"Then glamour me as well because there is no way in hell that I'm letting you enter that bar alone," Nicolai finally conceded.
"While it sounds like an excellent plan, there's only one problem," Claire said.
"What's that?" Alec asked.
"How do we get Brittney there? She knows Jasper has lost his memory and can't shift, so I don't see her falling into our trap willingly, especially given that Jasper will be in human form," Claire responded.
"That's a good point," Ariel said.
The excitement around the table waned a little until Phoebe said, "I have an idea. We'll make Brittney think her spell didn't work. In fact, I'll shadow her and every time she tries to cast a spell, I'll make sure something goes wrong with it until she questions her magic. It shouldn't take too long for her to cave in, which will give us time to perfect the plan."
"That's not a bad idea. Do mind in I join in the fun," Zeva asked.
"Not at all," Phoebe replied with a mischievous glint in her eyes.
"Excellent. Let's put Operation Take That Buffy Down into action," Alec said.
It hadn't gone unnoticed by Claire that Jasper hadn't said a word through their connection during the entire conversation. Did he not like the plan? Should she ask him? In all honesty, she had no idea what to do. While she was enjoying the kind, caring man that alleviated some of her loneliness last night, she really didn't know the man. Maybe she'd suggest they go for a walk where she could ask him in private what he thought. It should be relatively safe given the house had been warded for protection. Yeah, a walk would be good for the both of them.
She turned to look down at Jasper, who sat quietly by her side like an overprotective guard dog and said, "I need some fresh air. You want to go for a walk around the farm?"
"Yeah, that sounds good. Maybe when we're done, a light bulb will come on in my head as to what everyone was talking about. I know you said this Brittney is my ex-fiancée but she doesn't sound very nice. It makes me wonder what I ever saw in the woman, especially given that I asked her to be my wife."
"I'm sorry, but I can't answer that for you. Maybe Alec could shed some light on the situation," Claire suggested.
"Maybe, but there's only one problem, he can't hear me right now for some reason. If I'm really a wolf, I'm not sure why I'm unable to connect with my Alpha. I've never experienced anything like this before, so it's I can only assume that it's a rarity in the Shifter community. Whatever spell Brittney cast on me must be a doozy," Jasper sighed in exasperation.
"I promise you, we'll figure it all out and set things back to the status quo. It's just going to take a little time, which unfortunately is not on our side right now. But, I won't rest until you can shift back into your human form and communicate with your Pack," Claire declared.
"I appreciate that Claire. Let’s go for our walk now because I could definitely use some fresh air after all this drama," he said.
"I think that's a good idea," Claire replied with a smile.
* * *
Brittney woke up the next morning elated with the turn of events. Not only was her cousin no longer a thorn in her ass, but she’d cast a spell on Jasper that would render him helpless until she stated otherwise. Just thinking about it made her laugh out loud with glee. To everyone who thought she was just another dumb blonde, they could kiss her voluptuous ass. Her cousin had let her emotions get the better of her and that had been her downfall. She wouldn’t fall into the same trap. Nope, she’d take her time, come up with a full proof plan to win her man back, and execute it like Sydney Bristol would a secret ops mission in Alias. Now all she needed was a sexy pair of stiletto boots and a cute outfit for the occasion. Later on today, she’d definitely have to get in some shopping.
I wonder what one would wear for such an occasion, she thought, as she pranced in front of Serena’s floor length mirror. Not only will I seek revenge on my nemesis, but I’ll win my man back as well. If I have to take out his nosey ass friends, then so be it. Besides, as long as we have one another, it’ll be more than enough to keep us warm and cozy through the cold winter.
“Don’t count your chickens before they've hatched,” her inner Angel, Angelica, said with doubt, as she blew on her recently polished fingernails.
“What do you mean? I’ve outsmarted everyone by laying low. When I strike this time, they’ll never know what hit them,” Brittney insisted.
“Yeah, we have this under control. For an Angel, you sure are negative. Why don’t you go somewhere and twitch. We’ve got a man to trap,” her inner Devil, Demonica, replied with much attitude.
