Page 22 of Sugar, Spice, and Magical Moonlight (Midlife Menace #2)

A fter Nimue set two stools in front of the phone camera, I sat on one of them while Ethyl fluttered around me, touching up my makeup.

She’d already forced me to change into a modest button-up blouse and maxi skirt, not my usual style, but Ethyl had it in her head that making me look like a librarian would render me more likable.

Frowning at my face, she pulled out her wand, but I quickly blocked her.

“No spells,” I grumbled, while grimacing at my heavy eye circles reflecting back at me from Ethyl’s pocket mirror. Goddess, they were getting worse. Maybe I’d borrow some of Bea’s makeup and go goth, though I was certain Bea would throw a fit after she woke up from her poolside nap and saw me.

The Enchantress still wore the pilfered jewels that the gnomes had given her. I had a feeling Ric would have a hard time getting them back. She admired her crown while making kissy faces at herself in her own compact mirror.

“We’re ready,” Nimue said darkly, taking the mirror from the Enchantress.

The Enchantress stood in front of her stool, her bottom barely touching the seat.

Was this a power move so she’d tower over me?

I thought about standing, too, but I was so nervous, I feared my legs would buckle beneath me.

I swallowed back my trepidation when Nimue turned on the bright overhead lights.

The Enchantress pasted on a sickeningly sweet smile and waved her wand, spraying the air with sparkles.

Fanning my face, I coughed and nearly choked on glitter that exploded on my tongue like popping candy.

Sheesh! I mouthed my “thanks” to Ethyl when she hovered above me and dropped a water bottle into my hands.

I uncapped the drink and took several gulps, only spilling a little down my neck before capping it and throwing it back to her.

She caught it like a ruggel player defending her net, quickly flying out of the camera view.

“Three, two, one,” Nimue mouthed, her neck gills expanding and contracting.

The Enchantress pulled back her shoulders, her bright gaze focused on the camera. “Good evening, my darling Enchanters. It is I, your beloved Enchantress, live streaming with the world’s most powerful striga in an undisclosed location with part two of our up-close-and-personal interview.”

Live streaming! Ugh. If I said something stupid, which odds were very likely I would, there was no way to edit it out.

But then the Enchantress faced me, and I felt like a gnome trapped in a beer bottle. “Tell us one thing about Luciella Sagredo you want the world to know.”

It felt like someone else was speaking for me as the words fell from my mouth like vomit. “My last name is Lovelle, not Sagredo.” I realized too late I sounded like a snob, but no more snobby than the queen of snobs standing before me.

She blinked at me as if I’d just banned glitter. “But it’s one of the oldest and most respected magical families.”

I shrugged. “The Sagredos have never treated me like family, so I’d rather go by the name my parents chose for me.”

“So, is that the one thing you wanted to share with us? That you don’t feel like a Sagredo?”

“No.” Turning up my chin, I faced the camera while summoning courage I didn’t feel.

“The one thing I would like the world to know is that we’re hiding from my aunt because she wants to use the Phoenix’s powers as her own.

She’s manipulative and controlling, and I refuse to let my family be pawns in her war.

” The words hurt to say aloud, because I’d so hoped for a relationship with my aunt when I’d first met her. How could my mom’s twin be so evil?

The influencer’s mouth twisted as she gave me a look of contempt. “The demon war affects all of us.”

I swallowed and stared into her eyes while wondering about her real motive in interviewing me.

Was it just for content? She was already the most beloved striga on WitchTok.

She didn’t need me to make her more popular.

A nagging feeling told me she had an ulterior motive for being here.

“So does incredible power in the wrong hands.”

She leaned toward me, eyes narrowing. “Are your aunt’s hands are the wrong hands?”

“Clearly.” I arched back, not liking the weight of her stare. “If they were the right hands, she wouldn’t need to use deceit to try to control us.”

She tapped her chin. “You keep saying ‘us.’”

“We’re a team.”

“Who?” she pressed.

“My family and friends,” I answered, discomforted by the strange gleam in her eyes. There was something she was hiding.

“Why isn’t your aunt part of your team?”

“She lied to me,” I answered. “She convinced us to break into the Tribunal to save Ric while knowing that he’d already escaped.”

“But Frederica hadn’t escaped yet, correct?” she asked in a syrupy sweet voice that grated on my nerves.

I bristled, knowing where she was heading. “Correct.”

“Isn’t she worth saving?”

Why did I get the feeling she was trying to make me seem cruel?

