Chapter 27

I woke up feeling completely normal but starving. I stretched my limbs and climbed out of bed to pad barefoot to the bathroom across the hall. I didn’t know or even care what time it was, I was just thinking about emptying my bladder and running my fingers through my hair before heading down to the kitchen to raid the fridge.
It wasn’t until I looked at myself in the mirror that I noticed the collar around my neck. A solid silver bar with no markings that would indicate that it could open or close that I could feel as I ran my fingers around it. I could sense that it was magical because it was warm to the touch and heavier than it should have been but to the normal eye it was just a piece of jewelry.

I sighed as I remembered what it was for though I couldn’t remember getting it. I figured it was the reason I was starving and decided to ignore it and get on with life here in witch territory. Maybe without the vampire I could see my parents again and go to college like I had planned.

Down stairs I found Alizya in the kitchen with a cup of coffee and the pot brewing more on the counter. She smiled when she saw me then sat down at the table looking weary.

“Good morning!” I chimed as I got a cup and bowl from the cabinet. I was planning on a cup of coffee and a bowl of cereal.

“Glad to see you’re in a good mood this morning. How did you sleep?”

“Like the dead,” I spoke over my shoulder as I poured sugar into my cup before adding the hot coffee.

“I’m glad,” she returned softly.

I sighed and touched her shoulder for a moment, sending energy through my touch. When she noticed she batted my hand away and I went on about my own things, eating breakfast then getting a shower before waiting to hear from her what was planned for the day.

Alizya met me in the living room. She looked less worn out than she had earlier but she still looked tired.

"Shall we go get our hair done today?" she asked carefully.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" I returned skeptically.

"You're a witch. Just a witch and nothing more. They have no reason to reject you now. Plus, you'll want to look good for your first day of work tomorrow."
I gave her a look of confusion. Work? They were giving me a job now on top of everything that they took from me?

“What kind of work?” I asked.

“You’re going to help out at your aunt’s shop to keep you busy while you’re here.”

I nodded as I took that in. They wanted to keep eyes on me and they wanted me kept out of the way. I could understand why but her tone made it sound like there was a time limit to letting me stay.

“Are you ready to go now? Willa has appointments ready for us.”

I stood, expecting her to jumpu us to the hair salon but instead she walked to the door and looked back at me, waiting for me to follow. When I looked at her in confusion she beckoned me with a wave of her hand.

“We can walk today while the sun is out.”

I took a deep breath and followed cautiously. I wasn’t sure what would happen now with the new jewelry but I didn’t want to get in trouble. Alizya saw me hesitate at the doorway and took my hand to led me out.

“It’s okay sweetheart. You’re safe now.”

She locked the door behind us then led the way down the street to the hair salon. The sun was bright and warm on my skin but I was squinting and unsure of where to go. Alizya paused and put a pair of sunglasses in my hand before continuing down the street. Once I had them on, I could relax and follow her like a normal person all the way to the salon.

Alizya entered the salon as if nothing had happened, leaving me to watch nervously as I followed her.

“Alizya,” a woman spoke to acknowledge that we had entered the salon.

“Good Morning Willa!” Alizya chimed, unfazed by the chill in the other woman’s voice.

I searched every corner as I stood behind Alizya. I couldn’t afford to get drugged again and I wasn’t sure that I could manage to save Alizya if they started shooting things at us.

“What can we do for you today?”

Alizya smiled, “We’re here for hair and nails. I made an appointment for us both.”

The woman made a face and I suddenly felt the eyes of every woman in the salon on me. I had been too distracted before to notice but the sudden silence changed my focus.

“Unfortunately, we only have one spot available today, Alizya.”

I knew from her tone that this was about me but I stood still and let Alizya handle it. There were several open chairs and at least two stylists wearing aprons standing by those empty chairs but they also wore angry looks similar to the one on Willa’s face.

“Well, then Raven can go and I’ll come back when you do have openings,”Alizya spoke as she took my hand.

“No, it’s okay,” I tried to protest under my breath.

She squeezed my hand and held me there as I tried to step back toward the door. I even flinched when there was a crash coming from behind a door at the back of the salon. I watched Willa roll her eyes and sigh before the door opened and a young curly-haired girl tumbled out with her arms full of styling products.

“I’m sorry Willa! I’ll clean it up as soon as I get these on the shelf,” the girl exclaimed.

I felt Alizya smile even though I wasn’t facing her. If I had to guess, I would bet that she had planned for all of this to happen.

“Good morning Kirra!” Alizya chimed. “It’s so good to see you back from school. Willa is lucky that you came to work for her now that you have all that training.”

The girl smiled from ear to ear. “Elder Alizya! I was hoping that I would get to see you after I scheduled you yesterday.”

“Oh, not me today, just my grandaughter, Raven. I’ll have to come back another day since you are all so busy today.”

Kirra looked around at the other stylists in confusion as she set the bottles of product on a shelf. “It doesn’t look that busy to me but I’m available now if that helps.”

Willa looked disgusted by Kirra’s attitude. “Fine then, Kirra can take your grandaughter if that's what she wants. Chrissy will clean up whatever mess is in the back.”

Kirra looked at me excitedly and Alizya threw me a smile over her shoulder. I just sighed and let them direct me to a chair before attaching a cape around my neck that made the collar feel ten times heavier against my collarbones.

Kirra fluttered around me with a spraybottle and a brush, attacking pieces of my hair seemingly at random. I was so mesmorized by her movement that I didn’t realize that she had been talking to me while she worked until she paused and met my gaze in the mirror.

“Oh, sorry, I’m a little tired. What did you ask me?”

She smiled, “I totally get it. Getting your hair brushed is supposed to be super relaxing too so without my coffee, I’d be completely out if I were you. I just asked how you wanted me to cut your hair. Do you want just a trim or something completely new… or are we doing color?”

“No color, but I’m open to a new hair style as long as it doesn’t get too much shorter than it is now. I like having it long.”

She nodded and pulled the brush through my hair one more time while she considered what to do with it. “How do you feel about layers?”

I shrugged and itched at where the collar was touching my neck. “I trust your judgement.”

“Okay, you just relax then and I’ll take care of you.”

The fluttering began again, stretching my hair out with a comb every few seconds while the scissors in her hand flashed in quick little movements. After a few moments, I was so mesmerized that my tired brain floated away. I was hardly aware of anything but the itch of my new jewelry by the time she finished chopping away so I flinched when she turned on the hairdryer.

“I’m sorry did I hurt you?” she shouted over the noise.

I shook my head carefully. “No, I was just in my thoughts.”

She smiled and then continued to shape my hair with a brush and hairdryer.

When she took the cape off me, I was honestly impressed with my new look. It had movement and didn’t look like a dark sheet on my head anymore. I ran my fingers through it and watched how it fell in amazement at her work.

“How do you like it?” she asked timidly.

“It’s amazing!” I enthused as I ran my fingers through it again. “I’ve never had my hair like this before but I love it! Thank you so much!”

Kirra beamed. “I’m glad you like it.”

Alizya paid to have our fingernails painted as well, probably to push the women out of their comfort zones around me but I was quiet and tried not to flinch so that I didn’t scare them. I figured that I would have to do this a lot from now on when I was on witch territory.