The Siren at the Museum - terra_nocuus (2024)

Chapter 1

Chapter Text

She pulled one earbud out as she walked down the crowded steps to the subway platform, adjusting the length of her messenger bag strap to pull it up higher, tighter, then slid it around her body to rest it against the left of her stomach. Luz draped one hand over its pin-adorned flap, patting the catch at the bottom to make sure it was latched. Step-Mama didn't raise no fool, she thought as she tucked her dangling earbud into her collar. The platform was packed with people waiting for the next train to arrive, and she hung back by the edge of the crowd, her back to a concrete pillar. It was always busy in the afternoons. Her brown eyes darted left and right, almost black under the fluorescent lights, as she gauged the numbers in the crowd. She could push her luck a little, slip on just after most of the people had made their way onto the train, and snag herself a coveted spot beside the door. Just like eBay, she thought with a smirk.

The train pulled into the station, with a whoosh and a roar, its sulfurous dragons-breath rustling her brown hair. She hummed as she considered the thought, not entirely hating that line. I could make it work. She slipped a hand into her hand-me-down letterman's jacket and pulled a small, leather notebook from the inside pocket. She quickly scribbled the line down before it was lost in the crush of the crowd. Luz angled to her left as the riders stepped off the train and the waiting passengers rushed forward. She eyed the inside-door seat wall, watching the countdown on the little screen inside the carriage. It ticked down to ‘5’, and she began to push forward with a grin.

Rapid footsteps echoed sharp and swift behind her, and she glanced over her shoulder as she stepped through the doors. A pale, well-dressed girl was running for the train. Luz frowned at the large bowl-shaped fisherman’s hat pulled down over her head, decidedly out of place with the rest of her outfit—gray skirt and sweater under a long tan coat, huge plaid scarf wrapped around her neck, cute little black boots—but she could read the fear in her body language: how both of her hands were white-knuckled around a small purse, in the way the girl hunched as she ran, and just a glimpse of wide, red-rimmed eyes and red cheeks beneath a shiny pair of large sunglasses. Two men in dark suits pushed their way down the busy stairs and looked around, scanning the bustling platform crowd. Luz narrowed her eyes in anger. The screen flashed ‘1’.

“Quick!” Luz urged, reaching out for the girl to pull her into the train just as the doors snapped closed with a hiss. The girl let out a small, breathy eep as Luz tucked her against the short metal wall formed by the aisle and the seat. She leaned her left elbow on the wall between the doors and the girl’s head and pressed the girl into her shadow as the subway lurched, jostling their knees together. She shuffled her feet further apart, and the girl bent her legs slightly to slide down and hide just below her shoulder, hands trembling as she clutched at the leather sleeve of Luz’s coat. Luz turned her back slightly to block the view in through the window in the door and wrapped her right arm around the girl’s shoulder, her hand on the back of her head, pulling her under her chin. She glared at the still-searching men over her arm as the train slid past the stairs, and they were soon swallowed by a tunnel.

The underground was suffocatingly loud, with quick flashes of blinding artificial light before the train burst out into the open air, buildings flickering past the windows as the late afternoon sun splashed golden light over her back. Luz looked down at the girl nestled in her arms—oh no, she panicked. She whispered, “Sorry,” and carefully moved her right arm from around the girl’s neck and moved to push away, to give her some space, but the girl moved with her, huddling close, so Luz leaned back in and placed her cheek atop the girl's ugly fisherman's hat. She smelled like lavender and coffee.

“Are you okay?” Luz asked softly, her voice pitched low. The girl nodded after a second’s thought. Luz hummed and smiled, “That’s good. Are you hurt?” The girl hesitated for a few heart-stopping moments before shaking her head. “Eso es bueno, I was worried,” Luz’s voice was a soft, comforting tone, “Can you tell me what happened?” The girl stifled a whimper and shook her head again. “That’s okay, mi amiga,” Luz rubbed her back gently with one hand, before noticing the notebook she still held in the other, “Está bien. Would you feel better writing me a note?” She held the small book down for the other girl to see, and a slender hand lifted it from her larger, tanned fingers. She watched as the girl flipped through, pausing here and there to look at the sketches and hand-written sentences scattered throughout, before settling on a fresh blank page. “I like your hat, by the way,” Luz said with a grin and the girl snorted into her collarbone before huffing a quick laugh that sounded closer to a sob.

THANKS. The girl wrote and sighed, leaning her side against Luz's chest, the better for them both to see the book in her pale hands, then added IT’S UGLY. “It is so ugly,” Luz agreed with a laugh, and the girl giggled beside her throat, sending a hot swell of sheltering vigilance shooting through her chest. She suddenly understood the desire to wear armor and swear an oath to a Lady.

“Were those men after you?” She asked carefully, watching the pen waver above the page before the girl scratched a shaky YES.

“Mierda. Do you—” she swallowed, harshly, “do you know why?”

PARENTS was written, then crossed out with savage strokes. MOTHER WANTS ME HOME.

Luz nodded, relieved it wasn’t something worse, but it was still not good and she was angry for the girl. “Do you have somewhere to go?” she managed to ask through her clenched jaw. The girl sniffed and held the notebook up to her face for several long heartbeats. The subway carriage rocked along its track, and Luz bobbed slightly with the motion of the train, holding the girl close.

WHY? she wrote with trembling fingers, and Luz asked, carefully, “What do you mean, cariño?”

WHY HELP ME?

“Oh,” Luz whispered, and rubbed her thumb in circles on the girl’s shoulder blade, "You looked scared. Like you needed help."

I'LL BE TROUBLE FOR YOU.

Luz snorted and sighed, "Chica, you haven't seen trouble 'til you've met my step-mama. Don’t worry." The girl gave a wet chuckle as she rubbed her fingertips on the leather cover of the notebook.

Luz’s stomach was twisting in a knot, but the girl had avoided her last question. “Do you have somewhere to go?” she asked again, softly. The girl went still before scratching out a small NO. Her breathing grew shallow and ragged. Luz swallowed, “Do you need somewhere to go?” The girl struggled to keep from sobbing as she underlined the YES she had written earlier.

She circled another phrase: I'LL BE TROUBLE FOR YOU.

Luz wrapped her arms around her tight and whispered, “It’s okay mi amiga, you just stay with me,” she smiled as the girl nodded into her collarbone, wrapping her fingers around Luz's arm at her chin. “We can get something to eat if you’re hungry now?” The girl tapped at the NO, then scrawled TOO UPSET TO EAT below the other messages. “I get that, cariño,” Luz said with a sad smile, “I’ve felt that way before.”

The speakers overhead chimed and the heavily distorted voice of the train’s conductor pierced the air. Luz glanced out the windows and saw the station around the next curve. She pointed out the window toward the city center, “I was on my way to the museum but we could go to the park instead,” she smiled down at the girl, “or something else is fine. Where would you like to go?” The girl stood still for so long without responding, Luz had started to get worried.

YOU’D LET ME CHOOSE?

Luz frowned, Was making a choice that big of a deal? before answering, “Of course.”

MUSEUM, PLEASE! Followed shortly by an I HAVEN'T BEEN IN AGES.

Luz grinned at the please and chuckled, “Alright mi pescadora, we’ll get off at this station, it’s a short walk from there.” She felt the girl tilt her head away to peer up at her before she wrote PESCADORA? Luz patted her ugly hat, and said, “Fisherman.” She snorted as the girl underlined NO several times.

“I’m just kidding,” Luz giggled, squeezing the other girl’s shoulder, “My name is Luz, by the way.”

The girl huffed, but leaned her head back against Luz’s shoulder. NICE TO MEET YOU she hesitated before adding LUUS?

Luz smiled and said, “With a ‘z’, amiga, L-U-Z.”

The LUUS? was scribbled out and replaced by LUZ and a smiley face.

“What should I call you?” Luz asked in a soft tone.

The girl began to write MY NAME IS but her hand moved slower and slower until she ended with an A and then she stopped, the pen wavering in the air as she tried to make a decision.

“Don’t worry,” Luz said rubbing her thumb on the girl’s shoulder, “You don’t need to give me your real name, just something I can call you while you’re with me.”

The girl wiped under her eyes and nodded against her shoulder, then finished: MY NAME IS AZURA

“Oh Dios mío, like the Good Witch Azura!?” Luz couldn’t keep her voice calm any longer, “I’ve never met another Azura fan in real life!” She squealed, feeling the girl stiffen and nod, before she began rambling, “I have so many questions to ask you! Which book is your favorite? How many have you read? I don't want to spoil anything for you if you've not read them all yet. What do you think of Hecate’s redemption arc so far? I mean, I know some fans online aren’t happy about it, but the signs are there through all the earlier books, so it’s not like it's a surprise—” The girl, Azura, Luz reminded herself, held up the notebook and tapped it with a pale finger to catch Luz’s attention.

CAN’T TALK, SORRY :( DOCTOR’S ORDERS.

Then she added, below, I'VE READ 1-4, THEY'RE MY FAVORITE BOOKS. After a long pause, she scribbled out a small I CAN'T WAIT TO TALK WITH YOU ABOUT THEM.

Luz had stopped talking at the note about the doctor, mouth hanging open in shock, but she smiled and hugged Azura again as she read the other messages. "Your throat?" Azura shook her head. "Your voice?" Azura nodded. "Are you okay?"

Azura nodded again and sighed, THROAT DOCTOR WORRIED, BUT I'M FINE. JUST HAVE TO BE CAREFUL.

“Doctors’ orders, hmm?” Luz rubbed at her chin, squinting in thought. “I don’t suppose they’d allow ice cream?” The girl under her chin gasped and straightened up, and Luz grinned. The train lurched to a stop at the station and Luz held out her hand, “Hold onto that notebook for me, okay? C’mon, Azura, I know a place.” The girl hid a blush and a smile behind her scarf and clasped the outstretched hand, following her out into the crowd.

Chapter 2

Chapter Text

They found a routine that worked for them as they walked away from the 12th Street station. Luz guided her new friend closer to the buildings on the sidewalk, on the slower edge of foot traffic, and made sure to ask only yes or no questions to catch a quick thumbs-up or thumbs-down. If she needed a more detailed answer, she would move them out of the flowing stream of pedestrians—under an awning, or beside a tree—pulling her close to her side to shield her from the rushing, clumsy passersby. She would put an arm across the shorter girl’s shoulders and ask her question quietly, softly, studying what little she could see of her new friend's face as she thought and wrote her response.

Azura mostly held her head down to keep the brim of her hat low, and she would play with the bunched-up scarf at her chin, pushing it up towards her mouth as they walked. Luz had learned compassion from her mamí, but she'd learned how to read people from her stepmom. She knew the silent girl was hiding something, but the brown-haired girl had decided to play it by ear.

"You're gonna love this place Azura, it's got the whole retro ice-cream parlor vibe going, y’know, with the fountain drink tower and the black and white checkerboard floors—ooh!—and the red leather seats?" Thumbs-up.

"You're not allergic to any foods, are you?" Thumbs-down.

“What about garlic? You allergic to garlic?” Azura raised her eyebrow, then thumbs-down.

“I knew a kid in school, he was allergic to garlic. What a boring, flavorless life he must lead!” Azura huffed a laugh.

"What about bees?" Thumbs-down.

"Wasps?" Thumbs-down.

"Oh right, they’re probably the same thing. Shellfish?" Thumbs-down.

"That's good, I had to use an EpiPen on this guy one time and he cried afterward and accused me of being too excited to stab him," Luz made air quotes with her free hand, and Azura snorted. "It’s not my fault he was boring. Almost put me off guys completely, and really! He should have paid more attention to the menu! Anyway, I mean, that's fine if you were allergic to something, I just thought I should check. I'm—uh—I'm lactose intolerant, actually, so I'll get something off their dairy-free menu," Luz smiled at Azura when the other girl squeezed her hand.

They moved around a small crowd at a bus stop and came to a stop walking signal at the nearby intersection. Luz bounced on her toes as they waited for the lights to change. She squeezed the quiet girl's hand, "We need to figure out what your flavor is, mi compañera!" Azura shot her a look just as the signals turned green, and the girls followed the other pedestrians crossing the street.

"Vanilla?" Thumbs-up.

"Alright, elegant and deliciosa, I get it. Chocolate?" Thumbs-up.

"Interesting," Luz held her left hand to her forehead, mimicking an infomercial fortune teller, "I sense you ~haff~ an adventurous spirit, oooOOooh~" she trailed off with a grin and Azura giggled behind her notebook. Goosebumps rippled up her arms at the delightful sound and she smiled wide at her companion.

“Cookies ‘n’ Cream?” Thumbs-up.

“Who doesn’t like Oreos, am-i-right? What about Cookie Dough?” A pause, then thumbs-up.

"Not your favorite, that’s cool. Chunky-Monkey?" Thumbs-down.

"Probably the name, entiendo. Rocky Road?" Thumbs-up.

"Classic, can't go wrong. Moose Tracks?" Azura shrugged. "You've not had Moose Tracks?" Thumbs-down. "Azura, my sweet summer child, mi preciosa, you have to try it sometime!"

Luz walked close to Azura, their shoulders brushing occasionally, her right hand resting in the crook of Azura's left arm as she gesticulated wildly before them with her other hand as she discussed the merits of Moose Tracks over Rocky Road: "—Peanut butter cups, Azura! Who needs marshmallows when peanut butter cups are an option? I mean, maybe you’re a mint-chocolate chip kinda girl, which is fine, don’t get me wrong, mint is delicious but it’s not really my favorite—" she gushed, her eyes shining in the late afternoon sun. The silent girl held Luz's notebook in her left hand, and she scribbled out a quick note before she tapped the fingers wrapped around her elbow while she held the book up.

WHAT ELSE IN MOOSE TRACKS?

Luz glanced at the notebook for a moment and hardly slowed down, "—I'm pretty sure there's chocolate fudge, or maybe it's caramel? mixed in there with vanilla ice cream and the previously aforementioned peanut butter cups. I'd have to ask the guy at the counter again; I can never remember if it's fudge or caramel in there. Maybe it's both? Doesn't matter either way because it is so good, you have to try it sometime, but don't, like, feel like I'm pressuring you to get it today, I just want you to experience it at some point in your life," Luz had pointed at a little pink-and-white striped awning nestled behind some trees just down a side street. She paused before they reached the door, and Luz pulled Azura to stand beside the corner of the building.

"Listen, Azura, I just wanted to double check, ice cream is alright for your throat?" Thumbs-up.

"I don't need to know everything that's up with—," Luz waved at her own neck, "—but I don't want to hurt you or make things worse, okay?" Azura stared at her for a moment, face still mostly hidden, but she gave a small, timid nod. "Just let me know… deal?" Thumbs-up.

"Great! Now let's—wait, Mamí would kill me, solid foods, is that a problem?" Azura huffed and lifted the notebook, her shoulders drooping in disappointment. Luz stood close and peered at the bottom of the page.

I FORGOT :( SOLID=BAD. LIQUIDS ONLY, SOFT FOODS MAYBE?

Luz nodded, "Eso está bien, that'll just rule out some of the flavors with, like, the chunks in 'em. Ooh!" she snapped her fingers, "they make great milkshakes too!" Azura's grin was visible behind her thick scarf, and she clapped her hands in excitement.

Luz grinned at the girl, then added, "And come time for dinner, we'll find a nice soup or noodle place, alright? That should be safe for you." Azura froze. "Maybe I should text Mamí, she'd know for sure, she's a nurse. That… that sound okay?" The quiet girl was still and staring, and Luz ran a hand through her brown hair, tense and uncertain, "I mean, we can discuss that later if you want, it's not a—" Azura jumped forward and wrapped her arms around her shoulders and hugged her tight, pressing her forehead against Luz's jaw. Luz put one arm around Azura's waist, and rubbed up and down her back with the other, "Ah, cariño… They're not kind to you, are they?" her voice was sad. Azura stiffened for a few moments before shaking her head. "Lo siento, Azura, I'm sorry to hear that. You can tell me all about it, whenever you're ready." Luz brought both hands up to rub at the other girl's shoulders, "It's your choice… you still in the mood for a milkshake?" Azura nodded and Luz squeezed her arms, "Alright, let's go inside."

Luz and Azura claimed one of the red-leather booths the bubbly brown-eyed girl had mentioned earlier; the quiet, pale girl in the ugly fisherman's hat listened as Luz rambled excitedly about all the flavors she had tried in the last few weeks, her eyes flitting between the tanned girl’s face and the glowing menu on the wall behind the counter. Their booth sat against the brick wall, the high-backed bench hiding the quiet girl from the view of the glass shop front. Once her friend was settled and their choices made, Luz rapped her knuckles on the table and stood, "I'll go place our order. You wait here for me, okay?" Azura nodded and gave a small wave as Luz joined the line.

Luz examined the merchandise on display under the menu board as she stood by the pick-up counter: keychains, bookbags, hats, t-shirts, water bottles, and crisp white sweatshirts hung there, all with the ice-cream-related designs printed as big as possible. She glanced over her shoulder at the pale girl sitting in the booth. She had a terrible idea. Azura was busy flipping through her notebook, looking at her sketches. The quiet girl would pat the tabletop to catch her eye, then point at a drawing and give a thumbs-up. Luz smiled at her delight. She sighed, Dios mio, let this be a good idea, and motioned to the man behind the counter to add a few items to their order.

Luz carried their drinks over to their table and slid her bag onto the bench before sitting down herself. They quietly enjoyed their milkshakes, Azura still glancing through the notebook until Luz couldn't keep her idea to herself any longer.

"Azura?" She said quietly, catching the other girl's attention. "I… I get the impression that you're hiding," Azura stiffened as Luz motioned towards her own face and neck, "with the scarf and the sunglasses, I—it's okay, it doesn't bother me, and I don't need an explanation," Luz rubbed her palms together as Azura flipped the notebook open to her pages.

She pushed her sunglasses up against her brow, then pointed at WHY? as she lifted her nose slightly. That small movement changed her whole demeanor; Luz felt her blood run cold.

"I want to help," Luz said gently, "I just had an idea, that's all." Azura raised an eyebrow, then motioned for her to continue. "Your mother's… people… they know how you're dressed? What you're wearing?" Luz watched as the imperious girl across the table crumpled in her seat. She frowned and held out her hand, and Azura grabbed on tight and tapped at the YES in the notebook. "I figured, so I bought this," Luz said with a smile as she held up a white sweatshirt with a giant pink cartoon milkshake character making jazz hands. Azura glared at her through the sunglasses and stabbed NO with her fingertip.

Luz laughed as Azura turned pink, which she tried to hide behind her red-and-black plaid scarf. "Don't worry, cariño, this is for me," Luz winked, and began to unbutton her letterman jacket. She pulled her keys and her phone from the jacket’s pockets, then wrapped her earbuds around her fingers and dropped them into a small pouch in her satchel. She shrugged the jacket off and laid it on the bench beside her.

Luz had a stylized owl-in-flight necklace dangling over her short sleeve purple t-shirt. Azura leaned forward to get a closer look. "Oh, d'ya like it?" Luz asked, holding it up in the palm of her hand.

YES, then a hesitantly scrawled VERY PRETTY.

The owl's eyes were empty holes on its stubby wide oval-shaped body, the wings raised up over its head. It was slightly wider than Luz’s palm. "My step-mama, Eda, made this for me. Watch this!" Luz slipped two fingers through each eye hole and curled her fist around the owl's body, leaving the pointed wings and the owl's forehead curving out above her knuckles. "It's got a quick-break chain, so you just grab it and yank it loose if someone messes with you at night."

Azura just stared as Luz chuckled, patting the owl back in place on her sternum, before shoving her arms and face into the sweatshirt. "Never had to use it though. Gosh, Eda is so cool! She's taught me a lot over the years," her voice was muffled by the white fabric being pulled over her head, then her messy brown hair and sunny grin popped through the white collar, "You'd like her. Although…” Luz paused and tapped her chin, “You strike me as more of a cat person."

Azura shook her head in surprise, then nodded before she tapped the YES and then WHY?

"I like to give these to people I meet when I run deliveries for Eda, y’know? Gotta spread that Bad Girl gospel," Luz grinned as she pulled a small cat head medallion from her bag, with oval eye holes and sharp ears. It was sleek and white, with a slight blue tint around the eyes. Azura gasped as Luz held it out to her, "Here, mi compañera, you can have it. Eda made this one too." The quiet girl held it gently, running a fingertip over its etched nose and whiskers, before cradling it against her chest.

Azura hid her face beneath the brim of her hat as she wiped under her eyes, then quickly scribbled a THANK YOU SO MUCH LUZ. She sniffed and breathed out a wet sigh, FOR EVERYTHING.

"You're welcome," Luz smiled. She pointed a thumb over her shoulder, "The bathroom is back there. I got you this hat to replace that ugly thing," both girls grinned as Luz held out a black beanie and her jacket, placing them on the edge of the table. "Go change, freshen up if you need, and we'll fold up your coat and keep it in my sweet new backpack!" The brown-eyed girl held up a light pink canvas bag dotted with milkshakes and ice-cream sundaes, her smile wide and eyes sparkling. Azura giggled into her fingertips and nodded, reaching out for the hat and jacket before walking quickly back to the hallway beyond the line of booths. Luz watched her for a moment, then turned back to the table, picking up her phone.

[Luz] hola mamí, bringing a new friend home for dinner. can you make chicken noodle soup?
[Luz] something mild, she has a throat problem, medical issue of some kind.
[Mamí <3] Of course, mija. I can’t wait to meet her!
[Mamí <3] ¡Pobrecita! I’ll use the chicken stock
[Luz] gracias mamí, te amo
[Mamí <3] I’ll get out the photo albums to show mi pequeña bebe
[Luz] NO

She stifled a groan and tapped a different conversation.

[Mochuelo] eda, my friend might be in trouble. do you have a bag at the museum?
[__(OvO)__] bonesborrough met?
[Mochuelo] yes
[__(OvO)__] coat check, #1635, just tell ‘em “i lost my ticket”
[Mochuelo] thanks. love you, mama
[__(OvO)__] stay safe, kiddo. call if you need me.
[Mochuelo] i will

Luz put her phone face down on the table and rubbed her eyes. I wonder if she’s really okay, she stared out the ice-cream parlor's front windows and worried. I hope I’m not making things worse.

Pale fingers tapped at her shoulder to draw her attention, and she turned on the bench to face Azura before she stopped, her mouth hanging half-open. The shorter girl placed her half-folded coat on the table, then took a step back to show off her new look: the black beanie was pulled down over her ears and just above her dark eyebrows, hiding her hair; the red-and-black plaid scarf was piled in layers around her neck—still pulled up around the middle of her nose to hide the bottom half of her face and throat—held in place by the collar of Luz’s too-large letterman jacket. The white cat medallion dangled on her chest just below the scarf, gleaming in the small triangle of soft gray sweater visible above the buttoned lower half of the jacket. Azura tipped her head and shrugged as if asking a question, twisting one booted foot on its toes, and Luz noticed how long the sleeves fell on the shorter girl. Just the tips of her fingers were visible as she played with the sunglasses in her hand.

Luz looked up and saw her eyes for the first time. They were large, and gold, glittering in the light shining through the shop’s windows. They looked tired and scared, rimmed red from tears, and her eyebrows began to crinkle upwards the longer Luz stared. “Whoa, hermosa,” the brown-haired girl breathed, and a furious blush turned Azura’s face a bright red. She pulled her hands up to hide her eyes behind Luz’s jacket sleeves, and the taller girl laughed, half breathless, before standing quickly, “No! no—sorry—you just, wow, you caught me by surprise, that’s all.” Luz gently patted the girl’s shoulders and Azura leaned forward to hide her face under her chin. “Are you alright?” Luz asked softly, and Azura nodded slowly a moment later. “I didn’t mean to embarrass you, mi compañera,” the taller girl muttered, rubbing a hand across the other girl’s back, “I just—uuhh—didn’t think I’d miss that other hat so much,” Luz drawled jokingly as Azura snorted into her neck, “Did you throw it away?” Azura nodded and Luz pretended to turn toward the bathroom hallway, “Ooh, big mistake. Let me go get it for you—” Azura clenched her fists in Luz’s sweatshirt and giggled, and Luz felt that same frisson swim up her spine at the sound.

Luz chuckled and gave the shorter girl a squeeze, “I love to hear you laugh, Azura,” her tone was gentle as she took a step back to look down into her golden eyes, “You’re okay?” She watched the smile reach Azura’s eyes as she nodded. “Good,” Luz smiled back and pulled her messenger bag over. “You can wear my bag as part of your disguise, alright? And I can carry your things in my backpack—unless this is too heavy?” Luz held her satchel out and the other girl held it in one hand and shook her head, fumbling for the shoulder strap. "Here, cariño, like this," Luz's voice was soft as she untwisted the strap and placed it around Azura's head and right shoulder, "You should be able to touch the bottom of it if you curl your hand over it," Luz said as she pantomimed the movement. Azura watched her carefully before trying it herself. "That's good," Luz smiled, handing her notebook and pen over before unzipping her new backpack. "I usually keep the notebook inside my jacket," Luz motioned over her heart as Azura pulled at the edge of the coat, looking inside, "it fits right inside that pocket."

The corners of Azura’s eyes wrinkled as she smiled and held her pages up. THANK YOU.

Luz flashed her a grin and thought, so cute! then quickly folded her soft tan coat and slipped it inside the backpack. "Do you want me to hold your purse in here?" she asked, pointing into the ice-cream bag. In an instant, Azura looked terrified: she bounced her weight from side to side, her brows furrowed, and her fingers tightened around the notebook in her hands. "Hey, hey, it's okay," Luz said as Azura pointed at SORRY then NO, then SORRY again and again.

"Eso está bien. Look, does it have a cross-body strap?" Azura shook her head. "That's okay, you can put it in my bag while you're carrying it, alright?" Luz unhooked the clasp on her satchel and handed Azura her small handbag. "Put it in there while I get the rest of our stuff ready to go." Luz pushed her receipts into her right jeans pocket, her phone into her left, and hooked her keys to her belt at her left hip. There were a few bits of trash that she quickly walked to the garbage can, then she zipped up the backpack and pulled it on, adjusting the straps as she turned to face Azura. Luz pulled their milkshakes to the edge of the table, then stopped moving when Azura reached out to tug at her sleeve.

SORRY she tapped, then she pointed to a newly written sentence: I GOT SCARED. Her shoulders were hunched, and her hands were shaking. The way she looked up at Luz was heartbreaking, as if Luz was a lifeline that was slipping from her grasp.

“Azura—I, It’s alright,” Luz reached out to gently hold the other girl’s elbow, rubbing her arm with her thumb, “I’m not going to force you to do anything. You can always tell me no.” She watched the smaller girl exhale shakily, "I just thought it might be easier for you to grab it from my backpack is all, y'know, like hiking buddies?"

Azura stared at her for a moment before writing a small HIKING BUDDIES?

Luz laughed, but it sounded a little strained, "Well, maybe 'hiking buddies' isn't a universal term. It's just what…" She looked away for a moment, spinning her milkshake on the tabletop. "It's just what my dad called it. See, serious hikers," Luz made air quotes with both hands and a weird face, and Azura smiled, "have these big backpacks—trail packs—some are on a frame with all these straps," she motioned across her chest and torso, "and it's a lot of work to take them off and on." She sighed, then pulled a small, fond smile, "So hiking buddies would carry their own stuff in their bags, but let their friend clip their important things to their frame. My dad would carry my water and snacks, and I would carry his." She ran a hand through her hair and cleared her throat, "Sorry, so, then when we were on the trail, I could get a drink or a snack without having to unhook everything, and he could do the same." She chuckled, “It saved a lot of time.”

Azura ran a hand down Luz's arm, then wrote in the notebook. HE SOUNDS WONDERFUL.

Luz gulped and laughed, "Yeah, yeah, he was. So yeah," she swung her arms back and forth a few times, slapped her palms lightly together, "That's, uh, that's hiking buddies." She coughed into her fist and smiled, "You ready for the museum?"

Azura nodded, tapping YES then MUSEUM, PLEASE!

Luz laughed, "Awesome, it's only a few blocks away," she said as she handed Azura her milkshake, "It's a short hike," she said with a grin.

The quiet girl juggled her milkshake and the notebook while she scribbled TELL ME MORE?

Luz nodded, her voice gentle, "Sure thing, cariño," then she held out her hand before seeing Azura's hands were full. “Ah,” disappointment sounded in her voice as her smile faded, just for a moment, before she nodded toward the door. "Follow me, okay?"

Azura patted her shoulder, pointed to HIKING BUDDIES? then tugged on Luz's sleeve to keep her from moving. Luz watched in surprise as the silent girl slipped the notebook into a pouch on the side of Luz's ice-cream shop backpack. She patted it twice and nodded, then made a show of grabbing Luz's right hand and lacing their fingers together. Luz stared at her, dumbfounded, as Azura slipped on her sunglasses then took a long, slow sip of her milkshake. Luz just watched until Azura raised an eyebrow.

Luz scoffed as her cheeks darkened. "Don't get too co*cky, chica," she growled, then leaned over to grab her drink and huffed, "holy cats.” Azura looked smug as Luz led her towards the door.

Luz coughed, then said, "I promised hiking stories, right?" Azura nodded. "Right, so, I was only able to go with my dad a few times before he got sick, and I was pretty young too, yeah? So it’s not like I could go trailblazing like he could, it was just camping with extras, y’know? Mamí tried and took me a few times, later on, but her work got too crazy and I was busy with school and then we met Eda; now she is a serious hiker," Luz grinned as she pushed the door open, holding it for Azura to step out, "she loves hiking up to the mountains, all about connecting to the magic of nature, but we really just ate a bunch of—"

The bell above the ice-cream parlor entrance chimed brightly as the door swung closed, and the two girls walked away.

Chapter 3

Chapter Text

The Greater Bonesborough Metropolitan Museum of Fine Arts and Natural History glittered white and gold in the afternoon sun as Luz and Azura approached from the north. They walked along one of the wide, tree-lined pedestrian concourses that braced the acres of lush greenery that the Museum faced, its well-manicured “Yard” crisscrossed with packed-dirt trails and dotted with thickets of oak and willow that grew dense in the park further away from the grand four-story building. The “Green” closer to the wide marble staircase was flat and open, the better for public gatherings or open-air performances.

“I don’t know if they’re actually named the Yard and the Green, but that’s what Steve and Tía Lily always call them, and if anyone knows what they’re talking about, it’s those two.” Luz hummed thoughtfully before glancing down at her quiet companion, “I’m not sure if Lilith will be here today—her schedule’s odd ‘cuz she’s a big shot—but Steve is always around. He’s great.” She squeezed Azura’s hand lightly before gently adding, “You can go to him for help too, cariño.” Azura watched the shadows from the trees slide across the brown-haired girl’s features as they walked until Luz happened to meet her eyes, and she jerked her gaze away to the Green beside them. Luz smiled and looked back to their destination, and didn’t see the light-pink blush spreading across pale cheekbones.

Luz pointed out a patch of lawn where she and her family had sat for last year’s fireworks display, and she described an arts and crafts fair the Museum had hosted there just the month before. “Extraño,” Luz gestured toward the far edge of the Green, “I wonder what that’s all about.” A stage had been constructed with its back to the Museum, facing out into the lawn. Workmen in grey uniforms and purple hard hats were busy unspooling electrical cables, and mounting lights and speakers around the performance area. Everything was decorated in greens: swirls of sharp mint, delicate sea foam, and a deep forest green. There were accents in gold and purple, and the visible electronics on-stage all sported a similar purple and gold aesthetic. Small signs had started to appear beside the pavement, set into the edge of the lawn. Some read Siren of the Green, others were printed with Siren at the Met. Azura turned her nose up at the placards, but Luz pointed at the first style and chuckled, “Hey look, it is called the Green.”

They reached the pavement at the end of the lawn and walked across the four-laned street separating the Museum building and the park, joining the small stream of other patrons as they moved up the stairs. Luz craned her neck to look up at the enormous Siren at the Met banner strung across the Museum portico, while Azura huddled close to her shoulder. The bottom of the banner caught Luz’s eye and she muttered aloud as she read: “Sponsored by the Fine Arts Programme of Blight Industries? Huh, I thought they were just in manufacturing.” She looked down at the quiet girl holding her hand and elbow and gave her a smirk, “Ah, corporations, right? It’s probably just a tax write-off.” Azura huffed and shrugged, and Luz’s eyes softened. “Not a fan of crowds, huh?” Luz asked and Azura gave a quick shake of her head. “Just stay close to me while we get through security, then we can take it easy.”

Azura looked more and more uncomfortable as they neared the doors, and Luz felt a swell of concern for the pale girl. “Mi compañera, get under here,” Luz smiled as she tried to lift her arm and the shorter girl let go long enough to slide up against her side, before she tucked Luz’s arm over her shoulders. The brown-haired girl chuckled as she patted Azura’s arm, “Don’t worry, here’s what’ll happen.” She pointed up the stairs to the long line of glass doors, “We’ll go in any of those middle doors, then there’ll be the metal detectors in the middle of the lobby,” Luz looked up for a moment as she thought, “There’s four of ‘em. We’ll put our bags through the conveyor belts and one of Steve’s guys will wave you through, it’ll be fine.” Azura shook her head and pointed at her throat, and gave Luz a worried look over her sunglasses. Luz grinned, “I was thinkin’ about that on the way here, and I have a plan.” She sounded exceptionally confident when she said that, which sent Azura scrambling to pull the notebook from Luz’s backpack.

WHAT PLAN

“It’s a surprise.”

WHAT PLAN was given two question marks and an underline.

“Look, mi compañera, your reaction will help sell it, it’s all a part of the magic of show biz—” Luz trailed off as she pushed through the doors. The Museum lobby had changed in the last few days. Azura stopped short next to Luz, before both girls were forced to continue moving with the other museum patrons. The clunky old dark gray metal detectors in the middle of the rotunda had been replaced with an array of sleek, deep purple and black machines. Eight conveyor belts hummed a constant drone of background noise, while a small army of black-and-purple uniformed security officers managed the crowd. There was a shiny chrome sign set up beside the retractable belt barriers leading up to the security station. “Museum security upgrade courtesy of Blight Industries?” Luz scoffed, “When did this happen?!” Azura looked worried as Luz pulled her toward the shortest line on the far-right edge.

It quickly became apparent to Luz why this line was so short when only one family made it through in the time it took three groups to move on from each other lane. She snorted in surprise when she recognized the security guard standing beside their metal detector. “Ugh,” she groaned in disgust, drawing Azura’s attention, “Now I know why this line was so short. Hi Matt on-a-mule,” she sneered.

The guard looked up at her and clenched his fists, “Oh god, why,” then he pointed at her and snapped, “I’m not short!”

“That’s exactly what a short person would say,” Luz barked a laugh and looked down at Azura’s confused expression. She jerked a thumb at the short, gangly brown-haired man sporting a perpetual sneer. “I went to school with this guy,” the taller girl confided with a half-smile, “Totally not surprised he’s a rent-a-cop now.”

“I’m not a—” the guard shut his mouth and his eyes and breathed out through his nose. “Empty your pockets into the tray, please, bags on the conveyor belt,” he ground out through clenched teeth in a reluctant display of professionalism.

“Sure thing Matty-boy, listen,” Luz began as she dropped her keys and her phone into the metal tray, “this is my friend’s first time here at the Met so go easy on her, alright?”

Azura put Luz’s messenger bag on the conveyor belt as the guard made an ugly sound, “Noceda finally got a friend?” He took a half step back when the pale girl turned a fierce glare on him. “Whoa, chill, sister. Let’s go,” he waved. Azura looked back at Luz in concern, and the brown-haired girl smiled back before she mouthed It’s okay. The machine made a funny noise when Azura stepped through, and the guard pushed his hat up by its brim as he looked up at the screen on its back panel, setting his hands on his hips. “That’s weird,” he muttered, scratching at his temple while Azura worried her fingers at the bottom of her borrowed letterman’s jacket.

“Did my keychain set it off?” Luz asked with a wink to Azura as she rattled the metal tray holding her items.

The guard looked down at the palm-length diamond-stamped metal tube. It had a notched metal ring at one end attached to a pair of metal tubes that fed into the handle, and a carabiner clipped to her keyring at the other end. He laughed, “What the hell is that, anyway?”

“Oh, this beauty?” Luz dragged a fingertip across the matte-black finish, “It’s a flashlight and rape whistle combo, bro. You should buy some for your lady friends, they make great stocking stuffers.” Matt’s face turned pink in embarrassment as she jerked a thumb over her shoulder at the doors, “Eda makes ‘em for the shop. Wait,” She raised her voice in alarm as she took a step forward, one hand raised in concern, “do you have any female friends?”

The guard growled at Luz as her messenger bag trundled out of the machine at the far end of the conveyor belt, and Azura quickly picked it up and put it on. “I might need to confiscate this, Noceda,” the guard said, staring at the keychain while Luz laughed and placed her ice-cream backpack on the belt.

“Nah, Steve’s cool with it,” Luz answered as she stepped through the metal detector, the green lights flashing. She waved to the lobby security desk where Steve stood, nursing a cup of coffee. He took a sip then raised his cup in her direction.

“I’m serious! I—I need to check the handbook,” the guard walked over to where his partner sat, the uniformed lady watching the backpack pass through the scanner. The machine made another funny noise as he crouched down to pick up a notebook.

“Hey Matt,” Steve yelled across the lobby, drawing their guard’s attention as the lady stood up to examine one of the screens, “I’m cool with it.” The other guard patted Matt’s shoulder and pointed to the scanner and made a comment in his ear.

Matt walked back over to where Luz and Azura stood and held the tray out to the taller girl, “Fine, whatever, but what’s in the backpack? It tripped the machine.”

“Couldn’t you see in it on the thing?” the brown-haired girl waved at the purple and black scanner, then rolled her eyes. Luz nodded toward Azura as she slipped her phone back in her pocket, “I’m carrying her other coat around, en-bee-dee. Probably just her keys.”

The guard swiveled on the pale girl, and she took a step back, startled. “Did you leave keys in there? What’s in your coat?” He asked, a slight note of fear in his voice.

“Hey man, hey,” Luz said, stepping forward, “She broke her jaw, Matt, her mouth is wired shut. She can’t play twenty questions right now.” Azura huffed and stomped her foot, shooting a glare up at Luz as the brown-haired girl tried not to smile.

“But the machine just—” Matt started, looking up at Luz.

“—Look, man,” She interrupted while she picked up the bag and glanced at Azura with a muttered, “Mall cops are bastards.” Luz turned back to face him, “Run it through the machine again, it’s just a coat,” she scoffed as she held the bag out to him, then added, “or use the wand on it if your fancy new machine is busted.”

Matt stammered as he glanced between Luz and Azura glaring at him, and Steve standing at the security desk, watching with a serene expression on his face. “Actually,” Luz snapped, pulling the bag up on her shoulder, “I want to speak to your manager.” She turned on her heel, grabbed Azura’s hand, then spat over her shoulder, “And it’s Noceda-Clawthorne, chiquito,” before she stomped over to the security desk in the back of the lobby.

Luz pulled Azura to the raised black granite desk that came up to the pale girl’s eyebrows, and they both looked up at Steve. Luz put her chin on the desk with a dejected groan, “Did you have to get your little brother a job here, my dude?” She looked up at the brown-haired man as he rubbed at his face and sighed. He ran his hand back through his hair, and Azura saw a scar high on his forehead, which had turned a patch of brown hair white after the injury healed. It looked like he had a horn.

“It wasn’t my call,” he said, glancing back out over the new security machines, resting his hands on his hips. “He’s employed by Blight Industries, and they have the security contract. He works for them, not us.”

“How is that even possible?” Luz motioned wide, sweeping her non-Azura-side hand out toward the crowded lobby, “You’re head of security, how can some other company take over like this?”

“C’mon Luz, you know how this works.” He leaned forward on his knuckles, pitching his voice low, “They gave the museum a lot of money. They’re the new major donor, so they get to boss us around on some stuff.” He groaned and straightened back up, rubbing at his chin, “It’s all museum politics, anyway, making themselves look good. Major donors change every decade, it’s a normal cycle.”

“Oh hey,” Luz perked up, and Azura glanced her way, “what’s going on outside?” He turned his blue eyes on Azura for a moment, and she saw them soften.

“You don’t know?” he asked the brown-haired girl with a smile in his voice.

“I wouldn’t be asking if I already knew,” Luz growled, “If I wanted the runaround I’d’ve stayed over there with Matt!” She glared over her shoulder at the high-strung security guard.

“Ah, well,” he grinned, and lifted his coffee mug, “They’re putting on an opera for the president or something, I dunno.” He grinned and took a noisy sip of coffee as Luz spluttered.

“You’re the head of security, how can you not know what’s going on?” The brown-eyed girl fumed, “What if something happens—” The pale girl beside her went still, and both Luz and Steve looked her way. Luz snapped her fingers and said, “Right, gotta get something from coat check,” to him, then, “Be right back, okay?” to Azura. Then she slapped her forehead, “Oh, soy una idiota, Steve, this is my new friend, Azura. She broke her jaw and her mouth is wired shut,” the pale girl stomped her foot again and Luz struggled to keep a straight face as she shuffled her toes to safety, giggling, “So try to keep the questions simple, okay? Here you go, hiking buddy,” she handed Azura the notebook with a wink, then turned and walked over to the coat check counter.

Luz grumbled under her breath from both her confrontation with a jerk from her past, and from hearing how a huge corporation was stepping all over one of her favorite people. She glared at Matt again as she sidled up to the counter, then turned to look at the kindly, rosy-cheeked old man sitting at the desk. He leaned back slightly in alarm, and she tried to smooth the scowl off her face with her fingers. “Sorry, Clifford, just heard some bad news,” she said as she crossed her elbows on his counter.

“Oh, that’s okay Luz,” the portly man chuckled, scrubbing his knuckles under his bushy white mustache, “What brings you here today?”

“Can you hold onto this for me?” the brown-haired girl asked as she held her ice-cream backpack out for the old man.

He picked it up from her hands and turned it over to look at the logo, “Oh, how is this place? I never remember to get up that way.”

“They have the best milkshakes, Cliff!” Luz exclaimed, “You gotta try one soon.”

“I’ll do that, Luz. Want me to put this in your aunt’s locker?” The man asked as he sat down at his desk, pulling a ticket stub from the dispenser when she shook her head. He ripped it in half, sticking one side in a clear plastic pouch on the bag, and handed the other half to Luz.

“Nah, it’s alright,” she glanced around, “You’re the best, Cliff.”

“If you say so,” Clifford chuckled as he folded his hands, “Anything else I can do for you?”

She sighed and took a deep breath, This is for Azura, it’ll be fine. Luz patted her fingers against the countertop as she leaned closer, “I forgot my bag the last time I was here, #1635? I lost my ticket, though, sorry.”

Clifford chuckled and stood to walk over to the wall of lockers, “That’s okay, kiddo, happens to the best of us.” He pulled a small black cross-body bag out of a locker in the top row and laughed at the cloud of dust that fell out after it. He shook it gently as he walked back to the desk, brushing clumps of dust off his long sleeve white shirt and blue tie, and smiled, “The last time you were here? This thing is covered in dust.”

Luz bristled at the jest, already on edge about dealing with one of Eda’s goodie-bags. “Hey man,” Luz snapped, “take it up with the cleaners if they’re not doing their jobs!” and reached for the bag when Clifford held it out. The old man made a surprised huh, then brushed dust off his hands and sat down at his desk. He looked up to see Luz still standing there. She hopped from one foot to the other, holding the black bag at her chest, “I’m so sorry Clifford! I—I was trying to make a joke, but I didn’t mean for it to come out so rude! I just ran into Steve’s baby brother in the security lane, and he gets on my nerves so much.” She buried her face in her arms and groaned.

The old man peered out at the metal detectors across the rotunda, “That idiot is related to Steve?”

Luz laughed, “I know!”

“He’s been making a hash of things all day,” He ran a hand through his thinning hair and made a surprised grunt, “I can’t believe that’s Steve’s brother.”

She groaned, “I hate him so much!”

Clifford chuckled and patted her head, “It’s okay kiddo, you’re never mean to this old fart, I figured you’d had a rough day.”

“Omigosh no! Cliff, I’m having such a good day!” Luz made fists then shook out her fingers, “My heart is pounding like I’m on a roller coaster, what’s up with that.” She pointed a thumb over her shoulder at the security desk, “I made a new friend today and she’s amazing, I’ll try to introduce you later, okay?”

“Sounds good Luz,” the old man smiled, “but if I don’t see you later, have fun on your date!”

Luz laughed and rubbed at the back of her head, “It’s not really a… oh.” Oh. She waved goodbye to Clifford as she walked back to Steve’s station.

~

When Luz walked away, Azura turned back to look up at Steve’s kind blue eyes. “She doesn’t know, does she?” he asked, and she shook her head as she tucked her sunglasses into her jacket pocket. She opened the notebook and wrote for a moment, then stood on her toes to hold it up where he could read it.

ARE YOU GOING TO TELL MY MOTHER?

Steve pulled a face and scratched at his neck. “Hoo boy, your mom is not a good person,” he winced, then added, “Sorry to just put it out there like that, but… I’m pretty sure you already knew.” She nodded with a sad tilt of her head, and he sighed. He reached into a small pouch on his belt to pull out a USB drive, plugging it into a slot hidden under his desk. He clicked a few buttons on his security console, then looked back at the silent girl. “As far as I’m concerned, we never had this conversation.” He took another noisy slurp of coffee and grinned at the girl as she smiled with her eyes. Luz’s laugh rang out over the lobby’s noisy din, and they both looked over to see her chatting with the white-haired man at the coat check counter. Steve looked down to see the silent girl still staring and he chuckled. Azura looked back up at him, a pink blush crawling up her face.

Steve smiled kindly down at her and leaned forward on his elbows, crossing his forearms. “She doesn’t know about that either, does she?” Her eyes went wide, and she shook her head as a dark red crept across her cheeks. He glanced back at Luz, and when he looked down at the girl, he could see the fear in her eyes. “Hey, don’t worry. I’m not gonna say anything.” He settled his chin on his forearms and scootched a bit closer as she curled her fingertips on the edge of the counter. “Did she tell you about me and her aunt?” he asked in a quiet, confidential tone. She shook her head, then scrawled a long line in the notebook, holding it up again.

JUST THAT YOU WERE A GOOD MAN. THAT I COULD GO TO YOU FOR HELP.

He stared at the notebook for a long moment, muttering, “That girl,” then he exhaled softly before asking, “You okay?” Azura shrugged, then shook her head. “Luz helping you?” Azura nodded. “Good. Here’s my info,” he pulled a card from his desk and tucked it into her notebook, “Reach out any time, I mean it. I don’t have a life.” Azura snorted and he laughed, pointing at Luz, “Which is what she will tell you, in excruciating detail.” He groaned and rubbed at his temples, “My hopeless attempts at romance are her second favorite topic of discussion. So, this thing I see here?” He waved his index finger to encompass both girls, “This is hilarious to me.”

Azura’s eyebrows furrowed, and he chuckled, “No, see, the ladies in that family just don’t get it. I’m sorry kid, but you’re gonna have to spell it out for her. We’re down in the trenches together.” He patted her fingers gently and said, “Good luck.”

Luz appeared just then and surprised the pale girl. Azura jumped and squeaked, and Luz grabbed her hand with a smile. “You ready to go, mi compañera?”

“Three hours to close, Luz,” Steve waved them off, “You two have fun!”

Chapter 4

Chapter Text

Luz led Azura through the colonnade behind the security desk, walking under the high arches bracing the third- and fourth-floor balconies, and the girls stepped out into the Museum Atrium. Benches, potted trees, and information panels were scattered about on the ground floor, with a few circular welcome center stations where museum employees stood to assist visitors. White granite columns rose to meet the roof high above, decorated with banners and flowering green creeping vines, and balconies on the left and right formed the walls for the rectangular space. Clouds stretched out overhead, visible through the crystal skylight spanning the open area, as well as through the massive windows in the far wall. Walkways for the third and fourth floors crossed the atrium at the far end, where people stood either looking down at the other visitors or pointing out over the South Lawn. “They can control the glass up there,” Luz pulled Azura close as she pointed up at the ceiling, “It goes semi-transparent at noon when the sun is really bright overhead, and then during Night Exhibits it’s crystal clear so you can see the stars.” Azura’s eyes sparkled as she looked up in wonder.

“The West Hall,” Luz grinned at her wide-eyed companion, motioning to her right, “holds the Fine Art exhibits, while the East Hall,” she motioned to their left, “Has all the natural history stuff. Animals, geology, that kinda thing.” She turned to face Azura, still holding her hand, “Where would you like to go?”

The pale girl turned her golden eyes up at Luz and stared at her with an unreadable look. “What is it, cariño?” Luz asked with a gentle voice. Azura blinked a few times, then raised the notebook. Luz let go of her hand and stepped close as the other girl wrote a few sentences.

I RARELY GET TO MAKE DECISIONS. WHAT I WANT DOESN'T MATTER. MOTHER CONTROLS MY LIFE.

Luz frowned and shook her head, “That’s not okay, Azura… and it matters to me.” She placed a hand on Azura’s arm as the shorter girl leaned forward to push her black beanie-wrapped forehead against Luz’s collarbone for a moment, before standing up and pointing at the page.

THANK YOU

Luz gave her a smile, and stepped over to stand beside Azura, hooking her hand over her left elbow, “Listen, I’m here all the time, so you’re in charge." The brown-eyed girl motioned toward the notebook with her free hand and said, “What would you like to see first?”

THE ART

“This way then, mi preciosa,” Luz said with a flourish and a bow, shooting a cheesy grin up at the golden-eyed girl. Azura turned a light shade of pink, and Luz smiled wide. As they walked toward the main corridor bisecting the Atrium, Luz motioned toward the balconies above them. “The Paintings and watercolors are up on the fourth floor, fabrics and, uhhh,” she thought for a moment, then snapped her fingers, “textiles—that’s what they’re called—are on the third, and the photography and mixed-media prints are on the second floor.” She pointed straight into the corridor ahead and added, “Sculptures and statues, stone work—heavy stuff like that—are down that way. So,” Luz squeezed Azura’s elbow with her fingers and asked, “What kind of art would you like to see first?”

I'D LIKE TO SEE THE PAINTINGS

“To the stairs!” Luz exclaimed, and gave Azura a gentle tug. The two started up the white marble switchback staircase as Luz began to ramble, “So what did you think of Steve?” Thumbs-up.

“I told you he was a great guy, he’s worked here for years. I’m not sure who’s worked here longer, him or Tía Lily. Oh!” Her brown eyes lit up as she half-turned toward Azura, stumbling up a step, “Did I tell you about Steve and Lilith?” Thumbs-down.

Luz clapped her free hand to her cheek, “Omigosh! Steve loves my aunt so much, he’d be, like, really good for her, but she just doesn’t notice stuff like that. She always thinks he’s joking when he asks her out on dates,” Luz rolled her eyes, “or she thinks it’s like a work-outing-type situation and she invites other people to go along, but—I think—he knows she’s not being oblivious on purpose.” She chuckled and ran her fingertips along the banister as they turned the corner of the staircase, starting up another flight of stairs, “It’s actually happened so many times their coworkers have started a betting pool on when they’ll finally get together. It’s like something on the Hallmark channel, you know, handsome-big-city-security-guard falls for small-town-archeologist—” Azura scribbled HANDSOME? and gave Luz a questioning eyebrow, and the brown-haired girl stammered for a moment before blushing, “—I don’t have a crush on him, if that’s what you’re implying, missy, it’s just an observation. Y’know, objectively speaking, he’s not an ugly dude—just like you’re not some ugly chica.” Luz smirked as a blush crawled up Azura’s face, visible above her scarf, “Besides, I’m his number one cheerleader in his quest to catch Tía Lily’s attention. He’ll keep improving himself and he’ll ask her out one day and she’ll say, ‘why not’, and it will be so gosh-darn cute.”

Luz paused for a moment as they reached the third-floor landing, as if she wasn’t sure if she should continue, then carefully she confided, “I think part of it is that she doesn’t think very highly of herself. She’s made mistakes in her life and hurt people she cared about, so she can’t see why anyone else would be interested in her…” Azura looked over at Luz and saw the pensive expression on her face. The pale girl scratched down a quick note, then held it up for Luz to see.

SHE STILL DESERVES TO BE LOVED

Luz gave her a gentle smile and whispered, “Yeah, she does,” before clearing her throat, “So yeah, y’know, I think it’s related to this whole thing that happened between her and step-mama when they were younger, and that is a super long story, so I’ll save it for the next time we go out.” Her teeth snapped shut when her ears registered what had just fallen out of her mouth, and she shot a worried glance toward Azura. The pale girl had a slight blush around her cheeks and eyes, but she nodded and squeezed Luz’s hand.

Luz gave a sheepish grin and squeezed Azura’s arm in response. She cleared her throat and ran her free hand through her hair, “Steve used to smoke all the time, but he quit cold turkey to impress her—and don’t get me wrong, she noticed—but it wasn’t the home run he’d been hoping for.” They reached the mid-stair landing and turned the corner as Azura wrote.

GOOD FOR HIM

Luz nodded, “Yeah, it was hard for him, y’know, I’ve not had to deal with anything like that, and you could really see him struggle some days. It worked out though, because he’s healthier now anyway, and Tía isn’t huffing her inhaler all the time when she’s in her office.” She groaned and slouched for a few steps, “And I don’t know what upholstery she has on her furniture, but it traps smells. Like, her couch is haunted forever by our lunch from six years ago. I spilled Chinese food in there one time—one time—and it took her two years to be able to eat beef lo mein again.” She pulled her free hand down her face as she moaned, “You have no idea how big a pain it was to get her to eat with me after that!”

They crested the staircase, and the fourth-floor gallery opened up before the girls. The walls were all solid soft whites and neutral grays, the floors a dark wood polished to a shine. Black leather benches were placed strategically throughout the maze of art. Luz tugged Azura’s hand just for a moment, and the girls turned to face one another. “Hey, listen,” Luz said softly, then winced, “sorry—If I’m talking too much, let me know. I don’t want to bother you.” Azura’s eyes widened, and she shook her head, patting Luz’s hand before she began to write swiftly, her eyebrows drawing down in what Luz thought might be anger. She started to regret asking and opened her mouth to apologize when Azura held up the notebook with a hmph.

I LOVE HOW YOU TALK TO ME. IT HELPS ME FEEL SAFE. Below was underlined, IF YOU STOP I WILL BE MAD

Luz stopped and stared at the words before looking past the notebook to the golden-eyed girl glaring at her. She gave Azura a hesitant grin, “Okay, I won’t, I just had to ask… you understand, right?” Azura’s eyes softened, and she nodded, taking Luz’s hand gently in hers again. “Look, here’s the deal,” Luz started, softly, “There’s gonna be stuff to read in there, and I know I can’t read while someone’s chattering away in my ear—go figure, right—so if you want me to pause for a minute,” Luz looked down and swung their hands from side to side, “Just squeeze my hand until you’re ready for me to start talking again. Okay?” Azura nodded, and Luz grinned.

“Okay, so, through here is—” Azura squeezed her hand. Luz raised an eyebrow, “This is the Witteb—” Azura squeezed again, then looked away. Luz chuckled, “Oh ho, so that’s how— it’s gonna— How very dare y—” Azura looked up at Luz, a picture of innocence. “You feisty little shi—” Azura giggled, and Luz felt a thrill run up her spine. She grinned, and motioned toward the gallery.

“Now where was I? Right, Tía Lily. I didn’t make her sound weird, right?” Luz looked down and Azura shook her head, “Good, ‘cuz she really is super sweet and super smart. She’s just up in her head a lot, y’know? and little day-to-day things just don’t click for her.” They walked toward a series of paintings and Luz rambled softly while Azura gazed up at the bright splashes of oil on canvas, “She made this amazing exhibit about handrails one time—I see that face!” Luz pointed at Azura’s eyes, the pale girl wrinkling her nose above her scarf, “I made that face too! But I’m telling you—I swear—this display was so cool. She knows just about everything about everything in this building.” Azura moved throughout the gallery, examining the artwork, and Luz drifted along beside her, following her lead, “This place would fall apart without her. Honestly, her face should be on the front of the building! Like, just staring coldly out at the pedestrians below, and they’re all oh no what did I do to anger this raven-haired goth librarian queen, also, how do I get her number meanwhile Aunt Lily is actually thinking something like I’ve finished with this new award winning exhibition of great-recession era door knobs, now where did I have Clifford place those elizabethan flannel pajamas, were they in Storage Room 1A or Storage Room A1 or whatever, I dunno how she thinks. The woman is a mystery.” The silent girl snorted at the funny voice Luz used in her impression.

Azura paused in front of a large oil painting. It was a rocky, dangerous looking landscape, with a sea of burgundy trees on fields of orange grass. The red and purple sky faded off in the distance, over what looked to be enormous spires of bone. She squeezed Luz’s hand, and the brown-haired girl went silent as they both examined the art. Eventually, Azura’s grip lessened, and Luz looked over at the pale girl. “What do you think?” she asked, nodding toward the painting, and let Azura’s hand slip from her fingers as the girl put pen to paper.

I MUST HAVE SEEN THIS ONE BEFORE, IT LOOKS FAMILIAR

“Yeah, I wouldn’t be surprised,” Luz replied, leaning down to examine the plaque beside it, “This is one of the Caleb Wittebane landscapes. He launched a whole,” she lazily waved a hand in a circle, “post-realism slash expressionistic slash other-worldly phase, or whatever. I forget exactly how Lilith put it.” She chuckled as she curled a hand over Azura’s bicep, following the silent girl to the watercolors exhibit.

TELL ME ABOUT YOURSELF, PLEASE? JOB, SCHOOL, ETC

“I help Eda out at the shop, mostly, she’s always making something for a delivery order, or needs a product tested,” Luz sighed, and slightly adjusted how her stepmom’s black backpack hung at her shoulder. “She makes a lot of womens’ safety devices, teaches self-defense courses… also lock-picking and safe-cracking, if you ask nicely. She’s chaotic. She seems to know everybody’s dirty secrets, too, I dunno how.” Azura’s eyes crinkled as she looked up at the taller girl. “She’s crafty. She’s taught me a lot about, like, shaping metal and electrics, y’know, fixing machines too.” Luz glanced over at Azura, then back to the watercolor the golden-eyed girl was examining, “So that’s how I make a bit of spending money. In between manning the counter and delivery days, I take some creative writing and art classes down at GBU.” Azura looked up at Luz in surprise, and Luz grinned, “You know I’m a huge Good Witch Azura fan, so I’ve wanted to be a witch for as long as I can remember, but being a writer is my, y’know, my fallback option.” Azura huffed a laugh and scribbled for a moment.

SECOND BEST CHOICE, OBVIOUSLY

Luz chuckled as she pushed her free hand back through her hair, “See, you get me, mi compañera. I love to draw and paint,” she motioned around them, toward the gallery itself, “so I’m always here for inspiration. Growing up, I’d read those fantasy books with the full-page illustrations, right, and I want to be able to do the artwork for my own stories.” She sighed, and bounced the toes of one foot off the ground behind her, “So the readers can really see what I’m talking about… so they can see what I see, in my mind.” Luz glanced down at the notebook Azura held up.

YOUR SKETCHES? AMAZING!

“Thanks, Azura. I’m glad you like them.” They wandered over to a new cluster of delicate pastels, the pale girl gasping in delight as she squeezed Luz’s hand. Luz smiled as she watched the other girl lean close to take in the display, her golden eyes glittering. After a few minutes, Azura turned back to Luz and wrinkled her nose, pointing toward another exhibit and squeezing her hand.

“School, though?” Luz asked, and exhaled noisily when Azura nodded. “Wow, school was rough, growing up. Kids are awful no matter where you go, they’re just, I dunno, better at hiding it in certain places.” She glanced over at the silent girl, her eyebrows furrowed in sadness as she nodded. Luz sighed and rubbed the back of her neck, “I was just trying to make friends, make connections, and I’d end up pushing people away.” She paused for a moment, then, “I guess I was too much for them. The other students had shunned me entirely by the middle of 8th grade, so I just stopped trying.”

WHY?

Luz looked sad, and Azura placed her free hand on the brown-haired girl’s shoulder. “It was… hard, after my dad died,” Luz spoke quietly as she gazed down at her feet, “before I met Eda. It just… it wasn’t worth the effort.”

YOU DESERVED BETTER

“Thanks. It worked out. I was getting in trouble constantly at school, trying to avoid the bullies,” Luz jerked slightly when Azura swiveled to face her, a worried look in her eyes. “I was an easy target,” she shrugged. “Then I started making more and more ridiculous attempts, y’know, taking drastic measures to get attention.” She chuckled as she gave a sidelong glance at Azura, “So embarrassing... My grades were plummeting, Mamí was getting called in for meeting after meeting. When I stopped communicating with anyone, Mamí got worried.” She sighed and looked off into the distance for a moment, before smiling, “The school counselor thought I was ‘at risk’ and recommended this summer camp. That’s about the time I met Eda. She thought we were kindred spirits.” Azura looked up at Luz and gave her hand a quick squeeze. Luz gave her a smile in return.

“She could see how traditional schooling wasn’t working for me, so she offered to start tutoring me, home school, whatever you wanna call it.” Luz stuck her free hand in her pocket and shuffled her feet, “Graduated early with, y’know, pretty good grades.” She shrugged again and laughed, “I’ve never been a straight-A student.”

Luz went quiet for a minute as she thought. Azura stood and watched the taller girl’s face as several emotions ran across her features. Luz opened her mouth to speak, but had to swallow and try again, “Eda helped me when she didn’t have to, but she did… I’m pretty sure she saved my life.” She looked down at the golden-eyed girl and gave her a half-smile, “So I try to pay that forward.” Azura hugged Luz’s arm before scribbling a quick note.

AND YOUR MOM?

Luz looked uncomfortable for a moment, then asked, “Are you sure you want to hear about my mom?” She rubbed at the back of her neck as she stammered, “I-I-I don’t want to, like… I know your mother isn’t… nice.” She trailed off, looking uncertain, “I didn’t want to be inconsiderate.”

I WANT TO KNOW ABOUT YOU. SHE IS PART OF YOU

Luz smiled, “Alright, cariño.” She sighed and looked up at the watercolors Azura had moved toward. “She’s a nurse, I think I mentioned that earlier? Now she is, anyway.” She chuckled, “She was a veterinarian for years, when she married my dad and when I was little.” Luz grinned down at Azura, “People are animals too, right? So she’s still a vet.” Azura huffed a laugh, and rolled her eyes. Luz followed the pale girl as she walked to the next display. “When dad started to get sick, she began taking courses to learn how to help him. It… well,” She looked down and coughed, “It made a difference for her and him, y’know? Their relationship? But it didn’t make a difference in the end.” Luz frowned before Azura squeezed her hand and patted her arm. Luz rubbed the palm of her free hand on her stomach as she forced a smile, “But she kept up with the classes, and eventually got her certification.”

They turned the corner and stood in front of another large piece. Soft hues portrayed a great tree with pink leaves standing on a cliff. Both girls looked at it for a few minutes in silence before Luz spoke again. “Mamí is a real down-to-earth sorta lady, while my dad wasn’t. I took after him, growing up—always with my head stuck in a book, wrapped up in a fantasy world—which made it hard for us to understand each other after he was gone.” Luz’s smile was sad, “She might not have known how best to help me, but I never questioned how she felt about me.”

Luz looked over at Azura and gave a small sigh, “She was the only person I had in my life, until I met Eda, at least.” She shook her head and scoffed slightly, “They hated each other at first, but they both loved me, and that let them see the other in a different light.” Azura placed her hand over Luz’s and rubbed her thumb over her tanned knuckles. They had reached the end of the watercolor gallery, and they stood in a quiet corner with no other museum visitors in sight. There were no windows nearby, just the beautiful artwork shining under the brilliant white gallery lights. Azura scribbled a quick note.

SHE SOUNDS LOVELY

“She is,” Luz smiled. “I think you’d really like her. I know she’d love you, too.”

Azura looked up at Luz with tears gathering in the corners of her eyes. She turned away from the other girl for a moment to wipe at her face with the edge of her fingers, before leaning her side against Luz’s chest, like in the subway earlier that day. Luz wrapped her arms around Azura and clasped her hands together over the pale girl’s shoulder, just as she had that morning.

MY MOTHER DEMANDS PERFECTION

Azura’s pen scratched slowly along the page, and Luz could feel the tremor in her arms. She gave her a squeeze and whispered, “Take your time.”

I’M NEVER GOOD ENOUGH
NO MATTER HOW EXCEPTIONAL MY PERFORMANCE, IT'S BARELY WORTH HER NOTICE

AND YOU SHOW LOVE AND CARE SO FREELY, WITHOUT EXPECTATION
NO ONE HAS EVER TREATED ME THIS WAY

THANK YOU LUZ, TRULY

The pale girl stifled a sob as she leaned into Luz’s throat, and the taller girl pulled her in close under her chin. “I’m treating you how you should always be treated.” She stared off into the distance as she wrestled with the anger burning in her chest, “I’m so sorry that this is the first time anyone has shown you kindness.” They stood there for several long minutes while Azura shed silent tears into Luz’s shoulder, the brown-haired girl holding her tight and whispering soft assurances. Her heart ached for the girl in her arms. There has to be something I can do! She thought. Maybe Mamí and Eda will have some ideas.

The speakers overhead chimed, and a pleasant voice rang out, “Thirty minutes until the Galleries are closed. Museum visitors, please make your way to an exit. Please come again soon.” After another minute, the message repeated.

“If you’re ready, we can start wandering our way downstairs,” Luz said softly, “Then we can figure out what to do about dinner.” Azura stiffened slightly then pulled away to stare down at the notebook in her hand. She began to write several times, but would pause to rethink. Eventually, she scrawled a couple sentences.

I CAN SPEND MORE TIME WITH YOU? YOU WANT TO SPEND TIME WITH ME?

Luz reached out to gently cup her hands around Azura’s fingers, trembling as they held the notebook out for her to read. “Yes, and yes,” Luz whispered, “I would love to spend more time with you, I want to spend more time with you.” She grinned and squeezed the pale fingers, “I don’t want today to end.” Azura’s eyes tightened as she smiled, and she nodded and threw her arms around Luz’s shoulders. Luz laughed and wrapped her arms around the smaller girl’s waist, lifting her off the floor in a slow spin. Azura giggled in Luz’s ear, and the brown-haired girl’s heart hammered painfully in her chest at the sweet sound. Luz set Azura down, and the girls stood gazing at each other for a long moment, wide, giddy smiles reaching their eyes. Luz held out her hand, and Azura threaded their fingers together. They turned toward the stairs and began walking down to the third-floor gallery.

They kept looking at each other, stealing glances and quick peeks as they descended the stairs, hardly noticing the quiet all around them. Azura nodded toward the exhibition, and Luz followed her into the colorful, twisting walkway. This was the “Fabrics of the World” collection that Luz rarely visited. The rugs and banners and tapestries on display were beautiful works of art, but it wasn’t something that interested her. Today, she found it all enchanting. She would look at her companion and see that Azura was enjoying herself, which was all Luz had wanted.

They found their way to the middle of the gallery. The fabric hangings all around them were softly rustling in the air, deadening what little sound filtered in from the rest of the Museum. Luz laughed as she let go of Azura’s hand to walk closer to a large tapestry with bold red and yellow geometric designs over a black background. Her heart had been thundering in her ears since she and Azura had hugged upstairs, but even that sound began to fade in this room’s strange atmosphere. Luz glanced over her shoulder to see Azura standing in the middle of the open area looking at her, her hands at her chest, crossed over the notebook she held. The golden-eyed girl was staring, staring, staring, and Luz gazed back. After several long heartbeats she gave a self-conscious laugh, and looked back at the tapestry in front of her, running a shy hand through her hair, “I—” she coughed, and tried again, “I seriously can’t believe they don’t have these behind glass.” Luz put her hands in her pockets and rocked back on her heels, “This is a million-dollar fire waiting to happen!”

“Luz?”

The brown-eyed girl hummed a response, then froze.

“Can you hear me?”

The timid, fragile voice—hardly more than a whisper—made her turn and stare.

Chapter 5

Chapter Text

Azura stood shining under the gallery lights; her eyes glimmering gold under the stark black of her knit cap, the white cat medallion gleaming just below the notebook she held to her chest with one hand. She slowly pulled down her mask-like scarf and tucked the folds of its fabric under the point of her chin. Her delicate features were trembling with sorrow, as if she were on the verge of despair. Luz had never seen anyone so beautiful. She was stunned, and stared at the golden-eyed girl for so long she almost didn’t hear the repeated question, “Can… can you hear me, Luz?”

Luz swallowed, “Ye-yes!” then winced at how loud her voice sounded in the room, “Sorry, I can hear you.” She took a step forward and raised a hand, suddenly shy, “Hi, Azura.”

Azura held a hand up to her mouth, a tremulous smile breaking out behind her fingertips. She laughed, once, and tears pooled in the corners of her eyes as she whispered, “Hello Luz.” She curled both hands over the notebook and held it low at her waist, a practiced, formal pose. “It’s a pleasure to meet you,” the golden-eyed girl smiled as she gave the smallest bow, “for the second time.”

Luz was smitten. “Yeah, no, the pleasure is all, uh, for me—wow, sorry,” she slapped herself on the forehead to try again, “It’s so quiet in here, is that why I can hear you?”

Azura looked around the room, just for a moment, “I believe so,” before turning back to the brown-eyed girl staring at her in surprise, “I had tried to speak to you before now, but you couldn’t hear me… I almost didn’t attempt it this time, I had just about lost hope.” She shrugged, tilting her head to one side, and Luz couldn’t remember seeing anything so adorable before. “But this gallery seemed just right.” Her voice was almost too soft to hear. It was a slip of wind, the palest ghost of a breath.

Luz softened her voice to try and match, “Right, yeah, it’s perfect.” She took another step forward, just to be closer, “Tell me about yourself, then. I-I’d love to get to know you.” She ran a hand through her hair, at a loss for what to ask, “What, uh, what do you do?”

“I sing,” Azura said, as she gave Luz a soft smile.

“Qué.” Luz looked incredulous.

Azura tilted her head slightly, “I’m a singer.”

“That’s… are you serious?” Luz leaned forward and squinted, not sure if the golden-eyed girl was trying to pull one over on her.

The pale girl furrowed her eyebrows, frowning, “Yes, I’m serious.”

Luz stood upright, raising her hands in surrender with a laugh, “Sorry! Lo siento, I just didn’t expect to hear that.”

Azura raised her nose just a hair, her eyes tightening slightly with a knowing grin, “I can see how you’d find it amusing. I’m not offended.” She took a slow, graceful step to the side and sat down on one of the black leather benches. She folded her hands over the notebook in her lap and began speaking slowly, staring somewhere near Luz’s knees. “Sometimes I am ordered to rest my vocal cords after a strenuous performance. It’s what we call going “on silence”. It usually lasts for a few days.” She looked to the side, a disgusted curl of her lip twisting her face for a moment, “Whispering is just as bad as talking, honestly, it’s strictly forbidden.”

