of abomination matter. “You need to be bailed out.” They pointed the blade at Luz’s throat. “And for that, let me liberate you from this veil of suffering.” They pulled their arm backwards.
“Abomination!” Amity called. “Seize!” An abomination grabbed him. Tightly. “We’re not trying to kill them Vincent .” She walked over to Luz, and paused. She turned towards Vee and began to spin another spell circle. Luz stared at the leaves. There was a pattern in them. She couldn’t draw a glyph but maybe. She began to draw a glyph in the sand and a ball of light drifted upwards. Maybe she could draw the new pattern? It turned out like a mini flower in the dust. She poked it with her foot and a vine erupted from the ground. Alright. She drew another one and willed at it. Owlbert sent a shockwave of magic and this vine rose up and cut the vine holding her prisoner.
“You!” Vincent yelled. “You’re cheating!”
“Am I?” Luz retorted, drawing another glyph on the ground. “It seems to me that you’re cheating with a knife at my throat earlier.” She drew more glyphs on the ground with Owlbert’s staff. They ran towards her with another abomination blade in hand. And Luz slammed the bottom of the staff into the ground. Light and plants erupted and entangled Vincent in them. Vee was locked in combat with Nicole and that left Amity. With Owlbert back on her shoulder and with a fan of glyphs (which weirdly all formed the glyphs she needed as she thought about that. Meaning Owlbert was doing something probably). She ran towards Amity who seemed incredibly startled and spun a spell circle in response. A towering abomination arose underneath the both of them, and tossed them out of the arena.
They landed hard onto a catwalk. “Well,” Amity said, “that was not supposed to happen.”
“Are we still fighting?” Luz asked. Her leg was in utter agony but she could do something with it.
“I’d rather not.”
“Same.” Luz flopped down on the catwalk, relief filling her body from no longer needing to put any weight on her leg . Nicole collapsed on the ground. And Lilith was yelling at Eda. Owlbert flew off from Luz’s shoulders and flew to Eda.
“ It was impressive you turning that abomination into light.” Amity sat down next to her.
“Really?”
“I mean it. You’ve got quite a few nice tricks and it was so satisfying to see you ensnare Vincent in that mess.”
“ He’s not your friend?”
“He broke my leg one time we were doing Grudgeby, and I wasn’t the one with the grudgeby ball at the time.” There was a blast of blue fire and the whole catwalk shook. “We need to get off of here. Now.”
Luz tried to stand up, before wincing in pain, and collapsing again . “Come on leg, work!” Amity froze and stared at her.
“Oh Titan, I’m so fucking sorry.” She stopped and knelt down next to Luz. She pulled something out of her bag and wrapped Luz’s leg in it. There was some new support for her.
“So much for dressing pretty to have a good, pain free, day.”
“I know that one. Can you stand now?” Luz tried to stand up, before flinching in pain again. “Alright we’re not doing that. Up you go. ” She scooped up Luz in her arms. Oh. Is this what it felt like to be in angel’s arms?
— — — — — —
Amity set Luz gently down on a chair outside the auditorium, but away from prying eyes. She was so pretty, her green hair framed her face in a way that angels had. “Luz!” King exclaimed, and he launched himself into her arms. “Vee’s looking for you!”
“Well,” Luz started to say, she stopped. “Er.” Amity was staring at her. “I can’t really move right now.”
“What happened?”
“I think she landed wrong and hurt her leg,” Amity said, kneeling down to King’s height. “If you could get us a healer of some sort that’d be really cool.”
“Do I get cupcakes out of it?”
“No King,” Luz said. “You get hoodie rides instead.” She breathed in, and out. “But hey, no rush.”
“No rush? When hoodie rides are on the line? What lunacy is this!” He squirmed out of Luz’s hands and tore off incredibly fast.
“ They seem energetic,” Amity said, fondly. She stood up at sat down next to Luz. “How’d you do the plant thing? Or the light thing?”
“The magic?” Luz asked. “Oh I’ve been working hard on it. Eda said they’re glyphs and there’s a lot that can be done with them.” She drew one of the glyphs on a piece of paper. “This is the light glyph.” She poked it and a ball of light rose out. “And this other one,” she drew a plant glyph, “I think is a plant glyph.” She poked it and a flower blossomed out of it. It was a beautiful blue flower, with a faint green glow around it. “ I’ve been trying to learn all I can about them, and it might be a bit challenging sometimes, but I’m learning.” The glow dissipated and all what was left was a marvelous blue flower. Amity was staring at the flower. Why did it grow a flower? Why was she wanting flowers?
