38And here we are gang, the final chapter of Ghosts of Slithermas Eve. Thank you all for going along with yet another wacky idea and encouraging me to keep it up.
Alador Blight stared at the bookcase that sat behind his desk, his amber eyes scanning the immaculate order of volumes that were part of his collection. It was one of the most well-kept collections of the written word of the Boiling Isles, save for those of loftier positions among the Emperor's Coven and a few others of the elite. Still, even though it was not the largest, Alador prided himself on the information he had collected over the years. Finding the title he had been searching for, the Blight patriarch pulled the volume from its spot and settled into his chair. The door opened and his office was briefly filled with the outside chatter of the party, then the door closed and the noise ceased.
"Alador," Odalia crossed the dark maroon rug covering the floor to stand in front of her husband. "Edric and Emira told me Amity has left for the evening to spend the night at Boscha's again. Did you know of this?"
Eyes fixed on the turning pages, Alador hummed thoughtfully. "They did mention it to me shortly after Amity advised the ghosts were dealt with. I see no reason for her not to spend another night with a friend."
"How do we know this is not a cover for something else?" Placing her hands on the desk, Odalia leaned forward so her shadow fell over the book Alador was studying. "For all we know, she could be galavanting off with that Park girl or the human. If she is seen with them it could ruin us."
Sighing, Alador leaned back and looked up to meet Odalia's gaze. Though he was not as concerned about their social image as his wife, the weight of the Blight name was a heavy one, something he wanted his children to respect. Especially Amity. "I would not worry so much about that right now, my dear. Amity is a smart witch and she knows what will happen should she do anything to taint the Blight family name."
Odalia's face tightened. "But, what if this human is more than just a fellow student to her? Think of what would happen if the Emperor's Coven found out!"
It was not a stretch to think about that as a possibility. Alador had seen the way the human looked at his daughter and how Amity had looked at her. "If Amity knows what is good for her and the human, she will not let it happen. They are young and reckless, any excitement that may exist between them will soon go away. Eventually, they will realize it is nothing and end it."
"How can you say that?" The female witch gasped, unable to process what she was hearing. "If they are together then we must force Amity to end it now!"
"And risk losing our youngest daughter? No," Shaking his head, Alador leaned forward to rest his arms on the desk. "We will let them come to that conclusion themselves. Besides," his eyes darkened. "There is something watching over them that I fear would not take our actions lightly if we were to attempt to separate Amity from the human. That is, if they truly are together."
Narrowing her eyes, Odalia studied his face. "What do you mean?"
Instead of answering, Alador turned another page of his book and rotated it for his wife to see, pointing with a single finger at the name at the top and the illustration beneath it. He watched Odalia pick up the book and read the entry, her expression shifting from mild confusion to understanding to a brief flash of horror. Setting the book back down, the witch ran a hand over her face in an attempt to smooth back a single stray hair.
"I saw it standing with them earlier, talking to not just Amity and the human, but the rest of her 'team'," Alador pulled the book back to look at the entry, the drawing of the demonic creature staring blankly up at him. "It was using the shadows to hide, but I could see it as plain as if it were out in the open. If this creature has chosen to watch over our daughter, for reasons I cannot yet fathom why, we will need to be careful."
"Are you saying we should do nothing?" Odalia hissed. "Allow this - this thing to lurk about while our daughter may or may not be defiling the Blight image with a human? We must report this to the Emperor's Coven!"
The feet of Alador's chair scrapped lightly against the floor as he stood, calmly shutting the book on his desk to return it to its place on the shelf. "Give it time, my dear. We need to let the dust from this night settle before taking any action. These events began after Amity visited the Pandor Mansion, and I'd like to find out what caused it." Seeing another book, Alador hooked the spine with a finger and pulled it out. It was a documentation of the powerful witch families of the Savage Age, including those of Pandor and Blight respectively. "If that creature is what I believe it is, then Amity's relationship with it may just help solve a mystery of our family's link to that cursed place. I am not about to miss the chance to find the answer to the question. So for now," he looked up to meet Odalia's eyes. "We will not say a word to Amity or Edric and Emira of what we know and let our daughter go about her time, spending it with whomever she chooses. She will eventually realize that it will come to an end. Best she makes that discovery herself than us tell her. It will only sharpen the lesson and make the outcome better for us."
