Tensions had been running high for weeks. Luz seemed not to notice, which Camilia was grateful for. Her daughter was usually quite perceptive, and Camilia's been dreading the inevitable event where she'd have to explain to her why she and Eda can't see eye to eye. Why she hates her. The fact that she hates her.

She can't fathom exactly why, but Camilia can see that Luz is undeniably, irrevocably attached to Eda.

Then, she sees Eda and Luz, huddled together on the couch, late one Tuesday night, a dusty old spell book between them, Luz blinking blearily with exhaustion, but smiling nonetheless, as the woman beside her explains the complex spell, with bright expansive hand motions and an equally bright grin, and Camilia knows that's a lie. She knows why.

She knows why Eda has suddenly become the favorite, and she hates it nonetheless.

She doesn't want Luz to know. She fears that if Eda leaves, if Eda is put out, she'll lose Luz as well. Besides, they're adults. Surely they could work this out without putting Luz in the middle.

Only, that felt impossible at this given moment. Camilia's getting to the end of her rope, her wit's end… And Eda seems determined to poke and prod her at every turn.

Eda could be incredibly petty. There was no question there. She never once claimed not to be.

She's the first one to throw a ball of mud. It hits Camilia in the side of the head, and Eda's left stunned by the accuracy of her aim, mouth half agape as she stares speechless at the woman. Then she doubles over, overcome by a series of belly wrenching chuckles, as Camilia, expression wide with outrage, wipes the mud from around her mouth.

In the time since the witch arrived, Camilia's been nearly crushed by a dragon, assaulted by a miniature demon, and almost drowned, but this crossed the line.

"You insufferable little-"

When Luz finally finds them, they're covered in mud, heaving and agitated.

"I yield" Eda whispers, throwing her head down in the mud.

Camilia ignores her.

"Uh… should I ask what uh, happened here?" Luz murmurs, umbrella held tight in her hands.

"No"

Eda may be ridiculous, but she was not stupid. She decides the smartest course of action is to lay low.

Camilia knows because she hasn't seen her exit the spare bedroom she'd taken for her own, since their little… argument.

Luz is hunched over her bowl, filled to the brim with cereal bits and milk. She chases them around with her spoon, gazing at her mother with head tilted to the side in curiousity. "So… about what happened a couple days ago? You and Eda had a fight?"

"It's nothing to worry yourself about, mija. It was just a little disagreement"

"And you throw mud when you disagree with people" She's laughing. Her daughter's laughing at her.

"I mean, not usually. But it's nothing. We've already figured it out"

Luz hums at that. "So, if I were to go, say, to the Boiling Isles with Eda to pick up our friend King, you wouldn't mind? Because you're not mad at her still?"

"Exactly"

That's a lie, but it's considerably more palatable than the truth.

She sighs, patting Luz softly on the cheek.

"Do you have everything you need, mija?" Camilia asks, voice heavy with motherly concern.

It feels like sending her daughter off to a warzone, letting her go through that portal with Eda. She eyes it, out of the corner of her eye, the looming wooden doorway, entrance suffused with a golden light that made the tiles in the mudroom shine like brilliant platinum leaflets. She shutters at the way it twirls, a thick, gelatinous substance that blinds her to what lay beyond.

Luz nods, smile wide and beaming.

"Aye, Aye, Captain" She hefts up the giant backpack slung across her shoulders as reassurance.

"Well, okay. Just, make sure you call everyday, alright?" Luz nods obediently

She throws her arms around her mother in a crushing hug that Camilia returns, smiles, and mutters a quick 'I love you' before turning to rush towards her destination.

Camilia stands from where she's knelt on the floor, watching after her daughter.

"Keep her safe, okay?" She tells Eda as she passes by.

The witch rolls her eyes.

"Don't I always?" She asks gruffly. Camilia grimaces, and Eda gives a lopsided smirk, gaze softening, "She's in the best of hands, alright. Nothing's happening to her while she's with me. Cross my heart and hope my hands falls out"

She does exactly that, dragging her fingertip across her chest in an x shape, presumably where her heart sits (off centered; on the right as opposed to the left), before literally taking her hand off to prove her point. It pops off, with a little squelching sound, like flesh unstitching, and Camilia can see the bone and surrounding tissue, severed clean at the junction.

It isn't any more graphic than what she sees everyday at the hospital, as a full time nurse, but she gags all the same. It's so unnatural, it's sickening.

"Can you not do that?" Camilia snaps, shuddering.

Eda laughs at her.

Then Luz is calling for her mentor to hurry up, voice whiny with impatience.

"Coming," Eda calls. She screws her hand back on like a light bulb, grumbling faintly as she gets it facing the right way, "Be patient..." a pause. She faces Camilia one last time with a smirk, "Ugh. Kids, am I right?"

She grabs her bag, and Camilia watches as she coats over to Luz, who's standing beside the portal with cheeks puffed out like a pufferfish.

"Ready to go, grub?" Eda asks. Luz nods.

The golden light flickers, and for a moment Camilia can glimpse the scene beyond it: a huge house with round, stained glass windows and sweeping rounded roofs and an owl face stuck to the door. The ground is an acidic yellow and the sky is red, and something about the entire scene is just so otherworldly.

Luz waves at her, front half of her body hanging out from the portal, it's surface rippling like a reflection in a lake. It's distorted, and soon she can't see any of the image at all.

"Bye mom! Be back soon" She waves one more time with a smile.

And then she's gone. And Camilia is alone for the first time in 3 months.

The portal… the door, folds up and over itself, until it's the size of a suitcase, and then subsequently vanishes.

Camilia just stands in the mudroom and gapes.