The flying ship headed for the Emperor's Castle as the students on board were cheering. Much to the annoyance of the principal, who was having difficulty keeping the students from being loud. "No roughhousing! Do not make me turn this carriage around!"
Meanwhile, in the back of the carriage, Luz sat on the floor with her back turned to the other students. She was talking with Booker, who was still invisible, and they started conversing about their plan to get the hat.
Luz placed her notebook on the ground, drawing the Healing Hat and writing HEALING HAT HEIST . The plan was simple:
Sneak into the castle! Steal the Healing Hat.Lift the curse.
"Sounds easy enough," Booker said. "I'll split up from the ground and look around the castle."
"However, the moment the cloak runs out of juice, you come running back to the group, so don't venture too far," said Luz, pointing her pen to her invisible best friend/crush.
"Hey, Luz!" Willow said, snapping them out of their talk.
"Ah!" Luz quickly turned around, and Booker hid the notepad under the cloak. "Um, what was that, sweet potato—I mean Ams! I…is it okay if I call you Ams, or is that, you know, strictly a Booker thing?"
"Uh, no, it's cool. I was just saying we were getting close to the castle," Amity said as she looked over the edge of the carriage. Under the cloak, Booker joined the girls he liked the most and looked over as well.
Right before their eyes, they saw the foreboding square palace surrounded by large white teeth or rib bones with a plus-shaped piece of land right in the middle.
"Emperor Belos built it to symbolize the unity of the Isles, its people, and magic," she explained to Luz.
"Interesting place to put a castle," Luz mumbled. She then saw how everyone, including her other friends, looked excited. "I can't believe Willow and Gus are excited to be here."
"In a way, I can understand. We all grew up listening to all the great things Belos did for the Boiling Isles," Amity said as she turned to Luz and, unbeknownst to her, Booker. "Before he came to power, our ways of doing magic were all wrong. He taught us that the Titan died for us to have magic and that by joining the covens, we're showing respect and thanks to the Titan."
"Okay, I get it," Luz said with a nod, but internally, she wasn't buying any of this. And neither was Booker. As far as the Seventh Son was concerned, Belos created a cult by painting up a false image of a being that was as close to God as one could be in this world. "Hey, you still want to join the Emperor's Coven, right?"
Amity sighed sadly as she looked down at the ground rushing by. "Honestly…I don't know. I've been working towards this my entire life. To be with the best of the best," she said to Luz, not knowing that Booker was next to her, listening to the girl. "But when I learned about what happened with Booker's family, murdering an entire family...how do you chase a dream that involves becoming a part of that?"
Booker looked at his friend/crush with empathy. He understood Amity wanting to follow her dream, just like he understood Luz working hard to make herself a witch. But being with the Seventh Son had drastically altered Amity's perception of everything she's known. He wished he could talk to Amity to help her, but doing so would blow his cover.
Luckily, Luz was there to grasp Amity's hand. "Well, I'll support whatever you want to do," she said. "Who knows, you could reform the Emperor's Coven from within."
The human girl's words deeply touched Amity, who blushed and smiled at her girl crush. However, after a few seconds of staring at one another, Luz and Amity quickly realized that they were both being awkward and weird again. Both blushed brightly as they pulled away and looked the other way.
"So, Amity... would you say this Belos guy is, like, powerful," Luz asked her girl crush, trying to push past the awkwardness. "If Booker has to fight him…what would be his chances?"
Amity looked away with a grimace as she rubbed her arms. "Well…Booker's extremely powerful, but…
Willow heard the question and laughed at it, turning to Luz and Amity. "Luz, I know you and Amity like Booker. I like him, too. He's a great friend, but the Emperor is the most skilled witch that's ever lived. He can even talk to the Titan," the plant witch said.
Booker deadpanned at his friend. 'Geez, way to support me, Willow. This Belos guy is really throwing up some red flags.'
Soon, the ship landed on the ground, on the other side of a large gap where a bridge was meant . On the other side, the towering doors to the castle opened, with Kikimora standing in the doorway.
Principal Bump stood up in front of his students. "Now, the Emperor's assistant will be your tour guide today," he said as the students began unloading from the carriage. "Please don't make me regret taking you here."
The invisible Seventh Son followed the other students as they gathered at the bridge's entrance. From the platform Kikimora was on, a mechanical bridge extended towards them over the bottomless, dark pit of giant sharp rocks.
The kids were excited to see the bridge connect and allow them to walk on it. Even Luz was amazed by the technology of the bridge as she donned the hood of her cowl to hide her ears in case a coven member recognized her. The only one who wasn't excited was Booker, who glared at the castle of the tyrant.
Once the class was on the bridge, it retracted to the castle as Kikimora came to greet them. "Children of Hexside, Emperor Belos welcomes you to his castle. We're honored by visits from students. You'll soon be a part of the coven. Some lucky few may even find their home here, in the mighty Emperor's Coven!"
This excited students as they chattered amongst each other. To be a part of the strongest coven was the highest of goals and the greatest of honors, at least to those who believed in the coven system.
"You... are the future of the Isles! My job is to teach you its past." Kikimora said as she began leading the group inside.
The interior of the castle had guards flanking either side of a hallway, saluting Kikimora and the students as other guards walked on overpasses. The students looked at everything in awe as they passed by walls covered in tapestries, murals, and statues to tell the stories of the Boiling Isles.
"Today, the Isles are a place of peace and prosperity. But that wasn't always the case," Kikimora said as they came to their first stop: a mural portraying witches dancing around a fire and casting magic freely. "Up until 50 years ago, witches and demons practiced wild magic during what we called the Savage Ages."
The little witch then led the students away. "Witches had access to corrupt knowledge, which dishonored the Titan. That was until our great Emperor ascended to the throne and taught witches how to use magic properly," she said, gesturing to another mural. This one showed a Belos holding up a beam of light as tiny witches below him celebrated his power by dancing and cheering. "Our next stop is the Emperor's personal collection of relics."
"Oh! Luz, you'll like this," Willow said as she and Gus walked beside the human girl.
"I'm sure I will," Luz said mischievously as she reached her right arm behind her back and gave Booker a thumbs up. The Seventh Son saw this and nodded.
Kikimora led them to the relic room and opened the doors to reveal a large, spacious room with eight pedestals. Each had a floating item, the relics, on them as a light shining down on the items from above.
"The Relic Room. These items are reminders of our great Emperor's overwhelming power." Kikimora said, gesturing toward the Oracle Sphere. "From the curious and mighty.
"Ooooh!" gushed Gus in wonder.
Kikimora passed the Green Thumb Gauntlet and gestured to the relic. "To the very handy."
Willow gasped at the sight of the relic as she moved around it. "Oh, I could grow such beautiful things with that," she said with her hands together.
"And even the most valuable," Kimora said, pointing to the Healing Hat. "Come along, children."
While most of the students left to follow Kikimora, Booker focused on the hat and how close it was to him. It would be easy for him to run now if he wanted to. Just hide it under his cloak. The question is, however, what would happen to the class if he did so? Could they be held responsible? Could Hexside be held accountable for his actions? If he tried to steal it now, so many factors could fall into place.
"Man, what do I do?" Booker said to himself. However, just as he was about to grab the hat and run, darkness suddenly blocked his sight. He quickly pulled the cloak off and saw, on the tag, a little red blink light in the shape of a battery. "What the?! Has it already been an hour?"
"Booker?" A voice called, making Booker yelp in fright as he turned around. To his surprise, Booker saw it was the concerned look of his secondary crush, Amity Blight. And she did not look happy. "What the hell are you doing here?!"
"Uh, I ah…wanted to see what the place looked like?" Booker said with a nervous smile, looking around the relic room. "It looked really filthy."
"Booker!"
"Come on, you two!" said a student peeking into the room. "Try and keep up!"
"I-I'm coming!" Amity called back to the student. Then she grabbed Booker's hand in a vice grip and pointed to his cloak. "I don't know why you have Warrick's cloak, but we are far from done with this conversation."
Booker gulped in fear of the green-haired witch and followed her. This was really bad. There was no way Amity would let him go. Looking at the cloak, he saw it was slowly charging. Meaning he would have to use the cloak sparingly.
By the time the pair caught up, the group was moving down a corridor of torches and tapestries with the coven symbols, along with a few statues of Belos to pass by. Luz was in the back when Amity walked up behind her.
"Care to explain this," she asked the human girl.
Luz looked behind at her girl-crush in curiosity. That is until she saw Booker being dragged along, invisibility cloak off. "I-I—" Luz's panicking voice was quickly silenced when Amity covered her mouth.
