Page 49 of Sugar, Spice, and Magical Moonlight (Midlife Menace #2)

Serena hissed at the water, and I saw a flash of red in her eyes.

So my aunt truly was possessed! No wonder she was such a hateful hag! I didn’t know if I should’ve been alarmed or relieved to know a demon was controlling my aunt, though I hoped it had been the demon, and not my late mom’s twin, who’d issued a warrant for my arrest and execution.

I sucked in a sharp breath when a webbed hand reached out from the water and grabbed on to Serena’s ankle. My aunt released her hold on Astra, lunging for the siren with her knife. Astra seized her chance to escape and dove into the water.

A shrill cry rang out when Serena stabbed the siren’s neck. The siren released her hold, slinking back into the water, and then Serena fell over backward, Shu’s dart sticking out from her forehead.

I smiled at my fairy godfather. “You really are a sharpshooter.”

He shrugged, then looked away. “I served the Sagredos through many wars.”

I shuddered to think what the Sagredos had made him do, and I vowed to treat my godfather better. He was family, after all.

Ethyl screamed, nearly falling backward off the boat when webbed hands grabbed the hull.

Nimue emerged from the water, Astra clinging to her neck.

Blood dripped down their faces while their gills flared.

When Nimue raised her child toward me, I set down my gun and heaved her into my arms. The child blinked up at me with wide, frightened eyes.

I rocked her on my hip. “It’s okay, Astra.

You’re safe now,” I whispered. I’d forgotten what it had felt like to hold a child this young.

Though it felt nice cradling her in my arms, I was reminded of all the times Des would cry for me to carry him around.

My hands were never free. I was never free.

I couldn’t even read a book or go to the toilet in peace.

I loved my son, but the thought of doing this all over again made me want to join a temple of cloistered priestesses.

Nimue swam to the back of the boat and hoisted herself up the ladder before slithering onto the deck with a shudder.

Astra squirmed from my arms and fell on top of her mother. My heart ached and pitched when they shared a tearful reunion. I was simultaneously relieved and jealous, for I prayed I’d be reunited with my child too.

“What do you want to do with Serena?” Ric called to me rather loudly.

“Nothing right now.” I glared at her inert body lying across the floating hull. Finding Des was my priority. Besides, I didn’t want to risk the chance of her demon attacking us.

Ethyl let out a scream that turned my blood to ice.

She grabbed my pocket, acting as if she was trying to climb into it, when webbed fingers latched on to the side of boat and a hideous creature with slits for a nose heaved her torso over the side.

The siren had deep welts across her chest and arms that I realized were nail marks, no doubt from her victims.

“The army comes,” she said in a sibilant hiss, her nostrils flaring.

I clutched my throat, my knees quaking. “Who?”

Her eyes widened. “Duck!” And then she slid back into the water.

I grabbed my dart gun and waved to Ric, mouthing Go!

when I heard what sounded like a nest of angry hornets swarming above us.

I fell back, clinging to Ethyl and nearly missing the seat when Ric thrust the boat into gear.

We barely had time to react when they descended, an angry army of Kamikaze Beas dive-bombing us.

Nimue shoved Astra into a cubby beneath the console.

Sprawled out on my back, I shot as many Beas as I could, their heads exploding when they hit the water.

Those that didn’t explode were sucked under with sickening gurgles, and I had a feeling the sirens were dismembering the automatons.

Those Beas that landed on the boat unscathed were shredded by Nimue.

But they still kept attacking. So many of them! Where had they come from?

“I’m running out of darts!” Shu called, his chains rattling against the seat while he tried to shoot attacking Beas.

“Me too!” I called back, my heart faltering as the boat slowed while Ric and Nimue grappled with angry Beas that attached to them like rabid monkeys.

I shot a Bea off Ric and another off Nimue before I ran out of ammunition. Ethyl hid behind me, pressing her face against my back as Shu and I used our guns as bats, swatting Beas that descended upon us.

A Bea landed on top of me with a shrill scream, yanking my hair so hard, I saw stars as shooting pain ricocheted through me.

If only I had access to my magic to battle them.

Then again, I’d probably create a tsunami with my earth-splitting magic.

Suddenly, the creature fell off me with a thump , a dart sticking out of her shoulder.

I looked up to see Frederica in a larger boat across from the capsized boat and debris, shooting the devil sprites with her own dart gun. Thankfully for us, but unfortunately for Frederica, the angry sprites turned their attention from us to her.

“Frederica!” I cried out. “She needs our help!”

Ric shoved the boat into gear and drove toward her with agonizing slowness as he navigated headless sprites, various body parts, and shards of wood floating in the water.

Ethyl fluttered to the bow of the boat. “Freddie, I’m so sorry!” Cupping her hands around her mouth, she called out to her lover. “The Enchantress is a minotaur shifter. She was who Luci saw, but I still should have believed you. I love you more than anything.”

Frederica dropped her gun and swatted away sprites like they were giant mosquitoes, sending them careening into the water, where they exploded like land mines. “You love me, mein blume ?”

“With all my heart.” Ethyl gripped the boat rail, tears streaming down her face. “Can you forgive me?”

“Yah.” The minotaur eagerly nodded while sending a sprite spiraling into the darkness. “I forgive you.”

Ethyl wiped tears from her eyes while nervously biting her lip. “I don’t see Puffy.”

“He’s probably hiding in the boat,” I reassured her, even while I worried about my son as I searched the water for any sign of him. We should’ve found him by now.

We’d almost reached Frederica when a fresh wave of Beas descended on us, swarming both boats like werewolves on a carcass.

They ripped the headphones off Ric and Shu while trying to scratch their eyes out.

I couldn’t help them as I swatted Beas off Ethyl and me, spinning my weapon around like a sprinkler head.