“Whoa, hey, then,” Luz said quickly, taking the last few steps forward to perch on the edge of the bench beside Azura, their knees brushing, “Then you need to stop, right?” The pale girl began shaking her head, her mouth pinched and trembling. She took a shuddering breath as Luz reached out to lift one of her hands, cradling it gently between her larger palms, “We’ll have time to talk later,” Luz begged, “I don’t want you hurting yourself.”

“Luz,” Azura whispered, “it’s so important, I have to tell you now, while I can. Before things fall apart.” She took another shaky breath, and Luz could feel the growing tremor in her hand. She leaned forward to place a hand against Azura’s upper arm, rubbing her shoulder with her thumb. She was shivering. “You don’t understand, it’s different this time, it’s—it’s—” Azura sobbed, placing her free hand over her mouth as she tried to steady her breathing.

“Take your time,” Luz curled her hand around the pale girl’s slender fingers, and squeezed her shoulder with the other, “you have time. I want to understand.”

“I don’t know how much time I have,” Azura glanced about, before looking back to the other girl, “I’ll try to be quick, but I’m scared, Luz.” She placed her hand atop the tanned girl’s fingers and rubbed her thumb against rough knuckles. She tried to meet the brown-eyed girl’s gaze, but looked down at her knees, “I lied to you this morning when I wrote ‘doctor’s orders’, when I’ve pretended things weren’t as bad as they are.” She glanced up, then, looking at Luz, “I didn’t know if I could trust you. I didn’t know what you would do with me. I’m so sorry for lying to you, Luz.”

Luz shook her head, her mouth set firm, “I get that, cariño, you did what you had to do. You don’t need to apologize.”

Azura took a breath and laughed, her face pained as she closed her eyes, “I always have to pretend that I’m fine. I wanted to trust you,” Azura squeezed Luz’s hand as she hunched her shoulders, “I—I-I don’t have anyone to turn to. I was terrified this morning when you found me, and then you were so kind.” Her breathing grew quick, as she stared off beyond Luz’s shoulder, “If I think about it, I—I—it’s paralyzing. Luz, I can’t get away from it,” She turned frightened eyes toward the brown-haired girl, “I can’t run from this.”

Luz stiffened as she watched her companion start to unravel, “Can’t run from what?” She asked, dread pooling in her stomach.

Azura’s eyes were glittering now, golden gems spilling tears down her cheeks, “It’s not normal this time, the silence.” She put one hand to her throat, as if to touch it, then jerked her hand away. “It’s forced. My mother had this done to me.” Her brows furrowed as she stood, abruptly, the notebook falling to the floor beside the bench as she took a few steps away, then wheeled around to face Luz. Her fists were clenched, and her face was red with anger. She was clearly agitated, teeth bared and flaring nostrils, but her slight, whisper-thin voice never grew any louder. “My doctor acted like it was all routine, when I woke up, but it’s not. It’s not the resting routine I know, maybe they discussed it amongst themselves, but they didn’t tell me.” Azura shook her fists at her sides in impotent fury, “It’s not right! I’m not whispering right now, I’m yelling.” Luz stared at her, stunned, as the pale girl drew in a few heaving breaths before sobbing into her palms, “I hate this.”

Luz was on her feet and placed both hands on Azura’s shoulders as the smaller girl swayed, “Easy there, cálmate, remember to breathe. Deep breaths in and out, c’mon.” She put an arm around Azura’s lower back and motioned to the bench, “Here, sit down. Por favor.”

Azura grabbed at Luz’s sweatshirt, making a fist in the fabric at her shoulder, “I’m missing time, Luz. I don’t think I was supposed to wake up today.” She stumbled back to the bench as Luz led her, “The last thing I remember is from three days ago. I need to get away from her!”

Luz knelt beside where Azura sat, looking up at the panic in her eyes, “Breathe with me, okay? In and out.” Luz pulled her forward to lean their foreheads together, running her thumbs across pale cheekbones, and they breathed long and slow. After a few minutes, the pale girl had attained a measure of control. “I’ll get you to my place, no te preocupes. Eda can help you.” She clasped both of Azura’s hands in her own and let them rest on Azura’s leg. “Can you tell me what happened this morning? What did you mean, ‘wake up’?”

Azura studied her face for a moment, her bottom lip caught between her teeth as she remembered. Hesitantly, she began, “There was a commotion in the lobby where I was standing with my escort.” Luz wrinkled her nose and mouthed escort? and Azura added with a sneer, “Bodyguards. I can’t go anywhere without two of mother’s babysitters.” She sighed, then returned to her story, “Some woman on a motorcycle had crashed outside the building—lost control, I don’t know—and it went up in flames. They were yelling and screaming, the fire alarms went off; all that noise, Luz,” Her eyes had begun to wander as she spoke, but now they snapped back to meet the taller girl’s gaze, “It woke me up, like I pulled my head out of a fog. The doctor was talking to them, and he saw me look up, look around,” she ground her teeth as fresh tears welled in her eyes. “He saw me wake up and then he lied to me; that bastard tried to tell me things were normal.” She looked back down at their hands and idly played with Luz’s fingers. “So I ran for the subway station when my guards were distracted.”

She closed her eyes and bowed her head, “I hate this so much, Luz.” Azura shuddered as she clenched her hands, and Luz squeezed her fingers in return, “I don’t want to sing anymore! Not for her!”

Luz pulled one hand free to rub up and down Azura’s arm, still holding on tight with the other, “What do you want to do instead?” She smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes, “What did you do before singing?”

Azura’s lip trembled as she sniffed, and she gave Luz a sad, lopsided smile, “I had a job at the library. I would read to the children.” Luz made a soft adoring sound, and Azura gave a wet chuckle, “I was good at it. I don’t know how to explain it, Luz.” She took a deep breath and looked up at the ceiling, “Late one night at the library I wished on a star—as a joke!—and then, somehow, I could make the stories come to life for them.”

Her face twisted in anger as she looked back down at her hands in her lap, “The twins found out—my brother and sister,” she added at Luz’s confused expression, “Then my parents found out, thanks to them, and it became one more thing in my life for them to control and exploit and abuse.” Her shoulders rose and fell with a deep breath, then a shrug, “Or maybe they expected it, I’m not sure. They certainly weren’t surprised, they just put my voice to work to increase their own riches and reputations.” She stared down at her hands, worrying her fingertips together, “But maybe it’s just what I deserve. I was never strong enough to stand up to them, I’m the way they made me. I’m just a tool for them.”

Fury spiked in Luz’s chest, “No! You’re not just a tool—”

Azura shook her head as she frowned, “I’m talking around it because I’m afraid, Luz. I’m so afraid…” She looked up at the brown-haired girl, her eyes heavy with regret, “I know what will happen: my mother will find me and take me home, you’ll try to help me, and she will have you hurt.” She turned her face back down to her hands and shook her head, “I couldn’t stand to be the reason you get hurt. I’ve already been such a burden to you.”

Luz reached up and gently placed a hand to Azura’s cheek, “No, You’re not a burden to me,” she ran her thumb under her eye, wiping a tear away, “don’t you ever tell yourself that. No digas eso, Azura”

Azura leaned into the touch and whimpered, “You already look at me like no one else does. I’m… I’m not brave enough to lose that.” She closed her eyes, “I just can’t.”

Luz’s chest felt so tight as she cradled Azura’s jaw and whispered, “Preciosa.”

The pale girl turned her golden eyes up to Luz, and she clutched at the brown-eyed girl’s wrist with both hands, “But I have to know… Why did you help me today?” She slid her fingers up along the back of Luz’s hand to press her tanned palm against her face, and she pushed into it, closing her eyes for a moment, “No one does anything good for free. And certainly not for me. There’s always a catch.” She looked up, watching the pair of brown eyes as the other girl’s brow tightened, “I know—I know—you’re not like that, I can see it in your eyes, but I keep waiting for things to go wrong. For all my happiness to crumble… Luz?” She rubbed her thumb along the inside of the taller girl’s wrist, and squeezed her fingers, “I have been so happy with you today. I cannot put it into words.”

Luz moved her other hand up to cup Azura’s face with both hands, then quietly asked, “There’s seriously no one in your life who knows how special you are?”

Azura looked down, away from her piercing gaze. “No. I’m just a trophy to them.” She gave a weak laugh, “Just a pretty bauble to place on the shelf when it’s not being used.”

Luz frowned, keeping her hands gentle despite the burning desire to smash and twist and break the people who hurt this girl. “My parents taught me to help others, and to look for ways to help other people.” She ran her thumbs under golden eyes, wiping at tear tracks. “Eda taught me how to see the evil in the world, and how to recognize the way it hurts and twists everyone around it. It’s easy to be mean or cruel. It’s so easy.” She looked up at the ceiling for a moment, considering how to explain how she felt, “Someone… could… they could beg for money on the street, and they might be lying to you—you don’t know. That’s on them, though, y’know?” Luz gently turned Azura’s face to look the pale girl in the eye, “And if someone asks for help and you can help… and you don’t? That shows who you are, deep inside.” Azura just blinked as more tears gathered in the corners of her eyes. Luz brushed those away carefully.

“I told you before, you looked scared,” the brown-haired girl said softly. “I could see the way you were running; you were trying to get away from something bad. That was enough for me.” Luz looked away briefly as she adjusted her weight on her knee, “I didn’t have any friends growing up, and there were so many times I was alone and afraid.” She met Azura’s eyes again, watching her hear when she said, “I couldn’t let another girl go through that, I just couldn’t. It’s what the Good Witch Azura would have done.”

Azura smiled and mouthed yes, Azura, and Luz smiled in return. She reached down with one hand and picked up the notebook the pale girl had dropped, and set it on the bench beside her. “And it doesn’t matter that it was you, it could have been anyone.” Luz said, carefully, “Any other woman—or man, too—could have needed a hand.” Luz stood long enough to sit down beside the other girl, chuckling, “But it was you, and I was lucky enough to meet you.” Luz gently pulled both of Azura’s hands into her own, “So if you’re worried about finding a motive, there it is: I saw someone who needed a friend and thought maybe they’d want to be my friend too, at the end of it all.”

Azura drew in a shaky breath before huffing a laugh, “Just like Otabin.”

Luz looked confused, “Who?”

“Otabin, the Bookmaker,” she replied, “From one of the children’s books at the library. He was looking for a friend… just like you and me.” Azura looked down at their hands for a long moment before whispering, “It would be best if you just went home. I can wait here. They’ll find me eventually.”

“I won’t do that,” Luz replied instantly, her voice firm, “No. You’re coming with me.”

“Thank you, Luz, for your help,” Azura nodded as if she hadn’t really expected any different. “No matter what happens, I will treasure the time we had today.”

Luz stood and pulled Azura to her feet as well, then wrapped her in a gentle hug. Azura crossed her arms over the taller girl’s back, as she burrowed into Luz’s collarbone. “Let’s get you home, Azura,” Luz said, her voice low and calm.

The golden-eyed girl pulled away slightly, placing a hand on Luz’s shoulder as she looked up into her eyes, “I know I told you to call me Azura, Luz, I was afraid, I didn’t know how wonderful you were, then.” She gave Luz another lopsided grin, “I just wanted to be me, for once. Ju—”

The speakers overhead chimed, shattering the fragile silence. That same pleasant voice from earlier rang out, “The Museum is now closed. Any remaining visitors please proceed immediately to the Rotunda.”

Luz winced and shook her head before looking down at Azura, but the spell had already been broken. Sounds from the Atrium filled the air, a thick layer of noise settling down over the room. Azura mouthed a few more words, her eyes large and gleaming in the brilliant white lights as she gazed up at Luz, reaching up to place her fingers lightly against the taller girl’s cheek. Her golden eyes danced left and right, examining the brown-eyed girl’s face for signs of comprehension. Luz gently wrapped her fingers around the pale hand touching her jaw, and shook her head, “I’m sorry, cariño,” she swallowed, disappointment heavy on her tongue, “I couldn’t hear you.” Tears glittered down the silent girl’s cheeks, disappearing beneath the scarf wrapped under her chin. She sniffed as she let her eyes fall to the floor before she buried her face in her hands.

The pale, silent girl was subdued as Luz took her hand, guiding her back toward the main staircase. The brown-haired girl had picked up the notebook for Azura, but she showed no desire to hold it. She’s been through so much, Luz thought, I’m not surprised she’s shut down. The delight and wonder that had filled the girl’s golden eyes earlier was gone, replaced with a deep weariness. She had almost retraced their path to reach the main gallery entryway when Luz noticed a faint beeping sound echoing from the stairwell beyond. She frowned, not sure what could be making that sound in the Museum. She had been in the building after hours with Lilith and Steve many times and had never heard a similar blip-blip-blipping noise. Is it… it’s getting faster, she realized in horror. I should have opened Eda’s bag already, Luz shook her head and growled, I was sloppy. Can’t do it now. You had one job, Noceda. Luz made a quick decision and cut between the displays, leading Azura towards the southern wall of the gallery. She glanced at her keyring, making sure she had the teal-coated duplicate she’d made for Lilith’s office door. If I can get through the southern balcony exit quickly enough, Luz glanced back at Azura, the girl still following her quickened pace, but her eyes were blank and unseeing, I can get us to one of the fire exits. “Just a little further, cariño,” Luz said, “Then we’ll get out of here.”

They were too slow. Luz pushed the door open carefully, pulling Azura out and to her right, towards the far back corner of the third-floor landing, where a STAFF ONLY door stood waiting, when she heard footsteps running up the staircase behind them. The blip-blip sound grew louder as well, and Luz pulled Azura behind her as a girl roughly their age reached the landing, huffing and puffing with every step, a small device held in her hand. “Stay behind me,” Luz said sternly as the pale girl stiffened in fear and tugged at the notebook in Luz’s hand. Luz let go and took a step forward, toward the stranger with the long—Luz blinked—green hair pulled back in a thick braid. She wore a smart gray dress suit under a long coat similar in style to what Azura had been wearing that morning. Luz’s stomach sank, This must be her sister. Azura put a hand on her shoulder and held the notebook out for her to glance at.

SISTER. DON’T TRUST HER.

Luz nodded and waved the silent girl back, then balled her fists as the—she groaned—unfairly pretty girl approached. Was their whole family gorgeous? She really didn’t want to have to punch a pretty girl tonight. “Back off, Sailor Pluto,” Luz growled, “She’s not going home with you.”

The sister paused, looking between the tall, angry girl and the hat-and-scarf-masked girl in the letterman’s jacket cowering behind her. She twisted a knob on her device, and the rapid blip-blip-blip cut off. She raised her hands, palms out, “Please, I need to speak with Amity.” She took another step forward before Luz raised her fists.

“Nuh-uh, traidora,” Luz shook her head, sneering, “She doesn’t trust you.”

“What did she tell you?” the green-haired girl asked, suddenly worried.

“Enough,” Luz frowned. “She’s coming with me, and I’ll go through you if I have to.”

The green-haired girl co*cked an eyebrow and gave a dark chuckle, “Oh?” she almost purred, taking a slow step forward, “You’ll go through m—” Her words caught in her throat when Azura—Amity, Luz corrected herself—leaned past Luz’s shoulder and gave her sister a middle finger. The sister spluttered and Amity huffed a laugh as Luz grinned.

“She’s coming with me, now get out of my way,” Luz said again, clasping Amity’s hand.

“Odalia is on her way here,” the sister said suddenly, and Amity clutched Luz’s arm tightly in fear. The sister held her hands out again, placatingly, “Ed and I are trying to get Amity away from her,” she turned her golden eyes from Amity to Luz. “We got here first to try and sneak her out.” She held up the device in her hand, “Mother has trackers in her coat and her boots, and the metal detectors in the lobby set off an alert.” She looked at her sister with concern, “I’m so sorry Amity, for everything. Please let us help.”

Luz looked down at Amity. The golden-eyed girl huffed, ruffling the scarf hiding her face. Thumbs-up. Luz nodded, then looked at the sister and pointed a thumb over her shoulder at the STAFF ONLY door. “Alright, Officer Jenny. Let’s hit the back rooms.”

Chapter 6

Chapter Text

They dropped Amity’s boots down the garbage chute just inside the STAFF ONLY door. “Adiós para siempre,” Luz waved sadly, watching the traitorous footwear vanish into the museum depths. “With any luck, that goes straight to the incinerator.” She looked down at Amity—down, further—and said, “Those were really cute boots, maybe I can get you another pair.”

Emira leaned over and smirked, her hands folded behind her back, “Those cost eight thousand dollars.”

Luz stumbled, turning to face the sisters, “Eight thou—” She swung frantic brown eyes to Amity, “I am so sorry!” Amity shrugged and patted her arm. “We’ll see what we can dig up in Tía’s office.” She grabbed Amity’s hand and began leading the other girls away from the Atrium. The quiet girl giggled as Luz continued to irritate her sister as she led them through the maze of employees-only corridors. She had tried and discarded several names of green-haired anime or comic characters before settling on ‘Polaris’. Her sister had fumed throughout the exercise, bristling and snarling “I already have a name!”, but even she had to grudgingly admit that Polaris was cool.

WHY? Amity tapped the page of the notebook.

“Why Polaris?” Luz asked, just to be sure. Amity nodded. “Ah, well, green hair, obviamente, and her dad is Magneto, who’s cool with war crimes. He and your mom would probably hit it off pretty well, so—”

“Hey!” Emira hissed, “Not cool.” Luz cackled as Amity gave her a thumbs-up. “I hate that that works so well,” Emira groused.

“So, your brother,” Luz glanced over at Amity, who raised an eyebrow, “He have green hair too?” Amity rolled her eyes. Thumbs-up. “Sooo… would you say he’s smart, orr—” Immediate thumbs-down. “Ha, so quick to answer that. Awesome,” Luz grinned, “I already have a name for him.”

Emira laughed, leaning forward, “What is it?”

Luz shot, “I’m not telling you,” over her shoulder as she peered around the next corner. “I don’t want it spoiled before I can use it,” she added as she waved the two sisters toward a door near the end of the hallway. She pulled her key ring off her belt and moved to push a teal-colored key into the door, but she stopped and turned to face the other two girls. “Please, por el amor de Dios, don’t spill anything in here. Tía will kill me.” The sisters glanced at each other before nodding to Luz, who then turned and unlocked the door. She stepped inside and flipped on the lights.

They walked into a long, open office. There were a series of windows set in the far stone wall looking out onto the Museum Yard, behind a large dark desk covered with papers, books, and specimen cases. The door had opened into the corner of the room, Luz standing beside the right-hand wall as Amity and Emira stepped inside. There was a clear walkway on the right side of the room, leading back to the desk, and the wall behind the brown-haired girl was covered with messy bookshelves. To their left was a small couch and armchair sitting area, with a set of worktables with tall, padded stools in the middle of the room, piled high with more papers and containers. The far-left corner held a walk-in storage closet and a functional wooden armoire. Emira sniffed and grimaced, “Is that… Chinese food?” Luz groaned and shut the door.

Amity stood in the middle of the room, turning about slowly as she examined the detritus of a distractible academic mind. She bobbed her head from side to side as she scrunched her bare toes in the thick pile rug, shuffling back and forth between the small couch and armchair and the closest L-shaped worktable. She bent at the waist to examine a small collection of copper coins sitting under an adjustable magnifier, her hands clasped behind her back. Emira had followed Luz to lean against the front of the large desk, and the green-haired girl leaned back to tap Luz gently on the shoulder, and pointed to her sister, whispering, “Look, she’s singing to herself.”

“What, really?” Luz looked up quickly from her aunt’s top desk drawer to catch a glimpse of Amity swaying gently as she tipped her head from one side to the other, lost in a song only she could hear. The brown-haired girl looked between the sisters for a moment before catching on. She couldn’t hear Amity singing, but it was clear through her body language that she was. “Oh… I thought you meant— that’s adorable.”

Emira nodded, crossing her arms, “I haven’t seen her this happy in a long time.” She had a thought, then pulled out her phone and rapidly typed out a message. Luz had stood up straight when she saw Emira pull out the device, but the girl started talking before the taller girl could question her, “I was searching the West Hall for Amity, while Ed took the East. I’m letting him know I found her, and to head down to the Atrium to check on possible exits.” She shimmied slightly as she stood up straight, then walked over to where Amity stood.

“Amity,” Emira said softly, and the silent girl turned toward her and looked up to meet her eyes. They both stood there for a moment, until Amity raised an eyebrow. Emira glanced down at the floor, shame creeping up her neck and ears as a red flush reached her eyes. “We— I— Ed and I, we— we failed you, Amity. We weren’t good to you, not like you needed.” She looked up, and tried to hold Amity’s unflinching gaze, but she had to look away after a few more words, “We got you into this mess, we were just—such sh*tty people,” she clenched her fists and blinked away tears, “We were petty and vindictive. There’s no excuse for what we did. It was wrong. I’m sorry, Amity, I’m so sorry.”

“We didn’t know how they were treating you,” the taller sister continued, “we should have known. We should have found out sooner,” The green-haired girl wiped the edge of her hand under her eye, “We shouldn’t have treated you that way. We made your life hell, and fooled ourselves into thinking we were doing you a favor.”

Emira sighed and rubbed her hands along her upper arms, still not able to meet her sister’s eyes, “When you first started going on tour, and left school, and were traveling all over… we thought you liked it.” She dropped her hands to her sides and said, “We thought you finally managed to beat us at our own game.” Emira glanced at Luz, still standing by the desk with one hand in the drawer, just staring at the sisters as she listened. She turned back to the silent girl, “But as time went on, we started to get worried. We could tell it was an act, Amity,” she said softly, “We could tell you hated it.” She looked down at the floor again. “Later, we’d see you walking around in a daze. We’d try to talk to you and get no response, or you’d not remember little things that you wouldn’t forget.” Luz set a handful of rubber bands on the desk, and slid the drawer closed.

Amity lowered her eyebrow, and just looked at Emira. “We started digging. We tried to find out where you were staying, where mother was keeping you.” She half-smiled at Amity, and whispered, “Sorry it took us so long.” She pulled an old gray plastic cell phone from her pocket, “Ed’s plug knew a guy who knew a guy, and we got in touch with a fence. We bought some information and a few favors to try and get you away from her.” The green-haired girl held the phone out to Amity, held it out for an uncomfortable length of time, then decided to set it on the worktable when the silent girl refused to accept it. Emira looked to Luz, “It’s a burner, it has our numbers and our burner numbers, too.”

Luz stepped around the desk and picked up the familiar-looking device. “You two worked with a fence, huh?” She shook her head at the small, stylized owl stamped on the gray backplate. “Why am I not surprised?” she muttered.

Amity and Emira both gave Luz a confused, questioning glance. “I should have done this earlier,” Luz said, turning and pulling at the black backpack strap around her neck to get Eda’s bag off and set it down on the desk. The brown-haired girl glanced at Emira and half-grinned, “It worked out this time, but next time we might not be so lucky.” She took a breath, in and out through her nose, and pulled the zipper. “After we got ice cream—”

“Wait, ice cream? You went on a da—” Emira began until Amity slapped her arm.

“—when Amity went to change, I asked my stepmom if she had a gear bag in the Museum. She did, and she told me where to find it.” Luz looked at the other girls, seeing Amity’s curiosity and Emira’s confusion. “I hadn’t opened it yet because if I didn’t need it, I’d be better off not knowing what’s in it.”

“Oh… kay?” Emira responded, drawing a glare from Amity.

“You’ll see,” Luz assured her, then pulled a tightly wrapped twine-tied black fabric bundle out from the bag. She untied and unrolled the bundle, examining the bag’s contents on the desktop. The taller girl arranged them neatly, telling her companions what they had to work with: “Okay… auto-lockpick and needles, not particularly helpful… half-finger sap gloves—Emira, can you fight?” The green-haired girl shook her head, surprised at the question. “Those are for me, then, collapsible baton, also mine.” She slid the ten-inch black handle and the heavy black gloves down in front of her. “Small prybar, a faraday bag? Huh. Amity, put your handbag in here, just in case it’s got a tracker too, and the burner phone.” Luz slid the stiff, metal-mesh bag across the table to the silent girl who nodded back to her. “Three maritime SOS flares, mom, in the museum?! Those stay in the bag,” she muttered, moving the offending items, “and thi—is this a smoke bomb? Ugh. Bag.” Luz picked up a small, fat yellow envelope, and peeked inside, “TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS?! Cheese and rice, mom.”

Amity snorted, and Luz gave her a smug look. “You making fun of my swears? I gotta bring balance to the universe for step-mama’s spicy mouth.” Amity huffed a laugh and set the lumpy mesh bag down on the desk, then closed the flap of Luz’s messenger bag.

The last item from the bag was a black metal flashlight with an obnoxious “tacti-cool” appearance. “Don’t need a flashlight, we’re trying to get out—” Luz sighed, and hung her head, “Well, this has more and less than what I expected.” She glanced up at the clock, “It’s almost shift-change. Our best bet will be to sneak out with the afternoon-shift workers.” She looked at Amity, still barefoot, in the skirt and sweater she had been wearing that morning and her own too-big jacket. “Let’s see what clothes Tía Lily has here; the guards in the lobby probably have your current description.”

Emira nodded, “They do. I saw the printouts at the security station.” She smirked, “The head of security was being very unhelpful to mother’s people.”

Luz grinned as she walked over to the small wardrobe beside the walk-in storage closet, pulling the doors open. There were several western-style ponchos, a pants hanger with three pairs of jeans, and a lab coat hung up sideways—to be retrieved quickly—draped over a few other items. Several pairs of no-nonsense black flats sat on the bottom of the armoire, alongside a pair of black heels, a pair of slippers, and a bizarrely out-of-place pair of white snakeskin cowboy boots next to a matching cowboy hat. Luz hung the lab coat properly, revealing a green army surplus jacket and two museum-branded hooded sweatshirts, one in black and one in purple. Amity’s eyes lit up at the purple hoodie, and Luz smiled, pulling it off the hangar. “We’ll leave my jacket and this sweet sweatshirt here,” she smiled when the silent girl snorted, “See if any of these jeans fit you.” She looked down at the available shoe options and frowned, “Yikes, I hope those flats are in your size.”

Amity set her borrowed messenger bag on the floor, then removed Luz’s jacket slowly, carefully, and held it close to her chest and chin for a moment before looking up at the brown-eyed girl, then handing it over. “You’re welcome, Amity,” Luz said gently. “We’ll come back for it later, so you can wear it again.” The pale girl flashed a brilliant smile, just visible behind the red-and-black plaid scarf that had started to slip loose, without the jacket to hold it in place. Luz hung the letterman’s jacket in the wardrobe then held out the purple hoodie, and Amity looked at it for several heartbeats before holding up her hand, fingers out slightly. Wait. The golden-eyed girl motioned toward Emira, who walked over to stand close by.

“What is it, Amity?” her sister asked, glancing at Luz. The brown-haired girl shrugged slightly as Amity pointed toward Emira’s pocket. “My— my phone?” Thumbs-up. “Here,” she unlocked it and handed it over.

Amity opened the translation app and typed out a quick phrase. She tapped once more, and a robotic female voice spoke her words, “I woke up with this.” She closed her eyes, and swallowed, before slowly pulling the scarf from her neck. Luz felt her stomach drop. Emira raised a hand to her mouth, her eyes wide in horror. Purple metal, oily and slick, wrapped around most of Amity’s neck, the front curving up to almost touch the base of her jaw. The plates and rings of the collar flexed as she swallowed, rippling with the motions of her throat; its edges were gold ridges flush against her skin. She scrabbled at the side of her neck with her free hand, marring the pale flesh with fresh bloody scratches over a small forest of older, dried tracks, but her nails couldn’t find purchase on the device. Luz reached out to hold Amity’s clawing fingers, pulling them away from her throat. The silent girl’s shoulders slumped, then she turned her attention back to the phone in her other hand.

She typed, “I don’t know what they’re doing to me.” She tapped again, typing more, then looked up at Emira, then Luz, “She does these things to me, and I just have to take it.”

Luz was shaking, her knuckles creaking as she clenched her fists against the fury surging through her veins. She ground her teeth, “Is this what you didn’t want to show me?” her voice felt like jagged rocks in her throat. Amity looked down, then nodded. Luz reached out slowly to touch the collar, felt its cold, slick surface, and the way it hummed beneath her touch. It numbed her fingers until she pulled them away. “I’m going to kill her,” Luz growled.

Emira shook her head, “Not if I kill that bitch first.” She stepped around Amity, examining the device for markings or controls, hissing “sh*t!” when she found no way to remove it.

The silent girl’s shoulders heaved a sob, and she tried typing another message. It came out garbled, so she blinked and wiped at her eyes, then tried again, “Luz, no, I’m not worth it,” She wiped the sleeve of her sweater across her eyes again, and added, “My mother will always get what she wants.” She typed for a moment before tapping the screen, and looked up to meet the pair of angry brown eyes, while reaching out to touch the taller girl’s hand, “I knew I’d have to crawl back to her eventually, but at least I had today with you.”

Luz struggled to breathe with her blood pounding, pounding, pounding in her arms, in her neck, behind her eyes. She exhaled long and slow, then handed the pants and the purple hoodie to Amity. “Go get changed, cariño, while we get ready to leave.” The silent girl nodded, handing Emira her phone, then took the clothes and padded quietly into the storage room. Luz stared at the floor until she counted to ten, then dragged her palms down her face with a hiss, “Emira, you gotta promise me,” she met the older sister’s eyes, “swear to me, you’ll take care of Amity if I can’t get her out tonight.”

Emira pocketed her device and nodded, tears in her eyes. “I promise,” she croaked.

“Good.” Luz turned to face the armoire and peeled off the white milkshake character sweatshirt, draping it over the wardrobe door as she pulled the green army jacket off its hangar and slipped it on. She hung the sweatshirt in its place, then patted at the jacket pockets. She pulled a museum ID badge lanyard out of the hip pocket, and said, “Perfect, give this to Amity when she comes out.” Luz walked back to the desk and slipped on the weighted gloves, then tucked the baton into the back of her belt. The envelope of cash and the bag with the purse and burner phone went into the black backpack with the flares and the smoke bomb. She unclipped her key ring from her belt and put it in the bag, along with her wallet and phone. She thought for a second, then pulled her phone out long enough to send “te amo mamí” to her mom, and “i love you, mom” to Eda, then put it on silent. She left her mother’s combo flashlight hanging at her hip, then she picked up the obnoxious flashlight from the backpack to give it a closer look. There was a power button on the side, and a paddle switch on the bottom labeled “turbo strobe”. That might be handy, actually, Luz thought. She heard Emira’s laugh behind her, so she quickly stuck the flashlight in the backpack’s side pouch and turned. She had to stifle a giggle of her own.

Amity was standing in the doorway of the storage room, glaring at her sister. She’d put on the purple hoodie and found a pair of light blue jeans that would fit at the waist, but Lilith was much taller than the pale girl, and the pant legs were flopping around on the floor past her toes as she stomped over to Emira. She snatched the phone from Emira’s hand before she could take a picture, and angrily typed out a message. “No normal human is this tall,” Amity shot a golden-eyed glare at the brown-haired girl.

Luz laughed, then tried, “You look cute, cariño, we’ll just have to fold those up.” Amity crossed her arms in a pout as Luz knelt in front of her, pulling one pant leg up and over her foot, tucking it up almost to her knee. “Is that alright?” Luz asked, looking up at the silent girl, and smirked as a blush began to creep up the pale girl’s cheeks. “Here, let me do the other one,” she said with a grin. Amity nodded and lifted her other foot slightly, then looked over at Emira. Her sister was watching the two of them interact, and raised an eyebrow when Amity glanced her way. The silent girl flushed a brighter red, then shut her eyes and turned her nose up.

“I know this is… less than ideal,” Luz said, holding out the snakeskin cowboy boots, “But the other shoes don’t fit you.” She turned the boots over in her hand, “These are still a bit big, but it won’t be so bad with how those pant legs are folded.”

Amity frowned and mouthed fine, then slid her feet into the boots. She made a face like she was reconsidering the footwear, and walked a few tentative steps away, tugging at the neckline of the sweatshirt, then walked back to where Luz knelt. She held her arms out and made a half-shrug with her hands, looking from Luz to Emira. She had pulled her white cat-head medallion out of her hoodie, which stood out against the purple of the sweatshirt. The metal collar wasn’t as noticeable with the purple hood bunched up around her neck, and the black beanie, light blue jeans, and white cowboy boots gave her a much more casual look. Luz held out her hand to Emira for the museum badge, and she looped it over Amity’s head and draped it to one side, then walked to the desk for Eda’s backpack.

“Here,” Luz said, draping the bag over the silent girl’s head and left arm, tightening the strap slightly. “I want you to hold onto this. Your purse and the burner are in there, along with the cash and my wallet.” She gently tugged the lanyard and the medallion chain out from under the backpack strap, “That way if we get separated, you have those with you, you can look up my address and get to my mom's.” Amity grabbed her wrist with both hands with a fearful expression on her face, and Luz smiled, gently squeezing her shoulder. “Worst case scenario, cariño. I’ll do my best to not let that happen.”

Luz shot a look over at Emira, “Let’s go.”

They crouched in the stairwell, peeking down at the rotunda below. A steady-but-thinning stream of badged workers was leaving, walking out the left side of the lobby, while the small crowd of purple-and-black uniformed security officers were listening to a man in a black suit. Steve still stood at the security station, arms crossed, staring at his mutinous crew, while two other black-suited men stood nearby. Luz couldn’t see if anyone was still at coat check, or at any of the other information stations. A small disturbance broke the atmosphere in the rotunda when a woman stalked into the lobby with several more men in suits. She was sharply dressed, with green hair pulled up in a bun, and as she stopped to verbally harass her small group of employees, a green-haired man in a gray suit and coat—Luz looked back at Emira to raise an eyebrow and whisper, “Matching outfits? So cute!”—ran in from the direction of the East Hall to intercept her.

“sh*t,” Emira growled, before responding quietly, “shut up. Are you sure you can’t use the smoke bomb?”

Luz frowned and hissed, “I cannot, in good conscience, set off a smoke bomb inside the museum. It might trigger the sprinklers!”

“Amity’s not worth a little water damage?” Emira countered.

“She wouldn’t want the art destroyed!” Luz motioned up toward the fourth-floor gallery, while Amity held up her notebook. She had circled a sentence from earlier that day, I'D LIKE TO SEE THE PAINTINGS, and added the word AGAIN.

“I cannot believe you—” Emira started.

Luz cut her off with a slashing hand motion, “—I’m about to get my ass kicked, and you want to argue about what she’s worth? Step up. Get down there and try to lead some of them off to the basem*nt. Tell them your radar picked up her signal or whatever. Go.”

Emira glared at Luz but blinked when Luz dropped some rubber bands in her hand, “If you can, wrap these around the broadcast switch on some of their walkie-talkies. Hide ‘em if possible. Should make them all unusable.”

Luz watched Emira slink away down the staircase and into the West Hall corridor before loudly running into the lobby to make a scene. She couldn’t hear what was being said from this distance, but she saw words exchanged between mother and daughter, and when Emira took off toward the Atrium she was followed by two of the Suits and four of the regular security crew. She glanced over at Amity, who had tapped her on the shoulder.

WILL THE RUBBER BAND THING WORK?

“Worth a shot,” Luz whispered with a shrug. “I saw it in a movie once.”

Amity rolled her eyes and shook her head, her wry half-smile drawing a wide grin from Luz. “Let’s join that group,” the taller girl said, pointing at a small cluster of chatting employees heading for the lobby. They made it down the stairs and closely tailed the pack of workers talking and laughing; they stuck to the left side of the group to try and keep themselves hidden from the security guards.

Luz was watching the two Suits standing by Steve at the black security desk and didn’t see Clifford poke his head out of the coat check counter. He called out to her, holding up the ice-cream backpack, “Hey Luz, don’t forget your bag this time!” As soon as he waved the bag, putting the tracker hidden inside into motion, a cacophony of blips filled the rotunda, and all the guards looked toward the friendly old man. The other workers moved on quickly as the three closest Suits headed toward Luz and Amity, caught halfway through the lobby. The other uniformed security guards began to spread out beyond the rotunda, in order to redirect any other foot traffic.

“Mierda,” Luz hissed as she pushed Amity back, stepping between the silent, cowering girl and the three men approaching.

“Sorry, Luz,” Clifford said as he set the bag back down.

“It’s okay, Clifford,” Luz replied, balling her fists, “Stand down, Agent Smith,” she growled at the closest Suit, “I don’t wanna have to fight.”

“Now, now, there’s no need for that,” a sickly sweet voice purred from near the security station. Amity clutched at the back of Luz’s green jacket as her mother prowled a few steps toward them. “Come, Amity darling,” the green-haired woman—Odalia, Emira had called her—cooed in a gross attempt at motherly affection, “It’s time to go home.” Amity shook her head and hid further behind Luz.

“Amity’s coming with me,” Luz said, voice firm as she glared between the woman and the three Suits.

The woman sighed, “Is she?” before she pulled a small audio device from her pocket and pressed a button. A soft lilting violin filled the air and Amity’s eyes grew horrified, then wide and glassy. She stepped out from behind Luz before the taller girl could stop her, and slipped between the three Suits to stand in front of Odalia, waiting. “That’s better,” the woman grinned, putting a hand around Amity’s wrist. She turned the music off and waited for Amity to blink, for the golden-eyed girl to cower in fear. “Ah, Amity,” the green-haired woman spoke with a mocking tone, “So good of you to join us.”

Chapter 7

Chapter Text

Luz snarled, “Let her go!” and the closest Suit stepped forward to grab her arm. “Hey, man, hands off,” she spat while both Steve and Clifford raised their voices in alarm. The green-haired brother had started over, his expression worried, the last Suit trailing him.

“Quiet!” Odalia barked at Steve, pointing a finger at him, and Clifford flinched and half sat down in his chair. One Suit next to Steve grabbed his arm while the other stepped out of the security desk and walked to stand behind the woman restraining the cowering girl. She turned an imperious eye on Luz, “Who are you to tell me what to do?”

Luz scoffed, “Lady, who are you?” She looked at Steve and added, “Karens, am-i-right?” before growling up at the Suit holding her arm, “Let go of me, man.”

“You— who am—” Odalia nearly choked on her outrage, “Is she an imbecile?” she glared at Amity. The green-haired woman shot another angry glance at Steve, who had started laughing.

Amity gave her mother a furious scowl and shook her head as Luz laughed, “Yeah, why?” while trying to jerk her arm free from the Suit’s hand. “Last warning, cabrón,” the brown-haired girl hissed, pointing up at his face.

“Mother, i-is this necessary?” The brother asked, holding out a cautious hand, and Odalia wheeled around to glare at him. He startled, but opened his mouth to speak again, and his mother ignored him.

“You and your sister!” Odalia sneered, “Always disrupting the family’s business. Disgraceful.” She turned a baleful eye on Amity, “You have an important performance tomorrow evening, we have been planning this for ages,” she rubbed at her forehead in a show of weariness, “and you have been such a headache today. We are leaving, now.” Amity shook her head and tried to pull away from her mother’s iron grip, borrowed cowboy boots slipping on the tile, her mouth moving so quickly—snarling and spitting—but the collar kept her silenced. Odalia curled her lip in disgust, staring down at her daughter, “Really, Amity. Such behavior,” she tsked and pulled the audio device out of her pocket, pressing at its controls. “This is not how I raised you,” she added with a disappointed tone and a dismissive shake of her head.

Amity blanched and pulled away again, harder, frightened now, and Ed jumped forward to try and catch Odalia’s wrist, but the Suit behind him grabbed him first. “No, don’t!” Luz yelled, lunging toward Amity, “Leave her alone!” The Suit holding onto her arm pulled her back, and he wrapped both arms around her torso.

Odalia gave her a wicked smirk and pressed the button. A different tune began to play, and soon Amity stood tall and confident, her hands folded at her stomach with elegant poise, her eyes half closed and blank, her chin raised. Commanding. The green-haired woman pressed a different button on the device, and the collar made a small click. “There, darling, you’re not completely mute,” Odalia drawled in her saccharine voice as a low hummed note, a thrumming musical resonance began to fill the rotunda. “Why don’t you tell your—” she sneered, “—friend to leave.” Amity’s mouth opened slightly, and Luz could hear the faintest vocalized tone, vibrating the hairs on the back of her neck, the singing softer than a whisper. Was she actually hearing it? Or was she just imagining the sound?

“No!” Luz yelled, and suddenly she wanted to leave. “I’ll just come back!” She knew she would, but she’d go home first, definitely. “I’ll never stop looking for her!” She pulled and twisted in the Suit’s arms, stomping at his feet as he hissed in pain, but she knew her mamí was making the soup she’d asked for, so she should probably head there for dinner. “I’ll keep digging until I find her again!” Luz promised as she strained against the Suit’s grip, but she decided it was time to go. She stopped struggling with the Suit and he loosened his arms, turning to push her toward the door, away from the golden-eyed girl.

“Fine,” Odalia hissed, her eyes narrowing in anger, “Amity, tell her to forget about you.”

The thought of forgetting Amity broke something loose deep inside. Luz snatched the rape-whistle flashlight off her belt and spun on her toes, screaming as she slammed the notched metal ring at the end of the tool against the Suit’s jaw. The impact made the ring depress a quarter inch with a mechanical clunk, which pierced the seal of the CO2 cartridge housed in the handle. The shrill, piercing shriek from the lovingly crafted compressed-gas-powered whistle ripped through the air, echoing, reverberating against the concrete and marble walls of the rotunda. Luz had understood the principle of the device based on Eda’s maniacal description, but experiencing it was worse than she’d anticipated. Her world was pain, and all she could hear was static. The Suit had reeled to the side from the impact, her follow-through leaving a bloody circle stamped into his face with a trailing gouge, but then he stumbled further away, crying out in (what looked like) agony, covering his ears, his eyes flaring wide and unfocused as the whistle blew right in his face. She grit her teeth and snapped out a fist, catching him in the throat with the backs of her hooked fingers; he jerked forward, clutching at his throat, and she kicked up and slammed her knee into his groin; when he doubled over she stepped back and drove a heavy fist into his temple.

She snapped her eyes over to Odalia as the Suit crumpled to the floor. The green-haired woman had jumped back and hunched her shoulders, putting her hands to her head in surprise—trying to plug her ears with those ridiculously ugly long red fingernails—and the growing look of pain on her face sent a thrill up the brown-haired girl’s spine.

She glanced at Amity. The pale girl’s eyes had opened completely, and she was starting to look around in pain as she reached for her head. Anger had started to bloom on her face as well, red rage surging up her cheeks and ears, and Luz saw her start to turn toward her mother.

Luz looked back to Odalia’s hand: the device was tumbling to the floor, near the terrible woman’s knees, dropped in the shock from the deafening alarm. Luz was certain—knew it in her bones—everything would be over for them if that woman recovered quickly. She pulled her arm back and whipped the flashlight toward the green-haired torturess, if nothing else just hoping to hit her with it. Odalia saw it spinning towards her, the flashlight still shrieking its penetrating banshee howl, and she (looked like she) cried out in shock and leaned away. Her fancy high heels slipped on the tile floor and dumped her to the ground. The Suits behind her grappled with the green-haired man on his back, Amity’s brother biting and kicking at his mother’s men.

Suit #2 and Suit #3 had started to recover quicker than she had hoped, and Luz focused on them. They moved toward her shaking their heads and (it looked like) groaning in pain. Suit #2 swung wide, and she ducked under his arm, driving a punch into his stomach and another into his chest. He took a step back and she sank her foot into his crotch. He lurched back, hunching over, retching, and she moved to follow when Suit #3 stepped into her space and planted his fist in her gut. Her breath clogged in her chest as the impact drove her sliding back; she covered her stomach and winced for a second, then put her arms up to block his right-hand haymaker, leaning to her right, when his left fist crashed into her face. She spun around and stumbled, falling to the floor, then scrambled away from the man advancing on her as she rolled up into a crouch in front of the coat check counter. Her ears were still ringing, and a punch to the head wouldn’t do her any favors.

She shook her head as she stood, fists up as Suit #3 reached out to grab her with both hands. Luz batted out with her right fist and drove her left elbow forward as the Suit wrapped his arms around her shoulders—pushing her elbow into his collarbone—and he leaned away with a pained grunt as he tried to lift her off the ground. She slapped at his face with her left hand, heel of her palm to his eye, then grabbed his nose and twisted up; He howled and let go long enough for her to slap her palms against his ears. He snarled in anger and kicked out with his knee, catching her in the side, and she gasped and twisted away when his right fist caught her just above the eye. She dropped to the ground, head swimming as a white-hot pain in her face stole her breath. He kicked at her stomach again, and she caught his leg as she coughed, her chest heaving for breath. He laughed and grabbed a fist full of her hair to pull her head back, ready to drive another punch down at her face. She bared her teeth at him and pulled her feet back; prepared to move—

Clifford swung a fire extinguisher over the counter into the Suit’s unprotected face with a crunch, and the man stumbled backward and fell with a groan. Luz looked up at him in surprise and grinned, “Thanks, Cliff.”

The old man looked down at her with a worried frown, “You got folded like an omelette, kid.”

She rolled her eyes and grunted sarcastically, “Thanks, Cliff,” as she stood. The brother—Ed? Emira had called him—was on the floor gasping by the metal detectors, his opponent turning purple and clutching between his legs. Amity was reaching for the device on the floor, but the Suit near her mother had grabbed her arm. She was kicking and straining against the man with his hand around her elbow, teeth bared and snarling, her fingers almost touching the audio player on the ground. Steve was still behind the security desk, but his hands were raised as the Suit held what looked like a gun—Luz growled and turned her gaze toward the green-haired woman on the floor. She was groaning, sitting up slowly, rubbing at the back of her head. Suit #2 staggered close, waving his fists, and she took a stalking step sideways as she wiped her left hand across her mouth and spat blood on the floor. “Alright, Pulp Fiction,” she sneered as she pulled the baton from her belt, extending it with a snap of her wrist, “One more for the road.” She leapt for the man, swinging, and he fell backward with a crack and a high-pitched shriek. The Suit holding Amity’s arm looked up at the noise and let go of the girl to fumble for the pistol holstered at his hip. The silent girl’s fingers closed around the device, and she looked toward Luz as she held it up in triumph.

Pounding footsteps from the Atrium brought the two missing Suits and the other security crew that had left with Emira; the green-haired girl herself running in panting a moment later. Those men drew their guns at the sight of Luz kneeling over an unconscious Suit #2 holding a bloodied baton. “Freeze!” the Suit near Amity yelled, stepping past the silent girl to point his weapon toward the brown-haired girl. Amity’s eyes widened in fear, and then looked up when a harsh hand fell on her shoulder. Odalia was a step beyond furious, the veins in her neck and face pulsing with her anger. “You ungrateful—” the woman howled, savagely backhanding Amity onto the floor, her black beanie falling off as her shock of green and auburn hair fanned out around her head, the device skittering away toward Luz as she fell, “—pathetic child!” Odalia leaned down and grabbed the girl’s arm and wrenched her to her feet, “You will do as you’re told!” Amity held her free hand to her bloodied face where she had been struck, shook her head once, then mouthed Never.

Odalia rolled her eyes and waved toward Luz, “Get rid of her,” she said to her guards. The Suits took a step forward, their handguns at the ready.

“Mother, no!” Emira yelled as Amity curled her fingers through the white cat-head medallion hanging at her chest, yanking it free from its chain to slash up the inside of her mother’s forearm and the side of her face. Odalia shrieked in pain and let go of Amity’s arm in her surprise. The guards had paused, pointing their weapons down before turning back to the woman when the silent girl scrambled in front of Luz and stood with her hands out. She mouthed five words, then glanced down at the audio device and stomped it to pieces under her heel.

The green-haired woman put a hand to her face, where Amity had cut her, then looked at the streaks of blood on her fingers. “Amity Blight,” Odalia ground out, and the Suits looked back at the two girls, their guns still lowered. The silent girl shook her head and took a deep breath, her eyes shining as she opened her mouth again.

stop.

The golden-eyed girl’s near-silent whisper swelled to a thunderous roar that drowned the rotunda in a smothering, oppressive, all-encompassing appeal—desire—order to be completely inert—static—unmoving. The Suits were frozen in place, trembling, slowly turning red as they struggled to breathe under the suffocating command. Odalia’s face was caught in a look of horrified anger, and even Steve and the twins were still and silent. Amity fell to her knees to clutch at her throat, gasping, and Luz dropped the baton to catch her shoulders. “Amity!” she cried out as the girl clenched her teeth and squeezed tears from her eyes, hissing in pain. Luz yanked the obnoxious flashlight from the pocket of the other girl’s backpack and slammed the strobe switch on the handle, giving a bloody smile when the guards and Mother Gothel cried out in pain, unable to look away from the nauseating flicker of near-daylight. She scooped the smaller girl up in her arms and made for the doors, leaving the flashlight blinking rapidly on the floor behind them.

She ran for the closest subway station, cradling the silent girl to her chest. She was so still, so light. It made the anger in her chest burn brighter than ever. Luz made it through the turnstiles, pausing briefly to crouch and set Amity on her knee long enough to pull her wallet from the pale girl’s backpack. Amity was still breathing fast and harsh, air whistling through clenched teeth and tears falling from cloudy, glazed eyes as Luz bridal-carried her down the dingy, echoing stairwells and onto the noisy station platforms. Luz was on high alert, eyes and ears searching for threats from every side. If she closed her eyes for too long, she’d see Odalia standing tall and livid, slashing at Amity hard enough to send her to the floor.

She switched subway lines at random, riding the blue line until she found a junction station where she’d switch to the green, then the yellow, then the blue again in the opposite direction, looping her way across the city. She dipped into Eda’s cash to buy different colored rain ponchos or hats for them to wear until they switched lines; loud, colorful backpacks to carry until they threw them away at the next double-back. If there was room on the train, she’d let Amity lay across two padded seats while she prowled back and forth, worry slowly stealing away with her hope. If there wasn’t, she’d prop Amity up as carefully and comfortably as possible at her back and glare at all the other riders. Most kept their distance from the bloodied, snarling girl, but one little old gray-haired lady had offered her a few bandaids she had in her purse. Luz had swallowed and whispered her thanks, wiping at her eyes as she turned to place them gently on the pale girl’s cheek. When she felt comfortable that they had lost any possible pursuit, she had them ride the train past where she normally would have gotten off. She carried Amity on her back, the girl’s arms wrapped limply around her neck, hissing pained breaths into her ear. She felt like hell, but being able to hear the silent girl breathe was the only thing keeping her calm. That, and knowing they were close to home.

She had managed to get her away from her mother, for now. But was she any better off? Amity hurt herself to keep me safe, Luz growled at her own failures. She shouldn’t have been so sloppy, all evening, that left hook had opened her up for a beating that she deserved. Eda had taught her better than that. She was still collared. The hateful device was humming away around the slender girl’s neck, leaving her voice frozen and her throat numbed. Even Luz’s shoulder was tingling where the girl was leaning, through several layers of clothing. Eda can help, Eda can help, she repeated to herself, over and over—Eda can help!—until she almost believed it. She had another mile left to go, but that gave her plenty of time to shed some tears in silence without bothering anyone else. She walked along, under the darkened moonlit sky, and took a shuddering breath.

“—uz?” a faint whisper slipped into her ear, “Y’... ‘kay?” Then came a yawn, as if the pale girl on her back had just been taking a nap.

Luz sniffed and laughed, which came out as a disgusting wet popping sound, then she turned her head back a bit, “You alright, cariño?”

The limp arms around her neck moved slightly, then curled to wrap tighter around her. “Luz,” Amity sighed, “You’re safe.”

“Pshyeah, thanks to you,” the taller girl scoffed, “I wasn’t doing so hot in there.” She sighed. She knew most plans didn’t actually work out as designed, but they had almost made it out unscathed. Maybe I should have used the smoke bomb.

“No, Luz,” Amity shook her head slightly, tightening her grip on the brown-haired girl, “You did more for me than you realize.” She sniffed, and Luz felt the quiet girl’s tears run down her neck. “I don’t know anyone who would have helped me the way you did.”

Luz gave a half-smile, “Maybe you’re right.” She sighed, looking back up at the stars, “But you’re worth it.”

The brown-haired girl walked for another twenty minutes, listening to the golden-eyed girl hum a soft, gentle melody. Now that Amity was awake and talking again, Luz felt so much better. Her aches and pains were largely forgotten and soon, Luz turned the corner of her mom’s street. “Welcome to Clawthorne Heights!”

Amity laughed, a light, airy sound, “What? I’ve never heard of—”

“Yeah, well,” Luz added, “It’s actually called Hawthorne Heights, but I think it sounds better the other way.” She bobbed her head toward a tall, square building; what looked to be a small odds-and-ends style shop on the ground floor with living space above. “That’s my moms’ house,” Luz said, “Eda’s shop is on the first floor, and her workshop is in the basem*nt. We live above the chaos.”

The smaller girl snorted, “Above? I don’t believe that for a moment,” then she shifted her arms from around the brown-haired girl’s neck, holding onto both of her shoulders, “Let me down, please? I-I’d like to be on my feet when I meet your mothers.”

Luz nodded, “Of course, cariño, I’ll set you down when I get to the steps.” She tried to look back over her shoulder into the golden eyes hiding there, “You’ve been out of it since the museum.” She trudged up the slight grade in the sidewalk, passing an insect-swarmed streetlamp. “I was getting really worried, Amity,” she admitted softly, once her face was hidden in shadow.

Amity whispered, “I’m fine, Luz,” but hugged Luz tightly for a moment, and didn’t protest any further. As promised, Luz set her down when they reached the staircase up to the house, and—as Luz expected—Amity took a minute to stand without her knees buckling immediately. Luz held her gently, carefully, until she was steady, and then helped her up the stairs. She was breathing heavily by the time they reached the front door. The pale girl turned slightly so Luz could pull her keys out of her backpack, and then the brown-haired girl unlocked the deadbolt.

As she pulled her key out and reached for the handle, the door swung in, pulled open by a very tall gray-haired woman. Amity stared up in shocked recognition: the wide golden eyes, the huge gold earrings and necklace, that crazy mane of hair? All that was missing was a maniacal laugh, a singed red leather biker’s jacket, and a burning motorcycle spread across the sidewalk like butter on toast. “You,” she breathed.

“That’s right, sister,” Eda exclaimed with a grin, pointing a thumb at her chest, “Me.” She folded her arms, then looked down at Amity’s feet, “Nice boots.”

Chapter 8

Chapter Text

Luz looked between Eda and Amity in confusion, “Heeey, Eda,” she drawled, eyes still flicking slowly from one to the other, “Do you… do you two know each other?”

“Aaah, wellll,” Eda laughed, wiping her hands on her towel before slinging it over her shoulder, “we’re not on a first name basis.” The tall woman tipped her head toward the quiet girl, “She’s pretty famous though, kiddo.” She put her fists on her hips and co*cked an eyebrow at the two disheveled girls, “It’s pretty late. ’Bout time you kids got here.”

Luz rubbed a hand through the back of her hair and gave an embarrassed chuckle, “Yeah, we got kindaaa… delayed.”

“Looks like it,” the gray-haired woman said as she eyed the dried blood on Luz’s face. “You done beatin’ yourself up about it?”

“I— I wasn’t—” Luz spluttered as Eda made an unconvinced noise.

The tall woman looked to the quiet girl and jerked a thumb at Luz, “She just spent the last hour walking, right?” Amity glanced between the two and nodded hesitantly, scrunching her shoulders afterward. “You’re good, Boots,” Eda assured her with a wave before turning back to Luz, ignoring the indignant huff her nickname earned, “Didja do your best?”

Luz sighed, “Yeah, I did.”

Eda’s face split in a wide grin, revealing a single gold canine, “Then that’s all you can do, Luz.” She reached out and put a gentle hand on her step-daughter’s shoulder, her voice quieter, a touch serious, “Things don’t always go to plan.” She nodded toward the smaller girl and smiled, “Ya got her here, maybe not as smooth or as clean as ya wanted, but she’s here. Good job.”

Luz faked a long, drawn-out groan, but both Eda and Amity could see the smile she was trying to hide, “Uuugh, fine, can we come in?” Eda stepped aside and Luz motioned Amity forward, politely, and the golden-eyed girl stepped through the doorway. The brown-haired girl watched as she glanced around in curiosity. The living room was a fairly large space: white walls with knee-high wooden paneling; couch and armchairs with a soft red fabric and dark-wood features; eclectic decorations hanging on every side. Posters, small shelves holding single items, paintings, and photographs were all in competition for attention. One wall held a small collection of Eda’s mugshots. A whine and a huff caught Luz’s ear, and Amity jumped when she saw the mid-sized border collie lift its head from where it lay on the couch. Its coloring was unusual; the entire top of its head was white as bone, and the rest of its fur was black, aside from another small patch of dingy white on its chest. It licked its lips and growled a confused noise. “Go back to sleep, King,” Eda said as she walked by the couch, scratching the dog between its pointed white ears. The dog stretched and yawned, then flopped back onto its side.

The quiet girl slid her borrowed cowboy boots off and lined them up beside the other footwear piled by the front door. When Luz put her hand on the wall to lean down and pull her shoes off, Amity stepped in close to her lowered shoulder, confiding, “Her motorcycle was on fire this morning.” Luz hummed a curious noise; after seeing Emira’s burner, the smaller girl’s fact was not entirely surprising.

Eda grinned, her golden accessories flashing in the reddish lamp light, “So, this is your new friend, huh?” She lowered her voice in a knowing, conspiratorial tone, “What are the odds.”

“Yes, Eda,” Luz squinted her way, “what are the odds?”

The tall woman laughed, and Luz could tell by the face Amity made that it sounded guilty to her, too, “Cam’s in the kitchen, workin’ on the soup you asked for.” She winked at the smaller girl, “Smells delicious. C’mon this way, Boots.”

Luz held out a hand to Amity, and the girls walked through the open entryway in the far wall. Older but functional appliances filled the kitchen, and there was abundant counter space and room to move and mingle. A small square wooden table sat under a white globe chandelier; four matching chairs set at its sides. A delightful smell filled the air, and Luz realized she was quite hungry. Food hadn’t been a concern until just now. A small growl rumbled from the quiet girl’s stomach at her side, and the golden-eyed girl turned pink with embarrassment. “Amity,” Luz said gently, voice lowered just for her ears, “when was the last time you ate?” The pale girl looked up at her and shrugged. Luz took a deep breath to help settle the anger churning in her chest.

A brown-haired, tanned woman stood in front of the stove singing a song in Spanish under her breath as she stirred a slowly bubbling pot of liquid gold. She was a little taller than Amity, but not as tall as Luz. She shuffled a step back and forth, dancing as she sang, and Eda swept in and gave her a spin and a dip, angling her upside-down eyes toward Luz and her guest. “The girls just got here,” Eda’s voice was low and husky as she breathed into Camila’s ear, and she waggled her eyebrows up at Luz. The girl groaned god, stop as Camila gasped in surprise, patting at Eda’s shoulder to set her upright. The tall gray-haired woman walked out of the kitchen as the older Noceda set her wooden spoon down and turned toward the two girls.

Luz raised a hand and called out, “Hola Mamí,” as Camila stepped close, smiling at Amity and then looking up at Luz.

“Mija, where have you been? It—” Camila’s eyes widened as she registered the blood and bruises on her daughter’s face, “Luz, mija! ¿Qué le pasó?” She reached up to gently touch her fingertips against the oozing gash in Luz’s left eyebrow.

Luz hissed and turned her head away, and Camila opened her mouth to speak but instead glanced over her shoulder when Eda set the first aid kit down on the table with a rough clank. Luz began talking when her mother turned back to face her, “Mami, this is Amity, the new friend I mentioned earlier.”

Amity shot Luz a glance at mentioned earlier and immediately blushed, then turned to look slightly up at Camila with worried eyes. She stepped closer to Luz, hanging back slightly.

Camila could see the girl’s nervousness, and used a gentle voice, “Hello, Amity,” she smiled, running her eyes over the girl’s hair and eyes, and then focused on the bloodied bandaids on her cheek. “Are you alright, cariño?” Amity gave her a meek nod, then had to look away from her worried brown eyes. The older woman looked up at Luz and frowned, then said, “Girls, sit down at the table; mi amor,” she tossed over her shoulder as she pulled a chair out for Amity, “start dishing out the soup, por favor.”

Camila pulled the first aid kit to the edge of the table in front of Luz, and unsnapped the clasps as she asked, “Luz, que te paso cariño?”

“I’ll tell you,” Luz promised, but wrapped her hands around her mother’s wrist to arrest her attentions, and motioned toward Amity, “Her first, Mamí.” The other girl made a disapproving click of her tongue, then huffed as she crossed her arms.

Camilla gave Luz a look, then walked around the green-haired girl’s chair and sat down on her other side, scooting close before asking, “Querida, may I look at your cheek?” Amity flicked her golden eyes back to Luz for a moment, worried, then looked down at the floor before nodding. “I’ll need to pull these bandaids off, lo siento, querida,” Camila added as she pulled on a pair of blue sterile gloves. She saw the girl flinch slightly when she raised her hands, so she began narrating her actions quietly to the girl in a soft, soothing tone.

Eda walked over with a mug filled with the thick chicken soup and an ice pack, setting both down on the table in front of Luz. “Here ya go, kiddo,” she said cheerfully, “Wasn’t sure if you felt like chewing anything so I strained the goodies out.”

The tanned girl nodded and muttered a “Thanks, mama,” as she held the ice pack up to her left cheek. Sipping carefully at the hot soup made her remember how ravenous she felt, and she took as deep a gulp as she could manage. Eda walked back to the stove and began sieving out another serving in a wide mug, whistling, as Camila finished placing a second small butterfly bandage on Amity’s cheekbone.

The tanned woman gave the pale girl a soft smile and pushed a lock of green-and-auburn back over a delicate ear, “You’re doing just fine, Amity. Are you hurt anywhere else?” Camila asked. The girl mouthed a No, well there is, then glanced up at her for a moment, eyes dancing across the older woman’s face as she looked for something, then deflated slightly as she slowly nodded her head. She gently tugged at the sleeve of her hoodie, revealing a purpling bruise around her wrist. Camila gave it a sad smile, then began unwrapping a roll of athletic bandage.

Luz caught sight of the bruise and choked out “That f*cking—” when Eda set the wide mug of soup down in front of Amity. Eda stared down at the hand-shaped mark circling the girl’s wrist, and her face darkened in fury. “Be— I’ll— be ri—” Eda started then snapped her mouth shut and stomped out the side door and down the stairs. A minute later the sounds of glass smashing echoed up from the floor below. Luz snorted at the noises, but then both she and Camila made reassuring sounds when they saw Amity cowering in her seat, clutching the mug of soup in her unbandaged hand.

Footsteps stomped back up the stairs, and Eda emerged, dusting off her hands. “Feel better?” Luz asked sarcastically, nodding toward Amity.

“Yeah? ah sh*t,” Eda said, slowly sitting down across from the pale girl. “Listen, Boots, I didn’t mean to scare you. I’ve just…” she trailed off as she folded her hands and played with her fingers, “I’ve seen a lot of hurt girls in my time, and it… it makes me so mad.” She worried her fingertips together as she added, softly, “I don’t always get a chance to help ‘em out.”

Amity mouthed it’s okay, you didn’t mean to frighten me, and Eda gave her a crooked smile, “It’s not, and I should have realized it would scare you. I’m sorry.” The quiet girl gave her a surprised, hopeful look, and Eda held up a hand, “Sorry kid, I couldn’t hear you. I can read lips pretty well.” Amity tried to hide her disappointment behind a long sip from her mug, and her eyes lit up as she tasted the soup.

Camila gave her a fond smile and said, “There’s more when you finish that if you want, querida.” Then she turned to Luz, sweetly, “Luz de mi vida, cariño, if you don’t tell me what happened tonight…” She glared as she pulled her sterile gloves off with a snap, “terminaré el trabajo yo mismo.” The nurse pulled on a new glove as she squinted at Luz’s eyebrow. She pulled at the skin critically gauging the wound, then fussed, “Mija, sit still!”

Luz hissed, “Ow, Mamí!” and tried to pull away, but Camila just moved closer.

“Luz, this eyebrow needs stitches,” she frowned, pulling open a different section of the first aid kit.

“Just do it, I don’t care,” Luz groused, “or have Eda do it.”

“Ooh, gimme!”

As her mother handed a pair of sterile gloves to Eda, Luz began to tell them about her day. She told them about dropping off that delivery for Eda downtown, how she waited at the subway station, how she saw Amity run in just before the train left. She told them about how Amity couldn’t speak, how they managed to communicate with her notebook. How she tried to reassure the frightened girl, how she called her Azura most of the day.

Camila made a surprised awww sound, adding, “Ay, que linda, you read those books too? Que dulce eres!” as Eda groaned, “Oh god, not another one.”

Luz told them how they went for ice cream, how she had Amity disguise herself to feel more comfortable. She described her first outfit and how classy she was, then how cute and trendy she looked in her letterman’s jacket—which prompted Amity to hide behind her hands with a dark red blush. She told them how they walked to the museum and found the machines in the lobby, how they talked to Steve, and then went upstairs to see the art.

Luz looked over to Amity, sipping from her giant mug with both hands, and reached out to touch her shoulder before turning to face her and leaning in close, “Do you want me to tell them what you told me in the fabrics exhibit?” Luz whispered, hiding her mouth from her stepmom’s sharp eye, “A lot of that was personal, I don’t want to tell them anything you’re not comfortable with, or without your permission.”

Amity set the mug down and rubbed the fingers of her hand against the bandaged palm of the other, her eyes down as she considered. Anyone else she knew would have used what she told them against her, without question. Once again, her kindness and thoughtfulness were overwhelming. She turned to face Luz and leaned forward to hug her neck, holding on tight while she whispered, “I trust you, Luz. Tell them what they need to know to understand.”

Luz patted her back and nodded, running a thumb across her cheek before Amity sat back down in her chair and hid behind her mug of soup. Camila had refilled it while Luz was asking her question, and Eda had half-turned in her chair to give them the appearance of privacy. She watched the two of them look at each other, and grinned.

Luz put her free hand on Amity’s knee as she talked, so the pale girl could use both hands to manage her steaming mug. The brown-eyed girl told them about their conversation in the fabrics exhibition: how her mother controlled her; how she’s responsible for Amity being mute; how she was missing time, or alternatively, memories; how she could just barely hear her in a completely silent room; how Amity was afraid of her mother, was afraid she would hurt Luz because Luz had bothered to help her. Luz mentioned Emira, how she found them and tried to help them get out in one piece. Luz told how they changed clothes again in Lilith’s office, but how Clifford’s helpfulness happened to screw them over.

Eda scowled, “He’s dead.”

“No, mi amor,” Camila immediately disagreed, “he’s such a nice man.”

“Yeah, Cliff is the best,” Luz added, “He clocked this guy with a fire extinguisher.”

“Ha!” Eda snorted, “Alright, he can live longer.”

Luz turned somber. She told how Odalia showed up, played music that made Amity slip into a trance. She told them about the collar, how it hummed and buzzed, how it chilled her fingertips when she touched it. How Odalia had a device that controlled it, how she opened it just a hair. How Odalia made her sing, how Amity’s song made her want to leave—made her decide to leave. Camila gasped, but Eda didn’t look surprised at all, which Luz noticed. Amity started to cry, turning away from Luz in shame and regret and hurt, and Camila slid her chair over to pull her close and comfort her. Luz told how she promised to keep looking, to keep digging until she found Amity again, and Odalia told Amity to make her forget.

Luz grinned, just a bit, then it faded to a frightened, worried look as she said, “I remembered what Amity told me earlier, about the loud noise this morning waking her up.” She looked over at Eda, and added, “So I used your whistle flashlight.”

The gray-haired lady perked right up, “Oh yeah? What’d’ja think?”

The brown-haired girl groaned, “It hurt worse than the right hook to the face. But I was right.” She gave Amity a soft look, the pale girl still crying into Camila’s shoulder as the older woman wrapped her up tight in a hug, “The whistle broke her trance, and we were able to get free.” She scowled, then, “Pretty sure she saved me from getting shot. Odalia told her guards to get rid of me,” Luz made air quotes with her free hand, then reached over to rub at Amity’s knee. The quiet girl looked up slightly from where she’d hid her face against Camila, and Luz gave her a smile before she looked back at Eda, “She used this… this voice, told them to ‘stop’, and they all froze. Even Odalia.” Luz patted Amity’s knee and tipped her head toward the pale girl, “She had her back to me, but I could still feel it.” She paused for a moment, thinking. “It was a command that I had to obey.”

Eda just looked at her, her face carefully blank. Camila gave Luz a slight frown and a wrinkle of her eyebrows, “A voice, mija?”

Luz turned to face Amity again, leaning forward as she squeezed her knee lightly, “Amity, cariño, would you be willing to show them?” Camila loosened her arms from around the pale girl’s shoulders, and Amity sat up straight, wiping at her eyes with her hoodie sleeve. She gave Luz a look of fear, her shoulders hunched and her head down. “If you can’t—or don’t want to—it’s alright, preciosa. I don’t want you hurting yourself. If you can… just something small is fine,” Luz smiled at her, encouraging. Amity gulped and breathed an Okay, then gave Eda and Camila a worried look. She looked down at her hands, her eyes glittering strange in the soft white light of the kitchen.

stand up.

As soon as they heard the demand—imperative—order, the other women in the room jumped to their feet with startled sounds. Eda and Camila wobbled slightly and had to adjust their footing. Luz looked down at Amity—curling in on herself in fear, hissing out a breath—and knelt in front of the other girl. “That was great, cariño,” Luz whispered, holding a hand to Amity’s cheek, giving a sad smile when the pale girl leaned into the touch, “You did so good. You don’t have to do that again, okay? I won’t ask.” Amity looked up to meet her eyes, tears welling up as she nodded, grabbing onto her wrist as Luz leaned up and carefully embraced the timid girl, rubbing her back, “Are you okay?” The quiet girl nodded, sniffing into Luz’s shoulder. “Did that hurt your throat?”

Amity shook her head, then tipped her head to breathe, “Feels weird. Just scared… now they’ll—” her voice hitched, “Now they’ll be afraid of me.” She curled her fists into Luz’s green jacket, “They’ll want me to go.” She took a shuddering breath as tears fell from her eyes.

“No, that’s not going to happen,” Luz said quietly, pulling her chair over to sit right next to Amity, turning the smaller girl to lean against her chest, her head under her chin, “They’re not afraid of you,” she said as she gave her mothers a guarded look.

“Nah, Boots, you’re alright,” Eda said as she sat down again, “I’ve seen baby penguins at the zoo scarier’n you.”