The husband and wife stared at each other silently until Odalia pulled away and nodded, a single curt gesture, and walked to the office door without another word. Alador watched her step into the party and listened to the mindless chatter of their guests until the door was shut again and he was alone in the shadows. Sighing, the witch looked down at the Boiling Isles history and began to thumb through the pages.
"Tell me, Nowhere Demon, what is it you want with my daughter?"
The Ghost Host flew through the night sky, her wings cutting the air as she climbed over the trees of the forest that surrounded the residence Luz had called the Owl House. Though she had given the girls the privacy she knew they would need for their dance, she had seen to it they arrived back home without any disturbance. It did not mean that she was not within earshot of Luz practically asking Amity to spend the rest of their lives together. That was something she did not expect the young human to so boldly ask, proving once again she was not to underestimate her courage. Or, for that matter, any of the witchlings that made up their evidently growing band of Team Owlet. They never failed to impress her with how far they were willing to go to protect each other.
It had touched her what Willow said after that brief encounter with the Radio Demon. Saying she was better now because she was not draining the life force of others as the Nowhere Demon should. A kind sentiment, but there was still a lot to do before it would be true.
A shadow descended and she glanced over her shoulder to see a roc flying above, its talons open to snatch what it had poorly assumed to be prey. Undeterred, the Ghost Host casually rolled in the air to stare up at the gigantic bird. A few seconds later, the roc bolted away with the squawk of a creature twenty times less it's size, and the Ghost Host smiled to herself, her features reforming to her preferred demonic state. Very rarely did she get to show her true form, and that was but a hint the roc had seen. That was something she did not want the witchlings to know about yet. No matter what monsters they had faced in the past, nor what they would face in the future, it was a side of the Ghost Host she knew was best to be left unseen.
Arching her back to dive, the Ghost Host landed on the steps that led up to the main door of Pandor Mansion. Yes, she could have used her powers to instantly go from the Owl House to Pandor, but on a night such as this, she enjoyed the excuse to stretch her wings. Now that she had the freedom to do so, she wanted to enjoy what this form had to offer. But now that she was back in her domain, it was time to return to the official role of the Ghost Host, and address the business of two certain spirits that had made an appearance that night.
In a rush of magic, Ghost Host slipped beneath the doors and down the hallway, a stream of darkness that rolled through the air until she came to the entrance of the ballroom and dropped to the hall to reform. Inside, the happy haunts that still remained were enjoying their own celebration of Slithermas, dancing to the music of a phantom band and drifting about the room. Crossing her arms over her chest, the Ghost Host propped a shoulder against the wall, preferring to watch from the shadows where she belonged.
"Ah, Ghost Host!"
The demon turned her head to a spirit who was rushing to her, his clothes reminiscent of the head butler. "Where have you been? The party is nearly over!"
"I appreciate the sentiment, Mr. Gracie, but you know I've never been one for gatherings such as this. Besides, I had some business to attend to at Blight Manor." She caught the surprise in the spirit's eyes, but he was quick to hide it, nodded in understanding.
"I see. Well, please feel free to join us. You have done so much to keep us safe, it is the least we can do."
Ghost Host huffed lightly and shook her head. "I will have to pass, but thank you. There is however something I would like to ask. Our most recent haunts, where would I find them?"
"Ah, they should be in the lab. I believe they are waiting for you."
"Good, thank you Mr. Gracie." Ghost Host turned away and collapsed into shadow form, shooting back through the twisting hallways of the mansion. When she finally came to the large, heavy metal door of the lab, Ghost Host rose up from the floor, but paused.
This was the lab where she and Astor Pandor had summoned so many demons, where she and Damien worked tirelessly to create a formula that would bring Emilia back from the dead. The very same lab where she was pushed through a portal to the Chaos Realm and returned, not as Mezzanotte, but the Nowhere Demon. Strange how fate could so easily twist things around. Reaching to push open the door, a noise from the other side made her ears twitch curiously before dropping in irritation.
Titan, give me strength. Clearing her throat to compose herself, Ghost Host slammed her fist on the door. Hard. "You've got five seconds to stop whatever it is you're doing before I come in!" She heard the startled yelps and a brief crash before opening the door and striding into the large space that Astor Pandor so proudly once declared his laboratory.