But it was no use fighting them as more Beas swarmed us.

And just when I thought all hope was lost, a crack of thunder rent the air, and the sky opened up.

Bright light and a powerful gust of wind poured through, knocking us back with the force of a gale.

Screams and hollers echoed around us as Ethyl and I tumbled onto the deck while shielding our eyes.

What was happening?

Big waves knocked the boat back again and again as the light slowly settled, sparks falling across the boat deck like stardust.

I sat up, rubbing my eyes while trying to make sense of what I was seeing.

Des?

I had no idea what had happened to the sprites, but they were all gone.

My amazing son flew on his broom from Frederica’s boat, landing on the capsized hull.

How was he able to fly with the magic-canceling coral?

I found myself at a loss for words when he hoisted Serena into his arms, slipped a ring off her finger, and threw it into the ocean.

Then he plucked out the dart and pressed his palm to her forehead.

The sky opened with another crack. A giant, swirling crimson vortex spun through the air, its tip falling into Serena’s open mouth and sucking out a screaming, horned shadow.

Then the vortex disappeared with a loud snap that shook my bones and rattled my eardrums.

Des laid Serena back down and crawled to the edge of the boat while sirens beckoned him. I was too shocked to move as he healed their injuries with white light that poured from his hands like water.

The sirens thanked him before falling back into the water. Then my son hopped on his broom and flew over to our boat. He wordlessly ran his magical hands over us while Puffy sat on his shoulder.

Numb from shock, I didn’t realize I had injuries until he lovingly erased cuts on my arms and back.

Dear Goddess, the magic-canceling coral didn’t work on the Phoenix.

My son was more than the most powerful striga in the world—he had God-like powers!

All this time, I’d been so worried about saving him, and he ended up saving us.

No wonder the demons and the Insurgi wanted to control him.

After he finished healing us, he sat on the boat deck, flashing a languid grin. “I’m hungry, Mama.”

I gaped at him for a long moment before my Mom instincts kicked in. “You want some pizza?”

A LOW FOG HAD ROLLED into the bay, blocking out the light from the blood moon, making it hard to see more than a few feet in front of our faces, which meant Ric had to navigate the water at a ridiculously slow pace.

I sat on the bow of the boat, my son in my arms and Puffy sitting at Des’s feet.

Still chained to the passenger seat, Shu watched for threats.

Serena sat across from us, her haunted expression fixed on the water while she clutched the blanket that was wrapped around her shoulders.

She didn’t want to talk, other than to tell me she was “sorry.”

Nimue sat in the back, her child tucked safely in her lap while she glared eye daggers at Serena. Not that I blamed her, but my aunt had been possessed by a demon. How it got in her, I had no idea, for she hadn’t shown signs of possession when Des, Ethyl, and I had stayed with her.

Ethyl had flown to Frederica’s boat, snuggling in her lover’s lap while the minotaur followed us back home. Their boat was a few feet longer than ours, and it still sat precariously low in the water, thanks to Frederica’s weight.

I jerked upright when I heard a splash by the boat and saw the flick of a silvery tail.

“Sirens!” I called to Ric.

Serena saw the tail and let out a bloodcurdling scream before passing out, hitting her head with a thud when she fell onto the fiberglass floor.

Ric swore, slamming the boat into reverse before thrusting his tattered noise-canceling headphones back onto his head. I prayed they still worked.

“Wait.” Des stood, walking to the bow’s end while waving to the sirens as if they were old friends. “The sirens want to talk to us.”

I quickly crossed over to my son, grabbing his arm. I nearly hurled when I saw the line of at least three dozen sirens bobbing above the water, their bloody, fanged grins reminding me of a nest of voracious, possessed dragons.

I pulled my son away from the edge of the boat. “It’s not safe.”

“It’s okay, Mama,” he answered cheerily. “They’re our friends. They’ve been hunting our enemies for us.”

When Serena moaned, rolling onto her side, I helped her sit up, letting her hang her head in her hands.

“Don’t worry,” I said, summoning a confidence I didn’t feel, “they won’t hurt you.”

“They ate my whole crew,” she said on a whimper, “all women.”

All women! I jolted upright. “I thought sirens only ate men!”

I tensed when webbed fingers latched on to the side of the boat, and that same ugly siren with slits for a nose hoisted herself onto the side of the deck. I jerked forward when she licked her bloody lips while giving Ric an appreciative once-over.

“We eat anyone who threatensss Phoenixxxx,” the siren said, sounding like a hissing snake. “We don’t eat sssphinx because he protect Phoenixxx.”

All moisture evaporated from my mouth as I gaped at her while thinking of what to say. “Th-thank you,” I finally blurted.

She eyed me from beneath thick lashes. “You raise sphinx babies.”

I stumbled back as if she’d tried to eat me. “What?”

“No,” Ric boomed. “Luci is done having children.”

My gaze shot to him. He’d removed his headphones and was giving the siren a hard stare while clutching the wheel.

The siren watched him curiously, as if she was deciding whether she wanted to eat or fuck him. “But she your mate.”

His mate? Again with the mate thing! No, I wasn’t his mate. That was a sacred bond between shifters when they found their kismet spirits. Regular striga didn’t have mates.

“She doesn’t want babies,” he said, refusing to look in my direction, though there was no mistaking the despair in his tone, “and I won’t force her.”

The siren gave me a withering look before slipping off the boat with a shrill cry. Then the group of sirens parted, and Ric put the boat into gear once more.

While we passed through them, I couldn’t escape the feeling that the sirens wanted to drag me to the bottom of the ocean and stab me in the ovaries.

Once we were a safe enough distance from the sirens, nervous laughter bubbled up from my throat. “That was weird.”

“Totally gnarly,” Shu added. “Let’s blow this popsicle stand.”