I wasn't sure if I was going to write this chapter or not- but then I did, so here you go! Let's see how the Owl House gang is doing.

What a day. Well it was night now, the moon shining brightly and stars speckled across the sky. Eda opened the door to the Owl House, Hooty was surprisingly quiet... doleful even. Eda didn't think much on it, to much had happened tonight.

She stepped into the house and Lilith quietly followed her inside, looking around the room in a new light compared to previous 'visits'. Right. Lilith. Eda didn't know what to think of her, the woman who cursed her, her sister. And yet, Lilith spent her whole time in the Emperor's Coven trying to figure out how to heal her. Granted she could have done it a better way then throwing her- a kid off a bridge.

At least Luz was safer in the Human Realm now. Lilith had saved Eda from being petrified and had even split the curse with her. Eda definitely felt loads better with the curse split in half now, her joints weren't constantly aching, sure she lost her magic but she was resourceful and she still had her potions, she'd figure something out.

King leaped off the couch, holding his stuffed rabbit Francois, when he saw Eda walk in and immediately clung to her leg. "Whoa kid." She picked him up, he clung to her tightly burying his face into her shoulder. "Where were you!?" King didn't seem to notice Lilith as the witch headed to the kitchen, giving the two of them some space.

Eda sighed, sitting on the couch with King on her lap. "Where do I even start?" She hummed to herself. "Well what do you know so far? Surely Luz stopped by here and filled you in a bit? She had the cloak I made her after all." Eda asked.

King looked down at the stuffy he still held in his paws before replying. "She... What Luz said was really confusing and didn't make much sense..." he started, looking down sadly. "I just don't understand- she made a complete 180!" His voice went from sad to angry as he continued. "She came back and completely ignored me! Grabbing her stuff and almost leaving until I blocked her way out the door!"

Eda watched King in surprise as he threw the stuffed animal to the floor in anger. "Once I finally got her to explain she said you got captured by Lilith trying to rescue her!"

"That's true." Eda confirmed with a nod, but King didn't seem to have heard her, continuing on his rant. "Then she spouted out a bunch of nonsense that I am refusing to believe, because- because if it's true then-" his anger faded, he leaned his head against Eda, his eyes watering. "Then everything was a lie."

Eda held him tightly, she was almost afraid to ask. What did Luz say to make him this upset? She swallowed the lump in her throat before asking. "King? What- what did Luz say?" King looked up at her and replied. "She said she came here for a job, to get the portal key from you. She said she worked for Belos in the Emperor's Coven as the Amber Guard."

"What...?" No that couldn't be true. Luz was a human with no magical ability, what use would she be in the Emperor's Coven? It didn't add up, Luz arrived in the Demon Realm over a month ago- the Amber Guard had been appointed a little over a year ago. There was no way a human could come to the Demon Realm except if they came through Eda's portal.

But what if there was another portal? How did Belos get his hands on her then? If Luz being the Amber Guard was true and Belos needed a portal, then why go after Eda's portal door? Why not get the portal that Luz came through?

If it was true did that mean... did that mean Luz never cared for them? Was it all an act? To get Eda's guard down so Luz could get the portal key? No, all of it couldn't have been an act. That first day- Eda gave her the key, so why didn't she leave then? Why did she choose to stick around?

Eda's spiraling thoughts were interrupted by Lilith re-entering the room with three cups. One with water and two with tea. Of course Lily would make tea, what Eda really needed was a cup of Apple Blood. Lilith set the cups down and sat on the other couch with her cup of tea.

Eda set King beside her on the couch, he leaned against her side as she handed him the water that he took gratefully. Once he was settled, Eda took the last cup. The warmth of the tea spreading throughout her body as she took a sip. It cleared her head of the fog it was in, Lilith had been in the Emperor's Coven- she must know something about Luz and the Amber Guard.