In truth, it was an impressive room. Composed entirely of stone, its ceiling was high and lofty, designed to accommodate the different variety of demons that would be summoned. Tall shelves containing a variety of books, journals, and glass bottles took up residence against the walls, their contents held in place by clear cabinet doors. The center of the floor was dominated by a massive disk made entirely of obsidian set into the stone. It was raised just enough that one would have to step up to walk over it, the surface a smooth plate blank of any scratches or markings, save for the two circles drawn at its outer edge, one inside the other. It was a canvas on which many spells had been performed and many formulas created, and one Ghost Host hoped would service what she had planned. Of course, there was another matter she would first need to address. Two matters, in fact, who were currently climbing off Astor's old desk, both flushed and attempting to straighten out their mussed clothing.
"Heeeey, Mezz," said the taller of the two girls, straightening her long-sleeved green shirt and smiling nervously. "What's up? You had fun at the party?" She winced at the low growl that was her answer. "Did you get all the ghosts?"
"Yes, I did," Ghost Host had her arms crossed over her chest as she stared down at the two girls with thinly veiled frustration. "And apparently while Luz and Amity were in the Ghost of Slithermas Future's dimension, their friends were visited by two new spirits as well. Creepy Luz and Villain Amity as they were called." A single eyebrow arched and she tilted her head. "You wouldn't have any knowledge of that now, would you?"
"You said you wanted us to find the deed, where else were we to look?"
"Not when it involves putting the lives of those witchlings at risk. They saw your faces, they know who you are."
"Well," the other girl said, tugging the hem of her pink dress over her black leggings. "They saw two spirits who looked like their friends and made the assumption they were from the Future ghost. We didn't hurt them."
"Then why were they running from you and tried to blow you up with a giant…" the demon waved her hand as she tried to remember what Gus had called it. "Whatever that thing was."
"We wanted to see the kiddos for ourselves, how were we to know they'd freak out like that?"
"Because you thought it'd be a great idea to bust the doors open."
The taller girl opened her mouth to argue, but was cut off by the Ghost Host's growl as she rubbed a hand over her face. "Titan Nox, why didn't you follow my instructions? You were to sneak in, unnoticed, and look for the deed. Now that the witchlings know about you, you'll have to be more careful. The both of you," her eyes slid to the other girl. "And you're not off the hook either, Amara."
Amara's eyes widened. "What? What'd I do? Nox was the one doing all the damage, I actually tried to look!"
"Did you?" The Ghost Host looked at them both, her eyes glowing in the dim light.
It was still an oddity for her that these two girls could both be so similar and so different from their younger counterparts. Granted, hearing them be dubbed as 'Creepy Luz' and 'Villain Amity' was fitting. Their appearances were close enough that Ghost Host felt they could easily pass off as the older sisters of Luz and Amity; Nox had the same dark complexion and quirky attitude as Luz, while Amara had the same green-dyed hair of Amity and her feral amber eyes. But that was where the similarities stopped, because for one: Nox was not a human and Amara was not a witch.
They were demons.
Shapeshifters, to be specific; two of the first spirits to have escaped the Chaos Realm that Ghost Host found. It was only on a whim that she decided to listen to their claims of wanting to become better, and had agreed to take them under her wing. Literally.
For reasons she could not yet fathom, they chose to take the form of Luz and Amity, but had altered their appearances. Nox's long hair was mostly tucked back into a wide red beanie with a portion of it hanging down to her shoulders. When she was using her demonic powers, her hazel eyes glowed a deep crimson and her fangs would show between her lips. Amara's hair was significantly longer than Amity's and exploded down her back like a wild mane, reminding Ghost Host of her old self as Mezzanotte.
When Amara did not answer her question about their search, Ghost Host sighed and turned to the obsidian disk. "I allowed the two of you to stay here because you said you wanted to learn more about this world and how to become better beings. I can't help you do that if you continue to follow the ways of the Chaos Realm. Nox, put away your tongue, there is no need to be rude."
Nox, who had been sticking out a snake-like tongue at Ghost Host's back, pulled it back and crossed her arms in a pout, making Amara snicker.
