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It took them one glance at the wanted poster on the corkboard to make Raine's blood run cold, taking in the familiar mane of red hair, amber colored eyes and gold fang. The bounty has risen from 3,000 snails to 10,000 with a brief description of her recent antics and crimes listed below. Attempted burglary, forgery, breaking and entering, trespassing on private property, physical assault, fleeing from a crime scene, public indecency- Titan’s sake, Eda. Despite their misgivings and passive facade Raine felt a pang of concern, looking around the faculty room to see if anyone was watching before taking the poster down and folding it up to tuck it into their pocket. They hadn't spoken or seen to Eda in two months since their break up at Snapdragon Hill. Mostly due to Raine throwing themselves into their new teaching position with the Bard Coven and she seemed to have mysteriously vanished from the Boiling Isles all together. At least, until now.
If the bard were to be completely honest with themself no amount of grading homework or extra music lessons was enough to keep their mind from straying back to Eda. Well, Eda and their last date on Snapdrgon Hill. They kept going over the entire day out in their head, wondering how things went from so good to so bad in a matter of minutes.
Perhaps it had been a matter of time and Raine was blind to the warning signs. Shortly after their Hexside graduation the two of them had agreed to hold off on joining any Covens until Eda was certain she could get the curse under control or find a way to cure it. Raine took up odd jobs as a private music teacher and Eda… did whatever she did when she left later in the day. They tried not to question her since rent would always be paid on time or she was able to continue restocking groceries when it was her turn.
Somewhere between their third and fourth year together Raine had brought up the subject of her joining the Healing Coven, suggesting she could ask them to research a way to help her with the curse. That ended in a ugly argument that left Raine spending five sleepless nights waiting for her to come home and when she did they promised to never bring it up again. But eventually Eda’s disappearances would get more frequent, scroll messages left on read, the single gray streak of hair became more prominent and her wounds more complicated than Raine could tend to. No matter how hard they tried she simply closed herself off from them, her lies fell so easily that they couldn’t keep going on like that.
At the end of the day Raine settled behind their desk, leaning back in their chair and exhaling a deep breath. The wanted poster crinkled in their hands but they carefully smoothed it out, staring down at it.
Or perhaps they simply didn’t fight hard enough for them. Her response had been too passive, chalant. Normally Eda would pushback, really give them a piece of her mind and call them out for being so abrupt. In the end it felt like Eda had taken this as an easy way out without so much as a goodbye.
They gritted their teeth, tapping their finger on Eda’s name briefly and dreading the fact they knew they wouldn't be able to put this to rest until they got an answer to the one question that kept nagging at them.
After almost a decade of friendship and almost five years of a relationship, Raine owed it to themself to try one last time.
Less than two weeks later and searching almost all their old haunts as a couple, the bard was almost ready to give in and simply message the owl lady to meet up. They quickly realized that if Eda didn’t want to be found then she wouldn’t be. Raine had even been brave to ask Lilith if she had seen her sister lately. That certainly was a mistake, having narrowly avoided the flock of spectral fire ravens she had casted to chase them out of the Emperor’s palace and threatened to have them arrested if they dared say Edalyn’s name again. They spent nearly two days tending to the burns on their back afterwards.
Raine stretched their arms over their head, weaving their way through the marketplace toward their favorite bodega to grab a quick dinner when a familiar red dress caught their eye. Across the way they watched Eda converse with a herbs vendor, their pulse quickened. Carefully but swiftly they ducked through the crowd just as she paid the vendor for a basket of feverfew and garlic.
“Uh- um… Good evening.” Raine said when they were within hearing distance of her. “Eda I-”
“For Titan’s sake!” She spat at the sight of them, snatching the basket and fast walking away from them.
“Wait wait!” They hurried after her, pointedly ignoring the stares and murmurs that followed them. “I just want to talk to you. Please!”
“I got nothin’ to say to you so get lost.” Eda said icily, the grip on her staff tightened as she continued to stare ahead.
“Look, I don’t like how we left things and it’ll only take a-” They were cut off as she turned around and drew a wide circle in the air, beneath their feet the cobblestones split apart and thickly corded vines burst through. “What the-”
“It’s over! Stop stalking me!” She shouted through the wall and Raine could hear her heels click as she started leaving
With a frustrated sigh, they reluctantly summoned their viola and behind them they could hear heavy footfalls approaching. Quickly glance over their shoulder they watched a Coven Scout waving at them. No doubt a vendor had alerted them of the disturbance. Wonderful.
“Hey! Did you do this? This is considered destruction of city property!” Judging by the young, boyish tone this was probably a new recruit. “You’ll have to come with me for questioning.”