"The two of you can explain it when we get back to school, but until you get that cloak charged, Booker," Amity said, pointing back to Booker, "You aren't leaving my side."
"You know about the cloak," asked the Seventh Son.
"Emira would talk about all of Warrick's inventions with me," Amity said.
The trio of love birds remained behind the group as Kikimora turned around and walked backward to speak to the students. "Here at the Emperor's Coven, we require members with sophistication, elegance, and grace.
Suddenly, a giant door slammed open to the right of the group. Standing in the doorway was none other than Lilith, the head witch of the Emperor's Coven. She looked anything but sophisticated, elegant, and graceful. Vanishing her staff, the dirty woman entered the castle halls and walked in the direction of the students.
Booker and Luz gasped in fear. "Oh shit, Amity, you have to let me go!" Booker whispered.
"What?" Amity looked at him in confusion.
"If she sees him or me, we're done for," Luz said in a panic, glancing back at Lilith as she came closer.
Understanding what they meant, Amity let go of Booker's arm. This allowed him and Luz to quickly duck behind a corner, hiding from Lilith as the rest of the group stepped out of her path.
"Ah! Make way for Miss Lilith Clawthorne, students." Kikimora stepped back with her eyes closed as Lilith passed in front of the group.
While most of their classmates gushed at the sight of Lilith, only five looked at her with caution. Gus and Willow because they remember what happened at the Covention, Booker, and Luz because she was hiding from her, and Amity because she still couldn't trust Lilith after what she did to her at the Covention. Making her cheat by secretly slapping a power glyph onto her neck. It was one of Amity's lowest points, and it was all her fault. Making her feel anger towards the blue-haired witch.
Kikimora made a snide remark at the witch's back, making Lilith stop to listen. "Yes, and if I'm not mistaken, she's on her way to see the Emperor himself. Let's all wish her luck!"
"Good luck, Miss Lilith!" They said, making Lilith blush.
She took a breath and tried to remain professional—despite her appearance. "Thank you, students," she said, giving them a nod. "Good luck with puberty."
Well, she tried.
Booker looked at Luz, blushing as she was pressed against him. "So what's the plan?" She asked.
"I'll go back for the Healing Hat. You stay with Amity and just tell her I'm with your guys," Booker whispered.
"Are you sure?" Luz looked at her friend in concern.
"Yes, Luz, you know as well as I do that Eda is not getting any better. Is trying to save my aunt wrong?" Booker asked with a smirk.
Luz smirked back at him. "No, it's not wrong at all; it's amazing!" She said before looking away with a blush. "Just like you."
The Seventh Son lightly blushed at her comment. But then he nodded and slipped on the cloak. It didn't have the level of power to go for another hour, but it was enough to hide him from Amity and the others until they left.
"This way, children," Kikimora said as the group continued the tour.
Amity turned to her crushes but only saw Luz. "Where's Booker?"
Luz nervously blushed at the beautiful, hating that she had to lie to her. "H-He's charged up again! See?" She said, holding up her hand and pretending to be holding Booker's.
"Uh…"
"Ha, ha! Invisibility job. Let's go!" Luz said, grabbing Amity's hand and dragging the witch down the hallway to catch up with the others.
Waiting until they were far enough away, Booker took off the cloak again and looked around to make sure he was alone. Now, he could get to the hat, grab it, and then stay invisible for as long as possible until the class leaves the castle.
Or, perhaps it could wait. Booker had another option in mind as he turned his gaze to Lilith walking down the hallway. If she was going to talk to Belos right now, it must be about the failed attack on the house this morning. If they were going to talk about another attack on the house, he had to know to warn Eda.
Plus, there was another reason for Booker going. He had never seen Emperor Belos in person. Only heard about him by others. The Seventh Son wanted to see what kind of witch he was to do the things he'd done.
And so, Booker followed after his more villainous aunt. He tailed her at a distance, out of sight of Lilith, as she walked through the castle. Traveling down hallways and up staircases.
However, Booker started to notice something odd. As they drew closer to the Emperor's room, time seemed to jump from medieval to modern. Booker looked around and saw an elaborate system of metal pipes. They came in a variety of sizes and bent in many directions. Some were coming out of the walls and ceiling, snaking along the surface in all directions. It was bizarre, especially when Booker could sense powerful magic running through the pipes.
"What is all this?" He asked himself as he continued to follow Lilith.
Eventually, Booker followed Lilith to a large corridor leading to double doors. The Seventh Son knew that it had to be the throne room. It was a fancy door with the Emperor's Coven symbol as a keyhole, but many more metallic pipes came out of the room from above, serving an unknown purpose.
Booker was nearly caught when he peaked around the corner but quickly ducked back before Lilith turned around. When she continued, the blonde boy peeked around again.
Lilith stopped at the massive doors and combed the leaves out of her hair. At the same time, she calmed and composed herself. Putting her hands together, the woman waited for the door to open.
When they opened, Booker was stunned to see a GIANT beating green heart, far larger than would belong to any current living creature, with metal pipes hooked up.
"What the fuck?!" Booker whispered, looking at the heart wide-eyed as Lilith walked inside. The red doors shut behind her, snapping Booker out of his shock. "I gotta get closer."
After looking around and seeing the hall was clear, Booker ran over to the door. Luckily, the doors had a keyhole between them in the middle of the coven symbol. So the Seventh Son leaned in and looked inside the throne room.
Booker was not imagining things. Inside the massive throne room was indeed a gigantic beating green heart. From it, Booker felt an enormous, overwhelmingly powerful magic. It was suspended above a golden throne flanked with flaming braziers. Various scouts were standing around the room, ready to defend their Emperor. However, one of the scouts had a mask resembling an owl, contrasting the raven-like helms the others were wearing. That scout stood directly beside the throne.
And then there was Emperor Belos himself, sitting on the throne. He wore a golden mask with two long upward-facing horns and empty-looking eye sockets. He wore a large white and brown cape with gold trim over a baggy gray tunic and black pants tucked into his metallic golden gloves and brown boots.
Booker glared at the Emperor, but there was something off about him. He had his head in his hand, looking exhausted or possibly sick.
Lilith approached the throne and knelt before her emperor. "I am at your service, Emperor Belos," Lilith said.
The throne room had enough of an echo for the hybrid boy to her from behind the door to hear Emperor Belos breathing heavily. A guard approached him from the side and brought something to Belos on a tray.
Booker looked closer and saw Belos picking up the item. Though far away, he was confused to see it was a palisman.
"Just a moment, Lilith," Emperor Belos said between deep breaths.
What happened next horrified Booker.
With one finger, Belos dug his finger guard into the palisman's neck, dragging a line and breaking its head off with sickening cracks that echoed in the room. Killing the magical creature without mercy. Glowing green goop, the magic held within, fell out of the palisman, which Emperor Belos poured into the eye holes of his mask. His eyes, unseen before, flash a glowing green.
A sigh of relief escaped his throat. "Ahhh, much better."
Beyond horrified, Booker backed away from the door. Shocked and disgusted by what he just witnessed. This world was as horrific as it was beautiful. Booker had become accustomed to life on the Boiling Isles, as he'll be living here from now on. But he could not stomach what he witnessed.
The Emperor of the Boiling Isles just ate the magic of a palisman!
It wasn't right. Why would he do that?
Booker didn't know, and he didn't care. Following Lilith was a big mistake. His only instinct now was to run. Booker turned in his heels and ran as fast as he could away from the throne room. The Seventh Son needed to get far away from the madman. He needed to get the Healing Hat and get the hell out of here!
"How's the hunt for the Owl Lady and the Seventh Son?" Emperor Belos asked Lilith. The beating heart above him throbbing in everyone's ear. "I heard you attempted a raid this morning."
Lilith closed her eyes and nodded. "Yes, but we were—"
"Unsuccessful? That was obvious enough." Emperor Belos said, lifting his finger from his left armrest. Then he stood up from his throne and walked forward a few steps. " It's been over two months since you promised to bring me the Owl Lady and the Seventh Son. We're now approaching three. So, where are they?"
"If I just had more time, I—"
"I'm getting bored of your excuses, Lilith," Emperor Belos snapped, silencing the witch. "But perhaps I ask too much of you. Obviously, you've allowed Booker Bridges to gain more power because you have only been focused on your sister."
"B-But, I—"
Lilith was silenced again when the Emperor raised his hand. Getting her to shut her mouth. He then sat back down on his throne. "And now it's because of your failure to bring him in that he's too powerful for even you to handle. But don't worry, I will entrust that task to someone more capable," he said, gesturing to the owl-masked guard beside him.
Lilith gasped and said, "My lord, I can assure you, give me another chance, and I will bring you the Seventh Son and my sister."
