Chapter 54

Odalia sipped her wine in the sitting room of her familial home in Latissa. It's a shame she and Alador had never made the time to come out here. It's not that she regretted focusing on building up Blight Industries over things like traveling, but she never really understood just how much dust can accumulate over time until she didn't have an abomination butler to clean it for her. Oh well, it's not like hiring a team from the janitorial coven to take care of it cost her that much. Alador had bought out her share of Blight Industries and she did not let it go cheap. She had more than enough to live on until after the Day of Unity.

Speaking of which: "How are things going on your end?"

Her business partner slinked out of the shadows. "Yes. I've made the necessary arrangements: If you are correct and our Queens to Be and their friends will be spending the next few months in the human realm, my contacts and proxies will ensure that she has everything she needs to grow stronger.

"Why is this necessary, again?" Odalia asked. "If Mittens's little scheme worked, her... Luzshould be the strongest 'witch' in all the Boiling Isles. After a while, power for power's sake becomes a little gouache, don't you think?"

"It's the interaction of the living abyss in her body and the Titan's ambient magic that is causing our princess to grow into a Queen, My deat Odalia," Mephisto explained. "Her eldritch side awakening and evolving in response to consuming the power of a compatible Elder God. She's grown very strong in the last few months, but she's leaning too far toward The Titan's nature: It's the synthesis of The Titan's power with that of Knull that will allow for Luz's apotheosis and right now, though her symbiote side is strong her power make-up is skewing a little too close to The Titan's. We need to bolster the other side of the equation a little if we want it to go just right..."

"And how exactly do you intend to do that?" Odalia asked. "How do these creatures, her two non-human parents even work?"

"It would take all day to explain every last facet of those fascinating creatures," Mephisto explained, "but suffice it to say they have several ways to grow: The first is a function of their transcendent slaying orignal purpose: By killing beings such as myself, or angels, fae, gods, or cosmic entities a creature born from Living Abyss can drink of their power for itself. They can additionally absorb mystical or cosmic energies they are exposed to. Luz is already doing this. Another... Hormones. Andrenaline, phenethylamine, and a few other chemicals that are produced from the bodies of living creatures. How much a symbiote needs, if they do, varies, but... This probably isn't an option for Luz. She can't well feed on her own hormones, and she doesn't strike me as the type to just go around eating people. Well, not without a damned good reason at least."

Odalia shuddered. "Yes, that is... Rather unseemly."

"Symbiotes have the properties of absorbing things, however, to improve themselves. DNA and other biological information from a host, for example, or from something they ate," Mephisto continued. "Or raw materials: Certain metals or exotic elements. Certain energies have a greater effect than others as well: The living abyss is highly conductive to darkmagic, both feeding on and amplifying it... I can make arrangements for Luz to be exposed to such things... But the biggest, most valuable source of power for furthering her evolution? Empathic energy. Negative empathic energy. Symbiotes are parasites in every sense of the word, able to grow stronger off of the rage, sadness, anxiety, grief, stress, and disgust of their hosts. Luz might not be able to feed off her own hormones, but her own feelings are a different story. And, well, the poor girl is awash with strong emotions in both extremes... I'm afraid her homecoming won't be as restful as she likely wishes it to be."

"It is such a shame, what we're putting the girl through but... We're making the mother of all omelets here." Odalia replied after another sip of wine. "She'll thank us when she's Empress."

"Speaking of which, how did your meeting with Belos go?"

"He was surprised that I'd managed to figure out the true purpose of the day of unity, but open to listening to me when I offered to help," Odalia replied. Draining magic from the entire population of the Isles to ascend the coven heads and a few other allies to a higher state of being and appoint them as royalty over the Demon Realm entire? The Emperor had to be some kind of mad genius. "I'll be upholding my end of the deal tomorrow, but... Well, I took a gamble and told him of my visions of Mittens and her... Luz on his throne in a decade's time. He told me that he had no intention of ruling the empire personally for much longer after the Day of Unity, and said he would appoint the two to be his heirs. He wants them both to be on his side in a place of honor at the ceremony in a few days. Everything is coming together splendidly." A true empire ruling the world, under the guidance of a God-Empress of Odalia's making, her daughter the Queen consort, and Odalia herself reaping the benefits of that union. What wasn't there to love?