“I’m sorry but I don’t have time for this right now.” The bard drew their bow sharply over the strings of their viola, a strong kinetic wave flared out and sent the scout flying back into the nearest stall.
They quickly plucked the A string of their viola, aiming another wave to cut an opening into the wall of vines and they hopped through. “Eda, wait!”
Much to their luck it appeared the wild witch had stopped only a few yards away, crouched behind a cart of hay to watch Raine deal with the scout only minutes ago. Her look of awe melted into one of annoyance.
“Stop following me!” Eda shouted over her shoulder, cloak billowing behind her as she straightened up to turn the street corner.
“Oh, come on!” Raine thanked the Titan that Darius pushed them to go jogging on the weekends, ignoring the slight burn in their lungs as they picked up the pace. They managed to catch a glimpse of her cloak as she ducked into a narrow alley and followed right after, plucking the E string, a temporary golden barrier swept up the street and sides of the buildings to block off the mouth of the alley. Hopefully it’ll be enough to buy them some time before more scouts arrive.
Eda had been in the middle of mounting her staff when she noticed them again. “Why won’t you leave me alone?”
“Because I need to ask you something and I’ll leave afterwards if that’s what you really want.” They said calmly, lowering their bow.
“And if I don’t want to answer?” She challenged them, bringing her staff up defensively.
“Then I’m not leaving until I get through to you.”
“You’re such a pain in my…” The wild witch trailed off, cursing under her breath. “Why now? It’s been weeks.”
Raine dismissed their bow briefly to pull the wanted poster out and show her. “Because you've been getting into a lot more trouble. Burglarizing, theft, physical assault and… public indecency? What’s going on with you? Is it the curse? Is the Owl Beast making you act out?”
“Everything is fine. I have it under control.” Her eyes narrowed, pointer finger drawing a small circle and the wanted poster burst into flames. Raine gasped and dropped it before the flames could catch their sleeve on fire.
“I’ve heard you say that already and I believe you’re managing it… for now.” The bard sidestepped the remains of the smoking poster. “Why did you agree to the break up so easily? You didn’t fight me on it… You just let me go.”
“Well… Maybe I got tired of all your questions and pushiness.” She chuckled but there was no humor or bitterness. It was empty, golden eyes darting away from theirs. “It gets really annoying when someone won’t trust you.”
“Trust? Eda, I let you lie to me for months. You keep hiding things from me and pushing me away. You disappear for days and I’m left worrying myself sick over you. After everything you could have at least let me know you were alive .” They pointed down to the ashes of the poster. “How do you think I was going to react when I saw this?”
“Look.. I’m trying to protect you.” She replied hesitantly. “It’s for your own good.”
“... Do you love me?” Raine asked quietly, watching her mouth open and close at their straightforwardness.
“I… can’t do this.”
“Do you love me?” They pressed harder, raising their voice.
“Stop .” Gray and black feathers began to sprout from behind her ears, her body started to tremble. “I can’t… I can’t have this conversation. You dumped me already, it’s over.”
Eda lifted her hand, beginning to draw a circle on the wall behind her but Raine strummed their fingers across the G and D strings of their viola, counterspelling her magic and took another step closer.
“I broke up with you because you were lying to me and that’s not the Eda I know.”
“Sheesh.” She laughed weakly, looking everywhere but at them. “You’re really that desperate?”
Raine paused but raised their viola to get her attention, a warning for her not to try casting again. “Do you think pushing me away was the best way to protect me?.”
“Raine, please stop.” Eda brought her staff up between them, pressing the head of it against their chest to keep them back. “Don’t… Don’t make me do this.”
“Is this because you believe that I couldn’t love you like this? Because I do.” They dismissed their viola to show they weren’t going to fight and ignored the burning heat of her magic emitting through their shirt. “I love you so much that I’m willing to respect your wishes. Look at me in the eyes and say you don’t love me anymore and I will leave and never bother you again. I will go back to the Bard Coven and spend my days teaching witches and composing music and try to see other people. But first, you have to say it and mean it.”
Nervously she glanced at the wall behind her and then at their chest for a moment, a storm of emotions brewing in her eyes before she dismissed her staff. Even at this distance Raine could see the downy of gray and black feathers that had that adorned her neck and arms from all the excitement the chase had probably given her. “I’m a monster… I’m dangerous and it’s only going to get worse. In my head there are two different voices, two different minds closing in. Everything gets difficult and some days I don’t know who or where I am, Raine.”
“That doesn't answer my question, Eda. Do you love me?”
