Just Someone You Hate (GOLDEN GUARD X FEM READER)

16.) Clawthorne's Lament

Three weeks later

"Can I come in?" I knock on my mom's door.

"Yeah, come in!" She calls so I open it. "It's late, what's going on?"

"Can I sleep in here tonight?" I say awkwardly, pillow and blanket in hand.

"Of course, owlet. But don't get mad if you get another nest splinter." She smiles before moving over to make room. "You haven't done this since you were a kid. Remember how I used to tell you scary stories until you cried and then I would apologize over and over again."

"You can't tell a toddler a story about real-life serial killers in Bonesborough in detail." I yawn as I put my pillow and blanket down before crawling into the nest.

"So, what's wrong?" She asks, throwing an arm around me before lightly shaking me.

"Why does something have to be wrong? Why can't I just love my mom?" I deflect.

"Because you only do this when something is wrong. Even when you were little. You can talk to me, kid." She tries. So, I think I'll take Hunter's advice. Just this once.

"It's about the petrification," I say quietly. She goes silent for a moment, not saying anything. The arm around me tenses just for a moment. I'm just worried about what she's thinking.

"Still thinking about that, huh?" She sighs nervously.

"I thought you were gonna die, mom."

"Owlet-"

"There's been so much going on lately and when I thought you were dying I realized I should've told you everything! I should've asked you so many more questions, I shouldn't have lied about where I was going so much! You're a good mom and I need you, I'm gonna need you until I'm one hundred." I ramble on nervously.

"Hold on, you've been lying about where you've been going?" She gasps.

"That's what you took out of that ramble?" I ask.

"Okay, okay, let me start over. I had no idea this affected you so much, witchlet. I don't plan on dying or getting badly injured anytime soon. I'm here for you as long as you need me, okay? I know things have been different ever since Luz came here. And since we brought King home too. But you're still my kid. My owlet."

"Even if you didn't want me?" I joke.

"You were never unwanted," She lightly pushes my forehead. "You're the best surprise I ever got. Even if you leave your shit lying around for King to trip over."

"I've gotten better at picking my stuff up. He just runs around so much chasing his minions." I defend.

"So, tell me something. If I were dying, which I'm not, what's one of the things you wanted to say?" She asks.

"I wanted to tell you that I was, briefly, into the Golden Guard," I say and she gasps dramatically.

"The coven freak?" She snorts.

"It's all Lilith's fault! She and Belos ordered and paid him to try and date me when she was in the coven. And then I found out at grom. After that, I tripped him on our tour of the coven because he was our guide." I try to explain.

"My idiot sister did what?" She practically shouts.

"Be quiet, Luz and King are sleeping."

"Everything I find out about her in that coven is against my will and proceeds to get more terrible. I'm gonna call her first thing in the morning to give her a piece of my mind. How could she? You haven't dated anyone si-"