Page 18 of Fangs and First Aid

Hand still on her back, I guide Cordelya to the next table.

“Hey, Augustus,” Kallie says, walking around the table to hug me. It’s probably my imagination, but I swear I feel Cordelya go rigid beneath my hand.

“Hey, Kallie. I’d like you to meet Cordelya. She’s the newest town resident.”

Kallie releases me and turns her attention to Cordelya.

“Hi,” Cordelya says with a hint of edge to her voice.

“Hi! Welcome to town,” Kallie says enthusiastically. “I’m Kallie. I own Bloomhaus, the town flower shop.” She pauses and looks around. “I’d say come pick out your welcome-to-town goodie, but Evren hasn’t come back with the boxes yet.”

“Where is your husband?” I ask, looking for my demon friend.

“Probably dipping into the trays of cookies I sent my husband to get,” says a slightly irritated voice.

“Hey, Grace,” I say, suppressing a smile as I feel Cordelya relax.

“Grace, this is Cordelya. She’s brand new to town,” Kallie says, grabbing Cordelya by the hand and pulling her over to the table next to the Bloomhaus stand, where Bite Me Baby catering is set up.

I watch Cordelya absorb the table in front of her. Grace’s love of Christmas is as legendary as her husband Jackson’s dislike of it.

“Welcome to Ravens Hollow.”

“Thank you. I just have to say, I have never seen a jack-o-lantern snowflake before, but I think that may be the cleverest mashup ever.”

Grace smirks and looks at Kallie. “I like her.” Turning her attention back to Cordelya, she says, “You should come to game night. A bunch of us get together and play board games. Not for the faint of heart if you aren’t competitive.”

“Ignore her. It’s just her and her husband, Jackson, that get competitive,” Kallie says with an eye roll.

“What did I do now?”

Grace spins around, placing her hands on her hips as two men approach. Jackson with his gray skin and ice white hair and Evren with his crimson skin and massive horns, both carrying boxes.

“Nothing. Just explaining to the new girl how things get competitive at game night.”

Jackson sets the boxes down and leans in to kiss his wife. “Only you, Gumdrop.”

“Lies,” she says, smacking his arm. “Jackson, this Cordelya.”

“Nice to meet you. Hey, Augustus.” He says, walking back around the table.

Evren, who is unloading boxes of succulent plants, pauses and waves a hand. “Welcome to town. Can I interest you in one of my beautiful wife’s succulent plants? She grew these from seeds.” He says proudly. I catch the blush on Kallie’s face as she walks Cordelya over to the table.

“Let me grab us some cookies,” I tell her. “Grace makes the most incredible frosted cookies.”

“Grace makes the most incredible everything,” Jackson says, rounding the table and eying his wife like she’s a snack he’s about to enjoy.

I’m just placing the cookies in the baskets when Mischief Mistletoe lunges on his leash, darting in front of Jackson and straight at Minna.

“Mischief!” Jackson yells.

“Mistletoe!” Grace corrects.

Minna barks and jumps happily in greeting, but in her excitement, her leash slides down Cordelya’s hand. She yelps as it snags on her newly stitched hand. I scent her blood before I see it, my fangs descending of their own accord.

Cordelya grabs the leash with her other hand as Jackson scoops up an extremely excited Mischief Mistletoe.

“I’m so sorry,” Jackson says.