“No, you’re not listening! You don’t want this!” She stepped into their space now, into the light once more and she was all but towering over them. “The Emperor wants to keep me under his thumb to control or… or dead and the Owl Beast wants to use me and destroy everything in my path. What kind of life will we have? Running and hiding? I could kill you. You-”
“Eda.“ Magic laced their tone now, Raine hated to play this card, they always hated having to use magic to persuade her to listen. But some things can’t be helped. Raine continued to weave the calming spell around her like a blanket and tried to ease her back from the edge they could see her teetering on. They reached for her hands now, seeing her nails always kept long were now sharpened talons but they held on tight, looking up into her beautiful eyes. “I will stand with you between the Emperor and the Owl Beast. I will remind you who you are and where you are. You think you don’t deserve to be loved or ask for help because of something that you had no control over. But you do, cursed or not. Do you love me?”
“I love you!” Eda said fiercely, her resolve at last coming apart at the seams. Her voice warbled between a broken sob and a pained gasp. The rush of relief and brief victory swelled inside Raine as they drew her into them with a deep sigh, as if breathing for the first time again the moment she was in their arms. “Since the day we met… Since you laughed at my stupid jokes and whistled into my juice… I love you, Rainestorm.”
“Then that’s all that matters. Forget the Covens, forget the curse and everything else for right now. It can just be me and you.” Raine murmured softly, pressing their forehead against hers and they felt her arms slip around their waist. “We can figure this out.”
She sniffled loudly, using her cloak to wipe a bit of snot away and shaking her head doubtfully. “It’s not going to be enough… I love you but we need to be realistic here. You’re going to get tired eventually. One day you’re going to wake up and realize how bored you are or be resentful of having to take care of me and leave.”
Raine reared back slightly as if she had just slapped them in the face, eyebrows pinching together irritably.
“Hey.” They said sharply, tipping her chin down to look at them again. “Don’t tell me how I’m going to feel or what I’ll do. I’m the only one who gets to decide that and I’m deciding to stay. I should have stayed at snapdragon hill and we should have had this conversation here but I was… I was hurt that you kept lying. I’m still very hurt, by the way.”
“I’m not sorry. It’s my curse not yours.” She mumbled, burying her face into their shoulder and pressing wet kisses against their collar and neck. “If I was going to lose you to this thing inside me I wanted you to go in a less violent way. I just forgot how well you know me to spot the bullshit.”
Their hand buried into her wild mane of hair, keeping her as close as they could and kissing the top of her head. “Just promise me we can keep talking like this and it doesn’t matter. I mean it, Eda.”
“I-”
“THIS WAY! WE SAW HER GO DOWN THIS STREET!” A gruff voice shouted out in the nearly empty street, the sounds of heavy boots slapping against the cobblestones had Raine and Eda jump back to the present. Streets and buildings of Bonesborough flooded back in around them and Raine knew they had attracted them here because of the chase. “YOU TWO GO DOWN THERE AND WE’LL CHECK THE NEXT STREET OVER. BLOCK OFF AND TRAP HER HERE!”
“Titan damn it, Rainestorm.” Eda hissed into their ear, pulling away and calling her staff back to her. “I still have to swing by Morton’s!”
“Can’t you come back another day? Raine pleaded, turning around and daring to sneak a glance outside of the alleyway. Two Coven scouts were checking each and every nook and cranny from empty vendor’s stalls to knocking on people’s doors to get tenants to step outside. “I think we have about five minutes…”
They felt a sharp tug on the back of their shirt, pitching them backwards and suddenly Eda was pressing them up against the side of the alleyway. With her free hand up she drew a large circle around them, blue sparks of magic briefly appeared and the air seemed to thin and dissolve around them as she pressed firmer against Raine’s front, pointing her staff at her lips and making a zip it motion. Raine felt their heart pounding in their ears and breath catch, watching the pair of Coven scouts appear at the mouth of the alley.
Their trembling was their own undoing as Eda tipped her head to the side, surveying their tousled hair and sweat clinging to their brow. Titan, Raine did try to keep a straight face but no. She had the audacity to smirk at them, and with her sharp talons still present she purposely dragged them down their chest, her touch light so it wouldn’t rip the material but firm enough they could feel the sting whenever she chose to dig in at certain spots. Feeling a blush rise against their cheeks, Raine caught her wrist and squeezed tightly to stop her.
Leave it to Eda to be an opportunist through and through. As much as they would love to kiss that stupid look off her face, now was definitely not the time.
The scouts poked and prodded at the ground with their staffs and dragged their hands down the opposite brick wall of the alleway. Raine stifled a squeak of alarm, releasing Eda’s hand to gesture for the two of them to start moving out of the alley while they still had time. Thankfully she seemed amicable enough, slowly tiptoeing out of the alleyway and made it down the street together without so much as a fuss. At the corner and well out of earshot, the bard exhaled the breath they had been holding and Eda dismissed her spell, the illusion shimmering away and Raine found them standing in the middle of a bustling crowd.
