SilverBlood5

They really wanted her to do well in this class, but no matter how hard she tried, she just couldn’t do it. Willow hated letting her dads down, and she didn’t think she could bare another disappointed speech from them when word of her failure reached home.

Willow’s thoughts were cut off sharply when something hard hit the back of her head. She cried out as the force pushed her head into her locker door, a sharp pain ran across her forehead and her glasses were knocked off her face.

She immediately ducked down to grab them, ignoring the sounds of mocking laughter and hoping she could get away before they picked up the ball again. The grudgby ball that caused her so much pain was bouncing innocently next to her. The beats of it speeding up as it lost momentum felt to Willow like it was matching her heartbeat as yellow-clad legs came into view.

“Woops. My bad.” Boscha leaned down to pick up the ball, not sounding apologetic in the slightest. “I should really watch where I throw this thing. But it’s good to know my throw’s still good. Packs a pretty good punch don’t you think, half a witch?”

Willow didn’t look up at the condescending question, preferring to fix the arm of her glasses and stare at the cracked lens. She ignored the sting of tears in her eyes as she tried to think of something to say. But the words dried up along with her throat when a new voice spoke up.

“Just leave her alone Boscha. You know she’s not worth it.” The voice sounded bored and indifferent, like she truly couldn’t care what was happening and thought Willow wasn’t worth the fuss. If Willow were being honest, it hurt worse than the double impact on either side of her head. She looked up then, but Amity was already walking away, followed by her laughing friends.

She stared a little longer, hoping Amity would sense her looking and turn around.

But she never did.

She never looked back.

Alone in the hallway, Willow finally let a tear fall. She looked down at the broken glasses, hoping her parents wouldn’t be too upset about having to replace them. This was the third pair in as many months, and on top of failing that test…

Her breath hitched, the frustration and despair of the day catching up with her. With shaking hands, she put the glasses back on, feeling them sit wonkily on her face as she slowly rose to her feet.

Focus on the positives, Willow. She chanted in her head.

It was lunch now, so she didn’t have a class, and she packed her own lunch, so she could go wherever she wanted to be alone for the next half hour.

Forcing herself to take a calming breath, Willow ran through the list of places she knew of where she could be alone on school grounds.

Her thought process was halted by a soft clearing of the throat, and something white in the corner of her eye.

“Excuse me?” Willow turned at the quiet voice, seeing a short brown skinned boy with dark brown hair and dark grey eyes. He was wearing the Illusion track uniform and looked a good couple of years younger than her. The boy had an apologetic, yet concerned look on his face, and was holding out a tissue. “You’re bleeding.”

Willow blinked, taking a while to process his words, but when she did, she raised a hand to the throbbing part of her head. She winced as her fingers landed right on an already swelling bump and pulled back her hand to see a shine blood on her fingertips. She took the tissue from the boy, thanking him softly, and pressed it to her forehead.

“Do you need to go to the nurse?” He asked her.

Willow shook her head softly, “No, it’s just a cut. I’ll be fine.” She pulled her lunch from her locker, wanting to do something, and not knowing how to keep up the conversation. She looked back at the boy, seeing a hesitant look on his face, and decided she should end the conversation.

“Thank you again, but I should get goi-“

“Where were you going to eat?” He blurted out. Willow stared at him a moment, and he gave a sheepish smile before speaking again, a little slower. “Sorry. I mean, I saw those girls heading to the cafeteria, and I’m pretty sure you don’t want to be near them right now. So, I’m just wondering if you have a place in mind to go or if you want to come with me. I have a secret spot no one else will go to.”

Willow contemplated letting him know she had her own stash of secret places, but she was touched by his friendly offer and didn’t want to dismiss him. “What kind of place?”

He beamed at her question, and immediately started explaining. “I’m in a club called the Human Appreciation Society, or HAS for short. We have our own classroom we can use, and since I’m the president, I can use it whenever I want.” He finished proudly, and Willow smiled at his enthusiasm. “I usually go there for lunch, since I don’t have any friends. You can come with me if you want. I promise no one will bother you there.”

Willow smiled at his sincerity, lowering the tissue to see that the bleeding had stopped, and nodded at him. “I’d like that. On one condition.”

He tilted his head at her curiously, “What’s that?”

She switched the tissue to her other hand with her lunch and held it out to him. “That I be your friend. I’m Willow, by the way.”

The boy smiled so widely, she wondered if his cheeks hurt. He grabbed her hand and shook it with so much enthusiasm, Willow had to laugh.

“Yes! Yes, I’d love that! It’s lovely to meet you, new friend. My name’s Augustus.”

Luz didn’t think she’d ever struggled this much to find an outfit before. Between her and Eda, she had a pretty extensive collection of clothes to choose from, but nothing was working!

Taking a few deep breaths, Luz began to mutter to herself as she dug through the smaller pile of clothes she hadn’t tried yet.

“Okay. It needs to be something classy. Something first date worthy. But still easy to move in, so nothing too extravagant.” Hunter hadn’t told her exactly what they would be doing, just that she should dress for outside and easy manoeuvrability. She ruled out dresses earlier on, but everything else just didn’t seem to match up to a first date standard, so she kept coming back to them.

Everything was either too much, or too little, and it was starting to stress her out.

Luz’s eyes drifted to the door, and she started gnawing on her lip. She really wanted some help with this, but did she dare ask Eda?

Looking between the piles of clothes and the clock that showed she had two hours to get ready, she made up her mind. Throwing on her normal clothes, she headed downstairs.

Eda was lounging in the living room, idly swiping between channels on their crystal ball as King slept on her stomach.

Luz hesitated at the doorway for several moments, biting her lip and rubbing her fingers together. “Eda?” She asked quietly. Her mentor hummed at her, eyes not leaving the crystal ball. “Can you come upstairs, please? I need your help with something.”

That made her finally look up, wide eyes blinking as she processed the request. “Sure thing kiddo. Just let me move this little fuzzball.” She lifted herself from the lounge, and carefully deposited King back down. He stirred once but quickly went back to sleep, and the two walked out of the room.

“Soooooo, whatcha need help with?” Eda asked as they climbed the stairs.

Luz took a deep breath, still nervous to share what she was doing. “Well, I’m going out a bit later, and I… kinda need help… finding something to wear?” Her voice faded out the longer she spoke.

“Mmmhmm.” Eda looked at her questioningly. “Not that I’m complaining, we all now I have a terrific fashion sense.” Eda flicked her hair and gestured to her dress, making Luz chuckle. “But why do you need help so bad? And where are you going anyway?”

Luz licked the inside of her lip as she thought of how to answer. “I don’t… exactly know where I’m going. It’s supposed to be a surprise. Kinda?” She chuckled nervously as Eda began scrutinising her again. Choosing to ignore the looks, she opened her door, revealing to Eda the absolute mess she had made in her quest for the perfect outfit.

Eda’s eyes widened at the state of her room, and then her face lit up as she realised what exactly was going on. “You’re going on a date!” She exclaimed.

Luz ducked her head, a blush rising on her cheeks as she played with her fingers again. “Am I that obvious?” She groaned.

Eda snorted at her, “No wonder you looked so nervous.” She slung an arm around her pupil, “So come on. Don’t hold back. Who’s it with? Do I know them? Why is this the first I’m hearing about this?”

Pressing her face into her hands, Luz let out a long, low groan, something which only made Eda laugh more. Deciding it would be okay to share a little, she lifted her head, but chose to stare at the piles of clothes rather than her mentor’s sparkling eyes.

“His name is Hunter. You’ve never met him.” Not as Hunter, at least. Eda had only met The Golden Guard, so it wasn’t technically a lie. “And it’s still a pretty new thing. This is our first date, and I really need your help finding something to wear.” She turned pleading eyes to Eda and the woman pat her on the shoulder encouragingly.

“Don’t you worry kid; we’ll have the perfect outfit ready in no time. Now.” She clapped her hands and faced Luz’s disaster of a room. “You said it was a surprise, but did he give you anything to be ready for?”

Luz nodded. “He said to dress warm for outside weather and wear something comfortable to move in.”

Eda began picking through the piles, nodding along, “So an outdoorsy date. Gotcha.” She pointed at Luz. “Start picking out all the sweaters, cardigans, jackets, any kind of top that’s meant for cold weather. We’ll use those as the centrepiece for your outfit.”

Grateful to have some direction, Luz did exactly that.

“When do you leave?” Eda asked.

“I’m meeting up with him at six.”

“Six!” Eda looked at the clock on her wall. “It’s 4:15!”

“I know!” Luz shouted back. “That’s why I need your help!”

Eda shook her head. “Alright, we can do this.”

Honestly, Luz was glad she decided to bite the bullet and ask for help. With Eda here, they were able to work together an amazing outfit in no time. Half an hour later, Luz stood in front of the mirror, admiring all angles once again, only this time, she was smiling brightly.

Eda had picked out a lavender, thick knit sweater from the original pile, and over the top she wore a light denim dress overall with thick straps and buttons all the way down the front. The sweater was a few sizes too large and almost covered her hands, the wide neckline showing off her collarbone and a single shoulder. Underneath, she wore full length black leggings and comfortable black boots.

“Well?” Eda asked.

Luz grinned at her, “I love it!”

Eda smiled, relieved and proud. “Good. Now, we have to work on everything else. Come along.” She crooked a finger at Luz as she left the room. “I can’t decide if gold or silver jewellery will work best on you, so we’ll see what I have. And I have an idea for your hair I think you’ll really like.”

Luz played with the ends of her hair as she followed Eda up to her room. She’d committed on growing it out now, but it was only half an inch longer so far. Still not much to work with, but she was excited to see what Eda had planned.

