“You’ve taught him a lesson. Please turn him back.”
“Nah,” Carissa said, twirling a red curl around her fingers. “Leave him like that at least overnight.”
A girl screamed when she saw Dominic. The scrawny manager, who appeared to be a college student trying to earn some extra money, wiped his greasy hands on a dishtowel and hurried over. His brow furrowed and he motioned to Dominic. “Take the frog out of here.”
“Toad,” Carissa said, sneering. “Frogs can turn into handsome princes. Toads are only meant to be one thing—mud-dwelling toads.”
“Please, I promise I’ll take him home with me and that’s the last you’ll see of him,” James said.
Please, listen to James.
Debbie’s lips curved up. Dominic knew she’d change him back.
I knew she wouldn’t.
But Dominic thought she’d only turned him in the first place because of her friends.
I knew it wasn’t true.
For half an hour, the manager insisted they take him outside, James pleaded with the witch, and Dominic craved a mud bath for his itchy, dry skin.
And I couldn’t wait to get out of the nightmare as another fly buzzed nearby and I was losing control of my hunger pangs.
Then an older witch and her kids entered the restaurant and as soon as she did, Debbie and the other girls looked concerned.
Yeah, using magic on humans for a witch’s or warlock’s amusement wasn’t allowed. And if I could, I’d teach Debbie some spells of my own, if I could remember them.
Debbie quickly wiggled her fingers in the air and said some incantation under her breath.
Instantly, I felt release. I was nearly eye level with James again, my skin nice and smooth, my voice back to normal.
Before Dominic could speak, James yanked him outside. “Of all the harebrained schemes of yours. I can’t believe you pulled this.”
“Don’t tell Mom and Dad, okay?”
I had the sinking feeling he might. Please, please don’t tell them about this. I figured they’d ground me for a good month.
James shook his head.
Kids laughing at an outdoor table, the spicy aroma of grilled burgers drifting from the restaurant, the feel of the hot air pressing against me faded into nothingness.
Then as if the lights in a theater were suddenly turned on and the play was about to begin again, I found myself back inside the burger place, different cars parked out front, a different scrawny college-age manager and a girl who looked like real trouble.
Lynetta batted her long black eyelashes as soon as she spied Dominic at the Hamburger Spot. Her enticing smile was perfectly genuine. And when she pointed her finger at him and crooked it, motioning to him to join her, he knew she was a dream come true.
But I tried to warn him—she’s a vampire! Don’t get near her!
Though usually he liked blue-eyed blondes, this girl’s hair and eyes were as black as shiny onyx—fathomless.
He seemed to glide across the crowded burger hangout to join her.
No, not the burger place. We were suddenly in the darkened alley across the street, the smell of wet asphalt from a recent shower and of garbage cooking in an overstuffed garbage dumpster wafting in the air. How in the world did we get here?
For a moment, I felt disoriented, my stomach swirling with a strange sensation, like I’d been be spinning around in a Mad Hatter tea cup and it had suddenly stopped.
Lynetta tugged Dominic into her arms and began kissing him like there was no tomorrow.
No tomorrow. No…no, there will be no tomorrow if you let her do this!
All at once the noxious odors disappeared. Nothing existed but the woman pressing her body nice and close. Her full lips tasted like forbidden fruit—a sweet wine. The alcoholic content nearly made him swoon with headiness.
No, no, not the wine. The woman. The vamp!
She licked his lips, teasing them apart, then tangled her tongue with his. He groaned.
I could have kicked him. Break free from the vamp’s spell! She’s old! Way…way too old for you. And really
“Nah,” Carissa said, twirling a red curl around her fingers. “Leave him like that at least overnight.”
A girl screamed when she saw Dominic. The scrawny manager, who appeared to be a college student trying to earn some extra money, wiped his greasy hands on a dishtowel and hurried over. His brow furrowed and he motioned to Dominic. “Take the frog out of here.”
“Toad,” Carissa said, sneering. “Frogs can turn into handsome princes. Toads are only meant to be one thing—mud-dwelling toads.”
“Please, I promise I’ll take him home with me and that’s the last you’ll see of him,” James said.
Please, listen to James.
Debbie’s lips curved up. Dominic knew she’d change him back.
I knew she wouldn’t.
But Dominic thought she’d only turned him in the first place because of her friends.
I knew it wasn’t true.
For half an hour, the manager insisted they take him outside, James pleaded with the witch, and Dominic craved a mud bath for his itchy, dry skin.
And I couldn’t wait to get out of the nightmare as another fly buzzed nearby and I was losing control of my hunger pangs.
Then an older witch and her kids entered the restaurant and as soon as she did, Debbie and the other girls looked concerned.
Yeah, using magic on humans for a witch’s or warlock’s amusement wasn’t allowed. And if I could, I’d teach Debbie some spells of my own, if I could remember them.
Debbie quickly wiggled her fingers in the air and said some incantation under her breath.
Instantly, I felt release. I was nearly eye level with James again, my skin nice and smooth, my voice back to normal.
Before Dominic could speak, James yanked him outside. “Of all the harebrained schemes of yours. I can’t believe you pulled this.”
“Don’t tell Mom and Dad, okay?”
I had the sinking feeling he might. Please, please don’t tell them about this. I figured they’d ground me for a good month.
James shook his head.
Kids laughing at an outdoor table, the spicy aroma of grilled burgers drifting from the restaurant, the feel of the hot air pressing against me faded into nothingness.
Then as if the lights in a theater were suddenly turned on and the play was about to begin again, I found myself back inside the burger place, different cars parked out front, a different scrawny college-age manager and a girl who looked like real trouble.
Lynetta batted her long black eyelashes as soon as she spied Dominic at the Hamburger Spot. Her enticing smile was perfectly genuine. And when she pointed her finger at him and crooked it, motioning to him to join her, he knew she was a dream come true.
But I tried to warn him—she’s a vampire! Don’t get near her!
Though usually he liked blue-eyed blondes, this girl’s hair and eyes were as black as shiny onyx—fathomless.
He seemed to glide across the crowded burger hangout to join her.
No, not the burger place. We were suddenly in the darkened alley across the street, the smell of wet asphalt from a recent shower and of garbage cooking in an overstuffed garbage dumpster wafting in the air. How in the world did we get here?
For a moment, I felt disoriented, my stomach swirling with a strange sensation, like I’d been be spinning around in a Mad Hatter tea cup and it had suddenly stopped.
Lynetta tugged Dominic into her arms and began kissing him like there was no tomorrow.
No tomorrow. No…no, there will be no tomorrow if you let her do this!
All at once the noxious odors disappeared. Nothing existed but the woman pressing her body nice and close. Her full lips tasted like forbidden fruit—a sweet wine. The alcoholic content nearly made him swoon with headiness.
No, no, not the wine. The woman. The vamp!
She licked his lips, teasing them apart, then tangled her tongue with his. He groaned.
I could have kicked him. Break free from the vamp’s spell! She’s old! Way…way too old for you. And really
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