“May I have the flower?” Amity asked, staring at it some more. “Sorry that’s weird.”
“Uh. Sure?” Amity took the flower and tucked it behind her ear. She went from being a pretty girl to being a beautiful girl. Oh fuck was Luz developing feelings? She just met this girl like 3 days ago. She wasn’t supposed to have feelings this soon?
“Luz!” Vee called, and ran over. She knelt down with a box with a blue hand on it. “King told me what happened. I got you a first aid kit.” She began unwrapping the bandage Amity set on it, before grabbing another set of bandage s and carefully, calmly, wrapping Luz’s ankle with the bandages and sticking a little sticker with a blue hand on it every few loops. “That should help. And there’s a potion of painkilling here if needed.” Luz snatched it and downed the thing.
“Luz!” Willow exclaimed, running over towards her. Gus was right behind her. “Are you okay? Amity didn’t hurt you, did she?”
“Nope!” Luz lied. Technically Amity hurt her, but that was an accident and Amity was getting zero blame from Luz. “The student from Glandus did my ankle in.”
“Well, at the very least we can keep you company. And be better company then her. ” Amity winced.
“Take care Luz,” she said. “Be a good friend to her, Park. She needs it.” With that the mysterious (and adorable) Amity Blight vanished in the crowd. Wait. What did that mean?
“ She’s not bothered you, has she?” Gus asked. “Like we can’t officially do anything against her, but still.”
“She’s been,” Luz started, “a bit odd. But never mean. To me.”
“Titan I wish that were the case with me,” Willow said. “She’s gone from an okay kid, to a jerk and a bully, to whatever that is.”
“Someone who wants us to be friends?”
“What?” Vee asked .
“She told me to be a good friend to Willow, she told Willow to be a good friend to me.”
“Weird,” Gus said.
“Yeah she’s been acting weird ever since Blight Industries went under,” Willow said. “First she missed like a week of classes. And then she came to school with a black eye and a wrist in healing patches. And then she missed another day of class. And then she offered to help me with my homework, got scared off by Luz, and then was helping me against Professor Hermonculus. And then yesterday she stopped me in the hall and said congratulations.”
“That is strange. The last time she stopped me in the halls was cause I was carrying a flamethrower.” What? “I probably should have hid that better.”
“ You took a flamethrower to school?” Eda said, walking up to the group. King was perched in her hair. “ Dang, I might have underestimated you.” She spun a spell circle and blue light washed over Luz. “That. That’s pretty bad.” She spun another spell circle. “ You two Hexside dweebuses move back, this could require focus.” Her hands were glowing a brilliant blue. “I was wrong to force you into a proxy fight with me and Lily.” What? “I’m sorry. You didn’t deserve that.” Luz felt the tears start to form and fall down her cheek. “Have adults never apologized to you either? I need to have words with your entire fucking town!”
“ It’s fine. I didn’t need an apology from them. Not from Hal, or Mr Zebra, or Clyde.” Or anyone else.
“You sure did. Teachers should apologize when they accidentally hurt a kid. And teachers should never hurt their students on purpose.” What?
“But. But what if that student is me?”
“More then words got it.” She finished her healing spell and stood up. “Kid, I told you already, you’re a smart, talented, and lovely girl. And I am so proud to be your mentor.” No fair. Luz felt the tears flow harder. “And I will tell you that every fucking day if I have to.” What? Huh? “Alright try and stand.” Luz stood up. The pain was minor. She could deal with this. She stepped forwards and winced. “I’m unfortunately low on my juice, so healing it is going to take a lot more work.”
“I can help her get home,” Vee said. “Come here.” She swung one of Luz’s arms over her shoulders, and helped her stand. Her leg didn’t have as much weight on it, and and already it felt so much better.
“What even happened?” Willow asked.
“Minor fracture,” Eda said, “and the worst sprain I’ve ever seen. She’ll be fine. In the meantime I owe you two a lecture on wild magic. So come on!” She laughed and the group left the Covention Center.