As Eda curled her hair from behind, Luz picked through her jewellery. She decided to go for gold, as it complimented her skin and eyes well. She picked out a pair of small gold hoops for her ears and found a necklace with a simple flat disk. The chain was a little long, so she wrapped it around her neck once, leaving two loops to hang.

Eda refused to let her see her hair until after she was done her makeup. Luz had protested at first, not being much of a makeup person, but conceded to something on her eyes and a bit of lip gloss.

There was twenty minutes left before she’d have to meet up with Hunter when Eda stood back to scrutinise her work. “Something’s missing.” She mused, looking around her room. Her eyes lit up as she caught sight of something, and she gestured for Luz to stay still. “Wait here! I’ve got it!”

She rummaged through the papers on her desk, coming back with a single sheet that had a glyph Luz couldn’t see. “Hold still.” She said, steadying Luz’s chin with one hand while the other activated the glyph on the left side of her forehead.

Luz saw a green glow and felt something work its way into her hair, securing itself against her head.

This time, when Eda stood back, she wore a satisfied smile. “Perfect.”

Luz’s lips twitched. “Can I look now?”

Her mentor nodded excitedly, lifting Luz up and dragging her over to Eda’s own mirror.

A deep breath and a few steps later, Luz was staring at her reflection in awe. Brown and gold shadow lined her eyelids, with a touch of mascara and a light sheen of pink lip gloss. Her now wavy hair was swept to the right side with her fringe combed a bit lower over her forehead, altogether looking artfully mussed up. On the left side of her head, a collection of small purple blooms sat above and around her ear, completing the look.

Luz had to remind herself not to cry so she didn’t ruin her mentor’s hard work. “It’s perfect.” She whispered, looking at the one who made it possible, “Thank you so much Eda.”

Eda smiled, opening her arms for a hug that Luz practically ran into. She chuckled, squeezing back for just a moment. “Alright, come on. You don’t want to keep your boyfriend waiting.” Luz blushed. Eda had kept the teasing to a minimum as she helped her prepare, and she was honestly surprised she’d lasted so long, but it seemed that time was up.

Luz pulled back, “Okay. I’m ready. Just let me get my things.” She ran out of the room, hearing Eda call out to meet her downstairs. Luz grabbed some glyphs and her phone before rushing downstairs where she came across Eda, King and Hooty. King had crawled up to Eda’s shoulder and Hooty was coughing up a camera.

“Seriously, Eda?” Luz asked, knowing what was coming, but grinning all the same.

“I am taking photos, and you cannot stop me.” Luz chuckled, clearing the last of the steps.

“So, what’s going on here? Where are you going?” King asked.

“Luuuz, has a hot date tonight.” Eda grinned, her words making Luz blush.

“WHAAAT!?” King and Hooty both shrieked.

Luz rolled her eyes, “Oh come on, guys. There’s no need to sound so surprised.”

“Who is it?” King demanded. “Have I met them? Do they fear me?”

Hooty twirled up nice and close to Luz, “Are they coming to pick you up? I’d like to meet them.”

Eda stepped in, “Alright, calm down you hooligans. I’ll fill you in on the details later. Right now, we’ve got time for photos, and then you’ve gotta go.” She waved the camera at Luz. “But seriously though, is he picking you up? I would also like to meet him.”

Luz gave a shy smile and shook her nod. “No, we’ve got a meeting place.”

“Will he be dropping you off then?”

“Probably not.” Luz answered lightly. She may actually have to make sure Hunter isn’t with her when she comes back. She wasn’t sure if she was ready for everyone to meet just yet.

Eda hummed, narrowing her eyes at Luz. “Alright. Photo time then!”

They ended up taking several photos, most with just Luz, some with her and Eda, and a couple with everyone. But then, it was time for Luz to leave, or she would be late.

“Bye everyone.” She called as she left the Owl House.

“Bye Luz.”

“Have fun.”

“Be back by midnight or I’m hunting you down!” Eda called gleefully.

“I will!” Luz chuckled.

After a short walk, Luz entered a small clearing. It was one of their meeting places and Hunter had asked for her to be there specifically. She ended up being just a few minutes late and found her boyfriend already waiting by a tree. He was rubbing his hands together as he bounced on his feet, and Luz was glad to see she wasn’t the only one who was a little nervous.

Hunter looked up as she walked in, his eyes widening when he caught sight of her. She smiled shyly at his attention and took in his own outfit. He was wearing charcoal grey pants, knee-high black lace-up boots, and a pressed black button up with sleeves folded above the elbow.

Luz had to remind herself not to bite her lip, because damn did he look good.

He joined her on the last few steps, and they met in the middle.

“Hiya.” She grinned, giddy elation filling her to the brim. She felt like she could start vibrating at any second.

“Hi.” He breathed, lifting a hand to touch her cheek. His fingertips felt cold on her flaming cheeks. “You look beautiful.”

She giggled a little, pressing further into his hand to avoid his sparkling eyes. “Thanks.” She reached up to tug on his collar, noticing the first button was undone. “So do you.” She sighed, looking up into his eyes. He seemed taller than usual, and Luz wondered if he chose to wear taller heeled boots on purpose or not.

Hunter blushed, a beautiful, genuine smile lighting up his face. Luz loved that smile. It made his face glow.

He cleared his throat, stepping back and bowing towards her with a hand outstretched. “M’lady.” He lifted his head to grin at her just as his staff appeared in his hand. Luz giggled at the showmanship, cheeks already hurting from how much she’d been smiling so far. “Would you care to join me for a flight?”

Luz placed her hand in his, holding her head high. “It would be my honour.”

They both ended the seriousness with a giggle. Climbing aboard the staff, they rose into the air, and Hunter guided them in a direction further east. The ride was slow, both of them taking in the sights. Hunter would change between weaving through the trees and flying high enough to see everything. Throughout it all, Luz maintained a tight grip around his midsection, less for fear of falling, and more for a desire to be close to him. Hunter didn’t object, and when they were gliding high in the sky, he leaned back against her, placing a hand over hers and turning just enough to smile at her.

Luz felt like her entire body had turned into warm goo, and the night had only just begun. Honestly, if this was all Hunter had planned, Luz would already count it a fantastic success. It was already everything she could have wanted and every part of her felt content.

But Hunter did have something else planned, and soon they were landing in yet another clearing. This one was quite a bit smaller than theirs, but it worked as a safe place to land.

Once they were safe on the ground again, and Rascal had turned back into a bird that rested on Hunter’s shoulder, Hunter extended his hand out to Luz with a shy smile. She took it gently, rubbing her thumb across the back of it, and it only clicked then that this was one of the few times she’d seen him without gloves. Feeling the skin of his hand on hers suddenly felt more intimate, and Luz couldn’t help the blush as they both walked into the woods.

Hunter led them through a barely used path, slowing a few times to make sure she was safely making it over the various roots sticking out of the ground and playfully batting away any of her questions about where they were going.

“I haven’t heard of any tourist destinations around these parts.”

“That’s because you won’t find it on any maps.”

“Ooh, a secret destination. But what is it?”

“You’ll see when we get there.”

Luz giggled, enjoying every second of their date so far. After a few minutes, they came across a rock wall covered in various flora.

“We’re almost there.” Hunter walked up to the wall, peeling back some thick vines to reveal a dark hole in the wall. He pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket and Luz admired the perfectly drawn light glyph before he activated it. He turned to her with a grin, barely containing his excitement. “Come on!” He urged, tugging her along with him.

Luz laughed at his enthusiasm, feeling his excitement bleed into her as he led her down the dark, secret passageway.

A short walk later, a new light at the end of the tunnel came into view. As they got closer, Luz could see it was a myriad of different colours and they seemed to be shifting. She leaned forward, intrigued, and saw Hunter grin at her from the corner of her eye. She returned it, and they kept moving forward, both eager to reach the end.

When they reached the end of the tunnel, Luz let out a loud gasp. It was beautiful. A huge cavern, tall and wide, with plants of all kinds growing everywhere. Bushes, trees, and flowers lined the walls and branches and vines hung from the ceiling. They were in all shades of colours, mostly oranges and reds as per the usual in the Boiling Isles, but there were also dots of purple, pink, yellow, blue, and green. A small waterfall in the back fed a river that cut through the centre, and on the other side stood one of the biggest trees Luz had ever seen. Its warped trunk looked like a mixture of black with deep purple and blue, the leaves showing lighter shades. A small breeze from various cracks in the rocky ceiling made the branches wave and scatter leaves about. Moonlight streamed through the cracks but the main source of light in the cave came from the various bobbing lights.

Lights about as big as her fist flew around the cave, some gliding lazily, others zipping about in excitement. They came in all kinds of colours, a rainbow scattered across the cavern. A few of them came close to the two people at the entrance to this hidden wonderland, and Luz could see up close that they were actually insects of some kind.

“Woah.” She breathed.

“So you like it?” Hunter asked.

“I love it!” She exclaimed, “It’s so beautiful! How did you know this was here?” She looked at him with wide eyes.

Her boyfriend grinned at her excitement, “I found it by accident a few years ago. I never told anyone about it, and it became my best kept secret.” He sent her a shy look, “You’re actually the first person I’ve brought here.”

Luz looked at him full of awe, beyond touched at Hunter’s actions. She wrapped her arms around him and held him tight, trying to express her gratitude through the hug. “Thank you.” She whispered into his shoulder, “It means a lot that you wanted to share this with me.”

Hunter held her back, cradling her in a way that made her feel surrounded by his touch. She loved hugs from Hunter. They were her favourite kind of hug.

“You mean a lot to me, Luz.” He murmured into her hair, “When I was trying to think of a place to go for our first date, I couldn’t think of anything better than here.” He pulled back to hold her face, staring deep into her eyes, “A special place in my heart that feels like home.”

