Liar

Chapter 42

Again, the warmth was all I felt. This time, it was borderline oppressive. Briar placed a hand on my arm and looked at me like I was a crying child. " Here you go, love. That was difficult." She handed me a cup of tonic water and pat my head.

" Stop babying her, Briar." Briar cocked her head to the side and glanced at her wife innocently " What? Are you jealous?" Her eyes looked back at me, adoringly. " We'll help you get back to normal before you know it! Alright?"

I nodded, still feeling the lingering warmth surrounding my body. " I know this is sudden, but I'm gonna do a grocery run. Briar, can you bring in some carrots and squash from outside? I'm feeling picky today."

My head still lie in her lap, almost a routine when I arose every morning for the past week. " Also, see to it that she's taken care of please."

Briar took me into her arms and nodded, almost cradling me. Briar was pressing everyone one of Magnolia's buttons, as she rolled her eyes and left. " Well, your bath is prepared already, so that's that. Whenever you're ready, come downstairs for breakfast, any suggestions?"

" Honestly, I'm not super picky right now." I sighed, shifting to the edge of the bed, getting ready to go shower, then bathe. She simply smiled, nodding. I closed the bathroom door behind me and inhaled the warm vanilla and cinnamon scent.

~·~

I knocked on the door, patiently waiting. I needed answers. But as soon as I figured one thing out, I ended up with more questions. " Mag? Where's Brie?"

" I bet you'd like to know. We need to talk." He chuckled, turning on his heel and walked back into his home. I followed after him, wanting nothing more than to get this all over with.

I shut his door and locked it. " You need to tell me what this is, Magnolia." I waved my hand and showed him the needle I had found embedded in Zoey's soul. His flirtatious manner faded into seriousness. " Where did you find that?"

" Inside of our In-law." He looked speechless. His eyes shifted from the needle back to my eyes. " This wasn't my doing..." He whispered, a pleading look in his eyes. After our last fight, he thought I saw the worst in him all of the time. I wouldn't tell him otherwise, but I just let him pick up the hints. That probably wasn't fair at all.

" I know. But I wanted to confirm what I think might be happening. Touch the needle." He delicately touched it. His eyes glowed emerald and his serious expression looked dark and menacing. " My son did this." He sighed, looking at the needle somberly.

" And?" He disintegrated the needle and turned, going to sit on his couch. As he sat, he let out a deep sigh. " How did he do it without anyone detecting it sooner, is the real question."

I sat next to him. " Briar is caring for her right now, so..." I told him, shrugging my shoulders.

He looked over at me " I thought you hated Zoe... What changed?"

" The love I have for my son is much stronger. And her state has clearly been distressing for him to stoop as low as to call me for help." I stated, it just being a fact that he never really needed us. Maybe to be born, but not to thrive at least.

All he could do was laugh. Shaking his head, he put his feet up in the opposite direction, leaning his head down into my lap. " Didn't the 3 of us have an amazing time on this couch?"

" Yes we did. But it's up to Briar if the three of us want to make it official again." Briar cared for me, but this was almost always the case, and in all ways. After I gave birth, I went comatose, leaving Briar to care for a child she never wanted. She gave the child over to another witch and nursed me back to health. And even though I had no say, I still owed Briar my life.