Camila still stood, watching Amity lean against her daughter, and Luz could see the moment she made her decision. Camila walked over to the garbage can and dropped in the used sterile gloves, then went and washed her hands at the sink. She came back to the table, walking around Eda on the side where Amity would see her approach, so as not to startle the poor girl. She knelt next to Luz’s chair and tried to catch the pale girl’s eye. “I may not understand everything, querida, but you are always welcome here,” she kept her voice calm and clear, and watched the girl close her eyes and sigh in relief, mouthing a Thank you. “Would you like some more soup, Amity?” She asked, then added, “or some water?” The pale girl shook her head at first, but then nodded and mouthed water, please.

As her mother stood to get a cup of water, Luz looked at her stepmom. “Eda… what’s Odalia doing to her?”

The tall woman snorted and looked away—a guilty tell, Luz knew—before saying, “What? Why would—”

“You haven’t been surprised by anything I’ve said,” Luz interrupted. She rubbed at the quiet girl’s shoulder and added, “Amity recognized you from this morning.” Camila handed Luz a glass of water, and Luz gave her a “Gracias, Mami,” before handing it to the girl leaning against her. She looked up at the gray-haired woman again, “What is going on?”

Camila moved her chair back to her side of the table and sat down, giving her wife her attention, and Eda leaned forward to cross her arms on the tabletop. “Alright kid, here’s what I know,” She began. “This old flame of mine, Raine. They’re a musician, a violinist—so incredibly talented—but they had such a bad case of stage fright.” She whistled lightly, “Like, completely frozen-in-fear bad.” Eda gave a sad smile, “They’d tried everything to work through it: mental exercises, pretending the audience was in their underwear, even a few,” she chuckled and waggled her eyebrows, “mind-altering substances—which made it even worse somehow.” She shook her head and blinked, “Eventually they had worked out some tunes to, like, get themselves in the zone? Right?” Eda looked between Camila and Luz, while Amity stared at the floor, listening intently. “I’m pretty sure there was a whole lot more to it than that, some conditioning they put themself through, but I only ever saw the end results.” She grew quiet, tapping her fingertips together in a row, then licked her lips and said, “I’d watch them standing off-stage shaking like a leaf. They’d play a short little number and… it was like… they were a whole different person.” Eda had a pained look on her face, one of loss and regret, “The person they wanted to be, maybe, y’know, confident on stage, in the spotlight.”

Eda leaned her head down to peer sideways at Amity, drawing her eye, “You know how crazy your mom is about being in control. She’s always been like that, for as long as I’ve known her.” The gray-haired woman huffed a laugh, “Went to high school with her, sh*t.” She shook her head, then continued, “She got a hold of Raines’ work, somehow. They wouldn’t have given it to her, not for anything, but she’s never been above stealing.” Eda tapped a long, orange-painted fingernail against the tabletop, “It was valuable knowledge, but it wasn’t profitable.” She leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms, “Something else she’s always been obsessed with is power and money, and since one will getcha the other, well, she’s always looking for easy ways to get both.” She swiveled sideways in her chair and slid it closer to the table, leaning forward on an elbow, “Rumblings I’ve picked up on is that weird, out-of-character financial and political decisions have been made in your mother’s company’s favor by big wigs and politicians after you’ve sung in their town.” She gave Amity a look, “Always after.”

The tall woman frowned, “With your voice, Boots, your mom must have found the missing piece she’d been looking for.” Eda leaned forward, complete earnestness in her voice. Luz was suddenly struck by the seriousness of the situation. “She could control you to influence hundreds of people at once in her favor. There’s no way she’d be able to resist, kid, no matter what it meant had to happen to you in the meantime.” Eda frowned, then, “I’m sorry. She’s a f*ckin’ piece ’a sh*t, and you deserve better than what she did to you.” Amity just stared at the older woman; despite having lived through her mother’s mistreatment, it still stung to hear it laid out so plain.

Luz still looked confused, “But what could be causing all this?”

Eda threw her hands up in the air, “She said she wished on a star? Who knows, kiddo.” She snapped her fingers and looked at her wife, “What’s that one quote from Hamlet?”

Camila nodded and replied, “There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.”

“That’s the one,” Eda nodded, “Thanks, doll.” She turned back to the girls, “Maybe it was a wish on a star. Maybe it’s magic. Maybe it’s something that Boots was born with.” She shrugged, “Sometimes we can’t define a thing before someone tries to exploit it.”

Luz shook her head, “I can’t believe you just referenced Shakespeare.”

“Hey,” Eda snapped, “I’m well read. Some ladies appreciate the classics,” she winked at Camila. “Anyway,” the gray-haired woman leaned back slightly and patted the table with her hands, “the twins got a hold of me, through channels, y’know?” She grins at Amity and gets a small flash of a smile in return, then Eda looks at Luz, “Thanks to them, I found out Odalia for sure had Raine’s research. We made a deal: they’d destroy as many copies or records they could get their hands on, and I’d work on a way to give Boots a chance to escape.” She looked back at the pale girl and confessed, “They were waiting close-by, in case you fled in either direction above ground, but ya ducked into the subway station instead.”

Luz sat up in her chair, back ramrod straight at the sudden thought—when the realization hit her. “You knew I was going to the museum this afternoon.”

Eda looked at her, slowly, “I did.”

Amity straightened up as well and leaned back in her chair. She could feel the sudden tension in Luz’s arms. She and Camila exchanged a worried look as the other girl’s face began to flush with anger.

Luz started to stand, with the pale girl no longer leaning on her, “You had me run that delivery downtown this morning knowing I’d be at that station.”

“Yeah,” Eda nodded, “I did. Thanks, by the w—”

“You used me,” the brown-haired girl pointed across the table at the older woman.

“And?” Eda scoffed, “Everybody uses everyb—”

“You could have told me!” Luz interrupted, clawing her hands in frustration, “I could have— I could have brought her somewhere safe!” She swept her arm wide, waving toward the front door, “We got caught there because of the metal detectors, Eda, I—I could have taken her anywhere else!”

“Luz, any Blight Industries system would have tagged her location,” Eda leaned forward, and made a sharp cutting motion with her hand, “You know how many places use their sh*tty security products? Even some idiots in our neighborhood have their home alarm setups!” She pointed down at the table, tapping it with her nail, “They would have caught up to you anywhere, but at the museum,” she pointed at the tanned girl, “you—you, Luz—had the home field advantage.” She began counting on her fingers as she spoke, “You knew the lay of the land, you had some tools, and ya had your big f*ckin’ brain.”

Luz clenched her fists at her sides and growled, “You should have told me.”

Eda shook her head, and laid one hand atop the other, “You were better off not knowing.”

“I can’t believe you!” Luz yelled, stammering as she pointed over at Amity, ”I— I— She almost didn’t make the train!” Tears pooled in her eyes, “I almost missed her!”

Eda gave her a soft look, “I knew you’d find her if she headed your way.”

“Eda, I love you,” Luz scowled, too furious to hold her tongue, “but f*ck you and your hot-sh*t cowboy attitude right now.”

Amity gasped as Camila scolded, “Mija!”

Eda shot to her feet, her chair sliding away, “Odalia f*cking Blight is abusing her goddamn kids with my best friend’s legacy and you think I’m acting—f*ckin’ what—cavalier about it?” The gray-haired woman snarled, her golden eyes wide and angry, “I gotta compartmentalize this sh*t because it makes my f*cking blood boil; if I— I—” She heaved a breath, “If I hold that thought in my head for too long I’m too f*ckin’ furious to think straight.” Luz opened her mouth to interject, and Eda steamrolled her, “Listen, kid.” She pointed a shaking finger at the pale girl, “Everyone in her life is connected to her mother, and you can’t act for sh*t.” Eda leaned forward on her knuckles, “She wouldn’t’ve trusted you if you knew her f*ckin’ deal ahead of time.” Luz tried to speak again, and Eda slashed a hand in the air, “No, dammit Luz, that girl needed a goddamn friend today!” She pointed at Amity again, holding Luz’s seething gaze, “She needed you. She had no one until you found her.”

Luz blinked tears out of her eyes, “You don’t understand—”

“I think I do,” Eda interrupted, her voice tender.

“I— you—” Luz opened her mouth a few times, before managing, “I… Sorry… Eda, sorry. I-I’m going to bed.”

Chapter 9

Chapter Text

“Luz, wait!” Eda called out as Luz ran out of the kitchen and turned down the hall. Amity watched her leave, then looked back up to the gray-haired woman as Eda sighed before turning toward her. “Boots, come down to the shop in the morning, and I’ll look at that collar. Or I can do it now, your call.” The pale girl was stunned by what had just happened and couldn’t think of an answer. Eda gave her a smile, “You can just go to bed if you want. It’s not a problem.”

Amity stood abruptly; her hands clutched together in front of her chest in concern. Her eyes flicked between the two women, and she mouthed, I’m sorry she fought with you because of me.

Eda waved a hand, “Ah, don’t be, kid. I know why she got so upset.” She leaned forward, co*cking an eyebrow at Camila before lowering her voice conspiratorially, “If ya wanna know the truth… she’s right… and I’m right.” She made a frustrated clicking noise with her teeth, “I had my reasons for how I handled things, and she doesn’t have to like them… but things had to be done that way.” The gray-haired woman paused, then looked at the pale girl, “I’m sorry if I hurt you with anything I said.”

You didn’t… you… you were right.

“Good. See ya in the morning.” Eda waved goodnight and stood to walk out of the kitchen, but paused when Amity held up her hand, catching her attention.

Thank you, the pale girl clasped her hands together again, wringing her fingers, for helping me get away.

“Even if Raine hadn’t been involved, I would have helped once I heard about you,” Eda said, setting her hand gently on Amity’s shoulder. “You did nothing to deserve what happened to you. It wasn’t right.” She lightly squeezed her fingers, “We’ll do our best to keep you safe.” Eda turned to walk away and called out, “I’m gonna watch the news and see if they’ve launched an investigation into you two, yet!” and shot her a pair of finger guns as she left the room.

Amity turned to Camila, who had stood up with Eda, and the older woman gave her a caring smile. Amity dipped her head for a moment before scrunching her eyebrows and nodding, then she leaned up to the woman’s ear and whispered, “Thank you so much for the soup. It was delicious.” Just as quickly as she leaned in, she pulled away, uncertain how the woman would respond, if she would want her in her personal space.

Camila chuckled quietly, “You’re welcome, querida.” She watched Amity stand there, her head lowered and her fisted fingers clenching, then asked, “Would you like a hug before you go, Amity?” The girl looked up at her with such big, shining eyes; Camila held her arms out and the girl launched herself forward. They stood there until Amity began to pull away, and the woman let her go. “Sleep well, querida. Come find me if you need anything.” Amity gave her a small, shy nod. “Luz’s room is at the end of the hall,” Camila pointed, and Amity waved as she left the kitchen.

~

Luz sat on the edge of her bed, staring down at her hands. Her mind was racing, her blood pounding, and the tears would not stop leaking from her eyes. She could see the logic behind Eda’s actions, she really could! But it still felt like a betrayal of some kind. She’s right, I would have messed it up. And that same, yawning, sickening fear she’d felt earlier that evening at Odalia’s threat had come rushing back while her stepmom was explaining things. She palmed at her face again, sniffing, then wiped at her eyes one more time. A hesitant knock sounded at her door, and she called, “Come in.” Amity stepped into the room, quietly, looking around for a moment as she turned to shut the door behind her, then she stood there, looking at Luz. The brown-haired girl tried to laugh, but it came out sounding closer to a sob. “Hey, sorry for leaving you in there, that… that wasn’t cool,” She sniffed, wiping at her face again, “And sorry for the yelling, too. It just… it hit me, just then, I guess.” She looked down at her hands again. Amity padded over to stand directly in front of her, pushing in between her knees, then held her hands out palms up. Luz gently grasped them, running her thumbs along the lines and ridges of Amity’s fingers as she confided, “What Eda said made me realize how close it all was, y’know? I almost lost you today.”

Luz looked up at Amity, at this beautiful, elegant, kind, mesmerizing girl she met just half a day earlier. Her voice was hushed, “I almost missed my chance to meet you, and I never would have known.” They stared at each other, eyes dancing left and right as they examined each other, committing this moment to memory. They stared until Amity reached up to run her hands through Luz’s hair, and leaned forward just enough to cradle Luz’s head against her chest, resting her own cheek against the top of her messy brown curls.

“I’ve never met anyone like you, Amity,” came the quiet confession, “You’re… amazing. Everything you’ve been through, and you’re such a curious, lovely, caring woman.” Luz circled her arms around Amity’s back, rubbed her cheek against the other girl’s collarbone, and listened to the rapid beat of her heart. “I can see it in your eyes. You’re the strongest person I’ve ever met.” She closed her eyes and listened for a few breaths, then, “I had such a good time with you today. Even just getting ice cream and going to the museum was perfect. It was more than I ever could have asked for.” She breathed out, long and slow, then said, “Thank you for listening to me talk today. Just… being with me. Wanting to listen.” She sniffed, “Not many people want to do that for me.”

Luz was talking so quietly now, it was almost a whisper. “I think I’ve been looking for you—for someone like you—my whole life.” She pulled away from Amity, gently, to look up into her eyes again, “Now that I’ve met you, the thought of not knowing you is… it’s terrifying.” Luz reached up to cup the side of the pale girl’s jaw and smiled when she leaned into the touch. “Your mother threatened to make me forget you, and I freaked out. Amity,” the tanned girl ran her thumb across the ridge of her cheekbone, “I know we just met today, but you’re so important to me already.”

The pale girl closed her eyes and shuddered, her breathing ragged and quick. “Hey,” Luz said, standing to pull the smaller girl close, “Amity, you’re shaking, are you alright?”

The quiet girl leaned up to whisper, “I have to say something, and I’m afraid it will change how you feel about me, but… but I can’t leave it unsaid.” She placed both hands flat against Luz’s collar and watched her face.

Luz wrinkled her brow, “You can tell me anything, you know that, right?” She smiled, “I won’t judge you.” Then she smirked and used a snarky voice, “Unless it’s about your undying love for country music, in which case… sister.”

Amity looked up at her with a lopsided smile, “Let me… let me get the right words, okay?” then she closed her eyes and breathed in. When she looked up again, her eyes were glimmering.

i release you from all commands, duties, or obligations given, unconscious or knowing, without reservation.

Amity staggered slightly, and Luz tightened her arms around her waist. They stood and waited for a few moments before Luz asked, “Was… was that supposed to do something?” Then her eyes widened, “Oh, you thought maybe you hit me with your, y’know, mumble-jumbo to change how I feel about you?”

Amity frowned, sharply. “Mumble-jumbo? No, we’re not calling it that.”

“Yeah, we are, but don’t worry,” Luz assured her, “I like you for you, cariño.”

“We are not calling it—what?”

“I—sh*t, I said that out loud, ha ha—” Luz trailed off, “So… I-I’m pretty sure I’ve got a tiny, little, massive crush on you,” her face began to darken as she talked, “but I know things are weird, right? So it’s not the best time. You could probably tell, a-and we don’t really know each other that well, but I hope we can get to know each other better—but I also don’t want to take advantage of your situation either.”

Amity just stared up at her, mouth slightly open in surprise, a blush spreading across her cheekbones.

“Yeah, uh, I knew you were special the moment I laid eyes on you, but listen,” Luz turned them around, guiding Amity to sit down on the edge of her bed as she knelt there beside her, holding her hands on her knees, “I know you said earlier that not many people in your life treat you kindly, and so I want you to know, to understand, that you don’t owe me anything.” She looked up at Amity’s confused face, and tried to get the right words out, “Just ‘cuz I think you’re the coolest, I don’t want you to think you have to, like, reciprocate, right? Like, you don’t have to hold my hand if you don’t want to, you don’t have to hug me, you— uh—” Luz’s face darkened further, “like— even a kiss, it’s not— just because I’m kind to you, right? You don’t owe me anything for me treating you with, like, basic human decency, okay?” She glanced up at the pale girl, surprised to see her blushing a deep red. “Even what happened at the museum, I didn’t do that to get something from you. I did it because it was the right thing to do. Even if you only wanted me to be your friend, I would love that.”

“What— but what— maybe— I want to—” Amity looked away, “kiss you.”

Luz grinned, her eyes sparkling, “Well, I’d want you to be sure you wanted to. I want you to know you want to. I never want to force you to do anything,” She said softly, “I don’t want you to ever feel like you have to do something to feel loved.”

“What if… I wanted to… and you didn’t?” Amity was looking uncertain now, and Luz felt like their moment was just about to fall apart.

“I don’t think I’d not want to, mi preciosa,” Luz answered, but Amity’s eyes had gone unfocused.

“What if I made you?” She asked with a horrified expression.

“Amity, hey,” Luz replied, reaching up to cradle her face with both hands, “you wouldn’t, I know you well enough to know that.” The pale girl’s eyes snapped to hers once her palms touched her cheeks, and Amity quickly moved her hands to hold Luz’s jaw, holding her still. Her eyes were shining again, a shimmering lilac around the gold irises.

luz, my fearless champion, you will never again be compelled to obey my voice.

The brown-eyed girl gasped as a thrum ran through her body, the pale girl’s neck and face tightening as she clenched her teeth and hissed in pain. “Hey! Don’t hurt yourself, Amity!” Luz scolded. Indignant anger flashed in those golden eyes, and Amity turned her nose up slightly, casting an imperious gaze down at Luz.

be quiet.

The imperative—mandate—order washed over her without effect. “No,” Luz said, and leaned up to blow a raspberry near the pale girl’s ear. She giggled as she batted Luz away, and Luz felt that same tingle run up her spine at the sound. “You’re crazy,” Luz laughed, putting her elbow on the bed, and leaning her chin on her hand to gaze up at the blushing, smiling girl.

“Now… she can’t make me hurt you,” Amity said softly, looking at Luz with such tenderness that the other girl had to blush and glance away.

Luz straightened up and placed both hands on the pale girl’s knees. “She’s not going to control you anymore,” the brown-eyed girl’s voice was firm.

The quiet girl shook her head, “You can’t promise that, Luz. I know you and your mothers will help me as much as you can, but…” Amity blinked tears away, then breathed, “You don’t know my mother.”

Luz smirked, “I’m sure E— Eda has a… a plan.” Her voice faltered as she remembered their argument earlier. “Dios mío,” she ran her hands through her hair, “I was so angry with her! And she was right, I would have messed things up.” She felt a hand on her arm, and she looked up to see Amity shaking her head.

“Luz, listen,” Amity squeezed her arm, “Eda said you were right to not like how she handled things, but she was right that they had to be done that way.” She looked over the taller girl's shoulder as she thought for a moment, “I would not have believed anything you said if I thought you knew who I was. My whole life, I’ve been surrounded by people who just take, and use, and backstab each other. I would have, I’m not sure… expected you to hold me for ransom or something like that.” She let her golden eyes catch the brown-eyed girl’s gaze, “You saw a stranger in need, and reached out.” She shook her head, softly, “I’d never seen anything like it. I had to know more about you.” Amity reached up to touch Luz’s face, running a thumb down the edge of her jaw, “I’ve never met anyone like you, either.” She smiled, her lips trembling, “I’m so thankful you found me.”

Luz grinned so wide and jumped to her feet. “C’mere!” She said, holding her arms open, then added, “If you want?” Amity looked up at her, eyes wide and hopeful, a smile growing on her face, and she stood, tucking herself in close, pressing her ear to Luz’s chest to listen to the steady beat of her heart. They stood there, holding each other close until Amity began to grow drowsy from the warmth and the calm one-two thump in her ear.

“This is my new favorite sound,” the quiet girl admitted, just before an unexpected yawn cracked her jaw.

Luz chuckled and gave her a squeeze, then leaned back to look at her golden eyes, “Sounds like you need some sleep, cariño.” The pale girl grumbled but couldn’t hold back another yawn. “Let me get you something to change into,” she said as she pulled away from the quiet girl. She crossed the room quickly, pulling a pair of sweatpants, a t-shirt, and a sweatshirt from her dresser drawer. “Here, Amity,” Luz said as she walked back to stand in front of the girl slowly blinking her golden eyes. She held out her hand, “I’ll show you where the bathroom is, you can change in there.” The quiet girl leaned her head against the tanned girl’s shoulder and nodded, and her green-and-auburn hair caught Luz’s eye. She suddenly remembered the green-haired twins, and clicked her tongue, “Y’know, I need to let Emira know you’re safe.”

She had Amity wait in front of the door while she pulled the burner phone out of the black backpack the pale girl had been wearing, and then she pulled the door open. King was laying in the hallway across from her door, and he sat up and wagged his tail when Luz appeared in the doorway. “Heeey buddy,” she growled, bending down to scrub her fingers through his black fur. The border collie’s tail thumped against the floor while Amity watched with a hesitant expression. “Are you afraid of dogs, Amity?” Luz asked over her shoulder, watching for the girl’s response. The quiet girl shook her head, but still clutched the small pile of clothes to her chest with both hands. “Never had much time with them, eh?” Amity gave her a frown and a thumbs-up. “Well, c’mere you,” Luz grinned and tugged at Amity’s elbow.

The smaller girl knelt on the floor beside the brown-haired girl, and Luz adopted a pompous expression. “Amity Blight, we have the honor today,” she said with a truly awful British accent, making the golden-eyed girl snort a laugh, “to introduce you to the King of Clawthorne Heights.” She motioned toward the dog, and King sat still and stared at Amity. She bent her head slightly in greeting, and the dog began panting and wagged his tail several times. Luz looked at King, and he turned his head toward her, “King, this is Amity, she’s the coolest!” The pale girl blushed at the compliment, and King stood up to sniff at Amity’s face. He wagged his tail again and pushed his nose into her chest. “Now he gets scritches!” Luz exclaimed as she started roughly scratching at the dog’s back. Amity smiled down at the dog and rubbed his head between his ears.

“Okay, so,” Luz pointed at the door just down the hall, “that’s the bathroom. I’ll wait here while you change, and then I’ll do the same, and then you can get some shut-eye.” Amity nodded and stood, giving Luz a fond smile before disappearing into the bathroom and closing the door. Luz sat down and leaned against the wall, pulling the burner out of her pocket as King laid beside her. She continued petting the dog as she opened the old cell phone’s messages.

[em-b] im so sorry
[em-b] amity are you ok?
[em-b] what about luz?
[em-b] luz, amity, please call me
[em-b] odalia is furious
[em-b] you must have gotten away
[em-b] do you need help?

The messages had been sent hours before. Luz made a face and whispered “yikes” as she typed out a reply.

[a-b] sorry emira. this is luz. we’re both safe.
[a-b] just remembered the phone.

Luz leaned her head back against the wall and waited for a response. She had just closed her eyes when the phone vibrated in her hand.

[em-b] OMG
[em-b] thank you luz!
[em-b] txt only, okay? too risky for a call
[a-b] thats cool
[a-b] she cant talk anyway
[em-b] are you ok?
[a-b] needed stitches, feel like i got beat up >:(
[em-b] sorry. I can’t believe she’s gone this far
[a-b] not your fault
[a-b] thanks for your help
[em-b] thank you for helping amity
[a-b] of course. she’s important.

Luz sighed and rubbed at her eyes, careful to avoid the stitches on her eyebrow.

[em-b] not sure if you know who the Owl is
[em-b] you acted like you did
[em-b] when you saw the burner
[em-b] i won’t be able to get to the dead drop tonight
[em-b] let them know we found info on Alador
[em-b] Odalia did the same thing to him
[a-b] sure? i’ll pass that along
[a-b] ‘same thing’ as in brainwashing?
[em-b] yup
[a-b] your mom has ~I S S U E S~
[em-b] tell me about it

Luz heard the bathroom door click open, and she sent one last message.

[a-b] g2g. txt tomorrow if you find anything about collar.

When the door opened, Luz looked up to see Amity standing there in her dark gray sweatpants and burgundy sweatshirt. “Ay, que linda,” Luz breathed, “Amity, you look so tiny in my clothes!” She put both hands up to her mouth and tried to hold back the squeal she felt building up. The pale girl turned pink and balled her fists on her hips, which only made her look more adorable. Luz quickly stomped her feet in place before stepping forward to reach out for Amity, “No, sorry,” she giggled, “I just—wow, you look so cute.” Amity turned a deep crimson as she huffed and crossed her arms in a pout. Luz laughed, tugging at Amity’s elbow to lead her back to where King lay on the floor, and turned them around so the smaller girl could sit on the floor next to the dog. “Here, you can talk to King while you wait for me, okay?” Amity gave Luz a funny look, and the taller girl reminded her, “Dogs have much better hearing than people do—and King is a great listener!” She turned to the dog and ruffled his ears, “Aren’t you?” she gruffed toward the animal. He made a noise deep in his throat and flopped his head over Amity’s lap.

The quiet girl gently ran a hand between his ears and mouthed Hello, King. He flopped sideways, rolling his face so he could look up at her. She continued scratching at his neck and chest. Luz has been so good to me today, she admitted, I almost can’t believe it. King huffed and licked at her hand, and Amity giggled. Luz grinned, watching the golden-eyed girl play with the dog, then she stood and went to the bathroom.

After changing and washing up, and taking a few minutes to examine her stitches and bruises, Luz walked out to find King sitting in Amity’s lap, his head resting on her shoulder as she hugged him. She leaned her head against his as she talked, her eyes staring at the floor as she ran her fingers through his fur. Luz wondered what story she was telling as she smiled at the pair. King huffed and growled, and sniffed at Amity’s ear, and the pale girl grinned and squeezed him tight for a moment as if she had received a response she’d been hoping for. Luz leaned against the doorframe and watched until Eda called for her from the living room.

“Luz, you in the hall? Come ’ere a sec?”

The brown-haired girl walked to the living room doorway to stand beside the couch where her moms sat, watching the news. Eda had a can of beer balanced on her knee, while Camila had started a new knitting project. “Hey mama, what’s up?” Luz asked carefully. Amity walked up to stand beside Luz, leaning her head on her shoulder, King rubbing against their legs before tapping his way to the kitchen.

The gray-haired woman pointed at the TV and chuckled, “Check it out.” The late news program showed footage of the front steps of the Museum, where several ambulances had gathered, their red and white lights flashing across the white marble facade. A well-dressed black man faced the camera, talking into his microphone, and Eda turned up the volume. “...orter here with the latest on the disturbance tonight at the Bonesborough Met.” The screen switched to grainy, jerky security footage. A blurry figure was pushed away by a man in a suit, then the figure turned and attacked. “An altercation took place in the Museum Rotunda after closing time. Our sources say a disgruntled visitor—perhaps under the influence—was escorted to the lobby where they attacked a security guard.” The footage cut away to the reporter interviewing a police officer when Luz pressed the mute button on the remote.

King walked into the living room, chewing on a mouthful of food. He stood next to Amity and she scratched at his head. “Eda,” Luz said softly, “are you sure about Odalia’s plan?” The dog swallowed, then walked back toward the kitchen, his collar tags jangling.

“Huh?” the tall woman grunted, turning slightly to look up at her step-daughter.

Luz waved toward the TV, the news report showing blurry footage of a figure attacking a guard with a baton, when other guards ran in with guns drawn. “What you told us about her influencing politicians and whatnot. Is that true? Or are you guessing.” King walked back in with another mouthful of dry food, and Amity scratched his ears as he crunched away.

Eda coughed and sneered a bit, “Kiddo, in all the years I’ve known her,” she held up her hands and started ticking off her fingers, “she’s been petty, and selfish, and sneaky, and manipulative, and thought herself better than everyone else.” The gray-haired woman scoffed, then took a sip of her beer, “If I were generous, I’d call her crafty. But she’s not what I’d call clever.” She pointed at the screen again, where footage played of the stage being built on the Museum Green, the text overlay giving details for the next day’s sold-out final performance in the Blight Industries sponsored ‘World Unity’ tour. “She was good at predicting trends, I’ll give her that. But she’s not one for, like, schemes-within-schemes… she’s just mean.” Luz looked down at her stepmom, as Eda rubbed at her forehead, “I’d bet dollars to donuts this is all just some way she found to put herself on a pedestal. ‘Empress of the World’ or some sh*t.” King finished chewing, then jingled his way back into the kitchen. Eda finished her beer and set the empty can on the floor. “But yes. It’s an educated guess. She’s smart enough to not leave a lot of evidence.”

Luz sighed, and Amity looked up at her and rubbed a hand on her back. The brown-haired girl glanced over at her and grinned, then said softly, “Eda, I’m sorry for what I said to you.” She reached back to grab the pale girl’s hand and felt a squeeze. “You were right, I—”

“No, Luz,” Eda interrupted, craning her neck to look the girl in the eyes. “It’s not that I didn’t trust you. I meant what I said earlier, about not always getting to help girls that are in trouble… I just…” She turned back toward the TV as Camila gave her a soft look. “I wanted to spare you that regret if it hadn’t worked out.” She sighed and shook her head, “It never goes away.” King tapped his way back to Amity’s side, crunching another mouthful of food.

“Love you, mama,” Luz said gently.

“Love you too, Luz,” Eda replied.

They watched the TV in silence for a moment, before Luz pressed the mute button again “—orecast for tomorrow looks good for the concert at the Museum. With so many celebrities and VIPs attending, security in the downtown area will be very tight,” the blandly not-ugly anchorman said. King walked back into the kitchen, his tail slowly wagging. The anchorman tapped his papers on his desk and looked to the camera, “And now a word from our sponsor.”

A commercial began to play for the Siren at the Met performance, with footage of Amity on stage singing in a huge stadium before a massive crowd. A soft violin sounded as the voice-over promised “One final spectacular musical production!” and “Tickets are almost sold out!” The voice-over ended, while the violin continued to play. Luz felt Amity’s hand go rigid before the pale girl roughly pulled away from her. The commercial continued into a Blight Industries Security Products advertisem*nt. The taller girl looked back at the quiet girl, confused, and saw Amity’s eyes were wide and glassy.

Eda frowned, “Wait, I know that song…”

The voice-over continued, detailing how “the Blight Industries Home Security System can keep your family safe, through our patented centrally controlled service.” Text on-screen flashed Incapacitate Threats, and then Contact Home. The gray-haired woman twisted out of her seat on the couch, looking for Amity. Then she hissed, “sh*t!”

The golden-eyed girl began to hum a lovely melody, like a lullaby, the rise and fall of the notes twisting with some deeper, peaceful emotion that bubbled up into Luz’s chest. The rush of calm—peace—tranquility sent a shiver up her spine and made her yawn involuntarily. The room rippled and what looked like tall, shady willow trees sprouted from the floor, pushing the ceiling up and away to reveal a deep blue sky streaked with white clouds, a creek carving itself a path to wind around the tree trunks as a truly thick spread of wildflowers and grass sprouted to run across the floor, perfect to nap in. Luz shook her head and the vision faded, her sudden sleepiness fading with it. Eda slumped to the floor in a heap, and Camila’s head leaned forward, chin to her chest, as her busy hands fell into her lap. King walked in from the kitchen, crunching away at another mouthful of food.

“Amity?” Luz said as she turned the TV off. The pale girl was standing, just staring, staring, staring off into the distance. King swallowed as he walked over to sniff at Eda. The gray-haired woman started to snore. “Amity, are you okay?” Luz asked again.

The pale girl’s demeanor changed immediately as she folded her hands at her waist and turned up her nose. She turned a haughty gaze up at Luz.

you may call me miss blight. who are you?

King walked over to stand next to Luz, the hair on his back bristling. Luz patted his head as he growled deep in his chest. She felt the demand—inquiry—requisition tug at the truth in her mind, but she chose to sidestep it. “I’m your new personal assistant, Miss Blight.”

excellent. bring me a phone.

The dog growled louder, deeper, and bared his teeth at the green-and-auburn-haired girl. Luz grabbed his collar and pulled him close to her leg, “Yes, Miss Blight,” she said quickly, deciding how to bend the appeal—petition—request in her favor, “Right away.” She reached into her pocket and pulled out the burner, handing it over to the pale girl.

Amity sneered at the old, plastic device, and punched in a phone number. She dialed, listening for a moment, then she pressed a few more buttons, then listened again. The purpled metal collar at her throat made a click, and Luz heard her real voice for the first time. “Mother? Yes. Yes.” Luz wished it didn’t have the arrogant tone driving the words. Amity looked around the room with distaste clear on her face, then added, “I’m not sure.” She turned back to Luz, her eyes glittering.

tell me where we are.

King lunged forward barking savagely, loud and angry, and Luz had to use both hands to pull him back. Amity jumped back a step, her eyes widening in shock, and then they cleared, and she shook her head with a hiss. The voice on the other end of the line must have asked a question because her face went white as she looked at the phone in her hand, then back up to Luz. King sat down and looked rather pleased with himself.

“That… was a strange man walking by. With his dog. We are…” Amity trailed off looking to Luz, who mouthed Latissa?, and Amity grinned, struggling to maintain the arrogant tone, “...in a decrepit hotel outside Latissa.” She flinched at a sharp outburst in her ear, “Yes Mother, I will arrange a transport.” The pale girl shrugged at Luz, who returned the gesture. “As you wish, M—” Amity frowned, then pulled the phone away from her ear. “That woman is the worst,” she grumbled.

Luz laughed, “Yeah, your mom is really not a nice person.” She knelt down next to Eda and shook the woman’s shoulder.

The gray-haired woman snorted, then sat up blinking and smacking her lips. “Huh… Been a while since I fell asleep on the floor,” Eda muttered as Luz pulled her to her feet. Luz turned to shake Camila awake as Eda looked over at Amity. “Wait… that commercial gotcha, didn’t it?” Amity nodded, looking mortified, and Eda moved to assure her, “Look, kid, you didn’t know about that right?” When the pale girl shook her head, Eda nodded, “Right, so, it’s not your fault.”

Amity waggled the phone in her hand, “She thinks we’re near Latissa, and she expects me to be there for the concert tomorrow.”

Eda blinked at hearing the girl’s voice, then shot her a grin, her golden canine glittering in the lamp light. She glanced over her shoulder at Luz, “Looks like we get to crash a high-society shindig tomorrow.”

Chapter 10

Chapter Text

Eda had left the room minutes earlier, her eyes practically glowing with excitement at the promised opportunity of torpedoing one of Odalia Blight's fancy parties.Amity had begun to spiral once Camila proved difficult to wake. Eda had brushed it off as normal, but the pale girl was beginning to unravel.

Luz watched Amity pace to the kitchen and back, her arms folded across her chest, her shoulders pulled up close to her jaw. She looked a heartbreaking mix of furious and terrified. The brown-haired girl patted at her mother's arm again, calling out softly, “Hey Mamí, you need to wake up.” She rubbed her hand on the woman's forearm, “Mamí, c'mon, let's get you off the couch and ready for bed.” Luz glanced over at the jingle of King's collar, and watched the border collie trail Amity toward the kitchen and then cut her off when she turned around. She tried to step around him and he pranced sideways with a friendly woof, blocking her, then he pushed his jaw into her stomach. The pale girl dropped to her knees and threw her arms around the black dog's neck.

She knew Amity was worried about her Mamí not waking up easily, but it wasn't unusual for the woman to be completely dead to the world for a couple of hours if she fell asleep in the living room. I'll try one more time, then I'd better go talk to Amity again, Luz decided as she pulled the knitting needles and loops of yarn from her mother's limp hands, setting them to the side. “Mamí,” she called, careful to keep the worry from her voice, “your neck is gonna be sore if you sleep like this for too long,” Luz patted at Camila's shoulder again. The woman inhaled, sharp and surprised, then sat up straight and blinked.

“Mija?” Her mother pulled off her red-rimmed glasses, wiping at her eyes as a yawn squeaked in the back of her throat, “What time is it?” She yawned again, and Luz gave her a smile. “What, mija, is something on my face?”

Amity heard the woman's voice and scrambled to her feet to slide quickly to the couch. She sat beside the woman, reaching out as if to touch Camila's hands, but held back, her hands shaking. “I am so sorry, Mrs. Noceda-Clawthorne,” the pale girl looked beside herself with worry, “I—I-I didn't know that would happen, I'm so sorry, I—”

Camila gasped and smiled at the sound of Amity's voice, and reached out to touch her unbandaged wrist, “Querida, so good to hear you,” she beamed at the pale girl, whose eyes had begun to fill with tears.

“Mrs. Noceda, I— I—”

“It's just 'Camila', dear. Nada de eso, ¿comprender?” the woman interrupted with a raised eyebrow. Amity just wrung her hands and frowned, and Camila's eyes softened, “Querida, what happened?” she asked, leaning forward to lay a hand over the girl's slender fingers. Amity opened her mouth to speak, twice, but nothing came out. She looked up at Luz, pleading.

Luz knelt and laid a hand on Amity's knee, “A commercial came on the TV from her mother's company. It had her trigger music and a subliminal message to have her put us all to sleep and then phone home.” Camila looked between the girls with anger and horror, before slipping into concern for the girl sitting beside her.

“I— I didn't— she,” Amity had begun to cry, still tangling her fingers together, “she could have made me h-hurt you, and I don't even remember it, a-and you were so kind and then,” she shivered, a whole body shudder as she shook her head, “then you weren't waking up, and—and it was all my fault, and—” Camila gently pulled her over to lean against her shoulder, and wrapped her arms around the girl, shushing and humming encouraging sounds. Amity shook her head, “There's—I can make it—I can—so I can't—don't hurt you again, please let me—”

“Amity, darling, take a deep breath,” Camila used a firm voice, “Breathe with me, alright?” She rubbed at the girl's shoulder as she gave Luz a worried glance, “That's it, long, slow breaths.” King tapped his way over to the couch and laid his head over Amity's leg, nudging at her hand until she began to rub his ears.

After a few minutes, the girl's breathing had evened out. “Alright, querida, try telling me again,” Camila squeezed the pale girl's arm, but didn't let her sit up.

“Th-there's something I can do,” Amity paused, then she sniffed, “to make you immune to my voice. That way I can't hurt you, be made to—” she hissed in anger, then, “I want to protect you from me.”

“Go ahead, dear,” Camila said gently, “I can tell it's important to you.” She let the girl go, and Amity sat up straight to look at her, pushing her green-and-auburn hair over her ears. King sat back and looked up at her.

camila, my gracious caretaker, you will never again be compelled to obey my voice.

Her mother jumped a bit in surprise, and Luz grinned, “Kinda tingles, huh?” King snorted and pushed his face back into Amity's lap, and she stroked at his fur with a look of relief on her face.

“Thank you, Mrs— er, Camila.” Amity sighed, glancing at Luz before looking back to the woman beside her, “I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if I hurt you.” The splotches of red around her eyes had started to darken and spread as her jaw tightened in anger, “I have to do something about her, tomorrow.”

“You need some sleep, querida,” the woman's voice was firm as she looked between the girls, “you both do. Go to bed, cariño,” Camila said to Luz, “take some Motrin if you haven't already.”

Footsteps sounded from the kitchen, and Eda walked through the doorway with a notepad and pencil, muttering to herself as she scribbled notes. “Oh good, you’re awake,” the tall woman said with a grin as she walked toward the couch. “Boots here was workin’ herself into a tizzy abou’cha.” She gave the pale girl a smile, “You look like sh*t, kid, you should get some sleep.”

“Eda!” Luz gasped as Camila scolded, “no tan bonita tu misma, mi lechuza!” Amity looked more amused at their outrage than upset at the gray-haired woman’s comment.

Eda shot a disbelieving smirk at her wife and looked at the brown-haired girl, “I messaged Steve about getting us into the museum tomorrow afternoon. I’m workin’ on a few different ideas, but we’ll hash that out after breakfast.”

Luz nodded and stood, holding her hand out to Amity. The smaller girl let herself be pulled to her feet, but then she paused and turned toward the gray-haired woman. “I can make you immune to my voice, Eda,” the pale girl rubbed her thumbs against her fingers, “It would only take a moment.”

“Nah, not yet,” Eda waved and stuck the pencil behind her ear, putting her fists on her hips, “Got some things to try in the morning, you can do it afterward if ya want.” Amity nodded, then followed Luz out of the living room as they all said Good night.

Luz pushed her bedroom door open and stepped aside for Amity to walk in. King ran in right after the pale girl, his tail wagging wildly as he jumped around the occasional pile of clothes, springing straight up off the floor to snuff at Amity’s shoulder before landing on the foot of the rumpled bed. “King, you bonehead,” Luz chuckled, walking past the dog and slapping her hands against his belly as she went by, “what do you think you’re doing?” she asked in a silly voice. Amity grinned and watched the brown-haired girl grab a pillow off the floor and another blanket from the swivel chair in front of her desk. The pale girl looked around the bedroom and felt it was so Luz. Posters for bands and movies covered the walls, some anime-themed wall hangings were spaced around a bookshelf decorated with collectibles from a few recent popular shows. The smaller, nicer, bookcase near the desk hosted a generous Good Witch Azura collection, including the fifth and sixth books she’d never been allowed to read. She walked over and carefully knelt by the desk, pulling the fifth book from the shelf with a gentle hand. She ran her fingers across the dust jacket before turning it over to examine the artwork on the back. “Amity,” Luz said as she knelt next to the green-haired girl, “you can read those anytime.”

“That’s a bad idea right now,” the smaller girl chuckled, “If I start this tonight, I’ll not get any sleep.”

“In the morning, then,” Luz grinned, “if you want.” She paused, then added, “Or when we come back after your performance.”

Amity turned the book front-cover up and ran her thumbs across the picture of Azura and Hecate raising Azura’s staff in victory. “Yes,” she whispered, “after we come back.” Luz put a tanned hand on her shoulder and gave an affectionate squeeze before standing up and walking back over to the bed.

“Move, King,” the brown-haired girl hissed as she tugged at the blankets, straightening them a small amount, “Since you’re my guest, Amity, you can have the bed.” She pushed a few piles of clothes around, then stepped on a bunched section of her rug to flatten it. “I’ll take the floor.”

“Luz, no,” Amity protested as she put the book back where it belonged, “I can’t take your bed!”

The brown-eyed girl gave her a toothless glare, “Well you’re not sleeping on the floor, chiquita.” Amity huffed but Luz held up her hands and gave a disarming grin, “Listen, Mamí would kill me—literally murder me—if I didn’t let you have the bed.”

“Well… being murdered doesn’t sound pleasant,” Amity smiled as she walked to the bed and sat down to face the taller girl, “I suppose I can do you a favor.”

“Gee, thanks, I appreciate not dying,” Luz quipped, playing along as she fluffed her spare pillow and laid it on the ground. Amity watched her and worried her hands together until the brown-haired girl noticed her pensive expression. “Hey, you okay, cariño?”

“Luz, you’ve done so much for me today,” the quiet girl responded, “I— I’d—” Her voice caught in her throat, and Luz stepped over to kneel beside the bed, taking the pale girl’s hands in her own. “Is… Is it really okay for me to ask for more?” she whispered her question.

“Whatever you need, Amity,” Luz promised, “just ask. It doesn’t matter what it is. Big or small.”

“C-can you—just—hold me? Tonight?” the pale girl blushed her way through her question. She began to stammer a reasonable excuse for the request when Luz held a hand up to her cheek, and Amity’s words cut short.

“Of course, cariño,” Luz smiled, “I’d love to.” She blushed as she stood and picked the spare pillow off the floor, dropping it next to the one already on the bed, then walked over to the door to put her hand on the light switch as Amity shimmied under the blankets. Luz turned off the overhead light, and a small book light clipped to her headboard lit the room just enough to let her see the pale girl’s eyes widen as she walked toward the bed. Luz gave her a smile as she pulled the blankets back enough to slip underneath. The brown-haired girl settled on her left side, her left arm curled under her pillow, her head on her fist, and she smiled at the golden-eyed girl blinking owlishly at her with the blanket up to her nose. She held up her right arm, tenting the blanket, and whispered, “C’mere.” Amity wriggled slightly closer, and Luz chuckled as she threw an arm over the other girl and pulled her into her chest. Amity’s head rested on her left bicep, her forehead just below Luz’s nose, and the taller girl hummed as the pale girl hesitantly draped her arm over her waist. Amity's other arm was curled up between them, her hand brushing fingertips against the tanned girl's jaw. The brown-eyed girl reached up and clicked off the book light as King circled on the foot of the bed, laying down across her feet. Luz rubbed her thumb across the muscles in the smaller girl’s shoulder and asked, “How’s this?”

Amity squeaked and nodded, her face a furious red that Luz could see glowing in the near-black room. Luz felt her own face growing hot from the intimate nearness; her heart was pounding in her ears and there was a buzzing sensation wherever their bodies touched. How did I get so lucky, she wondered. She breathed out long and slow, taming her rushing pulse over the next few minutes. She slowly relaxed, and she felt the smaller girl's board-stiff posture loosen over time. Luz had started to grow drowsy—still too aware of the beautiful girl in her arms to fall asleep—but she had to admit this was nice.

“It is,” Amity whispered, and—sh*t—Luz must have said some of that out loud, “Thank you… for… not laughing at me.”

“Never,” Luz assured her with a matching soft tone, shaking her head slightly, “I would never make fun of you for wanting a hug.”

“Showing weakness of any kind is ‘unbecoming of a Blight’,” Amity’s voice had a bitter hint of disgust as she frowned, rubbing Luz’s sweatshirt between her fingertips, “I’ve never had someone I could trust enough to ask.”

Luz shook her head and pulled the other girl closer, squeezing her with her arm as she hissed, “That is not okay, and I am sorry you had to go through that.” Amity tucked her face into the taller girl’s throat and their legs tangled together as she pulled herself as close as possible. Luz rubbed circles into her shoulder blades and hummed a comforting tone.

Amity pulled away just enough to whisper into Luz’s neck, her thumb brushing against the taller girl’s pulse, “I have to make her stop… I have to tell her to stop. She won't, otherwise.”

Luz knew what she meant. “No, I don’t think she… You’re right.” It wasn’t right, a mother hurting her daughter this way. Driving her to contemplate such things.

“Will that…” her words hitched in her throat, “does that make me a monster?” Amity’s voice was layers of hurt and exhaustion.

“No, Amity.”

“Compelling a person against their will? That’s—”

“No, cariño, honestly,” Luz interrupted, running her hand down the back of the smaller girl’s hair, “It's what she's doing to other people, and they have no recourse. You do.”

Amity protested, “But choosing to do that to someone has to be wrong!” The pale girl’s body had grown tense as a spring, vibrating with the guilt and fear she wrestled deep inside. “It feels—”

“The fact that you’re conflicted about it proves you’re not a monster,” Luz made sure her voice was firm and assuring, “It's not wrong to defend yourself with the tools you have at hand.” She rubbed up and down the girl’s spine, running her thumb on one side and her middle and ring fingers on the other. The pale girl loosened slightly and hummed an appreciative note. “You're not deciding to do it on a whim, you're being forced to do so to prevent something worse.”

“Maybe…” Amity sighed into her collarbone, “Maybe you’re right.”

“She has been—” Luz began, then froze, horrified at the sudden realization, “Amity, she's been abusing you this whole time. She's made you into a slave.”

“I… she…” Amity tightened her grip so suddenly, Luz wheezed. “Oh god.”

“You’re a hostage in your own home, your life, Amity,” Luz felt tears welling up in her eyes.

“I have to stand up to her. I have to,” the quiet girl had conviction in her voice, but it was tinged with fear, “But there's a good chance I'll end up under her control again.”

“We won't leave without you.” Luz leaned back enough to look down into Amity’s eyes, promising, “You're coming home again, with me.”

Amity looked at her for a long moment, her gaze darting left and right as she examined the other girl’s eyes. “If you can't stop her, if we both fail…” she closed her eyes and leaned her head forward, pushing into the taller girl’s cheek, “Just let me sleep. I won't want to be awake.”

Luz had said it earlier that day, an in-the-moment oath, but it was still a promise she intended to keep. She had never been more certain of anything. “I’ll never stop looking for you,” she whispered through savagely clenched teeth.

“I just…” Amity shook her head, “I've never been able to stand up to her.”

“I know you’re afraid,” Luz knew it was worse than that; the hateful woman had built a monument of fear in the pale girl’s heart over years. “We can mourn your past right now; we can grieve over what was stolen from you.” She looked down into glittering eyes, “But tomorrow, when we wake up, we choose anger.” She pulled her hand from the smaller girl’s back and gently cradled Amity’s face, “Tomorrow we choose spite. We choose rage for your future, a future that belongs to you.” She pressed a kiss to the golden-eyed girl’s forehead, then ran her thumb across the ridge of her cheekbone. “A future you choose. You… no one else.”

Amity was nearly breathless when she whispered, “I want you in it.” Her eyes were golden moons shining in the dark.

“I’ll be there,” Luz promised, and it was the easiest promise she’d made all day. “I’ll be right here.”

Amity pulled herself in close and rubbed her forehead against the taller girl’s jaw as she hummed a happy, heartfelt melody. The contentment—elation—relief of the siren’s song tugged at Luz again, and this time she let herself slip under the rushing, thundering waves. The room exploded in shining pinks, brilliant whites, and dark chocolate browns as a blur of leaves and branches flew past the two girls, flowing up from the floor; almost as if they were falling from the sky, hurtling down through the canopy of an enormous, twisted tree with pink leaves and delicate white flowers. The dizzying upward rush slowed as the tree trunk swelled, plunging a great gnarled fist of roots into the thick, dark soil hidden beneath the thick carpet of green grass and clover where Luz and Amity now found themselves laying. Luz looked up, stunned by the changes all around them, and sat up to raise an arm to shade her eyes from the huge, orange sun sitting halfway down the horizon.

They sat on a grassy cliff jutting out over a deep purple sea, just beside the great pink tree that looked so familiar. Luz turned her head up to watch a flock of curious birds swoop and dive, then wheel away from the water, back over a forest beyond the open glade where they sat beneath the lone tree, the wind-rippled sea of leaves a vibrant mixture of orange and burgundy. “This is…” Luz finally found her voice, and Amity sat upright, looking hesitant. “This is from that watercolor in the museum.”

The golden-eyed girl looked around and nodded, “Yes.” She smiled, soft and sweet, and she pointed her eyes down at a sprig of clover she had plucked from the ground, “I… I wanted to share that moment with you, again.”

Luz jumped to her feet, laughing, and walked around the tree, spinning as she looked up in the air. The brown-haired girl’s eyes were sparkling as she gazed up at the sky, deep blue fading to red near the setting sun, and she ran a hand along the trunk of the tree. “This feels so real,” Luz was in awe, and she closed her eyes for a moment, feeling, “but we’re still… in bed? Asleep?”

Amity walked over to take her hand, tenderly, and ran her fingers down the middle of the tanned palm. Luz shivered at her touch. “Strong emotions make it all… more… somehow,” the pale girl confided, looking up at the pair of brown eyes watching her. Her face went a pretty shade of pink as she admitted, “You make me feel safe and loved, so even a simple story like they fell asleep watching the sunset can become—” Amity gestured all around, “This.”

Luz pulled her into a hug and whispered, “It’s beautiful. Thank you for sharing this with me.”

“Luz,” Amity sounded worried, looking up at the brown-haired girl, “I don’t know what story my mother is making me tell… It scares me.”

“I believe in you,” Luz gave her a comforting smile, “You’ll give her a different ending than what she wants.”

Hand in hand, they walked around the great tree to find a soft, comfortable spot to lay back amongst the roots, and settled down to watch the sunset. Luz leaned back against the great tree root as Amity curled up in her lap, her head on her shoulder. Luz wrapped her arms around the green-and-auburn-haired girl and said, “Since this is a shared dream, I think a blanket would make this super cozy.” Amity made a confused sound, and then half sat up in surprise as a large, thick blanket settled over their legs. “That’s better,” Luz hummed, pulling the blanket up to their chins, tucking the smaller girl in against her. They watched the sun slip below the horizon, then gasped as the sky blossomed with stars. Luz hummed, mostly asleep, and gave Amity a kiss at her hairline. “Sleep well, mi corazón,” she mumbled as her eyes closed.

Amity snuggled in close and clutched at the taller girl’s sweatshirt, “Sleep well, my Luz,” she whispered before she drifted off to sleep.

Chapter 11

Chapter Text

Luz woke to the scent of sizzling bacon. Not due to the delicious smell—which it was—but because King caught the scent and dashed out of her bedroom, trampling her legs and stomach in his mad scramble out the door. She lurched awake with a gasp and a choked, “Kiiiing, why,” but the dog was gone, having left one casualty in his wake. She rolled off the bed and thumped to the floor in a blanket-shrouded ball, wishing for the sweet kiss of oblivion. An unhappy grumble drifted off her bed, and she slowly worked herself up onto her elbow and peeked over the edge of her mattress.

Amity glared at her from beneath a green-and-auburn bird’s nest and Luz nearly flinched at the simmering hatred in her gaze. “It’s freezing, Luz,” the pale girl scowled, curling up into a ball, “you blanket thief.”

Luz grinned and put her palm on the bed to rest her chin on her hand, “Good morning, hermosa,” she smiled wide at the pink blush that broke out across the pale girl’s face, “Are you cold?” The girl’s golden eyes narrowed and she crossed her arms in a pout, and Luz chuckled while she pulled herself to her feet, “Easy tigresa, let me help warm you up.” The brown-haired girl laughed when the pale girl flushed a darker red as she settled back onto the bed and spread the blanket out over them both, “Actually, do you even need the blanket anymore? You look awfully re—”

“It’s too early,” Amity interrupted, grabbing a fist full of Luz’s sweatshirt as leverage to pull herself forward, “for you to be this cute.” Luz opened her mouth with a snarky grin and the pale girl shut her down with a quick, “Uh-uh, hush.”

Luz waited until the smaller girl had finished squirming close and grunted in contentment, and then she whispered, “You think I’m cute?”

“I think,” Amity whispered into the taller girl’s collar, “I said hush.”

She tried. She really did. But eventually, the warmth in her chest bubbled over, “I think you’re cute too.”

The scowl in Amity’s eyebrows was at odds with her giddy smile, and her voice turned petulant as she drummed her fingertips on the taller girl’s face, “I don’t know what I’ll do to you if it’s earlier than six o’clock, Luz.”

The brown-haired girl craned her neck, trying to find her phone, “Yeah, sorry cariño, once I’m up—where is my—I have no idea what time—”

A horrid, ear-piercing shriek came from the kitchen HOOT-HOOT and Luz huffed a laugh while Amity groaned, “What is th—” HOOT-HOOT “—oh god that’s awful!”

Luz laughed aloud as HOOT-HOOT she looked down at Amity, “That’s Eda’s cuckoo clock—” HOOT-HOOT “—in the kitchen, but she only—” HOOT-HOOT “—starts it running when—” she gasped in excitement HOOT-HOOT “Tía Lily must be here! The—” HOOT-HOOT “—clock drives her crazy, but she…” Both girls looked around, expecting another interruption, “...huh, must be seven. Anyway,” Luz said as she slipped out of bed and stretched, “Lilith hates Hooty, so of course Mama starts him up.” The brown-haired girl motioned for the lumpy blankets to follow her.

Amity sat up and frowned, “I hate it too.” She grumbled under her breath as she crawled out of bed and stalked to the door. Luz held out her hand, and Amity took it without a second thought.

The girls walked into the kitchen and stopped to smell the scent of bacon and fried potatoes in the air, and they both laughed when their stomachs growled in hunger. A tall, pale woman with ravens-black hair—so black it had a bluish tint in the morning sunlight—sat at the table beside Eda. Both women had a strong family resemblance, but their personal styles differed wildly. Lilith Clawthorne wore round glasses, and a stylish pleated burgundy skirt with a crisply ironed wide-collared cream-shaded blouse. She sat straight in her chair, tea cup and saucer in her hands. Pinky finger held out, naturally. She had a slight crease in her brow and a flat expression on her face, which Luz figured was due to the clock. Eda, in contrast, slumped in her backwards chair over a laptop on the table, black ribbed tank top tucked into ripped black jeans also tucked into tall black boots. She had black smudges on her arms and forehead, and an oil-stained cloth hanging from her back pocket, which meant Lilith must have interrupted her in the shop. King was laying in a patch of sunlight against the far wall, snoring.

“Buenos días cariño, querida!” Camila called from where she stood at the stove, dishing out portions of food onto several nearby plates. She wore clean blue scrubs and comfortable white sneakers. She glanced over her shoulder at the girls and waved, “Come get some breakfast, Amity; Luz, let me look at those stitches before you sit down,” the woman ordered, handing a plate and fork to the pale girl. She set two more plates at the table for herself and Lilith before she crooked a finger toward her daughter, and motioned her head at the window. Luz sighed and slumped her way to stand in front of her mother and bent her knees. “Hmm,” Camila gently put a thumb near the stitched gash on Luz’s eyebrow, “Se ve bien hasta ahora. Watch for signs of infection, okay?”

“I will, Mamí,” Luz muttered with an embarrassed huff, side-eyeing Camila as her mother put her hands on her hips. “I promise!” She quickly added, raising her hands in surrender. Her mother squinted and raised her chin in disbelief, but she quirked a small smile at Luz and handed her a plate of her own. “Thanks, Mamí, it smells delicious.”

“Yes, yes, eat up,” Camila said as she sat down beside Lilith, picking up her fork, “I hate to leave you so soon this morning, but I have a double shift today.” Amity looked genuinely disappointed and the brown-haired woman gave her a gentle smile, “Come by anytime, querida, you are always welcome.” The pale girl blushed and nodded, then started eating her food once Camila took a bite. Lilith had been watching over Eda’s shoulder as the gray-haired woman tapped away at the keyboard, but then her cerulean eyes darted between Camila and Amity, then Luz and Amity, before settling on Luz as the brown-eyed girl cleared her throat.

“Tía, this is Amity,” Luz said motioning to the girl beside her, who shrank down in her chair under the attention, “Amity, this is my Cool Aunt Lilith.” The green-and-auburn-haired girl gave a small wave and whispered a Hello.

Lilith raised an eyebrow as she glanced between the two girls, humming a curious, “Indeed,” before taking one last sip of her tea. She set her cup and saucer down, then focused on her niece, her gaze touching the stitched eyebrow and bandaged cheek. “I hear you had an… eventful evening.”

Luz gave a laugh, “Yes… well… things happened. There,” she glanced at Amity before finishing, “uh, were events, yes.”

Lilith nodded, then turned to Amity, “It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Miss Blight. I must say,” the black-haired woman smiled, “I very much enjoyed the duet you performed with Skara several years ago, the one from Lakmé? I’ve listened to that recording several times.” Amity blinked in surprise as Lilith continued, the woman clasping her hands gently and leaning forward, “You both gave a truly beautiful performance, just a wonderful rendition of the piece. It was ever so good. Honestly, it gave me chills.” The girl still looked wide-eyed and shocked as Lilith gave her a kind smile, “I’ve been looking forward to hearing you in person tonight.” Amity paled and dropped her fork onto the edge of the table, then looked down at her hands as she pulled them into her lap. King picked his head up at the sharp sound, then sat up when Amity’s fork slipped from the table to the floor. He padded over to her and pushed his face into her hands. Camila and Luz gave Amity a sad frown, while the latter bent down to pick up the dropped utensil. Lilith’s look of confusion had only deepened during the pale girl’s reaction to her honest praise and excitement. She glanced over to Luz, who changed the subject.

“So, Tía, what brings you by so early on a Saturday?” Luz asked with a strained chuckle as she reached over to rub a hand on Amity’s knee. The pale girl didn’t respond; she just kept rubbing her thumbs over King’s forehead.

“Ah, yes,” Lilith said and widened her eyes slightly, “Well,” she motioned toward Eda’s laptop with a graceful hand, pointing at a flash drive sticking out a port on the side, “Steve left this next to my teapot with a note for Edalyn, so I knew it was important.” Luz gave her a confused frown and Lilith added, “Steve is aware the very first thing I do in the morning is start boiling water for tea, so he knew I’d see it right away.” The black-haired woman took a bite of her breakfast.

“Wait, but,” Luz squinted, thinking of the layout of her aunt’s office, then glanced at the clock. 7:12. “The teapot in your kitchen?”

Lilith nodded as she finished chewing, dabbing at her mouth with a napkin, “Yes, he must have slipped in sometime very early this morning.” She sighed and gave a little growl, “I almost regret giving the man a key.”

The brown-haired girl gasped, her eyes practically sparkling as she clapped her hands to her cheeks, “He has a key to your house?” she squealed. Then she said “ow,” and rubbed her bandage.

The woman gave her a strange look as she speared a few pieces of potato on her fork, “For when I lock myself out, yes.”

Luz deflated with a groan, “Lilith, why.”

“Aha!” Eda exclaimed, interrupting Lilith’s confusion, “Finally. Damn private keys.” She clicked the touchpad and a file explorer window opened to show a series of video files with timestamped filenames. The gray-haired woman glanced at the note at her elbow and tapped up and down the file list until she found the one matching the numbers written on the paper. She dropped it into a video player.

The museum rotunda appeared, the viewpoint from over the front doors. A group of people walked toward the cameras, a small Clifford reached out to a pair nearby. Security swarmed the two as a small Odalia Blight confronted them. “Oh sh*t,” Eda said softly, glancing toward the girls, then catching Camila’s eye. Her face darkened as she watched. Camila stood and walked around the table to stand between her daughter and her wife, while Lilith leaned back in to watch over Eda’s other shoulder. The words spoken during the encounter were clear enough, but the music player’s songs were a muddy warble that left a frown on the pale girl’s face. There was a stony silence in the kitchen as tinny, echoing sounds of fists and feet came from the laptop. Camila gasped and laid a hand on Luz’s shoulder. “That monstrous f*cking bitch,” Eda hissed through clenched teeth, and then they all watched in confusion as Amity stood between Luz and the men with guns, her arms outstretched. There wasn’t anything to hear until Luz activated the strobe light and ran off, the grunts of pain and footsteps cutting short as Eda pressed the pause button.

Luz looked over at Amity, who was still focused on petting King, the dog clearly enjoying the attention based on his closed eyes and slowly wagging tail. “That’s weird,” the brown-eyed girl said, “I remember it being really loud when she told them to stop.”

Eda looked up at that, eyes wide as she made a connection, “I wondered about that.” She looked at Amity, “It’d be easier if Odalia just put you on TV, that’d save her a bunch of time and travel.” She dug into her pocket for her phone, pulling up the voice recorder app and pressing record. “Hey kid, tell me to do something.” Amity glanced her way, then looked back down to King.

say dog.

“Dog,” Eda and Lilith said in unison while Camila nudged Luz in the shoulder and whispered, “perrito.” Luz grinned while Lilith looked extremely confused, glancing from one face to the other. Eda played back the recording. Hey kid, tell me to do something… say dog. It was just Amity’s regular, tired, still-somewhat-sleepy voice. Eda shoved herself to her feet with a surprised grunt of, “I can work with this,” then she kissed Camila goodbye before running out of the kitchen and down the stairs to the shop.

The brown-haired woman glanced between the girls before turning to her sister-in-law, “We can’t take this to the police, can we?” She frowned when Lilith shook her head.

“The Blights are too well-connected for something like this to cause them any problems,” the black-haired woman had a downcast expression, “I’m sure the validity of the videos would get called into question, and it would turn into a he-said-she-said situation in the courtroom.” She looked at the girls, then back to Camila, “I’m sure Edalyn would tell you that she’ll keep it for—” she made air quotes with both hands, “—insurance purposes.”

“I’ll defer to her expertise,” the brown-haired woman said with a firm nod, “she won’t let this go.” Camila turned to the girls and said, “I have to go to work now, you two have… well… have a good day.” She glanced from Luz to Amity and added, “Get my phone number from Luz. Call me if you need anything.” She held out her hands and Amity stood for a lingering hug. “It was so good to meet you, querida.”

Lilith looked at Luz while Camila bustled out the door and Amity sat back down, leaning her head against Luz’s shoulder. “What is going on, dear?” Lilith asked with a gentle voice. The brown-haired girl began to quickly explain about the voice, the collar, and the musical conditioning when Eda clomped back up the stairs with a bulky pair of headphones in her hand. She interrupted her step-daughter’s explanation by loudly sitting beside Lilith, her chair legs squeaking on the floor. “What on earth are those for,” the black-haired woman asked with a confused drawl.

“These bad boys?” Eda asked, putting them on and twisting a knob on the side, “These are for when I’m using the grinder or the lathe and Luz won’t stop chatting my ear off,” the gray-haired woman smirked when her step-daughter protested with a Hey! then looked to Amity, “Hit me again, Boots!” Amity gave a small smile.

say cat.

Lilith hurried to echo, “Cat,” while Eda just grinned and said, “Nope!” a half-second later. Amity looked surprised as Eda pulled off the headphones and twisted at the knobs on the side. “Your gift must not work through electronics or recordings,” Eda said, turning the electronic earmuffs over to point into one of the cups, “These muffs here have active noise dampening; a microphone array picks up all the ambient sound,” she tapped at a series of raised points on each side, “and processes it to block loud noises like my machines downstairs, before finally playing the audio back through the speakers.” She tapped at the large, fabric-covered drivers on the inside of the ear cup.

Amity nodded slowly, understanding, “So it lets you hear what I say, but it filters out the… command?”

“Yeah, looks like,” Eda nodded, laying the headset down. “And your gift doesn’t appear to care how loud you are, physically speaking, since it worked on us last night before your damn collar unlocked.”

Luz frowned, “Like on the video too, but how is that possible?”

Lilith raised an eyebrow as Eda shrugged, “I dunno kiddo, magic?”

Luz scoffed in irritation, and Amity gave her a fond smile, “Seriously, what—”

“Are we in the f*ckin’ Starship Enterprise, kid?” Eda interrupted, “With their fancy-ass medical bay?”

“No,” Luz groused, folding her arms.

“Do I have a pod in the basem*nt I can put her in to measure her energy readings?” The gray-haired woman snarked, and her sister stifled an amused grin.

“No.”

“Then we’re just guessing. This is a machine shop. Do you really want us pokin’ and prodding atch’yer girl?” Eda asked with a smug grin on her face.

“No!” Luz responded with heat, and then she blushed, “And she’s not my—”

“Whatever you say, kiddo,” Eda waved a hand in disinterest. “Bring Boots downstairs when you’re done eating, I’ll take a look at that collar.” Eda sighed, “I won’t make any promises, it already looks beyond my skill-set.” She closed her laptop and started to walk out of the kitchen when the white-and-red-trimmed cuckoo clock clicked over to 7:30. This clock didn’t have the tiny door with the gears-and-chain-driven bird behind it; this clock had a horrible, smiling owl face that squirmed out on the end of a worm-like tube made from a patchy brown felt material that did not look clean. The obscene creature slithered out of the clock with a grating HOOOooOOOT and a wink to mark the half-hour, then it snapped back into place. Lilith and Amity both shuddered in disgust as Eda cackled her way out the door.

Lilith prepared to leave soon after stopping the pendulum on the cuckoo clock, with a kind smile for Amity and a promise to help in any way she could to Luz. “I’m sure Edalyn will give me a call later,” the black-haired woman said to her niece. Luz nodded in agreement, then Lilith turned back to the quiet girl. “Miss Bl— Amity, I am truly sorry for what your mother has put you through.” She folded her hands at her waist and gave the smallest bow, “Please know that you can always reach out to me if you need anything.”

Amity gave her a timid nod, “Thank you, Miss Clawthorne.”

Lilith smiled and assured her, “Just Lilith to you, dear.”

The pale girl went a little pink and stuttered, “I-if you say so… L-Lilith.” The cerulean-eyed woman gave the girl a fond smile before raising an eyebrow at Luz, then turned to leave. “Wait, Lilith,” Amity’s words made her pause and turn to look at the girls. “Are you still going to the performance tonight?”

Lilith nodded, “I wouldn’t miss it. I’ll just borrow some of Edalyn’s headphones so I can enjoy your singing.”

Luz laughed at her aunt’s obliviousness. “Did you forget what we told you? Odalia is planning something for tonight!”

“Then I should be there, yes?” Lilith gave her a confused look, “I’m sure Edalyn will have a part for me to play in whatever scheme she concocts, I might as well enjoy the show.”

“You might draw attention with the headphones,” Amity grinned, shooting Luz an amused glance before speaking again, “Let me make sure the voice doesn’t affect you.”

Lilith bounced on her toes, “Are you going to place a charm? How intriguing!” Luz couldn’t remember the last time Lilith had been this excited. Amity took a breath, then blinked, her eyes glittering.

lilith, knowledge seeker, you will never again be compelled to obey my voice.

The black-haired woman shivered, “What an interesting sensation,” she was almost beside herself with delight, “If I may, could I come up with a list of experiments to try with your assistance? Your gift is fascinating.”

Amity sighed and shrugged her shoulders, “It’s been nothing but trouble for me.” She looked up at the black-haired woman, “How can you call it fascinating, much less a gift?”

Lilith gave her a soft, sad smile, “I know your mother, Amity. I have no doubt you see it this way because of her.” She sighed and put a knuckle to her teeth, tapping at her lips as she thought, “There are so many positive applications for a gift like yours. Like… compelling the truth in a court case, or a binding oath for politicians, or perhaps something with negotiations.” Lilith grinned, snapping her fingers. “Those are relatively high-profile—but you’d be a wonderful tour leader at the museum, even, or a school teacher, or perhaps you could specialize in a form of applied, guided therapy.” She turned her gaze back down to the pair of hopeful golden eyes, “Don’t let your mother’s greed and selfishness convince you that there are only cruel uses for your gift.”

Amity gulped and wiped at her eyes, “I’ll try,” she whispered.

Lilith held out a hand, paused for a moment, then patted the pale girl on the shoulder. “I look forward to our next meeting, Amity,” the tall woman said, then she turned and walked out the front door.

Luz felt it would be best to change clothes before venturing down into the workshop. She had pulled off her sweatshirt to show Amity a scar on her upper arm, “I got this from the grinder once; I’d been wearing this baggy shirt, and the fabric got caught in the machine.” She chuckled and shook her head, “Scared the sh*t outta me, it happened so fast. But Eda had been watching me like a hawk and yanked me back before it could do more damage.” Amity had paled at the story, but Luz was quick to reassure her, “Actually though, we’re probably not going to need to worry about that, but I didn’t think you’d want to get grease on your pajamas.” Luz pulled one of her favorite older, slightly-too-small black Good Witch Azura shirts from her dresser, along with a pair of jean shorts with rolled cuffs. “These should fit you well enough, I have some belts hung up in the closet if these are too loose,” the taller girl said softly as she handed the outfit to the pale girl, “If you fold those up,” Luz motioned toward what Amity was currently wearing, “you can wear them again tonight.”

Amity looked up at her, golden eyes wide and hopeful as she whispered, “yeah… tonight.” She blinked away gathering moisture in her eyes and looked down at the shirt and shorts, “Thanks, Luz,” she added.