Luz felt her heart skip a beat from the look in his eyes. It felt like he wasn’t just talking about this cave. Hunter placed his forehead on hers, never once looking away. She squeezed his waist and slid her hands up his chest and behind his neck. They were so close. She could feel his breath on her face. Minty fresh. She wondered if he spent as much time brushing his teeth as she did, agonising over whether or not it was clean enough in anticipation for something that made her heart race.

She rose on her toes, both cursing and loving his heeled boots. One of his hands cupped her face, while the other came to rest on her hip, steadying her. Her eyes slid shut as their faces drew closer. There was a single, breathless moment before they made contact, and then…

His lips were so warm.

Chapped from the wind, yet their pressure was so soft. She savoured the contact, pulling on his neck to get just a little bit closer. He responded with a firmer touch, tilting her head ever so slightly and brushing her cheek with his thumb.

When they broke apart, her eyes remained closed. A few seconds later, she opened them and saw Hunter staring at her with a soft smile. She smiled back, and soon they were giggling together, faces burning red and unable to stop smiling.

He pulled back, still holding her hand, and slowly led her to the water. “Come on. There’s one more thing I want to show you.”

She followed him to the river, where he showed her some steppingstones. They crossed them carefully, Hunter never letting go of her hand, and walked up to the tree. Hidden behind some low hanging branches so that she hadn’t seen it before, a picnic rug and basket sat on the grass.

“Oh my Titan.” Luz gasped, lifting a hand to her smile. “Hunter, you really went all out, didn’t you?”

Her boyfriend grinned, proud and excited. “Of course I did. And here,” They both sat on the rug as he pulled out the food he brought from the basket. “I made sure it was all stuff you could eat.” He laid out a smorgasbord of human digestible food. Bread with several spreads, her favourite Isles fruits and various juice boxes.

Luz threw herself at him, unable to handle the sheer sweetness of this boy. They spent the next few hours eating, talking, snuggling, and yeah, there was some more kissing done too. It was the best time of her life, and Luz was still floating on Cloud 9 by the time she was walking back to the Owl House.

Hunter had said goodbye to her in their clearing, and she was still high off their last kiss. As she stumbled forward with a wide, dopey grin on her face, Luz didn’t notice Hooty until he was right in front of her. He was scrutinising her with narrowed eyes, and for once, completely silent on her arrival. She wasn’t sure what he was looking for, but before she could ask, he was suddenly letting out a long and loud gasp as he quickly backtracked to the Owl House and back inside. Still in too much of a good mood, Luz shrugged it off as Hooty being Hooty and kept walking home.

Until she heard the house demon’s voice shout from inside, “Eda! Come quick! Luz’s lip gloss is smudged! You know what that means.” He sang the last sentence teasingly.

“WHAT!”

Even the sound of running footsteps couldn’t quell her joy, and Eda came out to the sight of her student and charge giggling with the most lovestruck look on her face.

Firstly, there were different kinds of soulmates, and everyone had more than one. And almost all of them were the ones you created yourself. Family, friends, people you had a strong connection too. On Soul Day, the bonds you’d created were visible.

Her friends had described it as a coloured tether that joined two people, one that flickered in and out of view and was impossible to hold. Despite not being tangible, however, people had described a tugging sensation on this day, that would pull them towards each other in times of joined emotion. Her Oracle teacher had described it as ‘the souls resonating with one another and longing to be closer’.

The tethers were only visible to those joined, and no one could see a bond they weren’t a part of.

In addition, each tether was a different colour, determined by whatever bond the soulmates had.

There were the three most common, and the simplest to explain. Purple meant familial, blood or not. Yellow meant friendship. And pink, meant romance.

Then there were other colours, that were a bit more specific.

Orange, a colour generally seen between guides and their charges. It can be between a parent and a child, or a mentor and a student. If you view someone as a role model, or someone to look to in your life, and they in turn view you as someone worth cherishing, with a desire to help nurture you through growth, then orange is the colour your bond will have.

Green is for the kinds of bonds that don’t have a specific name. They can be found in all kinds of people, but it was a somewhat rare colour to have. People had described it as being, ‘unconditional love’, or ‘love in its purest form’. It’s found in the kinds of people who have formed a lifelong bond, the kind that can’t be broken easily, and the kind that meant those joined would always be together through everything.

Blue was for the kinds of bonds that were based on trust, support, and loyalty. People with a blue bond might not always be close, but their love shines through when it matters the most. If you have a blue bond, it means you trust each other, and will always have each other’s backs, even if you argue or don’t get along all the time. It’s common in families, siblings especially, and can also be found in close friends.

And then there were some neutrals.

Brown meant that you cared about each other. You might not love, or even like each other, but if you have a brown bond, you have a connection, and you don’t want to see each other hurt. It’s seen by distant family members or old friends you still care for.

Grey is for particularly weak bonds, it can be seen by either, people who have a strained or fading relationship, or people whose bond is just beginning and thus, undefined.

People often had more than one coloured tether between the same soulmates, but it was possible for some tethers to change or fluctuate between colours if the bond wasn’t 100% sure what it should be.

Willow had said that her and Amity had had a bond that fluctuated between brown and grey for years, and both were worried to see what colour they would have this year.

All this talk of tethers between people had reminded Luz of the ‘red string of fate’ story from her own realm, something she’d explained to her Oracle class when the topic had come up. Her teacher had told her that the story must have come from the Demon Realm, because they did have a red tether that could be seen on Soul Day, but the red one was completely different from all the others.

Unlike the other colours, which form based on the connections people built themselves, a red tether is the only one that can be seen without a connection, even before the people meet. It was thicker, and brighter, and it never changed. It was also the most rare and could be seen at a much further distance than all the others appeared at.

A lot of people described this tether as, ‘A True Soul Bond’.

It was said these bonds were found in people who had been bonded since before they existed. People who were destined to meet and had the capability of forming a bond unlike any other. Their souls were opposites, mirrors of one another, the true definition of a soulmate.

These people could be anything, family, friends, lovers. Even enemies. It didn’t matter what kind of bond formed, only that if you were one of the rare few who shared a red bond, then that person was the other half of your soul.

Luz was enamoured with the entire ordeal, but deep down was a fear that she wouldn’t have her own tethers. She didn’t know if ‘Soul Day’ would work on humans, and she desperately did not want to be left out of something so magical.

The night before Soul Day, she struggled to fall asleep, fear keeping her awake.

By the time it was morning, Eda had to wake her up, as she’d slept through her alarms.

“Luz. Wake up.” Her mentor’s voice was soft and quite clearly holding back a lot of emotion.

Luz groaned as she slowly woke up, “Eda?” Her voice was rough with sleep as she blinked up at the witch. Eda had a wide smile and glassy eyes as she looked at the human. Luz slowly registered the unshed tears, but before she could ask what was wrong, Eda spoke again in that same tone of voice.

“Can you see the tethers?”

There was a moment of silence as Luz remembered what day it was, then she sat up with a gasp, wide awake and casting her eyes about.

Erupting form her chest were tendrils of colours that seemed to wave about in the air, popping in and out of focus before her eyes. She followed the tethers that connected her to Eda and her own eyes glassed over as she recognised what the colours meant.

Purple, yellow, orange, green and blue.

She launched herself at Eda, and for once, Eda squeezed back just as tight. Laughter and tears filled the first moments of morning and was the first thing King saw when he entered the human’s room.

“Luz?” He asked cautiously, and when Luz pulled back and saw the tethers joining her and the little demon, she opened her arms for him to join.

Purple, yellow, green, and blue.

From then, Luz continued about her day full of excitement. She got a thrill whenever she saw the colours connecting her to all the people in her life.

Hooty and Owlbert had purple, yellow and blue

Willow, Gus, and Amity were yellow, green, and blue

There were yellow bonds between her and several students she considered friends and was beyond overjoyed that they felt the same. There were also orange bonds between her and all her favourite teachers.

Willow and Amity were overjoyed at the return of their yellow tether, and Gus had noted a barely there string of pink connecting him and Mattholomule halfway through that the three girls had been teasing him about since he shyly mentioned it.

There were even thin grey tethers between her and Boscha, and her group of friends!

The day had been amazing, and Luz was hesitant to go back to her room after dinner because she didn’t want to see the tethers fade from the distance to the rest of the Owl House residents. But Eda had convinced her to get some sleep after one more group hug.

Deciding to document the occasion, Luz pulled out her phone and made another video for her mother, describing Soul Day and the connections she’d been able to visibly see. As always, it hadn’t gone through.

Luz decided to stay up a little longer, sitting on the roof outside her window and looking at the stars.

It was about half an hour later when it happened.

A light appeared on her chest. Having gotten used to the sudden lights throughout the day, Luz didn’t pay attention at first, and just thought one of the others had gotten close enough to activate the tethers.

But then she noticed the red glow.

Luz gasped as she looked down. Sprouting from her chest, a red tendril of light grew, thicker and brighter than all the others. It moved outward, arcing across the sky and into the woods surrounding the Owl House. Luz felt breathless as she watched the beautiful colour, waving through the air in a hypnotising motion. When she realised what the colour meant, she bolted to her feet.

Jumping inside her window just long enough to grab her cloak and a handful of glyphs, Luz took a running leap off the roof, using a plant glyph to catch her fall and deposit her on the ground.

She began running, faster than she ever had, determined to find whoever was on the other side of the tether. Luz knew that red tethers could reach distances much further than all the others, but she didn’t know exactly how far they could go. So, she ran, like her life depended on it. Everything her Oracle teacher had said about red tethers running on a loop in her brain.

