Page 26 of Sugar, Spice, and Magical Moonlight (Midlife Menace #2)

I didn’t know if it was a casual nickname, or if Ric meant more by it, but wow, he’d called my child “son.” My joy quickly turned to confusion, then panic.

Why would he do that? Did he consider himself more than my boyfriend?

And if so, shouldn’t he have consulted me first?

Then again, how selfish was I to make this about me when Des was obviously pleased by Ric’s affection?

I forced myself to shake off my concern. There would be time to analyze Ric’s moniker for my child later. For now, I wanted to focus on the game, and namely, how I could face-plant the Enchantress while making it seem like an accident.

“I’m not playing,” Shu said as he lathered more baby oil on his legs. “I don’t do violence.”

Shu was probably the smartest striga among us, and I wondered why I’d relented so easily. Remembering the fog in my skull a few minutes earlier, I shot Des a side-eye, not reassured when he averted his gaze.

“The ressst of usss can take on the SSSkull Crusher,” Nimue hissed, a gleam in her eyes.

A tremor coursed through me, and I got the feeling Nimue would like nothing better than to pummel my boyfriend for being the unwilling recipient of the Enchantress’s attention.

Ethyl hiccupped, then belched into her palm, making a sour face. “I can’t, but I’ll fly behind Frederica.”

Good idea, I mouthed to her.

The Enchantress issued my boyfriend a challenging glare. “You won’t get past Nimue.”

He arched a brow, the low purr rolling from him nearly making my uterus weep. “You sure about that?”

Nimue licked her lips with a forked tongue. “We’ll jussst have to find out, won’t we?”

I might have peed a little in my bikini at the deadly glint in her eyes. Good thing I was already dripping from the pool.

The Enchantress let out a silky laugh while tossing a long braid over her shoulder. “Let’s live stream it.”

Ric flashed his feline fangs. “Fine with me.”

I gave him a wary look. What the hex had we gotten ourselves into this time?

MUCH TO MY DISAPPOINTMENT , the Enchantress had gone into the house, returning in a Hexing Hydras uniform, complete with a helmet, cleats, and trousers tight enough to resurrect ghosts of yeast infections past. I put on my running shoes, which, though old, looked brand new since I absolutely abhorred exercise.

Not to be outdone, Ric put on his old Fiery Dragons ruggel uniform.

He even had an extra jersey and cleats for Des to wear, though I worried about that goalie cap that hid my son’s mop of dark hair.

Ric and Des had to pressure me to agree to letting my son play goalie.

I still couldn’t believe I’d relented, though my son might have used a touch of persuasive magic.

The goalie had the toughest job on the field, stopping balls that were known to explode or even suddenly grow a set of snapping teeth.

Still, the uniform did something for his confidence that I couldn’t deny made my heart soar.

I’d never seen my son smile so hard, the tilt in his chin and the sharpness in his eyes reminding me that he wouldn’t be a child much longer.

Words couldn’t express my gratitude toward Ric for the kind way he treated my son.

Emotions welled up in me as I watched Ric pat him on the back.

And to think, I’d been upset earlier because he’d called him “son.” What was wrong with me?

Any other woman would’ve been grateful her boyfriend and son got along so well.

Ric treated my son better than his own father treated him.

I still had a hard time believing this incredible man was mine.

We moved to the grassy field next to the pool, which I also noticed had ruggel nets at opposing ends.

I imagined Ric had lots of wild shindigs here in his tongue-thrashing and skull- crushing days.

He probably bashed a few heads by day and then retired to his bedroom at night with ruggel groupies.

My cheeks heated at the thought as I tried my hardest to push those images from my mind, especially when I had such an awesome visual of his face planted between my legs.

Our team huddled at one end of the lawn, while the Enchantress’s team converged at the other end.

“Okay, Des.” I paused to peek over my shoulder. Luckily, Bea hadn’t started filming yet. “You need to listen carefully,” I said on an urgent whisper. “They are live streaming this. You absolutely can’t use magic.”

His mouth fell open, as if I’d just put Puffy in time-out. “What if they can’t tell it was me?”

I tensed, a sickening feeling coming over me that Des would disobey me and use magic, anyway. “You’re not supposed to use magic in ruggel.”

“But everyone does,” he argued, his tone pleading.

Tension wound a noose around my spine as I fixed my son with a stern look. “Des, no magic.” I paused, swallowing. “Unless your life depends on it.” I hated that I had to add that caveat, but I didn’t trust the Enchantress and Nimue not to play dirty.

His shoulders fell. “Okay.”

