The storm battled on but indoors all was calm after a delicious turkey dinner. Whatever jealousies simmered had been softened with copious amounts of alcohol.
We were all a little tipsy from too much good cheer. We had polished off a half-dozen bottles of wine between us, and Dominic had downed at least a half-dozen beers. Aunt Amber and Earl had enjoyed several generous glasses of spiked eggnog, and everyone was happy, or at least civil, to one another.
The alcohol had taken the edge off our personality conflicts and romantic rivalries for the moment. While we weren’t exactly each other’s chosen company, we had figured out how to enjoy ourselves as we rode out the storm. We had lots of good food and plenty to drink. I just hoped it wasn’t a false calm before a storm of drunken tirades.
The lights flickered off and on as the wind howled outside. Then the power went off for good, and Mom lit the twin candelabras on the sideboard. The flickering candlelight cast long shadows but allowed us to see one another again.
Without electricity, we could have just as easily been sitting around a 19th-century candlelit dinner table instead of a 21st-century one. The flickering flames added to the atmosphere and even seemed to soften the petty rivalries around the table.
The dinner dishes had been cleared, and we all sat back in our chairs, content and stuffed from too much food. We sipped coffee and tea and nibbled on dessert. There was pumpkin pie with whipped cream, butter tarts, shortbread cookies and, of course, Mom’s secret recipe Christmas cake.
Only Merlinda, Dominic, and Gail, our unsuspecting guests, had actually eaten the Christmas cake. I was thankful for the cake’s somewhat delayed reaction. When our guests’ stomachs protested later on, they would never suspect Mom’s Christmas cake.
The rest of us stashed the cake in napkins, pockets, and purses for later disposal. In fact, the current power outage presented a great opportunity. I edged my dessert plate closer to the table edge and tipped it slightly until the cake fell into my palm. I wrapped it in my napkin and shoved it into my pocket.
“It’s game time,” Aunt Pearl announced. “This is going to be fun.”
“No family games with guests here, Pearl,” Mom said.
“Why not? I love games.” Gail’s expression brightened. “What are we playing?”
Aunt Amber clasped her hands together. “Ooh, let’s play the Hungry Games!”
“Is that like The Hunger Games?” Gail asked.
“Yes and no,” Aunt Amber said. “Instead of fighting for your area, you fight for food.”
“But we already ate,” Mom protested. “I’m too stuffed to even think about food, let alone fight for it.”
“Me too,” I said.
“You don’t have to eat it, Ruby,” Aunt Amber said. “We’ll just use the food as a prop this time. Whoever wins the most food at the end will have their wish granted. Let’s make it a game with a cargo cult theme!” She clapped her hands together.
In the West family, a wish meant a spell. I wondered how we would accommodate our non-witchy guests.
Mom laughed. “We’ll use whatever dessert we have on the table. A fight to the death over my Christmas cake.”
We all stared at her, open-mouthed.
After a few moments of awkward silence, Merlinda asked in a drunken slur, “What kind of game is that?”
“A dumb game,” Aunt Pearl said. “I’m not motivated by food.”
I agreed, though I didn’t dare say so out loud. Using Mom’s Christmas cake as poker chips was a recipe for disaster. The cake wouldn’t be cleared off the table anytime soon, and our guests would be tempted to eat even more of the stuff. What if they got alcohol poisoning?
Suddenly, Merlinda leaned back in her chair, her eyelids drooping. The wine and booze-soaked Christmas cake had clearly affected her to the extent that she looked ready to pass out. The wine was all gone. Now we really had to get rid of the cake before she ate any more.
“I was only kidding about the cake fight.” But Mom’s crestfallen expression said otherwise. She had been deadly serious.
Aunt Amber sensed Mom’s disappointment and quickly piped in. “Why don’t we play truth or dare instead?”
“Great idea.” In reality, I thought truth or dare was a terrible idea, given the assorted personalities around the table. But it beat eating or hiding more alcohol-soaked Christmas cake.
“I’ll play as long as anything goes.” Aunt Pearl smirked. “Winning at all costs is the name of the game.”
“Count me in for that.” Gail glared in Merlinda’s direction. “I always come out on top.”
I cast a warning glance at Aunt Pearl. “There are no winners in truth or dare. Just certain embarrassment and possible injury.”
Mom sucked in her breath. “Nothing too reckless, though. We stop before anyone gets hurt.”
“Don’t change anything because of us,” Gail said. “Just pretend you’re having a normal family Christmas Eve.”
Aunt Pearl smirked. “Hah! Our West family Christmas games are anything but normal. Be careful what you wish for.”
I shuddered. We were witches after all, and our witchy games could get a little ugly because we were all so competitive. But sharing spells with outsiders, even other witches, was a definite no-no. Aunt Pearl’s veiled threat worried me. Whatever schemes she had in mind for our guests would no doubt cross a line.
I knew that Aunt Pearl would never share details of our supernatural spells and secrets. But I still distrusted her. Maybe it was the Earl effect, or maybe she wanted to impress Merlinda with her spell casting. She normally disliked our family witch games, so her enthusiasm signaled danger. Something was percolating in that witchy mind of hers.
Of course, we all sprinkled a little witchcraft into our games. Normally, that wasn’t a problem, but this time we were all in various stages of advanced inebriation. That included Aunt Pearl. Drunken spellcasting was dangerous without at least one sober witch to clean things up.
Aunt Pearl grinned sadistically. “Okay, listen up. Each couple is a team. Couple against couple. Everything’s on the table.”
Aunt Amber looked visibly relieved. “I guess Ruby and I are out then. We’re the only ones without dates.”
“Don’t be silly,” Aunt Pearl said. “You two are the sister act.”
