Some of them Witches

Chapter 17

"O...kay. Walk me through this, how do you accidentally get your cartilage pierced?" Miller's face was too close to the screen, distorting his proportions as he tried to get a good look at Marianne's ear.

From what Marianne could tell from the photographs Lily had taken of the damage, it looked like the earring had grown and instead of one gold prong holding it to her ear, there was now a vine that snaked upward through her cartilage in a painful spiral.

"It's pretty simple, actually. Have a completely inexperienced magical girl cast a completely unrelated spell on it while you're still wearing it."

"What was she trying to do?"

Careful. "I don't know. She thinks the earring is her aunt's."

"Is it?"

Yes. "I think so. One of the crows found it so it's not crazy unlikely."

"As crazy unlikely as letting a tween give you new piercings?"

"I didn't really expect anything to happen. I don't think she did either. Lily's magic isn't super reliable."

"You don't think you might have just underestimated her?"

"Don't you use your Jedi mind tricks on me. I'm already injured," she cautioned.

"I'll just make my own assumptions then." Miller's smile was laced with charm.

"I'm choosing to ignore that. She didn't ask a question. She made a demand, I think that may be why it backfired."

"A demand?"

"Yes. She said 'come home'. Maybe it was too vague?"

"That doesn't make sense."

"I yield the floor to an expert in the field."

"Don't think sarcasm is going to win this one for you. From what I can recall your spells are practically monosyllabic. 'Come home' doesn't sound vague to me."

"I agree, the statement is direct but she directed it at an earring. It's not like it's a portal to her aunt."

"You lost me."

"If you tell an earring to come home, where would it go?"

"You're saying the answer to that question is embedded in your ear?"

"Do you have a better explanation?"

"I thought we agreed I wasn't an expert."

"You know what? I'm done obsessing about it. You're coming home tomorrow! What should we do first?"

"I get in around six so I'll be in family mode tomorrow. But I have a surprise activity planned for us on Saturday."

Marianne knew it was futile but given last night's excitement she could not sit idly by while she was surprised again. "Please no. Just tell me now."

"That would ruin the surprise."

"Exactly."

"Mer-bear..."

"Yes...?"

"You're going to have to trust me."

She whined, "Don't wanna" at her phone screen but knew when she was beat.

Marianne did a full turn around the room. She would pack herself a bowl and enjoy a long luxurious bath tonight. Alone. No, no, this was a perfect moment that would not be ruined by her fucking abandonment issues. I completed this project alone and I can damn well celebrate alone. Well, nearly alone.