Chapter Two
Luz POV
The Boiling Isles is exactly as I remember it. Tall trees surround the busy town below me. There’s a bustle about today, as shoppers search the market for the items they want to purchase. The sky above is painted a beautiful orange, with large clouds stretching out along the horizon. I take a deep breath in, the familiar smell of home filling my lungs.
I look down as Owlbert nudges my leg, an indication that we should keep moving. He pushes off from the ground, letting his wings spread as he floats down towards the woods. Before I can follow him, my attention is stolen by commotion from the market. It is only then that I notice dozens of guards from the Emperors Coven patrolling the streets. The commotion is coming from a small street vendor. I’m too far away to recognize the details of the vendor’s face, but I recognize the shock of green hair on his head. The guard seems to be bothering him as their voices grow louder. The bustle of the village has died down now, as everyone watches the scene play out. In a final burst of anger, the guard shoves the green haired boy to the ground, letting out a shout that echoes through the mountains.
A sharp hoot from beside me makes me jump, and Owlbert tugs on my shirt. I nod to him, glancing back at the town one last time before taking off into a run down the slope towards the woods.
My mind races faster than my legs as I think about what I just saw. If that green haired boy really was the eldest Blight twin, as I suspected, then that meant bad news for Eda. Blights were known for being respected, and the Owl Lady was known for exactly the opposite. We’ll just have to hope the guards don’t catch her again.
As the blur of trees around me fades into a clear view of the horizon, I know we’re here. My legs sprint faster now, eager to see Eda and King and Hooty and-
The door stands ajar, the darkness from inside an unwelcome surprise. I skid to a halt, the smile from my face falling into a frown. It’s quiet, too quiet.
“Hooty?” I whisper, swallowing my fear and ducking through the gap in the doorway. The usually talkative bird’s silent reply sends a shiver down my spine. As I pull the door towards me, I see him, hanging lifelessly. A quiet gasp escapes my lips as I stagger backwards. I jump as I feel movement beside my head. Owlbert swoops past me into the darkness of the room.
“Owlbert! Wait!”
All at once I feel so alone as I am frozen to the spot, unsure of what to do. What if the Emperor’s Coven finally found Eda? A flicker of light from the corner of the room grabs my attention. Blindly, I make my way over to it, stepping carefully over the creaky floorboards. My eyes have adjusted to the darkness now, so I can make out the shape of the candle the light is coming from. It protrudes out of a layer of blue frosting that coats the cake underneath. Scrawled onto the surface in icing are the words ‘welcome home’. A soft smile forms on my lips. Home.
I turn around in startled surprise as the lights around me flicker back to life. Choruses of “Surprise!” and “Welcome back!” echo through the formally silent house, as the grinning faces of my friends pop up from their hiding places. My heart beats violently in my chest as I let out a sigh of relief.
“You nearly gave me a heart attack!”
“Sorry for the theatricality, kid.” Eda laughs, making her way towards me. “It was King’s idea.”
I look down at King, who has already wrapped his paws around my leg. “Yeah, it was!” he declares with a proud nod.
Willow and Gus let out a long stream of laughter, laughter that I’d missed. I was right about them looking different. Gus has grown a fair few inches since the last time we saw each other. His facial features are the same, but they seem to suit his face more than before. Other than being a little taller, Willow looks exactly the same. She smiles at me behind her glasses as I pull them both into a hug.
“God, I missed you guys.”
King has let go of my leg now and is instead going for the food that is spread across the table next to the cake. As Eda warns him not to eat too much sugar, I take the opportunity to have a long look around the room. My ‘banned’ poster hangs besides Eda’s own ‘wanted’ poster on the wall behind the sofa. Not exactly my proudest achievement in the Boiling Isles, but Eda seems to like it. Fairy lights hang from the ceiling, a new addition to the Owl House. I wonder if the rest of the house looks the same.
“Hoot Hoot! Hi Luz!” I spin around quickly to see the brown face of Hooty. “Did you like my acting? Did you really think I was dead?” He sticks his tongue out, feigning death.
I laugh. “Yeah, very realistic.”
He chuckles proudly as I turn back to Eda. Frosting decorates her mouth, and her fingers are sticky with icing.
“Hey Eda, what’s with all the guards in town?”
She swallows before answering, concern lining her voice. “The Emperor put more guards on duty not long after you left. They’re taking as many Hexide students as they can to join them, so you better be careful when you graduate at the end of this year.” She grins at the face I pull. “Don’t worry, kid. They’re not gonna want you.” I laugh, shoving her softly. “Still,” she continues. “I can’t help but think they’re up to something.”
“The guards have been harassing people in town, so much so that people are getting worried.” Gus adds, his mouth full of what looks like gummy worms, but probably isn’t.
“Do you know if the Blight twins joined the Coven?” I ask him, remembering what I saw-or thought I saw- in town earlier. He shrugs.
Willow answers for him. “Emira joined. Edric didn’t.”
“Why?”
“Does it matter?” King whines from atop the table. He kicks his feet in the air like a toddler. “Luz is back! Shouldn’t we be celebrating, not worrying?”
We all laugh, as Gus scoops him up into his arms, ruffling his fur. He lets out a few strangled noises, trying to escape his grasp. As we all migrate over to the sofa, I notice that someone is missing.
“Hey, where’s Amity?”
Willow and Gus share a look. Even King goes quiet as Gus lets him go. The room goes quiet and everyone avoids my eyes.
“Uh, listen kid. It’s, uh. It’s complicated.”
I look up at Eda, confusion written across my face. She goes quiet, distracting herself with a gummy worm. I turn to Willow for more of an explanation, but she gives me none. I sigh, exasperated.
“Can someone please explain what’s going on?”
“Amity joined the Emperor's Coven.” Gus says quietly, his eyes fixed on the floor. “Truth is, we haven’t seen her in a while.”
I’m not sure how to process this information. Joining the Coven is what Amity always wanted. I should be happy for her. “She hasn’t even graduated yet.” I think out loud.
Willow nods. “She’s still studying at Hexide.” She pops a gummy worm into her mouth, chewing loudly. The room is not so quiet anymore, as Eda and King engage in their own conversation with Hooty. Gus has left the sofa in search of more food.
“You said you haven’t seen her in a while?”
Willow shrugs. “She doesn’t talk to us anymore. Honestly, it’s so weird. It’s like they’ve brainwashed her, like she doesn’t know who she is anymore.” I swallow the lump in my throat as my stomach churns. Suddenly her disappearance in my letters makes more sense. “Maybe you should go see her.” Willow continues. “She might be glad to see you.”
“Does she know I’m back?” I ask. She shakes her head as I stand up. My hands are shaking, but I ignore them. I didn’t expect everything to be the same as it was before I left, but I certainly never thought Amity would turn her back on her friends, on the relationship she had built back with Willow, just to be in the Emperor’s Coven. I want to go talk to her, but I don’t know what I would say. I’m not even sure she would want to see me.