Mom shook her head. “No! I don’t want to be—”
“Oh, c’mon, Ruby. It’ll be fun.” Aunt Amber brightened. “We’ll win because we know each other so well.”
“I doubt it,” Dominic said. “Merlinda and I are gonna ace this thing. Right Merlinda?”
Merlinda’s eyes fluttered open. She frowned. “Um, sure. I’ve never played truth or dare before, though.”
“It’s simple,” I said. “One couple gets asked ‘truth or dare’. If you choose truth, then you answer a question. Choose dare and you have to perform whatever is asked of you. Once you complete the task, you get to do the same to whoever you choose.”
Grandma Vi floated behind Earl and Aunt Pearl. “Ooh! I can’t wait to watch everybody self-destruct. I’ll be the only one left standing.”
Mom smiled.
Aunt Pearl pointed at Mom. “Ruby, you start.”
“Okay, fine. Earl and Pearl…Truth or dare?”
“Truth.” They both answered in unison, like an old married couple.
Mom giggled. “Why don’t you tell us what you two did on your first date?”
“You can’t ask that, Ruby!” Aunt Pearl’s face flushed a deep crimson red.
“Why not? You said anything goes, Pearl.” Mom raised her brows and smiled sweetly. “That goes for you too.”
“We had a candlelight dinner at my place,” Earl said. “It was very romantic, but I have to admit things got a little out of hand.”
Aunt Amber snickered. “You two got hot and heavy? Oh my…I can see it now.”
“Earl!” Aunt Pearl slapped his hand.
Earl recoiled. “It was hot all right. Especially after the curtains caught fire, and we had to call the fire department. Pearl loves her soy candles. You can melt them to make massage oil and…” He patted her hand. “I better not say any more. I’ll never forget that night, though. Pearl’s so full of surprises.”
Tyler and I burst out laughing, followed by Mom. The thought of Aunt Pearl romancing anyone was beyond belief. Then again, Earl affected her in a way I had never seen before. She was under his spell, so to speak.
“Oh, Earl, stop. You’re embarrassing me.” Aunt Pearl turned toward Tyler and me and said rather abruptly, “Your turn. Truth or Dare?”
“Dare,” Tyler said.
My heart skipped a beat, knowing that Aunt Pearl wanted nothing more than to ridicule Tyler. Dare was probably the wisest choice, though. I expected Aunt Pearl to have some embarrassing questions of her own.
“I dare you to leave town, sheriff.” Aunt Pearl crossed her arms as she leaned back in her chair. “I’ll even make it worth your while if you act quickly.”
“That’s not a valid dare, Pearl.” Aunt Amber shook her head. “Next time make it something that can be done right here and now.”
Tyler tossed his head back and laughed. “Nice try, Pearl. But even a bribe won’t convince me to leave Westwick Corners anytime soon. I’m not leaving Cen, either.”
“How much do you want? Whatever it is, I’ll pay it.”
“Pearl, stop it!” Mom wagged a finger at her older sister. “Tyler’s not going anywhere, so get used to it.”
Aunt Pearl’s eyes narrowed. “If that’s how you want to play it, fine. Don’t ever say I didn’t give you a way out, sheriff.”
Tyler chuckled but didn’t answer.
“You just wasted your turn, Aunt Pearl.” At least she hadn’t forced me to curse Tyler or cast some equally horrible spell.
Aunt Pearl scowled but remained silent. In her haste to deflect unwanted attention from herself and Earl, she had been too flustered to come up with a decent dare.
I turned to Brayden and Gail. “Truth or dare.”
“Truth,” Brayden smirked. “Ask me anything.”
“You mean us,” Gail corrected. “Ask us.”
It was a perfect opportunity to learn more about their relationship. “What’s the biggest secret you are keeping from your mate?” I asked. “Brayden, you go first.”
Brayden flushed. “Well…um, Cen and I were once engaged.”
Not what I was expecting. Apparently, not what Gail was expecting, either.
She bolted upright from her chair. “What? You brought me to your ex-girlfriend’s house for dinner without telling me? You lied to me! You told me she was an old friend!”
“Well, she’s both. I meant to say something…it just never came up in conversation, I guess.” Brayden’s eyes darted around the room looking for help.
Gail threw her hands in the air. “How would that naturally come up in conversation? I can’t believe you didn’t tell me, Brayden. You make me look like an idiot!”
We all looked away in awkward silence. No wonder Gail had thought nothing of coming for dinner. She had no clue that Brayden and I had almost married each other. I still didn’t like her, but I did feel sorry for her right now.
Mom broke the silence. “Gail, your turn. What are you keeping from Brayden?”
“That I’m fed up with being ignored.” She turned to Brayden. “I’m tired of you flirting with other women while I’m right here. You think I don’t notice you ogling Merlinda? Everybody sees it. Right, Dominic?”
Merlinda’s mouth dropped open in shock.
Dominic leaned away in his chair, clearly uncomfortable. “Uh…maybe we should move on. Who’s next?”
“I’m not playing this stupid game anymore.” Gail stood and threw her napkin down on the table. She marched into the kitchen.
Things had stayed rather civil until now, despite everyone’s tipsy state. It was now clear that no matter what the game, Aunt Pearl had orchestrated everything to culminate in this exact moment where we were ready to bite each other’s heads off.
Mom tilted her head toward the kitchen. “I think you should go after her, Brayden.”
Brayden sighed and stood. “But why do I have to…oh, okay. But first…Dominic and Merlinda, truth or dare?”
“Truth,” Dominic said. “Ask away.”
“Do you think you’ll ever get married?” Brayden didn’t even hide it with Gail out of the room. He spoke to Dominic but gazed adoringly at Merlinda.
I glanced toward the kitchen door, hoping that Gail wasn’t on the other side listening.
Dominic answered. “The answer’s yes. Because we already are married.”