Belos looked at Lilith in silence for a moment. "Are you finished?"
"...I-I…" Lilith stammered but bowed her head in shame and defeat.
"Much better. If you truly want to prove yourself, then I'll give you the time you need. My point still stands, so I will make it easy for you. Bring the Owl Lady to me by twilight. Just the Owl Lady. She'll join the Emperor's Coven, and in return, I'll heal her little curse. But, if you fail…"
The mad tyrant's nails dug into his throne, and the heart above the throne beat faster. Mimicking Lilith's own rapidly beating organ.
"...you will be stripped of your rank and banished from my coven. You do know what happens to covenless witches, don't you?"
Lilith looked over at the same mural the students saw in the hall. Her mind could almost hear terrified and agonizing screams as she looked at the tiny witches. What was being depicted weren't innocent witches celebrating his power and the beginning of a new era of balance.
They were wild witches begging for mercy, for which Belos had none.
The terms were laid out in front of her. Take down her sister and bring her in to be cured, or face a fate worse than death. Lilith stood and said to her Emperor with a stammer. "I—I understand, my lord. I will not fail."
Lilith turned and walked towards the doors. One way or another, she will not fail. Her sister will come back to her, and they'll become a family again. Eda will join her in the Emperor's Coven, either by her own free will—or in chains, and her curse will be lifted.
Back at the Owl House, Eda knitted the witch's wool into a newly made cape. The Owl Lady hummed to herself as she worked on her gift to Luz while King napped on the other side of the couch.
Pausing her work, Eda held up the cloak to check its progress. "Yeah! Something tells me Luz is gonna like having a cape," she said, smiling. Eda would have also made Booker one, but apparently, the Bridges have their cape to give him. Part of a family tradition where Alice would knit each member of the family the Bridge's signature cape.
King woke up and said, "Cape? I thought you were making a cake!"
This got Eda to raise an eyebrow. "You thought I was knitting a cake?"
"I, uh... anyway! If there's no cake, then I have to get to work!" King said, running off into the kitchen. From where she was sitting, Eda could hear the little demon making a ruckus with her kitchen items. "Would you look at us two, being all generous to those kids? You know what, when they first got here, I thought we were gonna eat them. But now I only think of that, like, sometimes."
A louder crash knocked a picture off the wall. Eda rolled her eyes and walked over to pick up the fallen image. "Yeah, they've changed the feel of this house."
Eda looked at the picture and smiled. It showed Booker shoveling purple and green tentacles in his mouth, Luz dressed as a cheerleader in the background, and a banner behind the Seventh Son reading "FINISH OR DIE !"
"Well, they always had a good heart. Hell, Booker even thinks of me as his Aunt. They always go out of their way to help others, not really caring about what happens to them. Luz is always impatient and always biting more than she could chew. And Booker is always there to back her up, even if he's dealing with his demons. Despite all that, I really think they're growing up."
"So what's with the adoption business?" King asked as another crash was heard. "I thought you were only going to change his name."
Eda blushed a bit in embarrassment. "W-Well, yeah, but the name change is part of the adoption process! It's to keep Booker safe," she said.
"So you aren't going to see him as if he's your son?"
The Owl Lady sighed and placed the picture back on the wall. "I-It's not as simple as making him my son with a piece of paper. He's…also been kind of like a son," she said, sitting back down on the couch. "Sure, he had a mom, but with Elizabeth and his family gone, I wanted to give him a real home. I don't want him to continue being an orphan. I love that kid like he was mine. I promised to look after Mal's son, and if it means becoming his legal mother, then I'm all for it!"
Eda declared, standing up and putting her foot on the table. With a grinning smile, she pointed to the ceiling.
Then the door opened with Hooty bawling his eyes out. "That was…so beautiful!"
"Hooty! You're ruining the moment!"
Booker didn't know where he was running or if he would get caught. There was only one thing Booker needed to do: get away from that monster of an Emperor!
After running for a few minutes, the Seventh Son stopped at a window to catch his breath and reflect again on what he had just witnessed.
"H-He just ate a palisman without a second thought! Why? Are they just snacks to him?" Booker asked, remembering all the times he'd spent with Owlbert. "Palismen are supposed to be lifelong companions, bonded to you for life. Why would Belos eat them like that?! What does he gain from it?"
Booker then began to wonder why Belos wanted him so badly. "Did he want to do the same thing to me?" he asked, his face sweating. "Drain me of all my magic like some kind of vampire?"
Feeling himself hyperventilating, Booker slapped himself in the face. "Get it together, Bridges! That's just the anxiety talking. You just have to swipe the Healing Hat, get to the class before them…." the Seventh Son paused when he looked out the window and freaked out. "LEAVE THE CASTLE!"
Sure enough, he saw that the tour was over, and the bridge was extending to them back to the bus carriage. Luz was with them and…
…so was he?
"What?" Booker said as he leaned closer. Sure enough, he saw himself standing with Luz, Gus, Willow, and Amity. Then, his doppelganger puffed out of existence. "How in the—"
"Booker." A voice said,
"AH!" Booker jolted and drew Dragon's Bite as he turned around.
However, instead of coming face to face with the Emperor or any of his goons, Booker came face to face with Amity, Willow, and Gus. The young black witch was focusing on four spell circles of illusion magic. That must've been why he saw himself leaving with the class.
"You scared the cuss out of me!" Booker said as he put back his family's sword.
"And you were planning on stealing the Healing Hat, weren't you?" Willow asked.
Booker's eyes widened. "What? How did you-" he asked before Amity cut him off by pulling Luz out from behind Willow—after she tried to hide behind her.
Luz chuckled nervously. "Hey…"
"Snitch!"
"It's over, Booker. Luz already explained your little plan," Amity said as she crossed her arms, glaring at her friend. "Is that why you came on this trip? Were you two actually planning on stealing that relic."
Booker was between a rock and a hard place, with her friends glaring at him and Luz as she walked over to stand with him. The Seventh Son had only one option in this situation. He had to come clean. "Look, don't blame Luz. I was the one that wanted to steal the Healing Hat," Booker said as his friends looked surprised at him.
Luz said, "Booker, you don't have to…"
"No, it's okay," he told his best friend. "Since she was a kid, Eda's been cursed, which turns her into a giant owl beast unless. For a while, she's been drinking an elixir to prevent it. However, Eda turned into the Owl Beast again this morning, and the elixirs aren't working anymore. Furthermore, the more Eda uses her magic, the stronger the curse takes hold. The two of us want to find a way to help her—."
"And that's when you saw the relics section in the guidebook," Gus said, remembering this morning.
"Yeah, when I read about the Healing Hat, I thought that it was the perfect cure for Eda, but I couldn't just take it without causing trouble for the class or school," Booker said, putting his hands in his pockets.
"So you thought that sneaking off and snatching it would be fine?" Amity asked with her glare increasing. "Booker, Luz, you can't just steal the hat!"
"I know, but Eda—" Booker said before Amity cut him off.
"BUT...that doesn't mean you can't borrow it," Amity said as she stopped glaring and smiled at the Seventh Son.
"...the beautiful girl said what?" Luz asked in confusion. She was just angry with Booker and her, and now she's suddenly helping them?
"Come on, you didn't think we would let you do something like this without us," Gus said with a smile. "If it's important to you, it's important to us."
"Sure, it's technically a punishable crime, but it's not punishable if we don't get caught," Willow said while smiling.
"Guys, that's sweet, but I can't ask you—" Booker said before Amity put her finger on his lips.
"You're not asking, and we're not taking 'No' for an answer," Amity said, smirking daringly, which caused Booker to blush. Apparently, being around Booker, Luz, and Eda must've awakened a rebellious side in the Blight girl. "Whether you like it or not, you're stuck with us."
Seeing how firm his friends were in helping him and how they wouldn't let him say no, Booker looked to Luz as she smiled at him. "We're with you, team leader!" Luz said with a salute.
Never before has Booker had so many friends this loyal to him. Once again, he was so happy he ended up on the Boiling Isles. "Then let's get this heist on the road!"
"Yeah!"
As a group of five, they moved through the corridors of the coven castle and avoided capture as much as possible.
At one point, they saw a guard coming down the stairs. Willow used her magic to grow a nearby potted bush into the shape of a pony-sized unicorn. They ducked behind the bush as the guard was about to walk by. However, he stopped and looked at the unicorn.
Luckily, all he did was nudge its horn and continue deeper into the castle.
The next obstacle was another guard standing in a hallway. The three noticed them and ducked into a storage closet. Luckily, it had a bunch of extra scout uniforms. The five friends glanced at one another and then looked at Amity.