"You call it being negative and I call it being realistic. All she's managed to do is piss Jasper off, which means I don't see him feeling all lovey, dovey towards her anytime soon. Besides, it's obvious that the auburn-haired beauty is his mate or he wouldn't have been so eager risk his life for her," her inner Angel insisted.
"Angelica, you're really pissing me off right now," Demonica replied.
"Better I piss you off than piss on you, Demonica. Will you never learn sweet sister? Is it because I'm the oldest and obviously the wisest?" Angelica inquired with a raised eyebrow.
"You're only older by two, freaking seconds, Angelica. Give it a rest. I stopped falling for that ploy when we were kids," Demonica demanded.
"Yet, every time your plan falls apart, I have to hear you whine about it for centuries. I mean really, get a clue already and just listen to your older sister for once. Are you unwilling to follow my guidance because you're just stubborn or because your bustier is too tight and it's cutting off all the blood trying to circulate to your brain?" Angelica asked.
"La-la. La-la. La-la. La. I don't I hear you. I'm rubber you're glue, whatever you say bounces off of me and sticks to you! Take that and stick where the sun don't shine," Demonica said with a huff before sticking out her tongue.
"Real mature, Demonica," Angelica replied, rolling her eyes in annoyance and a touch of disgust. Disgust because her sister had beat her to the punch by using their witty, childhood comeback.
Brittney had tried to ignore the two idiots bantering back and forth in her head. They were really giving her a migraine, which she didn't have time for today. She had a man to trap and a new outfit to pick out. Time was of the essence, so she needed to strike again while the iron was hot. She couldn't afford Zoe and Zara figuring out what she had done, or all hell would break loose. Maybe she needed to think about calling in a little extra reinforcement. A nasty Demon might work, but she'd have to be careful because those bastards were tricky. She didn't want to end up in Hell. It was too hot down there for her and would do nothing for her complexion. Besides, she'd heard Lucifer was a real ass; albeit a sexy ass, but nonetheless, an ass. She had enough man troubles already and had no desire to add more.
"Oh my Goddess. She's thinking about summoning a demon. Has she lost her ever-loving mind? No man is worth uprooting a Demon from Hell," Angelica exclaimed.
"How would you know, Virginia? Your va-jay-jay hasn't been touched by a man in centuries. Your parts are so rusty, you've probably forgotten how to use them," Demonica countered.
"Pot calling the kettle black, much," Angelica replied with a knowing smirk.
Unable to withstand the pressure, Demonica finally conceded and said, "Fine. I'll admit, it's been a while for me as well. But don't you miss the feel of a man's hands pleasuring your body, Angi? I damn sure do."
"Demonica. Focus. If she summons a Demon, we'll all be in trouble and the only hands pleasuring your body will be Big Sal," Angelica yelled.
"Big Sal?" Demonica asked.
"Yes, Big Sal," Angelica said with an exasperated sigh. It figures her sister would focus on Big Sal, instead of the fact that Brittney wanted to summon a Demon from Hell for Goddess's sake.
"Not likely, big sis. Did you forget Madea took care of her when she was thrown in the pokey? Besides, Big Sal is from Texas and we live in Tennessee; therefore, I don't think we'll be crossing paths anytime soon. Huh
! Looks like you're not as smart as you think?" Demonica contended.
Taking several deep breaths in an effort not to strangle her sister, Angelica finally said, "Demonica, we need to stop Brittney from trying to summon a Demon. The ramifications would be horrendous. Do. You. Understand?"
"Of course I understand. I'm not an idiot you know."
"Some days, that remains to be seen," Angelica murmured.
"I heard that," Demonica growled.
"I had intended for you to. Now, quit running your mouth and help me come up with a plan," Angelica instructed.
"Fine, but I still don't see what the big deal is," Demonica huffed, doing her best to drown out her sister's authoritative voice. She hated when Angelica when all Angelic on her.
Chapter 8
Phoebe and Zeva watched Brittney prance through the house as if she didn’t have a care in the world. In fact, one would say she was on cloud nine. It seemed as though she used magic for everything… cleaning the house, whipping up breakfast, washing the dishes, deciding which clothes to wear. The more they watched Brittney use magic for her own gain, the more they realized it would be easy to create havoc with her powers.
