"Why?" she asked. Then Ginger stepped in front of the mirror. "Oh, wow. No, I can't take this. You need to wear this one tonight. I bet Joe would propose marriage the second he saw you in this dress."
"I'm wearing the blue one. You need to wear that dress. Please, Ginger. It looks like it’s made for you. You can wear the red one on your second date," I said.
"And after that?" Ginger asked. “What do I wear after the second date? Will I need more dresses?”
"Sweatpants all the way," I said. “I’m totally kidding. Well, maybe not totally.”
Ginger laughed and turned around to look at herself from every angle in the mirror. The dress looked hot pink on the hanger, but it took on a much softer hue once she'd put it on. The color of the fabric brought out the rosy tone of her skin, and it made her hair look much more crimson than our usual carrot-top red. It also completely disguised the little food pouch she’d gotten from eating too much. Perfect for a witch as we are known to pack it in even on a date. Witches eat, and we never pretend like we don’t for any man.
"Are you sure?" she asked. "I feel bad taking this dress from you. You obviously wanted it or you wouldn't have bought it. I’d completely understand if you wanted to keep it for yourself."
"I want you to have it," I said. "Your makeup is already done, so what should we do with your hair?"
Chapter Five
Lupin had arrived exactly on time to pick Ginger up. I opened the door and let him into the entryway, and Ginger did the whole coming down the stairs to wow her date movie moment thing. She looked amazing, and Lupin must have thought the same thing. Not only did his jaw drop at the sight of her, but he dropped the bouquet of flowers he'd purchased from Glinda too.
I picked the flowers up and took them into the kitchen to find a vase. It gave Lupin and Ginger a few minutes alone before I busted back in there with a camera to get pictures like it was prom night. Lupin was a good sport and let me take as many pictures as I wanted. Honestly, I don’t think he even noticed. He couldn’t take his eyes off Ginger.
When they were gone, I went upstairs and put the blue dress on. I looked in the mirror and almost chickened out. But, if Ginger could become a human to go out on a date with her crush, then I could wear that dress.
I even left my hair down and used some "beachy waves spray" stuff to tame it. A slick of tinted lip gloss finished the look. I wondered if Joe looked at me the way Lupin had been looking at Ginger. Had he been all along, and I hadn’t noticed? All those times I caught him staring at me and I thought it was because he thought I was a weirdo, had it been something else?
I went downstairs to my now empty house, and waited in the living room for Joe to get off work.
"Wow, what's the occasion?" Joe asked when I answered the door.
"No occasion. I just thought I'd dress up a little for our date," I said. "You don't like it? I can change into something else. I hope I don’t look ridiculous." I tugged at the hem of the dress and smoothed the front nervously.
"No, I love it. You look beautiful," he said and kissed me on the cheek. "So, are the rumors true? Ginger is a human and is out on a date with Lupin? I swear I'll never get used to this stuff. How do you keep the regular folks from hearing about this stuff? The way gossip spreads around town, I can’t believe there’s anybody left who doesn’t know about witches and shifters."
"Yep. It's true," I said. “And we keep people from finding out with spells. It’s like that protection amulet. People just don’t see it. I bet you completely forgot about that thing until I said something.”
"Huh… You’re right. So I'm guessing you don't want to do pizza and Netflix at home?" Joe asked after immediately moving on. "I should take you somewhere nice. I'm not really dressed for it, though. Can we stop by my house?"
"What if we split the difference? Somewhere nicer than pizza at home but not so fancy you have to change out of your jeans?"
"What are you thinking?" Joe cocked an eyebrow. "You can't go bowling in that dress. I mean, you could, but it would probably end badly."
"What about all you can eat wings?"
"You want to go to Buck's House of Clucks in that dress? You'll give the good old boys a heart attack. What about the sauce? You don't want to ruin that dress. I don’t want you to ruin that dress. Man, you look beautiful. I mean, you always look beautiful, Zoe, but you look amazing in that dress. The way the color complements your eyes."