"And you're sure you can go through with this?" Mephisto asked.

"Oh, sure. The older and weaker witches will die from the draining spell," she continued, "but anyone who doesn't last until the end of the ritual clearly wasn't worthy in the first place and it's not like I'm personally at risk."

Mephisto smiled at her. "I can't help but think that our business relationship will be a long one."

TLOA

Amity was on pins and needles all day. This morning, Luz had messaged her that she was back on the Isles after a sudden departure a few days ago and that she'd contact her again when she was settled in but that was hours ago and... All Amity knew was that she was scared. She hadn't seen Luz in days and if the rebellion failed the world would end tomorrow.

Naturally, she was thus quite jumpy when the abomination butler appeared and beckoned that she come to the sitting room.

Especially since... Would Dad do that? He did it with Darius but... That was a very formal meeting... Sort of. But... When she was freaking out over being Grom Queen and had convinced herself that giving Luz her gromposal was a mistake that ruined their friendship he came to her in person. So... This was either really important or really bad. Or both.

With her staff in hand and a flask of her custom abomination slime concealed at her hip just in case, Amity steeled her nerves and went down.

...Her nerves were not steeled enough. Heck, she should have mithrilled them. Or adamantined them or... What was that miracle metal from the human nation that was hoarding its cancer cure called?

In the sitting room, sitting awkwardly, were her father and siblings... And her mother. and Darius Deamonne.

...And about a dozen Emperor's Coven scouts with spears at the ready.

"Oh, there you are, Mittens," her mother said. "I was just telling your father how disappointedthe Emperor is with how abomiton production has been lately. And really, Alador? Trying to call it off entirely? What could have possessed you to do that?"

"When we first founded Blight Industries," her father began, "our business model was to provide people with practical devices meant for home and personal defense. Over time we expanded into outright weapons, but... There are limits, Odalia," her father insisted. "I have... Qualms with what Emperor Belos is using the abomitons for. I won't have any part in it."

"Well it's not like you have a choice," her mother said. "By imperial decree," she declared while producing and unfurling an official-looking scroll stamped with the Emperor's seal, "sole ownership of Blight Industries and all related assets, intellectual properties, and proprietary technologies has been awarded to me. You'll be starting up production again effective immediately and working double time to make up for the delay," she said. "Or else."

The Emperos' oven scouts brandished their spears threateningly.

"Our old friend Darius has kindly offered to supply a handful of abomitech experts hand-picked from his coven to help keep things going smoothly."

...Darius had told Amity that her mother had been the reason his friendship with her parents had broken down. And based on his opinion of her father's life's work, any abomitech specialists he hand-picked would probably be artisans ill-suited for working on mass-produced machines at factory pace... He was here to gum up the works for the Rebellion.

"Fine," Dad replied. "But, please. Leave the children out of this."

"The twins can do whatever," Amity's mother said in a tone that proved to her that Ed and Em were correct about Odalia not caring about them. "But there are big plans for Mittens."

Amity gripped her staff tighter and took a defensive position as she asked "What?"

"The Emperor was so impressed by you and your partner, Luz," she said with unnatural emphasis as if to draw attention to the fact that she'd remembered her name this time, "defeating that nasty brute who tricked me that he wants the two of you by his side on the Day of Unity so that he can bestow onto you both a special honor."

"No," Amity insisted.

"This isn't a negotiation, Mittens," Odalia dismissed. "You willbe escorted to the Emperor's Palace to take your place of honor on the Day of Unity."