Turning to Zeva with a devious smile, Phoebe said, “There’s no time like the present to turn her smile upside down.”
“I couldn’t agree more,” Zeva replied, twitching her nose and causing the blow dryer Brittney was currently using to malfunction and crash on the floor. The scream she let out was satisfaction enough.
“My turn,” Phoebe replied. When Brittney lifted the curling iron by swirling her index finger and began curling her hair, Phoebe waived her wand; thereby, causing the curling iron to get stuck in her hair. They were sure the entire population of Bass Ackwards could smell the burnt hair and Brittney’s curses.
“What in the hell is going on here?” she yelled to the empty room. Frustrated when no one answered, she said a quick spell to fix the damage to her hair, but instead, it was filled with purple streaks.
“Nice job,” Phoebe chuckled. She hadn’t had this much fun in years. “I think it’s time to shrink all of her clothes since she’s going shopping today. What do you think?”
“Go for it! I can’t wait to see her reaction,” Zeva replied.
The battle cry that came from Brittney’s mouth when she couldn’t fit into her favorite red dress would have made every Highlander in Scotland and Ireland proud. To say she was pissed would have been an understatement.
“Alright. Who the hell is here? Show yourself now, or you’ll be sorry,” Brittney demanded. Yet, when no response was forthcoming, she said to hell with it and quickly glamoured herself. One minute she was a hot mess, and the next, she was the sexy, blonde bombshell every man wanted to sleep with and every woman envied, respected and revered… at least in her feeble mind.
It took everything Phoebe and Zeva had not to expose themselves and put the little witch in her place for harming their friends and family. Instead, the women decided to give Brittney a taste of her own medicine by counteracting her spell and turning her into the town spectacle the same way she had done Jasper. Although the mirror, she was currently primping in made her appear to a beautiful and vibrant woman, once she left the confines of Serena’s cottage, her true colors would shine through brighter than the sun. People in the community would see her for the conniving, backstabbing, cheater that she truly was and would call her on it. By the time they were done, she would definitely be doubting her powers, especially when she saw Jasper and Claire enjoying a late lunch at Lula Mae’s Diner.
Dressed and ready for a little retail action, Brittney checked herself in the mirror one final time before she hopped in her car and headed into town. The ten minute drive and pep talk into town renewed her confidence and lifted her spirits. She couldn’t wait to drop until she dropped. Although Bass Ackwards was a small town, there were several boutiques that would meet her needs on such short notice. The first place she’d hit was Adrianna’s. While Brittney never really liked the uptight, snooty woman, she loved her clothes even if they were a tad overpriced in her book. However, the boutique had brought a little class to their run downtown and for that she’d pay the exuberant prices, especially since all her credit cards were connected to Serena’s account.
When she stepped into Adrianna’s, several women turned and gasped, which told her they were floored by her beauty. She simply waved and smiled as though it were nothing and headed toward the petite section to pick out a new dress. Something that would knock Jasper’s socks off.
“Um… Should we tell her?” Angelica whispered to Demonica.
“I don’t understand how she could’ve come out of the house, allowing us to look so horrendous,” Demonica whined. “Did she not see the atrocious look on those women’s faces?”
“Wow, I didn’t realize such big words. My how your vocabulary has expanded over the years. Before we know, you’ll be speaking French,” Angelica replied sarcastically.
“Focus, Angelica. We have to tell her before she makes us the laughing stock of Bass Ackwards,” Demonica commanded.
“Honey, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but we’ve been the laughing stock of Bass Ackwards for years. If being a lying cheat didn’t destroy us, I doubt a little fashion fo paux will, but hey go for it. Tell her. It’s your funeral,” Angelica encouraged.
“Fine. I’ll do the dirty deed. I’m not afraid. Besides, just watching this train wreck is turning my stomach. Look at our singed hair. How could she do that to our beautiful, blonde locks? Everyone knows your hair is the window to your soul,” Demonica claimed.
“That’s the eyes you idiot,” Angelica corrected, as she rolled her eyes in exasperation.
“What?” Demonica yelled.
Sighing heavily, Angelica popped a piece of bubble gum in her mouth and said, “The eyes are the windows to the soul, not your damn hair.”
