The ground floor of the house was large and it seemed that few rooms were off limits. In fact, there was only one. It sat behind a solid wooden door at the end of a hall, just off of the kitchen and there was a large man standing guard outside of it.

He would be under orders not to leave his post for almost any reason, and considering how wild some of Lillian’s parties were, there was likely a lot that he would just ignore. Anything short of the murder of a guest or a threat to his employer would be dealt with by others.

Which made it pointless to send in Becca to distract him.

I absently chewed on a fingernail as I surreptitiously watched the guard and considered my options. Becca slapped my hand away from my mouth and I looked back at her, startled.

“You just had your nails done!”

I looked down at my nails to inspect for damage and smiled sheepishly. “Sorry, forgot.” Which was understandable since I wasn’t used to them being either manicured or painted a deep crimson.

“Men,” Becca muttered. She turned away, sipping at her drink as she watched the antics of the crowd.

By the hallway where we stood, the effect of the party was lessened, enough that we could stand back and watch the others without feeling the pull of lust and hormones urging us to join in.

“Why has that woman got a dildo… oh… he seems to like that!”

As amused as I was by the education that Becca was receiving, time was moving on and I felt a pressing need to come up with some way of getting what I came for. Unfortunately, the only way I could think of would be deeply unpleasant and require the use of my magic.

My stomach twisted at the mere thought of doing a spell. The curse I had cast on Mikey had done a number on me and realistically, I should wait a day or two before even attempting anything simple. I didn’t have the time to wait though.

Taking Becca by the hand, I led her down the hallway. The guard turned his head to watch us approach and I smiled warmly before turning off into the kitchen. A member of staff wearing a simple maid's uniform was stirring a pan of molten chocolate. She looked up as we entered and I waved as we passed her and walked straight through the door in the wall opposite to the dining room.

That room was cooler with gentler music playing. Comfortable seats had been arranged around the walls so that guests could sit and talk in relative calm. There were only a handful of people there, sitting in various states of undress as they talked casually and nibbled on the food taken from the dining table.

I approached the table with Becca, eyeing the people there as I did so. Becca followed along without comment, sipping on her champagne and staring unashamedly at the guests.

The table was long and wide, suitable for twelve people on each side and in the centre was a large crystal bowl filled with a fruit punch. Lemon and orange slices floated in the bowl, and there was a rich, sweet aroma of summer fruits rising from it.

Around it were placed plates filled with fresh fruit and vegetables, oysters artichokes, sticky figs and chili peppers. There was a bowl filled with plump strawberries beside a fountain that flowed with liquid chocolate.

It was extravagant and of the highest quality.

I picked a grape from a bunch and bit into it, the sharp and sweet juices filling my mouth. “Damn, that’s nice.”

“Seedless?” Becca reached for one and took an experimental nibble before I could even answer. “Mmmm, very nice.”

I placed my glass down beside a silver fruit knife and rested my hand atop the blade. I gave a cursory glance around the room before turning to whisper to Becca.

“Distract everyone.”

“What?” She looked at me in alarm. “How the hell am I supposed to do that?”

I lifted my chin towards the opposite end of the table, furthest from the door we had come through. “Just go to that end of the table, near the door and make sure they are watching you and not me.”

Becca necked the last of her champagne before setting the glass down. She gave me an irritated look but walked slowly, and incredibly seductively across the room. Her steps were slow and measured and she ran her fingertips along the edge of the table as she swayed her hips with each step.

Even before she reached the end of the table, half of the people were watching her. Once there, she turned and leaned back against the table as she smiled winsomely at the gathered people.

“I don’t suppose you could explain the rules of this place to me, could you?” she asked, practically purring. She giggled. “My first time here.”

With a small smile of my own, I lifted the fruit knife and held it casually in my hand. Another quick glance to make sure no one was watching and I sliced the tip of my little finger for the second time today.

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Blood welled and in one smooth motion, I reached across to take hold of the ladle resting in the punch bowl. I held my hand there for a moment as I watched the drop of blood fall, and when it hit the punch, I began to whisper the words of a spell.

The power flowed through me and I released my hold on the ladle and rested my hands on the table for a moment, closing my eyes and breathing shallowly until the room stopped spinning. There was a sharp pain in my stomach and I swallowed back the urge to vomit.

Becca’s eyes flicked towards me and sensing something was wrong, she thanked the guests she had been speaking with and came over to where I was holding myself upright against the table.

“Are you okay?” she hissed, worry in her voice.

“I’ll be good, give me a second.”

Becca nodded, though she didn’t lose the look of concern. She picked up one of the small glass cups and ladled a portion of punch into it. “Here, drink this.”

“No thanks.” I managed a small smile. “Best you don’t drink it either.”

“Why?” She glanced at it suspiciously. “What did you do?”

“It’s a minor charm. One of the first we learned in the coven.” I pushed myself away from the table, gratified to note that I could still stand unaided. “It’s a mischievous little hex and shouldn’t do any lasting damage.”