“It’s almost time for the Night Market to start. People start gathering around to get the first pick of the merchandise.” She explained, hood already up and voice a touch lower. “You should go.”
“We weren’t done talking, Calamity.” They took her hand before she could slip away again, moving to fall in step with her. “But, let’s hurry to Morton’s if it’s that important.”
Eda looked like she wanted to argue but inhaled sharply through the nose and nodded down at her gem. Now that they were close enough Raine saw the topaz was now cloudy, black shadows curled and swayed within it. “We have to be fast. Come on.”
And with that the bard allowed her to guide them through the crowd, remaining silent until they had to quickly apologize whenever Eda had to shove someone out of their way or they stepped on someone’s foot. But they managed to keep up with her until a familiar street came into view and Morton’s sign was thankfully still displayed as open. Reluctantly they let Eda go to give her some privacy to speak to the apothecary and to keep an eye out for any more signs of Coven scouts, leaning against the corner of the building and crossing their arms over their chest.
A few minutes went by and Eda and Morton’s hushed tones became louder and louder until Raine couldn’t ignore their conversation.
“Morton, please. I have this much and I can give you the rest next week.” Eda pleaded tiredly.
“I’m really sorry but my supplies for other elixirs are running low,” Raine glanced over their shoulder to see a round bottle filled with amber colored liquid being pulled out of Eda’s hands. They stiffened at the panicked look on her face, feathers were now fully covering her neck and exposed shoulders beneath her cloak. If Morton also noticed then he had the best poker face than anyone on the Boiling Isles. “I know you’d be good for it but the Healing Coven is getting suspicious with many trips I take to the Plant Coven’s gardens to get the ingredients,”
“You don’t understand if I don’t take this tonight then-” Anger rose with Raine’s hackles as they found themself already closing the distance to the storefront, hands searching their pockets for their coin purse.
“How much?” They asked quickly. “For the elixir and anything else she needs?”
“Uh…” Morton’s eyes nervously flicked between them and Eda, caught off guard with their sudden appearance. “Do they know…?”
“I can buy it myself, Raine.” Eda snapped at them irritably. “Stay out of it.”
Raine ignored her and counted out fifty snails, shoving them into Morton’s hands. “Is this enough?”
“Uh…Um…” The apothecary nodded and reached behind him for a knitted sack already heavy with other items, placing the elixir inside and offering it to Raine. “Thank.. Thank-”
“Do not take that money, Morton!” Eda shouted, reaching to take the snails back but Raine slapped her hand away before they could think better of it. “Raine Whispers!”
The bard swiftly took the sack, drawing a quick circle in the air and magically willed the window to Mortons’ shop to slam shut and lock. “Oh look at that, Eda. He’s closed now. That’s just too bad.”
“Raine!” Eda shouted at the top of her lungs, voice cracking halfway into a high pitched screech. “I can’t believe you!”
They didn’t wait for her to continue in case the Coven guards caught wind of them, fast walking away and hefting the sack over their shoulder. Behind them they could hear Eda call their name then angrily curse before the familiar click of her heels began to follow, getting closer with each step. They stole a look over their shoulder to see her face was bright red with frustration and eyes narrowed with dangerous intent. Dear Titan, she was pissed . She only got that like this whenever Hexside lost a grudgby game.
Logically they should hand over the sack and apologize for butting in but… They recalled how frustrated and hurt Eda’s made them these last few weeks. Another pained groan from her had Raine slow their gait, stopping once they were clear of the town’s gate and at the clearing near the mouth of the forest. Pinpricks of uncertainty ran down their spine as they turned to face her again, reaching into the knitted sack to grab the elixir she needed and tossing it to her.
“Drink this.” They instructed, doing their best not to reach for her when they noticed her eyes were dark now. Sclera is almost completely black and pupils blown wide with thinnest rings of gold. “Come on, Songbird…”
For once she didn’t argue with them and dismissed Owlbert from his staff form to perch on her shoulder, the palisman chirping softly their way. Eda pulled the cork stopper out with her teeth and spat it into the dirt gracelessly. Her fangs are more prominent, gold fang catching in the last remnants of sunlight filtering through the treetops. Raine’s fingers twitched, curious to press against the incisors and see just how sharp they are now. They watched her down the potion in two hasty gulps and plopped down on the grass to lean back against the nearest tree, shuddering and sniffling. Cautiously they settled down beside her on the grass and set the sack down between them quietly.