Lilith was staring into her tea awkwardly, seemingly unsure of what to do with herself. "What do you know about the Amber Guard?" Lilith looked up, Eda's mismatched gaze boring into her own. "Oh, I suppose it makes sense you would want to know." Lilith took a sip of her tea, thinking it over before continuing.

"It's true that your apprentice was the Amber Guard in disguise. Though I didn't know she was human until yesterday's events. The Emperor never let us cross paths so I never knew her personally, but the one or two times she assisted me with paperwork she was less annoying than the Golden Guard." Lilith said. Eda stared down at the liquid in the cup she held, a blank expression on her face. King was watching Lilith closely with narrowed eyes.

Lilith cleared her throat awkwardly before continuing. "She does care about you though." Eda looked up at that. "Why would she betray us then?" Eda asked. "I'm... not entirely sure of her motivations, however I did see her before I came to rescue you." Lilith tapped her nails against the cup, thinking once more.

"She didn't want you to be petrified and stepped aside after I tried to convince her to join me in rescuing you. She wouldn't help me directly but she stepped aside instead of capturing me for treason. She even said she would buy some time before the Emperor would realize what I was up too." Lilith paused for a moment, then continued on. "She directly stated that I was correct in assuming she cared about you, but she also said there would be too many consequences for her if she helped me."

Eda was silent for a moment, thinking it all over. A look of realization  crossed her face "I think I might know her motivations." King looked up at Eda in surprise. "Well, spill it!" King demanded, Lilith took a sip of her tea as Eda thought aloud. "Well let's see. We know Luz is the Amber Guard and works directly for Belos, right?" Lilith nodded in confirmation.

"We also know she's human, how she got to the Demon Realm is unknown. Assuming that some of the things she's said are true. We can assume Belos probably promised her a way back home. She's also cursed-" Lilith choked on her tea at that. "She's cursed as well!?" Eda nodded.

"Yes. She's also cursed, I don't know who cursed her- I would assume Belos probably did and then promised to heal her or something." Lilith hummed in agreement. "That seems like something he would do." They lapsed into silence, thinking over past events.

"What if some of the thing's she's said aren't true?" King asked quietly. Eda hummed in thought. "Belos promising that he would heal Luz's curse could still be true." Eda paused taking another sip of her tea. "I think her wanting to go to the Human Realm is true. I mean, after that whole thing with her curse... I don't think someone could act that well. That was genuine fear and confliction."

"Though some of the things she said in the moment don't entirely make sense now." Eda continued. She should probably write down what she could remember and see if she could decipher it later.

Eventually Eda sighed and set her now cold cup down. "Come on, it's getting late. We'll set you up with a room." She stood, King climbing up onto her shoulder as Lilith followed Eda upstairs.

Once they found a suitable room for Lilith to sleep in, Eda and King headed back down the hall. "Eda? Can I sleep with you tonight?" King asked as he followed Eda down the hall. Eda smiled softly at him, "of course kiddo." She scooped him up and headed to her room.

Eda closed the door behind them, she twirled her finger expecting the familiar rush of her magic to turn out the lights. However nothing happened, Eda grunted in annoyance. "Right, no more magic." Instead she had to blow out the lit candles manually.

"Wait, you don't have magic anymore?" King asked concerned. "Yep, my curse finally sapped all my magic outta me." She blew a candle out and continued. "Lilith shared the curse with me, so I'm at least not stuck as a beast forever, but that doesn't give me my magic back." She blew the last candle out and the room was bathed in darkness. The only light was from the moon shining through the large stained glass window.

Eda made her way over to her nest as King asked. "I don't trust her. What if she's pretending like Luz did?" Eda set him down in the nest before laying down beside him. "We'll just have to keep an eye on her." Eda yawned, King snuggled up beside her.

"I miss Luz..." King said after a few minutes of silence. Eda hummed "me too kid. Me too..." It was something they would have to get used to now. No magic, no Luz, less curse problems, and Lilith staying at the Owl House. It was a lot of changes in one day and she'd have to get used to a new normal.

But... she'd figure something out.