“I don’t want to see anyone,” she said, her voice filled with some unknown emotion. It also sounded off, as though Morgan had come down with a cold or some sort of virus.
“Morgan, it’s me,” Kenzie replied to the closed door. “I have some news about Sean.”
“Please, I’m begging you. Don’t come in here.”
“Why not? Don’t you want to hear about your fiancé?”
“Of course I do, but if you come in...please, just tell me through the door.”
Kenzie pressed her hand against the door and leaned into it, trying to peek through the thick stained glass. She couldn’t make anything out inside, but she was getting a bad feeling. The eccentric old woman’s message didn’t help.
“Morgan, I don’t know what’s wrong, but let me help you. Whatever it is, I can help you.”
Kenzie heard a sudden sob from the other side of the door. That did it. She pushed her weight against the door and shoved. Not surprisingly, it was locked.
“Morgan,” she said fiercely, “open this door or I’ll kick it down. I’ve studied Sim Fu; I know what I’m talking about.”
“Please, I can’t let anyone see me!”
“Damn it, this is your last warning. Let me in, Morgan!”
Kenzie pushed hard on the door, and finally she heard the lock turn. The door gave way as it was opened from the other side. Kenzie nearly fell into the room. Righting herself, she looked around. She didn’t see Morgan right away, but when she closed the door behind her, she did...
...and immediately saw why Morgan didn’t want anyone to see her. For the Morgan she’d met two days ago wasn’t the same pretty young woman; this Morgan was, to put it bluntly, hideous. Warts covered her skin (which was now amphibious), her large eyes were filling with moisture, her fingers were webbed, and her feet had grown so large that they wouldn’t fit inside any shoes. Morgan Malloy was literally a large walking, talking toad.
Now she’d really seen everything.
“What...what the hell happened?” she couldn’t help blurting out. Sage’s ears fell backward in fear at the spectacle before her. She didn’t know what to make of it, either.
“I don’t know,” Morgan sobbed in response to Kenzie’s inquiry. “I woke up this morning feeling funny, and when I looked in the mirror, I saw this. It has to be Audra. It has to be!”
Kenzie recalled what Isaiah had said about witches holding grudges. Turns out he was right; Audra obviously held a grudge against Morgan regarding Sean. But why would she choose to turn her into this revolting creature now?
“I don’t know why she’d pick now,” Morgan replied when Kenzie asked this. “The only reason I can think of is because she’s jealous.”
“Jealous? Of what? Sean?”
“Not just Sean. I guess I’ve been blessed when it comes to guys. They tend to fall over me. I’m flattered, really, but I’m not some kind of sleaze that feels like I’m on top of the world because I can get any guy I want. I only want Sean. That’s all I’ve ever wanted.”
“When I first talked to Audra, she did mention that you tended to get all the guys.”
“Exactly. I can’t help that I’m pretty. Or was pretty, until this happened. That’s why she did it. She’s making me ugly so guys won’t look at me anymore. Oh that bitch, I can’t believe her! First she kills Sean, now this! I’m going to kill her myself!”
“Don’t let the police hear you say that. You’ll be the first suspect.”
Morgan’s scaly brow furrowed in resentment as she desolately walked behind the couch, as though to hide herself. “I don’t give a shit right now. We have to do something! She’s the most evil person in the world! Did she ever stop to think the reason I’m better than she is has nothing to do with my looks? Can’t she realize that you can’t choose a boyfriend because of magic? It has to happen naturally! She thinks she can control everything and that she can have whatever she wants because she has the ‘power’ to make it happen.”
“Don’t worry. I’m sure there’s a way to break this curse. It can’t be permanent.”
“I have no idea how to do that.”
“I’ve got a friend who’s done a lot of research on Barnacle Bay. I bet she can help. You stay here; I’ll do what I can to help you.”
“Thank you. Wait, what about Sean?”
“Oh...this is going to sound crazy, but he actually stopped by my hotel last night.”
“What?”
