Witches Among Humans (TOH)

Chapter 31: A New Plan Unfolds

"Would you please stop staring at yourself in the mirror?" The coven head sighed grumpily.

Luz turned away from the mirror. It still felt incredibly strange to see herself disguised as a coven scout. She had never imagined that she would actually have to wear one of those uniforms. And yet, here she was!

"Oh, I apologize. Was I hogging your mirror? Do you need to check your cloak for any smudges?" Luz teased, rolling her eyes as she plopped down on one of the luxurious couches in Darius's personal study.

He glared at her from across his desk.

Luz smirked back at him. "You know, if my memory serves me right, the last time we met, you tried to have me executed for throwing mud at your boots." Luz leaned in closer. "So, are you just that skilled of an actor, that pompous, or have you had a change of heart?"

Darius pinched the bridge of his nose and let out an exasperated breath. "Why am I stuck dealing with a child?"

Luz shrugged. "It was either me or my girlfriend. I'm not fully aware of the entire history between Raine and Eda, but they seemed like they needed some serious alone time."

Luz leaned in with a smirk. "Do you know anything?" 

Darius let out a frustrated groan. "Why don't you just go wander around and leave me alone?" 

Luz shrugged, rising from the couch. She knew he had said those words out of annoyance and might regret them later, but she had no desire to be locked up in a room with Darius any longer. The guy had a stick shoved so far up his... well, she decided to keep that thought to herself.

With a dismissive two-fingered salute to Darius, Luz donned the coven scout mask and exited his study through the door.

Why did she even have to be stuck in his study with him in the first place? Eda got to go home with Raine, and Amity was off on an exciting solo mission in town with Eberwolf. Meanwhile, here she was, bored out of her mind (she had learned that word from Eda!) in a private study, while Darius busied himself with his papers.

Luz's mind began to wander. She found herself wondering what Eda and Raine were doing. They were probably enjoying some much-needed alone time, reminiscing about the past, perhaps rekindling old romances. Or maybe it would be the complete opposite and just awkward.

Deciding she didn't want to dwell on it, Luz tried to push those thoughts aside. Whatever Eda and Raine were up to, it was their business and likely involved some very personal...

La la la! No thinking about that! No thoughts of anything inappropriate!

Ah!

Luz shook her head vigorously, trying to banish those thoughts. Yes, she was sixteen, not a child. And while she looked up to Eda as a mother figure, there were certain things she didn't need to dwell on.

Suddenly, Luz heard a low growl. She paused, her ears perked, straining to catch the sound she thought she had heard. Every little noise made her ears twitch, but nothing matched the growl she thought she had perceived. Maybe it had all been in her imagination.

Luz shook her head again, feeling a creeping sense of paranoia. Perhaps being stuck here was slowly driving her insane.

Still, she couldn't fake the feeling of that weird sound. Adding that to the fact that she was all alone in the Emperor's castle without the need to move around silently was creeping her out.

She took a hesitant step forward, her heart pounding with a mix of curiosity and trepidation. The air in the hallway seemed to grow heavier. The dimly lit corridor cast long, eerie shadows that danced along the perfectly clean walls, making Luz feel like she was being watched by unseen eyes.