Page 21 of Sugar, Spice, and Magical Moonlight (Midlife Menace #2)

The lion flared in Ric’s eyes before he abruptly jumped to his feet and stepped back. “Whether it does or not, it’s only for Luci to know.” He motioned toward my son. “And not an appropriate conversation in front of Des, anyway.”

Des’s face colored as he slid down in his seat, his gaze centered on his lap.

I instinctively rubbed his back. “It’s okay, darling,” I whispered, pleased when he flashed me a half smile.

Back stiff, the Enchantress stood, turning up her chin with a haughty pout. “Well, I was going to ask you to show us around the island, Conde, but I’d rather Nimue and I take a stroll by ourselves.” She nodded to the adjacent jungle. “Is there anything on the island that we should worry about?”

Ric scratched the back of his head, his gaze darting to Nimue. “Nothing on this island is scarier than your bodyguard. There are sometimes sirens on the beach, but they should leave you alone.”

The Enchantress nodded, then turned her venomous glare back on me. “Be prepared for another interview when I return, Luciella.”

Holy hex! I had a feeling I wouldn’t fare well on WitchTok today—or any other day, for that matter.

ONLY AFTER THE ENCHANTRESS had left the breakfast table with her bodyguard, disappearing into the adjacent jungle, did I heave a sigh of relief. Though I loved my family and would do anything to keep them safe, I had a foreboding feeling that inviting the Enchantress here had been a terrible idea.

Ric excused himself from the table and moved an umbrella over Bea while she continued to sleep on a lounge chair.

I grabbed a fresh lemonade and placed it on the table beside Bea, a chill from the frosty glass seeping into my bones as I leaned over the sprite.

Her pale skin was already pink after just a few minutes in the sun.

Why had Nimue put her here, and why hadn’t they been considerate enough to check on her before disappearing?

Ric checked her pulse. “Her heart rate is steady.”

I gently shook the sprite’s shoulder, alarmed that she felt as stiff as a corpse. “I don’t understand why she isn’t waking up.” If it wasn’t for the rapid movement beneath her eyelids, I would’ve thought she’d died.

Ric scratched the back of his head, his gaze shifting. “This is common for sprites.”

“You know a lot of sprites?”

The unseen creatures weren’t common in the states. I didn’t know much about sprites, but from what I could tell, they were smaller and frailer than their pixie distant cousins. Bea made me appreciate Ethyl. My apprentice might miniaturize and hide during a stressful situation, but she didn’t faint.

His cheeks colored. “I dated a few in my ruggel days.”

I knew this was code that he’d tongue thrashed a few sprites.

A blade of jealousy struck my chest, and I wondered if they fainted during their orgasms. He certainly had a way of leaving me breathless.

I eyed him coolly while hoping he wasn’t still into skinny little winged women, the polar opposite of me.

“They’re a lot like pixies,” he added, “just smaller and more frail, which is why they faint sometimes when stressed.”

I frowned down at her as she remained as immobile as a mannequin. I imagined it was very stressful working for a diva like the Enchantress. I wondered why Bea did it. Was there no other line of work for sprites? Or was she also so smitten with the Enchantress that she ignored her many flaws?

Frederica came back onto the patio as we returned to the table. The minotaur frowned while looking around. “Is she gone?”

Her shoulders slumped when Ric nodded.

Ethyl jumped from her seat, fluttering over the table while wringing her hands together. “Sorry, Freddie.”

The minotaur’s gaze softened. “It’s not your fault, mein blume .”

Ethyl surprised me by spinning around, eyes glossy as she glared at me. “Go ahead and say it,” she spat, her wings angrily buzzing.

“Say what?” I said while falling into the chair beside Des. “That it was a terrible idea to bring her here?”

“I thought she would be nicer than this.” Ethyl pouted, fluttering across the table and joining Frederica on her bench. “She’s always so kind in her videos, and she tells us to be kind, too.”

“She’s a phony, Ethyl,” I said, then winced when Des stiffened beside me.

“I’m so disappointed.” Ethyl grabbed Frederica’s big, hairy arm. “I’m sorry I didn’t stand up for you, Freddie.”

Frederica dragged calloused knuckles down Ethyl’s cheek, her wide nostrils flaring. “It’s okay, mein blume.”

“Why was she grabbing your arm?” Des asked Ric.

Ric’s face colored as he gave me a helpless look. “I-I don’t know, Des.”

“She was trying to make your mom mad,” Ethyl said.

“Why?” He blinked at her with those luminous brown eyes.

When no one answered, I said, “It’s complicated.”

He fully faced me. “Is she bad?”

