Oddly, there was a naked human woman a few feet away. Sandra was pretty sure there had been a boa constrictor laying there a moment ago.
It took a moment for the fact to seep in. Her magic had freed another person from a third person’s curse.
That wasn’t possible.
It was completely impossible for one magic practitioner to reverse another’s magic.
But she just had.
Oh. Oh my.
“Sandra?” Harold asked. “Why am I naked? In a barnyard?”
“Sweetheart, I have a long story to share.”
“You!” a voice shouted. “Stop! Stop. Freeze! Police!” He had a gun out. Pointing it at two naked people and a petting zoo full of animals.
With a flick of her magic—not her curse—Sandra turned the terrified young cop into an emu.
Dani
Judge Marcus Mattingershowed up shortly after the cop was transformed. Mable’s old flame helped sort things out, explaining to law enforcement that Tridevi had led the investigation and brought down The Sevens’ entire operation. Once Marcus was on the scene, Tridevi’s lawyer got the charges against Sandra dropped. It hadn’t been difficult. The cop’s service weapon had not been holstered. He had drawn his gun for no reason at all except panic. Marcus had even demanded an apology from the local sheriff for the incident as part of Sandra agreeing to turn the cop, along with rest of the emus, back to human.
The apology had been politely—if coldly—delivered.
After that, things with the law went much more smoothly, and Mable had introduced her old flame to Dani. It turned out that Marcus was a lonely widower. Over coffee in the employee dining room of Building J, the judge asked Dani out to dinner. She stopped with her cup halfway to her mouth. “What did you say?”
“I said, ‘Let’s get out of here and find a nice steak place.’ Unless you’re a vegetarian? Or a vegan?”
Dani blinked. She didn’t date. Especially not Mable’s sloppy seconds. But … Marcus was kinda cute. He was a little shorter than she was, had dark eyes and very dark skin. He was bald and his head had a perfect shape. “I’ll—” She stopped. “Tridevi has a press conference. In an hour.”
“Steak tomorrow then. Coffee after you’re done here tonight?”
Dani asked, “Tomorrow? Tomorrow …” She met his eyes. His looked kind. “I eat steak,” she said, slowly. “Rare,” she warned.
“I like mine a little more cooked, but bloody beef doesn’t scare me. Nor do strong women who blow up cars.” He gave her a smile and Dani found herself staring at his mouth.
She blinked and looked past him, not sure what to say to that.
“Tomorrow it is,” he said, his smile widening. “I’ll pick you up at seven.”
She nodded, not at all happy with the way she was feeling just now. Like a hormonal teenager with a new boyfriend.
“And that coffee as soon as the press conference is over. I’ll wait.” Marcus wandered off.
Dani
Once Tridevi was releasedfrom official custody, they gave a press conference and she, Mable, and Marvin, answered a lengthy Q and A by avid reporters and media people. Sandra had begged off, though the agency gave her the credit for all the lifesaving magic of returning emus and all the other animals back into people.
Sandra was a media hero. Sandra would be rich, if she decided to capitalize on her gift. But for now, Sandra and Harold were having a second honeymoon in a local five-star hotel, on a company credit card, with room service as a bonus. She deserved it. Without her brave use of her power, they would likely all be dead. And Sandra was getting a raise, fueled by the numbers of consultation appointments the agency clerks were taking in their absence.
Once night fell, and the excitement finally died down, Mable and Marvin took off to have wild sex somewhere, and Dani watched as the inmates at The Sevens were greeting families and headed home. In another parking lot, the patients in Building Z were being carted off by ambulance to real hospitals for real treatment under the care of doctors and nurses certified by FeBMA.
Tridevi had broken a major case.
The Sevens’ warden had been fingered by the anesthesiologist as the person running the harvesting operation, and Margorie Devoe had been placed under arrest, along with two neurosurgeons, four nurses, the anesthesiologist, and the entire magic-wielding security crew, especially the ones who had spent time as flightless birds.
Life was good.
