After catching my hair back with a bright green headband, I put on a pair of knee-high leather boots with two-inch platform heels, slipped on a cropped cardigan, and stood back, staring in the mirror. Yep, I cleaned up damned spiffy.
I was headed to the kitchen to feed Xi and Klaus when a text message came through. I pulled my phone out of my bra, where I kept it tucked away—with a circle of shungite on the back to ensure that the electromagnetic field didn’t wreak havoc in my system—and glanced at the screen.
happy birthday to the most beautiful woman in the world. open the door.
The text was from Killian.
I changed direction and answered the door. There, on the doorstep, sat a huge vase of roses. I leaned over and picked it up, carrying it into the kitchen. There were two dozen flowers in the crystal vase, mixed red, pink, and white. He texted me again: for the woman who has won my heart. happy birthday. i’ll give you the rest of your gifts tonight. xoxo —k .
Leaning over the flowers, I inhaled, the scent of roses filling my lungs, flowing deep into my senses. They were fragrant and rich, and I smiled as I tucked the card away in my purse. I pulled out my phone and texted back: thank you—they’re beautiful. can’t wait to see you tonight. have a good day at work. xoxo, ~j.
I was opening cans of cat food when Ari poked her head around the corner.
“Ugh, we really tied one on last night. My eyes feel scratchy. How are you doing?” She shook her head as she stared at the flowers. “From Killian?”
“Yeah, he’s so sweet.” I set the food down for the cats and Xi suddenly projected a huge purr into my head. She was my familiar and she’d be able to connect with me more as she grew, but for now, I mostly got rushes of emotion from her.
I leaned down and scratched their heads. “Little goobers,” I whispered, feeling grateful for everything going on in my life. “Hangover much?” I asked Ari.
She shook her head. “Surprisingly, no. I feel oddly clear for knocking back… How much did we drink?”
“The whole bottle. I know—I expected to feel like death warmed over, but I don’t.”
“Well, that’s a plus.” She laughed. “Maybe it was the magic. I think we were both way too drunk to do any real damage.” She paused by the fruit bowl on the table and popped a few grapes in her mouth. “So, what are we doing today? I know tonight we’re meeting at Vino Italiano for dinner, but what do you want to do today? Meagan had to go out of town for work, so I canceled all my appointments and I’m at your beck and call.”
“Perfect,” I said. “I want you to do my hair.”
She laughed. “You want me to work? All right, what do you want to do with it?”
“Hey, I’ll pay you, so no griping. I want a dark violet red.” I grinned as she blinked. I’d been several shades of brown, and had had one disastrous run-in as a blonde, but never red.
“Are you sure? Actually, I can see it—that should be gorgeous on you. And no talk about paying me. It’s a present.”
“Don’t even go there. I’m paying you. And yes, I want a dramatic change. This will be fun, and it fits with the transformations I’ve been making.” I glanced in the fridge. We had everything for breakfast, but I didn’t feel like cooking. “Want to go out for waffles first?”
She nodded. “Do you mind if we stop by my house first so I can change? I still smell like rum. Then we’ll paint the town red.” Laughing, we headed into the living room, ready for the day, but in the back of my mind, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something more than a drunken wishcraft ritual had happened. I just couldn’t remember what.
Ari changed into a pair of skinny jeans and a cold-shoulder blouse, then we had breakfast at the Waffle Shack. After waffles and bacon and sausage, we went back to her home, to the salon that she had situated in what had once been a large family room. She had turned it into a workspace and had a separate entrance built so that clients didn’t have to walk through her personal space. She had also had the contractors build a half-bath in place of a closet on the other side of the wall, so there was a bathroom right there for customers. The overhaul had been expensive—she had had a lot of plumbing work done—but worth it, and she was one of the top hairdressers in the area.
Ari settled me in the chair, then mixed up the bleach to lighten my hair a couple levels before adding the red. Rather than just talk, she turned on a movie we’d been wanting to see and we spent the morning watching Chris Pine save the day as Captain Kirk. By the time it was over, she was done and I stared at myself in the mirror, grinning. My hair was now a vivid violet red, and it seemed odd and yet it fit me.
“I love it! It’s wonderful,” I said, turning my head so I could see it all the way around.
“You look great. It’s a great look for you. You need to come back every five to six weeks so I can do the roots,” Ari said, removing her gloves and putting away her supplies.
“That’s all right, I don’t mind. I don’t usually splurge much on myself, but I’m willing to for this.” I stepped out of the chair and spun around. “I’m ready to face my forties. And you know what? I’m looking forward to it.”
Ari handed me my coat. “Come on, Forty-One, let’s go shopping!”
As we headed out into the cold but clear afternoon, I glanced up at the sky. It was thirty-five degrees, and while the snow from December had melted, we were due for more in the coming week. I had the sudden hope we’d see a foot of it. I was ready to take on the world, and that included a crisp white blanket of snow.
Chapter Three
After a full day of shopping, we headed for the restaurant for my birthday dinner. I had found two dresses, though I had the feeling I was going to have to order online for the styles I liked, and I had also bought two pairs of shoes and more makeup than I had bought in the past five years.
The restaurant was full when we got there, but we had reservations and our table was waiting for us. I felt oddly conspicuous as we walked through the restaurant. I could feel people watching me, and my insecurities flared, but I tried to calm them, chalking it up to nerves.
My aunt Teran was already there, and I leaned down to give her a kiss. She had brought her latest beau with her, Andrew, a man in his early fifties. He was about ten years younger than she was, and seemed absolutely smitten. A professor at Western Washington University, he specialized in quantum physics. Andrew was also born into a witchblood family and he merged his knowledge of physics with his magical abilities.
As I sat down next to Teran, Killian texted that he was going to be a few minutes late, and I texted back that we’d wait for him as long as it wasn’t too long.
Also joining us were my coworkers, Tad, Hank, Wren, and Caitlin. Tad was my boss, a geeky young intellect who was human. He had some psychic abilities, but no magical blood in his veins. Hank was one of the witchblood and he specialized in bilocation. Caitlin was a bobcat shifter, and Wren was a human who could communicate with birds. As they settled in around the table, Caitlin complimented me on my hair.
“I’m thirsty,” Tad said, glancing around. “Where’s the waitress? I’d like a drink.”