Knockout

Summary:

Amity doesn't want to go home after what happened at school yesterday. She doesn't know what to expect. Will her family be mad at her? Or will they perhaps just ignore her?

This is part six of my (super imaginatively named) "The Owl House AU" series (this function exists on Ao3 but not fanfictionDOTnet). Please read the previous parts for context (in order: Own your narrative, Amity's calamity, Boiling drain, There's a Luz loose in my garden and Bless you).

Caution TW/CW: violence, bullying, blood, dysfunctional family relationships, undiagnosed mental illness.

1

Amity took a breath, then opened her locker and picked up the books for the first lesson of the day. She felt oddly calm. She hadn't slept very much, but... she had slept well after burning her things. Being with Luz, being in the Owl House was just so... nice. There was a lot less tension in her head this morning. Maybe that was the biggest difference. Every time she thought about the bad parts of yesterday, she felt her shoulders rise and her jaw tighten. She tried to battle those thoughts by remembering the good things but it was surprisingly difficult to do that.

Sitting by the flickering fire last night, Eda had said some things that Amity had never considered. She always wished she could forget things. When she thought that, when she said that, when she wrote that, she didn't mean that she wanted to just forget that they had happened, she meant that she wanted for the bad thing to not have happened at all. Maybe she should be more specific. There were so many things she wished... hadn't happened.

"Hey Ams, where did you go yesterday?" Boscha demanded. Amity looked up, startled. She hadn't heard her approach.

"Uh..."

"That cat cafe was pretty lame, so I guess you didn't miss much. My picture with the orange one got so many likes, though."

"Um... I... uh..."

"Ugh, look at this mess," Boscha flipped to another post, this one from Irina. "She's so tacky sometimes, look at that ugly little thing she's holding, I almost barfed when she hugged it."

Amity looked at the picture without really taking it in. Boscha seemed to have forgotten that Amity hadn't answered her question.

The bell rang.

"Better get to class," Amity shoved the last book into her bag.

"Oh my gosh, Amity, close your bag!" Boscha tugged the lid down over Amity's hand.

Amity looked down and saw to her horror that her pack of moon cloth was peeking out over the side. She quickly stuffed it out of sight, feeling her cheeks burn red hot. Boscha flushed too and stepped in closer, looking over her shoulder.

"Get a purse for those," she said out of the corner of her mouth.

"Y-yeah," Amity nodded, closing her locker. That was a good idea.

"Is that why you vanished yesterday?"

"W-we should get to class." Amity hoped Boscha would get the hint. But Boscha grabbed her arm.

"Is it?"

"Yes, okay?! Now can you please drop it?" Amity yanked her arm away and started walking to class. Boscha followed.

"I didn't know you started!" she whispered.

"Boscha I do not want to talk about this," Amity said firmly.

They reached the classroom and took their seats. Boscha dug around in her bag, then held out her hand to Amity under the table.

"Here," she whispered.

Amity looked down. Boscha was holding a bonbon. She took it hesitantly, then looked at Boscha's face.

"What's this?"

"Chocolate."

"... Oh. Thank you."

Amity was so surprised by this sudden generosity from Boscha of all people that she forgot to take out her books. When Mr Ott tapped the chalk board she woke from her daze and took out her things, putting the bonbon in her bag.

2

At lunch, Amity sat with her group of friends as usual. But she took a different seat today. It made her blush to think Luz had made her lunch. She reached inside the bag and took out a box and a little bottle of chocolate milk. And a small fork. She removed the lid and smiled down at the contents. A checker pattern took up most of the inside - it consisted of meat, mushrooms and vegetables, from the skewers they had yesterday. There were apple slices cut into animal shapes, a cracker and a cookie in the shape of a star. She had to take a picture. No, lots of pictures.

While the others chatted around her, she savored the meal. It tasted better than yesterday, somehow.

Twenty four hours ago, she had sat in almost the exact same spot. But her emotional state couldn't be more different. She glanced up at the teachers' table and caught Lilith's eye. They exchanged a faint smile.

3

There was a knock at the door. Lilith looked up from the test she was grading; glad for the interruption.

"Enter."

Amity came in and closed the door behind her.

"Good afternoon, Miss Clawthorne."

"Good afternoon, Miss Blight." Lilith gestured toward the chair in front of her desk and Amity took a seat. "Would you like a cup of tea?"

"Yes please." Amity's cramps were making a return. Thankfully they weren't as bad today, but she definitely could do without them. She wished she could carry an invisible hot water bottle with her everywhere.

Armed with the tea, Lilith felt ready to broach the subject.

"So... about this evening..." she said in a slightly tense voice. "How are you feeling about going home?"

Amity looked down into her cup. "I've been trying not to think about it too much." She stirred the tea. "Luz is... going to walk me home."

"Oh," Lilith smiled. "That's very nice of her."

Amity nodded and blushed faintly.

"I just wanted to say that if things get... out of hand or just get too much, today or later on... My door is always open. Here at school... or," Lilith took a breath. "At home."

Amity swallowed, her cheeks growing hotter.

"Th-thank you, Miss... Lilith. A-and thank you for what you did yesterday, I - I really appreciate it. Appreciate is not the right word, really, but - I - just... thank you."

Lilith let out a heavy breath and gave Amity a warm, calm and slightly sad smile.

"Thank you for trusting me, Amity." You have no idea how honored I am that you do, my dear. "If you ever have any questions about... moon related things, or... anything, really. Please don't hesitate to ask."

The thing Amity's mom had said yesterday leapt into her mind, like it had been catapulted; "Miss Clawthorne was right, you do need some guidance on how to be a woman."

Lilith saw a thoughtful look appear on the girl's face.

"Yes?" She inquired gently.

"My mom said... 'Miss Clawthorne was right, you do need some guidance on how to be a woman' yesterday... W-what did she mean?" Amity glanced up at her mentor, then away.

Lilith's eyebrows went up and her heart sank.

"I think... she might have been referring to the conversation she and I had the other night. But I doubt - I don't think she... took to heart what I meant. I told her that even though you are a very independent and capable girl, you still need guidance sometimes. And that even though I'm happy to provide it, it needs to come from home as well. I tried to convey to her that she needed to reach out to you and talk about growing up. Give you helpful, practical information and advice. So that situations like the other day... won't happen. As frequently," she added quickly. "Accidents can always happen, but some can be prevented, or at least be better handled, if you have the right information. And... equipment."

"O-oh..." Amity took a sip of tea. She couldn't decide which was more bitter; the tea or the knowledge that her mentor had to tell her mom a thing like that.

"I'm assuming she didn't... talk to you on the night before last?"

Amity shook her head. Lilith let out a troubled sigh.

"I truly am sorry about how they chose to handle things yesterday. I was expecting them to..." she trailed off and shook her head, thinking; I was expecting them to react like people who actually care about alltheir children's well-being. "Behave differently."

Amity shrugged. The big pain inside her that she didn't want to touch, swelled.

"Are they going to be able to get the suspension lifted?" she asked quietly.

"I certainly hope not," Lilith said. She exhaled forcefully. "Even if they do, it doesn't somehow make what your brother and sister did yesterday okay."

Amity swallowed. She hadn't been able to put that particular swirling twist of worry into words, but there it was. She was worried that if the suspension was lifted, that was how Ed and Em were going to view it - that what they had done was okay. Now that they were actually getting punished for something they had done - if that was removed, it'd only embolden them further. Being Blights, they had been able to get away with doing a whole bunch of stuff in the past. It was very frustrating to be the younger sister of two people who thought they could get away with anything. They just had to spin the truth in a vaguely plausible way and/or their parents swooped in and sorted everything out.

"My parents let them get away with anything," Amity muttered, then took a long sip of tea.

Lilith looked at her student, her chest full of cold and worried sympathy. She knew what it was like to have an outrageous sibling, but at least Edalyn had never done something like that... She had never gone out of her way to humiliate Lilith bodily like that. There was a line. She had made fun of Lilith, sure. She had broken her trust in a bunch of different ways. They bickered and fought basically every time they met - but Eda had never displayed the same kind of truly concerning behavior as the Blight twins had done yesterday. The ease with which they lied and the joy they seemed to take in Amity's humiliation - Lilith had trouble getting the expressions of pleasure on their faces out of her head. And once they were given the punishment, they seemed only concerned for how they would be affected. Had they even considered how much yesterday's... violation would affect Amity in the long run? She doubted that very much.

"That is a very irresponsible thing to do," Lilith said. "Children need boundaries. And consequences. Behavior like that has no place in civilized society."

Amity looked up at her mentor. It meant so much to hear her be so firmly on her side. It made everything feel less... out of her control.

She believes me.

That knowledge - that an actual adult had stood up for her and said that her brother and sister had done wrong - that... that meant the world to Amity. She wanted to say something more than thank you, but she couldn't put her feelings of gratitude into words. Instead they filled her chest and put a lump in her throat.

Lilith saw the expression on Amity's face change from tense and worried to... vulnerable. Lilith's heart swelled with emotion - the impulse to protect this child was immense. She knew that there were a thousand betrayals that had led up to today - she never wanted to contribute to that number, again. Amity deserved so much better. She reached out a hand across her desk.

"My door... Is always open," she said it in a soft and gentle voice.

