How to Snag a Shifter-The Book of Brooklyn Book One: A Young Adult Paranormal Romance Witch Series (The Book of Brooklyn Witch Series 1)

by Karin De Havin

  A shadow forms over my body. I stare up at the handsomest man for miles. Great, Chad is here. Taking in his high cheekbones, almost white blond hair, and a body ready for an underwear model shoot, I sigh. He’s totally the Nordic type I go for, yet I only went to second base with him on our date. I try to give him the cold shoulder, but he ignores me.

  Chad slinks down on the sand next to me like a lizard. He rubs his perfect abs and says, “So, Brookie, how about going out tonight?”

  Ugh. I hate how he calls me Brookie. For that he deserves to be teased. I toss my hair over my shoulders exposing some cleavage. “Sorry, I’m busy.”

  Chad gently strokes my arm, and then runs his hand down my leg, but I feel nothing. “Oh, come on. You know we’re good together.”

  I dig my foot into the sand and flick some in his face. “Can’t you see I’m with my friend? Screw off.”

  Chad doesn’t budge. He thinks I’m trying to turn him on by being hard to get. So not my style.

  He eyes Jen for the first time. “So, who’s your new partner in crime?”

  She gives him a shy smile. I can tell Jen thinks he’s cute. Maybe I should hook them up. No, he’s a total sex maniac. Jen needs someone kind and mature.

  She gives him a weak smile. “Name’s Jen. What’s yours?”

  He frowns. “Brookie, you didn’t tell her about us?”

  I let out a sigh and sit up. The nerve of this guy. What was I thinking going out with him? I take in his smoking hot body. Right, hormones. “No, Chad, I didn’t. You’re not the only thing in my life.”

  Never having been turned down before, Chad smiles, leans over and kisses me on the forehead. Even though he is a really good kisser, and gives a killer massage, he does nothing for me. Jerome’s kiss is the one that still lingers on my lips.

  Chad gives Jen a wink. “Okay, I got the message. It’s girl time. When you want some man time,” he rubs his six-pack again for emphasis, “you give me a call.”

  He swaggers down the beach like he owns it, which of course he does. All the girls in a quarter mile radius squirm on their towels as he walks by. They must think I’m downright crazy to turn away someone as hot as Chad. But it seems my Nordic phase is over. Despite my best efforts, mountain man Jerome is all I can think about. As Chad scopes out his next conquest, I turn my attention back to Jen. “Sorry about that. Guys can be such a pain sometimes.”

  “I wouldn’t know.” Her shoulders slump. “They don’t seem to be interested in me. It’s like somehow they can sense I’m not normal.”

  I’m going to have to cure her of thinking so negatively about her powers and her looks. Even exhausted, wearing dirty clothes, and with the lingering scent of garbage, Jen looks a lot like her namesake. A pretty girl-next-door with the added bonus of being able to shift into objects. Something, despite her namesake’s celebrity, the real Jennifer could never do. I give her a reassuring smile. “The right guy hasn’t come along yet.” I lean back and prop myself up on my elbows. “But I have a feeling that will change soon.”

  She ignores my hopeful words of wisdom obviously thinking about something else. “Brooklyn, why don’t you just tell me what your secret is? I know you have powers too. You act like you can read my mind.”

  I stare out at the waves breaking against the sand. The moment isn’t right to reveal I’m a witch. It needs to be something more dramatic than just telling her.

  “Friendship is a two-way street.” She reaches out and grabs my wrist.

  I’m caught off guard and can’t stop my instinctive powers. A spark shoots off my wrist and breaks up into tiny points of light. If Jen was an enemy, she would be dead right now.

  Jen’s eyes grow wide. “Are you like that girl in X-Men?”

  My soft belly laugh fills the sea air. “You mean Surge? I wish.”

  “Oh, come on. Fair is fair. You know my secret—I want to know yours.”

  “Are you sure?” I reach into my tote knowing I can’t delay telling her any longer. “Once I reveal it to you, there’s no going back.”

  She sits up on her knees. “Yes, I’m sure.”

