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

imagination. I think they just know what I’m worth.”
    My brows shot up. “I’m the one with the overactive imagination?”
    It was obvious they were doing their best to convince Annabelle they were completely harmless.
    “Wait a minute! Did you approach them or did they come looking for you?” Now it was beginning to make sense.
    “Last night Shelly stopped by and invited me to come to their booth to meet Rayanne and the others.”
    My sister was a powerful witch, and if she joined them, it would make them even more powerful than they already were. It was becoming apparent that the Black Moon witches were recruiting, but they were picking and choosing.
    They hadn’t even approached me, which could be because of the fact that I was an FBI agent, but I thought their lack of interest had more to do with my lack of witchy power. They could sense a witch’s power, but what I had was much different. They wouldn’t be able to control me, and control was probably essential to their plan.
    “I think you are making a huge mistake.”
    Annabelle shook her head. “It’s what I feel I need to do.”
    “So when are you doing this?”
    “I’m being brought into the sisterhood on All Hallows Eve.”
    Great! That left me only a couple days to change her mind. The problem was, I had no idea how to do that, especially if I couldn’t provide any proof that the Black Moon Sisterhood was involved in the murders.
    “Am I invited … or is this hush hush?”
    Annabelle’s mouth dipped at the corners. “Well, I don’t know … after you put blisters all over Shelly.”
    Lifting my shoulders to show my indifference to witchy poo’s injuries, I took several swallows of beer. “Well invited or not. I’ll be there. As far as Shelly, she shouldn’t have tried to cast on me.”
    My sister didn’t bother arguing. I had a point and she knew it. As far as a witch was concerned, casting on them was the same as punching them in the nose, or maybe worse. It called for defensive measures. So what if my defenses were supercharged with demon juice? That wasn’t exactly my fault; at least it wasn’t entirely my fault.
     

Chapter Nine
     
    Even I was amazed at the reflection looking back at me from the mirror that hung on the back of my closet door. I didn’t look like me at all.
    The nineteenth-century ball gown was gorgeous.
    My dark hair hung around my shoulders in soft ringlets, and the way the black lace and red velvet bared my shoulders was kind of sexy. The only thing I wasn’t too comfortable with was the amount of cleavage showing.
    Julius stepped back and whistled. “You’re going to be a sweet treat tonight, love!”
    My guardian demon, AKA Julius, had volunteered to help me do my hair and makeup. In spite of him being mostly evil, he had done a great job helping me get ready for the ball. Of course, there had to be a motive, but I had no idea what it was, nor did I really care at the moment.
    I’d never looked so good.
    “So which man are you going to seduce tonight?” Julius asked, brushing a stray ringlet into place.
    “None. I’m going with Tim.”
    “What a waste.” He shook his head. “Looking this good, you could get under any man’s skin.”
    My eyes narrowed with suspicion. “Exactly which man are you thinking of?”
    He brushed his lips against my forehead. “Me. I was thinking how fun it would be if you let me show you some new things.”
    “As in sex things?” I really didn’t have to ask to know that’s exactly what he meant.
    “I could easily take away some of that sexual tension you keep trying to hide,” he said, sticking out his long tongue and wiggling it.
    The blood rushed to my face, though I had no idea why. Julius had always been crass when it came to sex, and the fact that he wanted to engage in it with me. I should have been used to it.
    “Really Julius … I’m not that desperate.”
    It was a mean thing to say, but I couldn’t let myself forget that he was a demon, and he was