Some of them Witches

Chapter 21

Marianne answered the door in a groggy huff. "Do you have any idea what time it is?" The sky was only beginning to shake off the darkness of night.

"Do you have any idea what day it is?" Lily mimicked.

"What are you, the sphinx? Go back to sleep. It's not even dawn yet." Lily stuck her foot in the door as Marianne tried to close it. "Christ, Lily--"

"It's the summer solstice," the girl said matter-of-factly.

With a groan, Marianne brought her palm to her face. "It will still be the summer solstice in a few hours."

"But sunrise is in a few minutes and you said you would do all those old-timey rituals with me."

"You're right. How could I possibly think the day after my brush with death could be an exception?" She stepped out as Lily attempted to peer in the doorway and closed the door behind her. The last thing she needed was an inquisition as to why Nathan had spent the night. "Let's go to the sculpture garden."

"The best view is from up here," she whined.

"The sun is rising behind us if we look from here, genius." Marianne thanked her lucky stars for the direction her landing faced.

They walked along the footpath with what felt like Lily purposefully kicking every stone and stepping on every twig. Marianne might have been annoyed if the noises didn't help drown out the endless stream of thoughts plaguing her.

Once they reached the garden, Lily skipped to the center of it, near the statues. "What do we do now?"

"This was your idea," she said as she sent Nathan a quick text. "You didn't do any research?"

"I have you for that."

"Right." Marianne let out a long sigh, "I think we're just supposed to look at it and meditate or something."

"Wow, I'm convinced," the girl said sarcastically.

"Did you ask me out here just to be a dick? Because you don't need two people to watch the sunrise."

"Fine." Lily threw her hands up in surrender and pulled her phone from the pocket of her pajama pants, tapping away. "What to do during summer solstice," she narrated. "It says we're supposed to drink some weird tea and maybe sing a song-- look it's coming up," her voice rose with her excitement, head bobbing up and down on her heels. "Quick, what do we do?"

Bending under Lily's unrestrained enthusiasm, Marianne put her hands out in front of her like a bowl, "Flow," and watched it fill, water seeping through her fingers like a font. "Drink," she said, holding it out to Lily.

"From your hands? Eww." She gave a little shake of her head. "No, thanks."

"You could always try to summon your own," taunted Marianne, bringing her hands to her lips for a sip, water dribbling down her chin and chest onto her romper.

Lily approached with transparent hesitation. "I better not get salmonella poisoning or something."

"Make a decision, my arms are getting tired." Lily lowered her head and took a small sip, wiping her mouth as she righted herself. Marianne separated her hands, releasing the spell. "You're on music."

"It's gonna sound shitty on my phone."

"Just do it like at the bonfire," she said, easing herself onto the grass, leaning back on her elbows.

"Like I know how," scoffed Lily.

"You didn't ask Petra?"

"She's not my tutor. You are."