"I can handle some wings, Joe," I said. "Can you handle the Cluckinator Special?" The way he was talking about how beautiful I looked was making my heart just about pound out of my chest, but I couldn’t acknowledge it. It was like if I said something, the spell would be broken.
"Volcano style?" Joe asked. “Think you can take the heat?”
"You're on."
The only way to eat greasy chicken wings and ribs without getting it all over your new dress is magic. I fared much better than Joe. We did have to stop on the way back to my house to get him a new shirt. He’d gotten both wing and rib sauce all over himself. Even with the bib the restaurant provided, he was a mess.
He offered to do dinner and a movie, but after two hours in the dress, I was ready to go home and put on my sweatpants. I also wanted to watch the new action movie on Netflix before I got too sleepy.
I did manage to make it all the way through the movie, but I was dozing off by the credits. Joe got a blanket and kissed me goodnight because I wanted to wait on the sofa for Ginger.
"I'll lock the door on the way out," he said.
"No, she doesn't have a key yet. You can leave it. It's a safe neighborhood and the door is warded anyway."
"Zoe, I don't want to leave you here with your front door wide open."
"It's not wide open. It's just unlocked."
"I'll stay," he said.
"No, you've got to be at work as early as I do. I'll be fine, but if it makes you feel better, go ahead and lock it. I'll get up and let her in when she gets home."
"Thank you, Zoe."
"I love you," I said.
"Love you too, babycakes."
Ginger was back home by eleven. Turned out I didn't have to worry about the lock. She opened it with a little bit of magic. That was one thing I hadn't warded the door against, and I needed to remember to do that after I got her a key. I didn’t think anyone from Destiny Cove would try to break in, but you just never knew.
“How was your date?” I asked.
I sat up and rubbed my eyes with the backs of my fists. Ginger was positively beaming from ear to ear. I didn’t need to ask how the date went, it was obvious that it was spectacular. Her smile literally lit up the room. I’d have to have a talk with her about that. She’d have to learn to control her magic while in human form. It seemed that it was a lot more powerful, as was her aura. I didn’t know that someone could have a pink, sparkly aura, but there it was.
“Amazing,” she said and rushed to sit beside me on the sofa. “He’s so dreamy, Zoe. And, such a gentleman too.” But then the smile faded from her face. “I should let you get to bed.”
“What is it, Ginger? What’s wrong?” I sat up a little straighter as alarm bells went off in my head.
Suddenly, she sneezed. “I don’t feel right. It’s like I’m really tired. I need to go to bed, and I’d really like a carrot.”
In a flash, Ginger shifted back into her guinea pig form. She looked around for a moment like she wasn’t quite sure what had happened. Her little head turned and she let out a long squeak when she got a glimpse of her now fuzzy butt.
“Ginger, oh, my,” I said. “Did you mean to do that?”
“No. I don’t know what happened. I just felt tapped out. I didn’t do it on purpose. I feel much better now. The tired feeling is gone. I still want a carrot.”
“I bet you ran out of magical energy to keep you in that form. You’ll have to build up to it,” I said. “Let’s go to the kitchen and get you a carrot. I’ve got local grown organic. I think they taste the best.” I was rambli
ng because I wasn’t quite sure how to help yet.
“Will we have to redo the ritual every time?” she asked sadly. “How can I have any kind of relationship if I have to go through a ritual every time I want to be in my human form?”
“No, you just need to rest. You’ll need to conserve your physical and magical energy,” I said. “I bet you’ll feel better in the morning.”
“How will I help you if I can’t use any magical energy? If I have to conserve all of it for the shift, then I’m not going to be able to help you.”
“We’ll figure something out, Ginger. Try not to worry about it. Get some sleep.”
“Can I still have the spare bedroom?” she asked.
“It’s not the spare bedroom, Ginger. It’s your bedroom if you want it. This is your home too. It always has been.”
“Okay. Good night, Zoe,” Ginger said.