Amity stared at Lilith's hand for a moment, then reached out hesitantly. Their fingers met - to Amity's anxiety-laced delight, Lilith pulled her fingers in, just like she had done yesterday. When her mentor's thumb stroked her knuckles, her eyes fell closed and she breathed out.

"Always."

4

Amity closed her locker, then adjusted her book bag. Now... it was time to go home. She really didn't want to. She didn't know what to expect. Would everyone be mad at her? Would they ignore her? Would she be sent to her room without dinner? Maybe she should buy some extra pastries and hide them in her room just in case.

She tried to keep the warm moment of tea with Lilith in her mind. Whatever happened today, she would see her mentor tomorrow.

Thereisa tomorrow.

She stepped outside and spotted Luz by the bottom of the stairs.

"Hey, Amity!" Luz waved hugely and started running to meet her.

"Hey Luz," Amity blushed at Luz's open enthusiasm to see her again.

"How was your day?"

"It was alright, I think. How are you?"

"I'm good! Wanna get going?"

"To get cupcakes, yes. To go home, no, not at all."

Wait, should I have said that out loud?

"Yeah, I hear you," Luz turned her head to the side and smiled sweetly. "I'm sure it'll be okay, though. I'm going to tell your brother and sister to leave you alone." She nodded confidently.

"Thanks, but I don't think that's going to stop them, no offense. I appreciate it though! Like, a lot."

"Sometimes you just gotta say something, no matter if it'll work or not. And I need to tell them they did a terrible thing." Luz sounded so confident. It made the hair on the back of Amity's neck stand on end. "Eda said I won't have to be home until late, so I can stay around if you want company. D'you have homework? We could do homework!" Luz looked suddenly very excited.

She can see to the other side. To what happens after ... There is a tomorrow...

"I have homework," Amity said slowly. "I have a test next week... you could... quiz me?"

"Yeah, sure! What subject is it?" Luz beamed at Amity, then locked arms with her as they started walking.

"Uh, it's - " Amity had to give her head a little shake - they had never locked arms before.

How does she just do these things? She's so bold.

"It's... Abomination Studies."

"Cool! Oh, I've been dying to ask you, do you name your abomination? Is it always the same one? Where does it go when it's not around you? Can you have more than one uh active at the same time?"

"Um... it's kind of taboo to name your abominations. They're tools. Uh... You have to create them first, then you can summon them. Or banish them. When they're not with you they go extra velum. And you can have more than one. It depends on your magical ability. And your age. And your bile reserves. Lots of things, really."

"Wow..." Luz breathed. "Does it like, keep taking your mana to keep the abomination around? And what's extra velum?"

"'Mana'?"

"Oh, sorry," Luz laughed and blushed. "In the human realm, there's books and games and stuff about magic that call the magical uuh power juice or whatever 'mana', it's like a whole thing. It sounds a lot like essentia magicae so I guess I've kind of used both terms in my head?"

"Oh. I see."

"Sorry, go on."

"Uh... what was your last question?"

"Extra velum! What's extra velum?"

"Right. Extra velum means 'beyond the veil'. It's a state of non-being. A time-less existence. Not exactly a place, more like... potential existence."

"Whoa..." Luz looked amazed. "What do the abominations do there? Just hang out?"

"I've never really thought about it," Amity admitted. "I suppose they just exist... without actually existing at the same time? Mr Ott says it's like the breath in before you speak actual words. You know what you want to say, you just... haven't yet."

"That's like the coolest thing I've ever heard! Magic is so rad!"

It was amazing to Amity to see someone so excited about basic magical knowledge. But she supposed that if you came from a world without magic, even the most simple thing would seem like a marvel.

They arrived at the bakery and decided to take their order to go. Luz insisted on paying and on carrying the little bag. They made their way past Lilith's house. Amity switched sides with Luz then so she could touch the wall. She was glad Luz didn't comment on it.

The path along the edge of the forest had a few benches. They stopped at one and had their cupcakes. For a few minutes, Amity forgot that she was worried about going home.

When they reached the gate to the Blight grounds, Luz took Amity's hand. Amity blushed, but was grateful for the reassuring touch.

"Whoa..." Luz said as they entered the front door. "It's even fancier on the inside..."

"Let's go to my room," Amity said quietly. Her parents wouldn't be home for another while, and she hoped to avoid Ed and Em until then. At least they wouldn't dare to do something awful in front of them.

They walked quickly down the long corridor, heading for the back stairs leading up to the second floor - if they went up the front staircase, they'd pass Ed and Em's rooms. A likely ambush site...

"I'll show you around another time?" Amity said apologetically.

"Yeah, sure, oh my gosh!" Luz gasped and pointed at a very large animal skull mounted on the wall. "That's so cool and gross and terrible at the same time. What was that?"

"A knorkel."

Amity sped up a little - she wanted to get to her room. She could lock the door. Being out in the open in the house made her feel extremely exposed.

"There you are, little sister. You're late. We were beginning to worry." Ed's voice came from over to their right. Amity froze. Ed and Em were sitting on the other side of the room she and Luz were scurrying through.

They had been waiting.

"Oh look, it's the cute little human," Em looked up from her magazine. "Are you friends for realsies now? Aw, isn't that adorable."

Luz calmly put her bag down on a dresser, then turned around to face Ed and Em. Her face was determined. "What you did yesterday was awful and you should apologize to Amity," she stated firmly.

"But we already did, didn't we?" Ed smiled at Luz sweetly.

"Oh, little sister... Isn't it enough that you got us suspended?" Em shook her head.

"You deserve to be expelled for what you did!" Luz said fiercely.

"That's a little harsh, Luz." Ed sat up.

"Yeah, we were only playing around. Not our fault Amity allegedly bled through her clothes."

"Yeah, not our fault."

"Maybe if she was a little nicer and not such a tattle tail, things like that wouldn't happen?" Em put the magazine down. "Or what do you say, brother?"

"Yes, sister I agree. If our baby sister would just keep her little nose out of our business, things would go a lot smoother."

"That's a terrible thing to say!" Luz said angrily. "Maybe instead of being so mean, you could actually tell people what you did!"

"Why would we ever admit to something like that?" Em chuckled.

"Oh, I don't know, to do the right thing?! To take responsibility for your actions?!" Luz put her hands on her hips.

Both Ed and Em burst out laughing.

"Oh, I think she's actually serious!" Ed laughed harder.

"Come on, Luz, this is pointless," Amity whispered, tugging at her sleeve. She just wanted to leave.

"Hang on, Amity." Luz turned back to Ed and Em. "Don't you care about your sister at all?"

"Care? We love her to bits."

"She's our little Mittens! How could we not absolutely wuv her?" Ed clasped his hands together and turned his head to the side.

"That's a very odd way of showing affection, making someone bleed through on purpose."

"Well, you basically left us no choice, Luz, when you took away her diary." Em fluttered her long eyelashes at her. "If we'd had that, there wouldn't have been a need for yesterday's little prank."

"Yeah, this was not as good, and it didn't even go as planned! Nobody saw it happen, so it shouldn't even count. You're such a little spoil sport, Mittens." Ed made a dramatic gesture.

"You got off easy. You should thank us, really."

"Thank you?!" Amity snapped, outraged with disbelief.

"You're welcome!" Ed gave her a winning smile.

Luz gasped. "That's so mean!"

"Aren't you going to say sorry, even?" Em looked Amity up and down.

"What?! Why would I - ?!"

"You got us in trouble with Principal Bump over something that wasn't even that bad - but more importantly, we're going to miss the field trip to Spleenscreek next week - and I was really looking forward to that."

"Yeah, me too." Ed agreed.

"It's only fair you get a punishment, too - after all, if you had been a better little sister who knew her place, we wouldn't be in this situation in the first place." Em got a dangerous look in her eye now. Ed smoothly slid up next to her. Amity took a step back.

"What should we do, sister?" Ed asked.

"I don't know, brother. Maybe we take away something of hers, so she learns her lesson?"

"That's a good idea. What should we take away?"

The twins stepped closer. Both Amity and Luz stepped back now.

"Her dignity."

The twins raised their hands - blue ropes appeared around Amity's wrists, yanking her arms out to the sides.

"Stopit!" Luz shouted.

"Not much of an audience, but the human will do." Ed pushed past Luz and grabbed Amity by the pony tail and the hem of her tunic - she let out a shocked gasp of pain -

"Let go of her!" Luz shoved Ed away. He fell to the floor with a surprised grunt - one of the blue ropes vanished. Luz turned and charged toward Em, who stood frozen in surprise. She drew another spell circle - another blue rope appeared, around Luz's wrist this time - Luz was yanked to a halt half a meter away from her, but her hand continued its arc through the air and connected with Em's cheek with a resounding SMACK! The slap sent Em staggering, and all her ropes vanished.

"I said - stop it!" Luz panted.

"You - you hit me!" Em gasped, holding her cheek.

"If you try that again I will kick you where it really hurts!" Luz warned. "You are going to leave Amity alone, do you understand?!" She demanded fiercely. "Leave her alone or so help me I'll - !"

Ed shoved Luz from behind - she hadn't seen him coming! She tumbled into a table with a shriek of surprise. The table overturned, spilling books and small decorative ornaments onto the floor.

