Page 59 of It All Started with a Bite

Her customer sneezed. All her hair turned green.

We stared.

“She looks like that frog I caught once,” Bo whispered.

I remembered the frog in question. Ellie had not been impressed.

Madame Rosa sighed. “Mrs. Emerson, did you have chrysanthemum tea this morning?”

Mrs. Emerson flinched guilty.

Madama Rosa’s expression grew pinched. “You know chrysanthemum tea and my transformation magic don’t mix well.”

Bo and I watched with mounting dread as other parts of Mrs. Emerson started turning green. She began gurgling.

“And by don’t mix well, I mean it can lead to a serious allergic reaction,” Madame Rosa grumbled. She turned and shouted at one of her assistants. “Jane, bring the detox potion,now!” She glanced at Mrs. Emerson’s swelling face. “And the funnel!” she added grimly.

Bo shot behind my legs.

I licked my lips nervously. “Shouldn’t we call 911?”

“911 can’t help with magical incidents,” Didi said in an unconcerned tone.

“Also, the supernatural emergency line is 666,” Gavin added helpfully.

Madame Rosa shoved a pipe into her client’s throat and poured a gloopy blue liquid down it from the glass bottle her assistant passed to her. Mrs. Emerson’s bloated form deflated like a balloon and her hair and skin slowly resumed their normal color. She hiccuped and groaned.

I blew out a sigh.

“What just happened is right up there on my list of constipation cures,” Bo muttered.

Madame Rosa cut her eyes to my dog before addressing her assistant. “How about you take Mrs. Emerson for a lie down?”

Mrs. Emerson stumbled a little under the support of the witch’s assistant as she was gently guided to a rest lounge, her passage garnering concerned looks from the salon’s clientele as well as disapproving stares that said she should have known better.

“Now, where were we?” Madame Rosa said briskly.

“Did you notice anything unusual about the SUV?” Didi asked.

“Besides the fact that it seemed to change shade depending on the angle?” Madame Rosa snorted. “I’ve been in this business thirty years. I know a glamour when I see one.”

My stomach sank. “How about the license plate?”

“Honey, I can’t remember what I had for breakfast yesterday.” Madame Rosa paused. “But the dwarf who owns the liquor store opposite might have caught something on his security camera.”

I realized the witch was watching me with a shrewd stare.

“So you’re the new luna everyone’s been talking about?”

I grimaced. This fame business was starting to get old.

“Dwarf?” I asked Didi and Gavin when we exited the beauty salon.

“They’re an endangered species,” Didi said.

“Reproductive problems,” Gavin explained at my look.

“You mean infertility?” I hazarded as we crossed the road.

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