Page 54 of Guarded By the Gargoyle

Goody Albright frowned.

“But Goldie dear, I don’t know about the idea of opening another door to The Pit from inside Hidden Hollow.”

“Not a door so much as a portal—aone wayportal specifically meant for just one person to come through—Kael,” Goldie said, handing me a napkin.

“What so we could bring him back here without worrying about anything else coming with him?” I asked hopefully, drying my eyes on the napkin she offered me. “Because I saw my ex in there—in Hell. And I don’t want him anywhere near me!”

“Itispossible to bring just one person and exclude everyone else—including your ex—but it’s a tricky business and there’s only one way to do it,” Goldie said mysteriously.

“Well, how? Do I have to do a spell?” I asked. I wasn’t a very experienced witch—I’d only found out that I was one earlier that day, (it was almost nighttime now,) but I was willing to try anything to get Kael back.

“It’s akindof spell.” Goldie tucked one of her long blonde curls behind her ear and leaned forward. “How much do you know about Sex Magic?”

“Sex Magic?” I frowned and shook my head. “Uh, nothing. Is that even a thing?”

“Oh, it’s a thing, all right,” Goody Albright said, nodding. “But it can easily go bad.” She looked at Goldie. “Are you sure this is a good idea? Willow just learned she has powers a few days ago and aside from the transference spell she helped me with, she really hasn’t used them much at all.”

“Hey, you came to me for help for a reason,” Goldie pointed out. “This is the only way I know of to extract someone from The Pit.”

“All right, my dear—you know I’m not doubting your expertise,” Goody Albright said quickly.

“I don’t understand,” I said, frowning. “What expertise do you have?” Now that I had stopped crying, it occurred to me that asking the owner of the local diner to help rescue someone from Hell might be a strange choice.

Goldie sighed.

“I’ll tell you, but please don’t spread it around. I’mhalf demon.”

“What?” I stared at her in surprise. She didn’t look like a demon at all—unless she hid it really well. She looked like a pretty, middle aged woman with a full, curvy figure and a mass of golden blonde ringlets

“It’s true.” She nodded briefly. “My mother was a Succubus which makes mehalfSuccubus. That’s also the reason I’m an expert at Sex Magic. It kind of runs in my blood, you know?”

I didn’t know, but I wanted to learn more.

“Tell me what to do,” I said eagerly, leaning forward. “How do I use Sex Magic to get Kael back?”

“Well first of all, you need the right setting,” Goldie told me. “Luckily, I have my Lust Hut—you can use that.”

“Uh, Lust Hut?” I raised my eyebrows. “What’s that?”

“The place I go to practice my magic, of course,” Goldie said patiently. She sighed. “I don’t use it much now. I don’t have any Heartmates.”

“Heartmates?Plural?”I couldn’t help asking.

She nodded.

“Look, being half-Succubus means I have some pretty strong drives. One guy just doesn’t do it for me. But it’s really hard to find two or three guys who are into sharing. They always getjealous of each other at some point. So here I am, on my own.” She straightened up. “But that doesn’t matter. Right now we’re trying to getyourHeartmate back.”

“Oh, I don’t know if Kael is my Heartmate—whatisa Heartmate, anyway?” I asked.

“That’s your Fated Mate—the one set aside just for you,” Goody Albright explained. “It’s not easy to find the perfect one for you, but you know when you do.”

I thought of how well Kael and I fit together—of how sweet and kind and caring and protective he was and how he’d said he didn’t want to lose me—not even to go back to Heaven. Maybe hewasmy Heartmate.

But how did I get him back?

“I’ll explain everything,” Goldie said when I asked. “But I warn you—you’re going to have to make a sacrifice if you’re going to get him out of Hell—that’s a big ask for any kind of magic.”

“A sacrifice?” I felt my stomach lurch. “You mean like…killing an animal or something?”

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