“I’ll grab some clothes and go change in the bathroom,” the brown-haired girl pointed a thumb out her bedroom door as she walked back to her dresser, grabbing a pair of brown chinos and a black tank top with the top edge of a neon print visible. “Meet me in the hallway, alright?” Amity nodded, and Luz walked out the door, closing it gently behind her. She hurried to the bathroom to change, balling up her pajamas as she stepped into the pants. She paused for a moment to check the angry bruises on her stomach and chest before she pulled the “Bad Girl Coven” tank top on, the bands of her purple sports bra just visible in the arm holes. She grabbed a couple more Motrin from the medicine cabinet and picked up her messily folded pajamas.

Amity was leaning against the wall opposite the door, King curling himself around her legs as he shoved his head into her side, the pale girl scratching between his ears. “Good boy,” Luz grinned, “protect Amity,” she said, patting his back as she leaned into her bedroom doorway to toss her clothes at her bed. She saw the burner on her dresser, blinking with a new message, so she leaned further to pick it up. She turned back to the pale girl and smiled. The Azura t-shirt collar was wide—stretched out over time and Luz’s hair—and exposed a hint of pale collarbone under the ugly purple metal wrapped around Amity’s neck. She had tucked it in, bloused over the waist of the jean shorts for the whole print to show. “Everything fits okay?” Luz asked softly, “You look cute,” she added.

Amity turned a hint of pink and nodded, brushing at the front of her borrowed Azura shirt, “Yes, thank you.” She looked up at the brown-haired girl and smiled, “You look nice as well.”

“D’aww, shucks,” Luz grinned, “Let’s getcha down to Eda.”

They paused in the kitchen long enough for Luz to swallow the Motrin with a drink of water, then she led Amity toward the stairs. “Stay up here, King,” she ordered the dog, and he grunted a huff and went to lay down in the sunlight.

They were halfway down the stairs when Luz glanced over her shoulder, “Can I ask you something?”

Amity blinked and smiled, “Of course.”

Luz pulled her fingers through her hair and chuckled, “I was just curious, is all. You don’t have to answer if—”

“Luz.”

“Fine, fine, so,” the taller girl chuckled as she opened the door at the bottom of the stairs, leading the girls through the back of the cramped storefront storage area toward the concrete steps to the basem*nt, “When you gave your protection to Lilith, you called her knowledge seeker, and you called Mamí your gracious caretaker,” Luz glanced over her shoulder again and saw the red blush high up around the pale girl’s eyes, “I just wondered where those… uh… titles came from.”

“I just… feel it,” Amity said softly, at her back, “Like it’s a part of who they are.”

Luz hummed in response as she opened the steel fire door at the bottom of the steps and both girls flinched at the sudden whine of machinery mixed with pounding rock-and-roll music roaring up the stairs. “EDA!” Luz yelled, squinting, as Amity covered her ears. “EDA! Dammit,” the brown-haired girl stomped over to the stereo to press pause, lessening the din slightly.

Eda popped her head up from where she had been working, blinking owlishly behind her safety goggles, “OH HEY GIRLS,” she yelled, flipping toggles on the control panel to shut down the grinder, “I DIDN’T HEAR YOU COME IN.” The machine cycled into silence, and the gray-haired woman pulled the earmuffs off her head to hang around her neck, “ARE YA— oops, are ya ready for me to take a look at that thing?”

Amity lowered her hands from her ears and nodded, walking over to the work table Eda pointed at, frowning slightly at the scuffed metal tabletop. Eda chuckled as she set a tall stool down beside the girl and patted it, “Hop up here, Boots.” The gray-haired woman laid a rolled-up work mat beside the girl and pushed it open, revealing a selection of small tools and screwdrivers. “Here, put these on,” Eda said, handing her a pair of safety goggles, “doubt you’ll need ‘em, but better safe than sorry.”

“Need help with anything?” Luz asked, pulling herself atop a nearby table.

“Nah, just investigating,” Eda said as she pulled her own goggles back on, flipping down a magnifying lens, her golden-orange eyes growing huge. “Oh, right,” she flipped the lens back up to look Amity in the eye, “Let me know right away if anything feels funny, okay? Here’s a little squealer keychain,” Eda handed Amity a small black plastic clicker, pressing the button to set off an obnoxious shriek, “in case something I do reactivates the silencer and you can’t yell for me to stop.”

Amity nodded, looking up at the woman, “Thank you, Eda. You’re so thoughtful,” she looked down at her hands before adding, “Luz… has… a great pair of role models.”

Eda chuckled and patted the top of the girl’s hair, “Nah, she’s better than the both of us put together. But yer welcome, kid.” Luz watched her stepmother get to work, gently directing the pale girl to turn her head or raise her chin as needed. She pulled the burner out of her pocket.

[em-b] Me and ed are on the road to Latissa
[em-b] that’s where you told Odalia you were, right?
[a-b] yeah, A told her outside Latissa

It didn’t take long for a response to buzz her palm.

[em-b] What happened last night?
[em-b] She had been livid all evening
[em-b] then she got a phone call and went back to her smug self

Luz rubbed at her forehead, wondering how best to put it. She began typing.

[a-b] your company ran a commercial with a trigger and subliminal message
[a-b] for her to incapacitate us and call home
[em-b] what the f*ck
[em-b] are you ok?
[a-b] we’re good here. She snapped out of it mid-talk with your mom
[a-b] and she told her we were in Latissa
[a-b] it gave her a scare, though

The brown-haired girl looked up to see Amity holding her chin up in the air, a few wires and leads running to small machines on Eda’s work table. An oscilloscope hummed away and a voltmeter flickered a series of numbers. The tall woman peered close to the collar with her magnifiers, gently probing at the hinged plates with a pair of tweezers and a dental pick. “You good?” Luz asked the other girl. Thumbs-up. She gave her a grin and looked back down at the burner.

[em-b] She made me so mad after the call
[em-b] all she cared about was that Amity made it here for the concert
[em-b] because of “her work”
[em-b] She didn’t care how she would get back
[em-b] “She’ll walk if she needs to”
[em-b] we thought we’d help cover by saying we were picking her up
[em-b] that she called us early this morning for a ride
[a-b] thanks, that was smart
[a-b] we’ll need all the help we can get

Luz heard Eda heave a sigh, so she wrapped it up.

[a-b] i’m going to be there tonight
[a-b] if you can get me a ticket or on the approved list, whatever, that’d be great
[em-b] we’ll get you on the list

“I’m sorry, Boots, but I can’t make heads or tails of this thing,” Eda wiped her hands off on a rag, then moved to unclip the leads from the collar. “Most of the panels only move so far, and there aren’t any data ports or connectors I recognize. Don’t see anything new that might be a connector.” She crossed her arms and leaned back against the work table as Amity rubbed at her neck, tilting her head from side to side. “I could barely keep up with Alador in high school,” the gray-haired woman begrudgingly admitted, “This looks like his work to me, but it’s so far beyond anything of his I’ve seen before.”

Amity stared at the tall woman as Luz looked up at the name, “Alador? Emira mentioned that name” She pulled the burner out and read the text from the night before, “We found info about Alador, Odalia did the same thing to him. And when I asked if she meant brainwashing, she said yes.” Amity’s face paled in horror and Eda just nodded. Luz looked from one to the other, then asked, “Who’s Alador?”

“My father!” Amity choked out as Eda tilted her head toward the girl on the stool, “Her dad.” Eda shook her head, “Brainwashed, huh? Boots, when was the last time you saw your old man?”

The pale girl looked down at her fingers for a moment, making a thoughtful sound, “It’s… it’s been a long time.” She glanced up at Luz, then looked back to Eda, “Probably soon after the voi— my gift appeared.”

Eda sighed, rubbing her forehead, “So the bitch put your dad under lock and key, and hyper-focused him on designing products?” She shook her head with a sneer, “No wonder Blight Industries tech is so far ahead, your dad is a genius.” She motioned at Amity’s neck, “Not to make light of your situation, but that thing is a work of art.”

Luz slipped off the table to stand beside Amity, putting a hand on her back, “How does it feel using your gift since it unlocked? It seemed like you were in pain yesterday, but not this morning.”

Amity nodded slowly, “Yes, before, it was like I had to push through the silencing effect. The last few times have been very easy.”

Eda tapped her chin, “I wonder if it’s been making your gift stronger,” she hummed, “like exercising a muscle, the collar providing resistance.”

“I… I don’t know… I don’t know how long I’ve had it,” Amity rubbed her hands together, “There’s so much I don’t remember of the last few years.”

Eda scoffed, “That’s really f*cked up, kid.”

Luz gasped, “Eda!”

“What, it’s true!” the tall woman managed to look chagrined, “Sorry Boots.”

“She’ll have to take it off of me before the performance,” Amity said with a quiet dread in her eyes, “I have to confront her tonight, before I go on stage.” She looked up at Luz and Eda, “I’m done being her puppet.”

“Attagirl,” Eda had a proud look on her face, “we’ll turn you into a Bad Girl yet.” She nodded toward the stairs, “Let’s go work out some details for this evening.”

Chapter 12

Chapter Text

The three spent some time deliberating over what needed to happen that night. Amity gave them a rough outline of how the performances usually went: hours in makeup and wardrobe, last-minute dress fittings and alterations, pre-sound checks, possibly a brief media appearance—press conference or interview—then the performance itself. Any after-parties or gatherings would depend on the location and guest list. She couldn't remember much of the last several concerts, which only served to anger them all that much more. The pale girl didn’t think any media appearances would happen, nor did she expect any kind of event afterward. She suspected her mother would shuttle her off to some dark hole in the ground as soon as the curtain fell.

Eda boiled it down to the basics, “One: we gotta disrupt the show, y’know, really toss a spanner in the works, and two: get you outta there.”

Luz started to protest, “But what about Odalia? What if she—”

“These are the absolute minimum requirements for success, Luz,” Eda interrupted, her hands pinched in emphasis, “Would I like to get her slapped in handcuffs? Yes.” She chuckled a growl and waggled her eyebrows, “Oh-ho boy, would I, but is getting her in cuffs more important than getting Amity home? No.”

The brown-haired girl looked down at the table as she considered that. “You’re… you’re right,” She glanced over at Amity, then back up to Eda, “Her safety is more important than justice.”

The gray-haired woman laughed and raised her palms, “Now, now, we might still be able to swing both,” she glanced between the girls, “But if push comes to shove, I know which option I’m taking. Just so you know.” Both girls nodded and made sounds of agreement.

“I’ll be honest, girls, we’ve only got a few people on our side,” Eda said as she studied the notes and diagrams she’d been scribbling all morning, “We’ve got Steve, Lilith, and the twins in our pocket.”

“Eda, six people?” Luz sounded worried and Amity looked the part.

“Hey, now, a six-person strike team can do what an army can’t,” the tall woman’s voice was sure as she tapped at her plans with the edge of her fingers, “We need a surgical hit here, we don’t gotta f*ckin' worry 'bout a three-front war.” She turned a worried gaze on Amity, “I know this isn't what you want to hear, but a lot of my plan will fall on your shoulders.”

Amity frowned and shook her head, “No, Eda, I'll do my part, I have to.” She looked uncertain, then she added, “I'll… I know I'll need help. But I have to stand up to her.”

Eda nodded with a glint of pride in her eye, “I knew you had some steel in there, Boots.” She turned her eyes to Luz, “Your job, kiddo,” she pointed, “is to wake her up.” The gray-haired woman splayed her fingers over her papers, spreading them out across the table, “I have a disguise in mind for you, I'll bring it to the Museum later, gotta fabricate a piece.” She locked eyes with Luz, “I can get you in place, in the audience,” she tapped at a seating chart, “but whatever you see in there? I won't be able to help you. I gotta stay outside and do my part.” Eda blew out a breath, glancing between the girls, “None of us know what Odalia's showing the crowd, so I can't plan for sh*t.”

“Eda,” Luz assured her, “It'll be alright.”

“Goddamn right it will!” Eda crossed her arms and raised her chin, examining the brown-haired girl, “You're the best kid I know. You're imaginative, and quick on your feet. You've got this.” She reached across the table to put her hand on Luz's shoulder, “No matter what happens, I'm proud of you.”

“But what about Odalia?” Amity asked, hesitantly.

“As long as I've known her, that asshole's always done the same thing.” Eda started tapping off fingertips as she spoke, “She has a plan. If it starts to fail, she doubles down. When that fails, she runs away.” She put her hands on her hips, “It's what she did all through high school, and all her business deals are the same.”

“What do you think she'll do?” Luz asked, biting at her fingernails.

“My guess is, she'll keep playing Raine's songs, new ones, maybe, I dunno how many they had come up with.” Eda pointed at Amity, “She's gonna try to keep you locked down. You can shift the balance of power on the battlefield all on your own, kid, don't sell yourself short.” She looked at Luz, “She'll try to keep Amity wrapped up, you gotta help her break free.” The gray-haired woman shook her head, “As many times as it takes.”

“No matter what,” Luz promised, putting a hand on Amity's shoulder.

“Odalia's good with contracts, she might've figured out you can make people immune to your gift, so don't expect her to just roll over.” Eda sneered, “She'll put up a fight—she gets nasty—but she also knows when she's lost.” She looked between the girls, “You two hold out long enough, she'll cut and run.”

Both girls shared a look, then gave the tall woman a nod. Eda's firm expression grew soft as she watched them fidget under her gaze, “Girls, it's gonna be rough tonight. I'm not gonna sugarcoat it.” She sighed and ran both hands through her mane of gray, “I have no idea what you're gonna go through, and that's gotta be f*ckin' terrifying, so you two take some time.” Amity looked puzzled and Luz raised an eyebrow. Eda rolled her eyes, “ugh, kids, look—” she rubbed at her forehead, “Sitting here worrying will just get you up in your heads, so go out, have some fun.” She pulled out her wallet and tossed a few bills across the table to Luz, “You got a few hours before showtime; go get lunch, make some good memories, focus on this disgustingly adorable thing you two have going on—”

Amity paled then immediately went red as a brick, and Luz groaned “ohmygod” into her hands.

Eda laughed, “I can see it, Cam and Lily could see it—”

“Shut up, shut UP,” Luz hissed between her fingers as Amity stared at the floor in mute horror.

“—this is what you're fighting for, tonight. Okay?” The tall woman gave them a fond look, “So go have some fun,” then she donned a sarcastic grin, “but don't do anything I would do!”

“OMIGAWD WE'RE LEAVING!” Luz yelled, snatching the money off the table before dragging Amity down the hall to her bedroom.

Luz slammed the door to her room, half in embarrassment, and half to muffle her stepmom's mad laughter echoing from the kitchen. “Oh my sh*t I am so sorry,” she hissed, her hands clawed in front of her darkened face, “she gets like that sometimes, and—” She turned to see Amity standing beside her door, looking uncertain. “Hey,” she breathed, “you okay, cariño?”

“You're not…” Amity waved her hand, then tangled her fingers together at her waist in concern, “you're not worried what they think about us?” She tugged at her fingers nervously, and held herself curled in, worried. Luz walked over to hold out her hand, palm up.

“What's to worry about?” the brown-haired girl said as Amity curled her fingers around her own, rubbing her thumb over pale, slender knuckles. “All they want is for us to be safe and happy.” She reached her free hand out to run a thumb across the smaller girl's chin, “And you make me happy.” Luz grinned, and slowly Amity returned the smile.

“You make me happy too,” Amity whispered. She giggled as Luz reached up with both hands to card through her hair, pushing her green locks back over her ears and placing a gentle kiss at her hairline, where the auburn roots had grown in a few inches. The pale girl wrapped her hands around Luz’s wrists and hummed as the taller girl breathed out into her hair.

“That’s good,” Luz said, softly, “That’s all we need. We’ll figure the rest out later, okay?” The smaller girl nodded and pushed forward under the tanned girl’s chin for a hug. They held each other for a minute, relaxing, when Luz admitted, “As obnoxious as Eda was being, she’s right. We’ll just drive ourselves crazy sitting here.” She pulled back to look down into Amity’s eyes, “What would you like to do?”

“Honestly… I don’t know,” came the response, “I wouldn’t know where to begin.”

Luz laughed, “Alright,” she scratched at her head before groaning, “Let’s pull a page from Eda’s playbook, a’ight?” Amity co*cked an eyebrow as Luz waggled her fingers, motioning out to encompass the world beyond their room, “Is there any gross-coupley activity you’ve always wanted to do?”

Amity turned a little pink and looked away as she considered, “Well… I… I always wanted to… to go on a picnic.”

The brown-haired girl gasped, her eyes sparkling, “That’s it!” she exclaimed, “That’s what we’re doing!” She was practically vibrating with glee, “omigosh, Amity, I’ve always wanted to have a romantic picnic too!” She stamped her feet as she squealed into her hands, “Okay!” She glanced around, “Uh, right, blanket!” She pulled the comforter off her bed, then dropped it, “Nope,” she snapped her fingers, “Hall closet.” Then she froze, “Wait, my outfit for tonight.” She turned back to Amity, “Let me toss it together real quick; I’ll put it in a garment bag for Eda to bring with her to the Museum, and then you and I,” she waggled her eyebrows and Amity giggled into her hand, “will have a nice takeout meal on the Yard. Chinese food?”

“Why don’t you get your outfit together,” Amity said calmly, nodding as she patted Luz’s arm, “while I go give Eda my protection before I forget.”

Luz nodded and the pale girl left the bedroom while she turned back to her closet. She’d had an idea the night before, and everything she needed should be clean. Where is it, she thought as she pushed into the less-used portion of her clothing, Ah-ha. She pulled a purple dress out on its hanger and hooked it on the closet door. She rifled through her jackets and found the fitted black suitcoat with tails. Her owl-in-flight necklace went over the dress’s hanger, and she found a pair of dark gray tights to drape under the suitcoat. I’ll just wear my black boots today. She had a small bag of toiletries ready to go, so she dropped that into the bottom of her garment bag and hooked the clothes hangers through the top. She dropped a big pair of dark sunglasses into the suitcoat pocket and zipped up the bag. She snapped her fingers and unzipped the bag just enough to drop in the sap gloves from the night before, and then fished around in the green army jacket’s pockets to see if she’d missed anything.

Her hand closed around something flat and slightly sharp in one of the outside hip pockets, and she pulled out the little white cats-head medallion she’d given to Amity the day before. Its ears and the top of its face were stained with blood. Luz smiled at it, then placed it in her pants pocket. I’ll have Eda fix it with a new chain, then give it back to her later. She looked around the room and whispered, “I think that’s it,” as she zipped her garment bag again, then turned toward the door. Amity had just poked her head in, and Luz caught a glimpse of her collar. “Right,” the brown-haired girl said, “Here, you can use this,” she reached back into her closet and pulled out a purple and white striped scarf and held it out to the pale girl.

“Ugh,” Amity groaned, “I’d almost forgotten,” she reached out for the plaid fabric and patted it gently. “Thank you, Luz,” she smiled up at the taller girl. “Are you all set?”

“Yyyup,” Luz replied, popping the ‘p’ sound, “Let me drop this off with Eda, and we’ll head out.” She pulled a red-and-black plaid western-cut shirt from her chair and shrugged it on before closing her door. Amity stood in the hall tying the scarf in a stylish knot around her neck as Luz pulled a thick blanket from the closet beside the bathroom.

“EDA!” the brown-haired girl yelled into the kitchen and a muffled WHAT came from the living room. The girls walked in to see the gray-haired woman strapping a harness around King’s shoulders and stomach, petting his back, and making soft kissy noises as he stared pointedly away from her. “He’s not carrying bombs again, right?” Luz grinned, winking at Amity when she turned horrified eyes up at the taller girl.

“It was one time,” Eda exclaimed, shaking her fists in the air, “He loves the mayhem!” She scratched at the dog’s bone-white head, “Don’t you boy, you love mayhem.” King growled a huff in long-suffering patience, then yawned.

“Here’s my outfit for tonight,” Luz said, holding up the garment bag, and shuffling the picnic blanket to her other arm, “Can you bring it to the museum?” She nodded toward the shoes, and Amity stepped over to find a pair that would fit.

“Sure thing, kiddo,” her stepmother replied, pointing a thumb at the couch, “Drape it there, I’ll bring it with the rest of the gear.”

“Thanks, Mama.” Luz walked over to push a kiss into her hair, then slipped her hand into her pocket for the cats-head medallion, “If you have time—no rush—can you get this a new chain?” She dropped it into Eda’s palm.

“Boots did this?” the taller woman made a grunt of surprise, turning it over to see the blood staining the ears and face, “Holy sh*t kid, you better hold on tight.”

“Eda!”

“Yeah, I’ll fix it,” the gray-haired woman laughed, waving the girls off, “Have fun. I’ll text you.”

Luz slipped her boots on and stepped out the door, sitting on the top step to lace them up. Amity stood beside her, looking down at her with a smile, holding the folded blanket for the taller girl. Luz grinned up at her, “You know what you want to eat?” Amity frowned and shook her head. “Ah, no worries. We could settle for some fried rice, but I’ll pull up their menu once we get to the subway.”

They walked hand-in-hand to the subway station, enjoying the warm, summer day, the clear blue sky, and talked about their favorite theories regarding their favorite book series. As it turned out, Amity had read the first four books multiple times when she was younger, and while she hadn't had the chance to pick up a copy in recent years, she still knew her trivia. Luz was impressed and crushing harder than ever. They quizzed each other mercilessly, striving to find something to stump the other girl. Luz let Amity ramble with her theories on where the fifth and sixth books would head, slightly terrified at how close the girl was hitting on some of her guesses. They sat in the corner of the subway carriage, laughing and joking, enjoying their time together. It was everything Luz had ever wanted.

They were so wrapped up in their conversation they forgot to check the menu for the Chinese place ahead of time. Amity wasn't sure what she'd like, so Luz ordered a couple of the combination plates with three different choices each, a packet of spring rolls, and a carton of chicken fried rice. The pale girl held the picnic blanket in one hand and wrapped her other arm around Luz's waist, slightly pink and grinning so wide as they walked up the station stairs to begin their journey to the park.

Once they drew close, the taller girl gestured toward a few different areas, “Did you want to sit right next to a tree, or just in the shade?” Luz looked down at Amity, “We could hide a bit under the willow or have more open air under an oak.” She grinned down at the pale girl smiling her way, “Whatever you want, cariño.”

Amity pointed to a small hill with a tall oak tree at the crown. Its branches were wide, shading a large patch of grass, with a clear view of much of the surrounding park. “Is that spot okay?” She asked after a moment.

Luz nodded, “Of course. Lead the way.”

They laid the blanket out in the shade and began to sample their lunch. Amity had seemed partial to the chicken-based dishes, but she appreciated the simple flavors of the beef and broccoli. She kept looking up at Luz and blushing, her eyes sparkling in the afternoon sun. The pale girl was sitting up, her legs curled to her side, while Luz had laid down and propped herself on her elbow, idly poking at vegetables with her fork. “I'm scared, Luz,” Amity admitted with a smile, her words at odds with her expression until she continued, “But I've had such a good time this afternoon.” She wiped her fingers on her napkin and sighed, looking out at the park, “You were right, what you said last night.” Her face grew hard, “I have to fight for the future I want.” Amity's eyes softened as she turned them toward Luz, “Thank you for showing me what it could be like.” She held her hand out and Luz was quick to lace their fingers together, “This is what I'm fighting for.”

Luz grinned, “Me too.”

The burner made a soft bleep-bleep, and Amity pulled it from her pocket. Her eyes tightened as she flipped it open and put it to her ear. Luz went still until the pale girl spoke, “Hello, Emira.” Luz squeezed her fingers and Amity squeezed back, “Uh-huh, yes. We're at the Yard now, the…” she glanced around in confusion before Luz whispered north-west corner for her to repeat into the phone, then, “Yes, I can see the avenue from here. Okay. T-Ten minutes.” She sighed and whispered, “Soon, yeah. Bye.” She closed the phone and held it down in her lap, running her thumb across its plastic surface.

Luz sat up and crawled around the blanket to kneel facing in the general direction of the avenue marking the northern border of the Yard. She gave Amity's hand a gentle tug and pulled the smaller girl to lay her down against her legs, cradling the quiet girl's head in her lap. Amity closed her eyes as Luz began running her fingers through her hair, scratching at her scalp and humming a gentle tune. The taller girl swiped a tanned knuckle across a pale cheek, catching a tear before it could fall.

“I can't… imagine… what you're feeling,” Luz had to clear her throat, before promising, “but I will be there tonight, to bring you home.” She held her palm against the pale girl's jaw, and Amity pressed into the touch. “You're not alone anymore.” Amity nodded and grabbed her wrist with both hands, curling slightly onto her side to be closer to Luz.

All too soon, a ridiculously expensive sports car rumbled up to the curb across the field. The twins climbed out and ran across the grass, their heads on a swivel looking for their sister until Luz raised an arm to wave them over. The green-haired man slowed as he approached the hill, stopping several strides away, while Emira came up to the blanket with quick steps, slowing as she crouched near Luz's elbow to look down at Amity's distraught expression. “Mittens?” the well-dressed girl said, reaching out to place her fingertips against her sister's arm.

“I don't want to go,” Amity whispered into Luz's stomach.

Emira clicked her teeth, “I know, I'm so sorry,” she looked up at Luz, “Odalia will be here soon. We're to meet her in the Atrium.” Luz nodded, and Emira reached for her hand. “Thank you, Luz,” the green-haired girl said, locking eyes with her, “for everything. We have your name on the guest list tonight,” she gave an embarrassed smile, “It's the best we could do.”

“It's enough,” Luz grinned, “Thanks.” She looked down at the girl in her arms and whispered, “It's showtime, cariño.” Amity grumbled as she sat up, but breathed a sigh when Luz gave her a hug. “We've got your back,” the taller girl whispered, then cupped her face to look into her eyes, “Repeat after me: we can do this, together.”

“We—” Amity gulped, then whispered, “We can do this… together.”

Emira helped Amity to her feet, and they turned away toward their shiny vehicle. The green-haired girl wrapped her arm around her younger sister's shoulder, leaning her head close as they walked. Edric gave a jaunty salute, then turned to follow, jogging to catch up and wrap his arm around his little sister from the other side.

Luz stood and watched them go as she fisted her hands in her pockets. She watched until they all climbed into the car and shut the doors. She stooped to gather their lunch containers into the plastic bag as the vehicle roared to life, sliding away from the curb with a throaty grumble. She waved, but the windows were blackened, so she could only hope she had been seen. Luz pulled out her phone, tapping on the new group chat.

[__(OvO)__] changed their name to [Raptor in Gray]
[Raptor in Gray] packing the van now.
[Raptor in Gray] shoulder-pads has a parking spot for me?
[Lilith Clawthorne] yes Edalyn. Steve has a spot for you in the work vehicles lot.
[Lilith Clawthorne] I am at the museum, dear. Let me know when you are close by.
[Lilith Clawthorne] The building is closed to the public now, there was a half-day due to the performance.

She typed out a quick message

[Luzifer] I'm in the Yard, NW corner

She had just rolled up the blanket when a response rumbled in her shirt pocket.

[Lilith Clawthorne] Head to the west staff door.
[Luzifer] on my way

Luz didn't know how long she had to get into position, so she jogged to the west-side concourse and turned left toward the Museum. The picnic blanket was draped around her neck, and she only veered long enough to drop her trash in the first garbage can she passed. She kept her half-run pace steady as long as she could, but it still took her several minutes to pant her way up the sidewalk to the door her aunt was holding open. “Thanks, Tía,” Luz leaned toward Lilith as she jogged past and made a smooch noise near the side of her face, and grinned as the black-haired woman chuckled. She waved over her shoulder and called “I'll meet you in your office!” as she headed down the main corridor.

Luz grabbed the handrail and pulled herself into a sharp turn as she huffed up the marble staircase, pulling herself with her arms as much as she pushed with her shaky legs. She groaned around the switchback and leaned on the banister, pushing herself up the stairs while dragging her face along the cool metal of the railing. The brown-haired girl reached the top of the stairs, sweaty and wheezing, and had to lean against the half-wall for a moment before tottering over to the balcony.

She looked down over the Atrium from the West Hall's second floor. It was empty. Did I get here before—Nope, actually. Three familiar people stood near the South Window Wall, closer to her side of the large open area. She breathed through her mouth to be quiet and did her best to stalk silently down to where the Blight siblings stood. Luz was about to lean over the marble half-wall and let them know she had arrived when a clattering commotion from the direction of the rotunda caught her ear. She ducked back down and peered over the edge of the wall as she pulled out her phone—silenced it—then started the audio recorder, sliding the device toward the gap under the balcony wall.

Odalia Blight angrily strode across the Atrium, her red-soled shoes clacking loud and harsh in the huge room. Her eyes were focused entirely on Amity, who trembled beside her brother. She was tailed by two Suits with earpieces, matching scowls on their faces. Luz noted with pride that one of them had a nasty-looking black eye.

Emira stepped forward to intercept her mother, “Amity contacted us late last night to arrange a ride. We picked her up from Latissa this morning.”

Odalia glanced at her long enough to step around her, stopping in front of Amity. She glared down at the pale girl, “The trailer just arrived. It’s time for wardrobe.” She shot a glare at Edric and he took an instinctual step away. “We’ll go over my notes for your performance tonight,” Odalia’s tone was clipped, “Now.”

Emira started to say, “Mother, we—” but Edric had placed his hand on Amity’s shoulder, “Do you need us there?” he asked his sister. She opened her mouth to reply when Odalia whirled on him.

“Need?!” the woman scoffed, “Do I need you? No.” She leaned forward, baring her teeth, “Not ever. You two are useless.” Amity and Emira gasped as Edric tried to respond, but their mother stepped forward to push her red-painted fingertip into his chest, “The best I can hope for is that you can go one day without being an utter embarrassment. Amity, at least,” the woman turned a brief, sickly sweet smile on her youngest, “was out-of-sight, out-of-mind in the mansion, but you two have been nothing but a string of public-relations disasters.” She turned and shot a hateful glare at Emira, grabbing Amity’s wrist and pulling her away from the twins, “My last three focus group sessions cautioned me not to disown you both, but maybe I’ll get lucky, and you’ll have an accident.” She put her free hand on her hip and looked up in the air, sighing as she imagined. “That might get me some points with the public,” Odalia waved her hand through the air as she spoke, seeing the headlines, “Woman loses only son.”

Edric had stiffened in fear, and Emira took a step toward him, “Mother!” she squeaked.

Odalia turned an eye on Amity, then looked back to her son, “Maybe I should have her tell you to have an accident. What do you think of that, hmm?”

Amity whimpered no, please as Edric gulped and shook his head. Emira looked horrified. Luz had shoved the bottom half of her shirt in her mouth to keep herself from saying anything.

“Then shape up!” Odalia snapped, waving toward the rotunda, “Go mingle with the trash we’ve invited. Perhaps one of them will want to keep you.”

“The guests—” Edric said as Emira asked “Trash?”

Odalia sighed and released Amity, pushing her back against one of the Suits. “If they were truly useful,” the woman stalked forward, slowly, wiping her hands as if they weren’t clean, “they would already be working for me. They were invited for their already-built brands and public followings.” She huffed in irritation, “They have wasted their lives courting the unwashed masses, and I will simply leverage their efforts instead of lowering myself to such things.” She rolled her eyes and then looked at her nails, “Having them sing my praise will help smooth things over before the coronation.” The woman gave them a condescending glare, “Work smarter, children.”

The twins paused, confused, and Emira asked, “Coronation?”

Odalia gave a simpering laugh, “Think of it as a…” she waved her hand in a dismissive gesture, “non-hostile corporate takeover on a global, governmental scale.” She sighed and shook her head as she crossed one arm over her chest, rubbing her nails, “All these silly rules and regulations in different countries, it’s all hardly worth my time to keep straight. Soon, things will be done the way I want them done everywhere I want to go.” She locked eyes with Emira, then Edric, “Admit it,” Odalia raised her chin, daring them to object, “they’re better off with a true Blight in charge.”

“What about—” Amity whispered, then gulped, repeating, “What about father?” Odalia’s face purpled before she turned on the pale girl, and Amity flinched.

“Your father?” The woman hissed, her hands suddenly clawed and grasping, before she quickly balled them in fists, “Don’t you remember?” She managed to recover that same, sickly saccharine tone from earlier, “You were so upset, you told him—” Odalia twisted her voice in emphasis, and Amity went white, “—find a way to fix this—” the woman’s grin was an evil, hateful thing, “—and he was never the same. Ah, such a shame, but I put him to work. He at least contributes to the family business.” She took a few steps toward the Rotunda, “Come along.”

Amity pulled her hands up to her chest and shook her head, horrified, “No— I’m not— I’m not doing this anymore.” The Suit near her grabbed her arm, and the other stepped between her and the twins as they started to protest.

Odalia turned slowly, staring. “I didn’t raise you to talk back,” Her voice was low and dangerous, threatening.

“This is wrong,” Amity said, louder now, “This is all wrong—”

“Don’t think I’ve forgotten,” Odalia hissed as she took a step toward Amity, “about the marks you put on my face.”

“I-I—I won’t be a part—”

“I thought you were made of sterner stuff,” Odalia frowned in disgust, then tugged up her sleeve and clicked a button on her watch. A soft, soothing violin began to play, and Amity ground her teeth, her hands clawing into fists, her eyes clenching shut as she gurgled deep in her throat for a handful of heartbeats before standing up straight, and tall, and silent. She looked at her mother with a placid, glazed expression. “Now, come along darling,” Odalia’s voice was oozing with a viciousness that raised the hair on Luz’s neck, as she used the scarf around Amity’s throat to wipe at the corner of the pale girl’s mouth, “It’s time for wardrobe.” Amity muttered a yes mother as she followed the woman. “We’ll get that collar off,” the green-haired woman said, “Just for the show, of course. It will clash with the outfits I’ve picked out. Blights must look their best at all times,” the woman sighed, pleased with herself, “and how you look on stage reflects on the family.” The pale girl muttered another yes mother. Luz blinked and wiped at the tears streaming down her face.

“Mother,” Emira said, pushing past the Suit, “You can’t—”

“I can’t?” The woman had turned so quickly, so angrily, “What can’t Odalia Blight do?” She motioned to her guards, and the Suits firmly pushed the twins back.

Edric looked at Emira and asked, “What should we do?”

“What should we do?” Odalia echoed, mockingly, then motioned toward their glassy-eyed sister, “She turned out to have some slight usefulness. What have you two ever accomplished?” She stalked forward, snarling, “I thought you might have found her yesterday, but she still managed to run off for the evening.” The spiteful woman scoffed, “Now I have to deal with the extra hassle. What should you do? I’d prefer you to leave, so I won’t have to see you and be reminded of your never-ending disappointments.” She turned away and hissed, “After tonight I can finally wash my hands of the three of you.” Odalia latched onto Amity’s t-shirt sleeve and pulled her under the colonnade and out into the rotunda. The Suits followed soon after.

Edric and Emira had grabbed at each other's arms at some point in her threatening tirade, and after a few minutes of standing in silent shock, they could feel the other trembling. They pulled each other into a hug and tried to stifle their sobs. Luz pawed at her face, wiping at the tears with her damp, wadded-up t-shirt, her jaw aching from holding her tongue, her head, her heart aching with a pain she’d never felt before. The anger that had built up throughout that horrifying confrontation had burned down deep into something else, it sat in her chest like tar and oozed a hatred she had never wanted to experience. Her whole body was shaking with the need to break and to hurt. She pressed the stop button on her audio recorder and immediately sent the file to Eda, Lilith, and Steve. She stood on shaking legs and turned to look down into the Atrium. The twins had stepped apart to wipe at their eyes, and they looked up at the movement on the balcony. They paled further when they realized she had heard it all.

Luz clenched her jaw against the sudden urge to vomit at the absolute fear and dismay on their faces, and waved for them to follow her, “It’s time to go get ready.”

She took deep breaths in and out through her teeth as she led the twins up to her aunt’s office. She was barely keeping her emotions in check, and the green-haired pair at her back looked thoroughly demoralized. Luz knocked gently at Lilith’s door, and the tall woman quickly opened it to usher the three young adults inside. “I have tea prepared,” the black-haired woman said, “If peppermint is not to your liking, I have some chamomile or passion-fruit tea bags I can pull from the cupboard,” She beckoned the twins, urging them to sit on her couch before they collapsed. They followed her—meekly, submissive—and the sight of more Blight children immediately bowing to an adult made the brown-haired girl see red. Luz stood beside the door, shaking in a barely contained fury.

Lilith walked over to her and paled, reaching out gently to touch Luz at the elbow, “Please, sit,” the woman’s voice was a gentle request. A sharp, stinging contrast to what she had just heard the others suffer.

“I’m going—” Luz choked to a halt, running her tongue across her teeth before swallowing. She smelled iron, and her mouth tasted of old, dirty coins, “I’m going to kill her.”

“No,” Lilith shook her head, certain, “You’re better than that.”

Luz clamped her teeth over a sob, “I’m going to break her,” she spat.

The black-haired woman nodded, “That’s better.” She stepped to the side and motioned into her office, “Come, rest. We don’t have long to prepare.”

Chapter 13

Chapter Text

The next hour passed in a red-tinged haze. Luz either sat and tapped her heels against the floor, leaned against the windows to glare angrily outside, or she paced up and down the hallway. Lilith was her usual gracious, disarmingly charming self, and had managed to get the Blight twins talking and laughing with her. She led the twins around her office, pointing out items she had on display, and relayed little histories or anecdotes of interest. Luz couldn't bring herself to join in, no matter how much she loved Tía Lily’s collection. She hated this feeling. She leaned against the stone casem*nt at the north end of her aunt's office, staring out at the activity around the stage. All she could think of was Amity: Amity alone, in that big, ugly, purple and gold trailer parked behind the stage on the Green; Amity, laying on the floor of the rotunda, her mother’s hand dripping blood; Amity clenched and choking as her mother pushed her down under that damn programming, underwater; Amity— She jerked upright when a hand touched her shoulder, flinging herself away from the windows as she wheeled around, ready to claw and bite and—

Eda was standing by Lilith's desk, hands raised and saying, “Whoa, easy there, kiddo.” The gray-haired woman was dressed in a security uniform identical to Steve’s; a dark, long-sleeved shirt and matching pants under a stab vest and a heavy gear belt, radio-and-handset clipped to her shoulder. Her mane of gray was in a French braid, better to fit under the “STAFF” snapback hat she set down on her sister’s desk. “Hey, kiddo—Luz—I’m sorry.”

The brown-haired girl sucked in a single wet breath before she launched herself into her stepmother’s arms, sobbing. Eda staggered backward as she clutched her distraught girl; she shot her sister a look, and Lilith gently led Edric and Emira back to the couch at the far end of the office. Luz blubbered something into Eda’s ear, and the woman chuckled, patting her back, “f*ck, I’m so—I’m so f*ckin’ sorry.” She squeezed the girl tightly—fiercely—lifting her slightly off the floor, then Eda set her down and took a half-step back. “It’s time to get your goddamn warpaint on, kiddo.” Luz looked up at her, teary-eyed and trembling, “We’ve got a plan. We’ll get her away from that… that soul-sucking monster,” Eda snarled.

The woman pointed back at the door, to the garment bag hanging on the knob, “Go grab a shower, get dressed. Lily’s gonna do your makeup, okay?” She chuckled, “She was always better at that than I was.” Luz nodded, then started walking toward the door, sniffing and wiping her sleeve across her eyes. She glanced at the twins and Lilith as she walked past, and gave them a nod.

She took the hottest shower she could stand. It didn’t help scour the sickly dread from her skin or chase the fear from behind her eyes. She took deep breaths of steamy air, but it didn’t help clear the thick blackened residue of hate she felt sticking heavy in her chest. She stared down, watching the water fall to the drain. If she closed her eyes for too long she’d see Amity, hands clawed and choking. Drowning.

She dressed quickly. Dark gray tights under the high-necked sleeveless dark purple dress. The skirt was cut at angles from roughly mid-thigh on the sides to taper down in the middle to slightly below the knee in the back, and slightly above the knee in the front. The inner panel of the skirt was a rich, deep midnight purple flecked with constellations. She put on the bronze owl-in-flight necklace and adjusted the chain, letting it hang at the top of her sternum. She carried the black suit coat over one arm and the garment bag over her other shoulder, and she walked quickly from the dressing room to her aunt’s office.

Lilith had changed while she was gone, now in a long dark navy panel dress with a blue crystal necklace dangling above her chest. King was lying beside her desk wearing a bright yellow and white “BLIND GUIDE” fabric wrapped around the harness strapped to his back. Edric was petting him with a gleeful look on his face, as Emira stood back to watch in amusem*nt. Eda was packing a rucksack with some gear, and then she shook out several large tubes of tennis balls on top of everything. She had a pair of machinist’s headphones around her neck and another pair on the strap of her bag. Luz tossed her the sap gloves she’d borrowed the day before and Eda grunted a laugh and a Thanks.

“Luz, come sit down,” Lilith motioned at a stool beside a white lamp, and she pulled a tray of makeup closer. Luz sat and wiggled a bit as the black-haired woman closely examined her face. “You won’t need much due to your disguise,” Lilith said kindly as she pulled out some foundation and a brush, “but I need to cover the bruise on your cheek.” She peered closer at the stitched eyebrow and made a worried face, “I… I believe I would be at risk of defenestration if Camila discovered I put anything on that.”

“It’s okay,” Luz said, confidently, “My sunglasses should cover it.”

“Excellent thinking, my dear,” Lilith replied as she quickly and carefully hid the other signs of the previous night’s struggle that Luz carried. When she finished, she stepped away to offer her help to Emira.

Eda walked over and handed Luz a long, white cane with a red painted section at the bottom, capped with a ping-pong ball. The brown-haired girl grunted at its heft. “It’s… well… not as heavy as I expected.” She waved it up and down, “It’s fairly well balanced, though.”

The gray-haired woman crossed her arms, “Yeah, I repurposed some titanium golf clubs.” She grinned wide, her gold canine flashing, “I wanted you to be able to hit somebody with it and not worry about it breaking,” she said as she waggled her eyebrows. She held out a small earpiece, “Here, let me put this in for you.” Eda leaned close, pushing her slicked-back hair away from her left ear, and said, “It’s gonna feel weird.”

“Why would it—ugh!” Luz gagged as she felt it slide into her ear, “Is it wet? What the hell!”

“Nah, it’s just this weird material,” Eda frowned in concentration as she flipped the little switch on its outer edge with her fingernail and Luz heard it blooonk softly. “Alright, you should be able to hear us talk to you if we transmit, and yours is always transmitting. ‘Kay?” She stepped back and put her hands on her hips, “That way, if you need a distraction real quick, all you gotta do is say so.”

“Yeah, that—that makes sense. Thanks,” Luz said, rubbing at the rim of her ear as she whispered, “Gross.”

Eda nodded and held out a ticket, “Here’s your pass, green-and-mean here,” she tipped her head at Emira, “said your face and fake name are on the charts already.”

Luz stood and shrugged on the black suit coat, smoothing out the tails. “Her call sign is Polaris,” the brown-eyed girl smirked as Eda shot Emira an impressed look.

“Not bad,” the gray-haired woman nodded, handing Luz her papers, as Edric stood up waving his hand.

“Cosmo,” Luz said as she pointed at him.

“Yes!” he crowed in delight as he knelt back down to scratch between King’s ears. Emira covered her mouth as she held out a fist for Luz to bump.

Eda chuckled, and shook her head, “Steve will walk you to your seat to be polite, but also to avoid the metal detectors.” She patted at the headphones hanging around her neck, “I’ll give him a pair of these before the show starts.” The gray-haired woman turned to the twins, “You two know what you’re doing?” They nodded, and Edric held up a music player with a handful of cables. “Great, you’re the first distraction.”

Luz nodded, “I don’t know when I’ll need it, so try to get in position as quick as you can.” She looked at the green-haired man, “I’ll try to say something like ‘Cosmo, now’, I guess, so just be listening.”

“I’m on it,” Edric said, shoving the device back into his inner jacket pocket.

Eda pointed at Luz and snapped her fingers, “That’s good, yeah. I’ll be setting up stuff to cause some chaos, but if you need another distraction, I’ll try to think of something.”

“You’re gonna hafta be real careful, Eda,” Luz cautioned her, “Any politician in the audience might have their own security team.”

“Think about it, kiddo,” her stepmother shook her head, “Anyone down there’s gonna get wrapped up in the music. Doesn’t matter who. Only Odalia’s men will have both ears plugged,” Eda looked at the twins and pointed at her neck, “So if you kids see one of your mom’s guys with a wired earpiece, try to yank it out.” She shrugged, “If they’re tryin’a catch you, maybe it’ll let you get away.”

Lilith had walked to the windows to look out at the Green, then turned and called, “It’s time.”

~

“Right this way, Miss Featherwhyle,” Steve said gently, his hand at Luz’s left elbow, her white cane held upright in the same hand. King padded softly at her right side as she carefully held the handle for his harness. It was hard to stare straight ahead as she walked, or only move her head to tilt her ears around. Eda felt the dim lighting and flashing camera bulbs would help mask any poor acting on the brown-haired girl’s part, But she wasn’t the one being frog-marched through the Blight Industries security checkpoint. Luz tried to keep the snarl off her lips. That wasn’t a nice thought, Luz, she scolded herself. The twins had swung her a fourth-row seat on the aisle—thanks to her guide dog—which suited her fine. The closer she was to the stage the quicker she could reach Amity. She tried to even out her breathing by taking long, slow breaths in, holding for three steps, then a long, slow breath out. There were so many fancily dressed people all around her, talking to each other and laughing. The level of noise made her want to cringe, which worked in her disguise’s favor. She had only recognized a few of the faces they had passed.

“Who are all these people?” Luz tipped her head toward Steve’s shoulder to ask, and he shrugged.

“I’ve seen a few celebrities and musicians, but I think the large majority are security or financial industry families, y’know, your standard rich people.” Steve’s eyes darted left and right, assessing the movement of the nearby clusters of people to carefully steer his “guest” through.

Eda’s voice cut through into Luz’s earpiece, “I see a lot of low-level regional and national politicians. These guys you won’t see on TV, but they drive a lot of policy and decision-making, and they’ll climb the ranks in the future.”

Luz hummed a disgusted note, “Makes sense. The neck turns the head.”

They finally stepped through the last lingering swirls of conversation and entered the central seating aisle. There were four sections of seats angled roughly to follow the contours of the stage front; while there were a fairly sizable number of older folks moving to their seats already, the younger, upwardly-mobile types wouldn’t start to sit until the lights of the Green began to dim. They walked to the fourth row, and she told King to sit when her guide paused. Steve made a show of helping her sit down, pointing out the angle of the chair legs, and wishing her a wonderful listening experience during the Siren at the Museum. There was an older gentleman in an out-of-fashion—but well-kept—suit with a head full of long, straight black hair in the seat next to hers. Luz had tried to catch a glimpse of the man as Steve helped her sit, and assumed his vision was why he was sitting where her blind persona had also been placed. His left eyelid was closed and it hung limp as if he were missing the eye itself, and he had what looked like several scars across the other side of his face. Steve greeted him as if they were old friends, and they spoke pleasantly for a moment before the Head of Security made his way back to his temporary post beyond the seating area.

She heard the man turn slightly in his seat and say, “Ah, do forgive me,” in a well-mannered, kind voice. It was raspy and deep and had a hint of good humor. “I should have asked for an introduction from our mutual friend. Hello,” the man said to Luz, “My name is Hieronymus.”

Luz smiled and carefully kept her eyes still, “Oh, my apologies,” she chuckled, “It was so loud back through there, I hadn’t heard you before now.” She leaned toward him and held her hand out somewhat, “Mildred,” she laughed at his soft oh my, I’m terribly sorry, when he clasped her hand gently, “It’s a family name. My friends call me ‘Red’. It’s so nice to meet you, Hieronymus.”

“Red, then? Well, if I may, it’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.” He watched her nervously twist her cane between her hands, “Is this your first time here at the Met?”

Luz sniffed and laughed, “Yes, actually.” She shrugged and tilted her head, “Well, for a performance. I… I was here with a friend, recently,” She sighed, “To see the art.” She felt him looking at her with something close to pity, and she quickly added, “Do forgive me, I’m not— terribly fond of crowds these days, so I'm a little… on edge.”

The lights in the Green began to dim, and he pulled a pocket watch from his vest and checked the time, “No need to worry, my dear. I believe it’s starting very soon.”

~

The twins were loitering in their car, masked by its dark, tinted windows; it was still parked on the street in front of the Museum with all the other Blight Industries vehicles and equipment. They had hidden there to keep an eye on any movement in or out of their sister's tour bus. Edric had been narrowing down his list of songs to play for his distraction, and his nervous non-stop monologue as he thought out loud had been slowly grinding away at Emira’s will to live. “...so yeah, it’s iconic. It’s instantly recognizable. But maybe it’s too on the nose? It’s cliche, sure, but because it’s awesome. But maybe there’s a better option, one that makes you go ‘oh yeah, this guy gets it.’ or ‘this guy listens to good music.’ One of those. But maybe I shouldn’t because the part I would want to play is full of eff-bombs, and this is a public area. I wouldn’t want the Museum to get fined for—oh wait, our company would get fined. Well, that one’s back on the table. It’d be nice, anyway, to get some kind of recogni—”

Emira interrupted him as she jabbed a finger in her ear, “Holy sh*t they’re finally moving.”

The tour bus doors had cycled open and the steps slowly flipped down, and two Suits stepped out and looked around in a way they obviously thought looked intimidating.

Edric leaned forward over the steering wheel and squinted over his hands, “They look constipated.”

Odalia stepped out, smoothing down the front of her grandly expensive purple, gold, and white outfit. It was like a dress, but also like a pantsuit with… a cape? “Is it because we’re at the museum?” Emira asked, “She looks like she came from the Fall of Rome display.”

“Yikes,” Edric opined and then he gasped as Amity stepped out. She looked stunning in a long, pale green Athens-inspired dress with a dark green and purple wrap around one arm and shoulder, draped behind her back and over her other wrist, and through a pair of gold bangles. “Shiiit,” he whispered, “She looks awesome!” Then he looked closer at her hair, “sh*t!”

Emira glanced between her sister and her brother, and jabbed her finger into her ear again, “Odalia and Amity have left the tour bus, they’re headed into the backstage area.” She stopped transmitting and looked at Edric, “What?”

He pointed with his whole hand, “Her hair! Mom dyed it again!”

Emira hissed, “That bitch said she wouldn’t do that anymore!”

“Yeah, well,” Edric said, yanking his car door open, his next words nearly drowned out in the rumble of the crowd, “She lies. Go f*ckin’ figure.” He motioned for her to stay, then he crept over to the Tour Bus and counted to three, visibly, paused, then counted to two and stepped up into the bus. His foot hung out the door as he just peeked up and inside, to see if anyone was there. He hopped out immediately, and ran around to the far side of the extra tall vehicle.

“Tour bus is empty,” he said over the earpiece, “Cosmo is sneaking under the stage to find a cable junction.”

“I don’t see any guards on the street,” Lilith’s calm voice came next, “Raptor, you’re free to start. I have eyes on.” Emira glanced out her window and peered up at the front of the museum. The tall woman’s silhouette was just visible in her darkened window, but only if you were looking for it.

Emira pushed her button again, “Raven, I’m sorry you have to miss the show.”

“I can’t place my desires over the well-being of anyone here,” came the simple reply, “It wouldn’t be right.”

~

Eda crouched beside the obnoxiously expensive private car that Steve had highlighted, and asked one more time, “Raven, do I have good light?”

“Raptor, you are clear,” came the soft reply.

She quickly shuffled around to the rear of the car, eyeing the four tailpipes. She pulled a tennis ball from her bag, and then a wooden rod with a flared cup shape at the end. Eda worked the tennis ball into one tailpipe and shoved it in deep with the rod. She pulled out three more fuzzy green balls and repeated the actions. Out next was a red shaker-can, “Still green?” she asked. Still clear. She pulled the cap off the can of spray foam and angled the bendy nozzle into each tailpipe, leaving a generous helping in all four pipes. She pulled out another set of tennis balls and pushed those into the pipes until they caught in the rapidly expanding glue. Eda held her rucksack tightly to her chest to minimize travel noise and ran in a crouch to the next car Steve had marked.

Once Odalia's motorcade was disabled, she felt it was time to work on the tour bus. The lights had almost completely dimmed on the Green, with only the spotlights trained on the stage providing any illumination. The noise of the audience had hushed somewhat, but it still filled the air around her—the performance hadn't started yet. The gray-haired woman snuck through the near-black until she was close to the Twin’s hot rod. “I’m gonna work on the bus. Any bad eyes?” Eda whispered to the group as she slipped on the fingerless sap gloves.

“Negative,” Lilith responded, while Emira added, “All clear from this angle.” Eda paused long enough to pull a modified ratcheting crimper from her bag.

She swiftly worked her way to the tour bus and slipped into the shadows near the rear-most tire. The gray-haired woman pulled a dark red penlight from her shirt pocket and clicked it on, quickly finding the tire valve stems. Each axle had two wheels on a side, except for the very front. The outer tire valve stems were normal plastic-wrapped metal, and she quickly crushed the valve core with the first notch of the crimper. The inner tires had a metal valve extension, which she mangled with the second notch. The noise from the audience stage-side easily masked the crunch of her tool. Eda moved up the vehicle, leaving all but the middle outer tire hissing a slow death rattle.

Eda took stock. The tour bus was already listing toward the street. When that last, lone tire popped, it’d be loud. If she were lucky, the whole thing would tip over. The woman grinned. She stalked toward the backstage area and whispered to her team, “Stay clear of the bus. I'm hoping it tips over.”

~

The stage had been lit by a projection across the wide, white paneling that spread between the decorative columns and artificial stone elements dotting the background of the stage. The imagery so far had been green: slow forest fly-bys; tree-studded mountain flanks; large willow trees beside rolling, grassy hills; journeys down algae-coated rivers in thick, teeming jungles. It was all really quite beautiful, Luz had to admit. She had been forcing herself to relax, so as not to jump every time a voice poked through her earpiece. As much as she had enjoyed conversing with the gentleman beside her, they had found a natural quiet break as the lights began to shift, and the audience around them murmured in anticipation. She tried to steel her nerves, she tried to breathe.

Spotlights began to stab down at the front of the stage, columns of light making a half-star shape around Odalia Blight as she stood magnanimous before the crowd. “Good evening, Greater Bonesborough Metropolitan Museum Fine Arts Patrons,” the green-haired woman smiled, clasping her hands at her waist, her gold and white and purple outfit shimmering in the stage lights. She looked wealthy. She looked powerful. Luz suddenly wondered if she had what it would take to get Amity out safely. Odalia strode forward, calmly. She owned the crowd, and soon she would own them. The brown-haired girl shuddered as the woman opened her mouth to speak, “Welcome to the last stop in our ‘World Unity’ tour. It is such an honor to be here tonight. Thank you all for coming out to see our final performance.” Her tone was carefully coached to project a sense of genuine hospitality. She was glad to see them here tonight! The woman smiled, her lurid red lips shining, “Without further ado, I would like to present to you… the Siren of the Green.”

She stepped aside quickly, disappearing as the spotlights focused on Amity. Luz gasped, her hands clenching the cane so hard her knuckles cracked. She was so beautiful. The long, pale green dress with the darker green shawl was exquisite and made her golden eyes pop that much brighter in the spotlights. The dress also matched the green-and-aub— Luz frowned and squinted. Her hair! Emira had told her about that. The thick tar of anger coating her chest, her lungs, began to glow with every breath she sucked in through her teeth. Good. I’d rather be angry than scared.

A flute began to play a delicate melody, soon joined by several other woodwinds, with the deep thrum of a cello wrapping the soft, breathy notes in a warm embrace. Hieronymus made an appreciative noise—Luz assumed he already recognized the song. Amity opened her mouth to sing, and as the first notes filled the air, as the first lyrics crossed her lips—What language is that, Finnish? Luz idly wondered—a glittering, gleaming light filled her golden eyes. The air rippled around the Siren, a great, swirling circle around her feet, and then a rushing wall of something leapt out toward the audience. Everything went black.

It was like passing through an oily fog, with hints of light from beyond curling across the roiling curtains, then a sudden burst of daylight as the dark clouds rolled away. The lingering sticky wisps and black smoky rivulets hung onto her clothes, her skin. She blinked her eyes open, wiping at her face to keep the dark, crawling film from her mouth and nose.

It was green, everywhere she looked, like the projections before the show. She turned her head to look—to look up—at the gnarled elder trees marching up the mountain slopes on either side. She turned in a circle, staring. The audience stood in a valley, a valley deep in an ancient green sea. Great saw-toothed mountains scraped at the blue sky on either side, wider behind them and narrowing ahead. They stood on an old but beautifully-worked stone road, running straight and true from the forest at their backs up to the grand, white marble and gold castle before them.

The music—the song—Amity had been singing echoed faintly down from the mountains. It drifted along with the clouds high above, and rustled her dress on the breeze that swirled around their legs, pushing them ever-so-slightly forward. Every chirping bird in the trees, every buzzing insect—they all moved and sounded in harmony. It was all around them. Luz shuffled her booted feet, and the rustling grass shushed the melody alongside the Siren behind it all. The brown-haired girl shook her head—she felt dizzy with it all—even her hair whispering across her suit coat's collar was on beat and in tune with the world's Song.

She remembered the time she spent with Amity under their pink-leaved tree beneath the stars; the air was light and sweet, and traced with the scent of flowers. Luz rubbed her thumbs against her fingertips and sneered in disgust. The air here in the valley was thick and hot, the scent of decay on the forest's wind-borne breath. Whispers on the breeze tugged at her skin, trying to latch on with their cloying, clinging ideas. She glanced about at the crowd around her and saw their faces slack and staring in open-mouthed wonder; faint wisps and threads already hanging from their eyes and ears. They all looked exactly as they had on the Museum Green, she still wore her sunglasses and held her white cane. She glanced down at her feet. King was gone.

Movement from the castle ahead caught her eye. The great, redwood drawbridge lowered slowly, silently, sending a rumbling shudder through the ground when it touched. It gave a sense of majesty—like gravity—of a grand inevitability. All will bow, whispered the valley around her. A troop of guards came across the bridge, resplendent in shining purpled armor with gold breastplates and trim; their faces hidden behind their helms, their long spears and lances with green flags at salute. They formed long lines on either side of the crowd, and Luz watched as the troops closer to the forest began to bend toward the road, boxing them in. She tried to stay still and unnoticed, watching the people around her for cues. Last night’s dream felt real. She didn’t want to test those knights’ weapons.

The Captain of the Guard stepped forward and called out, “Her Majesty, Empress of these Many Lands and Queen of All, Our Lady of Green, welcomes you to Her Court. Follow me, oh Favored, Fortunate Guests.” He turned and began to march toward the castle, leading the crowd closer to its imposing silhouette. The guards herded the audience toward the drawbridge, allowing none a chance to slip away.

The atmosphere around the towering stone walls reeked of despair. It was oppressive; it was dread and hopelessness congealing on the chains of the drawbridge, gathering in clear, poisonous droplets. She passed under the portcullis with the entranced crowd and her every step was like walking through a waist-high swamp. Luz carefully schooled her face and her motions. No other audience member appeared to struggle as she did. I'm coming for you, Amity.

Just after the portcullis was a long, wealth-drenched hallway. Tall suits of golden armor stood between exquisite pieces of art, and gem-encrusted chandeliers struck the people from the audience with glowing rays of brilliant, colored light. Beyond the hallway was a Great Hall that disappeared into the distance to their left and right, shifting crowds of Courtiers and Courtesans in attendance. After they were ushered across the wide, column-studded floor, they inexplicably appeared to be on a third-floor bridge watching an army of Knights train far below. Luz frowned slightly as the next doorway brought them to a grand, ground-floor staircase leading up and up into the clouds. This layout doesn’t make—wait, it’s not supposed to make sense! She saw the vision for what it was, then. It was an intimidating show of wealth and opulence to convince the viewer of the Queen’s power and right to rule. The Captain started up the stairs, and she began trudging upward amidst the others. If I'm lucky, this staircase is a trick, too.

~

Edric squirmed under the stage, shaking his head as he pushed the vision aside. It was like an obnoxious fly buzzing in his ear and a wet film in his eyes he had to keep blinking away. He wanted to vomit, but he couldn’t spare the time. He was tracing a pair of cables from the speaker stand directly behind his little sister, trying to find their termination point. If he was lucky, he’d have the right connectors to hijack their audio. Luz and Eda had told them earlier that sudden, loud noises could break Amity free from Odalia's control. That tip had sent him searching through his music collection in a mad scramble. He could do this much, at least.

He crawled under a brace and found a junction box bolted to the other side. The cables fed in with, “Dammit,” he hissed. He didn't have anything for XLR. He pointed the dark red penlight he'd been given at the wiring diagram on the box. “Out, out, out, okay in—” Edric checked the input and sighed. Another three-pin XLR. He set off on elbows and knees following that cable.

It took another sweaty minute crawling through stage braces, but he found an up-chain terminal point with an unused 1/4” input jack. Edric grinned and pulled his music player out, and prepared the patch cable with the adapters needed. He breathed out, his heart pounding with fear. This box would hijack most of the speakers on stage, a far larger bit of piracy than he'd planned. He was also much closer to the quick-access panels in the backstage area than he wanted to be, but he would do his part. He had to. He'd finally decided on which song to start with; cliche or not, it fit. He scrubbed it forward to the right part, and he turned the volume all the way up.

Now he'd wait for the signal. Then he'd plug in and hit play. Simple. Then he'd run. He pushed the button in his ear, “Cosmo, ready for takeoff.”

~

Just when Luz thought she couldn't take another step, the vision's dream logic took her—mid-stride—from the never ending staircase to the throne room. She had to squint against the light reflecting off the long room's brilliantly white marble floor. The long, open space was tiered, with a six-step staircase a third of the way along the length of the room, with another four-step staircase further down. Pillars of crystal were capped and banded with gold, and spaced around the room to support the high, angled ceiling. The far wall was all glass, or clear crystal probably, Luz thought, with how the mountains and the sea beyond shimmered strangely. The walls on the long side had large windowed sections, as well as a balcony jutting out on either side from the lowest tier of the room.

Large bolts of fabric hung from the ceiling to drift in the breeze, billowing slow and soft in several shades of green: pale green, like Amity's dress, and a shimmering jade, as well as deeper hunter and forest greens; all shifting and flowing like a living tunnel limned by daylight as Luz stared up toward the throne. The throne was hewn from a single, enormous slab of jade; carved to give the impression the throne had grown out of the stone naturally, as though the Queen and Her Rule had emerged as part of some law of Nature. It stood on its own tiered dais, easily raised a dozen feet above the highest landing. Luz clenched her jaw when she saw the woman lounging atop the jade monolith.

Odalia Blight leaned with one elbow on the arm of the throne, one leg crossed over the other, her highest foot idly kicking as she looked down at her audience. She lifted a glass of some dark liquid to her lips, closing her eyes as she drained a portion from her crystal glass. Amity was on the tier below the throne, her head roughly at level with her mother's hand, and she stood slightly off to the side beside a table with wine bottles and a bowl with fruits. She held a bottle, presumably to offer more when her mother desired it. Both still wore the same outfits as they had on stage and now Luz understood the green-haired woman's fashion decision. She looked regal, like a Queen, and was so absolutely perfect, she should be worshipped and— Luz slapped at her arm and tugged a creeping wisp out of her skin. She pinched the thought between her thumbnail and forefinger and felt the idea pop.

Luz glanced around at her fellow audience members; the faint smoky threads hanging off their faces and bodies had grown thick and tangled during their journey in from the old road outside. They all looked as if they'd stumbled through a jungle full of spiderwebs. Glancing around, the brown-haired girl thought they had arranged themselves as they had been seated. Perhaps it was unconscious or perhaps directed. Sneaking a closer look to her right gave her a chill; kind Hieronymus was gazing up at Odalia with awe and wonder clearly written on his scarred face. Luz had a dreadful suspicion that these thoughts and feelings would persist outside the vision.

Luz glared at the throne and squinted in frustration. It shimmered strangely, and for a second she saw something else. She blinked, slowly, and squinted again. She focused her eyes on the throne. Instead of Amity in her concert dress serving wine to an Odalia in repose, she saw Amity wrapped in purple metal, her whole body encased except for her mouth which was still singing the Song that drove the world. A heavy purpled metal collar hung around her neck, a chain connecting it to the base of the jade throne. On the top half of her head was a metal helmet that covered her eyes and ears, with a handle just behind the right ear. Odalia was leaning over, hand clasping the handle, to bend down and whisper commands in her daughter's ear. When the green-haired woman finished giving instructions, she sat back with a satisfied smirk. Black tendrils began to curl around the wisp-laden audience members to loom twitching and shivering over their heads, before pressing firmly into their foreheads. Their eyes began to glow a solid white, and Odalia breathed in deeply, letting out a shuddering exhale.

“Alright, gross,” Luz said, stepping away from the weak, gnarled tendril at her feet. She stomped it into the white marble floor and it popped in a puff of black smoke. It left a smudge on the floor. “Do I— can I help them?” Her eyes darted left and right, watching the people around her standing comatose. She remembered what Eda said, Your job is to wake her up. The brown-haired girl nodded, Amity can undo this once she's free—that's the best play. She stepped out into the aisle and took a deep breath, “Odalia! Let her go!” She called, pointing down toward the throne.

The green-haired woman startled slightly, then peered at her. She was suddenly closer to the throne, on the second landing, close enough for the woman to look at her. Luz felt the woman's mind brush over her, and Odalia sneered in contempt. She half-closed her eyes, humming, and Luz felt a thrumming pull of energy from behind her among the audience. “Ah, that man knew you,” the green-haired woman spoke in dismissal, “Mildred Featherwhyle?” Luz thought she heard a small gasp come from Amity before Odalia droned, “A blind writer should be begging the Queen for Her Merciful Patronage.” She waved her hand, “If you are entertaining while you grovel… well… who knows.”

What would Eda do? Luz asked herself. Something unexpected. She nodded and called out, “I am no mere writer!” Luz held her white cane up in both hands and drove it down onto the floor. It flashed hot and jumped in her fingers as it turned and twisted, growing into a dark reddish-brown staff topped with a carved wooden owl. Her dark sunglasses melted away to stretch and weave into a deep purple and black witch's hat, traced with silver constellations and a bright yellow sun at the front of the banding. “—for I am the Good Witch Luzura!” Luz struck a pose, feeling guilty for enjoying the bewildered expression creeping across the would-be-Queen's face, but she knew Amity would approve. “Warrior of Peace,” she held a fist to her chest before pointing up at the metal-bound girl, “and Champion of the Siren!”

Odalia saw her face clearly for the first time and she jumped to her feet, her face flushing a dark, angry red. “You!” she spat, her hands twisting into claws.

“That's right, sister!” Luz smirked, spinning the staff in her hands as the eyes of the wooden owl flared a bright, furious yellow, “Me.” She gestured toward the woman, and a roaring column of flame tore through the air from her palm to explode against the jade throne.

Chapter 14

Chapter Text

Luz squinted as the bright mass of flame exploded against the throne with a thundering crack. She quickly raised an arm to protect her eyes as jade shrapnel pelted the floor in every direction, pinging off the purple metal shell surrounding the girl placed on the dais. “Mierda,” the brown-haired girl whispered as cracks appeared in the helmet, and all down the side of the metal plating that had faced the slab of green stone. A purple liquid began to bead along the fractures. The visible lower half of the pale girl’s face was unmarred, at least. “Sorry, Amity!” Luz called, reaching out toward the other girl as the thick, dark smoke from the flames drifted away, revealing the blackened, shattered throne. The glistening purple chain still stretched from the base of the throne to the heavy band around the metal-wrapped captive’s neck. The brown-eyed girl frowned and made a discouraged noise in her throat when a sarcastic golf clap sounded at her elbow. She turned her head in surprise and jumped back with a “f*ck!”

Odalia stood just beside and behind her, a perfect eyebrow raised in a perfectly disdainful expression, “That was most impressive,” the green-haired woman’s voice dripped with haughty contempt. Luz swung her staff, more startled than vicious, and the woman took a casual step forward as the wooden owl hissed through the air just behind her. “Oh, don’t bother, Mildred,” the green-haired woman rolled her eyes and motioned upwards with one perfectly manicured hand. The captive opened her mouth slightly and began to vocalize. Luz winced at the ascendant—majestic—sovereign aria commanding the room to reset itself to its original, pristine condition, the throne regrowing from the now-unblemished jade monolith. As the pale girl sang, the purpled metal of her mask cracked a little further, the similar fractures spreading down her body as small pieces of her metal shell began to crumble apart. A thick, viscous sludge spilled out of the gaps in the broken shell, a deep, dark purple like the metal.

“I said let her go,” Luz snarled, swinging her staff with intent—missing again—then twirled another fireball into her hand. She launched it toward the green-haired woman staring smugly confident in her direction. Odalia yawned and patted at her mouth with her hand, and the slightest lean of her body as she reached up toward her face caused the flames to miss their target, splashing bright and hot against the far wall. The white marble blackened, and the glass window broke with a pop and shards rained across the floor.

Odalia clicked her tongue in disdain and motioned toward her daughter. After another few bars of audible notes, the damage from the flames had disappeared. A tinkling, pattering sound caught Luz's ear, and she glanced up at the pale girl wrapped in metal to see the bottom edge of the mask crumble away, knocking some fractured pieces loose in the shell around her body. The brown-haired girl grinned, and spun her staff again, letting loose a flurry of spells. Plants sprouted from the floor all around the dais; thick, creeping vines climbing and twisting about the throne's platform to crack the stone tiers, sending dust and small chunks of stone raining down as bright red and yellow flowers opened all along the vines to hiss and spit poison toward the Queen. A razor-thin sheet of ice spread across the marble floor from where Luz's boots touched the ground, and spikes of ice launched upward like spears. Odalia calmly walked away from her throne, toward the audience. The small streams of poison from the flowering vines crisscrossed through the air in her wake, the ice falling to water before it touched her skin.

“I told you not to bother, Mildred,” Odalia sighed with perfect long-suffering patience, “But what can I expect from Amity's subconscious? That child is always throwing temper tantrums.” The woman sighed and looked skyward, adopting a saintly pose, “She tried running away yesterday, and now her mind thinks it can do the same in my dominion? And a champion given face and form from her—” she laughed with a sneer, “—recent memories? Ugh.”

“What?” Luz scoffed, confused, “What are you on about?”

Odalia waved a hand in dismissal, and the creeping, hissing growth around her throne disintegrated as the pale girl on the platform sang another set of notes. A large chunk of purple metal broke loose from the shell around her legs, and that same purple sludge poured out onto the dais in thick, quivering globs. “I thought I'd stamped out these little insurrections already. It's usually one of the twins that I get to play with.” Her lurid grin was sharp and dangerous, “I'll spin a web for you, little fly, once I'm done with my new subjects.”

