Page 43 of Sugar, Spice, and Magical Moonlight (Midlife Menace #2)

Ric nodded toward a stone path that cut a swath through the jungle. “Remain on the path. It will lead you back to the house.” His features darkened. “And stay away from the beach.”

“Don’t worry, we will,” I answered, my spine stiffening with resolve. Not that I could walk off the path in heeled boots and jeans tight enough to summon a yeast infection poltergeist. “But I’ll blast those sirens to hell if they try to hurt my son.”

Ric cupped my face, the pad of his thumb tracing my jawline, his eyes flashing with what looked like pride. “This was the first thing that attracted me to you, you know?”

“What?”

He flashed a fanged grin. “That you’re such an amazing mother.”

I inwardly cringed at the compliment, though I wasn’t sure why. I kissed his cheek. “Thanks.”

I HELD HANDS WITH MY son while we walked on the path made of crushed gravel and lined with beautiful flowery plants.

We took our time admiring Ric’s island. I was afraid to rush back until I was able to cool my temper, lest I turn the entire island to rubble with my earth-splitting magic.

Softly glowing tiki torches lit the way every few dozen feet.

Combined with the fragrant smells of the foliage and the gentle ocean breeze, I understood why Ric’s family had built a home here, despite the dangers surrounding the island.

It was almost paradise, and I’d be happy to remain here indefinitely, so long as we got rid of that backstabbing bitch first.

I wondered why she said I’d killed Felicity.

Maybe she knew the Insurgi had already killed her, and they were trying to frame me and paint me as a vindictive, scorned ex-wife.

I had so many questions, from Bea’s origins to the Enchantress’s reasons for targeting Frederica.

It still didn’t make sense, because if she wanted the Insurgi to find us, she could’ve exposed us at the ruggel game.

Instead, she’d helped us escape. Then again, the blood oath had most likely prevented her from betraying us there, so she was finding other ways to sabotage us, like making me look bad on WitchTok and driving Frederica away, so I’d have one less friend defending me.

So, so many questions. There was only one thing I was certain of—I wouldn’t be able to sleep with the Enchantress and her strange staff sleeping in the same house, lest my family end up with blades in our backs.

“Look at the pretty bird, Mama!”

I gave a start when Des pointed to a tree branch with a striking crimson bird with a crest of black feathers on its head and a short black beak.

It had a soft, black and crimson feathery tail that was easily five to seven feet long.

The feathers coiled around the trunk of a tree, the tip gently swishing on the ground like a cat’s tail.

The bird let out a long musical whistle, its golden eyes focused on Des.

“I see it,” I answered, entranced by the melody in the bird’s whistle. “Very pretty.”

“It looks like a Phoenix.” Des jutted a thumb in his chest. “Like me.”

I clutched my throat. This was the first time Des has acknowledged himself as the Phoenix. I wondered how long he’d known that he was the most powerful striga on earth. “It does.”

“Listen.” Des held a hand to his ear. “I hear another.”

I strained to hear the other bird, but the jungle had gone eerily silent.

“Isn’t it beautiful?” he asked as a fog settled in his eyes.

Something wasn’t right.

“We need to get back to the house.” I reached for him as the hair rose on the back of my neck and a chill swept down my spine.

Before I could stop my son, he sprinted off the path and into the thick of the jungle.

“Des, wait!” I called when he disappeared behind a leafy plant.

“Des, get back here!” I gritted my teeth, angry with my son for ignoring me as I ran into the jungle in heeled boots.

“Des!” I called to my son, swearing while swatting bugs and thorny branches off me.

I could barely make out his messy mop of dark hair up ahead. “Des!”

Dodging tree roots and trying not to get cut and slapped by branches would’ve been a whole lot easier if I wasn’t in heels and if I could’ve breathed in these jeans. Darn that kid!

Panic ratcheted up my spine when he disappeared behind a copse of trees. I tried to hurry, ignoring the sting from the slashes by thorny branches. I called for my son until my voice had gone hoarse. Where had he gone?

Then I heard a sound that made my blood run cold.

My son let out a bloodcurdling scream.

Oh, hex no!

I whipped out my wand and blasted my way through the plants, cutting a fiery swath through the jungle while racing toward my child.

The jungle gave way to a sandy beach with pink light from a full blood moon reflecting on the lapping waves.

My son, who thankfully looked unharmed, was seated on the ground, gaping at a trio of sirens who crawled around him, their shimmery tails dragging through the sand, their dark hair adorned with shells and pearls, their nipples covered by seashells and nothing else.

I flew at them with a roar, my wand aimed at their chests. “Let him go or die!”

They turned on me with hisses, blood streaming down their chins and necks. Either they’d just had their Wisdom teeth pulled, or they’d eaten a person. Either way, Des and I weren’t about to stick around to find out.

The siren closest to me flashed sharp fangs. “We don’t hurt Phoenixxx.”

How’d they know he was the Phoenix? Also, whew! They lost their interest in Des and quickly crawled toward me, their tails cutting a deep swath through the sand.

Des jumped to his feet, brushing sand off his pants.

I nodded toward the jungle behind me. Go , I mouthed to him.

He skirted around them and ran behind me.