She wondered what kind of bond they’d have, if they’d get along as well as her Oracle teacher had said. The way she described it made it sound like something out of a fairy-tale, or almost every Soulmate AU she’d ever read. Luz grinned at the possibilities and couldn’t help a euphoric giggle. Whoever was on the other end of this tether was the other half of her soul. Even on the Boiling Isles, finding something like this was incredibly rare.

Realising it was late at night, and she still wasn’t any closer to her ‘True Soul Bond’, Luz picked up the pace. She could not miss this opportunity!

She raced through trees, under branches and over roots. She passed startled animals and the occasional demon. She moved faster than she could ever remember moving and she did not stop.

Just as she was starting to think she should have risked grabbing Owlbert for the journey, another colour lit up her chest. This one was a lot dimmer in comparison to the red one, and the colour and position of it came as a shock to Luz. A grey tether, wrapping itself around the red one, as a symbol that it was a connection for the same person.

Luz had learned everything she could about tethers since the moment she learned about Soul Day, and she knew that you couldn’t have any colour but red for someone you hadn’t met yet. Therefore, this meant, that she had already met the person she was searching for, and they already had an undefined bond.

This also meant, that they must be close by.

With her heart racing, Luz slowed her steps and came to rest against a tree. Through trying to catch her breath, she heard someone else doing the same as their footsteps slowed. Her heart now beating for another reason, she saw the red tether reach through the tree she was leaning against, and a feeling like she was being gently tugged in that direction, and knew it was directly leading to the person on the other side.

The person who had run here same as she had. The person who seemed just as breathless as her. The person who was leaning against the exact same tree she was.

Swallowing down her nerves, Luz let out a single breathless word.

“Hi.”

…

“Hi.” The answering voice was just as breathless as her own. It was deeper than hers, masculine, giddy and familiar.

Reminded of the grey tether, proof that they’d already met, Luz swallowed again, trying to wet her parched throat, and stood tall. Self-consciously patting her hair in place, Luz took slow steps around the tree. A crack of twigs across from her told her that he was doing the same, and anticipation rose in her throat.

Clearing the last few steps, Luz saw magenta-coloured eyes, pale skin with a pink scar on one cheek, and windblown ash blonde hair.

Blinking in pure shock, Luz’s mouth fell open.

“Hunter?”

They both stared at each other, too shocked to move and still a little out of breath. After several long moments, Luz’s eyes fell to the coloured strings of light that connected their chests. Bright pulsing red, and thin grey wrapped around it.

Two people whose souls were bound long before they met. Two people who formed a basic connection when they did meet, one that was still undefined. Two halves of the same soul. Two strangers who barely knew each other.

It might not have been what she was expecting, but Luz was… satisfied. It felt right that it was Hunter.

She sagged against the tree and met his eyes again. “You know, I’m not surprised.”

Hunter stared at her, seeming wary, “You’re… not?”

Luz shook her head, a smile on her face. “No. I thought we were similar in Latissa. And I definitely got the impression we could become friends if we got to know each other.”

This made Hunter relax as well. Both of them now had shoulders pressed against the tree trunk as they looked at each other.

Hunter gave her a small smirk. “Friends, huh?”

Luz blushed in response, her smile widening as she ducked her head, “Or whatever.” He was her type after all. “I would like to get to know you though. Maybe we could turn this grey tether into something else before the end of the night.” She raised an eyebrow at him as she waved her fingers over and through the light, waiting for his response.

Soulmates or not, he was still a part of the Emperor’s Coven. And he hadn’t been interested in sharing personal information the last time they met.

After a moment, he slid down the trunk and sat at the base of the tree, patting the spot next to him. “What would you like to know?”

Luz grinned, plonking down next to him far less gracefully than he had. “What’s your favourite colour?” She asked excitedly.

He raised an eyebrow at her. “Seriously?”

Luz shrugged. “What? I figured we’d start small, and I do want to know.”

He sighed, sitting back as he thought. “I don’t know exactly. Maybe purple? or green? I do like red.” He waved a hand. “One of those, I guess. It changes.” He looked at her curiously, “You?”

“Purple.” She answered instantly. “Sometimes pink, but purple’s my number one.” She looked at him. “You get next question.”

Hunter floundered for a moment, clearly unsure, but she waited him out. “Favourite book?” He asked.

Luz grinned. He may regret asking her that question, especially so early on, but if he wanted to know anything about her, he had to know of her love for Good Witch Azura.

They carried on like that for hours, even after their tethers faded, signalling the end of Soul Day. But their conversation continued, promising the beginning of something new.

Hunter comes across the Human Realm before the events of the series, whether by accident, or in an attempt to get away. He is taken in by his Wittebane relatives who know all about the Demon Realm. Hunter chooses to stay, and his relatives want to give him something of a normal adolescence, so he is enrolled in the local school.

To hide his more witchy traits, Hunter wears a beanie to cover his ears and brown contacts to hide his eyes. They’re not exactly perfect though, and you can see a tinge of reddish-purple behind them if you get close enough.

Despite trying to fit in as a normal human, Hunter keeps his distance from people, and doesn’t make any friends. Still learning how to behave in a completely new society surrounded by people his own age, Hunter tends to act in ways people think are weird, and his more confrontational tendencies mean he’s not afraid to get in a fight and sees nothing wrong with decking a person who’s acting like a jerk.

It’s as he’s sitting in a room waiting to speak to the principal about one such fight, that a girl a couple years younger than him is dragged in by her frazzled teacher. Both are wiping tiny spiders off of them, and the girl is trying to convince the teacher she meant no harm. She was only trying to create an accurate depiction of a griffin, and that meant she had to include spider breath. The teacher snaps at her and tells her sit down and not cause any more trouble.

Luz is sullen until a voice speaks up next to her, “You know Griffins don’t actually have spider breath, it’s just that spiders are attracted to their saliva, so they’re often seen crawling in and out of their mouths.”

At first thinking the boy was going to tease her, Luz becomes ecstatic that someone understands what she was trying to do. Luz begins talking more about Griffins, and Hunter joins in, interested in her knowledge and excitement over something he considered a mundane subject. It’s only halfway through the conversation that Hunter remembers that Griffins don’t exist in the Human Realm. He stops correcting her about facts, but Luz is so happy to talk to someone about her interests she doesn’t realise. Hunter is called in to the office and their conversation ends.

Luz wants to talk to him again, but since he’s older, they don’t share any classes. She finds him the next day at lunch and goes to eat with him. At first, Hunter is hesitant to talk to her, as he’s afraid he may let something slip about the Demon Realm, but there’s no harm in talking about ‘fictional’ topics, and she’s the most interesting person he’s met at the school. Plus, she seems genuinely excited to talk to him, even though she knows of his less than stellar reputation that makes the other kids stay away from him. She’s not as judgemental, and he loves the way her face lights up when he talks about her favourite mythical creatures.

The two don’t talk often, being separate by two years, and their most common meeting places are their lunch spots by the tree and on the roof, and the detention room. Both have a reputation for being weird outcasts and troublemakers, and it’s the beginning of their friendship.

Once they’re friends, they begin to meet outside of school. Luz learns he’s new to town and takes him to some of her favourite places, while Hunter takes her on hikes through the woods. He loves all the different plants and animals there and they make a game of giving everything they see weird names. One day, Luz takes them to the library first, they check out books relating to botany and local wildlife and spend the whole day reading and learning different things in the woods.

Luz doesn’t have as much of an interest in these things as Hunter does, but she’s happy to do it for her first real friend, and to pay him back for being the first person she could share her interests with. The smile on his face as he learns new facts about the wildlife is worth every second, and Luz finds herself staring at him more than the surroundings.

Hunter finds out Luz is being bullied by some people in her class, and when she refuses to let him do anything about it, he offers to teach her how to fight. Luz declines, saying she’s too nice for that and she has no intention of getting into a physical altercation over some people calling her a ‘freak’ and a ‘luzer’. She says she’s fine and she can deal with them on her own, but Hunter convinces her to learn a few moves anyway because there’s ‘no harm in learning self-defence’, and he’d ‘seen how lacklustre the school’s sports programs are, no wonder you have such ‘weak nerd arms’’.

During all this, Camila is thrilled that her daughter finally has a friend (maybe more if the way she constantly talks about him and blushes is any indication), but during one of her trips to the school the principal informs her of his reputation of getting into fights. She’s torn between not wanting to be judgemental and seeing how happy Luz is now, and worrying if this boy might be a bad influence. Wanting to see what he’s really like, she asks Luz to invite him to dinner so she can meet him herself.

I realise as I’m writing this out, I’ve actually got a ton of ideas for this and I’m officially jotting it down as a future project. I just wanted to put a few ideas down as a backstory to the artwork, but now I have all this and so much more. Hence, why I’m stopping here. I don’t want to put everything here and spoil it for when I eventually make it into its own fic.

If you’re interested in seeing this become a full thing, please let me know. It’s been a long time since I’ve written anything that wasn’t a one-shot, so I’ll need all the motivation I can get.

“There’s a passage that leads further down. I’ll be well out of the rain if I go down it. But the signal will be pretty bad.” Luz eyed the flickering screen in apology. The connection was already getting worse with the storm and cave walls, if she went further down then Eda might not be able to contact her at all.

Eda frowned but nodded. “It’s alright. I know you can take care of yourself. Still got plenty of glyphs?”

Luz nodded, “I’m all good on those.” She patted the inner pockets of her cloak, feeling the stacks of paper she always kept handy.

Thunder boomed from outside and Luz could hear the echo of it from her scroll. Eda looked out at the sky and King crawled up her shoulder to hide in her hair. “We’ll try to get more under cover too. Call you after the storm lets up, okay?”