The Blight girl used her magic on the five of them, coating them each in an Abomination's body that made them taller. With the body type to fool the guard, they slipped on the uniforms over their Abomination bodies and walked out of the room. Surprisingly, their bodies were easy to control.
As they passed by the guard, Luz waved, high-fived the guard, and finger-gunned them before Booker grabbed her and dragged her away. The guard was very confused and just looked at his hand.
Guards were patrolling hallways around the room, so they had to find another way. Luckily, Luz found a ventilation vent. She drew out a fire glyph and placed it on the metal vent, watching with stunned amazement as it melted.
They soon reach the hallway leading to the Relic Room's door. However, there was a guard. Gus used his illusion magic to make a double of Kikimora. With it, he had the clone send a guard off. Once the guard left, the illusion of Kikimora did the worm.
Gus laughed, oblivious to Booker, Luz, Amity, and Willow's confused looks.
Finally, Booker opened the doors, and the five friends entered the Relic Room. The Seventh Son came face to face with his prize.
"The Healing Hat, made by the House of Bridges, the best shot of healing Eda for good," Booker said in awe of the relic. He took a breath, rubbed his hands, and reached out to grab the relic.
"Should we try and replace it with something that weighs the same?" Gus suggested.
"Oh, sure, like that fucking worked in the movie," Booker said, rolling his eyes. Referring to the first scene in Raiders of the Lost Ark. "If it didn't work for Indie, it's not gonna work here."
"Who?"
"Never mind! Let's just…really hope these aren't booby-trapped," Booker said, slowly reaching out to the hat. His friends watched anxiously as his hands gently grabbed the hat's brim.
The Seventh Son gasped as the hat started glowing, and he felt the magic flowing from it. But it wasn't just the hat glowing. Booker saw his magic lines appearing on the back of his hands, with the Healing Coven's symbol forming in the gold rings.
Granting him the healing spell.
Smiling as he saw a new spell being added to his arsenal of magic, Booker held his breath and shut her eyes as he quickly yanked the hat up. Everyone gasped, held their breaths, and waited for something to happen. Thinking that an alarm would be rung, a sea of guardsmen would charge into the room, or tigers with lasers would parachute down on them!
…And yet, nothing did happen.
Three seconds passed, and nothing happened: no trap, no alarm, no tigers, no anything!
Booker opened one eye and looked around. When he saw that nothing was going to happen, he let out a sigh of relief. "Oh, thank you, God! I was so worried." The Seventh Son said as the hat glowed in his hands. "But this is great! Not only do I get a new spell, but it's actually working! I can feel the power in this thing."
"Me too!" Gus said, grabbing the Oracle Sphere from its pedestal. "Finally, I'm about to become my best self!"
With the orb, Gus used its power to make a purple-tinted double of himself appear and leaned against him. "You're always your best self," the copy whispered into his ear, making Gus tear up and start crying.
"Gus, put that back! You shouldn't be playing with it." Amity said to him. However, she turned around and saw Willow grabbing the Green Thumb Gauntlet. "Willow!"
"What? I just want to try it once," Willow said with a guilty smile before making a large, muscular tree arm appear. She quickly put the arm back into the gauntlet and placed the relic back on its pedestal. "See? Just once."
"Ooooooo. I wanna try one!" Luz said with stars in her eyes. She was about to run over to a bell relic when Amity grabbed her ear and pulled her away. "Ow! Ow! I'm sorry! Please stop treating me like Brock!"
"Okay, guys. Enough fun. We got what we needed. Now we can cure Eda and get this hat back before anyone comes looking for it," Booker said as the group gathered. He chuckled for a bit. "I bet no one will know it's even missing."
"I WILL KNOW."
The friend jolted in fear as they suddenly heard a voice ring in all their ears. Most have never heard the voice, except for one.
"Belos…" Booker gasped, remembering that voice. His face expressed terror as he drew Dragon's Bite from its sheath. "We need to leave. Now!"
Suddenly, barricades dropped down in front of the doors, locking them in.
"No!" Amity and Luz exclaimed.
Booker gulped at the sight of the covers. Belos knew he was there. He'd put all his friends in danger. However, not all hope was lost, as he remembered his magic. The Seventh Son, sheathing Dragon's Bite, put the Healing Hat in Luz's arms.
"Luz, hold the hat," Booker said.
"Bookie, what are you planning?" Luz asked as her best friend clapped his hands and cast the power spell.
"I'm planning on getting us out of here! Stand back!" Booker said, rushing for the metal barricade. "HHHHYYYYAAAAAHH!"
Meanwhile, in a hallway not too far from the kids, Lilith was running out of time. She'd been pacing in front of the stained glass mural of Belos for minutes, and she's still no closer to figuring out how to get her sister. If she didn't, Lilith would fail, be petrified, and Eda would live forever as a cursed woman.
"Lilith, think! You've given your entire life to this coven. You can't lose it. What's Eda's weakness? She has no attachment and no friends. Think!" Lilith shouted as she punched the wall.
At the same time, a loud crash was heard as the castle shook a bit.
Confused about whether or not she caused it, she stared at her hand.
In the Relic Room, Booker coughed a bit as he stepped back from the barricade, waving his hand to clear the smoke so he could see. Lo and behold, the blonde boy had punched a hole through the iron and left a giant gaping hole in the door.
"Yes, I did it!" Booker said as he cut off the power glyph. He turned back to his group. "Hurry! We have to go now!"
"I'm afraid not."
Booker gasped as he turned to see a white raven pointing at his face. The one who heard the sound was none other than Lilith, who used her staff to push the beanie off of the Seventh Son's head. Then, she drew a magic circle that pulled the color-changing contacts from his eyes. Booker was now exposed with his golden hair, half-round ears, and golden eyes.
"Well, well, well, if it isn't the Seventh Born of the Seventh Born," Lilith said as she smiled darkly. The hybrid quickly backed away to join his group, who looked at the witch in shock and terror. "How fortunate. It seems the Titan has granted me an opportunity with you here."
Looking over the others in the room, Lilith saw that the ones with Booker were Luz, Willow, Gus, and…
"Amity? I'd never expect you to befriend this human, nor the Seventh Son. Or to aid them in stealing a relic," Lilith said, showing slight surprise at the young Blight girl.
"Y-Yeah? Well, I never expected you to use me to cheat!" Amity said, trying to be brave in the face of her teacher.
"Amity, you must understand. What I did was out of precaution. I grew up with Edalyn and knew her tricks. I was sure she would cheat in the duel, and she did by allowing him to use an anti-magic weapon," Lilith said as she took a step forward to the group. "You must know she and Booker are criminals, and so is the human by association. But you can avoid that fate if you take your friends and leave. I can make it so all this never happened."
"That's not happening! Lilith, this hat can cure Eda's curse," Booker said, gesturing to the hat behind him, still being held by Luz. "The very thing that you've wanted."
"I already know about Healing Hat. It would never work," Lilith said, glaring at the hybrid.
"Not unless a Bridges uses it," Luz said, holding the hat over her head.
Lilith turned her eyes to Luz and looked at the hat. Could it be true? Could Booker use the hat to cure her sister? No! Lilith shook her head. The Emperor is the only one that can do it. He said so himself. And Belos will keep his word.
"I don't care about whatever tales you've heard from your family, Bridges," Lilith said with a cold stare as she advanced toward the group, making them take steps away from her. "The Emperor has taken me off the task of capturing you. However, your being here does prove a golden opportunity."
"Back off!" Booker yelled, pulling Dragon's Bite out and focusing his powers through the blade. "If you touch us, Eda will come after you so fast—"
Lilith teleported in front of Booker. "That's the plan," she said with a grin.
Booker's eyes widened in realization. Lilith was going to use him to lure Eda.
"No!" He yelled, swinging Dragon's Bite at Lilith. The witch blocked the attack as his gold magic and her blue magic clashed with one another. "Guys, run! Get the hat to Eda!"
"Grr!" Lilith grunted before kicking Booker away, sending him rolling across the room until he rolled into a crouch.
"Booker!" Luz and Amity said in worry as they rushed him.
Willow grabbed the Green Thumb Gauntlet and slipped it on. "Alright, lady. No one hurts my friends!" She yelled, growing a wooden arm to grab Lilith's staff.
However, Lilith used her staff to fling Willow toward the door. The young witch bounced on the ground before coming to a stop.
"Wrong move, Lilith," said Gus. Lilith turned around to see the small boy with a copy of himself. Both put up their fists in a classical boxing stance. "It's two against one, and you don't stand a chance against—"
Lilith used her staff to poke Gus's copy, poofing it into clouds. Then she threw him across the room with Willow.