  I dig around in my bag and pull out my sparkling pink wand with a silver glitter star on top. A few people stare, but I’m used to it. The thing about practicing real magic in public is acting like it’s totally fake. Like you are just performing a magic trick.

  Jen laughs. “Oh, so you’re a wizard like Harry Potter?”

  I hold the wand in front of her face. The pink rhinestones sparkle in the intense sun. “Not exactly.”

  I touch the wand to her lips and Jen tries to speak but can’t.

  As she struggles to open her lips, I see a spark of recognition on her face. Even though she can’t speak the words, her eyes tell me everything—she knows I am a witch.

  7

  The Big Witch Reveal

  I tap my wand on Jen’s lips three times. “May your words return.”

  In a second, her mouth pops open. She rubs her fingers along her lips trying to process what just happened. “Wow, that’s the first time anyone got me to shut up so fast.”

  I laugh. “I warned you.”

  “You did. So, what are you if you’re not a wizard?”

  “I do the wand trick to throw people off. I’m a witch.”

  Her face goes blank like she’s seen a ghost. “A witch? No way. There’s no such thing.”

  With the eyes of several beach goers burning though me, I tuck the wand back into my tote. “Says someone who’s a shapeshifter.”

  Jen stifles a laugh. “I never thought of myself as being a shifter. Transforming is so easy. I take it for granted. Plus, I’ve kept my secret hidden for so long.”

  I stroke her hand, knowing exactly how she feels. In Brooklyn only two people outside of the coven knew what I really was. In LA I decided to be even more careful. Gossip spreads like crazy in La La Land; for that reason, Jen is the only new friend I will ever confide in. “I know a thing or two about not letting people know what you are.”

  “I guess you do. But if there are witches, are there werewolves and vampires too?”

  She has so much more to learn about the paranormal world and it’s my destiny to show her. Then she will finally feel whole. “Of course. You know the saying, there’s a grain of truth in every joke?”

  Jen nods.

  “Well, there’s a little bit of truth behind all the old Hollywood horror, too.”

  Her eyes grow wide. If she only knew the creatures I’ve seen. Werewolves and vamps are old hat to me. But my eyes bugged out just like Jen’s when I first spied a Hodag. I couldn’t believe such ugly creatures exist. It had a huge green body with spikes running down its back to its curved tail. The head had two huge horns and a mouthful of scary teeth. The incisors were as long as it’s tongue. I shook off the memory, it was so gross.

  Jen sits in disbelief. “So, you’ve met other witches? You’ve seen vampires?”

  “Of course. My mom runs a large coven out of our house.”

  She swallows hard. “And vampires?”

  I beam. “My godfather is a vamp.”

  Jen rubs her temples from brain overload. “You wouldn’t happen to have an Advil in that enormous bag of yours?”

  Part of me feels guilty for causing her pain, while the other knows the sooner she understands and accepts the world she was born into, the happier she will be.

  I dig around and pull out a bottle. “I know it’s a lot to process. But did you really think you were the only one who had special powers?”

  Jen stares right past me, her mind churning fast. I snap my fingers in front of her face. “Earth to Jen.”

  She shakes her head as if that could clear her mind. “I hate to admit it, but I really thought I was the only one. It kind of makes me sad. I thought being able to shift made me unique—special.”

  I can’t imagine thinking such a thing being totally surrounded by paranormal people my whole life. But Jen is one of those rare paranormals who’s inherited gift o
bviously skipped a few generations.

  “It does make you special. I’ve never met anyone who could shift into inanimate objects before. Just the usual werewolves and other animal shifters that can turn into people.”

  She shrugs. “Well, I guess that makes me feel a bit better.”

  I need to find out more. “Have you ever tried to shift into a person?”

  She lets out a sigh. “Sure. When I was six, I tried to transform into my mom for fun. No luck. When I was thirteen, I got into a bad fight with a friend. I was so upset I risked changing into her to stop the argument. Didn’t work. I’ve made the attempt to shift a bunch of times, but it’s like human skin has an impenetrable shield or something. Maybe I can only transform into objects.”

  My brow furrows hoping she is wrong. “Could be. Or, maybe you just don’t know how. I should hook you up with Jerome. He might be able to help you figure it out.”

