Putting on the Witch by Joyce and Jim Lavene Read Free Book Online

it was me in the mirror. “I never looked that good twenty years ago.”
    â€œYou are stunning. You have such a wonderful natural glow about you. It doesn’t need a lot of dressing up. I hope you have fun at the ball tonight.”
    â€œThank you.” I walked out of the small room, teetering on sandals with six-inch heels. I usually wore flats. I hoped I wouldn’t fall down the stairs as I entered the castle.
    Dorothy was waiting—a vision in gold and green. “Oh, Molly! You look awesome. I hate that it all wears off by morning. I wish Joe could see you like this.”
    â€œIt isn’t permanent magic,” I said wistfully. I wished he could see me too.
    â€œBut I bet we could still send him a picture.” She took out her cell phone. “Let’s do one of each of us and then one together. I’m so excited about going tonight. Is that wrong, since Mom can’t go?”
    I would have liked to hug her, but I was afraid it would ruin everything that had been done to both of us. I didn’t know how durable the magic was. “Your mother has seen and done amazing things in her travels. One ball is nothing. Don’t let her fool you. Just have a good time with Brian tonight and don’t worry about it.”
    A third door opened, and Elsie sashayed out. “Well? How do I look?”
    Her attendant had matched the black and sequins of her hat with her dress and graced her beautifully with emeralds. She all but dripped them as she turned for us to see her. Surprisingly she wore a short black velvet skirt that showed off her very pretty legs, which were encased in black stockings.
    â€œIt’s a shame Larry can’t be there tonight.” She hiked her skirt to show us emerald-studded garters. “I would’ve liked to see the look on his face.”
    â€œProbably just as well,” I said. “He might’ve had a heart attack when he saw you.”
    â€œOkay. Pictures of all of us,” Dorothy said. She glanced at her cell phone. “Good thing too. It’s almost midnight.”
    She snapped a dozen photos, and we were ready to go.
    Madam Tunis came out to wish us a wonderful time at the ball. “And don’t forget—the magic ends at dawn. Your previous clothing will be under what you’re wearing now, so no need to panic about being caught out in the altogether. You look wonderful, ladies. Come back for our specials at Summer Solstice.”
    We waved good-bye and went slowly and carefully down the stairs again to Smuggler’s Arcane. None of us had the kind of money it took to boost our magic to the point where we could appear and disappear at will. We had always been lower-level witches and had been happy with it. Magic was something we were born with, passed down through our family lines, but not our goal in life. Not like the Fuller family and Drago.
    Larry surprised Elsie by waiting at the door to the shop. His eyes never left his glamourized girlfriend. “Woo-hoo! Seeing you like that is enough to make me howl. You look delicious, Elsie.”
    She blushed and flirted, but I thought his description of how she looked was a poor choice for a werewolf. Even though he’d sworn off eating people for many years,sometimes being around him still made me a little uncomfortable. Werewolves and witches weren’t friends by nature. They’d come to accept one another, but anything else was purely by accident.
    â€œWhy are you here, you old rogue?” Elsie asked.
    â€œI got your phone call about being all dressed up and how I should come by to see you.” He waggled his shaggy brows and grinned. “I wouldn’t have missed it.”
    â€œYou know I didn’t call you,” she said. “How did you guess what we were doing?”
    He sobered a little before he started slobbering. “No. Really. I got your phone call.” He took out his cell phone to show her. “That’s funny.