Total Eclipse

Chapter 6

Luz was sitting back in the beating heart of the Owl House, staring silently into her now-cold cup of tea. She was ashamed of her reflection. She shook her mug, leaving only ripples and shattered fragments of Luz's broken expression. She sighed and leaned her head on her elbows, unable to hold the weight on her shoulders all on her own.

She had told Eda everything that had happened. She listened intently, never interrupting with a jab at anyone or a forced joke like she normally did. Luz sometimes forgot that Eda looked after Amity, just as she did Luz and King and Hooty and every poor stranger who needed some love and a place to be themselves. Maybe their connection wasn't exactly like Eda's and Luz's, but Eda cared for everyone that the Owl House took in, made them feel like family. Even if she would never admit it.

"Sounds like a curse to me... I'd know better than anyone. But who'd curse her?" Eda said after Luz finished her story.

"That's what's not adding up. No one would stand a chance against Amity, she's so powerful. Who would mess with her?" Luz mumbled, twirling a messy curl around her ring finger. It was a thing she had done her whole life when she was stressed, just like biting her nails. Amity was the one to point it out, all those years ago.

They were on some sort of quest—they seemed to blend together, these days. The stakes were getting somewhat higher and Luz got nervous and started twirling her hair.

"Hey. Hey. It's gonna be okay. It always is," Amity said with a smile and an outstretched hand.

"What? Pfft. I'm fine," Luz answered.

"You're doing it again," she said with a smirk.

"Doing what?"

"That thing you do when you get nervous," Amity copied her with her pin-straight hair. "It's alright. I pick at my skin. And pull on my dress,"

Luz just laughed and finally took the hand she had offered before.

And of course, Amity was right as always. It did end up okay.

She could use that kind of promise right now.

But all she could do was collapse on the table and wallow in her despair. She didn't tell Em and Ed a thing—if they hadn't already known, then Amity didn't want them to know. She felt like she had to respect that, after finding out her deepest secret by accident.

Eda leaned on the doorframe and looked at Luz.

"Feeling any better, kiddo?" Eda asked before walking over and sitting by her side. She tussled her hair and gave her a smile that made her feel that maybe this would all get better.

"You haven't touched your dinner," Eda said, gently pushing a plate of cold food and nudging her arm. "I guess I'll just have King eat it. More satisfying than world dominance, my cooking,"

She winked, trying to get a smile from Luz to no avail. She lifted her head slightly so she could see her eyes.

"When you're ready to talk, I'm here. You know where to find me." She smiled and let her rest, going upstairs to her nest.

Luz sighed and scraped her food into the garbage and put the plate and mug into the sink. She ran her hands through her hair and covered her eyes. The image of Amity at her weakest was haunting her, she saw it every time she shut her eyes. She stumbled upstairs distractedly, her mind somewhere far away. She made her way into her bedroom and slipped into clean sweatpants and a bright pink t-shirt that said "Connecticut Rocks!" that she got at the crystal store in her town. It smelled like candles and lavender and laundry detergent.

She found herself missing home, but didn't really know what home was anymore.

She stared at the ceiling for hours, uninspired and more alone than before. She was drained and weak and exhausted but unable to sleep. Luz did what she always did when the morning was approaching and she was far from asleep. She drew.