What Winter is Like

By Will’s seventeenth birthday, members of the coven had started shoving different local and semi-local youths in Will’s direction. Witches of approximately Will’s age, if not his power. Even some girls, since the ‘king’ in the title was possibly more metaphorical than literal. It had been blatant and more awkward than even romantic blind dates might have been. Which they weren’t, of course, because the kissing between the two kings in the old stories was symbolic, not literal.

Holly and Oak was a ritual from a different place and a different time. People might hate the cold and long, dark nights, but winter and summer existed as both rivals and allies who needed each other. They were perhaps even friends, but not anything more, no matter how many times Chester reread scraps of ancient tales.

Sometimes, Chester wondered if he smoothed down his rough places, if his parents were less Sibley, if anyone had let them try, if he and Will might have at least gotten along. But mostly, Chester tried not to think of any of it. He didn’t run into Will now that he was no longer a part of coven activities. And despite Ravenscroft being a small town, it was fairly easy for an outcast to avoid the popular crowd.