I dug my fingers into my palms until nails broke skin while repressing the urge to zap that smug smile off her face.

“She is worth saving, but my aunt hadn’t told us she was a hostage, and that doesn’t negate the fact that my aunt lied. ”

“Why did Generale Sagredo lie?”

“Because she wanted us to take down the demon controlling Maga Sagredo.”

She arched a thin brow. “And she had to deceive you to get you to do that?”

I sighed. “Apparently so.”

“Why wouldn’t you want to take down the demon controlling Maga Sagredo,” she pressed, “and thus, the entire Roman Tribunal? Isn’t that your job as Phoenix, to eliminate demons?”

Why did the Enchantress have a way of making me feel like I was on trial at the Tribunal?

Ric loudly cleared his throat, moving from the shadows, and I caught his eye and his wide smile of approval. He gave me two thumbs-up, as if to indicate I was doing great. I couldn’t help my smile. He had no idea what his support meant to me.

Resolve stiffened my spine as I faced my nemesis. I wouldn’t let her shake me. “My first job is to keep my family safe.”

“Mainly your son, correct?”

I tensed when she mentioned Des. Yeah, she was determined to rattle me. “Yes.”

She examined her nails, as if the glittery polish was more interesting than speaking to me. “Why would you bring him into a battle, anyway?”

I refused to let her intimidate me. “Because I refuse to separate.”

“Why?”

I forced a note of calm into my voice. “Because he’s safest with me.” Damn her for putting the spotlight on my son.

“Even in war?”

I gave her a dark look, dropping my voice to a warning rumble while magic buzzed through my veins and rattled my bones. “Even then.”

I will not let her upset me. I will not let her upset me...

“If you had children,” I added, “you’d understand.” I assumed she didn’t have any, since she hadn’t mentioned them in her videos and still had perfectly pert breasts and a flat stomach.

Her eyes flared before she plastered on a serene expression. Had I touched a nerve? Good. She’d bludgeoned every single one of mine.

She heaved a deep sigh, indicating she was officially bored with me. “What would it take for you to come out of hiding?”

“When the world is safer for my family.”

Her eyes shone with malice. “But you’re the one who can make the world safer.”

I breathed out a slow breath, my gaze drifting to Ric’s smile. I will not let her upset me. “I alone can’t make the world safer. I need more striga I can trust helping me. I need to know they are working with me, not against me.”

Nimue made a snakelike hiss, and the Enchantress flinched, as if she’d woken from a spell.

“All right, you heard it from the Phoenix herself. Now you know why she’s been hiding from us.

” The words flew out of her mouth in a rush of air.

“This concludes today’s interview with Luciella Lovelle.

Stay tuned for my next interview tomorrow, and remember, Enchanters, to practice mindful magic.

” She plastered on the biggest, fakest smile while blowing kisses at the screen. “Kisses, kisses, and magical wishes!”

The door flew open, and Bea flew inside like a bat escaping hell, nearly slamming into Ethyl. I shivered at the frigid draft that followed her buzzing wings that were nothing but a blur of white.

“I’m here!” she said on a shrill cry that sounded worse than a dragon dragging its talons down a chalkboard. “Sorry, I was out of it.” Her head twitched like a rabbit on crack as she repeated, “Out of it.”

Weird. She reminded me of a glitchy computer.

“It’s fine.” The Enchantress stood, waving away her concern. “We filmed without you.”

Bea’s jaw dropped. “You filmed without me?” Her shrill voice was more obnoxious than the sound of sick, mating cats. “Why would you do that?”

“Because I need to post during peak viewing time.” The Enchantress went to her wardrobe, pulling out a silk robe that honestly looked much too big for her. “You know that.”

“I need to see the interview before you post.”

The Enchantress flashed her teeth like a mama badger guarding her cubs. “It was a live stream.”

Bea’s wings went still, and she fell onto the stool that the Enchantress had just vacated. “Oh, I hope we don’t disappoint our viewers.”

The Enchantress went behind a partition and slipped into her robe. “We won’t.”

Bea wrung her hands together. “ Some of them might be disappointed.”

The Enchantress emerged from behind the partition, her eyes flaring with what looked like anger, and maybe a touch of fear. “They’ll get over it.” She sneered at Bea. “Did you get me a fresh latte?”

Bea jumped up from the stool, her wings feverishly buzzing. “No, but I can warm up your old one.”

“You know I don’t drink old latte.” She waved away her servant like she was shooing a stray dog. “Get me a new one!”