“Good night, Ginger. I’m going to stay on the sofa. I’m too tired to drag myself up to bed.”
Seconds later, I’d drifted off. When banging on the door woke me from my sleep, it felt like I’d just closed my eyes, but when I opened them, the sun was peeking over the horizon. Then the banging started again.
Chapter Six
“I’m coming,” I called out as the person on the other side of the door banged on it for a third time. “Give me a second,” I said as I tried to stomp out a charley horse that had gripped my leg as I was jolted out of sleep.
“Zoe, it’s me.” I heard Joe call through the door.
I hurried over and opened it. “You’re going to wake the dead banging on like that,” I said. “Come in.”
“I’m sorry, Zoe. Knocking on doors like that is kind of a habit. I didn’t want to ring the bell and wake Ginger. I wanted to talk to you first.”
“I’m afraid all that ruckus did wake Ginger,” Ginger said as she scampered down the steps. “What is going on?”
“Hey, I thought she was human. You said last night that she was. This makes my job a little easier, but why would you say that?”
“She was human last night. Ginger ran out of magic juice to stay in human form,” I said. “And you still haven’t told us what the heck is going on.”
“A body was found in the park this morning. Your address and the name Ginger was written on it,” Joe said. “The woman’s name was Amanda Scarborough.”
“Oh, no,” I said. “That’s Lupin’s ex-girlfriend.”
“We figured that. She had a picture of Lupin in her wallet. I’ve sent Deputy Block over to talk with him. I figured I’d come here and speak to you guys. I’m not really sure what I’m supposed to do about your familiar being half human now.”
“She’s my cousin. That’s the official story. If anyone asks why I have a cousin and a guinea pig named Ginger, we’ll tell them I named the guinea pig after my cousin. I’m sure that won’t be the strangest thing people around here have ever heard.”
“She’s dead?” Ginger asked as if she hadn’t heard anything we said. “Like dead dead? Like the only way to talk to her now is to do some of Zoe’s horrible necromancy?”
“The coroner just took the body, and I’m being pressured to make an arrest. It was bad,” Joe said.
“What do you mean it was bad?” I asked.
“She was torn up pretty bad. It looks like some sort of huge wild animal got to her. I know that the fact that Lupin is a shifter can’t technically be used against him, but it’s not going to look good to the people that know what he is. It doesn’t help that there aren’t many shifters living in this town either.”
“Well, at least Ginger is a guinea pig,” I said. “Even if people know she’s a shifter now, they can’t possibly think that she could do something like that.”
“But she was with Lupin last night and now Lupin’s ex-girlfriend is dead,” Joe said.
I was about to say something, but I was interrupted by the sound of footsteps upstairs and then a creaking floorboard. The footsteps sounded like they got close to the top of the stairs and then turned back toward my bedroom.
“Is someone else here?” Joe asked.
I watched his hand instinctively go to his gun holster. He took a step forward and put himself between me and the staircase.
“There shouldn’t be,” I said quietly.
“I’ll go check it out,” Ginger said.
“No, you stay right there,” Joe instructed. “I’m going to go look. Sheriff’s Office, come out with your hands up,” he said in commanding voice.
“I don’t think that’s a person, Joe. And if it’s not, you shouldn’t go up there,” I said.
“Why shouldn’t I go up there?” Joe asked, but I could tell my words gave him pause.
“Because whatever it is, it made it through all of my wards and protection spells,” I said.
“What isn’t the house warded against?” Ginger asked. “We must have forgotten something. There can’t be something more powerful than the two of us up there. There just can’t.” Ginger’s voice quaked a little. “What do we do?”
“Hang on,” I said and closed my eyes.
I had a bad feeling about what was suddenly making itself known in the upstairs of my home. I had a moment of clarity when I focused my attention on whatever it was up there.
I’d only thought that I’d contained the spirits when we’d reached over to the other side for answers. Some nasty spirits had made their intentions to invade our world known when I pierced the veil, but the worst of the worst had played it far smarter.
