I saw a lot of myself in her. Stern, purposeful, concise. There was nothing she did without a plan or purpose in place. Neither of us were very good at empathizing, which led to our walks in the woods to escape the chatter. Sometimes we would just silently walk, perfectly content with a presence without the noise.
She was one of those Vipera that had been in the Americas for a while, only two hundred years old. She often spoke about her culture, the one that was here before settlement taught by her mother. She had a particular interest in my work and had helped me plenty with native flora.
Her parents currently owned a butchery in town where she worked during the day and often brought us meat.
On our way to the house, I spotted the raised spears of staghorn along the tree line. The reddish-purple berries tasted of bitter lemon, tangy to the senses. They were perfect for the tastes of Vipera.
The house looked perfectly quaint from afar, like a painting you may see on the wall of a nice estate. It was almost as pale as the snow surrounding, bleaching the landscape in an innately pure blanket of frost. The only movement in the frozen wonderland was the sluggish rise of smoke from the chimneys. Occasionally, you could smell whatever was cooking if the wind direction allowed in between nips at your nose.
Upon entering the house, I could smell cider brewing passively in the fireplace. We left our boots and outerwear in the mudroom next to the tools and small wood splits.
Adeline and Mary were sitting on the couch, chatting amongst themselves as they kept a steady eye on the flames. They were identical with brown hair, milky skin, and dark blue eyes. Despite the two of them being twins, Mary always looked colder. Her brow was always drawn tight, and a smile was rare to grace her features. To her credit, Mary was the critical one.
“Did you find any?” Adeline squeaked as she shot up from her seat, planting herself in front of Rebecca once she entered.
“Of course, I can put the kettle on for some tea. No need to move from the fireplace,” Rebecca chuckled, looking down at the bubbly brunette.
Watching Adeline and Rebecca interact was as confusing as watching a cat and dog meet for the first time. Adeline’s high energy and ironclad optimism would make even the most experienced pessimists hopeful. Rebecca did not smile often unless she was alone or with Adeline.
I was to blame for pairing the two, as I always believed one needed an opposite. I took pride in my girls; they were my family. It was even more important during the winter months, when bitter memories liked to surface. They kept me going, all of them. It may be that I just liked having a purpose, people to take care of.
“Your eyes are red.”
“Tell me that I am hideous once more, dear friend.” I pressed my palms into my eye sockets, chasing the relief of the pressure.
The market was busy, as people were beginning to put out Christmas decor and taking delivery orders for Christmas geese. While it was a seasonal delight, the scent of pine and cinnamon was overwhelming the market today. I much preferred to wait for the fresh shipments of citrus.
“We need to talk.” Phoebe’s voice lowered.
“About what?”
“You know.”
“No, I don’t.” I pulled my hands away from my face, blurry vision clearing the image of the haughty redhead. “There is nothing to speak of.”
“Ah, yes, because your behavior is so very normal.” She looped her arm in mine as we walked along the market for fear she might lose me in the packed walkway. “What if you walk somewhere dangerous? Freeze in your sleep? Lose a toe to frostbite if you walk on a particularly nippy evening?”
I shook my head, distracted by the food and the overwhelming number of conversations around me. A tingling sensation tickled my wrist, then up my arm. I scratched at my sleeve just for the itch to crawl up my spine, then raise the hairs at the back of my neck. A sharp noise from the racket flew in and out of my audio purview, teasing me like a low-flying gnat. Even the smells were too strong, each step inviting new scents, both pleasant and unpleasant.
Further into the market was fresh produce, then meat. Fresh-caught haddock and salmon, fully butchered and ready to be taken home in the oily brown paper. Suddenly, I did not mind the pine scent to the fishy odor. The market was my least favorite activity. I begged not to attend.
“The stress isn’t good for you?—”
“The only one stressing me is you,” I snapped at her.
She squeezed my arm, her nails digging into my bicep, “You will wear yourself down to the bone, and I will not be the one to clean up the scraps.”
“Oh?” I raised a brow at her. “Be honest, dear friend, haven’t you always been the first to pick at scraps? You’re always in for a long haul.”
A sneer pulled at her pink lips before it transformed into a less-than-sincere smile, the look in her eyes sharp as they narrowed on the new movement.
“Did you see the wreaths on the north side?” Adeline asked excitedly, pulling her pearl white gloves tighter over her wrist.
“You know how I feel about decor,” I mumbled, plucking a cigarette from my purse.
“We know how you feel about extraneous spending,” Rebecca said, a small grin playing on her lips as she squeezed one of my shoulders. “We can make them. I know we have a few good fir trees on the property.”
“Give Alina a break; you know she’s not one for crafts.” Adeline pinched Rebecca’s arm.