"Change doesn't happen overnight, and you've only been in this world for a little over a month, but you still have to put in the effort to learn." Lifting a hand, Ghost Host walked towards the disk and began to trace a circle. "For now though, I will ask the two of you to assist me with this spell. Since we have the essence of the Ghosts of Slithermas, we'll be one step closer to catching those who escaped and returning them to the Chaos Realm. Permanently."
Four small rings appeared at the corners of the disk and a bottle dropped down from each of them to land on the surface. The essence of the Ghosts of Slithermas Past and Present could be seen in two bottles; the third held a single link of a blue-green chain floating in water; and in the fourth, a piece of ashen-white cloth. Nox leaned over the bottle containing the cloth curiously and tapped it.
"How the heck did you get Future? I thought only those whose timeline it was showing could go there?"
"I found a loophole," Ghost Host said simply. "But as far as Luz and Amity are concerned, I was not there."
Amara stared at the demon. "You left them to face that thing on their own?"
"The future is something we all have to face on our own," Staff appearing in hand, Ghost Host began to draw lines to connect the bottles, tracing out a compass-like pattern. "If I would have been with them, then they would not have learned anything. It was not my future that was in danger of coming true, therefore, I did what I had to do. Luz and Amity are strong witches, and their bond is what will keep them alive in the times to come. That doesn't mean we still can't help them from the shadows."
Nox and Amara shared a look and nodded. Though they were demons, they believed in the same concept as the Ghost Host; to find a way to use their abilities to protect their new home dimension from those that would destroy it.
"What do you want us to do?" Amara asked.
Stepping up onto the disk, Ghost Host pointed to the bottles containing Present and Past. "Amara, I'll need you to stand at the southern point. Nox, please take the north. You'll need to act as the grounding rods of this spell. We cannot mess this up." When Nox and Amara had taken their respective places and pressed their hands to the disk, Ghost Host stepped onto the center of the intersecting lines. Holding up her left hand, the demon summoned a shadow to form over her right arm into a short blade and, gritting her teeth, sliced her palm. A black ooze slipped from the cut that floated down to the lines on which the Ghost Host stood.
The moment the blood touched the lines, an emerald-green light flared up, shooting down to the ends. Beams of light rose from the bottles in yellow, blue, green, and red, all spiraling into the Ghost Host's waiting hands and she began to slowly roll them before her, forming a ball of multi-colored energy. When the energy ball was tight between her palms, Ghost Host ran her left hand around it, smearing the black ooze over the surface. Muscles tensing, the demon pulled her arms back for a brief moment, and collapsed the energy in her hands.
Thunder and lightning tore through the room, shoving Nox and Amara away from the disk and launching Ghost Host from the center, filling the entire space with smoke. A stunned silence filled the lab as Nox slowly sat up from the bookshelf she had crashed into, holding her head.
"What. The. Hell was that?" She looked up at the sound of stones falling and watched the shape of the Ghost Host pull herself out of a wall. From across the room, Amara pushed at the chair that had toppled over her and got to her feet. A bright violet glow flashed in the haze and all three turned their gaze to the disk where, hovering over the dead center, was a glyph. The Ghost Host stepped out of the dust cloud, brushing a few stray bits of stone from her shoulders and held out a hand for the glyph to settle into her palm. Turning to look at the stunned girls staring at her from both sides of the room, the Ghost Host raised an eyebrow and looked down at the glyph.
"Well now," her tail flicked over the cracked stone floor. "this is interesting."
By the time Luz and Amity returned to the Owl House, Hooty was asleep in his door snoring softly. Gently pushing it open, they walked into the darkened house and quietly tiptoed up the stairs, listening to the sounds of sleep coming from Eda and Lilith's rooms. Luz shouldered open the door to her bedroom and Amity slipped in behind her.
The Wish was still cradled in her hands, beating like a tiny heart of warmth and magic. She could not stop staring at the Wish, even when she felt Luz walk up from behind and rest her chin on her shoulder, her eyes did not leave the glowing star.
"It's so beautiful," Luz's breath tickled her ear, making it flick, and she reached up, her fingers cautiously hovering over the Wish.
