Chapter Text
Dawn was already stretching wide above the Boiling Isles, covering the titan from head to toes, when Amity left Hexside after their fight with the Illusion coven.
Principal Bump had offered every student to stay at the school, reminding them all how there was safety in lager groups, proven by their recent victory. A few had taken him up on his offer, others had wanted to return home to their families as fast as possible and others had promised to return as soon as the sun would rise.
Amity counted herself to none of them and she surely wasn't going home because she wanted to see her parents so badly or thought they were worried sick about her. Maybe she would return to Hexside tomorrow, but for now she had another goal.
She had to check on her girlfriend.
The thought about Luz was what had made her leave Hexside's more or less save walls and trudge through the darkening forest, her staff always at the ready, always on the alert for strange sounds that originated from other creatures than those who belonged in the woods or for footsteps that did not belong to her.
Which would have been a lot easier without Edric and Emira on her tracks but they had refused to let her go alone while she had refused to let them join her at first. In the end she had had neither the time nor the patience to keep discusing things with them and so she had just accepted that they had to show their protectiveness for her once again. And once again in the most unfavorable moment, mind you.
Her thoughts, however, swirled around what had happened today. About Adrian Graye, about the chaos at school, about Willow and how little she really knew about her former best friend. But most of all, her mind was spinning around Hunter and what he had revealed to them about the day of unity.
She still wasn't really sure about what she should think of the former golden guard and his change of heart or if they really should trust him. Willow, Gus, Viney and Skara had been pretty certain of it and even the principal had accepted that he was staying at Hexside with them for now. Alright, he seemed honest and he had helped them save Hexside and Gus and all... but still. Despite having fought side by side with him now, Amity wasn't really sure.
The last time they had met he had awoken some pity in her only to steal the portal key afterwards, she hadn't forgotten about that. She would have to keep an eye on him, she supposed.
Still, what worried her way more was what he had told them about the emperor ... and about Luz.
There hadn't been a lot of time to talk to him because they had had their hands full with securing Hexside for any other attacks that might would follow, but what she knew made her even more restless and anxious for Luz's safety than she already had been before, so she really couldn't wait to go to the owl house.
There was a silent crack behind her, the noise of someone stepping on dried leafs and branches on the forest floor.
First, however, she had to get rid of her siblings.
Edric and Emira were trailing behind her, a distance of a few steps between them, whisper-talking with each other, quickly stopping each time she so much as turned back to throw them a glace, which would have made her very very suspicious about what they were planning on any other day. Strangely enough they had only tried to mock her once for how deep she was lost in her thoughts yet, when they had just left the school, and they had dropped that attempt rather quick after noticing her silence which was strange. Usually they were more persistent.
Maybe the day hadn't passed them by without leaving a trace either.
Hopefully their mother hadn't noticed their absence yet. It was unlikely for the twins, as she didn't really seemed to care where they were of too and they often used their time after school to stroll around on the Isles, causing all kind of mischief, and returned home late, so that wasn't really unusual. But if she was waiting for Amity then she'd had to find a way to quickly leave again, preferably completely without meeting her mother first.
Which was why they did not aim for the Blight manor's front door when the huge building came into view, but rather sneaked around the back of the building to where Amity hadn't closed the window of her upstairs room this morning.
This time Emira and Edric took the lead, both being a lot more experienced at sneaking into the house late without being noticed than their younger sister was. Peaks of being troublemakers, she guessed as she watched how quick they rushed to their destination and signed for her to follow. Amity kept glancing in the lighted windows to make sure she really wouldn't be discovered before she reached the twins and created a pedestal of Abomination goo to lift the three of them up to the window.
Emira and Edric both drew glowing blue circles in the air, probably hiding her creation with an illusion from curious, or rather furious, glaces that a pair of light blue eyes might threw out of the window. She didn't mention it thou. They knew what they were doing in that point, proven by how Edric easily made the only tilted window snap open with a few twists on it's frame and gave her precedence with a mocking bow.
Amity didn't knew if she had expected to feel relieved when she climbed through the window and inside of her room. She did not switch on the light nor did she do anything that could gather her parents' attention through noises or anything of that sort.
Get in and get out again.
Grab a few things, ditch the twins and be of again to check on Luz and the others. Sounded easy enough. It was easy. It would be easy.
"Alright." she whispered into the silence of the room. "You guys better sneak into your rooms. I'll be of."
"Where to?" Emira asked equally silent. She threw Amity a questioning glace while she pulled Edric inside.
"Yeah, where are you going?"
"I'm going to the owl house. If those guards were at Hexside I should warn them about it. And... I have to check on Luz."
Because one thing was sure. If Belos was escalating enough to send one of his headwitches to try and trick, or rather force, students into joining a coven then something big was about to come.
Something big and and dangerous and she might not knew what that was but she did knew that she wanted to be with Luz when it arrived.