Meanwhile, Luz and Amity were helping Booker to his feet as the hybrid had some blood on his lip. "Are you okay?" Luz asked, still holding the hat in one hand.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Just don't remember her being this strong," Booker said as he wiped the blood away. In all the times he's faced Lilith, he's never had to get into an actual fight with the witch. The first time was about getting Uncle York away from her and escaping the old hideout. Therefore, Booker had been extraordinarily lucky never to have fought Eda's sister. "Luz, Amity, please get out of here! Bring one of my cousins to the Owl House and heal Eda! I'll hold her off!"
"No, you can't! Booker, you're power, but Lilith is a different story! There's a reason she's the strongest witch of all the coven leaders!" Amity said, worried for Booker as Lilith approached them.
"Now, that doesn't belong to you," Lilith said, holding out her hand as a hand of blue and white flames flew towards them.
"Look out!" Booker shouted as he slashed at the fiery hand. Nullifying the magic and making it disappear.
"You're not going anyway with that hat!" Lilith said as she teleported behind Luz! She was about to smack her in the head when—
"Get away from her!" Amity shouted as she quickly summoned her Abomination. The gooey monster roared as it punched Lilith in the face. Sending her flying back into one of the relics. Knocking it over and breaking it.
"Whoa." Luz and Booker said in awe at the girl they both liked.
Lilith grunted as she stood back up. "What are you doing?!" she yelled.
"Standing by my friends!" Amity said, making her decision known as she glared at Lilith. "I'm not the same witch I was before. I'm better! Better than I could be with you!"
Lilith was surprised by this declaration as Amity stood beside her Abomination. There was nothing like Amity, she remembered. The look in her eyes and the determination she displayed showed that Lilith saw an utterly different witch from the girl she was mentoring.
Luz smiled at the green-haired witch and pulled out a few glyphs with her free hand. "You want Booker, you'll have to go through us!" Luz declared, glaring at Lilith.
Lilith glanced at the hybrid, who looked at the girls in stunned awe. Now she understood where it was all coming from. The Seventh Son had touched all of these kids' hearts. It was admirable to Lilith.
Admirable, but foolish.
"...Fine, apprentice . Have it your way." Lilith said.
POW! POW!
Booker watched in horror as Lilith appeared behind the two girls, having just dashed past them at blinding speeds. Both Luz and Amity cried in pain as they were sent flying through the air, bloodied bruises on their foreheads. As they fell toward the ground, so too did the Healing Hat. However, Booker didn't care about the hat. All he cared about were the girls he loved. He clapped his hands together and formed two giant gold hard-light hands that reached out and caught Luz in one hand and Amity in the other.
"Gotta!" He said, placing them on the ground safely.
"How noble." Booker picked back up Dragon's Bite and turned back to Lilith. However, to his terror, Lilith caught the Healing Hat. "But what does it get you," she asked the Seventh Son with a smirk before doing the unthinkable.
Using her blue and white flames again, Lilith destroyed the Healing Hat!
"NO!" Booker screamed in shock and horror, watching the magic hat turn to ash before his eyes. Everyone in the room saw it and looked at Lilith, shocked by how callously she destroyed the only thing that could heal her sister.
With this act, Booker was filled with rage at what she had done. Then, radiated by a golden aura and with Dragon's Bite in hand, Booker advanced toward Lilith, wanting to finish her off.
"RRRAAAAAAH!"
Seeing this, Lilith threw three fireballs at him, but Booker managed to dodge them all and jumped on top of Lilith. She tried to counterattack, but Booker was faster.
CRACK!
With a blow from Dragon's Bite, Booker disarmed Lilith of her staff and immobilized her on the ground. Lilith tried to get the hybrid off her, but it was in vain, with Booker pinning her with the sword and punching her face, drawing blood from her lips.
"How could you, Lilith?! That could've been the only thing to save your sister! I could have cured her!" Booker screamed, continuing to punch her face.
Lilith scoffed as she glared at Booker. "Foolish child". With another kick, she managed to knock Booker off of her by throwing him a short distance away, and despite taking a beating, she got up with little effort. "These decrepit relics hold no true power. You were filling yourself with false hope," Lilith said, wiping the blood from her lips and walking towards Booker. "The only true salvation for Eda, the only one that can cure her, is Emperor Belos."
"I'm not letting that monster touch her! Do you have any idea how much Eda is suffering?!" Booker stood up and yelled at the blue-haired witch, snapping her tolerance for his audacity to question the pain her own sister felt.
"Do you?! You're not even her own child! I have been crawling my way to the top, constantly on guard, always watching my back, committing terrible punishments on Wild Witches just to make it into this position. Just for Edalyn!" Lilith screamed at Booker, glaring at him with anger in her eyes. "We were always meant to be in the Emperor's Coven. My sister decided she would abandon that dream, and because of that, she was cursed. For years, Belos had promised me that he could cure my sister and that we could be a family again."
"And you believe him!?" Booker yelled.
"Yes!"
"Why?!"
"Because she's my sister!" Lilith screamed as she started tearing up a bit. "You, of all people, should know the lengths I would go to save my sister. Now do me a favor…"
Using her magic, Lilith appeared before Booker and drew a spell circle.
"…and fall."
Booker was knocked on his back when Lilith hit him with a sleep spell. Fading into the darkness of a dreamless sleep.
"Booker!" Luz screamed, running towards her best friend as Amity was too stunned to move. With tears in her eyes, the human girl reached out to Booker but was stopped by Lilith grabbing her by the cowl of her uniform. "Let me go!"
Lilith, however, was done messing around. Twilight was fast approaching, and she still had to put her plan into action. "Listen closely, human. If you wish to see the hybrid again, you and his friends will deliver this to Edalyn," she said, throwing Luz back and then throwing her staff at her.
The white Palisman flew on its own as Luz caught it by her stomach. The human girl screamed as the staff flew toward others, picking up Amity, Gus, and Willow. "Booker!" Luz and Amity cried out as they were forced to fly away!
As the kids were taken away, Lilith looked down at Booker. Kneeling at him, Lilith gently stroked his head. "You look so much like your father, and yet, at the same time, you're not. So disappointing for a Bridges," she said, drawing another spell circle. Lilith watched as a giant blue bubble formed around Booker, sealing his sleeping body inside its protective shell. "I'm sorry, Malcolm. But I must do what is best for my sister."
After finally completing Luz's brand new witch's wool cloak, Eda folded it into a small square and placed it on the table with the adoption papers. If she was honest with herself, the Owl Lady was excited to see the looks on her student's faces when she gave them their gifts.
Hooty opened the door and said to Eda, "I spy with my little eye something coming this way!"
"Booker and Luz!" She said with glee.
Hearing their names, King quickly pushed the large cake he made into the living room on a cart. "Wait for me! You're not the only one who knows dark magic!" He exclaimed, holding up a cake mix box. Throwing the box away, he opened the top of the cake. "Now stop gawking and load me in!"
Rolling her eyes, Eda stood up and helped him in.
"Ow! Ow! Gentle!"
With her back turned Eda didn't see the shadows of Luz, Amity, Willow, and Gus on Lilith's staff passing the window.
A second later, Luz swung open the door. "Eda!" she yelled, rushing to her teacher and hugging her when she turned around. She was crying into her, which Eda didn't catch on to at first.
"Whoa, kid, what's…" Her face fell when she looked up and saw the bruised bodies of her kids' friends. That's when she heard and felt Luz sobbing in her stomach. However, someone significant to Eda wasn't there with them. "Where…"
That's when she saw Lilith's staff floating behind the kids, glowing blue.
Eda's eyes grew wide at first before glaring at it as her joy and excitement turned to rage.
Lilith had Booker.
After finally capturing the Seventh Son, the sun was starting to set on the horizon. Twilight was approaching fast, and Lilith was still waiting for her sister on the bridge of the castle. Behind her, the entire Emperor's Coven watched from various windows and perches of the palace. News of her victory spread quickly, along with her plan to kill two birds with one stone.
Eda loved Booker like a son, and that was something she could use against her. Before she brings Malcolm's son to Emperor Belos, she will use him to draw Eda out and beat her in a Witches Duel. Lilith had no doubt she would win—she did at the Covention. Only this time, her sister would have nowhere to run.
"Come on, Edalyn. You would be late when I need you most," Lilith said to herself as she looked to the top of the castle, seeing Belos having the highest seat to watch the duel.
Suddenly, a bright flash of lightning struck, bringing Lilith's attention around. Eda had come at last, floating in the air with her staff in hand, glaring hateful at Lilith.
