Juliet

“Aunt Irma, do you want more pancakes?” Juliet said as she stood over her aunt at her kitchen table. She had the orange juice in her hands, pouring a glass for each of them.

Her aunt waved her off. “No, no. We’re going to have a guest soon.”

“Maxine’s train doesn’t arrive until this evening. You don’t need to stop eating for her.” These were the moments that Juliet realized why her mother insisted that someone come live with her aunt. She was aging and slightly losing her mind. Or at least that was what Juliet thought.

But then the front door flew wide open, and Juliet was shocked to see her cousin Maxine standing in the doorway, dressed in all black and holding an old suitcase in her hands.

“Hello, ladies.”

Irma put her hands on the table, pushing off to stand up, and toddled into the living room to greet Maxine, throwing her arms around her neck before backing off quicker than Juliet would’ve expected. It was an odd hug, forced. And Maxine didn’t even set her suitcase down in order to wrap her arms around her.

Maxine stepped back before greeting Juliet. “Nice to see you, cousin. It’s been too long.”

Juliet plastered a fake smile on her face. Maxine had never been someone that she was particularly fond of. “You’re right, it has been a long time. Let me take your suitcase for you.”

“No no. You can just show me where to put it,” Maxine said, clutching the old case closer to her body.

“Well, we set up an air mattress in my room. Sorry, but there’s not really a lot of space here.”

“That’s fine, I’ll manage. If you wouldn’t mind showing me where it is. It’s been ages since I’ve been in this house.”

Juliet stepped forward, but then her aunt offered instead. “Follow me, dear! Juliet made great breakfast. Are you hungry?”

Maxine followed, saying that she was hungry and making other small talk. Juliet walked back into the kitchen only to find that her last set of pancakes had burned. It didn’t make any sense, though; she had the heat on low, and they shouldn’t have become so crispy so quickly. She threw them in the trash without a second thought and started to make more batter. Irma and Maxine came back to the kitchen shortly after.

“Breakfast looks great, Juliet. I didn’t know you knew how to cook. I guess we all have our skills.” With that, Maxine lifted her hands and the orange juice poured a glass for her from across the room. Then she snapped her fingers and the glass floated over to the table, settling right in front of her.

And there it was. It had taken Maxine exactly one minute to imply that Juliet’s powers weren’t half as strong as hers were. She had been reviewing incantations for the past week or so, preparing for Maxine’s visit, but it didn’t matter, Maxine was just stronger than she was. She had been practicing her whole life, whereas Juliet was more focused on her studies and living a normal human existence. She just didn’t feel like she needed magic the way that Maxine felt like she did. Maxine was practically addicted, always dressed in black and carrying her grimoire everywhere she went. Juliet’s family grimoire was hidden underneath her bed for the most part, except when Aunt Irma decided that she wanted to use light reading in the bathroom. The woman was slightly eccentric.

“Yes, it appears that we do. Would you like chocolate chips or blueberries in yours?”

“Oh blueberries, definitely. And make sure to do mostly blueberries—a girl has to watch her figure.”

“Right,” Juliet said, adding just a few and then throwing in some extra butter just for fun. “So Maxine,” she said as she began to stir the batter, “what brings you to Crescent Valley? I mean, like you said, it’s been ages since you’ve been here.”

“I just thought I’d like to see the place again. The winter festival is next weekend and that sounded like a good time.”

Irma nodded. “The ice sculptures are beautiful. I love going every year, Juliet, did you live here last year when we had it?”

Juliet shook her head. “I don’t believe so, and if I was, I had just moved here. But I’ve never been.”

Aunt Irma clapped her hands together. “Perfect! Then it’s a date. And maybe you should contact that Cole Bradwick fellow and see if he’ll join us. The man knows how to dress,” she added, looking at Maxine.

“The Bradwicks? You mean the shifters that live up on the mountain?”

Juliet poured the batter onto the skillet before turning around and assessing Maxine. “You know who they are?” As much as Maxine made her crazy, maybe she knew why there was a little lightning bolt that’d connected her and Cole that night at Wilson’s Bar. Juliet had read every book that she could possibly find about it, but there was nothing about witches and shifters getting together. It just seemed like it wasn’t done. And she didn’t have the guts to ask Irma what she thought about the situation. Besides, half the time she couldn’t tell if Irma was being serious or if she was losing her mind.

“Yeah, what you know about them?”

Maxine shrugged. “Not much. Our family has connections to the Windego wolves, but I’m sure you know that. Bad blood and all that.”

“Bad blood? What kind of bad blood?”

Maxine waved her hands in front of her lap, and a napkin set down on top of her black dress. “It’s ancient history. Just know that shifters can be very dangerous people. They’re not quite as civilized as we are.”

Civilized? Clearly, she hadn’t met Cole. The man was wearing a suit in a bar and he’d stood when she left. Only true gentlemen did that. Honestly, it was the first time anyone had done that for Juliet.

“I don’t know about that, but I’m always interested hear about family history.”

“Well, I mean it’s just a rumor, but supposedly, our coven cursed the Windego wolves. Made it so they were immortal.”

“That doesn’t sound like much of a curse.” Juliet flipped the pancakes, trying to appear disinterested, even though she was eating up every morsel of information that Maxine would give her. Not many people in the family talked about their past, so this was all fascinating to her.

“Well, it wouldn’t have been, except that they didn’t spell the wife. So Marcus, the head of the Windego pack, would have to endure immortality by himself, losing the love of his life. I think there might’ve been children involved too, but I’m not sure.”

Irma nodded vigorously, “Oh yes, they were children. Nova and Julius. I remember them well. The little white wolf I told you about, Juliet. But all of that is just speculation. It’s rumors, dear.”

Juliet pulled the pancakes off of the griddle and placed them on a plate. She set them down in front of Maxine, who was coaxing a drawer open from across the kitchen. A knife and fork floated over to her before the drawer shut with a bang. “Of course, just old stories. Is there something you’re specifically interested in, Juliet?”

Juliet could feel Maxine’s eyes boring into her back, pressing her for information. She wiped her hands on her apron while shaking her head. “Nope. I just like to know the family history is all. So tell me more about this winter carnival.”

They spent the rest of the morning together before Maxine mysteriously retreated to their bedroom. Juliet noticed that her contributions to the conversation about the winter festival were limited—clearly that was not the reason that she was in town. As Irma snoozed on her La-Z-Boy, Juliet decided that if Maxine left the house at all, Juliet would have to follow her. She had to find out what she was up to and what she knew.