For the next few minutes it was nothing but the breeze and her labored breaths which had Raine restless. They wanted to help, to comfort her but as sensitive she seemed to be, they kept their hands to themselves. The bard could only do what they did best, summon Fiddlesticks in their viola form and their bow and closed their eyes. Instinctively their fingers took their position on the neck and with a deep breath they drew their bow across the strings slowly, softly. The beginnings of Eda’s Requirem filled the empty space, weaving the notes with another calming spell to help pass whatever pains she was having.
“...I don’t need your charity.” She announced over the music, voice still deeper, raspier. They paused the melody and when Raine looked up from Fiddlesticks they could see her eyes were back to their normal hue and the feathers had mostly disappeared aside from the plumage on the back of her hands. “I would have… found a way.”
“You mean you could have stolen it?” Raine lowered their viola, transforming Fiddlesticks back to their fox form and allowing them to jump out of their grasp and skitter over to say hello to Eda and Owlbert. Eda’s eyes softened at the sight of the fox and she reached down to pick them up and nuzzle her nose against theirs gently.
“Hi, cutie.” She whispered to the palisman and scratched their head lightly. “You need to remind your witch if they keep following me around… you’ll both be in a lot of trouble.”
“It’s not charity. I paid for your potions because I wanted to and you need them to help with your curse.” They leaned back against the tree now, running their hands through their hair. “And, when have I not followed you into trouble? I’ve caused some trouble myself, if you’ve forgotten.”
“On my advice.” Eda scoffed lightly. “Your plans stink.”
“No, having back up plans is a good thing. Not all of us are good at flying by the seat of our pants like you. What would you have done without the potions and you couldn’t steal them from Morton?” Raine asked, feeling little feet dig into their shoulder when Owlbert flew over to cozy up to them.
“I… I would have probably locked myself up somewhere for the night until it passed.” The wild witch shrugged nonchalantly. “The curse comes and goes. I would have been fine by tomorrow or the next day.”
“But you told me earlier it’s getting worse.” They scratched Owlbert’s beak lightly. “Are you getting stuck in… the owl beast form more often?”
“... Sometimes. I told you, it’s hard to keep track of time when I’m like that.” She admitted with a sigh. “Which is why you-”
“I should come with you? Yeah, I was thinking the same thing.” The bard cut her off, the corner of their mouth tugging up into a sheepish smile. “From what I've seen so far, it doesn't bother me, Eda.”
Eda bristled slightly at their claim, continuing to stroke her hand down Fiddlesticks’ back and muttering irritably under her breath. Feeling brave Raine scooted closer until their shoulders touched, reaching down to take her hand and lace their fingers together when she didn’t pull away. Just being this close was enough for them but they wanted her to tell them to stay.
“... I saw your sigil earlier.” She leaned her head against theirs, closing her eyes tiredly. “Even if I want you to… You can’t just disappear with me. You belong to the Bard Coven now.”
Raine turned to kiss her temple then her cheek. “Wrong. Sigil or no sigil. I belonged to one person and one only person only. We’ll make it work. I could use my connections to keep tabs on the other Covens. I can let you know when they’re sending scouts or if they continue the raids on Wild Witches.”
“And what will I do? Hide in your flat and wait for you to come home? Like some old bitty?” She snorted loudly. "Pass."
“Of course not, I know better than to keep you hidden… Where have you been all this time? When I stopped by your parents’ house your mom-'' Eda's head jerked up abruptly, eyes opening and head catching them right in the chin. Pain burst beneath Raine’s skin and their head whipped back. “ Ouch! ”
“What were you doing talking to my family?” Her hand grabbed their shirt front to keep them steady. They blinked past the dark spots that briefly dotted their vision. “Why would you go all the way out there?”
“I… I couldn’t find you and your scroll was turned off. Your mom hadn’t seen you in months and your dad… obviously hasn’t left the house lately.” They rubbed their chin sorely. “Eda, where have you been staying?”
Her hold on their shirt loosened, fingers dipping into their collar to scratch at the skin beneath and had them jump slightly. “You remember my dad’s old tower? The one he used to teach his palisman carving in?”
Raine nodded slowly, recalling their little races after school to get there and sneak in to watch Dell’s lessons. After Eda was cursed and Dell’s accident, the palisman classes were canceled and the Clawthorne tower was vacated. “So, you’ve been there this entire time?”
“Well… No one outside the family goes near it since it is private property. I stole the keys from my old man a few months back and… started fixing it up. I even made a deal with a demon to be the security system.” She gave them a toothy grin. “I hide right in plain sight and no one is the wiser.”
Raine looked up at the sky briefly and noted how late it was getting, worrying their bottom lip. Technically they had classes to teach tomorrow but they weren’t ready to leave without the promise of seeing her again. “Can I come see it?”
