Grand Daughter of the Witches You Didn't Burn

He wasn't being serious but neither was Mim! And at this point, Nemo figured he earned the right to joke like this. The casting directors had nothing to lose. They had jobs and security and were living the dream! (At lesat, Nemo assumed this about them.)

"Though I guess if I am gonna do magic, maybe I should buy myself a good luck charm or something. Have you ever tried something like that?" Nemo's smile faded a little, his curiosity genuine.

She was sure there was some complicated magical reason why she couldn't just magic up luck for herself. Something about trade and intention and impact or whatever. She didn't actually care that much. The important thing was that she could make luck charms, but she'd have to buy them from another sorcerer if she wanted to use them for herself. And she wasn't that desperate.

Yet.

"If you're looking for big luck, they're a lot harder and the reagents are a lot trickier. I've made one of those once before, but it was a special commission for someone and it took awhile."

Sorrel knew that wasn't necessarily fair, but it was true; Ren had come to the mortal world having no other option. And while it had become the best opportunity for his sibling that didn't mean it was so simple to just step away from the Court. Sorrel could have argued that the reason Ren could spend so much time in that realm was because other people were looking after the things that needed attention but not so much that it required them to be there all the time but that didn't feel fair either.

"After the Queen was killed that ended, but a kingdom doesn't run itself; Ren goes back several times a week now that I'm here all the time." Sorrel explained, "using the Gates is quick; they leave some days for a few hours and return. Little things handled by the Council, or myself, require their attention now. But that's what being the Prince is."

And he assumed it was just as easy to be there a few hours as it was being in the mortal realm, no different than being busy during the day at a job.

"A few years isn't a long span of time to be gone, except that we're both gone now and it's only Nilani looking after the Council now." And it was hard to shake the feeling that he wasn't doing enough, because of that. But equally hard to shake the feeling that he was trying to figure things out.

"And if Ren ever decides not to go back then I have to take over as Prince, and I don't think I want that. But I suppose, to be fair, they didn't want it either at first."

It felt like an impossibility, as much as Ren loved Mountainlands, hard to imagine their sibling would over step down. Something fully outside the realms of possible. But was it really? Ren had risked the crown for theur relationship with Martin; maybe something else would change somewhere along the way.

And none of it was going to be an answer where he didn't feel like he was letting someone down.

"Too many choices seems as hazardous as too few," he mused; that felt harder to navigate. "I'm glad you have so many, but something still is bothering you lately, even if you don't like to talk about it."

She evaded the topic too directly, not as subtle as she thought, but he could only ask.

Maybe not a lot, maybe not forever, but who knew what forever looked like?

"I'm not saying it isn't important to think about, its a whole kingdom. But having a Council shows it isn't on one of you. So like, if you wanted to travel and see other places, you could. Or if you don't want to be Prince, you have time to figure out a good other option. Or just wait long enough for your sister to grow up because she might want to do it when you don't and then it isn't a problem."

"There's a lot that could happen. I think it's okay for you to take time to figure out being your own kind of person."

She should have known that Sorrel wouldn't let go of the question, no matter how much she very obviously didn't want to talk about it. Her own troubles bored her. Most things bored her right now.

"I mean, sure, because its boring to talk about. I mean, having issues getting hired for jobs isn't exactly a unique problem. Or having issues getting paid. The cost of trying to have a fun creative job I suppose."

Like even if the Great Prince had taken the day off, maybe there was something else that could fight the tyger. Like a... bear. Or a... gryphon? There were definitely gryphons in these woods, or else what was the rehab center at the uni for.

But whatever. She rolled her eyes but snatched the sunglasses-turned-mirror, trying not to scowl at losing her designer pair. It better turn back. Mim was apparently pretty loaded herself, so June would ask for a replacement pair if they didn't.

"Hold on," said June.

She inched away from the tree trunk, balancing on the branch. She didn't want to drop it directly below them. Instead, if she could toss it a little further away...

