“Sorry.” Lexy looks contrite. She knows I don’t like discussing my mother. She died in a house fire when I was only eight but the memories are painful and I still miss her every day. “Anyway,” Lexy goes on, “I’m just trying to say you do have a chance.”

“Right,” I snort disdainfully. “Lexy, I have no chance—I’m a dud.”

Lexy puts one perfectly manicured hand on her slender hip. “Don’t call yourself that, Emma!”

“Why not? It’s the truth.” A 'dud' is a person from a magical family with no magic of their own. That description fits me to a T. After my mother’s untimely death, I went to live with my aunt and cousins, of which Lexy is my favorite. We were all about the same age and as we grew, my cousins all began to exhibit signs of magical skill. Me, I exhibited nothing. Nada. Zip. Zero. Zilch. Then when puberty hit us all, one by one, their powers grew. The onset of menarche is a powerful time for a witch. A time when her hair and eyes take their true and lasting shade and she comes into her own magically and physically.

All of my cousins came through puberty beautifully. Lexy, Trissa, and Delilah each have flaming red hair and brilliant green eyes. They’re all tall and slender and gorgeous—every supernatural creature with a penis within a hundred mile radius is attracted to their beauty and magic. A fact that Lexy and her sisters take full advantage of. In fact, Delilah, the most delectable of the three, even specializes in sex magic. Making love with a lot of different men isn’t looked down upon in the witch’s matrilineal society—it’s more like a status symbol. Lexy and Trissa are a bit more sedate but not much—they always have a date or three lined up for Friday night.

And then there’s me.

Puberty was not kind to Emma Krist. It didn't seem to matter how ancient my lineage or how powerful my mother was, the whole legacy just passed me by. All I have to show for my passage to womanhood is mousy brown hair, muddy hazel eyes, and debilitating menstrual cramps every time my period rolls around. Not to mention that I never got the tall, slender figures my cousins inherited. Instead, I’m short and curvy—way too curvy, unfortunately, with big boobs and even bigger hips. Add that to my lack of magic and the males of the supernatural community aren’t exactly beating down my door. Or any other males either, for that matter.

“Don’t be so hard on yourself,” Lexy says, frowning. “You’re beautiful, Emma, and you’ll come into your power eventually. I know you will.”

“Yeah, right,” I mumble. “And until then, I’ll just keep minding the shop while the rest of you actually practice the craft.”