Luz nodded, “Okay.”

Eda looked at the camera hesitantly, “Be safe kiddo. I love you.”

Luz smiled. Eda didn’t say those words often, as she was still getting used to affection, so Luz cherished every time she did. “Love you too Eda. And you King. Stay safe, both of you.”

King popped his head out of Eda’s hair to answer, “Love you, Luz!”

Eda smiled, “Bye, kiddo.”

“Bye.”

She hung up the scroll and sighed as she tucked it away. “So, we should head deeper under cov… Hunter?”

As she looked up, she saw Hunter’s back retreating down the passage, his artificial staff lighting the way.

“Hey, wait up! Hunter!” Luz began to follow him, but the witch was ignoring her calls.

She could see he wasn’t moving very fast, the red glow not doing much to light up the path, so she quickly activated a light glyph and caught up with him.

“Here. This is a lot brighter.” She made the orb hover above them both, but Hunter paid no attention to it, keeping his staff on and ignoring her.

Although Luz was still a little angry at him for what she heard happened at Eclipse Lake, she couldn’t understand why he was so angry.

“Hunter? Helloooo, I’m talking to you.” She let the frustration bleed into her voice, but she couldn’t help the déjà vu. Like the time they were stuck together during the whole palisman fiasco, he was marching ahead and ignoring her. While she knew it was a part of his grumpy, recluse personality, she felt a stab of remorse that they were back to square one. After everything that happened, she thought they could have been friends. Of course, hearing how he’d threatened her and her friends while stealing the portal key had made her doubt, she still held onto that sliver of hope.

Maybe it was because he let her get away with the palisman in the end, or because of how well they worked together, or just the way they bonded over both being powerless witches with an interest in wild magic. Whatever it was, she felt a connection to him, and she couldn’t find it in herself to be completely angry with him.

So yeah, the silent treatment stung a little. He was acting as if they were just straight up enemies and not… Well.

Luz stumbled.

What else could they have been? Budding friends? Possible allies? Frenemies!? No, maybe Luz was right in what she said that day. Maybe it was just wishful thinking.

“Why aren’t you talking to me!” Luz finally snapped, ignoring the slight sting of tears.

“What? So you have more things to tell everyone about?” Hunter replied bitterly, not so much as sparing her a glance as he kept moving. It was the first thing he’d said to her since this whole thing started.

His words were enough to shock Luz into silence, not realising where this was coming from. “What… what do you mean?”

Hunter scoffed, “Don’t play dumb, Human.”

Luz bristled but kept it under wraps. Getting angry wouldn’t solve whatever was going on right now.

“I’m serious-“

“So am I!” Hunter cut in, whirling around to face her. Luz stopped in her tracks, now the full focus of Hunter’s attention. Lightning cracked from somewhere above them and Luz couldn’t tell if the goosebumps were from the sound or Hunter’s glare.

“You can pretend to be nice and charming all you want, but I’m not falling for it again. All that talk about being friends; how you’rethe one that can be trusted, and I can’t. Then you go and spill my secrets to your criminal friends.” He scoffed again, turning around and leaving a shell-shocked Luz as he dealt the final blow. “Trusting you was a mistake. One I won’t make twice.”

Luz was frozen in place. The light stopped with her, and Hunter carried on by his staff’s glow.

They were both deep enough in now that it would be safe, and Luz realised he was only still going to get away from her.

Her breath hitched and she clenched her eyes shut. As much and her and Hunter weren’t friends, it was never her intention to betray his trust. For a second, she wanted to snap at him about how should she have known it was meant to be a secret, but a wave of shame washed away that anger.

It was obvious!

How he always wore a mask, how the soldiers didn’t recognise him without it, how guarded he sounded when telling her he was a powerless witch, how hesitant he was to share his name. And he found out through Edathat Luz had told everyone too. Luz loved her mentor, but Eda could be a little insensitive at times, as she knew from experience. She probably poked fun at him for it and while Luz didn’t know Hunter well, she knew that he wouldn’t appreciate that kind of treatment.

Hunter had every right to be upset with her, even if she hadn’t realised at first how precious his secrets were to him, she had broken what little trust he’d given her.

It reminded her how when she was trying to befriend Amity, and she kept screwing things up to the point that Amity thought she was a bully. Or back home in the Human Realm whenever she tried to make a friend.

Luz kept screwing up.

It was always the same.

She sniffed and wiped away a tear. Shaking her head, Luz marched forward.

She might screw up, but she can make things better. Maybe she burned the bridge, and Hunter would never trust her again, but she should at least apologise.

Around the bend she spotted Hunter sitting against a wall. He hadn’t gone far, just enough to get away from her. Swallowing down the lump in her throat, she approached him.

“Hunter?” She asked quietly, but didn’t get more than an eyebrow twitch in response. So he was back to her ignoring her then. That’s fine. She could deal with that. Sniffing again, she spoke even quieter. “I’m sorry.”

Hunter looked up at her then, shocked, as if he’d never heard an apology before. She wiped away another tear, frustrated that they kept falling. Why did she have to care so much what other people thought of her?

“I should have realised that you didn’t want those things getting out. You were so secretive and somehow, I still didn’t get it. I was an idiot, and a jerk, and I’m sorry.” Hunter still wasn’t doing more than just staring at her, so she gave him a determined look. “From now on, if you ever feel like you can tell me anything again, I swear to not tell anyone else without your say so. I mean… I’m not great at secrets, but if you tell me you don’t want anything getting out, I will keep it secret.”

Hunter was silent for a moment, and Luz thought he might continue his silent treatment even still, but then he asked her a quiet question with no emotion.

“What if I tell you something about the Emperor’s plans?”

Luz had a moment of panic, where she wondered if she’d backed herself into a corner in her attempt to make things up to a witch that was technically her enemy. But then she calmed, and gave him a steady look.

“But would you?”

They stared at each other for a long moment. Then Hunter sighed, breaking the tension and turning away from her. “I’m sorry I threatened your friends. And stole the key.” It was quiet and awkward, but Luz could tell it was genuine.

Though her anger about that certain instance had vanished with her recent shame, Luz felt lighter after his apology. She didn’t tell him it was okay, because it wasn’t, but she did sit down next to him as a show that she wasn’t holding a grudge. She noticed when he relaxed slightly after her movement, and she too relaxed against the wall.

There were several minutes of rain and thunder before Luz spoke again. “If you did tell me something about the Emperor’s plans, that would count as the Emperor’s secrets, not yours. So they’re fair game.” She gave him a little grin, proud of her loophole, and it widened when Hunter huffed a small laugh. The slight upturn of his lips counted as a victory in Luz’s book.

Her comment seemed to spark a moment of humour in the stoic guard, as he asked her a teasing question.

“Okay, what if I told you something super embarrassing?”

Luz matched his smirk, “Trying to tempt me, are you? Hmmm? Nope, I’d still keep it a secret from others. Won’t stop me from teasing you about it if given the chance though. So be careful what you say.” She gave him a silly grin and delighted at his small laughter again. It was little more than a few huffs of breath, but it was the closest thing to joy she’d ever seen from the boy. Well, except for the time he was about to infodump on her about wild magic. She recalled his smile then with fondness, and wondered if she could get him into that topic of conversation again.

He looked right at her, and she was delighted to see the anger gone from his eyes. “Alright, I guess I can give you another chance.”

Luz beamed at him “Really!?”

His lips twitched, “Really.”

She tried to contain her squeal, but her words were still a bit high when she spoke next, “Thank you. I won’t let you down again.”

Hunter looked at her curiously, and his face sobered to something more serious. “Why does it matter so much to you if I trust you?”

Luz blinked, unsure how to answer that question. Her lips twisted into a frown as she thought, “I don’t know, really? I should be used to people not liking me, but that doesn’t mean I like it. I guess I just don’t like letting people down?” She hugged herself as she thought about it, “Having friends is kind of a new concept for me. I’m always scared I’m gonna screw something up. I already have, and now I’ve done it to you too. Second chances kind of mean a lot to me at this point.” She chuckled with no humour, just now realising how much of a downer she was sounding like.

She shook her head, “Sorry. What I mean is, I really am sorry I broke your trust, and I’m grateful you’re giving me another chance.”

The look in Hunter’s eyes was one of profound understanding, but there was also a layer of surprise there. “I get what you mean. Being raised in the coven, I never had any friends. You’re the first person who even thought I could be one. I probably let you down too when I took that key off your friend.”

Luz winced, turning her eyes to the cave wall across from them. “Yeah, that sucked. Really set me back in trying to get home. Can’t say I forgive you for it…” She watched him curl in on himself a little at the admission, “But I guess we’re both getting second chances, huh?”

He dared a peak at her, his magenta eyes seeming to glow a warm red in both their lights. Luz wasn’t sure what he was searching for when he looked at her, but the thankful smile he gave her seemed to mean he was satisfied.

“Thank you.” He said softly. Luz smiled back, feeling her cheeks heat up at the look on his face. His knees were pressed to his chest, and his face was half hidden in the arms he wrapped around them. The vulnerable position, the twinkle in his eyes, the gap in his teeth she could see peeking through his lips; it was all making him look so soft, and sweet, and cute, that Luz’s heart was fluttering.

The tough guy persona he wore all the time had melted away, just like it had that time in Latissa when he was marvelling over her glyphs. Luz had frozen then too, more out of surprise than awe like she was now, but this time she had the capacity to truly appreciate it.

Hunter was cute.

Feeling her heart start to pick up and realising she was staring, Luz looked away and tried to hide her smile, “No… No problem.” She cleared her throat, suddenly hyper aware of the boy sitting next to her.