"Luz!" Amity ran over to her.

"What in stars name is going on in here?!"

All the Blight children whipped around. In the doorway stood Mr Blight.

"Amity and her human friend attacked us!" Ed said quickly.

"What?!" Mr Blight demanded.

"Dad! She hit me in the face!"

"Luz! Luz! Are you alright?!" Amity gently shook Luz's shoulder. Luz made a little groan. "Dad, help, I think she's really hurt!"

"Amity..." Luz mumbled through swelling lips. There was a gash on her cheek and her nose was bleeding. She must have hit the edge of the table face first.

"Dad!" Amity looked over at her father, who was helping Em sit up. "Help!"

"She started it!" Ed said, pointing to Luz.

"Son, go get your mother." Mr Blight told Ed firmly, then he strode over to Amity. "What is a human doing in my house?" he demanded of her.

"She's my friend! She walked me home from school! Ed and Em were waiting for me!" Amity said quickly. "Dad, do something! She's bleeding!"

"I can see that." He said coldly. Amity stared at him. He drew a spell circle and cuffs appeared around Luz's wrists.

"What are youdoing?!" Amity gasped and clutched Luz to her chest.

"I am placing her under arrest! And stop that, you're getting human blood all over you."

"She's hurt! You need to help her, not arrest her!" Amity tugged angrily at her father's sleeve.

"Amity, really!" Mr Blight leaned away. "This is a new coat!"

Amity stared at him as he brought out his iRaven.

He's...not going to help her... He's going to call the guard!

Something inside her broke, but there was no time - she gritted her teeth, then drew a spell circle in the air. With a voice that trembled with emotion, she said: "Abomination, rise!"

"Amity, no abominations in the house!" Mr Blight said firmly.

The abomination rose out of the floor with a groan.

"Abomination, carry Luz! And follow me!"

"Arrhhh..." the abomination shoved its arms under Luz's body and lifted her up.

"Amity, stop this silly business!"

"I'm not going to let you arrest her, dad!" Amity snarled. "Ed and Em are lying!" She backed away from her father.

A jabber of voices came from the corridor leading into the room - Amity took the opportunity to run to the patio door while her father and Em were distracted. She snatched up Luz's stuff from the dresser, then opened the door and ran out. Her abomination lumbered after her. She heard her father call her name, but she didn't care.

When they got to the gate, she stopped and turned around. Her abomination was lagging behind! She drew another spell circle. "Abomination, rise! Help us!"

As the second abomination rose out of the ground, she felt the weight of the world increase. All her limbs felt heavy. She shook her head - she had to get Luz away from her parents!

"F-follow me!" she panted. The second abomination helped the first carry Luz's limp form. Amity led the way down the road and along the edge of the forest.

She reached the white wall and ran along it, panting heavily. The gate to Lilith's house came into view - that gave her the strength to speed up.

Please let her be home!

She grabbed the handle and wrenched it down, then pushed at the heavy gate. It groaned in protest, but slid open.

"Quickly!" She waved her abominations through. As soon as they passed the gate, they crumbled into dust - Luz tumbled onto the ground, sliding to a stop in the gravel. "Luz!"

Amity ran forward. The gate slammed shut behind her and sealed itself - the metal birds adorning it screeched shrilly. There was a rustle on either side of her - she looked around to see the beautifully sculpted bird bushes come to life and rush toward her. She threw herself over Luz's unconscious body, hugging her friend's head to her chest. The birds screeched again, the ground shook -

"Cessare!"

Everything stopped. Amity dared to look up. Lilith was striding toward her, staff in hand.

"H-help!" Amity squeaked. Lilith broke into a run. "Ed shoved her into a table!"

Lilith knelt down next to Amity, breathing hard.

"Luz?" Lilith patted Luz's cheek. Luz's head lolled to the side. "How long has she been unconscious?"

"A-a few minutes?! My abominations carried her here - they vanished!"

"Let's get her inside." Lilith got to her feet, then drew a spell circle. Luz's body was surrounded by blue light and lifted gently into the air. Amity stumbled upright, holding onto Luz's hand. "Sapphire!"

The albino raven twisted off the top of the staff with a caw.

"Fetch my sister."

The raven flew off like a shot and Lilith began striding back to the house, pulling Luz along with her. Amity followed at a run, her chest aching with worry.

They made it inside. Lilith put Luz down on a couch.

"Stay with her, I'll be right back." She hurried off.

Amity looked after Lilith, her hands clenching and unclenching.

"Unnh..." Luz groaned.

"Luz!" Amity darted over to her. "Luz! Are you okay?!"

Luz's eyelids flickered and her shoulder twitched, then she went still.

"Luz?!" Amity shook her shoulder. "Please wake up!"

Lilith returned shortly, several boxes and other items floating behind her.

"Please give me some room," she said firmly. Amity moved out of the way. Lilith took a seat next to the recumbent Luz and began to examine her. After checking her breathing and pulse, she said: "Tell me what happened."

"We uh - we went to my house, Ed and Em were waiting for us - we argued - they tried to tie me up - Luz pushed Ed away from me, then she went after Em! Ed shoved her from behind into a table! I think she hit her face on the edge..."

"Did she pass out immediately?"

"No, she - she said my name, then she passed out. Then my dad came! He - he put cuffs on her..."

"Cuffs?!" Lilith looked up at Amity sharply.

"He said she was under arrest!"

"Idiot!" Lilith's nostrils flared and her eyes flashed. She shook her head, exhaled forcefully, then turned back to Luz. She waved a finger and a box flew closer. She reached into it and grabbed a little vial. She uncorked it and waved it under Luz's nose - the girl inhaled sharply and her eyes flew open. She tried to sit up, but Lilith gently put her hands on her shoulders. "It's okay, it's okay! You passed out for a little while - tell me, where does it hurt?"

"What..." Luz looked round. "Where am I?"

"You're in my house. Amity brought you to me. Now... Wheredoes it hurt?" Lilith gave her a serious look.

"My fffface," Luz groaned and touched her cheek, then winced as she brushed the cut there. "Did I fall over? I fell over didn't I..."

"Ed pushed you into a table," Amity said in a careful voice.

"Oh, right..." Luz touched her chest and grimaced.

"Does your chest hurt?" Lilith inquired sharply.

"Mhmm!" Luz pulled at the collar of her hoodie and looked down. The tail of a livid bruise was revealed. "Ow... I think there's a splinter or something..."

"We need to take your shirt off," Lilith said promptly. "Does your neck or head hurt apart from your cheek?"

"... Not really."

"Blurry vision? Nausea?"

"No." Luz shook her head.

"Take a few deep breaths for me, please." Lilith observed Luz closely. "Did that hurt?"

"No?"

"Good! Good. I don't think you have any broken ribs. Let's sit you up..."

Amity quickly turned her back. Lilith lifted the hoodie over Luz's head, then helped the girl lay back down. The bruise travelled from Luz's left collar bone, down under her undergarment, then continued down the middle of her sternum. There were a few scrapes and some fragments of something embedded just below the third rib. Lilith made a long inhalation hiss.

"That doesn't look great, does it," Luz commented weakly.

"Does it hurt anywhere else? Knees, stomach, teeth - anything?"

Luz thought carefully, then held up her left arm. There was a red mark around her wrist. Lilith grabbed her hand and took a look.

"Friction burn... Amity, could you go outside and wait for Edalyn, please? And show her inside when she arrives."

"S-sure," Amity stopped herself from glancing over her shoulder, then headed outside.

Lilith took a breath, then picked up a clean towel and dipped it in some water.

"Let's get you cleaned up," she said gently.

"Is Amity alright?" Luz asked. Lilith paused with her hand raised. There was a worried look in Luz's eyes.

"She's alright enough for now. Let's focus on you first."

"O-okay..."

5

Eda tore out of the sky, leapt from her staff and landed at a run on the lawn in front of Clawthorne manor.

"Where is she!?" she demanded of Amity.

"Inside to the left!" Amity pointed and waited for Eda to dash past.

"Luz?!" Eda ran over to the couch and stopped, wild eyed, panting and white as a sheet.

"Heyy, Eda..." Luz said tiredly. She was all bandaged up and wrapped in a blanket. The blood had been wiped from her face. "I kinda got into a fight..."

"She's got a few cuts and bruises, but nothing serious as far as I can tell," Lilith said quickly and calmly. "I think she hit her head again, so I would keep a close eye on her for the next few days." Eda gripped Lilith's shoulder tightly - Lilith cupped her elbow, wondering if Eda was going to fall over. She quickly waved a finger and a chair slid over. "Sit down!"

"Sweet baby cheeses," Eda panted, clutching at her chest. "What. Happened?"

"We went to Amity's house. We ran into her brother and sister - "

"I'm going to murder them!" Eda shot up out of her chair, startling both Lilith and Luz - they twitched away from her. Lilith recovered quickly however and grabbed Eda by the shoulder.

"Calm yourself!" she snapped.

"My phone..." Luz said quietly.

"What!" Eda's head whipped around.

"What happened to my phone?"

"Who cares about your - "

"I recorded it..."

"You what?"

"I recorded it," Luz repeated. "I thought maybe... they would say something incriminating and then I could show Amity's parents... and they'd believe her..."

