The Hidden Grimoire by Karla Brandenburg (pride and prejudice read TXT) 📕

ways than one, and as much as I valued my independence, I missed not seeing her every day. “How is life on the reservation?”

Nora laughed, a bright musical sound. “It’s the same as when I lived here. People like me well enough—from a distance. They come to me for potions or special concoctions, and they’re friendly, but nobody lingers when they visit.” She raised her eyebrows. “How are things working out at the gift shop? Have sales picked up at Windfall?”

A swell of pride rushed through me. “Since we sell clothing now, we’re calling it a boutique.” I assured her my new partner’s fashions seemed to be doing well, and customers continued to stop in for botanicals. “So far, so good, but it’s hard to know at this stage.”

Nora took a bite of her bread, followed by a sip of coffee. “I don’t want you to worry, but you should know the townspeople might be more standoffish today. They’re never quite sure what to make of us on Halloween, as if they expect us to go flying across the sky on broomsticks.”

I laughed. “Can we even do that?”

“I imagine we could, if you think you need to, although I don’t see a purpose to do so.” She leaned over the table. “Unless you want to screw with them.”

I laughed again. “I’m guessing you never did.”

“No. I had enough other prejudices to overcome.”

Most recently, marrying an indigenous man.

Someone pounded on the door and my heart jumped in response. “Who in the world...?” I rose to answer and was surprised to see my cousin standing on the doorstep. Although I hadn’t seen him in more than five years, I recognized his mother’s blonde hair and his father’s dark blue eyes. “Jason?”

Nora hovered at my shoulder.

“Good. You’re both here,” he said, barging inside.

I didn’t remember him as rude, but there wasn’t much I did know about him. “I didn’t realize you knew where I lived.”

“Jeannine told me.” He glared at Nora, and then at me.

His sister, Jeannine, and I had reconnected on amicable terms. Jason’s attitude indicated he wasn’t interested in being friendly. What could Nora and I possibly have done to warrant such animosity? Then again, his parents hadn’t spared much love for me despite taking me in after my own parents had died.

I fought to find my manners, even if he seemed to have lost his. “Nora, this is Jason Hanson. Uncle Jerome and Aunt Theresa’s son.”

Her voice was subdued. “So I gathered. How lovely to meet you, Jason.”

He leaned toward her, shaking a finger. “I know all about you. Stay away from me and my family. Both of you.”

Chapter 2

So much for good manners. I stepped in front of Jason, my hands on my hips. “What do you think we’re going to do to you?”

He glanced from Nora to me and back again. “I overheard many conversations between my father and Aunt Charlotte about how they thought it best to keep all of us away from her,” he nodded at Nora, “unless we,” with air quotes, “exhibited signs.”

I’d had enough of my long-lost cousin. “Signs of what? Extreme dysfunction?” I shouted. “Oh, no problem there. Your parents taught me all I needed to know. Isn’t that why you don’t go home?”

Nora touched my arm. “Watch your temper.”

Things didn’t rattle when I got riled up now that I’d learned to control the telekinesis. I considered rattling something on purpose to screw with Jason, or sending something flying at his head.

He took a step back. “My sister might think we can be one big happy family again, but I’m not interested. And you’re going to be the ones to make her understand. Do I make myself clear?”

“I’m afraid you’re not clear at all,” Nora said. “If you’re not interested, that seems like something you should tell her.”

Jason’s lips narrowed into a thin line. “My parents refused to talk to me about you,” he told Nora. “But Aunt Charlotte...” His throat undulated and his expression softened. “I’m sorry about your mother, Brynn, but that doesn’t change anything.”

“What did Charlotte tell you?” Nora’s voice was surprisingly gentle. How could she be so calm while he stood there condemning us?

“She said I had nothing to worry about, that certain genetic traits were only passed to the women of the family.” His face screwed up in a semblance of pain. “I don’t want my children brainwashed into believing they have a genetic malfunction.”

Not even the townspeople treated us with such disrespect. I pointed to the door. “Your parents put a roof over my head for ten years, which might have given them an excuse to treat me like the poor orphan I was, but this is my house. You don’t get to barge in here and talk to me like this. You can leave. Now.”

“No need to be inhospitable,” Nora said. “He’s only trying to protect his family.”

I turned to Nora. “I’m his family. You’re his family. We haven’t done anything to invite this attack. He doesn’t even know us.”

“That’s how prejudice works,” she said. “You know that as well as I do.”

“I don’t have a prejudiced bone in my body,” Jason argued.

“Then what are you afraid of?” Nora turned to me. “Didn’t you tell me he lived near Madison?” And then to him. “You drove an hour and a half just to disown the family you never see?”

“Or maybe you came to see if we wear pointed hats and shoes with curled toes,” I added.

Jason recoiled. “My job transferred me to Meadow Hill. My wife has it in mind to bring the family together even after I told her I’m not interested. She’s been to your little gift shop.”

Jeannine had told me Jason’s wife was pregnant.  I ran a mental movie of customers who’d been to the shop, trying to recall which of them were expecting. “Well, if that’s true, you may be assured she didn’t introduce herself.”

A little gray ball of fur came racing down the staircase, leapt to the back of