Free Blonde With a Wand by Vicki Lewis Thompson Page B

her apartment.
    Magazines that had been lying on the coffee table were scattered over the floor, and the stack of books she’d been consulting the night before were on the floor, too. Some ivy-looking plant on a wrought-iron stand had been dumped, spilling moist dirt everywhere.
    He and Orion must have tracked through the dirt a few times, because black paw prints decorated every piece of upholstered furniture in the living room and most of the carpet. Between the paw prints and the remnants of the dried mousse, the carpet was in sad shape.
    Jasper’s one attempt to climb the drapes had tempted Orion to follow, and the weight of both cats had pulled the rod out of the wall. The rod had dented a lampshade on the way down, and the drapes, complete with paw prints, lay in a tangled heap below the window. A couple of framed photographs had fallen off a side table. The glass was cracked on one that had landed sunny-side up.
    Jasper smiled, or at least his inner man smiled. Cat lips didn’t work into a smile very well. He hadn’t asked to be here, hadn’t asked to be turned into a cat , for God’s sake, and he was making the best of a lousy deal. If he could talk, he would have told Anica the mess was all Orion’s fault.
    As a side benefit, some of the belligerence had drained out of the big orange cat. He flopped down on the carpet, panting. He might not thank Jasper for the game of chase, but it had been good for him. He also might be too worn out to launch into a fight.
    Anica stared at the carnage as if she couldn’t quite believe it. From the way she ran the coffee shop, Jasper had assumed she was a tidy person. He’d never noticed trash lying around and coffee spills were wiped up immediately.
    At first Anica wandered around trying to straighten and pick up, but finally she plopped down on the sofa and buried her face in her hands. She sounded whipped. “I’m just not used to trying to clean without magic. I guess I’ll have the same problem at the coffee shop.”
    That got Jasper’s attention. Had she depended on magic to help her run the coffee shop efficiently? Maybe Wicked Brew always looked spotless because she’d waved her wand and made it so. If she was used to solving her problems with a magic wand she would be very motivated to return him to normal so she could get her abilities back.
    He had to admit this was justice in its purest form, and he hoped she’d learned a lesson. He certainly had. Never assume that your new girlfriend is an ordinary woman. She could be a witch who will turn you into a cat if she gets mad at you. That was his main takeaway from this experience.
    A key turned in the front door and Anica got up to greet Lily.
    Last night Lily had come striding through the door ready for action. This morning she moved slowly, as if her muscles weren’t on board with the concept of being upright. Jasper felt a twinge of remorse and snuffed it out. Lily had the misfortune to be related to Anica, who had created this mess.
    He’d never had a sibling, but if he’d been that lucky he would have expected his sister or brother to stand by him in times like these. He was frankly relieved that Lily had shown up. He’d been a little worried she might not.
    She didn’t look ready to work magic, though. Her dark hair was still damp from the shower and she had a different type of running shoe on each foot. Her red sweat suit had seen better days, and she hadn’t bothered with makeup.
    She clutched a travel mug as if it contained the elixir of life. She gazed at Anica through heavy-lidded eyes. “The sun’s not up.”
    “I know.” Anica hurried into the kitchen. “I’ll make espresso.”
    “Your apartment’s completely trashed.”
    “I know that, too.”
    Lily wandered over to the computer. “Guess who was on the bus?” she called to Anica.
    “Who?” Anica called back.
    “Nobody! It’s freakin’ six a.m., Anica, and I—hello.” She stared at the screen. “Uh, who typed this