Odalia walked over to the first set of stairs down to the middle tier of the throne room, then turned to look back at Luz. She leaned over Luz's shoulder, suddenly there—behind her—and whispered into her hair, her hot breath caressing the rim of Luz’s ear, “I’ve got my eyes on you.” The woman cackled as she walked down the stairs, back where she had been a moment before. Luz choked in surprise as every surface near her scrunched and blinked, piercing blue bloodshot eyes opening all around her—on the white marble floor, the glass windows, the crystal pillars flanking the jade throne’s platform—all swiveling to stare at her. The brown-haired girl shrieked as the floor below her feet opened, a great blue eye underfoot sending her stumbling; her hands brushed against a nearby pupil, that eye squinting shut in pain, crying, and she was overcome with a rushing, thundering terror.

She took to the sky as the green-haired woman’s hateful laughter drifted up in the air after her, the carved wooden owl’s wings opening wide as her staff pulled her off the ground, careening away from the ceiling as more harsh blue eyes unfolded in every direction, opening with a disgustingly wet popping sound. She looped her legs around the staff and leaned low over its length as eyes sprang open across the green fabric hangings and the wooden beams bracing the pillars. She sped along the throne room and out the window, banking hard around the gray slate rooftop, one hand holding her black-and-purple witch’s hat on her head. The ancient forest below was a blur of greens with a dot of pink at the cliffs, and the purple sea beyond the castle glistened in the sunlight. The eyes raced after, as fast as she could fly, turning, blinking, staring through her. Luz felt her heart hammering in her chest as she looped around the tower built above the throne room, kicking at a large eye that blinked from an unexpected gable. She made for the open sky above. She glanced over her shoulder as she shot past the tip of the tower, and caught a glimpse of the sea of blue eyes, glowing, leering, blinking in waves like the ocean, and the sky around her cracked and splintered like broken glass as she hurtled through—

Before she could blink, Luz was back in the throne room, standing beside Hieronymus among the audience as Odalia laughed and laughed from where she stood atop the taller staircase leading down to where the crowd had gathered. Luz gasped for air and tried to fight down the sheer blind panic that had chased her out of the room, leaning on her staff as her legs wobbled beneath her. The green-haired woman was bent over double, arms wrapped around her stomach as her mocking laughter rang out through the open space. “That was entertaining,” the spiteful woman crowed, “Oh, Amity, you usually cower in fear when I give you my full attention.” The brown-haired girl glanced around quickly and noticed the other audience members had been almost entirely wrapped in the drifting gray wisps and threads, the dark tendrils still pressed to their foreheads. She felt a chill as she thought of a spider and its prey.

The green-haired woman prowled her way down amidst the cocooned audience, lightly trailing her fingertips over the faces she passed. She stopped at one man and sniffed, a cunning, greedy leer pulling at her face. Odalia licked her lips and made a throaty noise of pleasure—Luz gagged, eww!—and plucked at the man’s head, pulling a gleaming red gemstone from somewhere behind his eyes. “Now this is a valuable secret,” the green-haired woman muttered to herself as she held the gem up to her eye to examine its facets, before twisting her wrist to set the great ruby in a ring on her finger. The woman’s face had a hint of pink, and her pupils were large and shining. Luz frowned. Odalia panted lightly as she worked her way around a few more audience members, new gems glittering at her fingers as she pulled a large green stone from a woman’s forehead, shivering in some twisted euphoria as she set it on her other wrist in a bracelet. She clasped the bauble around her wrist and took long shuddering breaths through her nose as she bit her bottom lip between perfect white teeth.

Luz scrunched her face and made a noise of disgust, and the woman turned her flushed gaze toward the girl in surprise. “You’re getting off on this, aren’t you?” the brown-haired girl asked, incredulous.

Odalia gasped and looked at her—really looked—and whispered, “Amity wouldn't— are— are you real?”

“Of course I’m real!” The brown-haired girl snapped as she stepped back into the aisle, “Rifling through people’s minds and stealing thoughts? What a gross, disgusting—”

“Disgusting?” Odalia shrieked in outrage, “Me?!”

“—abuse of— Yes, you! Violadora de mente sucia!” Luz latched onto this new line of attack, sensing a weakness, “You’re just a-a—a parasite!” She pointed at the green-haired woman as Odalia made a horrified noise, “You rode your husband’s genius to get rich, and now you’re on your daughter’s coattails to get power! Who are you going to ride next?” The woman had turned nearly as purple as an eggplant, spluttering and spitting, and Luz shot her a spiteful smirk, “But don’t worry, princess. One day, you’ll do something important on your own.” She twirled her staff above her head and slammed its base onto the floor, spraying the first few rows of the audience in a sheet of ice, turning the wisps and tendrils stiff and brittle.

“Don't you—” Odalia raised a finger as Luz sneered, “Watch me.” Another tap of the staff onto the marble summoned a bracing gust of wind to rip through the audience, sending the frozen, icy cocoons shattering to the floor. The green-haired woman paled and wobbled, her back arching as she clawed her hands near her throat and screamed in an incoherent rage. Luz shot her a nasty grin, and then the length of the room fell past as she slammed to the floor near the throne. Her head bounced off the white marble twice and she saw stars as black blotches clawed away at the edges of her vision. She laid there for a stunned moment and Odalia appeared on her throne, livid, and waved a shaking hand up in the air. The castle tilted sharply as Luz rolled off the ground into the sky, falling fast into the ceiling with a crunch. She gasped as fire shot up her leg, her knee twisting wrongly as she spun mid-air before the white marble floor slammed into her with a thud and a snap. Luz sat up snarling as tears gathered in her eyes, the pain in her leg and wrist like a white-hot knife sawing at her bones. She wiped her good hand across her mouth and spat, “I know this isn’t real, puta,” and her injuries disappeared when she stopped believing in them. The pain lingered, fading slowly, and she gingerly pulled herself to her feet, but her knee and wrist were as good as new. “You’re addicted to this, aren’t you?” she questioned the shivering livid green-haired woman as she pulled herself to her feet, “You’re just—” Luz coughed and growled, pushing herself upright against her staff, “just some junkie leech.”

Odalia stood before her throne, shaking with rage, “I’ll show you a leech!” A roiling black swarm of the creeping wisps swept from behind the raised dais to slam into the floor where Luz had been standing, the marble splintering under the impact. Her wooden owl had taken flight, pulling her up into the air as the thick piling horde slapped and bubbled in all directions across the floor before surging up after the girl. She yelped and tossed a fireball down into the wriggling pack, the swarming ideas mewling in pain as they burnt to ash. More roared up from the white marble, chasing the brown-haired girl as she raced upside-down under the ceiling, dodging great threads of black ooze, twisting between braces, and banking sharp and swift around a crystal pillar. The brim of her hat hissed along the floor as she slapped her palm against the marble, sending a spray of ice behind her to slow the swarm, stabbing and skewering some of the lumpy horde. She twisted around in a barrel roll, just missing the railing of the first tier as she darted around and up the backside of a pillar, the dark semi-solid mass slamming into the front of the crystal column. A smile tugged at her lips—despite everything—as her staff moved her swiftly through the air, instinctually, perfectly. Just as she’d always imagined it would be.

A ropey black tendril snared her ankle and yanked her from the air, sending her spinning down to break against the floor. She managed a quick “Ah sh*t!” before she slammed into the white marble, crumpling and springing back to her proper shape, crying out as she pinwheeled across the floor before the dark growth wrapped around her leg uncoiled and snapped her against a nearby crystal pillar. She slid back down to the floor, gasping for air against the pain and the bizarre sensation of her body resetting itself. Then the black swarm buried her.

The wisps felt solid, like one great organism, heavy and slick; greasy tentacles choking, and grasping teeth biting; a dead weight grinding her down. As each fanged mouth latched on, she heard its voice whispering lies: you don't know what you're doing, and you're just pretending, and you're no hero. She clawed at you're so jealous of her the floor, pulling you just want to keep her for yourself with her hands you are alone and pushing she will grow tired of you against the you don't deserve her pillar with her feet. Her staff she's better off without you, admit it was nearby, she just had to she doesn't really care about you find it. She opened her she hurt herself to keep you safe fingers and the wooden owl you couldn’t get the collar off on your own rolled into her hand. A you are alone and unloved quick circle of her wrist and fire engulfed her back and shoulders, burning away a great portion of the swarm and her suit coat and her hair. The wisps split and redoubled, piling thick as night was she any better off with you around as they doused the flames with sheer numbers.

She you're just pretending pushed up to her you're jealous of her family knees and elbows, groaning with she doesn't really care about you the effort. She spun she doesn't need you like you need her another quick circle you just want to control her power and a forest of vines sprang up all around her, swatting the vicious thoughts and growing a maze of thorns to pierce and stab at the intrusive ideas. The black mass fell apart under the green, growing spears, and she let out a shaking exhale as several wayward thorns pulled out of her skin.

Some of the creeping wisps found matching thoughts of her own, and they sank deep into the fertile soil of her mind, catching root and growing rapidly. Before she could do more than struggle to her feet, she had large, lashing black tendrils wrapped about her arms and legs, anchoring her to the floor. They shouted their poison into her mind you don't deserve her, faster, you don't know what you're doing louder, she's better off without you and she began to falter you're no hero, sweat beading on her forehead as she pulled and strained against you are alone and unloved their ever-tightening grip.

“I know I don't deserve her,” she spat, feeling that thought burn and squirm deeper into her back, “And maybe I wanted to be her hero,” she hissed at the teeth sinking further into her leg, “Who wouldn’t—but there's nothing wrong with that!” Luz ground her teeth as the tendrils tightened again, her elbows and wrists creaking. “And you're wrong about one thing,” Luz thought of Eda, of Lilith, of Steve and Emira and Edric, even loyal, faithful King at her side, outside, “I'm not alone!”

She could only wiggle her staff in a small uneven loop, but it would have to be enough. As she twisted her wrist, the carved owl's eyes flared a brilliant white, and the bright, golden sun on her witch’s hat swelled to a blistering, scorching sphere that burnt the black tendrils into drifting clouds of dust. With one final eye-searing flash of light, the sphere boiled away into glittering ash. “I won't be ashamed for wanting to help Amity!” Luz roared, pointing at Odalia as her eyes shone bright as the sun, “I won't let you make me feel that way!”

~

Eda crept carefully through the backstage door, her golden eyes sweeping back and forth as she scanned for threats. She had to squint slightly against the bright LED lights and the shimmering dream world that dragged at her mind. She'd experimented plenty in her wild n' rowdy days; she knew how to handle a bad trip. She could remember more than a few times she’d had it worse than what Boots was spinnin' over the crowd outside. She shook her head and chuckled, Ah, Vegas.

This area looked like a prefabbed set of rooms that dropped in behind the stage, with all the lighting controllers and soundboards already wired in place. She suspected they carted this piece from venue to venue. It would be the smart thing to do. Maybe ease of use made them lax in security, too, the gray-haired woman thought to herself as she prowled down the short hallway on the balls of her feet.

There appeared to be two rooms to her right, then the hall made a right turn beyond. This hallway probably snaked around the back of the rooms and led to the production bay, then the stage side waiting area.

She peeked into the first room. A pair of fluorescent light panels in the ceiling illuminated a well-organized storage space. Metal storage racks were bolted to the floor and walls and sported locking bars to hold containers in place. More evidence for frequent movement. Nothing important appeared to be laying out in the open, so she moved on. She paused for a moment to listen to Luz breathing harshly from where she sat in the audience. The girl hadn't said anything yet, but she'd gasped or groaned in what could have been pain a few times. “You've got this, kiddo,” Eda whispered to herself.

Eda crept further down the hallway to the second door. She pulled at the strap for her rucksack, tugging the bag slightly behind her back. This door was closed, and it didn't have a window. Or a label, she noticed. She hooked her thumb over her belt in forced nonchalance and worked the door lever. She heard the crinkle of a plastic air-tight seal breaking as she pushed the door open, and a voice called out, “Hey!” She glanced over an absolutely tiny break room to focus on four men sitting at a small round table playing poker. Three of them were regularly dressed Blight Industries security men in their fancy purple pants and matching policeman’s caps. The fourth man wore a suit and sat with his back to the door. He was holding a hand of cards and had started to turn to look her way, as the security man seated facing the door started to stand and point, “You’re not supposed—” His eyes glazed over mid-sentence, and he went still in his half-standing position. The other two similarly dressed men also froze in place, one man dropping his cards on the table. The Suit turned to see her and began to stand, his mouth half-open to speak.

Eda saw the bruises on his face and the red-stained bandages around his knuckles, and she acted before she consciously decided to move. She took a swift, fluid step forward and pivoted to smash the heel of her boot in the Suit's face with a straight leg kick. He crumpled to the ground with a whimper, and she buried a steel toe in his ribcage again and again as she spat, “Put hands— on my daughter— you f*cking—” The man weakly slapped at his hip, trying to find his pistol, and Eda grabbed his wrist with one hand, “Ah, ah, that was stupid.” She snaked her leg around his arm and calmly snapped his elbow backward over her knee. He shrieked, clawing at her ankle as she shoved him onto his back with her foot, and she dropped his twisted arm to crouch beside his head. “Enjoy physical therapy, asshole,” Eda said cheerfully, tugging his earpiece out. His eyes glazed over, and he fell silent.

She whistled along with Amity's song as she pulled his radio from his belt, examining the screen and its settings. The gray-haired woman looked at the holstered pistol for several long heartbeats, deliberating. Eventually, she sighed and pulled the holster from his belt, tucking it into a pouch on her stab vest. “Better I have it and turn it in later,” Eda grumbled, already dreading the paperwork. She stood and stretched, and then she looked around at the four blank-eyed men and raised an eyebrow.

Eda slipped out the door, pulling it shut with one hand as she dropped four wallets and a watch into her rucksack. “Raven,” she whispered as she transmitted, “one of Odalia's goons tried to pull his gun, so I took him out.”

“Raptor, you promised not to kill anyone!” Lilith sounded terrified and furious.

“I knocked him out,” Eda hissed, “I didn't even hurt—no, wait, I did break his arm.” Lilith groaned over the comms and the gray-haired woman sniffed, “It was just a little elbow hyperextension; nothing time and prayer and a crack team of surgeons can't fix.” She peered around the corner. No one in sight. “I took the gun and his identification,” Eda whispered as she crept around the corner.

Lilith huffed in exasperation, “Of course you took his wallet.”

“Hey!” Eda pulled an offended tone, but she couldn't really complain, “Tell shoulder-pads he should have his buddy at the police station run it through their system.”

“That… is an excellent idea, Raptor. Fly safe.” Lilith sounded proud of her as she said that, and the gray-haired woman couldn't help but feel a small swell of warmth in her chest. Their methods might differ—drastically—but they'd always been on the same side. It had taken her a while to admit, but it wasn't really Lilith's fault she’d ended up in a federal prison. Eda had forgiven her sister years ago for the small part she played in that whole mess, but Lily had never been able to forgive herself.

Eda stalked carefully to the next bend in the hall and peeked around the corner. There was an alcove almost directly across from her, and the hallway continued to a T-shape, a left-hand turn available with the hallway beyond dead-ending at a wall plastered with OSHA notices. There was another door on the left side between the notices and the intersection. A long desk occupied by a pair of technicians wearing thick headphones filled the alcove. They sat before a series of large displays and expensive soundboards, monitoring the lighting and projector timings and volume levels for the production. Eda noticed at least one USB hub peeking up below a monitor. A prime opportunity had presented itself; she could take a slight detour. She walked up behind the two men and said, in as deep and gruff a voice she could manage, “Status report.”

The man on her left jumped to action, and quickly toggled a control on his board to switch the middle display to a timeline of the production, showing the number of songs remaining and Amity's current place in the setlist, “The show is running on time, the second song is about to begin, and—” the man looked up at Eda and blinked in confusion.

She smirked at him and said, “Hey,” then she pushed his headphones off his ears. His eyes glazed over, and the heavy plastic earmuffs fell to the floor with a clatter. His partner looked over at the noise and jumped in surprise at the unexpected presence looming over his shoulder. Eda swatted at his head, and he slipped into the dream world as his headphones bounced under his chair. She gently shoved the comatose man to the floor, and leaned over the desk, quickly pulling a plastic-wrapped flash drive out of a belt pouch. She pushed it into the USB hub and straightened up to pull the saran wrap off with one hand as she pressed the transmit button in her ear with the other, “Raven, you should see some activity soon. Just click the 'run' button when you get the green light.”

~

Lilith lowered the binoculars from her eyes and sighed, “Do I want to know what you're doing?” the sarcasm thick in her response.

“Nope!” came her younger sister's smug reply.

The black-haired woman exhaled noisily as she turned away from her stone casem*nts facing the Green and leaned over the blandly nondescript laptop humming away on her desk. A series of terminal windows had opened while her back was turned, and one of them had a line of green text proclaiming CONNECTION FOUND: OK. “That must be what Edalyn meant,” the woman muttered aloud, mousing over to a small, unmarked application with an empty progress bar below a button labeled RUN. She took a deep breath and hesitated before clicking the button. A timer beside the button started counting up from zero, and after a moment the progress bar slowly began to fill.

She lifted the walkie-talkie back to her mouth and sent, “Raptor, we are running.”

“You're the best,” came the reply. Then, softer, “Do you have eyes on our girls?”

Lilith stepped back to the glass block window, half propped open, and leaned down to peer through her binoculars. She could just see Luz over the back wall of the stage—sitting next to Hieronymus, of all people!—and just a hint of Amity's right arm and shoulder behind the stage decorations. “Yes, I… I see them, I—” she squinted, trying to tell if her eyes were playing a trick on her. She looked at the binoculars and muttered a curse in Latin, then peered through them again, twisting the focus knobs to no effect. “Our shining knight is bleeding… from both nostrils,” her voice had gone hollow before she released the 'transmit' button.

“f*ck.” Eda sounded angry, while Emira sounded worried, “Is she okay?”

“What, uh, should we do?” Lilith's voice wobbled. All this had seemed so abstract this morning and earlier this evening. Magic and musical dream lands? She could dedicate her life to proving—or disproving—the existence of such things. She'd already mapped out the first three weeks of practical experimentation and observation, with Amity's permission, of course. But now her niece was bleeding while listening to music? The radio in her hand began to shake as she stared out the window.

“Take a deep breath, count to seven. We stick to the plan.” Eda sounded angrily confident, at least. “She knows what to do.”

~

Bright purple energy wreathed Luz in flames as she blitzed into Odalia's personal space, crossing the distance between them in a single flickering step. She swung her owl staff like a baseball bat, the carving's eyes glowing white as the staff burned with the light surrounding her. The world seemed to trickle by like molasses. Just before her staff could connect with the woman's face, Odalia's blue eyes widened in surprise, and she was suddenly out of reach. Luz narrowed her eyes and watched as she blipped closer for another attempt. She concentrated on observing. As her blazing overhand swing crawled through the air of the throne room, she saw glinting, microscopic threads surrounding the green-haired woman, angling off in all directions. Once her attack touched a thread, it vibrated a warning and the woman stepped out of the way.

Luz turned and spun her staff in a circle, thrusting a searing flash of heat in the woman’s direction, crisping all the threads at once. Odalia's eyes slowly widened as she felt her web of protection crumble away, still reacting slower than the girl with the glowing eyes. The brown-haired girl gave her a wicked snarl.

She telegraphed a backhanded swing, picturing in her mind how it would strike the woman in the face and send her tumbling. She moved fast, but not too fast, and the green-haired woman smirked as she read the girl's surface-level intent. Luz swung her staff with her left hand, swinging wide, and Odalia smugly stepped back to avoid it. Luz's eyes flared bright, and she closed the distance in a flash and sank her right fist in the woman's stomach. Odalia made a lovely hurrk! noise, and sagged to her knees, choking, heaving desperately for air.

Luz stared down at her for several long moments, considering. She ached to return a fraction of the pain she'd experienced, but would she be able to look at herself in the mirror again? Fighting those suits was one thing, but beating on this delusional woman felt wrong. She frowned and tapped her staff on the dais. Vines curled around the woman in thick, swarming growths, tying around her legs, pulling her arms behind her back, and knotting around themselves from wrist to shoulder, twin trunks slowly tightening around her neck. Luz clenched her fist and let the thick, ropey plants squeeze until the woman turned blue. She eased up on the pressure, and then the vines began sprouting long, sharpened thorns in all directions—almost piercing the skin, pinning her in place—and then a great shard of ice twisted around the would-be-Queen and her living cocoon. The woman's head hung free, but another brace of frozen spikes curled toward her neck, forcing her to hold her head up and away to avoid slitting her throat.

“Sorry that took so long,” Luz said to the metal-wrapped girl as she turned away from the gasping, trapped woman. She gently tapped the girl's helmet with her wooden owl and said, “Uh… Open sesame?” The owl's eyes flashed. The purpled metal mask split down the middle and fell to the floor in two heavy pieces, crumbling to dust. “Sweet,” Luz laughed and blinked, half a smile on her face before her expression twisted in fear. She stood, staring, not noticing the metal shell falling away from the captive, clanging and thudding down the dais to the white marble below like clumps of maroon dirt.

It had looked like Amity was wrapped in the metal shell, captive, the eyeless helmet covering all but the lower part of her face. In truth, under the mask was just a purple metallic oil; a slowly flowing, bubbling thick viscous liquid. The sludge retained the shape of Amity, and it slowly turned its head to look at her. Its four eyes were black with glowing green pupils; one on the left, and three vertically stacked eyes of different sizes on the right side of the mottled purple face; they all swiveled her way and blinked. Luz noted the normal—human—mouth and cheeks with mounting horror. The rest of “Amity's” body, now exposed as the remnants of the metal shell sloughed off, was more of the same dark fluid, aside from the solid chain and heavy collar tied to the throne. The sludge creature wearing the pale girl's mouth took a slow, dripping step forward as Luz backed away, shaking her head. “What—” the brown-haired girl asked, swallowing bile, “what have you done?”

Odalia laughed behind her from where she hung, locked in ice, “I only kept the pieces of her I needed,” as if that explained anything. She cackled as Luz jumped away from a wild, wide swing from one of the creatures' arms.

Luz held her staff out across her body and ducked beneath another oddly stretching arm. “Amity! Amity, wake up!” She called, glancing around. The golem wearing her friend's form took another step forward. We're more than just friends though, right? she thought, randomly, and then shook her head, Not the time, Luz. Focus! She stepped sideways, closer to the edge of the throne's platform, as the purple creature took a lumbering step closer to the throne. Sludge-ity. Slamity? Goomity! She growled at herself and her damn coping mechanisms.

The creature rotated its upper body like a top, spinning its arms out long and smooth; its shoulders jutting out at strange angles, its wrists and palms stretched out like a second elbow, the fingers fusing together into long hooked blades on each limb. Luz ducked to one side as it lashed out, its sharp sickle-like claws whistling past her ear, extending swiftly to bury the blades in the far wall. It yanked its arm loose and pulled it back with a schlorp, and the girl palmed the floor to send a pillar of ice up to crash into the figure. Luz crouched there, watching the ice lift it off the floor, quickly growing around its arms and chest in angled chunks like frozen fingers grasping at a doll. The hand of ice squeezed, and the golem grit its teeth. She paused to yell, “Amity, it's me, Luz!” and when the creature popped like a water balloon, Luz gasped in fright. It poured through the cavity in its icy constraints and splashed onto the floor in a puddle. It spun and swelled up again to the shape of her friend—wearing part of her friend's face—and brandished its long blades. “Oh god,” Luz whispered.

Chapter 15

Chapter Text

The horrifying creature swung its claws at Luz again, scoring deep furrows in the throne’s dais where she had been standing. She threw herself off the raised platform, trusting her wooden owl to pull her to safety. She twisted, throwing a leg over the staff, and glanced back over her shoulder. The golem sprang after her—moving far faster than she’d expected—and caught her in mid-air. Luz cried out in pain as the hooked blades sank deep into her back as the creature grappled her from her staff. They fell toward the white marble below, arms and legs tangled, and its right shoulder blistered and bulged, fluid bursting out to ripple into a third bladed arm. The new limb pulled back to slash down at her throat. She panicked and pressed her palm against the figure’s chest, summoning an explosive burst of flame. The purple oozing creature blew apart, splashing against the throne, the ceiling, and the walls around her as she fell heavily to the floor.

“Aaah-ha, shiiiit,” Luz sucked in a pained breath through clenched teeth as she rolled onto her side, pushing herself to one knee. Maybe this calls for a retreat? She briefly considered, and as the thought crossed her mind, a rapid multitude of clanging footsteps marched up the stairs from the entrance to the throne room. Luz glanced over her shoulder to see the armored knights from earlier rapidly filling the far end of the room, blocking the exit and the balcony doorways with their shining spears and swords. “Dammit,” She hissed.

Odalia gave a mocking laugh, and Luz looked up to see her ice-and-vines prison riven by the spindly oozing creature. The brown-haired girl watched the golem reforming beside the green-haired woman; all the far-flung clumps and gobbets were flowing back together in thick, cloying tendrils like the black mass of wisps from earlier. It stared down at her, so unnaturally still, dripping slowly as the human-like mouth drifted up its body to rest in its proper place, its four eyes blinking at different intervals. One of the right eyes lazily slid upward to sit atop its head, and several more blinked open across its torso. It opened its mouth to take a deep, chest-expanding breath. Luz gasped and spun her staff to raise a bright purple bubble-like shield around herself.

The creature opened its borrowed mouth far too wide and screamed. The white marble floor around Luz shattered and her shield rippled like a flag in a windstorm as she groaned in pain, her eyes clenched shut as she endured the onslaught of sound. The air between her and the creature vibrated, the world outside her bubble echoing a high-pitched squeal of distortion and static. It was almost as bad as Eda’s whistle flashlight the night before. Her shield barely held, and the golem’s scream ended after an eternity. Luz breathed quick mouthfuls of air, still on one knee, holding herself upright with her staff. When she opened her eyes, she saw the Queen’s knights surrounding her bubble, spears at the ready. The Queen and her creature stood in front of the throne, leering down at her.

Luz shook her head, clearing her ears and the fog from her mind, “You love being in control,” she looked up at Odalia, accusing, challenging, “You need it, don’t you? Like a drug.” The woman raised her chin and sneered. Luz grinned, “Time for some Clawthorne family chaos.” She leaned her head against her staff and whispered, “Keep the bubble up for me as long as you can, okay, little friend?” The wooden owl gave a soft hoot as she touched the floor, creating a chair shaped out of vines. She sat down and closed her eyes, feeling for her real body, subtly adjusting the vines and her posture to closely match the outside world.

“Stop her!” Odalia snarled, “Whatever she's doing!” and the creature sprang from the throne to splash against the purple bubble around the brown-haired girl. The golem reformed then clawed and bit at the magic shield, scrabbling with its hooked blades against the buzzing shell beneath it. It shrieked and slashed, its wild swings scoring the marble around the shield, its semi-solid fluid boiling away wherever it touched the glowing bubble for too long. Luz ignored the creature slamming its face into the barrier above her, unhinging its jaw to loosen its terrible scream down at its seated prey. She breathed out, long and slow, and—

The dream world sat on her back and shoulders, heavy, a strain at the base of her neck, pulling at her head, her ears, her eyes. She sniffed and found her nostrils were filled with blood. She breathed out her mouth and coughed, spraying red droplets down the front of her outfit before sucking a lungful of air through a clenched jaw. You're no longer compelled, Luz ground her teeth and pushed with her legs, standing in the real world and the dream, her bodies screaming as she forced both to move in unison, but that doesn't mean it's easy to resist. Amity's song—no, Odalia’s story—was trying to drive her to her knees, to bow in sick obeisance. She heard a faint jingle at her side and felt a familiar warmth press into her leg and palm. She opened her mouth in both worlds, the muscles in her face like burning lines of fire. She tried to tread water in this suffocating sea, feeling the Siren's constant pull at her feet and legs. She struggled to find a balance; she didn't want to leave the dream song, she just needed to reach outside for a moment. “Cos… mo,” she wheezed, forcing the air through two pairs of lungs, up and out of two throats, “now!” Luz rasped before surrendering to the Song, and she found herself dashed to the floor of the Queen's throne room by the purple sludge wearing Amity's shape.

~

His earpiece crackled as the girl in the audience groaned in pain, and the others’ chatter went silent. Then he heard her voice, hoarse and brittle, harshly spit the message he’d been waiting to hear. Edric stabbed the patch cable into the junction box, and the stage above him vibrated with a loud pop from the speakers. He heard confused shouts ring out on the other side of the access panels as he pressed the play button. His music roared from the array of speakers set up around the stage: the one-two snap of the drums; the driving guitar chords; the heavily distorted bass guitar building rapidly toward the lyrics that were soon screamed overtop the instruments. The flooring panels overhead buzzed with the pounding rap/rock track, the dust and dirt around his hands vibrating as he scrambled through the maze of stage supports. The green-haired man heard a squeal to his left as the under-stage access panels were pulled out. A technician wearing headphones peeked through the hole, flashlight in hand, and the man pointed at Edric and shouted a warning to someone beside him. “sh*t!” Edric hissed and crawled faster toward the back edge of the stage.

~

On stage, Amity had reached the end of her first song, her voice trailing off into a low, humming note that she held while the drone of a harmonium signaled the beginning of her next piece. She took a quick breath and began a haunting Celtic ballad, crooning the Gaelic lyrics just as clearly and gracefully as the Finnish song before. She held out a long, heartfelt note near the end of the first stanza when the stage shook with her brother’s sabotage. She blinked, her glassy eyes clearing momentarily, squinting against the bizarre juxtaposition of the Celtic folk song backing track she heard in her earpiece and the screaming alt-rock pounding out across the Green. She held the note as she looked out at the crowd and saw Luz standing in the fourth row, beautiful and fierce, eyes clenched shut above a blood-streaked nose and mouth. King stood beside Luz, nosing into her hand, half curled around her leg, his paws dancing in worry.

~

Luz raised her left hand to protect her face, and the golem slashed across her forearm. The girl shrieked as the blades cut deep, it was so deep, where was her hand— her staff flew to the one that remained as she kicked against the golem's chest to push herself away. Its savage backhand ripped through her knee, sending her tumbling across the floor, wrenching another ragged scream from the girl. The blades on its other hand flashed as it dragged her back under itself for a decapitating blow, while she struggled to right herself with the limbs she had left. Luz watched the locked iron band around its throat swing into reach, and she snarled as she slammed the wooden owl against the creature’s heavy metal collar, screaming, “Shatter!” The collar and chain burst apart—the throne cracked—and the creature twitched and spasmed, its body bubbling, foaming, its arms and legs twisting in a rictus of pain as it rolled off and away from her, trembling, scrabbling, and gouging at the floor as it hacked and spat. The girl took a deep breath and—

The world shivered as another song broke through the sky, pounding, screaming, and the golem shrieked a piteous, horrible wail of agony as it boiled apart into a greasy patch of black fluid. Luz stared, horrified, for several long moments before she sniffed and wiped tears away. The brown-haired girl pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs, shoulders heaving with a sob. When she took a shuddering breath, she turned her head to stare out the window toward the sea.

The ancient forest bucked as the mountains trembled, trees uprooted and falling as the land beneath them rippled. A distant clamor came faintly from the sea of green as birds took flight in surprise and alarm. The castle itself shook, cracks in the heavy block masonry splintering up the walls from the ground on beat with the pounding rhythm from the heavens. Part of the foundation caved in, flinging dust and chunks of stone in every direction, and one of the towers twisted slowly and fell into the Keep with an earth-shattering roar. Luz jolted upright when she felt Amity start to wake up. She could feel it, she could feel her. She wasn’t here in the castle. The floor of the throne room buckled then, the middle tier collapsing behind them as the building jumped and shifted.

For the briefest moment, the vision flickered and faded, and she looked up at the stage to see Amity gazing back down at her. She saw her, and Luz grinned. The brown-haired girl watched the Siren return her smile, then wince and reach up toward her earpiece. Her arm froze, twitching, before it slowly lowered itself back to her side as her golden eyes began to glaze over anew, her mouth still open in song. Luz looked down at King. The border collie had been sensing her distress, and his eyes were wide, his hackles raised. “King,” Luz gasped, before she missed her chance; she could feel the dream building. “Protect Amity!” The dog barked and sprinted for the stage, leaping from the first row to land skidding beside the green-haired girl, circling her legs twice before he pressed his nose into her hand. Before the dazed audience was plunged back into the dream world, before the black oily clouds rushed over her eyes, Luz saw Amity run her fingers over King’s head.

The throne room solidified around Luz once more. The damage from Edric's mischief managed to remain: cracked windows and broken walls, smoke rising far below from the fallen tower. The once pristine castle was marred and broken. A new metal-wrapped golem had appeared beside the freshly-repaired throne, slowly unfolding like some horrible clockwork marionette. It lowered itself down to the floor where Luz stood, spider-like, twitching, and had begun stalking forward, the chain from its collar dragging along the floor. It spun its torso like the first, stretching its limbs out into the same horrid weapons. The creature leaned forward on its too-long arms, twisting its head to watch her from a sharply tilted angle as it slowly crawled toward its prey. The Queen’s knights still stood all around the brown-haired girl, inching closer with their spears and swords at the ready. Odalia stood before the throne, disheveled and dirty, and screamed, “What did you do?!” The jade throne may have been repaired, but the platform it sat on was cracked and tilted. Edric’s song continued to thunder all around them, sending dust and loose bricks tumbling with every drum beat and bass guitar riff.

Luz held out her hand and her owl staff flew to her palm. She cradled it gently as a sorrowful hooot whispered from the wooden carving. “I’m sorry, little friend,” the girl said softly, patting the owl’s head, and placing a kiss on the crack in its forehead, “You did great breaking that spell.” She saw Odalia preparing to screech again—the woman drew a deep breath, her clawed fingers twitching—so she interrupted with a yell: “I told you already!” The brown-haired girl took a step forward and pointed a finger at her, “I am the Siren’s Champion.” She twirled her staff, flames dancing in a wide circle and gathering in her free hand. She glanced to either side as she prepared to be attacked, “I will bring your throne to ruin, Queen of Empty Lies.”

The green-haired woman glared at her creature and spat, “Kill her!” The golem leapt toward Luz with a shriek, and the girl spun a spell circle to snare the creature in a bubble. She turned to avoid a spear thrust at her back, and she swung her staff sideways to send the creature hurtling through the line of knights. She rolled forward to dodge a sword swipe and she slapped her palm on the ground to send a volley of ice shards flying out toward the three closest men, shredding their armor and knocking them over. She smacked the butt of her staff on the floor to send sharp, thorny vines shooting out in every direction, piercing and snaring. Luz glanced around quickly, turning, looking for the golem, her staff at the ready, and was knocked to the floor when it leapt down on her from the ceiling. She tumbled away, tossing up thick walls of ice as she rolled clear of its swift slashing claws. She felt the wooden owl pull her up in the air. She twisted, curling her legs around her staff, and arced through the air toward the staircase to the third tier. When she landed, the Queen’s knights had begun to advance, holding ranks and spreading out in a half circle around her.

Black smoke and flame boiled around her feet as a four-legged beast rose from the floor at her back. She stood in its shadow as it prowled from side to side. Its breath was flame and its pitch black wolf-like body trailed soot and ash in the air. It raised its great horned head and growled; like granite shaking to pieces. A bleached-white dragon’s skull lay over a shadowy black mouth filled with teeth, spilling thick, heavy smoke as it roared. Her head barely touched the base of its throat as it planted its feet on either side of her, its talons striking sparks from the white marble. It breathed in, deep, then bent its neck over Luz’s shoulder and opened its mouth wide to spew a torrential white flame at the hesitant knights, scorching the armored men down to blackened char and smoldering bone. Then it licked its lips and panted. The girl looked up at the great beast as its sulfurous dragons-breath rustled her brown hair.

“King?” She asked, astonished, and the giant beast nudged her arm with his nose. His familiar growl rumbled deep in her chest, almost too low to hear. She grinned up at the jagged-toothed skull atop his head, the long curved horns sweeping over his heavily muscled shoulders. The rest of the Queen’s Knights held back in fear, and the green-haired woman on the throne waved her arms and screamed in impotent fury. “Amity is here somewhere,” Luz patted the beast’s neck as she ignored the false Queen, feeling the muscles and flesh slide under her fingers, her hand wreathed in a harmless black flame, “Can you find her?”

King raised his head and snuffed at the air, then turned his large red-ringed eyes on her. He rumbled deep in his chest and huffed a hot cloud of black smoke. He bent his head and shoulder low; Luz grinned and used his horn to pull herself atop his back. “Take us there, great King of Demons!” The black-flamed beast let loose a long, dreadful howl that shook the castle, shattering the crystal windows of the throne room and sending the knights and their Queen stumbling backward with their hands clapped to their ears. King leapt forward and swatted the golem into the wall, then charged past the throne and smashed through the weakened crystal glass like a battering ram. He fell through the air as Luz screamed, holding her staff with one hand and his long smoking mane with the other. She watched the ground rise up to meet them and squeezed her eyes shut. The great beast crashed down into the ancient trees behind the castle with a deep, rumbling crunch, and vanished into the forest.

~

Edric scrambled on his hands and knees out from under the back edge of the stage. He suspected his mother's guards or the production technicians were chasing him, but he couldn't hear anything aside from his music thundering from the speakers overhead. He ducked under the last set of panels and rolled out under the deepening night sky, his vision swimming with the dream world hanging heavy over the Green. He leaned his elbows against the tilted tour bus as he pulled himself to his feet, gasping for air. He glanced to his right along the narrow strip of grass between the backside of the platform and the curb, then turned his head to the left. He jumped at the sight of several men running his way, “f*ck!” and scrambled away toward the back of the bus.

The two men in the lead slammed into his back, sending them all crashing to the ground, tumbling into the street. Edric groaned as one man put a knee in his back, and he twisted, kicking and squirming as best he could. The Suit on top of him tried to catch his wrists, and fend off his wild thrashing. He heard gasps in his earpiece and glanced over to meet his sister's eyes through the open door of his car. He clawed and kicked the man trying to straddle his legs, while the second Suit pushed himself to his knee and pulled a taser from his belt. Edric only had a moment before his entire world flared in agony, every muscle contracting with the electricity coursing through his body.

“Edric!” Emira called as she stumbled out of the car, fighting her way out of the automatic seat belt, “Let him go, you asshole!” Her brother writhed on the concrete as she ran over swinging his tennis racket in wild, frantic abandon. The Suit straddling him raised his arms and yelled in pain as she clubbed him in the head and arms, and then the third Suit jumped forward to catch her forearm and yank at the racket in her hand. The second Suit fumbled with his taser, loading another cartridge as he told his teammate to step aside. Emira hissed and spat, kicking at both men as Edric gasped for air.

~

“Edalyn, the twins need a diversion,” Lilith looked around her office for anything she could use to help, but came up empty. “They've been caught in the street.”

“What about that crossbow on your wall?”

Lilith sounded scandalized, “I can't fire a crossbow at—at children!” Then she paused, considering, “Besides, that's the original bowstring from 1587, I doubt it would withstand—”

“I'm on it,” came the calm, disinterested response.

~

Eda whistled a jaunty tune as she pulled her keys from her belt, flipping them over to grab the little squealer keychain she carried. She lifted the radio she had taken from the Suit earlier and twisted the volume knob to full, then held down the transmit switch and clicked the button on the keychain at the same time.

She leaned her head toward the hallway corner and heard several men scream, and she smiled.

~

All three Suits jerked in pain, slapping at their earpieces. Two of the men pulled them out to rub at their ears, the last frantically twisting knobs on his belt radio. He looked up to see the two other men standing frozen with their eyes blank and glassy, and then Emira broke the tennis racket against his forehead.

She knelt down beside Edric and pulled the wired probes out of his chest. He hissed and looked up at her, his voice weak, “That really hurt.”

She nodded, her voice gentle and consoling, “It looked like it did.”

“I think I…” He groaned, “I might have pissed my pants.”

Emira chuckled and glanced at his legs and, yup. She gave him a half-smile and replied, “At least you didn't sh*t yourself.”

“Ha haa, yeah,” He coughed, “At least.” He glanced at the car and asked, “On… an… unrelated note, my duffel bag from tennis practice was still in the back seat, right?”

She rolled her eyes and held out a hand, pulling him to his feet, “Yeah, c'mon stinky.” She pushed her finger in her ear and added, “Thank you, Raptor, Raven.”

~

Luz clenched her teeth and groaned as she forced her body outside the dream to take another clumsy, stumbling step forward. The rolling motion of King's long, loping sprint didn't help her doubled inner ear. The giant ashen wolf leapt atop a great fallen tree, claws catching and tearing into the trunk as he scrambled over and down the far side of the ancient redwood, smoldering footprints left in his wake. Her stomach lurched, and she took a shaky breath and stared up at the passing trees, trying to keep her lunch down. Luz had left herself leaning against a front row seat; she felt nauseated at the thought of taking another step and decided that was far enough, for now.

The bright blue sky and white clouds were completely hidden here, deep in the green. The forest canopy stretched as far as her eye could see, the layers of dark leaves undulating with air currents from high above. The plant life this far down was oddly twisted and phosphorescent, while the animals were small spindly strange creatures with pale fur and large eyes. She would catch a glimpse of little fox-like beasts cowering under fallen logs and ferns at King's thundering passage, and then they would be left far behind.

She had no idea where they were in this broken dream world. King had been running for so long and at such speed, but his black-flamed feet pounded unerringly in the same direction. She leaned over the crown of his skull and patted at his wide forehead. “Thank you, King,” Luz called over his thudding footsteps. He howled a long, echoing note in response. She held on to his mane with both hands, her staff tucked between her elbows and her knees. They began to climb a steep grade; the great gnarled tree trunks here were thick columns supporting the sky, bearing the weight of the heavens. King clawed and leapt his way up from ridge to rocky outcrop, scaling the swiftly steep shoulder of a mountain. With a burst of flame and a howl, he punched through the canopy and fell over the edge of the world.

Luz shrieked at the sudden purple sea in every direction, scrunching her eyes closed as her stomach leapt to her throat. King bounced and slid on all four feet, spinning backward to drag himself before leaping sideways to hop again, turning to slide forward, hunched low, slowing, but still so fast— after another heart-stopping moment of free fall he landed lightly, turning in a circle twice before he laid down, panting.

When Luz gingerly opened her eyes, she whispered “Oh my god.” This small, hidden corner of the world had a long, narrow cliff hanging off the continental shelf; stone mountain walls behind her in every direction and the foaming purple sea below. She slid from King's neck and staggered cautiously forward, her legs half-asleep. A familiar tree with pink leaves and white flowers grew from the crown of a steep hill before her, the only life growing here besides the grass and clover at her feet. As she stared at the tree, she saw a familiar face peek out from behind the trunk, fear and worry in every delicate line. “Oh my god,” Luz said, covering her mouth with her hands as she blinked away rapidly forming tears. Golden eyes widened, and Amity stepped away from the tree in disbelief, standing there just staring, staring, staring, as Luz began to run up the hill. “Oh my god, Amity!” Luz called, her booted feet slipping on the grass as she ran, clawing up toward the tree on her hands and knees. Amity was in her concert attire, the long pale green dress tangling her feet and the two-toned shawl thrown back over her shoulders. She lifted her skirts with one hand as she slipped and slid barefoot down the hill toward the brown-haired girl.

They crashed together on the steep slope, and Luz pulled Amity into her arms and curled around her, laughing and crying as they rolled back down the hill. Her heart was hammering in her chest, and her throat was so tight she could barely breathe, much less speak. “Oh god, Amity,” She choked out, “I thought I lost you.” She sat up in the grass and pulled the smaller girl into her lap to press her under her chin. Amity wrapped her arms up around her back and held on just as tight, her clutching hands shaking with desperation. Luz sobbed, “I thought I killed you—I-I— There was this thing that had your shape— and it—” She shivered and pulled Amity closer, leaning down to press her eyes into the smaller girl’s hair, whispering, “Oh god Amity, I was so scared.” They held each other close, trembling, and then Luz asked, “Are you alright?” Amity nodded into her throat, patting at her back and shoulders with her small, slender hands. Luz pulled away slightly and looked down. Amity smiled up at her, eyes crinkling with tears as she lifted her hands to run her fingers down the tanned girl’s cheeks. The smaller girl cradled Luz’s jaw carefully, peering at her slightly from both sides, a question in her eyes. “I’m— I’m okay, Amity.”

Luz tilted her head slightly and noticed a shimmering lilac glow around the smaller girl. If she squinted, she could see the aura shining brightest around her throat and jaw, illuminating the inside of her mouth. The golden-eyed girl smiled and huffed a laugh, then sighed, patting at her throat with a small frown. Luz realized, “You don't have your voice.” When Amity nodded, the brown-haired girl ran a hand through her hair, “Odalia said she kept the pieces of you she needed,” she glanced side-long at the smaller girl as Amity's eyebrows wrinkled in disgust, “and her… creature… had it. Has it. She could make it sing.”

Amity patted at her hand to catch her eye, and Luz watched as she pressed her palm into the ground, her hand slowly sinking through the earth as she pushed. “Huh,” Luz said, guessing, “You're… like a ghost?” The smaller girl shrugged. “You're— the pieces she didn't need— that golem is the part of you that's been brainwashed?” The green-haired girl raised her hands, then waggled her palm in partial agreement. “Close enough?” Luz asked, and grinned when Amity nodded.

“It was chained to the throne, and when I broke its collar, I think the throne cracked too,” Luz said softly, running her fingers over Amity's palm as she looked down at their hands, thinking, “Then it—” she shuddered, “uh, soon after that, the dream faded. Thanks to Edric, but,” the brown-haired girl looked up to catch the pale girl's golden eyes, “I saw you.”

Amity bit her lip and nodded, smiling, as she tapped her chest, pointed at her eyes, then reached out to touch Luz's face. The taller girl leaned into the gentle hand, then turned just enough to place a kiss on the pale palm. Luz grinned when Amity turned a light shade of pink.

The brown-haired girl sighed and glanced back over her shoulder. King lay panting roiling clouds of black smoke, patches of grass around him singed and dying. He picked his head up and looked at Luz, licking his lips. “We need to go back,” Luz said, craning her head to stare up the sheer mountain wall behind them, then looked back to Amity. “If breaking that collar will stop Raine's music from controlling you, then I have to take that chance.”

The golden-eyed girl just stared up at her, shaking her head. She pointed to her ear and mimed pulling out an earpiece.

Luz nodded, “We'll do that too. Once we break this trance.”

Amity shook her hands and pulled at her ear, then looked at Luz.

“No, cariño, I think—” Luz sighed and took one of Amity's hands in her own, “Look, I could pull your earpiece. Maybe I could get you to wake up, too, but you could still,” she looked down and clasped the pale hand in both of hers, “She could still get you again.” Luz met her golden gaze, unwavering, “I'm not letting her do that anymore.” Amity swallowed as Luz whispered, “We have to set you free.”

The silent girl examined her, the pair of golden eyes flicking left and right as she stared at Luz. Eventually, her mouth crinkled into a small frown and she nodded. “I know it’s a bad idea,” Luz said and laughed when Amity slapped her forehead, like, duh. “But it’s the best bad idea we have,” Luz added with a grin as Amity rolled her eyes. The taller girl stood and stretched, shaking the tingles out of her left hand and kicking her left foot against the ground to do the same, both limbs strangely numb. She reached a hand down to Amity, pulling the smaller girl to her feet. They stood smiling at each other before Luz grinned, “Say it with me, okay? We can do this together.” Amity huffed and nodded, mouthing the words with Luz as she repeated, softly, “We can do this together.”

The brown-haired girl turned back to find the great beast slowly wagging his tail as he tensed his body to spring to his feet. “King,” Luz called, and the giant wolf jumped to all fours, shaking a cloud of ash and soot loose to crisp the grass at their feet. He leaned down, allowing Luz to pull herself up on his back before she leaned down to pull Amity up with her, setting the smaller girl behind her. “Just hold on tight, cariño,” Luz grabbed handfuls of King’s black-flame hair as Amity wrapped her arms around her waist and pulled herself close, resting her cheek on Luz’s shoulder. The brown-haired girl patted gently at the hands on her stomach and held onto one pale wrist as King stood tall. “Alright, King, back to the caaaAAAAA—” Luz’s voice trailed off in a shriek as the demon suddenly flung himself skyward.

Chapter 16

Chapter Text

The ancient forest was eerily quiet as they thundered swift and sure toward the Queen’s castle. They could scarcely hear the heavy thud of King’s footfalls; the still air and silent earth around them swallowed the noise. There were no birds overhead or creatures in the brush. The dream world was hushed, as if waiting for their coming confrontation. It knew its existence hung in the balance. Even the strange, gently glowing ferns and vines sensed it and hid their light away. The whole of the forest was dark and dim, fetid, threatening; all but the path King forged through this deep green. The brown-haired girl looked back over her shoulder at the trail of lilac tracing their path from the edge of the world. Plant life glimmered in the hellhound’s wake, disturbed by his passage and resonating with the glittering, silent girl riding atop his back.

Luz held tight to King’s mane and Amity’s hands at her waist and clenched her eyes against the rising nausea that came with moving her real body. She was struggling at the stage now; it was proving… difficult… to coordinate her limbs for the climb up while astride the beast of black flames. That’s an excuse, and you know it. It felt like she was leaning heavily, in the outside, but it was hard to be certain with two sets of sensations to process. She growled and left herself propped there, her arms and upper body hooked over the front edge of the stage like one of those hang-in-there kittens on a poster. Amity patted her stomach and Luz turned her head to peer at the glowing girl’s face. She mouthed something Luz didn’t catch, Dammit, and the brown-haired girl gave her an awkward grin, “Sorry, I’m bad at reading lips, uh, I’m just frustrated.” The silent girl pulled herself closer and laid her chin atop Luz’s shoulder, looking up at her with furrowed eyebrows. Luz sighed, turning her head slightly so she could watch King’s path out of the corner of her eye, then, “I’ve been trying to move myself—my real body—up to the stage.” The golden-eyed girl blinked and sat back slightly in surprise. Luz shrugged, “I thought, y’know, you’re right and I’m right.” She paused to shake her left hand again, “But I was having trouble climbing up, my, uh,” she rubbed her left leg with her palm, seeing it more than feeling it, “I dunno. It’s nothing.”

Amity patted her again to catch her attention, and when Luz looked back, the silent girl put her pinky and thumb up to her face like a phone, then mimed yelling for help. “Yeah, yeah!” Luz smiled, grinning wide when Amity’s face lit up, “Maybe Steve’s in a position to help? I’m not sure who else could reach you quickly.” Luz nodded, and gave Amity another soft smile, “Give me a minute, I’ll try to let them know.”

~

Steve wiped the sweat from his forehead as he finished zip-tying the last of the four Suits that had been cramping his style all evening. He hummed along with the unexpected Beastie Boys track as he worked, rolling the catatonic man onto his side so he wouldn’t aspirate. He shouldn’t choke on anything, but better safe than sorry. Technically, a death on the Green would fall under Parks and Rec jurisdiction, but as the Siren at the Met performance was Museum-adjacent, he’d surely get saddled with the paperwork. He kept his movements smooth, careful not to jostle the electronic earmuffs Eda had given him earlier. He’d pretended they were part of the security console and played possum when the audience and a few nearby pedestrians had stopped, staring off into the distance, unmoving. Aside from Luz, no one had moved since the performance began. He’d been stuck, leaning on his knuckles on the temporary security desk, staring down at his screens. Some of the audience had shifted slightly when the music changed, but they all went still and silent again soon after.

The four men in suits had been standing nearby all evening, a constant reminder from Mrs. Blight that she was in charge. They didn’t talk much, but the audience falling into a trance hadn’t seemed to surprise them. Luz standing had, and one man had trotted off to head around backstage when they saw her move. Steve could hear the others playing their parts of Eda’s plan, while he could only stand still and listen. Eda had done something to the suit’s radios, as they’d all gasped or yelled in pain and tugged at their earpieces, knocking two of his Suits into the same trance as the audience. He’d jabbed the third with his stun baton. Overkill perhaps, but cathartic. Zip-tying him was easy, he was just dead weight on the ground. The other two didn’t want to move, and he had to practically hang on their shoulders and push at their knees to force them to the ground to get their ankles and wrists hooked together.

“The things I do for plausible deniability, Raptor,” he grumbled aloud after he flipped the transmit toggle on his belt radio.

“Keeping everyone else safe is still your job, shoulder-pads. Someone’s gotta watch the audience, and we all know Odalia Blight ain’t gonna do it.” came the snarky response, before his old friend added in a softer tone, “Besides, it’s best you stay uncompromised, you and Raven.”

“I do appreciate th—” another rasping groan from Luz cut across the channel, and they all fell silent, listening.

“Hhhh— hhelp upp… stage…” the girl hacked and coughed, a wet, disgusting warble in her voice, “’mity eeer—piece… out.” A few seconds later she spat, then grunted, “Over.”

“That’s my girl,” Eda sounded so goddamn proud, Steve could practically see her smug grin of superiority, “Proper radio etiquette, no matter what.”

Lilith interjected, sounding frantic, “Ste— McCringleberry, can you see her? I can’t see her from here, she’s not—”

“Who came up with my handle,” Steve hissed in irritation as he stood, shielding his eyes from the stage spotlights.

“Raptor,” the twins spoke in unison, with Edric adding with a stage-whisper, “Does she hate you?”

“Nah, just old rugby-team/football-team animosity,” Steve replied. It only took him a second to find Luz draped over the stage like the dirty laundry on her Aunt’s couch.

“Take a breath,” the gray-haired woman soothed her sister, ignoring everyone else, “She just spoke to us, she’s—”

“I see her,” Steve interrupted, earning a muttered phrase in some dead language from his co-worker; it was so cool how she could do that. He glanced around, looking for any more Blight Industries personnel, “I’ll go lift her onto the stage like she wanted.” He jogged down the aisle, and was almost halfway there when the sound system popped and all the music died. He lowered himself to a crouch and ran faster. The green-haired girl on stage continued her mournful Irish tune a cappella, but the Green practically hummed with the sudden quiet.

Steve slowed as he reached Luz’s side, and gave the girl a closer look. She had leaned over the edge of the stage, face down, her arms outstretched to hold herself in place. Her white cane had rolled away from her hand and sat several inches away on the stage. He scratched his head and studied how she had positioned herself, trying to figure out the best way to move her. An arm around her waist, and hook under her knees with the other… which should roll her sideways toward him off the stage… Yeah, that’ll work. He put his jaw against her right shoulder and looped his left arm around her torso. As soon as he touched her legs, her left knee buckled and almost threw her to the ground. “sh*t!” he regretted the word as soon as it slipped out.

“What happened?” Lilith squeaked and Eda’s hoarse whisper wasn’t far behind, “What’d you do?”

“She fell— it’s, the other guys were hard to move,” Steve explained as he crouched and shifted her around, getting his arms around her shoulders and under her legs, “Like they were resisting?” He stood, lifting her carefully, “She just fell over, but I caught her.” He sighed, “I didn’t expect it.”

“How does she look?”

He angled her face so her nose wouldn’t bleed into her mouth as he gave her a quick once-over. Her hair was drenched with sweat, blood stained the lower half of her face and discolored her teeth, and the skin around her eyes was mottled and bruised. Some of the veins in her neck stood out dark against her tanned skin—far darker than normal—and her breathing was harsh and quick. Steve frowned, “Rough.”

He laid her gently on the stage before clambering up beside her to lift her again, moving her further away from the edge. He found an empty spot on the stage a few steps away from the girl singing in the hot gaze of the spotlights, tucked behind a fake Corinthian pillar, and he set Luz down on her side. After bending her left elbow to set her head on her arm, Steve adjusted her legs, bending her knees so she wouldn’t roll onto her back. He sat back to pat at his pockets and belt pouches; he didn’t have any tissues or napkins handy. “I’m gonna go find a first aid kit,” he brushed his hands off on his pant legs as he stood, leaning down to drag her white cane over to her side.

“You’re gonna stay right where you are,” a deep voice growled at his back.

~

King clawed his way up a sudden rise and they tore through the small trees and shrubs at the edge of the ancient forest. Bright blue skies and white clouds blinded them without warning. The demon huffed a hot, smoky breath and shook himself, dislodging the leaves and branches he had collected on his way through the wall of greenery. Flaming sticks, flecks of burnt leaves, and clumps of ash drifted to the thick, waving grasses, and soon flames licked at the hellhound's feet, spreading out along the rim of the field. He paid them no mind, and neither did his passengers. Both girls were staring up at the Queen’s fortress, a look of surprise and hurt on Amity’s face at the sight of the ruined white-and-gold castle. She laid her cheek against Luz’s shoulder and looked away, back into the shadowy depths of the trees. Luz patted King’s head and pointed toward a solid corner of wall still standing, and the great beast began wandering forward.

The brown-haired girl looked back to see the silent girl’s sad expression, and gently questioned, “What’s wrong, cariño?” Amity pointed at the castle then patted her chest, mouthing, Mine.

“That’s yours?” Luz asked, surprised. Amity nodded. “You created it? Wait,” the brown-haired girl huffed and rolled her eyes, “duh, Luz, of course you did.” She glanced over her shoulder at the glimmering girl and gave her a soft smile, “You wanted a place to call your own, and what little girl doesn’t want to be a princess?” Amity turned pink and looked away, nodding into Luz’s shoulder. The taller girl sighed a smile and looked up at the smoking, cracked white marble walls and towers. “What I saw of it was beautiful… but she took what was yours and twisted it, didn’t she?” Amity nodded again, still pressing her face into Luz’s back, her arms tightening around her stomach. “Well, cariño, It’s time to take back what’s yours.”

King prowled into the silent shade of the castle wall, following its curve as they made their way toward the fallen tower. Luz wasn’t exactly sure how the great beast would get them to the throne room, but she trusted him to sniff out the best path. She grimaced, and shifted her weight from side to side, “Hold on,” she said, patting the smoking black neck at her knees, rubbing to get his attention, “Stop for a sec, I need to stretch or something.” Luz hopped down from King’s back and bent to touch her toes, then twisted in circles with her arms outstretched, hissing in discomfort. She frowned and stomped her foot a few times, muttering under her breath.

Amity waved at her, leaning down to catch her eye, and pointed at Luz’s leg when the brown-haired girl said, “Yes?” Luz blinked and stammered, “o-Oh, it’s n—nothing, it’s—” Amity pointed again with two fingers, and put her fists on her hips. “Okay, look, it’s— it’s just been feeling funny, alright? I… When I…” She trailed off and let her arms fall to her side, and the silent girl motioned her closer. Luz stepped forward to lean against Amity’s thigh, wrapping her arms around her waist, while the pale girl cradled her head close to her glowing stomach. “I will tell you, Amity, I will,” the brown-haired girl sighed, squeezing the glowing girl, “I just… I don’t know if now is the right time,” Luz said softly, closing her eyes as pale fingers caressed her face. She felt Amity run her hand over her cheek and lift her head up, and Luz turned her eyes up to the pale girl.

Please, the golden-eyed girl mouthed, tell me.

“When I went… up… to signal Edric, the golem… it…” Luz shuddered and squeezed her eyes closed, “It—it hurt me. I know it’s a dream and the injuries aren’t real, but they still hurt. It hurt so much,” she paused, taking a breath before adding, “I thought it was you, and… I couldn’t hurt you, I couldn’t stop— It took my arm and my leg, and now they’re— They’re feeling funny right now, is all, but it’s fine,” She looked up at Amity, her smile not reaching her eyes, “I’ll be fine, don’t worry.” Amity looked devastated, and Luz quickly added, “It’s not your fault, Amity. If anyone’s to blame, it’s Odalia. I’m doing my part to keep you safe.” The silent girl met her eyes, and Luz promised, “I’d do it all again in a heartbeat to bring you home. Whatever it takes.” The brown-haired girl reached up to take Amity’s hand from her cheek and held it in both of her hands, whispering, “You mean everything to me, and I’d give anything to keep you safe.”

Amity stared down at her, just looking in wonder, before Luz kissed the silent girl’s pale hand and smiled. She pulled back gently, then limped around to pat the great beast’s enormous skulled head. “King, bring us up to the throne room, we have a fight ahead of us.” He growled deep in his chest, his black-flame fur glowing slightly red at the sound, his tail wagging slowly. Luz gave his nose a kiss and quietly reminded him, “Protect Amity if I can’t.” His answering bark was a thudding concussive force, shaking the ground at their feet.

Luz turned and walked back to look up at Amity, “Are you sure about this?” Amity nodded, circling her finger to encompass the three of them, then pointed up at the Queen’s tower. The pale girl pointed at Luz and motioned as if breaking a collar, then she tapped her chest and made a grabbing motion. Luz sighed, “Okay, cariño. I’ll break the golem’s chain, then you’ll do your voodoo… that you do.” She grinned as Amity glared.

“I’m not scared of that creature anymore,” Luz admitted, pulling herself up with one of King’s long, curved horns, throwing a leg over the black flames of his shoulders, “It’s dangerous, but now I know it’s not you.” She held out her hand and her staff popped into the air where she could easily grasp it, “I don’t have to hold back.” She pulled at one of the hands Amity had wrapped around her stomach, lifting it up to place a kiss against the pale knuckles before tucking it back at her waist. “King,” Luz said, wrapping her hands in his mane, her staff between her knees and elbows, the silent girl squeezing tight, “Take us in.” The great beast bent low to the ground and shot up into the sky with a piercing howl, clawing his way up the outside of the tower.

~

Steve turned slowly, one hand open, fingers spread wide, the other hand carefully holding the bloody girl’s white cane in a non-threatening manner. A big man in a suit stood just off-stage, between where the brown-haired head of security had laid Luz on the floor, and the wide doorway leading backstage. Odalia Blight sat in a fancy high-backed chair behind him, her eyes closed with a sneer on her lips and a slight wrinkle to her eyebrows. She was illuminated by the screen of a tablet in her hand. The man waggled the pistol in his hand, drawing Steve’s eyes away from the green-haired woman. The man was bald, with small, beady eyes, and a wide-jawed underbite, one ear scarred and misshapen, the other sporting an earpiece. Steve almost laughed when he recognized the man from high school. No wonder Odalia keeps him around. This guy loved to fight and was dumb as a box of hammers. He stood and watched the Big Suit until the bald man opened his mouth to speak, “I said—”

“I heard,” Steve said calmly, “Do you have a first aid kit?” He watched the bald man blink his tiny eyes in confusion.

“A— a first— I, uh, I said—”

Eda whispered in his ear, “What is going on? Who is it?” He thought he saw movement out of the corner of his eye, in the backstage hallway, but he kept his eyes on the bald man, “Do you need backup?”

“No, I heard you,” the brown-haired man said quickly, “I’m gonna stay right here,” Steve said, tipping his head slightly, “But she’s bleeding, and I need to help her. It’s my job. Do you have a—”

The big man interrupted, speaking with him, “First aid kit,” they both said, then the bald man grunted, “Yeah, I got one here, don’t—” He pointed his gun at Steve in emphasis, muttered a whoops then put it down and pointed his finger, “Don’t move.” He glared at the security man for a moment, raising one eyebrow, then slowly stepped to the wall to pull open a white metal container bolted there. He pulled a red zipper pouch out and swung the white container door shut with his elbow, then took a few steps toward Steve before tossing him the kit.

“Thanks, man,” the head of security gave the bald man an honest smile as he crouched beside Luz and opened the pouch, riffling through its contents. “It’s that guy who was always sniffing after you in high school,” Steve whispered as he ripped open a gauze pack, pulling out the 3” x 3” squares and rolling them up into plugs for the brown-haired girl’s nostrils. He tipped her head back slightly to open her mouth and her airway, then he worked the gauze rolls into her nose. He grinned as he listened to the others’ chatter.

“Didn’t you date him?” Lilith asked

Eda responded, “Ew gross.” Then she scoffed, “No! We never dated!”

“Is it that big dumb bald guy?” came Emira’s voice, and Steve grunted an affirmative as he pulled out a few wet wipes to clean up Luz’s face. He took his time, glancing up at the confused Big Suit, making sure he stayed off-balance. After using a fourth wet wipe, the bald man took a few angry steps forward, gearing up to start a confrontation.

“Do you have a garbage can?” Steve asked him, suddenly, holding up the handful of wipes and gauze wrappers as he shook the slightly bloody pile, “I’ll also need to wash my hands.”

The bald man stopped short and scratched his head, looking back over his shoulder as he moved his pistol toward his holster, “Oh? Yeah, uh, there’s a bathroom over—”

Once the man had turned his eyes away and pointed his gun down, Steve dropped the garbage over Luz and snatched her white cane from the stage, jumping over her swiftly to swing the cane in a blurred white and red arc toward the Big Suit’s gun-hand.

~

The black smoke beast had crawled and scrambled his way up the outside of the Queen’s tower, his claws leaving red-hot furrows in the white marble and worked stone. Luz and Amity held on tight, both girls clamping their eyes shut as the dream world shifted and spun around them, the nonsensical layout of the fortress changing as they observed its impossibilities. The hellhound seemed unconcerned when he crawled underneath a wide balcony, his great claws unerringly finding purchase while dangling upside down.

The skulled demon opened his mouth wide and rocked the castle tower with a howl that shattered stone. The entryway staircase ruptured; large, deadly chunks of stone exploded across the wide room, shattering windows and a nearby troupe of knights, a portion of the throne room’s wall shivering to glittering motes of dust. An enormous cloud of smoke swirled in the unexpected entrance, swallowing the staircase and the lowest tier of the long throne room in its dark, murky grasp. A rumbling thunder filled the room as a great pair of glowing red-ringed eyes emerged from the cloud of dust, stalking close; pitch-black smoke and clouds of ash spilled into the room with every growling exhale from the hellhound’s smoldering maw. Shining teeth glinted below its eyes, hints of danger in the gloom, and then the beast of black flames bounded forward into the room, the embers in his chest burning bright and red as he howled. Fire billowed out in all directions from the demon, setting the walls aflame and igniting the green fabric hanging from the ceiling. Luz shot up into the air from the great beast’s back, flinging a volley of ice and choking vines towards a cowering group of men as she rode her staff above the fray.

Odalia stood from her throne and motioned toward the girl and her beast, “Kill them both!” she called to her knights. Her creature stood on the next lower platform wearing Amity’s shape, its purple oily sludge draped in the form of her concert dress. It looked up at the green-haired woman with its body and limbs completely still, unbreathing. She looked down at it and sneered, “Don’t fail me again.” The creature raised its human-like hands and flexed them out into smooth, sharp blades as it turned to face the throne room.

King pounced on a troupe, swatting and crushing with his claws, then lunged forward to snap at a knight with his smoky jaws, biting him in half as the man’s spear thrust bounced off the thick bone on his head. Amity still rode atop the great beast, glowing bright in the flame-soaked room; to Luz she looked like something out of a myth, a Greek princess astride a hell-beast. Amity snatched the dead man’s weapon out of the air before it could fall to the ground. The silent girl held the spear in one hand as she wrapped the other around the beast’s long black-smoke mane, pointing the long steel spearpoint down the throne room toward Odalia. The green-haired woman clenched her fists in anger. “What are you doing here?” the woman hissed, “I sent you away!”

Luz fell onto the golem with a shrill cry, driving a giant fist of ice down onto the semi-solid creature. The bottom edge of the ice splintered and cracked as it crushed the golem into a thin purple paste. The sludge oozed and boiled at the edges of the fist, curling tendrils flailing upward to stab and twist around the fingers. The brown-haired girl twirled her staff as she crouched atop the ice, and a thick cluster of vines sprouted behind her, twisting around the icy wrist. The girl floated up on her staff as the plants lifted the fist off the ground and quickly twisted around—like a spring—then it slammed down again and again, ever faster, grinding the purple ooze down into the cracked white marble. Luz snapped her eyes up to the green-haired woman and drew another spell circle, sending two waves of ice crashing against opposite sides of the throne’s dais, lifting the woman off her feet and pinning her between their jagged faces. The girl flew down to land before the throne. Luz stood tall and pointed, waving another cluster of vines to sprout from the throne room floor, snaking up to wrap around the struggling, spitting woman.

The icy fist shattered; great frozen chunks flew in all directions as the deformed creature tottered to its feet, both of its arms merged above its head into a thick pyramidal wedge. It blinked its multiple black-and-green eyes at both Luz standing before the throne as she readied another spell, and Amity stabbing down at a knight while King slashed and rent men before him with his claws. The purple figure lowered its arms and pulled them apart with a schluck-pop! as it grew sharp blades from its forearms. “Save me from this witch!” Odalia screeched, and the golem twitched toward Luz. The girl turned her right side forward, holding her staff out as she grew vines to wrap around her left arm and fist, forming a large, heavy green gauntlet spiked with thorns. The creature bent low, angling its blades as it tensed, then it sprang away from Luz straight for Amity. The silent girl was looking away, her spear caught in a knight’s armor as she pushed her foot against the man’s chest plate to lever the long shaft free. King turned and saw the golem, and he jumped backward breathing a wide burst of sticky flames. The silent girl lost her grip on her spear, holding one hand out as she reached for it before she caught sight of her murderous doppelganger’s swift approach.

~

Steve breathed harsh and fast through clenched teeth. The bald man’s gun had clattered to the ground in the corner near his employer, and Steve had spent the last few minutes keeping the Big Suit at arm’s length. If he had been surprised by the pistol being slapped from his hand, he didn’t show it—he had merely looked up at the brown-haired security guard and grinned with his wide teeth and unsettlingly small eyes. He held Eda’s white cane out at his waist with one hand near its middle, the other close to its end, snapping the length of metal out any time the larger man had reached for him. Soon though, it wouldn’t be enough to—

The bald man snaked a hand out to grab the white cane, and he yanked Steve off his feet into a half-bearhug. The man squinted his eyes and grinned as he reached for the brown-haired man’s headset, “I’m gonna enjoy beating on you while you’re under.”

Steve pulled himself higher on the man’s chest, pushing with his foot against the man’s knee, and hooked his fingers around the man’s wired earpiece. “I’ll see you in there, tiny,” he said with a grin. He pulled as he felt his headphones slip down his neck.

~

Luz had to lean back as the golem’s chain snapped taut before her face, and started rattling longer as the golem ran to pursue Amity and King. The brown-haired girl jabbed the shaking links with her staff, hissing a quick, “Shatter!” when the creature leapt into the air above King’s flame, its arms raised to strike down at the glittering girl atop the beast. The chain links began to burst apart from where her wooden owl touched, miniature explosions rapidly spreading in both directions along the broken line until the throne heaved and split, the entire castle shifting subtly on its foundations in response, and the golem’s collar burst apart as it slashed down at its glowing counterpart. The silent girl had raised an empty hand to block the savage downward swing of the creature’s wickedly curved claws, while King turned his boney armored head up to swat the creature from midair—but he was not quick enough. The creature gasped when its collar fell away, its black-and-green eyes widening, and its form rippled and popped, splashing down onto Amity in an amorphous pile of shifting sludge. King danced in a circle, shying away from a troupe of knights as he arched his spine, craning his neck to look at the girl on his back, while Luz cried out a “No, Amity!” She threw her leg over her staff and flew to the other girl’s side.