The branch bent a little under her, leaves rustling. The noise perked the tyger's ears. It looked up, tail lashing.

June tossed the mirror gently. It landed with a soft thunk on the back, the sunlight catching the reflective surface at once. Rainbows spilled from the mirror and the tyger's head jerked. "Hell yes, nice--" June scooted back toward Mim.

Or, Mim could take a shortcut.

With her pen in hand, she lightly drew the runes she would need along the temples of her forehead and around her wrist. In a perfect situation, she would do more. This would have to do.

"Amazing. Next up, time to get out of here."

Pressing her fingers to her temples, purple shimmered around her fingers and then glowed in each of the runes before they sank into her skin.

Within a breath, she rippled slightly. Then massive wings burst from her back, dragon wings of a purple so dark it was almost black. She winced slightly at the feeling of the transition but bit back any other reaction.

"You better hold on."

With that as a warning, Mim wrapped her arm around June and left off the branch of the tree, angling them away from the tyger.

Milo fucked up.

Yet - at the same time, Milo succeeded in exactly what he wanted--...no, needed to do; distance himself from Luca.

Unfortunately, it had worked. Seamlessly. He had watched the absolute heart and soul drain right out of Luca's eyes and all he could do was stand there in silence until they'd walked away. It had triggered what had naturally been about the seventh breakdown he'd had that week, and now, even a few days later - that guilt was eating him alive.

And the worst part was; who could he go to?

He couldn't talk to the first person he wanted to; Luca. He wouldn't dare bring this topic up to Pip, knowing he'd get called stupid on so many fronts for chasing away the love of his life...and after that, Milo realized of the other very few remaining friends he had; he couldn't even begin to properly get them to understand the why.

All except for one. Mim.

Did he feel like he could go to her about this? No. Not when he'd been so callous at points when he'd first come back but... she was the only one who would understand. Who.. might see reason. One who he wouldn't actually die on the spot for if he had to bring up that.... one part of it all.

So fine. He'd texted her, asking if she was free. If she could come over - and somehow she'd said yes (that was why she was amazing). When she'd arrived to the basement door, Milo had quickly let her in to his room, shutting the door behind her and gesturing loosely to the couch that still resided down there before he flopped himself on the floor.

The vibes off of the forced casualness of the text message had been so beyond rancid she could have collected them for some devious spell work if she'd wanted to. Not that she was feeling particularly devious towards him at the moment.

Okay, well, jokes aside, Mim was worried about Milo. He tended to drop in and out of contact with her, ranting about homework and KB one day, saying he was too busy another, and she'd gotten used to that.

After all, she had forced herself into the role of partner in crime with someone who very much did not want to have the partner or the crime.

It meant that as soon as he'd text, she'd asked Erica to swap shifts with her and bailed on her job at the Rock Shoppe to head over to Milo's house. It only took one look at him to confirm that the rancid vibes on the text message were barely scratching the surface for her to realize this was about to be a long afternoon.

The greeting itself was so familiar she barely registered it anymore. "Lips are sealed, no one will hear from me. So. What's wrong?"

Linnet scooped some more of her ice cream into her sample spoon (eating ice cream with the sample spoons was ALWAYS more fun!) She'd ordered a Mim-special. Had insisted that Mim put it together for her, because she wanted to try somethin' new and get a taste of that clever brain of Mim's all for herself.

Plus, well, Mim didn't seem too upset about the Bram thing, but you never knew.

So here she was-- cookie butter ice cream, hot cheeto dust, plus gummy bears. Linnet smacked her lips. "The spicy-sweet thing is doing it for me!"

@madmagicmim

Besides, it was just nice to get time with Linnet. There was something about her presence that was always soothing without being sickly.

"Spicy-sweet is always the superior flavor combination, especially if you can throw a little salt in there to really round it out. I'm glad I can bring you over to the exciting side of ice cream sundae life."