I slowly backed up as the sirens drew closer, moving with jerky, haunted movements, as if they were zombies ascending from a crypt or like the fishy version of Bea.

They had skin as pale as death, haunted looks in their hollow eyes framed by dark circles, and slits for noses, but what was most terrifying were the long fangs extending from the tops of their mouths.

And sailors were attracted to this? They must’ve used serious magic to appear less ghoulish, which meant they brought catfishing to a whole new level.

“Is Phoenixxx mother?” they simultaneously hissed, their voices ringing in my head like a reverberating cymbal.

Aware that Des was behind me, I continued backing up. “Y-yes.”

They flashed bloody, fanged grins. Goddess, their faces would haunt my nightmares for years. “Mate to brave, ssstrong sssphinx.”

Mate? What?

I kept backing up while prodding Des to move faster. “Ladies, as much I enjoy a fun girls’ night out, my son and I need to get to bed.”

“Hisss race mussst continue to protect Phoenixxx.” They nodded toward the ocean. “Now we give you sphinx babies.”

What? Give me babies? They weren’t making sense. “Uh, I don’t think so. My baby days are over.”

I screamed when one of the sirens shot out and grabbed my ankle, her long, blood-crusted nails digging into my boot. “He mussst have heirs.”

“No, thanks.” I shook her off me and then ran, shooing Des in front of me. “Go! Go! Go!”

We raced into the jungle, following the burned swath of vegetation until we landed on the path.

Chest heaving, I bent over, clutching my knees. Holy hex!

I slowly stood, knowing we couldn’t remain here long in case the sirens called to Des again.

“Mama, are you mad at me for leaving?” My son hung his head, his mouth drawn in a frown.

“It wasn’t your fault, darling.” I took him in my arms, relieved when he didn’t pull away. “You were bewitched,” I said while kissing his cheek. “I’m just glad you’re safe.”

Goddess, if sirens were powerful enough to overwhelm the Phoenix, a common sailor didn’t stand a chance.

Des broke the hug all too soon and held out a hand to me. “Come on, Mama. This way.”

I wordlessly followed while holding tightly to his hand and expelling deep breaths, trying to quell my nerves after our siren encounter. What were they trying to tell me? I must have Ric’s babies? Or that they were going to give me his babies? How? A fertility spell?

Then their words echoed through my memory.

“His race must continue to protect Phoenix,” meaning once the sphinxes died off, there would be none left to protect Des.

I already knew this, though I had pushed the thought to the back of my mind.

Now the realization crashed through my mind like a wild herd of tauruses.

Ric was already over a hundred, and Des would most likely outlive him.

Ric needed to have sphinx babies to protect my son.

Goddess, did I want to have more babies?

More dirty diapers? More sore nipples? More stretch marks?

Hex, no! I’d already served my time as a baby and toddler mom, and as much as I loved my boy, I didn’t want to relive the nightmare of spit-up in my hair and green goo diapers.

And the sleepless nights. There weren’t enough puffy-eye spells and fine-line minimizer to make up for being woken up at three a.m. to soothe a cranky infant.

But I couldn’t let Ric’s species die out, which meant I would either have to give him babies or step aside, so another witch could. Either choice was equally awful.

What had Ric said to me today? Something about one of the reasons he was attracted to me was because I was such a good mother. He wasn’t just with me for the cinnamon rolls and blow jobs. He was looking for a breeder!

“Mama, what are they doing?”

“Huh?” I glanced up, shocked when Des pointed to two minotaur hooves sticking up from behind a bush while a low “moomoomoo” echoed through the jungle.

It took me a moment to register what I was seeing. Des pulled me to the side to show me a better angle, and then, holy hex!

I quickly pulled my son away while shielding his eyes.

“Let’s get out of here,” I hissed.

Nimue and Frederica! Why?

“What were they doing?” Des whispered while I rushed him down the path.

“Oh my Goddess,” I grumbled. Des and I still hadn’t had “the talk” yet, though I feared it was imminent.

Truthfully, I was hoping Ric would do it.

How would I explain to my son what he’d seen?

And that Mommy and Ric liked to do the same thing at night?

Well, minus the tail. Eww. I wished I could bleach that memory from my mind.

The tip of Nimue’s tail was being used as a.

.. let’s just say that, considering Nimue’s tail was always dragging around on the floor, I hope she sanitized it with a bucket of bleach first, or else Frederica was about to get a raging case of vaginosis.

Also, wow. A Lamia tail appeared to be much more useful than dildo horns.

I wondered if Ethyl knew Frederica and Nimue were lovers. Did the Enchantress know? Of course, she knew. It must’ve been why the Enchantress loathed Frederica.

I had to tell Ethyl. Though I didn’t want to upset her, I couldn’t keep this secret from her.

How would she react? If she went after Nimue, I’d be forced to step in and defend my friend, which meant the Enchantress would jump in to defend Nimue, unless she was too busy attacking Frederica.

I’d gladly battle both Nimue and the Enchantress for Ethyl, eliminate two threats and then add creepy Bea for good measure.

Goddess, this was like the worst reality show ever, and I feared we were about to reach the explosive reveal. I hope we survived it.