“... Tonight?” She tipped her head at them, raising her eyebrow. “I haven’t even agreed to this… Whatever this is yet.”
“I’m asking you to take me back on the conditions you’ll let me help and stop lying to me.” Raine reached up to take her hand that was still in their shirt, drawing it out to kiss her feathers and holding her gaze while they did so. She blushed the prettiest pink, nose scrunching up. “I know we can do this, love.”
“... You’re so annoyingly good, you know that?” The wild witch huffed at them.
“First time I’ve heard you say annoying and good in one sentence but yes.”
Long nails picked at the collar of their shirt, a conflicted look in her eyes but she slowly nodded her head. “Just promise me you'll tell me if you start to change your mind.” Eda said quietly. “I… I won’t forgive you if I wake up to some letter and your side of the dresser is empty. I already warned you that this isn’t going to be easy, Rainestorm.”
“I promise, I will never leave alone you again or may the Titan take me.” The bard swore, letting her hand slip from theirs so she could cup their face properly and leaning into them.
At the first touch of her lips, they swore they felt their heartbeat stop and realized what’s happening and quickly moved to kiss her back, both hands going behind her to press her closer. They tiled their head upward while the kiss deepened, normally they’d wait for Eda to ease them into it but they’d be damned if they go another second without a taste of her lips. Did she even realize how agonizing the past few weeks have been for them? The thought of pulling back is torture and yet necessary if they wanted to breathe.
The little whine from the wild witch prompted Raine to pepper softer, smaller kisses against the corner of her mouth in apology. “We can’t stay out there like this, Eda.”
“Right… home it is.” She stroked their cheek tenderly before getting to her feet. Raine followed suit, brushing grass off their pants and gathering the sack. Their respective palisman returned to them, Owlbert tucked himself into her hair and Fiddlesticks draped themselves over Raine’s shoulders. Her hand slipped into theirs after casting a withlight as a guide in the dark and lead them down the forest path.
The walk wasn’t long, only about twenty minutes and eventually the forest became thinner until they broke through to the hilltop. Raine adjusted their glasses as they took the sight of the tower but noted it wasn’t just a tower anymore but an actual house built as a part of it. Two stories by the look of it with stained glass windows and a simple brown door at the front.
“Wow, you really have been busy.” They murmured, following her through the red grass and watching her snap her fingers right before they got to the front door. The air around the house shimmered briefly, a bubble around it appeared then disappeared. A protective barrier. Now up close they could see the face of an owl had been carved into the door.
“Hooty, we have company!” She said, knocking above the owl’s face. “Look alive and be nice .”
A moment passed and nothing happened.
Raine cleared their throat awkwardly.
She knocked again, harder this time. “Hooty! Wake up! …You’re making me look bad.”
Again nothing but silence followed.
Eda exhaled deeply through the nose, testing the handle and pushing. Nothing.
“I swear to the Titan, Hooty!” She stamped her foot irritably.
“Um, Eda?” The bard said softly. “Is this normal?”
“N-” A blur of motion burst from the door, slamming into Raine and knocking them off their feet into the ground. “Oh shit!”
The bard blinked hard, noting their glasses had been knocked off and the pain rising in the back of their head. They’ll definitely have a bruise there tomorrow. They squinted up at the figures above them, catching the red of Eda’s dress and what appeared to be a brown tube beside her. Somewhere they could make out Owlbert and Fiddlesticks floating nearby, chittering in concern.
“What… is that?” They groaned lowly, propping up on their elbows and blindly searching for their glasses. “Who else is here?”
“Hooty, you birdbrain!” Eda scolded sharply, leaning down to retrieve their glasses and help them to their feet again. “I told you that Raine is a friend!”
“Partner.” Raine corrected pointedly, accepting their glasses and putting them on again. Their vision came into focus to see the brown tube was… the owl face? “Is this… the house demon you mentioned?”
Said house demon seemed to preen at the mention. “Hoot hoot! Why yes I am! Sorry about that, Raine! I can’t be too sure of Eda’s company these days!”
“Hooty-”
“Last person she brought home was a real piece of work! Had to throw her out faster than expired griffon eggs!” Forgetting their growing headache, Raine looked at Eda with raised eyebrows.
“What girl? You brought someone else here?” They winced at how high their voice was, watching Eda blush briefly and shake her head.
“Hey, you broke up with me. I was drunk, sad and lonely. End of story.” She shot Hooty a warning look before taking their hand again but Raine planted their feet where they were. “Rainestorm, come on…”
“It… It was two months.” They said quietly. “We were only apart for two months.”
“Can we talk about it inside, then? Please?” Eda tugged on their hand lightly now and this time they let her, stepping inside and listening to Hooty shut the door behind them. It was dark aside from the moonlight spilling in from the windows, they could make out the outlines of furniture and Eda’s face.