Smiling, Amity reached up to take Luz's hand and guided her finger to brush the glass star. When the tip of her finger tapped it, the magenta light glowing from within pulsed and a tiny spark shot from the point. It was not even that large, the Wish. It was half the size of Amity's palm and she had discovered back when they were at the Grom tree she could easily close her hand around it. Amity watched Luz's fingertips dance over the Wish before she wrapped her arm around the witch's waist and tugged her back.
"I gotta be honest, I didn't even know that's how the Wish thing worked."
"What did you expect?" Amity leaned against her chest, turning her head slightly to look at Luz. "The Wish is made from the combined magic of a witch's bile sac and the moon reaching its zenith. How else could it be created?"
Luz hummed for a moment. "Well, back home I'd always wish on a star, so, that's how I guessed it would work."
Raising an eyebrow, Amity turned in Luz's arms, the Wish beating softly between them in her hands. "Humans wish on stars?"
"And when we break the wishbone from a turkey, flip pennies into fountains, toss helicopters into the air. That last one is mostly just an excuse to run around in them when they fall."
"I have no idea what you're talking about, but," Amity bumped her forehead against Luz's and smiled. "It's cute to listen to you talk about your weird human ways."
The grin Luz gave her sent a nervous trickle down her spine as the human leaned forward. "Says the cute witch who wiggles her ears and purrs when she's happy."
Amity huffed indignantly and crossed her arms. "Don't tease me, or I won't purr for you anymore."
"Daaaw, you don't mean that, mi amor. I thought we were gonna stay up and watch more of the Christmas movies Eda found? I promise they won't be as scary as last night!"
Raising her eyebrow, Amity fought back the urge to smile at the puppy-dog eyes Luz was fixing on her and relented. "Okay, okay, I'll watch one movie with you."
"Fiiiiiine," Luz pouted and shuffled past Amity to set Rex in his corner of the room before grabbing her pajamas. "But I call first dibs on the bathroom! This human needs a scrub!"
Stopping herself before she could agree to that statement, Amity just rolled her eyes as Luz darted out of the room. She did have to admit a shower sounded nice, even if she had one that morning. Running around battling ghosts in a dress was not the most breathable of clothing options, and she was feeling a little sweaty. Pulling her heels off, Amity rubbed her tired soles and walked over to where her duffel bag sat, sorting around for her bag of toiletries she had thankfully left behind. The light from the Wish glinted in the shadows of the room and she looked at the small item, her memory suddenly recalling another Slithermas tradition that was as old and rare as the Wish itself. A smile pulled at her lips and she began to trace a spell circle over the star.
Once Luz had returned from the bathroom, Amity took her turn in the shower, enjoying the relaxing warmth of hot water on her tired muscles. Toweling off and changing into her nightwear, Amity jogged down the stairs to the living room. Reaching the bottom, Amity could see Luz hunched over the human device, muttering to herself as she fussed with the odd strings that stuck out the back. Wires, she remembered Luz calling them. When the screen flashed to life to show an image of a cluster of trees with strange images painted on their trunks, Luz did a small victory dance.
"Yes, yes, yes! Amity Blight, prepare yourself for one of the best holiday movies ever!"
Giggling, Amity sat down next to Luz and she tossed a blanket over them, tugging the witch close for Amity to rest her head on Luz's shoulder, feeling the human press her cheek to her damp hair. Music played from the speakers as creatures that looked both familiar and strange danced through the streets of their 'Halloween Town'. Luz bounced on the cushion as she followed along with the music, but Amity frowned at the odd, jerky movements of the moving creatures. Their appearances were cartoonish, but the way they behaved was nothing like what she had seen before on the crystal ball shows. Amity must have been showing her confusion because the characters suddenly froze and Luz set down the wand - remote, it was a remote - on the table.
"Amity? What's up? You don't like musicals?"
"What?" Amity blinked, looking from Luz to the screen and back. "No, I like music! I've just never seen anything like this before. The characters have such an odd way of moving,"
Luz glanced back at the screen and giggled when she made the connection. "It's because they're claymation! Think of it like they're a bunch of very small abominations that sing and dance and act out the story. It was big back in the human world a while ago,"
Amity raised her eyebrows. "I thought humans didn't have abominations."