Ugh. This was hard. On the one hand, I didn’t want to disappoint him, but on the other, he deserved the truth. I predicted he’d encounter many more fake people in his lifetime. Might as well learn now to be aware of them. “I don’t know yet, but it’s best we be cautious around her.”

He frowned, slouching in his seat. “I’m sorry I gave her a flower.”

I rubbed his back, pleased when he didn’t pull away. “It’s okay, sweetheart.”

He rubbed at the kiss imprint on his cheek, light pulsing off his fingers. When he removed his hand, the lipstick smear was gone. Then he abruptly stood, pushing back his chair. “May I be excused?” he asked Ric.

I felt the heartbreak of being disappointed by his first crush as if the pain was my own.

“You barely touched your breakfast,” Ric said.

“I’m not hungry.” His frown deepened. “I want to be alone.”

“Sure, Des,” Ric said, giving my son a pitying look. “Just ring the servants if you get hungry.”

Des pushed in his chair. “Okay.”

My resentment of the Enchantress reached a whole new level. Insult and demean me all you want, but don’t upset my boy!

“Don’t stay in your room all day, okay?” I said as he turned his back on me. “We can go swimming together after lunch. Would you like that?”

He threw me off guard when he spun back around and hugged me hard. “Yes, Mama.”

Even though he gave very hard hugs that nearly squeezed the life out of me and gave new meaning to spinal compression, I didn’t complain as I squeezed him back. “I love you so much,” I whispered in his ear.

“I love you, Mama,” he answered, giving me a quick peck on the cheek before leaving.

My heart melted as I watched him walk into the house, or maybe it was my spine decompressing.

Either way, it didn’t matter. My son’s love meant more to me than anything, and that fortifying kiss on the cheek would give me the courage for what I had to do next.

The bitch had hurt my boy, which meant she had to go, and I was going to have so much fun kicking her out of my boyfriend’s house.

RIC AND I SAT BY THE pool, waiting over an hour for the Enchantress and Nimue to return, while Bea continued to sleep on the lounge chair.

I caught the influencer and her bodyguard sneaking into the house like teenagers out too late.

Nimue looked as scary as ever, but the Enchantress had leaves in her hair, smeared makeup, and disheveled clothes.

Maybe now that the Enchantress had gotten laid, her mood would improve, though I supposed it didn’t matter, since she was leaving. Ric and I shared a look as we stood and followed them into the house. No use delaying the inevitable. It was time for the obnoxious witch to start packing.

We followed the sound of nauseating giggles and slithering scales up the stairs, shocked when we arrived at what I could only describe as a shrine at the influencer’s closed door, made up of all kinds of shiny odds and ends, like silverware, goblets, and jewelry.

I gasped when I recognized my rhinestone cosmetic mirror.

I snatched it from the pile, annoyed at the yellow smear that smelled like cheese on the mirror.

“What the hex?” I angrily wiped off the stain with the end of my robe.

Ric let out a curse, dragging a hand through his hair. “The gnomes.”

I pocketed my mirror, still aggravated that it smelled like cheese. I’d disinfect it later. In the meantime, I’d have to go through the shrine to see what else the little shits took. “Don’t tell me they’re obsessed with her, too.”

“Okay.” Ric slanted a fanged smile. “I won’t tell you.”

I picked up a silver and diamond tiara and matching bracelets. These couldn’t possibly be real diamonds, could they? “Where did they get these?”

He released a long breath. “The vault beneath us.”

Hang on. He had a vault with diamond jewelry? Exactly how rich was this sphinx? I mean, I knew he was old-money rich, but this tiara with dozens of diamonds was a whole new level of rich. “They have the key?”

“I guess so,” he answered, “or else they tunneled their way into it.”

“This has to stop,” I said through gritted teeth while setting down the jewels. How dare these gnomes give the Enchantress all Ric’s jewels when I hadn’t received so much as a pendant! Not that I expected any after only dating him a month.

“It’s about to,” Ric grumbled before pounding on the door.

The door cracked open, revealing Nimue and her flaring gills scowling down at us like we were her next meal.

Ric tried to peer over her shoulder. “Let us in.”

She blocked the door with a hiss when he tried to push through. “The Enchantresssss is indisssposed.”

“It’s fine, Nimue,” the Enchantress called in a sing-song voice. “I’m presentable now.”

Nimue snarled at us before throwing open the door, ushering us inside.

I fought the urge to plug my nose while trying not to gag on the haze of glitter and lavender perfume. My jaw dropped when I saw all the jewels inside her room, like a dragon’s hoard of treasure. “Oh, my Goddess!”