“Ahem…Welcome to…” The wild witch paused, smiling nervously and with a flourish she snapped her fingers again. Withlights magically flickering on and from further inside the house they could hear a hearth being lit. “The Owl House!”
Raine blinked slowly, adjusting to the light and taking in the brown and beige color scheme, golden accents and some framed paintings on the walls. Not much was in the living room aside from the pink couch, a coffee table and velvet curtains. They noted, much to their amusement, she had hung up her wanted poster on the wall behind the couch. From the corner of their eye they could see Eda watching them, wringing her hands and lips pursed tightly.
The bard made their way over to the couch and sat down, putting the sack on the table and leaning back. Owlbert and Fiddlesticks scurried over to curl up together in the corner of the couch with them. “This is really nice, Eda. Very cozy. Maybe add another couch over there and a larger table here.”
Eda exhaled a breath and smiled almost shyly. “No need. I don’t have visitors and… I do my potion making in the kitchen. Easier to clean up messes.”
“Good idea…” They nodded, looking away and clearing their throat.
She moved to sit with them after hanging her cloak up and kicking her heels off. Raine rubbed a hand over the back of their neck, unsure what to say now. Yes, a part of them wanted to ask about her disaster date and another part felt guilty for wanting to know. They have no right to pry into Eda’s privacy like that.
“Um… how long did it take to do all this? This was just a shack when I last visited.” Raine tried to change the subject, fixing their gaze on a particular portrait on the opposite wall. It was a group photo of their friends at their Hexside graduation almost six years back and probably the last time Raine had seen everyone together since. “Construction magic wasn’t your track so I am curious-”
“I slept with someone else.” Eda announced, touching their knee to get their attention. “I was at the pub, she flirted with me and one thing led to another… we ended up back here.”
The bard bit their lip, stomach churning anxiously and feeling a sourness on their tongue. “Eda, it was wrong of me to ask. It’s your business what you did when we broke up. Forget it.”
“But I want you to know.” She shuffled closer, lacing their hands together and sighing. “I was coming out of a spell with the Owl Beast and needed a distraction. Alcohol was easy… Kissing her was easier.”
Their tongue rolled against their teeth as they listened, trying hard not to imagine it. “Okay.”
“Turned out she wasn't really the one night stand type and I didn’t have the heart to tell her to get lost so I let her hang around the next day.” Eda went on, tracing patterns over the top of their hand with her index finger. “I guess I was lonelier than I thought. The sex was fun. Conversation was… limited. But it was something and after a month I asked her for space so I could get some actual work done. She didn’t like that and we got into an argument… she shoved me against the stove where I was brewing potions and my ponytail caught on fire."
Raine’s eyes flickered to her now shorter, choppier mane and frowned deeply. “I see…”
“It triggered the Owl Beast but luckily Hooty heard the commotion and got her out of there before I could actually hurt her.” She chuckled dryly. “It was a good thing because… the Owl Beast really wanted me to eat her and not in a fun way. So yeah, I learned my lesson… Don’t bring the hook ups here.”
There's a million things the bard wanted to say, first was who and where is this woman now? Secondly, was Eda hurt anywhere? Their gaze dragged down the witch's face to her neck and settled on their hands. A sudden rush of possessiveness came over them as they brought their joined up to their lips, placing a kiss on her left ring finger and biting on the skin there lightly. Raine watched Eda gaso sharply and flush darkly at the attention, squirming in her seat.
Satisfied, the bard pulled their hands away from their mouth and shrugged. "I'm glad you had fun and enjoyed yourself and I'm sorry she hurt you. You didn't deserve that."
"Well dang, if you were going to be this cool about it then I should have brought it up earlier." She laughed awkwardly.
"I'm not." They admitted, tone clipped. "I'm honestly ready to find this person and have a few words with them myself about how to take a fucking hint and where she stick her hand-"
"Whoa whoa, Rainestorm." Eda leaned back to look down at them with wide eyes. Ghost of a smile on her lips. "Are you jealous?"
"No." They clench their jaw briefly, feeling the middle in their cheek jump. "I'm past jealous. More pissed off than anything."
The wild witch whistled lightly. "I know I should be concerned but that's kind of hot. Never seen you so bothered before."
"I don't like the thought of people putting their hands on you so carelessly." Raine explained quietly. "It's infuriating. Disgusting, really. Ugh, if I ever see that woman…"
"You don't even know who she is, songbird." Eda shifted so she could slip her leg over theirs and eased herself into their lap, wrapping her arms around their neck. Thumbs pressing into the base of their neck, working into the knot there. "As sweet as the thought is… I can handle myself and I'm pretty sure she fled to Latissa after Hooty threw her out. Haven't seen her at the pub since."