The yell that came out of him when the knife was finally removed was undignified and ghastly, his fist hit several more times against the wall until the pain finally subsided. He was left panting, body a ragged doll against the floor until his mouth was being covered by the scorching softness of Mim's. James hadn't been prepared for it, and therefore only responded with a muffled, mmph! before she was pulling away to scold him.

He watched her as she did and smiled, teeth showing, eyes bright with the infinite affection of someone who knew how privileged they were to bare witness to such a thing. To be held in the arms of someone who was capable of pulling off something as magnificent as what she had just done and for it to not even be the thing spoken of.

She was angry. She was covered in his blood. She had tears spilling down her face, streaking her cheeks. She was beautiful.

"I promise," he told her and had never meant anything more in his entire life than he did those words. James took her hand, marveling at his ability to do so with strength that he never thought he would have in this body again, and placed it flat against his chest. Inside, behind muscle and bone, his heart beat, trying to reach out to meet her palm. Wanting to thank her, wanting to let her know it was just as much hers as it was his now.

He was here. He was alive.

He was alive.

"Don't think I won't consider it," she threatened, knowing that she would never do anything of the kind. Second chances were precious things after all, and they'd almost lost theirs. She wouldn't be so careless with a third.

Outside the carriage, the sound of pursuit had faded as they must have out paced the horses. The sounds of the city had faded altogether and so they were back in the privacy of the forest. They'd gotten away. They had the book. In just a few days, they'd be able to hand it over to the Duchess for the kind of money that bought breathing room and they'd be free to do whatever they wanted.

Maybe with the break they could visit her brother. She thought it might be about time he met James.

But that could be discussed later. Because they had time. They had time.

"You'd better. I love you."

He took another sip of his beer.

"Oh I see how it is. Immediately trying to benefit from my misery," Mushu remarked with a laugh. He tapped his finger thoughtfully on his chin. "What do you want? Honestly I'm happy to do whatever if it means a bit of peace from being spotted."

Leaning against the counter, she gave him a teasing look as she tapped the center of his chest. "Why would you trust a favor freely given? Now you know I'll be committed."

But what did she want?

To forget mostly. To have a night where the rest of the world didn't exist and she cold feel young and fun and like she was at the center of everything for just a little while.

"Why don't we start with a dance? It'll give me a view of the whole club. Or, if you really want a bonus, why not see if you can get one of those VIP passes for a night?"

Su released a breath of relief slowly through her nose, shoulder relaxing an inch. It could be fixed. Good.

She knew, in theory, that if it was transmutation magic that it would eventually go back to the way it was before. But it was winter, and those trees were currently supposed to be dormant, relying on the resources they had been hoarding away during the warmer months. She didn't know what this magic was doing them and that process, if it was making them use the water and nutrients that were supposed to last them until spring. And if they were, she didn't want to have to wait for the potions to wear off. She would rather get them back to their usual forms as soon as possible to prevent any potential damage.

...but Mim did bring up a good point.

Su had been preoccupied to ensuring the lives of the trees and plants. While the perpetrator had been on her mind, they hadn't been her first priority.

Now that she knew the trees could be spared, though...

It was easier with runes than it was with potions. While there were some basic runes that everyone learned, nearly every sorcerer ended up adding their own flare which could be as distinct as a fingerprint. As soon as she saw a rune drawn by someone, she could keep an eye out for whoever else might be using that signature and track a charm or a spell back to that individual. No matter how well you hid, the signature lasted.

But potions were trickier. They consumed and blended their reagents, and the process tended to obscure who had provided those in the first place. Sometimes the sorcerer had a strong enough 'voice' that it could be identified anyway, but it was chancier.

"They can't be that experienced. I mean, there are some pretty basic mistakes in this potion construction which is why it went so badly awry in the first place. Its probably why they tried to dump it instead of properly neutralizing it - I bet they couldn't even figure out where they'd gone wrong."