"I know what the Day of Unity really is!" Amity shouted. "There's... There's a draining spell, and..." How did she explain what had been put together from Luz's hurried text and Hunter's Penta message? "The Emperor, he's going to—"

"Yes, yes we all know about the draining spell," Odalia replied, and... Something in Amity snapped.

"You know!?" She asked at the same time as her father and the siblings.

"Yes, of course," she said as if talking about her preferences in tea.

"And you're okay with this?" Amity asked. "With... So many people are going to—"

"Blah, blah, blah, Mittens," Odalia interrupted. "You like cooking, don't you? You know you have to break a few eggs to make an omelet."

Amity responded by trying to blast Odalia with her fire-conjuring spell.

Odalia ducked at the last minute so that only her hair bun was burned. Some of the coven scouts surrounded Amity with their spears but a pose and a gesture was all that was needed for a stream of abomination slime to knock them all on their butts.

"So unbecoming, Mittens," Odalia said with barely contained rage radiating from her despite her even tone. "Just because you have the Emperor's Favor doesn't mean you're above discipline. Do I need to have my spirit fetch the belt?"

Amity flinched involuntarily which gave enough of an opening for someone to take control of her slim from her and suddenly she was wrapped in chains of her own making.

"¡Te odio, maldita cerda, espero que mueras!" She shouted at her mother as she struggled and tried not to fall over.

"Mittens has been learning human language from her partner," Odalia said to the guards who had either not tried to seize Amity in the first place or who had since gotten back up. Truthfully Amity couldn't tell who was who with those uniforms. "It's such a poetic-sounding tongue."

Her struggling stopped as she was grabbed from behind by Darius. "Given her volatile reaction, I think I'll transport her myself," he said. "She'll probably calm down once we get to our destination and she sees her partner." He then whispered in her ear "Keep struggling, this needs to look real."

Amity did so and, keeping in mind what a jerk he'd been to her a few weeks ago took the opportunity to reverse headbut him in the jaw. He said it had to look real.

He yelped, and her Dad stood up. "Darius, I... Let her go or I swear by the Titan I'll—"

Amity didn't get to hear him finish his threat, and she and Darius both fell down a pool of abomination slime the head abomination witch had conjured while talking. Amity... Wasn't quite sure how to describe where the teleportation spell had taken them."

"I apologize for that display," Darius said as he rubbed his jaw. "Belos, as it seems, is intent on using you as both the carrot and the stick to try and get Luz to return to the Human Realm with him after he kills everyone." He released his hold on her slime allowing her to free herself and reclaim it. "We knew about seizing Blight Industries but the attempt at taking you into custody seems to have been tacked on at the last minute and I had to improvise."

"Okay, um... what's going on and where are we?" Amity said as her brain caught up.

"The Emperor spontaneously decided to use you as bait to lure out your girlfriend," Darius said condescendingly slowly. "And I improvised a rescue on top of my prior attempt to sabotage the attempt at accelerating abomiton production because if I didn't your girlfriend would knowingly walk into the trap and we aren't exactly comfortable in our ability to stop her. As for where we are—"

"You are at the secret headquarters," a new voice interrupted and Amity realized that there were quite a few people here. "Of the Covens Against The Throne," said the speaker, revealed to be Raine Whispers as Amity turned.

"Whispers I didn't agree to that name, we've been over this," Darius said sternly.

"AKA..."

"I don't care that I was outvoted, that's still a stupid name."

"The CATTs!"

Several of the surrounding people hissed.

Darius sighed. "Okay, you know what, I need to take five. One of you show her around."

He walked off after that and Amity looked around, trying to determine if she recognized anyone else before suddenly being glomped.

"Hey, Sweet Potato!" came the wonderfully familiar voice of her beloved girlfriend whose hair was a little longer and pulled back. It was a good look on her.

"Luz, it's so good to see you," Amity replied, suddenly feeling relief. "I got your message and Willow showed me Hunter's and..."

"It's been a heck of a few days, Hermosa," Luz said sounding... Very tired. "I'll get you caught up in a little bit but... I'm just so glad to see you right now."