“It’s true. Now that I see your picture of him again, that’s what he looked like. He told me that he loved you and he never wanted Audra; it was all her magic drawing him to her, just like you said. He also said he was hanging around your house to talk to you, but for some reason you can’t see him. The only thing that happens is your furniture starts floating.”
“Audra. She must have something to do with that, too. She has to be stopped. She just has to be.”
“I’m working on it.”
“Be careful, Ms. Howell, please. Even I don’t know what she’s capable of.”
“I have an idea...” Kenzie gestured sadly to Morgan’s physical appearance.
Morgan looked down in a futile attempt to hide her face. Kenzie was now more determined than ever to solve this case. But first she needed some more information. And she knew just where to get it.
********************
Kenzie wanted to talk to Alexis first, but she didn’t want her to get suspicious or put her in danger. Isaiah was her best bet; he didn’t like witches, but surely as a vampire, he’d be able to overpower one physically, right?
BiteMe: Absolutely not.
WolfKen: I’m not asking you to fight her, Isaiah. I need to know how to stop her.
BiteMe: If I tell you that, you’ll actually try to stop her, and it’ll do more harm than good.
WolfKen: Isaiah, for crying out loud, she turned her rival into a freaking toad! She’s crazy! And said rival’s ghost is haunting my hotel room at night, trying to talk to her, but he can’t because of some spell she’s got on him. Just tell me how to help them.
BiteMe: Did you not hear me the first time? It’s dangerous dealing with witches. And if you don’t watch it, this Audra will find out you’re onto her and she’ll do something to put a stop to your investigation. You’ll be lucky if that’s the only thing she stops.
Kenzie sunk onto the bed in disdain. Isaiah was her only hope of putting an end to Audra’s sorcery, and he was refusing to help. She hated to pull out her own magic card, but she had no choice.
WolfKen: Don’t forget, one phone call to Jillian, and you can kiss her goodbye. Literally.
BiteMe: Nice try. Jillian would know you were pulling her leg because you’re so overprotective of her. You wouldn’t suddenly stop liking me and tell her to dump me.
WolfKen: No, but she’d find it suspicious that I’d suddenly stop liking you. Something major would have had to happen. Like, for instance, you’re not exactly human.
BiteMe: You wouldn’t.
WolfKen: I would.
BiteMe: Let me rephrase that. You can’t. You swore in Bridgeport, remember? You’re not even supposed to know; imagine the danger you’d put Jillian in if you told her that.
Damn. Kenzie hadn’t thought of that. It was dangerous for her to know that vampires existed. She didn’t want to drag her best friend into that. But still...
WolfKen: I’ve told her vampires exist. And that I’ve met one. In Bridgeport to be exact.
BiteMe: You’re bluffing.
WolfKen: Nope. Ask her. I didn’t give her specifics, but it wouldn’t be hard to.
BiteMe: Are you insane?!
WolfKen: No, I’m desperate. Just tell me how to stop this witch, Isaiah.
BiteMe: That’s the thing, Kenzie. You can’t. The spells have to be said backwards in order to be broken, and only a witch can do that.
WolfKen: Thanks. Now, was that so hard?
BiteMe: Excuse me for looking out for my girlfriend’s best friend. But if you want to rush into your doom, fine. I won’t stop you.
WolfKen: If I thought I was rushing to my doom, I wouldn’t be doing it. Trust me.
BiteMe: Whatever. Do not ever, ever threaten to tell Jillian about my secret. Which, by the way, I never wanted in the first place. If I could take it away, I would.
WolfKen: We’ve been through this.
BiteMe: And we’re not going through it again. Now if you’ll excuse me, my girlfriend is calling me. Goodbye.
Kenzie rolled over and stared at the ceiling, setting the laptop on the floor. Men could be so exasperating, but vampire men were even more so. How did Jillian possibly keep up, even if she didn’t know the truth?
Still, Kenzie had what she needed. She had to say Audra’s spells backwards in order to break them. Of course, first, she had to find them.
The question was, how was she going to do that? And how could it be done when she wasn’t a witch?
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