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“No one kills anyone,” Juggernaut said.
“Very well, then how many people can play?” Tetiana asked.
April picked up the brightly colored card box. “It says two to eight players.”
“And there is only one old maid card?” Tetiana asked.
“Yeah,” Juggernaut said.
“Then obviously she’s killing her victim,” Tetiana said. “How else could you lose worse than the other players who didn’t win?”
April tilted her head. “You know, you have a point.”
“No—don’t encourage this,” Juggernaut wagged a finger at April.
Still listening to my squadmates’ conversation, I tapped the picture Nan had sent me of the Scottish shortbread recipe card to enlarge it.
The temp 375 was scrawled across the top, almost unreadable thanks to a suspicious stain on the paper. No other temperatures were recorded on the card.
I texted my mom back.
The recipe card says 375, not 350!
I set my phone back down and waited for a response.
Tetiana was still lingering by April and Juggernaut, who were going back and forth choosing cards.
April glanced up at her. “Did you want to join us?”
Tetiana pressed her lips together and thought for a moment. “Yes.”
Juggernaut dropped his cards in surprise, but April just nodded. “Okay. Pull up a chair and we’ll deal you in.”
I watched in surprise as Tetiana sat down with the wizards while Juggernaut collected and shuffled the cards.
It wasn’t that Tetiana was unfriendly with the wizards—our team got along quite well all things considered. But the different types of supernaturals didn’t mix unless they had to.
My phone dinged with another text from Mom.
Mom
Oops!
She included a line of emojis that had nothing to do with our exchange—a unicorn, a heart, and a dog.
Mystery of my burnt shortbread solved, I set my phone down and resisted the impulse to thump my head on the table.I’m not sure if it’s a win or a loss that the burning is probably because of the recipe card and not me. Either way, all I’m left with is a batch of inedible cookies.
“Why is the game calledold maid? I understand she’s the killer but we’re stealing from one another, so it technically should be calledthe thieves and the old maid.” Tetiana asked as she took a card from April. She must have had the matching card because she plucked a different card from her hand and set them face down on the table, then fanned her cards out so Juggernaut could take a card from her.
“We’re not stealing from each other.” Juggernaut took a card from Tetiana, then turned to April so she could select a card from his hand. “This is just how we divvy cards up and pass them around.”
“I see. Well, it’s a good thing you’re humans and not fae.” Tetiana watched April take a card from Juggernaut. “If you were fae you wouldn’t be able to believe such a baldfaced lie.”
“We’re not stealing,” April said. “We’re… collecting.”
Tetiana rearranged her cards, then selected a card to take from April. “Frankly, that sounds worse.”
The door to the meeting room opened, so I silenced my phone and put it away while the card game trio tossed their cards in a pile and turned their attention to the front of the room.