The bard huffed grumpily. "Still. Drop her name and she'll be dancing jigs until her feet bleed."
"Oof. You're really mad, baby." She murmured into their ear, pressing a kiss behind it and another along the pointed tip. "... I like it."
Their eyes rolled back into their head briefly, a groan rumbling in their throat at the warm puff of her breath. All thoughts of anything else but her went away. Honestly, her biggest crime is just how easily she could read them. "Pretty bird… I know what you're doing."
"Widdle ol' me? I'm just thinking…" She nibbled at their ear. "We should…" Her tongue flicked against it. "Go upstairs." They gripped her hips to keep her from slipping away from them, wanting her as close as possible. "And I'll show you the rest of the house."
A chime from the grandfather clock on the wall caught Raine's attention, eyes snapping open and noting the time. "... It's late, Eda."
"Relax, it's just a tour and then you can sleep in my room and I'll sleep on the couch like a gentle witch." She scratched her long nails along the nape of their neck before climbing off their lap and smoothing her dress down.
"I don't want you to be a gentle witch, though." Raine breathed out. "You know I like my witches wild."
"Keep it up and we might traumatize our palisman." She warned, nodding at their dozing pair beside the bard.
They blushed darkly, running a hand through their ruffled hair in an effort to regain some composure and popping open the first three buttons at the top of their shirt. Eda watched them shamelessly but she turned away before they could tease her, picking the sack up of elixirs from the table and offering them her free hand. Raine stood up on stiff feet and followed her through the house.
The tour was mercilessly short as the only rooms renovated so far was the living room and kitchen on the first floor, on the second was a small bedroom that could pass as a storage room, a bathroom which they each used to freshen up quickly and the third level was Eda's room. Raine noted the house was practically perfect for her, compact but with enough space to fill with intent and purpose. Easy to keep clean, if she remembers to upkeep regularly. But they recalled how when they lived together in their flat they did most of the cleaning. Partially due to their inability to let her mess with their organization system and partially because she was merely forgetful.
It worked out in the end in both their favor back then.
Eda paused at her door, quickly shutting it before they could peek inside it. "Wait here for a minute?"
The bard nodded with a small smile. "Okay. But, if I catch you climbing out the window then I'm going to drink all your apple blood."
She merely flicked their glasses in annoyance and slipped inside. Raine chuckled lightly and waited as the sounds of items rustling and being thrown about echoed from the other side of the door. They leaned against the door frame, crossing their arms over their chest and tried to look sheepish instead of expectant when she opened the door again. Eda had changed out of her dress into a soft green shirt and white cotton pants which Raine immediately noticed as theirs.
"So that's where they went." They noted, plucking at the sleeve of her shirt.
Eda flushed lightly, grabbing them by the front of their shirt to pull them inside. "Shut up, nerd. It's not my fault your stuff is soft."
They stepped inside and looked around the room, noting how sparse it was outside of a small vanity dresser in the corner, the large circle stained glass window and…
"Still building nests, huh?" Raine teased, already leaning down to untie their boots and tug them off. Although this particular nest took up most of the room and was made out of twigs and grass, not the mountains of blankets she would bring into their flat.
Eda cleared her throat and nodded. "It's softer than it looks… I laid blankets and pillows down in it but if you want to sleep on the couch then we can."
Raine rubbed a hand over their jaw thoughtfully, walking over to the nest and swinging a leg over the side to climb in. They carefully eased themselves down and folded their arms behind their head, taking in the scent of pine needles and wood chips that always seemed to cling to Eda naturally. Said redhead poked her head over the side to stare down at them, biting her lip and clearly waiting for their verdict.
"Mmm… it’s a little lonely down here." They patted the space beside them and watched those beautiful gold eyes light up.
She all but vaulted over the edge, tumbling right into them and laughing loudly at their squeak of surprise. She curled up against their chest and pulled a blanket over their heads, the witchlights in the room going out with a clap of her hands. Raine grinned against her cheek, wrapping their arms around her again and squeezing.
"What are we doing?" They whispered against her skin. "Is this where you eat me?"
"No, we're hiding." She whispered back, dancing her fingers up along their belly.
"From what?"
"The Covens and the Owl Beast." Eda's voice wavered near the end, her eyes soft and Raine felt their heartbeat sped up. "Here we can just be Raine and Eda. Can I keep you?"
Raine leaned their head back so they could hold her gaze again, feeling so incredibly lucky to love and be loved by this flight risk of a woman. The bard leaned up to kiss her properly before nodding surely. "It's you and me, Calamity."
Because this is all they ever wanted.