  “Don’t tell me. Jerome is a werewolf.”

  In case I can only find Jerome to help her, I decide to make it sound like I’ve known him forever—an old flame. “Yay. We dated for a while. But I got tired of his bad temper.”

  She laughs. “Let me guess. He got moody whenever there was a full moon.”

  I poke her in the arm. “Smart ass. Actually, Jerome was a sweetheart just before he transformed. In fact, he was downright horny.”

  She covers her ears. “TMI.”

  Now that my secret is out, might as well work on my tan. I flip over and untie my bikini top. “Better get used to it. If you’re going to be my bestie, you’ll have to deal with the fact that I have no filter.”

  “Thanks for the heads-up. My filter is screwed tight. I constantly think about what I say when I’m with new people. My mom taught me first impressions are everything.”

  I give her a mischievous smile knowing I am going to expand her horizons in ways that will continue to blow her mind. “I’ll help break you of that habit, don’t worry.”

  Jen nods and leans back to take in some rays herself. Then she bolts and sits upright. “Crap, what time is it?”

  Her parents have her on such a short leash. I’ll have to cast a spell to fix that.

  Jen frantically digs into her backpack and pulls out her phone. “Great. It’s almost three o’clock. I’m supposed to be home by now. I’m surprised my mom hasn’t called me already. If my parents find out I ditched class, I’ll be grounded for life.”

  So much for hanging at the beach. I reach over, tie my top, and slowly sit up. “Okay, don’t stress. I’ll text my Zoomer driver. You can be home in a half hour.”

  I go through the motions of texting Derrick knowing he should be arriving soon.

  She stands up, dusts the sand off her jeans, and rolls them back down to her ankles. “Let’s book it. My mom usually brings my little brother home from after-care by four o’clock.” She rolls down her sleeves and hefts her backpack over her shoulders. “Race you to the parking lot.”

  She darts ahead of me, but I don’t hurry. Knowing the shape she’s in, I walk at a normal pace and still manage to hit the parking lot before her. Derrick is right on time. I waltz up to his shiny black BMW. “Our ride is here.”

  Jen sucks in a breath. “That’s the fanciest Zoomer car I’ve ever seen.”

  I smile and open the back door for her. “I only ride in style.” I get in the passenger seat and tap Derrick on the shoulder. “Derrick, meet Jen.”

  She takes in Derrick’s face and smiles. “Any friend of Brooklyn’s is a friend of mine.” Derrick grabs a business card from the center console. “Whenever you need a ride, give me a buzz.”

  Jen tucks the card into her jeans pocket murmuring something under her breath.

  Derrick starts the car and the engine purrs. “Where to?”

  Jen leans forward and says, “5346 Willow Drive. 90045 is the zip.”

  The car pulls out of the parking lot and I settle into the premium leather passenger seat and relax. Trying to fulfill my destiny is exhausting.

  Jen leans close to my ear and asks, “How long have you and Chad been going out?”

  I sigh, wishing he never showed up at the beach. “About a month. But I’m getting tired of him.”

  She nods. “A surfer dude can’t be very exciting compared to a werewolf.” Jen’s hands fly to her face. “Oops, sorry.”

  “Don’t worry.” I squeeze Derrick’s arm. “You can say anything in front of Derrick. He’s one of us. A wizard of the Twelfth Order as a matter of fact.”

  She flops back against the seat. “Are all your friends supernatural?”

  Derrick looks at her in the rearview mirror. “Aren’t you proof?”

  She chuckles. “Yes, I guess I am. But how do you know?”

  “Brooklyn tells me everything.” He gives Jen a wink. “Or I overhear it in the car.”

  We both laugh. Jen taps Derrick on the shoulder. “I bet you could write a screenplay based on what you’ve heard.”

  Derrick guns the engine to pass a slow-moving Prius. “That’s a great idea.”

  I lean over my seat and nudge Jen’s leg. “Don’t encourage him. I already spend too much energy keeping my life secret.”

  “What do you mean?”

  I let out a sigh. If she only knew how hard it is to keep magical abilities a secret. Something she will have to learn now that hers is out. “I’ve had to cast spells on all my boyfriends so they’d forget what they’ve seen and heard. Also, I’ve made the mistake of trusting a few girlfriends too much. That’s why it’s so awesome I met you. I knew you would be cool about my being a witch when you have your own secret.”

