Page 47 of Sugar, Spice, and Magical Moonlight (Midlife Menace #2)

That explained why Nimue had left her in the sun the first time she’d fainted.

And to think, I’d felt sorry for her and had given her shade.

Had I known she was a spy, I would’ve let her circuits fry.

I recalled how the Enchantress had been eager to leave Bea behind when we’d gone to the ruggel game, and I knew it was because she didn’t want Bea to give us away.

No doubt, the Enchantress put her daughter’s life at risk for that.

I supposed she wasn’t so bad after all, just a desperate mother.

That still didn’t excuse her treatment of Frederica.

Hopefully, she’d apologize when Frederica returned.

“Do you know where your daughter is?” Ric asked.

The Enchantress let out a blubbery sigh. “No, but we know Serena keeps her close.”

Damn. I knew what we had to do. “If we help you save Astra,” I asked, “will you promise to reveal the truth about Serena and the Insurgi on WitchTok?”

Her eyes flared. “I will, I swear. That bitch will pay for kidnapping our child.”

I turned around when Des hurried onto the patio, his face pinched in worry. “Mama,” he said while tugging on my sleeve, “I can’t find Puffy.”

“I’m sure he’s hiding somewhere.” I took my son’s hand, so relieved he was safe after that siren incident while also feeling guilty that I had my child, and the Enchantress and Nimue were missing theirs. “Come. I’ll help you look.”

WE LOOKED EVERYWHERE for Puffy, including all the ovens. The Enchantress even enlisted the gnomes to help, and they were only too eager to rummage through the pantry and the toiletries. Ugh. I’d be cleaning little cheesy fingerprints off everything for weeks.

I couldn’t deny the tension as thick as butter between Ric and me, all because of my big mouth.

Why had I volunteered to be Shu’s guinea pig and drink that truth serum?

Oh yeah, chocolate was involved. I swear, chocolate was going to be the death of me.

That was how I envisioned my end. A hundred years from now, I’d probably drop my bonbon in the nursing home and break a hip and crack my skull trying to retrieve it.

But back to my now-sour relationship with Ric. I couldn’t get him to look at me, and when I’d tried to corner him to explain myself, he refused to talk about it, saying we had more important things to worry about.

I couldn’t deny that had stung. Wasn’t our relationship important? Or maybe not, since I didn’t want babies.

“Puffy!” Des cried while running through the house.

My son was becoming more and more agitated, and I worried he’d have a meltdown if we didn’t find Puffy soon.

I sat him at a table in the kitchen, forcing him to drink a glass of almond milk while scanning the dark skies for any unusual movements in the trees.

And just when I didn’t think the dragon shit show could get any worse, Ethyl buzzed into the house like Bea on steroids, clutching her pink hair while spinning so fast, she nearly collided with the ceiling fan. “Freddie is gone!”

I wildly waved my arms. “Ethyl, come down before you hurt yourself.”

She fell to the ground in a sobbing heap, and for a moment, I thought that Bea’s banshee had taken over her.

I knelt beside her, gently squeezing her narrow shoulder. “Gone, how?”

She peered at me through watery eyes. “I thought I heard a motor running, so I went back to the dock, and I saw her leaving in one of the boats. Puffy was with her. I tried to call them back, but she refused to turn around.”

I jerked back. “What?”

“Puffy!” Des pounded the table, rattling his cup. “We have to save him, Mama!”

Panic twisted a knot in my stomach. How could we leave the island when demons and Insurgi were probably circling the waters, looking for us? I worried my bottom lip, my gaze darting to Ric and then back to Ethyl. “Did she say where she was going?”

“No.” Ethyl wrung her hands while giving me an accusatory glare. “I should’ve trusted her.”

I squeezed her hand, wishing I could offer her more comfort. “I’m sorry.” It was bad enough I’d possibly ruined my relationship with Ric, but I’d never forgive myself if I had destroyed Ethyl’s happiness, too.

“What do we do?” Ethyl cried.

“Nothing,” Ric rumbled. “Either the Insurgi or the demons have captured them by now.”

Ethyl jumped into the air, eyes practically crossed as she shook a fist in his face. “We have to go after them!”

“I’m sorry, Ethyl.” Ric shook his head, his features hardening. “They put themselves in this position.”

“No, you did!” Ethyl spun around mid-air, wagging a fist at me. “By accusing Freddie of having tail-play with Nimue!”

The Enchantress let out a startled “moo.”

Nimue hissed. “You were watching usss?”

I held up my hands in surrender. “Believe me, not deliberately.” Swallowing back my sorrow, I pleaded with Ethyl. “I’m sorry, but it was an honest mistake. I didn’t know the Enchantress was a minotaur.”

Ethyl swiped tears off her face, her lower lip trembling. “There’s one boat left. We have to go after them.”

“How will you fight our enemies if they capture you?” I asked, hoping to reason with her. “Our magic doesn’t work out there.”

“We can’t leave them!” Voice cracking, she fluttered above me in an erratic circle. “They’ll torture them! Poor little Puffy won’t survive. He’s just a baby!”

“We have no choice, Ethyl!” Ric boomed.

Ethyl let out a wail, falling to the ground again. I tried to comfort her, but she waved me away with a snarl. I gave Ric a helpless look, and he shrugged an apology. But then I noticed Des was no longer sitting at the table. I glanced around the room, my blood turning cold when I didn’t see him.

“Where’s Des?” I rasped, feeling as if someone else was speaking for me.

“I don’t know.” Ric stiffened, then spun around. “He was right here.”

My heart pounded so hard, I feared it would beat out of my chest, filling my head with a whoosh, whoosh, whoosh . I didn’t know where I found the strength to stand or to walk to the back door leading to the courtyard. I cracked it open and called his name, my cries growing with urgency.

The rest of my family gaped at me like gnomes caught in a flashlight’s glare.

Oh, My Goddess, no!

I felt like Puffy chasing his tail as I ran through the house, calling out for my son. “Des? Des! Des!”

I raced onto the patio and then the pool deck, screaming his name like a banshee. Still no answer.

“Luci! Look!”

Shu hollered and pointed to the sky. There was my son’s silhouette illuminated by a blood moon as he flew on his broom away from the safety of our warded island.

My heart fell to the pit of my stomach, and my blood turned to icy sludge.

Cupping my hands around my mouth, I called to him. “Des, get back here! Des!”

But he ignored my pleas as he flew farther away.

Goddess, no!

A violent tremor rolled through me, and Ric caught me just as my legs buckled.

“Don’t worry, Luci,” he whispered, holding me tight. “He won’t get far once the coral cancels out his magic. We can pick him up with a boat.”

I clutched his collar like a lifeline, afraid I’d fall into oblivion if I let go. I’d never been so terrified in all my life. “Not if he drowns first or the sirens eat him!”

The lion flared in his eyes. “We don’t have time to waste. Let’s go.”