Becca’s look of suspicion turned to alarm and she quickly set the glass cup down. “What do you mean by ‘little damage,’ she asked.

Instead of answering, I took her hand in mine again and led her back across the room to one of the seats there. There was space enough for the two of us, though we were pressed closely together, and I appreciated the chance to rest.

“You don’t look okay.”

There was definite concern in her voice and I wondered if that was a concern for her friend's body or for me.

“I’ll be okay, I’ve just been using a bit too much magic. I keep forgetting how untrained Jen was and I keep using spells she isn’t remotely ready for.”

We sat in silence for a moment and I worked on steadying my breathing. I rubbed my stomach absently with my free hand and realised I was still holding Becca’s hand in my other. I released hold of it with a pang of regret that surprised me.

Becca stood and crossed to the table, leaving me wondering if I had offended her, but came back moments later with a plate laden with food, mainly fruits.

“Here,” she said, settling back in beside me. “Looks less suspicious if we seem to be eating and you need the energy.”

“Thank you.” She answered with a smile before grabbing a grape from the plate and popping it between her teeth. She bit down and I shook my head.

The last time I had eaten grapes was probably when I was in my own body and I had just torn them off the stems and thrown them into my mouth, one after another, biting down and crushing them before swallowing.

It seemed almost barbaric compared to the dainty way that Becca ate them. She took her time with each bite and swallowed before taking another. Her appetite was far smaller than mine had been as a male, and I realised, aside from after the curse earlier, Jen’s appetite was the same.

I wondered whether that was a natural thing due to sex, or a societal issue where girls just felt the pressure to eat smaller amounts. There was far too much I was beginning to realise that I didn’t know about being a girl and even the few days I had been in Jen’s body was a revelation.

“What’re you thinking about?”

“Huh?”

“You always get a distant look on your face when you’re being all deep and introspective.”

I smiled again, with a bit of humour this time. “Not that deep a thought, just realising how much I don’t know.”

She patted my hand and looked around the room. “So, what now?”

More people had wandered in and some of those here when we arrived had departed. A handful had glasses of punch that they were drinking to refresh themselves, while others were more focused on the food.

It wouldn’t be long.

“Come on,” I said, standing up and depositing the half-full plate back on the table. I took Becca’s hand again, more from reflex than need, and left through the door to the main hall.

The party was still in full swing and Lillian stood in the centre of the room, the focus of attention for everyone in there.

A guest reached out her hand and Lillian took it, a sublime smile on her face as she pulled the girl closer. She stroked her fingers along the girl's arm and reached up to pull her head close, seeking her lips.

The kiss was deep and full of passion as the girl's trembles turned to shudders, her whole body shaking before her knees gave way and she cried out in ecstasy.

“From just a kiss!” Becca’s eyebrows rose, impressed.

“She can do that from a touch.”

“Oh! You’ve experienced that then?”

I held up my hands and laughed. “No, not me. I have seen it though.”

“That’s a talent.”

It certainly was, but not what I was interested in right then. We circled the room, keeping to the outskirts of the crowd as we made for the door. From the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of a man rubbing at his stomach, the look of rapt pleasure on his face replaced by a grimace.

“Almost time.” I chuckled softly. “Get ready.”

“For what?”

“You’ll know when it happens and when it does. Call for help as loudly as you can.”

“What will you do?”

I didn’t answer as I let go of her hand and gestured for her to remain by the door as I stepped through. My heels clicked on the hallway floorboards as I walked and I was almost to the end of the corridor when the cries of alarm and disgust sounded.

Becca screamed shrilly, crying for help as instructed and the guard ahead of me turned at the sound. As more voices were raised, Lillian could be heard calling for help and that set the guard to moving.

As soon as he was past, I pressed my hand to the door and whispered the unlocking incantation. The lock clicked and I stepped through, closing the door softly behind me and leaning back against it, breathing shallowly, amazed that had even worked.

The room was an office, though there was a curtained-off area behind the desk that contained a secluded nook complete with a soft bed and plump pillows. Thick, velvet curtains provided privacy when Lillian wanted an intimate moment during her working day without the time required to head to her normal bedroom.

Shelves and filing cabinets lined the walls and there was a soft sofa against the wall opposite the window. The computer sitting on the desk was top of the line and even her webcam had a tripod and backlighting for when she took a video call.

I started with the desk, tugging at each of the drawers, brow furrowing as each stubbornly refused to open. I picked up the silver letter opener and poked experimentally at the lock before realising that I would need to cast another spell on each that I wanted to open.

A prospect that was not exactly pleasing.

I drew in a deep breath and brought the incantation to mind as I raised my hand. Then the rattle of a key in the office door sounded in the room and my eyes widened. The handle turned and I had little choice but to duck through the curtains and hope I wouldn’t be caught.