"No, we don't, but that would have made it a whole lot easier. Those characters are made out of clay molded onto tiny metal skeletons that are moved frame by frame. It's super complicated, but looks so cool!"
Sighing, Amity settled back into Luz's side. "Sounds exhausting."
"Yeah," Luz clicked the play button on the remote. "It kinda does."
They watched the characters continue, Luz clearly trying her best not to jump up and dance along as each new song began. When the main character, Jack Skellington, began to sing about the strange snowy town he found, Luz could not wait any longer. Springing up from the couch, she bounced around in time with the wiry skeleton. Covering her mouth to try to keep from laughing at the human's antics, Amity suddenly found herself swept up, literally, when Luz grabbed her wrist and tugged her to her feet to join in.
To think humans actually liked watching these strangely animated pictures and singing characters was a concept Amity found bizarre, but Luz's goofy energy made it fun to experience. They laughed at Jack's attempts to transform Christmas into his darker Halloween style and, when the troublemakers Lock, Shock, and Barrell strutted onto screen, Amity was immediately suspicious.
"They seem like the kind of witches Ed and Em would hang out with," she muttered, frowning at their scheming song of capturing Sandy Claws.
Luz snorted. "Yeah, but at least Ed and Em don't try to hurt people with their pranks."
"Depends on who they're pranking," muttered Amity, watching with sympathy as Sally tried to warn Jack of the dangers of his plan. Titan, the way she stared at the skeleton reminded her of her early pining for Luz, making her wonder if the human could see the similarity as well. However, the introduction of the Oogie-Boogie Man piqued her interest.
"I think GH could sing his song,"
She shot a look at Luz. "Really? Ghost Host isn't a villain though."
"Yeah, but GH does like putting on a show. I could see her doing something like that, if we lived in a musical."
"Oh please," Amity shoved her. "Why would anyone want to live in a musical?"
Luz stared at her as if she had just thrown away the latest copy of her Azura collection. "Are you kidding me? Breaking out into song to express how you feel? Turning your space into a dance room? It'd be the ultimate dream come true!"
Amity rolled her eyes. "Debatable,"
They watched the remainder of the movie in silence, short of a few small gasps from Amity when Jack was shot from the sky and his final battle with Oogie-Boogie. She had returned to resting her head on Luz's shoulder and Luz had leaned against the backrest of the couch.
"You smell like lavender," whispered Luz, her nose lightly brushing the top of Amity's hair as the movie came to an end.
Sighing, Amity nuzzled her shoulder. "You smell like artificial bubblegum."
"Hey, that's a legitimate shampoo scent from the human world that I will proudly use until it is all gone!"
"What about the licorice body wash and rotten candy conditioner?"
"Okay, first of all, in the human world it's cotton candy, and second, you never complained about how I smelled before!"
"Oh, I'm not complaining," Amity chuckled. "It's just funny that you want to smell like a walking candy store. If someone gets too close to you, they might get a cavity." She felt Luz shift and a hand was tracing along her jawline to hold her face, tilting her up to stare into those wide brown eyes.
"Are you saying I'm too sweet for you?"
Feeling the start of a purr bubbling up in her chest, Amity slowly scooted back as Luz rotated to face her completely, their eyes locked. Suddenly, Amity held up her hand and Luz's chest bumped against it. "I just remembered, there's something I want to give you."
Luz blinked and sat back on the couch. "Okay,"
Nerves that had not been there before swarmed over Amity's skin as she drew a spell circle and the Wish fell down from the ring. The glowing magenta star floated into Luz's hands, a simple black cord looping up from the main point at the top. Seeing the confused expression on Luz's face, Amity smiled and scooted forward.
"There's one other Slithermas tradition I haven't told you about," she said in a hushed tone, forcing Luz to lean in close. Taking the cord, Amity lifted the star from the human's hands to carefully slip the string over her head and around her neck, letting the glass drop against her chest. "If the Wish is granted when two witches are in love, then the one whose Wish came true gives it to the other. Like how your Slithermas branch to me was your way of showing how you feel, this is my way of doing the same for you."