As thrilling as it was to realise her attraction towards someone, Luz couldn’t help but feel a little frustrated. She’d juststarted to make things right with Hunter, she didn’t want to make things awkward!

And knowing how Luz got when it came to crushes, awkwardwas really all she could do.

There was a lull in the conversation now, and Luz could just feel the anxiety rising as neither of them said anything. As she was contemplating conversation starters in her head, and furiously turning down every one of them, a small chirp filled the cave.

Hunter startled, reaching for his cloak as a familiar red palisman jumped out.

Luz gasped, “Lil’ Rascal!” She turned her palms up and delighted in the bird flying onto them with a happy chirp. “Hey, cutie! I heard you’d chosen Hunter as your witch. How’s that working out? Is he treating you well?” Rascal jumped up and down as he chirped and tweeted. Luz chuckled at him, “Well I can’t understand you, but you certainly look happy.”

Hunter shifted closer to her with another soft laugh. Her cheeks flared again, and it took everything in her to keep her breathing the same. “Yeah, he’s really made himself at home. Took some getting used to, having him around all the time, but I’m glad he decided to stay.”

Luz looked at him, and for Titan’s sake, did he haveto look that sweet when talking about his palisman!? She couldn’t-… ugh!

Dammit, crush brain, let her think!

“Me too.” She said, so soft and quiet in comparison to her thoughts.

He looked up at her, making her realise how close he’d gotten. He was leaning against his legs, so his face was nearly parallel with Rascal. She could so easily reach out to touch him.

“I never thanked you.” Luz was startled out of her thoughts when Hunter spoke.

“Huh? What for?”

“I never would have met Rascal if it wasn’t for you. He’s come to mean a lot to me, so thank you for putting him in my life.”

Luz took in the small but genuine smile, his gap tooth was showing again, and felt the warmth on her cheeks return. “You-You’re welcome.” She stuttered.

A sudden deep crack made her jump, but the hand on her back that steadied her made her heart race.

“You okay?” He asked.

“Yeah.” She breathed. “Just… startled me.”

For a second, it felt like his hand had gone to rub against her back in a comforting move, but then it had stilled and moved away quick as a flash.

She really hoped her blush wasn’t too visible to him, after all, his own face looked a little red under his staff’s light, so maybe he would think it was that.

Luz let out a shaky breath, holding her bare arms, Rascal now resting on Hunter’s shoulder. The chill of the cave was finally starting to sink in, and she was not dressed for this kind of weather. She really wished they had some wood to start a…

Crawling a few paces forward, Luz shook her head at herself. Duh… Magic.

She debated using one of her glyphs but figured a bigger circle would be better to make a fire for two, so she started drawing on the ground.

“What are you doing?” Hunter asked.

“Drawing a fire glyph. I think we’ll be here for a while and it’s really cold.”

Luz wondered if he would start talking about the dangers of wild magic again but was delighted when he instead crawled forward to see her work.

When she finished her glyph, she sat back to look at him. “Ready?” She asked. He hesitated a moment, looking between the glyph and her, but then pressed his lips together and gave her a nod. She placed a hand on the glyph, willing it to light slowly so as not to startle the witch, and within seconds, a blazing fire lit the cavernous room.

“There we go. Sweet, lovely warmth.” She held her hands out to the flames and looked over to see Hunter’s reaction. He was looking at her hands with a mixture of shock and awe.

“It didn’t burn you.” He breathed, still not looking away.

Luz frowned, confused, until it clicked. Her hand was kept over the fire as it grew, at some points the flames were surrounding it. Using fire glyphs had scared her at first for this very reason, until she learned that it wouldn’t hurt her. “Yeah.” She nodded, “Fire spells don’t hurt the caster.”

He nodded, deep in thought, “I read about that.” He said absentmindedly, looking into the fire. Luz left him to his thoughts, not wanting to push him too far, and still trying to warm up.

She was pulled out of her own thoughts a few moments later when a soft weight landed on her shoulders. Looking up she saw Hunter, and he was definitely blushing, placing his cloak around her. “You have less layers than I do.” He answered, not quite looking at her.

Luz smiled, feeling herself warm up faster with the cloak and the gesture. “Thank you.”

With the added layer, she felt comfortable enough to back away from the fire and back to the wall. She tugged it around herself, catching a whiff of trees, metal and something she couldn’t identify.

Hunter settled next to her once more, and this time, Luz didn’t feel pressured to start a conversation. Quite the opposite, she didn’t feel like breaking the silence at all. It was comforting actually. Sitting there with the fire, his cloak, his scent, his presence, the rain. Luz felt her eyes begin to droop.

But every time he thought of doing something like that, the fear that she would get caught, or stop visiting him altogether, held him back. It was also because of this fear that he’d taken to leaving his window open before bed and unlocked even when he slept. There were times when he still couldn’t believe he was doing such a foolish thing, but he never stopped doing them, or discouraged her visits.

As he was studying a fire glyph and noticing it was made of two of the same shapes, Hunter began to idly whistle. He thought about why it was made that way, and what would happen if he drew a glyph with only one. It was the same symbol as atop the light glyph, and he wondered if there were any connection.

Hunter felt movement from his hair where his palisman was resting, and a second later Rascal was whistling back at him. The teen smiled, and whistled a different tune, which was quickly repeated by the bird. Losing focus on the glyphs, the two began to whistle back and forth to each other. It was incredibly comforting, more than Hunter thought it would be, and when they delved into song together, he felt a warmth in his chest.

Another sound soon pierced the atmosphere, and the two stopped to look at the window, where a chuckling Luz sat with a wide smile. “Look at you two, being all adorable and stuff.”

Hunter turned back to his papers with a huff, trying to hide the slight blush he could feel at being caught. “Good evening, Luz. I was starting to think you weren’t coming tonight.”

Luz hopped off the sill and walked towards him, “Well, I’m really glad I did, or I would have missed this beautiful interaction. Hey Rascal.” He felt her ruffle the bird’s feathers and Rascal chirped a greeting. “Also, I had to help Eda with an errand, and we got home a little late. I won’t go into details, but I will say I had to shower before coming here.”

She made a disgusted noise, no doubt reliving whatever horrible gunk had gotten on her, and it made Hunter chuckle. The movement of his head caused Luz’s hand to slip from Rascal’s feathers and onto his head. She quickly started running her fingers through his hair but stopped when Hunter tensed.

“Is this okay?” She asked softly.

Hunter shuddered a breath, and hoped his blush wasn’t as visible as it felt because it was more than okay. “Y-Yeah. I just… I’m not used to people touching my hair.” He relaxed into the touch, hoping she would keep going. “It’s fine.”

Luz hummed, and a moment later she was running her fingers through his hair again. “It’s really soft.” She said absentmindedly.

They stayed like that for a moment, Hunter’s eyes slipping closed. It really did feel pretty good.

Luz snorted. “You’re like a cat.”

“Am not.” Hunter rumbled, his eyes shot open at how deep his voice sounded, and it made a choked laugh escape Luz.

“Sure you aren’t. I bet you’d be purring right now if you could.” She continued to pet his hair, and Hunter wondered why he didn’t just pull away.

He cleared his throat and tried one more time, “I’m not a cat.”

Luz hummed, unconvinced, “Whatever you say kitty-cat.” Hunter blushed but ultimately chose to ignore her, making Luz chuckle.

“But you know what you really are?” She said after a moment.

Hunter looked at her from the corner of his eye. “I don’t trust whatever it is you’re gonna say next.”

The way Luz was grinning made him sure she was going to come up with something worse than cat, but he didn’t attempt to stop her.

“You’re a classic fairy-tale princess is what you are.”

Hunter frowned, “I don’t understand.”

“You live in the tallest tower of the castle, under the watchful eye of our land’s ruler. You’re sheltered and crave freedom. Your dashing hero,” She gestured at herself dramatically, making Hunter roll his eyes, “has to climb this tower in order to see you. You have luscious hair and are ridiculously good looking. And your closest companion is an animal whom you sing with.” She finished with a flourish at Rascal, still sitting on Hunter’s head. She booped Hunter on the nose with finality, “You’re a fairy-tale princess.”

Hunter stared at her with a bright blush, and a grin broke out on his face a second later. “You think I’m ridiculously good looking.”

It was Luz’s turn to blush now, as she walked away with a snort, “Of course that’s the thing you focus on.”

Hunter chuckled but pushed the teasing remarks aside. If he kept going down this path it would end up being worse for both of them. “I still don’t understand how you came to this conclusion. I am not a fairy-tale princess.”

“You are too!” Luz pointed at him aggressively. Hunter raising a brow was the only response she got. “I’ve been thinking about it since the tower thing, but seeing you sing with Rascal here just solidified it. Accept your destiny!”

Hunter rolled his eyes, “My destiny is not to be a fairy-tale princess. And besides, I was whistling, not singing.”

“You’re telling me you don’t sing with Rascal?” She raised her eyebrows in challenge.

“You don’t want to hear me sing.” Hunter said offhandedly, but his words made Luz’s eyes widen and sparkle.

“Now I want to hear you sing.” She breathed.

Hunter stared at her long and hard, “I am not singing.”

Luz took this as a challenge, judging by the way her face hardened with determination. “I don’t care how bad it is, it is now my lifelong goal to hear you sing.”

“You need better life goals.” Hunter turned back to the desk and picked up his papers.

“Mark my words, Golden Guard, I will hear you sing.” She declared.

“You can’t make me.” He taunted.

The walk to this house had been slow, both because he’d been thinking of what he would say once he reached his destination, and because he’d been taken in by the sights of a new and strange world. It was late enough that the sun had gone down, but he could still see the strange shades of green on all the trees, and the different shapes the leaves came in. The night air tasted different in a way he couldn’t explain, and the quiet sounds of insects he didn’t recognise had enticed him to stand still with his eyes closed for several minutes.

