36)

After making my way downstairs I found a couple in their late middle age along with Nicole and her younger brother, my Dad nodded over at me. “Sara, these are Jack and Gail Anderson, and their kids Nicole and Kevin.”

I gave the older people a friendly nod, with a brief glare for their daughter. “Hi, I’m going to see if Mom needs help.” then I headed for the kitchen. Since the Wards didn’t do anything to them, at least nothing involving them bursting into flames, I felt that I could leave Dad alone with them.

In the kitchen I found Ami emptying one of the rice cookers into a bowl while my Mom was working a stir fry in the big wok, she started telling me what she needed to be done in Korean without bothering to look up as I came in. "Sara, start setting the table in the dining room for six, then the kitchen table for five. Get the bench from the piano for Aran."

For a second I almost began complaining about why Ami didn’t do it, but then she had probably been helping my Mom while I had been out playing. And my Mom was making dinner for eleven, she didn’t need to deal with any whining.

Not that whining was completely off the table, I was just old enough now to know you should save it for rare occasions. It’s more effective that way.

I got the placemats, plates, forks, knives, spoons, glasses, and napkins out then some pitchers of water with ice on both both tables, the clear glass one out in the dining room, and a nice plastic one for the kitchen table.

Then my Mom set me to cutting up fruit for dessert while she fried the rice up with soy sauce and sesame oil in the everyday wok.

Finally, she set me to carrying out the dishes while she looked herself over in the kitchen washroom managing to avoid giving me any chance of interrogating her about what the deal with the supernatural hunting organization thing.

Then I was sitting down with Ami facing down Nicole and Kevin. With Aran nearly spilling the chicken stir fry on the table as he tried to serve himself as Saku hid under the piano bench eagerly waiting to feast on five year old’s spillage.

Normally we ate in the dining room since Mom insisted that dinner should be a proper sit down meal, but even then I was used to scooping out the food for my brother. Somehow the problem of spilled food causing ants to invade a house meant it was my job.

But as I tried to take the serving spoon from the little guy he gave me a deeply upset look that made me throw up my hands in surrender. “Okay, okay, just try to not get all of it on the floor.”

I got my spring roll and scooped out some rice while looking up at our guests. “Best grab what you can, if you don’t fill up now, my grandpa will come looking for more food after they eat everything at the main table.”

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I could hear my Grandpa make a Humf sound at that from the other room.

A fascinating conversation was going on in the next room in which my grandpa was getting filled in on everything involved with an organization that kept watch on all the supernatural types while also helping them themselves secret.

A conversation which I would have loved to have been a part of, or at least spied on, but someone kept trying to talk to me.

Nicole started off with, “So, you’re dating Neal?”

I jerked my head around to stare at her as she took a bite out of her spring roll. “Wha-huh? What? No. We’re just friends, I’m only fourteen.”

She finished chewing while nodding. “Everyone talking about how you stole him from Deloris, and that the only reason you two aren't fighting for him is that your grandparents are dating.”

Glaring at her, I took a deep breath before explaining, “They weren't dating either, she just asked him to come with her to a few dances because she thought she would look weak if she showed up alone and she didn’t want to favor anyone else.”

Nicole blinked. “So it’s not just that’s she strong, she’s smart too?”

Her brother nudged her with his elbow. “Nicky, stop poking at her. Mom wants us to make friends.” he turned to my sister. “I saw you talking to some of the other girls at recess and lunch, how’s that going.”

Ami stared him down with a creepy grin. “I am gathering my first Coven. We will rule the High School when my time comes. You can be one of my top ten lackeys, but you have to act now.”

He stared at her for a moment, "Can I be part of the coven instead?"

She shook her head. “You have to be a girl to be a witch, Great Grandmother’s rules. I can’t do magic with boys until she’s gone or they’re related to me.”

I turned to look at her. "Is that just for you, or is that one of her rules I was warned about? The ones she just expects people to know without telling them."

Ami stopped chewing for a moment, then swallowed. "I don't know, but I would obey it anyway. She's scary. I forget sometimes, but then she starts talking about stuff she's done, really bad things."

My little sister looked down at the floor, “We had another great aunt once…”

She let her fork fall halfway out of her hand before I could lean over and give her a one armed hug.

Sometimes I get jealous over all the things Ami will be able to do as she learns how to use her powers. Then I get a hint at what she has to deal with along the way. No thank you.

Nicole took a breath. “Can I ask about her? Endora Caine.”

I shook my head at her. “She’s powerful, and she’s lived so long she doesn't know how to deal with people anymore. If you're not family, try to avoid her, and if you can’t, just do what she tells you without speaking so she doesn't single you out.”

The dark skinned girl thought that over and nodded.

Her brother changed the subject. "So I've asked around if there's anything to do in this town, but all I've heard about is country stuff. Hunting, fishing, swimming, four wheeling. You've been here longer if there anything fun?

Ami shook her head. “We got to go on a few trips outside the area over the summer, but the rest of the time we were taking lessons. Even when we had any free time we had to train, which Sara liked. The only thing I got to that was fun was learning how to play piano with my Dad.”

I realized that even Kevin was keeping the conversation focused on me and my sister, learning about us. Like the spies they were. It was time to turn the tables a bit. “So what do you two like to do for fun?”

That was a mistake. Once Kevin got going I had to listen to nearly twenty minutes of him going on about skating, the moves he had pulled off, and the things he had seen others do that he couldn't do.

Finally, I heard the conversation out in the dining room turn into collecting dishes.

“Sara, come help, then we’re all going to have a talk in the living room.”

Typical Mom move, make me work for something I want.