This Strange Addiction, Julie Steimle [little readers txt] 📗

in a frighteningly almost foreboding way. She gave off the impression that she knew what only ‘the Shadow knows’ and laughed in the face of danger—cackled at it really—and at the same time seemed the kind of girl who just wanted to take a walk on the beach with her friends, licking an ice cream cone in her hand.

<< Is Rick there? >> the blonde asked.

Clearing his throat, Rick scooted through the crowd into camera frame. “I’m here.”

<< Of course he’s there, >> the vampire gal said, grinning. Her canines looked freakishly sharp. << Hey Rick. Long time. When are you coming westward? >>

Rick snuck the slightest glance toward Audry then Silvia and said, “Uh, Eve, I’d love to come now, but I’ve got school still.”

<< Summer then? >> She was laughing. << Or spring break? How about you spent Thanksgiving with us? Us McAllisters always will have a seat open for you. >>

McAllister. Eve? Audry peered more into the computer screen. This was the famous Eve McAllister? Taking her in, for the all the rumors that she had heard of Eve, this almost macabre woman was not quite what she had expected. Audry had expected a tanned, beach bunny with blonde hair. But this gal was as pale as paper and more likely to show up in an Anne Rice novel than in a bikini.  How could this possibly be a surfer chick?

This time really laughing, Rick shook his head. “I’ll talk to Dad and see. Thing is, I might be spending Thanksgiving with my mom.”

Nodding, Eve grinned wider. << A noble cause. I won’t hinder you then. We’ll aim for summer. Then I can teach you and Hanz how to surf. >>

Rick chuckled, winking while the Nordic man, Hanz, groaned, muttering, << You are obsessed. >>

<< By the way, how is Roddy doing? >>

Murmurs over Roddy’s name went through the room. Audry was surprised. She knew Roddy—Tom’s protégé. And apparently she did surf. Interesting.

“Is this call for Jessica and Andy, or for me?” Rick said, glancing to the impatient crowd around them.

Everyone chuckled.

<< Two birds. One stone, >> Eve McAllister said, hardly bothered.

The blonde with her snickered.

Silvia peered in curiously and whispered near Audry, “Is that girl with Eve a witch?”

Rick overheard and shot her a dirty look. He mouthed, ‘No’.

“Just goth, I think,” Audry whispered back. The blonde did wear heavy eye make-up, but she did not seem to be any sort of cultist. Her cross was upside up, for starters.

<< Well anyway, congratulations! >> Eve said.

The skype call ended after another wave and a group good-bye.

From there, the group in the apartment began to disperse. Local visitors left, as well as Semour, Michael, and Peter with the intention to give Jessica time to recover. The three of them were flying back to Europe soon. Daniel rushed after them, begging for a ride also… if they would delay just a bit. He had to return to England now that the situation with his sister was in good hands.

James also announced that he had to leave, winking at the baby and giving Andrew a high-five. The only ones who remained were their family and Randon, who for some reason lingered. Matthew and Bobo went to talk with Andrew about something—probably house security since the witches had followed Audry and Silvia there.

Daniel pulled Randon aside before he hurried off to join the Europe departure group. Audry overheard some of it while cleaning up in the kitchen.

“…my sister. I know she is attractive, but she is dangerous. You of all people ought to know what it is like to have a witch in your family.”

“I totally get it.” Randon nodded his head at Daniel, but looked annoyed. “But she is leaving her coven, right?”

“I’m hoping so,” Daniel said peeking toward Silvia who was working with Bethany to arrange the freezer dinners in the freezer. Audry was sure she was listening in also.

“Look. I want to help her. As a familiar, I know better than anyone the risks.”

“That may be, but who is to say she won’t be tempted by the power of having a familiar on hand? Even Middleton Village witches don’t meddle in that kind of magic much. Familiars are trackable.” Daniel then peered at him. “Unless you are thinking she can cure you.”

Cure him? Of what? And what did he mean by familiar? It sounded like shorthand for something. Also, this conversation reminded her that Randon also had a witch in his family. She had forgotten. His innocence before Hogan’s accusations were fading.

Sighing, Randon shrugged. “One can hope.”

Daniel shook his head. “It’s not possible. I’ve researched it. Silvia can tell you the same. The one who makes the curse must break the curse—especially one of this nature. It’s not the usual transformative spell. The fact that you can come and go, and they have enacting word—”

“Two enacting words.”

“That’s just worse,” Daniel muttered. He looked out to the waiting group who were watching him. “Way more complicated. I think a spell like that is permanent—or at least will last until the death of the one who had enacted it.”

Silvia stepped next to Audry, making her jump. She whispered, “He is so hot. How could Howie hide a guy like that from me?”

“Maybe he was trying to protect him…” Audry muttered, feeling her head swim from all the crazy conversation.

She walked away, going back into the living room where the family was gathered again—at least the women. Andrew’s father and grandfather had joined Matthew and Bobo in their discussion with Andrew. Audry sat on the couch next to Jessica who—to her surprise, was nursing the baby where all could see. Audry blushed on her behalf. Apparently, the men had vacated the area for this reason, as it was rude to stare at a woman breastfeeding. Audry, herself, found it awkward as she had never intended to see her good friend’s bare breast as she learned how to feed her own baby with it. 