Which, to her point, made them dangerous. Who said they wouldn't try and do this again?

"Do you think they might be at PrideU?"

Though Nemo was kinda jealous of Mim. His close friends had all fluttered off. It made Swynlake feel lonelier and smaller than it ever had. He found himself remembering his years in primary a lot these days and that also made him feel kinda pathetic. He didn't want to be one of those people whose best years were high school.

At least if he some friends here, maybe he wouldn't feel so bad about getting stuck.

The answer was obvious: make new friends. He...kind of had? It wasn't like he was TOTALLY friendless. He hung out with Gregory... at work. And hey, look, he was talking to Mim!

...Even if they weren't totally close.

"Could you do that? Hey, could you hex the stupid casting directors that won't give me a callback?" Nemo joked.

It was the kind of thing she probably shouldn't joke about. Sorcerers had enough of a bad rap in a lot of spaces, and part of the point was having magic that meant they could make people's lives hard for super small reasons.

But it didn't change the fact that it was so tempting. Besides. If you couldn't joke about it with another unemployed Magick, who could you?

"I'll see what I can do. What are we thinking? Continuous bad hair days? All of their shoes just a little bit too tight?"

Then: "Oh wait, that's like the person in charge, right, right. I read something about that."

There were a few signs on the trails that mentioned the Great Prince and something else about being...respectful and not taking anything out of the forest. Apparently, if you were caught, you could get a fine if you stole a rock or something. June had ofc stolen a rock simply out of protest. No Great Prince had stopped her.

This kind of thing-- defending helpless girls from a tyger-- seemed like a better use of his time.

Maybe this was revenge for the stolen rock. Oh come on. June had taken that literally months ago. In August, when she first came!

"Is there anyway to summon him? Could we call?" June lifted her voice-- "HELP! HELLO? GREAT PRINCE? I DON'T WANT TO GET EATEN!"

She knew this had to be June's fault! Take that!

The sudden shouting almost had her jumping, but instead, she activated the spell. Within moments, the object in her hand shifted from a set of sunglasses into a lovely mirror. On the back of the mirror was a black cat crouching just before it was set to pounce.

Not sure where that had come from, but whatever.

"If you're down shouting and getting even more things to come our way, want to try dropping this where the tyger will see it so we can maybe go down the other side of the tree?"

Everything was screaming selfish. Lost. Girl. In that order.

"Yes I called it pathetic because thats what it was!" Bram spat back with his face stuck in the same expression. "You waited until I was halfway out the door to say some shit? You couldn't say it to my face? What would you call that then Mim?"

Bram was not going crazy. There as no way in the gods good hell that this girl. His Mim. The one with all the power and heart didn't think the same thing. What sort of weak ass move was that? It was something his fucking mother did and she was weak. It was the only way she could feel anything - making some slick ass comment as soeone was on their way out. Betting they would keep going and giving her the a boost to her depleated ego.

That was not Mim...but maybe it was 'cause clearly she was dealin' with something.

Then she started to speak with some sharpness, but Bram wasn't taking the bait. Mim thought this shit was going to hurt him? Him of all people? Every word was like sugar on his tongue because he had heard so much worse. Punished for less. This was a her problem. Even she wasn't saying it with her whole chest.

This. Was. Deflection.

"Oh yeah baby tell me more." His eyes grew wider as he grin spread across his face. Bram lived for shit talk and she was really pulling out all the stops. "Let me hear some more!" His hand went up to his ear waiting for more over her deflection.

If Mim didn't want to do all this then why the fuck didn't she open up that mouth of hers and say so. This wasn't his house. These weren't his games. Bram was doing what she wanted to do this whole fucking time. So not a single thing landed. The sex comment - he wasn't going to believe that. Not the way she acting during nah..that was just her reaching.

