Page 41 of Sunsets & Other Dangerous Things

Esther was about to up the debate to a foot stomp when a hand grabbed her at the elbow. August dragged both of them up the porch steps and into the house.

“Hey, hey! No need to manhandle us.” Esther pulled her arm free once they were in the doorway.

Inside reminded her of her grandparent’s house if her grandparents lived in a cottage. A green gingham couch was accompanied by two faded red armchairs, each topped with a doily and centered around a braided circle rug. The wood-paneled walls were decorated with shelves of knickknacks and macramé wall hangings. She followed August through a doorway and into the cramped kitchen dinette at the back of the house. A lace-curtained window by the oval table showcased the lake just outside.

Meg grabbed the book from August and plopped it on the table, rifling through the pages like she had a certain one in mind.

Gwen fumbled around in the kitchen, opening cupboards and starting a kettle of water.

“Is anyone interested in tea?” she said in singsong. No one responded, but she pulled out a handful of mismatched teacups all the same.

“Is someone going to explain what’s going on?” Esther looked at August, judging him to be the easiest to bully into talking.

The dog whined at the back door.

August ran his hand through his hair. “I’m not sure where to begin. How much do you know?”

“How about you just assume we know nothing,” said Uther, apparently also put out by all that was happening.

The dog whined again, and without looking up from the book, Meg snapped her fingers. The back door opened on its own, slamming shut behind the dog.

“Like that!” Uther pointed at the door. “What was that?”

“We’re witches. Obviously.” Meg flipped another page. “Start there, August.”

“Damn it, Meg,” said August. “These are my friends, and I was kind of hoping they wouldn’t run away screaming by the end of this.”

“No one’s screaming, love,” called Gwen, combing through bundles of dried plants hanging from the kitchen ceiling. The tea kettle whistled, and she hurried to lift it from the heat.

“So, you’re witches.” Uther looked pointedly at August. “All of you?”

A pause before August nodded. “I meant to ease you into the idea on the ride over, but I wasn’t expecting… Well, I thought it would just be you.”

Esther glared at Uther. “I told you it was a date.” She slumped in her chair, taking in all this new information. “I’d just gotten used to the idea of vampires. What’s next? Werewolves? Ghosts?”

“Hold up. Vampires?” Uther turned to Esther, but luckily Gwen showed up with the tea.

“Officially, there isn’t witch territory or vampire territory.” Gwen placed a delicate flowered teacup in front of Uther and a matching sugar dish in the middle of the table. “But unofficially, New England is witch territory, with little pockets elsewhere across the country. So, of course, that Family of vampires decided to camp out in New York, right across the border from us, a couple of years ago.”

“By a couple of years, you mean over two hundred.” August sounded insulted. “My family set up that town and lived in the same house for over two hundred years.”

“Well, it wasn’t Zephaniah that caused the problem, now, was it?” Gwen placed two more steaming cups on the table in front of Esther and August, her voice remaining as gentle as the teacups. “It was his daughter, Hannah. She’s the one that started that house and brought them all to the area.”

“Who’s Hannah?” asked Esther.

“She’s my aunt.” August was messing with the small gold hoop in his ear. “A distant aunt.”

“Are you a vampire?” whispered Uther.

“No, I’m not a vampire.” August sounded tired. “That’s not how vampires work. You’re made a vampire, not born one.”

“Just checking,” Uther said.

“But you’re a witch?” asked Esther.

August nodded, still keeping an eye on Uther like he might run screaming from the house. Uther remained quiet, his attention zoning out like someone trying to escape an overstimulating situation.

“It’s not here.” Meg slammed the book shut, making everyone jump. “There’s a page torn out. You’re going to have to ask your aunt for it.”

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