The purple ooze had completely covered the silent girl riding the hellhound, her hands placed over her heart as she bent her head forward. It had formed a featureless purple shell—no black and green eyes blinked, no lighter or darker purple hues undulated along the surface. After an agonizing heartbeat, the sludge began to shift and slide, peeling back off her arms and legs, pooling at her chest and head, and wrapping around her forearms and calves. Purple metal greaves and bracers formed out of the sludge at her limbs; the rippling metal at her chest smoothed out into a segmented cuirass, a large round shield hung at her left shoulder; the mottled, shifting metal around her head spun into a glistening helmet with a visor shading the silent girl’s golden eyes, long curved plates of armor covering her cheeks and jaw, the nape of her neck, and a large crest sprouted atop the helmet. Where a brightly dyed horse hair plume would have been on a real helmet’s crest, a stream of the purple sludge rippled in the air above and behind the pale girl. Several black-and-glowing-green eyes blinked open along the fluid plume.

“Amity?” Luz asked as she landed beside King, stumbling slightly as she stepped off her staff. She squinted up at the pale girl and realized she was no longer glowing that gentle lilac hue.

“I’m alright, Luz,” the golden-eyed girl said as she leaned toward the brown-haired girl, her armor shining in the firelight. “You set me free,” Amity reached out to take Luz’s hand gently in her own, “And now, I can end this terrible dream.” The pale girl sat up straight, staring at the green-haired woman suspended before the broken throne, glaring at them with such hatred in her eyes. Amity opened her mouth, her eyes glimmering.

enough.

Luz blinked her eyes open against a pounding headache, slowly pushing herself off the floor with her good arm. The world spun around her as she squinted against the lights of the stage, everything either too bright or too dark. She saw a blob of shining pale green, and heard Amity’s voice call her name. She pushed herself up to her feet, leaning against the nearby pillar, scrubbing at her eyes with the edge of her hand. “Amity?” she asked, her throat aching and raw; her whole body hurt with a bone-deep exhaustion. She took a step forward and stumbled, falling into the smaller girl’s steady arms. “A-amity?” Luz rasped, “Are you okay?” Her nose and ears felt clogged, and she worked her jaw until it popped. She felt the smaller girl squeeze her tight, and she clumsily moved her arms around the green-haired girl’s shoulders. She was so tired.

“Yes, Luz,” Amity’s words buzzed against her collarbone, “I’m fine, but you— you need—” Luz started to tip to one side, and Amity patted at her back, “Here, sit down.” The smaller girl tried to get Luz to move, to sit, but the taller girl shook her head.

“No, I—I can’t, I’m so tired Amity,” Luz groaned, her head swimming, “I-I just… want to hold you for a minute.”

A shrill, hateful voice sounded from behind them, “Unbelievable! You would throw away all of our work?” Odalia Blight clicked her tongue in disgust, “A Blight always finishes the job, I won’t accept this.” Luz heard a click, and a soft violin began to play. She turned—tried to turn, and stumbled again on her numb leg, almost pitching herself to the floor. Amity held her up, frozen in fear and anger, but her eyes remained clear.

“Moth— Odalia Blight, stop that now,” Amity hissed, her eyes alight in anger. Luz convinced her feet to work, and she half-turned to see Odalia holding up her watch to play the music. “That won’t work anymore,” the golden-eyed girl raised her chin and sneered at the green-haired woman. King stood at her side, growling deep in his chest as he stared at the woman before them.

Odalia clicked her watch and another recording began to play. “One of these will,” she sounded convinced. Amity grit her teeth and clenched her fists in fury.

“Give it up you unbelievable bitch,” Luz spat, taking a shaky step toward the woman, her aches and pains and foggy confusion burning away before the anger in her chest. She clenched her fists as Amity placed a hand on her shoulder, pulling her back slightly. King snarled loud and bared his teeth, fangs glistening, and Amity reached down to place her palm on his head.

“Never,” Odalia snarled, and she clicked her watch again. Another song began to play and Amity shrieked a long, gurgling note as—

The throne room fell around them once more, heavy and solid, thrumming with the weight of the Queen’s convictions pressing down on their shoulders. She would be Queen. She would rule. It was due her, and the world would be happy to oblige her every whim. They should be so lucky to live in service to her. The castle was still broken, windows and walls shattered, fire consuming the lower tiers behind them. There was a dangerous creaking all around them as the tower wobbled, and the marble beneath Luz’s boots buzzed with a heavy one-two beat thudding in the ground, a deep tremor in the earth like a giant’s heartbeat. The world vibrated with anger—Amity’s anger—and Luz glanced to her side to see Amity still standing beside her where she had been a moment ago on stage, once again shining with a pale lilac light underneath her glistening purple armor. The rippling plume of her helmet bent toward the smaller girl’s hand, twisting and straightening into a short sword with a wide leaf-like blade. Luz held her hand up and the wooden owl staff whistled through the air to land in her palm.

Odalia stood on the white marble floor before the jade throne’s dais, so sure of herself, her laughter dripping with contempt for the two girls that dared oppose her. A third oily metal golem stood beside the jade throne, slowly twisting as its shell opened like a poisonous flower. This creature barely looked like Amity; its too-long limbs were drooping and misshapen, purpled flesh hanging off a pocked and pitted skeleton. It was hunched and twisted, with far too many eyes blinking open across its body; it oozed and dripped as it drew heaving breaths, a scowl of fury twisting its face. It had Amity’s mouth, her voice, stretched across a too-wide jaw filled with broken teeth. Odalia pointed at the girls and the creature lunged forward so fast, Luz barely spun a shield up before it could tackle her to the floor.

The golem slammed against her shield, sending a spider web of cracks splintering across the glowing purple barrier. The creature roared and gave a mighty slash with one giant fist and shattered the bubble. Luz staggered and fell to one knee, and Amity stepped in between her and the dripping figure, raising her purple shield and readying her sword. The golem screeched and swiped at her with the claws on its other hand, and the pale girl deflected the blow with her shield. Amity quickly slashed with her sword, cutting off a part of the creature’s hand as it swung within reach. It howled and took a step back holding its wrist, and the severed semi-solid part of its hand slapped to the ground and slithered over to Amity. The tail of her helmet’s plume stretched down and absorbed the sludge at her feet.

The golem raised its arm to strike down at the pale girl and a thick column of ice struck it in the side, sending it staggering into another swift upward slash of Amity’s sword. She struck again, hacking at its leg, and it dropped to the ground as its limb fell away, swirling up and joining the rippling metal above her helmet, her plume growing long and sharp. It swung its arm, the limb growing in an instant, slamming into her to send her sliding back with her shield raised, the metal disc scored by its claws. Luz spun a circle with her staff and a forest of vines ensnared the golem, twisting about its limbs and torso, wrapping around and around to keep it from oozing free. She spun her staff again and spears of ice thudded into the creature, pinning it to the ground.

It roared and tore itself free from its ice and vine constraints, flinging chunks of ice at the girls as it stood, Amity raising her shield and Luz spinning a wall of flame. It stood tall and slammed its fists down into the floor, digging its claws in deep as it inhaled, its chest swelling. “sh*t!” Luz said, stumbling over to Amity and raising a barrier around them as the pale girl held her shield up in front of them both.

The golem screamed, and the brown-haired girl’s bubble held for a moment before shattering; the two girls were flung across the throne room to land heavily against the far wall, the window above them shattering and raining glass all about them. The golem advanced on them with its mouth open wide, screaming in short, ear-splitting bursts. It swiped Amity’s shield away—the metal disc clattering away across the floor—and slashed again; her plume split and formed two flexible blades that parried its arm and swiftly struck its forearm free at the elbow. The freshly severed sludge swirled up into a new shield on her arm as the plume flicked and stabbed into the creature’s forehead. The golem froze.

Luz pulled herself up to her elbows, her head swimming. She watched the creature as its eyes blinked up at the blade through its head. It grasped the blade with its hand and snapped it off the plume’s tail, the broken weapon melting into its body and extending from its severed arm. The brown-haired girl spun a quick circle and a gout of flame boiled the sludge across the creature’s chest and head, making it stagger back as it raised an arm to protect its face. It raised its bladed fists above its head and snarled, baring its broken teeth at the girls. A scrabbling, clawing sound came from the window above them, and King jumped over the half-wall behind them, ramming the golem to the ground with his great dragon’s skull. He reared back and struck the golem against the floor again, shaking the room with the impact. King rumbled deep in his chest and barked a thundering hammer blow; the creature popped, smearing across the throne room in a thin, watery paste. Luz and Amity clapped their hands over their ringing ears and watched as the hellhound turned his blood-red eyes on the green-haired woman before the throne. She raised her hands and took a hesitant step back. “Now, wait,” Odalia cautioned.

King was on the woman in a single pounce, snatching her off the ground with a snap of his smoking jaws. Odalia screamed as he bit down, shaking her savagely from side to side before leaning back to slam her down on the white marble floor. “King, no!” Luz called as she struggled to stand, Amity helping her to her feet. The demon reared back and stomped down on the woman, once, twice, a sickening crack echoing with every iron footfall. The brown-haired girl leaned heavily on her staff, the pale girl’s arms over her shoulder, as the great beast leaned down into the sobbing, wide-eyed woman’s face. His deep, rumbling growl was the crack and crunch of an avalanche. He slowly stepped on her arms with his front paws, pinning her in place, her bones crunching under his weight as she gasped air through her broken, bleeding chest.

“No, please,” the woman begged, her voice muffled by fear and blood in her throat, “Stop this!” King pulled his head back and breathed in deep, the flames in his chest glowing—burning—red, then yellow, then bright white as a flickering light poured out between the ashen muscles of his throat. “No, I am your Quee—” The great beast opened his jagged-toothed maw wide and poured a jet of scorching flame over the woman’s face and chest, her bubbling scream of agony echoing through the throne room.

“King, stop!” Luz called again, but the hellhound narrowed his eyes and leaned forward, his torrent of fire tightening, whistling a high piercing note as he focused it into a faster, searing torch-like flame. The woman pinned beneath him struggled and kicked her legs, shrieking in unbearable pain. Amity patted at Luz’s shoulder, and Luz turned her head to look at the pale girl. Amity leaned forward and pointed down into the throne room, fear in her eyes. The brown-haired girl looked the other way and saw the golem reforming itself, twitching and spasming as its master fell beneath the demon’s flame. King breathed in deep, his chest and back glowing white hot as the blackened figure beneath him managed a shrill whistling groan through its ruined lungs and face. The beast howled long and loud as he turned his dripping jaws back down toward the charred woman, his saliva hissing as it touched the floor. “King!” Luz called, and he turned his face toward her, his skull shimmering in the heat-soaked air. “Not like this,” she begged, and the hellhound turned back to his prey, his mouth opening wide again as he vomited liquid flame atop the would-be-Queen.

The throne room flashed with a searing heat, and ignited. The floor under the throne buckled as King’s flame burned a hole straight through the tower, and the room began to crack and crumple as it burned. The demon of black flames and the ashen remains of the green-haired woman fell as the highest tier of the throne room split away from the castle, tipping down and tumbling into the Keep in a rumbling roar of stone and marble crashing to the ground far below. Luz called out to King, but her voice was lost in the thundering crash and crumble of the tower. Flames swelled in what remained of the throne room as fierce winds poured through the freshly torn opening. The tower rumbled beneath Luz’s feet as it slowly listed to one side, weakened by the fires and the fallen masonry.

The golem’s chain rattled along the floor, down and out the building as the creature clawed and scratched at the floor, fighting the weight dragging it out of the tower. It looked at them with its too-many eyes filled with hatred, and hissed and clawed its way closer, pulling against the jade throne dangling from its neck. “Easy now, easy,” Luz cautiously approached it with her staff extended, hoping to set it free, “I just want to hel—” but it spat and slashed at her when she tried to get close. It bubbled and sprouted more arms, spider-like, as it clawed at the floor to keep itself from falling. Luz glanced over her shoulder at Amity, and both girls took a step closer to the creature. It hissed and slashed, different eyes staring at each girl.

The forest beyond the broken throne room lurched as the mountain ridge cracked. A thundering rumble shook the tower as the land on the far side of the rupture slowly fell off into the purple sea. The waters foamed and hissed as the mountains sank, fountaining up into the air above the trees. Misty rainbows glittered in the sky above the ancient green. The ground shook again as another fissure spread across the valley, cracking and roaring as the land shook itself apart. The cleft paused for a moment, and broke off in two different directions, one chasm racing close to split the ground under the castle itself, breaking the fortress in half. The tower twisted and folded, the sky flickering past the broken end of the throne room before the ancient forest rolled up to meet them. The girls slipped and slid across the floor as the room spun, the golem tearing gouges in the marble floor before it was flung free of the castle’s wreckage. Luz jumped to grab Amity’s hand, pulling her close to wrap an arm around her waist as her staff pulled them up into the air. The Queen’s tower shattered against the ground, and the girls were swallowed by a thundering cloud of smoke and dust.

Chapter 17

Chapter Text

She limped along, clutching her numb, twisted arm to her side, her head swimming with every unsteady step. The ground vibrated and lurched beneath her feet; a sudden, sharp upward thrust of the land sent her tumbling to the ground. She raised her arm to protect her face from the shifting piles of brick and glass as she rolled down a collapsed wall, sliding the last few feet and hitting the ground below with a thud and a hiss. She pushed herself back up to her knees carefully, great chunks of masonry wobbling underfoot as she shifted her weight. A great crack sounded in the far distance, the ground shivering a moment later. The world was muffled by a thick cloud of dust and black smoke, hanging heavy over the broken, ruined castle. Fires flickered in every direction, setting the swirling dust to glow a dull red, the occasional crackling yellow as a beam of wood popped with a hungry flame. She covered her mouth with a dirty hand and coughed, her tongue thick and dry with the dust in the air. The world tasted like ash. She sat back on her heels and looked up at the dimmed sky. Why is it… so hard… to think? Her head was spinning, either from the smoke in the air, or… Did she fall? She had a handful of vague images of the ground racing up toward her: blue sky, then green trees, then sharp gray stone, then brown dirt. She placed her dirty, blood-streaked hands on her knees and hung her head, resting her chin on her chest. She watched a thin trickle of blood run down the bridge of her nose and drip, drip, drip on the back of her wrist. Her thoughts were wrapped in cotton. What was she… she was looking for… who—

A roar in the distance, behind her, caught her ears and she looked over her shoulder. More flame, and dust, and smoke. More shattered walls and cracked stone. What was that? She wondered as she turned, rolling off her knees to sit on the rubble, stretching one leg out straight, leaving the other propped up. She wobbled slightly and leaned forward to rest her chin on her knee. Her head hurt so much, she just wanted to close her eyes and rest. Something… some… scrap of a thought, someone had told her something, once… She couldn’t remember the specifics, but she felt like going to sleep now would be a bad idea. Someone must have told her that. She blinked her blurry eyes and looked around at the dusty, cracked rubble beneath her. That doesn’t… look comfortable, anyway.

A glint of light in the air caught her eye. It looked like… a bird? A metal bird? She leaned back as she put her hand up above her eyes to watch the strange animal in the smoky sky above, and she gradually tipped backward to lay on the broken stone. The rubble at her back buzzed with the faint thump-thud of the world’s angry heartbeat. Luz coughed as dust billowed up around her, more drifting down to settle on her skin and clothes, slowly covering her in a layer of dirty gray.

~

“I’m gonna enjoy beating on you while you’re under.”

Emira and Edric glanced at each other when they heard their mother’s bodyguard utter those words. Emira’s heart sank. She knew what kind of men her mother’s money bought. They both knew about this man in particular; Odalia kept him around because their hobbies aligned. He loved to torture people, and she loved to watch people suffer. They made a point of avoiding him at all costs. The kind security guard they met the day before needed help.

Edric was out the door first, leaping down the front steps of the Museum, vaulting from landing to landing. Emira was close behind, but slower in her dress suit and heels. She pressed the transmit button in her ear and called out, “We’re on our way, hold on!” as Edric reached the street, his long legs pounding across the pavement to the backstage door. She didn’t expect him to wait for her, and she was glad when he didn’t; she’d catch up when she could. The green-haired girl swiftly mounted the stairs and pulled the door open, slipping through to the quiet hallway. She hurried down the corridor as quickly and as quietly as she could, and after making two right turns and a left at the T, she slowed at the sight of the tall gray-haired woman lurking there in the shadows. Emira slipped beside Edric peering through the last doorway before the stage-side bay.

Eda glanced across the corridor at the twins and made a face, “What are you two doing here?” she hissed.

Edric pointed toward the Big Suit holding the head of security up in the air, both men staring off into space with glazed eyes. “We thought he needed help,” the green-haired man whispered, “We know what mother’s bodyguard is like.”

Emira squinted toward the men, muttering, “Steve’s turning purple.”

“What?!” Eda hissed, glancing out herself, “sh*t.” She nodded toward the twins, confiding, “See what you can do, I was gonna go duct-tape your mom to her ch—”

Amity stopped singing and the air tilted around them as the hazy dream world faded. The three conspirators groaned and rubbed at their eyes; the sudden lack of swirling colors and hazy shapes was almost as bad as having the visual and auditory interference. Movement from the stage drew their attention: Luz swayed to her feet, wheezing and dizzy; Amity tugged an earpiece out, calling to Luz; Luz stumbled over to Amity, the girls hugged; Odalia stormed toward them, hurling invectives and manipulating her watch. The Big Suit had wobbled, his arms tired from holding Steve off the ground, then Steve blinked and pulled his headphones back over his ears as he kicked a steel-toed boot up into the bald man’s crotch. The Big Suit folded—turning an alarming shade of gray—as Amity screamed with a rage and frustration that bled into a long, drawn-out note that slammed the dream world down on everyone around her like a bear trap.

This song drove the twins to their knees; Emira clutched at her twisting stomach as Edric retched, clapping his hands over his mouth as his eyes widened in panic. He scrambled back to the break room to vomit loudly into the garbage can. The green-haired girl groaned as the new song pressed down on her back, her neck, incessant, demanding. Her heart was racing, and her pulse thundered in her ears as second-hand anger crawled up her throat. Eda groaned in a low tone and rubbed at her forehead. Steve glanced at them as he hurried to zip-tie the Big Suit while he had the chance, “What are you doing here?” he whispered, rolling the tall man onto his stomach to hook his ankles and wrists together.

“We came to help you,” Emira called softly from where she crouched in the doorway, “We know what that asshole is like.” She leaned against the doorframe and pressed her hand over her heart, “God, my heart is racing, what the hell?”

Eda stepped over and held a hand out, lifting the girl to her feet, “Boots is pretty pissed… I hope they’re okay in there.”

“Raptor, are you well?” Lilith’s voice crackled through their earpieces, and Steve raised a thumbs-up above his head. “I see what might be a cardiac event in the crowd: second row, left-hand side, four down.”

Steve swiveled to his feet with a “sh*t!” as he scanned the crowd, “Good eyes, Raven.” He jogged to the edge of the stage and jumped down, holding his earmuffs in place, “Call EMS, get them to the East-side concourse access road—but tell them to stay in vehicle until we have the situation handled, unless they have ANC hearing protection.”

“Roger that.”

Edric reappeared beside his sister and the tall gray-haired woman. “What can I do?” he asked, glancing between the woman beside him and the head of security stepping sideways between audience members.

Steve waved him over, “Cosmo, we gotta lay this man down.” Edric hurried over as Steve paused to point at the stage, “Polaris, I knocked that guy’s gun out of his hand, find that for me?” Emira blinked, and looked up at Eda when Steve added, “Raptor, go get the first-aid stretcher from the Rotunda—you know where it is?”

Eda nodded and said, “On it,” then she patted Emira on the shoulder and pointed, “Pretty sure it’s over there.”

“But—” The green-haired girl paled, “I’ve never touched a gun before!”

“Nothin’ to it, kid,” Eda said confidently, “Just keep your fingers away from the trigger, and point it at the ground.” She turned to head for the Museum, “It’s a tool—it won’t hurt anybody if you treat it with respect.” Eda waved over her shoulder, “I’ll help you with it when I get back.” The gray-haired woman darted away, and Emira watched for a moment as her brother and the brown-haired man lifted a sweating, bone-white older man out into the aisle, setting him down carefully. Her brother looked ridiculous, his tennis shorts and jersey distinctly out of place amongst the black-tie audience members.

She walked toward the stage, her eyes finding the gray metal weapon sitting in the shadow of the stage-side curtain. It was a large handgun with dark wood pieces on the… Is it the handle? Emira wondered as she lifted it carefully, surprised at how heavy it was. It wasn’t a revolver, but it had a hammer like a revolver, and it was… out? Pulled back? I don’t think that’s good, Emira gulped and looked around for Eda. The other woman hadn’t returned from the Museum yet.

The green-haired girl turned to the stage. Luz and Amity and Luz’s dog stood close together, and Odalia loomed a few feet away, her arm up in the air to expose her watch. Emira looked down at the gun in her hand, then up to her mother’s back. How far was she willing to go to keep Amity safe? Could I… if I had to? She stared at the green-haired woman, I hope I’m not forced to find out. She walked away and didn’t hear the strange keening wail that began to slip through her mother’s teeth.

~

The metal bird circled in the sky above as it flapped its great wings slowly, gliding on the hot smoky air. She watched it glint a shining purple in the firelight. Another, smaller shape flew with it, looping and fluttering from side to side, never straying far from its far-larger companion. She blinked, slowly, watching the pair float on the air currents. They looked so free. She smiled, and a tear trickled from her eye. Being… able to fly… would be so cool. She wondered how it would feel to soar through the air.

She raised her hand and held it out toward the birds. They were still so far away. Maybe the big one was a vulture; it was just circling, circling, circling high above. She clenched her eyes against a throbbing, stabbing, pain in her head, and when she blinked her eyes open again the creature with metallic wings was lower, closer, and the clouds dimming the sky had noticeably shifted. Her hand was still outstretched, but her arm felt fine, she didn’t feel like putting it down, yet. A faint hoot! hoot hoot! sounded from nearby, and Luz frowned. Why did that sound familiar? Do I… know any owls? She blinked once, slowly, then furrowed her brows and blinked again, faster. She did know an owl. A sharp face with gray hair swam up from her hazy memories.

A fluttering of small wings caught her ear, and a little wooden owl dropped from the sky to settle in her outstretched palm. She lowered her hand to bring it close, and the living carving hopped onto her chest to rub its forehead against her jaw. It had a crack on its head that scratched her skin. She gave a dry, dusty chuckle and lifted it up to her face. She looked up at it as it gave a soft peck to her forehead, and she groaned as a hot, rippling pain swelled behind her eyes. It sat back up, a smear of blood on its beak.

She rubbed her thumb against the crack in its brow as she opened her mouth. “I guess we’re—” she coughed, working her tongue around her teeth to spit a glob of dust to the side, “We’re… boo-boo buddies, eh… little friend?” She blinked at the words little friend, and she remembered a glowing purple bubble and pain. She tried to sit up, but her neck was flame, her back a mesh of hot irons. She gave up and let slip a soft, gasping laugh, and blinked away tears. “How… bad does it look?” Luz asked the little wooden owl, and it gave a soft, mournful hoot. “I’m fine… I’ll be fine,” she didn’t like lying to the owl, but she didn’t want it to worry. It nipped her thumb and she hissed, “Ow, you’d bite an injured girl? What is wrong with you!” It rolled its eyes.

The large metal bird swooped low, its metallic feathers almost scraping the ground, and the great shining wings beat the dust and smoky air away for a few moments. Luz gave a breathless laugh of wonder when her blurry eyes obeyed, and she found Amity glowing a gentle lilac in the dusty air. The pale girl settled to the debris-strewn ground a few steps away, relief and concern trading places in her golden eyes. The armor at her forearms and shins flickered purple in the firelight; her helmet was tugged low on her forehead, the rippling plume shorter and almost still; the armor at her chest had been peeled back to form the great wings that folded themselves up against her spine. “Eres ángel,” Luz sighed as the pale girl leaned close, kneeling on the rubble beside her to ghost the tips of her slender fingers across her dusty face. “¿Estás aquí para llevarme al cielo?”

Amity bit her lower lip and shook her head, mouthing, I don’t know what that means, Luz, as she leaned up higher to look at the nasty gash that had laid open the taller girl’s hairline. Her brown eyes were glassy, their pupils blown wide. Amity gingerly touched the skin near her temple and the brown-haired girl groaned deep in her throat. The silent girl looked at the little wooden owl and asked, Can you heal her? It shook out its wings and gave a hoo-hoot in reply.

“Of course, I’m hurt,” Luz grumbled, trying to reach for her head, but hissed in pain before she got very far. She closed her eyes and grunted, “You have… my blood on your face.”

Amity looked between the girl and the owl, surprised. She can understand you?

hoot.

Luz squinted at Amity, then turned her eyes on the owl as it hopped from her hand to perch on her shoulder, “Yes? Yes, what?” The dusty girl held a shaky hand out to Amity, smiling when the pale girl gently laced their fingers together, “Sorry hermosa, I can’t—” Luz squinted, “I can’t… make out what you’re saying… my head hurts so much.”

Remind her, the pale girl asked the little owl, sitting back slightly on her heels, that this is all a dream. She rubbed her other hand along Luz’s wrist to comfort her before she added, Her injuries aren’t real.

hoot hoot-hoot hooo hoot.

“Really?” Luz chuckled a puff of dust, “could have fooled me.”

hoot hoot hoo-hoot.

“So why don’t I wake up… when I pinch myself?” Luz asked, her tone of voice incredulous.

hoot hoot.

“It’s not one I’d pick,” Luz grumbled. Amity squeezed her hand to draw her eyes, then she tapped her chest and mouthed Mine. hoot hoot hoot.

“Y— yours?” Luz squinted again, glaring toward the other girl as she coaxed her eyes to work, “This is your dream?” Amity nodded, and the dusty girl coughed, “Hermosa, you gotta get… some new dreams.” The pale girl clicked her tongue and nodded, then frowned at the owl. She motioned toward Luz with one hand.

hoot hoot hoot-hoot hoo.

“Okay, fine,” Luz closed her eyes, “I believe you… I’m not hurt.” The air around the brown-haired girl vibrated as the dust on her body sizzled and vanished, her twisted left arm straightened out with a wet snap and a click, and the deep gash on her forehead slowly closed, the muscle and tissues growing back together with a soft crackle of moving wet flesh. The girl groaned and lifted an arm to her head, patting gently around in her hair, “Ugh, I hate that feeling.”

Luz looked up at Amity and smiled, whispering, “Hola, hermosa,” and the pale girl huffed a wide, teary-eyed laugh as she leaned down to wrap her arms around the brown-haired girl’s neck. Luz circled one arm over the smaller girl and ran her other hand up and down her side. “I scared you, didn’t I?” Luz asked, and Amity nodded into her shoulder. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to do that,” the brown-haired girl said softly, giving the glowing girl in her arms a gentle squeeze. “Now… we need to find your voice.”

~

Lilith paced behind her desk as she listened to the hold music in her handset. She stared up at the ceiling tiles, counting out six tiles and eight steps forward before she turned around, counting out six and eight again, and turned. She counted four steps and turned to face her desk, watching the unnamed application’s progress bar slowly fill. There was a click in her ear, and she heard a bored man say “Bonesborough PD, what’s the nature of your emergency?”

The black-haired woman swiveled on her toes and leaned toward her window, lifting the binoculars to her eyes. “I am at the Bonesborough Museum for the Siren at the Met performance, there has been at least one cardiac event in the audience, possibly more…” She trailed off as she scanned the crowd again, “Be warned, Blight Industries is testing some sort of sound-wave-based hallucination generator, officers and EMS personnel will need to stay in their vehicles until our security team has shut down the device. The only exception is if they are wearing active noise processing headgear.”

The operator was muttering along after her as he typed information into his report. He paused at ‘hallucination generator’ and made a confused noise. “Blight Industries has a… a what?”

Lilith sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, “They are operating an unregistered auditory hallucination device of questionable provenance, we will need crowd control and medical assistance.”

The man gave a dismissive chuckle, “Ma’am, we can’t arrest them just because you don’t like Enya. I’m seeing all their paperwork is in order for tonight’s performance.”

“I assure you,” Lilith snapped, “they do not have a permit for this.” She ran her eyes over the back of the crowd and hissed, “Send officers or not—it’s your neck—but we need EMS.”

~

Amity nodded and gently clasped Luz’s hands in her own before she pointed at the taller girl and made a breaking motion with her hands. She huffed a breathy sigh and patted her chest, then shook her head. I can’t, she mouthed.

“Don’t worry, Amity. We can do this,” Luz sounded confident.

The girls took to the air to find the last golem, Luz riding on her staff and Amity soaring above her with her liquid metal wings. The brown-haired girl leaned back and enjoyed the breeze rushing through her hair. She raised her hand up toward Amity, stretching as far as she could reach, and the pale girl bent down with a hand of her own, hooking their fingertips together as they shared a grin. She watched the pale girl smile so wide as she swooped and banked, curling her wings as she arced over Luz in a roll, delighted laughter clear on her face even though Luz couldn’t hear it. She laughed along with her, equally delighted and amazed.

They circled out from the fallen Queen’s tower and slowly spread their search area when they came up empty. Luz was starting to get concerned; how long had she been disoriented? How far had the creature gone during that time? Was it… running away? Why wasn’t it hunting them down? A worried hoot-hoot caught their attention, and Luz quickly found what her little friend had pointed out: “There!” she exclaimed, pointing down at the edge of the forest. A curious set of lines had been scraped into the rocks and dirt, the castle debris pushed out of the way in the same path, as if something heavy and jagged had been dragged through the rubble. The trail led from under the green wall of trees standing at the rim of the ancient forest, heading deep into the castle ruins.

“What is it doing?” Luz wondered aloud, and Amity looped underneath her to quickly relay a message up through the little wooden owl. hoot hoot-hoot, hoooo hoot.

“Yeah, but she had ordered it to attack us. I was… an easy target,” the brown-haired girl admitted for the first time, and heaved a sigh, “Why didn’t it come after me? It must… Is it not following Odalia’s orders anymore?” She glanced up at the pale, glowing girl with angel wings, and grinned, waggling her eyebrows, “See you down there, hermosa!” Luz tipped to the side and fell toward the rubble below, her staff slowing her fall for her to step off lightly onto the solid, dusty ground. She tapped the butt of her staff on the dirt, and the long wooden pole vanished, leaving the carved owl to flutter down and perch on her shoulder. It rubbed its forehead against her jaw as she stalked along the parallel grooves in the dirt. Luz chuckled an aww and gave it a kiss. The land still throbbed that one-two beat of anger beneath her boots. It almost seemed to be faster now.

Amity settled to the ground beside Luz, her wings melting back down to shift into a small breastplate and shield. The plume of her helmet swelled with an excess of the semi-fluid material, and it lengthened out into four long rippling ribbon-like arms that ended in blades. Luz watched the razor-sharp ribbons undulate in the air behind the pale girl, then turned an astonished look on Amity. The silent girl went pink at her stare, and shrugged, mouthing, What? in embarrassment.

“You’re so cool,” Luz whispered as she held out her hand. The pale girl kicked her foot at the loose stones at her feet and reached out to clasp the taller girl’s tanned fingers. Amity gave a quick shake of her head, but the brown-haired girl just grinned. “I know this is serious,” Luz said as a smile kept peeking on her face, tugging on Amity’s hand to lead her into the broken building, “but I’m just so happy you’re okay.” She turned her determined brown eyes on the dim, smoky rubble, “We’ll find your voice, and break your mother’s hold over you. You’ll be free.”

Amity nodded, walking after Luz with quick, shallow steps. I’ll be free, she repeated to herself. She smiled and laid her free hand on the taller girl’s tanned wrist. The two girls followed the deep drag marks gouged into the shattered castle grounds and were soon swallowed by the billowing black smoke and clouds of dust.

~

Eda stormed back through the stage-side area, holding a metal-and-canvas first aid stretcher, its buckles and clasps bouncing at the ends of their straps as she ran. A large red zippered bag bounced at her hip as she ran off the edge of the stage, landing easily to run to where Steve and Edric knelt beside the older gentleman gasping for air. Steve was guiding Edric through chest compressions as he monitored the man’s pulse, but he looked up in surprise and relief when Eda tossed him the bag. “Oh, thank god,” he said, pulling the portable defibrillator from its case, “I didn’t even think about this thing.” He began unbuttoning the man’s tuxedo shirt, sticking the electrode pads to the man’s chest where the diagram on the device indicated. “There might be one of these in the white container on the wall up there,” the brown-haired man said as his eyes flicked from side to side, adjusting the electrodes and the device, “Can you go check?” he asked Eda, glancing up at her for a moment.

“You got it, boss,” the gray-haired woman said, her voice serious. She ran back to the stage and clambered up the side, then began rooting through the canisters on the wall. “Not here!” she called out to the men in the aisle, “I’ll go check the other rooms.”

“Eda, wait,” Emira said as she walked over, gingerly holding the large handgun, “I don’t think this is safe.” Eda held out her hand and gently took the pistol from the green-haired girl.

“Ah, not bad,” Eda smirked as she turned the weapon over in her hands, “1911’s are a classic design. They’re easy too, see,” the gray-haired woman turned it over so the left side of the weapon faced up. “Magazine release button here,” she said as she pressed a round button on the side below the trigger, and with a sharp click, a rectangular metal piece slid out the bottom of the pistol. “See, there’s most of your bullets,” Eda said as she handed it to Emira, “Hold that for me, please.” She turned the gun so the handle was pointing down, then she pointed at a switch above where her thumb sat, “This is the slide-lock switch, it’s on right now, so it wouldn’t have fired.” She flicked it down and used her other hand to pull the top of the gun back about half an inch, peering into the opening cut into the top-right. “Aaand yeah, he had one in the chamber.” Eda pulled the slide back swiftly, and a loose bullet popped out of the opening. She caught it with her other hand, then put her thumb on the hammer as she worked the trigger, gently setting it in its resting position. “There we go,” the gray-haired woman smiled, “Safe as pie.”

Emira handed the magazine over and breathed out a sigh of relief, “Thank you, Eda.”

“Ah, no problem,” the woman said as she worked the loose bullet back into the top of the magazine, “These are simple machines, but you gotta treat ‘em right.” Eda slid the magazine back into the handgun and slapped it in place. “Do you want me to hold onto this?”

“Holy sh*t yes,” the green-haired girl exclaimed, pulling a smile on the woman's face.

Eda worked the handgun into one of the webbed straps on her stab vest as she asked, “Is there another first-aid kit in this trailer? One with an AED?”

Emira waved her to the hallway, “I think there’s one in the break room.”

~

Broken walls slanted against the sky, hiding what little light speared into the murky gloom sitting low and heavy above the fissured Keep. The ground fell away to dark, invisible depths just ahead; a fierce red glow shimmered across the edge of the chasm from the raging fires left behind by the Demon King. The ground hummed with the subterranean heartbeat of the silent girl’s anger. Luz and Amity squinted against the smoke and dust, the taller girl coughing into her fist as she stumbled on a jagged chunk of masonry. One of the pale girl’s ribbons flipped out to wrap around her torso, keeping her steady on her feet. Luz looked down at the band of mottled purple and smiled at the small black and green eyes that blinked up at her. “Thanks,” she chuckled, patting the ribbon before it retracted. She looked over at the little wooden owl and asked, “Can I lean on you for a bit?” It flapped away from her shoulder and popped into her witch’s staff with a hoot.

A rumbling snarl came from their right, and a large multi-legged shape reared up in the gloom. A misshapen hand plunged into a chunk of masonry, yanking the broken block out of the pile of rubble at its feet. It heaved the stone at the girls. Luz spun a quick pillar of ice to intercept the crumbling projectile, knocking it away to punch through a half-standing pillar. Amity’s ribbons split at their ends, like flattened hands cut out of paper, each one snatching up a rock or broken beam of wood to send whistling back at the smoke-shrouded golem. One struck true, piercing the amorphous creature and sending it oozing down its pile of debris. The chain to its collar rattled down on the rubble behind it, disappearing over the heap.

Luz jumped into the air, darting toward the creature collecting itself, hoping to get a quick victory. The blob of sludge swept out a fat tendril and slapped her from the sky, sending her tumbling over the heap of rubble to bounce her way to the bottom, slamming against the jade throne at the foot of the debris pile. The creature made a bubbling noise of dismay when she put her hand on the green stone, propping herself up as she pulled herself to her feet. The one-two thud vibrating in the soles of her boots grew stronger, faster. The golem threw itself over the pile, sliding down the rubble as it surged forward, slapping and swiping at the brown-haired girl to get her away.

Amity arced over the piles of debris, her plume low to her crest, her ribbons splayed out from her back like dragonfly wings. She fell toward the rambling creature, spinning as her two lower wings extended to touch the ground, the other two slicing down to stab and slash the golem. Luz rolled away from the throne as the golem pulled itself upright, sloshing and squeezing itself into a humanoid shape as it extended its own arms to parry the pale girl’s attacks. Amity carried her shield at her chest in case her enemy’s blade slipped through her defenses, while her four ribbons whipped and slashed, tearing chunks away from the golem to feed their own mass.

The creature roared and breathed in deep to send several short screams up at its foe, shivering her thinner constructs to sludge as she pooled her ooze into her shield. Luz spun a cluster of vines to snare the golem, and several columns of ice to punch through its chest. She ran forward to shatter its collar and it flinched away, tearing loose from the ice and vines to cower behind the throne. “Hey, what are—” Luz started to ask, and the golem picked up the throne and heaved it far away, sailing after it a moment later when its collar and chain snapped taut.

“What was that?” Luz asked as she leaned forward, her hands on her knees, her staff against her shoulder for stability. Her left leg and arm were still irritatingly half-numb. Amity approached and laid a gentle hand on the taller girl’s shoulder, then pointed where the golem had thrown itself. Luz nodded, then noticed how Amity had grown a fifth ribbon and was holding her leaf-bladed sword. “You’re able to reclaim its material, huh?” Luz sighed, patting Amity’s hand as she stood up straight. “I wonder if it’d be quicker to deplete it or actually try and out-maneuver it.” Amity patted her chest and made fists with her hands and bumped her knuckles together, then pointed at Luz and held one fist still—the golem, Luz guessed—and walked her other hand around behind it, jabbing it with a finger.

“You got it, hermosa,” Luz winked, getting a soft grin out of the shorter girl, “We’ve got it on the run—” half a thought struck her then, a mostly formed impression of some truth that she just wasn’t seeing yet. It was important, she could feel it. “We— right.” Amity gave her a strange look, and Luz ran a hand through her hair, “I had a thought, something important, I’m… it’s a puzzle, and I’m not seeing all the pieces yet.” The pale girl gave her a look of understanding, then nodded toward the hill. Amity’s ribbons flattened and flared, forming large wings to send her whipping up into the air to chase the golem.

Luz turned to her staff and her wooden owl. “Am I imagining it?” she asked, getting a hoot in response. “You’ll see what I mean, little friend.” She hopped aboard the staff and took off into the smoky clouds above. She went high, higher than she needed to, probably, but she wanted to see.

Amity and the golem were facing each other on the broken remnants of the Great Hall. Shattered pillars and fallen arches littered the uneven ground, masonry and cracked walls spilling into loose, shifting piles beneath their feet. Amity’s ribbons and the creature’s sharp tendrils whipped and stabbed, cutting pieces from each other, both trading material back and forth. The pale girl was slowly taking more and more of the semi-solid sludge from the golem. She had formed a sixth bladed ribbon, and had pushed the purple creature a few steps back, closer to the jade throne still chained to its neck.

Luz watched the golem. It was reacting to Amity, defending itself, but not necessarily pushing an offensive. She thought about what it was, what Odalia said about it, and what little Amity herself could communicate about it. One of the pale girl’s ribbons slashed down toward the chain at the golem’s feet, and the creature spun around, drawing the slack up around its torso to avoid the blow. Luz quietly descended near the throne and stepped off her staff to stand beside the carved green stone. Amity had the golem’s attention, and Luz drew a spell circle as she squinted, focusing on the collar itself. “Knock,” the brown-haired girl said softly, and the ruined Hall echoed with a loud click-clack of a lock turning. The collar fell to the ground with a heavy reverberating thud. Luz grinned as Amity and the golem both paused to look down. The ground thundered with a rapid one-two one-two of the dream world’s heartbeat.

The golem shrieked and lashed out at the pale girl in a frenzy, startling both girls. It snagged large chunks of rubble to swing at Amity, smashing masonry against her paper-thin ribbons. She coughed and waved away clouds of dust; it turned and gently picked up the collar, and the chain fell away. The creature’s body rippled with fear, shrinking, smoothing out. “No, no no!” It cried with Amity’s voice, sending a wild backhand at the pale girl and sending her sliding away. Her ribbons lashed out, taking the golem’s arm at the shoulder, and the creature began to run away, “No, leave me alone!” it cried, its body shifting mass around as Amity cut away more pieces before it was out of her reach. The pale girl ground her teeth and lashed out again and again, angrily chasing the golem as it dashed away from her, smaller than her now, clutching the collar to its chest with both hands, its shoulders hunched.

Luz saw it, then. The golem was Amity, she’d said so herself—You set me free—after she had reconnected with the second. This was another part of Amity, driven to attack by her mother’s anger, and now driven to run by fear. She took off after it, stumbling slightly with her bad leg, but making up the distance with her longer stride. The little golem darted around a pile of rubble, trending down a tilted section of the Hall, ducking behind pillars as it avoided Amity’s searching eyes. The Hall had a short wall beyond the pillars, the edge of a balcony that had partially collapsed beside its supporting staircase. There was open air in every direction, but a small hiding place lurked underneath one side of the balcony by its staircase. Luz let her staff carry her there swift and silent before the little golem could make its way to the stairs down to where it could hide.

Amity’s ribbons slashed through the upper halves of the pillars, sending rubble pounding down around Luz and the staircase, pulling a terrified sob from the little golem as it scurried down the last few steps. It was Amity—a young, frightened Amity—perhaps fourteen or fifteen years old. It was so small and delicate; jaw-length hair pulled up in a half-ponytail, purple sludge tear tracks running from its panicked black and green eyes, wearing what must have been her school uniform then. This must be what she looked like when Odalia started controlling her, Luz watched it from the shadows until it was within reach. Another wild slash from Amity’s ribbons above caused a shower of rocks to rain down from the edge of the balcony, and the little golem flinched away from the open air.

“Quick!” Luz urged, reaching out for the little golem to pull it under the balcony just as one of the broken pillars tipped over the edge, thundering to the ground and shattering with a deafening rumble. The little golem let out a small, breathy eep as Luz tucked it against the stone wall formed by the edge of the broken staircase. She leaned her left elbow on the wall beside the little golem’s head and pressed the creature into her shadow as the ground lurched with another pillar falling, sending spider-webbed cracks shooting underfoot as the marble flooring shifted, jostling their knees together. She shuffled her feet further apart, and the little golem hardly had to bend its knees to hide below her shoulder, hands trembling around the heavy collar it held to its chest. Luz turned her back slightly to block the spray of dust and dirt from the falling debris and wrapped her right arm around the little golem’s shoulder, her hand on the back of its head, pulling it under her chin. The little wooden owl fluttered down to sit on Luz’s shoulder, hooting softly.

The little golem took a shivering breath into her collarbone and used Amity’s voice, “You have to put it back on,” as she pushed the collar against Luz’s chest, the two halves creaking at the hinge. Luz shook her head, rubbing her jaw against the little golem’s oily hair, and the creature breathed out a wet sob, “You— you have to! You have to put it back on!” A small, purple fist knocked against the taller girl’s chest as the little golem begged, “Please— you don’t—”

“No, cariño,” Luz said softly, running her hand down the back of the small creature’s head, still holding it close to her heart, “You deserve better than that.”

The little golem’s shoulders heaved as it shook its head, “No, she’ll know.” It pushed against Luz’s chest, weakly, not truly fighting her hold, “I don’t know what she’ll do to me if it’s off!” It rubbed its forehead against her sternum as it took a ragged breath.

“Lo siento, mi pequeño corazón,” Luz whispered, “I won’t do it.” The little golem pushed harder now, beginning to twist and turn, and the taller girl held her close.

“You have to! You have to! She’ll— she’s—” the creature snapped, then held up the collar, put it back on my neck.

Luz lifted the hinged metal ring from the trembling golem with her left hand and examined it. It was made from thick bands of metal with roughly welded joins and jagged edges. She glanced at the little wooden owl on her shoulder and it nodded. She turned it over in her hand to let the hinge fall open, and the little golem stopped pushing against her chest. Luz tossed the collar to the ground and snatched her staff from the air as she tapped the wooden owl against the iron band, commanding, “Shatter!” The collar exploded into dust and shards of metal, and the little golem gave a heart-wrenching scream of anguish and fear, lashing out at the staff Luz held, its small, slender hands flicking into blades that sliced across the taller girl’s wrist and elbow. Luz gasped as the staff and her forearm fell away, and she tightened her grip on the little golem’s shoulders.

“I hate you!” the creature shrieked, its eyes wide and panicked as it stabbed and slashed at Luz’s stomach, “I hate you! Why would you— She—”

Luz clenched her teeth and endured, “No, cariño—hng,” still holding the little golem to her chest, “It’s—” she shuddered as it slashed her again, “It’s going to be—” It stabbed a groan from the taller girl, and she whistled in her throat, breathing, “It’ll be alright.”

“How can you say that? You don’t know her!” Terror dripped from the little golem’s voice as it plunged its hands into her stomach, the creature’s body trembling, “She— she always—” It kicked at her legs and knees, “Let me go, let me go!” and Luz felt a slash across her weak leg that made her lean heavily on the little golem, pressing it to its knees as she cradled it to her chest. She felt the racing, panicked one-two one-two one-two heartbeat of the world in her knees as she gasped for air. She felt so tired.

“I won’t let you gghnn—” Luz bit back a cry of pain as its efforts became frantic, “you go— I won’t— don’t be afraid, cariño.”

“I’m not afraid!” It gave a high-pitched, manic laugh, “Blights are never afraid, I’m not, I’m not!” It sobbed, then snarled and stabbed her again, “You’re just trying to use me!” Luz shook her head as she held it close, patting the back of its head as she whispered soothing sounds in between sudden gasps of pain. She flinched as it struck deep, so deep, and she breathed out a ragged, bloody gasp of air as her head grew fuzzy. The rubble outside their hidden spot shifted as two ribbons slipped into the pile and pushed it aside. Amity stood there, anger twisting her face until she saw Luz kneeling there, the little golem’s bloody blades protruding from her back. The golden-eyed girl pulled her ribbons back to strike, but Luz caught her eye and shook her head, whispering No.

“I have to—” the little golem sobbed into her chest, “I have to do what she says, I don’t dare— I can’t, I can’t—” Amity covered her mouth with her hands at the sound of her anguished voice, and Luz gently ran a hand down the back of the little golem’s hair.

“Once upon a ti—” Luz hissed as the golem struck again, shrieking be serious, “t-time,” the taller girl swallowed, slowly, tasting blood in her mouth, “There was a siren… who sang… the world.” The little golem sucked in a breath in surprise, going still as it listened. “A-an evil queen,” Luz smiled at the choked laugh that buzzed against her throat, glancing toward Amity to see a half-smile on the pale girl’s face, “wanted the world for her own,” the brown-haired girl wrapped both arms around the little golem, rubbing up and down its back, “and locked the siren away.” The creature clutched at the front of the taller girl’s dress, looking down at its bloodied hands. “By chance… a messenger girl found the siren,” Luz turned her eyes back to Amity, “and fell in love.” The pale girl put a hand over her mouth in shock, her eyes glittering. Luz smiled before she looked down at the little golem, “The siren was no longer afraid, for she was not alone.” The creature looked up at her, large purple tears falling from its black and green eyes. “They made their escape,” the brown-haired girl smiled down at the little golem, brushing a tear from its cheek, “and ran to the far lands where they lived happily together,” She turned a grin on Amity, just for a moment, before looking down again, “their days filled with story and song.”

“Is… is that the end?” the little golem’s whisper was a hoarse, regretful sound.

Luz smiled, “I’ll need your help to write the ending.”

It nodded into her chest, whispering, “I’m sorry,” as it wrapped its arms around her tightly, grabbing large handfuls of the fabric of her dress.

Luz gave it a gentle kiss on the forehead, holding a shaky hand out to Amity, “Let’s go home, mi corazón.”

~

Eda and Emira ransacked the storage room after coming up empty in the break room. They found another automatic defibrillator in the far back corner, and jogged it out to the stage to tell Steve and Edric. They had barely reached the edge of the platform when a horrified shriek split the air. Odalia Blight was screaming, eyes blank and mouth hanging open as she stared up at the night sky. She screamed until she ran out of breath, and then she greedily sucked in another lungful before shrieking again. Her body was shaking and twitching, wobbling from side to side. Eda glanced at Emira, and handed her the AED to give to Steve, the green-haired girl swiftly jumping off the stage. The gray-haired woman didn’t blame her for not wanting to be around whatever this turned out to be.

“Raptor, what is going on?” Lilith’s voice sounded in her ear. Eda turned around and glanced up at her sister’s office window. Ah, she can’t see from this angle.

“Odalia’s screaming,” Eda said as she pressed her transmit button, then quickly walked away from the woman so her noise wouldn’t affect her side of the conversation, “Something must be happening in the vision.”

“I hope it hurts,” Lilith’s voice was emotionless.

A low, rumbling growl caught her ear, and Eda turned to look at King. The border collie was curled up against Amity’s legs, her hand pressed down between his ears. His eyes were half open, and his lips had begun to peel back in a snarl, his fangs glinting in the spotlights. “King?” Eda asked, taking a few steps closer and peering down at her dog’s face. “Are you… are you in there too?” she asked in surprise. She stood up straight and put her hands on her hips, “Well… I guess that’s not the strangest thing I’ve heard tonight.” She looked at Luz and Amity. Luz looked awful. Blood dripped from her nose, through the gauze pads Steve had stuffed in her nostrils. Her eyes were bloodshot and cloudy, and the skin around them looked bruised. Amity looked angry. “Go get ‘em, kids,” Eda said softly, turning back to Odalia. The woman was still screaming bloody murder with every breath, her arms and legs trembling as she stood frozen by the dream world. “I hope it hurts too, bitch,” the gray-haired woman spat.

Eda walked past the shrieking green-haired woman muttering, “Maybe I can find a goddamn towel to shove in your f*cking mouth,” when the other woman’s legs buckled and she fell to her hands and knees, coughing and retching as she gasped for air. Eda turned back to watch the woman angrily raise her arm with the music-playing watch when King gave a deep, ferocious growl and lunged at the woman, knocking her onto her back on the stage, snarling and drooling as he held his teeth open in her face. Odalia shrieked again, losing her mind as the dog leaned over her and breathed in her face. Eda glanced at the woman’s watch, then up to Luz and Amity, then she scowled and stomped on the green-haired woman’s wrist. She gave a wicked grin at the crunch of the watch—the music dying with a pop—and the crack of bone. Odalia looked up at her and howled in pain, rolling half-over to claw at Eda’s boot, King pulling back from her throat as he looked up at Eda.

“Eda, what are you doing?” Steve called from the aisle, he and the twins looked up at her with ashen faces.

“Putting this bitch off her game,” the gray-haired woman snarled as she leaned down in the green-haired woman’s tear-streaked face. A whine of pain behind her made her glance over her shoulder, and Eda watched as Luz fell to the stage like a puppet with its strings cut. Eda started to turn when Amity blinked and knelt quickly to pull Luz up into her lap. The brown-haired girl shivered and clutched at her stomach, leaning over to cough a mouthful of blood onto the stage, grinding her forehead into the floor as she took shallow, strained breaths.

“Luz! Luz!” Amity yelped, pulling at the taller girl’s shoulders, pulling her back up to lay her head in her lap, her hands shaking as she patted at the bloody girl’s brown curls. “Luz?” she asked, her voice hollow, “C-can you hear me?” The brown-eyed girl squinted up at her, holding out a shaking hand for Amity to clasp to her cheek. “You did it, Luz,” the green-haired girl whispered, “You did it.” Luz smiled up at her and weakly squeezed her hand.

Eda’s hands were vibrating with rage as she watched her stepdaughter gasp for air. She turned a dark gaze on the green-haired woman, kneeling over her chest as she pulled the Big Suit’s handgun from her vest. She racked the slide in a swift, savage motion and pressed the barrel against Odalia’s forehead. She leaned over the woman and hissed, “That’s twice now you’ve made my daughter bleed. I owe you.”

Odalia licked her lips and sneered, her eyes darting between the gun at her forehead and the gray-haired woman’s furious eyes, “Y-you wouldn’t dare—” Eda lifted the gun and turned it, just slightly, firing a round into the stage beside the woman’s head without so much as blinking. Odalia jerked her head away with a shriek, blinking her eyes wide in pain as her ears rang with an echoing howl, her broken wrist still pinned under the other woman’s boot. Eda calmly placed the barrel back against Odalia’s forehead and grinned as she babbled in fear, “No— no, no— I’ll— I’ll give you anything! Anything you want! I’ll—”

“Eda!” Emira called as she and Edric stood. Amity ran her fingers across Luz’s jaw, staring at the brown-haired girl as she held her golden gaze, her labored breathing growing shallow.

Eda leaned forward as she pressed her boot down on the woman’s wrist, and Odalia bit her lip and hissed. “You don’t have anything,” the gray-haired woman spat, “that I want.”

“You can’t,” the green-haired woman gasped, “You can’t, you can’t just—”

“I’m not hearing any reasons not to,” Eda said with a grin as she flexed her fingers around the handgun’s grip.

“Edalyn,” Lilith’s hoarse voice caught her ear, “Please, no.”

“It’s too quick!” Edric said suddenly, Emira shooting an astonished glare at him, “It’s—It’s too quick!”

Eda gave that some thought, “Huh, kid’s got a point.” She leaned down and grinned, “But it’s not a reason.”

“Eda,” Amity called, and the gray-haired woman glanced over her shoulder to meet the pale girl’s golden eyes, “She’s not worth it.”

Eda and Amity shared a long look before the older woman nodded, pulling the gun away and flicking up the slide-lock switch. “That girl is my reason,” Eda said to the green-haired woman, “She’s my kid now. Not yours.” The gray-haired woman stood and walked over to Amity to pull Luz from her lap, laying her on her side. “Lily,” Eda sniffed, running her hand through her daughter’s hair, “Get medical in here.”

Amity stood and walked toward her mother, the woman pushing herself up to sit on the stage, cradling her broken wrist in her lap. “Amity Blight, what on earth do you—” the woman began speaking before the pale girl interrupted, her eyes glimmering.

i rescind all previously offered protections and bypasses for you, odalia blight, thief of dreams.

Odalia hissed and shivered as Amity’s abolishment—invalidation—retraction took effect. The woman opened her mouth—

you will never speak to me again.

The green-haired woman’s mouth snapped shut, to visible surprise on her face.

you will never look at me again.

Odalia twisted away, her eyes shying away from Amity who stepped closer, the injured woman cowering before her. Amity’s face twisted in a sorrow born from years of neglect and mistreatment.

you will never think of me again without regretting your failures as a mother.

The pale girl sneered and leaned closer, her shining eyes glittering with tears.

queen of lies, you will not lie again. you will only speak the truth, upon threat of ever-increasing, ever-doubling, ever-worsening pain: you will relive the Demon King’s flame for hours in but an instant for every mistruth you convey from this moment forward.

Amity’s smile was a sickly, twisted thing.

unrelenting agony will be your chaperone and governess, oh greedy, thieving spider.

The pale girl stood tall and spat at the shivering woman at her feet.

this is my judgment. there will be no pardon, for you will never again hear my voice.

Amity turned toward the audience, her eyes still shining bright.

may you all wake unharmed, untouched, and untainted. remember what you have seen, remember what was almost done to you.

A great murmuring broke out as the audience began to stir, voices calling out as people stood and moved, some people running, some walking. Amity ignored it all, her entire focus on the brown-haired girl in the purple dress laying on the stage. She knelt beside Luz, and called her name. The girl looked up at her and blinked, slowly, painfully. Luz opened her mouth and moved her tongue, then coughed and whispered, “I’m so tired, Amity.”

“I know, I know you are,” Amity laid down beside Luz, curling up against her, pulling the taller girl’s head into her arms, cradling her close, “Stay awake, okay? Stay awake Luz.”

The brown-haired girl pulled a languid smile, rubbing her cheek against Amity’s arm, “I’ll dream of you,” she whispered, “Like… like you dreamed… about me.”

“Luz, please, I’m right here,” Amity’s voice caught in her throat as tears streamed from her eyes, “Stay awake, Luz, stay with me?”

“We did it,” Luz breathed, a ghost of a smile touching her lips, “you’re free, mi amor.” Her eyes drifted closed with a sigh.

Chapter 18

Chapter Text

She dreamed of the star-studded night sky glittering in golden eyes and of flying, but the words of her hastily made-up story echoed in her mind as soon as she woke up. She blinked her eyes half-open, squinting against the sunlight streaming into the room. She grunted and rolled her eyes, Ugh, daylight… gross, and looked to her right. Her notebook lay there on the little table, within reach. She stretched her arm out to pull it into her lap. She blinked, large squinting movements of her eyelids as she tried to clear the blurry sleep from her eyes. She ran her tongue along her teeth and made a face; her mouth tasted like death. She flipped the notebook open, running her thumb across the corners to stop just after the pages filled with Amity’s clear block handwriting. She gnawed at her lip as she blinked again, writing her crooked chicken scratch at an angle:

Once upon a time there was a siren who sang the world. An evil queen wanted the world for her own, and locked the siren away. By chance, a messenger girl found the siren, and fell in love. The siren was no longer afraid, for she was not alone. They made their escape and ran to the far lands where they lived happily together, their days filled with story and song.

Luz closed the pen in her notebook and flopped it back onto the table. She hissed when she banged her elbow on the bed rail and she squeezed her eyes closed as she rubbed it with her other hand. That didn’t seem to help, so she ground her elbow down into the mattress beside her, which soothed some of the sharp tingling in her arm and wrist. She glared at the bed rail, then closed her eyes. Wait. My bed doesn’t… She opened one eye to peek out at the room: television mounted on the wall in the corner; curtains hanging from a curved railing on the ceiling; bed rails; roller cart near her knees with… Chinese food takeout containers? Her stomach growled at the mere sight of food. She opened her other eye and looked to her left. Edric—with blue hair!—sat curled up in a fancy-looking armchair, eyes focused on the Switch in his hands, small explosions and ringing chimes coming from the device as he frantically tapped at the buttons. She watched him for a moment while deciding what to say.

“Did you seriously order Chinese food and not get anything for me?” Luz forced her gravelly voice to pull a petulant tone through her grin, raising an eyebrow at the distracted blue-haired man.

“Camila said you liked the black-pepper chicken,” Edric replied absentmindedly, “I got you a quart in case you were hungry, it’s—” He paused, and put his handheld down and looked at her—noticed her—and said, “Oh sh*t, you’re awake!” He laughed, flashing her a pearly white smile, “Holy f*ck, Luz, welcome back!” He jumped out of his chair and tossed his Switch at a backpack on the floor, missing it completely, “I gotta get the others!” He took off running around her bed and headed out the door.

“Wait, my food!” Luz called after him, groaning when the door slammed shut behind him. “Fine,” she muttered, “I’ll do it myself.” She found the bed controls on her right side, and she waited an interminable length of time for her bed to raise her up to a mostly-seated position. Wouldn’t want to get motion sick from sitting up too fast. She reached forward to hook the roller cart with her fingertips and dragged it closer, grinning. She raised her other arm to move a container out of the way—felt her hand close around the box of rice—but when she looked down, her arm was still at her side. She frowned; it was still tucked in under the blanket. But I… I rubbed my elbow… didn’t I?

Luz stared at her arm and tried to move her fingers. She tried to move her hand, her wrist. She tried to lift her hand and saw a twitch under the white sheet. She laughed as a cold chill ran up her spine. She tried to move her arm at the shoulder, swinging it up and away from her body. After a few long moments, her arm slowly started to move, and she tried to hold her arm out straight. After an impossibly long wait, she had her upper arm extended from her torso, but her forearm and hand hung limp. She stared at her arm before noticing the hot tears running down her face.

The door to her room swung open and she recognized the excited voices: Eda and Edric trading insults, Camila and a pink-haired Emira chuckling softly at their antics while having their own discussion. They stopped at the foot of her bed and saw her staring at the hand dangling from her arm, her face pale. Luz looked up at Camila, her eyes wide and shining with tears, “Mamí,” she forced out a hoarse whimper, “What’s going on?”

Camila was at her side in an instant, cradling her head to her chest and whispering comforting words. Luz let her arm fall back to her side, and Eda stepped over to tuck it back under the sheet like it had been when she woke up. Both women lowered the bed rails on either side so they could sit down beside her. The women hugged her so tight. After a long moment of just holding her, they began peppering her face with so many kisses, Luz felt she had to pretend to groan and make a joke, “Geez, you two, gimmie some space—you’re acting like I’ve been in a coma!” They both pulled back and looked at her, their eyes flashing a deep hurt that she would have done anything to remove; that’s when Luz noticed the bags under their eyes and how long Mamí’s hair had grown. She glanced at Edric and saw the mullet he’d obviously spent some time cultivating. Luz squeezed her eyes closed and whispered, “Mierda.” She peeked out at her moms, reaching out to put her hand on Camila’s fingers, “Sorry, I… I didn’t—how long?”

Eda gave Camila a look and bobbed her chin up, as if to say You got this. Camila gave her a soft smile and blinked away tears as she cleared her throat, turning back to Luz. “Mija, it’s been a little over four months.”

Luz’s eyes almost popped out of her face, “FOUR—!” She choked on air and squeaked, “Four months?! What the ffffu—” Eda shook her head and slashed her hand across her throat, and Luz snapped her mouth closed.

“Yes, mija,” Camila chose to ignore the outburst, wrapping her hands around her daughter’s fingers and rubbing at her knuckles as she talked, “Doctor Oliver will be in soon to explain what he can, but, Luz de mi vida, what… what happened to you?” She took a deep, watery breath, “How did you get so hurt?”

“After he leaves— I’ll— no— I’ll tell you, I swear,” Luz sniffed as she tugged at her mother’s hand, and Camila leaned close and wrapped her arms around her daughter’s shoulders, “Mamí, I am so sorry, I didn’t know— I didn’t mean for this to happen.” Her head was spinning at the thought, Four months?! Where’s— “Amity? Where’s Am—”

“Mittens is fine,” Emira said quickly, stepping over to catch Luz’s eye over Camila’s arm, waving her hands in reassurance, “She’s traveling right now, to fix Odalia’s mess.”

Disappointment twisted Luz’s face, and Eda gave her a soft look and placed a hand on her arm, “Hey, no, kiddo, she was here every day, but things were starting to get hairy out there.” Luz gave her a quizzical frown, and Eda said, “I’ll show you, don’t worry. A lot has happened.” Then the gray-haired woman laughed, “But kid, she wouldn’t leave your side until she absolutely had to.”

Camila nodded at that, jostling Luz’s head, and the brown-haired girl chuckled. “Ella regresará pronto,” her Mamí promised, “She calls every night, you can speak to her later.”

“Okay,” Luz whispered, nodding slightly, “okay.” She cleared her throat into Camila’s arm and warbled, “As long as she’s safe.”

“Pshyeah, she’s fine,” Eda rolled her eyes, “She’s got Steve and Lily with her, burnin’ vacation days, and some uptight blond junior partner from her dad’s lawyer’s office.”

One of the twins made a noise of carnal appreciation; Luz wasn’t sure which—they both were staring off into space with leering grins on their faces. Edric muttered “Oh yeah, him,” while Emira agreed, “Mmm-hmm.” Luz scoffed when they finally noticed the look Camila had turned their way and flinched.

Eda laughed and rolled her eyes, “Pretty sure he’s married, anyway,” then she grumbled, “Not sure how he managed to land anyone with that stick up his ass.”

“Oh, mi amor,” Camila shushed her wife, “he is just very… particular about his work, that’s all.”

A knock at the door drew every eye in the room: A brown-haired bearded man in a lab coat walked in, a crisp blue tie over a white dress shirt with his photo ID pinned to his lapel. He held a clipboard to his chest as he waved a greeting. “Hello again, everyone,” he said cheerfully as he turned and shut the door, then he grinned at Luz as he walked over to stand beside her bed, “And Luz! It’s so good to see you awake. I am Doctor Oliver,” He gave her a friendly nod as he lifted the clipboard, flipping over a few pages, “I’ve been monitoring your progress these last few months.” He pulled a chair over to sit against its backrest, then folded his hands over his clipboard, “Should I get right into it, or do you have any questions for me?”

“Uh, well, I guess…” Luz blinked, “Start from the top?”

Doctor Oliver nodded, “That’s a good idea.” He flipped back a couple of pages, “You were brought in the night of the Siren at the Met performance, do you remember that event?” He watched her nod. “Allegedly, Blight Industries was testing a device on the audience that would cause hallucinations, but I believe that investigation is still open pending the court case, so,” he made air quotes, “allegedly.” The man gave her a smile, and asked, “Do you remember… anything like that?” Luz nodded again and muttered a hoarse, yeah, something like that. Doctor Oliver gave her another nod, “That’s good, I’m glad your memory doesn’t appear to be affected. Now,” He looked down at his chart, “You came in bleeding from your nose and coughing up blood, presenting concussion-like symptoms and what looked like severe bruising and damage to the tissues across much of your body.” The bearded man flipped a page, reading off the notes, “High levels of inflammation around your limbs… There was a concern about internal bleeding... They pulled you into an OR but didn’t find any obvious sources.” He made a face, “Blood work indicated ‘leukocytosis’, which is an abnormally high white blood cell count. We put you through a treatment called ‘leukapheresis’, where we filter the excess white blood cells out.” He glanced at Camila and remarked, “High WBC can cause a number of problems if untreated,” and the brown-haired woman nodded in agreement, “so we felt it necessary to get that under control quickly.”

He cleared his throat slightly, and pulled out several pages with human body outlines on the top half and scribbled notes on the bottom; front and side views of the body, with several lines in red across the left arm and leg, and a scattering of lines across the stomach, chest, and back. “Based on your bloodwork and bruising, how your body was acting, we expected to see stress fractures or multiple broken bones.” He laid the pages out where Luz could see them, then pointed at the red lines. “Instead, CT scans indicated trauma along straight planes at different angles.” Doctor Oliver pointed at the left arm, at the lines across the wrist, the forearm, and the bicep, “Your blood vessels and soft tissues had scarring along these planes, but your nerves? The nerves in these areas were… Well, it was like they were cut.” He shook his head, “I’ve never seen anything like it.” He gave Luz a careful look, glancing at Eda and Camila before asking, softly, “Do you remember… anything that could have done this?”

Luz stared at the papers and nodded, once, then whispered, “It… it felt real. The pain was real.”

Doctor Oliver nodded, putting a knuckle to his teeth and chewing on it for a moment. “The brain…” he started, “We know so little about it, in so many ways.” He sat back against the chair, “If the brain believes an injury is real, it could prompt the body to respond. That… would explain a lot.” He watched her stare at the diagrams for a moment, then he said, “Luz?” The brown-haired girl looked up at him, a little dazed. “Nerves are hardy things, and can grow back together by themselves after a few months of care and attention.” She blinked, and he leaned forward to point at the diagram with the red cross-hatching on the stomach, “These were very concerning to us, being so close to your organs. We felt it necessary to keep you in a medically induced coma, to give your body time to rest and restore its connections, and to allow us to monitor your condition.” He paused to watch her nod, then he said, “We’ll need to keep an eye on you for a while yet, just to make sure these are healing properly. We—” he sighed, “We wanted to avoid any unnecessary surgical interventions.”

“Thanks,” Luz croaked.

His eyes softened, “I’m sure you noticed the numbness in your arm?” When she nodded, he added, “The cuts across your arm were complete bisections of the limb, unlike the relatively shallow cuts in your torso.” She turned a worried look up at him, but he gave her a reassuring smile, “The nerves can and will reconnect, but you currently have no active nerve paths into your left elbow and hand. Currently.” He glanced at Camila, then looked back to Luz, “With rest and a proper diet, and physical therapy later, you should regain use of and sensation in your arm. It may take months—or years, in some cases. I don’t—” He raised a hand and made a noise of irritation, “Sorry, I should have phrased that differently. Sometimes, some patients have lingering nerve damage, sometimes they don’t. I don’t want to worry you, but I also don’t want to promise you a full recovery, and leave you discouraged.”

“And my leg?” Luz asked as Camila rubbed her hand across her shoulders, “I… remember my foot being half-numb.”

“Interesting,” He said, leaning forward to point at the red lines across the lower limb, “The cut across your left knee was nearly a complete bisection, and the thigh was fairly shallow, but at an angle downward, so it was long.” He tapped the foot on the paper, “You should still have some sensation in the foot now, perhaps only in parts of it, but we can run some tests another day.”

She nodded and whispered, “Okay.”

Doctor Oliver smiled and picked up the papers to push them back into the clipboard. “Here, Mrs. Noceda,” He said, handing it over to Camila, “I’ll let you hold onto this for a bit in case she has more questions.” He turned back to Luz and said, “I can’t imagine how you feel, but know that we are here to help you in any way we can.”

“Thank you,” Luz responded, sighing as she leaned back against her pillow.

The bearded man had turned toward the door, then snapped his fingers, “Oh, before I forget again,” He put his hand on the doorknob and looked back at Luz, “The Chief of Medicine may stop by in a few days, now that you’re awake. He’s been most interested in your progress.”

“Oh?” Luz frowned, giving Eda and Camila a questioning look, “Okay?” Eda winked, which, troubling.

“Have a good day,” the man waved as he left the room, pulling the door shut after himself.

Four sets of eyes turned back to Luz and she chuckled when her stomach grumbled loudly, “Right. I’d like to eat something first, and then I’ll tell you everything.” They made unimportant small talk while they ate, some unspoken agreement between the group to not touch upon the hard truths just yet. Luz smiled at Eda and Camila, her heart aching at the pained looks in their eyes. They would sneak glances at her as if they couldn’t believe she was real. She looked down at her half-finished container and decided she’d made them wait long enough. Eda laid her phone on the table and began her audio recorder, and Luz nodded, looking down at her hand.

She talked for the next few hours. She started at the beginning of the concert, and blushed as she told them how beautiful Amity had looked. She told them about the valley with the castle, the ancient forest, and mountains. How the world hummed with her Song. How wrong the world felt. How ideas and beliefs would latch onto your skin, and make you think or feel a certain way. She told them about the throne room, and the throne, and Odalia on the throne with a metal-wrapped Amity beside her. She told them about claiming to be the Good Witch Luzura, and how believing it made it real—she could use magic, and fly on a staff!