Lilith smirked.
That was until Eda threw Lilith's staff, missing her head by a few inches, as it crashed into the castle wall. Leaving a crater. Lilith looked at her staff, almost surprised. That would have definitely killed her if it had landed the hit.
Shaking her head, Lilith refocused on her sister. "Sister! I see that you got my invitation to a Witch's—"
BASH!
"Gah!" Lilith cried out in pain when Eda suddenly rushed her and swung her staff into her sister's head like a bat. The force of the hit sent Lilith falling off the bridge and flying across the pit before she gradually started falling.
Lilith, whose body was twisting and turning, held out her hand and summoned her staff. The white Palisman staff yanked out of the wall and flew towards its master. Catching Lilith from underneath and floating her in the air.
The blue-haired witch looked up at Eda, but she wasn't there anymore. She felt a gush of air behind her and looked over her shoulder…
Rage.
That was all Eda felt in her heart.
Eda's pupils were dilated, and her eyes were wide open as she glared at Lilith. Giving her sister a death glare unlike any she's ever given before. At the same time, Eda's arms reared back as she held her staff, ready to deliver another devastating attack.
Having seen it just in time, Lilith was able to form a blue energy shield.
Eda bashed the shield with her staff surging with unbelievable power. Stronger than what she showed at the Covention. This told something that made Lilith's blood run cold.
She's been holding back on her.
"Where is my son?!" Eda screamed as she pushed against the cracking magic shield.
Lilith gritted her teeth as she tried pushing against the Palisman staff. "S-Son?"
"Adoption, you lousy bitch of a sister!" Eda said before bashing Lilith's shield again, breaking it and sending Lilith flying up.
As she passed the bridge, Lilith quickly flew on her Palisman and landed on the bridge.
Eda flew back up to where she originally appeared. "Where is Booker?!" She shouted as she flew towards Lilith.
"Easy now," Lilith said, holding a hand out. Eda came to a haunt in the air before her . "Your 'son,' as you call him, is safe."
Lilith knocked her witch's staff on the ground, commanding the blue bubble to fly out of the castle with Booker inside it. When it stopped, the jolt seemed to awaken the blonde boy, as he looked to see himself captured and Eda floating before him.
"Eda!" Booker said, banging on the bubble. "No!"
Behind him, Belos looked at the Seventh Son with great interest.
"Booker!" Eda cried out to the boy before turning her attention back to her sister. "Whatever you do to that boy, I'll unleash on you tenfold, Lilith! Let him go, now!"
Lilith walked in front of Booker with a smirk. "I'm afraid I can't do that. But if you can still be with him, provided you do as I say. Renounce your wild ways and join the Emperor's Coven. He can help heal your curse!
Eda growled at her sister, not just for the ridiculous demands but for being willing to hand her student over to the tyrant. "Don't believe everything that bastard tells you. He doesn't want to heal me—he wants to control me!" Eda said. "And you can't believe that Belos will let Booker live. He doesn't want Booker for anything other than his powers. He'll kill him! Can you really live with that?"
Lilith sighed, knowing that this would happen. "If you don't come willingly, then I will take you in by force," Lilith said, spinning her staff around, ready to fight her sister.
Eda chuckled and landed on the bridge. "You've always looked down on me because I'm wild," she said, as Owlbert's eyes opened and shined brightly, "but fortunately, that just made me work harder than you."
Spinning her staff over her head, Eda slammed it on the ground, summoning a towering owl of pure magic light behind her. Displaying her true magical potential as a wild witch.
Shadowed with glowing eyes, Eda charged at Lilith.
Only able to gasp, Lilith was helpless to stop her sister when Eda bashed her with staff,launching her in the air. Inside the castle, the coven members and guards watched the battle unfold.
In the air, Lilith stopped herself, only for Eda to appear behind her, ready to attack. Reacting quickly, Lilith disappeared in a stream of blue magic, dodging the attack as Eda swung her staff. Lilith reappeared behind Eda right as Eda, trying to copy her sister's move. But the Owl Lady disappeared again, kicked Lilith away , then zapped away to chase her.
From the bubble, Booker was forced to watch as Eda and Lilith zipped across the sky. Like an episode of Dragon Ball Z, they were nothing but gold and blue lights weaving and crashing.
He had to get out of the bubble. He had to help Eda before she used too much magic. Booker quickly placed his palms on the surface of the bubble. Then, he started breathing deeply and began focusing his magic. Pulling the magic of the bubble into his body.
Lilith was in a troublesome position. She couldn't stand against her sister in a one-on-one fight—not when she was using her full powers. The only way to weaken her was to force Eda to use up her magic. To the point where she wouldn't risk fighting anymore, or else she would turn into the Owl Beast.
However, at this rate, her sister will beat her before she can get Eda down to that level, so she has to drag out the fight a little bit longer.
That's when she saw Booker as his hands started glowing. With a smirk, she shot a beam of light at the bubble.
Seeing where she was shooting at, Eda gasped and flew towards Booker.
Lilith's shot hit the ground near the bubble, sending it rolling down the bridge and toward the edge. Eda landed on the bridge as she chased after her adopted son.
"Booker!" Eda appeared in front of Booker's bubble and used her magic to redirect the bridge boards to keep Booker from falling off. "Booker, use your magic to get yourself out of there and run!"
"It's okay! I can fight with you!" Booker said, slamming his hands back on the bubble and concentrating again.
Eda wanted to say something, but Lilith dropped down towards her. Eda rolled out of the way to prevent being crushed, but now Lilith had placed herself between the Owl Lady and the Seventh Son.
The wild witch retaliated by using her staff to summon a three-headed Hooty Hydra to wrap Lilith up. "Stay away from my boy!" Eda shouted as she spun her staff, gathering a giant amount of magic, and held it in front of her to fire a massive yellow magic blast at Lilith.
Lilith gasped at the sight and quickly moved the bubble in front of her, using it and Booker as a shield.
"No!" Eda shouted as she quickly redirected the beam. Making it fly past them and slam into the castle wall. " Stop hiding behind Booker, you coward!"
Restarting his attempt to drain the bubble of magic, Booker looked at both of his aunts as they panted and sweated profusely. Both witches were exhausted. They've been fighting for a short period of time, but they used large amounts of magic.
Lilith freed herself from the hydra and smirked at her sister. Her plan was working. She just had to keep getting Eda to attack. "It's sad to see you slowing down, sister," she said, using Eda's impulsive behavior against her. "Tell me, is it the curse?"
Eda growled at Lilith again, sounding half like the Owl Beast. At the same time, the darkness in her gem grew.
Booker saw it and gasped. "No! Eda, stop! Your gem! Eda!" He yelled through the bubble, but it muffled the sound. All he could do was try and break free.
She heard the Seventh Son but ignored him. He wanted to protect her from herself, but she tried to protect him, too. "Maybe it is the curse. But then, how pathetic are you when you can't beat me at my worst?!" Eda shouted, spinning her staff to make a giant ring behind her. With her arms spread out, the Owl Lady turned that one big ring into a dozen smaller rings of magic, all of which sent bolts at Lilith.
Booker tried to yell again, but Eda's Hooty Hydra dragged his bubble to safety. At the same time, Lilith summoned a shield to protect herself.
When the bubble stopped, Booker gritted his teeth in frustration as he slammed his hands on the bubble's surface again. His magic lines reappeared on his body as he sucked in Lilith's magic.
"Maybe you are stronger than me, but that made me work smarter !" Lilith said as she kneeled behind her shield, trying to remain strong. "I became smart, crafty!"
"A lapdog for a tyrant who turns their backs on everyone who loves you!" Eda replied as she continued her attacks!
"BREAK, DAMNIT!" Booker roared as he pulled the magic into his body harder. Finally, the bubble shatters, freeing him of it. Landing on the ground, he clapped his hands and charged at the dueling witches. "Eda! You need to stop!" Booker shouted to her.
"You always thought you were better than me—that I could never beat you in anything!" Lilith yelled as her shield began to crack.
"I am better than you!" Eda shouted at her.
And just like that, Lilith had finally reached her limit. All day, she's had her guilt working against her. The Emperor lost faith in her ability to perform her duty. The Seventh Son dared her motives to trust Belos, the only one with the power to cure her sister. And now, just as she finally had her sister, all she saw in her was every reminder of how Eda outshined her all of their lives.
Lilith lost control of herself, and she revealed something that shocked her sister to her core.
"THEN WHY WERE YOU SO EASY TO CURSE ?!?!"
Gasping, Lilith covered her mouth. However, it was too late. The damage was already done. The secret was out, and she could never take it back. All she could do was watch as Eda's spells disappeared, and her eyes widened.
