Courtney straightened. “I’m pretty good at them,” she insisted. There was a fierceness in her eyes that made me look away. That stubborn streak I missed. “I’ve been using them to visit the village, and I’ve been watching people. I can disguise you as anyone you want.”
I stood up. She needed this. If Tavlor wanted me to look completely different later, fine. We would handle that once we left this realm. But now? I could give my sister something to take her mind off being left behind again. I could give her that little feeling of control, that she did make a difference.
I looked at her and my heart suddenly filled with gratitude and love pouring through me for my sister.
“I’
d love your help. Where do you want me?” I put out my hands, wondering what sort of look Courtney was going to go for.
“Outside is probably better,” she said, nodding in the direction of the front door. “I heard Tavlor packing up and getting ready to go.”
I nodded. “Okay, then we better hurry.”
Courtney whirled around and headed out of my room. She didn’t even bother to turn her head and see if I was following her. I bit my lip to keep a smile from my face and followed her to the front door.
“Ever wanted to be a red head?” she asked, waggling her eyebrows at me.
I laughed.
“You know I’ve always wanted your hair,” I said. And it was true.
I remembered how, right before bed, back when Courtney was about ten, she would come into my room, brush in hand, and demand that I help her brush her hair. She couldn’t go to Bella because Bella would just magic it and Courtney didn’t want it to be magicked. She couldn’t go to Mother either because Mother would say Courtney’s desire for her hair to be brushed before bedtime was just her trying to stay up later than she needed to.
As such, she came to me. I would always brush her hair too, and I would tell her how much I loved her hair.
“Red curls it is!”
Once we got outside, Courtney positioned me with my back facing the trees. I could see Bella and Tavlor coming out too, chatting away still.
The sun was beginning to set, and goosebumps formed up and down my arms.
Now that we were out of the house and Courtney had her finger pointed at me, I wasn’t sure I wanted to see this. I closed my eyes and took in a deep breath.
Her spell his me in the chest, but it didn’t hurt. Instead, tingles moved out from the point of impact, like ripples in a pond. Cold and somewhat shivery, but smooth and easy.
Then the sensations stopped, moving away like they’d never been there.
I popped open one eye, making sure I could still see, then the other.
Courtney stood in front of me with a big smug smile on her face.
So, she thought she’d done a good job. Wonder what the others would think?
I twirled around to face Tavlor and Bella. I forgot they had come outside as well. Both of them blinked at me as though they’d never seen me before. I wasn’t sure if that was a good sign or not.
“Well?” I asked. “How do I look?”
Tavlor didn’t answer. Instead, he spoke a few words and a mirror magicked up before me, giving me a full view of my new body.
“Woah.” I stared at the reflection before me. “No way.”
I moved my hand up to my face, watching the person in the mirror do the exact same thing.
“Amazing.”
It was hard to believe I was looking at myself. I didn’t expect to feel so... pretty. I had red, curly hair that bounced up to my shoulders, freckly skin, a cute button nose, and bright blue eyes.
I was also skinnier, with bigger boobs.