Eda, Lilith and Amity stared at Luz in silence. After a moment, Amity came over from the door, bent down and picked up Luz's phone and held it out. Luz took it, pushed at the screen a few times, then turned it around to show the rest. They all watched the little screen.

Amity went pale as she saw herself from behind. Lilith gasped and covered her mouth as the words got heated and the magic started flying, but Eda just stared, transfixed. When Amity approached the phone in the video, Luz turned the camera to see. The screen was mostly covered by Amity's hand, but a strip of jostling sky and ground could be seen. After the second abomination was summoned, the feed cut out.

"I think I ran out of space..." Luz said quietly. "But we got 'em..."

Silence.

"I'm going to kill them..." Eda muttered and shook her head in disbelief, eyes still focused on the screen. "The little shits! And their dad, too! Putting cuffs on a passed out kid!"

"They can't deny it now," Luz looked up at Amity.

"Luz..." Amity's breaths were shallow.

"Amity, show me your wrists, please..." Lilith said in a thin voice. Amity blinked, then pulled up her sleeves. There were red marks around them. She glanced at Luz's left arm - she had a bandage there, too.

"It's fine." Amity said quickly. "It's fine."

"Let me see," Lilith insisted. Amity slowly held out her arms. She winced when Lilith touched her skin. "Turn your wrists... alright, now bend them."

Amity winced again.

"Friction burns... And maybe a little sprain..."

"How are you not losing your shit, Lily?!" Eda demanded suddenly. Lilith turned her head sharply.

"I am furious, Edalyn, but there are children in need of care! That is my priority! Losing my shit is not currently an option!" Lilith grabbed a bottle and turned it upside down against a clean towel. "Amity, please sit down!" She barked out the instruction, and Amity instantly folded at the knees. Lilith took a breath. "My apologies, I didn't intend to snap." She began to dab at Amity's wrists. "Edalyn can you please fetch a shirt from upstairs?"

"Shirt?!"

"For Luz to wear!" Lilith glanced at her angrily. Eda looked at Luz - the kid was wrapped up in a blanket. Her little hoodie lay on the floor. It was dirty and had multiple blood stains. The sight tore at Eda's heart with surprising force.

"Get you a shirt..." Eda muttered as she stomped away. "And then we're going over there and kicking some fucking ass, you hear me?!"

"No, we are not." Lilith kept her eyes focused on Amity's wrist. "They are going to come here." Eda didn't seem to hear her.

Luz and Amity exchanged a look.

"Come here?" Luz asked carefully.

"Yes," Lilith answered, sounding as if she had to concentrate hard to keep her voice calm. "We are going to sort this mess out immediately."

"What... what are you going to do to them?" Amity asked in a breathless voice.

"We are going to show your parents that recording and if they don't finally see sense, I'm going to have young Mr Blight arrested for assault. And Mr Blight senior for impersonating an officer of the law by putting official cuffs on a magic-less minor without a shred of authority, or evidence." Lilith's nostrils flared and her eyes flashed dangerously. But her hands were steady as they wrapped Amity's wrists.

It's going to be interesting to find out just how he learned that spell. And who taught it to him...

6

"Why here?!" Eda demanded as she handed Luz a dark gray sweater. "Let's just go over there and sort them out right now!"

"Eda," Lilith pinched the bridge of her nose. "Do you want to be part of this?"

"What!? Of course I want - how could you even ask me that?!"

"Think for a moment, sister! If we go over there," Lilith spoke slowly. "They will arrest Luz. The will arrest you. If we want to actually solve this and not just satisfy our lust for vengeance we are going to have to be smart about it!"

Eda opened her mouth to retort.

"She's right, Eda," Luz cut in. She tried to sit up - Eda quickly reached out to help her.

"Fine! Fine!" Eda growled, mollified by Luz needing help. "Arms up, kid." She pulled the sweater over Luz's arms and down over her torso, then she reached up to straighten her hair. She ended up just stroking Luz's locks, looking at her with an increasingly worried expression on her face. Wordlessly, Eda pulled her into a hug.

"Eda, I'm okay..." Luz said in a slightly muffled voice.

"You are not okay," Eda whispered back. "You don't have to be so dang brave... I've got you, kid..."

Luz blinked quickly, then leaned against Eda's shoulder and sniffed.

The sound of Luz's gentle crying made Amity want to rip something to shreds and burst into tears herself and scream and beat Ed and Em into pulps and - a warm hand slid up her arm and lightly gripped her shoulder, interrupting the rushing thoughts. She looked up at her mentor through a haze of unshed tears.

"It must have all been very frightening..." Lilith said in a soft voice. She took a seat between Amity and Eda. The girl nodded and wiped her cheeks on her sleeve. Lilith gave a little pull on her shoulder and Amity leaned in. Lilith let out a long breath, then stroked the girl's hair and back. "You don't have to be brave either, my dear..." she whispered gently.

Amity sniffed and closed her eyes, then relaxed into the embrace. She had been so tense for so long...

When the girl leaned her weight on Lilith, Lilith's back came into contact with Eda's. For a moment, Lilith expected Eda to pull away, but instead she felt her sister let out a weary sigh. They ended up leaning against each other - helping the other hold the weight of the child in their arms.

7

The sound of the bell pull made them all look up. They were sitting in the dining room, waiting for the Blights to arrive. Now that they were here, Amity's heart started to race.

"What do we do if they brought guards?" Eda asked, adjusting the hood covering half her face. They had agreed it'd be best for her to wear a disguise and assume a different identity in front of the Blights. She would pretend to be their second cousin Rosemary.

"Mr Blight may be a member of the Council of Nine but he has no official authority over the city guard." Lilith said calmly. "And no one may enter this house without my express permission." That's one of the reasons I wanted them to come here, she added in her own mind. Here, I am in control. She stood up, then went to open the door.

She took a moment to clear her mind.

I will give them one chance to do the right thing. One.

She summoned her staff, then turned the handle.

"Where is my daughter?!" Mr Blight demanded. He was purple in the face already. Behind him stood his wife and older children. Mrs Blight looked upset and worried and the twins looked sullen.

"She is waiting inside," Lilith said with the temperature of a midwinter blizzard. "You'd do well to calm yourself before entering my home, Mr Blight, or I will have you forcibly removed." She let her steely gaze linger on his objectionable countenance.

"You can't keep her from us, we're her parents!" Mrs Blight said, now looking anxious and angry.

"Your husband is the one keeping your child from you, Mrs Blight," Lilith said calmly. "I will not let a man who can not control his temper into my house."

Mr Blight huffed like a beast intent on leveling a small community and then devouring its inhabitants.

"Tobias!" Mrs Blight said in a pleading tone of voice. Mr Blight half turned to look at her, then forced his shoulders down. The color in his face settled.

"Please, take us to our daughter." He managed to say in a forcibly composed voice.

Lilith gave him another long look, then stepped aside and let the family in. She led the way to the dining room.

"Amity!" Mrs Blight exclaimed, then started forward. Eda got to her feet and stepped in between them. "Who - who are you?!"

"This is my cousin, Rosemary. Luz is staying with her," Lilith said calmly. "Please have a seat." She waved a hand and four chairs promptly slid out for them.

The Blights hesitated, then took their seats on the opposite side from Eda and the girls. Lilith sat down next to Amity. The girls were holding hands under the table.

"Now. Who wants to tell me what happened this afternoon?" Lilith looked pointedly from Ed to Em.

"The human - " Mr Blight began.

"Edric. Emira," Lilith's voice was firm. "Tell everyone about this afternoon. The truth." For once, Lilith added in her own head.

"Edric, just tell them, sweetie," Mrs Blight said through a worried smile.

"Me and Em - " Edric began.

"Em and I," Mrs Blight corrected. Ed gave her a sideways glance.

"Em and I were reading. Then Amity and Luz walked into the room and Luz started berating us about yesterday, then she shoved me and hit Em in the face."

"Is that so?" Lilith asked. Her hand twitched under the table. She wanted to crack her fingers, but resisted the urge. Amity saw her mentor's hand ball into a fist.

"Yeah," Em said in a small voice. "Luz was saying how we were bad people for pulling a prank, then she attacked us."

"And when exactly did Luz and Amity sustain these injuries?" Lilith gestured to the girls. Her closed hand trembled.

"I had to push Luz off Em after she hit her, she was saying how she was going to hit her again," Ed said quickly.

Spinning the truth, Amity thought, her chest growing tighter. Her left hand twitched. She wanted Lilith to hold it. But she shouldn't distract her mentor now, of all times.

"And what happened when you pushed her?"

"She fell on a table."

"Did you push her from the front? From the side?" Lilith inquired swiftly.

"Side."

"And then what happened?"

"Dad came in the room."

"And?" Lilith turned to Mr Blight now.

"I went to check on my children!" Mr Blight growled. "Then I inspected the human. It seemed fine - "

"She!" Amity snapped, outraged and utterly ashamed for her father. "She."

"... She seemed fine. I put restraints on her to prevent her attacking my family again. Then Amity summoned an abomination, picked up the human and ran out of the house."

"And why... do you think, Amity chose to pick up her injured friend and take her out of your house and into mine?" Lilith's nostrils flared.

