A Wreck of Witches

speakers

“They’re the rebels. I think Iris uses the terms ‘goblincore’ and ‘crotchety punks.’ They read a lot of mystery, thriller, horror, grimdark fantasy, things like that.”

This. This was why it was better to be self-sufficient. Because once you let someone in, they had the power to wound you, not only decades later, but without even being around. Their thorns stuck in your mind and pricked you when you least expected it.

His Animal Crossing character was in a bug-net-swatting war with another character. I squinted at the screen.

Pog

brown delivery truck

No one could agree on what to call people with innate magical abilities—witches, wizards, sorcerers, mages, magi, mancers, casters, you name it—but you could tell a lot about a person by which title they chose

“If luck is with you,” Cressida said, her hearing clearly excellent, “it would dissolve into ectoplasm. Simple. If not, well, you’d need to buy about fifteen gallons of lye and a few immersion heaters—very cheap, you probably have one in your kitchen already. What’s your bathtub made of?”

changed into my PJs. After a quick sniff, I tossed my clothes over the clean-enough-to-be-worn-again rack.

Normally I worked some kind of glamour with my makeup—to look less tired, or happier than I felt—but

“Oh my gosh, hold the phone, are these succulent enamel pins?” Ronnie scooped up a few pins, inspecting them with a wide grin. “Are they seriously the colors of different identities? They’re so cute! Ohh, look at this one, with the pink and purple and blue . . .”

The rain hammered down, but it was warm, and I almost regretted the rain shell. My options were to be soaked but comfortable, or hot and sweaty but slightly drier. I’d have to play it by ear.

“Girl, didn’t you think you should use waterproof mascara before flouncing around in a storm?”

“Well, if I were you, I’d switch over to waterproof every day, stat. With me as your friend, you’re probably going to end up in a lot more storms—the weather kind, and the emotional kind.” She smirked. “I’m kind of a disaster that way.”

“You know, cutting yourself off from everyone to prove that you’re strong, that you can do it alone . . . That hurts more than just you. What about the people who need you as a friend? What about the people who need help, but you aren’t there?”

“Everybody needs somebody—lots of somebodies,” Ronnie whispered into my shoulder. “Love, empathy, community—those don’t work with only one person. We need each other.” She pulled back and met my blurred gaze earnestly. “I need you.”

“And as much as it sucks, there’s no way to avoid getting hurt, but if you stick it out by yourself, it takes so much longer to heal from that hurt. Healing—that’s another one of those better-together things.” She squeezed my hands once more. “Gosh, I sound like a cheeseball.”

“Girl, you’d better believe I’ve had years of therapy. Now, let’s go find everybody else, yeah?”