A Little Bit of Both (Lumity)

Nineteen

"H-Huh? Luz said as she watched Eda wind her finger in a circle, sniffling. "W-Wait, but-"

With a suddenly strong and bright golden aura surrounding both of them, she watched as her mentor's face had focused up, eyes closed, only to feel her pain start to subside and become hardly noticeable. She was healing her... even after the horrible things she just said to her, not even thirty minutes ago... "Eda, how on Earth are you doing magic, this is the human realm. I thought witches couldn't-"

"Hush." Eda said sternly, not making any differences in her facial expression. Luz decided to keep quiet.

After a few seconds of silence, Luz fell out of her daze as she felt Eda's brace loosen. Letting out a big yet troubled breath, Eda exhaled sharply as she bumped her chest while coughing, setting Luz on the ground. "E-Eda?"

"Don't worry, kid. I got it under control. And how did I do magic? Don't be so silly," She said with a smirk, but her hands were shaking and Luz took note that she wasn't really okay, and that this was the least of her concerns. What is she hidding, Luz thought. "I'm the most powerful witch on the Isles. Of course I can do magic here.

I'm just limited." Eda said, that last part being delayed in silence.

"Well... A-Aside from that." Luz said with a rather serious expression. "E-Eda, what's wrong?" She asked in a fit of panic, not knowing what was going on. She knew her mentor as if she were the back of her hand so to see something so troubling right now really worried her.

"Nothing much, kid. Don't worry too much, it's just my curse not siding too well with my healing magic especially here in this realm where the atmosphere itself is base magic. It was never the best bet to deal with but... I'd do anything for you, Luz. In a heartbeat." Eda said confidently with a smile. She went in to hug Luz as she apologized about fifty times, Luz doing the same back. Soon, they both went silent as Eda dared to ask her the question that's been on her mind for the last ten minutes.

"Hey, Luz?" Eda said, very unsure if she should ask something else. Now's not the time to back out and be soft. You got this.

"Y-Yeah?" Luz asked in an unsteady manner, taking note of Eda's unseen behavior. This was clearly something serious but she couldn't put her finger on it by herself. "What's up?"

"What did you mean... by that-" Eda asked before she was cut off.

"I'm sorry! I-I really don't know what came over me. I get it if you're upset with me and would want me to stay here rather than the Isles! I-I'll go get my things and-" Luz said with stress laced in her voice, her mouth clearly going faster than her brain.

"What? No! I don't want you to stay here, if anything, I'd want you to move into the Isles!" Eda said sternly but with passion until she realized what she had just said outloud. Giving herself a mental facepalm, she tried to keep her composure strong in front of Luz, hoping it wouldn't break.

"M-Move into the Isles with... you? But, I-I was just so mean-"

"I don't care about that stuff, Luz! I know you didn't mean it... I hope... that isn't even what I was gonna ask you." Eda said with a gulp down the throat and a gland of sweat rolling down the side of her forehead. "Luz, I wanted to ask what you meant by you calling me... M-Mom." Eda finally said, a weight leaving her shoulders as she let out a breath.

She stared into Luz's eyes as it went silent between the both of them, Luz staring into her mentor's eyes before blinking.

"I did call you that, didn't I?"

"Yep. You sure did." Eda said with a slight smirk on her face. "I just wanted to know, is all-"

"I mean, it's pretty self-explanatory, no?" Luz said as she cut Eda off, her mentor giving her a blank stare in return. "I thought it was clear as day that I saw you as... as my Mom. Sure, I have a Mom here but," Luz said as she tried to word it the best she could. "You're also here with me, Eda. I couldn't do any of this without you and you always believed in me from the start. I can't... can't describe enough how much you mean to me and- and how much I love you, and-" Luz kept going on and on as she started to reach tears. She really loved Eda and saw her as a mother figure, and it was finally apparent to the Owl Lady.