Amity noticed Luz's other hand reach out for Eda's - her mentor grabbed it firmly.

"Because she knows the human was going to be incarcerated for her crimes! That is not how we raised you, young lady!" Mr Blight smacked his hand down on the table. Everyone but Lilith and Eda jumped at the sound.

"Restrain yourself, Mr Blight! This is your final warning." Lilith said in a voice as hard and as sharp as a thrown dagger. She glared at him and he yanked his hand away, as if the table had burned him. Lilith took a breath, then continued: "This is the truth? This is how events unfolded?"

"Yes, of course it is!" Mr Blight said tersely. "Why do you insist on calling my children liars?!"

"Are you certain you don't wish to change your story?" Lilith looked from Ed to Em. They shook their heads. "... That is very disappointing. But I am not at all surprised you would cling to lies. After all... it has worked out so well for you in the past."

Mr Blight narrowed his eyes at her.

"Luz, may I borrow your device, please?" Lilith held out a hand and Luz gave it to her. Lilith pushed at the phone, then held it out for the Blights to see.

"What is this?" Mr Blight demanded.

"What actually happened." Eda said in a dangerous voice. The air crackled around her shadowed face. It was taking everything she had to not launch herself across the table.

Lilith saw Amity's hand twitch again - she unclenched her fist and held out her hand, palm up. Amity took it gratefully. She knew her hand must be sweaty - but so was Lilith's, she noticed. That was weirdly reassuring. Now all four of them were linked, palm to palm.

Lilith observed the Blight family as they watched the recording. Mr Blight glared at first, then his eyes jumped all over the screen, following the action. Mrs Blight stared open mouthed, her eyes occasionally flicking to her older children. Ed and Em turned from sullen teenagers forced to go through something pointless and boring to teenagers who had just realized they were in deep, deep trouble. Head downwards.

When the recording was over, Mr Blight had gone pale.

"Show them again." Eda said.

"No, we don't want to see - " Mrs Blight said quickly, but Lilith restarted the video. This time around, Mrs Blight winced at the confession and closed her eyes when the twins started using magic.

"Look at them," Eda leaned forward, pointing at the screen. "Look at what your kids did."

"It really is time you opened your eyes to their beastly behavior," Lilith agreed coldly.

Mr Blight was shaking with anger when he turned to his son.

"Dad, I-I can explain!" Ed tried. Mr Blight raised his arm with rage in his eyes - there was a flash and Mr Blight's chair slid away from the table with a screech of wood on marble.

"Not in my house, Tobias Blight!" Lilith roared fiercely. She was on her feet, one arm outstretched.

Mrs Blight quickly clutched her children to her in alarm. Ed and Em stared in shock at their father.

"In nomine Clawthorne; projiciam vos a facie mea!*" Lilith glared at Mr Blight with eyes wide with disgust and fury. Before the man could speak, a flock of birds appeared out of nowhere and surrounded him - they vanished in an instant, taking Mr Blight with them. The suddenly vacated chair rocked slightly. Everyone stared at it.

Lilith breathed forcefully for a moment, then resumed her seat and smoothed down her hair.

"I do not tolerate violence against children under any circumstances. Your husband is fine, Mrs Blight. He has merely been banished from this house." Her voice was calm and cold.

She... cast him out, Amity thought numbly.

"Are you alright, Mr Blight?"

Ed looked astonished to be asked, but nodded stiffly.

"Good. Then let's get back to the matter at hand," Lilith steepled her fingers. "Mrs Blight. You are now aware of what transpired this afternoon. Since it happened in your home, I will leave the punishment up to you, but..." Lilith tipped her hands forward slightly and raised an eyebrow. "If I don't see a change in Edric and Emira's behavior, or if I hear from either Amity or Luz that they stepped out of line again, or you try to get their suspension lifted - I will make an official report and turn this very damning piece of evidence over to the guards. Do I make myself clear?"

Mrs Blight nodded slowly.

"Yes, Miss Clawthorne. I..." she looked over at Amity. "Come on, sweetheart, we'll... We'll talk about this at home..."

Amity's anxiety spiked at those words - she instinctively moved further away from her mother. The short sound of wood sliding on marble startled everyone.

"No. I don't want to go with you," she said in a tight voice, her eyes were firmly on the table.

Mrs Blight stared at her in astonishment.

"D-don't make this any more difficult for me, please, sweetheart!" Mrs Blight got to her feet in a flustered manner. Luz and Eda shot up and Lilith rose slowly in response, but it was all the more threatening because of the lack of speed. The Blights collectively leaned back.

"She's not going anywhere with you!" Luz said fiercely.

"Yeah. The kid deserves a break from all..." Eda waved a hand, indicating the whole Blight family. "This." Her words dripped with contempt.

"I think it's best Amity stays with a friend until you get your house... sorted." Lilith's voice was cold and calm.

"W-well!" Mrs Blight colored, her eyes darting between the three.

"If you forget what happened today, it would be my pleasure to remind you," Lilith put a finger on Luz's phone. "Leave now and return in an hour with a bag for Amity." She stood up straight and put her arms behind her back. "That will be all, Mrs Blight."

Mrs Blight's eyes were on the phone. She swallowed, then nodded. She had gone pale as a ghost.

"C-come, children..." she touched Ed and Em's shoulders and they got hesitantly to their feet. Lilith stepped around the table to escort them out.

They walked in stony silence up the gravel path to the gate.

"I'll expect you in one hour, Mrs Blight. You. Nobody else."

Mrs Blight nodded as she hurried past Lilith holding open the gate. The twins started to complain when they had moved twenty or so meters away.

"Do not talk to me right now!" Mrs Blight snapped at them. "I am very angry with both of you! Give me your iRavens, immediately! You are extremely grounded!"

Lilith turned her back and sealed the gate behind her, then touched the white stone wall. Blue light flashed along it and she inspected it critically. All the seals remained intact.

Good.

8

Eda took off the hooded cloak and hung it on the back of a chair.

"Well, that went better than I expected," she muttered as she released her voluminous hair from its temporary prison. "You kids alright?"

"I'm okay," Luz responded. She looked at Amity and turned her head to the side. "You okay?"

"I don't... know..." Amity felt exposed. And rattled. And strangely separate from Luz and Eda. She wanted to be alone. Her body felt tense. Her mind felt tense. Her father had tried to grab Ed? Hit Ed? And Lilith had stopped him, banished him - then continued like nothing had happened... Like her dad wasn't important at all? She felt so confused by that.

"I need a gosh darn drink..." Eda said tiredly, then slouched over to the cabinet over by the wall.

Luz reached out her hand for Amity's, but Amity shied away from the touch.

"Please don't touch me right now," she said quietly.

"Sorry!" Luz said, feeling stupid. "Sorry." She took a step away and put her hands on her back respectfully.

"It's fine. I'm f-fine." Amity stepped further away, feeling the big pain inside her expand like someone had inserted a log inside the wound and was wedging it open. She couldn't keep away from it - it was going to overwhelm her any second - she didn't want anyone to see it - whatever it was - happen. She turned away and walked quickly down the corridor, toward the back of the house.

"Amity?" Luz called after her uncertainly.

"Hmm?" Eda looked around. "Where'd she go?"

Luz pointed out through the door.

"I think she's upset..."

"I mean, who wouldn't be, after that shit show..." Eda walked over. "And I thought my family was fucked up..."

"Please don't swear," Luz sighed. Eda looked at her.

"Yeah, sorry. Crap show. Poop show?"

Luz looked away.

"Yeah okay, not the time for jokes, I get it. When was the last time you ate?"

"... Four-ish, I guess?"

"We should get some dinner, then. Food'll make things feel better. And maybe some... cute animal videos?" Eda suggested slightly uncertainly.

Luz looked up at her with a troubled wrinkle between her eyebrows.

"I'm worried about Amity..."

"I hear ya, kid..." Eda sighed. "She'll find us when she wants to be around people again. I don't blame her for wanting a moment to, you know... process things."

Luz walked up to her and leaned her head against her arm.

"Come here, you little squirt... You did good in there, very firm. Good volume."

9

When Lilith returned to the dining room, she found Luz and Eda hugging. She glanced around, but didn't see Amity.

"Where's... ?" she asked.

"Think she wanted to be alone," Eda said and nodded in the direction Amity had gone. Lilith's hands rose to her chest, one rubbing the back of the other. "I don't know if that's her thing?"

"She... does tend to isolate herself," Lilith said guardedly.

"Is that a good thing, or a bad thing?" Luz asked in a worried voice.

"It's... a defense mechanism."

"Mhmm," Eda raised an eyebrow. "Sounds like somebody else I know. And just for the record, holy sh - " she glanced at Luz. "Crap, Lily, you were ice cold back there, sheesh."

