Professor Lupo walked in a circle around the twins. "It's well-known in the field of magic that siblings have a special, unseen link with one another. This is especially true of twins. You may have heard stories about one twin 'sensing' something happening to their counterpart even if they are nowhere near each other. This isn't magic in itself, but magic can flow along that link like a current through copper wire."
He lowered his wand gently between the girls' arms and pressed it to their clasped hands. Taking the cue, Julie and Joy let go, and Lupo placed his hand on Julie's shoulder to lead her a few steps away from her sister. Julie shot a worried look at Joy, but Joy merely returned it with an encouraging smile and nod.
"Now, I shall need my assistant. Barbelo?" Lupo turned to the cage. The wolf was lying on the floor, but sat up at his call. "Ah, yes. That won't do, will it?" He pointed his wand at the cage and a light flashed just as it had before.
Julie watched as the wolf shook its head like it was shaking off water. The dark fur on its face receded, exposing tanned skin, while its long snout shrunk into its face. Even from just feet away, Julie couldn't see any hint of this being a trick. The wolf really looked like it was morphing back into the bellydancer. As more fur disappeared, the nipples on its lower chest became visible and the flesh around them started to swell and rise upward. The wolf placed a half-furred arm over them and turned away toward an empty corner of the stage so all anyone could see was its back.
The beam of light widened to touch the girl's discarded clothes. In an instant, they flew up and circled the changing beast, wrapping around her figure as the black hair on her head lengthened to cover most of her backside. Julie then realized Lupo wasn't at her side anymore. He was unlocking and opening the cage door. He extended his hand inside, and the woman took it. As Barbelo emerged from the cage, Lupo turned to the audience and lifted both arms into the air, one holding Barbelo's hand and the other his wand.
The audience cheered. Lupo smiled in utter satisfaction while Julie and Joy exchanged equally dumbfounded expressions. Joy mouthed a one-syllable question: "Well?" As if she expected Julie to have seen something she couldn't. All Julie could do was shrug, making her sister roll her eyes.
"Thank you, folks." Lupo turned to his restored assistant. "Thank you, Barbelo. Would you please go backstage and bring out the...?"