"Are you done?" Brams brows rose and fell. Eyes still wild. "I don't think you've got much more detail in there. Do ya?" Bram rolled his eyes. "You waited all this time to tell me that you didn't want to do shit that you wanted to do? Nah!" Bram shook his head. "This is a you fucking problem not a me fucking problem. This is your house. With your shit. You don't want to go to a Uni party? Why because you don't fit in? When the hell did you ever give a damn about fitting in. Nah this ain't fucking it." Bram was not going to take the blame for whatever she was getting on about. If she wanted to blow up then so be it. "You think this insecure bullshit is the girl I fell for? Try again. You can put all you bullshit on me. Lay it on me Mim. I have heard worse than you could ever imagine for Y E A R S! So this little outburst...bravo!"

Bram clapped his hands so sarcastically his eyes fluttered in annoyance. This was some bullshit.

"Why don't you figure out what the hell you are really getting at Mim. This is some fuck all bullshit. You think your friends? Yeah you friends are not out there doin the same shit every night. We live in a small ass fucking town where everyone is so far up each others asses they know what we ate for dinner last night." This was insane and he was not going to let this shit land on him. "So if you are tired of this." His fist beat at his chest three times. "Then alright I am not going to fight you on it. I suggest you go take a look in a mirror because this shit is W I L D!"

Yes. Fucking actually. Yes. Because this had always been there. This gnawing greedy desperation had always lived at her core just under the surface, and she'd worked so hard to keep it to herself. To tell herself she didn't need to be like that because she had better now. She'd won. She'd gotten the degree, she'd gotten the guy, and that was supposed to be the shiny brass ring at the end of the story.

Instead, she was two seconds away from repeating the entire fucking 'Cool Girl' monologue and debating whether she was faking her own murder or his just to make it interesting enough they'd be stuck.

"You're a fucking asshole and you have no idea what kind of shit I grew up with. Because that would require you to actually listen to me."

Every word he said scraped away at the next layer of control because it was so condescending. Her 'little outburst'. Her shit was 'wild'. The goddamn applause.

"But you're right. This is my house. With my shit in it. And you have stopped being part of my shit so get the hell out."

Bram wasn’t going to be anywhere that he wasn’t welcome.

This place was turning into his own personal hell anyways. A round about he was stuck in. Caught up in delusions and his own temper felt like it was slipping to places he knew he couldn’t control.

“Feel good lying to yourself! Like I don’t know shit about your life or I don’t listen. If that’s what you need to tell yourself to make sense of whatever has you so ass back wards then eat your hear out sweetheart! I’ll be your bad guy!”

Brams eyes were wild with rage as he threw his hands up at his sides.

“Fuck this! Fuck all this! You better take a long look in a mirror cause I know I’m not that fuckin problem here!”

The thought of how much they loved each other only a few weeks ago? What month was it? It all didn’t matter now Bram just felt used and exploited as some boyfriend. There wasn’t a single thing he did that wasn’t for her.

Clearly that was all a joke because this was a delusional outburst and she was on a kamakazi mission.

With a scoff at his teeth her turned around and held up two middle fingers and held them at the side of his head as he turned his back on Mim for the first time.

Fuck. Off.

Everything was screaming selfish. Lost. Girl. In that order.

"Yes I called it pathetic because thats what it was!" Bram spat back with his face stuck in the same expression. "You waited until I was halfway out the door to say some shit? You couldn't say it to my face? What would you call that then Mim?"

Bram was not going crazy. There as no way in the gods good hell that this girl. His Mim. The one with all the power and heart didn't think the same thing. What sort of weak ass move was that? It was something his fucking mother did and she was weak. It was the only way she could feel anything - making some slick ass comment as soeone was on their way out. Betting they would keep going and giving her the a boost to her depleated ego.

That was not Mim...but maybe it was 'cause clearly she was dealin' with something.

Then she started to speak with some sharpness, but Bram wasn't taking the bait. Mim thought this shit was going to hurt him? Him of all people? Every word was like sugar on his tongue because he had heard so much worse. Punished for less. This was a her problem. Even she wasn't saying it with her whole chest.