10

Amity's breath was shallow and quick - she needed to hide somewhere! She needed to be alone! She needed somewhere with a lock - her eye caught on a dark door. She had been in this corridor before! She hurried into the bathroom and locked the door behind her, then leaned her back against it and slid to the floor. She pulled her knees to her chest, trying to keep herself from flying apart. She tried to steady her breath, but her lungs didn't seem to want to listen. Her mind was racing so fast -

Looking at the clock in the cafeteria, looking at the clock in Mr Ott's classroom, her father's face when he put the cuffs on Luz, Eda's face in the firelight, Lilith touching her cheek, Luz hugging her -

It felt like the log wedged in the wound was forcing its way deeper inside, prying the edges apart, she was fighting so hard to keep it together -

The blood flecked floor in the school bathroom, scrubbing her legs frantically in the girl's changing room shower, her big abomination shrinking, Lilith saying she was in pain all the time, Luz's sleeping face, her mother's hand on the back of her neck, watching her family walk away -

There was a high pitched tone ringing in her ears. Her chest went tighter and tighter - she pulled her cowl off, bundled it up, then pressed it hard against her face.

Em's expression as Ed grabbed her by the hair, her father calling Luz an 'it', her mother telling her they would talk about this at home -

It didn't feel real. It felt like it had all happened to someone else, and this, right now, felt as if it was happening to someone else, too. She was crying now, she could feel her chest expand and contract erratically - but all she heard was that awful, high pitched tone. It was like her mind had detached from her body somehow. Like she was sitting in a dark room and there was a storm outside. Happening around her. But not to her.

She sat there, in the dark room, trying to think of what to do. But she had never experienced anything like this. No book came to mind. No teacher had ever presented this as a problem to solve in class.

Maybe if it was a storm, then it would eventually pass? And all she had to do was to just... keep calm and wait it out?

That suddenly became much harder to do. Her thoughts didn't race like before, but they were hard and heavy and painful in a way that she didn't know how to describe. The wound... was open now. The... family wound. She didn't want to get close to it - she didn't want to look into it - but it was in the dark room with her, suddenly. And it swallowed her.

Her chest felt like it was caving in on itself.

She felt alone. She felt exposed. She felt violated. She felt ashamed. She felt dirty. She felt abandoned. She felt invisible. She felt worthless. She felt stupid. She felt unlovable.

But most of all... she felt betrayed.

Her family had betrayed her. They had made her feel alone. And exposed. And violated. And ashamed. And dirty. And abandoned. And invisible. And worthless. And stupid. And... unlovable. Time and time again.

Then she was back in her body - the tears were boiling out of her. No restraint, no restraint at all. She hoped no one would hear her, but at the same time... Somewhere inside was a hope that someone would hear her and come and hug her and make it all better, but she knew that was just a silly, childish wish.

Eventually the tears stopped. Eventually she was able to get to her feet. She washed her face in the sink and drank a lot of water from the tap. It was just as well that she hadn't put on any makeup. Her eyes were red and swollen now. Her nose was red too.

I'm such a mess.

A creeping ache in her lower back reminded her she was on her moon time - how could she have forgotten that? When was the last time she had changed? She needed her bag... Had she even brought it? Well, had she? She must have... It was most likely in the room at the front of the house. She didn't want to look at her underwear before being able to change - but she chanced a look at her leggings.

No stains.

She breathed out, then leaned on the sink. It was a relief to have a tangible problem to solve. She was feeling better than a minute ago, but... She didn't want to see anyone. No, she didn't want anyone to see her. Not yet.

She paused before unlocking the door, straining her ears to hear footsteps or voices.

She snuck through the quiet house, keeping to the carpets as much as she could. Thankfully, she didn't run into anyone. Her bag lay next to Luz's in the front room. She picked it up, then turned around and headed back toward the bathroom.

She did what she needed to do, then washed her hands thoroughly. She stepped out and hurried down the long corridors and out into the garden.

The cool evening air stole the sweat from her brow, and she was most thankful for the theft. She knew she probably shouldn't go into the garden proper when it was dark, so she settled on some stairs a little away from the door. She closed her eyes and let the soothing sound of birds and crickets fill her mind.

After a while, Amity really wasn't sure how long, she heard the flutter of wings close by. She opened her eyes and saw the white raven hopping toward her, up the stairs.

"Hello, Sapphire..." she said quietly. Her voice was hoarse.

Sapphire moved closer, chattering at her. The palisman stopped on the step below her, then cawed loudly three times before hopping onto the toe of her boot. A few seconds later, Amity could hear footsteps approaching.

"Oh thank goodness," Lilith said with a breath of relief. "Please don't disappear like that..."

Amity's eyebrows drew together and up. Usually when she went off on her own, nobody came looking for her. Maybe... people were supposed to come looking for you? Maybe wanting people to find you while you were crying and make it all better wasn't so silly? Maybe people wanted to find her?

"Sorry, I just... needed to be alone."

"We... figured as much."

There was a little pause.

"Would you mind if I joined you?"

Amity shuffled over a bit, even though there really wasn't a need - the stairs were broad and there was plenty of room. Lilith slowly sat down next to her. She stretched out her legs and crossed her ankles. Her joints clicked loudly. Sapphire hopped onto her lap.

"It's... a nice night," she said as she stroked the raven's back. "Have you been out here this whole time?"

"No, I... got here a few minutes ago, I think."

Sapphire hopped back to Amity's boot and peered up at her. The silence stretched.

"Luz is cooking something that smells wonderful."

"Soup?" Amity asked hopefully.

"I'm not sure, but I'm certain it will be good, whatever it is. Eda is helping her."

There was another little pause.

"How... how are you feeling, my dear?" Lilith asked in a careful, gentle voice.

"... Better," Amity admitted.

"Better is good," Lilith sighed with relief again and stroked the back of her own hand. "You don't have to decide this now, but have a think about where you want to spend the night, tonight. Here or at Edalyn's place. Any option is fine. And Luz says she wants to sleep where you sleep, if that's alright with you."

"She does?" Amity looked up at her mentor, feeling surprised at being given so much choice in the matter. She also felt very, very touched about what Luz had said. She was met with a calm, warm smile.

"Yes she does. Your mother dropped off a bag for you."

"It's been an hour already?" Amity asked in amazement.

"... It's been almost an hour and a half since I last saw you," Lilith gave her a concerned look.

"Oh... sorry."

Another pause.

"I think the food should be ready soon," Lilith said. "Do you... want to come with me, or do you want a little more time to yourself?"

"... I'll come with you."

They got to their feet - Lilith's joints clicked again, much louder this time.

"I'm alright," she said in reaction to Amity's worried expression. "It's normal."

They walked sedately to the kitchen. When Lilith opened the door, they were met with a wonderful scent.

"Hey guys!" Luz greeted brightly as she stirred a sizzling pan. "It'll be ready in a minute, have a seat or a drink or something." She turned back to the stove, lifted a lid off a pot, took a sniff, then picked up a spice jar. She sniffed it, frowned, then picked up a different jar. This one she smiled at when she took a whiff, then she sprinkled whatever it was into the pot.

"Lily, you really need to get some dang groceries," Eda said as she popped her head out of the larder. "This place is depressingly empty."

"I told you already; I wasn't expecting dinner guests," Lilith said with a raised eyebrow. She took a seat at the table, then rearranged the knives and forks - whoever had laid the table had just put them down willy-nilly. And they hadn't thought to put down napkins so she fetched some from a cupboard. Then she poured herself a glass of wine and sat back in her chair. She felt exhausted, but pleased, all things considered. She would rather the altercation between Amity, Luz and the Blight twins hadn't happened (obviously), but she felt like she had done all she could think of to resolve the awful situation. It felt handled, at least for the time being. Finally finding Amity on the stairs had been such a huge relief as well. She let herself relax for the first time in hours.

"Hot things!" Luz said as she carried the pan to the table. She put it down on a pot coaster, then went to get the other pots.

"Looks good, kid!" Eda took a seat next to Lilith and grabbed a big spoon and a plate.

"What is this?" Amity asked timidly as Eda started to pile food onto her plate.

"I'm not really sure?" Luz smiled and shrugged uncertainly. "That's just some roasted potatoes and carrots with garlic butter," she pointed to one pot. "That's cured ham in what I think is tomato sauce" she pointed to the other pot. "And I think that's something like eggplant? So I just fried them with some pepper and onions. I've never had all these things together before? It's just what happened."

"'Just what happened'?"

"Yeah, you know how it goes? You have some food, you start cooking and then you just... go with the flow?" Luz shrugged and grinned a little self-consciously. Amity and Lilith looked at her in surprise.

"It'sh delishuss," Eda said and pointed approvingly at Luz with her fork, then swallowed. "Lily, could ya pass the wine?"

Lilith handed her the wine bottle, then picked up her plate and took a good helping of everything. Amity did the same and Luz beamed delightedly around the table.

Eda had been right; it was delicious, Lilith thought as she dug in. Not that Lilith had doubted it in the slightest. She remembered the soup from the weekend very fondly. The roast vegetables were salty and buttery, the ham in tomato sauce was tangy and sweet and the shinoble fruit was surprisingly good paired with onions.

"Luz, this is a feast," Lilith said after she had tasted everything. "Thank you ever so much for making it." She raised her glass in a toast. Amity quickly put down her knife and fork and picked up her glass as well, swallowing her bite a little sooner than she would have liked. Lilith nudged Eda with her elbow - Eda rolled her eyes and smiled as she chewed, but picked up her glass all the same. "Canticum laudisnostri, Luz."

"Canticum laudisnostri," Amity and Eda chorused. All three of them leaned into the middle of the table, their glasses almost touching, then they looked at Luz.