The younger sister looked at her in shock and betrayal , not wanting to believe what she said.She couldn't believe it.
And yet, it was the truth.
Lilith had placed the curse on her own little sister.
As the truth settled in, Eda's mind relayed the memory of her cursing. It played out the same way as always, with her bedroom door opening. The light from the hallway lit up her sleeping figure. The mysterious figure stepped forward. Only this time, the shadows disappeared. In the place of a dark figure with big white eyes was her sister in her youth, wearing a pair of round glasses, glaring at her dear sister with such contempt.
"Lily?" Eda felt a tear run down her cheek as her lips trembled. "It was you…?"
"Edalyn…." Lilith pulled her hand away from her mouth and reached out to her sister.
"How could you?!" Booker shouted in shock, anger, and disgust. Making Lilith look at him as an overwhelming guilt rushed over her.
However, she had other things to worry about.
"She's your sister!" The Seventh Son shouted at Lilith as his powers activated. However, it was more than just a few lines on his arms. Just like at the Covention, Booker's eyes were glowing brightly as his magical lines spread up his arms, across his chest, and down his legs, with the lines also going up his neck and to his face. "How could you curse your own family?!"
"I-I-I know! But I can remove it," Lilith said, pleading with the boy. For the first time, the older witch showed genuine remorse for her actions to the Seventh Son. She turned back to her sister and held out her hand to her. "Edalyn, please, if you would just let me explain."
Eda wasn't listening. Eda looked away, shaking in an anger she'd never felt in all her life. All this time, she held onto the belief that there was some good in her sister—that the old Lily was still inside her. But no, there was no Lily to hope for.
She made her hurt their father to the point where he can't make palismen anymore.
Lilith's curse was responsible for ruining her relationship with Malcolm and with everyone she was close to.
Her sister was the one that took her life away from her!
"RAAAAAAAHHHH!" Eda screamed in fury as she charged at Lilith, shattering her shield and knocking her into the castle wall, forming a crater. "You did it! You ruined my life! I'm gonna kill you—!"
However, Eda gasped and fell to her knees. She had used up almost all her magic. Now, the black in Eda's gem is writhing furiously.
With his eyes stopped glowing, Booker came out of his emotional state and ran to Eda, still worried about her. "Eda, stop! Your magic!"
Lilith smirked and used her magic on Booker. Surrounding him in a glowing blue aura as he started floating.
"Hybrid. That orb was for your protection—"
"NO!" Suddenly, Booker yelled as his body glowed with his magic. Breaking the spell cast on him, much to Lilith's shock. "Stay away, you monster!" He yelled, turning around and blasting a beam of light magic at Lilith.
The beam hit Lilith in the chest, sending her slamming against the wall again. She groaned in pain as she slid to the floor.
With Lilith dealt with for now, Booker rushed to Eda. The Owl Lady was on her hands and knees, writhing in agony as she tried to keep the curse under control.
"Eda!" Booker said, sliding on his knees as he reached her. "Hung on, I'm getting you out of here!"
Booker grabbed Owlbert and tossed him. The loyal Palisman floated above the ground and extended his wings.
"Let's go!" Booker exclaimed, trying to help Eda up as she stood on shaking legs.
Meanwhile, Lilith groaned as she tried raising herself. That's when she opened her eyes and saw her sister about to escape again with the Seventh Son. After all this time, after failed attempt after failed attempt, the Head of the Emperor's Coven was about to see her sister slip through her fingers yet again.
"NO!" Lilith screamed in fury as she quickly got up and spun her staff around, creating a ring of blue magic. Then she unleashed a powerful beam of her magic at the Seventh Son and the Owl Lady.
Eda heard the beam coming and gasped when she looked back and saw it coming fast. "Booker!"
Pulling away from Booker and grabbing her staff by the end, Eda drew a shaky spell circle with her Palisman. Forming a wall of magic that took the full brunt of Lilith's attack.
"I won't let you escape, sister!" Lilith roared as she pressed the attack. Making Eda strain to keep the shield.
"Eda, stop!" Booker said, looking at his adoptive mom with shock and great concern. "You don't have much magic left!"
"I-I, but it's my power, kid," Eda said through her teeth, still struggling as her magic sparked in her hand. "And before you showed up, I spent my whole life wasting it."
Lilith snarled in frustration as she tried pressing the attack. Trying to break the shield. However, a figure appeared and stood beside her. Looking to her right, Lilith was surprised to see it was Emperor Belos wielding his mechanical witch's staff.
Able to unfold from the lower rod section, it was usually and easily concealed beneath Belos' cloak. Unlike other witch's staffs, the staff did not feature a palisman atop it. However, in its place, there was a red orb with a white-gold wing next to it, which acted as a focusing point for magic when being used.
"I think it's time to end this little hunt, Lilith," Belos said, raising his staff as the red orb glowed.
Lilith grinned evilly. "Yes, My Lord," she said, adding more power to her spell.
Belos then fired a magic, lightning-like energy beam at Eda's shield. Eda gasped when she saw it coming and braced for impact.
However, with his eyes glowing and his magic markings appearing on his body again, Booker placed his hands on the yellow shield and poured his magic into it. Making it even stronger and allowing it to withstand Lilith and Belos' beams.
The Owl Lady looked at her so-to-be adoptive son in awe. "Booker…"
"It's okay! I won't let them take you!" Booker yelled, grinning at Eda.
However, Eda knew this could not last. Booker could keep going. He's the Seventh Son, but she couldn't. But this was still her spell. She was still feeding her magic into it. If she stopped, even with Booker supercharging it, the shield would drop, and the two witches would hurt Booker. If they keep it up together, Eda will run out of magic and attack her student.
"Booker, I'm sorry," Eda said, resigning herself to fate. There was only one way Booker could leave this place alive.
Still holding on to hope that they could leave this place together, he looked at Eda from the corner of his eyes with a smirk. "For what?"
"For not telling you about the adoption. I…I wanted it to be a surprise," Eda said as she closed her eyes and hung her head in defeat.
Booker's eyes widened for a moment as his jaw dropped slightly. Then he smiled at his so-to-be adoptive mom. "We can talk about it when we get back home. We'll have a great party. I'll invite my family and…"
"Booker…" Eda tried to hold back her sobs. "Booker, it's too late for me….I'm not coming back."
"No, don't say that!" Booker yelled, pushing more of his magic into the shield. However, what he saw made his eyes widen.
Standing on the walls of the castle, guards line up. They then started drawing spell circles and shooting fireballs at the duo. Booker began to freeze up a bit as multiple fire spells hit the barrier. However, he tried to remain strong and focus on the shield. For Eda!
However, he felt Eda's hand resting on his head, petting his gold hair as she used her other head to hold her magic staff. Trying to keep going as the curse slowly took hold of her. Oh, how she wanted to hold her new son in her arms. But now, with Belos, Lilith, and his army overpowering them and her gem almost entirely black, Eda would never get that chance.
"I may not be able to save myself…but I can still save you. Watch over King. Take care of Owlbert. Remember to feed Hooty," Eda said as her eyes slowly began to blacken.
"Please, no!" Booker desperately shook his head. "I can't lose you too!"
"Tell Luz and Amity you love them…Marry them, and have as many kids as you can," Eda said, snorting a chuckle. "Didn't think I'd ever want grandkids."
Looking at the Owl Lady, Booker's eyes stopped glowing as tears began to pool. "Eda…"
"And Booker, thank you for being in my life," Eda said, caressing her adoptive son's cheek. "You're the child I never knew I needed. I love you so much…Have a wonderful life…"
With a scream, Eda unleashed a powerful burst of magic as Owlbert flew off his staff. Belos, Lilith, and the guards were pushed back, their spells broken. Eda's magic illuminated the Isles.
Booker was thrown off the bridge when Eda unleashed her spell. Helpless, he plunged into the spike-covered pit. However, he was saved by Owlbert. The owl Palisman flew under the Seventh Son, turned into his staff form, and opened his wings. Once Booker landed on his poll, Owlbert zoomed up. Flying out of the pit and ascending into the sky.
Sitting backward on the staff while holding onto the poll, Booker looked back at the bridge where Eda was lying. Helpless to do anything as his adoptive mom's Palisman carried him away, Booker's eyes poured tears of unimaginable sadness as he watched Eda grow future and away.
"EDA!"
Hearing Booker's anguish voice, Eda's left eye opened to look upon him for what would likely be the last time. Smiling, she said, before her left eye went completely black, "Goodbye, Booker."
Then came the takeover of the curse.