It was so strange, to finally be here, after hearing stories about it his whole life. Unfortunately, he couldn’t focus on it as much as he would have liked, as he had a mission to attend to here.

Luz had left for the Human Realm through their new stable portal a little over a week ago. She’d told everyone that she might not be back for a little while, as she wanted to spend some time with her mother. All her friends had understood, and there had been a long goodbye with sad smiles and promises to bring back human gifts when she returned.

Hunter though, had cornered her before she left. He could see something… off, about how she held herself since the portal was made. It was like her light had dimmed, and her smile held something a little different to everyone else’s. At first, Hunter hadn’t thought much of it. He wasn’t great at reading people’s expressions, and if no one else seemed worried than why should he? But then he’d seen, how she’d looked at the portal over someone’s shoulder mid hug, he saw her smile dim to something… regretful. After that, he knew something was wrong. Hunter may not be an expert at reading people, but he knew enough about fake smiles to know when he was seeing one.

Luz had continued to act like everything was fine when he asked, but as he persisted, the façade cracked, and she informed him that she might be gone a little longer than she implied. He had hugged her as she began to cry, and she told him through the tears that she was scared her mother may not let her come back. After finding out where she’d been for months, lying about it and then getting trapped there, her mother wasn’t keen on her returning. Luz didn’t explain much in detail, and he got the sense she wasn’t telling him everything, but he understood enough to know there was a very real chance Luz could be gone for a long time.

He’d had to fight down his fear then. Hunter was still getting used to being around so many people, and Luz was the only one besides his palisman that he was truly comfortable with. Losing her so soon after everything that had happened was the last thing he needed. But Luz was the one that needed the comfort, and though he wasn’t good at it, he tried his best to comfort her. His floundering had earned him a laugh from her, and he forgave her for teasing him when she stopped crying.

She told him that she didn’t want anyone else to know, as she didn’t know how long she’d be gone for, and she didn’t want to upset them. Hunter had promised not to tell on the condition that she told him how to find where she lived from the portal. She’d eyed him sceptically, and though he refused to explain why he wanted the information, there was some understanding and gratitude in her eyes as she gave him directions.

And that was how he stood here, in front of the Noceda household with a borrowed hoodie from Eda’s human junk collection and nerves in his stomach. He knew he wanted to see Luz and had contemplated just sneaking in to see her. Her mother would be none the wiser but thinking of Camilla Noceda had given him a thought he hadn’t been able to shake, and now he was wondering if talking to Luz’s mother himself would be the best option.

Luz was a lovely person, always thinking of others and trying to do right by them. It was noble, but it was also a weakness of hers. Luz would always do what she could for other people, regardless of how it would affect her, especially if it was someone she cared for. And if her mother was so scared of her daughter going back to the Demon Realm, then Luz may not even broach the subject for a long time, if only to appease her.

Hunter pet Rascal one more time and took a deep breath. Adjusting the hood to make sure his ears were covered, the witch finally stepped forward and walked up the stairs. After just a moment to take another breath, Hunter rapped his knuckles solidly on the door. The sound felt louder in the quiet night, echoed by the thumping of his heart in his chest.

The door clicking open was much softer in comparison and Hunter was faced with a woman who bore a striking resemblance to Luz.

“Hello. Can I help you?” The woman asked.

Hunter felt himself straightening back into position and tried to force himself not to. He didn’t want to seem imposing to her. “Camilla Noceda?” He asked, though he was sure this was her.

Camilla nodded slowly, a wariness filling her features as she darted between his face covered by shadows and the bird on his shoulder, “Yes?”

“My name is Hunter. I’m a friend of Luz’s.”

The woman blinked in shock, opening her mouth a few times as she tried to formulate the words. He wasn’t sure what he’d said that had shocked her so much, he doubted she’d be able to figure out where he came from, from that alone, but she quickly reoriented herself.

“A friend? And can I ask what you’re doing here so late?”

Hunter winced. He knew it was somewhat late, but now was the only time he could sneak past Eda and Hooty. “I know it’s late, and I’m sorry to bother you. But I was hoping I could see Luz for a bit, and maybe talk to you?”

Camilla blinked, surprised at the request. “Me?” She asked.

Hunter bit his lip and looked around. It was late, and there was no one around, so it probably wouldn’t be a risk to take off his hood. But he didn’t want to risk someone seeing, or worse, Camilla slamming the door in his face. “Can I come in?” He asked, not liking how meek he sounded, but he knew he had no right to ask this woman of anything, and it was pretty late to be letting strangers into your house.

She hesitated a moment but opened the door. Hunter wondered if it was a human thing or a Noceda thing to be so trusting. He understood there weren’t quite as many dangers here as in the Demon Realm, but Luz was too kind for it to be a staple of her species.

He thanked her and stepped inside, playing with the hem of his borrowed hoodie to avoid putting them behind his back. Hunter took in his new surroundings, noticing the same sharper lines inside as he had outside, but it had most of the same things you’d find in a Boiling Isles home, just in a different style. The biggest difference he noticed in the room he was in was the large rectangular object made of something shiny and black on a shelf opposite the couch. He didn’t know what it was, but from the position and its reflective front he assumed it was some kind of viewing screen.

Turning to face Luz’s mother, he suddenly felt unsure if he should remove the hood. He knew it would be rude to continue hiding his face from someone who’d just let him into their home, but he was afraid of how she’d react. Before he could decide what to do, she beat him to it with a question.

“So how do you know my daughter?” Her posture was stiff, and she kept her distance, but she didn’t take her eyes from him, bending her head a little to try and see under the hood.

Hunter bit the inside of his lip as he contemplated his answer. Sighing as he realised he should stop stalling, he lifted both hands to reach his hood. He saw her eyes widen and heard her breath catch the moment his pointed ears were put on view. He gave her a moment to adjust and to think of what to say, but he couldn’t help but tense as her eyes darted between his ears, scar, and eyes, which he knew from Luz were not a normal colour for humans. Having worn a mask nearly his whole life, he wasn’t used to people seeing his face and it made him a little uncomfortable.

Clearing his throat, he answered her question. “I met Luz a little over a month ago. We only became friends recently though. She helped me through a pretty tough situation, even when I was rude to her and didn’t deserve her help.” A small smile lit his face as he thought of how persistent the human could be. He remembered the first time she ever called him a friend with fondness.

“I’m gonna help you whether you like it or not, ‘cause that’s what friends do!”

Shaking the thought of how adorable her anger was in that moment from his head, Hunter carried on. “She’s the greatest person I’ve ever met, and I owe her a lot.” He looked into Camilla’s surprised eyes with a serious expression. “I understand you don’t like my realm, and you’re afraid of Luz going back there. I don’t know what conversations you two have had about it, but I do know that she was in tears at the thought of never coming back, and that she delayed her return here for several hours after we built a stable portal to say goodbye to her friends, because she didn’t know when she’d be able to see them next.”

Camilla’s eyes widened again, and she began to shake. Hunter frowned, realising he was causing her distress, and spoke a bit softer next. “Luz is an amazing person, and she’d do anything for the people she loves. I know her well enough to know that she’ll put your happiness before her own, and the reason I asked to speak with you was to ask you to not force her to make that choice.” He straightened his shoulders as he prepared to say what he came here for. He didn’t want to be stern with the woman or tell her what to do. He knew she loved Luz and wanted her safe, and he wanted to remain on her good side in future. Plus, Luz would kill him if he upset her mother. “I know that you think the Boiling Isles are too dangerous for her, but if you could see what it’s really like there and see the life your daughter built for herself there, maybe you could see it’s not as bad as you think. I don’t want to upset you, or tell you what to do, I just want you to see it for yourself.” He held himself still as he waited for Camilla to respond and prayed that the tears in her eyes wouldn’t actually fall. He wouldn’t know what to do if he made Luz’s mother cry.

It was a long few moments as she pulled herself together. She closed her eyes as she took deep breaths and held herself, it made Hunter fidget more, but a soft touch of feathers on his cheek had him calming a little.

Camilla finally opened her eyes and stared at Hunter till he tensed, readying for a fight. “I had no idea she had friends there.”

The whispered sentence wasn’t what Hunter was expecting. Shouting maybe. Lashing out at him for speaking about family matters he honestly had no right meddling in. It was in this moment Hunter realised he was completely out of his depth.

“What… what do you mean?” Hunter asked, confused. Because why would that be the thing she focuses on?

“I didn’t know… that she’d made friends. Or a life that she wouldn’t want to leave.” She sniffed, and Hunter’s fears of her crying were reignited. “I thought… I… Everything Vee said about the Demon Realm made it sound so horrible, and Luz said she was trapped there, so I thought that meant she didn’t want to be there, but…” She huffed out a sad sounding laugh that made Hunter tense further. Even Rascal’s nuzzling couldn’t calm him down now. “She also said that staying there was the best decision she ever made. And every time she brought it up again, I just kept shooting her down. Changing the subject and she never brought it up for the rest of the day.

“When I made her promise to stay here, I wanted her to know that I wasn’t trying to push her away. That I would do better” Camilla looked him in the eye as the first tear fell, “But I just made things worse again, didn’t I?”

Hunter was panicking. He was breathing too fast, and he couldn’t move. He didn’t mean to make Camilla cry, but he also had no clue what she was talking about. He thought this was just a case of overprotective parent, he had no idea about any promise or that Camilla thought she was pushing her daughter away from her.

‘Hunter, breathe. You can sort through this. It will be okay.’

Hunter felt himself calm at Rascal’s chirped words. He focused on the small weight on his shoulder as he took several deep breaths. His palisman was right. Just sort through this and it will be okay.

