Page 4 of Minions and Magic
I laughed, knowing she was teasing. “Thanks for these. If you need anything, you know to call—or come get me.”
She patted my arm, her hand cool and wet. “We owe you much more than these two bottles ofschallea.If it hadn’t been for you, Fennta would have died.”
I felt myself flush. As easy as it was for me to accept praise and gratitude for my cooking, it wasn’t so easy for me to do the same with my healing skills. Maybe because I felt it was my duty. I was a Perkins, a witch, and I was born with the responsibility to help the residents of Accident with my magical skills. There were no thanks necessary. Healing was my calling, a charge given to me at birth. Where Cassie had chafed at her duties, I’d always embraced mine. Not that I blamed Cassie. Her responsibilities were a hundred-fold what mine were, and she’d been thrust into a parental role at a young age, taking care of the six of us as well as herself when our mother had skipped town.
“I was glad to help Fennta. And if you ever need someone to watch a couple of young water sprites so you can head over to Pete’s for a drink or two, you let me know.”
She laughed. “I’ll take you up on that once they’re older. Right now, I’d be afraid they might drown you.” There was a bubbling noise from the pond, and Besellia’s head turned so fast I thought she’d get whiplash. “And now I must get back to these little minnows. Hope to see you soon, Glenda.”
I echoed the sentiment and watched as she melted back into the pond, the two sets of eyes vanishing with her. Shouldering the two heavy bottles, I took them to my car, stowed them in my trunk, and headed to the second stop of the evening.
Alberta and Shelby lived under a bridge, which was awesome for Alberta but less so for Shelby. The werewolf seemed to be adapting though—evidence of how much she truly loved the troll.
Personally I thought their tiny cottage under the bridge was adorable. It was way too small for all my kitchen gear, but as far as a living space went, it was really cute. The house reminded me of a child’s play house, only taller because although Alberta was short for a female troll, she was still six foot two inches with the muscle to match. Shelby was six inches shorter with a lean strength, but with the two of them, I’m sure the little cottage made for some tight space.
Shelby answered the door at my knock. The werewolf was still sporting a short stylish hairdo that would require daily trimming to keep in shape, and she was wearing a super cute white swing dress dotted with a print of red cherries.
“Whoa! I want that dress,” I told her.
She beamed, doing a little pirouette. “You like it? It was a gift from Alberta. She bought it at a shop on the other side of the wards.”
Shelby said this with a sort of awe that I completely understood. The modern human world wasn’t the threat for witches as it had been when my ancestor Temperance Perkins had founded the town, but it still was terrifying for many of the supernatural beings that called Accident their home. The wards kept them safe from harm, and any humans that ventured into town conveniently forgot about all the mermaids, shifters, vampires, and fae when they left. It meant everyone in Accident was free to look and be as they truly were.
For Alberta to cross the wards and purchase a dress in a human shop, she would need to use her troll glamour to appear human. It was a risk she’d taken for Shelby, but it wasn’t a huge risk. Trolls were incredibly skilled at glamour, and the only threat to her would be if she somehow lost her connection with the magic-giving earth and lost her hold on the illusion. Althoughthatcatastrophe would probably only result in people running and screaming, not shooting her or trying to drown her. Modern times were kinder to the residents of our town, but they still felt safer inside our wards.
Most werewolves didn’t believe that. They’d been raised with stories of being hunted and exterminated, of being tortured and imprisoned. Very few werewolves left the protective wards of Accident. Very few werewolves left the mountain they claimed as their territory. And of the few that did, most sweated through the whole experience, dashing back to the safety of their compound as soon as possible. I could count on one hand the number of werewolves who felt comfortable spending several days in the outside world, which was strange since they looked and seemed just like humans until they shifted into their wolf form.
“I need Alberta to do my shopping for me,” I teased. “She’s got great taste in clothing. It looks amazing on you.”
She flushed again, smoothing her hands down the front of the dress. “Thanks. Can I help you with something? Do you want to come in and have tea or coffee?”
“Actually I needed to pick up something from Alberta. Some herbs and spices she had for me?”
The troll was obviously not home. Their cottage was so tiny that I would have seen her from the doorway had she been.
“Oh my. She’s out and won’t be back until late.” Shelby turned. “I think they’re in the kitchen, though. Hang on a sec.”
I waited while she walked the ten feet to the kitchenette and looked through a box on the counter.
“Here they are!” The werewolf lifted a handful of paper bags triumphantly in her hands. “Four bags, right? Two have leafy things, and the other two have…seeds?”
I chuckled. “Yes, seeds. They’re some unusual herbs and spices for the gnome party on Wednesday. Not the type of stuff that I’d have on hand, but I knew Alberta could find them.”
She crossed the room and handed me the bags. “She’s good at that sort of thing. Our garden is amazing, and she brings back all kinds of bark and berries and nuts from the woods. I don’t know what half of things she cooks are, but I try a bite or two so I don’t hurt her feelings. I know she does the same with the rabbits and deer I bring home.”
I shook my head, thinking what an odd couple this pair were. But sometimes the two people you thought least likely to fall in love ended up head-over heels. I could tell Alberta and Shelby were happy and they made an adorable couple.
“Are you both coming Saturday?” Part of the peace treaty that my sister Sylvie had negotiated with the two werewolf clans involved allowing those who’d been exiled or who were living as lone wolves to join in on a monthly hunt, and to attend special events at either compound. This barbeque was supposed to be one of those events—the first where that part of the deal would be tested.
Shelby twisted her hands together. “I don’t think so. It’s supposed to be a happy event. I don’t want my presence to create tension.”
“My sisters and I will be there,” I assured her. “You’ll be safe and so will Alberta.”
“I know. That’s not it, though. It’s bound to be uncomfortable for both of us as well as those in my former pack. The looks, the snubs, the snide comments…I’m just not ready for it yet.”
I understood, but someone would need to make the first step, and a barbeque would be a little easier event to transition than the full moon hunt.
“Will you think about it? Maybe just show up for a short time? I know it will be tough seeing your former pack mates and worrying about what sort of reception you’ll get, but it’s a step in the right direction.”