I hated disappointing my son. It made me feel like the world’s worst mother, but his safety was paramount, and I shuddered to think what would happen to him if strigadom found out he was the real Phoenix.

I could only imagine the hunt for us would intensify, for demons and witches alike would view a preteen autistic boy as an easier target.

I rubbed his arm, frowning. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. I know this is hard for you.”

He solemnly nodded. “It’s okay, Mama.”

I jerked when I felt the flapping of wings and hot breath by my face. Puffy materialized for a second to let out a screech before jumping off Des’s shoulder. What was that all about?

Something tickled my ankle, and I jumped with a yelp as I peered down at a tiny pair of eyes blinking at me from a fist-sized hole in the ground. “Ahh!” I pulled Des away as the eyes disappeared back into the hole.

Ric stomped the hole too late as the earth buckled away from us, creating a visible line of expanding soil beneath the grass as the gnome tunneled toward the other end of the field.

“You have gopher gnomes?” I blurted.

Ric shook his head, his eyes wide with shock. “The island has never had gopher gnomes.”

I pointed to the line of buckled earth that continued to move toward the Enchantress’s team. “Then what the hex is that?”

Ric dragged a hand down his face with a groan. “I have no idea where they came from.”

The Enchantress stepped over the raised earth and sauntered up to us, her bodyguard slithering behind her. “Gnomes have a way of finding me,” she said with a sultry laugh, as if we were just supposed to shrug off these ankle-maiming vermin.

Merlin’s balls! How were we expected to play on a field with gopher gnomes? Those things had a bite like a steel trap. I gave Ric a pleading look. “Maybe we should call the game.”

“Why?” the Enchantress asked, a taunting lilt to her voice. “The gnomes make it feel like a real ruggel game.”

I vehemently shook my head. “It’s too dangerous.”

Nimue’s dark laughter was like a thousand tiny insects burrowing beneath my skin. “The Phoenix isss afraid of a few gnomesss?”

I wrapped a protective arm around Des. “I’m thinking of my son.”

“Oh, don’t worry.” The Enchantress batted her long, false lashes. “I’ll tell them not to hurt him.”

“How sweet.” I flashed my teeth while motioning toward Ric. “I assume they’ll just attack Ric and me.”

I wasn’t reassured when she gave me a look like a hawk descending on a mouse. “They certainly won’t attack anyone on my team.”

“That’s hardly fair.” I fingered that wand in my pocket while thinking of a dozen different curses. I could take her down with some intense PMS or maybe a spell of explosive flatulence perfectly timed during the live stream. The idea was very tempting.

“You have the Skull Crusher on your team.” She motioned toward Ric. “They’re just evening out the playing field.”

“We’ll handle the gnomes,” Ric whispered in my ear while pulling us off the field, stopping when we reached the pool deck.

His eyes, which had turned to two glowing, feline slits, narrowed on something behind me, and I knew he was glaring at the Enchantress or even Nimue. “Do you have your lipstick wand handy?”

I innocently batted my lashes while pretending I hadn’t been contemplating using the wand in my pocket against the annoying influencer. “Wands aren’t allowed on the field.” But yeah, I always kept it within reach, just in case we were ambushed by demons or the Insurgi.

“Visible wands aren’t allowed on the field,” he said. “Use a masking spell.”

“That’s cheating.” I bit my lip, knowing my argument sounded flat. This was my chance to get back at the Enchantress for being the most annoying striga in existence.

“So?” He shrugged. “They’re already cheating, and the game hasn’t started. Besides.” He elbowed my side with a wink. “It’s not a real ruggel game without cheating.”

Guess I couldn’t argue with the Skull Crusher.

“So what do I do?” I asked. Sure, I’d take his advice, but I also planned on getting creative. I knew a pretty good canine spell that would have the Enchantress chasing her invisible tail and trying to fetch the ruggel ball with her teeth.

“Zap the gnomes with that stun spell you used on me,” Ric said.

Des gasped, looking at me as if I’d just poisoned Puffy.

“Can you tell the gnomes to leave us alone?” I asked my son.

He gave me a sheepish look. “They will do anything for the Enchantress.”

I inwardly seethed, remembering how they’d broken into the vault for her, and I wondered if they had done it on her orders.

“The stun spell won’t hurt the gnomes,” I reassured Des. “Just knock them out for a short time.”

“Okay, Mama,” he said, his shoulders falling slightly.

“I won’t hurt them,” I reassured him. “Promise, though I’d much rather use my magic on the Enchantress,” I added, ire lacing my words. “But I don’t want our ankles getting bit.” I turned to Ric. “What about Nimue?”