There was something in my house, but it wasn’t a ghost. “Don’t say anything else. I’m going to get dressed, and we’re going to go to the bakery.”
“You’re going up there?” Ginger asked.
“Of course, I am, silly,” I said the words as lightheartedly as I could, but at the same time I put my finger to my lips and shook my head no.
Instead, I went into the laundry room and grabbed a clean set of clothes. I picked up my purse, Ginger hopped in, and we all went out the door.
“What’s going on?” Joe asked as soon as we were outside.
“Not here. I think we’re still too close. I want to get farther away from the house. Please, just trust me.”
“It’s going to follow you wherever you go. Better just tell them now while it’s still in the house.” A voice came from behind me and I jumped in the air.
“What the heck?” Joe asked.
I whirled around and found the ghost that had drawn me to the cemetery before. She was just floating there on the sidewalk.
“Tell them. It’s coming,” she said.
“The thing in the house isn’t a ghost. It’s something darker. It’s probably a demon. We can’t acknowledge it anymore. No matter what it does, we have to ignore it. That will keep it from getting too strong until I can figure out what to do with it.”
“A demon?” Joe asked.
“It’s at the window,” the ghost said.
“Don’t say anything else, and don’t look,” I whispered.
I didn’t have to look. I could feel it there watching us. Its aura was like caustic polluted air. It felt wrong in so many ways, and it was in my house.
Chapter Seven
Joe followed me to work before he left for the sheriff’s station. I kissed him goodbye and walked cautiously into the bakery. The wardings there weren’t any stronger than my house, so I didn’t know if the evil spirit would follow me to work.
“Is it okay?” Ginger asked from inside my purse.
“It is, but if you’re feeling up to it, I think I need you in human form. You’re an amazing familiar, but I think I need another witch right now.”
“All right, but I didn’t bring anything to wear,” she said.
“Don’t worry about that. I grabbed some extra stuff when I got clothes from the laundry room.”
“I’m going to need underpants and I’m not wearing yours,” she said. “I’ll use my handy dandy purse teleportation hole to go back to the house, grab some s
kivvies, and be back in a snap.”
“I don’t know,” I said.
“We can’t hide from our house forever. I’ll be there and back in a flash. Plus, I might be able to tell if our new roommate is still there.”
“You go and come right back, Ginger. I mean it. We’ve got to figure out a way to get rid of that thing, but I don’t have a clue yet.” I waited for her to respond, but she didn’t say anything. “Ginger?”
Nothing.
“Ginger?”
“I’m already back,” she said and popped out of my purse. “Now, how about you go change in the bathroom and I’ll wait here.”
When I got back from changing my clothes, I noticed the Cookbook of Shadows was open. I walked over and discovered a new recipe, but it wasn’t for cupcakes.
“Hellfire Away Home and Laundry Spray,” I said aloud.
“Huh. That’s neat,” Ginger said as she joined me next to the book.
She was back in human form and dressed in the clothes I’d given her plus what she’d gotten from the house.
“What did you see back at home?” I asked.
“I didn’t really see anything. Something felt off about the house, though. I got weird vibes. I’m a little worried it was more than just the one entity. I don’t have any proof of that, though.”
“As much as it sucks, that would make sense,” I said. “Maybe it’s trying to use the magical energy from our house to open a hellmouth and bring more through. We’re going to need to do something about it soon.”
“We should probably start by making this spray. Do we have everything we need here?” Ginger asked.
“I don’t have black salt and tourmaline in the bakery, but I don’t want you going back to the house again. I’ve got lavender here. I don’t have any witch hazel,” I said.
“I can go to the pharmacy and get the witch hazel. It wouldn’t be from a fresh plant, but would that work?” Ginger asked. “I can go across the street and knock on the door at The All Seeing Eye. Maybe Esmeralda will sell us some black salt and tourmaline,” Ginger said.
A Howling Good Time (Wicked Witches of Destiny Cove Book 3) Page 3