The Enchantress strode up to us wearing a tiara with dazzling blue jewels and a diamond choker to match. Her makeup looked flawless, and there wasn’t a single leaf in her neatly twisted braids.

She swept her arms across the room. “Isn’t it fabulous?”

“It’s a mess, is what it is,” Ric grumbled, his sharp gaze sweeping the jewels scattered across the room.

So many jewels. I had no idea so much treasure existed, let alone belonged to one sphinx. Hmm. I wondered who he was saving them for.

“Bea will clean it when she wakes,” the Enchantress said with a dismissive wave. “I don’t know which jewels I should wear for my next video.”

Ric crossed his arms, glaring at the Enchantress with flared eyes. “I’m sorry, but the jewels are my family heirlooms. The gnomes had no right to give them to you.”

“Oh.” The Enchantress’s features fell. “They’ll be so disappointed if I don’t get to keep their gifts.”

“They’ll get over it,” Ric grumbled.

She batted her long lashes at him, plastering on a sugary sweet smile. “May I at least wear them while I’m here?” Before he could answer, she turned a scowl on me, waving me toward the filming area. “Time to make another WitchTok video. Bea isn’t back yet, so Nimue will run the camera.”

“No need,” I said, spine stiffening with indignation. “There won’t be an interview.”

Settling a hand on her hip, she arched a brow. “Excuse me?”

Oh, no. She didn’t get to out-bitch me! “I don’t know what I did to make you hate me, but you’ve been rude since you arrived here, which is ironic.

” Bitter laughter escaped my throat as I advanced on her, pleased when she stepped back, her eyes wide with shock.

“Considering you tell all your followers to practice kindness. Your treatment of me was reason enough to send you packing, but, no, I put up with the abuse because I wanted a chance to tell WitchTok my side of the story.” Rage pumped through my veins and rattled my bones.

“Then you upset my son with your behavior this morning at the breakfast table, and that’s where I draw the line.

To Hades with what WitchTok thinks.” A huge weight lifted from my shoulders as I jutted a finger toward her chest, heedless of Nimue hissing behind me.

“My son has been in his room all morning because the influencer he idolized let him down. Pack your bags. The interviews are over.”

Heaving a sigh of relief, I took a step back, pleased when Ric took my hand, a wide grin splitting his face in two.

“Good job,” he whispered.

My chest swelled while I also kind of hoped his praise would be followed by a sparkling diamond bracelet that had caught my eye. Not that I deserved it, but a woman could dream.

Ric brushed past Nimue with a snarl while wrapping a protective arm around my shoulders.

“Luciella, wait!” the Enchantress called just as we reached the door.

I cursed under my breath when Ric stopped and turned us around. Did he really expect me to make nice with her after all she’d done?

“What?” I spat, refusing to mask the venom in my tone.

“I’m sorry.” She clasped her hands in a prayer pose. “I know I’ve been unkind.” She nodded toward her bodyguard. “Nimue and I have been under a lot of stress lately.”

I bristled at that. “And we haven’t?” What could possibly be stressful about being adored by millions of striga around the world without having to do much, other than manifesting glitter and blowing kisses at a camera?

“You have,” she continued, an urgency in her voice that caught me off guard, “which is why it was even more wrong of me to take out my frustrations on you. I see how you are with your son and your family, and it’s clear you are a good witch.

” Her voice broke and her eyes glossed over as if she was on the verge of crying.

“If you give me another chance, I’ll make sure WitchTok sees it too. ”

Those tears had to be fake, just like the rest of her. “I don’t know—”

“Please, Luciella.” Her voice rose to a feverish pitch as she fell on one knee like a thwarted suitor begging for a second chance. “One more chance to clear your name and sway strigadom in your favor.”

I looked to Ric, expecting him to send her packing. Instead, he pulled me to the side, whispering in my ear. “We need to give her another chance to clear your name.”

“You can’t seriously trust her,” I said with a sneer.

“No,” he answered, sighing, “but she can’t hurt your reputation any worse.”

Oh, wow . Thanks for the boost of confidence . And, ugh, I’d been hoping to be rid of her.

“Fine,” I said through a tightened jaw as I turned toward her. “One more chance.” I couldn’t believe I was agreeing to this.

“Oh, thank you,” she said as Nimue helped her up. “I promise you won’t regret it.”

Interesting she should say that, because I was already regretting it.

I trusted this witch less than a hungry vampire at a blood bank, and even less than a voracious siren at a sperm bank.

I had a sinking suspicion she wasn’t being sincere, that she would continue to make me look a fool to the rest of strigadom.