This. Was. Deflection.

"Oh yeah baby tell me more." His eyes grew wider as he grin spread across his face. Bram lived for shit talk and she was really pulling out all the stops. "Let me hear some more!" His hand went up to his ear waiting for more over her deflection.

If Mim didn't want to do all this then why the fuck didn't she open up that mouth of hers and say so. This wasn't his house. These weren't his games. Bram was doing what she wanted to do this whole fucking time. So not a single thing landed. The sex comment - he wasn't going to believe that. Not the way she acting during nah..that was just her reaching.

"Are you done?" Brams brows rose and fell. Eyes still wild. "I don't think you've got much more detail in there. Do ya?" Bram rolled his eyes. "You waited all this time to tell me that you didn't want to do shit that you wanted to do? Nah!" Bram shook his head. "This is a you fucking problem not a me fucking problem. This is your house. With your shit. You don't want to go to a Uni party? Why because you don't fit in? When the hell did you ever give a damn about fitting in. Nah this ain't fucking it." Bram was not going to take the blame for whatever she was getting on about. If she wanted to blow up then so be it. "You think this insecure bullshit is the girl I fell for? Try again. You can put all you bullshit on me. Lay it on me Mim. I have heard worse than you could ever imagine for Y E A R S! So this little outburst...bravo!"

Bram clapped his hands so sarcastically his eyes fluttered in annoyance. This was some bullshit.

"Why don't you figure out what the hell you are really getting at Mim. This is some fuck all bullshit. You think your friends? Yeah you friends are not out there doin the same shit every night. We live in a small ass fucking town where everyone is so far up each others asses they know what we ate for dinner last night." This was insane and he was not going to let this shit land on him. "So if you are tired of this." His fist beat at his chest three times. "Then alright I am not going to fight you on it. I suggest you go take a look in a mirror because this shit is W I L D!"

Yes. Fucking actually. Yes. Because this had always been there. This gnawing greedy desperation had always lived at her core just under the surface, and she'd worked so hard to keep it to herself. To tell herself she didn't need to be like that because she had better now. She'd won. She'd gotten the degree, she'd gotten the guy, and that was supposed to be the shiny brass ring at the end of the story.

Instead, she was two seconds away from repeating the entire fucking 'Cool Girl' monologue and debating whether she was faking her own murder or his just to make it interesting enough they'd be stuck.

"You're a fucking asshole and you have no idea what kind of shit I grew up with. Because that would require you to actually listen to me."

Every word he said scraped away at the next layer of control because it was so condescending. Her 'little outburst'. Her shit was 'wild'. The goddamn applause.

"But you're right. This is my house. With my shit in it. And you have stopped being part of my shit so get the hell out."

But not a lot of people were hiring actors and dancers and singers through LinkedIn.

Anyway. He'd seen some jobs about it and wondered if Mim considered doing the AI editing or training. He suspected she probably wouldn't like those things either.

"Yeah, same with working at Ruff to Fluff," said Nemo, sighing. "I just feel so...I dunno. Shitty, I guess. All my friends have jobs they love. Jeremy is in a band and he's doing well in London. Ashlee is working in a ballet conservatory. Finny is opening a photo studio in Korea and Louie also has his thing. It's just me that can't get anything." He looked glum.

She went up to London to visit them occasionally, combining time with her friends with clandestine missions to connect with the rebel faction of the Coven of Owls.

Neither made her feel as good as she hoped. It all just reminded her of how stuck she was in most areas of her life.

"It feels like the only friends I have that didn't leave town are all still in uni and that feels weirder and weirder. Like, they're writing papers and I'm writing my 5th cover letter this week. It's kinda hard to relate after awhile." She let out a frustrated sigh, thinking of the texts she was currently ignoring.

"I don't know, maybe its time to just hex the job boards. That feels as useful as anything else."