“Ooh! I’m going to tell daddy you said a curse word,” Demonica squealed.
“Oh, grow a pair,” Angelica countered as she popped a bubble.
Standing tall and proud, Demonica adjusted the girls in her bustier and said, “Honey, in case you haven’t noticed, I have more than a mouthful and the men love it in case you haven’t noticed.”
“Demi, your breasts are large enough to feed every man in a Third World Country for years. How could we miss those torpedoes? You flaunt them every chance you get,” her sister countered.
“Maybe so, but if you don’t clean out the cobwebs and quit ignoring your hoo-ha, it’s going to die a slow, horrible, lonely death. Wait! Let me grab my compact and see if it’s still breathing,” Demonica chuckled as she put her compact in front of Angelica’s hoo-ha. “Oh My Goddess! It’s not too late. There’s still life down under,” she announced.
Fed up with her sister’s antics, Angelica smacked Demonica in the head and said, “Enough already. Go tell our alter ego that she looks like a hot ghetto mess, so we can deal with the fall out.”
Loudly clearing her throat to gain Brittney’s attention, Demonica whispered in a hesitant voice, “Um… Brit. What in the Hades is going on? We look like a train wreck. That’s why everyone is starring. It’s not envy you see on their faces, it’s horror by our unkempt appearance.”
Sighing heavily, Brittney replied in hushed, irritated voice. “Not now, Demi. I need to pick out a new dress for Jasper.”
Agitated because she had once again been ignored, Demi cleared her throat and yelled at the top of her lungs once Brit had picked out a dress and entered the dressing room. She was done playing nice. It was time to take off the kid gloves. “Listen up, Missy because I’m only going to say this once. Turn around, put your ginormous ego in check, and truly look at yourself in the mirror. We’re not sexy. We’re a hot ghetto mess and I can’t believe you were dumb enough to come outside with us looking like this. Our beautiful, blonde locks are singed. Not to mention, our war paint is smeared. It looks like we tried to squeeze in our doll’s clothes because they’re too tight
for even me and that’s saying a lot. And, to add insult to injury, our shoes don’t match. Seriously, Brit! What were you thinking?”
Startled by Demonica’s sudden outburst, Brittney tried to shush her inner devil, but she was having none of it. Exasperated and exhausted by her entire morning, she finally turned and did as she was told. It took a few minutes, but the truth finally presented itself loud and clear. She looked like an abomination. What in the hell had happened to her spell? Why hadn’t it worked? Mortified and more than a little pissed by her appearance, she went storming out of Adrianna’s like her hair was on fire. Someone was going to pay for this debacle and it sure as hell wasn’t her.
"Oh for Goddess's sake, I look like a bad replica of Cruella de Ville. How could you dimwits let me come out of the house looking like this? Why didn't you say something sooner?" Brittney howled.
"Maybe, it's because lately you've been a biach," Demonica murmured.
"I heard that, Demi," Brittney groused.
"I intended for you to, Brit," she replied. "Look, we don't have time for a pissing match. It's obvious your magic is on the fritz and we need to call in a witch doctor," Demonica continued, as though Brittney hadn't spoken.
Once Brit exited the building and saw her reflection again in the windows of Lula Mae’s Diner, she froze. She had gone from looking dressed to kill to needing to be killed and put out of her misery, and that wasn’t even the worst part. When she scanned the diner to see if anyone had noticed her, she saw Jasper and Claire having lunch and making goo-goo eyes at one another. More importantly, he was in his human form. Was Demi right and her magic was on the fritz? No, that couldn’t be it. Her magic was fine and she was positive her spell had worked on Jasper.
“Are you sure? The proof is in the pudding, and from what I can see, your pudding has soured because that sure looks like Jasper to me with his new mate. What was her name? Claire? I must admit, I love the gypsy outfit she’s wearing. Purple has always been one of my favorite colors. It’s sexy without making her look like she’s trying too hard. Maybe you and Demi should take some notes,” Angelica suggested.
Magic and Mayhem: Witchin' Up A Spell (Kindle Worlds Novella) (Magick & Chaos Book 5) Page 7