"Get in here, kid," Eda said with a grin.

Luz quickly wiped her hands on the towel over her shoulder, then picked up her glass and copied the rest, a wide, rosy cheeked smiled on her face.

"Canticum laudisnostri," Amity, Lilith and Eda said again, then the four of them clinked glasses. They sat back and took a drink.

"So fancy," Luz cooed, wiggling happily in her seat. "What does cactus laundry mean?"

Eda snorted and Amity grinned and looked at Luz.

"It means 'song of praise'," Lilith said with a little smile.

"No, no, it's cactus laundry from now on," Eda chuckled.

11

"So, are you staying the night here, or?" Eda asked Luz while Lilith and Amity cleared the table.

"That... depends on Amity." Luz looked over at her. Amity looked up from her stack of plates. Now everyone's eyes were on her.

Lilith saw the color rise in her protege's cheeks.

"... I would prefer... if you stayed here tonight," she said in a slow, careful voice. She felt the heat rise in her own cheeks. To her immense relief, Amity's shoulders relaxed and the girl looked up at her.

Amity's heart beat excitedly in her chest, but she tried very hard to contain her reaction. She nodded slowly up at Lilith, then closed her eyes a moment and tried to calm down.

"Want me to stay over too?" Luz asked timidly. Amity looked up at Lilith again - Lilith smiled and nodded - then Amity nodded too, her cheeks glowing. "Yay!" Luz raised her arms in celebration. "Ooh, ow, ow, nope, too much." She lowered her arms again, still wearing a broad smile.

"Take it easy, kid." Eda said in an amused and worried tone. "You'll be plenty sore in the morning as it is."

"Would you like to spend the night too, Edalyn?" Lilith asked, sounding a little tense. She wasn't really sure what she wanted her sister's answer to be.

"Nah, I should get home to King. Tell him what's up."

"Aw, say goodnight to him from me," Luz held her hand over her heart. "And give him a hug. And a kiss."

Eda chuckled and gave her an affectionate look. "Yeah, sure, kid."

"Same rules apply here as they do at home," Eda said as she summoned her staff in the garden a few minutes later.

"No loud parties, no bringing the house to life," Luz smiled and nodded up at her.

"And whatever rules Lily has, I guess," Eda gave the house a disapproving glance. "If something happens, you tell me right away, ya hear?"

"I promise." Luz nodded.

Eda reached out and ruffled Luz's hair, carefully keeping away from the injuries over the last week. Luz gave her a soft look, then threw her arms around Eda's middle and gave her a tight hug. Eda chuckled and wrapped an arm around her, hugging her back.

"Thanks for letting me stay, Eda," she whispered.

"No worries, kid. But tomorrow, you sleep at home. With or without your friend."

"Okay." Luz nodded against her chest, then stepped back.

"Nighty night, you two," Eda waved at Lilith and Amity standing in the door. "If Luz has any more injuries next time I see her, I'm going to clog all your toilets - 'kay byeee!" She soared away, cackling. Lilith rolled her eyes and shook her head while the girls giggled.

They walked inside.

"Now let's do some homework!" Luz twirled on the spot with excitement.

Lilith was caught completely off guard - she let out a little snort and a few breaths of laughter. Both Amity and Luz looked up at her in silent astonishment.

"Oh my gosh that is the cutest thing!" Luz squeaked, beside herself with joy. Amity smiled in disbelief.

Lilith blushed, then cleared her throat awkwardly.

"I'll... show you to the library, shall I?"

"You have your own library?! Can this house get any cooler!" Luz bounded forward.

12

Lilith showed the girls to the library and lit a fire in the grate before going upstairs to get a room ready for them. She hesitated a moment at the top of the stairs. They would probably want to clean up before going to sleep, so they'd need a room with an en-suite bathroom. The official guest rooms hadn't been used in years, and they were on the other side of the house. The only room upstairs Lilith regularly used, was her own bedroom. She wanted to keep the girls close... The room next door would be best... But she never went in there.

She walked up to the next door down the corridor and opened it carefully. The familiar creak tugged at her heartstrings. Her old room... It was funny how you could settle into a routine and then never vary it. She had moved into the master bedroom after her parents passed away. She used to think the house was so empty, with only herself in it. She had gotten used to the solitude over the years. She didn't like to think of herself as lonely, but... maybe she was. After all, more people had been in her house over the last few days than there had been in the last six months combined.

The cleaners had been in on Monday. It was just the one bed, though... She was pretty sure the girls wouldn't mind sharing, but she should ask just in case.

"Girls, would you mind sharing a bed?" she asked as she entered the library. "It's quite a large bed."

"Hm?" Luz looked up from a book, thought a moment, then shrugged. "Okay by me."

They both turned to Amity, who had gone bright red in the face. Lilith was just about to offer them a guest room with twin beds, when Amity said: "'Kay."

Lilith gave them a smile, then went back upstairs.

She changed the sheets and made sure there were towels and soap and things in the bathroom. And a toothbrush for Luz. She lit the fire in the grate, then looked around. She had left her room much like it was when she was a girl. The many bookcases were full all the way to the top. A few framed posters and paintings hung neatly on the walls, along with diplomas and rosettes. A threadbare Otabin plush stood on the nightstand. She went over and picked him up, then hugged him to her chest.

"Hello old friend... Keep them safe tonight."

13

Eda hovered in the air above Blight manor. She reached in her hair and pulled out a little pouch. She grabbed a tiny, shimmering black pellet from inside, then crushed it between her fingers. The fine dust floated away on the breeze.

"Three, two, one..."

A screech echoed over the forest, then a dark cloud rose over the trees.

She cheered as the bullbats swarmed the carcass she had so generously donated to the Blight manor roof adornment fund.

"Good luck getting the stink off, ya fucking dipshits."

14

"Whoa look at the size of this room!" Luz gasped as they entered the bedroom. "I mean I know this is a big house, but dang!" She spun around as she walked forward. "So many books!"

"This... used to be my bedroom when I was a girl," Lilith said calmly. Amity gasped. "I've left you towels and things in the bathroom, through that door there." She pointed to the far left corner. "It shares with the room next door, but please don't go in there."

"Such a big bed! Oh no way! It has curtains!" Luz stroked the dark satin drapes. "Do they close?!"

"They do," Lilith smiled. "I'll be up for a while longer, in my study just down the stairs and to the left. If you need anything during the night, my bedroom is just down the hall. Is there anything you need before I go?"

"I'm good!" Luz climbed into the big window and looked out. "I can see the bakery from here!"

"Um..."

Lilith looked down at Amity.

"Could I maybe have a towel? F-for the bed..." she looked away, blushing.

Lilith was just about to ask why when she realized what her protege meant.

"Certainly," she said softly.

"And um..."

"Yes?"

"Oh, can we have some warm milk before bed?" Luz asked, coming over again. Amity breathed out, relieved.

Lilith smiled at them, then gestured back out the door.

Amity bent to quickly rummage in the bag her mother had brought, then pulled out the hot water bottle Lilith had given her.

Lilith let the girls go upstairs with their milk and sat down in front of her desk in her study. She had left the room in a hurry when she heard the gate's alarm call, earlier in the day. She straightened the papers, took one look at them, then put them down again. She was far too tired to grade things properly. And absolutely too tired to tackle the pile of correspondence. Instead, she poured herself a little measure of amber liquid from one of the fine crystal decanters standing on the drinks table, then took a seat in her favorite armchair. She leaned her head on the wing and let out a long, heartfelt sigh.

15

Amity let Luz use the bathroom first and lent her a shirt to sleep in. Her mom had packed several days worth of clothes into the bag. And a bunch of toiletries. And the hot water bottle. And the book that had been on her nightstand. When she had first opened it up, she had found a note that said: 'Please come home soon, sweetheart. Love, Mom'

She looked at it again now, sitting on Lilith's bed. The note made her angry. It made her sad. She didn't realize she was crying until her tears landed on the paper and smudged the ink. She knew her mom had only had an hour to go home, pack the bag and come back, but this seven word note just wasn't... enough. Not enough to make up for whatever to call her breakdown in the bathroom after they had left, not enough to make up for not even mentioning Luz getting hurt - she didn't really know what she wanted to hear from her mom, but this... wasn't it.

She knew her family wasn't so different from anyone else's but other people seemed to... have more. More... of the family thing. There was something there. Not just a name. Not just a house. Not just tradition and heirlooms and Something To Live Up To. Other people had family in the present... Amity only seemed to have family in the past... Or the future... Or when honor was on the line.

What she had right now... was a seven word note.

She closed her eyes tight and shook her head.

No, what she had right now was a friend to share a room with. A mentor kind enough to let her spend the night in her beautiful house. They had defended her, stood up for her, fought for her... With words and with fists. Nobody had ever gone so far out of their way to help her before. She hated that she couldn't really... hold on to that knowledge, to the feelings it brought forth. It was all so slippery. Something else tried to take its place. She let it all slip away.

Why... does it feel like I don't deserve any of it? Why does it feel like it is all going to be taken from me in an instant? Why does it feel like it's too good to be true? Why does it feel like a lie...