Eda screamed to the heavens, her voice overlapping with the Owl Beast's. She slammed a hand to the bridge, transforming into the Owl Beast as it stood up, taking its place over the Owl Lady.
Lilith looked at the beast with wild eyes as she tried approaching it. "Edalyn, it's okay," she said confidently as the Owl Beast turned to look at her. "Now you can come back to your family."
The beast did not care for Eda's sister. When it saw Belos behind Lilith, a few meters away, the Owl Beast felt nothing but rage. It shrieked and knocked Lilith to the floor, charging at Belos.
"Eda, no!"
However, Belos vanished before the Owl Beast could attack him, appearing from the bridge behind it. The monster turned around and glowed at the tyrant. Belos merely lifted his finger. Using his magic, he forced the Owl Beast onto the bridge before glowing red ropes appeared to keep her down.
Shocked by how quickly he could bring her sister down, Lilith ran over and stood between Eda and Belos. "M-My Lord, I apologize for my sister's rash behavior. She is still in her cursed form. Once you've healed her, as promised, I am sure she will become a valuable asset to the coven," she said with a smile of gratitude and bowed to her ruler.
Emperor Belos summoned his mechanical staff and raised it. From the red orb, he shot a red spell into the head of the Owl Beast. Making it shriek for a moment before the Emperor stopped. When the cursed witch opened her eyes, they weren't black anymore.
Belos had healed Eda, but only to the point of allowing her to speak in her Beast form.
"You!" she yelled when she saw Belos. Eda tried lunging and ripping him to shreds, but the rope tightened on her. Stopping the cursed witch from enacting her brand of justice.
"Edalyn Clawthorne, the infamous Owl Lady, the wild witch of Bonesborough," Emperor Belos said as he approached the defeated witch. "Mentor of Luz, the Human and the new guardian of the Seventh Son of Seventh Son, Booker Bridge. How I've waited to meet you. Though, I was hoping to meet your adoptive son as well. So much to talk about with him."
Eda glared at the mad king of the Boiling Isles as she laughed a bit. "You failed, Belos. Booker will vanish—disappear into the Boiling Isles. He's the Seventh Son!"
A smile formed behind Philip's mask. Caleb said something similar to that before his end. "He can go wherever he wants, for now. It was you who I was after," Belos said. "You have something I want. Malcolm Bridges' portal."
"Tough, 'cause I ain't telling you nothing!" Eda told the Emperor.
"Ugh, pity. But not all hope is lost. Not if Booker has it," Belos said, looking in the direction Booker was taken. "With the mighty Owl Lady here, the Seventh Son will come with his father's portal, and I will be waiting for him."
Eda's eyes widened. "N-No!"
"And when I have the boy, his blood will be mine, and the final step to the Day of Unity will be completed," Belos explained before snapping his fingers.
"Wait! Don't touch him!" Eda begged the merciless ruler as scouts came over and started dragging her away towards the castle. "Lilith, please! You can't let him do this! I'm begging you, don't let him hurt Booker! LILITH!"
Lilith looked genuinely sorrowful at her sister as Eda was pulled into the darkened halls of the castle. What could she even say to her?
Turning back to Emperor Belos, Lilith said, "So, when shall her healing ceremony begin?" Lilith had waited for this moment for so long. Now, her mistake can be fixed, and the two sisters could be together again.
Emperor Belos, however, said, "I will not be healing her."
Lilith's eyes widened in stunned confusion. "What?" she gasped, believing there must have been a mistake. There was no way that Belos would just deny Eda's cure, right? The very thing he promised her for three decades. "B-But, you promised me…"
"Don't be so naïve, Lilith. This is the Titan's will," Emperor Belos said, gesturing to the lands of the Boiling Isles. Crushing Lilith's hopes and dreams as he continued talking. "All wild witches must be dealt with before the Day of Unity. You understand, don't you?" Belos turned to his servant.
"…Of course…" Lilith said, the truth finally started to sink in for her.
"Good," said Emperor Belos, his voice cold to Lilith's ears. She stood alone on the bridge as the tyrant began walking away. "Oh, one more thing."
Belos snapped his fingers, and Dragon's Bite appeared in Lilith's hands. Surprising the witch as she caught it in her arms.
"Destroy the Seventh Son's sword. When I'm done with him, he won't need it anymore.
Belos turned and continued walking back to the castle as the bridge slowly retracted. Lilith stood alone, staring after him, as the bridge pulled her back to the palace of the Emperor. Pulling her back to the life she chose to lead, feeling the same sense of betrayal that her sister felt.
Lilith had always wanted to join the Emperor's Coven—to be with the best of the best. It was a dream she and Eda both shared. Eda had the raw talent, but Lilith was desperate to join. Even if it meant hurting her sister in a way she couldn't have imagined was possible.
When Lilith saw the horrible consequences of her actions, she became desperate to find a way to cure her sister. As part of the Emperor's Coven, no doors were locked to her, and no scrolls were off limits. Lilith searched for a cure, but there was none to be found.
Everything changed for Lilith once Emperor Belos learned of her plight. Out of what she thought was kindness, Belos made a promise to Lilith that if she rose through the ranks and became the head of his coven, she would have the freedom to go after Eda. And if she convinced her to join the Emperor's Coven, he would cure her. That was his deal with her, and Lilith took it without hesitation.
For three decades, Lilith followed her Emperor with unquestioning loyalty. Turning her back on friends and cutting herself off from her family. No matter how many horrible acts Belos committed, she stayed by his side because she believed he would cure her sister.
And now that he had Eda…Lilith was no longer of use to him. She had only been a means to an end to bring in the most rebellious Wild Witch on the Boiling Isles. Lilith had given her sister to the clutches of a madman who would sentence her to a fate worse than death. All to get his hands on a portal and a boy Lilith should have been protecting from the beginning.
As the doors closed behind her, Lilith looked down at Dragon's Bite's blade, expecting to see her younger self reflected in it, staring up at her in disappointment.
But all she saw was herself, bruised and burned. This was the real her. The person she chose to be…
…and it cost her everything.
The night sky over the Boiling Isles was one of the most beautiful things ever to be seen by Booker. It was filled with so many stars and new constellations that weren't seen on Earth. Some of them showed the glyphs of magic. And yet it filled Booker with absolute dread and sadness as the Seventh Son slowly walked back to the Owl House.
When Owlbert landed a few miles away from the Owl House, Booker didn't speak. With his hair shadowing his eyes, he just walked the rest of the way home. Owlbert rested on his shoulder, tears flowing down his face as the Palisman occasionally nuzzled the young man. But nothing he did brought Booker any joy.
About an hour later, Booker finally approached the Owl House. No lights were on, giving the assumption that no one was home. Sensing someone was coming, Hooty groggily opened his eyes and saw his human hybrid approaching.
"Oh, Booker, you're finally home," he said, but Booker didn't reply as he opened the door. "Luz?"
Looking inside the owl house, Booker found only darkness. He then looked at the side, and his eyes widened.
His friends were there. Luz and Amity were sleeping together on the couch, with the human girl curled up in a ball, tightly holding her new cape wrapped in a bow. The Blight girl had her arms around her as if Luz was crying before falling asleep. Willow was sleeping on the floor, lying on a bed of roses she conjured, and Gus was sleeping on the other couch.
However, what took Booker by surprise was the celebration set up in the den. There were balloons and streamers hung up. Party hats were on the couches, and confetti was on the floor. King's cake was on the table, the candles of which had long burned out.
Booker then spotted something on the table next to the cake. He walked over to it and saw it was a document. He slowly reached down, picked up the adoption paper, and looked at his new legal name.
Booker Clawthrone Bridges.
Suddenly, King burst out from the cake and took deep breaths of air with his arms up. "Surprise! I was the cake!" He said, startling everyone awake.
Luz groaned as she woke up. She was about to say something to King until she saw Booker. "Booker!" The name of the Seventh Son brought everyone's attention to him. At first, they were all happy to know that he was home.
That was until they noticed the mood. Booker was just there, looking at the adoption papers, and Eda was nowhere in sight.
Hesitantly, Gus asked, "Hey, where's Eda?"
For over an hour, Booker had held in everything. But now, unable to hold it in anymore, the Seventh Son dropped the adoption papers, his eyes filled with tears, and he fell to the floor. Breaking down and sobbing uncontrollably. Seeing this, everyone, including Hooty, walked over to comfort him. The only thing they could do.
Booker had lost his entire family. Eda, out of the love and kindness in her heart, wanted to adopt him. Not just to change his name and keep him safe but because she genuinely intended for the Seventh Son to be her son.
Booker was given a new mother in the form of Eda.
And now he's lost his new family.