The mothers were helping out.

“… the hardest part is getting the baby to latch, but it’s critical,” Jessica’s mother said. “You tickle the lips so the baby will open wide. That’s right. Good. Cradle your baby’s head here and hold your breast, and pull your baby close so her chin and lower jaw go into your breast first… yes. That’s it and… good. Now watch that lower lip so that… yes, aim it as far from the nipple as possible so the baby can take a large mouthful of the breast.”

Audry stared without meaning to. She had seen animals nurse their young, but she had always avoided this intimate situation with human beings. She had never really seriously thought about it, though she knew her mother had breastfed them. It was natural and healthy. It only made sense. But she never really knew what it had entailed.

“You’ll be sore and you’ll need to use nipple cream—”

Bethany giggled nearby, hearing that.

Both new grandmothers shot her a dirty look. Mrs. Cartwright was actually quite a nice mother-in-law, handing Jessica what she needed and allowing Jessica’s own mother do the coaching here. Mrs. Cartwright was soft spoken and kind. It was Jessica’s mother who got a little bossy and had to learn to pull back and give her son-in-law and daughter some space. But here, her advice was desperately wanted. Jessica had been frustrated with breastfeeding at the hospital, and the nurses were too busy to give any solid help.

Jessica lifted her eyes to Audry, smiling as her newborn sucked milk. “Look at my little miracle.”

And Audry did.

Little Ivy was feeding deeply, closed-eyed, still red from delivery, and so tiny in Jessica’s cradling arms. Her feet were as long her mother’s thumb. Her little nose was a tiny button thing. And the thin wisps of red hair on her mostly bald head were so sweet that they looked like she ought to smell like strawberries. She was precious. And Audry realized that she really did want to have a baby one day, to hold it just like that in her arms. A baby with Hogan would be great.

“Ow.” Jessica clenched her teeth and looked down at her newborn.

“Did she bite?” Audry asked, blinking at the tiny thing.

“You’ll get used to it,” Ms. Mason said, though sorry her daughter was in pain. Apparently that was also a part of breastfeeding.

“You’ll toughen up after a while,” Mrs. Cartwright added, nodding with the same sympathy.

Jessica murmured, wincing. “I hope so.”

“You will.” Silvia strolled up, handing her a cup of water. “I’ll take care of you and make it easier for you.”

And for some reason, that gave them all relief. Though Silvia was scary in her way, they could tell that Silvia would also make sure nothing bad would ever happen to the mother or the baby.

Audry sat back and wondered, was Hogan right or wrong about these people? She didn’t feel like she was being groomed. Used a little, but for good reason. They were just friends. Peculiar friends, but friends. Besides, Rick was avoiding her, not trying to draw her in. She could see it and she could feel it. He hardly had more than two sentences with her the entire time, and that was at breakfast. Also he was kind of antsy, as if he was looking to leave as soon as he could, which was weird because he also appeared anxious to help Andrew cope with being a new father. He stuck by Andrew the entire time. It was striking, really. Especially how eager he really was to help, to get them anything they wanted, and yet he also looked so uncomfortable. And when the rest of the crowd left that afternoon, allowing mother and baby to sleep, Audry noticed that Rick only spoke to his friend before he hurried away with the rest of them.

Or tried to.

Before he went out, Silvia stopped him in the doorway—but Audry did not want to hear this conversation. She went into the kitchen to clean up so she and Bethany could make a vegan dinner for the hangers-on.

*

“Alright, what’s with you,” Silvia said to Rick as they stood in the doorway. “You haven’t said more than two sentences to Audry since you got here.”

His face felt hot as he averted his eyes to the floor. “It’s nothing. I’m just dealing. She’s getting married, and they’ve done the deed already so—”

“You think they’ve already had sex?” Silvia laughed at him. Then she laughed more. “You were there. You came to spy on her and Hogan. I knew it.”

Averting his eyes, Rick shook his head, but it wasn’t a denial. He looked agitated.

“Even though it is in her right to have sex with her fiancée,” Silvia said with heavy cynicism, “she didn’t.”

“I saw her go into his tent.” He clenched his teeth. “I heard…” He closed his eyes.

“That wasn’t them.” Silvia chuckled, openly delighted he was jealous. “She came back to our tent. I stayed awake to make sure.”

Rick lifted his eyes to her.

“She wants her honeymoon, Rick,” Silvia said, smirking at him. “She’s a secret romantic. You should see her hidden stash of paranormal romance novels. She doesn’t know I know about them. She hasn’t read them in a while, but… that’s what she really wants.”

“No, she doesn’t,” he snapped. He looked to where Audry was prepping dinner with Bethany. “She wants a normal life where the most dangerous things in the world are man-made.”

Silvia stared at him, frowning—because he was right. She finally said, “You know though, she would have stayed with Hogan that night if she hadn’t heard you out there in the woods, howling.”

Rick’s eyes opened wide on her, stunned.

“The wolf is her Jiminy-Cricket,” Silvia chuckled smugly, though disappointed that he wasn’t trying to win Audry away from Hogan. “I think she loves him more than Hogan. And I know Hogan is jealous of him.”

He colored. His face felt so hot. But he walked away without another word, out the door. He didn’t want to endure more teasing from that witch.

“See