Camilla made Luz promise to stay in the Human Realm because she thought Luz had left to get away from her. He didn’t know how true that was since he didn’t know what caused Luz to stay in the Demon Realm in the first place. He knew she became trapped after destroying the portal, and that she hadn’t rested until she found a way to rebuild one. For as long as he’s known her, her goal was to get back home and to her mother, so there’s no way Luz was trying to get away from her.

Which meant that Camilla had it all wrong.

And so did Hunter.

Camilla’s fear wasn’t of the Boiling Isles, it was that her daughter would prefer it to staying here with her. Hunter didn’t know what had occurred between the two to draw that conclusion, but he knew it wasn’t true.

Now he just needed to convince Camilla of that.

A few seconds had passed during his internal deliberation, and during that time Camilla looked more and more ready to burst into tears. So, Hunter decided to pull a Luz, no matter how stupid he thought it was.

Hunter stepped forward to wrap his arms around Camilla. “That’s not true.” He firmly stated, and whether it was his words or the sudden hug, Camilla gasped and stopped crying. He held on just to be sure, and because despite how uncomfortable it felt to hug someone who wasn’t Luz, he found it easier to talk to Camilla without seeing her face.

“The entire time I’ve known her, all Luz had wanted to do was build a portal to come back to you. I don’t know why you think you’re pushing Luz away, because anytime she talked about you, it was clear how much she loved and missed you. She wasn’t sad to leave because she prefers one world or the people in it over the other, it was just because she didn’t want to choose.” He squeezed her tighter before pulling back to hold her shoulders and look her in the eye. “So please stop crying. You have nothing to worry about. I, on the other hand, am probably going to lose a limb if Luz finds out I made you cry.”

His feeble attempt at humour worked as Camilla let out a bubbly laugh. She sniffed and wiped a hand under her glasses. “I wouldn’t worry. Luz is too kind to do anything like that.”

Hunter rolled his eyes. “Yeah, she said something similar the second time we met, but since moments before that she blasted me of an airship, I find it hard to believe.”

Camilla looked at him with such wide eyes it made him reconsider if he should have said that.

“She what!?” She hissed in alarm.

“We… weren’t exactly friends at that point.” Hunter explained, though, again, it probably wasn’t the right thing to say.

“She blasted you of an airship!?” She began looking him over, eyes straying to the scar on cheek and the notch in his ear, and he realised she was looking for injuries.

He held out his hands to placate her, “It’s okay. I had my staff, so I just flew back. There was no actual harm done.”

Hunter wasn’t sure why she was so worried, probably to make sure her daughter hadn’t caused anyone any lasting damage, but his reassurance calmed her, so he resolved not to tell her about the Conformatorium guards.

“Okay.” She sighed, and rubbed a hand over her face, suddenly tired. “Okay. Well. Heavy topics of conversation done; would you like anything to drink?”

Hunter blinked at the sudden change but realised he could do with a break from all this talk too. And he still hadn’t seen Luz yet. “Um, yeah. Some water please.” She nodded, and he followed her to the kitchen.

This room was like the first, with a similar set up to a Boiling Isles home, but there were several more appliances he didn’t recognise.

It was as Camilla was pouring him a glass of water that he worked up the courage to ask, “So um… Is Luz awake?”

Camilla looked at him for a moment before nodding. “Yes, I believe so. Her and Vee were playing a video game when I checked on them last.” She passed him the glass and began pouring herself one.

“Thank you, Hunter.” Her voice was soft, and she was watching the water.

Hunter furrowed his brows, “What for?”

“For coming here. And for what you said. Luz must mean a lot to you if you’re willing to go through all this for her.” She looked at him at the last part, and Hunter got the sense that she was staring into his soul.

He blushed at what she said and smiled at the thought of Luz. “I never had any friends before I met Luz. She gave me a chance when no one else would. Not even me. I wasn’t lying when I said I owe her a lot. Luz changed my life, and I’ll never be able to make up for all that she’s done for me.” Hunter smiled, full of sincerity and adoration for Luz, and found Camilla smiling back. She had a look on her face, one that he didn’t recognise by name, but it seemed familiar in a way.uHHH

“I’m glad to know she has someone who cares about her so much.” Hunter blushed brighter and her unnamed smile widened. “I’ll go get her. Wait here.”

Hunter nodded at her and heaved a great sigh when she left. Rascal cheeped at him and nuzzled his cheek, causing Hunter to chuckle. “Well, that was more difficult than I was expecting. But I think it went well.” Rascal cheeped in agreement.

He petted the little bird and sipped his water until he heard the thumping of running footsteps. Hunter put his glass down and eagerly stood from his leaning position, while Rascal flew down to the counter next to his glass as he knew what was coming.

Luz tumbled through the doorway in her pyjamas, the same set she wore the night of their first real interaction, and there was a wild look in her eyes. It turned into a wide beam as she caught sight of him, looking so happy to see him, Hunter couldn’t not smile back.

“Hunter!” She dashed forward again, and it was only through his previous experience that he was able to catch her when she launched herself at him.

Unlike his previous hug with Camilla, Hunter melted into this one. He squeezed Luz tight enough against himself that he was holding her above the floor, and the laughter in his ear made his own laugh bubble up. Her arms were wrapped tight around his neck, and from her elevated position, she was able to press her face into his hair.

“Holy Titan, I missed you.” She whispered into his hair, reaching a hand up to run through the strands as she was prone to do.

Hunter smiled into her shoulder at the sensation. “Missed you too, Spark.”

Luz giggled at the nickname and pulled back enough to lean her forehead against his own. “What took you so long?”

Hunter closed his eyes as she breathed against his face. “It’s only been a week, Luz.”

“It’s been a really long week.” She whined.

Hunter chuckled, opening his eyes to stare into her bright ones, “Well I’m here now your impatient highness.”

Luz snorted. “Wasn’t expecting you to come in through the front door though. Thought you’d just sneak in through the window like you normally do.”

“I haven’t done that in ages. Not since Eda found out and banned me from going anywhere near your bedroom without someone else present.”

She snorted again. “I still can’t believe she actually did that.”

He grinned at her for a moment, still basking in her presence, but before he could say anything more, a pointed throat clearing caught both their attention.

They looked over to see Camilla, and a basilisk that must be Vee, both grinning at them with that look. It was stronger than ever now, and Hunter realised where he recognised it from. It was the one Eda was always giving him. Not that he knew what it meant when she gave it to him either, but having received it from three people now, something had to be up.

“I understand you two will want to spend some time together, however, I think I’m going to take a page out of this Eda’s book and ban you both from being in any private rooms together.” Camilla looked at them pointedly and they both seemed to realise at the same time that Luz was still pressed against Hunter’s chest, and they’d spent most of that conversation with their faces practically stuck together.

Both teens blushed like mad and immediately let go of one another, however, they remained close enough to brush arms.

Camilla’s face looked like she was trying to remain stern but failing to hide her smile. Vee on the other hand, was just straight up grinning.

Rascal, the absolute angel, decided to break the tension by flying up to Luz. She gasped with joy and held her hands out, bringing Rascal up to her face to nuzzle, “Lil’ Rascal, my precious baby. How are you?”

‘After seeing that adorable reunion? I’m fantastic.’The palisman cheeped teasingly, and Hunter decided to retract his earlier angel comment because he knew the bird said that on purpose, knowing Hunter was the only one who could understand him.

Hunter chose to ignore him, but Luz noticed the little glare he threw the palisman, and she just had to ask.

“What did he say?”

“I am not repeating that.”

Rascal chirped with laughter, falling over in Luz’s hands.

“You can understand birds?” Camilla asked, her previous teasing gone and replaced with a genuine curiosity Hunter wasn’t expecting.

He shook his head. “Just this one. He’s my palisman.”

“What’s a palisman?”

Luz was the one to answer her. “They’re magical animals that are carved out of a special type of wood and come to life. They’re normally bound in a lifelong connection to either the witch that carved them, or the witch they chose. Since Rascal chose Hunter, they’re bound, and Hunter’s the only one who can understand him.”

Blinking at her daughter’s excited explanation, Camilla stepped forward to have a closer look, “That bird’s made of wood?”

“Yeah. He doesn’t feel like it at the moment though. His feathers are really soft.” Luz scratched his belly feathers, where he liked it most, and Hunter could tell even without their connection that the little palisman was enjoying the touch.

Camilla opened her mouth to say something else but seemed to reconsider it. She shook her head and took her step back. Luz stopped petting Rascal when her mother crossed her arms and looked at her sternly.

“We have a lot to talk about Luz.” Everyone tensed as she spoke, even Rascal was holding still, but Camilla sighed, her exhaustion showing. “But we’ll talk in the morning.” Everyone relaxed, but she zeroed her eyes on Hunter. “You can stay the night if you want Hunter, but you will be on the couch. I’ll get a pillow and blanket for you. The two of you can talk but it’s late and I want everyone in bed in an hour. I’ll be back to check on you both, and I want to see you,” She pointed at Luz, “In your bed, and you,” She pointed at Hunter, “On the couch. Understood?”

“Understood.” They repeated in unison.

Camilla sighed and flapped a hand in the direction of the living room. “Go on then.”

Luz smiled and lifted Rascal onto Hunter’s shoulder. She stepped forward to give her mother a quick hug, “Gracias, Mami.” Camilla returned the hug with a smile and kissed her daughter’s head.

“Go on. And no funny business.”

Luz blushed, but with a goodnight to Vee she took Hunter’s hand and dragged him into the living room.

Hunter relaxed as they sat down and began to talk about what had happened in the week they’d been separated. There would be more awkward and tense conversations in the morning, but this was a good start.