Read Online Bitter Demons by Sarra Cannon - Free Book Online Page B

besides moving things around with my mind.
    “Come on,” she said. “You’ve got to be able to do something.”
    I stood and held my hand out to her. She gave me a sideways look.
    “I can’t show you here,” I said. “There’s too many people around.”
    She took my hand and I led her upstairs to one of the empty bedrooms. “This better be good,” she said. “I was comfy out there.”
    “Well, I’m sure it’s nothing you can’t do,” I said. I closed my eyes and took in a deep breath through my nose. I tapped into the well of energy deep inside and concentrated on a completely new look. Slightly more advanced than just changing my outfit, but I wanted to prove to Caroline that I wasn’t completely clueless.
    “Holy cow,” she said. She laughed and grabbed my shoulders.
    My eyes opened and Caroline spun me around to face the mirror. I looked exactly like her, down to the red nail polish on her fingernails.
    “You’ve got to show me how to do that,” she said.
    I smiled, then checked to make sure the door was locked.

Caroline, Is It?
     
    Ten minutes later, we came out of the bedroom, mischievous looks on both our faces.
    “How do I look?” she asked.
    Looking at her was like having an out-of-body experience. She looked exactly like me. Every tiny detail was perfect.
    “Gorgeous,” I said with a smile. “Almost as good as the real me.”
    “Meet you back in this room at midnight?” she asked.
    “See you then,” I said. “Have fun.”
    She started to walk away, and I called out to her. “Oh and Caro… I mean, Harper?”
    She spun around and giggled. “Yes, Caroline?”
    “You might want to stay away from a guy named Drake Ashworth.”
    She laughed. “Will do,” she said. “See ya.”
    She’d already known how to do a basic glamour, so she caught on quickly to the more detailed switch of changing her entire body to look like me. We were already about the same height, so it wasn’t too hard. We agreed to spend an hour walking around the party, pretending to be each other, then meet at midnight to switch back to our real selves.
    It was strange to be inside someone else’s body. Of course, underneath the glamour, it was still me. But my voice and skin and everything were hers. I walked around the party, just getting used to being in her shoes for a little while. People I knew from Peachville smiled at me in that way that said they didn’t know me, but would like to. Even though Caroline thought her sister was the princess of the family, Caroline herself was still a powerful magnet for people. I wondered how many of the five steps she’d been through. I meant to ask her about the details of the ceremonies leading up to the final initiation, but I never got the chance. I would have to remember to ask her when we met back up at midnight.
    A girl I recognized from the Cypress squad ran up to me and handed me a drink.
    “Do you want any snacks or anything?” the girl said. “I think they have chips and little sandwiches and stuff in the dining room. There might be some cake, too.”
    “No thanks,” I said. I took a sip of the punch, but then nearly choked on it. Definitely spiked. I couldn’t afford to drink and end up half me, half Caroline in front of all these people. “Do you know if there are any drinks that aren’t so… um… potent?”
    The girl’s smile disappeared and her face went white. “I’m so sorry,” she said. “I thought you would want the punch.” She took the plastic cup from my hand. “I’ll go get you something else. I’m sorry. I’m so stupid.”
    Dang. Is this how people treated Caroline and her sister all day? That would suck. How did they ever make any real friends when people were always trying to serve them or impress them. When Meredith had called me a public figure, I didn’t realize just how tough her life must be sometimes.
    I scanned the crowd, looking for Meredith. She wasn’t too hard to find. She was sitting in the living room on top of