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Delphine
“No one wants me in Silver Springs,” I said, climbing out of the truck cab and looking toward the one-story bungalow. The siding had definitely seen better days. It was a pale blue that flaked off with the light breeze. The wind carried the smell of fallen leaves that had settled on the ground around it. A bright orange pumpkin sat on the steps up to the porch, a splash of red across its face. “And I don’t want to be here.”
“Yeah, so you’ve told me over and over again,” my sister Phoebe muttered, coming around to the sidewalk. Like me, she wore an old pair of jeans and a blue fleece jacket with her logo on it—two paint brushes leaning against one another. The painting coveralls were in the bed with the cans and brushes and other supplies. “But, Delphy, Peppermint asked for our help.”
I pouted, though I felt like a child—but what else did one do around older sisters?—and kicked a pile of leaves with the toe of my boot, scattering them. Still, even I couldn’t say no to one of our oldest friends. “House painting really isn’t my gig.”
Not that I had a gig, really, as I wasn’t good at anything, except sitting on the couch with a tub of popcorn watching nature documentaries. I was really good at that. “Did you know humpback whales don’t eat for most of the year?”
Phoebe rolled her eyes at me. “Painting isn’t that hard, and you know I can’t do this by myself while Ocean is out.”
I gave a half-hearted smile. Our sister Ocean was usually the other half of The Two Woman Crew, my sisters’ painting company, but she’d gotten an offer she couldn’t refuse—a month-long cruise through the Mediterranean. Now that I wouldn’t complain about, even with the cooler temperatures and rougher waters of November.
“And you need to pay rent,” Phoebe reminded me.
I groaned and pulled the jacket tighter around me. I’d moved to the human city of Atlanta in a bid to escape my overly loving and overly magical family, but I’d been struggling to find work. My last job had downsized, and my barely capable secretary skills had been the first to go. That’s what I got for majoring in liberal arts. The bills were piling up, and I’d lose my apartment soon, and I wouldn’t get anywhere sitting on my butt watching nature documentaries.
Phoebe grabbed my arm and dragged me up the walkway.
“But there are just so many supernaturals here.” I had seen the lines of magic as soon as we crossed into town. I fingered my suppression medallion. “And I’m dangerous to other magic people.”
Just another reason why I’d moved to the human city. I wasn’t safe to be around, even with the medallion controlling my power. And despite its size, Silver Springs had a small town feel. I’d been here barely a minute, and everyone in town probably knew about my problem. The ever helpful residents had already roped me into trying to uncurse Minnie. It hadn’t worked of course.
Ignoring my continued muttering, Phoebe knocked on the white door.
Peppermint flung it open, looking flustered. Her dark hair was cut short, and there was a yellow glow around her that my magic seemed to associate with shifters. Of course, I already knew she was a bird shifter. We’d met Pepper when she was briefly enrolled in the same elementary school as we were, and the teacher decided to sit Pepper and Phoebe right next to each other. They became instant friends, and she brought Pepper home to hang out with the family. Once the Norwood girls adopted you, there was no escape.
“Am I glad to see you two,” Peppermint said, pulling us into a hug as if we hadn’t already seen each other a few times over the last couple of days.
Despite my misgivings about being in Silver Springs, I couldn’t help hugging her back. We didn’t get to see much of each other now that we’d all grown up and gotten on with our lives. We’d come into town on Wednesday night, and Phoebe had dragged us off to some party at a club as soon as we’d gotten here. But we’d had a chance to grab coffee with Peppermint at Jewel’s Cafe and explore the town a bit. I’d been particularly impressed by the Magical Rooster and its collection of sex toys, but I doubted they’d work as intended with my affliction.
Once Pepper let us go, Phoebe lifted a foot to step inside.
Peppermint held out her hands in a stop motion. “I’m sorry,” she said, gesturing behind her to the enormous pile of luggage that filled the hallway. “The guys think they need to bring everything and the kitchen sink to the beach. There’s not really a walkway.”
My lip quirked. There really was more luggage there than I’d ever seen in one place. You’d think they were fashionistas and not Vikings from a time when all they wore was the clothing they could make. We hadn’t actually met Peppermint’s guys, but I hoped we would before we left Silver Springs. Not often one gets to meet real live Vikings.
A flash of skin appeared behind her. I leaned over to see what looked like Thor from the movies walking by, naked. My mouth dropped open and I think I started to drool.
Phoebe scooted next to me and peered inside. “Oh my,” she said. “Is that Thor?”
Peppermint sighed and rubbed her face. “Birger, put some clothes on!”
“What, sota?” he asked, pausing and giving us the full frontal show.
Phoebe fanned herself, and I knew my eyes must have been the size of . . . well, he was certainly the size of . . . I swallowed.
“Get dressed,” Peppermint yelled, shooing him away.
“Well, um,” Phoebe said, trying to get herself under control. “What a large man you have there.”
Peppermint grinned despite herself. “Yes, it’s true. Three, in fact.”
I smiled back at her. What would it be like to have three lovers? I wasn’t a virgin, but I had been so hesitant to get involved with any guys for more than short-term flings. Once they got to know me, magical ones would hate my power as much as I did, and humans, well, they just wouldn’t understand. It just seemed better to keep things casual.
“But”—she gestured toward the house and the trees which were covered in strange markings done in red and blue paint—“they aren’t good at some things.”
Phoebe nodded. “It’s a mess.”