She told them about Odalia being one step ahead, about the eyes, about her stealing thoughts and getting pleasure from doing so. She told them she accused her of being an addict, a leech, and how she interfered with her victims. She shuddered and told them about breaking bones, multiple times, and the injuries going away because she knew they weren’t real. She paused before telling them how the pain would linger. She told them about the leeches swarming her, trying to make her believe she was worthless. She told them how she got angry and managed to get the upper hand for once. She sighed and took a sip of water, rubbing her fingertips together as she frowned.

She told them about the metal-wrapped Amity being a sludge creature, a golem, wearing part of Amity’s face. How she thought it was Amity, and how she was afraid to hurt it. She sighed, then told them that it was not afraid to hurt her. She told them how it would change shape and make long blades on its arms, how it would slash and scream at her. How she pushed up to signal Edric, and how it cut off her hand and leg when she came back down. She paused and swallowed, then she told them it almost slashed her across the neck. She smiled at Edric, and told them how his song broke the dream world, letting Amity wake up for a few seconds. She told them how she told King to protect Amity, and how he entered the dream as a giant flaming wolf demon wearing a dragon’s skull. Eda laughed in disbelief when she told them he could breathe fire and break stone with his howl.

She told them about King leading her to Amity, to a glowing ghost-like Amity that knew her. How this Amity couldn’t talk because the golem had her voice. How they decided to attack the castle, to retake it. She told them how King climbed up to the throne room, how they swiftly defeated the golem, how the golem merged with Amity to give her back her voice. She told them how Amity was wearing the sludge like armor, and how it could move and obey her commands. She told them how Amity ended the second dream, that she had woken up on the stage feeling awful, how Odalia stormed out playing that damn music from her watch.

She told them how the third dream was saturated with anger. How this golem was so strong, and fast, and almost got the best of them. She licked her lips and glanced up at the twins. She told them how the Demon King had killed Odalia, how he broke her body and breathed his flames on her until the tower collapsed beneath them in a raging inferno. She told them how she and Amity had gotten separated in the fall, how she had been hit in the head by debris and was too disoriented to heal herself. How Amity and her little owl friend found her and reminded her that it was all a dream. She told them how they found the golem, how it was afraid.

Luz looked at Eda, “I remembered what you had said last night— how Amity needed a friend, how she didn’t have anyone.” Eda squinted as she thought, then nodded, and Luz glanced at the twins and tilted her head, “Sorry,” she said.

“No, no,” Edric replied, and Emira added, “We were sh*tty people.”

The brown-haired girl smiled and repeated, “Were.” She looked at Eda and Camila, then continued, “The dream world was soaked with anger. Amity wanted to fight the golem, to defeat it and reclaim her voice.” Luz shrugged with one arm, “Which, y’know, is understandable. But I could see the golem was afraid.” She looked down at her hand and played with the edge of her blanket, “It was afraid after Odalia had been… removed. It wasn’t obeying her commands anymore.” She sighed, “Amity confronted it, wanted me to break its collar. She would cut pieces off of it and absorb them, and when I unlocked its collar, it flew into a panic. It ran away holding the collar, and Amity pursued it.”

She took a sip of water and cleared her throat, “I saw it running… and it reminded me of when I saw Amity in the subway station yesterday. That’s when I knew it was also Amity.” She chuckled, “It— Amity had taken so much of its material, it was so small, it had to take the shape of her as, I dunno, a fourteen-year-old?” She sighed and looked at Eda, “It was begging me to put the collar back on, it was so afraid of Odalia…” She laid a hand across her stomach, “I was hugging it, trying to comfort it, and when I shattered the collar, it… it started stabbing and slashing at me. It cut off my arm, again.” Tears trickled down her face. “But I knew—I knew—I had to show it that it wasn’t alone, that someone cared. So I… I held on, and eventually, it calmed down.”

“Then…” Luz trailed off, squinting, “Amity brought us out, and I… I vaguely remember talking to her, and then… I dreamed. Until this afternoon.” She glanced from face to face, gauging their reactions. Eda was nodding as if she hadn’t really expected anything different, but the twins and her Mamí looked horrified.

Camila squeezed her hand, and whispered, “Eres tan valiente, mija.”

“You did good, kiddo,” Eda grinned, her golden tooth flashing in the fluorescent lights. She stood up and walked to the corner to pull her laptop out of her duffel bag, handing it to Camila while she gathered the empty Chinese food containers from the rolling table, then walked them to the trash.

“So, what have I missed?” Luz asked as Eda sat back down and opened her laptop, tapping away at the keyboard for a moment.

“Alright, kiddo, I figured the best thing I could do to cheer you up would be to— ta-dah!” Eda turned her computer around to show a Powerpoint presentation.

Luz gasped in delight, “You made a powerpoint?!”

Camila chuckled as the twins groaned. The brown-haired woman moved to sit beside Luz, leaning against the backrest of the bed, leaning close to whisper to her daughter, “She has been working on this for ages.”

The twins pulled their chairs around to be able to see the laptop screen as Eda motioned toward it like a used-car salesman. “Behold!” Eda cackled, “The downfall of Odalia Blight!” She tapped the spacebar, and text began to flow up the screen in an agonizingly slow animation.

B—E—H—O—L—D

T—H—E

D—O—W

The brown-haired girl gasped, and clapped her hand to her cheek, “I hate this so much! Thanks, mama!”

—N—F—A—L—L

O—F

Emira scrubbed her hands across her face, groaning, “OH MY GOD IT’S WORSE EVERY TIME.”

O—D—A—L—I—A

B—L—I

Edric just grinned, whispering, “This is a masterpiece.”

—G—H—T

A blinking “next” button faded in at the bottom, and Eda chuckled and pressed the spacebar again. A video appeared of the stage on the Green. Eda quickly pressed the spacebar again to pause it, and said, “Now, I’m sure you can guess why, but Blight Industries has been notorious about not allowing video or audio recordings of this last tour.” She tapped at the screen, “We have thisbecause Steve doesn’t give a sh*t about what the museum donors tell him to do.” Luz barked a laugh and sighed, as Eda pressed the button again.

Odalia Blight stood before Luz, Amity, and King, her head turned up toward the sky, just screaming, screaming, screaming. Eda walked past her, and then Odalia fell to her knees. King lunged at her, knocking her on her back, then Eda stomped on her watch. “Oh, sh*t,” Luz whispered as Eda got in the green-haired woman’s face. She watched herself topple to the ground, Amity pulling her close, then Eda— “Oh, sh*t!” Luz hissed as she watched her stepmother fire a gun next to Odalia’s face, “What the f*ck, mom!” She tensed, then looked over at Camila, “Lo siento, Mamí,” she apologized. Eda raised an eyebrow and paused the video.

“No, no, that’s what I said,” Camila replied, glaring at Eda, “I said ‘what the f*ck, Eda’.”

Luz giggled, Really? as Eda raised her hands in protest, pointing, “Hey, Cam, you would’a done the same thing!”

“I wouldn’t have missed,” Camila jabbed as she raised her chin. She gave a wicked grin as Eda spluttered.

“I didn’t miss, goddammit, I was—” Eda inhaled sharp and laughed, “f*ck! You got me again.” Camila laughed as Eda groaned, rubbing her forehead, “Anyway, there’s more.” She tapped the spacebar again. Luz watched in awe as Amity stood tall over the cowering green-haired woman, her recorded voice shaky and halting as she judged Odalia. “You caught all that?” Eda said, and Luz nodded, wrinkling her eyebrows in confusion. A “next slide” button appeared at the bottom of the screen.

Eda pressed the spacebar and pointed at the screen. “See?” her face was practically shining with delight. “Watch this.” A series of videos began to play.

Odalia Blight in a wrinkled black suit, sullen, handcuffed to the stand answering questions. The attorney asked a particularly pointed question, and the Judge asked why she would answer a question that would incriminate herself. She began sweating, great tears welling in her eyes, I have to answer it! She cried, I’m being compelled to tell the truth! The attorney gave a wicked grin.

Odalia Blight in a gray prison jumpsuit, disheveled and haggard, handcuffed in a courtroom. The prosecuting attorney asked question after question, and the woman looked as if she wanted to die. She tried shaking or nodding her head at the first few, and she would flinch, her eyes going wide and glassy for just a moment before she would gasp out an answer.

Odalia Blight in an orange prison jumpsuit, handcuffed and chained to the podium as she testified before a congressional panel. Senator McWrinkly-Face from Some-Other-State would ask a question, and Odalia would hesitate to answer, just shaking her head. Her face flushed red and sweat beaded on her forehead. She blinked away sudden tears and asked for the question to be repeated, then she would look down at her hands and answer it truthfully, completely. It only happened twice more before she was utterly cowed and broken.

Odalia Blight, handcuffed, her ankles chained as she shuffled back into solitary confinement, the other prisoners waving their arms and jeering at her as she passed.

“They’ve gotta keep her in solitary because all the other inmates hate her so much,” Eda started ticking off her fingers as she recounted facts, “She’s been given the death sentence in twelve countries!” The gray-haired woman laughed, “Our court system hasn’t made its decision yet, but she’ll never travel anywhere else, even if she were out of prison.”

She pointed at the screen as another video began to play, this one of a tall, bleary-eyed man with chestnut brown hair, blinking in confusion at all the lights and cameras. The news station label at the bottom read Alador Blight divorces wife, sues for full custody of children and control of family fortune.

Luz leaned forward, muttering, “Oh my god, that’s—” She glanced at the twins, “Is your dad okay?”

Edric looked down at his fingers as he picked at his hands, and nodded, while Emira blinked her eyes a few times, “Yeah, Father is… he’s doing better. Amity was able to reverse what Odalia did to him, but…” She trailed off and smiled, “But he’s better.” She pointed at the laptop, at the tall, handsome black man standing beside Alador in an amazingly put-together suit and… cape? “That’s Darius Deamonne, he’s one of Father’s old friends and his lawyer.”

“Yup, Darius is slick,” Eda said, whistling, “They’re working on retaining as many of your father's inventions and patents as possible. Blight Industries has been…” She trailed off, scratching at her cheek, “What’s the right word?” Edric made an explosion noise, and Eda chuckled, “That’ll work.” She clicked to the next slide, where a clip of a news anchor discussed the company being split apart, its assets seized, and funding frozen while the FBI and CIA poured over documents released by the Blight Twins. The clip showed Edric and Emira giving testimony—their hair dyed a chestnut brown to match their Father’s—about leaking sensitive corporate files online in an effort to get their mother indicted. We didn’t know how else to bring her to justice, a small, fuzzy Emira’s voice was earnest as she looked up at their questioners.

“Wow, you guys are awesome,” Luz assured the twins. They both turned pink at her praise.

“And this is where it gets hairy,” Eda said, drawing Luz’s attention, “This is why Amity’s not here right now.”

The next slide showed news clips of massive protests in South America, Europe, and some Far Eastern countries; cities on the verge of rioting as citizens protested Odalia Blight being jailed and prosecuted. Eda tapped at the screen, “We figured this was a side-effect in people that went to the ‘World Unity’ performances—they couldn’t stand idly by when their ‘Queen’ was being slapped in chains.” She sneered and made air quotes when she said Queen, then she sighed and watched the videos play out. “Lilith had the idea to retrace the tour’s stops and have Amity give another performance for free, market it as having to do with Odalia, y’know? That would draw these people in.” She gave a soft smile, “Then, while they’re in range, she can undo their conditioning.” As the clips played, as the days went on, reports of unrest began to falter. “It’s been working, but she’s got a lot of ground to cover.”

The last slide had a video recorded from backstage, of Amity singing in a packed amphitheater. Luz whispered, “She’s… amazing.”

“She is, mija,” Camila agreed, “She is such a precious girl.” The brown-haired woman jumped slightly and pulled her phone out of her shirt pocket. “And speaking of—” she said, glancing up at the clock, “Here she is now.”

Edric swiftly pulled a flexible phone holder arm out of his backpack and clamped it to the table in front of Luz, then he and Emira waved goodbye as they grabbed their bags and snuck out the door. Eda closed her laptop and walked it to her duffel bag, whistling softly as she stood to leave, shooting Luz a wink and a pair of finger guns. “I’ll wait outside for you!” she whispered to her wife, and Camila gave her a smile as she looked down at the phone, swiping the notification over. She stood just beside Luz’s bed, and Luz craned her neck to see the screen of her phone.

“Hola, querida,” Camila said to a tired-looking Amity, the girl curled up on what looked to be a couch in a baggy sweatshirt and pants.

Amity gave her a smile, and replied, “Buenas noches, Camila.” She pulled a blanket up over her legs and laid her head against the back of the couch, “How was your day?” she asked.

“Oh, it was very good,” Camila said, and Amity perked up slightly. “Someone here wants to talk to you, querida, so let me get out of your way,” the brown-haired woman smiled when the girl gasped and clapped her hand to her mouth. Camila held the phone to her chest and looked at Luz, whispering, “Just call Eda when you’re done, okay? We’ll be here.”

Luz nodded and watched as Camila smiled, then put the phone in the flexible stand and pointed it toward her. Amity sat curled up on a couch, somewhere, her chestnut brown hair shining under a cheap tungsten lightbulb, a tremulous smile breaking out behind her fingers. Luz smiled and lifted her hand in a small wave, suddenly shy, “Hi, Amity.”

Amity laughed as tears ran down her face, “Hello Luz,” She sniffed, wiping at her cheeks with the edge of her hand, “It’s so good to hear your voice.”

Chapter 19

Chapter Text

Luz laughed, half-breathless, as she held out her hand toward the phone. She ran a fingertip down the edge of the device as Amity crinkled her eyes and tilted her head against the couch cushion beside her. It had only been a day for her, a day at most—even if she counted those long, horrible hours waiting for the Siren at the Met performance to begin, she had been with Amity longer than she had been apart. But now? Seeing the golden-eyed girl curl up against a couch somewhere else in the world? It hurt. She wanted nothing more than to reach out and feel those familiar slender fingers lace themselves around hers. She felt the loss of Amity’s presence then, sharp and keen, and she had to swipe at her eyes. “How—” Luz sniffed, and wiped the back of her thumb across her face, “How are you?”

Amity smiled so bright, it was blinding. “I’ve been alright,” She replied as she hooked her sweatshirt sleeve around her palm and brushed back along her cheekbones, “But better, now.” The auburn-haired girl put her fingers in front of her lips again as she huffed a laugh, biting her lower lip after she whispered, “I’m better now.” She giggled, and Luz felt that familiar thrill dance up her spine at the sound, “And you?” the pale girl asked.

Luz puffed her cheeks out as she exhaled noisily, “Well,” she laughed, blinking and staring around the room, “I just woke up this afternoon? Pretty, uh, well rested I guess?” She shrugged with one shoulder as she chuckled and shook her head, “It’s… It’s so weird,” she said as she looked up toward Amity’s eyes, “I saw you yesterday. To me, I mean, but then I’m told it’s really been four months?” She blinked rapidly for a moment before she huffed, “At least I dreamed about you.”

Amity breathed in softly, and exhaled, “You did?”

“Yeah,” Luz smiled, “We would sit and watch the stars.” She watched as Amity looked down at her lap in something like shame, blinking and wiping at her eyes.

The pale girl shifted around, turning to lie down on the couch so she could cradle the phone in both hands, just gazing at Luz. She bit her lip as she closed her eyes, breathing out long and slow. “I missed you, Luz,” Amity said softly as she opened her eyes, giving the brown-haired girl a pained smile.

“I’m sorry, hermosa.”

Amity blinked away sudden tears and covered her eyes with her sleeve-wrapped hand. She took a shuddering breath and whispered, “I missed you so much.” She breathed out once, like a sob, and then bit her lip again, her mouth trembling.

Luz let loose a watery breath of her own, her chest aching and heavy with guilt at the sight of Amity crying. She didn’t cause it on purpose, but she had caused it. It had been a long time since she hated herself as much as she did at that moment. “I— I’m sorry,” Luz forced the words out through the lump in her throat, “I’m sorry I left you alone for so long.”

“You didn’t—” Amity choked and swallowed a sob, shaking her head behind the hand still covering her eyes, “It wasn’t on purpose, I know—”

“—Still,” Luz interrupted, and Amity pulled her hand down just enough for Luz to see her eyes, “Still. It’s the last thing I wanted to do.” She reached out again to touch the side of the phone, and Amity turned her head as if to push into her tanned fingers. Her heart thudded in her chest, a great weight pressing down on her lungs. Her fingers ached to wipe away the pale girl’s tears. She watched Amity sniff and wipe at her eyes again, breathing out a smile as she noticed Luz staring. “Were you alright?” the brown-haired girl asked, worried about what she would hear.

“Yes,” Amity nodded, pressing her lips together before breathing a laugh, “Camila and Eda let me stay in— in your room when I wasn’t— I-I hope you don’t mind.” Luz shook her head and whispered not at all. “I— uh,” the pale girl blinked and made a face, looking away for a moment, “I borrowed some of your books, um—”

“Oh yeah?” Luz perked up, curious, “Which ones?”

“I— was that alright?” Amity asked hesitantly. She shied away slightly, and Luz wished for nothing more than to be there to hold her.

Luz nodded, firmly, “Ames—” she said, catching the other girl’s golden eyes, “What’s mine is yours, okay?” She smiled at the pale girl, who gave her a small, timid nod, “No need to ask. It’s alright.”

“Okay,” Amity whispered, a smile pulling at her lips as she repeated, “okay.” The girls watched each other for a long moment, smiling and giggling when the other would smile or giggle.

Luz traced her eyes over the pale girl’s face and saw some slight differences. Aside from the longer, chestnut-brown and auburn hair, Amity looked healthier, happier, than she remembered. She still had high, sharp cheekbones, but her jawline wasn’t as pronounced; the edges of her features were a little softer. She wasn’t as pale either, but perhaps that was just the lighting. “Mamí was taking care of you, wasn’t she?” Luz asked, and Amity blushed and ran her hand through her hair, pushing it back over her ear. She nodded, and Luz smiled, “Isn’t her cooking amazing?!”

“Yes, it is, and she was,” Amity laughed, her fingers playing with the collar of her sweatshirt, tugging gently at a chain around her neck, “You were right, Luz… I do love your mom.”

Luz chuckled, remembering the conversation they’d had the day before— well. “And I’ll bet she loves you too,” the brown-eyed girl added, just as she had all that time ago. Amity nodded, rubbing at the moisture collecting in her eyes, whispering She really does. “I’m glad they took care of you while… while I couldn’t.”

Amity smiled again, soft and sweet. “They are so good to me.” She sighed, closing her eyes as she held her breath for a moment, then cleared her throat. “I stayed in the hospital with you as much as I could,” the pale girl shrugged as Luz made a soft aww noise, “Nobody there seemed to mind.” She turned pink and looked down, avoiding Luz’s eyes, “I would, um, talk to you during the day and, uh, I—” She played with the chain around her neck, running her finger along the length she’d pulled from her collar. Spots of red began to show high on her cheeks, around her eyes, as she spoke, “I would sing to you at night,” she cautiously admitted, her eyes still pointed down as a red flush crept up her ears. “I hoped it would help you sleep well.”

Luz smiled and tipped her head to the side, catching Amity’s eyes with the motion, “I’m sure it did, cariño.”

Amity looked at her and smiled, but then her face fell, and she looked ashamed. “But some nights,” she turned her eyes down again as she spoke, her voice trembling, “I just… missed you so much… I—I would… I would sing a dream for us to share.” Luz made a soft noise of understanding as the pale girl confessed, “I-I would talk to you,” she smiled as a tear fell from her eye, “but you couldn’t understand me or talk back to me.” She shrugged, sniffing, “I thought it might have been from the medicine they gave you? Or just being in the c—” her voice broke for a moment, her mouth still moving before she could try again and say, “Coma?” She took a sharp breath, and glanced up at Luz, “I don’t know— I didn’t know if you would remember any of it.”

“I’m not sure? I—”

“I just—” Amity closed her eyes as she breathed in, her chin quivering, “I needed you.” Her shoulders heaved with another sudden breath, “I needed to be near you, and even though you couldn’t talk to me, you knew me!” She looked up at Luz then, holding her gaze, her tear-streaked face shining with wonder, “You knew me and you would listen.” She smiled so wide, it nearly took Luz’s breath away, “You would fly us up into the night sky on your staff, or we’d climb up to the roof of this little cottage in the woods, and you would just hold me and listen while I talked, like no one ever did for me. I could tell that you loved me— I-I felt so selfish every time,” She gave a laugh that sounded closer to a sob as she wiped at her face with her sleeve, “And it— but it was what I needed, and I— I’m sorry, I hope it was okay—”

“It was— it is,” Luz assured her, instantly.

“—I didn’t ask for your permission, so I’m sor—”

“No, Amity,” Luz interrupted, “I would have wanted to be there for you.” She sighed and watched the pale girl paw at her face with her damp sleeve, her breathing ragged, “I’m glad I could do that for you, at least.”

“You were there for me, Luz,” Amity whispered, “You always know just what I need.” She smiled at the brown-haired girl, her eyes shining, “I don’t know how you do, but I… I love that about you.” Luz looked at her, stunned, a smile starting to pull at her lips. Amity nodded, “I do. I know you might have just been telling the little golem what she needed to hear,” the pale girl shrugged, “which I wouldn’t blame you for; that situation was… hard.” Luz slowly started to shake her head, and the golden-eyed girl smiled, “But I know. I know you love me. I could feel it, those nights in your dreams.” Luz just blinked, and Amity smiled, “That’s kept me going these last few months. Knowing that… that I had you to come home to,” she finished in a whisper. “I can’t wait to be done with all this.”

Amity reached out towards the screen, running her fingers along the image of Luz on her end of the call, “I want to get home… to you.” She smiled, “There’s so much I want to tell you when I see you next.”

Luz nodded with a grin, “I’m looking forward to it. We’ll…” She thought for a moment, “I dunno?” The brown-haired girl shrugged one shoulder, “Go get ice cream again, and walk to the museum—how does that sound?”

Amity grinned, her eyes sparkling, “It sounds— it sounds perfect.” There was a knock at Amity’s door and she grumbled as she leaned back to call, “I’m awake!” up into the air. “I’m so sorry, Luz,” the pale girl frowned as she turned back to the phone in her hand, “I have to go soon— it’s the morning here, and we’re getting ready for a performance this evening.”

Luz blinked, surprised at that, and glanced out her window at the darkened sky, “Really? Wow, where are you?”

Amity scratched at her head as she sat up, swinging her legs around to the floor, “Right now we’re in Budapest.” Luz giggled at how the other girl pronounced it, with a pesht at the end, and Amity smiled. “Lilith’s mapped out the optimal route for efficacy, Amity dear,” the pale girl adopted a familiar tone as she spoke that last bit, a very close imitation of her Tía Lily. The auburn-haired girl sighed, “I… I love your Aunt, too. She doesn’t talk down to me, or treat me like a— a child.” Amity looked down at her knees and worked her fingers through the thick blanket in her lap, her eyes welling with tears, “I can tell she sees me as a person, not just… a trophy.”

“Good,” Luz said, firm and direct, “because you are not just a tool or a trophy, Amity.” For some reason, that made Amity blush, and Luz smiled, “I’ll be waiting here for you, mi preciosa.”

Both girls looked at each other, smiling, before Amity glanced away at another knock at her door. Then she waved and they both whispered, “Goodbye,” and the pale girl hung up. Luz sat back and stared at the blank, cream-colored wall across the room for a while, a dazed look in her eye as a ridiculous grin crept across her face. She shook her head and called Eda.

“Y’ello,” Eda said as the screen showed the bottom of her chin and a clear view up both nostrils. Luz snorted; her stepmom must have laid her phone on a table. Camila’s muffled tones came through the speaker, and Eda said, “What?” She looked down and saw Luz and scoffed, rolling her eyes, “Oh, I see how it is.” She picked up the phone and slid over in her seat as Camila slipped in beside her. It looked as though they were in a booth in the cafeteria. Ferns waved behind them in a divider, and out-of-focus people milled about in a line beyond a row of tables.

“We, uh,” Luz sighed, wiping at her eyes, “she had to go, so… thanks for letting me use your phone, Mamí.”

“Por supuesto, mija,” Camila smiled, “We’ll bring yours up to you tomorrow. We’d left it at home so it wouldn’t get lost.”

“Gracias,” the girl sighed, drumming her fingers on her leg, “What, uh, what’s the plan now?”

“If you want company, we can come up and stay with you,” Eda said, glancing at Camila as the other woman nodded, “I’m pretty sure the terror twins will be back tomorrow—they’ve been keeping you company while Amity’s been out of town.”

“Yeah, okay,” Luz said, nodding, “Come back up.” She smiled and wiped under her eye, “I— I could use the company.”

“Want anything?” the gray-haired woman asked as she pointed a thumb over her shoulder.

The brown-haired girl shook her head and whispered, “No, I’m good.” She sighed, then admitted, “A blue slushie if they have one.”

“See you in a few minutes, mija,” Camila said, patting Eda’s shoulder as she half-stood from the booth bench, “Te quiero, Luz.”

“Yo también te amo, Mamí.”

~

Luz woke up early the next morning at the nurse shift change. Her mamí was sitting beside her bed chatting quietly with the on-duty nurse as she went through her routine: checking I.V. lines and bags, checking the tape around the tubes going into her arm, checking for bleeding or bruising, replacing the saline solution bag for a fresh, full unit. Of course, they had to put the I.V. in her one good arm, but Doctor Oliver had said it would only be for a few days. They had hooked her up to a few more machines the night before, to keep a closer eye on her vitals now that she was awake and moving about. Eventually, the chorus of chirps and beeps lulled her into a fitful sleep. Whatever dreams she might have had weren’t pleasant.

“Lo siento, mija,” Camila said, leaning forward to brush the damp hair back from Luz’s forehead, “We’ll try to be quieter from now on.”

“‘sokay, I couldn’t really sleep any longer,” Luz admitted. She blinked up at the ceiling and sighed, then she turned her head toward her mom and smiled, “Te quiero, Mamí.” Camila blinked a few times, then leaned forward to place a kiss on her daughter’s eyebrow.

“Are you hungry, mija?” The brown-haired woman asked her daughter, and Luz shook her head.

“What’s my schedule look like?” Luz asked with forced cheer. The unknowns were piling up before her, staggeringly high. She had to stay on top of them.

“They usually have you in compression sleeves for several hours,” Camila leaned on the arm of her chair, lacing her fingers together, “Then they put your arms and legs in a CPM for at least forty-five minutes.” She made a soft hmm and added, “They were doing that once in the morning and again in the evening, I don’t know if that will change.” Camila motioned toward her I.V. lines, “This arm won’t go in a CPM anymore, now that you’re awake. Both legs, yes, since you’re not up and moving around yet.”

“Huh… okay,” Luz said, vaguely understanding what her mother meant. She’d find out one way or the other.

“Also, now that you’re awake, you’ll have a whole-body vibration therapy session several times a week. Basically, your bed will vibrate like a… well… and that will help to stimulate your nerve regeneration and circulation.”

“Really?” Luz laughed, “Okay.”

It was exactly as boring as she thought it would be. Hours of her shins and forearm being inside sleeves that would inflate and deflate, slowly, repeatedly, like blood pressure cuffs designed to crush her spirit. She wasn’t sure what was more maddening: the incessant squeezing, or the fact that she had noticed she only felt part of the squeezing in her left leg, which only made it stand out all the more. The nurse said it was to keep her from getting blood clots due to her inactivity, but Luz knew it was only a matter of time before they squeezed too hard and her head finally popped from frustration. You can do this, Luz, she told herself. That was her mantra for the entire morning. It was too distracting for her to concentrate on one of Eda’s weather-beaten noir detective paperbacks, so she tried to find something entertaining on the hospital tv.

When the next set of machines rolled in, she gave them a curious glance. One looked like a mechanical snake, Probably for my arm, she guessed, as the other two appeared to be the same. They were harnesses for her legs, with straps across her thighs and shins, and separate hinged boot-like-cuffs where her feet were buckled, all attached to pistons and sliding pieces that made her legs raise, and bend, or kick out straight—all excruciatingly slowly, of course—while her booted feet worked the ankle joints gently at the same time. She had to admit, it did feel nice to get her legs moving, and made sure to tell the nurses as much.

Her arm, though. Once the mechanical snake had swallowed the limb whole—straps and buckles seen but not felt—they worked on her hand. It was carefully fed into an attachment at the other end and fixed in place. A constellation of wingnut bolts pinned it in place; Luz gulped and thought of the butterflies on display at the museum. Now that the snake was fed, it began to thrash about to digest its prey. She watched her arm move up and down, twisting and turning, her elbow bending while her fingers flexed and curled. She watched it and felt nothing past the shoulder. A cold fist twisted her stomach, and she had to look away before it made her sick. Eda was there to wipe the tears away from her eyes as she sat close to her head and held her hand, urging her to breathe. The gray-haired woman launched into a tale about some of the strange customers that had come into her shop while Luz was asleep, and the brown-haired girl hung on to every word, desperate to ignore the sounds of the machine beside her.

~

Luz lay in her hospital bed, curled up carefully on her left side. Her mamí had helped her arrange her limbs so she could get off her back, just for a little while. The brown-haired woman had smiled kindly and reminded her, “This is temporary, mija,” as Luz blinked away hot, angry tears when she’d finally asked for help.

Camila sat on her left, her quick fingers deftly knitting some new colorful piece in pinks and oranges, while Eda hummed quietly to herself as she typed away on her laptop behind her, on her right. Luz looked down at the phone in her hand, the picture Amity had sent her during the night filling the screen. Someone else must have taken it or she’d managed to use a tripod: she held the fourth Good Witch Azura book open with both hands, her golden eyes peeking over the top with a determined, challenging gaze, one eyebrow co*cked. A picturesque European countryside filled the background, making it all the more unbelievable to Luz that she had caught this girl’s attention. The caption read “Darest ye thy courage to face Hecamity in yon Witches Trivia Duel, Good Witch Luzura?!” with an accompanying string of explosions, skulls, and stink-line emoji.

“Mamí, I think I’m in love,” Luz admitted, surprising no one. It came out of her mouth before she realized she had said anything.

Camila hummed, “I know, mija.”

“What?” Luz squawked, suddenly realizing what conversation she had accidentally started and slightly offended at her mother’s disinterest, “What do you mean, you know.”

Camila paused her knitting for a moment to turn a long-suffering gaze on her daughter’s shocked face, “I saw how you looked at her when you brought her home.” She raised an eyebrow behind her red-rimmed glasses and smirked at the now-blushing girl.

“Oh…” Luz considered that for a moment. That makes sense. “Okay.”

“You also ended up in the hospital for her,” Camila added as she curled a loop of yarn around her needle. Luz chuckled as she watched the needles flash back and forth, and Camila smiled, “That’s usually a pretty good sign.”

“You’d better propose before Cam adopts her,” Eda spoke up from over her shoulder, and Luz went red as a brick, her heart monitor bleeping in alarm, “‘Cuz that’ll make things awkward for you.”

“Mom!” Luz protested, craning her neck to glare at the cackling gray-haired woman. Camila carefully set down her needle and reached for the ‘clear alert’ button on the wall behind the hospital bed. The night-duty nurse poked her head in the door and smiled at the bright red girl hiding behind her hand.

“It’ll be hilarious for us, though,” Eda snarked, and Luz grumbled when Camila agreed.

“Yes, mija, I’m keeping her one way or the other, so if you—”

“Dibs!” Luz didn’t mean to sound so shrill, but, these things happen. She smashed her pillow over her face and screamed for a moment, then resurfaced, “God, Mamí! I’ve got dibs!”

Eda raised her eyebrow and snorted, “We Noceda-Clawthornes respect dibs, Luz, why are you getting so upset?”

“The Clawthornes respect dibs!” Luz looked over her shoulder at her stepmother before stabbing a finger toward her mother, “Nocedas are opportunists!” Camila gave her daughter a smug half-smile as she continued knitting, the loose yarn steadily taking form under her hands.

“Boots is head over heels for you, kiddo, so take your shot,” Eda’s voice was calm and confident, which did help Luz feel better about the whole situation. She looked at the picture on her phone before glancing up at her mother. Camila gave her a glance and nodded, matching her soft smile.

~

A new visitor slipped into her room two days later, pushing the door shut carefully as Luz’s eyes widened in surprise. He wore a well-tailored suit underneath his lab coat and a pair of ID badge lanyards hung around his neck. His straight black hair was pulled back in a stylish ponytail, and a slim black eye patch covered his left eye. The older man looked rather dangerous this way, which made the brown-haired girl grin.

“Are you busy, my dear?” Hieronymus asked, his raspy voice hiding a smile. Luz had just finished her first vibration therapy session and her body was still tingling and buzzing. She gave him a wide smile and shook her head, then began the long wait for her bed to raise her up to a seated position. He chuckled and walked over to her bedside, flipping through her chart in mild curiosity.

“Hieronymus!” Luz was excited to see him again, but confused, “What— uh, what are you doing here?”

He frowned, slightly, “Didn’t Doctor Oliver tell you I would check in with you soon?”

“No?” She asked, “He’d said—wait, are you the Chief of Medicine?” Hieronymus bowed slightly in confirmation and she laughed, “I guess he did. Oh, you’re a big shot here! That’s so cool, how are you?”

“I am well,” He said with a kind smile, “It’s good to see you awake again,” he glanced at her chart, “Miss Noceda—” then he looked again, “Clawthorne?”

“That’s me,” Luz winked and gave him a finger gun.

Hieronymus gave a hesitant laugh, “Well, I suppose that answers my next question.” Luz gave him a confused look, and the man chuckled and waved his hand as he hung her chart back on the foot of her bed. “I’ve been busy the last few days,” the older man said as he pulled a chair over and sat beside her, “My apologies for not being here sooner.”

“Oh, that’s fine,” Luz waved a dismissive hand, “I’ve been… well, not busy, I guess,” she scratched at her head, “but I’ve been getting used to my treatments and the schedule.”

“How are you feeling, my dear?” He leaned forward with his elbows on his knees, his fingers laced together. “I’ve been trying to keep tabs on your progress, but I wanted to hear it from you.”

Luz looked down at her right hand as she rubbed her fingertips against her thumb. She glanced at her left arm, currently tucked under the sheet. Out of sight, out of mind. “It’s… it’s been… an adjustment.” Luz managed a small smile. “The doctors and nurses have all been great. They’re… really helpful.”

“I’m glad my staff are performing to your expectations, Miss Noceda-Clawthorne, but I asked how you are feeling.”

She huffed, shooting him a sideways glance. He raised his chin, his single eye tightening in a hint of a smirk. “Just Luz, if you don’t mind,” Luz offered, “Miss Noceda-Clawthorne is for when I’m sitting in the principal’s office.”

“As you wish, Luz…” Hieronymus did smirk then, “Or perhaps I should call you Red?”

She gasped and laughed, a blush running up her cheeks as she pushed her hand back through her brown curls. “I hope I didn’t offend you with my disguise,” Luz said quickly.

“No, Luz, although I have to admit—I had thought it to be in poor taste at first,” he gave her a knowing look, “I know how blind people interact with the world.” Hieronymus drummed his fingers together before he added, softer, “But after what you did for everyone there, how could I possibly hold it against you?”

Luz froze, her eyes staring at the man sitting beside her bed. “What… what do you mean?” She asked cautiously.

“Everyone in the audience that night remembers what happened in the… the dream world. The vision. The mass hypnosis event. Whatever you want to call it.” The black-haired man leaned back, steepling his fingers in front of his face. “We all remember how you fought to set us free.”

Luz went pale, her heart hammering painfully in her chest. She stared at the one-eyed man as he reached over to cancel the heart monitor alert beep beep beeping away in time with her thundering pulse. Other people saw her? They saw her fail and falter and struggle and bleed— They watched while she was pruned like a tree, scattering branches and wet, red leaves across the white marble floor— She took a ragged breath and clutched at her stomach, the half-numb lines burning across her skin as the little golem screamed in her ear, I hate you!— She startled back as the floor, the walls, the sheets of her bed squinted and pinched, opening up to reveal bloodshot blue eyes staring at her, watching her—

“—uz? Luz, take a deep breath, my dear, breathe in and try to hold it, that’s it, for five seconds, now breathe out long and slow. Good, good,” a wirey hand held hers, squeezing in time with the deep, rasping voice in her ear, “I’ll squeeze the count, alright? Breathe in now, slowly for one, two, three… and seven, good, now hold for one, two… five, now breathe out. That’s it, slowly now.”

She sucked in a deep breath through her clenched teeth and sobbed. “I’m terribly sorry, my dear, I wasn’t thinking—” She shook her head, and the kind voice trailed off, just for a moment. “Luz, you are safe now. Can you say that with me?” She huffed, laughing at the thought of saying anything right now. She still found herself croaking along with the older man’s raspy voice, “I am safe,” they managed to say somewhat together.

He ordered a special dairy-free hot chocolate from the cafeteria and sat with her while she grudgingly sipped at it. The rich almost-chocolate flavor helped settle her mind more than she wanted to admit. After she had pretended not to enjoy half the mug, Hieronymus asked, “Do you want to know why I went to see Miss Blight’s performance?” Luz nodded, always curious. “I had considered a school superintendent position—years ago, of course—but I decided this job would be less stressful in the long run.” He chuckled and Luz smiled over the rim of her mug. “I do enjoy teaching, so during the winters I make time to give guest lectures for AP Biology and Chemistry courses at the college prep school, you know the one?” She nodded, and the one-eyed man smiled.

“I had the privilege to teach Miss Blight in my lectures. She was an excellent student, so bright and intelligent. Well-read… Asking sharp, insightful questions,” Hieronymus smiled at the memory. “I could tell she was overworked, and after some digging, I learned how her mother drove her to get perfect grades and extracurriculars.” He shuffled in his seat, swinging one leg over the other as he drummed his fingers on the armrest. “I did what I could for her in my classes, of course, but there’s only so much one can do in these situations.”

He looked out the window, watching as a mass of clouds covered the sun for a moment before it began shining into the room again. “So when her mother suddenly pulled her out of school for private tutoring, I was worried. But again,” he frowned, “there’s only so much one can do.” The black-haired man turned back to Luz, “I was very surprised when Miss Blight began her singing career. I recall hearing about her taking part in some student festival talent shows previously, but in our—admittedly—few private conversations, she had never expressed a desire to pursue such a path.” He chuckled, “But like everything else she put her mind toward, she proved to be exceptional.” He looked down toward the ground as he cleared his throat, “I had hoped to speak to her after her performance, just to let her know she could always reach out if she needed anything.”

Luz gave the older man a fond look. He looked tired. “Did you get a chance to talk?” she asked, her voice soft in the quiet room.

Hieronymus looked up at her and shook his head, clearing his throat, “Oh, no, not that evening.” He sighed, gently tapping his fingertips on the armrest, “She was too worried about your condition, and I was busy directing your surgical team.”

“What?!” Luz almost fumbled her hot chocolate in surprise.

“I saw what injuries you sustained in the dream world,” the one-eyed man said carefully, “I merely pointed them in the right direction.” When the girl made a soft huh, he continued, “In many ways, your injuries appeared to be psychosomatic in origin—nerve damage aside—but there were very real consequences you had to endure.” He watched her stare down into her mug for a long moment before he called her name, “Luz?” She turned her tired brown eyes to meet his gaze, and he said, “Thank you.”

She gave him a kind smile and whispered, “You’re welcome.”

He leaned forward and placed his hand on the bedrail, “If you need someone to talk to, I will help you find someone suitable.” She sighed and nodded, and he patted the metal bar as he stood. “Until we meet again, Red.”

Luz laughed and wiped at her cheek with the edge of her hand. She looked up at the black-haired man and asked, “Do you want me to let you know the next time Amity’s here?”

He nodded, “I would be delighted to chat with her again, if time permits.” He turned to leave, but paused when Luz cleared her throat.

“I… I hope I’m not being too forward,” Luz said carefully, motioning toward her left eye. He tilted his head in understanding. “But I’m sure you’ve got some amazing stories from your life, and—” She tried to grin, but it didn’t stick, “I’m… I’ll be here awhile yet… if you ever wanted to talk.”

Hieronymus gave her a kind smile and a slight bow, “I’ll see you again soon, Luz.” She waved as he left her room.

Chapter 20

Chapter Text

The twins had spent the last three days camping out in her hospital room while Eda and Camila were back at the Noceda-Clawthorne residence. Eda had a few standing orders that she needed to get fabricated and shipped out, while Camila had been working on the upper floor to accommodate Luz’s mobility needs. She had sent Luz some photos the day before; the long-familiar twists and turns of their living room furniture had been shifted around to allow for wider, straightened pathways. The girl was sad to see the changes, but she knew they could always go back to the old way of things later. King also needed some care and attention, as he wasn’t allowed at the hospital when her mothers were staying overnight. Luz understood, she did, but it was still hard to watch them walk out the door.

She was strapped into the continuous motion devices yet again, her arm and legs gently stretching and moving without any effort on her part. As long as she didn’t look to her left, she was… okay. She’d learned how to ignore the sounds of the machine wrapped around her arm after eight days. A dull ache had settled into the limbs on her left side; Doctor Oliver assured her that was a good sign, but now Luz was wondering if getting the feeling back was truly worth it all. The ache was growing stronger, making it difficult to sleep at night. She sighed and twisted her good wrist, the Switch controller in her hand reading the movement to steer her Mario Kart racer away from the bananas dropped in front of her. Luz looked over at the blue-haired man laying beside her and sneered, “Gonna hafta do better than that, Ed.” He laughed, his golden eyes sparkling.

Edric had put the Switch tablet in the flexible arm that Luz used while video chatting with Amity, and hung it above their faces as they laid side-by-side on Luz’s hospital bed. He grinned and shot back, “I dunno how you’re so good at this when you never play—” his eyes tightened in suspicion, “Did you lie to me?” He gasped in fake outrage.

“Don’t be jelly,” Luz laughed, nailing his kart with a green-shell ricochet, “This is one of the older tracks, that’s all.” He hummed as he tried to make the next curve without losing too much speed.

Emira called out, “Don’t be a poor loser,” from where she sat at the table against the far wall, a stack of papers beside her laptop. Luz wasn’t sure what she was working on—possibly something related to the new Trust her father and his lawyer’s office had started—and didn’t really feel like it was her place to ask. She was just grateful for their company.

They both crossed the finish line and the post-race results screen started tallying their scores. She turned her head to look at Edric, and he looked her way with one eyebrow raised. “You don’t have to do this, you know—I appreciate it,” Luz confided, “—but, y’know.”

He nodded and looked back up at the screen. He selected a new course and the next race began. “I broke my leg when I was younger,” he replied, his voice pitched low to not disturb his sister. “Had to lay in bed for weeks. It sucked.” They jockeyed for positions over the next two laps, trading shells and sabotaging the computer-controlled racers.

She grinned and elbowed him gently, “Well, you’re makin’ this not suck.” She laughed when his next shell missed and she pulled ahead, speeding for the finish line.

He gasped and then pulled a wicked grin, “What are in-laws for?” She jerked to face him, stunned, her face turning a fierce, bright red, and he laughed and laughed as she careened into the wall. He and five other racers zipped across the checkered line before she could recover.

“You cheeky little— ass— Emira!” Luz called, catching the pink-haired girl’s eye. She nodded toward the mechanical snake wrestling her other arm, “Can this thing give him the finger?”

Emira chuckled and turned back to her work, “I’ll have to check the manual.”

“Asshole,” Luz muttered, her cheeks still burning.

Edric laughed and gave her a fond look, “Like it’s not the truth.” His voice oozed with a smug grin she pointedly ignored.

“What, that you’re a jackass?” she grumbled quietly.

He chuckled, and his voice dropped to a softer, thoughtful tone, “No, that we’re family.” She glanced his way and saw the serious cast to his face, and she lowered her controller to give him her attention. He had looked down at his hands, but he met her eyes when she turned his way. “You and Amity are together, whether you know it or not,” his smile was genuine, “She needs you, and you need her. It’s disgustingly adorable.” She rolled her eyes and he grinned.

“But it’s not just that,” he looked away, then rolled onto his side to face her, “your moms… took us in, sorta?” Luz nodded. “They’ve been better parents in four months than our real parents have ever been.” He started picking at his fingers in a nervous tick that Luz had come to recognize, and she reached out to gently take his hands in the one she had free. “You don’t know how much you’ve done for us, Luz,” his voice ached with a hurt she had heard before.

“That’s what friends do,” Luz kept her voice soft and assuring.

He laughed at that and shook his head, “You’re not just my friend, dummy.” She snorted, and he added, “You’re my new sister.”

She gave him a wide, heartfelt smile, “Aww, Ed,” she cooed, “I always wanted a big brother.” She watched as his eyes tightened slightly at that, a long-hidden pain crossing his face. “Or… I always wanted an older sibling—” she saw him blink at that, “—as cool as you?” His worried eyes met hers, and she asked, “How do you feel?”

“I just feel like me, most days,” Edric’s voice was hushed, “I had to play the part of her son for so long, but it never felt right.” Golden eyes met hers, “It’s not— I don’t feel like her daughter necessarily, just—”

“Just you,” Luz’s voice was soft to match… his? theirs? “Would you be more comfortable with different pronouns, Ed? Maybe try they and them to see how it feels?” The relief that shot across their face was immediate. “I can use those for you, okay?” They bit their lip and nodded.

“Thanks, Luz,” they whispered.

“Not a problem, Eddie,” Luz grinned as they smiled wider at the playful name.

“Yeah, yeah, I like that,” Edric smiled and turned back to the Switch screen above them.

“If you don’t mind me asking,” the brown-haired girl began, carefully, “How many other people know how you feel?”

They gave her a quick side-eye glance as they scrolled through the course selection screen, “Just Em and you.”

“Really?” Luz looked over, surprise written on her face, “Not— not Amity?”

They pursed their lips and shook their head, twice, “Nah, it didn’t seem like a good— she was so worried about you.” They ran a hand through their blue hair, pushing it back from their forehead, “I figured I’d tell her when she got back.”

“I won’t say anything, then,” Luz promised. She looked up at the screen as well, then added, “You should talk to Eda.” They shot her a surprised look, and she gave them a calm smile, “She has some friends who are non-binary, she might have some… insight? Advice?” She chuckled, “She’s a good listener, if nothing else.”

Edric gave a strained laugh, “Oh yeah? Ha, yeah… Maybe.” Luz gave them a face, like, what? and they gave her a blank stare. “Your stepmom is scary.”

Luz snorted, “What? Scarier than your mom?” She laughed and looked back up at the screen, then she paled, “Sorry— that, was that too far? Sorry, Eddie.”

After a moment, they laughed, too. “Yeah, you’re right. When’s she coming back?”

“Just go to the shop!” She pointed at a track, and they moved to select the one she indicated. “Worst case scenario, she puts you to work and shows you how to use the lathe.” Luz looked over at her blue-haired friend, “Best case scenario? I dunno… Only one way to find out, right?”

~

The phone on her table rattled as Samwise Gamgee’s voice called out “PO-TAY-TOES!” Luz laughed. That was the sixth ringtone change Edric had made without her noticing. She tapped at the notification and made a fond noise as the newest picture from Amity filled the screen. Amity, her arms spread as she stood in front of an open-air book fair, the sun shining in the bright blue sky. The auburn-haired girl was—Luz blinked, and pulled the phone higher for a closer look—wearing her hand-me-down letterman’s jacket over a casual shirt-and-jeans combination. She grinned at the sight of Amity wearing her jacket. It looked like a beautiful day, and she looked… so happy. Luz gave a sad smile and scrolled up. Pictures of Amity were scattered throughout their conversation: Amity in front of a Mcdonald's in Germany, the modern building distinctly out of place with the surrounding Bavarian architecture; Amity at a table beside Steve where the three were eating lunch; Amity at a highway rest stop pointing up at the mountains in the background. Luz laughed again at the glee in the pale girl’s golden eyes. This trip was good for her. She needed this—needed to see she could use her Gift for good, to get out there and undo the horrible things she had been forced to do.

Luz sighed and looked up at her room. She saw the same cream-colored wall across from where she sat, the same off-white and blue striped curtains to her right, and the same comfortable-looking armchairs scattered around her bed. As much as she wanted to deny the feeling, a hot thread of bitterness had started coiling deep in her stomach. Shame and self-reproach were pooling around it, keeping it nice and warm. She shouldn’t feel this way, she didn’t want to feel this way, especially about Amity. Why am I upset at seeing her happy? Or is it… that… she’s seeing all these amazing things… without me. Perhaps it was the unfairness of the situation.

She struggled to craft a response that didn’t have a passive-aggressive tinge, growing more and more frustrated with herself with each reply she deemed unacceptable. In the end, she settled for a wide-eyed emoji, a sparkling star, and a heart. She had to get this jealousy under control before Amity got home.

~

Doctor Oliver had her take her first steps two days later. She used a crutch under her right arm, and a nurse walked beside her on her left, just in case she overbalanced and tipped sideways. Edric and Emira silently cheered her on as she shuffled down the hallway, the pink-haired girl recording a video to send to Amity. Luz had assumed the hospital staff would put her in a walker—a “zimmer frame” as one nurse had called it—but with only one usable arm her options were limited. Once she got the hang of the crutch, leaning on it and her bad leg at the same time, it wasn’t too bad. She felt immediately better knowing she wasn’t trapped in her bed anymore. They gave her a day and a half to get somewhat used to it before they wheeled her down to the ground-floor exercise rooms.

Right now, she stood trembling in the middle of the parallel walking bars track. She leaned heavily on her good arm, her left hand dangling uselessly at her waist. She was drenched in sweat. Her left leg still felt dangerously numb, and she wobbled as another wave of dizziness washed over her. “C’mon, Luz,” her kinesiologist said, clapping and motioning toward herself with both hands, “Five more steps.” Her eyes burned hot as she grit her teeth and slid her foot forward. “That’s it, you’re doing great.”

“Shut the f*ck up,” Luz hissed as she slid her palm along the railing. She wanted to wipe the sweat off her fingers, but she didn’t dare let go.

“What was that?” The muscular woman in the blue and orange scrubs put her hand behind her ear, making her fish hook earring jangle mockingly. “I guess I didn’t hear anything,” she decided as she balled her fists on her hips. “Four steps.”

“No,” Luz panted, “f*ck this.”

“What are you gonna do, sit down?” The brunette asked with a scoff, “You gotta get your ass over here,” The woman pointed down at the wheelchair beside her. Luz picked her left foot up and placed it down a half-step forward. She could feel the floor with her heel, but the front half of her foot just burned. “Nice, Luz. C’mon, you can do three more.”

Luz sucked a breath through her clenched teeth as she leaned onto the leg, clutching at the railing with her fingers. “f*ck you, Viney,” she snapped as she wobbled, stepping quickly with her good foot to catch herself. The muscles in her thigh were screaming, and her right ankle throbbed with the effort of keeping herself steady.

“Don’t waste that anger on words,” the other woman rolled her eyes, as if her advice was obvious, “Use it for these last three steps.”

“The f*ck you mean, I just gave you a step,” Luz growled as she shuffled her left foot forward, lifting the knee higher to keep her toes from dragging on the floor. She glanced toward the window and saw the twins standing there, watching her creep across the room. She whipped her head back to the ground, her face burning with embarrassment. Hot beads of frustration gathered in the corners of her eyes.

“Two more,” Viney said, her tone softening in encouragement as she motioned Luz toward herself, “Eyes on me, Luz, focus.”

Luz sniffed and tried to wipe at her eyes with her shoulder, “G-go f*ck yourself,” her voice cracked as she leaned, pushing her good foot forward.

“Come say that to my f*cking face,” the brunette said, pointing at her chin as she leaned toward Luz, grinning.

“You think I f*cking won’t?!” the brown-haired girl snarled, pulling her left foot forward a half-step.

“One.”

The door to their left swung open, revealing Emira standing rigid in the hallway, a blush creeping up her neck and ears as her blue-haired sibling walked in carrying two large insulated cups. The door swung closed, leaving the wide-eyed pink-haired girl outside. Edric walked over to stand slightly behind Viney, just next to the wheelchair, and they waggled one of their drinks. “Blue slushie!” they crowed, a wide grin splitting their face.

Luz looked down at the floor and squeezed her eyes closed. “fffffffffuuuuck,” she hissed, then laughed, “Asshole siblings, what the f*ck.” The brown-haired girl pushed her left foot forward again, and Viney’s strong arms caught her as she crossed the line at the end of the parallel bars.

“Luz, you f*cking rocked that sh*t!” the brunette grinned as she helped the tanned girl over to her wheelchair, Luz hopping on one foot. Edric reached out for a knuckle-tap before Viney helped her turn and sit down.

“That sh*t was ass, and you know it,” Luz growled, wiping sweat from her forehead. Her blue-haired friend leaned over and handed her the frozen treat, and she smiled up at them, “Thanks Eddie, you’re a gem.”

The muscular woman leaned over Luz, her hands on the arms of the wheelchair, giving it a small shake, “Seriously, Luz, you did great.” She held the brown-haired girl’s gaze.

“Viney, I was just—” Luz started, “I didn’t really mean—”

“No worries, girl,” the other woman stood up to walk around the wheelchair, patting her patient on the shoulder before she grabbed the chair’s handles to begin their return trip, “I get it. You have my permission to say whatever you need to say, as long as you get. it. done.” The brunette pushed Luz out into the hallway with Edric following close behind. Viney paused long enough to give Emira a wink before turning the wheelchair in the other direction.

~

Five days of Viney kicking her ass had put Luz in a sour mood. Yes, she was making progress. Yes, she could even see it for herself. Yes, she was pushing herself as hard as she could. But it was still so far from where she had been. She would walk downtown for hours on delivery days; now, crutching it to the en-suite bathroom left her winded and trembling. She was trapped in this building, in this bed, in this body, and there was no escape from a prison like this. She was too weak to move, and she hurt too much to sleep. When her arm and leg weren’t tingling with pins and needles, they were aching from waves of heat or cold. She just wanted to cry, but that was a waste of time.

Instead, she stared up at the ceiling with Edric’s borrowed music player hammering heavy metal into her ears. If she happened to have tears streaming down her face at the same time? Well. Surely it was a coincidence. If anyone asked, she would tell them she was multitasking. Hours passed in a hazy blur as The Distillers and Death from Above bled into System of a Down and Rage Against the Machine, then Mastodon, Opeth, and The Ocean took their turns drowning her sorrows.

Her moms weren’t able to visit tonight, and some abrupt thing with their father’s lawyer's office had the twins out of town for the whole weekend. Her Mamí occasionally pulled double shifts on the weekends, and Eda’s shop drew more customers on Saturday mornings than most other days of the week, so she had the next two days to herself. Why was it so hard, now? She’d been alone for so long, for most of her life, it seemed. She’d been stuck at home with the flu before, she’d had weekends alone while Mamí worked doubles. Why did she feel gutted like this?

The album ended, leaving her on her back, tears collecting on the front edge of her headphones. She pulled them off to wipe at her damp face with her blanket, which was when Luz heard her phone buzzing away on the table beside her bed. She sighed and reached for the vibrating rectangle and smiled at the sight of Amity’s face. Then she frowned. Amity looked worried, and the notification on-screen said seventeen missed calls? What time was it? “sh*t.”

She went to answer when the ringing stopped. The screen went black, and she caught a glimpse of her reflection in the small handful of glass. Luz already felt awful, but she looked worse. She felt her stomach drop. I’d be poor company anyway. The brown-haired girl had just started to lay her phone down when it started ringing in her hand, Amity’s face on screen as the auburn-haired girl bit at her fingernails.

Luz tapped at the screen to answer the call but left her camera turned off. “Luz? Luz! Are you alright?” Sunlight streamed in through the window beside the golden-eyed girl, setting her hair aflame and her eyes sparkling. Luz had to squint; the light from her phone was blinding in her darkened room.

“Ye—” the word caught in her throat. The hours of silence and silent tears had left her hoarse.

“Luz? Luz?”

“I’m here,” she croaked, then coughed into her fist, “sorry, I— headphones.”

Amity looked into her phone’s camera, and Luz wished for her to be right there beside her. She blinked and exhaled; once again the universe had disappointed her. “Luz,” the auburn-haired girl’s voice was so soft, “Camila and Edric told me you hadn’t answered their messages, I— I was worried.”

Luz exhaled sharp and quick, the breath heavy in her throat. She hated the sound it made on its way out—something pained, like it cut itself on her teeth. She bit her lip to stifle the next sounds before they could make themselves known.

“I thought… it might help… if… we could see each other for a little bit,” Amity tiptoed around the issue, which Luz appreciated, “and chat for a while? I have some time.”

“Don’t—” Luz managed, her throat clogged with the tightness in her chest, the deep, sucking pit in her stomach. “Don’t want you to see me like this,” she hissed as she rolled onto her side, laying her phone on the pillow beside her face as she pulled her blankets up over her head. The deep ache in her limbs had pooled in her chest, and she fought to keep it inside.

Amity looked at her camera with a sad sort of understanding; the pale girl nodded and used a tender voice that she didn’t deserve, “I’m here to listen.”

“I don’t… want to bother you with this,” Luz said into her blanket, her voice as small as she felt. “You’re— busy. Doing… important things.” She inhaled and gave a wet laugh, “and I’m… not.”

Luz watched the other girl steel herself; she shifted in her chair slightly as she planted her feet, she squared her shoulders and folded one hand over the other on the table in front of her. “I want to hear how you feel, Luz,” Amity’s voice was firm and loving, “You are not a bother, not to me.” She reached forward to touch the side of her phone, and Luz almost whimpered at the gesture. “Tell me about your day,” the pale girl asked, “Please.”

“I’ll— I’m going to cry,” Luz promised.

Amity sniffed and gave a watery-eyed smile, her voice delicate, “Then I’ll cry with you.”

Luz sighed, and the tears began to tip from her eyes. “It hurts,” she whispered, the pain making itself known by the tremor in her voice, “Everything hurts, Amity.” She took a shuddering breath and let loose a sob, “I can’t walk, and I can’t sleep,” She paused to wipe at her face, her voice growing stronger as the venomous words kept spilling out. “My moms are busy this weekend and the twins had to leave town, and there’s Luz,” she spat, “so sad and pathetic all by herself.” Amity looked like she was about to speak, but Luz kept going, “—and I can’t wait to hear from Amity, my too-awesome-for-me girlfriend, but when her messages come in, I dread opening them, because— because—” the brown-haired girl’s voice broke for a heartbeat, “m-maybe it’s a picture of her and, I dunno why, I must be jealous? Because she’s out in the world and I’m stuck here in this bed—” Luz weakly punched at the mattress, making the bed frame squeak as Amity held a hand up to her mouth. “I’m trapped in this broken body, and I hate myself for feeling this way, and it just gets worse every day.” She let out a watery breath, and then whispered, “I don’t want to feel this way.”

Luz suddenly reached out and pressed the button to activate her camera, and Amity gasped at the sight of the other girl’s dark bloodshot eyes peeking out from under her blankets. “And I don’t want you to stop sending those pictures!” A tanned finger jabbed toward the camera, and the pale girl had to grin at her. “I love them and I love you, I just— I just hurt all the time and it’s hard—I guess?—which is just wrong of me, because I love seeing you happy and free, and I don’t regret anything, but I just… I just…” Luz closed her eyes. They shared a few heartbeats worth of silence while she pawed at her face with her blanket.

“What… causes us pain… isn’t… always reasonable,” Amity said, carefully and cautiously. Luz blinked her eyes open, fresh tears running down the wet tracks on her face as she listened. “I… I should have been there when you woke up, Luz,” the pale girl looked down at her hands, worrying at her fingertips.

“No, there was a job that only you could do,” Luz mumbled, “I understand.”

“Luz, you can understand and still be hurt by it,” Amity’s voice was soft, “Both of those things can happen. And… and I never apologized, did I? That was wrong of me. I’m sorry, Luz,” the pale girl looked up, staring into the camera and into the other girl’s eyes, “I should have been there when you woke up. I should be there with you now. I should have been more considerate of how you would feel waking up without me.” Amity laced her fingers together and rested her hands on her table, “I can’t take your pain away, so I want you to share it with me.” She leaned forward, her gaze intent, “Every day if you need to, whenever you need to. Share your burdens with me; maybe,” She shrugged and gave a hopeful half-smile, “maybe I can make them a little lighter?”

“Okay,” Luz breathed, “that— that would be nice.” She closed her eyes and groaned; she had laid on her side for too long, and now the pain in her limbs was eye-watering. “I— hold on—” She grit her teeth and pushed with her good arm, rolling herself onto her back. She hissed a long, pained breath before turning back to look at Amity. The golden-eyed girl watched her with such concern, she had to look away and blink back a fresh set of tears.

“Is there anything I can do for you?” the pale girl asked, her voice pitched low and soft.

“Could you—” Luz groaned, whimpering, “could you read to me?”

“I would love to. Anything in particular?”

Luz shook her head, “Doesn’t matter. Just— hear you.” She held her eyes closed and heard the other girl rummaging about in a cardboard box.

“I hadn’t started this one yet, so we’ll go through it together.” Amity cleared her throat and began reading in a clear, melodious tone, “The Incredible Journey by Sheila Burnford… Chapter one. This journey took place in a part of Canada which lies in the northwestern part of the great, sprawling province of Ontario. It is a vast area…”

Luz fell asleep listening to Amity’s voice somewhere around chapter seven. She woke the next morning feeling as if a weight had lifted from her shoulders.

~

Luz stared at the short story she had written in her notebook after she woke up from her coma, her thoughts fleeting and scattered. Something she had heard that day, some scrap of another person’s conversation in the hallway had brought the little golem to the front of her mind. She half-curled on her bed, cradling her stomach as she glared at the pages laid open on her lap. She had needed something to reach through the binding cords of fear that had wrapped around the creature’s mind. In the moment, she remembered what Amity had told her about working in the library and reading to children. She had hoped that the little golem would respond to a fairytale, and the improvisation had worked. It helped calm that aspect of Amity, allowing her to… what? Reconnect? Recombine? They hadn’t discussed their experience in the dream world over the phone, they both felt that was an in-person topic.

Her quiet contemplation had caused her to miss her mother walking in with two lunch containers from the cafeteria. Camila set her daughter’s chicken tenders and french fries on her rolling table, and sat down beside the hospital bed before she opened the styrofoam box with her BLT. She took a bite, chewing and swallowing as she watched Luz stare at her notebook, hardly blinking. “Qué tienes en mente, mija?” the brown-haired woman asked carefully.

Luz blinked and looked up at her with a smile, before turning her eyes back down at her hands as she hummed an “Umm…” She coughed, and straightened up, setting her notebook on the tabletop before pulling her lunch container close. “Reading to children,” she answered with a sigh.

Camila gave her a surprised look, “¿De Verdad?” She narrowed her eyes and gave her daughter a knowing look. “That’s not all, was it?” she poked with a smile.

“Heh, no, it wasn’t.” Luz patted her lunch container and said, “Gracias, Mamí.”

Her mother smiled and motioned down at her blue scrubs and lanyard, “I hope you don’t mind me taking my lunch break in here?” She took another bite as Luz shook her head, whispering, no, not at all. Luz opened the container on her table and ate a fry. Camila watched her eat another before she asked another question, “Did you have a rough night, mija?” Luz nodded. “Anything I can do?”

Luz shook her head, frowning, “No, Mamí, I’m just not sleeping well. I get… thinking about it all.”

Camila made a huh noise and took another bite of her sandwich, chewing for a moment before covering her mouth to say, “Maybe you should write it down.”

“Mooom, what, like a journal?” the brown-haired girl rolled her eyes and used a nasally voice, “Dear Diary, today I was too sad to sleep.” Camila gave her a flat glare and Luz muttered whoops and tried to laugh it off. “Mom, it’s… I talked about it with you guys already.”

“Luz, it is helpful for some people to write out their dreams, their experiences,” Camila set her sandwich down for a moment as she leaned forward to catch her daughter’s eye, “Why not make it into a story?” She watched Luz freeze at her suggestion and turn her eyes back to the notebook sitting next to her food. “Even if you never share it with anyone,” the brown-haired woman said, “it would be good for you to get it down on paper.”

“...on paper,” Luz chuckled as Camila took another bite of her sandwich.

Her mother rolled her eyes as she chewed, then said, “Fine, fine, or type it out on your laptop, however you feel is best.” She waved a crumpled napkin out to wipe at the corner of her mouth. “Eda recorded your talk that night,” Camila reminded her, “I’m sure you know how to turn that into words if you wanted.” She watched Luz take a bite of her breaded chicken before she added, “But I’m sure there’s someone, somewhere, who would enjoy reading whatever you write.”

Luz chewed slowly, then nodded as she swallowed. “Okay, Mamí. Maybe I will.” She sighed and looked down at her hands, her left arm draped across her lap. “How do you do it?”

Her voice was so soft, Camila almost missed it. “Do what, mija?” she asked, taking another bite.

“I’ve seen you… I’ve seen you help other people even when you’re—” Luz gulped, “when everything’s falling apart.” She blinked, and tears fell from her eyes before she could raise her right hand to wipe them away. “Does it… does it make the pain go away?”

Camila shook her head, “No, mija, it doesn’t.” She sighed and looked down at her near-finished BLT. “It just… Sometimes when I am hurting so much, helping someone else can take my mind off of myself.” The woman gave a sad smile, “There were days after your father died… I just wanted to curl up into the corner and cry. Being at work, seeing the patients were in pain just like me—just a different pain—one that I could do something about?” She shrugged, “It helped bring… balance to my spirit.” Luz continued to stare at her hands, so Camila added, “I don’t know if that helps you, mija, but sometimes sharing a moment with someone else can help you endure that moment better than you would alone.”

“And if you were serious about reading to children,” Camila said as she popped the last bite of bacon into her mouth, “We have some patients in the children’s ward who struggle at night, alone.” She stood and set her container down to wipe her hands off on her napkin, “Maybe you should visit them when you can’t sleep?” Luz looked up at her and smiled when Camila leaned forward to place a kiss on her forehead. “Te quiero, mija, I’m sorry I have to go so soon.”

“Te quiero, Mamí,” Luz said, “Hasta luego.”

That night, Luz shuffle-crutched her way to the elevators with a small stack of books in her backpack, determined to share a story with someone who needed to hear a kind voice.

Chapter 21

Chapter Text

The children’s ward security guard almost turned her away until he recognized her last name, but he still scanned her wristband to verify she was a current patient before he let her through the doors. The nurses were skeptical of her ability to maneuver around the beds with their attachments and peripheral machinery, and Luz herself shared some of that concern. She made sure to lurk in the hallway until one of the night nurses had checked on the children in their rooms, to see if any were still awake. Only one room had a lamp on, which Luz felt was a sign, but as it turned out that patient was asleep while another child was lying awake in the dark.

The nurses invited her in and introduced her to Juliette, a young wispy blonde girl with sunken cheeks and a ghastly pallor. Her pale green eyes were dim and glassy, and Luz paused at the unsettling memory of Amity under Odalia’s thumb. Then she smiled wide and sat down on the chair a nurse had placed beside the girl’s bed. “Hola Juliette, my name is Luz,” the brown-haired girl said as she laid her crutch on the floor, and let her backpack slip off her weak shoulder.

“Hi,” the little blonde replied, her voice as fragile as her features.

“I’ve been having trouble sleeping lately,” Luz said as she pulled a few paperbacks out of her bag, “and I thought, why not hang out with the cool kids?” She grinned as the ghost of a smile stretched across Juliette’s face. “I have some books here, and I would love to read one of them to you if you want.” The little blonde’s glazed eyes widened slightly, and she gasped in delighted surprise. A great fist grabbed Luz’s heart and clenched at the sound.

“To be completely honest, I… I only had a few books with me that you might enjoy,” Luz said, holding out three for Juliette to see, “I’ll have to have my mama bring some more from home.” She smiled, and the little blonde tried to smile back. She chuckled, “Not sure if you’re in the mood for a spooky story, but I’ve got Coraline by Neil Gaiman?” Juliette gave the softest shake of her head. “No worries, querida, esta bien. I have two others: the Runaway Robot by Lester Del Ray, and the Mouse and the Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary.” Luz could see the first book didn’t catch the girl’s attention, which would break Eda’s heart—her step-mama loved the Runaway Robot. But as soon as the word ‘mouse’ had crossed her lips, the little girl’s face lit up.

Luz put the other books aside, and said, “Okay, the Mouse and the Motorcycle.” She made a show of fanning the book’s pages and clearing her throat, and she thought she heard the hint of a giggle. “Wait, querida, do you need anything before we begin? A drink, or…?” Juliette shook her head and mouthed a no, and Luz gave her a tender look. “Alright. Chapter one, The New Guests… Keith, the boy in the rumpled shorts and shirt, did not know he was being watched as he entered room two-fifteen of the Mountain View Inn. Neither did his mother and father…”

Neither did Luz know she was being watched from the doorway by her mother’s co-workers, one of whom recorded a video for several minutes as Luz did her best to make the little sick girl feel special. Juliette had dozed off after an hour, and when Luz finally made her way to the nurse’s station, she had the nurse record a video message for the little girl where she promised to return the next night to continue the story.

As she rode the elevator back up to her floor, she knew her mother had been telling her the truth. Her arm and leg had ached and burned and throbbed the entire time she was reading to Juliette, but focusing on the story for the little girl’s benefit had helped her ignore some of her discomfort—and she couldn’t be sure, but she had a feeling that she might have been a comfort to Juliette as well. She had a wide smile on her face as she crutched back to her room, even if her nurses were scolding her for disappearing without so much as a note.

~

It had taken half the second week, but she had built up enough confidence and stamina to do two full trips through the parallel walking bars. Viney was pushing for a third, but she wasn’t sure if that was in the cards for today. Her arm was getting stronger, although it was still frustratingly numb. She could curl her left hand around the bar to pull against, for balance, but she still wasn’t putting any weight on it. She couldn’t bring herself to trust it yet, not when she had to keep her eyes on it to make sure it was doing what she wanted. Luz was struggling through her second pass along the bars when Emira burst into the physical training room. “Luz!” the pink-haired girl called, trotting over holding the other girl’s phone. She glanced over at Viney and shot through several shades of pink in record time. “Amity’s on the line, it’s urgent!” She handed Luz the phone, then turned toward the kinesiologist and began stammering a red-faced apology for interrupting.

Luz held the phone up to her ear and said, “Hey, Amity? What’s up?” as she turned to lean against the bar on her left, letting herself rest for a minute.

“Luz? I’m so sorry,” Amity’s voice was rushed and worried, a little scared, “I just found out what was going on.”

“Are you okay?” Luz snapped to high alert, standing upright and wobbling slightly as Emira and Viney turned at the harsh tone in her voice. Viney took a step toward her patient as the tanned girl tilted precariously before she shifted her weight off her bad leg.

“I’m fine, Luz, things are— are fine, but they’re going to take my phone!”

“What?!” Luz snarled, “Why would they do that? Who!?”

