Free Witches and Whatnots: An Izzy Cooper Novel by Kendra Ashe

strange black light shooting from them.
    “Bitch! Don’t even try to cast on me!” I bellowed, as the light became even more intense.
    It was the sight of her skin bubbling that brought me back to my senses, along with Annabelle’s voice.
    “Izzy! What are you doing?”
    I stopped, almost horrified at the sight of the blistered witch, but only almost.
    “What are you?” Shelly cried, staring down at the puss-filled blisters on her arms.
    I glared at her, still tempted to use a little more of my demon juice. “I’m the bitch you don’t want to mess with.”
    “What are you doing?” Annabelle asked again, shock making her voice sound a little shrill. “Remember what Granny said?”
    That’s when the shame set in. I’d done so good about not using the dark powers that were now mine, mostly because Granny and Julius were sure that if I did, it would turn me into a full-fledged demon.
    I was reminded of the time I’d super glued Uncle Aaron shoes to the floor while he slept in a chair. When he got up, he fell flat on his face, which resulted in him getting a broken nose, and me getting grounded for a month.
    Although I felt bad about what I’d done, it also felt deliciously funny. I was feeling the same thing again.
    Maybe I really was a bad person and deserved to be sent to the pits?
    Now I’d messed up on that for a second time. The first time had been when I had to rescue Annabelle from the old classic movie she was stuck in.
    My sister was messing me up big time. It was all her fault.
    “She tried to cast on me.” I came to my own defense.
    Suddenly I felt drained, and was in the middle of what seemed to be an intense hot flash. For just a few seconds, the room began to spin. After taking in some deep breaths of air, the spinning stopped and I felt a little better.
    Annabelle stood there staring at me, as if I was crazy, but I knew I wasn’t. The witch had tried to cast on me. If it weren’t for my demon juice, the blast of power she’d shot at me would have probably rendered me brain dead.
    “We need to talk.” I stalked toward her office without bothering to look to see if she were going to follow.
    She did, but only after letting out a heavy sigh. “Okay … but why don’t you just calm down.”
    As soon as Annabelle was in the office, I closed the door so we wouldn’t be overheard. “What the heck do you think you’re doing? Why are you messing with those witches … and she did try to cast on me.” I repeated.
    “I think you are over reacting. What happened anyway?” Annabelle set on the edge of her desk.
    When I finished telling her my version of the story, Annabelle opened the portable refrigerator she kept in her office and pulled out a couple beers. Twisting the cap off one of them, she handed it to me.
    “Thanks, but don’t you think it’s a little early to start drinking?” I pointed out, though I took it from her anyway.
    “I think you need to mellow out a little.”
    After taking several swallows, I turned my attention back to my sister. “What are you doing with her here?”
    “I’ve decided to join the Black Moon Sisterhood,” she informed me as casually as if she were telling me she’d decided to change the store she shopped at.
    “Are you crazy? Did you miss the part about them being persons of interest in a homicide investigation?”
    Annabelle shrugged. “I just think you’re off your mark with this one. Besides, I think these witches can help us find Granny Stella.”
    “How’s that?” I wasn’t even slightly convinced.
    “Together they are very powerful. After the carnival closed last night, I went to the Dell with them. I saw them bring a tree back to life, and they can actually levitate” she added.
    I rolled my eyes. “That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard. They probably drugged you, or maybe they have you under some kind of mind control.”
    It was Annabelle’s turn to roll her eyes. “Really, Izzy … you have such an overactive