Fiends and Familiars - Debra Dunbar Page 0,12
shrimp puffs and we need everyone to taste test them.”
My stomach growled. Glenda was an amazing cook, and Xavier wasn’t bad in the kitchen either. The pair of them always had these running contests to see who could make a certain dish better, and I loved it when I got to taste test. Both shrimp puff recipes would, no doubt, be amazing, and there would be all sorts of laughing and joking over whose was best.
It was so cute how Glenda and Xavier had this friendly rivalry with each other in the kitchen. And it was especially cute to see them together, hand-in-hand and slipping each other mushy glances. I looked around the room at my sisters and their boyfriends, feeling a pang of jealousy. Being alone never bothered me before, but suddenly with nearly all of my sisters in serious relationships, I felt particularly lonely. It was just me and Babylon that were single out of the family. Babylon didn’t seem to be bothered one way or another by her single status, but as Xavier brought in the trays of shrimp puffs and Glenda playfully bumped his hip with hers, I found myself wanting what my sisters had.
The horned dude from my dream appeared in my mind and I almost laughed. Not that. That was sex, and I wanted more than sex. Besides, a sexy horned monster in a dream was a whole lot different than what I was envisioning as a life partner.
We tested the shrimp puffs, deciding that they were both equally good, then we all sat and caught up on each other’s lives until the oven buzzer sounded. Everyone sprang into action, putting the final items on the table and helping bring in the food. Once they were all seated and eating, the conversation turned to the situation in Accident.
“How are things going with the werewolf move?” Glenda asked Cassie.
Cassie grimaced. “One step forward, two back. Clinton’s group was supposed to be moved out by now, but there’s been one problem after another.”
“The word in town is the mountain’s cursed,” Nash chimed in.
Cassie snorted. “There is no curse. I’ve been up there and the only problem is that we’re trying to move a community of werewolves onto a bunch of land that hasn’t been occupied in ages.”
Bronwyn shook her head. “Even using one of my magic dousing wands to find the best spot to place a well, it took nearly a week from drilling to putting in the pump, to running the main line. And don’t get me started on trying to put in a septic field with all those rocks up there.”
“The framework for a dozen structures is up, but that’s it,” Hadur said.
The werewolves were used to living with a bare minimum of modern services. They could move in without electric and with barely cleared roads, but clean water and waste management were deal breakers. Cold weather would be here soon. If Clinton’s new territory didn’t have more than roughed-in shelters, they’d need to stay where they were until spring. And that would mean more friction between two packs that already had an uneasy peace between them.
“What can we do to help?” Ophelia asked. “I’m no good at construction, but maybe we can fundraise and hire a crew from outside Accident to help get these buildings ready faster?”
Cassie nodded. “It’s a good idea, but I’m not sure how much more we can ask the community to contribute. They helped rebuild Dallas’s compound and chipped in money for that. They’re bound to be feeling kind of tapped out at this point.”
“Then let’s make it a party,” Babylon suggested. “Beer, food, magical fireworks. There have got to be some tasks that can be easily done under supervision, like putting insulation in the walls and nailing up drywall, or running the electrical cord through the walls, or stuff like that.”
“We can give it a shot, but I’m not sure how many people will come,” Cassie said. “Again, we’ve been pushing the townsfolk a lot this year to help out on stuff like this.”
“Then tell Dallas and Clinton to get all their people over there and get it done,” I chimed in. “There’s no reason why a few hundred werewolves can’t get a dozen structures up and ready in a few weeks. They’re stalling.”
“They’re trying,” Cassie insisted. “There was all that rain last week, then the shipment of lumber didn’t arrive. Now there’s some issue with hornets and a badger. They’re tired as well. It’s fall, and they’re