I continued to visit Eda even after officially joining the Coven. I still remember how nervous and scared I was to visit her the first time after receiving the sigil and officially joining. When I first sought out her help it was easy to disregard and even forget, I would one day join the ranks of the very same coven that hunted her. After all, I could tell when she looked at me that she saw a mere child too young to be sucked into the system, she hated so. She believed I would have several more years before I joined... Oh, how I wish she had been right...

~The Owl House~ (A Month after Etta's Initiation)

Etta stood at the edge of the clearing staring at the Owl House. Her nerves were shot so much that she couldn't get her wings to retract back in. She pulled back her sleeve to look at the sigil on the inside of her wrist. It had been about a month since Etta's initiation she hadn't gone to see Eda since then. This would be her first time visiting now as an official member of the Emperor's Coven. One that was under oath to bring criminals like the Owl Lady to justice. One that now worked alongside her own mother whose goal was to capture Eda.

"Please, don't let her hate me..." Etta whispered the plea to the Titan. Before she approached the house. Clothed in her coven cape, her mask hung at her side from a sash. In her hand, she clutched her artificial staff. When she entered the clearing she heard a familiar shrill voice scream "Coven intruder!"

"Hooty No! It's me!" Etta scream out her wings flared as she attempted to shield herself knowing what was coming. Sadly Hooty didn't hear her or perhaps he had selective listening when it came to those dressed in clothes bearing the Emperor's crest. She was slammed into a tree at the edge of the clearing falling to her knees.

"Hooty it's Etta stand down!" Eda said as she exited the house and hurried over to where Etta had sat up and was dusting herself off. She reached out her hand to help Etta up. Etta took Eda's hand and the older witch pulled her back to her feet, but her sleeve came up and part of the sigil Etta now bore was revealed.

Eda's eyes narrowed as she saw the mark and she grabbed Etta's sleeve to pull it back. Etta saw this her eyes widened and she cried out desperately "Don't!"

Eda yanked the sleeve back revealing the sigil in its entirety. Eda then took in the rest of what Etta wore and even the artificial staff that still lay on the ground where Etta had fallen and the mask hanging at her side. "So this is why I haven't seen you for a while..."

Etta pulled her wrist free from Eda's grasp and yanked the sleeve back down hiding the sigil. She looked at the ground unable to meet the wild witch's eyes.

"I..." Etta couldn't bring herself to say anything she kept her eyes on the ground.

She felt Eda's hand on her shoulder and she then said gently, "Hey, kid look at me for a second,"

Etta hesitated and braced herself before raising her head to meet Eda's eyes. Only to see a look of concern on her aunt's face. "Are you okay?"

"You're not mad at me?" Etta asked the relief evident in her voice her posture relaxed, and her wings even retracted back in.

Confusion washed across Eda's face her borrows furrowed and she said, "No, I'm concerned you're too young to have joined a coven, especially the Emperor's Coven. I thought they'd give you more time..."

Etta looked at the ground and said, "I had to join the coven...If I didn't," She then shuddered as she said, "I don't want to think, what would have happened if I didn't,"

"Hey, kid it's going to be okay," Eda said as she ruffled Etta's hair.

"I hope that's true,"

Eda placed her hand on Etta's shoulder and gently guided her toward the Owl House. "How about we sit down to eat something," Etta nodded her head silently.

Etta was sitting at the table with Eda while King was asleep on the couch in the living room. Eda was sitting across from Etta, she had a mug of apple blood in front of her. The mug was white with yellow, blue, and pink text that said, Thirty & Flirty. She was observing her niece with a concerned look on her face. The two had been sitting in silence for about an hour neither one knew exactly what to say to the other.

Finally, Eda spoke up and said, "You seemed so concerned about me being angry at you, why was that?"

"I joined the very same coven that is hunting you, I now work with my mother whose only goal is for you to join the Emperor's Coven! A coven you despise, how could you not hate me!" Etta replied as she looked down at the table's surface.

Eda shook her head and said, "Listen, kid one of the very first things. I remember when we met is that you said, you would eventually be joining the Emperor's Coven to work with your mother. I still agreed to tutor you in magic despite that. I had no intention of ever hating you for that decision. I only wish that you didn't have to make that choice so young,"

"I didn't want to be taken away from my mother..." Etta whispered. Eda was silent when she heard that. Etta noticed that the witch's grip on her mug seemed to tighten. When she spoke her voice had an edge to it. "They would have taken you away from Lily?"

"Most of the Coven doesn't even see her as my mother, or me even as her daughter," Etta said quietly. She wrapped her fingers around her necklace charm. However, she didn't use it but the motion had become a nervous habit for her thanks to the Coven Head dinners. Etta looked up and saw Eda's eye twitch and she said, "Lily let's that happen?"

"She has to comply with the Coven's orders to ensure my safety. When in front of other members of the coven I was strictly referred to as her apprentice and now her assistant. I was not allowed to be referred to as her daughter. Those in the castle still referred to me by nicknames when I was growing up though. Such as Lilith's Monster and Clawthrone's Creature was an example. Anyone who referred to me as Lilith's daughter was reprimed and corrected. Lilith has put a lot on the line referring to me as her daughter in secret," a sad smile tugged on the corner of her lips as she explained to Eda.

Eda let out a sigh it seemed as if she was upset about what she heard but she reached over and ruffled Etta's hair and said, "At least it's obvious your mother loves you very much. Crazy who would have thought prissy Lily would be such a good mother,"

Etta smiled and said "I just wished I didn't have to hide the fact that I come to visit you from her. And now I'll have to be even more careful. I'd feel guilty if you ever got captured because of me..."

Eda ruffled Etta's hair again and said, "It's alright kid there's nothing the Emperor's Coven can throw at me that I can't handle. I'm the most powerful Witch on the Boiling Isles!"

"You're also the most wanted," Etta mumbled into her cup of juice.

Eda flipped her hair over her shoulder and said, "Of course, I'm the most wanted it takes a while to get to the top kid,"

"You're the only person I've met that's proud of having their face on a wanted poster,"

"You flatter me, kid! Who knows one day you might have your very own wanted poster. In fact, if it happens I'll frame it and hang it in my living room!"

"First of all if my face ever ended up on a wanted poster it'd be the last thing I do. My mother would kill me! Second, it's a good thing it is on my bucket list. But it'd probably have to be the last thing marked off,"

"Come on kid, live a little!"

"I've lived enough thank you. I fully intend to live more if life allows,"

Eda just chuckled her eyes softening as she continue to look at Etta. She couldn't help but think she saw a lot of her sister when she was younger in the little girl that sat across from her. Not only from her personality, mannerism, and interests but even from her appearance.

Despite the fact that Etta was not blood-related to Lilith she looked a lot like the eldest Clawthorne sister. Her pale complexion was the same ivory tone as her mother's, along with sharing many of Lilith's sharp facial features. Etta seemed to also share the same body type Lilith had when she was younger, although on the shorter side. However, Etta's other physical traits made it very obvious she wasn't related to the Calwthornes at all. Eda could still tell that when Etta grew up she could resemble much of Lilith's own appearance.

As Eda kept looking at her niece as she now ate. Her appetite seemed to have returned. She couldn't help but wonder if Lilith saw herself reflected in her daughter as well.