The moon-pool’s silver glow shattered into chaos as Mia’s enchanted candles detonated in a cascade of sapphire sparks. Lucas yelped, instinctively rolling to shield Selene beneath him. When the smoke cleared, he sat up, blinking—his skin a vibrant cobalt blue, hair and eyebrows a shocking bubblegum pink dusted with glittering stardust that shimmered like a disco ball. The blue shirt, Mia’s “perfect” choice, had been hexed by one of the other witches with a color-shift charm. “Selene likes blue,” Mia had cackled earlier. “Let’s make him Smurf!”
Selene emerged unscathed, Lucas’s body a living shield, but her cheeks flamed crimson. “Oh, Lucas…” She bit her lip, torn between horror and helpless giggles.
The group waiting at the grove’s edge lost it. Warriors doubled over laughing. One droppe