Maybe it was because... Ed and Em had tricked her so many times? Maybe it was because when she had expected her parents to be there for her... they just hadn't been. Or when they were, there was something missing. Maybe she was just so used to being alone that actually having people who - who cared about her was just... too much to take in? She didn't dare trust it... Or at least, not all the time?

It was so nice to hold Luz's hand. And to hug her. And it was so nice when Lilith touched her shoulders. Or held her hand. Or hugged her. And especially when she stroked her hair or cheek... Or called her 'my dear'. Or just talked softly to her. It was so wonderful... It felt right. That was so hard to admit to herself. When one of them touched her, she could feel it. The... care. Then it was clear and it felt real and it made sense and she could relax into it - even just being around them was... good. It made her feel... like a person.

They listened to her. They saw her. They... understood her.

Even Eda had been kind to her.

"You don't have to be 'fine' here."

"Be pissed!Be heartbroken! What they did was awful! Just remember all of today!"

How do you hold on to the good bits? The bad bits are so loud...

"Bathroom's free if you want to use it," Luz said from behind her. Amity looked up. Luz's eyebrows drew together and she hurried over. "What's wrong, querida?"

"Thank you for being my friend!" Amity squeaked, then threw her arms around Luz.

"Oup!" Luz gasped in surprise, then embraced her back. "It's okay..." She stroked Amity's back, a little confused as to what was going on right now, but hugging was the bees knees, and this time it was initiated by Amity! So Luz didn't mind in the slightest. And it made her very happy to hear Amity call her her friend.

"Sorry, I was just... getting tangled up in my head," Amity said as she sat back.

"It's okay!" Luz smiled at her. "I really like hugs." She shrugged in a good-natured way. Amity let out a little breath of laughter.

"How are you so bubbly all the time?"

"Dunno. Just how I was made I guess? My - "

Wait did I say that out loud? Amity's eyes went wide.

"- abuelita - my granny - says I was born with silly bones only."

Amity burst out laughing. Luz's words had caught her completely off guard! Luz laughed too.

When she had regained her breath, Amity wiped her eyes on her sleeve and sniffed.

"Your grandmother was wrong. At least half of them must be made of bravery."

"Amity!" Luz cooed, flopping down on the bed with a squeak of joy. "That's the nicest thing anyone's ever said to me! Arrrghhh!" She giggled and squirmed, then sat back up. "You're brave too, just for the record."

"Thanks, but - "

"Ah-ah, no but!" Luz held up a finger to Amity's lips and shook her head. Amity went slightly cross-eyed trying to look at it - and her cheeks went bright red. "Just say thank you." Luz let her hand fall to the bed and smiled, her cheeks going red too.

"Th-thank you," Amity blurted, feeling suddenly dizzy and tingly all over. "I - I should... go get cleaned up - " she smiled, then fumbled the hot water bottle. "Oopsy daisy!" They both bent to pick it up and bumped their heads together. "Shit!"

"Mierda!"

They leaned back, rubbing their foreheads and giggling in embarrassment, then Luz bent down to pick up the rubber bottle by its cozy.

"We both owe the swear jar a snail each," she smiled and handed the bottle to Amity.

"Maybe it could be our little secret?" Amity was still rubbing her forehead.

"Hey, if I'm going to raise Eda to not swear I have to set a good ex-am-ple!" Luz put her hands on her hips and made an exaggerated grimace of determination. They both burst out laughing again.

16

Lilith looked up at the sound of laughter coming from upstairs. For a moment she was terribly confused, then she sat back in her chair and smiled.

Children laughing in Clawthorne manor...

She closed her eyes and breathed out.

What a wonderful sound...

17

Eventually, Amity made it to the bathroom. She took a quick shower, changed into her nightdress and brushed her teeth. She looked herself in the mirror as she scratched at the high collar. A sudden flash of anger leapt up in her chest. She lifted her chin.

"Here's what I think of your seven words, mom..." she hissed defiantly. She grabbed the collar firmly in both hands and pulled. With a rtch! it tore down the middle.

There. Now she could breathe properly.

"Which side of the bed do you want?" Luz asked when Amity stepped out of the bathroom.

"Doesn't matter."

"Okay, I'll take the left. Then it'll be like in my room at Eda's house." Luz threw the thick duvet to the side and flung herself down. "Ow, forgot... Oh my gosh, this mattress, though..."

Amity went over to the right side - it was the side with the nightstand. She tried not to blush as she pulled the duvet away to put down the towel. Luz looked at her with her head to the side, then seemed to realize what was going on. She smiled in her soft way and didn't comment. It made Amity relax slightly.

Amity grabbed the hot water bottle, then got into bed and pulled the duvet over herself. The bed could have easily held two more people their size. And the mattress was very good.

"Which side do you think Lilith used to sleep on?" Luz wondered aloud. "Probably your side."

"Why do you say that?" Amity asked, her heart skipping a beat.

"Your side has the nightstand."

Amity turned her head, then smiled up at the Otavin plush.

Lilith liked Otavin too, when she was younger... She let out a breath. That was something she'd tuck into her heart and remember forever.

"Pretty cool to be in her childhood bedroom," Luz said with a giggle.

"Y-yeah," Amity agreed.

"I wonder what Eda's room's like! Do you think it's the one over there?" she pointed toward the opposite wall, indicating the room between the one they were in and Lilith's.

"Maybe?"

"That's the one she said not to go in, though, right?"

"Yeah."

"Aw man..." Luz let out a sigh.

Amity turned on her side. She breathed in the scent of the fresh linens and Lilith's soap.

"Hey Luz?"

Luz turned to face her.

"Yeah?"

"Thank you... for everything. I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't walked me home today." She didn't really want to even begin to explore that thought. "And I'm so... sorry you got hurt..."

Luz gave her a relaxed smile.

"I'd do it again in a heartbeat."

Amity looked into Luz's warm, brown eyes and saw nothing but truth. Again, she felt seen, not just looked at. The bad thoughts were chased away and again, she felt very aware of her heart. It beat powerfully enough for her to feel it in her entire body.

She'd do it again in a heartbeat...

Luz looked into Amity's golden eyes and saw her friend's surprise. And her gratitude. And her sadness. And her cute little blush. And the lock of hair that was almost escaping from behind her ear. She wanted to reach out and tuck it back. She wanted to eat cupcakes with her. She wanted to study with her. She wanted to hold hands with her. She let out a soft sigh. She had gotten to do all those things with her today... And... she had had the honor of defending her honor against her brother and sister. Her heart beat fiercely in her chest.

She called me brave.

Please review!

Notes (in no particular order):

EDIT: This is part six of the series! (As mentioned in the top note) The next part is called I'm here. It can be found in the fic list on my profile.

*In nomine Clawthorne; projiciam vos a facie mea! (Latin) = In the name Clawthorne; I cast you out! I'm having lots of fun with google translate, as you can tell. The phrase "projiciam vos a facie mea" literally means "I cast you from my face", which I found very funny. Also a The Exorcist reference. Also, more importantly, a very obscure Warehouse 13 reference.

Not so many pictures in this chapter! Just the one (at current time of writing) actually. I spent so much time on it! Like, several days! I'm satisfied with it. Especially with the sofa. (I do commissions, btw, wink wink nudge nudge)

I'm trying out numbering the different parts because the three asterisks I usually use to keep them separate have a tendency to disappear when I copy/paste it into the online editor. Not sure if I like it, but we'll see.

Really should tag this whole series as slowburn and Lumity. Let's hope I remember to do that.

I should really name this series something different - "The Owl House AU" is just kind of boring and very unspecific. If you have a suggestion, please let me know! My list currently has TOH Fibro AU, TOH Lilith is a teacher at Hexside AU (so long) and TOH Cake AU (that being a reference to the movie Cake with Jennifer Aniston (which people should totally see, it's very powerful. I had to take breaks watching it because it portrays chronic pain and the effect it can have on your mental state so well)). There's only an option to make it a series on Ao3, unless I've missed something on fanfictionDOTnet.

Re: Amity and losing track of time (not sure if anyone takes notice of these things lol, but I wanted to mention it). Amity dissociates from time to time, especially when she's tired and/or hasn't eaten in a while. And/or when she gets overwhelmed by her feelings. I imagine she spent about thirty minutes (tops) in the bathroom and the remaining hour out in the garden (Lilith mentioned she hadn't seen her for about an hour and a half). She gets spacey after episodes, especially when her blood sugar is low. Key scenes this is apparent (at least to me) is when Lilith finds her in the garden in this story, when she walks her home in There's a Luz loose in my garden and in Bless you when she stands on the stairs watching her family walk away.

I'd really like to hear what you think about this part in the series! Thank you to everyone who's left sweet comments/reviews and/or kudos on the previous parts. Your words really brighten up my day and motivate me to write more. I especially want to thank Rysenkari, LazuliRose, Shrimpking24 and Master_Of_The_Boot1 for always making my day with their comments/reviews. You guys are the best 3

I'm not sure how long this writing streak is going to hold up, but I have at least one more idea I want to write, but that might be spread out over several parts.

Also I don't think this is the last time Eda is going to do something vengeance-y to the Blights. This was most likely just step one. She has a whole arsenal of mischief to choose from after all. If you have suggestions on how Eda might take sneaky revenge on the Blights for hurting Luz, please let me know :)