Eda had been a thorn in emperor Belos' side even before Luz had arrived on the Boiling Islands, before they had met. Probably even years before anyone of her friends had even been born. Titan knew that the owl lady had danced on Belos' nose for a long while and if the emperor was about to take his final steps then he probably wouldn't let her get away with it any longer. Which meant that everyone close to Eda could get caught in the crossfire too, even without being the wonderful, kindhearted, energetic human Belos might had taken an entirely different kind of interest in.
This was serious and it made Amity both nervous and worried for her girlfriend. Why hadn't Luz been at school today? What if something had happened? After everything Hunter had told them... She tried not to think about it as she ventured through her room to grab a few things to change into later.
Oh titan, how she hoped they were okay...
Ghost sneaked around her legs while she rushed around in her room on her tiptoes and stuffed a few things into her backpack that she thought could become useful, all while trying not to step on her palisman who felt her nervous energy and tried to calm her with warm purrs. It didn't really work but Amity was thankful for it nonetheless. As she turned around the twins still hadn't left but leaned against, and sat on top of, her desk instead, watching her. Amity sighed.
"I don't really have time for you guys right now. I have to go help Luz."
Her siblings exchanged a glace "Mittens, I don't think that would be..." Emira started but she stopped when she saw Amity's determination that reflected clearly in her golden eyes. She knew her younger sister and she knew that her mind was set. Clever and reasonable as Amity usually was, she could be really stubborn. They all could.
She sighed heavily. "Okay then."
"Okay??" Edric and Amity asked in unison, equal confusion written across both their faces.
Meanwhile, Emira turned to the door of Amity's room "Yeah. Just, look out for yourself... Come on, Ed."
"What? Seriously now?"
His twin sister nodded, strangely serious. When she opened the door however, the clearly angered voice of their mother cut through the silence of the manors long hallways and made her freeze in her movement.
"What do you mean they refused to join a coven?"
All three of them winced and Amity stopped stuffing her backpack for a moment.
Despite the fact that Odalia Blight had been overly focused on her youngest daughter and had always been obsessed with her success, accomplishments and the glamour she could have brought the Blight's family name, Edric and Emira knew their mother's controlling and strict character all to well too.
Inwardly, Amity cursed herself after just a second had passed. Of course their parents would hear about what had happened at Hexside sooner rather than later. They worked for the emperor by building those stupid Abomatons, after all.
And of course their mother would be furious, because, what would their actions mean for the family name or for Blight Industries' reputation?
"No. Nonsense! The Blight family is loyal to the emperor and of course our children will join a coven if told to do so. Alador, go check on the kids and get them down here, would you?"
Edric pulled a face and unconsciously rubbed his wrist. It was the one that had nearly gotten marked with that coven sigil today.
Something inside Amity strangely twisted at the sight, almost painfully. Annoying as Edric and Emira were, they were her siblings and the thought that she hadn't noticed and would have watched on while most of her brother's magic would have gotten sealed away hadn't it been for Gus ... it just really really angered her. It was frustrating not to be able to protect those she loved despite her strong Abomination magic.
Damn it! She really needed to get to Luz!
"Hey, Mittens?"
Emira's voice pulled her out of her thoughts, she looked unsure. Edric was biting on his lip and fumbling at his wrist. Oh, this was not going to end well.
"Looks like we need a new plan." Edric said, nervousness obvious in his voice even if he tried to overplay it with one of his typical annoying mischievous grins.
Amity took a deep breath and made a decision, maybe she'd regret this later but anyway. "Okay, new plan then. We are all going to the owl house."
Emira blinked in surprise and Amity could understand that very well. Usually she would rather help bathing Hooty than dragging her irritating twin siblings around with her. "You think that'd be a good idea?"
"I don't know. But mom would probably be able to find us with her oracle magic. Even if you two put on a big illusion, it'd only be a question of time. But I doubt she'd get through Hooty that easily, even if she showed up there."
She would not say out loud that she was worried for the two of them or that she didn't want to leave them behind. Or how she didn't liked to see that fear on Edric's face on top of that stage today at all. No. Not at all. Instead, she just opened the window back up.
She also would absolutely not mention that their mother was probably talking to a member of the emperors coven or even one of Garye's subordinates and that this person, in front of their front door, might could place sigils on all of them here and now. She didn't want to think about that as she hurriedly created another socle of abomination goo.
"Plus, Eda likes you two, despite Ed messing up her potion that one time." she said instead of 'You remember what Hunter told us about that draining spell, lets make sure not to get influenced by that.'
"Ey!"
Emira hurried over to her. "Not now, Ed." she said as she pulled him from Amity's desk and over to the window with her.
Amity scooped up ghost and was already about to climb out of the window when suddenly the purple Abomination formation shuddered and crashed to the ground. She almost lost her balance hadn't one of the twins grabbed her arm and pulled her back inside.
The stern voice that cut through their shared surprise made the small hairs on the back of her neck stand up. "Emira, Edric and Amity Blight!"
Oh.
Oh no.