The Magician's Witch

A Reading

The pounding in her head grew more incessant as Eilis returned to consciousness the next morning. She squeezed one eye open, then immediately closed it against the sharp, needle-like pain the shaft of light across her face caused. Her mouth felt like high noon in Death Valley. She groaned and turned her face into her pillow.

Eilis became aware of a form lying next to her. She turned her head to the left, finding Mandy's unconscious face inches from hers. She was still clothed, nestled under a blanket but on top of the covers of Eilis' bed, snoring peacefully.

Eilis grimaced as she made an attempt to sit up. Her head felt like it had grown twice its size overnight. She was wearing a gray t-shirt but still had the black leggings on from last night. She looked around, avoiding the bright light streaming in from the window. She rubbed her face, trying to dispel the last vestiges of sleep. She got up gingerly, endeavoring not to disturb her sleeping companion, and shuffled into the bathroom.

After washing her hands, she cupped them under the faucet and sipped several handfuls of water, alleviating some of the headache still pounding her brain. She rinsed her face and dried it, feeling a tiny bit better. In her postage-stamp-sized living room, Eilis found the empty bottle of tequila on the coffee table surrounded by abandoned shot glasses, and discarded lime rinds strewn around. Dawn had left after the second shot to go to bed in the main house; Sally and Jillian had fallen asleep on opposite sides of the couch but must have left before Eilis had awoken.

Eilis picked up the bottle and a couple of the shot glasses, wincing as they clinked together. She put the empty bottle on the kitchen counter and the glasses in the sink. She traipsed back into the living room and gathered up all the rinds and the remaining glasses; the rinds she would dispose of into the compost pile later, and the bottle she would take down to the recycling bin in the garage.

She heard a moan from the bedroom. She took a water glass down from the cabinet, filled it, and went to check on Mandy.

Mandy was sitting up, her head in her hands. Saying nothing, Eilis touched her friend's shoulder, holding out the glass of water. Mandy nodded her thanks and drained it.

"I think there should be breakfast burritos in the kitchen," Eilis croaked, her throat still feeling desiccated.

"Ah, the perfect hangover food," Mandy avowed.

Eilis threw on a baggy sweatshirt and pushed her feet into her sneakers to walk over to the house. Both girls winced and shaded their eyes as they stepped out into the late morning sunshine.

The smell of coffee, bacon, and eggs greeted them as they shuffled down the hallway into the kitchen. They could hear murmured conversations and silverware clinking.

Sally sat with Hester Sampson at the round kitchen table-Alafair and Azar were not present. Jillian, looking annoyingly fresh-faced and not at all hungover, smirked at the two younger girls as they entered.

"Rough night?" she inquired sweetly as she lifted a steaming cup of coffee to her lips.

Mandy narrowed her eyes at her. "Shut up."

Eilis said nothing as she walked around to the coffee pot, which was still full. Someone must have made a fresh batch.

"Coffee," she asked over her shoulder.

"Yes," was the clipped response.

Eilis poured two cups and handed one to Mandy who plopped into a bar stool at the counter. There were a few burritos left in the pastry box. Eilis picked up two and handed one to Mandy, then came around the counter and sat down next to her, opening the foil wrapper with ginger fingers.