Chapter 24
Luz POV:
A smug smile lights up my face as I stand over the body of what once was a Coven guard. His shaking knees and fumbling hands weren’t enough to defeat the glyphs I’ve been practicing with for months.
I step over him carelessly, making my way down the hallway and towards the dimly lit stairway ahead of me. It’s the only tower I haven’t checked yet, the only cells I haven’t searched for any signs of Amity. She has to be here somewhere. She has to be.
A newfound determination within me, I take on the stairs like an enemy, two steps at a time as I make my way closer and closer to where I hope I will find her. Quietly cursing the loud echoes my footsteps create, I reach the top of the stairs. A Coven guard, bigger than all the rest I have seen today, stands waiting for me.
Thinking quickly, I duck under the swing that he takes at me, dodging away to the left. He chases me, spear in hand, so I turn back to him. If a fight is what he wants, it’s a fight he’ll get.
He skids to a halt before me, surprised that I stopped running. His hesitation gives me enough time to press a plant glyph onto his spear, and branches of green twist around the handle, pulling it from his grip. I catch it as it flies through the air towards me.
His lack of defense doesn’t stop him though, and before I can process it, he’s barreling towards me in a fit of anger. He tackles me to the ground easily enough, but I shove him off me, rolling to the side to grab the spear that has flown from my hands. My head is spinning as I scramble to my feet, pointing the sharp end in his direction.
The curved mask covering his face prevents me from seeing his features, but I’m sure he wears a worried expression, his bottom lip quivering as he silently begs for mercy.
I am wrong.
Instead, he grabs onto the pointed end of the spear and yanks hard, pulling me with it. I tumble forward, but do not fall as he now holds the weapon to my chest, close enough for me to feel the sharp point. Instinctively, I reach a hand down to my pocket to pull out another glyph, but to my dismay, the pocket is empty. My breath catches in my throat as I hold up my hands in surrender. He’s a little out of breath, his shoulders moving up and down with each pant.
“Walk.” he says, his voice low as he points with his spare hand down the corridor.
I oblige, turning slowly, hands still up in the air. He presses the cold point against my back as we walk, a subtle reminder not to step out of line. My mind races, a labyrinth of questions, and I can't seem to find a way out. Each doorway we pass is another place where Amity could be, each corner we turn is a corner I haven’t searched yet. I know I have to get away from this guard, but I have no idea how. With no glyphs left, I’m really out of options.
“Hey!” a voice echoes from behind us.
When I can no longer feel the sharp spear against my back, I turn around, confused. Eda stands further down the corridor, staff in hand. Her cloak floats around her ankles in a gothic manner, and from the way the Guard grips onto his spear, I can tell he’s heard of the Owl Lady before.
“Step away from my human.” she tells him with a smug grin.
She advances towards him, but he stands his ground, holding the spear out in front of him. Now that she’s closer, I notice for the first time the rip in Eda’s cloak, the red mark just below her mouth, the wear and tear of her eyes and how tired she looks. I suddenly feel so guilty for bringing her here.
The guard’s knees tremble as she moves in on him, like a lion cornering its prey. She says nothing, makes no sudden movements, not until she is so close to him, her face pressed right up against his.
“Boo.” she says simply.
The guard lets out a whimper, suddenly not as big as I thought him to be, and turns on his heels. He runs away from her, past me, towards the end of the hallway and disappears out of sight around the corner.
Eda lets out a cackle, slow reels of laughter as I make my way back towards her. “Did you see his face?” she asks me, turning red from giggles. “He was so scared he nearly pooped his pants!”
Part of me wants to stay and laugh along but the other half of me, the part of me that controls my feet, wants me to search this place from top to toe until I have found Amity and brought her home. That’s what I do, moving past Eda towards the countless doorways that we passed before.
“Well, a thanks would be nice.” Eda mumbles from behind me. “Hey, where you goin’ kid?” she jogs slightly to catch up with me, falling into my step.
“To find Amity,” I say simply, not bothering to look up at her. I’m worried if I do I might cry, and If I cry I won’t be able to stop.
“No need.” she tells me. “We’re going home.”
I sigh, stopping short in my walk and turning to face her. “Look, I know you said the Emperor wouldn’t keep her around this long but she’s here somewhere, I know she is, and I have to find her.”
“Yeah, I know kid, but-”
“No, Eda.” I interrupt. “You don’t understand. I promised I wouldn’t leave her behind again.”
“Luz.” she says, her voice taking a more stern tone than it usually does. I stop, surprised by this, and listen to watch her. “I know, she’s okay. She’s on her way back to the Owl House with Willow and Gus right now.”
I feel my eyes widen at this. She’s really okay? I don’t know what to say, and Eda can tell as she offers me a smile. She places a hand on my shoulder, using the other to wipe away something from my cheek. I smile back, savoring the moment before it is gone.
“Plus,” she says, looking away to rummage in her pocket. “Look what I got.” Between her fingers, she holds a small vile, filled with what looks like green glitter. It sparkles when she shakes it, before she pockets it again.
“Is that…?”
She nods. “Amity’s magic.”
After a long moment, she turns away heading back down the corridor. “Come on, kid. Let’s go home.”
I nod, following her back towards the stairs. Amity is okay. Everything is going to be okay. I can’t help but smile slightly. So, we didn’t defeat the Emperor, but everyone made it out safe, that’s all that matters for now.
“Oh!” Eda cries out, as though she has just remembered something. “You’ll never guess who found her.” I frown. I guess I hadn’t thought about that. Willow, I suppose, or maybe Boscha. I give Eda a pointed look, and she grins in response. “That Serena girl. She’s one of us now.”
My heart drops to my feet as I look away from Eda, instead following the woodwork patterns on the floor. Serena is back? Serena is back. But she won’t stay, right? I mean, she can’t. Not after everything that happened with Amity. As I follow Eda down the stairs, all I can think about is the two of them, together at the Owl House, and I can’t swallow down the jealousy that bubbles up inside of me.