Page 13
“Sterling is your brother?” I ask, looking Farrah up and down.
I guess I can see the resemblance, though this witch has lighter hair and eyes and looks like she spends a little more time in the sun. She’s the epitome of summer in Maine: all curves, sea foam green, bright yet mild.
And she’s so much friendlier than her annoying brother. At least everyone in Starbrook isn’t a total asshole.
“Sadly.” She winces. “But he’s not my only sibling. There’s August”—she nods at a woman off in the corner on her phone—“and my twin brother, Val.”
Val looks exactly like Farrah but a few inches taller. Unlike August and Sterling, he’s positively surrounded, chatting people up with ease. I imagine he and Leo would get along, but Leo is nowhere to be seen, likely already finding someone to flirt with.
Typical. Not that I can judge. If I weren’t so thrown off by everything, I would probably do the same.
“Which one is your favorite?” I ask, grinning. “And don’t lie. I have two brothers, so I know you have a favorite.”
“Val,” she says. “Easily. It has to be my twin, doesn’t it? I’ve known him the longest, and he would probably say the same. August and Sterling are about the same age, anyway, so they were always pretty close.”
“Makes sense. My favorite is Luke.” I tilt my head in his direction. He’s standing nearby my mom, talking to a masculine witch about my age. “Luke is the nicest one of us. Trust.”
“Really? But you seem nice too.”
“Why, thank you. Your brother doesn’t seem to agree, so do you mind spreading the word?” I laugh it off, but there’s way too much truth behind my words for my liking.
Why do I care what Sterling, or anyone else in Starbrook, thinks of me?
“Sterling… he isn’t so bad,” she says slowly. “But he tends to make the absolute worst first impressions. Give him time. I swear he can be normal.”
I was more than happy to give Sterling a chance when we met, but now? I guess he isn’t behaving much differently. I’m different. I’m completely new here, and I did not get the warm welcome my mother promised.
At least his sister is nicer.
I lift my shoulders, brushing off the topic. “You’re probably right. It was just one bad interaction.”
If I start talking shit about her brother, I’ll probably make a second bad impression. Better to keep my complaints to myself. I will make friends in this small town, even if it kills me—and I’m starting to think that if it doesn’t, the cottage might.
“Come on.” Farrah loops her arm in mine and leads me away. “There are plenty of nice witches in Starbrook. Like… Victoria!”
The witch she introduces me to next doesn’t look particularly nice, but she’s stunning. Silvery blonde hair, angular features, and an outfit that probably costs more than my entire wardrobe—minus my shoes, of course. Those are my favorite to splurge on.
The two witches beside her quickly come into view: a tall man with long, dark locs, sparkling eyes, and a friendly smile. And, finally, there’s a fellow curvy witch with a blonde shag, blue eyes, and a tight-fitting dress showing off ample breasts and an ass anyone would love to bite into. Me included.
“Dave,” Farrah says, gesturing to the man. “And Scarlet. We kind of form a little section of the coven.”
I nod slowly. “So… there’s one coven, but you all have, like, cliques?”
“You could say that.” Dave chuckles and offers a hand, which I’m quick to shake. “Nice to meet you. You must be Aurora. The whole town’s been buzzing about you.”
“Typical,” Farrah says.
Victoria rolls her eyes. “Don’t act as if you don’t single-handedly control the rumor mill.”
“I don’t!”
I laugh with them, not minding a bit of gossip. Maybe if I make friends with Farrah, she’ll spare me from it. It’s not as if I plan on getting up to anything interesting in this tiny town. They probably have teenage pregnancies and secret elopements to talk about—or maybe that’s a stereotypical assumption.
Rumors are whatever. Now, it sounds like I have to worry about finding a clique within this coven.
Luckily for me, Farrah seems to take me under her wing. I exchange numbers with the rest of the group, and though Victoria is a little cold, she compliments my hair and jewelry. It’s a start.
I think.
