AllFreeNovel
Share Us
A low mewl left me, and I almost broke down. Thora watched from her mound of pillows at the foot of the bed, ready to lunge if I got too close. Which I’d done. Once. Lastnight. The reason I’d given her the supervillain nickname Lady Thorn.
My thoughts veered to the party. Afterward, Angus had driven Callen and me back to the castle. During the drive, we’d exchanged a grand total of zero words. The trials of the day and a gallon of champagne had gotten the better of me, and I’d nodded off at some point. Callen, or more likely an employee, had carried me to the redhead’s room. I’d awoken exactly as before: alone in a wedding dress and weirded out.
Now that I’d (semi) rested, fed the tiny monster, showered, and donned the most casual clothes in the closet—a loose blouse and too short skirt—I had a clearish head, a fresh swell of determination, and a plan to find Isobel, right her wrongs, and return to my life. But first, I needed that cell.
While I enjoyed mysteries and loved following clues to the priceless prize of revelation, this was ridiculous. The phonemustbe here. No way she’d taken it with her after purposely shedding her identity to claim mine.
Anger sparked at the reminder, only to die as an idea struck. The white purse! The one she’d carried at the hotel. I rushed into the closet and scanned. There, between two other white bags. After a swift grab and dump, I crouched on the floor to rifle through the contents. A high-end pair of sunglasses. A case for said sunglasses, stuffed with receipts. A sleek tube of lipstick with a polished gold finish. A premium pen with the initials IC stamped on the barrel. Pepper spray, three mini liquors, eight coffee spill sticks, but nothing else. I checked the purse for a side pocket. Yes! A fancy smartphone I couldn’t afford.
Wasting no time, I used my fingerprint to unlock it, then punched in my own numberwith a shaky finger.
After the fourth ring, a ragged moan spilled over the line. “Did you really need to call me so early?”
Oh, the strangeness of hearing my own voice tinged with a Scottish accent. “What did you do to me?” I didn’t mean to, but I screeched “And what do you mean early? You are five hours ahead of me.”
Another moan. “Must you shout? I’m in the middle of theworsthangover. Apparently, your body isn’t used to drinking as much as mine. Now I’m paying the price.” Accusation spilled from her tone.
“Do you have any idea how expensive alcohol is?” I’d much rather spend my money on a book. Not having to deal with long-term regret was nice too. Something I now comprehended firsthand. Yesterday, I’d kinda sorta flirted with Callen, another woman’s husband. But I wasn’t going to think about that.
“Nothing is expensive when someone else buys it for you,” she chided. “Did you know your home is a hovel?”
My small farmhouse might be old and in need of many, many repairs, but potential infused every corner, and it was mine. “You traded places with me. How? Is it temporary or permanent?”Please be temporary.
She acted as if I hadn’t spoken, saying, “Though I suppose anything is better than living with Callen. He may be rich, titled, and easy on the eyes, but he’s unbearable.”
“How?” I pressed, refusing to give up.
“For starters, he doesn’t ask, he commands. I’m sure you noticed within minutes of your introduction. Also, he?—”
“Not Callen!” I bellowed. “Tell me how you traded places with me and if this is permanent.”
“Oh, this is indeed permanent, darling, since I’d have to come back to Scotland to undo it, and I won’t. What’s more,Callen will never suspect the truth. I took measures. He’ll remain in the dark, no matter what you do or say or how you act. And don’t try to threaten me with Thora. As long as you take care of my baby, I’ll take care of yours. Yes, I know all about your love for this ridiculous coin necklace. I’ve read the journal entries in your digital notes.”
First, I really disliked this woman. Second, the procedurecouldbe reversed. Third, I would be reading her notes and texts the moment we hung up. Fourth, what measures had she taken to guarantee Callen’s continued ignorance? Did it have something to do with his comment about my accents, plural?
It’s worse than the others.
I pressed my tongue to the roof of my mouth. How many accents had she butchered on purpose? How long had she planned to dupe some poor, unsuspecting woman?
“You have a deal,” I grated. Why not tackle this from another direction? “But what makes you think I won’t convince Callen of the truth, then fly to Oklahoma to handle you?”
She laughed. Actually laughed. “Now you’re just being silly. You can’t mention soul switching without earning a death sentence.”
“I know!” As if I’d ever forget the threat of execution. At least I had a name for what we’d done. “You’re going to pay for this.”
“Hardly. He won’t let you leave Scotland without him, and he won’t leave Scotland, period. I tried and tried to convince him to use an alternate dimension, but he’s stubborn. Also, I burned all my identification and bridges to make it more difficult for you to travel. No one there will help you.”
My hand flew to my—nothing.I closed my eyes and breathed deep. “I get why everyone hates you so much, but why does Callen?” And what did she mean, an alternate dimension?
“Oh. That. Well, there’s a slight possibility it might have something to do with his brother.”
I glared at one of her portraits. How dismissive she sounded.
Hmm. Could the brother be that Roderick guy I’d heard about?
When Isobel said nothing more, I prompted, “Go on. You owe me this, at least. I’ll even up the ante and pamper your hobgoblin with a treat.”
She gave a little huff. “Is my Thora despondent without me? She is, isn’t she? I knew she’d sense the switch. She’s brilliant.”