Mouth hanging open, Luz stared at the Wish and held it in her hand, her eyes shining with tears. "Amity...I…"
Amity gently pushed her fingers closed around the Wish, covering it with her own. "As long as we believe in each other, the Wish will stay intact. Nothing in this world, or any, will be able to break it." She watched Luz swallow and slowly nodded.
"I'll always hold on to it, I promise."
Tears started to fill her eyes and the witchling slid her hand to Luz's wrist. "Want to seal it with a kiss?"
All too happy to do just that, Luz framed Amity's face with her hands and pulled her close. The kiss sent a warm, happy tingle down Amity's spine and curled in her heart, making her smile against Luz's lips and felt the human do the same. Slowly, Amity wrapped arms around Luz's neck to move even closer, wanting to take in as much of her warmth as she could. To think after so many days of hopelessly pinning for this adorable dork, blubbering like an idiot the whole way, that this was where they would be now? It was an idea Amity would have bet money against and lost. When they pulled apart, Luz slid her arms to Amity's shoulders to settle back against the cushions, tucking the blanket around them.
"So, in a couple days, it'll be Christmas back in the human world. What do you say we get the whole team over here to binge the rest of the movies?"
Biting her lip, Amity lifted her head to look at Luz's face. "Are you sure Eda won't mind?"
Shifting so she could sit up, Luz met Amity's eyes and smiled. "I think as long as we don't make a bigger mess than King and Hooty that one time when we were training at the Knee, we'll be good." she gave Amity's forehead a light peck and plopped back against the couch. "But, if we get caught down here snuggling, Eda's never gonna let me hear the end of it."
As much as Amity did not want them to get up, she knew that Luz had a point. As accepting as the Owl Lady was of their budding romance, she would not be so thrilled to see them in such a compromising position. Or she would just tease them mercilessly. Probably both. Groaning, Amity sat up and Luz did the same, though the human paused to shut off the tv and tossed their blanket over Amity's shoulders when she noticed her shiver in the cold.
Their feet creaked softly on the staircase and the light of Amity's Wish illuminated the hallway as they made their way back to Luz's room. The adrenaline of the entire day had finally started to drain away and Amity was all too happy to collapse face-first onto the bed, rolling off briefly for Luz to pull the blankets back for them. Amity shuffled to the far side of the mattress, feeling it sag when Luz settled in beside her.
Her eyelids were growing heavy and she let out a yawn, which should have been embarrassing if not for the fact Luz picked that same moment to mirror the action, though hers ended in a snort. Sighing, Amity shot her an annoyed look. "What?"
"I can see your fangs when you yawn."
Grunting, Amity turned onto her side to face away. "What is it with you and my fangs, or my ears?"
"What? Can't a human who doesn't have them think they're cute when her girlfriend does?"
Amity felt Luz scoot closer to her back and her ears flattened against her head. "You're a dork." She grunted, relaxing into the human's warmth when Luz scooted up behind her. A small smile played at her lips as Luz's breath tickled the back of her neck.
"Buenas noches, mi amor. Happy Slithermas."
Leaning into Luz's chest, Amity closed her eyes and snuggled in. "Happy Slithermas, Luz." Later on, she would blame Luz for dreaming of them both dancing through Halloween Town dressed in the costumes of Jack and Sally. But for now, Amity allowed herself to sink into the dream and the comfort of Luz's arm draped over her shoulders. A soft purr rumbled in her chest and she smiled, covering Luz's hand with her own.
It really was the best Slithermas ever.
This year was a rough one for us all, in many ways. But, we survived! Remember to take care of yourselves and enjoy the new year of 2021! And, in the spirit of the last story, I will leave you all with a sneak peek of Part 3 (yes, Part 3) of the Team Owlet series. I will be going on a brief hiatus to work on some other projects and return to Owls Apprentice, so keep your eyes peeled in the new year. Until then, enjoy this preview of the next installment for Team Owlet: On the Horizon.
With a month off from school, Eda and Lilith decide it is time to take the kids of Team Owlet out for a proper training session. The location: the Blight family beach house at Left Kneecap Bay, an idyllic place where there will be no one to disturb them. But as the team settles in for a trip of relaxing and training, they discover the Chaos Realm has other plans for them. With a legendary jewel to find and a new curse to break, Team Owlet will come together to face off against a deadly enemy and a whole new level of magic.