NaNoWriMo Story Snippets

62. Excerpt from Liv-as-a-witch

I originally wanted this to connect to QUEENS OF THE UNDERGROUND, but I already messed up some big details, so... yeah. Editing's going to be a pain. Basically, Liv's a witch and she has a deal with Finn (a demon), which wasn't an issue until she and Rhea broke up.

Some supernaturals found it hard to balance their nature with wrestling. Werewolves always had to be careful not to showcase too much of their enhanced strength. Vampires had to be extra diligent if blood was shed in a match. Even the banshees had to watch how loud they were in the ring so they didn't cause hearing damage to their opponents or the fans. In comparison, witches had it pretty easy. Now that natural, organic products were trendy, they could source materials for their spellwork almost anywhere, and hardly anyone batted an eye if they saw someone wearing a crystal necklace anymore.

Liv even had it easier than most witches did. It was pretty rare that a witch worked with a demon in their day job—a relative term where Liv was concerned, since most WWE events were held in the evenings. Other witches had to do summonings to even locate a demon; she just had to go to the men's locker room and ask for Finn.

It didn't stop her from lingering in Catering, though, scrounging around the tables for any leftover candy. Since it was only a few days after Halloween, the catering crew often bought up discount candy and brought it in. There weren't any Jolly Ranchers, so Liv settled for a green lollipop, vaguely saddened when she realized the stick was some sort of recyclable plastic. Better for the planet, she reminded herself. The cardboard taste of the stick, softened by teeth and saliva, was part of the nostalgia, though, and it was just one more thing about that night that wasn't quite right.

"Hey, Liv." Liv almost jumped when she saw Piper cover over the table. Piper was the largest woman on the main roster, but she was deceptively quick and stealthy. "Do you have time to cast a circle later tonight? I've got a balcony suite," she added, "so we won't have to worry about burning the bathroom floor again."

Liv had to laugh. She and Piper practiced very different magic, but they often did rituals together when they were on the same shows simply for the camaraderie. Piper's coven was back in Scotland, so she missed communal magic, and Liv was most solitary, but didn't mind the company, so it worked out for both of them. "You have to admit, whatever they replaced that tile with had to be an improvement. It was like... that baby-poo green from the 70s! Not even people who love retro like that!"

Piper giggled too, making her nose crinkle. "Aye. You have to love how they try passing it off as 'vintage' when it's really just 'We spent too much on the pool and couldn't update the decor'."

"If they had spent two dollars on that pool," Liv countered, shuddering as she remembered the scum-ridden pit, "they should have just gone to the corner store and bought a bottle of water." That particular disaster of a hotel had been a last-minute booking made by several of the wrestlers when a sudden storm forced them to stop for the night earlier than expected. Liv now suspected it was going to be a whole chapter of its own in several wrestlers' biographies in a few years. The trip down Memory Lane was lovely, but Liv's enthusiasm dimmed a bit when she remember what she had left to do. "I'd love to, but I'm going to be running a bit late. If after midnight's okay....?"

Piper sighed and gave her a sharp look. "Going back to Finn for help? Liv, you know what demons are like. They aren't worth the trouble. What's the spell for? Can it just wait until we see Alba and Isla? Four should be enough...."

Liv shook her head. "I know they'd help and I appreciate it, but I don't mind asking Finn. He's always been helpful."

"And now he's helping your ex," Piper pointed out flatly. "Won't that make things a wee bit awkward?"

"I'm an adult, Piper." Liv straightened her shoulders as she said it, but she knew that better posture wouldn't bolster her point that much. She was still wearing bright leggings with astronaut cats, a t-shirt with a ragged him, and a grungy cardigan that had lost all its buttons long ago. Her mother would have said she looked like a laundry pile come to life, but at least she was comfortable. "Rhea and I work together and it's been fine. I'll be fine. I promise."

Piper still looked dubious and she toyed with the quartz pendant around her neck. "Are you sure? I can come with you. You know I don't dabble in demon magic," she added sternly, "but I don't mind standing guard for you."

Liv shook her head. "That's sweet of you, Pipes, but I'll be fine. Honestly." She bounced over and kissed Piper's cheek, wiping away the lipstick smudge as she stepped back. "I'd love to do that circle, though. I'll be back at the hotel by midnight, okay? You can get the candles set up and I'll bring my flint. Anything you have in mind," she asked, trying to redirect the conversation, "or do you just want a generic circle?"

"I want to work a healing spell. My friend's dog needs surgery." Piper still wagged a finger at her. "And don't think you can waylay me that easily. I still think you should stop working with Finn. Or at least find a different demon."

Liv had been ready to ask what type of dog Piper's friend had and what was wrong, so she wasn't ready for the reversal. "I—I can't. You know that, Piper. It's not exactly like there's a demon in every city. Hell, some whole states don't even have a demon. I'm incredibly lucky to have such regular access to Finn."

Piper scoffed. "You mean he is incredibly lucky to work with such an amazing and trusting witch." Then she narrowed her eyes. "You notice that he never asks me to make sigils for him."

"Because you're terrifying!" Laughing, Liv hugged Piper again. "In a good way, of course, at least to me. Finn's probably worried you'll cast a binding circle and trap him."

"And he should be," Piper answered firmly, "because I can and I would. Just give me enough reason to and I'll banish his scrawny wee ass back over the pond where it belongs. Ireland knows how to deal that sort of magic. America just goes Oooh, look at his abs! So many abs!"