  “But with all your supernatural friends why do you bother with ordinary people?”

  She has a point. If it weren’t for the fact ordinary people outnumber us ten to one. “There aren’t any supernatural students at our school except you. Besides, sometimes I just want to blend in. You know, be a regular eighteen-year-old girl.”

  Jen nods her head in agreement.

  Derrick turns the corner and speeds toward Jen’s house. She fidgets in the back seat as the car speeds closer. She’s practically jumping out of her skin when we stop right in front of her house. “I’m screwed, mom’s home. She knows I broke curfew.”

  Derrick puts the BMW in park and faces Jen. “If you want, I can turn her into a mouse. Then you can sneak into the house.”

  A smile spreads across her face. “Thanks, but no.”

  I open the passenger door knowing she has nothing to worry about. “Don’t sweat it. Just introduce me to your mother, and I’ll handle the rest.”

  “Does she have to invite you in?”

  Derrick busts out laughing. “Wow, you’ve watched way too many old-time horror flicks.”

  She ignores Derrick as he’s practically doubled over laughing. Striding up the brick pathway to the house, I motion for Jen to follow me. She swallows hard and joins me standing on the welcome mat. Strange, instead of Jen using her key, she rings the doorbell like it’s not her house. I can’t wait to meet this mother she is so scared of.

  Her mother opens the door with a confused look on her face. She is tall, with light brown highlighted hair and is wearing a designer navy business suit. Her flawless forehead tells me she has dabbles with Botox. Her cheeks turn the color of a persimmon as she looks at her daughter. I stand next to Jen, ready to cast a spell if her mom gets out of hand.

  Jen’s mother thrusts back her slim shoulders. “Jennifer, what are you doing just standing there? Get in the house. I can’t believe you would disobey my orders.” She reaches out to and grabs her hand as if she were a small child. “What has come over you?” She glares at me. “I forbid you to see your friend again.”

  Jen nudges me in the side. “What are you waiting for? Cast a spell!”

  Her mother’s piercing blue eyes narrow. “Aren’t you in enough trouble? Stop fooling around.”

  I’ve had enough of her treating her daughter so badly. I whisper an incantation under my breath
and a soft blue light engulfs her body. Her face grows pale as she stares off in the distance like we aren’t even there.

  Jen stomps her feet. “What took you so long?”

  I give her mischievous smile. “I just wanted to see you sweat a little bit.”

  Jen punches me in the arm, hard. “Thanks a lot. Now what?”

  “I got this.” Moving past Jen’s mother and into the entryway I signal Jen. “Just come in. I’ll do the rest.”

  Jen’s eyes her mother who stands frozen in place, and then moves past her.

  I place my hand on her mother’s forehead and whisper an incantation. “Jen, you have two minutes to go upstairs and pretend like nothing ever happened.” Grabbing her mother’s arm, I lead her across the entryway toward the kitchen. “Go, Jen!”

  Instead of listening to me, she darts into the kitchen. I see a sandy-haired kid coloring away at the breakfast table. He looks up, grins, and waves. “You guys playing a game with Mommy?”

  Jen walks over and ruffles his hair. “Good guess, little man. You keep coloring, we’ll be done in a sec.”

  The kid nods and gets back to work while Jen heads up the stairs. Mission accomplished, I give Jen a thumbs up and move past her mother who in another minute when my spell wears off will wake up. When she does, she won’t remember I was ever in her home—or who I am. I placed a new memory in her mind of Jen coming home after school and going straight upstairs to do her homework. I head out the door and into Derrick’s BMW.

  “So how did it go?”

  “Flawlessly. Her mother was quite cooperative.”

  He laughs. “Eshe will be pleased. You are turning into quite the witch.”

  My mom greets me as soon as I come through the door. “How did it go with Jennifer?”

  “Great. Derrick even gave me a compliment about my skills.”

  Instead of congratulating me, she stares over at the living room. “Brook, your father wants to FaceTime with you. He’s on now—with Kimberly.”