Amity sounded so angry, “My dad’s lawyer’s group worked something out to get an audience with politicians that are loyal to Odalia,” she growled in frustration, “and someone’s worried about national security so they’re taking my phone and laptop away!” A clapping sound came through, like the pale girl had slapped her hand to her forehead, “I won’t be able to contact anyone until we’re done!”

Luz was stunned. “What? But—” she had to blink and lick her lips, “How long will that be?”

“I don’t know!” Amity cried, “I don’t know, and I just found out and they’re about to take it, I’m so sorry Luz! This isn’t—” She let slip a choked gasp, “I didn’t mean for this to happen!”

“I— it’s okay, Amity,” Luz tried to breathe despite her heart hammering away in her chest, “I’ll be okay, and you’ll be okay, alright?” She gave a weak smile that Amity couldn’t see, “I’ll see you when you’re done.”

Amity sounded loud and muffled, like she was hiding her head in her arms, “I love you, Luz, I do!”

“I love you too, Amity,” Luz couldn’t keep the grin from her face.

“I’m sorry, Luz, I have to— one second, f*ck!—” the pale girl’s voice sounded distant, as she yelled at someone nearby, then, “I miss you, I have to go.”

“Okay— I— I miss you too,” Luz chuckled, “Break a leg, okay?”

“Okay.” Amity breathed, “Bye for now.”

Luz sighed, “Bye, Amity.”

Luz heard the phone beep in her ear, and she pulled it away to see the Call Ended screen. She quickly took a picture of herself—a hesitant smile and a small wave to the camera—and sent it as quick as she could. She didn’t know if Amity would get to see it before her phone was confiscated. She looked down at the floor and squeezed her eyes closed against the hot tears blurring her vision. No more late-night phone calls. No more texts with random questions, like, would you want a pet hippo that’s cat-sized but exactly as bloodthirsty as a normal hippo? No more caring ear to listen to her troubles… no more sharing of her burdens.

She wobbled and missed the rail when she reached for it, her knees folding beneath her. Viney’s hands caught her before she could fall too far, the brunette carefully lowering her to the ground as Emira crouched nearby. “She’s… she’s okay, she’s just… silent again,” Luz said as Emira rubbed a hand across her shoulders. She blinked up at the pink-haired girl in shocked disbelief, “I know Lilith and Steve will keep her safe… I just…” She bit her lip and looked down, “I can’t hear her anymore.”

After a few minutes of staring at her hands in silence, Luz managed to get to her feet and finish her trip through the parallel bars. She followed Viney’s instructions without question or resistance, to the muscular woman’s concern. She was quiet all the way back up to her room, staring at the floor without responding to Viney’s jokes or Emira’s worried attempts at conversation. Eddie looked up as the girls wheeled in and saw the hollow look on the brown-haired girl’s face. Luz climbed into bed and curled up under her blankets without saying a word. Emira looked at her twin and shrugged; Eddie mouthed, Go, I got this, and waved the two other girls out of the room. They pulled their chair over to the side of her bed and laid their hand on the mattress, palm up, then turned back to the book they held in their other hand. Eventually, a tanned hand slipped out from under the pile of bedding and clutched at their fingers.

~

She dragged herself out of bed after the twins left for the evening. She needed to shower and change, then grab a bite to eat before she made her way down to the children’s ward. She had started reading Coraline to another group of children in their activity room, and she and Juliette were halfway through Runaway Ralph. Luz didn’t want to let the little girl down. She briefly wondered if Amity had felt the same about her library kids and she sobbed through the first half of her shower. When she shuffle-crutched out of the bathroom in a fresh t-shirt and sweatpants, she found Eda pulling some things out of a duffle bag set in one of the armchairs. “Oh hey, kiddo,” Eda said cheerfully, glancing her way, “Brought you your laptop and a few other books you’d asked for. Those notebooks, too, with the—” She turned to see Luz slowly approach, her face pinched and shoulders trembling, then the gray-haired woman held her arms open for the brown-haired girl to collapse against her chest. “I’m sorry, Luz,” Eda whispered, letting the girl rub her red-rimmed eyes against her collarbone as the woman patted at her damp brown hair. “Lilith was furious when she found out what was about to happen; I got a very short, very loud voicemail.” She gave a rueful chuckle and exhaled, “Looks like Darius’ blond jackass sprung it on all three of ‘em.”

“What do I do?” Luz croaked, “It’s like she was taken again.”

“She’s safe this time, kiddo,” Eda’s voice was calm and reassuring. “Lily will eat anyone who tries to hurt her niece-in-law,” she added with a wide, gold-toothed grin. Luz huffed and groaned a quiet, not you too, and her stepmother patted her back before holding her shoulders and stepping away to catch her eye. “Luz, you’re gettin’ stronger, I can see it. You’ll be outta here soon.” They both glanced around the room for a moment, and Eda grinned, “You’ll be home before ya know it, and then she’ll be home as soon as she can.”

“How do you know?” Luz asked, the hurt in her voice plain to hear.

“Lily figured it’d take the longest to work out access to government officials: big wigs’ll go to a fancy opera, they won’t show up to a free charity concert.” Eda said with a half-smirk, “So they’d planned on saving this part for last while the lawyers and politicians worked things out.”

“So…” Luz’s voice brightened, “She’s almost done?” Hope filled her eyes for the first time that afternoon, “She’s— you mean it?”

Eda nodded, “Yeah, Luz, I don’t know how long it’ll take, but she’s almost done. Look— it sucks,” the woman closed her eyes and groaned, “It f*cking sucks that you’re cut off like this, I feel ya kiddo, I do. Camila is un. happy. right now.” She clapped both hands onto her stepdaughter’s shoulders and grinned, “But yer girl’s on the home stretch. She’ll be here before you know it.”

“Okay,” Luz nodded, taking a deep breath, “Okay. I’ll just… stay busy.”

Eda grinned and patted her on the cheek, “That’s the spirit. Use this time to, I dunno…” She waved her hand in the air as she thought, “Write her love letters? Come up with sappy romantic dates? Go buy a diamond ring?” She cackled as Luz slumped her shoulders and groaned up at the ceiling. “Write her a story, chicks love that sorta thing.” Eda turned to pick up the stack of books she’d brought in.

“I thought chicks loved Shakespeare,” Luz shot back as she shuffled to her bed to slip into her zip-up hoodie.

Eda swiveled on her heel and glared, pointing, “They do. They also love scars, tattoos, and hand-written poetry on heavyweight card stock.” She scoffed and made a face, “You don’t know this sh*t yet? I thought you were a hopeless romantic.” She held out the books with a grin.

Luz chuckled and accepted the handful of children’s stories, flipping through them with a soft smile. “I’ve been reading to the kids downstairs,” she admitted as she turned her eyes back up to meet Eda’s, “It’s been helping me get through the nights here.”

“f*ck, kiddo, if I could take your pain away?” Eda sniffed and wiped at her eye, nodding, and had to clear her throat, “I’m glad ya found something to fill yer time here.” She grinned, “It’s good to have a purpose.” Luz nodded, whispered it is, and they both sighed. Eda glanced at her watch, and nodded toward the door, “You gotta get downstairs soon, right? Let’s go get some grub from the cafeteria.”

~

Luz settled into her new routine: physical therapy in the morning, writing and time with her visitors in the afternoon, and then reading to the children in the evening. She began to feel more independent as her strength and stamina improved. She wasn’t moving easier, she was just getting better at it. Viney gave her an understanding nod when she mentioned that line of thinking. “That’s about the size of it, Luz,” the kinesiologist had replied, “Things may not ever be this bad for you—you’re just starting up again, y’know?” She’d given her a kind smile and said, “But it’ll never be the way it used to be. Accepting that is hard, but you’re tough as nails.” She didn’t always feel tough, so Luz just had to take Viney’s word for it.

She messaged Amity multiple times a day and called to leave a voicemail before she turned in for the night. She smiled whenever she imagined the pale girl turning her phone on and collapsing under an avalanche of digital correspondence. She knew Amity missed her too. Luz wanted to do this much for the pale girl to make her feel special.

~

“What’s that?” Juliette’s innocent question had caught her off-guard one night, after she’d had a truly awful day missing the sound of Amity’s voice. Her heart had ached all day in a way that left her teary-eyed, dazed, and easily distracted. She glanced at the notebook in her hand and let slip that she was writing a true story about magic and song, and the little girl’s eyes lit up the room. She had asked Luz to read it, please? and how could the older girl deny the sweet, weakly-voiced request? Luz had to warn her that parts of it were horrid and scary, but the heroines made it out… safe… in the end. She began to read what she had written so far, and three nights later she had to pinky-swear to read the little blonde each additional chapter as they were finished. She began to spend more of her free time writing, editing, adjusting her words and phrases, trying to capture exactly what it was that she had experienced. She was a woman possessed; she didn’t know how much time Juliette had left.

~

Doctor Oliver stopped in one afternoon during her fourth week of physical therapy. “Luz! Hello,” he exclaimed, grinning wide behind his beard, “How are you feeling today?” She was sitting in one of the armchairs with Camila and Eda nearby, the brown-haired mother and daughter listening in disbelief with raised eyebrows to a story that Eda had clearly made up on the spot about a visitor to her shop that morning.

“Hello Doctor,” Luz said with a smile and a wave, her mothers greeting the man as well. “I’m… I’m doing alright.”

He gave her a kind smile and pulled a chair over to sit with them. “That is great, Luz. I’ve been looking over your reports, and with what Miss Vines has been telling me, I think it’s time we talked about letting you go home.” Luz looked a mixture of excited and worried, while Eda threw her hands in the air and muttered thank f*ck! before Camila slapped her arm.

“Are you sure?” Luz asked.

The man leaned forward with his elbows on his knees, holding the clipboard with her charts in his hands. He gave her a firm nod and a grin, “Yes, Luz. You are moving about better every day, and it appears the nerve damage in your stomach and chest are healing well.” He held up a hand to delay her next question, “Now, it’s still a process, Luz. Your leg and arm will continue to heal over time. It may take several more months before sensation comes back in your hand.” Doctor Oliver looked down at another paper and said, “Viney still wants you to come in several days a week, so you’ll still have our support.” He glanced at Camila and Eda, then looked back to Luz, “We just don’t need to monitor your vitals anymore, you’re not at risk like you were months ago…” He shrugged and smiled, “It’s time.”

“Uh… when?” the girl asked, still shocked. She knew she would be discharged eventually, but she had been in this off-white fluorescent limbo for so long it was hard to imagine setting foot in her own bedroom.

“If you wanted to check out tonight, we could probably get all the paperwork ready to go. I would suggest checking out on Friday afternoon.” The man grinned, “That’ll give you the weekend at home with your friends and family.”

“But I… I’ve been reading to the kids downstairs,” She gave a nervous chuckle, “Would I— could I still come in to spend time with them?”

His eyes softened as he shrugged, “I can’t really say for sure—I want to, I would say yes—but when you speak to the Chief tomorrow, mention it to him. I’m sure he could work something out.” He stood, and held out his hand. Luz reached up to shake it, still shocked, then Doctor Oliver shook Camila’s and Eda’s hands as well. “It was so good to meet you all. Take care, Luz.”

~

She pulled the Chief of Medicine’s door closed behind her as she stepped out into the Administration floor’s general office. Luz looked down at the shiny orange laminated CHILDREN'S VOLUNTEER badge with her picture printed on the front and didn’t bother hiding the enormous grin on her face. Heironymus had assured her it would allow her to basically come and go as she pleased, although she would need to present an additional photo ID when checking into the children’s ward. The older man had thanked her for her time with the children; he had heard numerous reports of improved morale and treatment outlooks among the young patients, and it was all due to her kind efforts. He had patted her gently on the back when she hugged him and assured her that he would see her again soon.

~

Luz sat in her wheelchair under the Greater Bonesborogh General Hospital’s main entrance carport on a rainy mid-October day. She had her crutch propped on her footrest, leaning its length against her knee and shoulder, and a thick plaid blanket was laid over her lap. Eda had brought her blood-stained green army jacket in the day before, and she wore that over a black zip-up hoodie. A red beanie protected her ears from the biting gusts of wind, but they still set her shivering and her arm and leg aching. Viney leaned over her side and pulled the blanket up over her left shoulder and tucked her in as she confided, “I’m gonna miss popping up to your room to getcha for P.T.” She loosed a deep sigh.

Luz looked up at her and laughed at her dreamy-eyed gaze off into the distance. “Viney, I’ll text you her number.”

“Oh sh*t, really?” the brunette asked excitedly.

“Why haven’t you asked her for it yet?” Luz furrowed her eyebrows, and scoffed, “She’s clearly into your big, dumb muscles!” Viney managed to look embarrassed as Eda’s truck pulled up at the curb.

The window slowly rolled down as Eda pushed her sunglasses forward, giving both girls a sly side-eyed glance over the dark frames. “I’m here to pick up the trash,” she drawled, cackling as Luz yelled Hey! King popped up from the truck bed at the sound of her voice and barked, leaping out to prance around Luz’s wheelchair sniffing and licking at the giggling girl. “Git back in the truck, fleabag!” Eda huffed as she hopped out and jogged around the truck to take Luz’s duffel bag and toss it over her shoulder, opening the passenger door with her other hand. Viney wheeled the girl forward and locked the brakes once they were close, then held the wheelchair steady as Luz pushed herself to her feet. The brunette stepped around the left side of the chair—just in case—while Luz managed the three steps forward until she could grab the oh-sh*t handle on the truck’s A-pillar. She pulled herself up and onto the faded bench seat, shifting her legs around to face the windshield. Viney and Eda gave her a good-natured cheer, and Luz grinned, flexing the muscles in her right arm. Viney snapped a quick picture and Luz laughed.

Eda put the crutch in beside the door and pushed it closed, then swaggered around the nose of the truck to climb in on her side, dropping the duffel bag in beside her stepdaughter. Luz leaned out the window, her arm draped on the door, and said, “Thanks for everything, Viney. I’ll see you on Monday.”

The muscular woman grinned and gave a sarcastic salute, “Not unless I see you first, Luz. Take care.”

Eda pushed her sunglasses back up her nose as King danced around in the bed of the truck, barking and panting over the side at the woman in the orange and blue scrubs. “Alright, kiddo, let’s go home.” She turned the key in the ignition, and the truck roared to life.

~

The rain-damp wind whistled past the windows as Eda sang along with the young Sammy Hagar crackling through the old truck’s radio until the DJ began speaking over the tail end of the song, “—and that was Rock the Nation by Montrose from their self-titled 1973 release. Speaking of rockin’ the nation, this summer’s bombshell case over the fate of Blight Industries has moved all the way up to the Supreme Court. Odalia Blight herself has appeared multiple times to testify, and only seems to make things worse for herself! What is she thinking, Ron?” Another voice chimed in, “I have no idea Dave, no idea. Have you heard these rumors about mind control? She’s always been—” Eda snapped the radio off and sighed.

“What’s that stupid thing Eddie’s always saying?” the gray-haired woman asked, “Only good vibes allowed?”

Luz laughed, “Yeah, almost. It’s good vibes only,” she said as she made a wide, sweeping motion toward the sky with her right hand.

“Good vibes only,” Eda repeated with a nod, “f*ck that bitch—she’s finally getting what she’s owed, and I don’t want you to even have to think about her.” Luz opened her mouth to reply but paused as she glanced over at the tall woman behind the wheel. Eda never cried, so those couldn’t be tear tracks on her face. The gray-haired woman coughed and ran the edge of her thumb along her cheek, then reached over to pat Luz’s hand, giving it a harsh squeeze. “She almost took my baby away,” she whispered after a long, shuddering breath.

“I know,” Luz gave a soft reply as she patted the back of Eda’s hand, “I love you too, Mama.”

~

Luz looked up the staircase to her front door and sighed. She briefly considered going in through the shop and taking the back stairwell up to the kitchen, but these stairs looked easier. She wasn’t sure how much weight the wall-mounted handrails in the kitchen staircase could hold, but she knew these railings were solid. She let the crutch hang from her left hand as she slowly made her way up, stepping with her good leg, then standing up straight to lift the weaker leg up. She snorted at the sudden mental image of having huge, bulging muscles in her right leg and nowhere else.

She cleared the last step, and shuffled to the side to lean against the balcony railing as she snapped a pic of the staircase to send to Viney. She waved down to Eda, who had begrudgingly stayed on the sidewalk, and her stepmother shot her a gold-glinting grin and a thumbs-up before she turned back to the truck idling at the curb. Luz knocked on the front door and only waited a few moments before Camila leaned out with a grin, wrapping the taller girl in a fierce embrace. “¡Bienvenido a casa, mija!” the woman’s voice was muffled by her daughter’s jacket, and Luz curled her arms around her mother’s shoulders.

“Es bueno estar en casa, Mamí,” Luz whispered into her curling brown hair and smiled.

~

Luz limped through her bedroom doorway into a time capsule. Her mamí must have opened the windows earlier in the day and thrown the curtains wide, because the air was fresh and bright with the late afternoon sunlight peeking over the mass of rain clouds huddled over the city center. Motes of dust danced in the air as she flipped on the lights. Everything was the same, and yet, everything was different.

Things were straightened up a little bit. She’d had random stacks of books sitting around the room, those all looked to be shelved and organized in… She squinted at her bookcase as she crutched over. Huh. She… oh, she kept the stacks together, and labeled where she’d found them? Luz grinned at the forest of small, colorful sticky notes peppered across the spines of the books. She reached out to touch one of the notes, soft and reverent.

She turned to look at her room from this angle. Her piles of clothing were missing, and Luz huffed a groan at the thought of Amity having to clean up after her. There were empty places on top of her dresser where the auburn-haired girl must have had boxes or bags with her things. I hope she didn’t live out of a suitcase while she was here. Luz pulled at a few of the drawers in her dresser and noticed one was empty. Good, she made herself at home. The brown-haired girl turned to her bed and sat down, then lifted the pillow to her nose and breathed in. The scent of Amity’s shampoo and perfume lingered there, and she hugged the pillow tight against the yawning pit in her chest.

~

Eda had cleaned out the garage so she could throw a Welcome Home barbecue no matter the weather. It remained sunny and clear in their neighborhood, and soon the sizzling hamburgers, hotdogs, and racks of ribs drew a few of their neighbors over at Camila’s waved invitation. The twins appeared later, Emira and Viney stepping out of the sportscar before Eddie climbed out of the backseat with a duffel bag in hand. Luz gave them all a wave from her lawn chair, and they stepped over for hugs and greetings. The hours passed in lively conversation as they ate and laughed together.

“I have a shift tonight,” Camila said as she crouched beside Luz’s chair, “So I need to get going. Eddie offered to keep you company tonight while I was out, and tomorrow when Eda’s busy running the shop.”

“Oh, that’s— yeah, that’s cool,” Luz grinned, surprised, and she held her hand out for a high-five, “Oh! We can finally watch those Romero zombie flicks.”

Eddie gasped and clenched their fists, “f*ck yeah!” Then they pulled a face and shyly muttered, “Sorry, Mrs. Camila.”

“Esta bien,” the brown-haired woman chuckled, “You are just excited.” She gently ruffled their blue hair before she turned back to Luz, “I have a shift tomorrow night as well, you could ride with me to read to your children, if you want.”

“Heh, my children. Yeah, that sounds perfect, thanks Mamí.”

~

Luz adjusted her routine as needed. One of her mothers would drive her to the hospital in the mornings for her physical training sessions with Viney. If Camila was pulling a shift that night, Luz would find a quiet corner of the hospital to sit and write; if not, one of the twins would bring her home after they stopped somewhere for a late lunch. She still sent Amity messages and voicemails, and she made it back to the hospital most nights to read to Juliette and the other children.

On the next Saturday morning, she carefully stumped her way down the kitchen staircase to help Eda in the shop. Luz ran the register for a few hours, making small talk with customers as she bagged their purchases. She enjoyed being able to help her stepmom again. The gray-haired woman gave her a tight, lingering hug when they closed for lunch.

She felt a little bit stronger every day, but she wasn’t sure what her new limits were. On her free morning the next week, she limped her way down to the shop and watched as Eda packed orders into boxes and padded envelopes. “Eda, can I— can I run a few deliveries today?” Luz asked with a nervous tremor in her voice. She wanted to try—she needed to try—but she was scared to find out she couldn’t.

The gray-haired woman paused and looked up at her, a contemplative cast to her sharp features. She stared at Luz for so long, the girl almost bailed. “Yes,” Eda said softly, “I’ll give you a few in the same area.” She pointed at Luz, “These aren’t critical or late, so if you honestly feel you can’t get some of them done today, it’s okay.” Luz nodded, and Eda leaned forward to rest her elbows on the counter, “Please be honest with yourself, kiddo. I get wanting to test your limits, but ya gotta know that it’s okay to need some time.”

“Okay,” the brown-haired girl whispered, “I will, I promise.”

Eda nodded, then pointed at her again, “You’re gonna take the truck downtown so you’re not carrying everything at once, and you’re taking King with you.”

Luz laughed and raised her hands, “I will, I will.” She started to turn back to the stairs, then paused, looking over her shoulder, “Thanks, Mama.”

~

She carefully made her way down the sidewalk, her steps longer and quicker after weeks of practice. She was still slow, of course, but she wasn’t shuffle-hopping anymore. She still used the crutch; she found it helpful. It steadied her and gave her confidence even when she was unsure of herself. Someday soon, she’d be able to ditch it completely. Maybe I’ll switch to a cane? Luz grinned, imagining herself in a top hat and tuxedo with tails, and a cane with a giant diamond on top. King padded along beside her, almost completely silent except for when he would growl at pedestrians who looked at his human for too long. She glanced down at the border collie and smiled, then checked the list of addresses in her hand. “Just around the corner here, buddy,” Luz said cheerfully to King and he huffed a breath against her knee. She had parked near the center of the five delivery points and slipped two of the parcels into her backpack. She headed south toward the first, then it would be a couple of blocks northeast to the second address. Luz was positive she could make this little loop without taking a break, and she could sit in the truck for a few minutes before she headed out again if she felt the need.

It was a cold day, which sucked, but she didn’t expect warmth in the middle of October. “At least it’s not raining today, eh?” She asked King, and he growled his agreement. It was sunny too, for which she was thankful. She couldn’t begin to describe the feeling that burned in her chest, fueled by the frost in the air and the sun in the sky. She couldn’t remember the last time she felt this free. She took a deep, chilling breath, and laughed a great cloud of heat up into the sky.

She managed to get all five packages delivered, and was back home in time to help her Mamí with dinner.

~

Viney was out the whole next week for some kinesiology seminar out of state, so Luz decided to run more deliveries for her daily exercise. Eda was kind enough to lend her the truck as before, and arranged for drop-offs in the same general areas. She was so glad to be up and moving, that she didn’t mind the dull drudgery of knocking on doors and leaving packages with secretaries. One drop was just down the street from the ice cream parlor she and Amity had visited so long ago. She stood across the street and stared at the pink and white awning and the cartoon character logo on the sign above. She snapped a quick picture and sent it to Amity. Can’t wait to bring you here again, she wrote. Then she typed out I love you, and sent that message as well. She sniffed and wiped at her face, then carefully crossed the street to enter the ice cream shop.

She limped toward the Greater Bonesborough Metropolitan Museum with a cup carrier in a plastic bag hanging from her left hand. She veered to the right, and mounted the steps beside the marble railing, her breathing a little strained after the long walk. The Blight Industries metal detectors were still there, although the purple plastic outer casings had been replaced with neutral gray panels stamped with some other name and logo on the side. Luz crutched her way across the rotunda, heading for the coat check counter. Clifford poked his head up as she approached and gasped, “Luz?! Good lord, kid, what’re ya doing here?”

“Hey Cliff,” she laughed, holding up the bag from the ice cream shop, “I thought I’d stop by to see you. Chocolate or Vanilla?”

~

She limped over to the padded bench and sat down with a groan. She might have overdone it this time. She rubbed her left knee and hissed, before shrugging her backpack off to pull out the notebook containing her story’s rough draft. Luz looked up at the large watercolor of the cliff-side tree, knotted branches heavy with pink leaves. She gave a soft, sad smile. She felt close to Amity while sitting near the artwork that had inspired their tree. She had some time before she needed to be back home, so she put pen to paper and continued her work on her story. She was almost done with the edits on the latest chapter, and Juliette was waiting so patiently for her to finish. After an hour, she put her notebook away and stretched. Before she turned back to the gallery entrance, Luz snapped a quick picture of the watercolor to show her little blonde listener later that evening. She smiled down at her screen, then tucked her phone away in her jacket pocket. She gave the watercolor a small wave and limped away.

~

“Here’re the orders for today, Luz,” Eda said as the brown-haired girl crutched her way through the back of the shop. Luz looked over and saw the full box on the countertop her stepmother had packed and made a hmm noise. “And again, none of these are urgent,” the gray-haired woman said as she patted the uppermost package, “So just get them done when you can. Except for…” the tall woman leaned forward over the counter as she showed the palms and backs of her hands, then pulled a long, slim envelope out of thin air with a flourish, “this one! Eh, how ‘bout that?” Eda asked as she waggled her eyebrows.

Luz snorted and rolled her eyes at the showmanship, “Yeah, no, that was…” she wiggled her hand in mid-air, “eh, pretty good.”

Eda gasped in outrage and stood up straight. “Pretty good?” she scoffed, “I’d like to see you do better!”

“It’s not that I can do better,” the brown-haired girl said as she limped over to the counter, “It’s that I know you can.”

“Oh really?” her stepmother sneered, then laughed, “Ah, you’re probably right. I’ve not had a chance to pick pockets lately.”

“Mom!”

“Oh, hush, party-pooper,” Eda grumbled handing the envelope over. Luz turned it right-side up and heard a small clink from inside. “This is a custom order, rush job,” Eda said, tapping at the address, “But I’m waiting to get confirmation of payment. I’ll text you as soon as I get paid.” The gray-haired woman crossed her arms and leaned on her elbows on the counter, “If you can hang around downtown today and deliver this as soon as you hear from me? You’d be doin’ me a huge favor.”

“A favor, eh?” Luz grinned, tucking the envelope into her inside jacket pocket.

“Yyyup,” Eda replied, popping the ‘p’ sound, “I’ll owe ya one.”

“Eda,” Luz laughed, “You know I’d do it for you anyway, right?”

“That’s why you’re the best, kiddo,” Eda nudged her with her elbow, then turned to lift the box. “I’ll go put this in the truck for ya, okay?”

~

Luz walked along the tree-lined street, enjoying the sunlight streaming through the leaves, their shadows dappling the sidewalk all around her. She felt there wouldn’t be too many more clear, crisp days like these. Soon the weather would turn cold and icy, with drifts of snow covering the city. She would be lying if she said she weren’t nervous about the coming winter. Her arm and leg already ached all day most days, and the biting winds would send a fierce throb up and down the limbs. She hated the thought of being trapped indoors again.

She had just left a small auto-parts store that stocked some of Eda’s creations when her phone made the Wilhelm scream. She jumped, then groaned, “Dammit, Eddie,” and laughed at herself as she pulled the device out of her pocket as it screamed again.

[Raptor in Gray] just got the payment for that order
[Raptor in Gray] can you deliver that envelope?

Luz chuckled and replied

[Luzifer] on it

She pulled the envelope out of her pocket to glance at the address again. She nodded, and tucked it back in place as she looked down the street. Should be just ahead, maybe one of those townhouses? She passed a few more small stores, and approached the line of brownstones, scanning the street numbers on their door frames. She frowned, and kept walking. A taxi idled at the curb ahead, its trunk standing open and the driver nowhere to be seen. She saw the number she needed on the side of a three-story condominium, Top floor, of course, and headed up the sidewalk to the front door. She had climbed half the front stairs when the taxi driver stepped out. He paused to hold the door for her, and she glanced up, surprised, “Oh, thanks man!” She crutched across the porch, and added, “Really, thanks, I appreciate that.”

She limped into the lobby and groaned, “Yesss, an elevator.” She laughed as she pressed the up button, and heaved a sigh of relief as she leaned against the wall to rest. Luz rode the elevator up to the third floor and stepped out into a short antechamber hallway leading to the top-floor condo’s entrance. She walked to the door and listened for a moment. She heard what might have been a television, some recorded voice speaking, and a quiet sniffling. Watching some heartbreaking telenovela, perhaps? Luz grinned as she knocked at the front door, pulling the envelope from her jacket pocket. “Hi, sorry to disturb you, I have a rush delivery for an… Emmerson Brown?” She leaned against the doorframe and listened to a mad scramble from the inside, the resident tripping and kicking items across the floor. Luz pulled her beanie off and ran her fingers back through her hair, “Hey, don’t hurt yourself, I’m not going anywhere.”

The door was yanked open from the inside, and Luz stepped back in surprise. A stack of suitcases had been toppled over, one hard case and a carry-on bag dumped out and scattered across the floor near the electrical socket just inside the door. A cell phone sat on the floor there, plugged in and dinging away as message after message appeared on the screen.

Luz looked up to meet familiar golden eyes crinkling above a familiar wide smile an instant before slender arms in a familiar letterman’s jacket were thrown around her neck, and she was pulled down to her knees by the weight of the pale girl clinging to her taller frame. Her beanie and crutch fell to the floor as she wrapped her arms around the laughing, crying, girl straddling her lap, as Amity pushed up on her knees to cradle Luz’s face to her chest, sobbing, “Luz, you’re here? Oh my god, Luz!” She carded her pale fingers through Luz’s dark curls, pulling her close to her heart, pressing a teary-eyed kiss to her forehead.

The brown-haired girl pushed her face up into her pale throat and breathed her in; her familiar scent of lavender and coffee made her head spin. “Amity? Oh god, when—” She laughed and squeezed the girl in her arms, one around her waist, the other hand curled up around the back of her neck, as she burrowed her face into the pale girl’s borrowed coat collar. Amity was still wearing her shoes and her jacket, a scarf tied and tucked around her throat like the first day they’d met, like she had just stepped off a plane. “Amity,” she gasped, “you’re home?”

“How did you know I was here?” Amity asked, breathless, clinging to her tight, both hands grasping at her shoulders, her back, her unbelieving smile pressed to the tanned girl’s temple as her shoulder-length hair fanned out to tickle the taller girl’s nose.

Luz shook her head and whispered, “I didn’t,” as she leaned back, putting a clumsy hand to the back of her head to pull the pale girl’s face to her shoulder, “I— I didn’t,” she repeated, louder, in disbelief.

Amity laughed and wriggled in closer, tucking her face into the taller girl’s neck as she laughed again, “I just got home, just now!” She giggled again, half-delirious with joy, “That asshole gave back my phone, and it was dead! I— I had to find my charger, and— and— your messages?!” Luz wrapped her arms over Amity’s shoulders and felt the smaller girl tuck her arms up and across her back, wrapping her slender legs around her waist, like a golden-eyed koala, “I was listening to your voicemails, oh my god Luz!”

Luz gave a wet laugh, whispering, “Amity, you’re home,” and felt the tears streaming down her face stick to the smaller girl’s auburn hair as she curled ever tighter around her, “You’re finally here.”

“I am, oh Luz,” the golden-eyed girl whispered up into her jaw, “I’m home.” They pulled back slightly, still so close, still wrapped up in and around each other, but their eyes met across that small distance. Amity reached up with both hands to cradle her face, her jaw sizzling under pale fingertips, slender thumbs brushing across her cheekbones, and then—

Luz leaned down or Amity pushed up, or perhaps they met somewhere in the middle. Their noses brushed and then their lips touched soft and tender, eyelashes tickling, their bodies buzzing everywhere they pressed together. They smiled into the kiss, beginning to laugh together, both finding it hard to keep kissing when they were smiling so wide, their lips wet with happy tears as they pulled away to wipe at their faces and giggle—
“Oh sorry, that—”
“No, no, it’s—”
“I should have—”
“It’s, ha, here, let me—”
“Just use my shirt, okay”
“Okay,” Amity whispered, gazing up at Luz as she wiped at her tear-dampened face with the taller girl’s shirt, then patted at Luz’s lips and cheeks as well.

“Yeah, okay,” Luz grinned down at her, and they both leaned in again. The second kiss just as reverent, just as sweet, just as wonderful as the first. They started giggling again, smiling into each other’s lips as neither one could believe they were finally here. They stopped to gasp for air, their foreheads touching as they stared into each other's eyes, their heads still swimming in breathless wonder.

“I’m never letting you go again,” Luz growled, squeezing the smaller girl until she squeaked a laugh. Amity kicked her feet, pretending to struggle away from the bear hug, and Luz buried her face in the smaller girl’s neck, laughing again, and planted a kiss there to let it burrow deep and grow into something beautiful.

“Well come inside, okay?” Amity grinned up at her, placing soft lips against her jaw, “I’m sure the couch will be more comfortable than the landing.”

Luz grumbled, “Fine, you’re probably right.”

Amity stood up and brushed her knees then patted at her hair, as Luz pushed herself to her feet. The envelope fluttered to the floor with a clink, and Amity bent down quickly to pick it up, grabbing Luz’s crutch to hand to the taller girl once she was standing upright. “A delivery, huh?” the golden-eyed girl asked with one eyebrow raised as she pulled the envelope open. Inside was a handwritten note that said Surprise! Behind it was a few twenty-dollar bills paperclipped to another note that read Go have fun.

“Dammit Eda,” Luz huffed as Amity laughed, tipping the last item into her palm. It was the white cat head medallion with its silver chain reattached, polished and clean, its ears and part of the face stained red. Amity looked down at it and smiled, turning to press herself against Luz’s chest, tucking her head under the taller girl’s chin. The brown-haired girl chuckled as she wrapped her left arm around Amity’s back, being careful not to squeeze too hard. “What were— did you have plans, cariño?”

“No,” Amity shook her head, rubbing her forehead against Luz’s collarbone, “I was only thinking about you, about calling you, finding you, and I—” she laughed, “All your messages, Luz?” She sniffed, her voice growing heavy with emotion, “It… It means so much to me…” She pulled back a half-step, her hands clutching at the front of Luz’s green army jacket as she met the taller girl’s brown eyes, “I love you.”

“I love you too,” Luz smiled down at her, raising a hand to brush a strand of hair away from her forehead. “How ‘bout this?” Luz started, and Amity co*cked an eyebrow and made a soft hmm? sound. “We go into your sweet bachelor pad here,” Luz motioned with her off-hand, and Amity rolled her eyes as she huffed a gross, “And I sit down on your couch and rest, cuz honestly…” She trailed off and cleared her throat, looking down at her feet, twisting the crutch against the floor as she worked up the nerve to be truthful, “H-honestly, I’m hurting a bit right now, but we could cuddle on the couch?” She raised her eyebrows and grinned at the smaller girl who bounced on her toes, and Luz smiled, “And you can listen to my messages, and then… dinner, maybe?”

Amity nodded, smiling so wide as she stepped backward, then she went “Oh!” and turned around to push at the mess she’d made on the floor, “Hold on, let me—” Luz chuckled as Amity grabbed a suitcase and used the edge of it to just shovel the loose items on the floor off to the side. “My fault for packing my charger in my suitcase and not my carry-on bag,” the pale girl laughed as she set the suitcase down and grabbed her phone, then kicked off her shoes and motioned for Luz to do the same. “Just put them anywhere, I don’t— it doesn’t matter,” Amity grinned up at her, golden eyes sparkling in the bright, clear lights of her hallway.

The auburn-haired girl led Luz into a cozy sitting room, with a couch and a fireplace, and bookcases trembling under shelves packed floor to ceiling. Luz smiled and thought, Maybe this is her favorite room. Amity motioned for the brown-haired girl to make herself comfortable, then she padded off to find some blankets after she bent down to flip a switch beside the fireplace. Within seconds, a bright, warm fire was crackling behind the glass, and Luz settled in on the couch, sitting up against the left end to rest her arm and leg. The pale girl returned a few minutes later with a pair of plaid blankets. She tucked one over Luz, making sure to be gentle around her left side, placing a soft kiss on her scarred eyebrow when she finished, then she curled up beside the taller girl and leaned against her shoulder as Luz wrapped her arm around Amity. The auburn-haired girl settled the other blanket over her lap, and she wiggled closer under Luz’s arm, giggling as the brown-haired girl gave her a kiss on the side of her head. She held her phone up and began to go through her messages as the taller girl closed her eyes and relaxed.

~

Amity’s eyes darted left and right before she turned the page, a ghost of a smile pulling at her lips. She blinked and glanced over at the brown-haired girl behind the wheel of the truck, the night-time street lights flashing light-dark-light patterns across her face. “This is— Luz, this is amazing.”

Luz chuckled and gave her a sheepish grin, “Ah, if you say so.”

“Luz, yes, you—” Amity frowned and lightly smacked her leg with the back of the notebook, “Luz. Stop that.”

The taller girl laughed and glanced her way, her eyes smiling in the flickering street light, “As you wish.”

A faint blush crawled up Amity’s face and she crossed her arms in a pout. Luz smiled to herself and turned her eyes back to the road. “You’ve been reading this to Juliette?” the pale girl asked, and Luz nodded. “How old is she?” Amity asked.

“Ha, I dunno,” Luz answered, “It never came up, and I never asked. It didn’t… well, I’m not really an employee, so I didn’t think I should be asking about her personal details and such.” She sighed, “I’m not even sure why she’s there. All I know is, she’s real sick, and she’s been getting worse. I…” She paused to swallow, “I don’t think she has much longer.” She cleared her throat and was silent for a long moment before she added, “I’d say eight or nine, though.”

“Might be too scary for an eight-year-old,” Amity said quietly as she reopened the notebook.

“Some kids, sure. Other kids love scary sh*t.” Luz grinned, “Like me.”

“Are— are you the kid in this example, or—” Amity smirked as Luz blew a raspberry.

They sat in a comfortable silence for a few minutes before Luz cleared her throat and ventured, “Thank you, Amity.” The pale girl turned her golden eyes toward Luz, and she gave Amity a hesitant shrug. “I know I’d promised you I’d never ask you to do this again, and—”

“Luz, no,” Amity interrupted, placing her hand on the taller girl’s shoulder, “This is not the same. And I am more than happy to do this with you.” She gave Luz a smile, “I can tell how much you care about her.”

Luz had pulled into a handicap space in the hospital parking garage when she glanced over at Amity. The pale girl was looking down at the notebook in her hands. “I need your help with this, too,” the brown-haired girl said, reaching over to tap the cover of the notebook, “It’s your story too, not just mine.”

Amity smiled and patted the other girl’s tanned fingers, “I’ll do anything I can to help, Luz.”

~

She brushed at her coat and breathed out heavily as the elevator trundled slowly up toward the children’s ward. “Oh geez, why am I so nervous?” She shook out her hands and gave a distracted laugh.

“What’s wrong?”

“I dunno, what if—” Luz paused to run her palms down her face, then turned wide eyes toward Amity, “What if she likes you more than she likes me?” The auburn-haired girl snorted and gently pushed at her shoulder, making Luz sway slightly with the motion of the elevator. “I just— wow, my heart is just pounding, I think I still can’t believe you’re home.”

Amity leaned over and gave Luz a hug, rubbing her forehead against the taller girl’s jaw, “I’m here,” she whispered against the hollow of her throat.

The elevator lurched and the door slid open with a ding. Luz led the golden-eyed girl over to the security station, waving to the night guard with a “Hi, Severine!” as she swiped her badge at the panel. “We’re here to read to the kids!” Luz said with a grin, nodding her head toward the smaller girl holding her hand.

~

Luz stood in the doorway and watched as Amity read to the small group of children. The pale girl had almost finished the third storybook one of the boys had picked, and soon the nurses would take them all back to their rooms. The brown-haired girl turned and limped across the hall, knocking on the doorframe as she leaned her head in to softly call, “Hola Juliette.” The little blonde blinked and turned her head toward the door as her languid eyes sought out her visitor’s face. Juliette’s nose scrunched as a weak smile tugged at her lips. Luz moved carefully to the side of the girl’s bed and placed a hand on the girl’s forearm, “How are you tonight, querida?”

“Not s’ bad…”

Luz pulled a chair closer to the bed and sat down, laying her good hand over the little girl’s palm. She gave the gentlest press of her thumb after she felt the girl curl her fingers around her own. “I’m glad I managed to catch up with you,” Luz grinned, and watched the little girl huff a laugh, “I have another chapter ready for you—” the girl raised her eyebrows in surprise and smiled, “—and one other surprise.” Footsteps caught Luz’s ear, and she turned to see Amity hesitate in the doorway. “Which would you want first, querida?”

“You… sound happy,” Juliette said as she looked up at the brown-haired girl.

Luz chuckled and leaned forward on her elbow, “I am. I really am,” she confided.

“Is it the surprise?”

The brown-eyed girl gasped, her fingers splayed against her chest in fake surprise, “How did— are you a mind-reader?” She laughed, and the little blonde wheezed a short laugh with her.

“Surprise first,” the little girl squeezed at her fingers, and Luz returned the gentle pressure.

“Okay, querida,” Luz smiled as she waved Amity over, grinning at the pale girl as she pulled a chair next to hers and leaned over the edge of the bed with her hands folded. “I’d like you to meet Amity,” Luz smiled, “She just—” the brown-haired girl had to cough to clear the lump in her throat, “She just got home today.”

The faintest gasp came from the little girl as she turned her glassy eyes toward Amity, “The siren?”

“What? How did—” Luz started as Amity looked at her, asking, “Did you tell her—” Juliette shook her head, and they stared at each other for a moment before laughing.

“She slips up when she’s reading,” Juliette whispered to the pale girl before turning a weak grin on Luz. She took a deep breath and said, “She’ll say Amity instead of Amelia, or she’ll say I instead of Lucia.” Amity put a hand over her mouth and snorted while Luz groaned.

“Damn, called out like that,” Luz gave the little girl a playful scowl, “Why didn’t… why didn’t you say anything before?”

“You were sad,” the little girl’s shoulders twitched in a shrug, “You did say it was a true story.”

Luz laughed, “I did?” She looked down and laughed again, “I did, didn’t I.” Juliette gave a small nod.

“Luz has told me about you, Juliette, and she asked me to come to meet you tonight,” Amity’s voice was soft, “To sing a dream for you.” Juliette’s eyes widened, and the auburn-haired girl asked, “You know what I mean, yes?” Juliette nodded. “Is that something you’d like?”

Juliette nodded again, a smile touching her face, “Yes, please.”

“Very well,” Amity said kindly, reaching out to slide her fingers underneath Luz and Juliette’s hands, resting her thumb atop tanned knuckles. She nodded to Luz, and they both laid their heads down on the side of Juliette’s bed, glancing up at the frail girl before looking at each other. “Close your eyes,” Amity said softly before she ever so quietly hummed a melody. A tingle ran up Luz’s spine as the contentment—relief—serenity washed over the hospital room, and she yawned as—

Great brown and red tree trunks sprouted from the floor around them, growing rapidly upward, piercing the ceiling to let the bright blue mid-day sky shine down on the soft grass where they found themselves, the trees twisting and splitting as they grew large and thick, sprouting branches that flowered with red and yellow leaves to shade them from the eye of the hot summer sun. Luz smiled as the warmth of the ground soaked into her arm and leg, soothing the constant ache that had settled there. A gasp at her side made her raise her head, and she grinned at the wide smile on the little girl’s face as Juliette jumped to her feet, wobbling slightly as she looked down at her hands. Her hospital gown shifted into a yellow t-shirt under denim cutoff overalls, her long gray hospital socks pooling around her feet as they wove themselves into brown sandals. Her skin was a healthy, warm olive tone, her face was full and soft, scattered with dark freckles, and her eyes were a shining, glittering green. Amity pushed herself up to her knees as Luz did the same, the two reaching toward each other to hold hands as the little girl laughed and ran in circles, jumping and cartwheeling across the yard between the edge of the forest and the oddly shaped cottage a small distance away.

Amity motioned toward the little house with the high-peaked roof and the large eye-shaped stained glass window, “What is this place, Luz?” she squeezed the taller girl’s hand, “You brought me here before.”

“Oh, wow,” Luz said, her eyes shining, “It— It kinda looks like Eda’s old house, back when I first met her… It, uh,” she pointed at the strange castle tower behind the cottage that leaned precariously to one side, creaking, “Her house didn’t have that, so—” They watched as several heavy stones fell from the tower, crashing into the ground by the house. “Yeah, let’s not go over there.”

Laughter caught their ears, and they turned to see Juliette chasing butterflies across the yard, her long honey-blonde hair streaming behind her as she ran. Luz put one hand over her mouth as tears welled in her eyes. “Oh god, Amity,” she croaked, “Thank you for this.”

The smaller girl nodded, whispering, “Of course,” as she reached up to wipe away her own tears before they could fall. Luz put her arm over Amity’s shoulder and pulled her close, and they watched Juliette play in the yard until she was exhausted and breathless in the grass, laughing, her eyes closed against the bright sun shining low in the sky. They walked over hand in hand, and knelt beside the little girl as Amity asked, “How are you feeling, Juliette?”

The green-eyed girl smiled, “I’m tired, but I’m having so much fun.” She pushed herself up to sit, and looked at her hands in her lap as she admitted, “I’ve not been able to play outside in years.” Juliette turned toward Amity and laughed, “I feel like I might fall asleep soon?” She yawned and giggled.

Amity nodded, “This is a dream, after all, and eventually you’ll slip into a deeper sleep.” She looked over at Luz and asked, “Why don’t we go to the Tree?”

Luz grinned and snapped her fingers, “That’s a great idea. We’ll settle down there for the night.” She shot Juliette a wink and said, “Watch this.” Luz stood up and held her hand out, fingers spread wide. The front door to the little cottage swung open, and a small brown shape flew out and swooped overhead before a wooden owl settled on Luz’s wrist. She pulled it close, and let it rub its head against her cheek as she said, “Hello again, little friend.” She knelt beside the little girl and held her hand out for the living carving to sit on, and made her introductions, “This is my friend, Juliette.” The little owl gave a hooot, and the little girl giggled, petting its head. “Can you take us to the Tree?” With another hoo-hoot, the owl twisted into a wooden staff in her palm.

The brown-haired girl stood and climbed atop the staff as it hovered just above knee height in the air. “C’mon, you two,” Luz said with a grin, and Juliette clambered up in front of her, giggling, as Amity stood up and brushed off her knees.

“Should I fly myself?” the auburn-haired girl asked, and Juliette looked up at her in surprise before Luz covered her ears with her hands.

“What? No!” the taller girl said, “Spoilers!” Then she let go of Juliette’s ears to pat the little girl on the shoulder, before grinning, “Climb on up, cariño.” Amity settled behind Luz with her legs draped over one side, both arms wrapped tight around Luz’s stomach as she laid her head against the taller girl’s shoulder blade. “And away we go,” Luz smiled as her staff lifted them smoothly and swiftly into the sky.

They watched the great orange sun set over the purple sea as they sat beneath the pink leaves and white flowers of their tree. A thick blanket kept Juliette warm as she slowly drifted off to sleep, curled up against the trunk of the great tree, the little wooden owl tucked up under her chin. Luz sat nearby, Amity curled up in her lap, their arms tangled as the smaller girl dozed with her head on Luz’s shoulder. She smiled down at the pale girl before she placed a gentle kiss to her hairline.

“Welcome home, mi amor,” Luz whispered.

Chapter 22: Epilogue

Chapter Text

The early afternoon sun slanted through the Atrium, painting the white granite columns with bright patches of gold; the green of the creeping vines climbing the pillars and the red of their flowers were shining spots of vibrant color in the great monochromatic space. Little shoes squeaked against the smooth, polished floor, the high-pitched tumble of voices from the gathering crowd of children echoed through the open air, and the gentle corrections of the occasional parent were lost in the noise and confusion. Multi-colored cushions had been arranged in a deep, layered arc to face two chairs set side by side in front of the South Window Wall, one of which was occupied by a slender woman with long auburn hair that glimmered in the afternoon sun. She smiled and waved as two children ran up to greet her. Amity held a small stack of books to her chest as she leaned forward, listening intently to the pair of children tell her about the birds they saw on their walk to the Museum. She smiled and cooed and encouraged them to look for more animals on your way home, and tell me about them next week! while a red-eyed shadow lurking under her chair grumbled.

“Oh, King,” she hushed the border collie at her ankles with a soft word and a light scratch between his bone-white ears, “Don’t scare away the little ones.” She looked out at the small sea of bright eyes and gap-toothed smiles, and felt a spreading warmth in her heart at the sight of all these people here for Luz—and for her too, of course. But mostly Luz, she knew without a doubt. She could tell the children enjoyed listening to her read, but they loved the enthusiasm that her better half would bring. Luz just had a way with people that Amity found fascinating, a way to open her heart and connect with those around her that the pale woman still struggled to emulate. One day, Amity thought.

The dog lifted his head from the floor and focused his eyes on a brown-haired man with glasses and a patch of hair on his chin who sorried! and shoved his way through the wall of milling parents around the seated children, heading toward the woman. King growled and when Amity looked up to see who was approaching, she quickly reminded her companion, “No biting.”

She folded her hands over the books in her lap as the man neared, breathless and sweaty in his threadbare tweed sport coat. “Jacob Hopkins, Gravesfield Reporter!” He declared as he held out his hand. Amity raised an unimpressed eyebrow to stare at the hand bobbing slowly in the air in front of her face, then she turned her eyes up to watch the man falter under her continued scrutiny; he reached into his inner jacket pocket and King lurched to his feet, bristling and growling. The man froze, “Uh… I’m just— m-my phone?” He squeaked, and the dog sat silent when Amity laid a slender hand on King’s head. The man somehow took that as permission to speak; he pulled his phone out of his pocket and began to tap at its screen, “I have some questions for you, Miss Blight: when the Wailing Star—”

“I am about to read to these children,” Amity arched an eyebrow as she fixed the man with a frigid glare. “Be sure to update my contact information when you leave,” she lifted her left hand to motion him away toward the Rotunda, a glint of gold shining on her finger.

His voice took a petulant, whining tone, “But I’ve not been able to schedule an interview, and you’re here now, so—”

“I am otherwise occupied, Mr. Hopkins,” She raised her chin as she tapped a finger on her books, looking down her nose at the man, “Contact my sister’s office at your convenience.” Amity’s voice was firm, unyielding.

“I just have a few questions about Odalia Bli—”

i said good day, sir.

Amity’s eyes had hardened to a silver sheen that left the man shaking and stuttering apologies as he hurried away. “See?” She smiled down at King, who licked his lips and looked up at her golden eyes, “We use our words, not our teeth.” They watched the man disappear into the crowd before she leaned over to add, “He would have given you a stomach ache.”

King huffed and yawned, laying down across her feet as he curled around her legs. The children in the front ring of cushions all ooh’d and aah’d at the black dog with the skull of white fur on his head, and he wagged his tail at the two brave children who stretched out their small hands to pat at his back.

Amity looked up to the second-floor balcony just to her left and caught sight of Lilith looking her way. The tall, black-haired woman shrugged and made a loose fist with a slightly raised thumb near her chest with her right hand, cradled it with her left palm, then extended both hands in a slight arc toward Amity with her eyebrows raised. (Do you need help?) The auburn-haired woman smiled up at her and waved an open palm with her fingers spread wide. (No, thanks.)

A chime sounded from her coat. Amity pulled her phone from her inside jacket pocket and tapped at the black screen. It lit up to show an image of her and Luz mid-pose atop a mountain ridge, the bright summer sunlight setting their skin aglow and making the sweat on their faces and necks shine. Both girls flexed their arms as loaded trail packs hung from their backs and shoulders. She grinned at the purple canteen hanging from the taller girl’s frame, and the bright yellow sunburst canteen strapped to her own pack. She slid her thumb up the screen to show her messages from Luz.

[songbird] King and I are at the museum
[songbird] Did you remember to eat breakfast?
[songbird] Lily said we could move the meet-and-greet after the reading time
[bruja de la luz] I’ll be there as soon as I can
[songbird] Are you okay?

A message was marked with the new bubble:

[bruja de la luz] sorry, low on spoons

Amity tapped out a quick message before tucking her phone away:

[songbird] Don’t worry, rest. I love you, and I’ll see you later :)

She glanced at the miniature clock tower in the largest information station near the middle of the Atrium. Might as well get things started, Amity decided. She looked out at her little audience and smiled at the children. Half of them were looking at her and grinned back, waving, the other half were twisted around to chat with the children around them, or to call out to their parents in the crescent-moon ring of standing adults. Amity cleared her throat and called out, “May I have your attention, children?” Her words were drowned in the din of their voices. She clicked her tongue and chuckled, then asked again:

may i please have my listeners’ attention?

Every child seated in the Atrium swiveled to face her, and their parents immediately sought her face with their eyes. Amity gave them all a warm smile and spread her hands out, gently, palms down, and the children hushed themselves. “Hello, my little friends,” she began, her voice calm and caring, “For those of you who may be new, I am Miss Amity. This is normally Story Time with Luz—or Libro de Luz as she likes to say,” The auburn-haired woman made air quotes, and some of the parents chuckled, “—but Luz is not able to join us today.” A handful of the children groaned loudly and more than a few began to frown. “I know, my dears, it is disappointing,” Amity said, her face hinting at the sorrow they all felt. “She is just so good, isn’t she?” she asked, and the children brightened, nodding and smiling. She leaned forward and laced her fingers together, “I love to listen to her, too. She is so wonderful when she reads to you—I admire that about her.” Amity confided, and the children all looked solemn as they shared this new secret. “I will do my best to make today just as special for you all,” the golden-eyed woman promised. “Let me give your parents a bit of news, okay?” She smiled when all the children called out Okay Miss Amity!

She sat up straight and looked to the adults standing behind the children. “For the parents that may not know, Story Time with Luz is usually held in the Bonesborough Public Library.” She smiled and motioned up at the Atrium around them, “This month, we have the good fortune to be here, in the Bonesborough Metropolitan Museum.” Amity folded her hands in her lap, “The Met has expanded some of its Natural History exhibits for its school-age visitors, and after the story time, you and your little listener can get a hand stamped at the main Information Station—” at this, Amity gestured with a graceful hand beyond the adults to the large looped desk where three museum employees stood and waited to assist visitors, “—which will give you free admission to the galleries for the day. This is our way of thanking you for visiting us this afternoon,” she smiled, then pointed to her right to a free-standing bulletin board with posters and paper flyers, “After the reading time there will be guided tours available, the schedules for those are posted on the bulletin boards around the Atrium.”

She turned her attention back to the children and they all wiggled on their cushions, excited to begin. Amity leaned forward, patting the books on her lap as she smiled, “I have a pair of books that I think will help you enjoy the history of excavation and sea life exhibits, and then we have one last classic book,” she held up a hand to her face and spoke in a stage whisper away from the dog at her feet, giving the children another secret to keep, “which happens to be King’s favorite.” The children laughed at that, why would a dog have a favorite book? one adorable little girl asked with her face scrunched in confusion.

Amity lifted the first book, then paused to ask, “Who has not been to a Story Time with Luz before?” A smattering of small hands lifted into the air, and the auburn-haired woman smiled. “Everyone,” she said, “Let’s welcome our new friends,” and the crowd of children began to clap and giggle. The woman raised a hand and motioned for them to quiet again, and they settled, expectant.

“Remember: nothing you see today is real. It cannot hurt you. But if at any time you are scared, or dizzy, or just want to listen and look at the pictures in the book, tap your nose with your finger to see through the charm.” Amity’s voice took on a strange double tone mid-sentence, and all her listeners gave a shiver. She smiled and motioned to the first book, “This is Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel, by Virginia Lee Burton.”

She hummed a note as she began the story of Mike and his coal-powered steam shovel named Mary Anne, and as she read of their work on the canals and the mountain passes and the highways, the air above the seated children began to bubble and burst with colors: dark, rich browns of the dirt being moved by the large metal steam shovel belching great clouds of gray smoke up to the crystal skylight high above, the brilliant blues of the canal waters and the vibrant greens of the grassy hills. The little boys in the crowd watched in awe as Mary Anne dug and smoothed and pushed the ground flat to make an airfield. Mike and Mary Anne fell on hard times, chased out of work by newer, stronger, faster machines, and new monstrous cranes loomed dark and threatening in the air behind Amity as she read, the worry for Mike and Mary Anne clear in her eyes.

They retreated from the city to the countryside, looking for work, and the children grew teary-eyed watching poor Mary Anne trundle down lonely dirt roads until they came to the small town of Popperville. Mike offered to dig the cellar for their new town hall in just one day, or else the job would be free. Oh, the worried looks on the children’s faces! Amity smiled as she described Mary Anne working faster and faster as more Popperville residents came to watch her work, and the children found themselves standing alongside the townsfolk, watching the steam shovel almost blur with motion. The cellar was dug on time, and Mike and Mary Anne found themselves a new home. The children clapped, delighted, as the sun set over the Popperville suspended in the air above them. Amity closed the book and the little countryside town turned to wisps of smoke and vanished.

“Are any of you afraid of the ocean?” Amity asked as she set the first book aside. One man raised his hand, and his friends standing nearby began to chortle and nudge him with their elbows, humming the Jaws theme as he hissed at them to Shut up! The pale woman smiled kindly and said, “You may want to tap your nose for this next one, then,” as she raised the second book, “This is Cyrus the Unsinkable Sea Serpent by Bill Peet,” Amity said as she waggled her eyebrows at the children, getting a laugh in return.

She hummed again as she opened the book and began to read, and clear, blue water began to swirl around them, climbing up from the floor, an intangible, untouchable ocean that swallowed their feet, their knees, their shoulders, their heads, and the Atrium was plunged deep, deep down into the depths as an enormous sea creature coiled above their heads. Gasps of delight came from the children, Look! and It’s Cyrus! echoing from several listeners. They pointed up at the whales and sharks and schools of brilliantly colored fish swimming through the air. Amity read the story of how the sea serpent happened upon a ship full of poor travelers setting off to find a better life in a newly discovered far-off land, how Cyrus protected the ship from pirates, and from a terrible storm, and how he eventually pulled the ship to safety. The children were delighted by the great creature helping the ship even though the passengers had feared him at first, clapping and cheering as the grateful people waved him off at the end. Amity closed the book, and the ocean around them slowly sank down into the floor and disappeared.

Amity set the second book aside and picked up the last short picture book. “Thank you so much for listening so well!” she praised the children as she turned the last book toward them, “This is our last story for the day—King’s favorite!—have you heard this one before?” she asked, and a number of hands waved in the air. “That is wonderful,” she exclaimed, “This is Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak.”

She cleared her throat and hummed another note. She began to read about young Max acting like a Wild Thing and being sent to his room without dinner, and King began to wag his tail. As the forest grew in Max’s room, trees began to sprout all around the Atrium, pushing the white granite walls away as they grew thick and twisted, the high glass ceiling hidden by their leaves; great creeping vines spread along the ground and wound up and around the tree trunks, growing leaves of their own and heavy yellow flowers; soon the smooth white floor was completely hidden beneath dirt and grass and fallen leaves and twigs from the forest around them. The children walked and climbed the greenery with Max as he stumbled upon the Wild Things and became their king, leading them into a loud, raucous playtime. There was a bear-like Wild Thing, and a bird-like Wild Thing, and a bull-headed Wild Thing towering overhead as they jumped and ran with Max and the children, just like in the pictures in the book. But if any of the children noticed the giant skull-headed black wolf watching them in the distance, none of them mentioned it.

The spell was broken as she closed the last book, and her rapt audience erupted in excited discussion. The parents were shaking their heads, laughing, and making comments to one another, and that group of dads poked fun at their friend who had turned a bit green during the second book. The children jumped up from their cushions and ran off to their parents, clasping their legs and asking Did you see? Did you see it?! as the crowd began to turn toward the information center for their exhibit admittance stamp.

A tan woman with long brown hair approached with a young teenage girl who looked to be her daughter. “Hello,” Amity said kindly, as the teen hesitated to approach. “It’s alright,” She nodded down at the dozing border collie, “He doesn’t bite.”

“C— could you s-sign my book?” the girl stammered, and Amity gave her a kind smile as she held her hand out for the heavy hardcover.

“Of course, my dear.” Amity turned it right-side up, giving it a careful, considerate eye. The dust jacket was ripped in places and crinkled, the corners and pages of the book itself well-worn and well-loved, dog-eared, and packed with little scrap-paper bookmarks. The image on the cover was of a witch in purple and black and a girl in purpled knight’s armor standing back to back, a great black beast of flames wearing a dragon’s skull on its head curled around them both protectively, their staff and sword raised high against a dark shadow in the background. It read The Girl Who Sang, by Luz and Amity Noceda-Clawthorne. She could tell it was from the original print run. The auburn-haired woman smiled and asked, “Did you enjoy it?”

The girl nodded quickly, and squeaked, “I loved it!” breathing a half-panicked laugh, then she covered her mouth with her hands and whispered, “Sorry.”

“Not a worry, my dear,” Amity smiled as she and the girl’s mother shared a fondly amused look before the auburn-haired woman asked, “What was your favorite part?”

“How Lucia didn’t give up!” the girl was so excited to speak about it, “And— and— how she tried so hard to help Amelia?” She had a soft shy smile when she added, “She must have loved her from the very beginning.”

Amity nodded in a knowing way, “She must have. Not many people would have sacrificed as much as she did for just anyone.” She flipped the book open to the dedication page. She knew better—she did this every time, dammit—but she glanced down at the words printed there in stark black ink on white paper, and let slip a slow, hesitant breath.

for Juliette, who shared our dream— our first believer, our fearless little friend.
May flights of angels sing thee to thy rest.

The pang in her heart was still so sharp, even after three years. Book signings were hard for her; she spoke to so many fans while fighting back tears. The woman gave a sad smile and brushed slender fingertips under her eye, then gently cleared the lump from her throat before asking, “um, What’s your name, my dear?”

The girl tugged at her fingertips, suddenly shy, sensing the woman’s heartache, “Sophie?”

Amity smiled, “That is a lovely name, my dear,” she said softly, as she wrote To Sophie below the dedication, “It is so good to meet you, Sophie.” Her careful hand set loops and swirls of ink across the page, A heart’s a heavy burden, a heart for people all the more. Then she signed with a flourish, Amity N.C. She gently closed the book and handed it back to the girl.

“Thank you, Miss Amity,” Sophie said with a wide smile.

Amity nodded, “I’m sure you were hoping to see Luz as well,” and the auburn-haired woman gave a soft shake of her head when the girl nodded, “I’m sorry to say she was held up today.” She glanced over at the poster stand by the information desk off to the side and squinted at the calendar, “If you come back… next week? Yes, next week, I know she’ll try to be here.”

“Thank you!” Sophie called as she and her mother walked away, and Amity waved. A few more people lingered, also wanting to speak with her or get an autograph. She had never been opposed to signing books or treasured items for their younger fans, but she would generally turn the older, savvier, selling-collectibles-online types away. Those she would gently discourage, if possible, or send away as she had done with that tabloid journalist earlier.

She stood and brushed the wrinkles away from her gray wool skirt before adjusting the hand-me-down letterman’s jacket on her shoulders. Amity patted at her sternum and smiled when she felt the cool angles of the white cat’s head medallion hanging below her throat. She packed her books into her satchel and hung it over her shoulder, adjusting the length of the strap to make it sit high and tight on the left of her stomach. She ran her thumb along the latch to ensure it was closed while she turned about to look for anything she had missed. She waved at the museum helpers picking up the cushions and called out her thanks.

She hummed a note, and King hopped to his feet to pad at her heels toward the Rotunda. She saw the reporter lurking behind one of the colonnade pillars, beside a pair of teenage boys sending rather obvious not-so-furtive glances her way. Amity rolled her eyes and promised herself to have Emira give this “Mr. Hopkins” the run-around the next time he called. The teenage boys turned and moved toward her, snickering quietly as they pushed and elbowed each other, and King began to growl. The boy on the right held out a cell phone—the same one that man had been holding earlier, she realized with a start—and tapped at the screen. A soft, familiar, nightmarish violin began to play and she froze, her body going rigid as she curled her hands into fists.

King bent his head low and arched his back, his hair standing on end all along his spine as he growled deep in his chest. He pushed himself between her and the teens and barked once, the savage sound echoing along the marble floors and pillars like a thunderclap, as he snarled, his fangs bared and glistening. The boys froze in fear as the dog took a step forward. Amity placed a shaking hand on his back and said, “I’m alright, King.” Steve hurried in from the Rotunda at the sound of King’s retort, his hand on the weapon at his hip as he gave her a worried glance. She turned to the boys, her eyes glittering strange in the shadow of the third-floor balcony, her own teeth bared in their direction.

break that phone

The startled boy’s eyes widened in shock as his hands cracked the device in half without hesitation, and the so-called journalist gasped and ran out of hiding to fuss over the two halves of his phone. Amity turned her eyes on the foolish Mr. Hopkins, he and his naive helpers caught in her shining gaze.

you are not welcome in my presence until you can articulate the inhumanity of your actions, peddler of filth. anytime i am mentioned, by anyone, anywhere, you will tell those around you of this encounter. perhaps one day you will learn to feel the shame you find in your listeners’ horrified eyes.

She glared at the sniveling brown-haired man in fury as Steve stalked close and jerked his thumb over his shoulder at the boys. They took off running, wide-eyed and frightened, and the head of security put a hand on the other man’s arm. “Hopkins,” he growled, his fist tightening around the man’s jacket sleeve, “You’re gonna leave now or I’m gonna throw you down the f*ckin’ stairs.” Amity turned and walked away, King trailing along beside her.

Swift footsteps in a long-familiar stride echoed from the staircase beyond the coat check counter, and Amity turned to see Lilith hurry over to place a gentle hand on her elbow. “Amity, darling, are you alright?” the tall spectacled woman asked as she craned her neck to watch Steve hustle the uncooperative tabloid writer to the front doors. The woman turned her cerulean eyes back to her niece as she rubbed her hand up and down the shorter woman’s arm, “I heard King from upstairs; he only barks like that when he feels you’re in danger.”

Amity nodded and ran her hand back through her hair, “Yeah, it’s—” she paused to give the other woman a pained smile as she pushed her hair over her ear, “It’s just… ghosts of the past,” she shrugged. King nudged her leg and she patted his head, whispering, “Thank you, King.”

“What happened, my dear?” the black-haired woman asked, her voice low and gentle, soothing to Amity’s shaken nerves.

“That asshole from the Gravesfield Reporter was harassing me before the reading time—” Amity began, and Lilith interrupted, “What? Amity, I should have—”

Amity gave a weak laugh as she shook her hand, “No, I sent him away. But when I was leaving, he had these two boys approach me with his phone, and it played one of Raine’s songs, and—”

This time, Lilith’s “WHAT!?” nearly shook the floor.

“It— It scared me, I just froze,” Amity admitted, patting at the long, pale fingers clenched around her sleeve. “It can’t control me anymore, but it… I still have nightmares.”

Lilith let go of the shorter woman’s jacket and shook out her fingers before gently placing her hands on Amity’s shoulders, “I am so sorry, my dear.” She rubbed her thumbs into the tense muscles there, and tilted her head down to catch golden eyes with icy blue, “You need to tell Luz about this, don’t— it’s not that it’s her fault, but—”

Amity nodded and said, “She would want to know,” at the same time as the black-haired woman.

Lilith nodded, “Yes,” then added, “I’ll have him banned from the premises.”

“I think I took care of Mr. Hopkins for the time being,” Amity laughed as she dragged the heel of her palm across her cheekbone.

Lilith made an Mmm-mmm of disagreement as she watched Steve walk back in the front doors, brushing dirt from his palms, “No doubt, but I’ll ban him for Steve.” At Amity’s soft What? Lilith looked down at her and smiled, “Steve will tase the man the next time he walks in the door, regardless. If he’s already been banned, he’ll have less paperwork after the fact.”

Amity scoffed, “He’s head of security, can’t he just tase anyone he wants?”

“It’s best not to let him know that, my dear.”

A chime sounded from Amity’s jacket pocket just as a gruff voice came from Lilith’s gray pantsuit pocket, yelling, that belongs in a museum! Both women pulled out their phones to check their messages.

[Mom <3] Making Sancocho, see you for dinner!

Lilith’s thumbs flew across her screen before she re-pocketed her device. She adjusted the slim black tie at her throat and said, “Amity dear, let me know if you need anything from me in an official capacity.” The golden-eyed woman looked up at her Aunt and wrinkled her brow in confusion as her phone chimed again, and Lilith continued, “A public statement regarding the reporter to the Bonesborough Free Press, that sort of thing.”

“Ah, alright,” Amity said, glancing down at her phone, “I’ll ask Emira what she thinks is necessary.”

[Lilith Clawthorne] I wouldn’t miss it. Should I bring anything?

Amity’s phone chimed three more times as Lilith’s pocket stammered that belo— that— that belongs in a museum! The shorter woman looked down and smirked.

[Raptor in Gray] Steve
[Mom <3] Steve
[Shoulder Pads] i-volunteer-as-tribute.gif

Amity held up her phone for the tall woman to see, and she watched her Aunt’s face cycle through at least four of the five stages of grief before she patted Lilith on the arm. “I’ll see you two later, then?” she said with a half-grin.

Lilith sighed and smiled, “Yes, my dear. We’ll see you at Edalyn’s house.”

Amity scratched King’s head and turned toward the front doors as Lilith power-walked away. She patted Clifford’s shoulder as he leaned against the black security station, giving the old man a kind smile before she turned to Steve. “Thank you for your help,” Amity said with a grin, “Although I’m sure you enjoyed yourself.”

“I did,” Steve grinned in response, “See you back at the ranch,” he laughed as he raised a hand to wave her off.

She pushed her way through the front doors, holding it open for King to trot outside, and she turned her face up to the bright blue sky and smiled. A gust of wind sent her long hair snapping off to one side, and she pushed her fingers back through her messy locks to catch them behind an ear. Amity looked down the stairs to see Luz leaning against the staircase wall, slightly pale and out of breath, a wooden round-handled cane hanging from her wrist where she clung to the handrail. King scampered down the stairs and gently nosed into the brown-haired woman’s hip, earning himself a weak scratching between the ears.

Amity walked down the stairs, her fingers tangled together at her waist, catching the other woman’s eye as she tilted her head in concern. “Darling, I told you to rest,” the golden-eyed woman’s voice was soft.

“I said I’d—” Luz gasped, “said I’d be here.” She winced and shook her head, “Lo siento, mi corazon.”

Amity brushed her fingertips across the taller, lovingly-stubborn woman’s cheek and gave her a sad smile. “Bad day?” she asked, even though she already knew the answer. She ran a palm down Luz’s arm and could feel the tremor beneath her fingers when she gently clasped her tanned hand.

Luz sighed, “Yeah it… it’s been bad today.” She leaned forward to place her lips against Amity’s forehead, then grinned down at the golden-eyed woman, her brown eyes softening, “But, my day just got better.”

Luz leaned down or perhaps Amity pushed up on her toes, but more than likely they met in the middle. They kissed long, slow, and sweet, smiling into each other’s lips before they walked away from the Museum, hand in hand.