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“I can,” Vanzir said. “But it’s harder for anybody else here to manage. Smoky might be able to…and Roz.”
Smoky grimaced. “Yes, and I will. But I can’t stay for long. I am of the white and silver line of dragons. The Netherworlds is the domain of the shadow dragons, and we do not mix well with the energy there.”
“What about vampires?” I asked Shade.
He shook his head. “Weird crossover problem. Menolly can’t go physically into the realm of the dead, since she’s undead. Neither can she go in spirit, since she’s a vampire and trapped in her body. And she can’t go on the Dream-Time because the Dream-Time is not the same realm.”
“Then once we find him, it’s Shade, Roz, Vanzir, Morio, and me. And Smoky for as long as he can hang out. We try to kill him with the Greater Asa Mordente spell.”
When nobody said anything, I shrugged, and, over Delilah and Iris’s protests, I pushed the discussion on to our plans for the night, which mostly consisted of where people were going to be. I picked up the talisman.
“I guess it’s time to try this out. Here goes nothing,” I said. “Just nobody hit me or anything, even playfully.” Before I draped it over my head, I kissed Smoky, Trillian, and then Morio.
As the medallion settled down around my neck, a surge of energy raced through me. It was disconcerting, like going through a portal, and as I watched the others, their reactions almost made me laugh. Delilah began to cough as Iris and Hanna clapped their hands to their mouths. Nerissa—who had the day off—let out a low whistle. Smoky was scowling, Morio had a curious grin on his face, and Trillian just stood, leaning against the kitchen counter, nodding. Shade, Vanzir, and Rozurial all just stared.
“What? What? Tell me I’m not covered in warts. Please.” I did have my vanity, even when under a spell.
“Um, no. No warts. Definitely not,” Roz croaked out.
I couldn’t stand it anymore and headed to the mirror in the hall bathroom. There, staring back, was a complete stranger. I was still a little busty but appeared to have lost about thirty pounds and was more athletic. I was shorter, about five feet, two inches, and though my hair was still long, it was a pale wheat color—almost tawny, like Nerissa’s—and was sporting a Farrah Fawcett look. My eyes were no longer violet but a rich, vibrant green. My ears still had the faintest of points to them. I didn’t look human, but then again, Gulakah was also recruiting Fae.
Almost more shocked than when the talisman had turned me into a dwarf, I cocked my head to the side. It wasn’t bad, but it sure as hell wasn’t me.
“What am I going to wear?” I returned to the kitchen, trying to keep my clothes on. “My clothes won’t fit me now, and Menolly’s are still too petite, and Delilah’s are far too tall. Same with you, Nerissa.” And it was true, my corset was sliding down my torso, and my skirt almost grazed the floor. “Cripes, I’ll be glad when this is done.”
“Me, too,” Smoky said. “I love you no matter what, but…”
Trillian shrugged. “It’s a change…I guess change can be a good thing.”
Turning to Morio, I said, “And you? Do you have something to add?”
He pursed his lips, trying not to laugh. “You definitely don’t have the personality for a blonde. Just saying…”
“Oh hush, the lot of you.” I snorted. “Well, don’t just everybody stand there. Somebody, find me something to wear.”
Nerissa jumped up. “One of my dresses might actually fit you—if I get a minidress, it would come down to your knees. I’ll find one that’s really tight and doesn’t have built-in bra support. It might be a little loose on you, but it should work. One of my sweater dresses.”
The woman wore dresses as short as my bustiers were tight. I nodded. “Whatever you think. And what should I do with my hair? It’s so…so…”
“So retro,” Nerissa said, laughing as she darted into the kitchen. I heard the bookcase sliding and leaned back, studying myself.
Vanzir stood up. “Yeah, nobody would ever know it was you by looking—but you’re going to have to watch your mannerisms. Some of those people know you as Camille. They may sense a familiarity. What are you going to call yourself? Better get used to it now.”
“That’s a good point.” I sat down. “It needs to be simple, and easy to remember. Since I don’t fully look human, better if it’s not a recognizable human name.” I paused, thinking. “What about my middle name? I don’t think I’ve ever really told anybody outside the family what it is. Sepharial.”
Delilah let out a little laugh. “You do realize, that’s a combination of Father’s name and Arial’s name? Though you were born before she was.”
Delilah’s twin, who had died at birth and now lived at Haseofon, the home of the Death Maidens, was named Arial. We hadn’t known about her until the past year or so. Now, when Delilah trained, she was able to meet her and talk to her. Any time Arial left the temple, she had to leave in her Were form—as a spirit leopard. Menolly and I had seen glimpses of her in that form, but we’d never been able to meet her otherwise.
“I wonder…did Mother and Father just like the name Arial? And was it deliberate, naming me after Father?” Distracted, I looked up as Nerissa returned.
She thrust three outfits into my arms. “These might work. Try them.”
I held up the first. A sweater dress, all right, in a brown-and-white tweedlike pattern, with a low-cut neck and long sleeves. I motioned for the others to stand back and tried it on. The sleeves were too long, but I could roll them up. The dress fit loosely, but a belt would cinch it in. The hem landed about an inch above my knees. I’d seen how short it was on Nerissa, so that didn’t surprise me.
“Um…it’s okay. Try the others.” She seemed to be having fun playing dress-the-witch as she thrust another outfit my way.
I stared at it. At least this one was green, but it reminded me of an outfit off some anime schoolgirl. The top was a knit V-neck tank top, and the skirt flirty, with panels of green and pink. I grimaced at the color combo but stripped off the sweater dress and pulled on the top, then the skirt. It zipped up with no problem, and though it was a little loose, it actually fit better than the first. The skirt came down to two inches above my knees. Again, it barely grazed Nerissa’s panties when she wore it.
